Things You Do When Your Traveling Spouse Goes Out Of Town
Things That Happen When Your Traveling Spouse Is Out Of Town
A few years after I got married, my husband started traveling for work. At first, it wasn't a big deal. I would fill up his trips with a ton of things to do. Then I slowly started realizing how much life was different when he was gone. I became a different person!
1. You make all the meals they hate.
2. Or you live on take out the whole time.
3. You LOVE the alone time for the first few days.
4. Then you start watching romance movies missing your SO.
5. You hang out with all your girls you don't get to see anymore.
6. You let all the chores in the house go.
7. You start hating to sleep alone and make your kids sleep with you.
8. You slowly realize all the things your so does for you...
9. Like killing all bugs in the house.
10. Or taking out the trash.
11. You and your so text about absolutely nothing just because you miss each other.
12. You realize how terrifying your house is at night.
13. You do everything they hate.
14. Realize your get a little crazy when you're alone.
15. Clean the house like a crazy person the day before they get back.
16. Realize how much you missed your SO.
Three Reasons You Should Love Your Mother In Law
3 Reasons You Should Love Your Mother In Law
Oh, mother in laws.You know who they are. You fall in love with a man. Realize he’s the one. Then you meet his mother. You’re terrified because you know you have to impress her. You know you'll officially be in each other's lives forever and it needs to go well.Then you enter into a relationship full of ups and downs, bickering, laughter, and love. It’s easy to blame your mother in law for so many things, but that will change one day.I was recently at my friend's wedding and I melted during the mother-son dance. All I could think about was the fact that one day, I will have to give away three of my baby boys. Then we'll be transitioning into a new dynamic. It won’t just be my husband, little boys, and I anymore.
This is the first time I’ve thought about blending families from this perspective.
Now, I’m wondering who has it worse: the mother or daughter in law. The daughter in law is coming into a new family and has to navigate her way through a relationship with her mother in law. The mother in law has to step back and watch a new woman come into her baby boy’s life. Her relationship with her son changes and she has to navigate her way through both relationships.It’s easy to look at this stage in life and blame the mother in law for everything that goes sideways. That all changes the moment you look into your little boy’s eyes and he asks you if you will marry you one day.
Then you realize you will be the mother in law one day.
After my little three year old proposed to me, I had to explain to him he will fall in love with a girl one day and marry her. Do you know what he told me? He said I love you, mama, can I marry you?Yes. Yes, you can.Here are a few reasons you should remember how great your mother in law is...
She raised the man you fell in love with.
This woman raised the man you love. She taught him his first words, how to read, how to boil a pan of water, how to speak to women, and how to be a respectful man.
She handled all of the difficult years so you could reap the benefits.
She dealt with the endless teething nights, temper tantrum toddlerhood, and rebellious teenager years. Her consistency and hard work paved the way so you could have the sweet and gentle man he is today.
She trained him to treat you like a queen.
It’s because of her that he treats you so well. She taught him how to treat women by being a good example. He loved her and she taught him how to show her love by respecting her, loving her, and taking care of her.This woman is the reason you have this man you love. Take a second to realize how blessed you are to have your mother in law. You wouldn’t be where you are without her.
Share one story about you and your mother in law!
What It Means To Be An Anna In Our Multiracial Family
What It Means To Be An Anna In Our Multiracial Family
As a little girl, I always knew I wanted to have a big family. I loved having my brother with me growing up. We did everything together. We built forts together, we had epic movie nights on the weekends, we stood up for each other, and we always knew we weren't alone. We always had someone there to look out for us.Even if that meant I yelled at dumb kids on the bus when they decided to pick on my little brother. He was my little brother and I wasn't about to let anyone mess with him.
Along with all the good times, we had plenty of knock out, drag out fights. We were siblings, what else do you expect.
I loved my little brother, but as we got older it wasn't just fun. I had responsibilities as his big sister. I HAD to be there for him all the time. I HAD to look out for him to make sure he wasn't dumb enough to swallow a penny (which in fact he was dumb enough to do and did).Older siblings carry a lot of weight on their shoulders. You can ask any older sibling how it was growing up with little siblings and you'll instantly hear grumbling.It's one of many reasons my husband and I got along so well. We were both the oldest kids and knew exactly what the other one went through.
When we had our second son, we looked at our oldest with excitement and a bit of pity. We knew the road he was about to embark on.
In our multiracial family, we have raised our kids to understand what it means to be an anna. An anna is an older brother and it also carries a different meaning in our almost Indian family. It's a badge of honor for older brothers. It means it's not their responsibility to help raise their little brothers. They have to look out for them as they're little and even as they venture out into the real world as adults.Our oldest son, Liam became an anna when his little brother was born. Then Levi became an anna when Lukey was born.Their dad and I do everything we can to teach them how important this role is in each other's lives. It's not a burden like it feels like at times. It's a special bond they will always have with each other.
It doesn't matter where life takes them around the globe, they will always have each other.
The three amigos. They will always be partners in crime and I can't tell you how happy that makes me.It's not an easy road as an anna. It's hard. The weight is heavy, but the best part is they can all carry it together. Even as the little brother, they can look out for their anna. They can all be there when one of them needs help. They can all be there to love on each other. They can all push each other to be the best they can be.I know they'll even be there to cover each other's backs when one of them decides to be dumb. Even though I'll give them the mommy look of death when I catch them in the act (I'll secretly be smiling as I see what a strong unit they've become).
Being an anna isn't easy, but it's one of the most special things they'll have in their lives.
Finding Balance In Motherhood
Finding Balance In Motherhood
As I sit here after a long week, looking at my unfolded clothes, dirty dishes in the sink, unkept yard, and glass full of wine... I realize this week was anything but balanced.I've added a few new things to my plate and while it's not a crazy change, it's been just enough to send my routine into a full tailspin. The routine that once felt like it worked so well simply doesn't anymore.Isn't that just life though? You feel like things start to work well and then life throws you a few more plates to balance.
The more I talk about my lack of balance in life, the more you all start to stand up and say ME TOO! It truly does help to know we're not alone.
I used to look at my mom and think wow she has it all under control. She knows everything. She can handle it all.Now that I'm a mom, I realize that was anything from the truth. She just knew how to take it as it came at her. Then when we went to bed, she called her girlfriends crying that she had no idea what she was doing!Most of the time I have no idea what I'm doing.I call my girlfriends and go on and on about how completely out of control I feel. I know what my life should look like, but it never looks that way. I want things to run smoothly, I want my kids to flush the toilet when they're done, I want mornings to be easy, I want to finally follow my budget, I want to get along with my husband all the time, and I want to look flawless every day.The reality is the only thing on point every single day is the kid's bedtime. Which really just means, I make sure they go to bed at the same time EVERY SINGLE NIGHT. I mean come on. I have three rowdy boys and momma likes her alone time at night. (Can I get an amen!?)
