Vasilisa's Gift Guide! — livingnotes

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Weekender dreaming: witch’s necessity 🧙‍♀️🔮 😉
Some tips and must-haves from a professional witch for a happy Halloween weekend:
🔮 feed the magical crew well before heading out for Halloween parties that are bound to have candies. Magical potions with lots of protein seem to work best on combating the magical desire to eat all candies in sight for 3-5 year-old magical creatures of all types. Makes for much happier everyone.
🔮 make sure to bring Witch’s Prime Choice of a bucket for trick-or-treating.
I highly recommend any of @lilyjadeco classic styles:
🎃18+ pockets allow to keep your spider powders separated from magical dust, and also lets you skillfully separate chocolate candies from non-chocolate variety for ease of access.
🎃 the removable insert allows for all the contents of the bag to magically disappear, thus lessening the load for tiny magical creatures that are diligently hunting for the chocolates you will later eat.
🎃 it transforms into a backpack to make broomrides easy and hassle free.
🎃 if you decide you want to take a weekend off, Witch’s Prime Choice of a getaway bag is the Weekender, shown above. Will fit all your pumpkins, brews and necessities to make your night magically wonderful or horrifyingly exciting - you choose.
🔮 If your magical creatures between ages 3-5 are do not hold a broom-flying license, I highly recommend bringing a non-flying moving device, like a stroller or a wagon. We typically find that by about hour 2, little magical creatures start to complain and ask to be artificially flown on their daddy’s shoulders. The non-flying device definitely helps. It also makes a great placeholder for a Witch’s Prime Choice of a bag, should you not wish to carry it. .
Happy Halloweening!
🧙‍♀️ sincerely yours Witch-of-the-hour.
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Are you ready to celebrate? Any magical tips for first time flying mom-witches?
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#witch #halloween #sponsored

Continuing on from yesterday’s topic ( make sure to read! And bookmark!) into character and behavior developments of children ( bookmark this one too❤️).
The final outcomes, of course, depend on many additional factors, and I will talk more about this too, but generally, here is what psychologists found in general:
⚫️ BLACK:
Children that are raised in authoritarian mentality are obedient and very proficient, they tend to succeed at almost everything. But. They rank low in ability find happiness. They have hard time loving and accepting love. They have low self-esteem. They rarely take initiatives and look for others to make a decision for them. They lack spontaneity and curiosity.
🔴 RED:
Children of authoritative parenting are, generally, very happy, capable and successful. They rank higher in every aspect, including mental health, and this tends to continue throughout their lives. BUT. Much of the success depends on the additional parenting methods involved, social surroundings and economic conditions.
🔵 BLUE:
Great as it sounds initially, permissive parenting actually results in children that rank low in happiness, and rank very low in self-regulation and self-motivation. This trend continues into adulthood and presents itself in inability to make decisions, take responsibility, etc. Kids who are raised in heavily-permissive environment also run into issues with power and score low in abilities to function in social surroundings. Translation: they don’t understand why others don’t praise them the way mom/dad do, why can’t they have what they want and why are they being punished in school for undone homework - that was not something they wanted to do, so why punish?
⚪️ WHITE:
Kids raised in this style rank low all around. They lack self-esteem, confidence, yet at the same time that can be quite selfish and demanding, cruel. They are susceptible to poor influence, particularly in teen years. As adults, they often find themselves in abusive circumstances, as the childhood programming associates love with personal discomfort/ lack of personal needs.
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Fascinating, isn’t it? This is a micro-summary, a very general one, but ⤵️

