Tag Archives: family

The Calm …

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The next couple of days/weeks are going to be a whirlwind for my little family. “Dada” is headed to the playoffs after a long season of hard work, injuries, and almost sleepless nights. It’s so wonderful to be able to witness this amazing journey first hand. Seeing the effort my husband and his team put in on a daily basis and now watching it all pay off is simply unbelievable, but totally believable. If you know what I mean. All I can say is to God be all of the glory and the honor.

With that being said I will most likely be absent from the blog for the next 3 days, but will come back with hopefully great news and amazing photos and tidbits from our little adventure in Denver, Colorado. Before this hectic but exciting time we were able to spend a nice day together by the pool last week. We enjoyed salmon burgers and fries from Nations and soaked up some sun(lathered in The Honest Company sunscreen of course! See link below or on sidebar and try it!). Here are a couple of pictures from that day. I got Riley’s pool toys from Target! Enjoy!

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Eco-friendly Beauty by The Honest Company

Weekend Roundup

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Our weekend was fantastic! It started out with a nice mother-daughter lunch in the square. Riley became a big girl right before my eyes and decided she was more than happy to sit in her high chair with me for an hour and enjoy her food as well. It’s amazing that she’s growing up but so bittersweet and I tend to feel a great deal of sadness about it. Any other mommies out there feel the same?

Our neighborhood had an awesome sailboat event going on so we were able to check that out for a little while after our lunch. We had a great family breakfast the next day, complete with an impromptu early morning at the park and some smoothies! Your day is always better when it starts out at an empty park, as a family. Riley loved it and I think my husband loved it even more (see photos below). Stephen had practice on Sunday so we weren’t able to make it to service, but we did manage to blast our favorite gospel songs through the house and bask in the presence of the Lord as we got ready for our day. I met up with my good friend Sabina (my gorgeous Polish bombshell) for brunch and we had the most delicious citrus beignets and french press. I also had the best scrambled eggs to date. I’m definitely going to play around and see if I can make them myself, but I can’t quite put my finger on what made them so yummy.

Our Sunday continued after “dada” got out of practice. We took a trip to Babies R Us to pick up a baby gate. It’s our ritual to let Riley pick out a toy when we go there and naturally she picked out the scariest most life like toy in the building. She loves the big monkey whom we’ve respectively named Roscoe, but he scares me every time I walk into the room!

The night ended with a little home cleaning session, homemade bread, lasagna and red velvet cupcakes! I’ve included a link to a vine video I made of Riley at the park. :)

https://vine.co/v/bF79eiEuhZr

Happy Monday! Enjoy!

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Walk In LOVE !

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We attended a wonderful Easter Sunday church service last week and the message was just what I needed. Simply to walk “in love”. Keep your head held high, and know that you are where you are supposed to be. We are a reflection of God and it is our duty as servants of him to display his love and be a reflection of him. Ultimately letting our “little lights shine”!

No sin is greater than the next. We all have sinned and all have our faults. At the end of the day we should lend our advice in times of need, a shoulder to lean on, and praying hands for one another. We MUST walk in LOVE at all times. Free yourself from the judgement of others and simply pray for them if you feel that their ways are not of the Lord. I feel we are so quickly to judge and talk about other peoples wrong doings (we’ve all been guilty of this i’m sure), but aren’t as quick to pray for them. Lets start praying and loving and stop gossiping and judging. WALK IN LOVE.

Make it a point to display God’s love through both our actions and words. The tongue is a powerful thing. Lets use it for the good of the Lord and not for the negativity of the world.

“Follow God’s example, therefore as dearly loved children and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” Ephesians 5: 1-2 

Ayesha and Stephen

Weekend Fun!

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We had a wonderful time this Easter weekend, attending a great church service and delicious brunch as a family. We were able to Skype with Riley’s godparents, Brittany and Bryant, so that they could read “The Easter Story” to her (she really has awesome godparents). We watched  my brother in law Seth play the last college basketball game of his career for Duke University. Such a bittersweet moment but we are all extremely proud of him as he has accomplished so much and proved so many people wrong. Hard work and perseverance can certainly take you far!

