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Prepping food and we are off for fun outside for the rest of the day!
Today’s menu - veggie burgers!
You will need:
• a veggie burger option - whatever suits your taste
• @oroweatbread Sandwich Thins rolls (delicious! I love that all varieties are made with olive oil and sea salt. So good! We have some people on the family who love Multigrain option and some who love 100% Whole Wheat. I’m partial to Multigrain ones, but, seriously, both are delicious. Take your pick! )
• fresh veggie slices to layer in the sandwich
• cheese (any kind you like, but we prefer the aged sliced options)
• olive oil
Toast a few sandwich rolls. I like to brush up a drizzle of olive oil on Oroweat Sandwich Thins rolls and add a dash of seasoning too, it really accents the olive notes in the bread plus adds a little moisture to it. Add a veggie burger, fresh slices of cucumber and bell peppers, top it off with a second half of a Sandwich Thins roll and use toothpicks to hold the sandwich together.
I love these sandwiches after they sit for an hour or two, so that all flavors mix together, but my kids seriously swallow theirs the moment we get to the park
A little tip: if you like garlic notes, use a 1/2 garlic claw to rub the outsides of Oroweat Sandwich Thins rolls. It adds to the flavor without side effects of the garlic breath. Cool, right?!
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What sandwich recipes do you love? Any picnic ideas?!
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#DoYourOwnThin #ad
#funtime #familytime #lunchtips #lunchboxfavorites #momtips

3 tips to make a museum/exhibit/park visit fun for kids ( and adults, too!)
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Happy official FALL! My favorite season! I love autumn for so many reasons, but with rains, and shorter days, and cooler evenings there is inevitably more time spent inside.
I’ll post a lot of things in the next couple of weeks on inside activities for kids of all ages, so stay tuned!
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Kicking off with 3 basic, but efficient, tips on keeping kids interested and happy ( translated: appropriately behaved) in parks, museums, etc, so that they can have fun, and and we, as parents, enjoy our time, too.
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• make sure everyone is well-fed.
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Basic? Yes. But So helpful!
I found it that kids “work best” when well-fed before we go somewhere. There is a scientific explanation to that too, so it’s not just my estimation.
Plus, nothing worse then to hear “mommy, I am hungry again” 30 min after you got in and dealt with all the lines of cost drop offs, etc.
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• make a map of a place with hidden special spots.
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Takes 5 minutes to print a map of the place you are going to and mark fun spots. I spike kids interests with a story, too.
For example, when we went to the Met, the night before I told Yeva a life story of one of the artists ( in age-appropriate language) and a highlight of the trip was to find his work. She was ecstatic when she found one of his paintings.
This is a GREAT way to keep kids happy and to learn yourself too: I cannot tell you how much my personal knowledge broadened because I am kind of forced to ensure I know things so that I can keep kids happy.
Win-win!
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• make a treasure-hunt “map” for little ones.
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I circle the areas on the map and have a few small things that I would hide somewhere on that area. Kids are supposed to find it.
Can be anything: from a pen on a chair, to a little toy, whatever you want it to be. The point is, kids are occupied searching for the treasure, and I usually sneak it to whatever place while they are looking in the opposite direction.
Hours of happy time for toddlers and adults too!
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What do you do to keep kids happy in museums? Your favorite tips?!
Share below, I’m sure many moms will appreciate it ( myself including!) 💕

#citymom #citykids

#Sponsored Naptime with my “magic sleep charm” and one of the biggest mommy-helpers,
because she loves it and won’t let go, and I’ve been obsessed with this invention for the last 3 years too.
@Dockatot has been so kind to support our love for the product, they offered a giveaway!
Highlights of why this is one of the top items on my “baby’s musts” list, apart from those mentioned before in a sleep-tips post:
• it travels easily and provides the comfort and feelings of stability for little ones wherever we go.
• it creates a cosy place where kids feel secure and are safe ( it’s fully breathable). I got one for Elia when she was a baby and this was a must for Elisey too. Now they both are in a Grand size which goes to 36 months + ( above) and loving it.
• a personal sleeping place no matter the location. I cannot tell you, how much easier it is to teach kids to sleep in their beds with DockATot around. They don’t get attached to MY bed, and they feel a lot more secure in their rooms when transitioning to one.
• I just love it. I think that it a good reason too.
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We are giving away TWO DockATots, grand or deluxe, as well as two travel bags. One for the person who wins and for their friend.
HERE IS WHAT YOU NEED TO DO TO ENTER.
• like this picture
• have to be a @livingnotes follower and follow @dockatot
• tag a friend ( the more the better! each individual comment is a separate entry!)
That’s it!
If you can’t wait to see if you won, use the code LIVINGNOTES15 for 15% off! I’m very happy we could talk DockATot team into it! 😊
It’s a great deal, too!
OK! Ready?! Go!
Not affiliated with Instagram. US only. Ends in 48 hours. DockATot will announce winner here.

