Asian Zone

Our daughters got these wonderful Iwako Animal Erasers from a friend.  We have the dolphin, the whale, the penguin, and the elephant.  What's most fun about these animal erasers is that they are unique puzzles.  You can take the different-colored pieces apart and put them back together again.  How cute!

What's nice is that these erasers are environmentally friendly and made in Japan.  They are recyclable, non-toxic, lead-free, and PVC-free.  Our kids love them, but they do have small parts, so they are not suitable for young children.

tobuy

I came across these lovely pictures comprised of Chinese characters on Hao Mama.

These examples of Chinese character art are truly impressive.  Amazing, aren't they?

Bit'z Kids, a children's clothing boutique in NYC, is offering a free Origami lesson for kids ages 2 to 8 years old at their Tribeca Store at 275 Greenwich St, on Thursday, August 26, 2010, from 4:00-4:30 pm.  Click to fill out the Registration Form online, and check it out!

The parent company (F.O. International CO.) is the largest children's clothing retailer in Japan, with 130 stores in Japan and 40 stores in China.  There are now 2 stores open in New York.

I saw this cool guide to Japanese emoticons on Alltop.com.  It's Wired.com's pocket-sized English-to-Japanese emoticon translator.  Pretty neat, huh?

One of the best parts of the BlogHer '10 experience was getting to meet and greet many of the wonderful Asian American bloggers I've been following, as well as meeting new Asian American bloggers, too.  Be sure to check out their blogs!
 

Familiar faces I had met at last year's BlogHer '09 in Chicago:

Mommy Bytes
A software geek and mom who lives in Massachusetts and writes about the trials of parenting and work, complete with beautiful pictures of her family.  She often discusses gadgets, podcasts, movies, music, books, and fun things she finds on the internet.

Lady M
A mom of two, who works in high tech, directs a vintage ballroom dance troupe, writes about all of the above, and takes great photographs.  She lives with her husband, SwingDaddy, and 2 sons Q-ster and Buster in Silicon Valley.

Fourth Breakfast
A blogger who finds stories to love in television, film, books, and more, then writes about them.  She lives with her ever-tolerant husband and her belly-laughing toddler.

Boston Mamas/Posh Peacock/Pop Discourse/Minimalist Mama
A Boston mama with a passion for people, communication, art, food, retail, web surfing, and all things mama-related.  She has a PhD in music and brain science and is now a freelance writer, editor, & designer. She lives with her husband and daughter, and is expecting another child soon.

Wife and Mommy
A 30-something DC suburban dweller, who lives with and writes about The Husband, Bito, Cupcake, BabyMuffin, and J-dog.

Tech Savvy Mama
A teacher and technology consultant for a DC public school system, now also a professional blogger and freelance writer, who helps parents to navigate the overwhelming world of technology.  She works as a community manager for PBS Teachers and Social Media manager for Blogalicious.
 

New faces I met at this year's BlogHer '10 in NYC:

Mogul Baby/Mrs. Mogul
A pro blogger and pop culture addict with a background in TV, films, and music PR.  She writes a personal blog as well as a review blog for fabulous baby products.

That's Amasian!
A Seattle mommy blogger, eco-buzzer, and nonprofit media supporter. She's a new mama trying to make greener choices, while working for a fantastic nonprofit environmental PR firm.  She loves analyzing and exploring race, culture, food, crafts, the immigrant experience, and the future of our world.

Sugar My Bowl/Chicagonista/The Chicago Moms
A Filipina American blogger who lives in Chicago with her Chinese American husband and 3 kids.  She's the editor of Chicagonista and creator of City Connect Media & Chicagonista LIVE!

Chalk and Cheese Chronicles/Mad About Multiples
A Silicon Valley mom of twins backpedaling through the rules of parenting.  She has unfulfilled wanderlust, making do with local travel, and showing her children the world through museums, films, books and exotic menus.

Our Little Tongginator
Not techincally an Asian American blogger, but a 30-something mom who, with her husband, adopted a little girl from China and writes about their lives together.  Every Sunday, she links to incredible posts about adoption and transracial, adoptive parenting.

I'm Not the Nanny/Cup of Creativi-Tea/Laugh in Bed/Passion and Art

A DC mom of two, who writes about raising biracial kids in a race conscious world.  She loves to be creative by cooking, baking, crafting, and making art.  She is also a consultant for Passion Parties.  Working from home gives her the flexibility to spend time with her family and teach her kids Vietnamese. 

ljcfyi

A 30-something half-Korean blogger, who likes crafting, cupcakes, being green, & playing the violin.  She is also Kodak's Chief Blogger & Social Media Manager.  She lives in Rochester, NY with her husband, a pug, and a kitty.
 

Other fabulous Asian American bloggers who I spotted at this year's BlogHer '10:

Steamy Kitchen
A mom, television chef, and food columnist, who delivers fantastic recipes and beautiful pictures in her food blog.  Her first cookbook The Steamy Kitchen Cookbook was launched in the Fall of 2009.  She lives with husband & 2 boys in Tampa.

City Mama/Kimchi Mamas/MOMocrats
A mommy blogger who is known for her cooking, parenting, and design blog.  She is the founder of Clever Girls Collective and one of the founding editors of Kimchi Mamas & the MOMocrats.  She lives with her husband & two daughters.

Motherhood Uncensored/The Mominatrix/Cool Mom Picks
A former music therapist and college professor, now a mom who blogs to connect with other moms and to bring to light the true realities of motherhood and marriage.  Her writing is hilarious and always spot-on.  She recently launched her first book, The Mominatrix's Guide to Sex. She lives in Atlanta with her husband & 3 kids, with a fourth on the way.

Free Anissa/Hope4Peyton/Aiming Low
A mom who started blogging about her daughter's successful battle with cancer (Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia) and now writes about her own life in recovery from a stroke.  She lives in Atlanta with her husband and three kids.
 

Check out these adorable & yummy organic T-shirts for tots from Lala Lu on etsy.com.

S is for Sushi

D is for Dim Sum

G is for Gyoza

P is for Pho

R is for Ramen

Love this adorable Sushi Messenger Bag by rainbowswirlz on etsy.com.  Available colors:  putty, denim, java, crunch berry, & khaki green. 

What a perfect book bag for you sushi lovers!

Love this unique Origami font made by HandMadeFont, based in Estonia. 

How cool!

Chicagoans!  Don't miss "QiXi: A Chinese Love Story" at Millennium Park on August 22, 2010 from 2:30-4:00 pm, starting at Cloud Gate! 

Qi Xi (pronounced "chee shee") is the story of Niulang and Zhinu – the cowherd and celestial weaver princess, whose forbidden love caused the creation of the Milky Way.  This colorful, traveling performance showcases the talents of 200 performers - dancers, martial artists, Chinese opera singers, lion dancers, and musicians. 

The Chicago Chinese Fine Arts Society is asking for your support.  Any donation is appreciated. This will go to all production costs: costuming, transportation, promotion, stage management, rehearsal costs, etc.  Click on QiXi Kickstarter to see last year's video and to get more information.

CFAS is also raffling off two coach tickets to Shanghai or Beijing from American Airlines.  Raffle tickets are $10 each or 3/$25, and you can buy them online at the CFAS store.  The drawing will take place at the QiXi After Party on August 22, and tickets will be valid for a year from that date.