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#MomsOffDuty – What Does That Mean? Celebrating 100 Posts!!

This is our 100th Post!!! That is more than two years of Chick Picks, Fashion Posts, Motherhood Rants, and Party Tips and we could not have done it without you!! Thank you so much for supporting Chicks And Salsa!!

One of our most frequently used hashtags is #MomsOffDuty.  It was brought to our attention that ‘life outside of motherhood’ and ‘Moms off duty’ implies that we did not have children or did not care about them. This could not be further from the truth!  It just means that we are not going to beat ourselves up about taking a little ‘me time‘ every now and then.

Yes, we are moms and yes we are obsessed with our kids (as most Moms are). BUT the blog is a way for us to find an avenue outside of the realm of crafting, cooking, and career. Chicks And Salsa is a way to use creativity and media to connect with other women in a way that encourages us to develop ourselves as members of this society.

Reflections:
As women, especially those of ethnic descent, we have a tendency to place ourselves last — behind spouses, kids, career. If there is anything I have learned in these past few years, it is that putting yourself first can feel good sometimes, too. It is also important to realize that ‘mom guilt’ never goes away: we will always wish that when we try a new restaurant with friends, that our husbands were there or when we discover a new park to run at, that we could exercise and watch the kids at the same time.
Moms Off Duty—that is how we feel when we squeeze in a coffee with friends during the day or get a babysitter and vent to a friend over cocktails after school. It is all-encompassing. It is the food that we eat, the activities that we participate in, the civic work that we do, the obligations we have at work, and our responsibilities at home. It is about taking a moment to build yourself as a woman, no matter what corners that life brings your way. Stringing together the moments outside of our routines are often the ones that we remember and cherish.
Celebrating Each Other
You Do You
We challenge you to be ‘off duty’ once in a while and do something for yourself with or without someone else. Push yourself to a new limit and rediscover an old hobby. Or listen to some old tunes and dance like no one is watching. It is possible to be a great mother, an influencer, a career-builder, and an independent woman — find your way to putting yourself first and in doing that, find yourself.
Lastly, thank you for all the love that you have shown us these past few years, hopefully we have more to offer as we learn more about all of you!!
With so much love, your chicks,
Rina and Sonia
Shout out to Neema, one of our contributors and Mom-extraordinaire, see her posts here.
Chick Picks:

Celebrating Female Strength And Beauty With SelaFit

Anyone else live in work out gear?!  I sure do!  When the kids were babies I was yoga pant obsessed…like literally, I fell asleep in them and wore them all day just to wear the same ones the very next day until laundry day!  I know, I’m not proud, but when you’re sleep deprived anything goes.  Once the kids got a little older I was able to fall into a rhythm which incorporated a work out routine.  What I realized about work out gear was that it was the “less pajama” way to walk around in public and look cute all at the same time.  I playfully call my workout pants my upgraded yoga pants since they are so comfortable!
 

Sela Fit Cross Cross Sports BraSela Fit Black Mesh Body Suit |

Sela Fit High Waisted PantsSela Fit Essential Sweatshirt

I recently stumbled across an affordable line of work out gear called SelaFit.  They are a Chicago based company whose message supports women of all body types.  In the land of Lululemon, my pocket book just couldn’t keep up.  As a person who is on and off the exercise train, having work out clothes that I can both sweat in at the gym or run errands in, is important to me when deciding what to buy.  Honestly, fashion trends for women change quickly so looking for daily looks that don’t break the bank.  I have several different fall looks in my latest “go to” work out brand Sela Fit.

The criss cross detail the sports bra adds a nice touch to a tank.  It shows in the back while your hair is up – I like to play around with different colors too to add a fun pop of color!  The mesh bodysuit is a perfect addition to a yoga or Pilates class.  Can’t tell you how many times I’ve been in a position that sets my top loose and shows my stomach and back – not totally ideal!  The high waisted work out pants are a perfect addition.  I have a small waist and a high waisted look always gives me the tuck I need so I can accentuate a part of my body that I love.

