My Inner Shakti

finding strength in everyday things

What’s Always in Your Kitchen?

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My favorite blog, Cup of Jo, shared a post about the five items that are always stocked in the kitchen. And that got me thinking about my own kitchen and the things you’ll find in it 99.9% of the time.

Before I share, I will say that it’s super interesting to hear other people’s responses and find new ideas. I scrolled through the CoJ’s comment section on this post for a quite a bit and got some great ideas for new foodie items.

Please excuse our unorganized fridge. I actually hate how it’s designed. I need to clean it out and reorganize. One day soon!

Ok, here are the things that come to mind from my own kitchen right now But I’m not stopping at five items. Sharing a more comprehensive list…

  • Bananas (smoothies, baked good, nice cream, and Mila!)
  • Spinach (smoothies, baked goods, salads)
  • Arugula (salads)
  • Apples (snacking)
  • Berries of some kind (blueberries, raspberries, or more commonly, strawberries)
  • Almond milk
  • 2% milk
  • Eggs
  • Earth Balance vegan butter
  • Enjoy Life dairy-free mini chocolate chips
  • Lily’s sugar free dark chocolate chips
  • Crumbled Feta
  • Block of sharp cheddar
  • Sliced cheese, most likely sharp or medium cheddar
  • Bread of some sort (usually Dave’s)
  • Whole milk Greek yogurt (for Mila mainly)
  • Rao’s pasta sauce
  • Some sort of pasta
  • Rice (2-3 varieties)
  • Soy sauce
  • All kinds of vinegars, hot sauces, oils, etc.
  • Almond flour
  • Cocoa
  • Peanut butter and peanut powder
  • Quinoa
  • Bamba puffs (for Mila)
  • Coffee beans
  • Beans of all sorts
  • Canned tomatoes, canned tomato sauce, and tomato paste
  • Coconut milk
  • Oats

I’m probably forgetting a few things, but you get the gist!

Tell me, if I were to walk into your kitchen on two different days, what would I always find?

Last Few Days Before Kindergarten + Momsanity

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There are days when I’m in complete disbelief that Kaiden is starting Kindergarten next week. And there are days when his sassy self talks my ear off that I can completely believe it! HAHA!

Pre-K grad and mustering up mom courage

Kaiden graduated from pre-K last Thursday, and his school did an amazing job with the ceremony and celebration. There was a whole program, and our little guy had a very short speaking part and was front and center for all the singing and dancing. Saying good-bye to his friends and teachers was hard, and K was definitely emotional when we got home. He went upstairs to change, and then out of the blue, we heard him screaming. We checked to make sure he wasn’t hurt, and then I just held him because my mama heart knew he was just sad. Like mommy like son! He’s so much like me in so many ways it blows my mind!

He’s been much better since then, and that’s probably because he’s seen and hung out with his grandparents a ton. Speaking of, he’s at my parents house at the moment! We’ll see how things go when he starts school next week! Thankfully, his school has a couple of events leading up to the big day. Hoping that eases the transition a bit.

Vishnu worked this past weekend, so I decided I would use my mom powers and take the kids out on my own. On Saturday morning, we went to breakfast in our neighborhood. It was actually so fun! Kaiden colored, ate, and talked, and Mila ate! HA! So thankful she’s an ‘easier’ baby in many ways.

And then on Sunday afternoon, I took the kids to my best friend’s house to play and have dinner. Of course, there I had extra hands to help with Mila, and K was engrossed in playing with my friend’s daughter, but again, proud of myself for actually venturing out. The older I get, the more I realize how much of a homebody I am! And while that’s great to an extent, I love being out and about with the kids and having them experience new things, places, and people. Just have to muster up the courage and tell yourself you can are the world’s greatest solution finder (in the off chance you need to do some quick thinking!).

Momsanity Podcast updates

If you follow me anywhere, you probably already know that Amy and I launched Momsanity, our podcast! Y’all! This is the most fun I’ve had in a long time. I love coaching and Awarify so much and find it truly fulfilling, but Momsanity is simply put…a blast! And like with anything else I chose to take on right now, I feel like the impact it has had already and will continue to have on moms is profound. Amy and I want to make moms feel less alone in their experiences, and this platform will really allow us to do that.

In episode one, we introduce ourselves, talk about our definitions of Momsanity and mom friends, share a couple of our recent relatable Momsanity stories, and dig into the myth of doing it all.

In episode two, we talk about the emotional polarities of motherhood and keeping up with the Joneses. And in episode three, we’re talking about all things relationships and partnerships, and we have two very special guests joining us to share their POV too!!

You can listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or our RSS feed via our host. If you tune in and like what you hear, please consider subscribing, rating + reviewing, and signing up for our Momsanity community (as a bonus, you’ll get our Working Moms Dream Big workbook).

