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Diary of a Working Mom – Q&A with Varsha Chawla

I’m back with another ‘Diary of a Working Mom’ post! Today’s post is with someone who I truly admire yet haven’t spent that much time with (it’s a long story, but we have a lot of mutual friends and follow e/o on social media). Varsha is a mama to two adorable boys and married to an entrepreneur husband.

When I think of the ultimate working mom, Varsha definitely comes to mind. I think you guys will truly enjoy her responses and find a lot of value in what she has to say.

Enough from me and more from Varsha…

1. Tell me a little more about your family – number of kids, names, ages.
We have two wonderful and VERY energetic boys: Dilan (6) and Asher (almost 4).

2. Tell me more about your line of work, role, responsibilities, etc.
I’m a systems engineer and travel about 40% of the time. My role is heavily male dominated, but this doesn’t bother me. I work quite well with men and have gotten used to being the only girl in the room many times. Anil (my husband) is the founder and CEO of his company. Like most other working parents, we go about a million miles an hour at all times. We both love what we do and somehow make things work. After six years of being a working mom, I finally feel like we’ve got a pretty well oiled machine. 🙂

3. Walk me through a day in your life.
I work out a few days a week and wake up at 4:15 am to make that work. On regular days, I’m up around 5:30 to get myself and breakfast going. I like to be completely ready before the kids are up (usually around 6:45), but this doesn’t always happen :-). We get the kids dressed, do breakfast and are out the door around 8 am since Dilan’s school starts at 8:30. On efficient days, we get the dishwasher unloaded and the kitchen is clean (I hate clutter, so it’s always a goal of mine to have clear counters), but when socks and shoes take forever, this doesn’t happen. Ah well, as long as we all get to work and school safely. I drop off and pick up both kids and we’re usually home around 5:30. I start dinner at 6 and Anil usually joins later. I have a solid rotation of meals that we choose from. Tuesdays are Taco Tuesdays and Chipotle is a regular take-out meal for us as well. Anil usually does bath time around 6:45, followed by books (all of us reading in one bed) and then lights go off at 7:30 pm. We then prep lunches for the next day, do some errands and house work and go to sleep. We rarely watch TV during the week, but it’s my goal this year to get through at least one book!

4. How has becoming a mom influenced your role at work?
I feel like I’ve gotten pretty efficient at work. We don’t have family or a nanny around to help when one of our kids gets sick or we need an extra hand. I definitely don’t have a “village” of people who can watch our kids, which means that whatever I do at work needs to be efficient and excellent, just in case I need to fulfill any unexpected mom duties. It’s awesome to work with people who are family oriented. They get it when I need to pick up a sick child or have to work from home. It’s the best part about my role.

5. What is your favorite tip on how to integrate work and life?
Keep on smiling and swimming. Also: lists and calendar invites. I have a list for everything from the last time the boys got haircuts to when I last washed their sheets. I keep this in Notes on my iPhone and it keeps all of us organized.

6. How do you handle mom guilt?
Exercise, chocolate, and a good old fashioned. Also, venting to Anil and people at work!

7. What is the most surprising part of being a working mom? And the most rewarding?
There’s always a curve ball coming your way. It’s the most rewarding to be able to deal with those curve balls without losing your $hit! 🙂

8. How do you carve out ‘me’ time? What does ‘me’ time look like for you? On that same note, what’s your guilty pleasure?
I exercise to relieve stress. It helps clear my mind and I like that I’m 36 and in the best shape of my life. It’s very rewarding. As I mentioned, a good old fashioned goes a long way as well! 🙂

9. What’s your mama mantra?
Work as hard as you love. Love fuels my days 🙂

10. What’s the best piece of advice you received when returning back to work after having your baby?
Someone handed me a list of airports with pumping rooms. I nursed Asher for 17 months straight, so it was so helpful to get that. These days, you can find nursing pods and rooms everywhere, but a few years ago, you couldn’t. Someone also gave me a handmade curtain to put over the one window strip looking into my office. I could pump at my desk every day and it made all the difference.

