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.
From blogging, I have learned, that social media can be a very powerful tool. This tool creatively allows you to share your brand, thoughts, and ideas on platforms that is driven by like minded people. “Finding Your Tribe” often trends on the minds and hearts of people on the World Wide Web. The importance of that tribe cannot be understated.
For any service or product driven company, finding an audience through social media can increase your visibility which can translate into customers and sales. Social media marketing is about finding your 1,000 true fans and targeting them with proper messaging and a carefully crafted brand.
As part of our evolution as bloggers, we have started Digital Chicks Media, a social media management company. Digital Chicks Media can help your business by handling all the creativity and time required to juggle content creation, engagement, and activity on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest.
What Forbes is Saying:
“Social media isn’t something you can “turn on” and expect to start seeing an increase in revenue or conversions. It takes time and effort to build a successful social media presence; you need to have a thorough understanding of your target market, you need to carefully craft your messaging and time your posts adeptly, and on top of that, you need to be active consistently, engaging with your audience, sometimes for months or years, before you see a return on the investment.” ~Forbes
It’s true that juggling a business and all of the social media requirements to meet today’s needs can be overwhelming. Let the chicks of Digital Chicks Media run your social media so that you can run your business.
If you are interested in how we can help you get more active socially, please get in touch with us! Email Rina Puri at [email protected]
I look forward to “spring cleaning” every year! It’s my chance to be “out with the old and in with the new!” A fun place for me to start is always my closet. Every year I’m reminded of how I’ve been in rotation of the same clothes throughout the winter… especially since us Chicago folks have the ability to hide behind our parka jackets. With nice weather creeping up on us (hopefully ??) I wanted to think about how to re-surface out of my hibernation and back into the balance of life, fitness and just being ME and I have come up with 5 ways to do it!
Put away your leggings!
I have finally come to terms with the fact that summer is around the corner. My recent harsh reminder to put my leggings away was when I tried to squeeze into my jeans from last summer – not gonna lie, my fly kept falling down! Come on chicks, I can’t be the only one who has leggings as their go to piece in the fall and winter. Leggings can be a dangerous “go to” item because it’s easy to expand and not notice. Also, it doesn’t help that the temptation to grab for Spanx leggings is real since they help squeeze in the extra pounds! With March finally here, it’s time to kick back into gear and work towards getting back into shape…bye bye leggings….hello jeans, dresses, and skirts!
(For the Pink Top – Size Down- I exchanged my Medium for a Small)
Consider a Change of Hair Style or Color
The winters in Chicago can be brutal! The wind chill in the city will make you feel like you never want to leave the house. I don’t know about you, but going for a cut and color has fallen by the wayside over the last couple of months. My split ends need to be gone…pronto! I am so looking forward to a fresh change. Perhaps cutting off a few inches and going a little lighter in my highlights would be fun. Change it up and be bold! It’s amazing how the way we look can influence the way we feel about ourselves.
My biolage was done by Anna George Salon at the Illinois Center – Ivana is amazing!
Add a Pop of Color to Your Spring Wardrobe
My husband always tells me that he’s tired of seeing me in grays, whites and blacks. When I look at my wardrobe I definitely fall into a sea of similar colors, cuts and styles. There is something about spring….the flowers, the sun, and getting out of the house that gives me an extra pep in my step. When Spring shopping, I am usually looking for something with a pop of color that makes me feel like I want to smile and spread the positivity. I recently bought this really fun white blazer that is making me feel springy! A couple bright pieces is all you need. Don’t try to buy a new wardrobe — otherwise you’ll end up with several items that you don’t even wear.
Grab a Buddy and Join a Fitness Program
Over the years I have yo-yoed in my dieting and exercise routine. To be honest, I used to avoid having a workout buddy when going to the gym for fear of letting them down when falling off the bandwagon. What I’ve learned is that the accountability helps when committing to a fitness program. I recently joined ClassPass which had helped me work out with an array of different people who enjoy different styles of exercise. I’m not only getting in shape, but I am also able to socialize and hopefully work towards fitting into those jeans from last summer!
Start Planning Your Next Chick Trip with Your Tribe
I can’t believe it’s already been 8 months since my last chick trip with my chicks! If you haven’t seen it, check out our vlog to Miami on YouTube. When I take the time to focus on myself with the people I love most, coming back to home-life feels so much more refreshing. With the weather warming up, I’m really looking forward to coming together with my chicks and seeing where we are headed next (hint hint: DC and Charleston are on the horizon)!