tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-48041614766896111702024-03-20T01:48:29.245-05:00defining tabithaexploring life's pleasures one adventure at a timeDefiningtabithahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09747462343109939961noreply@blogger.comBlogger374125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4804161476689611170.post-72508017913954720632017-01-16T04:00:00.000-06:002017-01-16T04:00:10.694-06:00Trying To Make A Dollar Out of 16 Cents<div style="text-align: justify;">
Call me a cruel mom or call me responsible, but I'm putting my kid to work. Liam is 4 years old and while he sometimes plays the, "I can't do it" card, I know damn well that my kid is way more independent than he likes us knowing. Enough so that I'm giving Liam more responsibility and with more responsibility is a greater chance for reward. While Liam has always picked up here and there, or cleaned up when he made a big mess, we were never strict in applying the rule. Well that's all changing. One because my kid is way more than capable to do chores around the house and two because I can use it as a way to teach him the perk of earning his own money. Having his own money means I don't have to deal with the break down at Target when he wants to buy something AND it also means automatic silence when he does want something, but doesn't have enough money to buy it. I see it as a win/win.</div>
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Now we don't have him doing elaborate things, but enough that it makes a dent on my list. Simple things like making your bed, loading the dish washer, clearing your plate after eating, putting away folded clothes, etc are all things that are re-occurring. The repetitiveness of each chore we give him will hopefully develop into a habit that I won't need to nag him anymore about doing what's on his list. I have to admit that <i>sometimes</i> it actually takes longer to get him to do his chores (ie: making his bed requires a good 10 minutes), but it's not just about getting it done, it's about learning core values. </div>
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<span style="text-align: justify;">The incentive of it all though is obviously the allowance. Each day that he does his chores he gets $1 and yes if he misses one of his chores he gets less. While there are times where I've been known to not stick to my threats, an allowance helps me keep my word and make him accountable. He sees his progress every week and is motivated knowing that he needs to money to buy a toy or book he saw at the store. </span><br />
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So while it would take me<span style="text-align: justify;"> 2 mins to do his bed or 1 min to clear his plate, it's not about efficiency. It's a learning experience. While he's learning responsibility, I'm learning to let go of control to just take over. So this whole chore thing is an experience for both of us that I'm hoping will help us in the long run.</span></div>
Definingtabithahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09747462343109939961noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4804161476689611170.post-9276923382890433752017-01-13T04:00:00.000-06:002017-01-13T04:00:15.200-06:00The Conversation about Kids<div style="text-align: justify;">
Lately many of my conversations have been centered around the question of having kids. I have a good mix of friends who are single, married without kids and married with kids, but this topic of having kids has come up a lot lately. Like on the daily. I'll start off by saying that I support whatever your decision is on this to have kids or not have kids pendulum. To each their own and if you know kids are right for you then you go Glen Coco! So for those who are on the fence, let me share some perspective. Not to change your mind, but hopefully solidify what the right decision is for you.</div>
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Liam was unexpected. He wasn't planned, but he wasn't not planned if that makes sense. It just happened. In fact when I found out I woke up Matt at 6am after taking 2 tests, cried tears of uncertainty and asked Matt, "Is this ok?" That should be a red flag when you take a pregnancy test right? That I wasn't happy but I was more like "OH FUCK!" Truth be told the first things that crossed my mind was, what is going to happen to our Europe vacation, how are we going to afford this, then is Matt going to be pissed. Well spoiler alert folks - it all ended up ok in the end, but that's not the end of my story.</div>
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I've never been a maternal person. I personally always thought that kids were a natural progression of life so kids were always part of the picture, but was I dying to have kids? No. However, life (the little shit it is) works in funny ways and turns out that having a kid saved me, actually us, in ways that we didn't realize. See, Matt and I pre-child were good. Good as in content. Our careers were going good, we finally got to travel more and were able to indulge in things without thinking about how it's eating into our monthly budget. We were good, but when we had Liam it became better and here's how:</div>
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<b>Careers: </b>People talk about how kids sometimes makes people re-evaluate their careers and in some cases forego careers temporarily. In our case, it enlightened us to work harder, better and find jobs that we love. Matt worked in finance and hated almost every minute of it. I worked at a great company with great people but would have been totally complacent if I didn't have Liam. Having a child was the right motivation we needed to not only work hard to still enjoy the lifestyle we lead, but he also empowers us to not settle for something that won't make us happy. Why show a kid how to go to a lifeless job you hate, when you should be supporting their life choices to do what they love?</div>
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<b>Personal interests: </b>I always say that you can see a parent's best trait in their kids. Having a child keeps you youthful and is a constant reminder of much more there is to live in life. As Liam is finding his groove in activities he likes or doesn't like, I'm re-establishing a connection with some of the things I lost interest in as I got older. Music, playing sports, or even just getting dirty at the playground makes you more aware of what you can still do now as an adult. It's been fun exploring new interests or re-kindling with things I once loved doing...and it's especially fun when I have my buddy to share those moments with me.</div>
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<b>Marriage: </b>Ahhh this is the big one because I'm a TRUE believer that people should never have kids to save a marriage. We definitely didn't have a child to save our marriage, but sometimes it feels like he happened to do just that. Had we not had Liam, I think we would have been ok without having kids. Living a life just the 2 of us. But Liam brought our relationship to a whole new level that has made us stronger. Before we felt like a married couple who are vastly different from one another, but it worked because in our case opposites attract. But now we feel like a unified team. We may not agree on hobbies and our personalities may be different, but when it comes parenting and our lifestyle we couldn't be more unified. Overall we have a greater appreciation for each other and I'll just leave this topic by say that everything all around is much better!</div>
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<b>Views on life: </b>Perspective. The biggest thing that having a kid has done to me is given me perspective. Without a child I felt like everything happening to me at that moment was the end all be all. But having Liam changed all that. It made me selfless, aware of others around me and is a constant reminder that this moment now (today, tomorrow or next week) is just a blip on the screen. It really is. With a child in the picture you get to experience things in a different way than you did growing up, maybe in some cases better and you realize that there is so much more to life than the things that consume your day to day.</div>
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So in a nutshell. I'll leave you with something I told someone last week when we were discussing this very topic. Not a day goes by where I wish I had my life before Liam. To me that says a lot cause I loved my life pre-child, but my life now is way better in ways that I only hope others can experience.</div>
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Definingtabithahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09747462343109939961noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4804161476689611170.post-18075885796368254582017-01-04T07:30:00.000-06:002017-01-04T07:30:18.749-06:00A Dying Act<div style="text-align: justify;">
Over the summer I remember sitting in traffic with my family listening to an NPR story about the elimination of cursive writing in grade schools. The conversation was between a journalist and a teacher in Alabama talking about how the use of cursive writing was dying and that there was no longer a need for it with this generation (or future generations) of kids. It made me sad. Really sad actually, and then my mind drifted to when I was in 1st grade writing 100 lines of "I will not talk in class" on the chalk board as punishment for doing so. All in cursive writing of course. I thought, "Damn, my kid will never experience that kind of cruel discipline."</div>
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It got me thinking about how skills that used to be a foundation of how we do things now are slowly going extinct and much like what you learn in the Lorax, it's up to US (yes you too) to keep those things alive. </div>
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I'm a huge fan of the United Postal Service! While going to the actual post office may sometimes be un-pleasant, I've always seen mail as a sort of surprise and delight. As an adult mail is never fun. Between bills (if you still get paper bills), solicitations and the random pieces of mail for the previous tenant, nothing about it is ever really fun. However, getting mail out of the blue for personal reasons is a pleasant surprise. Hence, "surprise and delight". </div>
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But there's more to it.</div>
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While a small note in the mail may not seem like a big thing, that's where some people have it wrong. It's a huge thing. In our world today it's so easy for us to shoot a text to someone when you want to say "hey" or "thanks". That dialogue can happen in the matter of seconds. Sending something in the mail though takes some thought and effort that really shows someone why it's meaningful. It's first the thought of sending a handwritten note to someone, but then it's the steps of buying a card, thinking about what to write (and we're talking a lot of thought cause it's straight up final draft when inks on paper), actually carefully writing it out, getting stamps and physically dropping it off to get it mailed. It's a lot right? A lot that goes into one small something, but that small something speaks volumes to the recipient. </div>
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I honestly can't remember when I fell in love with the art of writing letters. Maybe in middle school when I would write 100 notes a day and pass them in class, but as a parent now I realize that my kid may never grow up appreciating or truly understanding the art of writing letters unless I show him. So I decided that this year is the year to begin ingraining it in his head. He's an early stage writer whose got his alphabets down and spells simple words, but it's just enough to get him started. While his version of "letters" may not be more than him drawing hearts and his name, I'm trying to teach Liam that your words don't have to mean much, but that the act itself can speak louder.</div>
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So sure, it's way easier to lean on technology these days to tell someone you're thinking about them, but sometimes you need to continue practicing less relevant skills (like cursive writing) to keep that form of art alive!</div>
Definingtabithahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09747462343109939961noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4804161476689611170.post-91163080363333917932016-12-31T14:04:00.002-06:002016-12-31T14:04:30.765-06:00The Good and Bad of 2016Oh 2016, even though you've been a bit of a bitch to the Hollywood world the last few months, I can't say that it's been my worst year. In fact, I'll go out on a limb and say that you've been one of my better years and that says a lot with some of the stuff you've put us through. Between job layoffs, the loss of not one, but both of our dogs, and multiple illnesses this year I can say that we had as many downs, as we did ups. While I can sit and dwell on the things I wish would have gone better this year, focusing on the positive is the whole point of NYE, n'est pas? So...2016 as I bid you adieu, I'd like to thank you for some of the great things you brought us...<br />
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<b>Travel, travel, travel: </b>Not counting work trips we were really lucky to trek to different places across the US that Liam had never been before and to parts of Europe that we had never explored. We made 8 trips in 2016 (London, Rome, Tuscany, NYC x3, Colorado and San Francisco) and every place except for NY were new places for us to mark on Liam's map.<br />
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On each of these trips we were so lucky to experience parts of it with friends or family which leads me to one of my favorite things that happened to us this year....</div>
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<b>Reunited with friends and loved ones: </b>This year we were really lucky to see many friends or family that we don't get to see often due to distance. With our travels, we were able to enjoy meals, play dates and even a few days in the hills of Tuscany with some of our favorite people. A few of my favorites were traveling with one of our favorite couples who happen to love international travel as much as we do, introducing Liam to a few of his second cousins, and of course a special surprise trip that one of Matt's best friends from Hawaii made for his birthday. This year has definitely been one for reunions and I hope we can keep up that momentum in 2017.</div>
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<b>We bought a house (ok fine a townhouse): </b>On a whim when Matt realized that the market was working in our favor we listed our 2 bed/2 bath condo in one of the most desired neighborhoods in the city. I was emotional about it all because I loved living on Southport, but trying to live in that neighborhood with our price range and what we were looking for would have required a lot out of us. Truthfully, I'd rather live in a box with an opportunity to travel more than have a big home. Big home = more cleaning. No thanks. However, we did need an upgrade so we bought a 4 story townhouse that gave us everything we never knew we needed. Like a 2-car attached garage (which in Chicago attached garages even with a big house is rare), a play/bonus room, a 3rd room that we converted into a mudroom and most importantly, a community. We bought a home that was ideal for us, but our community made it the perfect place.</div>
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<b>New friendships: </b>Speaking of community, we made some great new friends this year. Yes a few in our neighborhood, but a others through work, networking and of course Liam. Kids are a perfect matchmaker for friends and as Liam builds relationships with others in his class we get to meet some great people along the way. </div>
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As I finish up this post it hit me that 2016 has been a year of contentment. A year of not dwelling on the bad that hit us this year, but instead seeing it as an opportunity. And a year of not wishing what could have been, but more a year of accepting what it is. It's been a great year of learning and while I can't predict what will happen in 2017, I hope that it's just as positive as this year has been.</div>
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<i>Cheers to have happy, healthy and beautiful New Year!</i></div>
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<br />Definingtabithahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09747462343109939961noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4804161476689611170.post-72771976236650375312016-12-28T21:10:00.000-06:002016-12-29T07:00:10.796-06:00NY, I Love You<div style="text-align: justify;">
Growing up on the West Coast in a suburb outside of Seattle, I was a well traveled kid. With immigrant parents I had checked off places like Japan, Hong Kong and the Philippines before I hit a double digit age, but domestic travel? That was a whole other ball game. The first time I traveled anywhere past the Pacific Standard Time Zone was the first time I went to NYC my Senior year of high school and I remember it like it was yesterday when my friend Leigh told me, "Tabitha, you're going to love it! It's soooo you." And she was right. It was so me and even though I've never lived in the city, it feels like home.</div>
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It wasn't until 2006 that I returned to NYC after my first trip in 1998, all thanks to my job that had a bi-coastal team based in LA and NY. Since that first trip it started a re-occuring visit and sparked my love for the city. My first solo trip to NYC plays a significant role on how I view the city. I was there for a whole week, only really knowing my co-workers who lived there and I made it my goal to experience the city the way a local would. I remember walking the streets by myself for the first time, jaywalking like a pro and taking the subway downtown to stroll around SOHO. While I loved my time alone, loneliness gave me an opportunity to re-connect with people in the city that I hadn't seen in years like my old boss when I was a young intern at Ticketmaster or a childhood friend from the Philippines who happened to work in the hotel I was staying. By the end of that week I lacked sleep, had aching feet and felt more independent. After that trip, going to NYC has felt like second nature and the more I visited, the more it reminds me of why I love it.</div>
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New York, to me, is a place of discovery and a place for the un-expected to happen. At any given moment you can be walking down a street and discover something that can change your views on life. At the same time, you can be wandering the city and bump into a friendly and familiar face that allows you to re-connect with someone you once knew well. Every trip I take I have no expectations and no set plans, but leave always feeling so fulfilled and refreshed because I experienced something I didn't plan for.</div>
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In the last 10 years I've been extremely fortunate to take at least 2 - 3 trips to NYC every year. Thankfully my work always brought me back to the city and while my current job doesn't give me that luxury, my in-laws have since moved to NYC making our trips more of a family experience. Since birth, Liam has been lucky to come to NYC at least 1 - 2 times a year and this past trip made me realize how much he loves NYC as much as I do. He walks down the street saying hi to the doormen and knows that the pedestrian sign doesn't dictate whether we can walk or not. He knows that a subway is the only means of getting anywhere with limited traffic and he especially loves that most meals are eaten out due to small kitchens. Every time we are in NYC he dreads leaving, largely because his grandparents live there, but proof that he's in love with the city as much as I am was when he asked me, "Mom, do you think we look like we live here?" It mattered to him that people saw him as a local and we chatted a bit about how he wants to live in NYC when he gets a family of his own. Even thought he's 4 it means something to him to feel comfortable in the city and it means so much to me that at a young age he appreciates (and loves) something that took me 17 years to discover.</div>
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<br />Definingtabithahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09747462343109939961noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4804161476689611170.post-40230726384081599372016-12-17T07:40:00.000-06:002016-12-17T07:40:40.118-06:00The Meaning of Christmas...Cards<div style="text-align: justify;">
We had a quick chat about Christmas cards the other day at work and it was interesting to see that there were mixed opinions. A few that said, it wasn't their thing and others who said they liked them. I for one am in the camp of loving them. Ok fine I was probably the most vocal about loving Christmas cards, but there's a reason why. In the Green household (ie: my small family of 3), Christmas cards are kind of a big deal. Sadly I can't take any credit for it because Matt is the brain child behind it all and since we seem to always out do ourselves every year based on people's reactions, I'll continue to let him have this one. While we're not a family to follow traditions, our Christmas cards are one that we're known for and while they can be somewhat offensive to some, our cards have one purpose: Bringing joy to our friends!</div>
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It all started back in 2010 when my husband, the man with the driest sense of humor, decided that we were going to super impose ourselves onto another family's Christmas card to bring the gift of laughter to our loved ones. What started off as an experiment, and meant to be only a one time thing, has evolved into this conversational piece during the holiday season that has people asking us to include them on our mailing list and saying things like, "I can't wait to see your holiday card this year!" </div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">2010 Christmas Card</span></div>
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One year we placed our faces over the nativity scene, myself as Mary and Matt as Joseph. And when Liam was born we upped our game. Taking on those awful 80s photos headfirst and posing for family portraits in ugly Christmas sweaters a la Awkward Family Photos. As you can imagine, the woman at the Target portrait shop was having fun with our request.</div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">2013 Christmas Card</span></div>
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Poor Liam was born into this tradition and until he's 18, or finally realizes what kind of embarrassment we are as parents, he's kind of stuck with it. Since the first card, we've evolved our approach, tackling on current events. Taking the most buzz worthy moments of the year and placing ourselves in those memorable events. With 2016 being focused on politics you can imagine that we had to follow the biggest news of all and Liam had no issues nailing this facial expression on the first try.</div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">2016 Christmas Card | Card design via <a href="http://www.minted.com/">Minted</a></span></div>
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So you see, while Christmas cards are a great way to wish your friends and families a happy holiday, we see it as something a little more. While we would love to provide gifts to many of our friends, the closest we can get to it is the gift of laughter. It's a gift of small monetary value, but our offering behind it is whole hearted.</div>
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Happy Holidays to all!</div>
Definingtabithahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09747462343109939961noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4804161476689611170.post-14396281406979083902016-12-12T04:30:00.000-06:002016-12-12T06:17:26.316-06:00The Company Women Should Keep<div style="text-align: justify;">
Growing up friends were my family. Everyone at some point in their life says that and for me it rings true. There have been times in my life where my friends were the ones who were there for me when I didn't have family close by. In some ways I give my friends a lot of credit for who I am today. I know it's a bold statement, but think about it this way. Your friends introduce you to many things you haven't been exposed to and if you end up loving that thing to the point it becomes a hobby, career or interest, wouldn't you give your friend credit for it? See, friends are pretty significant.</div>
