friends, girl talk, Health, Life, Parenting, Uncategorized, Wellness, women

Mom’s You Can Only Do So Much…

November 8, 2017

Pack kids’ lunches. Grade class spelling tests. Make sure N’s book report is started. Plan for the next Language Arts unit. Make sure kids’ laundry is washed before Friday. Make copies for Social Studies project. Oh crap, I have to send out the minutes for the PTA board meeting. Wait — did I really sign that field trip mission slip? When is the next girls’ outing…is it this week or next? Did I call my mom? When do I need to have report cards done by?

These are my current thoughts. I am now up at 3 AM on a Monday morning thinking of all the things I wish I would have had time to complete over the weekend. Why am I up right now? Why can’t I just get this noise out of my head? Oh right — because I don’t just wear one hat, I wear like 20. I’m (and in no particular order) a mom, wife, daughter, sister, daughter-in-law, sister-in-law, teacher, neighbor, friend, best friend, coworker, peer, subordinate…and so on and so forth.

Constantly…working moms around the nation are on overdrive. Moms are always on the go and always “on.” I know I’m always “on” — mainly because I’m an elementary school teacher…looking out for children is a constant in my life. I don’t think it really matters if you’re a teacher or not — the constant to-do list runs through our minds day and night (see my earlier post about achieving balance).

When I took a year off last year, I noticed that I was relieved from that element of my life — which was work. I didn’t have a boss to report up to because I was my own boss. I didn’t feel this constant feeling of having to “report” anywhere by a certain time or fulfill my own set of work obligations. Now — even when I love what I do and wouldn’t imagine another career for myself, I do feel a constant loyalty to my students day in and day out…even on my evenings and weekends. Would I trade what I do to stay home? Never.

All at once, I take turns wearing all the other hats — and try to juggle it all at once. Sometimes I wonder why I even try to juggle it all because it seems humanly impossible to be everywhere all at once…but I try anyways because that’s what I am. I am the type of person, like many other amazingly strong women out there that try to do everything all at once. I am the type that will put too much on my plate because I know that I work best under pressure and can’t stand not giving any aspect of my life my 110% all the time. Is it healthy? Probably not, but that hasn’t stopped me once.

Constantly, I am reminded to take a moment for myself to unwind and take a “time-out.” A moment to just be with my own thoughts and be myself, a moment to find my zen. To shed away all those hats for a moment to gather my own ideas and to just be. As I get older, I do find that listening to my inner self is getting more and more important. When I feel that anxious, robotic, out of body experience. When I feel that I’m slipping away from myself…

Mama Challenge - Time Out Card — Mama Challenge – Time Out Card

I have found a few ways that help me gather myself and recharge. Whether it be making a Target run to just roam around aimlessly with a Starbucks in hand. Or to get on that treadmill and run away the feels. Or by meeting up with some girlfriends for some “wine and whine” time. Or even by taking the long way home from work to just sit and listen to the radio in silence.

I have found the importance of finding your “time-outs.” What makes you feel like you the most? What makes you feel so content that it feels like you’re recharging your “battery?” What could possibly help you strip away all your hats for just one moment?

So ladies, take a moment. Not because I’m urging you to do so, but because you feel that it’s about time! Take that moment for yourself — just for you. You can only give and give so much…

You’re in “time out!”

Your Brainy Chick,

Komi

Disclaimer: No way do I feel that moms staying home to take care of their household and family don’t deserve a time out either — get out there ladies…you need that break!

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Top Ten Ways To Find Your Zen

October 4, 2017

With the school year underway and relaxed summer routines becoming not-so-distant memories, many of us have to try harder to carve out time for ourselves and search deeper to block out the buzzings around us. The grind of drop-offs, work, pick-ups, activities, specials, dinner, homework…wash, rinse, repeat…gets to even the most pain-tolerant of us.

Meditation is the discovery that the point of life is always arrived at in the immediate moment. – Alan Watts

Below is a list of the top ten ways to find your zen.

Create a playlist- find the songs that put you in your element. I listen to a variety of music so mine contains anything from classical to hip hop. I use my headphones and tend to multi-task at home. I also play it in the car after the kids have been dropped off. Have you checked out Chick Radio yet? Subscribe to our channel, we update our list often.

Take a walk – I find my zen walking through the aisles of Target or Home Goods…alone. I may not purchase anything but I enjoy the solitude and without being beholden to a shopping list and a tight time frame. The same can be achieved walking outside, snow-shoeing (for the more adventurous), and biking.