Pa-pa-pa-parenting: which way is your way? Or rather, which color are you?
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In psychology there are four predominant parenting types. If using color psychology, here what they would look like:
⚫️ Black.
Authoritarian type. Inflexible. Strict. Super-high expectations. Punishes rather then disciplines. “There is only one way - it’s the “mom/dad way” type.
🔴 Red.
Authoritative type. Nurturing. Affectionate. Discipline through guidance. Letting kids learn through mistakes. “If you don’t believe me, try it for yourself” type.
🔵 Blue.
Permissive type. Warm. Welcoming. Barely any boundaries. Super-responsive.
“Well, this is my child and that’s what he needs ( while watching kid climbing over neighbors car)” type.
⚪️ White.
Uninvolved type. Emotionally detached. Self-absorbed. Inconsistent boundaries, if any. “Go play, I am busy” type.
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Isn’t this interesting? I personally believe that there are far more than four colors, there is a whole rainbow of parenting styles, but we all DO have a dominant color. I also think that parenting color styles can change with course of life, too.
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What do you think? Which color is your dominant? .
PS: I can write the characteristics of kids’ behaviors per different parenting type. It’s crazy fascinating. Do you want me to?
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русский ⤵️ : ВОСПИТАНИЕ
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#parenting #familytime #livingnotesqanda #livingnotes_parenting

Yesterday’s post spiked some conversations! I always love a good chat❤️
Different opinions, of course, but here is what I think.
For me, a birth plan was very helpful.
I also want to emphasize ( based on comments) that birth plan, in my view, is not telling the doctor what do to.🤗
Here are the absolute benefits of why it was so helpful for me.
🍂 we discussed different scenarios with my doctor. I knew WHAT could happen, what, generally, is done in different situations. I was familiar with different protocols.
🍂 I was able to talk about important-to-me points and understand the doctors view on things. For example, it was important to me to be mobile during labor. It was important for the doctor to monitor the baby and my vitals to access the process. We discussed the best way to get it all done, rather than having me lay flat on my back ALL the hours of labor, as it was with my first, because it was easier for nurses to hook me up to a computer. I didn’t know any different then. I wish I did!
🍂 for me, a birth plan was something I could lean on at the tough moment. I remember with my 3rd baby, my first 100% natural birth, that there was a moment I felt scared and thought that I couldn’t do it. I prepped for this. My husband and nurses knew what calms me. It was in the birth plan. They were able to give me the support I needed those very last few minutes that are the most intense. I was so glad we all had something to lean on.
🍂 I also very clearly understood that a birth plan is NOT a set “how-to”. The birth plan is a collection of paths to get to the main goal : a healthy birth. For me, knowing what can happen took the stress of unknown away. And that alone was worth it 1000x over.
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What do you think? Did you have a birth plan? Did it help you?
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#baby #birth #livingnotesqanda #livingnotes_pregnancy

If you are a first-time mother, you know that planning for your child birth is an important step so that you can be prepared for the expected and unexpected. The best news is that there are so many resources for information and support available for moms-to-be. I’m sharing a few memories and a resource called MyBirthPlan.com to help moms write and prepare their own birth plans. Go read and let me know your thoughts.
Anyone else checked them out too?
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#sponsored #MyBirthPlan
(bit.ly/LNbirthplaninfo)

Once upon a time there were two animal friends, Penny the Peacock and Flare the Flamingo. They loved playing together and exploring, and each year during harvest season they always looked for a special magic pumpkin to bring them good luck during the winter to come.
The day came for their magic pumpkin hunt, and the birds decided that they wanted to go to one of the special pumpkin patches in the area that everyone had been talking about. They were so excited to go, but when they arrived ... .
Head on over to the blog to read the rest of the story
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Who else is excited for Halloween?
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@Happyhannas #Sponsored
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русский ⤵️ праздничная сказка
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#halloween #halloweencostumes #pumpkinpatch #citykids #urbanlife #abmcolorful #abmhappylife #abmlifeisbeautiful #abmlifeiscolorful #pursuewhatislovely #societygal #colorcrush #darlingmoment

