3 Things Muhammad Ali Taught Our Children
We lost one of the greatest heroes in history yesterday. Muhhamad Ali died at the age of 74 from complications due to Parkinson's Disease. When you think of this influential man, you think boxing champion. He won 56 fights through out his time as a heavyweight boxer.Did you know he also risked everything he loved to stand against injustice?
3 Things Muhammad Ali Taught Our Children
You can do anything you set your mind to.
Muhammad Ali was born in a time of servanthood in Louisville, Kentucky. While slavery had ended over one hundred years prior, racial castes still existed. At the time, the most Muhammad Ali could have strived for was to be a teacher in an all black school.As a young child Muhammad Ali knew where he stood in society. While he was with his father, he asked a store clerk for a drink of water. He was extremely thirtsy and instead of getting a simple drink, was called the "n" word. He encountered many similar occasions through out his life, but at the age of 12 years old, he had enough.His bike was stolen and he was devastated. As he was crying, he found a white police officer, Joe Martin and told him he would beat up the people that took his bike. Joe Martin was impressed with him and told he that he would have to learn how to fight first. This was the beginning of his boxing career.He didn't follow the path that society had set before him. He decided to do something different and that he loved. Little did he know the impact his boxing would have on decades to come.
Fight for what you believe in.
In the 60's Muhammad Ali had started voicing his strong opinions about racial injustice. At that time, The Vietnam War was raging on. Most men were being drafted and going to fight against Vietnam. When Muhammad Ali was drafted, he said no. This was unheard of. Fighting for your country wasn't a choice, it was duty. You did it because your country asked you to.
"Why should they ask me to put on a uniform and go ten thousand miles from home and drop bombs and bullets on brown people in Vietnam while so-called negro people in Louisville are being treated like dogs and denied simple human rights."
Muhammad Ali
Muhammad Ali refused to fight for freedom across the globe when black citizens weren't being offered the same rights. In response, he was convicted of draft evasion and sentenced to five years in prison. He didn't end up serving that time in the end, but he didn't know what would happen.
Muhammad Ali stood up against injustice, risking it all. He ended up being exiled from the boxing world. He wasn't only the "wrong race" now, but he was also someone refusing to fight for his country.
He ended up becoming the talk of the town. Everyone was talking about him and his refusal to fight in Vietnam. White and black citizens started to stand up with Muhammad Ali and fought injustice.
Whether or not you agree with his decision about Vietnam, he fought for what he believed in. He thought it was wrong to fight for freedom somewhere else, when black US citizens didn't even have that same freedom.
You can make a difference.
Muhammad Ali fought through his boxing exile and made a name for himself. He never gave up on his dream. He knew it was worth fighting for and had the support of so many people, fighting in his corner.He knew his refusal to fight in Vietnam would have consequences, but he did anyway.He knew society didn't want a black boxer, but he did it anyway.He never let society tell him what he had to do. He stood up for what he believed was right and he made a lasting impression on our nation. He broke the mold society made and taught generations of people, that they can do anything.By teaching our children about Muhammad Ali's life, they can see how strength and determination matter. They can see how hard he fought against injustice and because of that racial castes were broken.When he boxing career ended, he later developed Parkinson's disease. As the world changer that he was, he used his platform to spread awareness for the disease. He never let anyone or anything silence him.Even though his boxing career ended, his fight never did.
Today, let's celebrate Muhammad Ali and the impact he had, not only on my family, but yours.
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Spice Up Your Summer With Bollwood Gak
Summer is here!Which means parents are looking for ways to spend their summer with their families. Not to mention, keep their kids busy!How are you going to spend your summer?
My family will be spending our summer....
SwimmingEnjoying backyard barbecuesCrafting with the kidsSpending time with friendsIndulging in delicious Indian feasts Going on family vacationsPlaying with our homemade sensory activities
One of our favorite things to do while we're at home with the kids is to make gak. Now, this isn't your normal every day gak. It's Bollywood Gak! Which means bright colors and glitter!Our kids love it because they can cut it up, mold it into fun shapes, let it run through their fingers, and put it all back together.
Bollywood Gak Recipe:
1 4 ounce Bottle of Glue1 tsp Borax1 cup of Warm WaterFood ColoringGlitter (optional)Two BowlsThe most important thing you need in order to make Bollywood Gak is a little helper!In one of your bowls, mix the warm water and borax. In a separate bowl, mix your glue and food coloring. If you want your Bollywood Gak to be bright you can use neon food coloring. Otherwise you'll end up needing to use an entire tube of food coloring.Add a spoon full of warm water to your glue mixture and mix well. If you're going to add glitter, now is the time to do so.