11. What advice would you give to mamas-to-be about returning back to work?
Those first few years with a baby are the hardest you’ll ever work, but don’t let that discourage you. The most challenging year of my life was the one with a young toddler and newborn, but if you can just make it through that, you can do anything life throws at you. 🙂

Thank you for your insights, Varsha! Those boys of yours are lucky to have you!

Updates + Books + Recipes + Games

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Ready or not, here comes a random but hopefully informative post!

First up, life updates…

There have been some changes at work, which means more/elevated responsibilities for me. This also means I’ll be travelling to Rome, Italy for a week in March. So much going on!

I recently shared on Instagram that Vishnu’s on night float for the rest of this week and next. This usually throws me off, but this time around, I’m really trying not to let it get to me. I know we’re only a few days in, but I think I’m doing a great job. Positive self-talk + slowing down a little really helps.

The one thing throwing me off has nothing to do with night float. Kaiden’s been waking up earlier than usual, and it’s exhausting! He wanted to party from 1-2 am the other night! Silly boy! When he wakes up before 5:30, I bring him in our room, so we can both get a little bit more rest. I don’t know if that’s the best move because now he literally points to our room and then our bed. It’s like he wakes up just so he can come sleep with me! Not necessarily the best habit, but I kind of love it. He’s such a cute snugly bug when he sleeps! We shall see where this takes us…

Now on to a few book recommendations!

My 2019 goal is to read 24 books. That’s two per month. I’m a little behind at this point but hoping I can make up for it soon.

Here’s what I’ve read so far…

No Bad Kids by Janet Lansbury
Becoming by Michelle Obama

Up next I’ll be reading One Day in December by Josie Silver.

Now, get ready because you’re going to get a little hungry…here are a few recipes I’ve recently tried and LOVED!

IP Lasagna Soup by The Chutney Life – I’ve made this twice now, and it’s been a hit both times!

IP Masala Khichdi by The Chutney Life – not surprising…another fav! Love the masala aspect to this recipe!

Energy Balls by The Lean Green Bean – you guys know I love Lindsay’s recipes! This one is full of all the good stuff and both adult and kid tested and approved. Kaiden ate two balls last night and probably would’ve had more if I let him!

I got a few messages on Instagram about the games I shared in my stories over the weekend. We played Codenames Pictures (so fun, so hard!), 5 Second Rule (so intense…leaves me so flustered and goofy!), and the age old favorite, Cards Against Humanity. All great options to have on hand for game night!

Guys, I wanted to share some new makeup products I’m using too, but I’m tired and feel like the more responsible thing would be be to go the f to sleep! HA! I’ll share a roundup very soon.

Happy Valentine’s Thursday, y’all! Don’t forget to eat a little chocolate today!

No portion of this post is sponsored. However, affiliate links are included. There is no extra cost to you, but I do receive a small commission on anything you buy through my links. Thank you for reading and supporting My Inner Shakti!

Diary of a Working Mom – Q&A with Dr. Bindiya Gandhi

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I love Instagram! It makes connecting with others and sharing your thoughts and ideas so simple. Personally, I’ve connected with so many moms over the past year or so about everything from fed is best to toddler tantrums.

Speaking of which, Bindiya is one of the moms I connected with a few months ago. After following her for a bit, I knew she’d be perfect for my ‘Diary of a Working Mom’ series. She’s a physician with her own practice, and she has an almost one year old!

I don’t want to steal Bindiya’s thunder, so let’s get into her Q&A…

1. Tell me a little more about your family – number of kids, names, ages.

My daughter Soryaya is 11 months. She turns one on February 2nd. I also have a three year old cockapoo, Pyrite Gandhi. My husband and I have been married almost four years. We’ve been together over 13 years (we dated eight years long distance and got married nine years into our relationship).

