My Inner Shakti

finding strength in everyday things

Weekend Recap – Just the Two of Us

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This weekend was Vishnu’s first call weekend, which means he worked Friday until 9 pm, Saturday until 8 pm, and Sunday until 5 pm. It was just me and K for the most part…just the two of us!

And to be quite honest, it was actually a great weekend. Knowing I would be along with K for more than a day used to bring me a lot of anxiety, but now, it’s fun. We talk, we eat, we go out to play, we sleep, we watch TV…the best of friends!

Anyways, even though I was flying solo this weekend, I feel like it was pretty productive. Here’s how it went down!

Friday

I worked on Friday but was able to squeeze in a quick baking sesh before picking K up from school.

I made these scones and these muffins. HIGHLY recommend both!

Saturday

Saturday morning felt like it started earlier than normal with Vishnu’s pager going off twice a little after midnight! Oh vey. Not fun!

Thankfully, the rest of the day didn’t bring any big surprises. We went to the park in the morning for 1.5 hours – we blew bubbles, played with rocks, looked for sticks, ate apples, etc.

The only hiccup was that Kaiden refused to nap. I tried everything, but it didn’t work. I let him watch Frozen instead. You win some, you lose some I guess.

My biggest accomplishment from the day was finishing Well Behaved Indian Women. You guys, this book was everything I didn’t know I needed. So good! Highly recommend putting it on your reading list!

Dinner was another accomplishment. Mainly because K seemed to enjoy it as much as I did. We made Manali Cooks’ Instant Pot Hawaiian Tofu. SO GOOD!

Sunday

Sunday started early because Vishnu’s alarm went off at 5:45. My body wasn’t quite ready to get up, so I slept in until 7:20…because K slept in until 7:30!!! What a win!

We lounged around, until it was time for our play date with our friends Saranya and Ishaan. The boys ran around an empty parking lot until it started raining. We then moved the party inside and colored for while until it was time to go.

K ended up napping for 1.5 hours (WOO HOO!), so I worked out and showered. We then played for the rest of the day (some independent play, some mama play).

Vishnu got home a little after 5, so we got some extra family time as well which was nice because K hadn’t seem him in a couple of days!

And that, my friends, was our ‘just the two of us’ weekend! Thankful to have a cutie pie, fun little boy who loves to keep me on my toes. Never a dull moment, I tell ya!

Hope y’all had a good weekend!

Friday Stuff [#5]

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I’m starting to think of our weeks in terms of Vishnu’s schedule. So for example, this week was his first week with call and this weekend is his first on call weekend. From now on, we will have call heavy weeks and more free weeks. I hate that I even think of that way (#independentwoman), but we’re living in Covid times, and call weeks are as exciting as life gets right now! Hopefully that changes soon because it’s not really that exciting. Ha!

Anyways, let’s jump right in…

Instagram LIVE

My good friend Aartee and I are doing an Instagram LIVE next week, and we’re so excited. We’ve been wanting to do this for a while now, but the timing never felt right. We both love engaging with people on the platform and have had so many insightful conversations offline that we thought, why not bring it all together! Hope you’ll join us!

Shorts

Kaiden refuses to wear shorts when he’s at home. It could be 100 degrees outside, and the boy will only wear pants. Some days, I’ll convince him to put on shorts, but then he’ll say, “No, I want to wear pants!” The only way he wears shorts is if he has an accident at school and the teachers change him into shorts. That’s ok, but mama asking him to wear shorts is not. Sounds about right!

Walks

Y’all know I like to work out during my lunch hour when I can. Sometimes that’s an intense HIIT/strength workout and sometimes it’s a…walk! The other day, I set everything up to work out at home with the Peloton app, and then at the very last minute, I changed my mind and went out for a walk. Best decision ever! It’s super hot here in Chicago right now, but for some reason, that 30-40 minute walk (whenever I opt for that) does wonders for my soul. It feels so freeing after sitting at my desk for four hours. Bottom line – if you can’t do anything else, try and go for a walk!

Coach training program

If you follow me on Instagram, you may recall a post about the iPEC coaching program I signed up for to become a professional coach. Long story short, my first module was supposed to be in March, but because of Covid, it got pushed back. I actually declined going to the first virtual workshop because I (naively) thought that by June we’d be back to business as usual. Meaning I could attend a face-to-face session. Turns out I was wrong, so I signed up for the next virtual option. AND THAT IS NEXT WEEKEND! I’m so excited!