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10 Tips For Great Family Pictures
The Perfect Family Picture
Getting the perfect family picture is similar to... seeing a shooting star, while riding a unicorn, during a snowstorm in July. It just doesn't happen.We recently got our family pictures taken by one of our family friends. He was incredibly patient and took over one hundred pictures. My husband and I were more than excited to sit down and look through them to find the family picture. We started looking for perfection and quickly realized our idea of perfect looks like has changed since we had kids.Prior to kids we look for perfect smiles, perfect poses, and perfect lighting.After kids, we look for the picture that represents our family best. A family picture isn't supposed to perfect. You want to be able to hang it up in your house and have a picture that truly represents every personality in your family. 
10 Tips For Great Family Pictures
Make sure your kids are well rested.
Often times, photographers like to do sessions in the morning because the lighting is the best. While it works incredibly well for the photographer, kids may not be as happy. If your kids are like mine, they may take a while to wake up and a photography session will be the last thing they want to do.Be sure they have a good nights sleep and a good breakfast before hand. This is going to help them be in the best mood possible as well as have the energy they need throughout.
Make it fun.
The best part about taking a picture is that it captures a moment in your child's life. Make your photography session fun and capture real smiles, real giggles, and their wonderful personalities will shine through.
Bring toys and books.
Be sure to pack up a bag of toys and books. Your photographer is going to be taking multiple photos which means your child won't be in every one. If they're left to themselves for too long they're either going to get dirty or worse... get bored. Bored kids turn into cranky kids and cranky kids turn into full blown meltdown kids. Save yourself and keep them entertained the best you can.
Don't be above bribery.
Bribe. Your. Kids. It's as simple as that. Bring some goodies that you can bring in your times of need. If you start losing your kids to a bad attitude, bring out a piece of delicious candy! Another option is to plan something fun at the end. Remind them if they can finish the session well they can get A or B.
Bring water and mess free snacks.
Aside from the candy, be sure to bring snacks. One problem families run into is they bring snacks that make a mess. Then their outfits suffer. Bring mess free snacks like granola bars and water. They'll help if their bellies start to growl.
Bring extra clothes.
Life happens. There's no way you can prevent every mess out there. Especially, if your photography session is at a location other than your house. The best option is to bring everyone a second set of clothes for the "just in case."
Be flexible.
You're going to go into your photography session with ideas. You've probably scoured pinterest boards and decided on great poses. However, you have to be open and flexible. When you get to the location you need to be open to what naturally happens. Trust in your photographer's judgment too.
Comfort is key.
Dressing up your kids in uncomfortable clothes is just asking for problems. Do your best to make them comfortable. Is their shirt as itchy as our boy's Indian clothes were? Put a comfortable shirt underneath it.
Bring wet wipes.
Messes will happen. Bring wet wipes and I can guarantee they're going to come in handy.
Leave the cheese at home.
One thing I've heard from many family photographers is how frustrating it is when parents yell "CHEESE" at their kids throughout the entire session. Instead, make them laugh! Remember to make it fun so you don't end up with dozens of pictures with fake smiles.
Do you have any tips to share with us?
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Multicultural Round Up #2: Top Posts For Multicultural Families
This week's Multicultural Round Up is full of great posts from moms around the blogosphere. They're all sharing about their multicultural families and I know you'll love them as much as I do!
Top Posts For Multicultural Families
Image Credit: Vanessa from De Su Mama
6 Myths Of Interracial Marriages According To A Latina Wife
Vanessa from De Su Mama does an amazing job at identifying some of the common things people think about interracial marriages. One of the myths that stood out to me the most was #6 All Interracial Relationships Are The Same. Every relationship is different because we as couples are different. It's important to understand how different our relationships are so we don't start comparing them to each other.
Image Credit: Stacy-Ann from Weather Anchor Mama
What You Should Know About Raising Biracial Children
I love this post by Stacy-Ann from Weather Anchor Mama. She talks about some of the key things multicultural families need to know, want to know, or are asking. She even has a great video at the end on some secret tips from her and her husband!
Image Credit: Mari from We Are That Familia
Parenting Biracial Children: 6 Tips From Moms Who Have Been There
This post is seriously amazing! It's a list of tips from moms with multicultural families. They all share advice and wisdom they've gained from years of raising multicultural children and being in intercultural relationships.
