The Mommy Life Archives

2021 Life Update.

June 28, 2021June 28, 2021by NidaLeave a Comment

Hi Friends!

It’s been a hot minute since I’ve written in here and A LOT has happened in the past six months! First off, here’s something ya’ll might as well learn about me, I do not handle stress well. January went by quite smoothly it was the start of a new year I had all my ducks in a row for a fresh start and new year, I was writing on here regularly! And then February came and Ali’s IFR training started which in simple terms is his training to fly through clouds or more so “blindly” with zero visibility and the only thing he can rely on is his instruments in the airplane. In aviation it’s considered the toughest training and exam! BUT, HE PASSED all three parts! That was quite a stressful time for me because no matter how hard I tried my mind was constantly on him and his training. And when I stress I tend to shut down and my mind just revolves around my worries! Not a good habit and I’m working on that! That was around mid to end of February!

Then one day as I was driving towards my parents house and I spotted a house that was on sale that caught my eye. And I’ve been searching for a new home for over a year now, Ali not so much! But I do love looking at homes and keeping up to date on the market anyway… so I called our realtor and booked an appointment to see this house and Ali bailed on seeing it because he was stuck in meetings ALL day! So I walked through the house with the boys and that was it! Two days later the house was history because someone else put an offer on it, thanks to this crazy market! And I was a little heart broken.

The house may have been history but we had a fun trip to Dominican planned for months before in March! First week of March we took off for a week and celebrated my beautiful sister turning 40; beach side with sunshine, the ocean waves, and lots of sister time!! It was an epic trip not to mention the full time chef service, boat rides, jumping into the ocean, soaking up the sunshine, and adventures exploring a new place we had never been!

Came back to good old Idaho about a week later sunburned and sundazed! That same week I got a call from the realtor saying the house I had spotted was back on the market and my heart kinda felt like this one may be it! SO, with some convincing I got Ali to go see this house with me and well that was it! He barely walked through the house and he said say no more, this is it! Less than 60 days later we had our house SOLD and we closed on our DREAM home! (Again- Very stressful process!) As far as the moving process let’s just say it took a village and I’ve never purged so much in my life! But here we are and that’s all that matters very few boxes in sight, a functioning kitchen and a bed to sleep! We are loving putting the house together and ALL things home decor these days!

Summer is in full swing the kids are over the moon excited for the warm days, water balloon fights, and lots of play time with ALL their cousins around! Kids started activities this spring too Rayyan played a few weeks of Lacrosse and it was so fun to watch him! Summer has been packed with swim and tennis lessons. I started playing Tennis too!! There’s just something about being on that tennis court that gets my blood rushing and I love it!

That’s been my life this year so far… Now on to the fun stuff too! Sharing some BIG news in the coming weeks!! Something I have been working on for the past couple months! And I’m pretty excited so stay tuned!

The Mommy Life

My Top Reads for Personal Growth.

January 25, 2021January 25, 2021by NidaLeave a Comment

Happy Monday, Everyone! We’re almost wrapping up January and it’s been a wild ride already! Lately I have been doing a lot of soul searching or so to speak. As I’ve mentioned in my prior posts I’ve been working on living life with more intention, being more in the moment, which has helped me be more conscious of my time, my work, my thoughts, and just life in general. If there’s one thing that last years quarantine did for me it was the fact that I read a lot more. A lot of that credit goes to my book club ladies because I started to read books that were out of my comfort zone like suspense novels and historical stories. Some of my favorite books to read are personal growth books because they get me fired up to not only self reflect but to have and implement my goals and ambitions. Today I’m rounding up my top reads for personal growth in hopes that you will enjoy these too.

As I leave you with my favorite personal growth books I hope it inspires you to check out one of these if you haven’t already. And if you did, I’d love to chat more about them with you! I’ve heard many people say they don’t like to read books, if you’re one of those, have you tried Audible? Last year I started using Audible and now I’m hooked, I can’t sleep without listening to a good book. Although I still feel like there’s nothing quite like reading a book in hand and flipping pages which do you prefer a book in hand, kindle, or audiobooks?

