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5 BOOKS TO SIMPLIFY PARENTING

April 6, 2021

There are so many pregnancy, baby and parenting books out there. IT’S OVERWHELMING ISN’T IT? That’s why I made sure to research and look for BOOKS THAT SIMPLIFIED MY LIFE AS A FTP or FIRST TIME PARENT.

The most famous book series out there actually scares us & gives so many unfounded fears to parents so I knew there were better options! For those who are pregnant these are THE 4 BOOKS THAT SIMPLIFY PREGNANCY.

Once you’ve given birth these are the books that really helped us minus all the fluff & scare tactics. I was inspired by what i saw when we were based in Germany: how kids were raised like little adults, ate off the regular menu (there is no kids menu there) & were not overly baby proofed so that they actually grew up with amazing reflexes & practical self preservation skills.

Some books you will want to read from beginning to end, so you can raise kids that will eat a varied diet instead of just chicken & also kids who don’t throw food – it really works! One is just a reference book, which you will open when you have questions.

1. YOUR BABY’S FIRST YEAR FOR DUMMIES

This books is a great resource for when the baby has arrived. Though pregnancies may feel like it’s taking them forever, the baby arrives so swiftly and suddenly, and our lives are forever changed.

As a sleep-deprived, breastfeeding bipolar mom, I was happy to have this as something we could refer to for all our questions. In Germany, we couldn’t really call/text our OB and Pedia with every question we had.

WHERE TO BUY: USA • GERMANY • PHILIPPINES

2. FRENCH KIDS EAT EVERYTHING

How Our Family Moved to France, Cured Picky Eating, Banned Snacking, and Discovered 10 Simple Rules for Raising Happy, Healthy Eaters

This book is also called BRINGING UP BÉBÉ in the USA. You can get any version. The wisdom is the same! This is so lifechanging because nutrition is the best thing we can give our kids. I realized this especially after hubby had 2 types of cancers in the span of 2 years. His mom let him drink Coca Cola with every meal since he was 4 and he only really learned to appreciate vegetables & seafood when we moved to Indonesia & I started preparing our food.

When reading this book, it will suddenly make sense why French people aren’t fat on average.

3. FRENCH CHILDREN DON’T THROW FOOD

This book answers so many things in such a humorous manner:

  • How come French babies sleep through the night?
  • Why do French children happily eat what is put in front of them?
  • How can French mothers chat with their friends while their children play quietly?
  • Why are French mothers more likely to be seen in skinny jeans than tracksuit bottoms?
via

4. THE DANISH WAY OF PARENTING

What the Happiest People in the World Know About Raising Confident, Capable Kids

There is something indeed to be learned from the happiest people on earth. Seriously! Because of this I prioritize play & am not bothered by the things my child “has to know.” I also stop comparing my child to other children developmentally to reduce the pressure on parents & children alike.

5. THE WHOLE BRAIN CHILD

This book helps me not judge my child, be so frustrated with him or expect unreasonable things of my child. It is also helping me not punish my child physically, which is hard since I was raised with the saying “spare the rod spoil, the child.”

Because I was spanked as a child, I noticed I also have this urge to hit others when I’m frustrated. I do not wish this for my child so I try to learn of better ways to discipline my son. It’s hard I know, especially if your background is the traditional one from the Philippines but after seeing how it is in Europe I know we can do raise good, well-mannered children without hitting or shaming them into submission.

IN CONCLUSION

I hope this helps you see that there is another way – a less stressful, shame filled way – to raise children! Please let me know your thoughts in the comments below!

IF YOU’RE STILL PREGNANT, READ BOOKS TO SIMPLIFY PREGNANCY!

If you loved my recommendations, please don’t forget to share them on Social Media! I would really appreciate it!

*images c/o their owners

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Welcome

Hello! I’m Ayessa, trailing spouse to a diplomat, mama to DiploBaby and DiploDog and founder of Declutter MNL. I love talking about how to achieve a minimaluxe lifestyle one step at a time.

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DISCLOSURE

I am an Amazon affiliate, but all opinions are my own. The content of all my blog and social media posts are products and experiences that I truly enjoy and I only work with brands that fit my life and style.

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SANTA CLAUS MAIN POST OFFICE So one really meanin SANTA CLAUS MAIN POST OFFICE

So one really meaningful part of our trip was @santaclausmainpostoffice which is right outside of @santaclausoffice.

🎄 @diplobaby wrote a postcard for Santa

🎄 He also wrote some postcards to his friends

🎄 I wrote a postcard to @diplobaby to remember our many firsts in this trip.

For the last 2 we were lucky that our hotel @glass_resort  had many FREE POSTCARDS  and STAMPS and we didn’t have to go to the post office. They conveniently sent it for us.

His close friends were happy to receive them and I also loved getting our own post. So cool!

Please don’t forget to LIKE this post to see more family adventures & travel tips!

If Finland is on your bucket list then definitely SAVE THIS!

#udwinfinland #udwinsantaclausvillage #diplobaby #diilofamily
SEEING SANTA Everyday is Christmas Day in @santac SEEING SANTA

Everyday is Christmas Day in @santaclausvillage_rovaniemi! 