Image Credit: Ellie From Musing Momma
Dealing with Questions & Curiosity as Parent in a Mixed Race Family
Ellie from Musing Momma has been one of my favorites for a while now. She is a psychologist and a mom with a multicultural family. The advice she gives is amazing and practical. This post is all about questions parents of multicultural children get and how to respond.
Image Credit: David Martinez, Renee Loiz
16 Easy Ways To Raise A Bilingual Child
Pam does a great job over at Parents in giving us advice on how to raise bilingual children. Many multicultural families struggle to teach their children multiple languages because it can seem overwhelming. This post is full of fun and simple ideas!
Which one was your favorite multicultural post?
The Wife You Become After Having Kids
The wife whose fashion sense suffers.
I have always loved fashion and been a fashion junkie. I subscribed to beauty boxes, read fashion magazines & followed celebrity gossip just so I could see what everyone was wearing. After a few evenings of sleep deprivation and a C-section, the last thing on my mind was what I was wearing. When it was a concern again, I struggled to find things that fit my new body. Thankfully, I have a husband who encouraged me through the process until I felt like myself again.
The wife who runs out of things to cook.
Balancing motherhood and being a wife gets a little tricky at dinnertime, one of the busiest times of the day. If it didn’t go in the Crockpot the evening before, or you’re too tired to run to the store, dinner tends to be a hodgepodge of what’s available at home. Sometimes it’s a great experience, and other times…well…you’re just glad everyone was fed. Your husband gets annoyed by all the time you spend on Pinterest, until you make an amazing dinner inspired by one of the recipes you actually cooked!
The wife who craves alone time.
Everyone mom gets this one! Being a mom and wife is fantastic; the pros definitely outweigh the cons. However, having alone time is like setting a reset button. Dealing with the everyday rush, accidents, tantrums & routines can make any sane person crazy. There’s something about a little quiet time that makes you start thinking rationally again.
The wife whose love language may change.
Before having kids, my love languages were acts of service & quality time. Now that I’m a mom, I’m always thinking of my family when I’m going shopping, even if the trip is supposed to be for me. So it’s a nice feeling when my husband takes the time to buy me a gift, one that I’d like for myself, but am too busy buying for my family to purchase.
The wife who forgets her purse.
Can I tell you how many times I left my wallet in the diaper bag? Really, I’m ashamed to admit it. It doesn’t help that I drive 80 miles a day to work. Thankfully I’ve never done that on an empty tank of gas. Even the most type A, organized mom forgets her purse (or wallet) on occasion.
The wife who chooses sleep over sex.
It’s not that we don’t want to have sex, it’s just that if we get more sleep, we’ll feel like having sex. The more children we have=less sleep. It’s a vicious cycle. A date night every now and then usually helps the mood.
The wife who goes above and beyond for her family.
Despite the craziness of family life, you love every second of it. You put yourself last to make your family a priority. Hats off to you!
Be sure to follow Diedre and stay updated on her latest posts!Blog/Facebook
Lies About Traveling With Kids Revealed!
Lies About Traveling With Kids Revealed
If you keep your child up or miss a nap before a flight, they'll sleep the whole time.
While this may seem like a great idea, it'll backfire on you more often than not. Instead of bringing a well rested child onto an airplane, you'll bring your child's evil twin. Flights are exciting and the seats aren't as comfortable as their bed. It's not as easy for them to fall asleep while flying, so it's better to set them up for success by bringing them to the airport well rested.
You will never be the parent with the crying child.
My husband and I promised we would never be those parents... Until, it happened to us. Our baby cried for the whole three hour flight. Flights and little ears are not a good mix. If you're not really careful and have your child suck on a bottle or nurse while taking off and landing, their ears will get extremely irritated. Even if you do it all right, their ears could rebel against them and cause the screaming you feared. It's ok. We've all been there and people around you can suck it up and deal or get off the plane... Wait, I guess they just have to suck it up and deal.
You can prevent your child from kicking the seat in front of you.
Kids are squirmy by nature. Think about how wiggly they are at home. It's difficult to get them to sit still for dinner or even their favorite cartoon. How can you expect them to sit still in a little, itty bitty airplane seat for a few hours? You can have them try and keep their feet down or sit with their legs crossed, but it's inevitable. They will kick the seat in front of them at least a few times. All you can do is audibly talk to them about how they wouldn't like someone kicking their seat and hope for an empty seat in front of you.
You packed everything you'll need.
You're going to spend hours thinking about what to bring, making checklists, asking people to run you through lists, asking your kids if they packed x, but you'll forget something. You'll forget to plan for your child's inconvenient bloody nose on the plane, their blow out diaper in the terminal, or their un-washable marker fiasco. You're not a mind reader and kids are chaos at all times.
