Cooking = What We are Eating This Week

The theme of balancing work and life is now solidly ingrained in my entire being. It's a constant struggle to try to keep multiple balls in the air. Coincidentally, anytime I tried to literally balance three balls in the air, I failed miserably. Nevertheless, I am persistent and I continue to try to balance, raising children to be competent members of society, feeding them somewhat healthy meals and producing quality work. I don't necessarily succeed at all those things all the time, but two out of three ain't bad, right?

To be able to stay somewhat sane during the week, I try to cook for the week. So here is one of our week's meals.

I call this, Ham Pie.

Soup of the week...

Chicken and Brocolli stir-fry....

Remember You?

I recently came across an article from Parents.com, "3 Signs You've Forgotten About You". This caught my eye because as parents, and especially mothers, we tend to put ourselves last and put our kids, spouses and work ahead. After the cooking, cleaning, laundry and work, the only thing you hope for is to have more than 5 hours of uninterrupted sleep at night. And that's never guaranteed.

When I came across the above-mentioned article, I was intrigued by the signs that made the list, since I've hit all three, multiple times in fact. I won't keep you in suspense any longer. According to Parents.com, the following are three signs that YOU have been forgotten:

• You're not getting everything done
• You are tired and/or get sick frequently
• Your patience has bid you adieu

I experience two out of the three every single day. Every mother thinks she's the only one that feels this way. Well, it looks like there is at least one other mother (moi) feeling the exact same way. In fact, I am 99.9% sure that every mother feels the same way at one point or another (or most likely more often). So in order to feel less like a failure we attempt to do even more, which of course backfires, sending us on a spiral into further misery.

Sometimes the right answer seems counter-intuitive. In my post on the Five Things I Learned in My Five Years of Parenting, I list out things we as Moms can do to make us the best Moms we can be. My Mom always tells me that children need healthy Mothers. To be better for others, we need to be good to ourselves. So taking care of ourselves should be a priority. As a follow up to the five things I've learned, I wanted to list out some things we as Moms can do to clear our heads and replenish our energy.

• Get a few girlfriends together for an evening out - you'd be surprised how much this can do for the psyche. (Try to make this a habit.)
• Coloring books for adultsare all the rage - calms the nerves and focuses the mind
• Try to run errands on your own - having alone time is a scarce commodity for parents. Any chance to have some time for oneself is greatly welcomed. A run to the grocery store or even taking out the garbage offers a chance for a little bit of tranquility.
• Last but certainly don't let it be least, make time for the spouse. The relationship that brought your children into the world should be nourished to maintain a thriving family.

I am always open to new ideas and suggestions. I'd love to hear what you do to unwind and replenish. Please do share in the comments below.

Until next time...

Five Things I Learned in My Five Years of Parenting

I am just about one month shy of being a parent of a 5 year old. In these five years, I've become a parent of not only one but two boys. Transitioning from one child to two makes you reflect on what it was like having just one child, and ponder how in the world you'll manage everything that's already on your plate, plus the needs of another, whole human being. This is the time when you start to prioritize and strategize.

After having my first child, I tried to be everything I was before child and manage everything that came with having a child. As crazy as that plan is with one child, with two children, it is just not humanly possible. Unless of course, you're not one that requires sleep. After having my second child, more and more I started coming to terms with the fact that I can't be everything to everyone, all of the time. With this realization, I started letting go of things that caused me heartburn.