Devour a book- Nothing takes you away and warms the soul like a good book; one that makes you lose track of time and makes you look forward to the next chunk of free time in your calendar. This month, my book club is reading a thriller set aboard a luxury cruise line called The Woman In Cabin 10, nothing like a thriller to create an alternate reality in your mind.

Drink to it- Not alcohol, I’m talking about a nice relaxing cup of hot tea or hot chocolate. Perhaps milk with tumeric or cinnamon. I have a spice blend I’ve created that I add to either black tea or warmed milk and it puts me in my zen state. Try the chicks favorite, Frontier Organic Fair-Trade Chai!

Get organized!- Spend five minutes every night organizing your thoughts for the next day, crossing things off your list for the day and double checking your calendar. Nothing takes you out of your flow than a disorganized rush in the morning.

Create a mantra- Create an affirmation that motivates and inspires you and repeat it when you wake up, right before bed and any other time you need it! Check out our Affirmations Board on Pinterest for ways to stay calm and stay positive.

Learn to say “yes” – Say yes to dinner with your friends, or to your child when he asks to play hide-and-seek Those events allow you to be present and break up the routine. Also, connecting with others simply feels good.

No guilt – You know the phrase “Life’s too short…” The cliche is actually rather profound. There’s no room for guilt. And with that, I’ll leave you with another one of my favorite quotes “Isn’t it nice to think that tomorrow is a new day with no mistakes in it yet?”

Disconnect! – Make it a habit to set a time every day to disconnect from all electronics. Start with five minutes and don’t be surprised if you find yourself increasing that time 🙂 You’ll cherish it. See our post about what you are missing when you are on your phone.

Laugh!!- What better way to feel relaxed than by feeling happy? Try something silly, learn a new dance, tell a joke. Get in touch with your unabashed-ness of your youth when you laughed more than you worried! If you have not already read The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*$k, do yourself a favor, and pick it up!

Cheers,

Serene

Your Brainy Chick

friends, girl talk, Life, Motherhood, Parenting

Work-Life Balance and Motherhood

August 30, 2017

Summer 2016 — I found myself at the cusp of making a life-altering decision. Should I take a step back from my teaching career or should I keep marching onwards? Should I take this year off? Should I take that time off that I always dreamt of taking? Should I sacrifice a year of providing the second (and minimal) income for my family? So many ifs, but no guarantees. What if I intend on taking only a year off and it turns into ten years off? What if I fail at staying home and running this already busy house-hold? Again, so many ifs and no answers. I needed that magic 8 ball more than ever!

So I took the plunge. In early August, I firmly announced that I have finally made the decision to stay home — to take care of the house, kids, and myself. “Finally…this will be awesome for you and all of us,” my husband replied. Of course, I knew that we would have to knock a few things off of our list of expenses…cleaning services, take-out nights, and of course my own spending (yikes). Running on one income wouldn’t be easy at all, but it’s now or almost never. My kids are young and it would be nice to just be around. I had that notion that you only live once…so why not?

Staying at home meant I could finally fulfill the one thing I always wondered…how does it feel dropping the kids off at school and brunching with my friends, running errands, working out, and even tidying up the house in peace? Throughout my 10 years in the workforce, I always wondered how it felt to just be at home. To have my OWN time to do my OWN things. Things that no one would even know about! I was giving myself a year and I needed to make it count!

So I fulfilled my wonder…I stayed home. I was that mom — I volunteered at school and made sure breakfast, lunch, snacks, and dinner were all mostly home-made and prepared with ease. I made sure that permission slips were signed on time and activities were scheduled. I made sure that homework was done and both kids were content at drop-off and pick-up. I was a homemaker…probably not the best, but I tried. I worked hard to keep up with the daily chores while juggling sick kids, doctor appointments, and opposite schedules. Did I always succeed? NO! But really, it was on my clock. No one was the boss of me…and that felt amazing.

So then comes May and a possible teaching position is presented to me. Do I go for it or do I stay home for another year? What if I stay at home and regret not even trying for it? Well you only live once, right? Why not? After all — this was the job of my dreams. I went to graduate school knowing I wanted to be as innovative in my teaching methods as possible and this private institution allowed for that. After a few weeks of complete uncertainty, I got the call — I got the offer! My first reaction was disbelief…did I just accomplish this huge life-long goal of mine? WOW.

Then of course, came the mourning period — flashbacks of my year off would pop up out of the blue. The times I was easily able to stay home with a sick child. The times I was able to single-handedly run the household while my husband was out of town. The times I was the boss of me and no one to really answer to! Were these flashbacks strong enough to keep me back from fulfilling my dream of accepting this teaching position? NO. In fact, I look back and realize that while it was a great break, I was always secretly yearning to get back into the classroom. I missed the teaching world. I have this opportunity and the time is NOW.