Why do we as moms constantly pressure ourselves to be perfect even though we've seen it never works?
In my mind, if I do things well enough I'll find this perfect balance. I'll look at my life and see that I have set the perfect routine, parented my kids perfectly, and run my house without a hitch.Well, guess what. IT'S NEVER GOING TO HAPPEN. Listen to me carefully. There's no magic moment where everything comes together perfectly.
The magic comes when we realize perfection is unattainable and loving ourselves and our family needs to be the biggest priority.
If you want your life to be more balanced, you need to start by loving your family more. Your kids won't look back at their childhood and remember the perfect school year they had. Nope. They're going to remember the raw, messy, unplanned moments.Those are the times that will mean the most to them.Those are the moments that will come to your mind when you look back at your kids being little.I promise you if you just let go, life will become much better. If you stop trying to make perfect moments, you will stumble upon life-changing memories with your family.The truth is a balanced life doesn't look like a perfectly run household. It looks like a family that knows where their priorities are and puts the well being of their family above perfection.
Let it go, momma.
Stop trying to be the perfect mom you think your kids need and be the mom truly you are. The mom whos kids see right past her messy top bun and sees the woman who holds everything together in their little lives.
Simple Tomato Curry
Are you looking for an easy to make vegetarian recipe? This recipe is exactly what you need! Traditional Hyderabadi Tomato Curry is delicious and perfect for any meal!
Over the years, my husband and I have I learned just how different we are. We disagree on so many things, from the style of our house to the kind of music we play in the car...However, it always reminds me of that little saying. Opposites attract. It couldn't be more true in our marriage. I love that we're different. It's pushed us to find ways to blend it all together to make it work.One thing we've struggled to agree on is vegetables. My husband is secretly a child and still hates to eat his veggies. I've had to hide it in his foods and trick him into eating it. Then something happened and he finally realized how important they are. I have no idea what it was. It wasn't his mom or I nagging him (if anything that only made him stomp his feet into the sand deeper).
Regardless of what it was, it did the trick. I got him to do Whole 30 with me and now he actually eats them!One of his favorites is tomato curry. This curry is versatile because you can eat it alone with rice or alongside tandoori chicken like we do. It blends together so well with different Indian dishes and it's simple!This momma is always looking for simple dishes to make for her family!You can whip up tomato curry in a hurry (that rhymed!) and the whole family will love it!
Simple Tomato Curry Recipe
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6 Reasons Little Kids Test Boundaries
The moment the doctor tells you, "You're having another boy," you know things are about to get a little crazy.
Oh, and it definitely did. I have three boys, under five years old. As they get older, our stories about our day to day lives get more interesting.If you follow me on Instagram or Twitter, you've gotten to know my little family.You will definitely know my son Levi. I'm always posting pictures of his little mischievous antics. He's a riot. His nick name is Leviathan and if you were around him for any length of time, you'd understand. All of our crazy parenting stories involve him.
He greets people at our house half naked (Let me assure you I dress him about 15 times a day, but he always manages to "lose" his clothes).
He is always under the table with some contraband item (candy usually).
He randomly changes your name for an entire day (yesterday I was Queen Mommy).
He decides on a whim to cut our dogs hair.
He even wakes up at 5am to get a head start on it all.
It's because of him that I drink three cups of coffee a day. I have to keep up with him somehow! As he's getting bigger, I'm learning more about his character. Everyone always sees his mischievous and silly side, but people forget that their is so much more to him.People tend to think he needs us to raise our voice and be firm with him. They've told us he needs tough love and no grace. They make comments in front of him about how naughty he is. They tell us we're not parenting him right.What they don't see is that same little boy come up to me later that night and ask me to call him a good boy. While, you may think it's nothing, it is. He wants me to reaffirm that I love him and that I don't think he's a bad boy.There are so many rowdy little boys like mine in the world. Instead of understanding who they are, people label them the trouble makers or tell their parents they need to be put on ADD medication.Today I want to challenge all of you out there. Whether you're a parent or not. The next time you see a rowdy little boy, do not label him. Don't tell him he's bad because he wants to explore the world with his hands and push limits.
While you think he's disrespectful, he's learning what to say.
While you think he gets into everything, he's learning limits in his environment.
While you think he's can handle your "firm" words, he comes to mommy crying.
While you think he's being mean to his baby brother, he was trying to give him a big kiss.
While you think he's rude for not wanting to hug you, he is learning about his own emotions.
While you think he doesn't listen, he hears every word.
While you see some of the naughty things they do, you don't always know what they're trying to do. Instead of being tougher on them, figure out how you can help.I wish people would try to teach kids what they could do rather than what not to do. Yelling "NO" at a child doesn't teach him. Instead, teach him how to do it better.Kids need to be allowed to explore their environment and figure out how the world works. This means they will fail. They will cross the line. they will do it wrong. It's your job as the parent to teach them those limits.Children understand so much more if you encourage them to explore and set clear limits. Labeling a child as the "bad kid" will prevent them from being able to express themselves, learn about the world, have any self confidence, or want to learn how to do things differently. Encourage your children rather than label them.
Life Lessons Interracial Couples Can Learn From Fairy Tales
Life Lessons Interracial Couples Can Learn From Fairy Tales
As a little girl, I was obsessed with Fairy Tales. I loved watching couples fall in love on my Disney movies and watching their stories unfold. You'd think it would have changed as I got older, but I've only become more obsessed!I love watching fairy tales with my kids. If you watch them closely, you can even find valuable life lessons in their storylines. Lessons that we could use in our own marriages!
Cinderella
Cinderella grew up in a family that didn't love or respect her. They constantly dug in and tried to make her life terrible. If I were Cinderella, my first reaction would have been to be nasty right back. She didn't do that. She rose above it all and loved on them regardless.As interracial couples, we aren't always embraced by a family that fully accepts our relationship. Instead, we can be faced with family members that won't accept you. They may even be like Cinderella's family and tear you down. If we can learn one thing from Cinderella, it's to never stop loving them. Acceptance doesn't come easily for everyone and that's okay.You and your partner are together because you love each other. It will either take your family time to accept that or maybe they never will. Either way, you have the choice to rise above. You don't have to be hateful to them as well. Do your best to let it roll off your shoulders and love them with your actions.I'm not saying let them take advantage of you. At the end of the day, you aren't responsible for how they act. You're responsible for your own response. If you feed into the hate by giving it right back, it becomes an endless cycle. What if your loving response could actually lead to a good relationship with them in time? Sometimes the strongest way to fight against hate is by responding in love.