Newest Anthropologie that just opened is to die for 😍 Biggest I’ve been to and I realized that I urgently need everything. 😂
Feeling REALLY good about self-control, because we came out, literally, with empty hands. I don’t know how long my strong self control will last. I’m thinking a “you-don’t-need-this-put-it-down” buddy system maybe a really good idea 😂
What do you think?
PS: Can any of you relate?
#anthropologie #bestillmyheart #andwallettoo
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русский ⤵️ прочитайте
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Oh, instagram, the world of controversies 😂
Is it possible for a woman to have a fulfilling career and to be a good mother?
In short answer, I believe, yes.
The more detailed answer: it’s a lot more complicated.
So many factors depend on a type of a profession, on personal goals, wants and ... needs. We are ALL different.
In my line of women in the family, all women worked. There were two single moms, both widows. One raised 7 kids by herself. One - 2. Both done a remarkable job and all children had nothing but good to say about their moms and their childhood.
Then they were two women who were happily married. One raised a family and built a career from 0 up. She couldn’t imagine it being any different. The other always wished she could stay home with kids, until she actually tried, and she quickly realized that it was NOT her path either. Her happy balance was in little work+lots of family. All children of these women are happy and have the happiest memories of their childhood.
And then there is my husband with his memories of gloomy childhood in a home where a mother didn’t work a day.(I share this because he already did earlier, just “disclaiming” before questions arise 🤗)
In their line of women a working mother was very looked down on. But he didn’t feel wanted, loved or needed as a child. Lots of superficial “I love you”s with no action to support it. She didn’t have to work, she didn’t want to work, but she didn’t want to “mother” either. The kids were there because they just ... were supposed to be. Per “that’s what you do when you are married” mentality. 🤗
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So, the point is... it is important to find self.
We ALL are different. We all have personal paths. We all have personal limits and personal qualities that no one else does.
The ONE race to win is the race with self, but not for the sake of “beating self”, but for the sake of understanding WHO that “self” is. And when you find your true self, all things are possible.
And as far as “no one can’t do it all”... but aren’t we? Already? When we get up every morning and put our most effort to make our loved ones happy, aren’t we doing it? When we are trying to find the time between work⤵️

All my DockATot lovers from Eastern Europe - here is a contest for YOU!
@sleepyhead_ukraine just opened a new store, and generously offered to do a giveaway for all of you Eastern European moms! You will win a Deluxe or a Grand model
Rules are simple!
💎Follow @sleepyhead_ukraine
💎 Be a @livingnotes follower and like this post
💎 Tag your friends : each additional tag is an entry! The more, the better!
That’s IT!
Winner will be announced here! STOP at any time! Don’t miss out!
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Open to Russia/Ukraine only. Giveaway not affiliated with instagram.
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#partner #sleepyhead #dockatot #formoms #babygear
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Для всех моих любителей ДокАТота из Восточной Европы - розыгрыш СПЕЦИАЛЬНО ДЛЯ ВАС!
@sleepyhead_ukraine открыли новый магазин, и согласились на розыгрыш для всех вас, мамочки!
Подарок на выбор : модель Delux или Grand, правила очень легкие:
💎подписаться на @sleepyhead_ukraine
💎быть подписчиком @livingnotes и лайнкуть это фото
💎отмечайте подруг! Каждый коммент - это шанс! Чем больше, тем лучше!
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Победитель будет объявлен тут.
СТОП в любой момент! Удачи!!
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*открыт для России/Украины; независимый, частный розыгрыш.
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#длямам #малыш #новорожденный #семья #конкурс

Monday Beauty Tips - let’s talk hair!
Changes in hair are typical and normal as we age, even if I don’t like it, I’m sure many of you can relate too, right?🤗
Hair is generally at its best in early 20s ( isn’t almost everything at its best in early 20s?!😂), by 30s hormonal changes from pregnancies and breastfeeding, prolonged use of hormonal contraception and stress can have an effect. Stress from balancing family, work and figuring the whole “life things” can also make an impact on hair cycle.
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I used to freak out every time when seeing hairs on my brush, but it’s important to remember that loosing around 100 hairs a day is normal. Pregnancy stalls normal hair loss, but makes up for it after birth with extensive “hair-fall” that should subside by the tome baby is about 7-8 month old or earlier. I hated this time, but I will tell you a few things that I noticed made a difference for me:
💄 Exercise : even if a little bit. It helps to de-stress, boost metabolism and helps with circulation - all important things. Seriously, even 15 minutes in the morning are better then nothing.
💄 Extra protein : I’ll do another post as to why, but in-short, it’s one of the building blocks for healthy hair and one of the best tools in balancing hormones
💄 NOT washing daily. Who has time for that anyway?! Washing too often strips hair of natural oils and contributes to hair loss. Good dry shampoo works miracles ( do you want me to do a list of favorites?!).
💄 A diet rich in zinc, iron, omega-3s and B vitamins helps a lot.
💄 Prenatals: my doctor always tells me to keep taking prenatal vitamins or create a good postnatal complex for at least one year after birth, but better throughout all the breastfeeding time ( if nursing past 12 months). I listened with some kids, didn’t really listen with others. I’ll tell you, the Dr was right. I saw a huge difference.
💄 Placenta caps or essence. It sounds odd, but I noticed a difference with recovery and my hormones leveling out a lot faster after birth when using it. I personally like essence drops. They will keep forever too. Anyone tried those? What do you think?
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Those are some ⤵️