With that, I’m going to pack up to pick up my soon-to-be Kindergarten boy! I promised him lots of playground time, ice cream, and fun in the next few days. Here’s to delivering just that!

4 Ways to Stop Being Reliant on Instagram

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So the title of this post is a little deceiving. It sounds like I’m talking to everyone, when I’m really addressing my fellow IG creators. But maybe there is something for everyone here. I’ll let you decide!

Ok, so here’s the deal. Instagram has changed A LOT in the past couple of years. It went from being this app where you saw your friends’ posts and saw a lot of people be open and vulnerable to a video only (or what feels like it) platform that people use to sell their services/products. You could argue that you can still customize it to be what you want it to be, but that doesn’t negate the fact that it’s changed big time.

And everyone’s feeling the effect of this. Engagement is down big time. How do I know everyone’s feeling the effects? Because everyone’s complaining about it.

The fact is that Instagram is a business. It’s going to do what it needs to do to keep people on the app so it can make money. And right now, that means it’s serving you (sometimes) random video content.

And it’s ok to vent and complain, but realize this, Instagram is not going back to what it was. And asking your followers to engage isn’t necessarily the best strategy.

If I’m not convincing you, think about this. An instagram post has a viewing life of a day or two. An IG story has a 24 shelf life. That’s it. AND, as a creator, you don’t own your content. If IG decides to disappear tomorrow, all of your hard work goes with it.

So here are a few ways you can start to become less reliant on Instagram (or any social media platform really)…

  • Start a blog. It’s kind of like IG in a way, but you own your content! So important! Also, monetizing a blog is much easier than monetizing your IG page (for most of us).
  • Build an email list. Again, this is something you own. And emails are gold. If you decide to start a business later or want to share something with a broader audience, this list will serve you well! Wish I had started focusing on this more a few years ago!
  • Create a newsletter. A great way to share your thoughts, ideas, and favorite things while keeping people entertained and engaged!
  • Start a podcast. It’s not as hard as it may seem, and if you’re a talker, it’s the perfect way to share your message. It’s also a great way to share in a way that doesn’t require a character count, video limits, etc.

All of the above things have long shelf lives AND allow you to share in fun, engaging, and vulnerable/open way. Again, not saying everyone needs to quit IG, but it’s clear that we need to rethink how we use it and our expectations of the little app.

Would love to hear what you think…what are you using, other than IG, to share your business/work/message?

2022 – Midyear Review

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In the corporate world, regular reviews/check-ins with your boss are both necessary and required. The midyear review is a point of reflection to look at goals, accomplishments, and all that’s left to do.

Since I don’t have a corporate job at the moment, I thought I’d do a little midyear check-in on this blog. If nothing else, it’s a great way for me to reflect on the year so far!

So far in 2022…

  • We got Covid!
  • My BIL got married
  • Kaiden turned 5
  • I launched my very own coaching business
  • I co-launched a podcast (!!)
  • Kaiden and Mila got their first Covid vaccines!
  • The most exciting one for me by far is seeing Kaiden grow and transform this year. When we first moved to Atlanta, he had a really hard time. Now, he’s super talkative, friendly, open, and somewhat willing to try new things (ha!). He has the biggest heart and is just so loving and kind. He’s the best big brother and is just the sweetest with Mila. Obviously, kids are like moving targets, but I truly love being this boy’s mama and can’t wait to see what the next six months bring for him!

In terms of goals, I didn’t set specific ones for the year, but overall, I started with the world ‘try’ in mind. I didn’t want the fear of the unknown to keep me from new experiences. I also wanted to continue working on my health and fitness and my parenting. All super broad but that’s the general gist.

I’m happy to report that I’ve tried a lot of new things so far this year…

  • Swapping out my stable corporate job for the momprenuer life and Awarify Coaching
  • Launching a podcast with my friend and fellow professional coach, Amy Galvin
  • Pushing myself on the Peloton and trying to break previous records and increase my strength and overall fitness over time
  • Really trying to take a more child centered approach with both Kaiden and Mila. By no means am I saying that we make them the center of our world, but more so, trying to understand their perspectives before diving into my own. Slowing down, doing one thing at a time, and staying as rested as possible helps.

From a friends and family perspective, the first half the year has proven to be a lot of fun. We’ve spent tons of time with family and close friends – dinners, birthday parties, game nights. It’s so hard to coordinate schedules, but we do what we can with who we can when we can. Life is too short to wait for the right/best time. Figure out who you want to spend time with, make that time, and then spend it. New life motto!