The Little Mermaid
As an interracial couple, you are constantly faced with new things. Those new things span from new food to new situations. Frankly, it can be terrifying. I grew up in a family where things stayed the same most of the time. We ate the same things, weren't too adventurous, and I was comfortable. Then I got married and was constantly pushed out of my comfort zone. I rarely knew what kind of meat I was eating or what to do in these new situations.If we were to take a few notes from The Little Mermaid, we would realize that it's usually worth it. It may be scary, but it can also be life-changing. She moved to a new world and rarely knew what she was doing. She didn't let that stop her! She tried everything, had an open mind, and it all changed her life.How can The Little Mermaid challenge you to be more adventurous? Are you the woman living in a new world (maybe a new country) or are you in an interracial relationship trying to embrace a new culture? Either way, you can open your mind and watch how it all changes your life!
Frozen
One of my favorite fairy tales is Frozen. I love the story of two sisters who love each other. The problem is Elsa loves her sister so much that she tries to protect her by hiding who she is. Yes, her parents prompted this decision, but after they passed away, she hid.Their story taught me how important it is to open up and trust special people in your life. When they finally trusted each other, they were able to do anything. As interracial couples, we tend to try and do it all ourselves. We think we know everything. Then we end up drowning in our own problems.Interracial relationships bring about so many unique challenges. Sometimes, you just need someone on the outside to give a new perspective. My husband and I have surrounded ourselves with older and younger interracial couples. I love having people in my life that have been through similar things as myself.If I actually allow myself to open up and trust them I can hear the advice and wisdom they have to offer. It may even end up saving me from a lot of struggle and hard seasons!
Head over to the comments and name one fairy tale that has taught you a valuable lesson.
Is Comparison Destroying Your Family
While I was growing up, I constantly found myself looking at my friends and wishing I had what they had. It didn't matter what it was, I just wanted it. I wanted to have a traditional family like them, I wanted clothes like them, I wanted to be like them... My friend's lives always seemed better than mine.You'd think I would have grown out of this as I got older, but no. I was always jealous of certain people in my life. In high school, it was the girls with the perfect family life. As an adult, it was people with the perfect marriage.It never stops.
2 Ways Comparison Destroys Your Family
Comparison stays with you like a cancer. It grows as you grow and starts to infiltrate different parts of your life. If you don't take care of it early on in life, it even attaches itself to your family. Then you have to watch something that's plagued you for so long, affect your marriage and children.
Teaches Your Family They're Never Enough
If you and your family constantly compare yourselves to other families, you'll start to believe you're not enough. You'll always see yourself as second best. All of it starts to bleed into your self-confidence.As a mom, you stop enjoying the little things that make your family unique and set apart from others. You spend so much time trying to mimic other "perfect families" that you lose sight of how beautiful yours already is.
Slowly Makes You Resent The People You're Comparing Yourselves To
The longer you compare yourself to other people around them, the more you start to resent them. They go from a "perfect family" you envy to a family you resent. You start to resent how seemingly perfect they are, everything that makes them threat way in your mind, and it destroys your friendship with them.Comparison may look like it's motivating .you at first, but it always leads to resentment and never feeling content with your own life.Every family is unique and has their own family culture. If you look at the families around you, you'll start to see just how different they all are. Maybe your family shares a big passion for the outdoors, maybe you like to reach out to your community, maybe you like to travel, or maybe you love cooking together.Instead of trying to conform to this picture perfect image of what you should look like or what your family should look like, try letting it all go. Let it go and celebrate what makes you different.Break down those comparisons by remembering no one is perfect. The families you admire for being everything you're not is probably a lie. They have their own problems and are most likely struggling by comparing themselves to someone as well.Stop comparing yourself to other people today. Celebrate what makes you who you are. Teach your kids to celebrate their special qualities now. Watch your family thrive as they stop trying to be something they're not.
Do you struggle with comparison? What have you done to try and overcome it?
The Chaos Of Going From Two To Three Kids
People joke all the time how motherhood is a full-time job, but they're wrong. It's not just a full-time job. It's two full-time jobs, with no break, no holiday pay, and constant over time. This job doesn't have a training period, you're simply thrust into it the day your child is born and you're left to figure it all out as you go.I have three boys. Three.
You'd think I'd have it all figured out by now, but I'm not even close.
I'm still figuring things out! My kids didn't want it to be too easy for me, so they decided to have completely different personalities and present me with different challenges every day.You have my oldest who is the rule follower. He wants to be perfect. It doesn't matter how often I tell him that it's impossible to be perfect and you learn the best through failure. It's ingrained into who he is. He pushes himself so hard and I'm still trying to figure out how to teach him to give himself a break and enjoy the journey.Then you have my middle child. He's full of endless energy, have no impulse control, and loves figuring things out for himself. This typically ends up in broken things around the house, situations I can hardly explain to anyone because they think I'm making it up for a laugh, and constantly asking, "Where's Levi?"Last, but not least, you have my youngest. He's the most dangerous combination of them both and he puts his own sassy spin on it all. He knows he has to hold his own as the youngest, so he never goes down without a fight. He also has two big brothers to learn his trickery from!Together, they're like a Power Ranger (see you can even tell I'm a boy mom through my references!) They combine together to become a super force and love trying to take me on every day.Aww. They're cute. They can't be that crazy can they??
Let's give you a little snapshot of my day yesterday.
I walked into the bathroom to see they forgot to flush for the millionth time. Not only did they forget to flush, but there was toilet paper all over the floor, soap all over the sink, and a full sink of soapy water. When I asked them about it (aka yelled at them for making such a mess) they quickly reminded me that they're magicians and had to make a potion.Over the next hour, things got crazier so I decided to take them to Chick Fil A so I could get a break. Plus it means they're playing in a room with one door in and out. It makes it much easier to keep tabs on them. I finally sat down with my coffee and peaked in to make sure they weren't destroying anything. What did I see? A pile of my kid's clothes. On the ground. Levi was completely out of sight. I ran in to find him before anyone else say my naked child running around and it turns out he had a costume on..... What!? He had apparently worn a costume under his clothes so he could "show his friends" his fun Ninjago costume. The mom in there looked at me like I was crazy, but I didn't care. I was just happy he wasn't naked. Costumes I can handle, naked tushies are a different story!You guys, this was just my morning!Three boys are no joke. Two boys were a little bit easier because I had enough arms to maneuver them when need be. Three kids mean I have to legitimately use my entire body to block them from all running off.
How has your life changed after welcoming another kiddo into your family?
How Do I Blend Cultures When I Have No Idea What I'm Doing?
It doesn’t matter how old we are, how many kids we have, or how many years of marriage are under our belts… we all hit the same realization eventually… "I have no idea what I’m doing."I’ve thought this...during fights with my husband... while correcting my children... while looking at my messy house... while driving with screaming kids in the car... after I burn dinner for the second time... when my kids ask me earth shattering questions about life... and especially when my husband and I try to figure out how to blend cultures in our family. It’s a normal feeling to have. We’ve all had it and will have it in the future. Instead of feeling defeated, we need to realize none of us know what we’re doing. All we can do is take it one day and one step at a time.
