Seasonal Reminder: Starbucks Holiday Drinks Are Here!

Keep Calm and Drink Coffee

Coffee keeps people going in the morning. Whether they are off to work, working from home, or taking care of babies. 

It's not merely about caffeine affecting the brain. It's more of a ritual, a setting of mood, and a little break from reality.  

I'm going to remind you every time. Take a break! You need to forcefully make time and habit of giving yourself a break, especially if you have a newborn around. 

You can gain so much energy and peace from giving yourself a break. Sit down for a coffee or tea.

To keep your mental health in check, you need to be aware of the changes around you, such as the season, people, colors, weather, etc. In this blog, we will explore some new options in your drink selection for the winter of 2023.  

The Holiday Season Is Around

One good reminder comes from no other than the global coffee chain, Starbucks. Aside from all the criticism they receive, they do a good job of letting people know the Jolly Season is around. 

From Starbucks Stories

The 2023 Holiday Season Cup design is out. I stopped by Starbucks today. All their decorations changed from a Fall Halloween theme to Christmas colors: Red, Green, and sparkles. 

Starbucks Seasonal New Drinks

The season of Pumpkin drinks is fading. 

Let the Peppermint Syrup spread! 

Starbucks put out some interesting new seasonal drinks: Iced Gingerbread Oatmilk Chai and Oleato Gingerbread Oatmilk Latte.

Iced Gingerbread Oatmilk Chai

It comes with Milk foam, Oatmilk, 4 Chai Pumps, 4 Gingerbread Syrup Pumps, and Pumpkin Spice Topping for a Grande size.

Their website quotes: 

Combines warm gingerbread notes, a cozy blend of chai spices, and creamy oatmilk to create a cold holiday beverage that is perfectly balanced by the comforting flavors of the season. Available iced and hot. 

Personally, I'm not a big fan of gingerbread syrup, but I know it is a popular choice among a lot of people. 

Oleato Gingerbread Oatmilk Latte

With limited stores having the series of Oleato drinks (one with virgin olive oil), this drink comes with oatmilk, 4 gingerbread Syrup Pumps, Tangerine Citrus Ginger Sugar, and 2 shots of Blonde Espresso Roast.

The website says that it has Partanna Extra Virgin Olive Oil with warm notes of gingerbread.  I'm still scared to try a coffee with olive oil, but it is very intriguing. 

My Favorite Starbucks Drink for Winter

My personal favorite from the famous coffee chain is the Peppermint Latte. I'm not a big fan of sweet drinks. But I am a big fan of peppermint. So, instead of the Peppermint Mocha on the seasonal menu, I ask for a peppermint latte. It's just a latte with 4 pumps of peppermint syrup (Grande size; 3 pumps for tall). 

Not many people order this, but once they get hooked, it becomes the default throughout the season. 

Conclusion

It doesn't have to be Starbucks. It could be any local coffee shop or other chains like Coffee Beans, Peets' coffee, Philz Coffee, etc. You might not even have time to run to the coffee shop to grab one.

You can make one for yourself in your home espresso bar. Even a traditional drip coffee can do the trick. 

Give yourself a 5-minute break from all the craziness around the house. You don't have to finish your coffee to the bottom. Just the scent of freshly brewed coffee will recharge you. Have some "me" time. Then, let's go get 'em!

Harvard Study: How Play Affects Learning

Can You Play To Learn?

They say Play is one of the most effective ways to learn. Is it? Why?

We often separate play and learn. But can they happen at the same?

There is an article from the Harvard Graduate School of Education: "Why Do Children Play?"

This thesis explores the differences between playing for fun and playing to win and how play affects learning. Let's find out why play is an absolute necessity in learning.

Background 

A study was conducted by the Harvard Graduate School of Education and the University of California, Berkeley. They set up two outdoor games with children from 5 to 10 years old. The participants had choices to make the game easier or harder. The topic was: will they enjoy more when playing to win or playing for fun?

Experimental Setup

The experimental setup was simple:

1. Have the children play the same game but in two different ways.
2. Have them play to win → give them rewards for winning.
3. Have them play for fun → no rewards given.
4. Give them the available options: 

        - Difficulty levels

        - Silly costumes that did not affect the chances of winning

Results

• Kids playing to win chose an easier level. 
• Kids playing for fun chose a harder level. 
• Even when competing, some kids still wanted to have fun too.
• Kids preferences: 43% play for fun & 57% play to win.