I can’t wait to share all that I learn!

Kaiden in action (at school)

And that concludes this week’s Friday Stuff post. A little short but always sweet!

Have a great Friday and weekend!

Day in the Life – July 14, 2020

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I thought I’d share a day in the life update today, as things look a little bit different around here than they did even a month ago. I used to share this kind of post more often back in the day, and I love going back and seeing what our days looked like at various points in our lives. Oh how things hav changed!

Let’s dive right in…

5:45a – I randomly woke up and looked at the clock to see that it’s 5:45. I forgot to set my alarm! I usually wake up at 5:30. Gah!

6:00a – I quickly brushed my teeth, washed my face, and changed out of my PJs before settling down at my desk to check emails and do a little bit of work.

6:30a – I heard Kaiden saying, “Mama, mama, I need to go poo poo,” so I ran to his room and to take him to the potty. He’s usually not up until 7:00, so this is a fun surprise! However, I’m still so thankful he wakes up and tells us he has to go versus going in his pull-up.

6:45a-7:50a – I attempted to continue working but not very successfully. I also made Vishnu a salad for lunch before making Kaiden a bowl of oatmeal for breakfast. We then watched an episode of Pinkalicious. When I told him it’s time to brush his teeth, he told me to set a timer. After two timers, playing with his dinosaurs and dump truck, and cutting some paper with his scissors, we went to the bathroom to brush his teeth! Then we put on his socks and shoes. He jumped into his stroller and we were off!

7:50-8:20a – I dropped K off at school. Thankfully, it’s within walking distance. Also, I’m SO GRATEFUL that Kaiden loves going to school now. He asks, “Hey, mama. We going to school?” EVERY SINGLE DAY! Makes things so much easier!

8:20a-12:00p – Work, work, work, work. Mid-year review (!), meetings, reviewing documents, writing, project stuff, etc.

At 10a, I also ate my first meal of the day because I’m trying out intermittent fasting (only my 2nd week)! I definitely plan to share more about what I’m doing, why I’m doing it, results, what I’m eating, etc. soon. Stay tuned!

12:00-12:45p – Workout break. I did a quick 30 minute PopSugar Fitness strength workout and took a quick shower as well.

12:45-4:00p – Work, work, work, work! I also ate my second meal at 1:45p because I was starving.

Vishnu came home around 2:00ish. Today was an academic day for him (he gets one every 2 week), but he still had to go to the hospital for a few things (he left the house at 7:15).

4:00p – Cleaned up around the house. Folded laundry and put dishes in dishwasher.

4:30p – Went to pick up K! Easily my favorite part of the day!

4:50-6:00p – PLAY, PLAY, PLAY

6:00-6:30p – Dinner time! We ordered pizza from Pequods for dinner. Kaiden and I shared a thin crust (half cheese and half pineapple/green olives) and Vishnu got a personal pan pizza with sausage and jalapenos. YUM!

6:30-7:30p – Bath time, reading time, bed time! It only took me three times to leave K’s room to be called back!

7:30-8:45p – Work, work, work. Wrapped up a few emails and worked on a project document.

8:45-9:15p – Typed up this post.

10:00p – LIGHTS OUT!

Weekend Things + Thoughts

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Weekend Things

Hope y’all had a good weekend! Ours was pretty fun. We saw friends, played games, ate good food, and had a good two days overall.

Kaiden did give us a run for our money after nap time yesterday (when he opted to quietly play instead of nap). I’m pretty sure it was because he was super tired, but still. I was ready for bedtime two hours before bedtime…if ya feel me!

Other than that, here are a few things I wanted to share from the weekend that may be of interest…

  • Monopoly Deal – The best game ever! We played for three hours on Saturday night.
  • This Peach Bellini from Aldi is DELICIOUS and the perfect summer drink! Highly recommend trying it if you have this store nearby.
  • This recipe for Eggplant Paninis from The Chutney Life is really good. I made a few adjustments but was definitely inspired by this recipe. Also, don’t skip out on the ciabatta bread. It makes the sandwich!
  • The Costco pajamas I mentioned in my Friday post came in over the weekend, and they are so soft and comfy. AND lo and behold, I didn’t get all hot and sweaty at night. Woo!
This is K’s towel cape…just like Elsa!