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Now that I'm in my mid-thirties and have gone through a lot of adulting, I'm realizing that having different buckets of friends provide a lot of value. Sure there are a lot of people who combine their groups of friends like a mixed bag of bulk candy, but sometimes having your friends separated brings a whole lot of perspective into your life. So, as someone who values my groups of friends, here are a few I think everyone woman should have in her life!</div>
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<b>Common interest friends: </b>Blogging has given me an opportunity to meet so many wonderful friends and ones who have stuck by me even throughout my hiatus. Not only that but beyond blogging we have so many other things in common like our kids ages (hence the picture of Liam and <a href="https://secondcitymom.com/">Leyla</a>'s son Luke) love for food or fashion, that these friendships have evolved. Having friends who share the same passion for a hobby or interests are even more important when your closest circle of friends don't share the same love for those things. </div>
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<b>Couple friends: </b>"Couple friends" are the best to keep around to keep your relationship in tact. While I love date nights, sometimes having couple date nights are better because there is only so much talk you can do with your spouse that you haven't already covered throughout the week. Especially if you've been together for a long time, sometimes you need to go on double dates to shake things up a bit. Couple friends are also those that will take every life stage around the same time you do like marriage, kids, buying a house, etc. Sometimes it's just nice to have friends that are at your pace.<br />
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<b>Friends for yourself: </b>Every woman needs friends that aren't tied to her significant other. It's true. While you obviously want your friends to get along with your partner, you need a friend that is just your friend. These friends are the ones that will give you perspective and someone you can confide in without feeling guilty that they may have loyalty to your partner. And if it's a single girlfriend, even better. They'll give you the 411 on the dating front and may even let you help them find their next Bumble date.</div>
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<b>Childhood friends: </b>It may be months or years since you've last seen each other, but you know that with one call you'll pick up right where you've left off. These are the people that you've rebelled with, hit puberty with, drank your first beer or smoked your first joint with - let's just say a whole bunch of epic shit you can never forget. While you may have less things in common now that you're older, there's no one else who can ground you more than the people who helped influence who you are today.<br />
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<b>Work friends: </b>These are the people that see you the most throughout the week. Aside from your legit family, these are people who will see the the many sides of who you are. You'll buttheads with them, get drunk with them, laugh your ass off at any given time, and on un-expected emotional days they may even see you cry. Just like real family, sometimes you don't get to choose who they are, but they're the best people to keep you going throughout the day.<br />
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<b>Neighbors: </b>When my neighbor texted me the other day to say I had a package in the mailbox, the first thing I thought to myself was, "Man, I love having neighbor friends." These people will have your back when you're not looking. No really. When Liam is playing too close to the street and I'm occupied doing something else, our neighbor will tell him what's up. Having people live so close to you are the best people to make your house feel like a real home.</div>
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Last but not least, <b>Mom friends:</b> Ladies, being a mom is tough and while I love my husband, sometimes the only other people that get my breed of crazy is other moms. My mom friends help me feel less guilty about what I'm not doing as a mom and reassure me that I'm doing ok. Even on those days where I feel like I've failed, these ladies lift me up, buy me a glass of wine and tell me my kid will be alright. It's a different kind of sisterhood I didn't expect to find when Liam started daycare or school, but one that I've welcomed with open arms. Every mom needs mom friends to empower you and tell you that you're a great mom, especially on those days when you don't feel like it.</div>
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<br />Definingtabithahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09747462343109939961noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4804161476689611170.post-52334274705682758762016-12-10T09:40:00.000-06:002016-12-10T09:40:11.155-06:00Guilty<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I've said this before and I'll say it again, I love being in my thirties. Maybe it's because I'm a <a href="http://www.definingtabitha.com/2014/04/throwback-thought-being-skinny-is-end.html">recovering fat kid</a> or maybe it's because I feel like I haven't reached my peak yet. Whatever it is I'm really loving this age. However, what comes with this age is a lot more life challenges. This whole adulting thing can be exhausting and un-expected. So while I am loving 35, I'm feeling super guilty for being happy at this age when some around me are not.</div>
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It's hard to articulate the shit that goes down when you get older. No one ever wants to admit to things like divorces, miscarriages, depression and other life issues. They're not fun, they are really scary, but reality is that it happens. Sadly, what comes with growing older is being surrounded by stories like these and not knowing what causes them or how they can be avoided. When I hear these type of stories the first thing I ask myself is, "Was there a sign?". While I'm not experiencing this first hand, mentally I'm trying to cope with this not for myself, but as sympathy for my friends.</div>
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2016 for us has been no walk in the park. Unfortunately we were impacted by work layoffs, not once, but twice this year which always bring stress into a family dynamic. We were lucky to bounce right back from it without feeling too phased, but this issue seems so small compared to others that can cause more damage. I'm still super content and feel good about the positive things happening in my life, but in my gut I'm feeling effects from the things friends and family are going through right now.</div>
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It's hard to tell someone, "I know how you feel" because truthfully I have no clue and I can't be that person that tries to compare my issues with something much greater. But, what I can do is listen. I'm not the best at advice and end up rambling nonsense just so it feels like it offers value. But listening I'm good at and listening I'll do.<br />
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So my kind reminder to everyone. If a loved one is going through personal challenges, listen. Have empathy and don't feel like you have to know all the answers. Sometimes listening is more valuable than anything else. If you're like me and feel guilty for things going great right now, appreciate those things. Embrace them. I'd like to think that feeling guilty is somewhat of a good thing because it's awareness that what you have is good and knowledge that things can change at any moment.</div>
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Definingtabithahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09747462343109939961noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4804161476689611170.post-23471503890459492752016-12-06T19:26:00.000-06:002016-12-06T20:11:46.781-06:00The Imperfect Life<div style="background-color: white; font-family: times;">
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Can I just say that I'm #blessed?! I kid. I kid. I don't think I've ever used that hashtag and I'm pretty sure the delivery of it would come across as awesome as when I greet women with "Hay gurl!". Terrible. It just comes off terrible.</div>
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In all honestly as of lately I've been content. Happy sounds like I'm bragging and saying it's alright doesn't do it justice. When I've caught up with friends lately all I can say is, "everything is good" and that sounds so down played when realistically I've never felt as content with my life as I am right now. The funny thing is that this year has been far from perfect. It's had some highs and many lows, but through it all I've still been very satisfied with my life to date. Given the year that many of others have had, I know I'm lucky. </div>
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I've taken a mass hiatus from this blog to the point where I 100% said I'm giving it up completely, but I recently realized that I was giving it up for the wrong reasons. I was "quuitting" because I didn't like the pressure of blogging for others when first and foremost it should be for myself. It's no secret that I work in marketing that so happens to be in the influencer space, so I do get wrapped up in quite the bit of hub bub around "are blogs dying?". Being part of this world made me realize that I was falling into the pressure of keeping up with it all and I was quickly losing the interest of doing it. But, what I miss most about it is having a personal outlet. A place where I can put my thoughts, issues, personal problems (you name it) on "paper" to get it off my chest. Kind of like Doogie Howser's running personal journal. I forgot that what fueled my ongoing storytelling was the stories I heard back from others that would comfort me by saying, "I hear ya sista!" Call it a friendship, a bond, a community. Like a long distance friend, I'm feeling a little homesick from it all. So here I am. Back to share my stories.</div>
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Like any long term relationships I'd love to set my intentions, just so there are expectations you know? This blog has gone through MANY evolutions in the decade of its existence and once again it will change a bit (not much, but just a bit). My focus? Life's imperfections. Stories that don't always end up in happy endings and ones that may be challenging to tell, but they're real. My hope is that by me sharing some of my life's not so glamorous and everyday moments that you (at least one of you) feels a moment of relief that someone can sympathize with whatever shit you're dealing with. I'm guilty of letting social media blind me into thinking that everyone's life is hunky dory, and I'm also guilty of maybe portraying that life, but I'm nowhere near it. I'm an everyday person, with everyday issues who leads a imperfect and content life.</div>
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So as I continue to share my stories I hope you'll continue to follow along because you (yea you!!!) and this blog, have given me so much in my life and to be frank, I've missed it.</div>
Definingtabithahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09747462343109939961noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4804161476689611170.post-5287881294138747242015-08-05T12:59:00.000-05:002015-08-05T12:59:16.424-05:00Life's Little Shortcuts<div style="text-align: justify;">
Someone should have told me that a part of being a mom is constantly finding shortcuts to everything.</div>
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Want to catch up girlfriends without sacrificing time with your husband and/or child, but also need to squeeze in your workout? <i>Shortcut: </i>Long 2+ mile walks with your friend a on Saturday morning while you push your stroller.</div>
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Want to try the latest restaurant but also need to find time to socialize and have adult conversations? <i>Shortcut: </i>Attend networking events at a bar/restaurant on your "must try" list.</div>
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Being a mother means that with your busy life you get by with help...lots and lots of it. I mean why do you think us moms love wine so much? I'm coming to terms that taking the easy way out isn't always so bad.</div>
