diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index a224247..fcd7db1 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -1,5 +1,16 @@
 # toml4j Changelog
 
+## 0.6.0 / 2016-06-14
+
+## Added
+
+* Toml#toMap() convenience method (thanks to __[andytill](https://github.com/andytill)__ and __[Gyscos](https://github.com/Gyscos)) 
+
+## Fixed
+
+* Transient fields are not written to TOML files (thanks to __[lare96](https://github.com/lare96)__)
+* Support positive timezone offset in datetime (thanks to __[aloyse](https://github.com/aloyse)__)
+
 ## 0.5.1 / 2016-01-24
 
 ### Fixed
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 7b1848c..1736d1b 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ Add the following dependency to your POM (or equivalent for other dependency man
 <dependency>
   <groupId>com.moandjiezana.toml</groupId>
   <artifactId>toml4j</artifactId>
-  <version>0.5.1</version>
+  <version>0.6.0</version>
 </dependency>
 ```
 
@@ -41,6 +41,14 @@ An exception is thrown if the source is not valid TOML.
 
 The data can then be accessed either by converting the Toml instance to your own class or by accessing tables and keys by name.
 
+### Maps
+
+`Toml#toMap()` is a quick way to turn a Toml instance into a `Map<String, Object>`.
+
+```java
+Map<String, Object> map = new Toml().read("a=1").toMap();
+```
+
 ### Custom classes
 
 `Toml#to(Class<T>)` maps a Toml instance to the given class.
@@ -214,13 +222,6 @@ for (Map.Entry<String, Object> entry : myToml.entrySet()) {
 }
 ```
 
-You can also convert a Toml instance to a `Map<String, Object>`:
-
-```java
-Toml toml = new Toml().read("a = 1");
-Map<String, Object> map = toml.to(Map.class);
-```
-
 `Toml#contains(String)` verifies that the instance contains a key of any type (primitive, table or array of tables) of the given  name. `Toml#containsPrimitive(String)`, `Toml#containsTable(String)` and `Toml#containsTableArray(String)` return true only if a key exists and is a primitive, table or array of tables, respectively. Compound keys can be used to check existence at any depth.
 
 
@@ -245,7 +246,15 @@ class AClass {
 
 TomlWriter tomlWriter = new TomlWriter();
 AClass obj = new AClass();
+
+Map<String, Object> map = new HashMap<String, Object>();
+int[] intArray = { 2, 3 };
+map.put("anInt", 1);
+map.put("anArray", intArray);
+
 String tomlString = tomlWriter.write(obj);
+tomlString = tomlWriter.write(map);
+
 tomlWriter.write(obj, new File("path/to/file"));
 tomlWriter.write(obj, new ByteArrayOutputStream());
 tomlWriter.write(obj, new OutputStreamWriter(anOutputStream));
@@ -296,6 +305,10 @@ Output:
 
 Date precision is limited to milliseconds.
 
+## Changelog
+
+Please see the [changelog](CHANGELOG.md).
+
 ## Contributing
 
 Please see the [contribution guidelines](CONTRIBUTING.md).
diff --git a/src/main/java/com/moandjiezana/toml/DateValueReaderWriter.java b/src/main/java/com/moandjiezana/toml/DateValueReaderWriter.java
index 8119b39..d6a64cf 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/moandjiezana/toml/DateValueReaderWriter.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/moandjiezana/toml/DateValueReaderWriter.java
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ class DateValueReaderWriter implements ValueReader, ValueWriter {
     