• Guilt comes with the territory - feeling guilty about what you did or didn't do is just part of being a parent. Guilt about not having enough patience because you don't take enough time for yourself to regroup. Guilt because you take time for yourself and don't spend enough time with the kids. I accept and embrace that guilty feeling as part of my daily life but I don't allow it to overwhelm me.
• Asking for help is NOT frowned upon - they say, "it takes a village to raise a child". On some level I agree with this sentiment. It is perfectly OK to ask for help. I've been lucky enough to have parents nearby that are able and willing to help. I am a strong believer in kids building a bond with their grandparents. Grandparents get a chance to bond with the kids and you get a break, and a chance to catch up on things you haven't had a chance to get to. Sounds like a win-win in my book.
• Taking "me" time is a necessity - It's a chance to step away and get in touch with yourself as a person, and not just yourself as a parent. "Me" time allows me to be a better, more patient parent. I see it only as a positive. 
• Everything won't get done every day - In an earlier post I mentioned how hubby and I try to manage our weekly to-dos and chores. One of the things he said to me as I was getting ready to get back into the working world was, "it's OK if everything doesn't get done every day". And you know, he is right. It's all about setting realistic expectations. The more realistic the expectations, the less unnecessary stress you'll endure. If we got three things done today but didn't get to a pile of laundry, it's not the end of the world. It'll still be there, waiting for us tomorrow. 
• Skipping soup one day, won't kill the kids - I come from a culture where not having soup everyday is almost a sin. On a weekly basis, I wrecked my brain over what kind of soup I should make that week. Because the kids need to have fresh soup available at all times, and if they don't, I've failed as a parent. This is quite a burden to carry. In reality, making fresh soup every three days is just not feasible, and if the kids don't have soup for a few days, they really will be fine. In fact, they might thank you for the soup break.

I would love to hear your stories, What have you learned from your parenting adventures? 

Until next time...

2 bedrooms + 2 kids = ...

...clutter and chaos.

When we purchased our 2 bedroom condo, it was intended to be a starter home for 5-7 years, tops. Well, here we are, 8 years and 2 children later. Still here, with no prospects for an expansion. The sad truth of living in an area with a million-job economy is that everyone wants to be here. The limited supply of living space translates into irrationally high real estate prices. What this means is that a moderately-sized home now has a million plus price tag, and that's just the asking price. This moderately-sized home ultimately gets sold for hundreds of thousands of dollars over that million plus price tag. For a dual-income family this means chasing an unreachable target.

And so, a family of four makes the most of their 2 bedroom condo. The question is, how do you make the most of this space, without feeling like you are stepping on each other, allowing the kids to have some kind of space of their own, and attempting to keep things organized and uncluttered? As a child, I never lived in a space bigger than two bedrooms with my parents and older brother. In fact, for the first 9 years of my life, we lived in a one-bedroom apartment. Yet somehow, everything had its own place.

Trying to make due with what we have, I am always on the lookout for organization ideas and keep track of them on a pinterest board, which I created specifically for this purpose. When we were adding furniture, we looked for multi-purpose items. Our couches have storage conveniently hidden underneath. Perfect for extra toys or other items not in everyday use. The entertainment center is not just for the TV but also has shelving for books and a separate area to display the nicer bar ware. When purchasing my son's big boy bed, we opted for a twin with storage underneath. Since the boys have to share a room, this added additional drawers to fit all their bedding and pajamas. And of course there are drawer dividersto keep everyone's drawers in order. The best thing we ever did was to customize the existing closets in the condo. It is amazing how much more we were able to squeeze out of the existing space. We drew out the plans for our closets ourselves, but the Easy Closets website seems like a nifty idea.

Ultimately, life is what you make of it. I've become a big fan of Apartment Therapy. Especially their small spaces section. Always interesting to see how others make the most of their spaces. I recently came across an article that showed the life of a family with four children making the most of a two bedroom apartment, and so, it's all possible with a little planning.

If you can relate to the above, how do you make the most of your space? Share in comments below. I can't wait to see what other tips I can pick up!

Until next time...

What is Your Maternity Style?

Pregnancy has been dubbed as the time when women get fat and put their lives (and fashion style) on hold until the baby is born. Yet, why should that be the case? In today's day and age, fashion and style expanded to maternity wear. Gone are the days of mumus and shapeless wear. The modern pregnant woman has options, and can and should continue to be fabulous and stylish. What's even better, you can be fabulous and stylish without breaking the bank. Motherhood Maternity is no longer your only option. Here are some great options for your maternity wear needs.

If skinny jeans are your thing, H&M is a great place to stock up on maternity skinny jeans. Speaking from experience, they look great and are still very comfortable. I've found some great tops and dresses at ASOS. You can't go wrong with Target. In those last few weeks of pregnancy, when even my maternity clothes don't seem to fit, Target was my go-to place.

If you're lucky enough to retain the same shoe size throughout your pregnancy, shoe shopping is one thing you can indulge in, if clothing is not your thing. There is no better time like the present, with black Friday on our doorstep.