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Last week I experienced the perfect storm of all shortcuts when I attended a <a href="https://www.google.com/express/u/0/">Google Express</a> dinner at <a href="http://www.celestechicago.com/">Celeste</a>. I learned about another great service that will make my life more manageable, tried a restaurant on my bucket list and caught up with some of my favorite local moms. Maybe the best shortcut I've had in a long time.</div>
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I have a love/hate relationship with weeknight events. First comes the excitement of the invite, then the celebration that your friends will be there, but closer to the event exhaustion overshadows it all and sometimes I so easily want to bail. However, I'm always rewarded when I push through because these events bring together some of my favorite people and always delivers beyond my expectations. While I may not see many of my wonderful blogger friends like <a href="http://www.101thingsilove.com/">Johanna</a>, <a href="http://www.chitownfashionista.com/">Nikia</a>, <a href="http://knockedupfabulous.com/">April</a>, <a href="http://www.stylemeetlife.com/">Jessica</a> or <a href="http://sochiclife.com/">Alison</a> often, I love how events like this dinner bring us together and so naturally we pick up like no time has passed. I guess that's the joy of sharing some of the dirty secrets of your life when you blog...the ice is already broken. On the flip side, I also always leave making new friends - feeling like my world became a little more complete with the introduction of some fabulous people who I learn so much from.<br />
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This event in particular opened my eyes to all the shortcuts you take as a mother. Being surrounded by all these amazing mom influencers made me realize that you can try to have it all and shouldn't feel guilty about the shortcuts you take in life to ensure you try to fit in all the things you love in life. Shortcuts seem like a such a cop out, especially for us moms who feel like they want to do it all, but truthfully it's a way of life. Sure it may seem like a half ass approach to friending, parenting, wifing, etc. but it's all about balance and prioritization. Making sure that you are able to achieve everything that needs to be done.</div>
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So next time you find yourself questioning if you're taking the easy way out, cut yourself some slack and remember that life's little shortcuts are there for a reason. By no means should you feel any guilt for taking a shortcut, but instead you should feel empowered as it gives you a little more time back in your life to squeeze in more of what you love.<br />
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<i>Thanks to Google Express and Celeste for a wonderful dinner. If you're interested in trying Google Express use the promo code "ExpressChicago" at checkout!</i></div>
Definingtabithahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09747462343109939961noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4804161476689611170.post-46141872805049137862015-08-03T04:30:00.000-05:002015-08-03T04:30:00.830-05:00Lollapalooza: A New Family Adventure<div style="text-align: justify;">
Lollapalooza. You're either someone who LOVES it or loathes it. I happen to be someone who loves it. Who doesn't love music, fashion, sunshine and an all-day party? To this day it is one of my favorite pre-child festivities, but now that I have a child it's time to experience it a completely different way. So instead of trying to sneak in flasks of liquor, I've swapped it for sneaking in Goldfish packs and instead of spending my time between sweaty strangers up close to the stage, I've swapped it for the less crowded shaded outskirts. Overall though it's still an amazing time and one that I couldn't wait to experience with Liam for the first time!</div>
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While Matt and I share the love for movie theater experiences, he loathes events like these. He hates crowds and while he likes music, he doesn't feel the need to go to concerts. I on the other hand am the opposite. I love the concert experience and feel such an emotional connection to music that sometimes it's a little overwhelming. So when I told Matt that I wanted to take Liam to Lollapalooza I got this frantic questionable look like I was crazy, but when I explained to him all the amazing things that makes it super kid friendly and also told him that I was going for free all thanks to my friends at <a href="http://www.sprint.com/">Sprint</a> he had no reason to say no.</div>
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What makes the event so kid-friendly you ask? Well listen up because here's what makes Lollapalooza a family friendly event:</div>
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<li style="text-align: justify;"><b><a href="http://www.lollapalooza.com/kidzapalooza/">Kidzapalooza</a></b>: This kid friendly area is literally a mini festival within the confines of Lollapalooza. It's equipped with its own kid stage (complete with their own lineup of bands) and lined with activities like drum circles, karaoke, graffiti painting, and so much more. You can literally spend all your time here in a day and enjoy it as much as the rest of the festival.</li>
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<li style="text-align: justify;"><b>Stroller friendly streets: </b>Truth be told, I'd take walking three days in this festival over one day in Walt Disney World and seriously that's the truth. The entire Grant Park and all main roads are blocked off for pedestrians which offers wide roads for people to be pushing strollers. In addition, there's so many routes to get to the various stages that you literally are never walking within a sea of people.</li>
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<li style="text-align: justify;"><b>Plenty of shaded areas and grassy nulls:</b> The thing I love about Grant Park is that it's lined with so many trees and since most people want to be hugging the stage it leaves a TON of room for you to tuck under a tree or lay a blanket on the outskirts of the stage listening to your favorite bands.</li>
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<li style="text-align: justify;"><b>Sponsored activities: </b>The sponsored tents probably grabbed Liam's attention more than anything. We huddled in Sprint's Pavilion a few times because he was in awe of the free gifts and we needed some A/C, but thanks to Liam's desire to sit in the front seat of a Toyota in their tent, we were also able to catch an acoustic session with Of Monsters & Men. While he was in awe of the candy dispenser in the car's trunk, I was in awe of the performance.</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><b>Event for all ages: </b>Last but not least, while the easy assumption would be that this event is for late teens and folks in their early 20s, it honestly is an event for everyone for 3 months and up. We saw plenty of families with kids younger than Liam and there was also one group of senior citizens that were at Perry's tent raging to the latest DJ. </li>
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When I told friends that I was taking Liam solo I had a lot of questionable looks, but quite honestly it's been one of my favorite adventures with him....and we've been on a lot of mom and son adventures. We danced at Perry's tent, discovered some new bands, noshed on some free snacks and partied til he dropped...literally. </div>
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<i>Thank you SO much to Sprint for sending me a ticket my favorite event. You made this new memory possible and helped us establish a brand new family tradition!!!</i></div>
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Definingtabithahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09747462343109939961noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4804161476689611170.post-9761748498686229992015-07-30T08:36:00.002-05:002015-07-30T08:36:42.865-05:0010 Things People Don't Tell You About Parenting<div style="text-align: justify;">
Now that I've got 3 years of parenting under my belt I've become more aware of the long road we have ahead of us raising our wonderful little Liam. I'm definitely not an expert by any means, but for those that are just getting their head into the parenting game there are a few things I've learned that people don't share. Sure parenting is amazing and the best experience of my life so far, but let's be honest no one talks about the bad stuff and I think it's worth knowing. So here are 10 things I've learned that I kinda wish someone would have shared before I took the role as a parent.</div>
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<li style="text-align: justify;">Your relationship with your significant other is going to change. There's no prediction on how, if or when, but it will. It happens to everyone. For some it gets better and I hate to say that for some it becomes more of a challenge, but it will change and you'll have to work even harder to get to a new normal.</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">It's ok to be selfish. Yes it's ok to have a weekly girls night out and yes it's ok to still follow your dreams. Just because you have a kid doesn't mean life as you once knew it stops right there. It's important to keep the things you love about pre-parenthood in your life to maintain a good mental state.</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">Kids will teach you so much about life it will scare the shit out of you. Seriously! A day doesn't go by where I don't learn something new about myself or about the world that I didn't know. These little munchkins sometimes are so full of wisdom it's like you have your very own buddha living in your household.</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">To that point comes my next thing people don't tell you - Just because you're the parent doesn't mean you're always right. Case and point - my son corrected me when I confidently said that a baby kangaroo is called a cub. In case you don't know the answer, it's called a Joey and I was tested on my knowledge when Liam asked me the question. When I got the answer wrong he schooled me with the right answer. </li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">You won't sleep a full night unless you're traveling without your child or until your child is 18 (whichever one comes first) and out of the house. And yes, 5 hours of sleep is enough time to function.</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">We are partially to blame for the Terrible Twos. These kids are finally at an age where they understand their surroundings and let's be honest as adults (especially us women) we go through a wave of emotions on a daily basis that they have yet to learn how to deal with. So while we like to blame our kids at this stage for their terror-ific behavior - honestly I think we contribute to a lot of it. </li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">If you've never been someone who cries, be prepared to cry more than you have in your life. Everything from overwhelming joy to frustration, be prepared for the waterworks. </li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">Kids will open your eyes to your worst qualities and you realize how prominent those qualities are when they mimic your behavior. It's a gut wrenching feeling!</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">Remember that someone is always watching you and your every move. Whether you signed up for this or not, you're a role model which may seem like the same thing as a parent, but it's kinda different. Your every move is being monitored - how you eat, your opinion about someone else, your relationships with others - these are all things your child learns without you actually teaching them.</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">You'll doubt yourself constantly asking "Am I a good parent?" and the answer is "Yes". Don't ask why or how, just know that the plain fact that you're doubting yourself proves that you're a good parent. Parenting is defined in many ways and so long as you feel like you're giving it your all, then there shouldn't be any question about it.</li>
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This will be an ever growing list and I'm confident of it, but despite the dark sides of parenting the bright side overpowers any of these challenging moments!</div>
Definingtabithahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09747462343109939961noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4804161476689611170.post-39116412380676215382015-02-20T04:00:00.000-06:002015-02-20T07:39:16.168-06:00coconut mango rice pudding <div style="text-align: justify;">
