birthday celebrations Archives

Four Year Old Birthday Gifts

I got quite a few requests on Instagram to share what we (me/Vishnu + family) got Kaiden for his 4th birthday. He’s quite the lucky boy in that he got some fantastic presents, ones that are toys but also serve an educational purpose in some way shape or form. As I’ve shared before, Vishnu and I don’t like to keep too many toys in the house, so some of these are to replace ones we got rid of prior to to our move. And truthfully, Kaiden would rather play with a stick or a rock over an actual toy! But we’ll see how he does with these over the next few months.

I hope these inspire you in some way! Let me know if you have any questions.

Super Hero Action Figures – Batman (his fav!), Spiderman, Iron Man

Board game – Chutes and Ladders

LEGO Classic Medium Bricks

Learning Resources Pretend & Play Calculator Cash Register (another fav!)

Book – Olive Marshmallow

Book – The Boy with Big, Big Feelings

Backyard tee ball set

Velcro throw and stick paddles + ball

Indoor bowling set

Frozen table

Lincoln Logs

STEM Master Building Toys

KiwiCo Science Kit – Chemistry (3 in total)

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This is 36 and These are the 6 Biggest Lessons I’ve Learned

written by Parita 4 Comments

It’s my birthday today! To be very honest, I’m not a huge birthday person. I love celebrating other people’s birthdays. But my own? Don’t care all that much. To me, today is more about my parents. It’s the day their lives changed completely 36 years ago. To that point, Kaiden’s birthday is a HUGE deal to me for that very reason. It’s the day I became a mom!

Anyways, enough of that! Despite not really wanting to make a big deal out of it, my sister made me a cake (she’s the sweetest!), her and my BIL are watching K tonight, and Vishnu’s taking me out to dinner. Now that I think about, I can get behind this kind of celebrating!

Something I do find myself doing a lot around this time every year is reflecting on who I was, who I am, and who I will be. I also love thinking about all the lessons I’ve learned over the years. Things I try and beat into anyone who’s younger than me!

This is 36. Where family selfies are taken by your toddler!

With that, I thought I’d share 6 of the biggest lessons I’ve learned in the past 36 years. Let’s do this…birthday style!

It’s so so cliché yet so so true. Love yourself completely. The good, the ‘bad,’ the things you want to change, you mind, your body. All of it. After years of feeling like I wasn’t good enough, pretty enough, skinny enough, smart enough, etc., I can tell you without a doubt that if you start to look at yourself in the best possible light and remain gentle going forward, everything will change. Loving yourself isn’t selfish. It’s an investment into the wellbeing and joy of everyone around you. While you’ll reap most of the benefits, they’ll be the recipients of the dividends from your newfound happiness.
Travel. Whenever you can. Wherever you can. Make it a habit. This is something I had done more with my friends and Vishnu. I mean, we’ve travelled to some cool places, but I have no doubt we could’ve done more. There are so many benefits to stepping outside your comfort zone and into another culture and way of living. Just do it!
If there’s something in your heart you want to try, DO IT! You only have now. There are no promises for what tomorrow brings. Stop overthinking it and take a small step. And then do it again and again and again, until you’ve done the damn thing!
People come and people go. That’s ok. Not everyone is meant to stay in your life forever. Also, you can’t be everything to everyone. Try and keep those around who you feel the most you with.
There’s no such thing as perfect. It’s all in the eye of the beholder. So, don’t strive for perfection because it’s impossible. Strive to be a little different every day. We’re all works in progress. Take it one day at a time!
Don’t sweat the small stuff. None of it really matters in the long run. Learn to spend your energy on the things and people who truly matter to you. Think about it this way. The amount of energy you get every day is finite. If you spend the majority of it on the little things, you won’t have any left for the big things you want to accomplish, the people who need a bit of your energy, and most importantly…you! Remember to save a little for yourself every day! Stay focused on what’s really important!

That’s all she wrote! Thanks for reading. 😊

This is 34 + This is 7

written by Parita 12 Comments

I turned 34 yesterday. Those who know me well know birthdays aren’t my thing. But this one? This one was special for a couple of reasons – 1. it’s my first as a mom and 2. it marks the beginning of my journey into my mid-thirties.

So what does 34 look like? Well, see below!

This is 34…

Lots of loving and thoughtful messages from my favorite people!

Date night with the hubs followed by promptly falling asleep couch as soon as we got home.

Brunch with the family where Kaiden stole the show with his cuteness.

A fun lunch with my awesome coworkers where we chatted over delicious Mediterranean food.

This is Us, slice of birthday cake, and a few tears!

An early bedtime because I know an early wake up call is inevitable. But hey, at least my human alarm clock loves me and is super adorable. 🙂

34 is going to be great. I feel it in my bones!

This is 7…

MIS turned seven this past Sunday. Can you believe it?! So much of my life ‘exists’ in this space. It’s kind of incredible.

Year seven brings with it some exciting news. I finally figured out a vision of sorts for MIS. After thinking long and hard this past weekend, I determined that MIS fits in the motherhood lifestyle blog niche. The topics I write about will continue to include things like health/fitness, quick recipes, personal development, marriage, etc., except now they’ll have a slight motherhood flair to them and a voice that’s as real and vulnerable as they come.