     for (int i = index.get(); i < original.length(); i = index.incrementAndGet()) {
       char c = original.charAt(i);
-      if (Character.isDigit(c) || c == '-' || c == ':' || c == '.' || c == 'T' || c == 'Z') {
+      if (Character.isDigit(c) || c == '-' || c == '+' || c == ':' || c == '.' || c == 'T' || c == 'Z') {
         sb.append(c);
       } else {
         index.decrementAndGet();
diff --git a/src/main/java/com/moandjiezana/toml/ObjectValueWriter.java b/src/main/java/com/moandjiezana/toml/ObjectValueWriter.java
index 9bd08c3..1295778 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/moandjiezana/toml/ObjectValueWriter.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/moandjiezana/toml/ObjectValueWriter.java
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ class ObjectValueWriter implements ValueWriter {
     Iterator<Field> iterator = fields.iterator();
     while (iterator.hasNext()) {
       Field field = iterator.next();
-      if ((Modifier.isFinal(field.getModifiers()) && Modifier.isStatic(field.getModifiers())) || field.isSynthetic()) {
+      if ((Modifier.isFinal(field.getModifiers()) && Modifier.isStatic(field.getModifiers())) || field.isSynthetic() || Modifier.isTransient(field.getModifiers())) {
         iterator.remove();
       }
     }
diff --git a/src/main/java/com/moandjiezana/toml/Toml.java b/src/main/java/com/moandjiezana/toml/Toml.java
index 27a66d3..4babb93 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/moandjiezana/toml/Toml.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/moandjiezana/toml/Toml.java
@@ -302,6 +302,16 @@ public class Toml {
    * @return A new instance of targetClass.
    */
   public <T> T to(Class<T> targetClass) {
+    JsonElement json = DEFAULT_GSON.toJsonTree(toMap());
+    
+    if (targetClass == JsonElement.class) {
+      return targetClass.cast(json);
+    }
+    
+    return DEFAULT_GSON.fromJson(json, targetClass);
+  }
+
+  public Map<String, Object> toMap() {
     HashMap<String, Object> valuesCopy = new HashMap<String, Object>(values);
     
     if (defaults != null) {
@@ -311,14 +321,8 @@ public class Toml {
         }
       }
     }
-    
-    JsonElement json = DEFAULT_GSON.toJsonTree(valuesCopy);
-    
-    if (targetClass == JsonElement.class) {
-      return targetClass.cast(json);
-    }
-    
-    return DEFAULT_GSON.fromJson(json, targetClass);
+
+    return valuesCopy;
   }
   
   /**
diff --git a/src/test/java/com/moandjiezana/toml/BurntSushiValidEncoderTest.java b/src/test/java/com/moandjiezana/toml/BurntSushiValidEncoderTest.java
index 456ae8f..2537d95 100644
--- a/src/test/java/com/moandjiezana/toml/BurntSushiValidEncoderTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/com/moandjiezana/toml/BurntSushiValidEncoderTest.java
@@ -134,7 +134,7 @@ public class BurntSushiValidEncoderTest {
 
   private void runEncoder(String testName, TomlWriter tomlWriter) {
     InputStream inputTomlStream = getClass().getResourceAsStream("burntsushi/valid/" + testName + ".toml");
-    String expectedToml = convertStreamToString(inputTomlStream);
+    String expectedToml = convertStreamToString(inputTomlStream).replaceAll("\r\n", "\n");
 
     Reader inputJsonReader = new InputStreamReader(getClass().getResourceAsStream("burntsushi/valid/" + testName + ".json"));
     JsonElement jsonInput = GSON.fromJson(inputJsonReader, JsonElement.class);
diff --git a/src/test/java/com/moandjiezana/toml/BurntSushiValidTest.java b/src/test/java/com/moandjiezana/toml/BurntSushiValidTest.java
index bb55dd5..60b95d2 100644
--- a/src/test/java/com/moandjiezana/toml/BurntSushiValidTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/com/moandjiezana/toml/BurntSushiValidTest.java
@@ -248,7 +248,7 @@ public class BurntSushiValidTest {
   private void run(String testName) {
     InputStream inputTomlStream = getClass().getResourceAsStream("burntsushi/valid/" + testName + ".toml");
     // InputStream inputToml = getClass().getResourceAsStream("burntsushi/valid/" + testName + ".toml");
-    String inputToml = convertStreamToString(inputTomlStream);
+    String inputToml = convertStreamToString(inputTomlStream).replaceAll("\r\n", "\n");
     Reader expectedJsonReader = new InputStreamReader(getClass().getResourceAsStream("burntsushi/valid/" + testName + ".json"));
     JsonElement expectedJson = GSON.fromJson(expectedJsonReader, JsonElement.class);
 
diff --git a/src/test/java/com/moandjiezana/toml/DateTest.java b/src/test/java/com/moandjiezana/toml/DateTest.java
index bfe8c16..dce1e57 100644
--- a/src/test/java/com/moandjiezana/toml/DateTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/com/moandjiezana/toml/DateTest.java
@@ -27,7 +27,18 @@ public class DateTest {
     Toml toml = new Toml().read("a_date = 1979-05-27T00:32:00-07:00");
 