How Do I Blend Cultures When I Have No Idea What I’m Doing?
Talk. You and your spouse need to do a whole lot of talking. The more you talk about blending cultures, the more it’s on your mind, and the more intentional you’ll be. You may not know how to blend cultures in the moment, but that's okay!You can talk after a situation comes up and discuss how you could have blended better.Often times, we look back at situations and feel defeated because we see a missed opportunity. In reality, it was a teaching opportunity for your family. You can talk about it together and discuss what you could do next time or you and your spouse make a plan for next time.
The Worst Thing You Can Do When Blending Cultures...
Keeping your thoughts to yourself. It’s incredibly important in any relationship to keep the lines of communication open. You need to talk about how you feel, your opinions, and what you want to see in your family.Communication will help you blend cultures because you’ll know what’s important to each other and how you can make sure those things are present in your family and relationship.
None Of Us Know What We’re Doing
At the end of the day, none of us really know what we’re doing. We’re all figuring it out just like you. The only way any of us learns is by walking through life and sometimes through failing. After we fail, we can learn from it. The most important thing to keep in mind is how you respond. If you have no clue what you’re doing ask for advice, follow your gut, and give yourself a break.There isn’t a book out there that can tell us what to do every step of the way, so we’re all just doing the best we can. Guess what… You’re going to enjoy blending cultures way more if you just let it all go. It’s going to happen. You’re going to figure it out.
Easter Cookie Cake Pops
As my kids get older, they're starting to expect more from the holidays. They look around to see what other families are doing and create their own little ideas.It ends up with me scouring Pinterest for ideas to keep up with them! The problem is I'm not that crazy creative Pinterest mom! I have three boys and I need simple, easy to follow instructions! If not, I end up butchering it all! At least my fails in the kitchen make hilarious memories for the boys! They love when I mess up in the kitchen!
This year I'm not taking any chances! I've enlisted all three of my little kitchen helpers so we can succeed and make some delicious treats for Easter!We decided to whip up some tasty Easter cookie cake pops! They couldn't be easier to make and they're a huge hit in our house! As soon as they're ready you better be prepared! Your little kitchen helpers turn into cake pop thieves!
These cake pops won't last long, but they're worth it! Perfect for chocolate lovers or a treat to celebrate a successful Whole 30 program!
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If you and your little helpers want to make these Easter cookie cake pops head over to your local Walmart! Pick up a bag of Nestlé® Toll House® Ultimates Chocolate Chip Lovers Cookie Dough! It makes this recipe incredibly easy! They do all the hard work for you!Head over here for more Spring inspired recipes!
How To Love Your Kids According To Their Love Language
Have you and one of your kids ever just been in a funk?Maybe it's one of those days you just can't get along? No matter what you do, it ends up in a fight or one of you crying...I thought I had a few years until this happened, but I'm quickly learning how wrong I was. My oldest and I have very similar personalities. We're both the oldest in our families, rule followers, and feel things very deeply. When he's upset I typically know just what to do. I know how to comfort him because I try and think about what would work for me.This week it's not working.I've tried everything! Nothing's working. Instead, it's causing us to fight nonstop. I can tell he's completely overwhelmed. It's causing him to have a teenager-level bad attitude, cry over everything, and hide out on his own.You guys... I'm over it! I hate not knowing how to help him and trying to talk to a kid who is completely annoyed before I start talking is... fun to say the least. Not to mention, it's putting me in a bad mood! I just want to have a good time with my kids and instead, I'm getting on him for his attitude all day long.Then it finally hit me. He didn't want alone time. He didn't want a break from me. He didn't want to play with friends.
He simply wanted alone time with his momma.
I completely forgot that daddy usually takes him out to practice alone each week. They drive to sports practice, then hit something to eat on the way home, and drive thirty minutes home alone. That's a lot of quality time and it fills his little heart for the whole week.Joel is out of town this week and Liam hasn't been able to have alone time with mommy or daddy. He's craving it. He has three brothers and he's at school all day. He needs that quality one on one time to have the strength to get through anything that comes his way during the week.It's really hard to find a balance and give all three kids alone time. I tend to take them all with me for everything so things are "even." I grew up thinking things had to be even for everyone for it to be fair. Well, guess what... Kids don't need even. Kids don't need things to be fair.
They need their little hearts to be filled each week and that happens differently for all of them.
You may have a kiddo who thrives on quality time and another who feels loved getting little gifts. Find out your children's love language and make sure you love them how they need to be loved.
This week Liam was in desperate need of some one on one time for me to love on him. We went to Starbucks for a mommy-son work date. We started the day fighting and Liam ended up in at least a dozen crying fits. By the end of our momma date, he was hugging me with the biggest smile he has. It was something so simple. He didn't want anything big.
He just needed time.
This year I want to do better at loving my kids. I know I love them all with all of my heart, but I want to love them better. I want to love them intentionally every day. I want to find more ways throughout the day to show them what they mean to me.
Find Your Child's Love Language
Quality Time
Does you child love to spend time with you? Would they choose to just cozy up on the couch and watch a movie over just about anything? Do they constantly ask to do things with you? If this sounds like your child, they may have quality time as their love language.Fill their little love tank by asking them to do things with you. Prioritize time with them because it means more than you realize to their hearts.
Words Of Affirmation
Does your child feel words deeply? Whether they're positive or negative, do they hold on to them? If so they may feel love the deepest through word of affirmation.Fill their love tanks by telling them how much you love them. Take the time to write them little love notes and send them in their lunch box. Make sure you tell them how much you love them every day. They need to hear it daily to feel how much you care about them.
Acts Of Service
Does your child love when you do things for them? They may value their independence, but then love when you come in and help them with their homework. If this sounds like your child, they may be acts of service.Fill their love tank by helping them with a project, teach them to do something, or even cook together. Find ways to serve your kiddo and let them know how much you love them.
Gifts
Do gifts just send your kid to the moon? Do they hold onto those little trinkets forever? If gifts mean a lot to them it could also be their love language.Fill their love tank by getting them little gifts. They don't have to be big or expensive. Even a simple little card will mean something for them. It shows them that you thought about them enough to choose something special just for them.
Physical Touch
When your child is upset, do they go to your for comfort through hugs and cuddles? Do they need you to reassure them by holding their hand or giving them a pat on the back? If so your kid's love language could be physical touch.Fill their love tank by giving them a hug, wrestle with them, teach them how to dance, snuggle up on the couch, or give them a piggy back ride!
What are your kid's love languages?
What Would The World Look Like If Moms Banded Together?