So, what's your maternity style? Share your favorite maternity wear stores and finds in the comments below.

Happy Thanksgiving to you all!

Until next time...

Maximize Your Baby Registry with Minimal Stuff

I took a bit of a hiatus from the blog. I'd like to say that it was to reflect and revitalize but the reality is, I was just trying to survive. Being a mother of two doesn't make things twice as hard but it certainly makes the balancing act that much harder to balance. I'd like to think that my return to the blog is a sign that I am able to keep all the proverbial balls in the air (most of the time at least).

After one child, my perspective and expectations were quite different, not to mention easier to manage, with baby #2 on the way. Now a mother of two for over a year, I'd like to think that I've become a little wiser and a lot more open to going with the flow. As all mothers know, when kids are in the mix, nothing ever works out as planned.

I struggled somewhat with the direction that I wanted to take this blog, this outlet. Over the last year, there was another waive of pregnancies in my circle and a few first-time expectant mothers reached out with questions regarding various aspects of life with children. After answering similar questions from various mothers-to-be, I realized that this is the perfect way to share what I've learned so far along my  short journey as a parent with those that are coming up behind me. With that, let's jump in with both feet and start at the beginning.

The question that is at the top of most first-time expectant mothers' minds, after they've survived the harrowing first trimester and are safely on their way to the remainder of their pregnancy, is..."what do I put on my registry?"

When I was pregnant with my first son, I received a very good piece of advice in regards to my registry, "keep stuff to a minimum". The baby industry is booming, kids come with an overwhelming amount of "stuff". It makes me wonder how the kids of my generation (from the old country) survived without some of the things that are currently available. With this being said, I've answered the baby registry question a number of times and wanted to summarize what, in my humble opinion, are needed items, so that the new mother has all the necessary tools, without that feeling of drowning in stuff. Everything is a personal preference of course, but if you're overwhelmed by the available options, here are a few pointers to keep you on track.

• Opt for a pack'n playinstead of a bassinet. After the first initial months of your infant sleeping in your room, this can be used as a travel bed on those future family vacations.
• A wipe warmermay sound bourgeois but your baby will thank you for not applying ice cold wipes to their touche.
• When picking an infant car seat, opt out for the lightest possible one.
• To make it easier to lug the baby around in that infant car seat, I suggest getting a stroller that's car seat adaptable. Just as everything else, there are many stroller options. My trusted strollerlasted me through both children. The second time around, I opted for a car seat adapterto make things easier.
• Aden + Anais swaddle blanketswere everything I never knew, I always wanted. These are so soft and large enough to easily swaddle the baby.
• I would also recommend getting a few of the easy swaddlers. These were a life saver.
• I personally opted out of getting a diaper geniebut that's a personal decision.
• I would also suggest waiting until the baby is born to choose your preferred diaper brand. Hospitals tend to provide enough for the first day or two. You never know what size you'll need.
• The baby bathrobeis a complete waste but those hooded towelswill come in very handy.

These are a few of my tips to get you going on your baby registry adventures. For those that have been down this road, I would love to hear your feedback on what has worked (or not) for you. Looking forward to seeing your suggestions and feedback in the comments below.

Until next time...

Date Night in France

Saturday night hubby and I took an evening out for ourselves. It was our first date night in who knows how long. Hubby picked out the restaurant. His choice wasn't a place we would normally select (since what we'd normally pick has been almost impossible to reserve). So the choice was Jeanne d'Arc. Jeanne d'Arc is a small French restaurant in Cornell Hotel, located near Nob Hill.

Coming down the narrow, steep staircase, was like entering medieval France. Complete with stained glass windows, knight armor and French family crests.

The restaurant offers a pre-fixe menu. Escargot, liver pate, a variety of entree choices. Each entree comes with potatoes au gratin. Finally, diners get to select one of three dessert options. The most notable being the souffle as well as a hazelnut chocolate cake. The food was tasty and the service was quick and friendly.

After sharing a bottle of a very nice Rose wine, we decided to stroll over to Rickhouse bar for a night cap. The place wasn't overly packed, so we were able to get actual seats at the bar.The bartenders in their suspenders and newspaper boy hats made some incredible mojitos (yes, two, and all for me).

This made for a great ending to a perfect evening...

Until next time...