For this space, year seven is going to be all about honesty, humor, adventure, story telling, courage, and FUN!

For those who have followed my journey from the beginning, THANK YOU! And for those who are new around here, WELCOME!

Let’s make year seven the best one yet!

32 Lessons in 32 Years

written by Parita 25 Comments

It was my birthday this past weekend! To be honest, I’m not a huge birthday person. I love celebrating other people’s birthdays, but I don’t like making a big deal out of my own. To put this in perspective, I was more excited about MIS’ birthday!

Of course, Vishnu wasn’t going to let it pass by without some sort of celebrating. I woke up on Saturday morning to the sound of Vishnu entering the apartment after his night shift. He usually comes into the bedroom right away to give me a kiss, but instead he started rummaging around in the kitchen. I got out of bed after a few minutes to see what was up. Well, what was up was a cute little cupcake, a birthday balloon, my favorite dark chocolate, and the sweetest husband in the world singing happy birthday!

[Vishnu’s original plan was to bring the cupcake to me in bed, but I woke up and ruined that plan. I felt bad, so I got back in bed and let him do his thing!]

The rest of the day was pretty perfect too. I ran my usual weekend errands, treated myself to a delicious coffee, and talked to family and friends throughout the day. Later in the evening, we had an amazing dinner experience at a local Italian restaurant (more about this restaurant coming soon!). We ended the night with Meet the Patels and YouTube videos!

And this, my friends, is 32!

I also spent a portion of the weekend reflecting on all the things I’ve learned in the last 32 years (both big and small). Along with the 32 lessons below, I’ve come to realize that I’m much more grounded now than I ever was in my 20s. Despite the bumpy journey, I’m proud of myself and truly looking forward to what this year and the rest of my 30s will bring.

And now, in no particular order, my 32 lessons in 32 years…

Everything in moderation. Even moderation.
Laughter is the BEST medicine!
The grass is greener where you water it.
No one can take your knowledge away from you. Strive to learn something new every day.
The world needs more authentic/genuine/real people. If nothing else, be that.
You can’t love someone else completely until you love yourself completely.
A little reality TV never hurt anyone.
You can’t change other people. You can, however, change yourself. And that may ultimately change those around you.
Always have an attitude of gratitude.
Find something that makes you come alive – a job, a passion project, a hobby – and go after it with a vengeance.
The darker the chocolate the better.
Wash your face every night. Don’t skip this step! Oh and…moisturize, moisturize, moisturize.
A bad day(s) doesn’t equal a bad life.
Your parents aren’t going to be around forever so don’t take them for granted.
Money isn’t everything. In fact, most of life’s precious moments are 100% free.
You’ll never regret saying, “I’m sorry.”
Be kind to unkind people. They need it the most.
Always choose the adventure.
Health is real wealth.
When in doubt, less is more.
Your body was made to move.
Choose integrity over all else. Because you will always know.
Travel, both near and far, as often as possible.
Marriage is hard work. And it’s not 50/50. It’s 100/100.
Assume good intent.
Live within your means and save money whenever possible.
Perfection does not exist. In fact, the fun lies in the imperfections.
Listen to your gut/intuition. It can/will guide you if you let it.
Know what good looks like (for you) and don’t settle for less.
Loss, heartbreak, pain, etc. are all a part of life. You won’t be the same after going through it, but you will be ok.
Life is short. Have fun, laugh as much as possible, and love with your whole heart.
Age is just a number!

And just because she’s the cutest, here’s the birthday poem my mom wrote for me! [Thanks, momma!]

What did you get up to this weekend!?

Weekend Recap – Birthday Fun & Oddball Comedy Festival

written by Parita 12 Comments

When it comes to my own birthday, I don’t like to make a huge deal out of it. A little chocolate in some shape or form, and I’m a happy girl! But what I didn’t realize is that I was applying my nonchalant attitude to Vishnu’s birthday as well. Yes, I always make sure to do something special for him, but I never make it ALL about him. And as much as he denies it, I know he enjoys and appreciates a little extra attention on his birthday.

That is exactly why I decided to change things up this year!

After work on Friday, I made a little celebratory dessert – Katie’s Gooey Chocolate Chip Brownie Bars. You guys, these bars are addicting. I know this was Vishnu’s birthday weekend, but I definitely ate more of this sweet treat than he did. Unfortunately, I forgot to take a picture…oops. Trust me though, you need this in your life!

When Vishnu got home from work on Friday night, I asked if he wanted the first half of his present a little early (his actual birthday was on Saturday). Before he even had a chance to say “ok, sure,” I ran into our room. I knew he was going to love what I got him, and I couldn’t wait any longer. If you can’t tell, I was more excited than he was!

Vishnu’s a shoe guy. He has more shoes than most girls I know! And that’s exactly why I got him some beautiful new leather TOMS. The cognac color is beautiful! They even look great with scrubs. Smile

On Saturday morning, I asked Vishnu what kind of food he was craving. The answer was brunch, so the birthday boy and I headed to Banyan Café. This restaurant came highly recommended from a waiter at a different restaurant, so we were super excited to check it out.