From a travel perspective, we haven’t made many moves yet. We had our family of four vacay to FL in May, Vishnu and I went to South Carolina for a friend’s wedding in June, and I’m currently in California visiting my grandparents. We have a few fun things coming up in the next couple of months. It’s not the world travel we were imagining last year, but it’s something and it’s with people we love, so there’s that!

The rest of the year will go by in a flash I know it!

We have…

  • Kaiden’s pre-K graduation
  • The start of kindergarten
  • My sister’s baby coming soon!!!
  • Mila starting daycare (we think)
  • A girls’ trip (for me)
  • A couples’ trip to FL with friends
  • Disney with Kaiden
  • Mila’s first birthday (how?!)

I think my words for the second half of 2022 are going to be ‘breathe, relax, and enjoy.’ Life is moving at warp speed and sometimes I let this overwhelm me. This in turn doesn’t help me be the best version of myself for anyone, so I’m going to try my very best to ground myself in whatever’s happening around me and really be there…soaking it all in like a sponge. Now is all we have anyways, right?

Currently – June 2022

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Taking it back to really old school blogging with this post! Sharing a few of my current favorite reads, listens, foods, etc.

Currently reading

I just finished Book Lovers and absolutely adored it! I’m currently reading Every Summer After and really enjoying how the story is unfolding. Two great summer reads!

Currently listening to

Podcasts! And lots of them! But my current favorites are Good Inside with Dr. Becky, We Can Do Hard Things with Glennon Doyle, and Healthy in Real Life with the Fitnessista.

Currently eating…

Berries – blueberries, raspberries, and strawberries. Can’t get enough!

Yogurt bowls – Full-fat Greek yogurt, cinnamon, peanut butter, mix of berries, and Purely Elizabeth chocolate hazelnut granola. SO SO SO GOOD!

Egg toast – toasted bread, Greek yogurt cream cheese, fried egg, and Sriracha. Could eat this every day and not grow tired of it!

Currently watching

Believe it or not…nothing! This is Us just finished, and we also finished the Ozarks recently. I’m kind of enjoying our TV free nights (and getting to bed earlier!).

Currently looking forward to

Kaiden’s 5th birthday party and his actual birthday! He’s been talking about it for months, and I’m so excited to celebrate my sweet boy! Five really seems to be a turning point for us. He’s a much better listener, he’s able to communicate in a gentler way (most of the time), and he’s just so so affectionate and sweet (especially with me!). And not to mention some of the things he says…just hilarious.

I’m also looking forward to launching a PODCAST! My friend and fellow coach Amy and I are doing the dang thing and starting a new exciting project together. I can’t wait to share more! The trailer will be up in mid-July and the first episode will be ready for your ears at the end of July. AHHH!

Almost 5 years ago! Can’t believe it!

Currently thinking about

Intrusive thoughts! I have so many tools at my disposal to combat and work through unhelpful thoughts, and yet I find intrusive thoughts so hard to get rid of. These are hypothetical thoughts that take me down rabbit holes that are super dark and grim. Not fun at all.

My currently strategy is to remind myself that everything is ok right now and take as many deep breaths as I need. Any and all strategies take practice and repetition, so I’m working on it. It’s definitely better than it was a few months ago, but I’d like to not even go there if at all possible.

Currently trying

Daily stretching and a nightly sleep meditation. I use the Peloton app for both and absolutely love all the classes. I could definitely use a bit more zen (see above) and these two (almost) daily practices are helping.

Currently dreading

This heat wave we’re experiencing. It is BRUTAL! I used to go for daily walks with Mila round noon, and now we don’t leave the house. It’s super hot and uncomfortable, and I’d definitely need another shower if I attempted outdoor walks right now.

Currently wearing

Joggers and tees of course! But other than that, I found a few comfy summer dresses at Old Navy (dress 1, dress 2, and dress 3) that I’m loving. And I’m also loving the Lululemon stuff I picked up earlier this year and a few weeks ago. Vishnu got me a sizeable gift card for my 37th birthday, but then I got pregnant and decided to wait before buying anything. I’m not a Lulu shopper, so I stuck with basics like leggings, a sweatshirt (can’t find a link) and these really comfortable back in action tees that feel like butter!

Well, that’s all I’ve got for now! Hope you’re all currently doing well!

This Is Us – The Greatest TV Show There Ever Was

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I started watching ‘This is Us’ when it first aired. I still remember sitting down to watch the very first episode and thinking, “This is going to be MY show.” And lo and behold, for six years, it was my show. I watched almost every episode live, and in our house, this was essentially an event. Everything had to be done, everyone had to be put to bed, and sometimes I even indulged in dessert while watching.

I think this show had such a hold on me (and so many others) because it was emotional and human and real. The characters were so perfectly flawed yet lovable, the story lines came together in the most poetic way, the flashbacks and the flash forwards were pieced together with such care. I could go on and on.