Key Findings

Even a 5-year-old can detect that the difficulty modes affect the outcome of the game.

Kids were mostly driven by extrinsic motivation (rewards) when playing to win.

Kids were mostly driven by intrinsic motivation (feeling of accomplishment) when playing for fun.

Reflection

It's easy to understand that a reward for winning is motivating.

Kids chose harder levels when playing for fun. This is significant. The mystery of intrinsic motivation is revealed here. 

The harder levels require considering more factors and figuring out more complicated solutions. Curiosity is what makes kids want to take on the challenge. When there is curiosity, our brains ask for answers. This becomes an internal drive to resolve.

The curiosity is only resolved by learning. Learning to coordinate the factors and finding the perfect combination that works.

Learning is rewarding!!

Conclusion

Whether playing to win or for fun, play motivates kids. The motivation comes from both external and internal rewards. So, the answer to why children play is both for fun and to win. 

Play and learning are thought to be separate. In fact, play is a great starting point for learning. It's a powerful motivator. 

If kids realize learning is rewarding and enjoyable through playing, they will keep wanting to learn more and more. And that's why play is an absolute necessity when it comes to learning.

Play to Learn, But How?

Best, Easy Baby Developmental Activities

You are old enough to be a parent. It probably means you don't remember how you played as an infant. 

You hear this a lot: "Babies learn through plays. Parents need to play with them."  

So, the pressure is on you. You want your child to develop all the motor skills, thinking skills, etc. You don't want your child to fall behind. You want him to develop faster than all the other kids! 

But how? 

It's been so long. You don't remember how or what you played as a kid. You are not sure what to do and how to do it correctly. 

In this blog post, I will share some quick tips and the mindset you need to maintain when playing with your child.

How You Should Approach

First of all, don't pressure yourself. 

Your child will develop his life skills as he grows up. You can't possibly bag all the skills and hand it to him. It takes time. There are skills he or she will not need for a long time. 

Your plays will not affect your child's developmental speed. Your plays will not make a genius out of your child. It's more important that your child learns to enjoy. Because the true power of play comes from enjoying. Enjoying leads to interest. Interest leads to knowledge. Knowledge leads to skills.

So, you are opening up the gateways for your child's development. You are not developing your child. It's up to your child to develop. Loosen up. The key is to enjoy the activities with your child. You are not a teacher or supervisor. You are just a member of the party. 

Known Facts about RELATIVE Developmental Stages

Looking at the Developmental stages or milestones, parents freak out about their child falling behind. Relax. These are relative timings. All children develop at a different pace. It could be a good indication of problems or issues, but time can resolve a lot of them. 

For example, my child didn't smile much at 2 months period. I was getting a little nervous, but my worries were blown away by 3rd month. She gives me the brightest smile every morning to wake me up.  

Early Developmental Stages organized by CDC

We will dive into the earlier periods first.

Two Months

During the first two months, it's hard to expect a response. Because the baby is barely starting to see things. Their visions are still blurry and they are still figuring out the surroundings. The ears open up at least a month old. 

Play tips

• Once your baby begins to keep his eyes open more, play with high-contrast images (black and white). Hold the image close to his eyes, then move it slowly to follow. This helps with seeing and also building the neck muscles to move his head. 

      Ex) High Contrast Books

• Even if he doesn't respond, start to call his name, sing a song, and talk to him. This helps your child to recognize your voice. 

• Start the tummy time little by little. Put him on your belly. Be careful not to block the airway. Let him hold his head up.

Third to Sixth Month

A lot will change during this time. Your child will see a lot better. Smile more. Starts to move around a lot. Flip from back to tummy. Re-flip from tummy to back. Use his hands to grab things. Anything can become a toy at this point. My daughter loves to play with a towel.

Play Tips

• You can upgrade the high-contrast book from black and white to other colors. Give some changes to proximity. Bring the images close and far, side to side, and up and down. 

• Around-we-grow: Toys like these promote bodily movement. The parts will give a direct response. Pushing a button lights up the key and makes a noise. This teaches a cause-and-effect of the child's action. 

• Sensory Toys: It doesn't have to be these toys. You can find things around the house to replace these. As long as your child can safely play with his hands. Touching, stacking, throwing, etc. 

