As I searched online for places that one could shop to help those struggling in Viet Nam, I was pleasantly surprised to come across quite a few organizations that do just that. With the holiday season fully upon us, many are still trying to find meaningful gifts to give. The organization that I’m posting about today; the Catalyst Foundation, has remarkable gift options that will directly help children in need in Viet Nam. Some friends and family members may not fully understand the plight of poverty and disease stricken... more

Erin has posted some great ideas over on the Transracial Adoption Blog for gifts that help other people. To continue on with her idea, I’ve been doing some research to find gifts that you might consider purchasing that directly help the Vietnamese people. I know it’s a little late in the season, but with so many people doing last minute shopping and ordering gifts online, I hope that some will consider the organizations I’ll be featuring.

I have posted about... more

Please believe me when I tell you that, yes, I am completely and thoroughly aware that these look nothing like traditional mooncakes! As a time strapped mom who wanted to make them myself, this is what I concocted and we were all pretty happy with them. I followed the Asia for Kids recipe that I posted about here, and the directions were really easy to follow and the ingredients were all things we normally have on hand (except for the “fancy” blackberry preserves I purchased just for this occasion.)

I am pleased to tell you that these were some of the most delicious... more

Happy Tet Trung Thu! Since a very large part of the Mid-Autumn Moon Festival is to celebrate children, I have been thinking about how to make this day all about Ella. Then I realized that everyday is all about Ella, so how could I make this one special? Here are some things that we're going to try to do today:

Have a breakfast picnic on the floor in the living room. To get in the spirit of honoring the moon, we’ll start the day with some full moon shaped Kix cereal. She’s been on a huge Kix craze lately! She’s too young to make lanterns or any real... more

Since Tet Trung Thu (the Mid-Autumn Moon Festival) is a celebration that honors children, I thought it would be a good idea to share some traditional folktales about the holiday. To celebrate this Tuesday, break out some mooncakes, spend time together as a family and share some of these stories with your children.

Cá hóa Rông – the story of a carp who worked hard to reach his goal of becoming a dragon. After much hard work, he was successful. The moral of the story is that with hard work, one can become anything they wish. This can be easily applied to working hard in school.

The Lady in the... more

There are many festivals planned across the country to celebrate Tet Trung Thu (Mid-Autumn Moon Festival.) Below you will find a sampling of events, but if you are unable to find one near you, why not throw your own celebration? If you belong to your local Families With Children From Viet Nam group, I'll bet there are other families who would be interested in starting an annual tradition to celebrate and honor the moon and our children.

The Westminster Rose Center in Westminster, California will be hosting a 2007 Orange Moon Festival for Tet Trung Thu. It will be held this Saturday September 22 at noon. There will be activities for... more

Mooncakes first came to be as a celebration food when the Han Chinese defeated the Mongols. They are now a traditional treat during the Mid Autumn Moon Festival (tet trung thu,) and come in many different varieties. Making traditional Vietnamese mooncakes (banh tet trung thu) is a labor intensive process and many Vietnamese families choose to order theirs from local shops instead of making them themselves. They can be found at any Asian supermarket in the United States, and there are several recipes out there online if you’re feeling ambitious.

Mooncakes traditionally... more

Tet Trung Thu, or the Mid Autumn Moon Festival falls on September 25th this year. Every year it is held on the fifteenth day of the eighth lunar month. As the festival’s intent is to honor the moon, it occurs during the part of the year that the moon is at its brightest.

There is a great deal of attention bestowed on children during the Mid Autum Moon Festival; it’s sometimes even called the Childrens’ Festival. It is a time to spend quality time together as a family and encourage and embrace creativity with your children. I thought it would be fun to share some ideas about... more

Depending on how you feel about American Girl dolls, you’ll either be thrilled or completely indifferent to the following information. Rumor has it that they will be releasing an Asian American doll later this year.

I have seen discussions pop up about the lack of an Asian American Girl doll in adoption circles for a few years now. In case you’re not familiar with the American Girl company, they have a line of incredibly popular dolls that represent different periods of American history and different races…except for... more

Who among us isn't a sucker for anything related to Viet Nam? Before I traveled to adopt Ella, I was hungry for anything that would help me feel a little bit closer to my little girl on the other side of the world. Now that we’re home and I’m almost always feeling nostalgic for Viet Nam, I love looking at books and items that take me back. I’m also always on the lookout for things to share with Ella to help her learn about and feel a connection to her birth country and to understand more about adoption.

The... more