Tea time at Sweet Laurel bakery today!
Best gluten-free, dairy-free bakes goodies I’ve ever tried 😍Not sponsored whatsoever. Or, rather, sponsored by the amazingly good taste 🤗😄 Also, I cant believe we didn’t go to Pacific Palisades before today! I love the vibe!
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Do I have tea and coffee lovers here? I tried a “jasmine earl grey almond milk tea latte” today ( I think I said it all right), which was absolutely delicious. I never tried tea with foamed milk before, but now wondering what else I am missing out on?!
What are you favorite tea or coffee blends?
What should I try? And if you are local - WHERE? Please, share!
I’ll go first - my favorite teas of the moment:
☕️ Vahdam : amaaaaaazing blends!
☕️ Trader Joe’s Berries and Cherries: this is seasonal, and it’s so good!
☕️ Coffee bean’s Cherry Blossom Green Tea and Strawberry Cream Green Tea - anyone tried those?!
☕️ David’s tea Roibush anything.
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Tea / coffee lovers, what do you say?
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русский ⤵️
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#teatime #whpkindness #weekendvibes

#ad Let’s talk gut health and probiotics today.
Scientific American names the digestive system our “second brain,” and rightfully so!
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Did you know that:
💎 95% of serotonin can be found in your gut?
💎 A new study on the serotonin-gut relationship unexpectedly found a link to bones health! To sum up: the better digestive health, the stronger the bones!
💎 A gut’s microbiome is changing all the time based on what’s happening around us.
In short: if we are too stressed, it can affect our natural gut health balance too.
💎 70% of our immune cells are housed in our gut (as GALT). GALT and intestinal microbiome work hard to protect the body.
Another reason why it’s so important to regularly replenish the intestinal flora.
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Organic, balanced foods are always best all nutrition, but we don’t live in an ideal world, so I am a strong believer in supplementation, always trying and testing something new.
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So, let’s talk probiotics. We have been trying @up4probiotics for the last little while because of the different approach that they have to probiotic supplementation. There is a quiz you can take before you purchase your probiotic that helps to determine the probiotic that best fits your lifestyle. I think that is a very big and important factor.
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I really like the formulation because it’s vegan, dairy free ‡, soy free, gluten free, preservative free, all the “frees” that are important to have so that the body can run at its highest efficiency.
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I went with the Gummies because they are easy for me to digest and, unlike most of the gummies on the market, they have pectin, and they taste great. They also have Kids Gummies for Evyianne.
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All around I feel like my more energetic self, which all are big things for me to notice as I am very conscious about my health, and typically I don’t see much difference.
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Who knows other benefits to probiotic use? Name some!
#whatareyouup4 #yourstory
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*This statement has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.
This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
‡While there are no dairy-derived ingredients in the product, it is produced in a facility that also handles dairy ingredients