So now comes the balance. How do I maintain the juggling act of keeping up with all the duties I enjoyed fulfilling when I was home all while achieving my career goals? With every step forward, I would have to let go of some of them. It’s all about trying to attain that balance and learning from what works and what doesn’t. We will be entering a new set of routines — early morning lunch preps (for the kids AND me), school drop offs and pickups, after-school activities, homework, dinner along with my own work now — all while trying squeezing in some ME time.

All I can do now is to hope for the best and keep the momentum up. I’m in my late thirties and finally achieved my lifelong career goal. I spent the last year setting up the foundation and routines of running this household somewhat efficiently…now I just need to keep it up. Now is the time to make it all count and all I can do is to take it one day at a time. I have to keep in mind that you only live once.

Here’s to keeping it real,

Your Brainy Chick,

Komi

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Off The Runway

August 17, 2017

The Chicks were invited to preview Nordstrom’s Off The Runway event and we were in fashion heaven! Maybe it was the delicious hors d’oeuvre’s, or the beautiful ambiance created by live jazz music and live models — that made this event so unique and fun. Our stylist had invited us to check out the latest trends that will be hitting the website in the fall, straight off the runway, and we wouldn’t have missed this chance! We definitely noticed a few things that may be trending this fall:

Pop Of Color is Still A Thing

Look at these rust hue pants — they are stunning and with the loose long fit, they are the most comfortable pants we tried on all night! Our model, lawyer, polo player and horse whisperer Pamela Flannigan went home with these stunning Victoria Beckham pants!

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Black Remains the Chicks Uniform of Choice

This Gucci dress is why we wear black ALL THE TIME, and how can you not? Our Party Chicks shows us how this fit made her feel like a million dollars.

Gucci Dress with details that are worthy of the season.

The Holidays are Around the Corner

I know, I know, its only August, but we could not help but feel like Christmas is coming with the beautiful emeralds and shimmer which were on so many pieces. So its not to soon to start thinking ahead to family get together’s and office parties.

Needless to say, we saw some stellar pieces. Now for the savvy part. I love unique designer pieces and accessories, however being savvy is what makes the whole experience much more exciting. Anyone that knows me understands my love for Nordstrom. It’s the many sides of the brand that I have loved for years. Listed below is how you can enjoy great finds and perks without the guilt and still look like a million bucks.

Get more out of your Nordstrom card; maximize your points by signing up for rewards even if you DO NOT have a Nordstrom CC (yep, you read that right, you don’t have to have the credit card to collect rewards).

By owning a CC, you collected rewards twice as fast and can take advantage of the many perks once you attain certain levels. Now that Trunk club, HauteLook and The Rack are under the Nordstrom umbrella, it’s easier than ever to reach higher levels with the card, thus making it closer to your perks in the form of what Nordstrom calls ‘notes’ which are $20, $50, $100 credits toward future purchases. For me it’s the complimentary alterations of my purchases via HauteLook. I have purchased some amazing dresses from boutique brands such as Oliviasous, TOV, and Tea&Cup; at amazing deals to have them altered to perfection is a huge benefit for when I attend balls, fundraiser, or events.

Being a busy mom of two, an entrepreneur, and running a household leaves me little time to go shopping for upcoming events. SO the idea of having a stylist, who not only knows my budget, and my style by having a glass of champagne or coffee and outfits awaiting me after a hectic afternoon without having to spend hours at the store. Trunk club is also another great option that makes me feel efficient. There are secrets that Nordstrom have that I wasn’t aware of — like the fact they sell Chanel and can overnight what you like and want (Chanel AND triple points, what’s not to love?!?) Even if it’s not out yet, chances are your beloved stylist will get it for you.

Lastly, the customer service I receive is priceless. As a mother of two very active minions, it’s nice to be looked at with a warm smile and “ready to help” attitude no matter how you look or feel at that moment. I’ve had awful experiences where top stores look at you up and down before deciding whether or not it’s worth helping you. (Let’s not judge based of appearances). Long story short my loyalty does go to Nordstrom for creating the best environment for everyone and anyone and whether or I have my swag on or sweatpants I know that customer service at Nordstrom makes me feel like a million bucks.

Your Savvy Chick,

Avani

For a free stylish sesh with us and our Trunk Club stylist (and free champagne!) email [email protected]

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