About MandeJLife

MandeJLife started out as a blog aptly named Mande's J-Life, as in Mande's Life in Japan. I wrote that blog for about four years and then ended it after 234 posts. I felt it was skewing to the negative side of life, and when I returned to work after having my first child, I decided that a new blog with a new focus would help me make that transition.

Thus, the new and aptly titled Working Mom in Japan. I am still MandeJLife though - living it up in Japan with my Japanese husband, our two kids, and our genki French Bulldog.

I often write about my creative endeavors, often which are meant for self-improvement or self-exploration. I enjoy taking on-line classes that help me feel a part of a large community while learning new things. I am obsessed with digital scrapbooking, but I dabble in art journaling, decoupage and other paper crafts. I would LOVE to take up sewing, but that has not happened yet. Maybe someday.

I am also an English teacher, currently transitioning from high school level to university level. I sometimes write about my adventures in the EFL classroom, but mostly, I prefer to express more about my inner-growth and creativity here. It's the other side of WorkingMom that I tend to explore on this blog.

Some things about me that you should know:

I am a high-achieving, always-busy, creative person with lots of great ideas.

I am not good at keeping my house clean, making my kids eat their vegetables or at taking criticism.

I want to be a well-rounded person, and I want to be more relaxed.

I want my kids to feel loved and to feel special. I want them to be well-rounded too.

I don't want to ever look back on my life and regret NOT doing something because I was scared.

I love my life (even though it's in Japan), my kids, my husband, my dog, my job, my hobbies and my friends, but not always in that order.

I hope you enjoy my blog as much as I enjoy writing it.