My Inner Shakti

finding strength in everyday things

A Blog for Everyone

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Sorry to interrupt our usual High Five Friday, but today I’m sharing about some of my favorite old fashioned blogs. Not Instagram blogs but websites you click on and read.

A little backstory. I started My Inner Shakti (the blog!) in January 2011. At the time, most of us who blogged did so in a ‘dear diary’ type of way. Some even blogged multiple times a day. Obviously things have evolved since then, but I still love my old fashioned blogs. They’re almost like reality shows but in the best way possible. You really get invested (but not in a creepy way).

The following list of blogs are ones that I personally read and love. They span a number of different genres and categories, so I hope you’ll find at least one that you love!

RAPTITUDE – This blog is for those who think very deeply about topics like happiness, joy, mindfulness, etc. I love how David articulates his thoughts and gets his readers to approach human topics from different perspectives.

TANVII.COM – I’ve been reading Tanvi’s blog for years. She covers everything from lifestyle topics to fashion and books. She’s honest and unapologetically herself.

JUST GOOD SHIT – Rachel’s blog is a relatively new one for me. I used to read her previous blog and was excited to see her pursue a different kind of space online. She not only shares her perspectives on every day topics, but she also shares recipes, hacks, etc. Personally, I love her aggregated list of Just Good Shit reads.

LIFE AS LAUREN – Lauren’s blog is one that I’ve been reading for years as well. I honestly love the ‘dear diary’ feel of her writing. You can just tell she loves her life. I always leave her blog feeling positive.

A CUP OF JO – If you follow me on Instagram, you already know I adore this blog. It’s covers everything from parenting, to love, to recipes, to life, to you name it. ADORE!

HONEY WHAT’S COOKING – This food blog is way more than what meets the eye. Through her delicious recipes, Nisha shares details about her life and the things she’s passionate about. I actually had the opportunity to meet Nisha when we lived in Miami, and I can personally attest to how fun and kind she is!

SWEET TOOTH SWEET LIFE – Again, this is another blog I’ve been reading for a very long time. I love Courtney’s down-to-earth personality and approach to motherhood, her marriage, food, fitness, etc. This is one of those blogs where you definitely get invested and are cheering on this adorable family from the blogging sidelines!

THE SHU BOX – Last but not least, The Shu Box. I love love love Sarah’s blog because she shares her life as honestly and simply as possible. She’s a physician married to a physician, and she has three adorable kiddos. Her blog has inspired my own writing and parenting in so many way. I truly look forward to her posts.

Fun fact – Sarah is the co-host of the Best of Both Worlds podcast. The one I was a guest on last April. If you’re looking for a good motherhood podcast, this is a great one!

And of course, My Inner Shakti…duh! I hear it’s a MUST READ! 🙂

Weekend Rehash – LDW: One Good Thing a Day

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Labor Day weekend 2019 is done and done! And it was a good one. Lots of family time, lots of friend time, lots of delicious food, and lots of fun.

But you guys know me. I like to keep it real. While the weekend was a great one, there were some tantrums and early wake ups. But that’s normal and expected when you live with a 2 year-old! 🙂

With that, let’s dive right in…

FRIDAY

On Friday night, I got ready and headed to Beatnik on the River to meet up some of my favorite Chicago Instagram mamas. It’s always interesting meeting people for the first time, especially when you’ve connected online. You know so much about them already! In fact, I actually knew two of the girls from previous play dates/meet ups.

Anyways, we had a lot of fun chatting on Beatnik’s riverfront patio. The drinks were awesome and the space wasn’t too crowded.

We then headed to Rooh for dinner. You guys, if you live in Chicago or are visiting, this place should definitely be on your list. The food was fantastic. In my own personal words, the food can be described as Indian with a twist. Think Tandoori Mushrooms on Upma Polenta. So so delicious.

I got home around 12:30, went to bed a little before 1, and K was up at 5:20. Fun times all around!

SATURDAY

Despite the early wake up cry, Saturday was a good day.

The highlight was dinner at RPM with friends (their son goes to school with K). It was there first time and my tenth, and I was so happy to introduce them to my favorite Chicago restaurant. I, of course, ordered the eggplant parm (to share). It’s seriously the best!

