Family Archives - My Inner Shakti

Cabo 2019 – A True Family Vacation

Over a week ago, I was in a beautiful pool overlooking the most stunning ocean views of Cabo. Take me back!

But in all seriousness, our family vacay to Mexico was unforgettable and a really good time overall. I think I can truly say that all seven of us enjoyed our time in paradise!

WHY CABO

Like I always do with these kinds of travel posts, let me provide a little context as to why we chose Cabo. First of all, my parents have wanted to go on a family trip with both my sister and I and our significant others and of course Kaiden for a while now. When the stars aligned (as in everyone’s schedules), we all sat down and seriously started brainstorming locations. We threw out ideas like the Caribbean, Florida, Mexico City, etc. But then Vishnu threw out Cabo – the weather is near perfect, no threat of hurricanes, it’s far enough to feel like a vacay, and there’s lots to do. Done deal!

WHERE WE STAYED

Then we started looking at Airbnb’s. We went down this path versus hotels/resorts because we wanted a lot of space since we were going for five nights. My mom also has some strict dietary restrictions, so having our own kitchen and the opportunity to buy our own groceries made more sense. Also, this wasn’t the deciding factor, but we wanted to try and give Kaiden his own room – to help with the whole sleep thing.

With all of our preferences being taken into account with what was actually available and in our budget, we settled on a 4 bedroom, 4.5 bath home in the Cabo Del Sol neighborhood. You guys. This house was big, beautiful, AND it had a private pool overlooking a golf course and the ocean. A real winner in so many ways!

The one downside to this particular area was all the construction. It’s very much under development, and even though we couldn’t see or hear a thing while in our house, we came across it every time we left the neighborhood.

The only other thing, that probably has nothing to do with our house and is more just Cabo itself, was all the bugs. We saw quite a few creepy crawlies in our five days. By the last day, I was ready to be in my Chicago condo!

HOW WE GOT AROUND

Our car rental experience in Cabo was strange…in the best way possible! We rented a huge Suburban from Cactus Car Rental, and everything from booking online to transferring to the airport to actually picking up the car was seamless. They were so nice, there were no gimmicks…it just felt so easy.

WHERE WE ATE

So in terms of food, I think we struck a nice balance between eating at home and trying a few restaurants. In terms of Cabo restaurants, I asked my trustworthy IG followers for their recs, and they definitely came through…

Macca – This is a create your own pasta/pizza bar that’s located in a quiet little strip mall type place. My sister and I shared a pasta and really ended up liking it. Everything tasted quite fresh. We really enjoyed our outdoor table and the fact that this place wasn’t crowded. This was a fun dinner!

Café de Ciudad – We came across this small family-owned joint after a hike. We were hungry, so I just Yelped the neighborhood and came across this 5 star rated restaurant. I warned everyone that it looked and sounded like a hole-in-the-wall, but because we were close and hungry, we went with it. And thank goodness we did. The service, the food, the authenticity…it was perfection! I’m so glad we ate here because we wouldn’t have gotten to try such authentic dishes otherwise. Everything was so simply made, yet it was so so flavorful and delicious. I wish we could have eaten here more than once. Even if you’re staying at an all-inclusive resort, I highly recommend making the trek to this place. You won’t regret it!

Flora Farms – This was the #1 recommended place on IG, and I totally see why. The remote location and ambiance made it very IG worthy. Personally, I loved the farm-to-table concept, and it didn’t fail in that regard. The food was carefully curated, including all of the flavors. I also loved that they accommodated to my mom’s diet. If you decide to dine here, be sure to do two things – 1. Go early and book a tour of the farm, their culinary kitchen, etc. and 2. Save room for ice cream – the chocolate was heavenly!