You'll never judge a fellow parent traveler.
You've probably promised you'd never be the parent to judge another fellow parent. Lie. The moment will happen when all of your children are quiet on the plane (even if just for a brief moment) and you'll hear another child. They will be freaking out or crying and your first thought will be, "Can you shut your child up!" You just got yours quiet and don't want anyone messing with your groove. Then it's going to bite you in the bum because as soon as theirs go quiet, yours will start up. Then you'll feel bad you ever judged another person...maybe... or you'll blame them for your misfortune.
You'll sleep on the plane.
I don't even think I really need to debunk this one. If you actually think you'll sleep on the plane with your child you're either crazy or in denial. I support you either way, but come on. Really? If you fall asleep you're just asking for trouble. Your sweet and innocent little child could slip out of their chair while you're asleep and cause complete chaos or completely embarrass you on the plane. For real, everyone already knows you're the one with the kids... Do you really want anymore attention on yourself? Just keep one eye open. --Traveling with kids can be straight up exhausting, but I'll leave you with one truth... You and your caffeinated self will get through it.. eventually.
Share your crazy travel stories with us in the comments!
5 Things Moms Teach Their Kids
5 Things Moms Teach Their Kids
As a mom, you're always on the go.You wake up in the morning thinking about everything that needs to get done all day, what you're going to make for dinner, the tower of laundry that needs to be folded, the doctors appointment that needs to be scheduled, and the list goes on. You have been given one of the most amazing gifts in the world. You're a mother. You've been given a beautiful child or children to raise and help become strong and powerful little people that will maybe change the world one day.
5 Things You're Teaching Your Child
It's ok to lose your cool sometimes
As much as you'd like to be calm and loving at all times of the day, it's impossible. You will inevitably step on a murderous lego, have a hard day at work, or deal with a self-righteous person. Your child is going to see you lose your cool and it's ok. The most important lesson is what comes afterwards. After you lose your cool, you need to be able to rebound and move on. Kids need to see that their parent isn't perfect so they can accept their own imperfections.
How to take care of people
Your child sees you take care of them everyday. You make them lunch (even if they don't eat it), you make sure they're safe, you tuck them in to bed at night, you help them deal with disagreements with friends... Even though they don't tell you, they know you're taking care of them. This is why you're the first one they go to when they're in trouble.You're teaching them how to take care of others just like you take care of them.
What he or she deserves
Your child looks to you as their example for everything. They watch to see how your spouse talks to you, how the impatient driver behind you treats you, how your naive friend jokingly makes racist comments to you, and most importantly they watch to see how you respond. Your response teaches them how you let people treat you. Kids watch how their mom let people treat her to determine how they'll let people treat them.
How to have hope in an imperfect world
As much as you'd like to prevent them from seeing all of the evil and imperfections of this world, they see it. They see how the justice system doesn't always let good guys win, they see things aren't always fair, and sometimes they see things that could make them lose hope in the world they're growing up in. You teach them to see the hope in it when you don't give up.Your child will fight for change in the world when they grow up seeing their mom making a difference.
How to love themselves
As a mom, you and your body have gone through more changes than you can count. It's easy to focus on the negatives. You look in the mirror and see stretch marks, extra weight, or imperfections you can't see past. Your child watches to see what you say about your changing body. As their body starts to change or they see how different they look in comparison to their friends, they'll look to you to see what they should think. Moms teach their kid to love their bodies, imperfections and all, when they love their own.
A Promise To You Mom
You may not see everything you're doing for your kids and what it means when you're up to your neck in dirty dishes and laundry, but I promise you're changing their lives. You're teaching them how to be world changers by loving and taking care of yourself. It's easy to feel guilty over putting yourself first sometimes, but your kids learn more from a well taken care of mommy than a burnt out one.
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AIW Tribe Mother's Day Gift Guide
Mother's Day is almost here! A day entirely devoted to the woman that took care of you, selflessly your whole life. They spend all of their time and energy on you, making sure you're happy and taken care of. You have one day a year to completely obsess over them and thank them for everything. Check out the AIW Tribe Mother's Day Gift Guide and pick one or a few gifts to spoil them with!
Funny Gifts:
- "I Love How We All Know I'm Your Favorite Child" Coffee Mug
- "What I Love About Mom" Fill In The Blank Book
- "Mama Saur" Shirt
- "Go Away" Coffee Mug
Spoil Her Gifts:
- Mother's Day Coloring Book
- Bath Bomb Set
- Ghirardelli Chocolate Basket
- Family Tree Frame
- Burt's Bees Set
- Scarf
Best Kid Ever Gifts
BISSELL PowerForce Helix And A GIVEAWAY!