I've been obsessed...I'm talking obsessed with rice pudding lately. As in every night I make myself a heaping bowl of pudding topped with whatever fixings we have at home. Instead of paying the crazy shipping fee to snag some great flavors from <a href="https://www.ricetoriches.com/">Rice to Riches</a>, I decided to be a little ambitious by making some from scratch and adding my own little twist to a classic <a href="http://rodellekitchen.com/our-recipes/almond-and-cranberry-rice-pudding">Rodelle's recipe</a>.</div>
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While I love rice pudding on its on, I add a lot of toppings into my bowl to add extra texture. There's something about an extra crunch that makes it so good. So to make my own version of rice pudding I took inspiration from the traditional thai sticky rice mango pudding and the results were wonderful!!!</div>
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Use the <a href="http://rodellekitchen.com/our-recipes/almond-and-cranberry-rice-pudding">Rodelle's recipe</a> as a base, but make sure you also have 1 cinnamon stick, 1/2 cup of dried roasted coconut chips (shredded will work too), 1/4 cups of almonds and 1 cup of fresh chopped mangoes. Here are the tweaks to make:</div>
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<li style="text-align: justify;">When boiling the milk and cooking rice, substitute the vanilla bean with a cinnamon stick and add coconut chips so that the rice is infused with the flavors.</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">Continue to cook the rice as directed. (I love cinnamon so I also added some extra teaspoons of cinnamon into the mix)</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">Spoon rice pudding into a bowl and top with mango, almonds...and if you're feeling a little adventurous top it all off with some cold coconut milk.</li>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/fashiontherapist/16559936556" title=" Â by Tabitha, on Flickr"><img alt=" " height="924" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7319/16559936556_c82ab6d554_b.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/fashiontherapist/16585934105" title=" by Tabitha, on Flickr"><img alt=" " height="924" src="https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8611/16585934105_1c1e3bd058_b.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I loved making this dessert! It's so easy and fool proof. I'm definitely someone who can pass as a mediocre cook and desserts are not my forte, but I'm definitely going to be making this one again.<br />
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Thanks to Rodelle's for providing the Madascar Bourban Vanilla Extract and inspiring me to make a fun dessert!Definingtabithahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09747462343109939961noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4804161476689611170.post-60907370999040787382015-02-16T04:00:00.000-06:002015-02-16T15:27:07.958-06:00best new apps for moms<div style="text-align: justify;">
For the past few years I've been so fortunate to be a part of a wonderful new and expectant moms community through <a href="http://www.bumpclubandbeyond.com/">Bump Club and Beyond</a>. I went from being a pregnant expecting mother who attended the workout classes to an active participant at their new moms brunch. This past weekend I sat on a panel with other fabulously resourceful moms to share some of my favorite new apps and services that make motherhood a little less stressful. While what I shared is great for new moms, they're awesome for veteran parents as well. So listen up because if you're in need of a little bit more time in your life, these apps might just be able to help you.</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/fashiontherapist/16517089636" title="Untitled by Tabitha, on Flickr"><img alt="Untitled" height="480" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7311/16517089636_6603321a34_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<li style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://www.instacart.com/">Instacart</a>: Last year I saw Instacart promoted at my local Whole Foods, but didn't take advantage of this amazing service until I was in a pinch on a Monday where school was closed, I didn't have food for the week and had to tackle some work. In Chicago, the service is partnered with my favorite grocery stores (Whole Foods, Jewel Osco, Mariano's Costco, etc) and delivers your order the same day. You can even pick out the window of time that is convenient to you and the last few times we've used the service they've been on the early side of that window. Quite honestly it's worth every penny if you don't have a chance to get to the store that day.</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://www.google.com/shopping/express/">Google Express</a>: Leave it to Google to provide an exceptional local same day delivery service from stores like Target, Walgreens, Barnes & Nobles, Ulta and many more. Unlike Instacart, Google Express delivers non-food items that you might need the same day. Especially perfect for those last minute gifts you need to buy for loved ones or when you just can't run out at lunch to buy the mandatory mascara you ran out of.</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><a href="http://wischen.com/">Wischen</a>: Gotta give props to the hubby for finding this service. Call it Uber of the house or office cleaning world. Wischen is an on-demand cleaning service that you can book by the hour. You can have them clean just the bathrooms if you want them too (trust me we've done it) and it's great if you also just want someone to come do a quick deep clean that you just can't get to. If you're in Chicago, ask for Ryan - great guy and does an exceptional job!</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><a href="http://dryv.com/">Dryv</a>: As working parents we get a lot of stuff dry cleaned, but sometimes the turn around time isn't quick enough or we don't get to the dry cleaners during their business hours. On the flip side sometimes shlepping that stuff to the dry cleaner sounds too exhausting that we just don't go, when we really should. Dryv is an on-demand dry cleaning services that picks up and drops off your dry cleaning for you - not to mention that their turnaround time is pretty stellar!</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><a href="http://kicksend.com/">Kicksend</a>: My husband's grandma isn't the most tech savvy, but we want to make sure that she sees the latest pics of Liam that she may not see on Facebook or Instagram. Every month, Matt selects a handful of pics from his social album and Kicksend prints, then ships them to his grandma. Literally takes less than 5 minutes to do and a great surprise in the mail for your loved ones.</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><a href="http://www.totspot.me/">Totspot</a>: Us moms know that kids go through clothes by the minute. If you've read some of my past kid style posts you know that I love shopping thrift and consignment stores for Liam's clothes. This great app is a resale service for kid's clothes. There are a ton of great consignment stores in the city, but you can't beat convenience. Take pics of your items and post them for sale or shop the items available on the app - either way it's a great way to rotate some clothes your little one doesn't need.</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/smile-mom-local-moms-community/id859908966?mt=8">Smile Mom</a>: Sometimes you just need to find moms in your community that are in similar life stages. Smile Moms is an app that allows you to find a local community of moms in your area. Find moms with kids the same age or even other working moms...as a mom you can never have too many friends who can understand your everyday challenges.</li>
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As moms, actually I should say as parents, you take help wherever you can get it and thanks to technology they've helped multi-tastking become a little more manageable. While we like to think we can do it all, sometimes you need a lifeline and these great apps/services above are great to have in your back pocket because you never know when you'll need a hand.</div>
Definingtabithahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09747462343109939961noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4804161476689611170.post-33992638940151065272015-02-09T04:00:00.000-06:002015-02-10T07:47:39.512-06:00valentine's isn't for lovers<div style="text-align: justify;">
I have a love/hate relationship with Valentine's Day. As much as I love the hearts, flowers, candy and making Valentine's Day cards - to me, this holiday is an excuse to wear your best pink and red outfits. I know I'm going to get a lot of flack for this, and it may be seen as a little cold hearted, but hear me out. If you love someone unconditionally - why wait until February to show that person how much you love them? Now grant it, I'm the most un-romantic person ever, in fact the whole thing makes me super uncomfortable, but still I don't believe that proclaiming your love should be limited to one day a year.</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/fashiontherapist/16292558937" title=" Â by Tabitha, on Flickr"><img alt=" " height="904" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7342/16292558937_21646b081f_b.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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I do, however, believe in dressing for every occasion. Knowing my views on this love holiday, you can imagine that we don't do anything spectacular because frankly, competing for reservations on a night when everyone is trying to eat at the hottest restaurants just doesn't seem that appealing. Instead, we spend Valentine's Day doing something low key which usually involves a movie or eating at a restaurant in our hood - just the way we like it. Since we don't go anywhere super extravagant, dressing for this holiday requires something comfy, stylish and obviously a lot of pink or red.</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/fashiontherapist/15855933164" title=" Â by Tabitha, on Flickr"><img alt=" " height="904" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7358/15855933164_1ba9d05935_b.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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When I started shopping around for my Valentine's Day outfit, I had no doubt that I could find everything I needed from <a href="http://www.shoplately.com/" target="_blank">ShopLately</a>. In fact, you can get lost in the sea of amazing finds, but I had my eye on something that would embrace the holiday's colors. After finding <a href="https://shoplately.com/product/390774/concrete_runway_blq_pink_sleeve_crop_top/?utm_source=defining_tabitha&utm_medium=tblog&utm_campaign=feb" target="_blank">this</a> amazing crop top, I knew that all I needed was a good statement piece. There were so many great necklace options, but since I had so many complements on my necklace from our holiday shoot, I gravitated to the same vendor Lily Wang to find the perfect neck piece. I love that ShopLately is a one stop destination and is perfect to shop for special occasions - not to mention that their Insider Program offers free shipping all year round for an annual $9 fee. </div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/fashiontherapist/16476713521" title="Untitled by Tabitha, on Flickr"><img alt="Untitled" height="900" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7375/16476713521_2e1e03050f_b.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Dress - Target, <a href="https://shoplately.com/product/390774/concrete_runway_blq_pink_sleeve_crop_top/?utm_source=defining_tabitha&utm_medium=tblog&utm_campaign=feb" target="_blank">Shirt</a> & <a href="https://shoplately.com/product/183744/fantasy_flower_necklace/?utm_source=defining_tabitha&utm_medium=tblog&utm_campaign=feb" target="_blank">Necklace</a> - c/o Shoplately, Shoes - Nine West<br />
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So while Valentine's Day isn't my favorite holiday, it is the best excuse to buy something that makes you feel pretty. If you're in the market for something special to wear, check out ShopLately. Some of their vendors will even get your items to you in 1 day - which is pretty stellar especially if you're in a pinch.</div>