Bumble Bees and Lady Bugs are in search of pumpkins, leaves are changing colors, holidays are coming, I LOVE Fall!🍂 .
A few things for the weekend:
🍂 pre-holiday sales are blooming! Just a fun fact: lots of pre-holiday sales are better than Black Friday sales, so keep your eyes open. Some fun ones that are happening this weekend:
🍁 Serena & Lily 20% off everything with code HOMELOVE
🍁Ralph Lauren 30% off with code FAMILY ( I like that one!)
🍁ULTA up to 50% off from the current Gorgeous Hair Event ( I stocked up on fun things! This is the time to!)
🍁Hanna Andersson 40% off family looks ( I love everything we have from Hanna! Nadya’s gorgeous rainbow skirt is from there!) and 20% off everything else
🍁 Apple Park 20% off Halloween-themed toys with code SPOOKY20 ( these are all organic toys, they wash great too) or 15% off anything when you sign up for an email list.
🍁Anthropologie is having a GREAT special : dresses, coats, shoes, accessories and more are $98 or less. Some things are 50% off.
🍁 Vitacost 20% off women’s vitamins with code WOMEN20 . I get a lot of hard-to-find supplements here. They stock some really good quality things & ship internationally too.
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🍂 I have a few things posted in stories for those who asked, including some recipes.
Don’t miss!
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🍂 This solo-parenting thing turned out actually to be good for me. I’ve learned a million things, and ( if being honest) although I was not thrilled when I realized I have to work/take care of kids and everything else by myself for s few weeks and had a grand total of 2 days notice to prepare, we figured things out. I have some new tips and tricks, if you want me to share!
And also... single moms, I kneel before you.
May all the blessings of this universe always be yours.❤️
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🍁 Who is doing pumpkin patch activities? I want to take kids this weekend! What should we do? What are favorite things your kids love doing?
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#halloween #costumes #liketoknowit #ltkitsales #citymom #citykids #sleep #momtips
#livecolorfully #abmlifeiscolorful #liveauthentic

Let’s talk about self-care, because... Well, we hold it all together, ladies, but we do have a tendency to forget about ourselves. Am I right or am I right?
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So, here is a small list of things that help me now or helped me in the passed.
🍂 “Super Woman Rx” by Dr Taz
Every woman simply must read this book at least once. This is a perfect blend of natural and medical approach. It also has different advice for different personalities. I am a type A over-achiever, so telling me to “lay down and rest” won’t help. I found actually very helpful advice there. Linked in stories.
🍂 Breathe App
This is one of the best mediation and relaxation apps. They literally have 3 minute meditation/breathing exercises that help SO. MUCH. It suggests mediations based on how you feel at the VERY moment ( you select it all). Seriously, one of my biggest crutches at times. I love it. 🍂 Frozen dinners
When I make food, I double the size and freeze a portion. Makes dinners infinitely easier. I also get boxed dinners twice a week. Let me tell you, this resolved so many “what’s for dinner?” blocks for me, and we keep favorite recipes that we cook ourselves later. Budget-helpful too.
I tried a million, my favorites so far are: Purple Carrot, Blue Apron, Hello Fresh and Home Chef. All different, but similar concept.
Home Chef has very generous portions. We always have leftovers.
🍂 Vitamins.
Redundant, I know. But I feel a huge difference when I am diligent. My entire body does. There are many great options, look for food-based vitamins. There is a difference. I’ll link a few favorites in stories.
🍂 Time for self
For me, that’s a workout time, a cup of tea/coffee with a book, a bath sometimes.
I know it’s hard to find time. Trust me. There are times when I really, really want to sleep.
I tell myself that 15 extra minutes of sleep in the morning won’t make a difference, but 15 minutes of time for myself will.
It ends up behind more like 30 minutes for myself, but I always, always feel better after.
Just do it - morning or night, cut the time off for yourself and just do whatever makes you feel best.
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This is my list to start with. What can you add? What helps you?
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#selfcare #momtips

