My Inner Shakti

finding strength in everyday things

Momsanity Ep. 5 + Friday Stuff

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Happy happy Friday, y’all!

If I drop off this space for the next week or so, please know it’s because we’re MOVING on Tuesday! AHH! So much to look forward to and so much overwhelm at the moment. I just keep telling myself that in a few weeks time we’ll be settled in our new home and routine. Just gotta get to that point!

Momsanity Ep. 5 and December Event

Before I jump into Friday stuff, I want to share a little bit about the Momsanity Podcast episode that went live on Wednesday.

Momsanity

In this episode, Amy and I talk about the mental load, which we believe is the hardest part of being a mom. And I have so many mom friends who say the same. It’s the weight of ALL the stuff…not just your own but everyone else’s too. While there may not be a way release it completely, there are certainly a few things we can do to shift the weight. If you feel this weight on your shoulders on a day-to-day basis, I highly recommend tuning in to this specific episode.

Speaking of Momsanity, Amy and I are also in planning mode for our first free event on December 8th. In fact, we brainstormed on Tuesday night exactly how we see it unfolding, and it’s going to be SO FUN! If you want to be one of the first to know about this event and all other things Momsanity, please sign up here!

Ok, on to Friday stuff…

Dr. Becky – Good Inside Membership + Book

Those who know me well know that once I’m obsessed with something I can’t shut up about it. And that is 100% the case when it comes to Dr. Becky and her Good Inside Membership (and IG page and podcast). I joined last week and have already watched two workshops. And honestly (very honestly), I’m blown away by her approach, perspective, tips, strategies, etc. It’s been a game changer with Kaiden already, especially because I do believe he’s what Dr. Becky calls a Deeply Feeling Kid (DFK). If you’re going to invest in any parenting platform, I’d say this is an amazing one. Not only is her material amazing, but her community is also super supportive, vulnerable and honest. I’m so in love with this resource!

I also bought Dr. Becky’s book – Good Inside after listening to her on Glennon Doyle’s podcast. I haven’t started it yet but plan to dig in next week after the move! Can’t wait to share more.

Backstreet Boys

After listening to Disney soundtracks on repeat whenever we’re driving somewhere (which is all the time), I decided enough is enough and I played Backstreet Boys. Lucky for me, Kaiden let me listen to a few songs before strongly requesting Tangled. Ha!

Speaking of Backstreet Boys, are you team BSB or team N’Sync? I loved both growing up, but BSB wins by a slight margin for sure! The songs/lyrics are just too good!

Nighttime Routine

Y’all! When we’re settled in the new house, my wake up time will be 4:30 am on the dot if I want to workout, shower, etc. Kaiden will need to start waking up at 6 (as will Vishnu) and Mila at 6:30. Woo wee! It’s going to be interesting but doable.

I really need to solidify a nighttime routine for myself. While I can wake up at 4:30 after going to bed at 10 pm…I’m a freaking zombie during the day. And that’s not helpful at all.

I need to be in bed, eyes closed by 9:30 (I’m a 7 hour of sleep a night kind of person). Right now, I average 10 pm as a bedtime, but I have to find ways to get to sleep sooner.

Vishnu and I are done cleaning the kitchen by 8:00-8:15, which means I have a good 45 minute to an hour to relax and do whatever I need/want before heading into some kind of routine. One that includes skincare and reading for sure. Will keep y’all posted on this!

Boundaries

I’ve been thinking a lot about boundaries lately, and specifically how to state them in a kind way.

In a conversation with my mom earlier this week, I shared a boundary with her in a calm, loving way, and she called me later to tell me how much she appreciated the way I delivered that particular message.

That just got me thinking about how in order to honor other people, we need to honor ourselves first. We need to think about things from a calm/kind/loving perspective in order to deliver a message that carries that same kind of emphasis.

I’ll share more on my thoughts around this again soon, but it’s just something that’s been on my mind lately…

With that, I hope you have a great Friday and weekend!

5 on a Friday

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Happy Friday from our new place in Atlanta! We’re here and settling in. It’s been a little under two weeks since we’ve moved in, and I’m happy to report that things are slowly coming together

I thought I’d share 5 random but relevant things today as they pertain to our life right now.

  1. Transitions are very very hard for kids. I obviously knew this going in to our move, but man, the way Kaiden has been adjusting took me by surprise. He’s the sweetest, gentlest boy ever, but his emotions have been all over the place lately. Again, totally 100% understandable, but you never know what will set him off. I’m hoping our new home, routine, etc. start to feel more natural to him in a couple of weeks (because that’s when daddy goes to work and mama will have to do a lot of the routine on her own!).
  2. I’m not going to lie and pretend that K was the only one experiencing heightened emotions. I was right there with him, especially when we just moved in and everything was everywhere. I had to stop, take a deep breath, and talk to Vishnu about how I was feeling because it was causing me to feel super overwhelmed. Thinking about the baby and all that we need to do to prepare for her arrival is already a lot, but add on 40+ boxes and crap everywhere, and I thought I was going to lose my mind. Thankfully, my husband knows me well and said all the right things to calm me down.
  3. Speaking of my husband, he’s truly a rock star. He’s been working day and night to make this place livable and homey. I LOVE HIM!
  4. In non-moving related news, we LOVE our Peloton bike. Both Vishnu and I have been using it over the past couple of weeks, and while it’s definitely an investment, we’re so glad we made it. Definitely makes working out super fun…our legs hate us immediately afterwards, but they’ll thank us later!
  5. I’m going to be reunited with my sister (and BIL) after a whole month! This is huge for me/us because I used to see them at least once a week. They’re also moving to Atlanta but are currently in a transition state because the home they purchased is still being built. They’ve also been traveling a little this month, so they’re not quite back yet, but they’re here until Monday. And I’m so glad we’ll get to see them a bit this weekend! Kaiden is also super excited to see his masi and masa!