One of my favorite parts of the show was the relationship between Jack and Rebecca. What an epic love story! It grasped you from the very beginning, and the way it was all tied up in the end was just perfect. It was truly the ending this beautiful couple deserved. As silly as it sounds, watching their love story, their struggles, their challenges, their heartbreak unfold on television made me appreciate my love story with Vishnu that much more. It helped me see that the only way to love is to appreciate what’s in front of you in this very moment. Tomorrow isn’t promised.

I also loved all of the parenting lessons from the show. Mandy Moore played her role as the matriarch of the Pearson family with such grace, even in those moments where she messed up or disappointed herself/someone else. There was just so much to take away from every single episode from all of the characters. My biggest lesson was to soak it all in as often as you can because the days go faster than you can imagine. And I find that to be so true with my own kids. Of course, the days often feel very hard and very long, but when I look back, I’m always amazed by how fast time flies by.

This is the kind of show where you can’t help but cheer for everyone. It’s the kind of show that will bring you to tears (and more often than not ugly tears) more often than not. It’s the kind of show that forces you to reflect and really think about how you’re living life.

It was an absolutely beautiful six years, and I can honestly say that ‘This is Us’ is the greatest TV show there ever was!

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June 2022 – Happenings and Goals

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How are we almost half way through 2022? And how we been Georgia residents (again) for almost a year? Craziness!

The year is speeding by for many reasons, mostly because we have two kids I think. It’s like what they say. When you’re in the day to day grind, time slows down a little. Then when you step back and take a more macro view, you can’t believe how fast it’s all going!

June happenings

It’s also probably going quickly because we have so many big things happening (and a few that have already happened). For one, my BIL’s wedding was this past weekend! Ya’ll, this wedding was two years in the making (they pushed it forward because of Covid), so it felt extra special. Great fun was had by all! However, by the end of it, Vishnu and I were both ready to get the kids back to a routine! Exhausted doesn’t even begin to describe how we felt.

And next up, specifically this month, we have my sister’s baby shower, which will be so fun! I’m extra excited because my two aunts (mom’s younger sisters) will be in town for it, and it’s been over two years since we’ve seen them (maybe even longer!). I’m in charge of games for the shower, and I have a few good ones ready to go. I’ll share more after this weekend as to not ruin the surprise for my sister and BIL!

After that, Vishnu and I will be headed to Hilton Head for his med school friend’s wedding/receptions. You guys have no idea how excited I am to have 48 hours to relax and know that my kids will be well taken care of (each set of grandparents is taking a kid). On the flip side, I’m also a little nervous because this will be the first time I’ll be away from Mila for more than a night. The first time was when I landed back in the hospital a week after giving birth. I keep telling myself it’ll all be ok. Vishnu and I need this time!

And THEN…we have the main event for June…my little boy’s 5TH BIRTHDAY PARTY! I can’t believe he’s almost 5! This is the first big party we’re having that he’ll actually remember, so I’m super excited. We’re going with a Paw Patrol theme…I’ll share more afterwards. It’s going to be emotional for sure!

Other than that, I’m still wrapping my head around how hot it is already! It’s 90+ degrees in Atlanta most days of the week now! I’ll take this over a Chicago winter any day though. I always say, it’s so much easier to peel layers off versus pile them on!

June goals

  1. Really delve into mine and Chitra’s next book club book – Influence. I actually read this back in 2009 in business school and have been wanting to reread for a while now. Funny side story – I only realized this was the same book after I finished the first chapter. But it’s all good because this book is a great read from a business perspective.
  2. Read a fiction book. Hoping to dig into something when we go to Hilton Head. Saturday during the day is pretty free, so you bet this mama is going to park her butt on a pool chair (hopefully with a beverage in hand) to read!
  3. Find some summery clothes! I have a VERY minimal summer wardrobe since I was pretty pregnant last summer! Need to find some staple pieces stat!
  4. That being said, this month I want to clean out and declutter every closet in our home. The plan is to donate everything that no longer fits/that we no longer need or want. Wish me luck!
  5. I don’t know if this one will get done this month, but I need new professional photos! I found a local photographer so now I just need to schedule the time. This also means I need to get some new clothes for said pictures. So maybe I need to figure out #3 first! I’m ok with pushing this one back to July/August too. We’ll see…
  6. And of course, I’m still going to continue with my forever goals of moving every day (intentional 4-5 times a week), drinking half my body weight or more in water, cutting back my time on social media, meditating daily, and going to bed by 10 pm.

Phew! That’s all I’ve got for now. I hope your June is equal parts fun and chill. Here’s to being almost halfway through 2022!

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