While we were walking back to our hotel @glass_resort guess who passed by and was sweet enough to roll down his window to say high.

Roll down for the quick conversation. I’m glad I caught it on camera.

TD was pretty impressed that his car is also red. 😂

Mind you his facial hair looked totally real!

#udwinfinland #udwinsantaclausvillage
NIGHT OF THE MUSEUMS 2: For the 2nd Museum we cho NIGHT OF THE MUSEUMS 2:

For the 2nd Museum we chose
SAINT PETER’S CATHEDRAL ARCHEOLOGICAL SITE

🤍 Impressive cathedral even from the outside. If you are interested in the Church’s history, or even just history, this place is a must!

🤍 Off to the right is the stairs to go to another time, to see the ruins underneath the current cathedral. 

🤍 You get to see what was built here before the cathedral even up to the years before Christ.

🤍 I was really impressed with the mosaic tile flooring

🤍 You can see how Christianity evolved in Geneva over millenia 

🤍 There were a lot of deep wells. I wonder how they dug them out during simpler times? Some people even dropped credit cards. Be careful because once something falls out of your wallet, it’s gone. 

🤍 If you have fear of heights there are parts on the floor where there is a bigger distance from the ruin to the flooring. I got a bit scared in those parts.

🤍 We explained what we learned to @diplobaby and he was very fascinated with it. From the coins of the old days, the combs, how baptisms were done and how old these things were… he soaked it all up.

🤍 It’s so important not to underestimate our kids. If we share what we read and explain things to them even a museum like this is interesting. 

🤍 When we got out at 11, we walked back to the shuttle to get back to TD’s office. We saw some things like canons that made us realize how little we have explored of @ville_de_geneve! Must come back for more!

🤍 shuttle was like a private bus coz there were only 2 other people with us!

Night at the Museums is a great way to explore the city on a budget!
#UDWinGeneva #diplobaby #diplofamily #undiplomaticwife
NIGHT OF THE MUSEUMS 1: Last 13 May we went with NIGHT OF THE MUSEUMS 1:

Last 13 May we went with some colleagues & their families to check out Night in the Museums for the first time!

A FEW TIPS:

🤍 Doing the “Nuit des musées” is another way to see more museums in Geneva on a budget.

🤍 To avoid long lines, you can buy tickets online for chf10/adult. Kids are FREE.

🤍 BUT you might not get the pink lanyard/ID if the museums run out. No worries, nobody checked us.

🤍 Included in your ticket are FREE shuttle buses to take you from different points to another. So no need to buy regular train/tram tickets.

🤍 There are less people in the shuttles too, so this is good if you don’t like crowds. 

🤍 It starts at 5pm & ends at 12mn. But some museums close earlier

🤍 This year we started at 7pm and only got 2 museums done. If you get 2 in one night, it’s already worth it. 

🤍 Next year we will definitely start at 5 to see more museums.

🤍 And it’s better to schedule & book where you will have dinner, otherwise everything is totally full. 

🤍 For our group of about 20 (coz we were with 2 other families) we were able to get tables at McDonalds. 

🤍 If it’s rainy, use a lightweight hooded down jacket that can easily be folded like our favorite @uniqlo UltraLightDown Jacket. The cool thing about it is if you have not time to go to a coat check, you can roll it into it’s own bag.

NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM @museum.geneve 

✨ We prioritized this because we knew the kids would love learning about the animals, the environment and even the crystals.

✨ It’s interesting because it’s also interactive. 

✨ It’s small but packs a punch and has several floors so the kids didn’t even want to leave. 

So happy we are exploring @ville_de_geneve more!

#UDWinGeneva #diplobaby #diplofamily #undiplomaticwife
TRUFFLE TIPS When buying truffle products, it’s TRUFFLE TIPS

When buying truffle products, it’s important to know what you are buying. I’m not an expert but I’d like to share with you what I’ve learned over the years. 

Did you know that many TRUFFLE OILS only contain faux truffle flavoring?

⚡️Try to buy oils that contain small truffle bits to know that it’s a genuine truffle infusion. 

⚡️If the oil is clear (or even if it’s not), it’s important to read the ingredients list & make sure that it lists truffle/truffle infusion as an ingredient. 

⚡️Truffle flavor(ing) is not real truffle.

⚡️Black truffle is more common & cheaper than white truffle.

⚡️TRUFFLE SALT is cheaper but less flavorful than truffle oil. It’s great to layer on top of truffle oil when making truffle popcorn, eggs or pasta. But used alone the flavor isn’t as strong as time goes by. It’s good bang for buck though!

⚡️TRUFFLE POWDER is nice to have to give that truffle color, but not a must. It’s also more expensive coz it’s pure dried truffle.

Swipe to see how much we get them for at @tkmaxxat. We always go to @tkmaxxde when we go to Germany to get fancy things to fit within our limited budget.

As for the @turci_firenze traditionally infused truffle oil, we get them at an affordable price in @elcorteingles when we are in Madrid.

We don’t have it all the time, but when we want to treat ourselves at home we make our favorites:

1. Truffle popcorn for movie nights
2. Truffle scrambled eggs for weekends
3. Truffle cream pasta for special meals

What are your other truffle tips?

What are your favorite truffle dishes? #diplotummy
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