WHAT WE DID

One of the things that my sister, BIL, Vishnu, and I all wanted to do was go on a hike somewhere in Cabo. After much internet research, I came across a hike led by a gentleman named Ernesto. Essentially, you meet him at his dog kennel, and he guides you up Mt. Solmar (with like 10 dogs) to a stunning 360 degree view of Cabo. This one stood out to me because everyone said it was a must do (some people even did it twice in one trip). Through a stroke of luck, I found Ernesto’s number online and texted him about the hike. He confirmed the timing (he leaves exactly at 8:30 am) and told us not to be late! The hike itself wasn’t too hard. You definitely have to be in decent shape to climb up and down certain parts but I feel like most people could do this. Other than that, wear some bug spray, dress lightly, and definitely wear sneakers. This was probably one of my favorite experiences of the trip, so put it on your list for sure!

We also had a beach day one of the days because while a pool is nice…there’s nothing like the ocean. Unfortunately, the ocean conditions in Cabo are not safe for swimming or even wading. The current was super duper strong and pulling inwards on the day we went. So we opted to build sand towers and let the water come to us. Still fun!

My sister and I went on a run one morning in our neighborhood. So fun and tiring given that I haven’t run outside in ages! If you’re in a runnable area, I highly recommend bringing your gear. The views are not to be missed!

My BIL went golfing one day and said it was a really cool experience (near/at the Secrets resort). If you have any golfers in your group, this could be something fun.

And finally, we had family photos taken on our last day. After a friend recommended Flytographer to me, I decided to book our session through them. This is essentially a service that gives you a few options for the city you’re visiting (photographer, location, etc.). You pick who you want based on their profile and where you want to take your pictures. Your photographer meets you, takes your pics, and sends them to you within five days. I LOVED this service and would do it again when we travel abroad. It’s a cool way to capture your family’s vacation memories. As reference, we had to pick the 60 minute session because we had more than six people in our group. Totally worth it! And if you decide Flytographer your photo shoot in Cabo, I HIGHLY recommend Fernanda. She was so fun to work with and took incredible pictures!

MISC

Since we went the Airbnb route, we went to both Costco and Walmart to stock up on kitchen essentials. Both were fairly close to where we stayed, and it was cool to go to a Costco in another country. So similar to the states but everything is in Spanish (as expected!).

OVERALL THOUGHTS

To be honest, I had no expectations for this vacation. All I wanted was to relax as much as possible and spend time with my family. But in the end, Cabo really exceed my expectations. If you’re looking for a fun family vacay destination, this should definitely be on your list. There’s really something for everyone!

If you have any questions, leave them in the comments or email me at myinnershakti@gmail.com.

Adios!

Time at Home + Q&A with Ba and Dada

written by Parita 2 Comments

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!

Weekend Rehash – Home Sweet Atlanta!

written by Parita 1 Comment

As I’m typing this post, I’m sitting at my parents house with my laptop in my lap and my feet propped up. It feels good to be home!

Is it just me or do you guys also feel a little more dependent when you go home? Like I run the show in some ways in Chicago, but when I’m home, I ask my mom for her opinion about every little decision.

Anyways, we’ve had a great start to our visit. Lots of outdoor play and delicious food.

Let’s backtrack a little and rehash the weekend!

FRIDAY

I know I sound like a broken record, but Friday started off in the usual way. As soon as Vishnu and Kaiden left for school and work, I headed down to our apartment gym for a quick workout. I then made my way to Trader Joe’s and Target.

As soon as I put everything away, I got a message from my sister giving me the green light to pick her up at Carmax. There’s a bit of a backstory to all of this…instead of retyping it all here, I’m going to direct you to today’s post on Instagram. So many emotions!

And here’s to my sister and BIL buying their first car together!

I quickly got my act together upon getting home and made food for the week for Vishnu – lasagna, My Heart Beet’s Butter Chicken, and rice. All set for the week!

I also packed on and off throughout the day. As I was putting things in our bag, I thought about unpacking and audibly groaned. Ugh!

The rest of the day/night followed the usual flow – playtime, dinner, bath time, reading/getting K to calm down, bed time, and a little downtime with Vishnu.

SATURDAY

Saturday morning started at 6 am because we wanted to be out the door and on our way to the airport at 7:45. Thankfully, we managed to do just that.

I plan to share my tips and tricks for travelling with a two year old (when toddlers get their own seats) in a separate blog post, but let’s just say our <2 hour flight had plenty of ups and downs. The downs mostly revolved around the fact that K wanted to sit in my lap vs. in his own seat. Not great when the seat belt sign is on.