#dockatot #sleeping #sleeptraining #sleep
#citymom #citykids
#livecolorfully #abmlifeiscolorful #liveauthentic
#pursuepretty #travel #wonderlust #tlpicks #sugarplumstyle #dreambig

Distance Learning School: please, save this post if you need it.💕
For questions about school: our kids are enrolled in distance learning school, VERY, very different from homeschooling, don’t confuse the two.
We were recommended this system by a principle of our old school when we moved to SF and faced ridiculousness of SF school placement. She spoke highly of it, so we gave it a try, kids liked it, and we decided to stay with it.
Things that are important to know:
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• distance school is NOT a home school. With distance school there is an enrollment process just the same way as in any other school. Same paperwork. Same everything. It is also location based, and just like other schools, distance schools are zoned. The zones are significantly broader, though, but still allow for kids from same areas to interact.
• there are classes, daily schedules, school breaks, teachers and a school principle. Kids have calls/meetings with teachers a couple of times a week and they have programs curated for their needs.
While it is curated per child’s interest and needs based off constant assessments, there IS a daily program that must be completed and done well before moving on to another day. You can’t just skip a day or skip some lessons for the day - the child will be flagged. Homework is a part of a daily plan, which is nice.
You can travel, though, or do school during different hours - that flexibility is there and is amazing.
• kids have school trips, meet-ups, etc, both online and in-person.
There was a trip to NASA Labs at the start of the school year, there is a trip to LA fair this week, and, basically, a trip somewhere every month, all season appropriate and education focused.
• kids waste definitely a lot less time learning, simply because the focus is on the child’s needs individually, but they do spend time learning and perfecting lessons, often as many hours as any other child would in school, if the subject is challenging.
• our responsibility as parents is the same as any parent’s : we don’t teach, but we do supervise to make sure the school is done, checking off the lessons just as one would check for homework. Sometimes we help with questions, just ⤵️

I had another solo-parenting day today.
Justin got called into a set, very last minute, so it was just me, working and parenting “all by me onsie” all day long ( can you name the movie?!)
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Thank Heavens, it was a relatively flexible working Wednesday, nothing too structured that my secret cupboard couldn’t fix ( my biggest life hack up to date!) Surprise days like this used to drive me crazy, because all my plans would go out of the window, until it hit me one day that kids LOVE them because nothing is ordinary, and... I banked on it.
Now I absolutely love them too.
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Everyone gets to do everything they always wanted to, but which I rarely allow for. It’s the “everything goes!” day.
You should have seen Elia’s face glowing with pride when she marched passed the security into our studio wearing my pearl necklace and her Moana skirt.
I mean.
A SECURITY guard. Mommy’s place. Moana’s skirt. In public And mommy’s NECKLACE.
Just about every dream came true right there.
Vasilisa changed her outfit 4 times today, not counting the uniform. She said she feels “like mommy”. Not sure if I should laugh or cry 😂.
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My secret cupboard got nearly cleaned out by the end of the day, but every game and activity has been put to good use, giving me all the time I needed to work.
Heaven bless the mute button that allowed me to make all the calls I needed, and heaven bless the architect who put a playroom in an industrial style building.
I got the necessities done, took the rest of the load home and cut the day short.
We spent an extra hour at the playground.
Evyianne and Elia were ecstatic that they got to see ALL of the older kids additional classes. We went everywhere together (I won’t mention that that was my secret plan of wearing their energy down. E and E thought they got rewarded for good behavior) .
Dinner was pizza with a side of a watermelon for desert.
Bath time included a lush pink bubble bath bomb and touchable bubbles.
Bed time story is switched for a movie night ( in the middle of the week!)
Best part? I get the mom of the year award because we’ve done nothing of the typical day schedule.
What’s not to love?!
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What lifehacks do you have for emergency days?!

