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We just got back from quite the adventure with our 13-month old! From Manila: London, England - Paris, France - London, England - Iceland - Toronto. As you can see, she was a bit shocked with the temperature change when we arrived in Iceland.

That first fifteen-hour plane ride was so long. If I thought Mara wouldn't eat it, I definitely would have made this for the flight. Maybe she'll have matured over the summer so I can make it for the flight back? ha.

Instead, Jeff bought a bunch of plane-friendly (quiet) toys that we wrapped up for her! Every few hours there was a new surprise + some of our favourite author's books on the iPad. They're really, really well done.

I'll be looking to make this flourless cake when we're back in the land of mangoes in late July.

Before we left we finished Fortitude. My big question throughout the series: What is this show trying to be?? It was the very last episode that brought it all together.

Even though we're finished school for the summer, this is great: How to Escape Education's Death Valley.

Need to buy a cast iron pan so I can make us these.

The Internet has made me so excited about cooking. I've never cared, really, but now I get happy about trying new dishes. This was one of the latest great dinners.

I was just reading a post about capsule wardrobes - 37 pieces is supposed to be magic. I probably have 37 of each of the usual wardrobe pieces - 37 dresses, 37 tops, 37 sweaters... you know. On that note, we're off to do some shopping for the day.

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Did I mention that I played golf? First time ever. It wasn't terrrrrible, but I'll be honest, it wasn't great. It was fun, though. Also it was blazing hot (Philippines.) and the price of the round included a caddy, so I was told exactly what club to use, how hard to swing, and where to aim. (Aim. hahah.) Anyway, I think I sprained my thumb. This was weeks ago and it still hurts to put a shirt on.

I don't mean to brag, but we have the absolute best mangoes ever here. I made a chia pudding on the weekend, added some chopped mango = the best.

Speaking of vegan-friendly (depending on your milk choice with the pudding), we went to Susi around my birthday and it was so great. Vegan, gluten-free, and organic. Even Mara enjoyed bites of our meals. (I say that like it's unusual...) We're about to live right around the corner...!

We got new toothbrushes. They're black... charcoal bristles. I'm into all the hippy-dippy natural stuff, but brushing with charcoal is not something I'm into. It seems very wrong.

I've been reading this for awhile now. It shouldn't be taking me awhile, but it is. Jeff got me this for my birthday and I'm looking forward to the change to adult again.

Also for my birthday, a day at the spa! Wonderful.

These cookies are the best I've ever made.

And I love kimchi fried rice and finally tried it on my own: so. good.

Lots of controversy (again. still.) over Ontario's new sex ed curriculum. I have to say, for the record, that I support the 2015 Ontario Health and Physical Education Curriculum. It's important. As a teacher and as a parent. A local news company hosted a quick, simple poll: Do you support the new curriculum? Yes or No. This is astounding:

(For your information.)

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This little lady turns one this week! Amazing. 

We've been having great light dinners lately: fruit, cheese, bread, olives, chorizo, and wine. Followed up with one of these bars and it's perfect!

Also, lots of breakfast for dinner. Jeff has been making these cornmeal pancakes with added flaxseed and they're so so good. I top mine with butter and some fresh mango - no syrup needed. I made a version of these bacon cups one night, too, and he was impressed with those! I don't know how I feel about arugula, though.

These spicy garlic noodles (with pork or, next time, tofu!) will definitely be making it into dinner rotations more regularly. SO SO SO good.

I would also like to try to make this homemade ketchup, but we don't tend to eat enough of it...

At the market we've been getting a little pot of this ice cream. Chocolate flame is our go-to: dark chocolate and jalapeno chili. It really is seriously good.

Okay. Enough about food.

I got new glasses. Getting new glasses is not easy. When you can't see well, trying to decide on what looks nice on your face is like putting on makeup in the dark. (I couldn't think of a gender-neutral comparison.) Even if there are photos of each new frame, they never do justice to the real thing - the super reflective lenses are never realistic.

I am surprisingly into this show. I keep imagining it as comic frames, which helps remind me it's about superheroes and villains, not real people.

By far my favourite baby books author: Sandra Boynton. I love singing these books to that little almost one-year-old up there.

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This is the plant I'm having the most luck with - it keeps bloomin' and bloomin' and bloomin'.

It is getting hot in Manila. We also have a typhoon on the radar - beginning of April... It has been downgraded from its initial Category 5 and is expected to really slow down once it makes landfall. Crossing my fingers that the rains and winds don't interfere with our flight plans on Sunday morning!

This blog is giving me so much to think about for next year.

A friend sent me this. (In an effort to sabotage my low sugar-ness, I'm sure.) Except that my little Japanese grocer beside our condo closed, so I need to scope out a new matcha supplier in the city. I scrolled through the post thinking I'll just call out a few things I'd like to make, like the mousse. But so quickly the list became almost everything.