Anyways, we eventually made it out of the plane, on the train, up the elevator and to my parents who were happily waiting for us. Then came the one hour drive home. Haha!

By the time we got home, I was so tired. I fell asleep on the living room floor! My mom woke me up in time for my pedicure appointment. #muchneeded

The rest of the evening included badminton in the backyard and Zheel’s delicious Spinach Dhokla that my mom and ba whipped up. A must try recipe if you’re a dhokla fan (and even if you’re not!).

SUNDAY

Kaiden was up and ready to go at 7:30 (YAY!!!). We played and hung out on the shaded part of my parent’s patio until my in-laws arrived. They came to spend the day with Kaiden.

Sunday can be summed up in one word – FUN and lots of it. With all four of his grandparents present (plus his great grandparents), Kaiden was getting spoiled from all sides. He danced, played, ran around, kicked balls, took a 1.5 hour nap…rinse and repeat!

Here’s to an even better week ahead! Happy Monday. 🙂

Weekend Rehash – Family Time

written by Parita 3 Comments

What an awesome weekend! Like I mentioned in Friday’s post, Niel and Neelam, my BIL and his girlfriend, visited, and we had a blast.

Let’s start from the beginning…

FRIDAY

Friday started off with the usual routine – drop K off at school, work out, Trader Joe’s run.

But then for 1.5 hours, I deviated from the norm and met up a blog reader and new friend, Mira. We met up for a coffee and probably could’ve chatted for another hour. We talked about everything from new motherhood to mom guilt to making mom friends to everything in between. It was such a refreshing meet-up because we were on the same wave length about so much. I’m so happy we made the time to meet. Here’s to next time and more authentic friendships.

I spent the rest of my afternoon cleaning and prepping dinner (lasagna!). Vishnu got home a little earlier than normal, so we hung out before it was time to get Kaiden and before N&N arrived.

The rest of the evening was spent eating, playing, and talking. Even I went to bed a lot later than usual!

SATURDAY

Saturday morning started with made from scratch pancakes (sharing the recipe soon).

We then got ready and headed to the post office to submit an application for K’s passport. He’s doing some international travel later this year!

After finishing up there, we got some coffee, walked around the River Walk, and then headed to Sienna Tavern for brunch (so yum!).

Kaiden fell asleep on the walk home for like five minutes which obviously means he didn’t have to nap at all the rest of the day. Grrrr…

It all worked out because we rented a boat for the afternoon with Niel, Neelam, my sister and my BIL, so while K was tired, he still rallied. If you’re ever in Chicago, I highly recommend renting a pontoon boat and heading out on the river. And guess who captained our boat?! ME! My sister took over towards the end because my back hurt, but it was a ton of fun!

We planned on playing some games after K went to bed, but our Door Dash order never showed after 1.5 hours, so the evening went a little south in terms of that. Still a fun day overall!

SUNDAY

Vishnu and N&N took Kaiden to the park in the morning so I could clean, cook, and have some alone time.

Luckily, Kaiden took a 2.5 hour nap which means the rest of us did as well. This mama was tired!

We then scratched our afternoon plans to visit the beach and headed out to get some gelato instead. Perfect idea on a hot Chicago day!

And now we start a new week with new adventures! Happy Monday, y’all.

Weekend Rehash – When the Grandparents Come to Visit

written by Parita 1 Comment

This was a good weekend! My parents were in town and that made everyone happy. Especially Mr. Kaiden!

FRIDAY

Friday started off on the usual note, except for one thing. It was K’s first full day in the young 2 classroom. He was super quiet at drop off, but he didn’t cry, so I’ll take that as a win. Our guess is that he warms up throughout the day because the pictures we received in the afternoon showed a very smiley, happy boy!

I then spent the rest of my morning/early afternoon running errands, prepping some food, going to the gym, and then heading to my sister’s place. My parents stayed with her and Adarsh (my BIL) this weekend because they came to celebrate her residency graduation. My sissy’s going to be an attending…yahoo!