Tuesday mom-tip! Save the post! TRICKS TO GET PICKY EATERS TO EAT MORE NUTRITIOUSLY.
Every picky eater’s mom pain, right?
Few things that help me, part 1 (I can share more if you like!)
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LET THEM CHOOSE
A simple trick that worked wonders for us.
I set up a plate with as wide of a variety of fruit and veggies as possible. I make it colorful and fun. Washed, cut and ready to snack on. Then, I pay close attention to what kids gravitate towards and incorporate those veggies into their meals.
“But it has your favorite {...} in it!” is a magic phrase that helped us more times than I can count.
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POSITIVE PRESSURE
Getting Evyianne around kids his age who have great eating habits was the best thing ever. The fact that someone their level says “this is delicious!” is worth 10000x more then any words I can say.
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PLAY TIME LESSONS
I said it before and will say it again: playtime third party validation works amazingly well.
I regularly use kids’ imagination play for teaching principles to little ones. I use regular life situations, but through toys.
After a bunny told a bear that he needs a boost of “delicious celery” so he can ride the scooter, Evyianne now regularly brings “delicious celery” with him. That’s a big one because he wouldn’t even sniff it before.
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WORRY LESS
🥪I firmly believe that kids feel our energy and will react less favorably if we are too stressed. A pediatrician told me once to look at a week’s worth of nutrition for small kids rather then stress about a day’s worth. Small kids have tendencies to load on different food groups one day and be barely eating something the next. For as long as at the end of the week it all balances out, we are good.
🥪 Everyone probably knows this one, but using juices as a treat after a meal and water to quench their thirst is very helpful too. Doesn’t mess with blood sugar levels and helps kids eat better.
🥪 Also, kids don’t eat as much as we often want them to. A portion is approximately the size of their fist, which is not that much at all.
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SMOOTHIES TO INTRODUCE NEW FOODS
I use smoothies to hide new foods in and to train kids’ tastebuds to like it. It’s a gradual process: I start small and ⤵️

So interesting to read your views!
Thank you so much for your honest opinions!❤️
As far as my views, on the whole, without taking in exceptions and unique situations ( those do happen, but rarely)
I think it is important to let kids try their abilities young. Consequences are far less painful when you are single and 18, vs 45 and with kids/family.
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It’s a tough subject all around, but I think it is important that we, as parents, prepare kids for life. To me, that’s love too. I want them to be successful and fly as high as they possibly dream to. For that, they have to be able to set goals and achieve them on their own.
Nobody knows what future holds. If I am suddenly gone, I want my kids to know the ways to be able to still achieve that which they dream of. This is why I think it’s important that kids work while in college. It’s a soft transition into a real world.
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It’s interesting that college struck a cord with so many, even though the question was not if parents should pay for kids college 😊 That particular topic comes up a lot during conversations with other moms in our area.
I stand with the majority who think that while it’s very important to have a college fund set up for kids, it’s essential that they don’t count on it and try for scholarships first.
I agree with this.
I think it’s important that kids count on their own strengths and try the best they can. A financial part is only a small part of the reason.
Striving for scholarships sets the foundation for more options and an easier path into life. Scholarships take extra effort to qualify for. They take double effort to maintain. Those are good qualities to cultivate for anyone in life. Being a scholarship recipient or an honor student are great credentials to put on a resume when looking for internships, and great internships are definitely a big step to a successful career. If something doesn’t work as planned, then, of course, there is a college fund to fall back on, but we will encourage kids to try their own strengths first. And if all works well, they have well-earned funds to give them a start in adult life.
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Many russian-speaking readers said that they are of the mentality that⤵️

This topic came up in a conversation with a friend, I am curious, what you think about it:
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When is it ok for kids to move out and be on their own?
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I feel like here most kids are eager to get out of parents’ nest to go to college at 18.
So, that’s simple.
How much do parents need to support kids after that?
In my surroundings throughout all college years me and all my friends worked to support ourselves. Most of us were responsible for all, tuition, school and living expenses. But even if tuition was covered through grants, scholarships or financial aid, everyone still worked to cover daily needs. This was just the norm from my experience.
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Many of us met our soulmates in college, but if you wanted to get married, those expenses were for a young couple to cover too. Basically, parents were there for moral support and someone you visit on holidays. Everything else was yours to deal with.
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It may sound harsh, but I kind of agree with this approach. It made me learn some very important lessons early in life, which, I think, serve me well up to this day.
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A friend from Eastern European upbringing thinks this is awful parenting and a terrible thing to do to your kids. Culturally, they all believe that parents are required to pay for all education, students should not work, so parents are supposed to support kids through college years too; parents are expected to provide kids with housing ( as in GIFT them at least a studio apartment), and kids can live with parents indefinitely if they want to.
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I honestly highly disagree. I can explain more why, but I am curious - what do you think?
How much is it parents’ duty to cover kids material needs? What IS parental responsibility? Where does one draw the line? Is there a line? What do you think?❤️
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#parenting #kids #familyiseverything #weekend #weekendvibes #beachtime #beach

