Just a quick bit of a post..nothing long or pretentious... just a virtual "hi" to all of you, my lovely friends.  Alaka'i just got home from camping with his uncle about a half hour ago and we are all ready to go to church.  

Going to church really just gives me such a reset.  Though we read our Bible every day, being around other Christians and spending time in fellowship and worship is like food for my soul.  Singing out to the Lord and giving Him praise and watching my son grow in his relationship and love for God is the best feeling in the world. 

Happy Sunday to you all!! I hope you have a chance to just relax and enjoy the beauty that surrounds us, especially in spring.  Beauty is relative though- it's one of those things that isn't universal.  There's beauty in the obvious like the flower photos above and then there's beauty in the wrinkles in the face of a woman who's lived a long, full life juxtapose to her vibrant eyes shining with wisdom and knowledge that you can only hope to someday have.  God created us all beautifully and uniquely.  

You are beautiful, whether you believe it or not. I just want you to know that. YOU are loved and worthy and capable and extraordinary, even if you live an ordinary life.  You matter.  Don't let the drama of this world get you down.  Have hop and faith and know that you are so loved.  

Aloha,
Jean

Saturday was just your average, ordinary day.  I actually got to sleep in an hour or so later than my normal wake up time which was a much needed and refreshing break for me.  One of the benefits of having a pre-teen is that they're able to wake up, get ready and make their own breakfast with ease.  By the time I woke up, Alaka'i had his bed made, his room tidy-d, his face washed, teeth brushed and he was dressed for the day.  He's an exceptional boy but usually not so eager to clean his room....

Right away I knew he had a plan.  Well, it's only natural that he be expecting something from me, he did get all A's and 2 B's on his report card, and boy he worked hard for them.  He's living proof that a teacher can truly make the difference in a child's grades and self esteem.  To go from mostly C's and a few D's in the 4th grade with notes from the teacher saying "he doesn't focus" or "are you sure the doctor said he doesn't have ADD?" (typical lazy public school teacher trying to deflect her deficiencies onto a child and diagnosing them without a doctor or an actual expert opinion)... to now getting all A's and 2-3 B's... really makes you realize how much a teacher can affect the attitude and excellence of a student.

I actually had Alaka'i tested for ADD and ADHD and learning disabilities last year because his lazy teacher was always saying he and 8/23 of the kids in her class had attention problems.  No, I think when over a third of your class is having issues, it's more about the teacher than it is the students.  Anyhow, doctors and specialists told me he was fine, normal, smart even and that they didn't understand why the teacher would say such things....  Needless to say, the Department of Education (DOE) in Hawai'i has some major kinks to work out.

Fourth grade wasn't Alaka'i's best year.  Fifth grade, however, has proven to be an amazing turn around for my sweet boy.  He went from being what his teacher called "introverted and scared to answer" at the beginning of the year to "excited to participate and hard working".  The confidence that Alaka'i's terrible 4th grade teacher had stripped from him and his classmates was finally starting to come back.  It gave me such gratification and relief to see my son excited to learn again.  He's gotten rave reviews from his amazing teacher and nearly straight A's every single quarter with notes saying he's consistently providing quality work and participating in group discussions with ease and efficiency.

I was the proudest mommy in the world to read that on his report card Thursday.  It was a sort of validation in knowing that my boy was just fine all along and let me tell you, I loved running in to his old 4th grade teacher at Safeway.  When she asked how he was doing with that snide little look on her face, I loved saying "as a matter of fact, I just got his report card" and pulling it out like a golden ticket from my purse and letting her see it and watching the color sink out of her face and her eyes get big as her jaw dropped ever so slightly.  She even had the gall to ask if I had him in special tutoring...no ma'am... he just has a teacher who actually likes his job and does it well.