2. Tell me more about your line of work, role, responsibilities, etc.

I’m a physician and own my own Integrative & Functionary Medicine practice. I opened it in December 2018. I should also mention I was eight months pregnant at the time!

3. Walk me through a day in your life.

My life is atypical right now. I’m still nursing, and I try to squeeze in a meditation session based on how much time I have. So essentially, I wake up, nurse my daughter, and get ready for work. I usually work an eight hour day and try to work out four days/week. Before heading to work, I feed my dog and take him outside. I usually get to the office at 8 am and eat breakfast at work. I see patients from 8-5 pm, pick up my daughter from Montessori school, and get home around 6ish. Dad drops her off in the morning. I also pump at work 3 times – 10 am, 1 pm, and on my way home from work in the car.

4. How has becoming a mom influenced your role at work?

I have more patience than I did before. I can relate to my patients’ lifestyle better than before. Being a working mom makes me want to work harder at work so I can enjoy my time away from work and truly enjoy my daughter.

5. What is your favorite tip on how to integrate work and life?

You have to find a balance. I know it’s hard, but it’s also very necessary. You can’t neglect any parts of your life.

6. How do you handle mom guilt?

It’s real, but you have to do the best you can with what you have. Ask and accept help because you can’t do it all on your own.

7. What is the most surprising part of being a working mom? And the most rewarding?

Surprising – I honestly thought it was going to be easier being a mom, but it’s the hardest job. And on top of that, add on being a working mom. It’s been a truly eye opening year. Rewarding – I realize I do everything for my daughter, and she’s my pride and joy.

8. How do you carve out ‘me’ time? What does ‘me’ time look like for you? On that same note, what’s your guilty pleasure?

My me time is meditation and working out. I will squeeze that in 4 times a week. I also get a massage once a month as well.

9. What’s your mama mantra?

Something is better than nothing. For example, it’s better to move for five minutes than not do anything at all…it’s better to meditate for five minutes than not to meditate at all.

10. What advice would you give to mamas-to-be about returning back to work?

Take it one day at time. There’s a lot to get used to and a lot of adjustment. I remember freaking out when I was close to going back to work, but some how it all works out. Be patient with yourself because mom guilt it real and hard but remember why you work. That in and of itself will make it all worth it.

Thank you so much for sharing your life and thoughts, Bindiya! And I could not agree more on the patience thing. I’m not completely there yet in every aspect of my life, but Kaiden is truly teaching me the meaning of that word!

MIS Turns 8!

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I cannot believe this little blog of mine is 8 years old today! Insanity!

I literally created MIS the same night I had a conversation with one of my best friends about how much I loved reading healthy living blogs and had the itch to start my own. She suggested I just do it, so I hung up the phone, finished cleaning, and Googled ‘how to start a blog.’ Within an hour, MIS was born!

This is pretty indicative of how I work. If I really put my mind to something, it’s going to happen one way or another. Also, it’s probably worth mentioning that I’m very much a ‘get it to 80% and take it from there’ vs. a ‘everything has to be perfect before I start’ kind of person. Speaking of…when I first launched MIS, it had a brown background and itty bitty font. You live and you learn!

Anyways, I’ve had big and small goals/visions for this little space of mine from the very beginning. Some I’ve accomplished, some I’m still working on, and some have changed completely. The one thing that remains the same is that I will always be true to who I am here. Anyone who reads my blog will get the most authentic and real version of me.

I have no idea what the next year has in store for MIS, but as long as it continues to include ‘meeting’ really cool people and getting to share my everyday stories and thoughts with people who want to connect, it’s going to be a great one!

THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart for all the support and love over the years! Means more than you’ll ever know. 🙂

Here’s to year 9…

Weekly Dose of Gratitude and Joy [3]

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If you don’t already write down or take time out of your day to think about the things that bring you gratitude and joy, no matter how big or small, I highly recommend you do. It really does start to shift your perspective. And honestly, I now go through my day thinking about the different moments/people/things that sparked something positive in me.

