My Inner Shakti

finding strength in everyday things

Friday Stuff [#8]

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What a week! I thought all the snow we were/are getting in Chicago was/is bad, but then Texas got hit with some crazy (to say the least) weather. I’m so thankful we live in a city that’s prepped for what it faces. I can’t imagine what people in Texas are going through right now. As if Covid wasn’t enough…

Other than that, I’m really looking forward to the weekend because Vishnu and I are going on a little staycation at a local hotel in the city, and my sister and BIL are going to stay with K at our place. Vishnu’s had some crazy days lately, so at my sister’s insistence, we decided to take some time for us. It’ll be my first time leaving K in well over a year, and our first solo vacation in longer than that. Although, 2 nights away barely counts as a vacation, but it’ll be a nice short getaway nonetheless.

We’re not planning on doing much. Prob just order room service in, and if the weather cooperates, maybe go grab some coffee and go for a couple of short walks. Vishnu wants to sleep. I want to do that + read + cuddle and watch TV. Can’t wait!

Oh and we want to use the Peloton bikes at this hotel. Apparently I called to ask a few questions today, and the person I spoke with said they would bring us bikes to our room! WHAT?! I’ve never heard of that! I’ll report back on what that’s like!

Oh in other non-important news. Vishnu and I watched To All the Boys: Always and Forever last weekend. To be honest, I liked it but didn’t love it! The first one was definitely my favorite.

Also, does anyone else watch HS rom-coms and feel like their HS experience was nothing like that? I mean, I know it’s a movie, but still… They’re so mature with their feelings/language/etc. Funny!

Oh, I also finished The Nightingale this weekend. Such a beautiful, heartbreaking story…definitely keep the tissues handy. I ugly cried my way through this one!

And I’m not sure if I shared this yet, but Vishnu and I finished Schitt’s Creek a few weeks ago. HIGHLY HIGHLY recommend this show if you’re looking for a series to start. It took us like 8 episodes to really get into it, but once you start, you can’t stop! Definitely cried my way through the end of the last season.

That’s all I have for now! Just wanted to check-in and say hi. Hope y’all have a safe weekend. Sending all the warm vibes and prayers I can.

Friday Stuff [#7]

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It’s been a while since I’ve come on here and just shared…stuff. Like all the stuff – thoughts, plans, things, etc. That’s what this post is all about. Get excited!

So first and foremost, we’re doing well. Chicago and the state of Illinois are a bit of a Covid mess, but we’re doing ok. We don’t go anywhere, except the grocery store and to school (and Vishnu goes to the hospital), and we have no plans other than staying home for Thanksgiving. We’re ok. Not great, not completely down…just ok.

I say this because I feel like a lot of people are probably where we are right now. Usually around this time of year, we’d be going home to Atlanta or having family fly up to see us. None of that. But we’re still blessed with all that we have so trying to keep the focus on that this year.

I do have this heightened anxiety that K’s school and/or classroom is going to shut down because of Covid. Every time I get an email from his school, I go into panic mode. I’m not nervous about having him home with me (ok, maybe a little) but more so about him not being in the school environment. He loves it and thrives in it. Being at home with your working mom isn’t quite the same thing. But we’ll deal with that if/when we get there. Deep breaths!

And while I don’t have super high hopes for 2021, we do have some exciting things happening that I’ll share about soon. I also can’t wait to sit down with my new planner and fill in some key dates – birthdays, anniversaries, coaching stuff. I’m taking M-W off next week, and I plan to use some of that time to do some planning and strategizing for next year. Can’t wait!

Other than that, things are pretty much the same old.

OH! If you’re a working mom (however you define working), check out the workshop my friend Amy and I are hosting on December 4 from 12-1:30 pm CST. It’s going to be amazing. AND…we’re throwing in a FREE 1:1 coaching session with either Amy or myself for each participant.

A few books to share…

For toddlers:

Be Kind – a super cute story about the importance and impact of kindness.

Twas The Night Before Diwali – a super cute Diwali story about a little monster who visits your home to eat your mithai. We’ll definitely be reading this all year as K really loves this one!

The Celebration of Diwali – another Diwali favorite. This one is centered more around the story of Diwali and why we celebrate it. Kaiden LOVES this one!

Mama’s reads:

The Henna Artist – I’m not quite done with this one but can’t wait to sit down with it over the next few days! It’s a really captivating story!

Majesty – This is the sequel to American Royals, and I can’t wait to read this! AR had a real cliffhanger of an ending, and I can’t wait to see where this book takes us!

Well, that’s all for this Friday, folks! Have a wonderful weekend. Be safe and WEAR A MASK! 🙂

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!