In fact, if we're being perfectly honest here, I never appreciated her condescending attitude.  When he was in her class, she would insinuate that if he had ADD or ADHD, it was his fault or something he should be ashamed of and punished for.  No child deserves that, especially not ones who actually suffer from such things.  That's one of the main reasons so many kids today struggle and give up, because teachers like my son's 4th grade teacher cut them down before they even had a chance to try.  I'm thankful he doesn't have any of those challenges, although who wouldn't get bored to death in a class with a teacher who spent the majority of the day cutting you and your classmates down?

A group of us parents complained and the oh so efficient and diligent [note the sarcasm] DOE said they would follow up with her and never did.  Unions- not so good when children's futures are at stake.  Let's just say that when he was done with 4th grade, we both cheered when we got in the car and celebrated with ice cream like it was a birthday we waited so long to celebrate.  I saw such joy in my boy's face the day he was done with her class and as a mama, it made me so happy and sad for him because just imagining how terrible she made him and his classmates feel, imagining how bad it must have been to illicit such a joyous response, made me cringe.

When he started 5th grade, I went in with worry and low expectations but was pleasantly surprised that his teacher loves his job and puts the children's interests first.  Hearing how he was once berated as a kid and thought he could never be good at math because of a bad teacher and how that experience motivated him to encourage his students was really so refreshing.  He allows them to talk out loud, discuss how they came up with their answers and if the answers are wrong, they discuss at which point they went wrong so they truly understand how to do it right.  The orientation was like a choir in angels singing a melodious "ahhhh" at once.  When I went to my first parent teacher conference and his teacher said "good, that means I'm doing my job well because you parents are my bosses", I was so shocked I swear I had to literally grab my lower jaw off the table and lift it up to my face.  That's the kind of attitude a teacher should have.

Hey, I'm not saying all teachers are lazy but it's those that are that ruin it for the truly good teachers out there.  I don't understand how or why a person would take a job as an educator if they hated it or didn't have a passion for it.  The contrast between my son's 4th grade teacher and his 5th grade is so vastly different, it astounds me.  To see a teacher care about his students is something I shouldn't be so shocked to see.  It should be the norm but isn't... And hey, I'm sure there are a ton of bratty, disrespectful kids out there but they shouldn't be discarded and thrown away any more than a kid with a disability.  It's all about attitude and approach and let me tell you, I thank God every day for my son's 5th grade teacher... Oh what a difference a year makes!

Have any of you mama's had bad experiences with teachers?  Were you the victim of a bad teacher growing up?  I know I had a few and like I told Alaka'i, you have to cope and adapt even in the worst situations but man, imagine a world where every teacher loved the job and did it right.... The potential of excellence for the youth of the world... Teachers really shape a student's life and they could change the world if there were fewere lazy ones and more amazing ones.

Share your stories and experiences with me!!  Have a Blessed Sunday!

Aloha,

Jean

Lavender is one of my favorite scents and colors.  In fact, I literally begged my parents to paint my room purple when I was a little girl.  I've always been partial to shades of purple whether they occur in flowers or in the evening sky as the sun sets in the horizon, they all create this overwhelming sense of peace and tranquility in my soul.

Though living in Hawai'i doesn't allow for the beautiful reds and yellows of the fall leaves or for snowy white winters, it does allow for a perpetual sort of springtime and summer with the flowers in bloom and the sun shining bright.  The only thing missing are the vast fields of lavender that you see when you're visiting colder climates.  Not all kinds of lavender plants grow easily here in Hawai'i- unless you go to cooler areas like Kula, Maui where Ali'i Kula Lavender grows in beautiful abundance.  I haven't been there in years but it is truly one of the most beautiful places I've seen.

The photo above is one I took of some dried lavender that I brought home with me to keep a little piece of beautiful Kula with me.  Every quarter or so I order a new, freshly dried bouquet of lavender along with some of their other lavender themed products like lotions and oils and their satchels to keep my drawers smelling fresh.  I just really have a penchant for all things lavender.