• Anything he grabs will go into his mouth. That's just how babies measure things. Whether it fits in their mouth or not. So make sure anything he touches is clean. 

• Since grabbing is going to be his biggest interest, place things around him to grab. He will try to move towards it by flipping, crawling, or rolling. This will help with his motor skills.

• Play around a mirror. Babies love to see reflections. Our daughter always tries to grab her reflection's hand. She enjoys the flat, cold feeling of the mirror for some reason.

• You can lift up your baby. Some babies love it. Just be very careful not to shake his head. His brain is still somewhat floating in the skull and moving too much will damage it. Your child's neck muscles have a long way to be strong enough. 

Conclusion

Playing opens up ways to experience new things. Getting involved in it makes it more enjoyable for your child. You are one of the very few people your baby is exposed to. You are still his whole world. To have fun with his whole world! It's the greatest thing that can happen to your infant. 

Use your creativity. Stick to the basics. You don't need to give him an expensive all-natural, organic, super-powered magical toy.  Anything you do with him is a fresh memory and a great learning experience. Expose him to a lot of things! Have fun!

Pumpkin Carving: Newly Discovered Talent?

Pumpkin Carving Fun for Halloween

Baby in a Pumpkin picture is a thing on Instagram. A lot of parents are doing it. I'm usually not a big fan of hypes. But this one, there is only one chance in your child's first Autumn. I imagined my daughter in a pumpkin. Off to Target, I was:

Let's explore how I carved a pumpkin for the Baby Pumpkin Picture. I will share the final result at the end.

Materials Needed

First, you need a large, handsome pumpkin. Most major grocery stores have them around the Fall season: Walmart, Target, Ralph's (Kroger's unique name for Southern California), Publix, Trader Joe's, etc.  Pick one that is big enough to fit your baby, has a clean surface, and make sure to check for bugs or any rotten parts.

If it's your first time, grab a tool set too. I bought one from Target for 5 dollars: 2 carving knives, 1 tracing tool, 1 spatula, and a stencil booklet.

You will need a flat surface, some paper towels, a pen or pencil, and a large circular object like a bowl or pan.

Carving Instructions

1. Put the handsome pumpkin on a flat surface.

2. Clean the outer part of the pumpkin with a wet towel and dry it.

3. Take a big circular object and put it on top of the pumpkin around the stem, and draw a big circle on the top of the pumpkin.

4. Using the big knife, cut the top part. Just stab deep first, then use a sawing-like motion following the circle. Make sure you are not cutting off too much of the pumpkin. You want it to look like a pumpkin, not a bowl. 

5. Scrape out the pulp and seeds. There were a lot more than I expected. Use the spatula and hand. You can save these on the side for now. 

6. Draw 2 smaller circles at the bottom of the pumpkin for the leg holes. Your child will be sitting inside the pumpkin with legs out. I had to cut out a couple more times to make the holes big enough. 

7. Let the pumpkin dry. If you live in a cold region, keep it inside. 

 

You are done prepping!

Taking the Picture

• Early in the morning or late afternoon is the best for the optimal lighting. We took the picture at 3 PM and had a bit of trouble with tree shadows. 

• Put the pumpkin on the grass. Gather some leaves and spread them around the pumpkin. 

 

• If your child is too small, put a towel inside the pumpkin to raise the seating height. 

 

• Put on a hat, headband, or a ribbon in fall colors (orange, brown, ivory, white, etc.) on your baby. 

 

• Make sure to get a lot of pictures quickly. Your child might get sick of sitting pretty soon. Take pictures from many angles.

 

• If you have rattles or toys that make noise, bring them. Use them to get your baby's attention towards the camera. 

 

• Be cautious with pumpkin rolling when your baby moves around a lot. We almost had it flipped upside down. 

 

Here is a peek at my try. Our daughter thankfully enjoyed sitting in a pumpkin and gave us plenty of time to take photos and videos.

Reusing the Pumpkin

The pumpkin was $6 from Target. One photo shoot seemed like a waste of $6. It was my first carving experience. So I tested my artistic abilities on the other side of the pumpkin. 

I didn't use a stencil. I found inspiration from the Google Search and drew it on the pumpkin. The carving took about 15 minutes. It turned out pretty good!

My cats were interested in my Jack O'Lantern for a split second, then they walked away. I think they were impressed. I think..

Pumpkin's Got A Lot To Give

Let's not waste any of the pumpkin. The seeds we put aside earlier can turn into a yummy snack. I baked the pumpkin seeds in the oven. Just be careful eating them. They are crunchy, but they can get stuck between your teeth or poke and hurt inside of your mouth.

 

Conclusion

The Baby Pumpkin photo was a fun project. Just like any other thing, if you snooze, you lose. There are very few chances to make this happen. Babies grow fast. A lot of things are now or never. Try it. You might be able to find your hidden talents along the way. Just like why you should do the "holiday things,"  take a chance and make a memorable day with your family. We had a blast in the neighborhood park taking pictures. 

Happy Spooky Halloween!

Getting the Fun back in Your Parenting Life

Forgotten Secret to Life: Fun

However much your child is delightful, it is so easy for the parents to forget to have fun with life. I came across this TED talk video about fun. Catherine Price has amazed me with her explanation. I had to share it with you. Here are some of the key points and reflections I got from the video:

TED Talk: Why Having Fun is the Secret to a Healthier Life by Catherine Price

Fun-Missing Life

When you are with your baby, you have no time to spare. Your day is filled with chores, feedings, and diaper changes. You are so caught up and busy. You miss out on the poker night, golf tournament, and the newly released Counter Strike 2 with your crew. You start to lose connection with people. You start to worry about the finances, how to raise your child the right way, or getting extremely out of shape.

Try and look back. When was the last time you had fun? Think about the good ol' days when fun was around.

What is Fun?

In the TED talk, Catherine Price talks about the 3 consistent factors of "fun." They are playfulness, connection, and flow.

• Playfulness: It's not referring to something played. She defines it as a lightheartedness attitude, letting go of perfectionism, and being relaxed.
• Connection: Fun happens when you are connecting with someone in whatever way.
• Flow: It is the state of engagement. You get so into having fun that you lose track of time. You are in the zone. 

When these 3 factors occur all at once, we have fun. "It's a feeling, not an activity," she stresses. And when it happens, we feel good. 

What Can It Do For Us?

Having fun energizes, makes us present, unites us, and makes us healthier. 

Taking care of your child is draining. You just want to be on your phone scrolling mindlessly for hours. You feel like you are separated from the world. 

If you are having fun with your precious one, it energizes you. You enjoy it so much that you even want to record yourself to watch it over and over to get that energy. Having fun with your child is the greatest way to bond and build a strong relationship. It makes both the parent and child healthier. 

How Do We Have Fun?

The TED speaker suggests starting with eye contact. Ask "What's one thing that delighted you today?" Find opportunities to rebel and prioritize having fun. 

Of course, talking with your child is absolutely necessary. Don't stop there. Talk to your partner, family, and other friends too. Connect with them over the phone, meet, or go out. You need to keep in mind, it takes mental effort to have fun and not worry too much.

Conclusion

Having fun enriches your life. Our late teenage and early 20s years were all about having fun. The early days of marriage were about having fun. Why did we stop having fun? 

We don't need a luxurious trip to Europe, fancy dining, or the dream car to have fun. Yes, they will be fun. But they are not necessary. You can find fun in your daily life. You just have to search for it. 

Make a mental note. Take it lightheartedly. Add some playfulness. Especially when you are playing with your child. Have fun with them. They will learn from you to enjoy and have fun with their lives. Sometimes, you can learn from them too. 

Let's go get some fun!

Celebrating Holidays: Why bother?

Holiday Celebration 

Halloween is around the corner. Did you already pick out your and your child's costumes for this year? Maybe you are waiting for the delivery to arrive, still figuring out a theme (helpful link at the bottom), or even contemplating whether or not you want to go through all the trouble.

Here are 3 reasons why I strongly recommend you do something for occasions like Halloween.

1. Limited Opportunities

If you think about it for a second, you don't have that many chances to enjoy these occasions with your child. For Halloween, you have very limited chances to dress up with your child. Starting from the first year, the maximum chances you will get is about 18, if you are extremely lucky to have the cooperation. When they turn 18, either they leave to go to college, or they won't hang out with you too much. 

When they start to speak and pick out their own outfits, the chances of influencing their costume choice are very slim. The same goes for the other holidays. If it comes around only once a year, each year is very significant.