I read an article recently about a mom who had a complete meltdown at an airport. We’ve all been there. Our kids decide the airport is too much for them, maybe they’re tired, maybe they’re not sleeping very well, or maybe they're just overstimulated in general. Whatever the reason when our kids start to melt down in a public place it can be really overwhelming for us as moms.In the article, the toddler started to melt down and the mom got to a point where she didn’t know what to do anymore.
So she sat down in the middle of the airport and cried.
The thing that happened next completely astounded me and gave me hope for our society. Instead of everyone staring at her with judgmental looks and irritation over how loud her kid was, a group of moms stood up and helped her.These moms didn’t know each other in fact they hadn't even spoken while sitting at the airport. That didn’t matter. They stood up because they saw someone in need and wanted to help her. They grabbed things out of their own bag to help the child down and even started offering up juice, snacks, and things of their own.It's completely embarrassing when your kid loses it. You can feel like a failure of a mom, like you’re not doing anything right, or just completely 100% overwhelmed. These moms knew she needed help and they stepped up.
It reminded me of a flight that's still burned into my memory, a few years later.
It was one of the few times I was traveling alone. I was flying with my youngest son to a women’s conference that my mom was going to meet me at. In my mind, I figured hey it’s one kid how hard can this be? I have three kids and I’ve been there with all three of them and I knew this had to be easier.If only I knew how wrong I was that morning I may have been a little bit more prepared.Everything went wrong that could have gone wrong. I got there late, I forgot stuff at home, the baby was super upset, and my nerves are already fried. By the time I got my tickets, my Starbucks, and a little bit of my sanity back I sat down to just take a breath. Within not even one minute I spilled my entire Venti coffee all over the floor and my shoes. I just looked at it with complete disbelief. I couldn't believe I just did that and I didn’t even have the excuse of my baby just did it. It was all me. I somehow missed where my coffee was it knocked it with my hand when my baby was asleep in my hands.
At that point I was so overwhelmed and exhausted so all I could do was stare at it, throw my hands up in the air, and say screw it.
I walked back to the Starbucks and told him what happened. I hoped that they would give me a new drink understanding that it was a super crappy situation and maybe give me a little bit of support. Instead, they charge me another six dollars for my overpriced drink and I had to go clean up the mess I had just made.By the time all of that was taken care of I found my seat on the plane and I sat down only to realize the person sitting next to me was less than thrilled to be sitting next to a baby on a two-hour flight.You would think a two-hour flight wouldn’t bother anybody sitting next to a baby but this person was not that excited. She continued to stare while everyone sat down and sighed when she realized she was stuck with us. I was already worried about keeping him quiet during the flight, but knowing she was judging everything I did took my stress to the next level.Then I actually started to feel bad for the poor lady next to me about 30 minutes into the flight.
None of my kids had ever dealt with ear problems on flights until this day.
My baby instantly started to get ear pain after we took it off and I did everything I could imagine to calm him down. I learned a few days later that he actually had a really bad ear infection and had to have the doctor send us antibiotics while on my trip. But at the time, I had no idea about any of this. All I knew was that my baby was losing his everlasting mind and the entire fight hated me.I was ready to start crying when a couple moms behind my seat offered to help me. They brought out suckers from their bag and even a sippy cup they had laying in their bags. They had been there themselves as moms and understood I needed some help.I didn’t know what to do.All of us somehow ended up working together to calm him down at least until we could land. At that moment I realized how much I needed moms around me. I was three kids into my motherhood experience and I still found myself in a situation where I had no idea what I was doing. Whether you’ve been in that position before or you’re going to be in the future sometime, we just need help.
Could you imagine a world where instead of people staring at you in judgment they actually just offered to help you?
What if the lady next to me decided to offer me some help rather than glare at me the entire flight? What if she remembered what it was like when her adult daughter sitting next to her was a baby? What if she gave me a little bit of grace and even offered to help?At the end of the day, we need to remember to be there for each other. I love that it can start with us moms. We all understand just how crazy and how difficult parenting can be.The next time you see a mom in need, what are you going to do?Will you be the person that sits there groveling in their own despair because they thought they would have a quiet flight to sleep the whole time?
Or will you be one of the moms that steps up and says I know there’s a need and I’m going to give of my time and myself to help you?
A Glimpse Into Our Fusion Life
This shop/post has been compensated by Collective Bias, INC. and The Coca-Cola Company, all opinions are mine alone. #FlavorsForYourMood #CollectiveBias
Over the past few months, I've been asking you guys what you want to see more of on the blog. The one thing I keep hearing is you want to get a bigger glimpse into our lives! If you follow me on Instagram, you get to get a glimpse of our crazy every day!Today, I'm making it happen for you! I'm taking you through a day in our wild, fusion lives! Hopefully, you still like us just as much after you see the nitty gritty of our days!!Morning times in our house come earlier every day. My kids are morning people, to say the least. I used to think I was a morning person, but then I had to start waking up at 6:30 to take my oldest to school every day.Every morning I tell myself I'll wake up at 6 and make a big breakfast for the kids. Then every morning I sleep in until the last possible second and drag myself out of bed.
Then we're off to the school drop off line. The line full of overachieving parents trying to battle to see who can drop off their kids first. I never thought I'd be a part of that group of parents until my son told me he had to get to school early every day so he could get a "ball chair."As most of you know, I desperately want to remain cool in his eyes as long as I can so I do it. I drag my kids out of the house before the sun comes up so that he remembers how amazing I am for a few more years.After big brother gets dropped off in the mornings, we come home, I fill up a large glass of cold brew coffee and homeschool starts for the little kids. Homeschool only lasts about an hour since most of it is fun activities and reading! When the kids get done, they go play and momma gets some housework done. Or I stare at the laundry piling up until the kids go down for a nap.
Nap time for the little kids means one thing. Work time for me!Work time in mom life usually means I grab my laptop and find a place free of toys and clutter. It's almost impossible to find this place in our house, but I somehow manage it and it means a bit of alone time. I turn on some music and get all my thoughts out on the blog.
If momma is really on her A-game, it even means gym time! My husband and I usually meet up at the gym in the afternoons to hit yoga together. I don't know how I convinced him to do yoga with me, but we both love it. It's way more of a workout than we imagined!I think I'm a little biased too because somehow Joel gets called out during all of our yoga classes by the teacher and it makes the class absolutely amazing. It's hilarious because he hates it so much, but can see the results from yoga!After yoga completely kicks our butts, we go home and whip up a delicious dinner. We're still working on our Whole 30 diet so we have to get a little creative in the kitchen. We have to find something that hits the spot for our Indian food craving, but also needs to be no carb, dairy, or sugar.
Don't worry we have fun trying out new fusion dishes! It also goes really bad sometimes.. Like really bad. We found a recipe for paleo naan. I jumped at it right away because I've been missing carbs like crazy! I spent an hour getting it ready and making sure it fits within our Whole 30 guidelines. Then I took it off the griddle to try a bite.Horrible. Disgusting. Never again.Luckily most of our dishes have been amazing! Don't worry, we'll never try paleo naan again. We'll stick the the good stuff!