Sleep? Overrated!
Said no mom ever, but babies don’t seem to agree. Right?!
Sleep training can be a beast! Here are a few things that seem to help me and carrier through one baby to another, even though they all are different:
• creating a personal routine. I want to emphasize “personal” because with each baby for me it was a different thing. A bath calmed some and wired others, so, whatever was calming to my baby, that’s what I focused on.
• an evening walk. I swear by these. Oxygen helps babies sleep better. I put babies and toddlers in the stroller or baby carrier. No running on these walks.
• having something soothing they attach to - a blanket, a toy, whatever it is, but something that creates a reflex “rest” when used. Life saver. I had babies that attached to toys, I had babies that attached to blankets, I had babies that attached to music ( they would doze off every time I would turn the lullaby on).
• a space of their own, that is THEIRS.
Even when co-sleeping, having the personal space for the baby is very important otherwise it will be tears when trying to transition out of parents bed. I also found that a small, nest-like space is much more comforting for the baby. Everyone knows about DockATot now - get one. It helped me to transition babies to their crib, and then from the crib to their beds. I swear by it. It’s also a great thing to take with you if you travel, so that the baby is not stressed in a different environment, and it really helps to keep sleep routine.
• feed the baby.
Seems like an obvious thing, but more often then not babies wake up to eat. Breastfeeding moms - am I right?! At least twice a week. Breastmilk digests fast. I usually supplement with a toddler formula or baby food after 12 months, so that the little one sleeps well - this helps everyone.
I really like Kabrita ( with goat’s milk) for toddler formula. Bookmark if you need one!
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What tips work for you when sleep training?
Do you use a CIO method or fully against it?
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#citymom #citykids
#livecolorfully #abmlifeiscolorful #liveauthentic
#pursuepretty #travel #wonderlust #tlpicks #sugarplumstyle #dreambig #sleeptraining #sleep #livingnotestips

Here is a Monday-mind-bending question:
What qualities to you value most in people?
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I’ve been thinking a lot about this recently. I think, for me, they have to be loyalty, respect and kindness, and probably in that order, too. Maybe, it’s because I had so many back-stabs or maybe it’s because I am a very loyal myself, loyalty is a top of my list. Respect for me is the foundation of all and a variation of love. Kindness - well, kindness is what makes the world go around.
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What about you? What do you value most and why? If you were to pick just one quality, what would it be?
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PS: sleep training tips are going to be in the next post for all those you are asking!
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русский ⤵️
( PS: следующий пост про сон малыша, как просили вы!)
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#citymom #citykids
#livecolorfully #abmlifeiscolorful #liveauthentic
#pursuepretty #travel #wonderlust #tlpicks #sugarplumstyle #dreambig

Let’s talk values, what do you think?!
How do you instill values in kids? And where does the line between instilling values and “dictatorship” cross over?
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I am a firm believer in importance of values.
I am also a firm believer that any type of dictatorship or forcing the values will result in a protest from child’s side and an absolutely ruined relationship.
A protest does not have to be screaming/yelling/slamming doors. At all.
Silent protests are the most dangerous, actually.
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My husband, one of the most agreeable people I’ve ever met, has the strongest backbone ever. If he puts his mind to something, there is hardly anything that could change it, unless he sees the reason for the change.
His childhood? Strictest rules. Absurd at times. Non-budging. No discussions allowed.
Result? He agreed to everything, but only done that, which he saw the reason in. Which wasn’t much at all.
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So, for us as parents, the goal is never an “obedient” child, but rather a child who understands.
Let me tell you right away, kids don’t immediately understand or agree to all, sometimes they challenge what we say, and if it is safe for kids , we let them challenge us, so that they can see validation to our words and opinion. It is not easy - the “ because I said so” is very tempting! - but it’s one of the best ways that I found to make kids trust us, relate to us, listen and, most importantly, value what we have to say.
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Where do you stand? How do you teach values? Do you feel like it’s important or should “kids be kids for now and life with teach them later”? Do you believe that strict is better or is free-style-parenting the best way to go? Curious what you think.
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#citymom #citykids #livecolorfully #abmlifeiscolorful #liveauthentic #pursuepretty #travel
#wonderlust #tlpicks #sugarplumstyle #livecolorfully #abmlifeiscolorful #liveauthentic #pursuepretty #dreambig

Do you remember what is starting today?!
It’s LivingNotes interactive giveaway that we are hosting with our friends at @oogaababy !
I am so excited for this, guys!
So!
Swipe left to see some absolutely adorable images OTHER creators sent to us, showing how they use their Oogaa every day.
Vote for the image you love the most from the four finalists we picked to be entered into a raffle: one of voters will receive a special Oogaa package as a thank you from us to you, and the winner from the creators will receive a surprise “thank you” package from just me🤗
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Ok - go vote on 4 images here or in stories ( numbered! Don’t vote for mine - I’m just here for an announcement!), and let the fun begin!
*open to everyone! If you win and located outside of the US, you will need to cover your own shipping fees.
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PS: if you want to submit photos of your own for LivingNotes monthly interactive giveaway and be featured on LivingNotes, drop us a line and we will arrange for your product delivery!
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Русский⤵️
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#livingnotesinteractive #oogaa #friends #community #fun #fridaynightfun