Today I had a lavender latte for the first time at Island Brew Coffeehouse and boy, was it yummy.  It's actually what inspired today's post.  I went to go take Alaka'i for some awesome lunch, you know... just mommy and her boy time.  It was great.  Afterwards I was buying groceries and decided to get a latte since I was right there and well, you know, I love coffee.  I was surprised to see the variety of flavors they had and when I saw the words "lavender" and "organic", it's like my soul cried out with a loud, resounding YES!  I've been there several times but just a quick in and out and no real time to browse the menu or try anything new. But I digress, this post is about lavender... I'll post more on the coffeehouse another time.

Here are some of my favorite lavenders for Spring 2013.


Speaking of shades of lavender, have you noticed my blog design update?  Well about a month and a half ago I decided to completely change and overhaul my blog.  I'm kind of an eclectic person by nature which allows for me to have a wide array of interests.  It does however, lead to a lot of impulse shopping and indecisiveness on colors and layouts for my blog.  The first version of the current blog design you see right now was very similar but there were tons of colors, lots of fonts and just too much going on.  I am a sucker for fonts and I had like 5 different ones going on and though alone they were all lovely, together it just didn't work.  Anyhow, the last few days I felt the need to simplify so I replaced the contrasting colors and too many fonts with a white/gray/deep lavender color combination and a few fonts that I think work well together.  I also put a gray filter on a lot of the sidebar buttons and links so the focus is kept on the content and on my sponsors.  I hope you like it.

Happy Spring to all of you and may you have a wonderful and lovely weekend wherever you are!

Aloha,

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Photos: OPI, Zoya, Chanel, Beth Shapouri, OPI

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Aloha Hoapili translates as Hello Close Friend. So, without further ado let me introduce you to this week's featured friend

Shaunna at Tempting Thyme

Shaunna blogs all about DIY projects, yummy recipes and blogging tips.

Want a little taste of the blog? Check out these posts to find out what you've been missing:

How to create a transparent watermark

Cinnamon Roll Aebleskiver

Turn an old mirror into a chalkboard

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So I'm back on my juice fast but this time I'm not doing a full fast.  I'm swapping 1-2 meals a day with fresh juiced vegetables and juice. Normally I drink a glass of juice a day and still eat 3 small meals but I really don't need to eat when I juice.  I was just being a little indulgent.  I haven't gained any of the weight I lost back but I need to keep going because I'm far, far from my goal.  Though I'm a full 40 pounds lighter than I was a year ago, I could healthily lose another 70 lbs or more and be at what my doctor said would be my optimum health weight.

Before I juiced, I was sick all the time, bloated, moody, I had more hair fallout, I wasn't regular on my cycle and I knew I wasn't pregnant because well...I wasn't doing anything that could lead to it.  I was just a physical mess and that's why I initially started working out and juicing.  Since we're being honest here, since we're all friends I feel  like I can tell you that... I haven't worked out at all in almost 2 months...  I know.... today was my first day back at the gym and I felt like I was run over by a train.  I need to get back into the groove and back in to shape!!

This is one of my favorite go-to juices.  It's a couple of recipes I mixed together and I always make enough for two because either I'm visiting my mom or my son is with me.  I call it the "Green Dream".  I've made a picture how-to below.  I hope it helps you if you decide to juice.  Though I use a Breville which is ah-may-zing, there are lots of super affordable juicers like Juiceman or the Jack LaLane juicer which are really affordable and do the job credibly.  I believe you can get one of those brands at Costco right now.



Now that I'm juicing a couple meals a day, I have so much energy and I feel just so much better both mentally and physically.  Eating right and working out is good for the mind, body and soul...for the whole person.  It's definitely worth missing the bad foods that taste oh so good.

You can skip the ginger if you want, some people don't like the taste of ginger.  If you're just starting out, I would use an inch or less of peeled ginger just for the taste but not so it overwhelms the flavor of the juice.

I hope that you all are having a wonderful day and night.  I can't believe how fast this week is flying by.  What are some of your health, exercise and eating tips!!  Share and link any posts you have in the comments below!!

Aloha,