My latest sandwich obsession.

Does anyone else Mark Unread a jillion emails? Currently in my personal account, 15 unread. Work, 23. And those are majorly whittled down since we started holidays on Wednesday. I'd like to think of it as a bad habit, but I'd probably never remember a thing if it weren't for that option.

#FreeNeilandFerdi. It's time, Canada.

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This is where our baby's at: everything doesn't belong in its place. This includes diapers, clean laundry, dirty laundry, pantry items, and more. Fun fun. She also does a good job of rolling her stroller in circles, digging up the plants, toothy-smiling, playing with the recyclables, interrupting REM sleep cycles, and other general busyness. She'll be one year in one month!!!

We're moving in May and while the unit is furnished, we got a couple new pieces to make the space our own. Who knew that Muji has the best furniture? Jeff got this "Body Fit Cushion Set" (adult bean bag chair) and I got this gem. It reclines. It has a positionable pillow. We are comfy people. We may never sit on a couch together again.

Have I mentioned these cupcakes? They're really good. But they don't stick together very well. After the second day we were basically eating them with a spoon. Which isn't really a problem, let's be honest, but I would like to figure out what to add to give them a little more stick. And no icing because I'm still trying to be off sugar. Which has somehow caused super heightened sugar cravings, six months in, and I'm most definitely struggling to deal with that.

If only we had a waffle iron.

I don't think I've ever had reason before to buy cream of tartar. This little beauty is finally that reason. (What do people actually use cream of tartar for? Aside from tea-based cakes?)

I've had a mean hunger for brownies these days. Maybe these?

Our Pinkberry has a new flavour right now: blood orange. It's delicious, but it was even more delicious when I remembered we have a tub of this in the freezer so I could make a creamsicle treat.

My reads-everything-top-speed husband might somewhat disagree with this next idea, but I'm devouring this book. Seriously. Since the weekend I have basically read as far as I have in the five months it's taking me to read I Am Malala.

We're OFF TO BALI next week!

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These sandwiches have been my favourite dinner lately. I think we've had them about once a week.

This is absolutely beautiful.

I am most definitely a victim of this. 

A friend of ours gave Mara a pair of adorable little leather moccasins that her son had outgrown - so cute! I'll be looking out for this local company to get her the next size for sure.

This is the next book up. It's come highly recommended so I'm looking forward to it! Yes, that means I've finished the last one - I have to say it ended up ending the way I eventually expected. It got to a point where I said to myself, this has to be the reason they break up. In the meantime I'm rereading The Namesake because I started it again in Japan and still really like it. With 86% it might even be worth watching the movie!

I'm thinking this and this will look really cute when we move into our new place in May and our baby will have her own room. But hopefully not in a predator-prey sort of way.

I haven't been feeling well this week, and I have to say that my favourite home remedy for upset stomach is to have a beer. (Thanks to Mara's papa for that one!) It beats out ginger tea, ginger ale, apple juice, and all the Tums every time.

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Fury. Woah.

I'm loving this song. Yes, it's from Boyhood, and no, I still haven't seen it.

This has got to be my favourite restaurant in Manila. We went for lunch on the weekend and it was just as busy as it usually is in the evening.

Hoping to make these for the next set of snacks for the week.

And this for a dessert sometime, but I can't figure out when avocados are in season here?

Daddy and Mara are napping the afternoon away so I've had some me-time with a cup of tea. Did you know Twinings makes hand-sewn tea bags? Isn't that crazy? That's a tea-fanatic sort of thing, is it?

I've been shopping up a storm during sale time here (the only time there's any value in shopping), and even though it isn't on sale, I'm thinking this might be going in the cart. I just found that my swimsuit cover has a bunch of tiny holes in it, so it's justified, too, right?

And some cute rugs for Mara's eventual room. I have a bag made by this local company, too, and I love the eco-ethicalness. They almost always sell out their collections.

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This is going to be a great movie: While We're Young.

And this is going to be a really great movie: Inside Out. Plus, it looks a great link with our Physical Well-being unit, which is a super bonus AND it's Pixar.

Have you seen this one? It was one I watched on a plane and it's pretty cute.

Also, In A World is hilarious! Best 99 cents we've ever spent on iTunes.

I'm happy to report that Boyhood has a big ole 99% on Rotten Tomatoes. After I got psyched about it and showed the trailer to a friend of mine in the summer, he literally said, "maybe i under-appreciated it, but your 'boyhood' idea is that it is a movie filmed slowly over a long period of time so the same actors can play the same characters during different ages.  Is there more to it than that?  cause if that is it (and maybe its not) then I think fantastic might be a bit of an overstatement." And yes, I searched way back in my email for that - an actual quote. I think I win this one. (Maybe I should watch it first before I really cast judgement?)