The Black Bean Benedict had my name written all over it, so that’s what I ordered. Vishnu decided to go with the Smoked Salmon Benedict. Both dishes were absolute brunch perfection. My benedict came with eggs, black beans, a grilled peppers, salsa verde, corn bread, and a side of rosemary breakfast potatoes. Vishnu’s came with eggs, smoked salmon, capers, tomato, lemon marmalade (I know right!), toast, jalapeno aioli, and the breakfast potatoes. We will be back!

After stuffing ourselves silly, I suggested we walk around for a while. The weather in St. Pete was gorgeous – warm with a slight breeze. Vishnu forgot his sunglasses at home, so we made what I thought was quick pit stop. Umm no. The birthday boy decided to take a birthday nap, and I didn’t have it in me to wake him up!

Eventually, we had to get ready for part two of Vishnu’s birthday present – the Oddball Comedy Festival!

I did a little research beforehand and learned that this event can get a little crazy in terms of parking, lines, etc. We decided to leave home around 3:30 because the parking lots opened up at 4:00. In true Parita fashion, we were a tad bit early, but it all worked out because we were able to grab a quick bite to eat from the Taco Bus food truck! We were also able to watch a few different comedians perform on the festival (secondary) stage.

A little before 7 pm, we headed to the amphitheater for the main stage performances. You guys, we laughed…A LOT! Of course, when you go to something like this, you have to put your sensitivity hat away and just go with it (I’ll be honest, I found this a little hard when it came to certain topics.), but overall, we had a great time!

Jeff Ross, Roastmaster General and the host for the night, was awesome. He started the show by using an audience cam to narrow in on members of the audience so he roast them. Later, he randomly picked 10 people to come on stage so he could roast them. Hilarious! Of course, Amy and Aziz were ridiculously funny! Amy joked about how she’s always told what a great time it is for women in Hollywood and how that can’t be true because all the women are starving! Aziz joked a lot about his relationship and how being a minority in Hollywood has affected him. Good stuff! Vishnu and I were reacting some of the jokes on our way home…albeit not as successfully!

There was no celebrating on Sunday because Vishnu had to get up early and head to work. I, however, woke up and finished Why Not Me?. I then made a to do list and got to work – cleaning, organizing, packing, shopping, writing, etc. Needless to say, Sunday was a full yet productive day.

While I’m sad the weekend is over, I’m excited about my trip to Chicago this week! And the fun doesn’t end when I get back. Our friends Jenny and Jimi are visiting and staying with us over the weekend. WOO HOO!

Have a great Monday!

Do you like comedy shows? Who’s your favorite comedian?

Celebrating All Weekend Long + Open-Faced S’mores

written by Parita 16 Comments

This weekend was full of birthday celebrations for Vishnu!

We went to dinner at Crazy About You on Thursday (his actual birthday).

On Friday, we celebrated by making birthday s’mores (“recipe” below). This could become a tradition…for every celebratory event in our lives!

On Saturday, we saw Gravity in 3D. It was an amazing movie! I hope to write more about my thoughts in another post because there were some beautiful philosophical undertones throughout.

Later that day, we headed down to Andy and Robin’s apartment for a surprise birthday bash…for both me and Vishnu! When I spoke to Robin earlier in the day, she told me that they couldn’t hang out because Andy had to study and she had some work to do. It just so happened that the “work” she was doing included making party food and baking a birthday cake! She didn’t tell me about it because she wanted to surprise me as well. She’s awesome!

After a couple of hours of eating and drinking, a group of us headed out to a local bar. The fun didn’t end there though! We then came back and played Cards Against Humanity for a couple of more hours. You guys, we didn’t go to sleep until 4:30 in the morning! Needless to say, we slept in just a little bit on Sunday.

Speaking of Sunday, Vishnu spent the entire day watching football. To make it even better, we invited Robin and Andy over to join us. The four of us lounged, ate, talked, and watched football. Perfection!

And check out the fifth wheel, Andy and Robin’s dog Guinness.

He is seriously the cutest and sweetest dog in the whole world. I am kind of in love! And that is saying a lot since Parita and animals don’t usually mix.

* * * * *

Open-Faced S’mores

Graham crackers
Mini marshmallows
Dark chocolate chips (I love theGhirardelli 60% dark chocolate chips)

Turn on the oven to the lowest broiler setting. Break graham cracker sheets in half and arrange on baking sheet. Top each half with nine mini marshmallows and six chocolate chips. Place baking sheet on middle rack and bake for four to five minutes until marshmallows begin to turn light brown.

Enjoy every single delicious, ooey gooey bite!

* * * * *

Happy Monday, friends!

Have you ever been thrown a surprise birthday party?
Are you planning to see Gravity?
Are you a s’mores lover like us?

Four Year Old Birthday Gifts

This is 36 and These are the 6 Biggest Lessons I’ve Learned

This is 34 + This is 7

32 Lessons in 32 Years

Weekend Recap – Birthday Fun & Oddball Comedy Festival

Celebrating All Weekend Long + Open-Faced S’mores

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