Sometimes we get to finish the week off strong by heading over to our local Indian church. We already attend a church nearby, but we try to visit the Indian church when we can. It's a fun way to get to know the Indian community around us and it's a great excuse to get all dressed up in our Indian clothes!It also means we get to be thrown into Indian culture even more!
Throughout all the business of our day, one thing can get you through it all! A can of the amazing Diet Coke® fusion flavors! They're delicious and they have four new flavors to fit every mood you're in! I don't know about you, but my mood changes all day long! Whether I'm waiting in the school pick up line or I see what my three year old has decided to do with the brand new bag of flour all over my kitchen...I need a drink that can fit them all! In addition to their regular Diet Coke, they now have Diet Coke Fiesty Cherry, Diet Coke Twisted Mango, Diet Coke Zesty Blood Orange, and Diet Coke Ginger Lime. My favorite is the Ginger Lime! It's a delicious fusion drink, perfect for our multiracial family! They're the perfect drink to have coming off of Whole 30 too! They have zero calories and zero sugar!!
Not sure what drink to try? Head over to Diet Coke's website! They have a super fun way to find the flavor that fits your mood perfectly! All you need to do is scan your fingerprint and the perfect flavor for you will pop up! Share your flavor with your friends and you can even get an online coupon to buy (1) 12 oz. sleek can, get (1) free at Walgreens!
Head over to Walgreens today and pick up a new flavor to try! It doesn't matter what mood you're in, they have the perfect bold flavor for you!
How We're Getting Through Whole 30
We are officially on day ten of Whole 30!Before this month, ten days didn't feel like a long time. It's a little over a week and no time at all, right?Wrong!When all good food is stripped away from you, ten days is a freaking long time! Ten days of no carbs, no sugar, and no dairy. Ten days of no iced caramel macchiatos or late night sugar binges. Ten days hiding from the Girl Scouts because you know you have no self-control when it comes to cookies.Trust me. It's a very long time when you're on Whole 30.Laughs aside, I feel like Whole 30 is actually getting a bit easier. The first couple days were tough. I got headaches from detoxing, my body was sore, and I was just tired. Granted the fatigue was probably because I used to live on cold brew coffee all day long and I switched to a cup a day.Once I got past the detoxing symptoms, I started to feel a lot more motivation.
Tip #1 Prep Everything!
At the beginning of the week, I sat down and planned out my entire week for lunches, snacks, and dinners. Then I prepped. I looked at everything I would need throughout the week and if I could prepare anything beforehand I did!One of the hardest parts of eating healthy for myself is how long everything takes. It's like my brother likes to complain, now that he lives with a family doing Whole 30. He goes to the fridge and pantry and says, "There's nothing to eat!" Even though their both full, everything requires work and the actual meals aren't always quick.Sometimes, I just don't have the time to take an hour to make a meal. Prepping beforehand has helped cut the time down a lot! I even preportioned snacks and had ready-made lunches in the fridge. It made it possible for Joel and I to just reach in and grab something when we needed to be out and about for the day.
Tip #2 Mix It Up
Doing Whole 30 has caused us to use quite a few new items. Before this, I've never used coconut aminos, tapioca flour, or even tried cashew butter.The easy option is to stick with the basics. Whip up meat and veggies for all of your meals and you're good to go.Wrong.We did that for a bit and boy did we get sick of it. We missed having sauces to slather our main course in and variety. Eating the same thing every day becomes way too much to deal with. Especially if you're already having a hard day eating healthy and want nothing more than to go to the new gourmet cinnamon roll place that opened up just ten minutes from your house. (I swear they only opened it to taunt me this month!)Be sure to mix things up. Instead of making the same thing for lunches all week, give yourself two options. Or you can grill up some chicken and use it differently each day.Give yourself options so you don't go crazy! I've been obsessed with the Against All Grain cookbook too. Her recipes are paleo but you can do most of them on Whole 30.
Tip #3 Bring Your Own Snacks
Life hasn't stopped just because we're doing Whole 30. Our schedules and lives are still the same. This means we're still super busy and we still go out on date nights.Date nights used to mean a tasty dinner and a movie. As we were thinking about our date night last week, we almost canceled. We had been dying to go and see Black Panther because I mean come on. Best movie of the year!All I could think about was smelling movie popcorn and watching everyone eat candy the whole time. Yes, I'm a recovering junk food addict.We couldn't wait to see the movie, so we bought tickets and decided to figure out the rest later.I knew I would be tempted to cheat on our diet if I didn't bring any snacks. I had to have something to snack on during the movie. I packed up sliced fruit, almonds, lara bars, and water with essential oils. We whipped them all out at the beginning of the movie and I was surprised at how easy it was.I think our bodies are getting used to those things rather than having sugar and junk. The fruit was sweet to it fully satisfied my sweet tooth and the almonds satisfied my junk food craving. The water... well the water just tricked me into thinking it was a really good movie drink.
Tip #4 Make It A Family Affair
One thing that's made the last ten days a bit easier is that our family is doing it. We got rid of all the junk food right before day one and talked with our kids about what this month would look like.They were nervous at first, but then they got excited! We told them we would be eating tasty healthy food and becoming more active as a family.Granted, they're not truly on Whole 30 with us. We still give them bread fillers and aren't strict with their eating at all. Our goal is to get them snacking healthier being willing to try new foods. For example, we may have turkey and sweet potato chili and they'll have chips with it too. We make subtle differences for them, but they love it all the same.The fun part has been going out together as a family. We try to hit a new park or trail each week and the kids are taking it as a challenge! They want to do something new each week so they brainstorm every day with us!
Tip #5 Celebrate All Successes
Whole 30 isn't just a diet for Joel and I. Our hope is that it can teach us to live a healthy lifestyle. After it's over we plan on adding back in a few things in moderation, but for the most part, we want to have our meals consist of meat and veggies.We both like how we feel right now. I feel like I have more energy and I want to teach our kids to live a healthy lifestyle. Not just that, but I want them to know healthy food actually tastes good!The transition from our old eating habits has been the hardest. This is why it's so important to celebrate your success. Whether it's celebrating that we haven't cheated as of day 10 or that we finally feel like we hit our groove with this!The biggest celebration I've had so far is after I looked at the scale today. I've lost a total of five pounds in a little over a week! That's huge for me! I see my post-baby weight melting off because of all my hard work and I couldn't be happier!Joel, on the other hand, has already lost ten! Ten whole pounds. That's a pound a day! Why do guys lose weight so much easier!? Joel can think about losing weight and he'll lose two pounds. I have to work hit the gym every day and cut out all junk from my diet to make any progress!Okay. Okay. Joel has been doing the exact same thing I have. I just have to tease him because I'm jealous. I'll still celebrate with him don't worry!Ten days down, twenty more to go. We can do this! If you want to follow along on our journey, be sure to head over to Instagram and see it all behind the scenes!
