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How to Help Your Child with Developing Writing Skills: A Guide

Helping a child find their voice on paper is one of the most rewarding challenges a parent can undertake. In an era dominated by rapid-fire digital communication, the ability to construct a thoughtful, coherent narrative remains a foundational pillar for both academic success and emotional intelligence.

Writing is more than just grammar and spelling; it is the physical manifestation of critical thinking and creative expression. When children learn to enjoy the process of translating their thoughts into words, they develop a sense of agency that serves them well across every subject in school and throughout their adult lives.

How to Help Your Child with Developing Writing Skills A Guide

11 Mother’s Day Gift Ideas She Will Actually Use

When it comes to shopping for Mother’s Day, a few classic gifts will always make the list. But there are only so many pairs of slippers or pretty mugs one person can have until it starts to feel a little predictable.

Instead, shift your focus to more practical Mother’s Day gift ideas that still feel special and gift-worthy but that also add function and value to your mum’s everyday routine long past the time those traditional flowers have found the rubbish bin.

11 Mother's Day Gift Ideas She Will Actually Use

Practical parenting: Bringing indoor spaces outdoors with carports and pergola

As any parent will tell you, the morning routine is often a race against the clock. Between hunting for missing PE kits and ensuring everyone has a semi-balanced breakfast, the last thing you need is an unexpected delay before you’ve even left the driveway. For many of us, the winter months bring the dreaded task of scraping frost off the windscreen while the children shiver in the back seat. It’s a small struggle, but when you’re already running five minutes late, it can feel like the final straw.

Bringing indoor spaces outdoors with carports and pergola

How do you know if a chair is truly ergonomic?

Do you finish working with a sore lower back or stiff neck? Before blaming long hours, think about the chair you use. A real ergonomic desk chair adjusts to your body and helps you sit with better posture. But how can you tell if it is really ergonomic?

Here are 5 features that make a chair comfortable and supportive for your body.

How do you know if a chair is truly ergonomic

Jiufen Day Tour Taiwan: Old Street, Food, Tea & Travel Tips

After visiting Shifen and releasing a sky lantern, we headed towards Jiufen. Looking at photos of Jiufen, it looks absolutely stunning—especially at night. It was such a shame that we only had 1 hour and 45 minutes to spend there and had to leave by 4:45 pm. We missed the beautiful red-lantern-lit alleyways, but nevertheless, it was still a fantastic trip. I would highly recommend this place.

Jiufen Day Tour Taiwan Old Street, Food, Tea & Travel Tips

6 Tips for Maximizing Space in a Small Home

Do you always find yourself with little room in your home and wishing that you had more? People with small homes often have struggles with storage space and with finding enough room to do normal, everyday activities. They feel cramped and even claustrophobic, and that makes it difficult for them to be at peace. It also makes it hard for them to feel like their home is neat and tidy.

If that is a problem you deal with, then we have some helpful tips for you. These should allow you to make more space and to use the space you have much more effectively.

6 Tips for Maximizing Space in a Small Home

Fun and Educational Online Activities to Boost Kids’ Skills

Look at what most children do with their time online, and you can easily think that it is nothing but noise, videos, games, and endless scrolling. To be fair, much of it is. But that space can be used differently.

The internet is not the problem. It is the passive use of what could be an incredible resource.

If you take the time to seek activities that capture your child’s attention while developing crucial skills, things change quickly. The screen goes from a low-value distraction to a path toward something greater.

Fun and Educational Online Activities to Boost Kids' Skills

Shifen Day Tour, Taiwan

Visiting Shifen and releasing a sky lantern was one of the highlights of our day tour. Earlier in the day, we had explored Yehliu Geopark, and after Shifen, we would continue on to Jiufen. Located in New Taipei City, Shifen is roughly a two-hour drive from Yehliu.

Shifen Day Tour, Taiwan

Yehliu Geopark Tour Guide

Our day tour meeting point was conveniently located just outside our hotel at Taipei Main Station. As the underground walkways were quite complicated to navigate, we decided to head up to ground level and look for the Taipei Main Station East 3 meeting point instead. It was an early start, as we had a long day ahead. I did find it quite challenging to locate the meeting point, as the station is massive. Nevertheless, I eventually found it, along with many other groups waiting in the same area.