I can’t stress enough how much I love this sweatshirt.  Not only it is a little baggy, but the material feels like butter on your skin.  In Chicago, we have more cooler months than hotter months, so this sweatshirt adds a perfect finish to a sweaty post work out look.  Not to mention it can be worn on jeans for just a cute #ootd!

Check them out at www.selafit.com you won’t be disappointed you did!

Your Chick,

Sonia

Shop Other Athleisure:

What’s In My Bag – Want To Know? #SaleAlerts

I am always curious about what trends other people are watching and what people have their eye on…am I weird? I know what makes me feel good about myself, but I wonder how that aligns with what someone else may like.  If you have followed us for a while, then you know that we have shop-able looks that we share with you almost daily.  You can also see what we have been buying on Amazon on our influencer page too!

With the long weekend coming up I am grateful for what a chill month August has been. September has a lot going on and in life I feel like you need both busy periods and chill periods to appreciate each for what they are, you know what I mean?

Labor Day Sales Breakdown:

ASOS has 20% off EVERYTHING – Code: DAYOFF

Urban Outfitters is have 30% off Sale Items (until 9/3)

Ann Taylor jewelry is all 40% off!

Target has 30% Furniture (Online ONLY till 9/3)

This week was particularly fun since I was able to catch up with several old friends and do some online shopping.  There are so many looks I have been lusting after that I finally looked up bucket bags and found one that is just right for me.  A look that I also have been rocking a lot are dresses with sneakers.  With sales blowing up my inbox, I thought I would share with you what is in my bag and what all is on sale this weekend.

Now tell me what’s in YOUR bag?

Cheers,

Rina

I Finally Got My Eyebrows Microbladed and Here Are My Thoughts

When one of my favorite beauty bloggers Irene Sarah got microblading I felt like that was my sign to just go for it.  Microblading has been on my radar for almost 2 years, and I have been coloring in my brows since 1999 – seriously! After watching hours of YouTube videos, I looked up some reviews and came across Havy Tran of Chicago Microblading located in Schaumburg, IL.  Truthfully, my goal was simple, just make my daily make up routine a little easier by having my eyebrows ready to go every day.

Havy has the best and most patient personality especially for someone like me that came in with images of Irene, Huda, and of course Priyanka.  She knew the look I was going for, bigger, thicker, fuller brows – period.  We talked through some options and looked at dozens of photos and agreed on a combination strategy that would involve drawing in hair lines as well as shading.  We carefully mapped out the lines on my face and then got to work.

**Please note: I got a chemical peel 4 days before microblading so some of the scabbing on my face is from the peel.  I wanted the pictures to be as unaltered as possible so I am using the originals so that you can see the true result.**

Before And After

Microblading involves injecting pigment into the top seven layers of skin and therefore does not go deep enough to cause bleeding or even scarring (unless you have sensitive skin).  It should last about 18 months and save you hours of time and product!

The first ten minutes on a scale from one to ten were a seven on my pain scale.  After that Havy numbed me up and finished up in about 25 minutes.  The immediate results are dramatic, but after about a week the excess ink and slight scabbing went away to show the real result.  In my case the result was a very natural and closely mimicked my daily drawing in of brows.

My brows 10 days after microblading, no more filling in!

All in all the procedure costs $650 and includes a touch up 3-4 weeks after your initial visit.  I would not recommend ‘shading’ only the drawing in of hairs.  As you can see in my photos, the shading has a tattoo like effect that seems unnatural.  Another thing I noticed, is that I got is that the ink Havy used may have been one shade darker than something that is natural looking on me.

Despite the feedback, I love being make up ready when I wake up, it’s just one of those things that drove me crazy.  I will do a follow up in about six months on how the ink is holding up, but for now:

I hope you found this review helpful or interesting.  Would you get your eyebrows microbladed?

Your Chick,

Rina

Chick Picks for Perfect Eyebrows: