How to Use your Cell Phone in Another Country for Free

Travel + Leisure December 2013

I've been catching up on my magazine reading and one of my subscriptions is for Travel + Leisure. While it specializes in luxury travel which is not our scene, it definitely has a bunch of awesome ideas like this tip for packing a suit in a carry-on that would have been handy on our Summer Vacation.
One of the articles in the October 2013 issue was about using your cell phone internationally. A recurring recommendation is the app Viber to make wifi calls and texts for free. While I haven't used it personally, it was also popular among the other delegates in Latvia. The problem for me was that you had to have the app in order to communicate with people, so it didn't help us once we were there.

What I Wore: 22 Weeks Pregnant

I don't believe I've ever done one of these posts but I've always wanted to. I love the format Rachel at Smile & Wave uses for hers and especially that we are pretty close in our pregnancies :)
My bump started showing pretty early (around 8 weeks) but my belly has just exploded in this past month. I am constantly getting comments about if they've made sure there is only 1 in there. I've been taking it in stride, especially since Minion does have a huge head. An 83 year old man in our Congregation actually said, "Well you're gaining weight!" But I couldn't even be offended because I know he's old and just doesn't have a filter anymore and means well, and of course it's true after all...lol.

Bucket List Items We Crossed Off on our Summer Vacation

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So I'm starting to doubt if I will ever blog in detail about our summer vacation around the world. I am actually finally working on our scrapbook for it and that way our memories will be preserved for ourselves and IRL friends. So you'll have to forgive me if they never make it here. If you don't follow me on Instagram, you can go check out our trip hashtag #Parkerstaketheworld2013 to see all the photos we and our friends posted of us in sequence. All  our accounts are set to private so you may not be able to view all of them.
But today I wanted to share with you guys some of the unexpected things we got to do on that trip that I always dreamed of doing but never thought would actually happen :)

Dialogues on Midwifery

Once I got pregnant I immediately watched The Business of Being Born. I think it should be a required viewing for every pregnant woman because the points it makes are incredible. I love the facts it shows on how beneficial having a child as naturally as possible is while acknowledging that some labors do need to be handled by a hospital because of complications. Plus watching it helped reaffirm my decision and prepare me for some of the negativity we've faced.

My Decision to Birth with a Midwife

The biggest controversy in my pregnancy so far is my decision to use a midwife for my prenatal care and delivery. While I appreciate that most people are being well meaning and coming from a place of love and concern, some of the reactions and comments we have received have been less than kind.
As background, both Luke and I were midwife babies. I was my Mom's first and only baby, Luke was his Mom's second child but first via midwife. Growing up my Mom always spoke fondly of her delivery choice so midwifery was something I was always open to. In fact it just seemed like the option that made the most sense to me.

Nursery Plans

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So I've written before about my love for the Montessori nursery and floor bed. I think it is safer, more practical and economical. But as we've settled in here and are preparing for Minion's arrival, I don't know if it will be the best option for us. 

Curriculum Planning: Kindergarten

Keeping with my curriculum planning theme this week, I wanted to share Minion's Kindergarten plan. Doing the same as with Pre-K, I downloaded Calvert's Kindergarten Course Outline.

Curriculum Planning: Pre-K

A couple weeks ago I shared my thoughts on education. Well this week, I want to share the fruits of my research labor and what I have planned for Minion. Of course this is a preliminary guideline that will be adapted and modified based on Minion's abilities and interests.
For starters, I have been pinning any school related ideas and projects for some time now. So when I started my curriculum research, I started there.

Photo Books vs. Scrapbooks

As a graphic designer, I have been smitten with the concept of photo books since they came out. I love the digital design aspect of them and the fact that you don't have to invest in tons of supplies and embellishments. I also love the emphasis on photos. While whimsical embellished scrapbook pages are beautiful, I love the clean crisp look a photo book offers.