Working mom balance - does it exist?
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I didn’t bring Elisey for this NYFW because my schedule was too booked, but let me tell you, this mom-guilt thing was skyrocking even though I 100% knew that he is 100% better off not coming with me this time around. I let him sleep under my “wing” tonight, even though that meant I didn’t really sleep because he woke up 1001 time to nurse, but it kind of felt good, you know?
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So, plans for today - spending 1/2 a day with kids before heading off for an engagement at night, and coming back to full-blown amazing bed time stories, bubbles in bath, and a game night together. .
There is a schedule, of course, and rules, but those are for tomorrow - today I’m balancing the scale to make up for the time I was away by letting everything just be.
How do you, guys, balance work and kids?
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PS: why is it when you come back your kids look like giants and babies & toddlers make huge leaps and hit big milestones?! I swear they hold up until I’m not there for that “first time” thing!
Anyone can relate?!
PPS: it’s very hard to leave kids. But I think it makes me a better mom. Things that can be irritating don’t bug me. Being away, although hard, is... kind of a good things too. Makes me cherish every minute with them. That fact alone is, probably, the biggest key to patience in parenting.
What do you think?
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русский ⤵️
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#familyovereverything #nyfw
#motherhood #citymom #citykids #livecolorfully #abmlifeiscolorful #liveauthentic #pursuepretty
#momtips

#Sponsored
School means school lunches!
I’m going to share a serious life-hack I learned from a friend - you can thank me later!
I’m trying to streamline the lunches, but make them fun too, so each week we have a different “base” that we spruce up. Kids love it, and this is my sneaky way of trying to get them to try new things too!
This week we have wraps. You will need:
💠 lunch meat slices: I get @Applegate ham, turkey and organic chicken at Whole Foods Market. No antibiotics ever and humanely raised, which, in my opinion, are very important factors.
💠 cheese slices or shredded cheese: we like @applegate (we have a few favorites with American-style Colby and Shredded Italian blend dominating)
💠 tortilla-style wraps: we really like sprouted ones!
💠 veggie slices and other fun additions: we really like antipasti bar! I get different olives, marinated veggies, etc.
I layer meat slices with JUST cheese and roll the wraps; I do a bunch at one time and put them in ziplock bags. They keep fresh in the fridge for 4-5 days, easily.
Then, every night kids get a couple out, add fun veggie mixes, olives and whatever else they want in their wraps, and roll them for the next day’s lunch.
This has been a GREAT middle ground for me to help get the basic nutrition into them, so I know they are getting proteins/fats and carbs, but they feel like they get to choose what they want for their personal taste.
I also try to accommodate personal wishes – my girls don’t like red meats, so they stick to organic chicken, my boys like certain cheeses more than others, so I make sure to give them that freedom too.
All around, it’s been a great life-hack to keep everyone happy.
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Do you want to see more lunch ideas?
What do you do for school lunches?
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PS: we also did makeshift low-carb quiches when we had meats and cheese left over from the week! Delish! Do you want a recipe? #whatsinyoursandwich
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#lunch #recipes #easyrecipes #kidslunches #bts #lunchbox #tips

Thanks so much for your comments on the last post, everyone!
It’s very helpful to see what you want to read about! I appreciate you taking time to write your thoughts!
And right along those lines, I want to touch on one of the commonly requested topic:
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💠Keeping “your cool” under stress💠
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While meditating, self-control, etc are all very important, there is a side to this that is often missed and is not something that comes to mind right away.
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“Loosing it” moments are often a sign of a disbalance in the body that is caused by nutritional deficiencies.
Pregnancy and breastfeeding are very taxing on the body. Babies are absolutely worth it but it is important to remember to take care of mom’s body too.
Few things to keep on mind:
• vitamin deficiency, when diagnosed, usually is so far into the woods, that it typically comes with a load of problems and requires medical intervention to resolve.
It is a lot easier to prevent vitamin deficiency. Which is exactly why doctors are so adamant about prenatal vitamins and vitamins all around.
• food is always the best source of nutrition, vitamins should never substitute for food, but I am yet to know a mom with a newborn or small kids, who eats full meals. Do you?
I often remember that I haven’t eaten anything when it’s far into the second half of the day. Anyone can relate?!🙋🏼‍♀️
• even with perfect meal schedules, some vitamins are very reactive to stress ( b-complex), some are produced by the gut flora ( b 12, for example) and if a woman went through the stress of labor + had antibiotics administered during or after labor ( let’s say, your water broke), moms body would most definitely need a boost, but this is not something we typically think about, right?
Add to this that today women are practically expected to bounce back the day after they had a baby and sleepless nights newborns bring, and there you have it.
• so, before diving into a million mediation techniques ( which I love and practice myself) and then beating yourself for not managing to keep your cool during the meltdown your toddler had, run a self-check if maybe the physical/nutritional part of your life needs a little attention. No self-control ⤵️