Kaiden and their little guy stayed at their place and were watched by one of their former teachers (one of K’s favorites). They had such a good time! K and R were giggling like crazy when we got back. About what? Who knows!

SUNDAY

Vishnu worked a 12 hour shift on Sunday, so it was mostly just me and K all day.

Until my sister came over that is!

We had a blast with Aekta Masi – playing and dancing and laughing! It was a nice little break for mama too. Always appreciate the extra helping hands!

MONDAY

We were all home on Monday, so that was a nice pace of change!

If K was writing this post, he’d say Monday was great because he got to go to the park twice!

I thought it was fun because of my fantasy football draft! It’s held on Labor Day every year, and there’s always such good food and decor because my friend Thea is a huge football fan, and she wants to make the draft as fun as possible for all of us! It was so fun catching up with friends too. That’s probably my most favorite part…aside from the delicious food!

And that’s a wrap on Labor Day weekend 2019! I hope you guys had a great one as well. 🙂

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10 True Things About the Second Year of Motherhood

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The second year of mother is quite different than year 1. For one, you have a mobile baby who can get from point A to point B in literally 5 seconds flat. If that’s not enough of a game changer, now you’re baby eats real food way more regularly, starts talking up a storm, and is also developing emotionally. I think they call the output of that tantrums… 🙂

Anyways, personally, I found the second year of motherhood a tad bit easier than year 1. This had less to do with K than it had to do with me and the kind of person I am.

Regardless, there are some (universal…at least to me) truths about the second year of motherhood I wanted to share.

In no particular order…

  • As your baby grows, so does your love.  You’ll never know exactly how, but day by day, you’ll love this little person more than you ever thought possible.
  • You’re not as uncertain as you were during year 1, but that ‘what am I doing?’ feeling still lingers.
  • When you look back, you’ll be shocked by how fast year 2 goes.
  • You realize you’ll never completely feel like your old self and that’s ok.  When you had your baby, a new you emerged, and she’s cooler than pre-baby you!  At least that’s what I tell myself.
  • Sleep, or good consistent sleep, may still elude you.  Those regressions are something!  Also, I still wake up a few times a night because I think I hear Kaiden crying. 
  • Hearing your kid’s voice on the daily, actually saying words, never gets old!
  • You will have lots and lots of days where the countdown to bedtime starts at 10 am.
  • You’ll learn to pick your battles a lot sooner and quicker.  Otherwise, everything will turn into a battle!
  • As much as you try, mom guilt won’t totally escape you. It may look a little different from year 1, and if you’re lucky, it’ll be a bit more infrequent, but it’s still there.  And that’s ok. The way I look at it, mom guilt just means you care! 
  • You get so many unsolicited kisses and hugs.  They are undoubtedly the best things ever!

It’ll be an interesting transition from 2 to 3. I hear it’s just as intense, if not more, because they learn how to negotiate. We shall see!

Present FULL Mama Talks About Being a Social Media Inbetweener

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Hello!  I’m cross-posting with the beautiful Present FULL Mama today. We’re talking about being inbetweeners in the social media world. Wondering what that is? Well, read on and also give Archana a follow on Instagram!

Also, if you’re interested in reading my thoughts about the topic, check out Archana’s blog.

Ok, take it away, A…

I chose to be an inbetweener because there’s no pressure to be anyone but me. I trust the process of growing my following organically and feel blessed that I have the option, as influencing is not a source of income for me.

I got started in social media when I chose to be a stay at home mom for 8 months, when my second child was about ` years old. I know not the typical time one decides to stop working, but I really wanted to be present in a different way for my children. Simultaneously, I really craved a way to connect with the world in a supportive nature. Let’s be real- as much as I wanted to support others, I needed that support through finding connection with others. Plus, I thought it could be fun to share my process of becoming a licensed therapist as a woman of color and a mother because there ain’t nothing like real life to put theories to a test, am I right? . 

