Since having kids, getting rid of the stubborn underbelly fat has driven Sonia and I crazy! We have considered all kinds of options- cool sculpting, cryo sculpting, we have written about our love of Spanx many times, and most recently, I have tried the Keto diet. Surgical solutions are out there but we have been hesitant thus far to go down that route.
Luckily, for the last few years, and thanks to our blog, Sonia and I have come out of our shell a little bit and have found some swimsuits that make us feel great in or out of the pool! These high-waisted suits hide the ‘pooch’ as we call it. So long muffin top, we are owning it now!
Check out our swim looks over the years. Most of these are under $40 and many are available on Amazon. So add one of these styles to your cart, you will be glad you did.
I hope you loved this compilation, we truly love sharing things that work for us with all of you. I hope that with these recommendations you can feel like the super woman that you are all summer long!
Sonia and I, not surprisingly, talk every day. That is EVERY SINGLE DAY for the last 36 years — minus those few times in college where all sisters fight, of course.
She is my lifeline and through her, I have learned so much about life. When you have someone to bounce ideas, feelings, and circumstances off of, it can be a humbling experience. Exchanging notes with my sister and all of our Chicks over the years has taught us one thing:
“We may have all come on different ships, but we’re in the same boat now. “
~Martin Luther King, Jr.
We Dress Up For Date Nights
We Practice Self Care
Realizing that we all have common human experiences like relationships, work, family, and responsibilities, is the secret to happiness. Sonia lives in downtown Chicago and I live in a small town in middle Georgia. It is easy for me to sometimes think that the grass is greener on the other side, but let me make my case otherwise. I often joke that Monday through Friday, my rural Georgia life and Sonia’s city life look exactly the same. The main difference is that she has better restaurant options on the weekends. Through my frequent talks with her, I see how the details of our lives are actually so similarly aligned. But the similarity of our human experience has been muddled in the recent years… thanks to the internet.
Social media can spread truth, but it can also be misleading. It makes you think that you’re supposed to be leading a certain lifestyle and meeting certain measures. But l let me tell you that behind all the photos, there is a lot of sacrifice. As Mothers we all have to wake our kids up, hope that they are in a good mood, get them ready and shipped off to school, go to work or to the gym, pick up the kids, bus them around to after school activities, get dinner ready, and then wind down at night just to do it all over again the next day. On top of the daily activities, we are trying to put our best foot forward to be our best and most beautiful selves, and think of creative ways to truthfully and meaningfully connect on social media platforms, arrange the meetings, attend the conferences, and organize the photo shoots. I could go on forever.
Chicks And Salsa has a network of almost 15,000 women strong and we all agree that the struggle is real. If you are lucky, you can carve out a few minutes to catch your breath, throw on a face mask and put your best foot forward every day. And remember, the emphasis on the ‘few minutes’.
This post has been a long time coming, a reminder that you are living your best life and that finding the silver lining in everything you do is a matter of perspective. In my experience, Mother’s are the glue that holds everything together. It is our responsibility to also share what we are going through with each other and keep it real — because we are all going through it. We also need to be there for each other because if we truly are the same, then the thoughts and feelings we experience in this journey through marriage, maturing, and parenthood is also the same.
We Make Time For Our ChicksWe Get Our Stuff Done
Over the years we have tackled all kinds of issues with our friends and families, everything from divorce, counseling, death, illness, and bullying. But sometimes the ‘sisterhood’ and support is lacking when you see women criticize others or amplify each other’s shortcomings. This is our chance to unite and lift each other up. We each have good days and we each have bad days. Especially as Mother’s, Sonia and I can both attest to the strength it requires to remain a stable force in a constant moving stream that is family. I just wanted to remind you that before you wish you had someone else’s life, learn to love what you have and where you live — your every day is amazing, I promise. I recently wrote a reflective piece about a local place that means a lot to me and my family. Find your special corner in this world and make it yours!
Ahhh, Amazon. When you used to think about the word “Amazon” you probably thought about the rain forest. Now when you say the word you’ll likely think about the online shopping site. I have been a prime member since it’s inception. I can’t even tell you how much I love Amazon and their 2 day prime shipping! Hallelujah.
As a mom, I frequently put my family first. It wasn’t until recently that I realized that Amazon had an Amazon Fashion Store. As an avid Nordstrom shopper, I was leery about purchasing anything on Amazon. I started my first purchase with an off the shoulder white dress for a boat party that I was hosting. I spent $30 on this beauty and it did not disappoint! Thank goodness my first purchase was good, it set me on 2 day prime shopping journey that has taught me so many things about how to navigate Amazon fashion that I want to share with you today!
#1. Check if it is a prime item. For a nominal annual fee ($99) you can become a prime member and it will give you free shipping on anything that comes from Amazon. It saves time and $ depending on how often you plan to use the site for shopping.
#2. Make sure you look at reviews. Chicksandsalsa is in the top 1% of reviewers on TripAdvisor, so you know we love our reviews! Shoppers (and ChicksAndSalsa) will help you determine quality, sizing and durability
#3. Know where the items are coming from. Often times I have ordered in haste and not paid attention…items that ship from international locations take much longer than something that is shipping domestic.
#4. In complete honesty, only about 4 of 12 items will be keepers. I have not had full success in my shopping with Amazon. However, with free shipping back, I’m always willing to take a risk in the comfort of my own home to try clothes on and send them back as needed.
The Finds
Here are a few of my favorite Amazon Fashion purchases.
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.
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.