Happy Friday Eve! A QUESTION for you, actually a few.
What topics are interesting to you right now?
How many are you expecting? How many want “baby-related” stuff?
How many of you want “toddler-wiki” bits?
Or maybe topics on older kids? Maybe, teens?
Or no kids whatsoever - maybe, a little bit of relationship? Working mom tips? Working mom reality?
Beauty hacks? Health topics? Recipes?
I have so many different topics in notes that I started but never finished and, honestly, I am a little at a loss as to what post.
My life changes so fast and my interests change with it too, but what is interesting to YOU?
What do YOU want to see and read about?
School? Daily stuff? Stories from the past?
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What do you need right now? Suggest some topics!
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Русский ⤵️
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#lifegivingsquares #vscocam #instagood #motherhood #motherhoodthroughinstagram
#citymom #citykids #livecolorfully #abmlifeiscolorful #liveauthentic #pursuepretty

#fabfitfunpartner My fall @fabfitfun box arrived yesterday!
Who got theirs?!
Guys, I’m repeating myself, but this is the best gift I gave myself that keeps on giving!
So, in this box : 2 GlamGlow masks, Beauty Blender, Grown Alchemist polishing exfoliant, Skin&Co shower gel, AN ENTIRE set of Crown Pro make-up brushes in a travel case, Farmacy Dew-It-All eye cream, Cobra Bluetooth earphones, luna bar, a set of tea towels and a TEA POT ( perfect for a fall day, right?)
It’s all full size, guys - that’s what I love the most. Not just little sample sizes (although those can be helpful too when travel), it’s nice to have the actual full-size items. LOVE-LOVE-LOVE!
Use my code OLYA at fabfitfun.com for $10 off your box if you want to try one too.
Do it! It’s the gifting season! 😘😘
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#nothingisordinary #livefolk #thatsdarling #momtips #bts

“My” son, Justin’s or a mix? What do you say?!
In my brunette days I used to only hear that kids look like Justin ( because, blondies 🤗), but I hear a mix of opinions now - what do you think?
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On the other topic, thank you for your support.
Honestly and sincerely.
Last few months have been hard.
Probably, more so than anything else, because I didn’t want to believe the reality of what was happening until it has become impossible to deny it any further.
At times like this, my “default” setting is to retreat to a studio and to create. It is therapeutic for me in some ways, healing in others, but mostly mind-clearing, regrouping and “puzzle-piecing”. The time when I can sift through the fluff and see the action plan more clearly.
Thank you for just being there for me.
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If you are dealing with something right now, know you are not alone, although sometimes it feels that way. Also, know that facts, however unrealistic they may appear, never lie.
Don’t step away from your integrity, no matter how hard you are swayed to do otherwise - it’s worth it, believe me.
And no matter how hard things are, as one of my dear friends said : “you will get though this because you have no choice”, and that is true, too. You will.
In due time, I may share my story. I can tell you with 1000% certainty though right now: there is ALWAYS light on the other side of the tunnel. Keep going forward. Don’t give up.
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PS: I’ll share a teaser from episode 2 of #YevaTube tomorrow! It will magically make you smile! I promise!😘
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русский⤵️
#citymom #citykids #livecolorfully

#Sponsored by @tropicana_juices.

Watermelon - ✔️
Vitamin C - ✔️
Real fruit juice - ✔️
USDA certified organic - ✔️
Feeling good about personal mommy skills - ✔️
Tropicana Kids organic juice drink pouches, love you forever - ✔️✔️✔️
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#TropicanaKids

Back to School is my favorite time. It’s twice as fun now because Nadya loves putting together outfits. We spent almost 2 hours at @AbercrombieKids putting together some fun looks for everybody from Kindergartener to High School. Head on over to the blog and tell me which one is your favorite. Everybody has two looks, and we are trying to decide what to wear for the next week to school, so help us choose!
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#Sponsored #AbercrombieKids #doanythingjeans
#backtoschool #familyovereverything #citykids #lifegivingsquares #vscocam #instagood

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