BISSELL PowerForce Helix Vacuum And A GIVEAWAY!
Can you believe it? Summer is right around the corner! As the weather starts to warm up and my kids begin to live outside in the pool, I'm noticing a big theme.They're tracking sand in from our sand box...The dog is shedding more than ever...The baby has decided stepping on crackers is a daily activity...Instead of worrying, I'm pulling out my NEW and amazing BISSELL PowerForce Helix vacuum cleaner!
Giveaway
Did I mention you can enter in to win your own BISSELL PowerForce Helix vacuum!!!!? All you have to do is leave a comment and give me one cleaning tip or tell me why you want a clean house for the summer. How easy is that!? Leave a comment today and get a chance at your very own BISSELL PowerForce Helix vacuum!
5 Steps For An Intercultural Relationship
5 Steps For YOUR Intercultural Relationship
Get To Know Each Other
If you want to figure out how to blend cultures and start your family together, you need to know each other. Take time to get to know who you're together with. I don't just mean their favorite color and what they like to watch on tv.You need to understand their culture. Their culture has shaped who they are and the decisions they'll instinctively make. Ask them questions about how they grew up, what they value from their culture, what they've struggled with in their culture, etc. All of this will help you to understand each other.
Develop A Family Culture
Now, it's time to develop a family culture. When you and your loved one start your relationship, you're starting a family. It doesn't matter if you have kids or not, you're a family. When you start a family, you have to develop your own family culture and identity.The best part is this culture will be from both of you. You need to sit down and talk about what's important from both of your cultures and decide how you can bring them together in one family. The best part is you don't have to worry about making the absolute best plan ever!While making a plan is vital, you can change it up when you need to. The idea behind the plan is to know before hand what's important and you can be more intentional in bringing it into your family.
Communicate
The lines of communication need to be open at all times. As you get to know each other, you'll feel more comfortable talking and discussing how your relationship is doing. Conflict is natural and will come up through your relationship. It will come up when trying to figure out how to blend cultures, when dealing with culture shock, and pretty much any time during your relationship. It's normal.The most important thing is that you learn how to communicate with each other so you can learn how to use your conflict to get closer.You also need to be able to discuss how you feel about blending cultures. Are you comfortable with how the blending is happening? Do you feel like one culture is taking over? These are important things you need to talk about through out your relationship.
Re-evaluate
While the plan you develop may work great right now, you need to be prepared that it will change. You and your loved one have to constantly re-evaluate how your plan is working. If it's not working like you thought or you'd like something to change, tweak it.It's going to change naturally over time because the longer you're together, you'll notice you're both changing. You're growing together and getting closer and your circumstances may change as well.You should be scheduling time to talk about all of these things at least once a month.
Give Each Other Grace
Grace. Your relationship needs to be filled with grace. You are bound to mess up or hurt your loved one's feelings and the other way around. The biggest thing is to remember you need to give each other grace. Blending cultures takes time. Even if you're been together for years, you aren't mind readers and things just happen.All you can do is be sure to talk about it, let them know how you feel, and give each other grace. Let your loved one know they have room to mess up and you'll still love them.--Intercultural relationships are beautiful, but they take a lot of patience and grace for each other. I can promise you one thing, it's always worth it. The more you and your loved one work at your relationship, the better it will be.
How Can We Teach Kids To Celebrate Diversity
As a multicultural family, we're always looking for ways to teach our children about diversity. In a society that teaches our kids to blend in and avoid standing out, it's our responsibility to teach them to have pride in their differences. It's important for us to teach them that those differences make up who they are.In celebrating those differences, we surround our kids with diversity. We want diversity to become the norm for them. There are so many different ways you can teach your kids about diversity.
3 Fun Ways To Teach Your Child About Diversity
Games
Teaching your child through hands on activities is a great way to get the conversation going about diversity. You can play world games or you can look up games played in other countries. By making it fun, you've already grabbed their attention and their more likely to stay engaged because they want to learn more.
School
As our kids get older, they're in school about 3-8 hours a day. It's most of their day! Schools are the perfect opportunity to talk with your children about diversity. If your kid's schools don't offer programs that encourage diversity, start one! Start a multicultural festival where kids hear about different cultures around the world! Get involved and make diversity happen in your kid's schools. Your kids will love it!