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Definingtabithahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09747462343109939961noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4804161476689611170.post-12788685567643330292015-01-19T08:14:00.001-06:002015-01-19T08:14:27.634-06:00potty training<div style="text-align: justify;">
Urgh we're potty training. You should know that I try not to rely on Dr. Google when I need answers and when we decided to start potty training the last thing I wanted to do was read a book. It's not easy, but at the same time it doesn't have to be hard. I'm not in the camp of "Let's go on lock down for a whole week straight" because really who has time for that? However, I am on the camp of letting it happen naturally. So we came up with our own method...Pay someone else to do it for you. HA! Just kidding, I wish. No but really we came up with our own set of rules on potty training and for us, so far it's working great. So if you feel yourself lost in the sea of know it all potty training guides and want a break - here are my recommendations.</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/fashiontherapist/16315842871" title="Untitled by Tabitha, on Flickr"><img alt="Untitled" height="924" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7515/16315842871_7c1c60dfa0_b.jpg" width="649" /></a></div>
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<li style="text-align: justify;"><b>Find what motivates your child. </b> Chocolate, lollipops, gummy vitamins, stickers, stamps. I've heard it all and not all of them work for your kid so play around with the rewards that stick. If your child is like ours, it'll change daily so make sure you have a plethora of goodies to reward him/her for their great work.</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><b>Have books readily available next to the potty. </b>We have a pile, literally, of books to read when Liam is sitting on the potty. It makes the time go by faster and gets his mind off of the task. At first it took us 5 books and now there are times we don't even need to read a book at all.</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><b>Celebrate with big cheers.</b> Liam's daycare teacher said that he shouts "HOORAY I PEE PEED" really loud whenever he goes and that's no surprise because we do that at home. Yes, every single time he goes we give him a big cheer, rub his back and say how proud we are of his accomplishment. Sounds silly to say how proud you are, but the first time we did it he beamed with joy and stuck with that feeling. He felt so good about his accomplishment that he continues to do it just to have that gratification.</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><b>Document it. </b>I made Liam a "Potty Chart" that he fills with stickers every time he goes to the bathroom. I put it eye level to him so that he can document his progress and when he completes the chart with stickers he gets a new book. He loves seeing how far he's come and he knows the end goal - motivating him to go to the bathroom more often for that new book.</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><b>Don't rush it.</b> Even after 5 days of successful potty trips, sometimes Liam gets derailed and decides to go in his diaper. That's ok. While I would LOVE to not pay $80/month on diapers anymore, I would rather have him successfully potty trained than have a ton of accidents. There's no timeline to potty training and there's no guarantees that accidents won't happen. Your child may not want to go on the potty one day, just brush it off and try again later. I mean really, if I was wearing a diaper in the middle of a Friday Night Lights marathon I would maybe opt to not move either. While there may be some regression, it's only temporary and you'll come out going 2 steps forward for every one step back.</li>
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So either way, if you decide to read the books and follow their guides, or go rogue with your own method - eventually you'll find a method that works best for you. Good luck!</div>
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Definingtabithahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09747462343109939961noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4804161476689611170.post-40859785341796174182015-01-12T04:00:00.000-06:002015-01-12T04:00:01.545-06:00why?<div style="text-align: justify;">
In life, especially when you have a routine, you don't think much about the things you do. Sometimes you do things because that's always the way you've done it and sometimes you just do it because it was an un-conscious decision that you never bothered to change. It wasn't until a few months ago that I started re-evaluating a lot of the things I do in life because of Liam's simple curious question of, "Why?"</div>
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For awhile now Liam has been questioning everything we do and up until this one instance I never thought twice about it. Things like, "What are you doing guys?", "Why are you doing that?", "What is that?", all things that you expect a 2 year old to ask to help them understand the way life works.</div>
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However, one day as I was putting on makeup, instead of apply foundation with me like he usually does he asked, "What are you doing?" and I said, "Putting on makeup." He looked at me puzzled and asked, "Why?" and since I was so concentrated on not messing up my eyeliner I annoyingly said, "Just because." He paused for a minute and he asked again, "But, why?" He continued to ask why until I gave him a legit answer and in an effort to get him to stop asking, I thought about my real response and found myself telling him, "I don't know why I put makeup on, but sometimes it just makes me feel better." He was pleased with that answer and went along his merry way to go play with LEGOs.</div>
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After answering the question truthfully I realized that his simple question of why unleashed a very deep answer that showed a little of my insecurities. I didn't realize that this routine thing I do everyday was something I did to mask some of my imperfections and at that moment I didn't see Liam as my son, but as a little Yoda who has wisdom behind his curiosity. The questions that we get from kids on a daily, if not hourly basis, can sometimes be exhausting but I've learned that these questions not only help him understand the reason why people do things, but gives me some self-awareness. In life sometimes we have tunnel vision and can't see the real reason why we do the things we do. Even if you don't have your own kid, being around them and their questions will make you a little more aware of things that you might be blinded to. Just answering their questions might show something about yourself that you don't see and really make you look at yourself in a completely different light. </div>
Definingtabithahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09747462343109939961noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4804161476689611170.post-57926472163047966042014-12-19T04:00:00.000-06:002014-12-19T04:00:01.280-06:00chinese ground pork & eggplant<div style="text-align: justify;">
When you live with 2 boys ground meats are part of our daily dinners. One meat that is often overlooked is ground pork and when I'm on overload with beef, chicken or turkey I turn to the other white meat. My go to dish with ground pork, aside from meatloaf, is this chinese ground pork and eggplant dish that is super easy to make.</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/fashiontherapist/15947634692" title="Untitled by Tabitha, on Flickr"><img alt="Untitled" height="639" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7500/15947634692_066ca68ff5_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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One of my favorite dishes is Mapo Tofu, but because I'm surrounded by carnivors the chance of making that dish is slim to none. That's why I love this dish because it has similar flavors using easy ingredients.</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/fashiontherapist/15326063404" title="Untitled by Tabitha, on Flickr"><img alt="Untitled" height="639" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7530/15326063404_92c669afc2_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Here's what you'll need:</div>
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<li style="text-align: justify;">2 tbsp of chili garlic sauce (can you tell from my other recipes that I love this stuff?)</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">2 tbps of white granulated sugar</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">1/4 cup soy sauce</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">1 tsp grated ginger</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">3 tbsp of rice wine vinegar (white vinegar works as well) </li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">1.5 lbs of ground pork</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">1 large eggplant chopped</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">4 tbsp of sesame oil </li>
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<li style="text-align: justify;">Heat 2 tbsp of olive oil in a wok on high heat. While wok his heating, in a small bowl mix chili garlic sauce, sugar, soy sauce, ginger, vinegar and ginger.</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">When wok is hot, add eggplant and cook until halfway tender.</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">Remove from wok and set aside.</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">Re-heat the other 2 tbsp of olive oil and crumble ground pork until cooked.</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">Add sauce mixture to meat and coat evenly. </li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">Mix eggplant into the meat and cook for another 5 minutes.</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">Serve over rice or quinoa.</li>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/fashiontherapist/15762564337" title="Untitled by Tabitha, on Flickr"><img alt="Untitled" height="478" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7478/15762564337_502ed14712_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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This is a comfort dish for me and is so delish on those cold winter nights. It's super easy to make and is such a great alternate to other ground meats. Enjoy!</div>
Definingtabithahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09747462343109939961noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4804161476689611170.post-70592522367422259132014-12-14T04:30:00.000-06:002014-12-14T06:39:45.904-06:00filling the void<div style="text-align: justify;">
Not that I want to quickly breeze through the holidays, but I'm already a little sad knowing that eventually our holiday decorations have to come down. There is something so cozy about having the tree, stockings, lights and garland up around the house. It's hard to replicate that feeling, but then again we've never really spent the time to fully decorate our walls. With a new year coming up, this is all going to change and it all starts with <a href="http://www.minted.com/art?of=no&limit=80" target="_blank">Minted</a>!</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/fashiontherapist/16012670002" title="Untitled by Tabitha, on Flickr"><img alt="Untitled" height="480" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7520/16012670002_28e3cd9edf_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Anyone that is co-habitating knows that finding a common ground on home decor is a little tough, but luckily both Matt and I agree on simplicity. Maybe too simple that we've been keeping the walls naked for so long. To re-create that coziness, I've been browsing through Minted to find the right artwork for fill that void. I first discovered that Minted offered art when we were exploring holiday card options and I was derailed by art instead. After scouring the marketplace of independent artists, and being pleasantly overwhelmed with options, I gravitated to art that grabs me the most...maps!<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2_lhpjJN_eM/VIyg569N7DI/AAAAAAAABqw/AMDRkMal9tU/s1600/Maps2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2_lhpjJN_eM/VIyg569N7DI/AAAAAAAABqw/AMDRkMal9tU/s1600/Maps2.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">image via <a href="http://www.minted.com/product/wall-art-prints/MIN-L2N-GNA/united-roads?org=photo" target="_blank">minted</a></span></div>