Fashion, The Mommy Life

My Favorite Hair Styling Tool.

January 21, 2021January 22, 2021by NidaLeave a Comment

I have had straight hair all my life I’ve never used a round brush or really needed a straightener. Earlier last year I was itching to get a perm but my older much wiser sister talked me out of it. Perks of being the younger sister, you can learn from four others who’ve made mistakes before you! In fact I love curling my hair so much I invested in the Chi straightener back in college just to use as a curler and I taught myself the technique of curling with a straightener. With my new found favorite hair tool the Chi Spin Curl styling my hair takes a total of twenty minutes tops (something my husband, Ali, appreciates A LOT)!

I’ve linked all the hair styling items I use.

The Chi Spin Curl is automatic and has buttons to spin in two different directions. I know it sounds scary the thought of getting your hair stuck! But it’s amazing features have taken all those fears of mine away. I’m not going to lie I got my hair stuck in there the first couple times as I was getting the hang of using it but it was a breeze to get out. If your hair gets stuck the curler stops and gives you a repeated beep you can either press the off button and turn the chi off and it releases the hair so smoothly or you can unplug your curler and it also releases the hair with no damage or pull. It’s one of the most simple curlers to use. I have four sisters and two of them bought it immediately after they saw me using it. I’ll share a quick video tutorial on how to use it over on my instagram today!

It’s ceramic rotating barrel creates bouncy curls and waves. Once completed I’ll spray my hair with the Chi Style & Stay Firm Hold Protecting Spray. *Note: I’d definitely also use the Chi Heat Protectant Spray before beginning to curl just as an added protection. This curler is pure magic and you will love the ease in using it!

Now are you team curly hair or straight hair?

Fashion, The Mommy Life

Three Ways to Style A Velvet Blazer

January 20, 2021January 21, 2021by NidaLeave a Comment

Happy Inauguration Day, Friends! In honor of our first ever Madam Vice President I wanted to share three looks in a velvet blazer. There’s nothing quite like a chic blazer to make you feel like a real boss babe. This was my first and only blazer in my closet which later turned out to be the most worn and styled piece throughout Fall and Winter.

Velvet Blazer, White Bodysuit, Black Jeans, Black heels

This casual, comfortable, and chic look is one of my favorites. It’s a great look for a date night, girls night, or even a zoom call. Not sure how many of us are dining out with the pandemic but still a look to keep in mind when this pandemic is all behind us! The velvet blazer here adds the perfect pop of color, the white bodysuit is a closet must have because it gives the perfect shape and can be worn with so many other pieces, and these AG black jeans are an investment but worth every penny! They are butter soft, very forgiving if you have a mommy pouch like me, and overall one of the best fitting jeans I own!

Velvet Blazer, Black Bodysuit, Wide Leg Pants, Leopard Booties

This outfit is one of my favorites because the white wide leg pants are the most comfortable and such a great fit! Before or after Labor Day… there’s no hard rule you can wear white all year long! I’d wear these white wide leg pants all year long! This bodysuit is the same as the previous one except in black, *Note: I have a lot of these because the shape/form they give you is amazing! These leopard booties are my go-to they add a pop to any outfit, especially the neutrals and I love them! if you ask me they are another great staple closet item and on major sale today at 60% off!!

Velvet Blazer, Tee, boyfriend jeans, Shoes

These boyfriend jeans are ultra comfy! They have the perfect amount of distress in the denim and they fit snug and they are running on year two and still in great condition after many wears. I’ve had the hardest time finding a good pair of BF jeans but these have been a keeper because of their comfort and fit. They fit perfectly snug and add a nice shape too instead of looking loose. Ask me one Rolling Stone song and I couldn’t answer you because I’m the girl that loves a good band tee regardless so this one I snagged from Target for only $12!! Yes, Target, FTW!!! These shoes are a beauty, a golden goose look alike but from one of my favorite local boutiques, Woven, owned by a friend! I can’t link this exact pair but I’ve linked similar options here!