My main message through the social media world is around authenticity. Of course, there are textbooks and countless amounts of material to share how you can live a more authentic life, but I wanted to honor that process and show how it’s not a linear one. Each one of us has a unique story and each one of us deserve to have our own process, and for me that includes the love for the arts, spirituality, embracing the badass woman power and all that it entails – so yes that means my feed will contain the raw messy photos along with the creative staged ones because both versions are sides of me. And through sharing this, maybe others will try on to be present, real, and authentic while living a conscious life. Start where you are, come as you are as I always say.

More often than not, I love to share about mental wellness through an integrative lens and share the tools that I have been formally and currently trained in that I truly value. That is, you can guarantee I apply such interventions in the therapy room and personally. Oh but another thing about me- I am no expert on your life. Nope, you’ve got the answers within you for you- trust that.

In terms of making time for all this, I feel blessed to be able to work part-time and stay fulfilled that way.  It’s a juggling act and a skill I’m trying to hone, because my ego will play games with me, inviting me to the motherhood battlefield of guilt. Some weeks, I’m better at posting, some weeks not so much. But I share what feels right and I always ask myself, “Does this bring me joy or satisfy my creative juices?” And when it does, I post.

If you end up following me, you should know that I’m an open book.  I thrive on vulnerability and authenticity because I’m addicted to internal growth, and just perhaps I inspire someone in the process. 

What else is there to know about me? Well, I’m having another baby? =)

Okay but if you want to be an inbetweener too, just be you and put yourself out there. If you believe in your message, it will shine, and others will see it. Be real. Try not to attach your self-worth to how many followers or likes you have. Ask yourself, “When I reach a certain number of followers, what will that achieve for me?”  Another suggestion, blog for you, not for anyone else, even if that means no one reads it or likes it or comments. Do it for you and chances are you will feel deeply satisfied.

Thank you, Archana, for this fun collaboration. I loved reading your perspective and am so thankful to have you as a fellow inbetweener with me on this crazy social media journey!

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High 5 on a Friday!

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I really expected this week to drag a little, especially because Vishnu’s on nights and I really don’t enjoy this schedule.  For some reason, him being on nights makes me feel unproductive and lazy.  I usually sit on the couch after putting Kaiden down and watch Friends, only to fall asleep on the couch by 9 pm.  This time around though, I’ve been semi-productive.  I think the ‘falling asleep on the couch’ thing only happened once.  Look at me grow!

Anyways, with that, let’s move on to the five random things I want to share this week


ONE – My youngest cousin on my mom’s side started college this week.  I was talking to my masi (aunt) about it and how they’re doing, and something she said really hit me hard.  She said, “Parita, I know everyone tells you this, but trust me, the time goes SO fast.  I can’t believe Milan is 18 and starting college.  I miss the days where I could just hold and kiss him whenever I wanted to.  It’s like I blinked, and he grew up.” 

Of course, that got me thinking about how K only has 16 years left with us at home before he goes off into the world.  I know 16 years is a long time, but if you think about what you were doing 16 years ago, I’m sure you’ll feel like it was yesterday to some degree.  Crazy! 

TWO – We have quite a bit of travel coming up in September – December.  I’m trying not to think about it too much, because when I do, I get really overwhelmed.  Here’s a little rundown


  • September – Vishnu in Germany for bachelor party
  • October – Cabo with the fam and London for work
  • November – Bahamas for a wedding.  Vishnu in Austin for a race.
  • December – London for work and Atlanta for holidays (hopefully!)

So grateful for all of these opportunities and to take Kaiden on some fun adventures.  It just feels like it’s happening all at once!  Woooo sahhhhh!

THREE – I did a ‘ask me anything’ type thing on my Instagram stories this week, and whenever I even contemplate doing something like that, I get nervous.  The thoughts that run through my head are – who cares, what will people think, who am I to do something like this, etc.  So silly given that I’m doing it for fun, but those thoughts come up every now and then.  A lot of the questions I got this time around were about being a new blogger, etc.  I think it’s easy to say that you shouldn’t care about what other think, but it’s a lot harder to conquer that fear.  I’m no exception.  But once you do, it’s amazing.  I got a handful of really good questions and loved answering them.  Even better was all the engagement after I posted.  So many fun DM convos!