I decided to make a haircut appointment while I was there since the hair salon I go to is right across the street from my sister’s place. Well…if you guys follow me on Instagram, you know that it didn’t turn out the way I wanted. She cut it a lot shorter than we discussed, AND on top of that, she took off way too much volume all around (I told her to stick to the back). Ay, ay, ay! At least hair grows back!

We hung out for a bit before heading back to pick up Kaiden from school. You guys! You should’ve seen him when he saw my parents. He ran straight to my mom. CUTEST THING EVER!

After some park time, we came home, ate dinner (a Gujarati feast by my mama), and hung out for a bit before calling it a night.

SATURDAY

Kaiden and I headed to my sister’s place around 9 am. GOOD MORNING, FAM!

After a walk to and around the Green City Farmer’s Market, where we enjoyed a blueberry smoothie and some delicious grilled cheeses, we headed to the zoo where we saw zebras and gorillas before calling it a day (it was getting close to nap time!).

We all napped for about 2 hours while K napped. Best decision ever! I can’t wait to live closer to my parents!

In the late afternoon, we hung out at home and made falafels for dinner. Well, my sister made falafels and I assisted! They were so good!

Vishnu actually finished at a decent time so he was able to join us for dinner! Also, you guys, we had Trader Joe’s Bon Bons for dessert, and they are AMAZING (#2 on the list)!

SUNDAY

Sunday looked a lot like Saturday in that we spent it at my sister’s place again. Except this time, I napped…A LOT! I don’t know why, but I woke up super tired and just needed a little (lot) rest.

We decided to stay in, enjoy each other’s company and eate more of my mom’s delicious food!

After saying bye to everyone at 4:30 ish, Kaiden and I headed home. We played and ate and played some more before I put him to bed.

Once Vishnu got home, he ate and suggested we watch a movie. He wanted to unwind! At first, I was hesitant and then said ‘what the heck!’ We watched Always Be My Maybe. It was super cute and funny, but not something I’d watch over and over again. I did, however, really appreciate the diverse cast. More of that please!

And that was our weekend in a really long nutshell! Thanks for indulging me with these posts! The future me will love reading about this weekend, so it’s important to present me to document even the mundane details. Kaiden will only be so little for so long!

Have a great week!

December 2018 – The One Where Kaiden Took Out the Whole Family

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Oh December 2018, I can’t say I’m going to miss you. Sure, you brought some fun memories, like Vancouver and the holidays, but man has it been a rough ride, especially for our family.

This month will forever be embedded in my mind as the one where Kaiden took out the whole family. Let me start from the beginning…

Two and a half weeks ago Kaiden had a fever which lasted over 6 days and morphed into an ear infection. I was in Vancouver for most of that time, but my sister, Vishnu and dad were around Kaiden quite a bit. And all three of them caught whatever he had. Think cold + cough + fever.

Fast forward to the following week. Everyone was still sick (minus K), and now Adarsh (my BIL) wasn’t feeling too great. I was the last man standing at this point and so thankful for it.

Fast forward again to this past Thursday. The day Kaiden and I left for Atlanta. Kaiden woke up at 6:30 am, which was such a pleasant surprise. I went in to pick him up and noticed his pajamas felt a little damp and crusty. I immediately thought he had diarrhea and woke Vishnu up so we could manage the situation. Vishnu went in to K’s room and yelled out that he had vomited and that we needed to give him a bath immediately. So we did all that and everything seemed ok.

Then right before we were heading out for the airport, Adarsh was getting K ready (putting his socks, shoes, and jacket on) when he vomited again all over our couch.

Again, we cleaned everything and everyone up and headed out the door.

I prayed all the way to the airport that Kaiden wouldn’t get sick on the plane, and thankfully he didn’t. In fact, he slept for most of the flight.

Everything was fine until the next day. And then K had diarrhea. Because we’re experienced with stomach bugs, I did my very best with hand washing and sanitizing. I did not want to catch whatever he had. I told my parents to do the same as well.

Well, no dice because I experienced the same symptoms starting Friday night well into Saturday morning. And. It. Was. Miserable.

I felt ok Saturday evening, and Kaiden seemed to be on the mend too, so we thought all was good.