     Calendar calendar = Calendar.getInstance(UTC);
-    calendar.set(1979, Calendar.MAY, 27, 7, 32, 00);
+    calendar.set(1979, Calendar.MAY, 27, 7, 32, 0);
+    calendar.set(Calendar.MILLISECOND, 0);
+
+    assertEquals(calendar.getTime(), toml.getDate("a_date"));
+  }
+
+  @Test
+  public void should_get_date_with_positive_offset() throws Exception {
+    Toml toml = new Toml().read("a_date = 1979-05-27T07:32:00+07:00");
+
+    Calendar calendar = Calendar.getInstance(UTC);
+    calendar.set(1979, Calendar.MAY, 27, 0, 32, 0);
     calendar.set(Calendar.MILLISECOND, 0);
 
     assertEquals(calendar.getTime(), toml.getDate("a_date"));
diff --git a/src/test/java/com/moandjiezana/toml/TomlWriterTest.java b/src/test/java/com/moandjiezana/toml/TomlWriterTest.java
index f8e3773..44fc986 100644
--- a/src/test/java/com/moandjiezana/toml/TomlWriterTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/com/moandjiezana/toml/TomlWriterTest.java
@@ -267,6 +267,11 @@ public class TomlWriterTest {
 
     assertEquals("[b.c]\nanInt = 1\n", new TomlWriter().write(new A()));
   }
+  
+  @Test
+  public void should_write_map() throws Exception {
+    assertEquals("a = 1\n", new TomlWriter().write(new Toml().read("a = 1").toMap()));
+  }
 
   class Base {
     protected int anInt = 2;
@@ -450,6 +455,11 @@ public class TomlWriterTest {
   private static class SimpleTestClass {
     int a = 1;
   }
+  
+  private static class TransientClass {
+    int a = 2;
+    transient int b = 3;
+  }
 
   @Test
   public void should_write_to_writer() throws IOException {
@@ -475,6 +485,13 @@ public class TomlWriterTest {
     assertEquals("a = 1\n", readFile(output));
   }
   
+  @Test
+  public void should_skip_transient_fields() throws Exception {
+    String toml = new TomlWriter().write(new TransientClass());
+    
+    assertEquals("a = 2\n", toml);
+  }
+  
   @Test(expected = IllegalArgumentException.class)
   public void should_refuse_to_write_string_fragment() {
     new TomlWriter().write("fragment");
diff --git a/src/test/java/com/moandjiezana/toml/Toml_ToMapTest.java b/src/test/java/com/moandjiezana/toml/Toml_ToMapTest.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..84e6515
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/test/java/com/moandjiezana/toml/Toml_ToMapTest.java
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+package com.moandjiezana.toml;
+
+import java.util.HashMap;
+import java.util.Map;
+
+import org.junit.Assert;
+import org.junit.Test;
+
+public class Toml_ToMapTest {
+    
+    @Test
+    public void should_convert_simple_values() {
+        Map<String, Object> toml = new Toml().read("a = 1").toMap();
+        
+        Assert.assertEquals(Long.valueOf(1), toml.get("a"));
+    }
+    
+    @Test
+    @SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
+    public void should_covert_table() throws Exception {
+      Map<String, Object> toml = new Toml().read("c = 2\n  [a]\n  b = 1").toMap();
+      
+      Assert.assertEquals(Long.valueOf(1), ((Map<String, Object>) toml.get("a")).get("b"));
+      Assert.assertEquals(Long.valueOf(2), toml.get("c"));
+    }
+}