Roxy and Carissa
Photo Credit: DeAnna Gallardo Photography
Jax & her daughter Roxy
Hi there and thank you for reading Jax Chronicles!
Here are 10 random facts about me.
1) I don’t tend to run with the crowd. I march to my own beat. I’m feisty, quirky, and independent. Ask anybody who knows me. I’m really not your typical anything.
2) I’m a very petite woman. For the most part I like being petite. But I do struggle to find clothing in my size and often shop in the girls department.
3) I am a night owl. You’ll find me doing most of my posts between 12-3am.
4) I am a Christian. Though in the past and in my college years, I strayed away from God, I have found that my life makes the most sense when I’m closer to God. I’ve been told I’m a bit liberal for a Christian. I believe this is because I am accepting of all people and refuse to condemn them. God teaches us to love and I constantly remind myself that we are all God’s children.
5) I am of 100% Cantonese Chinese descent and speak both English and fluent Cantonese. I can speak a fair amount of conversational Mandarin but am by no means fluent in Mandarin.
6) Those closest to me tend to be empathetic and considerate people who like helping others, are able to rejoice in the successes of those around them, don’t gossip, and don’t cause drama. I veer away from people who don’t exhibit these qualities. Okay, I run away from them like the plague.
7) I am addicted to Jamba Juice (my fav is the Acai smoothie), chocolate (Ginger Elizabeth’s Gianduja Crunchy Crepe & Hazelnut Dessert Bar or Recchiuti’s Hazelnut Bar), homemade soup (I usually make soups myself) or ramen (Shoki II in Sac and Daikokuya in LA), or chicken congee (gai jook-I have posted several of my recipes). I never get sick of Jamba Juice, Ginger Elizabeth or Recchiuti chocolate, homemade soup or ramen or chicken congee and these items are definitely my favorite comfort foods.
8) One of my favorite movies is Cloud Atlas and this is my favorite quote from the movie.
“Our lives are not our own. From womb to tomb we are bound to others, past and present, and by each crime and every kindness we birth our future.” -Sonmi 451
9) Settlers of Catan is my favorite board game and Angry Birds 2 and Words With Friends are my favorite games on my iPhone.
10) If you’re familiar with Myers Briggs, I’m an INFJ. I’m an ambivert. I genuinely like meeting new people. I genuinely find happiness in trying to lift up people in my life. I just need a lot of time to recharge my batteries after I go out to a social setting.
How I Started Jax Chronicles Blog
I started this blog Jax Chronicles in 2003 as a way to document my life. Over time, Jax Chronicles evolved into a foodie blog, and later on, an adoption and mommy blog as well. I consider Jax Chronicles to be an on going depiction of my life as a Christian wife, Mom, Foodie, Sacramento Native, Elk Grove Resident, Feminist, Social Activist, Adoption Advocate, and Cat Lover. Jax Chronicles allows people to see me as a wife and mommy, and is also a way to let people see what adoption and motherhood is really like, and interesting places, foods, services, and events to check out (mostly in the Greater Sacramento area). I also post my own recipes that I create for my family. Think of me as your go to personal reference on anything to do with Sacramento, Elk Grove, Nor Cal eats, family friendly recipes, parenting hacks, or child adoption. My blog also strives to uplift people and businesses in my local community, advocate for child adoption, and support other families. I especially want to support those families trying to adopt or conceive. Jax Chronicles blog is a multi-faceted endeavor which also serves as an adoption ministry and a base for my freelance writing.
I am an award winning Elk Grove Blogger and Sacramento Blogger. As a Sacramento Blogger and Elk Grove Blogger, my blog Jax Chronicles has won several awards including the Sacramento Area A-list Best Local Blogger 2014 & 2015, and Best Blogger of Elk Grove 2016. More than anything I really just appreciate the incredible people that I’ve met through this experience. I have also been working as a Freelance Writer, and using Jax Chronicles blog as a base, I also write for Sacramento4Kids and the Elk Grove Laguna News.
In April of 2017, my hubby and I decided to also make Jax Chronicles an adoption ministry. If you or someone you know are adopting any Cantonese speaking child likely from Guangdong province, Guangxi province, or Hong Kong, I will do video translations of your child and Skype translations FOR FREE. (I am not fluent in Mandarin, only Cantonese.) I do a lot of Skype translations for newly adopted children who have just come home. *Note that we will not tell you whether or not to adopt a child. We will just do Cantonese translations and assess their medical history based on facts.
My Education & Experience
In terms of my education and experience, I definitely didn’t take a straight path to any one career. It took me a long time to figure out what I wanted to do with my life. I obtained my bachelor’s degree in Ethnic Studies and a minor in Philosophy from the University of California, San Diego. With the goal of starting my own business, I obtained my MBA from the University of California, Davis. After realizing the profound effect that marketing can have on public health, I obtained a DrPH in Health Leadership from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
I began my career in the legal field and in journalism. I went on to pursue a career in business consulting, marketing, and public health. I have extensive experience in strategic business development, social and promotional marketing, program development, non-profits, wellness, and writing. During a career experience at a non-profit, I realized that my job simply did not encompass all of the things I was passionate about. I decided to start a company that drew upon my education and career experiences.
In May of 2011, I put together my own Business Plan and launched Go Jade Solutions, a Business Development & Consulting company, specializing in customized innovative solutions in the areas of Business, Marketing, Writing, and Wellness. Go Jade Solutions called upon businesses and individuals to maximize their own value and promoted a movement that you could better yourself if you followed your dreams. Until April 2017, I was the Owner and Executive Director of Go Jade Solutions, when I decided to close it.
In the year 2016, I realized I could sell paid advertisements (ad space) on my blog, as well as social media blasts, and sponsored posts. So I began to do so. My income began to grow and it got to the point where I was doing more with Jax Chronicles than with my other business Go Jade Solutions. I filed for a business license for Jax Chronicles blog and created a fresh website design in April of 2017.
I work part time from home as the Owner/Blogger/Influencer of Jax Chronicles Blog. Essentially, this is a one woman show. I have also been working as a Freelance Writer and write for Sacramento4Kids . Jax Chronicles serves as a base for my freelance writing as well as my collaborations and partnerships with local businesses. Using my blog as a base, I also do some ghost writing for local businesses. Jax Chronicles also functions as an adoption ministry.
My Life & Family
I am in the middle of a divorce. I have 2 daughters named Roxy and Carissa, 2 cats named Mochi and Miso, and dog named Marshmallow. As a Christian, I firmly believe in the power of prayer. In my spare time I enjoy helping others, spending time with family and friends, playing or eating with my daughters and husband, cooking or eating great food and then blogging about it, bbqing and swimming all year long, playing Settlers of Catan, Angry Birds 2, Words With Friends, Pokemon Go, watching live bands, social marketing, networking, web design, light shows, the beach, and getting facials. I believe God gives each of us specific gifts and has Angels protecting each and every one of us. I would like to fully embrace and utilize all the gifts that God has given me and connect more with my Angels. I am a strong supporter of adoption having adopted Roxy from China. I also have a heart for animals and have fostered many cats.
I really cherish my awesome family and all my good friends. I strive to live my life with passion, compassion, and integrity. I’m about acceptance, respect, and love…the manna to the soul we all crave. I’m about living your life with hope and faith, helping people to fulfill their potential, and rejoicing in the success and happiness of those around me. I try to use my strengths to have a positive effect on the world and to always lift up my loved ones.