Yehliu Geopark Tour Guide day trip

How do countertop water dispensers work?

Water is perhaps the single healthiest, simplest and most important substance that literally everyone has to ingest on a daily basis.

Gaining access to a healthy, convenient, low-cost water source can make it a lot easier to drink enough, not to mention a lot more enjoyable.

There are a few different options available, one of which is to use a countertop water dispenser. Let’s take a look at how these handy systems work.

How do countertop water dispensers work

Longshan Temple Travel Guide: Taipei’s Iconic Buddhist & Taoist Temple

Longshan (or Lungshan) Temple is a Buddhist and Taoist temple located in Taipei’s Wanhua District. It was founded in 1738 by settlers from Fujian and enshrines Guanyin, along with more than 100 other deities.

Longshan Temple

Zhulinshan Guanyin Temple Taiwan

We were recommended to visit Zhulinshan Guanyin Temple (Bamboo Forest Mountain Guanyin Temple) by Master Kuo for blessings, and we were glad we followed his advice. Located in Jinghu Village, Linkou Township, the temple enshrines the magnificent Eighteen-Armed Guanyin Bodhisattva.

Zhulinshan Guanyin Temple

Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End Special Exhibition

The Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End special exhibition was held at the same venue as the One Piece Emotion exhibition—on Level 7 of the National Taiwan Science Education Center.

Frieren Beyond Journey's End Special Exhibition

One Piece Emotion Exhibition

The One Piece Emotion Exhibition 25th anniversary tour has been held in Tokyo, Kumamoto, Mie, Fukuoka, and Osaka since 2024. Now, it has made its first overseas stop in Taiwan. We were lucky enough to visit the exhibition during our trip. It is currently on display at the National Taiwan Science Education Center from 10 am to 6 pm, with the final day on 6th April 2026.

One Piece Emotion Exhibition

Taiwan Pokémon Center Taipei

We finally made it to the Pokémon Center in Xinyi — Taiwan’s flagship Pokémon store — and it definitely lived up to expectations.

Taiwan Pokémon Center Taipei

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Hello!

Welcome to ET Speaks From Home!

Hi, I’m Eileen — a mum of two teenagers, aged 18 and 17, and a passionate lifestyle blogger sharing snippets of family life, creativity, and culture since May 2012. My daughter lives with visual impairment, and our journey together has shaped much of the heart behind this blog.

What started as a small space to document family memories has grown into a vibrant corner of the internet where I share my love for cooking, crafting, DIY projects, Chinese culture, parenting, and honest product and YouTube reviews. Whether I’m creating festive crafts, exploring Chinese traditions, or trying out new recipes, I hope to inspire others through everyday moments from home.

Over the years, ET Speaks From Home has been recognised by several parenting and blogging communities, including:

* Top 20 UK Parent Blogs (2020)
* Tots100 Top 20 Blog on Twitter (2014)
* Tots100 Top Mummy Vloggers (2015)
* Tots100 Top 20 Vloggers (2016)
* Shortlisted for the BritMums Brilliance in Blogging Awards (BiBs), Video Category (2014)

Thank you for stopping by and being part of our journey. I hope you’ll find inspiration, useful tips, cultural insights, and a little joy here at ET Speaks From Home. Read More…

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Recent Posts

  • Helping Your Teenager Make Their Bedroom Feel Like Theirs (Without a Full Renovation)
  • How to Make a Busy Family Bathroom Brighter, Calmer and Easier to Use
  • Bletchley Park Review: Exploring the Home of WWII Codebreakers
  • The Worst Time of Year to Move (and the Best)
  • Exploring Faster Ways to Sell Your Home
  • How Long Does Invisalign Take? Realistic Timelines for Every Case
  • Stress-Free European Family Holidays: Exploring Multiple Countries Without Hotel-Hopping
  • Choosing an Engagement Ring That Becomes Part of Your Family Story
  • 5 Essential Features to Look for When Upgrading Your VW Transporter Wheels for Better Performance
  • 8 Beach Towels Worth Packing for Your Next Trip

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