How about RAINY DAYS ACTIVITIES to do with kids? It’s fall after all!🍂
Here are a couple of our favorite things to do at the moment:
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Bake something simple using fun cookie cutters.
We LOVE turning easiest standard recipes into fun things! We will make mini-pizzas using sandwich and cookie cutters ( Disney’s cutters are super popular in our household!), or use shapes on cinnamon rolls, etc. It’s so fun! And since baking is always messy, I just let kids have fun! Clean up is a clean up 🤗
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Building blocks with a twist:
🍂 re-creating city skylines or city’s famous landmarks : google a few cities, screenshot or print the image and have kids building REAL cities. Something about this “real” word that keeps them happy for hours.
🍂 make a maze! Very season appropriate too! E and E will play for a long time with small toys there.
🍂 make different things out of blocks : an animal, a body part, a tree. I get very specific sometimes : I want 5 types of blue flowers. Older kids have to find what flowers actually bloom blue, and then recreate the image with little ones. It’s fun and educational at the same time. We love it!
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Make a movie.
This is perfect for when you have friends over! Have kids create, direct and film a movie and then let them edit it. This will occupy them not only for a day, but sometimes for a WEEK!😂
I’m telling you, technology is not always a curse! It can be a huge blessing too!
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What are your favorite things to do inside with kids?! Throw some ideas! I’m sure every mom on this planet is always in search of them. Or, at least, I am 🤗
So, what do you like to do?!
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#inside #funwithkids #rainydayactivities
#citymom #citykids #momtips
#livecolorfully #abmlifeiscolorful #liveauthentic

3 things that every woman needs and that are worth investing in, imho:
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A good bag.
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So expensive sometimes, but if you invest in a good designer bad with a classic design, it will last for years and years, and compliment any outfit.
Also, most of the designer bags keep their resale values. Chanel is known for actually increasing in price, so... on could make money if the bag is in impeccable condition.
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Basically, it comes down to this: with a good designer bag you really invest just once, when you buy it. It will either serve you well for 20+ years or you can sell & buy a new one without having to cash a ton of $$$ again.
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Accessories.
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It’s worth the investment. Especially, when comes to sunglasses. The cheap knock-offs can be harmful for eyes. For years I could wear sunglasses. I would get a headache or my eyes would get tired. At one of the appointments for a school check up for my kids the topic came up and the Dr explained in details how damaging cheap sunglasses can be.
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A good bra.
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Actually, several, if you are on a fuller/bustier side. It’s amazing how much of a difference a good foundation can make. Also, having several different styles makes creating a beautiful silhouette easy. There is an entire section of science devoted to underpinnings, but, seriously, find a lingerie shop and spend an hour with a consultant figuring out what styles work best for your body. You will be amazed at the difference ( and confidence boost!) it will make!
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These are my 3 absolute musts. Even the simplest jeans and a tee outfit can look amazing with right accessories, a good bag and with a good foundation under. Those are my faithful style savers.
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What are yours? What would you spend more money on and where would you save, when comes to style?
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Русский ⤵️
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#wiwt #nywf #ganni #chanel #trends http://liketk.it/2xC7d #liketkit @liketoknow.it #LTKxNYFW #LTKfamily #LTKsalealert #LTKstyletip

Dec 9

Dec 9 Vasilisa's Gift Guide!

Here is to another gift-guide and now it's Vasilisa's turn!

Her picks are some of my favorites and the French theme that seems to be trending is adorable!

Vasilisa's favorites are:

Silvie Doll:
http://bitteshop.com/collections/soft-toys/products/sylvie

Play silk:
http://bitteshop.com/products/silk-scape-blossom

Book set:
http://bitteshop.com/products/all-aboard-6-title-set

Notebook:
http://bitteshop.com/collections/preschool

Mice set:
http://www.mailegusa.com/products/guardian-angel-mouse

And additional mice:
http://www.mailegusa.com/search?type=product&q=mice

JUJUBE doll diaper bag ( adorable!!):
http://www.shop.ju-ju-be.com/itty-bitty-be-tokidoki-unikiki-2-0/

Paris play mat:
http://bitteshop.com/collections/preschool

Here is to abundance of choices for gifts and stocking stuffers!

Happy Holidays!

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