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Fashion

Look Good and Feel Great Poolside This Spring Break

I recall last summer when my daughter asked, “Mom, are you getting in the pool?” and I had to respond “Ugh, sorry babe, not today! I will just sit over here, you guys have fun. I will get in next time!” Come on, I think to myself, I JUST washed my hair, and I haven’t’ lost those last few pounds yet… I can’t get in right now. Does this sound familiar?

Don’t get me wrong, I love swimming and I love watching my kids have fun, but I regularly prefer sitting on the sidelines because it means I get some me time and they kids get to have a little space too.  Just getting to the pool can be a roller coaster half the time, I can’t get out of the door without at least twenty minutes of prepping all of our gear: goggles, sunscreen, pool toys, sunglasses, a hat, towels, flip flops, snacks, water, etc.  You know  the drill! So by the time we get there, all I want to do is just relax!

This Pom Pom Dress/Cover Up

Statement Earrings

Kate Spade Sunnies

Then there is always the pressure of being comfortable at the pool, do you leave the cover up on or just embrace your body and lay by the pool without an ounce of insecurity?  Although I am a pretty confident woman, I always feel like there is room for improvement when it comes to my body and I am in constant pursuit of my pre-baby body–an inconceivable dream at this point.

What is conceivable is finding a swimsuit that makes me feel comfortable in my own skin. Last summer I tucked my belly into high waisted suits and one pieces that were nice for lounging but not for swimming.  And then I had the classic fits that were great for swimming but kind of boring for lounging.  So THIS year, I have found a balance between comfort and style.  I found swimsuits that work well in AND out of the pool along with some cover ups and accessories to make the whole trip to the pool easier to manage.  Check out our top swim essentials here!

Swimsuit

Floral Off The Shoulder

Flirty Poolside Florals

The Cover Ups

Best Cover Up SkirtTiare Hawaii Wrap Skirt

Accessories
The Bags
Our Favorite Pool Toys:

For more cuteness, see what we are packing for our upcoming Spring Break Chick Trip to Charleston, SC in a few weeks!

Cheers,

Rina

Travel

The Chicks Take Miami – Our Top 3 Must See Spots

All of this cold weather has us dreaming about this past summer when the chicks came together and agreed that a little getaway was in order. We rounded up childcare, got the husbands to buy into a getaway for the gals, shopped, planned, and shopped some more (see our airport looks here) and finally booked our tickets for the famous Miami Beach.

It had been AGES since any of us had been there so we did a lot of research and mixed a little old with the new when we planned our stay.  For nostalgia’s sake we went to the Fontainebleau Miami Beach Towers for our stay, in our 20s we used to enjoy spending time in their gorgeous lobby bar, Bleau Bar.  Our suite was heavenly, water on both sides and up in the  sky, we knew when we stepped into the suite that no matter what we had planned for the weekend that we were going to have a great time.  The suites in the towers at Fontainebleau  are fully stocked with a full kitchen and COFFEE!  Thank God, mornings without coffee are just awful especially after a long night!  The rooms were so comfortable and spacious, we all had room to breathe, spread out, take a break/nap, and gather.  We had all the right ingredients for an amazing weekend: good company, gorgeous location, no agenda, good vibes, and for the next three days NOTHING TO DO.  We left laptops, books, and to-do lists at home.

Espanola Way

We started at the tried at true Espanola Way for an immersive ‘Welcome to Miami’ moment.  The weather is always just perfect in Miami, no wonder you can’t help but feel happy when you are there.  Espanola way is so unique, with its cafes that spill out into the streets, string lights that stretch the entire block, aromas from foods all over the world, and live music that sets the mood which makes this block one of a kind.  Even though the temptation to stop into the first place you see is real, walking all the way down to Tapas N Tintos is well worth it.  This has been a chick favorite for ages, the flamenco dancers, tapas, intimate seating and cute servers make this restaurant a truly unique experience that can only be found in this corner of Miami.

Wynwood Walls

We popped into Blo BlowDry Bar for a little pampering the next morning before we started on the day’s adventures, we had an amazing morning with the staff there, so patient and hilarious, nothing like fun people to really elevate a girls weekend.   Since our last visit, Miami has become home to many creative hotspots and hosts amazing events like Art Basel each year.  Since we were just popping in for the weekend, we were determined to check out the installments at Wynwood Walls which was only about a ten minute cab ride from South Beach.  This enormous indoor/outdoor installment is not only beautiful, but also a bloggers dream come true! Backdrop after backdrop grace the grounds and alternative structural installments capture the imagination.   After strolling through the walls, we wandered around the corner and popped into KYU a vegetarian friendly restaurant where we ate the most amazing grilled cauliflower head with avocado drizzle.  This restaurant was so yummy and such an unexpected find.