Moving on...

This is a great post and a perspective I need to adopt - all the rosehip seed oil in the world isn't going to fill my smile lines!

In a couple weeks I'm heading to Japan with some colleagues for a PD weekend with Yokohama International School. This is extra exciting because I've only been to Japan one other time, on a quick three-day weekend. Had to buy yet another winter jacket as it's going to be a major temperature drop from Manila's 25+! and get out the leather boots...

On footwear: my most recent can-wear-to-work sandal purchase here. Seriously, Renegade Folk has the absolute b.e.s.t. customer service policy - a virtually nonexistent concept in Manila. I also have this pair.

Our baby is skipping crawling and moving on to walking! Nine months is a pretty crazy time of change... Wish us luck!

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My niece, above, started Kindergarten in September and she was so resistant... but she's loving it! The teacher in me is so happy for her.

This is such an interesting read about the power of daydreaming for our learning. Pretty sure we'll be taking daydream breaks every now and again moving forward.

I love throw pillows but how do you keep them fluffed? Ours always look so sad.

Is it weird that I'm a thirty-year-old woman (a mother no less) and still, when Mean Girls (do I really need to link that?) is on tv, I definitely watch it and make my husband watch it with me?

We watched the first season of Silicon Valley in like three or four days. So then we watched Kumail Nanjiani's stand-up, Beta Male. The part about the mongoose is really funny. And then the part about the hobo in the attic is really funny. I may have had a glass of wine while watching, though, and a glass of wine after a pregnancy and five months of breastfeeding, well, ends up being sort of a lot of wine!

And in case you're wondering, here is the correct response to the question "Which of the seven dwarfs best describes your wife in bed?"

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These beautiful flowering trees are up all over the city right now and I love them so much! What are they called?

I bought some fun flavoured salts - herb garden, chili peppercorn, & garlic chili - but I have no idea what to do with them. A couple of times I made chocolate peanut butter cups and topped them with the chili pepper for some heat and that was good. But what else? And don't say popcorn because nothing beats plain old sea salt.

More about salt: one of my students gave me this salt scrub in coconut and jasmine as a year-end gift and it smells amazing! (Though I've been reading that scrubs are not the healthiest habit for our skin...) Plus it's all natural, fair trade, and locally sourced (they bought it while in Thailand) - he must know I'm a bit of a hippie. (The rye flour is out, by the way. Listened to my hair and it said no. not my thing. Will be trying out a bentonite clay mix (with some acv for pH balancing).)

Because it's on topic and I can't resist: Scrubs like you've never heard it.

Moving on.

We're watching Fargo. It's so good, it's got us talking in hecks and saying things are sooper.

Watch this trailer from Richard Linklater - such a fantastic idea that looks brilliantly executed.

This is my favourite granola to make but I almost always almost burn the top layer to a crisp and we eat it anyway.

Last week I shared about the misfortune of our plants, due in part to the fact that I'm not particularly green-thumbed. (Seriously, how do you kill a plant that thrives on air?!) This after one old bud ( ha ha.) up and died early in June. Sadly, we also have an old bamboo that's on the fence about life and just got a new hydroponic plant that's also not shining. So I got some cacti because there's no way I'm going to kill those by underwatering or otherwise neglecting. I don't know why I'm so obsessed with plants. Or so bad at them.

Speaking of plants... I'm from a small town in Ontario, Canada, and never thought anything of our provincial logo, the trillium. Until now. Perspective!

Jeff has started a ginger bug for us so soon we'll have our own ginger ale! That's exciting!

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Since we're not travelling this summer (still working on that baby passport) we're curing the wanderlust with Anthony Bourdain's Parts Unknown. My parents were able to come visit, though, so that's been great!

Also fixating on these amazing travel photos. Jeff thinks I have a crush on his girlfriend... Can you blame me? I mean, holy moly.

This video is for Beyonce lovers and for people who wish they could dance, but can't, like me.

Jeff has had this song on over and over and it is incredibly catchy. All the songs... just so great to dance around to with Mara!

Dancing, that is, to work off Green & Black's amazing organic chocolate.

We got an air plant (like this) last week and I think I'm already killing it. The flowers are definitely not pink anymore.

We also bought a calamansi tree for friends as a housewarming gift, and it, too, seems to be dying. Leaves all over the floor. Eeesh.

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"The world's healthiest chocolate chip cookies" are actually delicious. I'll be doubling this recipe next time!

Really, really want to try this three minute artichoke dip.

Jeff made this salad on top of quinoa for my first Mother's Day (!) and it is so good. I want that cumin vinaigrette on all my grains.