POWERFUL STUFF!

Ok, now for this week’s slices of G+J…

FRIDAY

Kaiden was in the best mood when I picked him up from school. He didn’t fuss, he didn’t scream when I put him in the stroller, etc. He was genuinely in a good mood, and his happiness made me happy.

SATURDAY

We took Kaiden to his first (trial) soccer class. The experience didn’t go quite as expected, but it was still fun to watch Kaiden get excited over ALL the soccer balls!

Later in the day, we headed to dinner with my sister and BIL. Kaiden was in the BEST mood, even though we were still eating and talking at 7:30 pm (his bedtime). He went to bed a little later than usual, but I think to think these experiences are worth it. AND he ‘slept in’ until almost 7 am the next morning!

SUNDAY

Our friend Rohit and his fiance Lalitha came over for dinner. We haven’t seen Rohit in quite some time, and this was our first time meeting Lalitha. Kaiden immediately took to Ro and pretty much claimed him as his new bestie. After Kaiden went to sleep, we sat and talked for a little over an hour…so fun!

MONDAY

Vishnu came home earlier than expected (yay!). Because of that, we had an hour or so of playtime together as a family. At one point, Vishnu put his head in my lap. Kaiden came right over, pushed on his head until he lifted it up, and then proceeded to put his head in my lap. We couldn’t stop laughing! It’s truly the little things. 🙂

TUESDAY

‘This is Us’ Tuesday! WOO HOO! Even though the show sometimes makes me cry, I find so much joy in watching it. I’m deeply invested, if you can’t already tell! And this week’s episode didn’t disappoint.

WEDNESDAY

Vishnu flew home from Miami today (he was interviewing). Even though we don’t spend every waking minute together (far from it in fact), it’s comforting to know the person you love is close by. Welcome back, boo!

THURSDAY

I went to the office today (finally!). That in and of itself brought some joy. My coworkers and I also had our very belated Secret Santa gift exchange. Good times were had by all!

With that having a wonderful and joyful weekend!

Month 1 – Less Sugar + Dairy

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If you follow me regularly (ish), you’ve heard me talk about 1. my skin woes and 2. how I’m working to improve the condition of my skin both from the inside out and the outside in.

After my work trip to Vancouver in early December, I came home and told my husband that something needed to change, because aside from it being a vanity thing, my face hurt. My blemishes were deep and painful, and honestly, I was just so sick of feeling helpless about it. Something needed to change!

I share a bit more about the what and the why in this post. The abbreviated version of it all is that over the course of a few months I started noticing a trend after indulgent weekends where I consumed a lot of sugar and dairy (more so than usual). My skin would errupt with new (and painful) breakouts every single time.

I thought I would be fine because I’m on birth control and have a pretty solid skincare routine. But no such luck. So immediately upon returning from Vancouver, I decided to cut way back on my sugar and dairy consumption.

Before I share my one month ‘results,’ let me define ‘cut way back.’ I didn’t eliminate the two completely, but rather looked at the opportunity to eat them as “worth it” moments. In the case of dairy (specifically cow’s milk cheese), I purposely only used 75-80% of what I normally would’ve ate. I have yet to eat a meal out that includes dairy. In terms of sugar, I’ve only really had processed sugar foods 2-3 times in the past month. And again, when I did consume them, I ate 75% of what I would have in the past. For example, earlier this week, Vishnu was having a bowl of a new-to-me ice cream I’ve been wanting to try. Instead of eating half the pint, I served myself 3 small spoonfuls. A worth it moment that didn’t go wrong!

Ok so the results…

My skin looks the better than it has in a very very long time (knocking on all the wood!). I do have a couple of blemishes that are making their way out but have not had any new ones since the holidays. My skin is also less red, irritated, and textured overall. I feel like I finally have a glow of some sort. I do, however, still have acne scars that will obviously take time to heal (if ever).