Friday Stuff [#6]

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Leave it to me to share a post about not blogging frequently only to blog again a couple of days later! I just can’t stay away. 🙂

With that, I thought I would share a few things that have either been on my mind or are good finds that we’re loving.

Here we go…

Parks and Recreation

I finished all seven seasons of Parks and Rec, and I LOVED every minute of it! If you’re looking for an awesome comedy series to watch (binge!), this one should be on your list. Leslie Knope for President!!

Kids Knives

I got K these Tovla knives a while ago, and the first time we tried to used them, he kept waving one of the knives in the air. A no go for a while! Then, last weekend, I let him use one to cut up some strawberries, and I think he actually enjoyed it. The look of pride on his face was priceless!

Toddler Masks

We’ve tried quite a few masks for Kaiden, and the ones that fit him the best came from…Old Navy! They aren’t super thick (but none of them are really!), but they don’t slide down his face, which is key.

Little Passports Subscription

My sister and BIL got K a Little Passports subscription for his 3rd birthday, and I must say, it’s pretty awesome. Every month, we get a new activity, along with stickers, a ‘toy,’ and an activity booklet. All catered to his age group. Kaiden loves opening his box every month, and I love how his creativity sparks every time. A great gift option!

Toddler Sunglasses

Kaiden hates anything that touches his face/head – sunglasses, hats, helmets, etc. BUT, when I realized it was ‘sunglasses day’ at school a few weeks ago, I bought these sunnies on Amazon because I didn’t want K to be the only one without a pair. 🙂 He’s worn them a few times afterwards but not quite a sunglasses lover yet.

Friends Reruns

Nothing better, am I right?! I wonder when I’ll be done with this show. Likely never! What’s a show that you never tire of?

Energy Leadership

I have to read the book, Energy Leadership, for my coaching program, and to be completely honest…I LOVE IT! It’s a really interesting read, and I think it’d be helpful for anyone responsible for leading teams, coaching people, leading a team (personally or professionally). Such powerful takeaways on every single page! Highly recommend this one!

Weekend Plans

We don’t have too much going on, except a play date with a good friend and her son, an ice cream party, and a visit to my sister’s place.

Hoping Vishnu doesn’t have to stay too late at the hospital. I want to have a wine and cheese night with him again!

Ok peeps, that’s all I have for today! Thanks for stopping by, and I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

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!

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!

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. 🙂

Friday Stuff [#3]

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Well, quarantine life put a hold on my random Friday posts. Hopefully I can be a bit more regular with these but no guarantees!

With that TGIF, amiright?! It’s been a good week, but I’m ready for the weekend and some quality time with Kaiden. He’s just SO FUN right now. As always, his cuteness almost always makes up for his outbursts. Almost!

Anyways, lets get to some Friday stuff…

Birthday Plans

It’s Kaiden’s birthday on Monday! Woo hoo! I feel like three is a big deal because he finally gets it…kind of! Since we cancelled our original plans for a party at his soccer school, we’re keeping it low key but also incorporating some of his favorite things into the day. First, Vishnu and I are going to blow up like 50 balloons and leave them all over our living room floor so he wake up to a pool of balloons! We got him a couple of gifts (more Magnatiles + dinosaur figurines). I’m going to order some delicious cupcakes, we’ll probably go to the park, we may watch Frozen or Coco, and finally, we’re going to do an immediate family birthday Zoom call. I CAN’T WAIT!

Gym Membership

I cancelled my gym membership last week. I’m so so so sad, but I really don’t see myself going to a gym anytime soon. More than me getting sick from going, I feel like with a kid in daycare and a doctor husband, I should probably avoid places where I’m in super close proximity to people while breathing hard. Like I said, it pained me to have to do this because I LOVED the classes, the facility, the instructors, etc. It was my dream gym in that sense.

What am I going to do instead? Home workouts (YouTube + Peloton) and hopfully some running + walking…

Lunchtime Walks

I workout during my lunch hour, so I do a home workout for 30 minutes and then I quickly head out for about 20 minutes of fast paced walking around our neighborhood. It’s so nice to breathe in some fresh air while getting my steps in.

Books

I’m almost done with The Whole Brained Child, and I can’t wait to share more. It’s probably one of the best parenting books I’ve read (and I’ve read a few!).

Next up will be So You Want to Talk About Race. I’ve heard so many great things, and I can’t wait to delve in. And then it’ll probably be Well Behaved Indian Woman. Fun fact – I know the author! She’s also from Atlanta, and my best friend is one of her closest childhood friends. I’m so excited for Saumya and can’t wait to read her book!! I also downloaded Maybe You Should Talk to Someone on my Kindle, so that will be consumed at some point!