Fashion, The Mommy Life

How to Make Yourself a Priority

January 19, 2021January 19, 2021by NidaLeave a Comment

Do you take time out for self-care, a workout, a walk? Just YOU! No kids, no hubby, no siblings, just YOU!? I’ve struggled over the years with doing that especially last year. This year when I noticed it was affecting my mental health I made it a point to make sure I make myself a priority. As I treat each day with more intention I have been realizing how I have been postponing things on my to-do list for other tasks. But I’ve implemented a few hard rules for myself to make sure that I don’t do this and I make myself a priority. *Note: I’ve learned that prioritizing myself does not mean that I’m being selfish. I’m a mom, so naturally I have other priorities as well. But some key points I’ve jotted down that help me organize my day so that I can make sure that I’m living a fulfilled day for myself as well are the following:

What I’m doing to Make Myself A Priority

I have a daily ritual: Some kind of routine is key. I’ve been praying, journaling. and reading a book everyday! It’s given me a form of meditation, sanity, and helping me learn something new everyday.

I’ve identified my time wasters: I’m guilty of scrolling through instagram. Biggest problem of having a business on social media is that you can end up spending a lot of unnecessary time on social media. I’m trying to get better at this by focusing on setting times for when I should be on my phone. Because I don’t like to document my every moment to the public but at the same time I do like to share snippets of our daily shenanigans and something of value, daily deals, recipes, etc.

I’ve learned to give myself grace: Not everyday will go as planned. There’s no point in planning out my day by the hour and minute because random things always come up. And keeping track of my day by the hour will only get me more frustrated and rushed in any task I do. So I’ve allotted time for the important stuff, made lists, and I go with the flow of the day especially because I have little kids.

I’ve alloted time for the important stuff: A workout is important to me, so I schedule it! And I’ve started to make it happen! Journaling has become very therapeutic to me so I try to wake up before anyone does so its nice and quiet and I can collect my thoughts and write as I sip on my morning cup of coffee.

How do you give yourself priority? What are some things you do in the day to make yourself feel fulfilled?

Food, The Mommy Life

Gajar Ka Halwa Recipe (Carrot Pudding)

January 18, 2021January 19, 2021by NidaLeave a Comment

Carrots are one vegetable I love. I love eating carrots raw, or steamed, or in my salad with ranch dressing. So naturally Gajar Ka Halwa is my favorite dessert. This carrot pudding dessert is sweet and made completely from shredded carrots. My mother-in-law makes the best Gajar Ka Halwa hands down. Last year she made an entire pot of it and froze it for me in batches. I pretty much finished that in weeks because I’d eat a pouch a day! Since I have changed up my diet I wanted to make the gajar ka halwa with less sugar and lactose free because I’m lactose intolerant. So the other night I attempted to make it on my own following my sweet mother-in-laws recipe! And it turned out scrumptious! Here is the recipe, I’ll write the substitutes I used as well for reference.

Gajar Ka Halwa Recipe

Ingredients:

7 Medium size Carrots
3 Cups Milk
2 Tsp Coconut Milk
1 Cup Sugar (Substitutes: Brown Sugar, Stevia, or Splenda)
1/4 Cup Butter (Substitutes: Ghee/Coconut Oil)
5 cardamom seeds (elaichi) (Ground Cardamom- I recommended grinding them fresh it gives a stronger tasteful smell.)

Instructions:

1.) Wash and Peel Carrots

2.) Shred carrots (we use a food processor to do this or you can purchase a bag of shredded carrots from the grocery store)

3.) On medium heat boil almond milk and shredded carrots in a pot.

4.) When carrots have softened and milk has been dissolved add butter (Ghee or Coconut Oil) and stir on low heat for 4 minutes.

5.) Add cardamom powder and sugar stir until everything is well mixed

6.) Garnish with blanched almonds

Hope you enjoy this recipe! If you make it I’d love to know how it turned out!