And just to show how this compares to my skin a few months ago or as recently as Thanksgiving, here are a few close-up pics. Note that I am wearing makeup in most of these, so my skin may not look that bad, but trust me…it was!

Speaking of healing scars, I should also mention that I’m using the new Drunk Elephant retinol (started on December 28th). I want to give it some time before sharing my views, but I will say that this stuff is very potent. I started using it every other day, but upon noticing how dry and flaky my skin looked/felt, I went to every three days. That was still too much, so now I use it twice a week (at night). I have high hopes that this stuff will help fade my scars but will give it some time before shouting my excitement from the rooftop! More to come!

I’m going to keep this way of eating up and will report back on the condition of my skin in a couple of months. Wish me luck!

7 Products I’m Still Loving

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If you follow any number of bloggers/influencers, you may have noticed that they regularly profess their love for different kinds of products. I am no exception.

After a while, do you ever wonder if people still love the XYZ cleanser [insert any given product] they were praising a few short months ago? I know I do!

I never share things I’m not passionate about, but I also don’t follow-up as often as I probably should. So today I’m talking about 7 products I’ve recently promoted either on the blog or on Instagram that I still love. These are thing I use daily/regularly and would recommend to anyone reading.

Amazon Basics Packing Cubes – I’ve been raving about these packing cubes since my sister told me about them back in March. They are a freaking life saver when it comes to keeping your stuff organized, especially when you have to share a large suitcase with a toddler. Vishnu, Kaiden, and I all have our own set, and I’m tempted to order one more so we have extra bags for longer trips.
C9 (Target) winter boots – These boots are saving me already this winter! They are SO warm, comfortable, and easy to walk in (I normally walk 1.2 miles to work and then back). I highly recommend these if you’re looking for winter boots that really serve their purpose…and are still pretty cute (IMO).
Eva NYC Mane Magic 10-in-one primer – I’ve been using this spray for over a year or so now, and I LOVE it. I spray it on after washing and towel drying my hair and before styling. My hair is so soft and manageable after this stuff. Also, there’s a noticeable difference in drying time when I use this. I’ll be using this as long as Eva NYC keeps making it!
Namskar Castor Oil – My eyebrows, as I’ve shared before, are no where close to as full as they used to be. To help with the regrowth, I’ve been applying this castor oil every night. Well, I didn’t for a while but am now super on top of it. Crossing my fingers that with regular use, I see some of my more bare spots start to refill.
Drunk Elephant Lippe Balm – This lip balm, while expensive for what it technically is, has been saving my lips this winter. When I say I used to have the most severely chapped and flaky lips, I’m not even kidding. This balm keeps them so soft and smooth all day long. And for all my lipstick wearing friends out there, I think you will agree that there’s nothing worse than putting a lip product on chapped lips. This will solve all your problems! I even apply to my under-eye area before bed sometimes. I will be rebuying and gifting this for as long as DE makes it!
W3ll People Narcissist Foundation Stick – I’m still loving this foundation stick by W3ll People. I hardly ever use it all over my face, as I’m trying to decrease the amount of makeup I use, but it’s perfect for covering up imperfections. The coverage is totally buildable, and the formula is creamy and blendable. If you’re looking for a more natural foundation option, I highly recommend checking out W3ll People. And for anyone’s who’s curious, I use the shade ‘Dark Golden.’
CoverFX Power Play Concealer – This is still my go to concealer on days when I go in to the office. I love how light and natural it is. As of late, I’ve also been using it to spot correct, and it’s been working out just fine for that too. If you find the Tarte Shape Tape concealer (still love that stuff for nighttime makeup) a bit too heavy, I highly recommend trying this one. And again, for anyone who’s curious, I use the shade ‘G Medium 2.’

And that’s all I’ve got today! If you have any questions about any of these products or anything else I mention here or on IG, feel free to send me an email (myinnershakti@gmail.com). Happy Monday, y’all!