After a fairly relaxing day, we were craving a high energy, high intensity environment.  LIV nightclub has been on our list, but they were closed for renovations so we headed to Rockwell to get our groove on.  A crowded nightclub may have been a little bit different than we remembered but we had a great time.

We knew that we would not want to leave Miami without a dip in the ocean, so we headed over to the beach the next morning to really just get the 360 experience, and the water was so warm, it was hardly refreshing against the Florida heat but it was still so liberating.  Something about the way salt water makes you float just makes us tick.  We floated for what seemed like an hour with nothing but a view of the sky, definitely one of my favorite moments of the weekend.  With a few of our favorite beauty products in our bags, we were good to go!

By recommendation, we headed to the stunning Scarpetta Lounge for dinner, conveniently for us located in Fontainebleau.  This restaurant makes you want to sit straight, look on point, order a fancy drink, take pictures, and just relish  the moment.  The food was excellent; they were accommodating for our vegetarian needs, and made dishes especially for us.   This was an expensive meal, but it was worth it!  Next stop was the hotel lobby bar where we had so many memories and laughs from years ago.  The bar is just stunning and massive!  Our cocktail for the night was a French 75, it’s a mix of champagne, lemon juice and simple syrup and a whole lotta sexy.  It’s a must try and the bartender at the bar NAILED IT!

SLS Pool Party

We were on a roll; we called it a night since our last day was going to be spent at the SLS pool party by recommendation the next day.  I am still speechless when it comes to our experience at SLS.  Please know that this weekly pool party books up months in advance so if you are going to Miami and want to go to this book it ASAP here.  SLS took a few tips from the Las Vegas pool party model and blew it out of the water literally, we spent eight hours there in total (thank god for physical sunscreen) and each one was different and unexpected.  The crowd was diverse but not stuffy, the staff were friendly and attentive and the venue was just breathtaking and intimate.  They have mastered the flow of this event and have good control over the crowd which we really appreciated.


Needless to say, we used the flight home to catch a quick cat-nap and hydrate.  In summary, our trip was epic and hopefully the start of a tradition with the chicks.  A little mommy getaway does the soul and spirit good. We were thrilled to get back to our families but super grateful for the break.

If we had to narrow it down to our top three things that you just can’t negotiate and miss on your next trip, they would be a visit to:

Tapas N Tintos – Espanola Way

Wynwood Walls

SLS Pool Party

These are a MUST MUST MUST!

What is your favorite thing to do in Miami?

For more travels posts, check out our post on a recent trip to Sao Paulo in Brazil.

Cheers,

Rina

Chicks Picks:


Beauty, friends, girl talk, Health, Life, Lifestyle, Motherhood, Wellness, women

Botox and the Indian Community      

Botox, everyone has thought about it, many of us are doing it, so why aren’t we talking about it?

Growing up as first generation Indian Americans, my sister and I had the impossible task of representing our Indian side, our American side, and our hybrid side with grace and full understanding.  This meant being respectful yet assertive and exploring our interests while not wandering too far outside of our parents understanding. It also meant looking and acting within certain cultural norms without compromising our opportunities here as Americans.

Aging is one of those unusual paradoxes where being Indian and American does not agree.  It appears that Americans embrace doing things make you feel good — from facials to chemical peels to plastic surgery to Botox. There is discussion and a sharing of experiences that is a part of the American culture.  I can’t speak to other communities and cultures but the Indian community from both the immigrant and first generation perspectives does not embrace artificial enhancement. Indo-American women will undergo a variety of procedures and services behind closed doors and lie about their genetics and diets to no end.   An acceptance of anti-aging tools that we have available to us as Indians in America has been a difficult pill to swallow for many.

Avani getting her bi annual Botox shots.I am 36 years old, I have been getting Botox for 3 years.  When I looked in the mirror after having two kids and moving homes twice, my body directly experienced the stress. My body had undergone both of those life-changing events and left me with deep wrinkles which made me feel older than I was. My friends, co-workers, and sisters were supportive when I first considered Botox (see our article here about facing judgement). We talked about it, read about it, researched it until I eventually went for it.  Some family members, on the other hand, discouraged me from doing it and hesitantly added that if I did get it, I should keep it to myself.  After seeing my results and my satisfaction, two short years later, they too went ahead and tried it out. But they have since kept their “genetic” advantages to themselves.