Kaiden feeling good enough to roll around and make a mess while the rest of us stuffer…lol!

Again, no dice. My mom felt sick Saturday night and went through exactly what I did well into Sunday.

Here’s the kicker. My poor dad, who already got sick in Chicago, got sick again last night with the same symptoms as my mom and I.

I’m hoping we get better before we head to my in-laws’ house on Friday. Fingers and toes crossed!

And that’s why I, along with the rest of my family, am ready to say goodbye to December 2018.

Our Trip to Vail, Colorado – All That It Was and Wasn’t + Lessons

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I can’t even believe it! The trip we’d been looking forward to and planning for months is behind us.

Vishnu’s cousin got married in Vail, Colorado this past week, and instead of just going for the wedding, we (V, K, me, my MIL, FIL, and BIL) decided to add a couple of days to the front end and make a mini vacay out of it.

All good in theory! But something I didn’t consider is how unpredictable something like travel can be with a 13 month old. I’ll get to that in a minute.

Because I really do believe in focusing on the positive, let’s look at what everything our trip was…

More than anything, this time away in Vail allowed for some real family time. My MIL didn’t have to spend hours in the kitchen, we didn’t have to worry about cleaning, etc. I absolutely loved the quality family time we got. My favorite moments were sitting around the dining room table chatting about random stuff and laughing…a lot!

The trip also allowed for us (me, V, and my BIL) to experience and see Vail via a “moderate” hike. While the terrain wasn’t hard to navigate, the elevation factor definitely made us more tired than we anticipated. Holy headaches!

Vishnu’s extended family is amazing and so much fun. Even though our time with them was limited, it was great seeing everyone and catching up when possible! It was also super fun to see Kaiden interact with everyone. With the exception of a few people, he was meeting everyone for the first time. One of V’s uncles mentioned making this a yearly thing (a reunion not a wedding!), so Vishnu’s taking it into his own hands to make it happen. I hope he succeeds because so much love for this family!

And last but certainly not least, the wedding! It was all so beautiful. Vishnu’s cousin Tara and her new hubby radiated pure joy. There’s something about witnessing two people who are meant to be take the next step in life! Speaking of the next step, Vishnu gave an awesome speech at the reception about just that. Instead of going down the usual route of telling stories, etc., he shared 10 pieces of advice about marriage and married life. While I didn’t get to see him deliver it in person (I stayed home with K instead of going to the reception), I heard it was awesome and one of the best speeches of the night!

In terms of what this trip wasn’t…it wasn’t relaxing! Not that I was expecting much relaxation with K being the most active he’s ever been. However, by the time Wednesday rolled around, K had a fever. And it didn’t go away. To make a long story short, K ended up experiencing his first ER visit (more precautionary because of a high temperature).

In the spirit of focusing on the positive, I don’t want to fixate on what didn’t go as expected. Instead, I want to focus on what I learned from our time in Vail. For one, I love my family. Obviously, this isn’t a new feeling, but man did I marry into a great family! Everyone was all hands in with K and ready to give me a break whenever possible. And beyond that, I love seeing K bond with his grandparents and uncle. So many special memories! On a more philosophical level, I learned that in this season of life (maybe all seasons…?) I really just have to go with the flow and take it one moment at a time. If I look at our time in Vail overall, it’s hard to see all the fun we had, but when I break it down day by day, moment by moment, I see nothing but fun. Perspective is everything. And finally, once again, I learned a lesson about gratitude. The grateful life is the best life because regardless of what’s going on when you focus on all the good in your life (and there’s always something) you’ll always be grounded in what truly matters.

And now we’re back home and slowly moving into our regular rhythm and flow. Here’s to a healthy and happy week ahead (longer if possible)!

Cabo 2019 – A True Family Vacation

Time at Home + Q&A with Ba and Dada

Weekend Rehash – Home Sweet Atlanta!

Weekend Rehash – Family Time

Weekend Rehash – When the Grandparents Come to Visit

December 2018 – The One Where Kaiden Took Out the Whole Family

Our Trip to Vail, Colorado – All That It Was and Wasn’t + Lessons

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