Raising Young Men In A Time Of Trump And #MeToo
I'll never forget the moment I held all three of my little boys for the first time. Staring at their beautiful little faces wondering how in the world they could be mind.My boys.Six years later and I still find myself staring at them in the same way. Even after a long day of tantrums, fighting, wild antics, and all. Those wild little boys are mine.When I go to sleep at night, I find myself praying that their dad and I can raise them to be the kind of men this world needs.Men that know the importance of chivalry.Men that always strive to make the world a better place.Men that take care of their family and make them feel safe.Men that look out for people around them.Men that don't contribute to a #MeToo environment but stand alongside others knowing it's time for a change.It's a lot of responsibility to raise young men, especially the men you know they should be. It means we as their mothers have to fight hard now. We need to take every opportunity we can to teach them and surround them with men that lead by example.We have to stand up and fight against the negative examples of men that reflect the very disease in our society that leads to a time of #MeToo.
How can we raise young men with integrity when Trump is the most powerful leader in their country?
He stands for everything I don't want my kids to be. Regardless of your thoughts on politics, he's known for sexualizing women, joking about assaulting them, racist remarks, and promoting violence.He's undoing years of progress made in our country over the last hundred years.As a leader, our kids look up to him. They learn from his actions and words. Yes, even his toxic Twitter account where teens spend most of their time.So what can we do? Are we doomed to ending up with kids like the leader of our very own country?No. Hell no.
It's our job to teach our boys to be set apart.
They don't need to conform to the standard of men society has deemed acceptable. Our boys need to rise above be better.Every mother out there needs to challenge their kids daily. Raise the bar for them.Expect them to be chivalrous and hold doors open for people.Expect them to protect women rather than take advantage.Expect them to behave like young men with integrity and they will rise to the challenge.The time is now. We need to step up and challenge toxic masculinity at every step so our young boys can be the beginning of change. I refuse to raise my boys in the shadow of this example. They need to break through every bad example, every suggestion from our society, and SHINE.They need to learn to be the very examples we hope they find in their lives.
Ways To Simplify The School Week
I’m only a few months into a child at public school and I’m already feeling how crazy it all gets. Our homeschool schedule was completely different. We would wake up when we felt like starting our day, enjoy a good breakfast together, and ease into our school work. Then we were done by lunchtime and ready to have family and friend time!Public school is a whole different ballgame.Bedtime becomes life or death. If my kids don’t lay their heads on their pillow by 7 pm I know the following morning will be horrible. The next morning I have to get the kids up by 6 am, help them put their clothes on while half awake, and then leave the house by 6:45 am.Then you have the drop-off line.. The dreadful and infinitely long drop-off line. I typically spend our time waiting on my Instagram stories, complaining about how long it’s taking.By the time I make it back home, I’m completely exhausted but too wired to fall back asleep. Not to mention my younger two kids are wide awake waiting for their days to begin.I don’t know how all of you have survived it for so long! I count down until the weekends so I can get a bit of extra sleep and sanity. Only to find out my kid's body clocks won’t even let them sleep in!This is exactly why I started asking for advice from my momma friends about one day into our public school adventure. Here are all of the tips they have that help them make it through school mornings with a bit of sanity!
Breakfast Prep
Prepare your breakfast the weekend or night before. We don’t always have time for the kids to sit down at the table and enjoy a bowl of cereal. Sometimes, it’s simply a grab and go morning.Okay, most mornings are grab and go.I like to make hard boiled eggs, masala egg cups, smoothies, homemade granola bars, and samosa hand pies.The more that you can prep beforehand, the less you will need to do on school mornings.
Have Your Child Lay Everything Out The Night Before
Help your child pick out their clothes and school supplies out the night before. This way all they need to do when they wake up is put their clothes on. They don’t have to take the time to stress out over what they’re going to wear. They can simply roll out of bed and get dressed.On their way out the door, they can even grab their backpacks and lunches. No more of the whole looking for the notebook they misplaced the night before. Do all the handwork the night before when you’re not in a time crunch.
Keep The TV Off In The Mornings
If your kids are anything like mine, it can be incredibly hard to pull your kids away from their favorite show. Instead, you can turn off the TV and turn up the music. We have a few playlists that the kids have created and they choose our which ones they want to listen to for that morning. It helps get them moving, but it’s also easy to turn off when we’re done. Or you can even transition it to the car and listen to it on the way to school!
Stick To A Routine
Find a routine that works best for everyone and stick to it. This helps promote independence for your kids because they know exactly what they should be doing. It will be tricky at first because they’ll try to get out of it or pretend they can’t remember what they were supposed to be doing.Once they see your morning routine isn’t going anywhere, they’ll start to do it on their own!
Reward Your Kids For A Good Week
I am a big fan of positive reinforcement. Okay. Okay. I’m a big fan of bribery! I find little ways to reward my kids for good behavior and it helps! Did your kids have a good week? Were they getting ready quickly or did you find this week better than last week?
Reward them!
Let them know you’re proud of their hard work in the mornings and find a way to show them. It can be a special breakfast in the morning, an early trip to Starbucks, or take them to the movie over the weekend. It doesn’t have to be big, just let them know you’ve noticed their hard work.
What are you tips for school mornings?
Whole 30 With A South Asian Flair
One thing I’ve learned from Indian culture is the importance of Indian food. It’s the center of everything. If you go to an event, you already know they’re going to feed you. Not just feed you, but stuff you full of delicious food.Maybe it’s one of the reasons I keep getting pregnant. I have the perfect excuse to let them load up my plate until their hearts are content.It’s given me a new love for food. I love making food for people in my life and seeing that look on their face when it’s turned out perfectly.Or when my husband say’s I make the best chicken wings in the world (sorry Aunt Ca)!It’s become a passion to find and create new tasty recipes. My husband even joins in the fun and has a few new signature dishes our whole family begs for.
Our family loves food.
My four year old has even developed his own little passion for it. He tells us every day that he’s going to become a chef and needs to help us cook for practice.This year I promised him he could start helping me cook more. I want to encourage his passion for cooking and I love the quality time it gives us.However, there is a little problem. This year I also promised myself I would help my family to become healthier together. I promised we would make better food choices and find ways to make delicious healthy food.
My husband is convinced there is no such thing as delicious healthy food!