I have now designated my sunday afternoons as “baby food sunday”, and prepare all of Riley’s meals for the week on that day! It’s actually very fun for me. I will definitely post my favorite baby food recipes in the near future.

Lastly, I prepared a wonderful Easter meal that consisted of sautéed greens beans, roasted squash, lamb chops with a fig sauce and my 10 minute pasta! You can find the recipe here on my blog for the pasta! Only, this time I added fresh basil, parsley and capers to the pasta (delicious) !

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend with your friends and family! What did you do? Let me know in the comments below.

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Happy Easter Weekend!!!

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Wishing you all a Happy Easter weekend! Take time to worship and remember the selfless act of unconditional love the Lord took for all of us.

Enjoy spending time with your families!

Here is a video I found of a little girls explanation of Easter and the resurrection of Jesus. So so so adorable. Enjoy!

1 Peter 1:3
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead… (NIV)

Family Style Featuring “Target”

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My favorite store to go to for my family is Target! They have a little bit of everything in there and I can always find something for everyone in the family. I find myself in there about 2 times a week! A couple of days ago I went to Target to get an outfit for our family to wear to Stephen’s basketball game that night. I was in and out of the store within 30 mins and picked up everything I needed. Target is a great place to find quality looking pieces at great prices. Nothing I purchased was over $30. The jeans I bought for Stephen fit him true to size and were long enough! They were a better fit than some of the higher priced jeans he has in his closet!!! Riley’s entire outfit cost an outstanding $12.00. I LOVE TARGET.

I hope this inspires some of you to find a great look for less! Enjoy!

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Jack London Fun!

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Riley and I decided to check out the Jack London Square farmers market this weekend in Oakland, CA. It was fantastic! There was live music, a cute little water fountain and plenty of grass to sit on and take in all of the sites. I picked up some fresh flowers, cherry tomatoes and beets (I LOVE beets! Not sure why so many people are afraid of them). Riley ate some pears and I sipped on  fresh papaya juice while we explored our little local farmers market. It was the perfect way to spend our sunday afternoon together.

The farmers market is a great way for you to get fresh organic LOCAL produce. They come from farms located right in your state! The produce is so much more affordable than the grocery store. If you juice, it’s the perfect place to stock up and buy bulk.

Jack London and the Ferry Building are two great places to go if you are in the bay area. If you know of any other awesome farmers markets in the east bay let me know and comment below!

Here are a couple of pictures I snapped over the weekend. Happy Monday !  :)

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Birthday In The Bay

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This past sunday I threw my husband a surprise 25th birthday party (today is his actual birthday)! It was amazing. We spent the early evening on a boat with family, friends, good food, music and of course some dancing. We had a wonderful time and Stephen even got to steer the boat!

I can’t believe that my husband is 25 already! Time sure does fly! Luckily we’ve spent our years we’ve been together laughing, loving and enjoying everything that has come our way both good and bad. I love him with all of my heart and can’t wait to see what the next 25 years have in store for both him and our little family.He’s already grown into such an amazing husband, father, son, brother, friend and overall human being. I can’t imagine him being any better than he is today, but somehow each day he surprises me with his humble and bright spirit  making me even happier and more in love with him than I was the day before.

Happy Birthday Stephen! I love you more than “fried chicken, tater cakes and apple sauce”!!! :)

Here are a couple of photos from the party.

Enjoy!

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Great Reads

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Here are a couple of books i’ve read this past year and loved. I’m not going to lie, I don’t read as much as I should (don’t really have much time anymore either) but these books caught and kept my attention. Not to mention they offered some wonderful home and mom advice. A couple of these books even left me laughing for hours on end (I love a witty novel). If you’ve read any of them, lets discuss! If you haven’t, read them and let me know what you think!