Thoughts

So I know there’s no point in some of these thoughts but they come and I want to share…

I keep thinking about what we would do if either Kaiden’s school had to shut down at some point or if Chicago went back to phase 1. The only reason I was able to survive the first few months of quarantine was because Vishnu was home so much. This time around, he wouldn’t be home like that. Oy vey! Probably one I should just stop thinking about because it’s super stressful. Woo sah!

I can’t believe FL reported over 15k cases yesterday all while opening Disney. Umm what?! I don’t get it. And I can’t help but think of the video from the Palm Beach meeting where all the mask naysayers went to town to defend their decision not to wear masks. God, I hope people start changing their tune soon. We can’t afford for them not too.

Ok, last Covid-19 related thought. I asked Vishnu what he thought the end game would be given the direction the country is heading in, and he said he thinks about 50%+ of us will get this thing. And hopefully that (herd immunity) + a vaccine + people using their common sense with masks/social distancing, etc. will help us get through this. Oy vey! My husband is a smart guy, but I sure do hope he’s wrong this time around.

No good transition from Covid talk, but I want to start a new comedy show soon, and I’m thinking it’ll be Parks and Rec. I’ve heard it’s super funny, and Vishnu always says Leslie Knope reminds him of me. It’ll be a good distraction I think.

Have you guys been shopping all the big sales going on right now? I’m so tempted, but then I’m like I have no where to go so why would I buy new clothes right now?! But then I’m like I should probably buy more home clothes because that’s where I am 99% of the time. But I don’t need more home clothes. I just want them! #firstworldproblems

Ok, this is enough randomness for today! Have a great Monday…make it a good one!

Written on Related:Weekend

Friday Stuff [#4]

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Helllllooo Friday! Thought you’d never get here! I’m excited for this weekend because it’s the first after Vishnu started fellowship. He’s been working a lot this week, so it’ll be nice to spend time as a family.

With that, let’s get to it. Fittingly, this is my 4th Friday Stuff post, and I have four things to share.

The Baby-Sitters Club on Netflix

Stop what you’re doing and watch this show! If you were a fan of the books growing up, this one is a must. I LOVE it, as demonstrated by the fact that I finished season one in two days!

The cast is perfect, the story lines aren’t too over the top or cheesy, and the modern twists are fun.

Question for you guys – who was your favorite character growing up? I’m nothing like her but I loved Claudia. She was so spunky and fun. But if we’re talking about who I was most like, it’s definitely Kristy (minus the tomboy part).

First week of fellowship

For Vishnu, this week has been busy and hard. He leaves the house no later than 6:45a and gets home between 5:30-7:15p. This is a very big change from his residency schedule the past few months, and while I miss him, I know he’s going to love the experience and that it’s going to set him up for success.

As far as K and I are concerned, we’re doing good. We have a morning routine we follow, and if it’s just the two of us, an evening one too. So far, I’m loving 3! Kaiden is so funny and his antics always make me laugh (for the most part). And I’m very lucky that he’s eager to go to school in the mornings. If that wasn’t the case, the whole thing would be super hard and a little miserable!

Nightgowns

Every time I got to my sister’s place, I end up online shopping after seeing her purchases. That’s exactly what happened after she showed me the Costco nightgowns she bought recently.

Our room has been super hot lately, and I don’t help the situation by wearing sweatpants and a t-shirt every night. I thought maybe these gowns would help me stay cooler. We shall see!

Tatcha SPF

I love my Drunk Elephant SPF, but I wanted to try something new for every day use. I know this is a bit on the pricier side, but I’m ok with spending a little more on skincare, since I don’t spend much in other categories (especially right now).

I went with Tatcha because it’s a clean brand known for really good products. And I have super sensitive skin, so I have to really careful about what I use. I’ve worked too hard to get my skin to the point it’s at right now!

I’ll share more thoughts once I’ve actually used this, but I’m hoping it’s nothing but great!

Well, that’s all she wrote! Hope y’all have a great Friday and weekend. 🙂

Review: On Cloud Workout Shoes

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I’ve been meaning to share about these On Cloud workout shoes for a while now. In all honesty, I can’t believe I haven’t yet because since I’ve been using them, I’ve had zero knee pain.

Before I go into detail about the shoes, let me share a little context…

My shoe history

Depending on what my exercise regime has looked like, I’ve gone from wearing whatever sneakers I had on hand to getting fitted for shoes.