Ok, that’s all I have for now. I hope y’all have an awesome Friday and weekend!

Friday Stuff [#11]

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Happy Friday! For us it’s a bittersweet one because today’s Kaiden’s last day at his school. The school he’s been at since he was six months old. To say I’m feeling all the feels today is a big fat understatement. But deep breaths and looking ahead to creating new memories in Atlanta is getting me through.

The next time I check in on here, we’ll be in Atlanta. Craziness! So. Many. Emotions.

Enough of that, let’s get to this week’s Friday stuff…

Butter Chicken

I’ve shared this recipe on here before, but I need to share again because my husband raves when I make it. Thank you, My Heart Beets, for this amazing recipe!

Ever Chicago

Vishnu, my sister, my BIL, and I dined at Ever this week! You guys, it’s not a cheap meal (to say the least) but it’s definitely one that make any celebration worth remembering. If you’re in Chicago, have some extra $$$, and are celebrating something big, I highly recommend making a reservation. I’ll be sharing more about our experience in a post next week.

Fellowship graduation

Yesterday was Vishnu’s Fellowship graduation dinner. As much as I can’t believe in our time in Chicago is up, I can’t believe Vishnu’s training journey is coming to an end in about 15 days. At various points in the past 10 years, I felt like it would never end…ha! More than anything, I’m just SO proud of Vishnu and his perseverance. It hasn’t been easy at all, but the bumpy road to this point was well worth it. On to that attending life!

People We Meet on Vacation

People We Meet on Vacation is a book I highly recommend reading this summer! It filled my heart with so much happiness. I shared a review on my IG page as well. Get this book! You won’t regret it.

Well, that’s all from me this week! I hope you have a wonderful Friday and weekend. Enjoy!

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 [#10]

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Hellooooo Friday! I’ve said this before, but I don’t like being the kind of person who only looks forward to weekends (as easy as that can be!). That being said, I am looking forward to this weekend because we’re celebrating Father’s Day early since we fly out next Sunday (can you believe it?!). There will be brunch, gifts, and family time! I can’t wait.

Other than that, I plan to continue my decluttering efforts. My goal is to donate/giveaway/throw away stuff in Chicago, so we don’t have to sort through it all and go through the same process in Atlanta. Wish me luck!

With that, let’s talk about some Friday stuff…

Reflection time

I attended a leadership session with an HBS professor this week who talked about the importance of including ample reflection time in our days – to ask questions, to think through what went well, what could have gone better, etc. He was talking about this from a work perspective, but this is beneficial to everyone. It’s about giving our brains some time to catch up with our bodies. Otherwise, it’s all about running from here to there, putting out fires, etc.

After hearing him speak, I definitely want to build in more time for intentional reflection. I’m thinking journaling would work well for me, but like he said, you need to make this a habit that works for you. Whatever it looks like, just get it done!

Ilia

Ilia isn’t a new brand, but it’s new to me! I just bought the Skin Serum foundation (shade Catalina SF7) after consulting with a few beauty bloggers and reading reviews. I’ve used it 5-6 times now, and I LOVE it! It doesn’t have that heavy foundation feel despite giving medium coverage, and it’s so easy to apply with your fingertips. The most impressive thing is that I wore it out on HOT days (for 3-4 hours each), and it didn’t budge or leave streaks on my face. I’m a fan!

I want to try the Super Serum Skin Tint (I did the color match via the website and was told to get shade Morgan ST11.5) as well, but I’m going to wait until later in the year. I don’t need it right now, so it feels like an unnecessary purchase, but once baby is here, I’m going to need a simplified morning routine, and I can definitely see this product being part of that. Have you tried this? If yes, let me know you’re thoughts!

Professional Troublemaker

I’m currently reading Professional Troublemaker by Luvie Ajayi Jones, and I freaking love it so far (a little under half way through). It’s the kick in the pants we will need to go out there, speak our truths, and be awesome. I think her writing style is perfectly matched to the message she’s trying to deliver. Love love love!

Good reads

Chrissy Teigen’s fall from grace – I knew there was some controversy around CT in May of this yea but honestly hadn’t looked into it too much. I used to love how direct, unabashed, honest she is, but some of the stuff she’s directed at people in the past definitely crosses a line. I don’t care what your intentions are. When you say things like that, you have to know the impact is going to be pretty bad. Would love to hear your thoughts!

12 Products to Use for Glowing, Summer Skin Without Foundation – More product recs for glowy summer skin! And the Ilia Skin Tint is on this list!

With that, I hope you have an awesome Friday and weekend ahead!

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 [#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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