This is exactly why I was excited when my aunt told me about a 60 Day Challenge our gym was about to have.It’s a challenge to lose weight and get healthy together with a team. In the beginning, you detox your body of all the toxins and unhealthy foods by doing a Whole 30 diet. Then you start to add back in certain foods to see what your body can handle and can’t. It helps you find the perfect foods and diet to continue with after the program. It’s not meant to be a quick fix but a lifestyle change.So… How can this work for a family who loves food? How can we all fulfill our passion for making delicious food all while beginning a new healthy lifestyle?
Sounds like another challenge doesn’t it!?
The good thing is my husband and I like a good challenge. Our program starts February 10th and we have the next two months to show ourselves and all of you that healthy food can be good!What about the kids? You may be thinking the hardest ones to get on board would be the kids, but they love healthy food. They would eat salads and Brussel sprouts all day long if they could.The hard one to convince was my hubby! All you need to do is glance at our plates to see the difference. I pile my plate up with veggies and he gets two or three pieces. Just enough to show the kids he ate it. My plate, on the other hand, is all veggies and a bit of protein.He heard about the program and was skeptical until I said they chose a winner at the end who made the biggest transformation and they could win $1000.Done deal.My husband may be scared of healthy food, but he loves competitions. It’s the best motivator he could find to jump start our healthy lifestyle.Now comes the hard part. I have to show my family how good healthy food really can be!I hope you guys will have fun following us along on our family’s journey. We will give you updates each week to let you see how we do.
Here’s a look at what the first two weeks will look like for us.
Our kids will only be doing part of the Whole 30 with us. My plan for them is to get rid of the junk food, but they’ll still eat bread, beans, and some dairy. I mainly want them to try and fill up on meat and veggies rather than all the fillers.For the first two weeks, Joel and I will eliminate dairy, grains (hubby is still crying over no rice), alcohol, legumes, added sugar, processed food, and any other junk food.Our diets will stick to this schedule as much as we can —> protein shake, snack, salad, snack, high protein meal.We will also be working out 5-6 days a week and then having a day to give our bodies a break. Our gym has some fun classes so we will most likely do those each day. I work better with classes rather than on my own because it’s easier to keep up with other people than figure it out on my own.So far, I’ve been doing yoga and a cycle class. Joel even did yoga with me! He kept giving me “the look” for the first 20 minutes thinking I tricked him into a girl’s class. Then he started sweating and realizing how intense yoga is!Only a few more days until we start and I’m excited to see how it all goes! Keep an eye out for yummy recipes and updates!
My Family's Journey With Essential Oils + Our Favorite Blends
*I am a member of Young Living and receive a small commission on sales. All opinions expressed are my own.*
I’ve never considered myself a crunchy mom. In fact, I didn’t even know what that term meant until I moved to the Pacific Northwest. It was there I was introduced to a world of healthy moms full of vegan, dairy free, organic, sugar-free everything.I thought it was silly to waste all that time and continued on with my sugary coffee and donuts.Then my son had his first febrile seizure. Then my husband and I entered into a crazy season in our family’s life. It was also when I realized a crunchy life really wasn’t so crazy after all. It simply meant moms out there were doing anything in their power to make sure their kids were healthy and happy.I started looking into everything I could. I paid attention to what was in the food I purchased, started making things homemade when I could, and I was introduced to essential oils. I needed to find natural ways to boost my kid’s immune systems so they didn’t pass things along to Luke and cause him to have another seizure.A few years later and we’re still using essential oils. I love how easy they are to use and it’s become a part of our sick routine.The first sign of a cough or a fever and we immediately start diffusing oils, rub oils on our kids back, and start taking them in our water as well.We definitely saw improvements in our health overall. Not to mention, if you’re a candle junky like me, you love having your house smell fresh all the time. It’s exactly why my diffuser has become my best friend.
*I use Young Living Oils in my house so everything you see below is using their products. Also, I am NOT A DOCTOR. These are things we do when our kids get sick and merely a suggestion.*
My Go To Diffuser Blends
Wake Momma Up ( 3 Drops of Lemon + 3 Drops of Peppermint)Sick Days (3 Drops of Purification + 3 Drops Thieves + 2 Drops Lemon)Yucky Smells (3 Drops of Purification)Homework Time (2 Drops of Lavender + 2 Drops of Frankincense + 2 Drops of Stress Away)Bed Time (3 Drops of Lavender)
Our Sick Routine
FeversWe filled a roller bottle with coconut oil and 12 drops of peppermint oil. When our kids get a fever we roll it on their spine. It naturally cools your kid’s bodies.Tummy AcheMix a drop of Digize and coconut oil and rub it on their belly. Young Living also has a kid version of the Digize and that works well too.EczemaMix 2 drops of lavender and coconut oil and rub it on the affected area. It really helps my kids feel better. My kids have mild eczema, but it works for them and the coconut oil is very moisturizing.Don’t Get Sick!Try to stay healthy this season by putting a drop of Thieves oil on your feet in the morning. It’s supposed to help boost your immune system.If you're interested in trying it out for yourself, head over and pick up a starter kit. It has all the beginner oils you'll need to get your family healthy this season! Plus, if you sign up with me I can help you along the way!
Click here to sign up!
Our Favorite Bollywood Movies This Month!
One of my favorite things to do when I visit my husband’s family is sit down with his aunts and mom to watch Bollywood movies. They’ve introduced me to so many over the years and lately my husband and I have been watching them more at home.I love watching them together as a family because my husband and I both enjoy them and it’s a great opportunity to learn more about Indian culture and even the language.Netflix has been a goldmine for Bollywood movies! We have found family friends movies and movies perfect for after they go to bed.Here are a few of the movies my husband and I are obsessed with this month!
Maacher Jhol
Basically, imagine the Indian Gordan Ramsey! This movie follows the life of a chef who gets called back home to Kolkata after his mom gets sick. As the story unfolds you find out it’s been nearly 13 years since he’s been there and he finds out what he left behind. This movie is set apart from your typical Bollywood movie because it reveals an interracial love story!
Kahaani
If you like thriller movies that keep you guessing, this is your movie. It follows a pregnant woman who travels to India to find her missing husband. Only when she gets there nothing is as it seems no one knows who or where her husband is.
Mubarakan
This was my favorite movies this month. It has everything I love… Singing, dancing, and a romance story! Two twins cause chaos everywhere they go as they try to hide their relationships from their family who tries to arrange their marriages to other girls. They throw each other under the bus to save their own skin and it’s hilarious!
Asoka
A modern-day Romeo and Juliet. This epic movie follows the life of Prince Ashoka who falls in love. After crazy circumstances, he ends up a ruthless warrior and you get to see his journey back to himself. All while he practically conquers India! This is a great movie for couples because it’s full of action and romance.
Prem Ratan Dan Payo
A prince is days before his coronation and someone tries to kill him. His family keeps it a secret while he recovers and lets a stranger who looks just like him replace him. His future bride notices the difference because her stern fiance is now a fun a playful man. This movie is full of lighthearted moments, action, and a beautiful romance!