Books
Books are one of our favorite ways to talk to our kids about diversity. It not only gets your kids excited to hear about the story, but it creates dialogue. Your kids will want to learn more about the pictures in their books. They want to know all about the characters, what makes them who they are, and how they can relate to them. 
Where Do I Find Books Featuring Multicultural Kids And Families
Finding books about multicultural kids is hard. If you do find it, a white child is usually the main character. It has been a huge challenge for me to find books with a non-white child as the main character. I have great news... I found it!Bharat Babies is a wonderful company that features Indian children as the main characters in all of their books. Their books teach children about India through beautiful stories. As your child reads a book like Let's Celebrate Diwali, they will learn why children in India celebrate the holiday and meet Harini and her friends. 
Bharat Babies books are great for children whether they live in a multicultural family or want to learn about a different culture. As parents, it's our job to teach our children about diversity. It needs to be a conversation so kids can ask questions and understand the differences that make us up are beautiful. I love how Bharat Babies celebrates diversity in their books!Let's join together and teach our kids about diversity today!
Learn more about Bharat Babies and stay up to date on new books by following themFacebook/ Twitter/ Instagram/ Blog
***This post was sponsored by Bharat Babies. As always all opinions are my own.**
Kids Say The Darndest Things
Kids Say The Darndest Things... Every Day Of Their Lives
Living in a house full of little boys is chaotic to say the least. I spend my days sword fighting, wrestling, telling my children to stop picking their noses, fishing toys out of the toilet, catching my three year old peeing in trash cans that are right next to the toilet, being told I'm not very good at video games, and so much more. I love having people over and seeing the look on their faces when they enter into our chaos. It's loud, crazy, full of energy, and I love it. I've grown accustomed to all of it and while I thrive on a few minutes of peace and quiet at the end of the night...I love it.
Here are some of the things I've heard my kids say this week...
I was reading my kids one of the new Bharat Babies books and my son saw the momma had on a bindi. "Momma! Was she shot!?""Blah blee do utha ca see do." When I asked my son why he was saying that he told me he was speaking in Spanish like his friends at the gym...
"Momma, one day you'll be good at video games, but for now I think you should stop playing and just get me dada.""Momma why do you get to marry dada and not me? It's not fair!""You have poopy eyes like dinosaurs!" "He's peeing in the garbage!!""He's hitting me!" Then I told Levi he was in trouble for hitting his brother. "Mom, it's ok! I liked him hitting me. He's not in trouble now.""How dare you!" My son's response after I told him he was in trouble for coloring on the walls.
I know I'm not the only with with a crazy life that I completely adore. Comment and share some of the crazy things your kids have said or done this week!
Multicultural Finds #1
This Week's Multicultural Finds
1. Board Book | Karen Katz 2. In Her Kitchen Cookbook | Gabriele Galimberti 3. Yoga Burn Out Tank Top | Tough Cookies4. Lego World People | Lego 5. Multicultural Crayons | Crayola 6. Brainbox Around The World Game | Mind Ware
*I do receive a small commission from any products purchased, but as always I only recommend items I actually love*
How Can Schools Embrace Diversity
How Can Schools Embrace Diversity
Focus On All Major Holidays
During Holi (an holiday celebrated in India), my Facebook feed went crazy! My friends in India and the US were celebrating. Colleges in the US were even celebrating the colorful holiday by taking the colored powder to the lawn and having a great time! However, the one place I didn't see students celebrating or even talking about it was in elementary schools. They missed a huge opportunity to teach kids about India. Schools say they don't celebrate most holidays because of the religious ties to them. Just because you talk to your students about a holiday in India doesn't mean you need to convert them to hinduism while you're at it. By teaching students about major holidays celebrated around the world, you make students from those countries feel accepted and normal. You're also opening up your student and teacher's minds about something different to them.
Ask Questions Instead Of Avoiding Situations
I recently heard about a school where the principle will avoid saying international student's last names. During an assembly, he will list off first and last names until he gets to them and then he just uses their first name... Do you think that student feels normal or accepted when their own principle is too embarrassed to try and say their last name? No. All he had to do is get to know his students and ask them. By asking how to say their last name correctly, the student can see that the principle cares. Often times, teachers and adults will avoid topics because they're embarrassed. It only leads to students feeling ostracized and abnormal. Instead, they should be facing those situations head on and educate themselves.