Up until our move to Chicago four years ago, running was my primary form of exercise. Somewhere along the way, my knees started hurting. I even got an MRI at one point because we didn’t know if I had done some real damage.

Last March, I joined a local gym and started taking classes (HIIT, strength training, spin, etc.). At first, my knees still hurt every now and then, but after seeing how committed I was to these classes, Vishnu suggested I get a pair of On Cloud shoes because he’d read so many positive reviews.

I was hesitant at first because of the price tag, but Vishnu insisted, so I gave in! I ended up getting the Cloud X shoes, which are now only available in red. After using these particular ones for over a year, I wouldn’t hesitate to try the other varieties.

In terms of sizing, I got a 7.5 which is actually a half a size smaller than what I get in running shoes. 7.5 is my true size in other shoes (sometimes I can go down to 7). If you like having a good amount of toe room, I recommend going a half a size up, but otherwise, your true size should be fine.

Pros of On Cloud (Cloud X)

I’m so glad Vishnu convinced me to get these because they saved my knees. I can honestly say that I have yet to experience knee pain like before after working out. And I’ve done some pretty intense stuff over the past 15 months or so.

They don’t have a ton of cushion, but they provide a ton of support. For example, in a lot of the classes I took, we’d be jumping in one way or another for a lot of the class. These shoes took the shock of all that jumping without impacting my joints. The proof is in zero knee pain, people!

Additionally, On Cloud shoes are extremely light weight and comfortable. There’s no bulkiness, which a lot of running shoes have.

Speaking of, On Cloud shoes are pretty stylish. I didn’t think the would be, but I actually love the way they look. A nice little bonus!

Cons of On Cloud (Cloud X)

The only real con I see is the price tag, BUT I do think it’s justified now that I’ve worn and used the shoes almost every day for the past year +.

Final thoughts

Honestly, you guys, these shoes are bomb.com. I can’t tell you how awesome it is to exercise and not feel any pain in my knees. Something I got used to for years.

If you’re in the market for new workout shoes, I highly recommend checking out On Cloud. I guarantee you won’t regret it. And your joints will thank you (and me!).

Let me know if you have any questions (in the comments)!

4th of July Weekend 2020

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If I recall correctly, we haven’t been ‘in town’ (wherever that is at the time) for the 4th of July holiday in a long time. This year, we stayed put and had visitors…my BIL and his fiance, Niel and Neelam. And it was one of the best long weekends to date.

Thursday

Niel and Neelam got here on Thursday afternoon, and I had most of the day off so it worked out perfectly. I got in a workout before they arrived, and then once they got to our place, we left immediately to grab some lunch from a Taco Truck near our place. Delicious!

And then we hung out at home until it was time to pick Kaiden up from school. You guys should’ve seen his face when he saw Niel and Neelam. So so excited but definitely trying to be low-key about it. Ha!

The rest of the evening was spent playing and running and singing. Oh and I made The Chutney Life’s Jalapeno Almond Pesto Spaghetti. So good! After dinner + bath time + books, K eventually went to sleep, while the rest of the stayed up and played with the Oculus and talked.

Friday

Everyone was home Friday, including Vishnu, so that was nice. We had Kaiden’s 3 year appointment in the morning, Niel and Neelam had lunch plans with her coworkers, and then we had a haircut appointment for K in the afternoon (he wore a mask the entire time!). In between all of this, there was Magnatiles, Frozen, a short nap, etc.

In the evening, we ordered in for dinner, which was nice because I didn’t have to cook and there was virtually no clean up.

We stayed up fairly late again talking about everything from sports, to politics (lots of politics) to Covid-19 to random family stuff.

Saturday

Saturday was fun, but for some reason I was super tired. Guys, I took like a 3 hour nap while Kaiden napped which extended to after he woke up. It was like that deep sleep you can’t shake, and man, did some rest feel good!

Saturday also included park time, a delicious burrito + corn on the cob lunch, Taco Bell for dinner, fireworks on our balcony with the whole fam (my sister and BIL came over). SO FUN!

I can’t remember what else we did on Saturday but it was a good time!

Sunday

Sunday was Niel and Neelam’s last day with us so we spent some of it at the park, and the rest hanging out at home, more specifically playing Monopoly Deal (a fan favorite game in our family right now).

When it came time for them to leave for the airport, you could tell K was sad. He asked when they would be coming back (and has been for the past couple of days).

Love that we made some awesome memories though and can’t wait until we move back home!

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