This is all to say that if you have an idea, and it brings you joy, just do it!  You won’t ever know what YOU’RE capable of if you only think about what others think you’re capable of.  Prove them wrong (or right!).

FOUR

Since K turned two, I’ve started saying nightly prayers with him.  So when we enter his room for bedtime, I say, “Let’s say our prayers together.”  And he nods yes or says ‘yeah.’  Then we go on to pray for the world, our individual family members, and friends/family that need special/more specific prayers.  Then I sing a specific prayer song I really love.  Before putting him down, I always sing the first couple of lines from “You are my sunshine.”  I’ve been doing this since he was a little baby!  Well, for some reason, K starts giggling like a madman when I do this, which makes me laugh too.  It’s the best!  Probably not for getting him to sleep right away, but his giggles always make my night! 

As much as I want to pull my hair out sometimes, I really do love this age and the antics that comes with it!

FIVE

For those of you thinking about making a purchase or two during the Sephora summer sale, I thought I’d share a few of my favorites. 

  • My Drunk Elephant picks are all listed in this post.  I cannot tell you guys how much I love this brand and what it’s done for my skin.  My BIL’s girlfriend who was just here less than a month ago told me my skin has transformed.  It’s still not perfect, but she said it looks so much smoother.

    If you’re a newbie to DE, I highly recommend starting with the Littles kit, figuring out which products really work for your skin and purchasing full size bottles accordingly.

    The thing is DE is worth every penny, but it truly costs A LOT of pennies!
  • I’ve fallen in love with this Hourglass Ambient Lighting powder again (I use the shade Dim Light).  I used it all the time before having K and even afterwards but stopped using it when my skin started acting up last year and early this year.  Well, I’m bringing it back into my routine because I love how it adds the right amount of color to my skin as well as a slight glow (without the grease).  If you’re looking for a good setting powder, I would say this one is pretty perfect.  
  • And finally, if you need a good eyeshadow recommendation, I would check out Tarte.  I have a smaller palette from the brand with six shades, and I love it!  The formula is so buttery and it really doesn’t crease much at all throughout the day.  And the different palettes/colors are gorgeous.

Well, folks, that’s all I have today!  Until next week


Have a wonderful weekend!

Time at Home + Q&A with Ba and Dada

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We are back in Chicago after a fun week in Atlanta where we spent time with my parents, my grandparents, my in-laws, and my brother-in-law and his girlfriend.  We also got to squeeze in a little friend time here and there.

We also attended my best friend’s baby showers, both of which were so special and fun.  Well, the official shower on Saturday was not so fun for me because Kaiden was being a stage 11 clinger.  But it was nice to see so many old friends. 

We played, we ate, we slept (!!), and now we’re back to the grind!

One of the other things I made time for was ‘deep’ conversations with my grandparents.  I wanted to take advantage of the one-on-one time I had with them to ask questions about their childhoods, their families, the marriage, motherhood, fatherhood, etc.

To be honest, I think they had more fun with this than anyone else.  Their faces lit up whenever I’d ask a question.  Makes me wish I had started doing this sooner!

I thought I’d share some of the more interesting things I learned.  And hopefully, this inspires some of you to do the same with your grandparents/older aunts and uncles. 

My grandmother’s overall message was that when you get to be her age you won’t remember the hard times. Only the love and fun you experienced.  And this is coming from someone who’s had her share of not-so-good times.  She said she honestly doesn’t remember the bad times in detail because she chooses not to focus on that.  “At this age, what good does that do me?”  Love my ba!

Growing up, neither my grandfather or my grandmother lived lavish lives.  There was always one person in the family who worked and brought home money to take care of everyone else.  My grandfather is one of 13, and my grandmother is one of five.  However, cousins and other relatives often lived with them too.  Essentially, the money coming in had to be stretched to feed everyone.  In fact, my grandfather recalled the days where they studied by candlelight.  Electricity was a want and not a need in those days!

With that being said, I also learned that ba’s father worked in a fabric mill, and my dada’s father owned a small restaurant in their village.