Teacher Trainings
Teachers need to be educated on their students. They need to understand who they are, where they came from, and general religious practices. These trainings are the perfect time for teachers to ask their questions without a fear of saying the wrong thing. As teachers become more comfortable with different cultures, their teaching style will change. You need to know your students to know how you can teach them and how to really speak into their lives. --We need to bridge the cultures gap at home and in our schools. Diversity needs to be what's normal for our children, rather than teaching them to avoid talking about what makes us different.
What else can schools do to embrace diversity?
#AIWTribe Book Club
Join me in our first ever #AIWTribe Book Club!!! Each month we will choose a book that highlights an multicultural family or couple.It's going to be super easy to join us and so much fun! After you sign up you will get a link to our first book! Then we will get together over Facebook Live each week and talk about it.
Once you've signed up, head over to our AIW Tribe Book Club Facebook Group!
Family Friday's #25 Charu
Happy Friday everyone! I hope you are all just as excited as we are for today's Family Friday's guest.Charu is joining us from Ketchup Moms. Her blog is all about looking at life through a multicolored lens. Today, she is sharing a little about her family and what makes them unique.
Tell me a little about yourself
Where did you and your spouse grow up
What was it that first attracted you to your spouse?
Do you and your spouse have similar personalities or very different?
What makes your family unique from other families?
Does your family have any unique traditions?
Will you continue this tradition in your own family?
What is one piece of advice you have to share with other families?
Momma Chat Instagram Hop #8
Momma Chat
Giveaway
This week's giveaway is being put on by Saffron Fix. I recently discovered their company and I'm in love. We cook Indian food in our family every day. Some of the dishes are quick and easy, but most of them take a while. There are so many steps to follow in order to prepare an authentic Indian dish. Not to mention authentic recipes are hard to come by. Saffron Fix is the answer! They sell meal kits full of pre prepared ingredients and recipes. They take all the hard work out because they know moms already have a full plate! As a start up company they're only able to sell and ship to East Coasters (NY, NJ, CT, VA, DC, MD, DE or PA) for the time being. If you live on the East Coast, be sure to check them out today! This week they're giving away a recipe kit from this month's menu!!
I hope you're as excited as I am because it is delicious!! Indian food is our favorite and I think it may be yours soon too!
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Momma chat is a way to meet new mommas, get inspired, and enjoy a cup of tea with new friends! Please share this post with your friends so we can get the word out. [tweetthis twitter_handles="@almstindianwife" display_mode="box"]I'm joining the #MommaChat today! What about you? [/tweetthis]
A Letter To My Younger Self
Dear younger self, There are a few things I need to tell you. You're life is going to be amazing. It's going to be so different than what you're expecting right now, but believe me... you're going to love it. To help us both out a bit, please do a few things for me us.
Watch My Big Fat Greek Wedding
Even though you will not being marrying a Greek man, this movie will give you a taste of just how chaotic it can be to blend two cultures into a family. Also, the level of comfort you'll feel while watching it during your engagement will bring you more satisfaction than you think. It'll comfort you knowing it's supposed to be this crazy and it will remind you how amazing it's going to be.
Sleep as much as you can
Sleep while you can because you're about to live off 4-6 hours a night... on a good day.
Start learning about Indian culture
This will save you many awkward situations because your husband will forget to tell you little things about his culture that will lead you to saying and doing the wrong things. Don't worry though. Your new side of the family will laugh with you... then tease you about it relentlessly.
Enjoy using the bathroom alone
While this may seem like something little... it's not. Enjoy every time you get to use the bathroom and take a shower alone. Soon, you will have little ones banging on the door every time you try and hide use the bathroom. "Momma! I want you!"Not to mention showering. Somehow, you and your spouse will end up throwing the kids into each other's showers to try and get a few minutes of alone time for yourself.
Start using a calendar
Your memory is at it's prime right now. You don't need a calendar because you'll just remember what you need to do. Well, soon your brain will no longer work properly and you're going to forget everything. You will have your children to blame for this. Get into the habit of using a calendar now because it's going to keep you sane in the future.
Use a timer while cooking
If you would like to prevent dozens a few burnt dinners... start using a timer. You're going to think you're such a good cook that you don't need one, but you're going to get distracted by everything around you.Then your husband will love tormenting you over the fiascos, while reminding you he told you to use a timer.
Don't buy nice things
It may seem like a good idea to buy nice, breakable things right now, but don't. Unless you want to see it broken, scratched, sharpied, etc. just leave it at the store.
Learn Telugu
Stop everything you're doing and learn Telugu right now. Today. You're about to get married into a family that constantly speaks Telugu and unless you want to be left guessing what's being said, learn. Otherwise, you will only know the word Thella, which is just enough to know they're talking about you!Then your children will start to learn and about one month in, will surpass you...