Before And After
Before And After

Without getting too carried away, I am grateful that I can take little steps to look the way I feel.  I am not in denial of aging or of my life circumstances; this is a personal choice and one that has left me satisfied. By not sharing ideas and privatizing our desires, we cannot lift each other up in a way that can be positive in the right context.

I hope to get the discussion started.  We are fortunate that one of our Savvy Chicks’, Avani, has a husband who is a plastic surgeon — if you have any questions please leave them in comments below and we will be happy to get you an expert’s perspective.

Cheers,

Rina

If Botox is not your thing yet, here are a few Chicks Picks from Beauty Chick, Neema (check out her take on sunscreen).


Beauty, girl talk, Health, Life, Lifestyle, Motherhood, Parenting, women

How To Get #HairGoals

3 months postpartum and I was losing hair in ridiculous amounts. When I say ridiculous amounts I mean constant never-ending shedding all day long. 4 months postpartum and I could tell the thickness of my hair was not what it use to be – my ponytail was skinnier, I could see bits of receding in places around my hairline. I CRIED.

After doing some research, I found out that postpartum hair loss is completely normal, and happens to most women but in different severities. It has to do with all the crazy hormones trying to go back to normal in your body (Like we don’t go through enough, right?)

Even after reading that it was normal – I was devastated and seriously thought my hair would never be the same. Fast forward to 8 months after delivering – and I saw fly always all around my head. IT WAS GROWING!! (Insert happy dance!!)

 

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I started taking things into my own hands to help my hair grow faster and better. No chemicals, no expensive medications, just a few nourishing techniques I learned while obsessing over how to get my hair back.

Please hear me — this is just what I did to grow my hair quickly. Don’t feel pressured to have to try all these things all at once. It’s like a buffet — pick a few that work for you!

No-poo

Sigh. Yeah, you heard me. For years now I had heard about no-poo, and thought it was nuts. But I was desperate and tried it. Why not? Buy a little bit of high-quality baking soda, and use a little vinegar, add my favorite essential oil (lavender oil), clean all the buildup off my hair and scalp. RESULTS: LOVE! My hair had never looked as good, ever. I did the no-poo for about 4 months, before I went back to a natural shampoo.

The Inversion Method (Major game changer!)

What’s the Inversion Method? For one week per month, once a day, you wet your fingertips with some hair-appropriate oil (I did a mix of almond oil and castor oil), flip your head over and give your scalp a good 5-minute massage with your fingertips. Like, a really good massage. The massage paired with your head being upside down MAJORLY increases blood flow to the scalp and triggers an increase in hair growth. You should only do this once a week per month (one week on, three weeks off). Your scalp quickly gets accustomed to it if you do it too often. I’ve read that this method can grow hair 4 inches in one week – I’m not sure I saw that kind of growth but I DEFINITELY saw a difference.

Biotin

This one’s an easy one, peeps. I started taking Biotin. Pairing this with all the other crazy hair things I was doing makes it hard to for me to say how effective it is, but since taking it my nails have become rock hard. So I know it’s doing something!

Eat Healthy!

This is usually a no brainer, but there are certain foods that provide the exact vitamins that your body needs. I’m a vegetarian so I did the plant version of everything but I will list the beneficial non-vegetarian options as well

Fatty acids: Avocados, pumpkin seeds, and walnuts were my go-to. Non-vegetarian: Salmon

Antioxidant, beta-carotene, vitamin A: Sweet Potatoes, Carrots, Cantaloupe

Protein & Iron: Eggs for me! Non-Vegetarian: chicken, pork, and beef.

Vitamin C & Folate: Spinach, kale, broccoli, and leafy greens. I would make a smoothie!

Zinc & Biotin: Lentils, soybeans, kidney beans

Vitamin B5 & D: Greek Yogurt

Vitamin C: Blueberries, strawberries, and kiwi – Also added this to my smoothie!

Chlorine, UV, and Wind Protection:  This ones pretty obvious — Throw on a hat if you can! If you’re in the pool a lot, wet your hair before going into the pool and if possible add a conditioner to help prevent it from stripping in the chlorine.  Also check out my previous post on physical sunscreen to learn more about my recommendations on UV protection.

These are just somethings that really helped my hair! My hair if feeling the same as before and even a bit thicker than before having my baby girl. I just cut off 7-inches of my hair just to try something new so it is the perfect time for me to do a before and after in a few months to show you guys how much my hair has grown!

Think hair-growing thoughts! #hairgoals

Love,

Neema

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