Bringing Up Bebe

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The Happiest Baby on the Block 

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The Family Fang 

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Healthy Child Healthy World 

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You can find all of these books on http://www.amazon.com    :)

Enjoy!

 

Traveling With A Baby!

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We travel a lot both as a family, and by myself. It has been like this for as long as I can remember. Traveling can be stressful, add a baby into the equation and the stress levels go off the charts. I’ve discovered some amazing and easy traveling tips and tricks that make traveling with a baby an enjoyable breeze! I hope this helps some of you moms and dads out there. Please note that sometimes a baby is just not in the mood and may cry on a flight regardless of what you do. These are the things that have worked for me so far and they are based on my own experience and opinion. If you have any additional tips comment below!

Packing 

*If you’re traveling for an extended period of time it is still important to travel light. You’ll be able to keep track of everything, stay organized and have free hands to take care of your little one. I’ve recently become addicted to the 1 suitcase and 1 carry on rule.

* Reusable plastic bags are your friend! I use them to pack away Riley’s favorite toys. I sterilize her bowls and teething toys before packing them in the bags. I also put all of the toiletries in them, in case of spills.

* I always back a couple of bed time stories, to ensure that I’m keeping up with our routine. I find that babies love routine, so if I keep it going while i’m traveling (to an extent) she is happy.

*Buy your diapers and wipes when you get there! You’ll save so much space in your suitcase. I have mine delivered to my destination from http://www.honest.com. It really makes everything so much easier.

*Pack double duty outfits. Leggings that go with multiple tops and vice versa. You can always hand wash a couple of items in the sink if need be. Trust me! The lighter you pack the happier you’ll be. I always use the same outfit for Riley going both ways on the plane (make sure it’s comfy one and don’t forget the socks! germs are rampant on planes)

*Bring your own crib sheets and baby towel! ( I learned this from a friend the last time I traveled- thanks Kate!) You can never be sure of what the hotel is washing their sheets in so for baby, its safe to wash and bring your own crib sheet.

* Pack a play blanket that you can lay on the hotel room floor so your baby can play on the floor and feel at home.

* I normally make Riley’s baby food at home but when we travel, Plum Organics makes great baby food. http://www.plumorganics.com. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but the last time I traveled I packed a few avocados and they traveled great! Riley LOVES avocados, and they don’t need to be steamed so it’s a perfect option for us.

*Check you entire stroller and carry or wear your baby in a carrier. I find that checking my entire stroller makes going through security a million times less stressful. they also let you wear your carrier through the scanner so that you don’t need to take your baby out of it. You’ll be able to board a lot easier too, and won’t have to stop to gate check anything!

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While on the Plane 

*Pack your carry on/ baby bag as you normally would. We moms tend to get so worked up when we travel. Odds are you won’t need anything more than you normally do. STRESS FREE LIGHTWEIGHT TRAVEL!

In my baby bag: 3-5 diapers and small pack of wipes

Changing pad

Blanket

1 Serving of solids

Kleynimals teething keys (see teething post)

Small pouch containing : teething tablets, nail clip, pacifier, healing balm, infant tylenol, nose sucker/bulb, pacifier wipes, HAND SANITIZER.

* Bring 1 toy! Lately Riley has been loving the “Baby First” APP on my iPhone(works like a charm).

*Take a red eye if you can! (Scheduling a flight during your little ones normal bedtime hour means they will most likely sleep through the flight)

* Feed during take off and landing! Whether you’re a BF mom or a formula mom, it is imperative that you feed your baby during take off and landing. This ensures that their little ears don’t get plugged with the pressure change. if they’re not hungry try a pacifier for a couple of mins. This is by far the most important part of the STRESS FREE TRAVEL.

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These photos are from the last time we traveled. We were away for 5 or 6 days and I managed to get all of Riley’s things as well as mine into a medium sized suitcase. We went to two completely different cities as well (Houston and Salt Lake City). I hope that these tips help!

Have a great weekend. <3

Enjoy!