2. Lasting Memories 

Teams wear a uniform. Matching outfits give a sense of unity. Wearing the same theme costume gives your child the feeling of acceptance and belonging. Let your child experience it.

You might be thinking your child is too young to realize that he is even wearing anything. Studies have shown that young children might not remember the sequence of events or what exactly happened at a certain time, but their memories are filled with the emotions from an event. 

Your child might not remember what or why they dressed up as the Buzz Lightyear from Toy Story in the year 2023, but he will remember it was fun and had a lot of candies. He might not remember why people were cheering for him, but he will remember being proud in the arms of his dad dressed as Andy, the owner of the toys in Toy Story.

These memories, or emotions to be more precise, will last for a long time. These types of memories build your child. It brings them positivity in life.

3. It's Fun!

It's a chance to loosen up and be silly with your child. It's one of the few days when you can act silly around your child and still be a good parent. You demonstrate how to have fun. Your kids will learn to enjoy life as you do. 

Even if you didn't have the luxury to enjoy life when you were growing up, it doesn't necessarily mean your child should suffer the same. Those who know how to enjoy will win more. Teach your children how to have fun in safe ways; don't let them learn from a nobody at a house party during middle or high school. 

Conclusion

The holidays before becoming a parent were a chance to take a long trip somewhere far away, 10+ hours of a Netflix marathon, or maybe a sad and hungry few days when all restaurants and stores closed down. 

With your family, you can do more than just sitting at home with no purpose. You can prepare a little in advance and make remarkable memories. Even though you spend most of your days with each other, these special occasions really can take it up a notch. 

Not only Halloweens, but Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Day are all great opportunities. Don't just let it slip. Have fun with it!

If you are crunching in time to pick out your child's Halloween costume, check out this year's recommendations in this post: 

Halloween Costume Ideas

Happily Ever After: Is it a norm?

Misfortune, Miserable, Unhappy Makes a Good Story

Recently, I heard from two different sources about the same topic that caught my attention and kept me thinking: how people define and treat happiness. 

What used to be called Happiness

There has always been some sort of scarcity for people throughout history. Food, comfort, house, warmth, safety, equality, money, and many others. People always craved for happiness. Happiness that came from fulfilling the scarcity. 

Standards have evolved with time

What we have now isn't perfect. Still, the scarcity of those mentioned is less common for a lot of people, which is a good thing. But surely it had some side effects. It became harder and harder to please people. Eventually, what used to be a happy life has become a norm or even the lowest minimum standard of life. 

Stories That People Aren't Interested In

"Our daughter tried her first ice cream in her life!" 

This type of story doesn't resonate with a lot of people anymore. Family having a good time isn't considered sharing happiness. It's bragging to some people; some think of it very insignificant event that happens all the time. 

It's so basic, too normal, not so special.

Stories That Engage People 

Negative stories stand out. They stick with people more. Parents are sick and tired of taking care of baby, not being able to travel as freely, and how tired they are because their babies kept them up all night.

To the singles, the negativity passes on. It scares them to get married and have kids. The stories develop to divorces not being optional but an absolute necessity. They need to hold even higher standards to select their life-long partner. Actually, they have a lot more fun things to fill in the place of family nowadays. 

Perspective Shift 

My scarcity growing up was family. Beginning my junior year of high school with divorcing parents got me scared of and wanting to have my own family at the same time. When I got married, I was really glad I made that choice (and she accepted). The happiness from getting into a covenant relationship was unimaginable. The negative stories do exist, but they were a mere small portion of it!

Having a child is on another level. Everything, every moment, every second is so special. Same with marriage, there are hardships, but it's just a small bit of this amazing experience. I don't even remember why I was so scared in the first place. 

Conclusion

We have become so overly saturated with the "standards of a happy life." Traveling, Omakase, Gucci bags, Tesla, buying a big house, etc. It's either you imitate and brag, or you are jealous. You want to bring them down somehow by talking all the negative stuff about those who look happy. And you comfort yourself saying you have high standards. 

Maybe your scarcity is in self-awareness. With a loving family, walking to the nearest park holding hands can be the most memorable trip, or your wife's cooking tastes better than the one by Nobu's sushi chef. It's really a cliche, but happiness isn't far. It's as close as your child's first ice cream experience.