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I have this weird obsession with maps and specifically not the colorful ones - it's the two toned maps that come in solid, sepia or blueprint paper that I'm particularly obsessed with. On top of that, the older they look the better - so vintage is really the best deal. There's something so complex about maps that make them great art, but I love that it's also such simple, everyday thing. The limited pictures that we do have on our wall showcase our small but mighty family, as well as our travels and an over sized map is surely the best way to cozy up our living room.<br />
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<img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-C86wv2I5wtA/VIyUSArMb9I/AAAAAAAABqg/iy_mMyz_Bls/s1600/Illinois.jpg" height="740" width="640" /><span id="goog_621897924"></span><span id="goog_621897925"></span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/"></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">image via <a href="http://www.minted.com/product/foil-stamped-wall-art/MIN-AGL-GFA/chicago-map" target="_blank">minted</a></span></div>
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Luckily, <a href="http://www.minted.com/art?it_category=n_artb&it_id=top1&of=no&limit=80" target="_blank">Minted's Art Marketplace</a> has a ton of great options and makes it easy to narrow down your search by their extensive filter function. I found a handful of maps that I love and am now stuck with the tough decision of having to narrow it down to one. The best part of Minted's art offerings (and this really is icing on the cake for me) is that they have framing options with up to 13 different types of frames to choose from - making it so much easier to get the art up on your wall as soon as it arrives. So while I'm extremely bummed at the end of the holidays when we have to take our decorations down, I have another great way to cozy up my home!<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RmItHkjChEg/VIzwEh6_wYI/AAAAAAAABrA/6kvYYxuSjzU/s1600/Map.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RmItHkjChEg/VIzwEh6_wYI/AAAAAAAABrA/6kvYYxuSjzU/s1600/Map.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">image via <a href="http://www.minted.com/product/wall-art-prints/MIN-L1H-GNA/modern-american-map?org=title" target="_blank">minted</a></span></div>
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<i>Disclosure: Minted sponsored this posted. All opinions are my own.</i></div>
<br />Definingtabithahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09747462343109939961noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4804161476689611170.post-33836780140142005302014-12-03T04:00:00.000-06:002014-12-03T07:24:51.163-06:00rooted center<div style="text-align: justify;">
Before Thanksgiving I attended the most amazing event at the <a href="http://www.rootedcenter.com/" target="_blank">Rooted Center</a> and I can't stop talking about it to all my friends. Never have I been to a place or event where you're asked to remove your masks and just be true to yourself. This therapeutic event was unique, memorable and one that I encourage others to experience especially during those moments of discomfort in your life.<br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/fashiontherapist/15933114682" title="Untitled by Tabitha, on Flickr"><img alt="Untitled" height="478" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7464/15933114682_8e98f59339_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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It can be unnerving opening up to a complete group of strangers and acquaintances, but it can also be seen as an opportunity to share whatever is on your mind with those that you know won't judge you. The experience at Rooted Center allows you to clean your mind of those things that are clouding your true intentions and offers clarity that can help guide you through whatever obstacles you are experiencing in life whether it be weight loss, relationship issues, self-doubt, etc. The mind "exercises" offered at Rooted Center help you identify those hard to pin point issues that are causing stress in your life and provide baby steps on how to overcome them.<br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/fashiontherapist/15933755165" title="Untitled by Tabitha, on Flickr"><img alt="Untitled" height="478" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7466/15933755165_473d900349_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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At the time (which really was only 2 weeks ago), I was at one of those moments in life where you're left with a lot of uncertainty, unpredictability and discomfort. With a lot of stuff going on between unemployment, holiday season, job searching, etc - I was stressing out a lot internally, but never let anyone see me sweat it until this event. We participated in a small group conversation, but spent majority of the event doing an art therapy exercise guided by a facilitator who asked all the right questions to release my mind's tension. So much of that tension was released in free form art that helped me get rid of a lot of my frustration. Let me tell you that I didn't expect to respond the way that I did after the exercise. My emotions were completely overwhelming. After unleashing everything that I was feeling, shedding a few tears and hearing other stories I felt rejuvenated. It's never anyone's intention to cry, but for me it felt amazing. Life moves so fast that sometimes you just need a good cry and mine was long overdue. After releasing so many emotions I felt motivated and had a clear vision of what to do next with what I had learned that night.</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/fashiontherapist/15746328388" title="Untitled by Tabitha, on Flickr"><img alt="Untitled" height="924" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7463/15746328388_5aa2c081ea_b.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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I love the support that I get from my family and friends, but sometimes what you need is a room full of strangers who are open minded to help you overcome anything that is mentally eating you up. Without knowing it, sometimes it's the people around you that are causing your life's stress and strangers can be the ones to help you see what isn't clear to you. A class at Rooted Center isn't a magic wand that will make all your life stresses disappear, but what you will gain from it is a better understanding of who you are right now in this current stage of life and ideas of what you need to overcome anything that is causing major stress. I can't recommend one of their classes enough and honestly would much rather do this type of group therapy than the one on one sessions. Take it from someone who has done a lot of therapy - this one is definitely worth checking out! Thanks to Sarah from <a href="http://balancedbabe.com/" target="_blank">Balanced Babe</a>, Shruti from <a href="http://rootedcenter.com/" target="_blank">Rooted Center</a>, and <a href="http://kitchfix.com/" target="_blank">Kitchfix</a> for hosting this eye opening event! </div>
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Definingtabithahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09747462343109939961noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4804161476689611170.post-40927531539374466392014-12-01T10:11:00.001-06:002014-12-01T10:11:29.343-06:00my village<div style="text-align: justify;">
I'm fresh off of a Mexican vacation and very late in saying my thanks, but good thing being thankful isn't limited to just one day a year. This past month and this season I'm very (very) appreciative for the people in my life. All of them. Obviously my family and friends mean the world to me, but it goes without saying that all you readers of my blog, the Facebook friends that I haven't talked to in months, LinkedIn acquaintances that I met at networking events and even those that I merely know through mutual friends - you are part of my village. While I hope to one day repay my debt for all the kindness and favors that have been thrown my way, for now I hope you accept my gratitude for being a part of my life.</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-EI8jGpORFpo/VHyQM62hx2I/AAAAAAAABpA/YIuwnxlfXWk/s1600/b4765d1eae6f99a377ffc4d934f99b86.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-EI8jGpORFpo/VHyQM62hx2I/AAAAAAAABpA/YIuwnxlfXWk/s1600/b4765d1eae6f99a377ffc4d934f99b86.jpg" height="840" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">image via <a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/108787233/family" target="_blank">etsy</a></span></div>
Definingtabithahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09747462343109939961noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4804161476689611170.post-11875362341037638312014-11-24T07:51:00.002-06:002014-11-24T07:53:34.998-06:00why we let our son wear makeup<div style="text-align: justify;">
My son is fully aware of what mascara is used for, asks for a ponytail on the daily and says things like, "Mama, do you like my dress?" Instead of correcting him or telling him what the "norm" is - we think nothing of it, encourage it, let him embrace it and here's why....</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/fashiontherapist/15568080770" title="We know the weekend is coming to an end, but try to put in a good face... by Tabitha, on Flickr"><img alt="We know the weekend is coming to an end, but try to put in a good face..." height="640" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7482/15568080770_645a444c53_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Because he needs to learn to feel confident in his life choices.</div>
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Regardless of what we teach (or don't teach) him, individuality is in his own hands. He is at the best age to start paving his own path that will help determine what is right or wrong for him...not us...him. While society may have an idea of what normal should mean, to us normal is un-defined. Sure we guide him in life situations like how to cross the street or what to do when you're in a certain pickle, but when it comes to individuality it's all him to determine what (or who) he likes and doesn't like. The best thing that we can do as parents is to support him in any decision he makes, not just now, but throughout his life. So sure he likes to wear my hair accessories and wear a little Bobbi Brown, I mean who doesn't? But as he grows, we'll continue to support his choices and make him feel confident that he is making the right decisions.</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/fashiontherapist/15862693611" title="Untitled by Tabitha, on Flickr"><img alt="Untitled" height="640" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7491/15862693611_04591ba7bb_z.jpg" width="640" /></a>Definingtabithahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09747462343109939961noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4804161476689611170.post-63634679068007712072014-11-21T04:00:00.000-06:002014-11-21T07:59:12.929-06:00dressing for every holiday occasion<div style="text-align: justify;">
Tis the season. That season to gift give, gather with your loved ones, but most importantly dress up for all those holiday festivities...even in the sub-zero temperatures. With many types of celebrations that range from low-key office parties to more formal family affairs it's tough to choose what to wear, but with a great site like <a href="http://www.shoplately.com/">ShopLately</a> you can elevate what you already have in your closet for any holiday occasion.</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/fashiontherapist/15627946127" title="DSC_7920 by Tabitha, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_7920" height="425" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5603/15627946127_55bfb5b234_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Photo credit for this post: <a href="http://cleodinephotography.com/" target="_blank">Cleodine Photography</a></span><br />
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<a name='more'></a>In my 20s holiday parties ranged from a number of various house parties to all you can drink events at venues or restaurants. All reasons to wear my highest heels, the least amount of fabric and lots of glitter (plenty and plenty of glitter). However, in my 30s, and as a mom, my holiday parties now include tots running around and are a little more low key than the 4am ragers we used to enjoy. As you can imagine, holiday outfit styles have somewhat changed since my 20s, but it's still important for me to feel great. Dressing for the holidays can be exciting and defeating at the same time when you're thinking of what to wear, but with a great place to have lots of options and some good friends you can find the perfect outfit in no time.<br />