My ba loved to study, but when it came time to further her education, the decision was made for her that she would stay home to help with the upkeep of the house.  Personally, I found this to be really sad because I know how smart my grandmother is.  She could’ve done so much if she was born in a different time.  I also know from previous conversations with my mom that my ba also wishes they had travelled more.  She wanted to see the world, and while they have been to London and different parts of the US, she knows there’s more than just that and wishes she could’ve experienced it. 

In that same vein, my grandparents had an arranged marriage.  They were introduced through an uncle or something, and while it wasn’t love at first sight, I think they both same something in the other which led them to agree to the union.  My ba did say that she didn’t feel like she really could’ve said no if she wanted to because of the way the introduction was made.  Again, it makes me so mad that women in that time had so little control over their own lives.  GRR!

Even though there is some regret for the things not done, I think my grandparents have had a pretty good marriage.  Their marriage advice to me was to compromise and approach my marriage with understanding and patience.  If you can do that, you’ll be ok.

They also said to always live within your means.  And finally, don’t ruminate on your past because you can’t change it.  You can really influence what’s happening right now.

So thankful for the time I spent with ba and dada and can’t wait to see them again so that I can bombard them with more questions!

Tips/Tricks for Flying with a Two-Year-Old

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Flying with Kaiden up until now has been fairly easy.  I say fairly because of course we’ve had our shares of ups and down.  But this is how it usually went– get on plane, let him crawl around and play with whatever, K passes out in my arms as soon as plane takes off.  See, fairly easy.

So you can imagine how nervous I was flying with him for the first time since he turned two.  Why nervous?  Because after kids turn two, they get their own seat.  And my Kaiden isn’t one to sit for prolonged periods of time.

Thankfully, the flight time from Chicago to Atlanta is only about 1.5 hours.  A good testing ground I suppose.

Given this was my first time flying with a two-year-old, I’m certainly no expert.  But here are a few tricks/tips that worked for me. 

TIP/TRICK  1 – Now that Kaiden understands what we’re saying, I tried my best to hype up our ‘airplane’ trip a few days before we left.  That excitement helped us get through security, to the gate, and on to the plane. 

TIP/TRICK 2 – One word – snacks
and lots of them.  I brought so many snacks, including apples, a PB&J sandwich, cereal, freeze dried fruits and veggies, etc.  He didn’t eat much of it, but I did have peace of mind knowing I was prepared.

TIP/TRICK 3 – Don’t be afraid to ask for and/or accept help.  For example, when we were standing in line to board, the man in front of me asked if I wanted him to carry our stroller on to the jet bridge.  He carried it out for me as well.  I could’ve easily said no and looked like a crazy woman trying to wrangle her toddler, carry two bags and a stroller. No thanks!  Example number two happened when Kaiden wouldn’t sit in his seat.  I quietly asked the kind man sitting next to me to tell K to sit down and put on the seatbelt.  At first, he was like, “You want me to tell him that?”  And I said, “Yes, please.”  He did it and guess what
K sat down and let me put his belt on!  

TIP/TRICK 4 – The things that saved me this time around in terms of toys/activities were the Crayola Color Wonder Markers and Paper.  This kept Kaiden entertained in some form or fashion for longer spurts.  And because these markers only work on the special paper, they didn’t transfer on to the seats, our skin, our clothes, etc. 

I also brought two brand new little trucks and a pack of stickers for K as ‘surprise, be good now!’ treats.  They entertained him for a little bit.  Ha!

TIP/TRICK 5 – Forget about everyone else and do what you have to do.  Flying, in my mind, is grounds for going into survival mode.   Anything and everything goes.

That’s all I have in terms of tips/tricks.  I’m hoping to build my toolkit as we travel more with K.  We have our trip back home to Chicago on Sunday, as well as a trip to Cabo and the Bahamas coming up.  Cross your fingers for us!

I will say that Kaiden did relatively well for most of the flight, excluding the last 20 minutes.  He was pretty much over it at that point and wanted to sit in my lap.  I sang him songs and distracted him as much as I could, but boy, those 20 minutes felt like 2 hours!

Please share your best tips/tricks for travelling with kids!

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