Learn to let the little things go
The little things may seem important in the moment, but trust me... they usually don't matter in the big picture. Give yourself a break and learn this early. The more you let the little things go, the less stressed out you will be in the future.
Your life is going to be full of sticky fingers and chaos...
and you're going to love every minute of it. Nothing can compare to the love you will have for your little family. They will become everything to you and you'll wonder how you ever lived without them.
If you could write yourself a letter, what would you tell yourself?
Intercultural Couples: Why Should You Cook For Your Loved One?
This post is sponsored by Saffron Fix. As always all my opinions expressed here are my own.
As a wife in an intercultural relationship, I can tell you making food from a culture so new to me can be intimidating. When I first started making Indian food for our family, I had no idea what I was doing. The first time I made chicken curry was a disaster and to be really honest, I wasn't extremely motivated to keep trying. There are so many couples out there facing similar situations. They want to learn to make the food their loved one grew up with, but they're intimidated and tend to give up early. 
Taking the time to learn how to make food from your loved one's childhood means more than you think.
It shows your spouse you love them.
When you take the time to learn something new, it reminds your spouse how much you love them. Sometimes, you need to go beyond just saying "I love you," and actually show them.
It brings you and your spouse together.
Food has always been the thing to bridge cultures and bring people together. Whether you're eating or cooking together, you're putting everything else on hold and making each other the priority.
It reminds your spouse you want to blend cultures.
Blending cultures in your food is a great idea because it means you're both experiencing it together. Every bite you have and every minute you take to prepare the dish, is another moment you're blending cultures in your family. ---You can see how important it is to blend cultures in your family meals, but don't let it intimidate you. All you need to do is ask for help. If this is you and you're looking for a little help to learn how to make authentic dishes for your family, Saffron Fix is the answer.
Saffron Fix is a meal-kit service that will send you everything you need to make delicious Indian dishes in no time! All you need to do is go to their site, choose from mouth watering recipes, and checkout. They'll send you a box full of pre-chopped ingredients, authentic spices, and the recipes. All of the meals are ready in under thirty minutes!Whether you want to learn how to make authentic Indian dishes or need quick and easy meals throughout the week, Saffron Fix is for you. 
Things I Never Thought I Would Say Until I Had Kids...
After a full week of going to the gym every day, my children are finally excited to go. It started off a struggle every morning because none of us wanted to go, but I knew we needed to. After they started to make new friends and realized how much fun they were having, they started to anticipate it every morning.Now, we're all excited to get out the door in the morning to head to the gym. Okay, I still have my days where I have to listen to my trusty Instagram friends and sleep in my gym clothes to motivate me to go, but I'm having less and less of those days. This morning, my kids were racing to the Lifetime Kid's Activity Room (fancy name for gym childcare). Liam beat us to the door and the only logical move that came to Levi was to bite him. "Levi, we don't bite!""Mom, he won and I hate when he wins! So, I bit him.""Well, I don't bite my brothers when they beat me at something."As soon as the words left my mouth, I realized how silly it sounded. Sometimes, the things we have to tell our kids is completely nuts. I never would have expected I would have had to tell my kids half the things I do on a weekly basis. Another mom over heard me and started laughing. She knew it too. We gave each other the look. You know the look I'm talking about. The "I'm right there with you," look. This post is to all of you moms out there. I'm right there with you! Here are just a few of the things I've had to tell my kids....
Never in a million years did I think I would have to say to my kids...
It's not nice to pee on your brother. Why are you licking him!?Stop licking the floor!Don't eat that! It was in the garbage!Stop licking the dog's water!Take the underwear off your head!Stop putting underwear on your baby brother's head!Don't clean the toilet with your tooth brush!You can't put your sandwich on the toilet!Stop trying to fart on your brother's face!No, you cannot put your brother in your toy box.No poop is not a bad word, I just don't want to hear you talk about it. Be a good example and stop eating your boogers!
I definitely didn't expect them to say this...
Mom, I had to pee and I couldn't wait so I peed in the tub.Mom! My brother is outside naked!Do you see that? That man has a towel on his head. I think he was just in the shower. Mom, you're tummy is big again. Is there another baby in there?How did my baby brother come out of your belly button? It's really small...Mommy, if you don't let me stay up I won't give you any money... but I will give you money...Did the dinosaurs eat Jesus?Mommy, when I get big can I marry you?Mom, Levi took my bed skin (bed sheet) off!--Life with kids is one of the craziest things, but it's never dull.