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/fashiontherapist/15194123813" title="DSC_7849 by Tabitha, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_7849" height="505" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7492/15194123813_7af3fda2d6_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">From left to right: Lisa from <a href="http://www.stilettosanddiaperbags.com/" target="_blank">Stilettos & Diaper Bags</a>, Johanna from <a href="http://www.101thingsilove.com/" target="_blank">101 Things I Love</a>, Stephanie from <a href="http://www.thenakedcanvasblog.com/" target="_blank">The Naked Canvas</a> and Peggy from <a href="http://hallwaysaremyrunways.com/" target="_blank">Hallways are My Runways</a></span></div>
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Luckily for me, I have great blogger friends who inspire my outfits daily. We recently all got together to showcase some of the holiday outfits we put together inspired by some of our favorite picks from <a href="https://shoplately.com/bash/text_bloggers_group_event/12185/?utm_source=defining_tabitha&utm_medium=tblog_sponsored&utm_campaign=tblog_picks_event_nov" target="_blank">ShopLately</a>. With a little bit of old and new, we all came up with great creations that were unique, different and really spoke to our personalities. More importantly - perfect for any type of holiday occasion from casual to formal. We each were inspired by so many great options at ShopLately, that each individual look was customized for our own types of holiday celebrations. Honestly - it's really hard to not find something that you can wear on ShopLately. If you have never visited ShopLately, be prepared to dedicate at least a good 2 hours exploring this marketplace of great designers that cater to all. Jewelry, clothes, shoes, beauty products, you name it, it's there - it's pretty much the only destination you need when you're planning your holiday attire or even holiday shopping for your girlfriends. I mean, who doesn't love something shiny or something that just makes you feel good?</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/fashiontherapist/15813139125" title="DSC_7886 by Tabitha, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_7886" height="924" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7568/15813139125_879be992e7_b.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">From left to right: Kaitlyn from <a href="http://sistersmarie.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Sisters Marie</a>, me and Zahra from <a href="http://www.lovezahra.com/" target="_blank">Love Zahra</a></span></div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/fashiontherapist/15628273870" title="DSC_7967 by Tabitha, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_7967" height="425" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5604/15628273870_00dd81e457_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://shoplately.com/product/327505/luxurious_crystal_necklace/?utm_source=defining_tabitha&utm_medium=tblog_sponsored&utm_campaign=tblog_picks_event_nov">Luxurious Crystal Necklace</a> from Lily Wang c/o ShopLately</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/fashiontherapist/15813696525" title="DSC_8017 by Tabitha, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_8017" height="641" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5605/15813696525_19907d40ed_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://shoplately.com/product/395950/you_cant_sit_with_us_crewneck/?utm_source=defining_tabitha&utm_medium=tblog_sponsored&utm_campaign=tblog_picks_event_nov">You Can't Sit With Us Crewneck</a> from Love Junkee c/o ShopLately</div>
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While the holidays can be stressful, planning what you wear shouldn't be. With the combination of a one-stop shop that ShopLately offers, a lot of red lipstick and great girlfriends to tell you that you look fabulous - you'll find the perfect holiday getup appropriate for any type of celebration! See more of our favorites by visiting <a href="https://shoplately.com/bash/text_bloggers_group_event/12185/?utm_source=defining_tabitha&utm_medium=tblog_sponsored&utm_campaign=tblog_picks_event_nov" target="_blank">ShopLately's Bloggers Holiday Picks</a>.</div>
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Disclosure: ShopLately provided me with credit to purchase products from their site. All opinions are my own.</span></i></div>
Definingtabithahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09747462343109939961noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4804161476689611170.post-40173848571915475612014-11-19T07:22:00.001-06:002014-11-19T07:22:23.351-06:00daily intention checklist<div style="text-align: justify;">
Life is chaotic and especially around the holidays you start to go a little cross-eyed. While everyday I have all these intentions of doing certain things, sometimes I lose site of them because life happens and keeps you on your toes with unexpected tasks, hard deadlines, etc. So as of last week I started a new daily intentions checklist to ensure that no matter how crazy my day gets that I can go to bed each night feeling like I've accomplished things that are important to me.<br />
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To do lists are an essential part of life. Whether you write them down on paper, keep it in your daily calendar or have solid memory to store it in your head - you have one and we're constantly adding things to our growing list. While I don't want to add another list into the mix, sometimes we need a life reminder that our existence isn't just about crossing things off your to do list. It should be about living life with a purpose to make sure that the most important things that matter are priority. This new daily intention list is a challenge for myself since sometimes I easily push aside the stuff I hate to do and concentrate too much on doing other stuff that is irrelevant to my loved ones. The daily intention list is short, but you'll find that even with only 4 things - doing each can pose a challenge. Every morning I've tasked myself with doing the following:</div>
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<li style="text-align: justify;"><b>Do something for yourself:</b> Everyday we get so consumed with doing stuff for other people that we forget to think about #1 - ourselves. These sacrifices are well worth it, but we can't forget to make ourselves priority. Take 30 minutes to sit alone and actually eat a good lunch that won't give you heartburn because you tried to scarf it down in 10 minutes, get a mani/pedi or workout. These are things that we easily put off for other things that we think have priority, but these small self-indulgences are such a nice reward that helps us think clearer.</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><b>Do something for your family: </b>It seems like everyday we're doing something for our loved ones, but aside from daily chores and tasks that you do for them there are other things that show how much these people mean to us. Sometimes it's as simple as cooking your husband's favorite meal (even though you're not in love with it) or sitting down to watch Frozen with your kids for the 15th time this week WITHOUT checking your mobile device once. Seems simple to say, and sometimes a challenge to do, but these are things we do for someone else purely because we know they enjoy it.</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><b>Do something you've been putting off: </b>My list of things I hate to do is really known as my list of things I avoid doing. I've been putting these off for as long as I could. I can't tell you how much I absolutely dread the idea of cleaning out my pantry, researching new doctors or anything of that sort, but these are absolute must dos. Instead of trying to clear them all at once, I'm taking baby steps. Trying to knock one of these out each day makes it so much more achievable and less dreadful than doing them all at once.</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><b>Do something to help someone else: </b>There are such things as selfless good deeds and maybe it's the holidays that is making me more sensitive to this, but we should always aspire to help others and do good. Let someone in your lane while you're in traffic, open the door for a massive group of people that are walking out of the grocery store, buy a stranger their morning coffee or even a simple $.10 bag donation to the local food pantry when you shop at Whole Foods. These are small gestures that may seem like a given, but when we're in a hurry we become blind and don't think about doing these small random acts of kindness that someone else can benefit from greatly.</li>
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Like I said, everyday we have the best intentions to do great things but sometimes they just fall by the wayside. While these are challenges that may not be easy, they are the small things that will make our days and lives more complete.</div>
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Definingtabithahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09747462343109939961noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4804161476689611170.post-38213196620791323962014-11-17T04:00:00.000-06:002014-11-17T04:00:09.022-06:00cosmic kids yoga<div style="text-align: justify;">
Liam is a natural yogi. He started yoga as part of his daycare's curriculum and he enjoys it so much that we try to practice together. Our flow isn't anything like what you would expect from an adult class, but I must say that he's pretty stellar with his sun salutations and tries really hard to perfect his frog pose. Since he really does enjoy yoga, I searched high and low on the YouTubes to find a toddler yoga video that keeps him engaged, has him practicing poses and offers something for us to do together. After trying a ton of duds, I finally gave in to the many <a href="http://www.cosmickids.com/">Cosmic Kids Yoga</a> videos and we haven't turned back since.</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/fashiontherapist/15188191873" title="image by Tabitha, on Flickr"><img alt="image" height="640" src="https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8135/15188191873_f82f7f4f92_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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The concept is pretty genius and perfect for kids with wild imaginations. These short videos (average of 15 minutes) combines yoga poses with storytelling adventures. The teacher/storyteller (Jamie) takes kids through imaginative adventures and incorporates various yoga poses to progress through the story. The animated background sucks kids in and Jamie has a great way of getting Liam to practice (or at least try) every pose. With <a href="http://www.cosmickids.com/category/watch/">these videos</a>, kids can take a trip down under exploring the scenery like kangaroos, have a picnic on a beach complete with surfing and so much more.</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/fashiontherapist/15622452418" title="image by Tabitha, on Flickr"><img alt="image" height="633" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5606/15622452418_5f1dda1dbb_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/fashiontherapist/15622786900" title="image by Tabitha, on Flickr"><img alt="image" height="640" src="https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8279/15622786900_e43994dc3c_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Matt and I are big on teaching Liam the importance of physical activity, whether it's soccer on the field, taking long walks or running around at the park - we want to establish an understanding that this should be part of an everyday routine. Since Fall's weather decided to take a turn for the worst, I'm so glad that I found these videos just in time. These short videos not only lets Liam explore his love for yoga even more, but expands his level of physical activity. I love it because yoga is something I was hoping we could enjoy together and these offer a way for us to bond over something we both love. </div>
Definingtabithahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09747462343109939961noreply@blogger.com0