Headbands

Headbands are my new favorite accessory. They take my hair from greasy and unwashed to sleek and styled. I wash my hair 1-2 times a week, and for those days where you just need to put it up, headbands give your look a little pizzazz. I’m telling you, this is a trend worth jumping on! I can’t take all the credit though. My sister got me hooked with her leopard print headbands, and then I got these solid ones. LOVE!

Pedicure

I got my first pedicure in over 6 months, and IT. WAS. GLORIOUS! My salon took a lot of precautions so I felt ok going in – a mask requirement, hand sanitizer up walking in, and barriers between all the stations as well as between you and the nail technician.

AND THAT IS ALL SHE WROTE! Hope you guys have a great Friday and weekend. 🙂

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!

Friday Stuff [#2]

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Is it just me or are the weeks starting to fly by again?  Things were definitely draft in part of February, but now it’s March 6 and I’m like WHA…?!

Anyways, this was a good week…nothing too exciting but better than the past one in some ways (mainly K being more sweet vs. sassy).

With that, let’s get started with some Friday stuff…

Book stuff

If you follow me on Instagram, you know that I finished The Silent Patient and have now moved on to The Perfect Couple.  A few thoughts – I think everyone should read The Silent Patient.  It was that good.  I’m only 25% of the way through The Perfect Couple, but it’s good so far.  A few IG followers said they couldn’t wait to hear about my thoughts on the ending.  Which of course has been intrigued about the ending!

Also, do you guys borrow books from the library?  I’m so in love with the library now (like I was when I was a little girl), but the issue is that I can’t read fast enough!  I’m picking up 3 new books today when I’m still not done with the one I got last week.  #firstworldproblems

Brunch stuff

If you read my Monday weekend post, you saw that we went to brunch with friends after soccer on Sunday.  This isn’t extraordinary in any way, except that it didn’t cause me any anxiety. This is huge because I’m very strategic about how we spend our weekends, always balancing the things I need to get done and fun. I had plenty to do at home, but I excitedly agreed to brunch and am so glad I did.  Kaiden had an absolute blast with his buddy Roger and it made me so happy to see him that happy!

Hair stuff

I have a hair appointment today – cut and highlights.  I’m so excited!  My grays are coming in with a vengeance, and to be honest, I don’t really care about that.  I just want them to be blended in a bit more, and I truly love the way the highlights end up looking. And I actually want to grow my hair out a bit, so the cut will really be a trim and refresh.  It’ll be a nice way to welcome Spring (which seems to be coming soon…or at least I hope!). 

Skin stuff

So for those who have been reading along for a while, you know that I had two major hives episodes in 2019.  It was ridiculous and I had to go on steroids both times, etc.  We never figured out what caused my hives, but thankfully, I’ve been all clear since October.

However, now my issues is generally itchy skin.  It’s not necessarily dry (doesn’t look it anyway), but I tend to get super duper itchy at night and in the early morning.  Like I have scratch marks on my back kind of itchy! 

Up until now, I’ve just been moisturizing with Cerave and saying a prayer. But Vishnu suggested using Aquaphor to see if that helps, and you guys…it’s been a game changer of sorts.  Now, after showering, I put on coconut oil and then later on the Aquaphor.  I still get itchy, especially towards the end of the day, but it’s nothing like before. 

I’m just hoping this method will save me until summer shows up which is when my skin generally doesn’t have any issues.

Kaiden’s room stuff

If you follow me on Instagram, you know that Vishnu and I took on a couple of projects to block the windows in Kaiden’s room.  We live in a loft, and thankfully the second bedroom is completely closed off, but the windows weren’t helping K’s sleep situation. 

Basically, for a while, we had white poster board Vishnu taped together in the windows the block the light.  Obviously not very aesthetically pleasing. 

To help change that, we used Kaiden’s artwork from school to create collages on one side (the side facing into his room), and then for the side facing into our living space, Vishnu created two pieces of shower curtain art.  (He basically used a similar process to this one, except before attaching the shower curtain, he stapled on a black sheet.)

So crafty and cost effective!  Wins all around!

Self-management stuff

Guys, I used to be a pro at this.  I have no tips or trick…just wanted to share that I’m trying to get better and would love any and all suggestions you have!  Share away!

Recipe stuff

Make these stuffed shells ASAP!  The filling alone will have you drooling.  Trust me!

Instagram stuff

Well, that’s all she wrote this Friday! Until next time…have a great weekend!

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!

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