(On that note: Why are men so difficult to buy for? He did a lovely job picking out books for my holiday (this and this), but I had a lot of trouble coming up with something for Father's Day.)

Also, this BLT salad. Except our avocado had died. It was still delicious!

Anyone seen Her? Really recommend it.

I may be worrying my husband with this whole chemical-free thing I'm working on. Yesterday at the health store I picked up a tub of bentonite clay because "it can be used in a lot of recipes." With some incredulity he exclaimed, "You're going to put that in our food?!" Natural hair- and body-care recipes, that is. So far I make my own deodorant, body wash, shampoo and conditioner, make up remover, face wash, dry shampoo... But, an upcoming post will show you how I've been converting him to natural, too!

Love this poster for the classroom.

A friend posted this link for me, full of ridiculous things you won't believe have been mass produced. I have to say yes please to the baby bangs, so we can have a twin day. And definitely the onesie-mop is a great buy. The award, I think, goes to the Crib Dribbler, though, because babies, hampsters, same same. In all seriousness, I do like the redneck pacifier.

On an actually serious note for summer vacation: Drowning Doesn't Look Like Drowning and Secondary Drowning.

The cutest thing you'll see today and one that will get a laugh!

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Guys, The Lego Movie is pretty awesome. Great message and a great way to show Lego's evolution!

It's weird having nothing to do while on maternity leave. Nurse, change diaper, nap, repeat. Need some hobbies. (Really, need to start writing end of year reports.)

Oh, and whoever said to never wake a sleeping baby hasn't met Mara's pediatrician. I have to wake our baby every two hours to feed her - it's a chore. So I guess I don't have nothing to do while on maternity leave.

Looking so forward to my parents flying here in June to meet our little bundle of amazing!

Cranberry Almond Granola Bites should be in my life. It worries me that I'd probably eat the whole batch in a day, though. It's how licorice goes down in this house.

Here's something I've been enjoying on toast for breakfasts lately. If you're a fan of tahini and honey (and cinnamon like me), it's pretty great. I cheat and add a little more honey than called for.

I recently emailed this photo to my husband at work:

To which he replied, "F***ing beautiful" but without so many asterisks. Our child is at major risk of developing potty mouth. I could only respond with "It's insane." Because it's truly insane just how beautiful this little girl is to us.

Many things baby today! (Forever now on?)

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This is old news, but did anyone else not love American Hustle? Jeff and I were bored - at one point we were both on our computers while it played in the background.

I have been seriously craving warm, creamy coffee in this third trimester. Coffee. Not a nice glass of wine or a cool and refreshing beer, coffee. And I didn't even drink coffee before the pregnancy! I've mostly been keeping it under wraps with caffeine-free chai with some coconut milk.

Speaking of warm up there, it is so ridiculously hot here right now. Yes, hot like when we lived in the desert, but I'm not regulating my body temperature well at the moment. Air conditioner wars every day... I win.

After this awesome version of Happy, a colleague and I started our own end of year project with our whole grade level. I get to be all techy and put the video clips together so that should be a fun treat for the kids as we send them off for the summer! Let's hope I'm savvier than I think I am.

This is a sexy cover. Beyonce is sexy enough as it is, yes, and I mean, Jay-Z, but this one is just such a good change of pace.

We have a crib! And it didn't cost us an arm and a leg (as most baby things here)! And my hunky husband already set it up!

This video, aptly re-titled, Have You Ever Wanted to Punch a Child?, was two minutes of serious eye-brow raising. Please, baby girl, no.

And Babies Make the Worst Roommates. Things to look forward to!

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This week I made more of this. Love me some matcha.

Still slogging through this Harvard course. It's okay. I think I'd rather just read the book (I've read most of it anyway) and incorporate what I want into my class - but then I couldn't say I've been edumacated by Harvard.

Awhile ago I started the lemon-water in the morning thing and I thought I'd love it more.

I also started the natural hair care thing - I'm liking it and the transition hasn't been toooo terrible for me.

Seriously, this show. Only three episodes left - we breezed through it - and I'm so sad.

We have a baby name :). One morning I woke up with the decision made - Jeff's choice from the beginning of our (my) indecision.

And speaking of baby...
Thinking about starting this project to cut back on delivery and take-out this summer.

I'm reading this baby book and finding it very interesting. Not that we're going to be super-parents (or remember what's in the book when this stuff actually comes up), but it feels good to feel like I'm getting ready. Because who am I kidding? I know nothing about babies.

I think I've had this bit of chocolatey-goodness open in a tab for about two months. Looks delicious, pretty "healthy"....I get stuck in my old ways.

Also, found her cookbook on sale and thinking of shelling out.

And finally, a granola recipe that worked out really well for me! We have a very finicky oven, so it's taken me awhile to get used to it. Yes, I think I'm getting you now, oven.