I’ve mentioned this before, but one of the things I always wanted to do with my future child(ren) was raise them to be readers. So we shopped for and were generously gifted loads of books when I was pregnant, have frequented the library, and make sure to have plenty of reading time every single day. I’m thrilled that it seems to have taken root! Asher carries books all over the house, whether he’s climbing onto my lap to read one, flipping through it solo, or demanding to take it to bed with him for ‘night-night.’ It’s the cutest!
We’ve been in quarantine for nearly two months, and this time feels so strange that I’m not even gonna touch on that because I don’t have the words yet. But I was raised in a family where food is love, and one thing I do know is that feeding my boys brings normalcy and routine to these surreal days, even when I can’t remember the last time I went to a store. (I’m asthmatic, so David makes our limited store trips.)
We’ve been getting grocery deliveries too, grateful that community supported agriculture is continuing to help feed our family despite how much I miss shopping at our weekly farmers market. And I’ve been posting our daily kitchen antics on instastories but wanted to put them all in one place for easier reference.
Man, oh man. Toddler time, all the time, indoors in a small space is not for the faint of heart. Asher normally only spends one or two afternoons a week at his baby school, but if we’re not taking him to school it’s because we are having a play date, going on a family adventure, or attending an event- this kid is BUSY and accustomed to being out and about. So with our family being sheltered in place for over a month now, I’ve been on my hustle to come up with activities that are stimulating and engaging for Asher with what we’ve got on hand.
If you’ve been around here a minute, you know I was born in Trinidad and my family and I emigrated to the United States when I was four. All things Trini still make my heart sing, and we’re so disappointed that our first trip home to Trinidad with Asher won’t be happening this spring like we’d planned. I’m determined that Ashe will grow up knowing where his roots trace, even if we’re far away, so I’ve been making more Trinidadan food lately.
This chicken and channa curry is total comfort food for me- the version I make is just a little different than my mom’s, which is scrawled in the margins amending the version in the Naparima Girls High School Cookbook (like the Trinidadian Joy of Cooking) but that roundabout recipe is typically Trini. It’s easy and flexible to modify for what you have on hand, and super savory and delicious. You can make it thicker like a stew, or serve it with rice, roti, naan- whatever you’d like!
Sometimes the most obvious things are the most uncomfortable to address- that was certainly the case for me and my eyes. Right on the middle of my face, yet I broke into hives discussing them.
Last month, right before hospitals started to cancel non-essential procedures as Covid spread, I had strabismus surgery to correct the longtime vision and aesthetic issues it caused. There’s a highlight on my Instagram, and we documented the entire process for YouTube… see for yourself!
I could be more modest as I say this, but the fact remains- I make some killer chocolate chip cookies.
Most frequently, I use Sally’s baking addiction’s recipe– it’s speedy (because it uses melted butter) and consistently delicious. It makes huge cookies- I prefer them slightly smaller, about 2 tablespoons each. If you are loyal to specific chocolate chip cookie recipe, do you, by all means, but keep reading for my tips for the yummiest chewy chocolate chip cookies!
David and I have been quietly preparing ourselves for an emergency situation since last summer’s earthquakes reminded us just how unprepared our family was for that, or any emergency situation. Nerds that we are, we have done lots of research on what would be useful or necessary in a variety of situations that could affect our little family.
In light of the coronavirus Covid-19 that has rampaged Asia, Italy, and likely taken hold here in the United States, and how much hysteria and inaccuracy I’ve heard, I wanted to share the info we’ve learned as well as some resources. (I’ll be updating this post as new verifiable information develops, of course- most recently at 9 am, PST, 3/16.)
Hope all of y’all are having a fabulous holiday season! I’ve had a lot of conversations about this topic in my Instagram dms, so I wanted to talk a little bit about how we holiday in our family- and why.
I’m often discussing my latest obsessions with my dm besties, but I realized I wanted to share the goodness with all of y’all. So I’ll update this post weekly with details on something I’m loving, how and why I’m using it.
11.29.19
Kicking off with a product from skincare fave Algenist, their Genius ultimate anti-aging bi-phase peel.
I’ve been using it like 2x a week for the last several months, when my skin’s feeling dull or congested. I just shake so that the peel layer combines with the moisturizing layer (microalgae come through!) and the liquid becomes opaque. I apply a thin layer to clean skin with a cotton pad or more often, clean fingers. It gently but powerfully exfoliates, so there’s no redness or recovery time. With use, it improves skin texture, brightens, and enhances radiance for a fresh glow. It’s a Sephora exclusive, normally- linked here.
We have teamed up with Wells Fargo! Thank you for supporting the companies that make LoveRavayna possible.
I love entertaining- hosting and feeding and welcoming people is one of my love languages. But honestly, my pinterest-perfect standards needed a major simplification after Asher arrived if I was going to keep my hostess apron on. I’ll soon return to my big-bash roots, but these days I’m all about curating relaxation wherever I can- and stressing over company does not make for a fun time.
I’d been wanting to gather a couple girlfriends for a little lunch to catch up- sometimes I feel so wrapped up in my own family that I miss things. I kept putting it off because of scheduling craziness, social anxiety, and general overwhelm, but reminded myself that these babes don’t need excessive impressing, and emailed out some invites for a super casual afternoon hang.
Prebaby, a major menu would have keen an entertaining must, but I don’t have time for all that these days. Delicious takeout to the rescue! I ordered two kinds of chopped salad and a big pan of mac and cheese, and just grabbed them shortly before the ladies were expected. I’ll own that we eat far more takeout that we used to these days, and that makes me so grateful for our Wells Fargo Propel® Card. It earns 3X rewards points on not only dining out, but also ordering in on takeout- it adds up so fast!
I wanted to do something a little homemade though, so I did whip up some homemade chocolate chip cookies for dessert.
I’m always a fan of mixing high-end and low key, and I did that here in regards to dishware. I always throw down for real glassware- the heft in your hand makes things feel fancy! These blush and blue ones are from my vintage glassware collection. Far less fancy, we ate off the ecofriendly disposable dishes we keep on hand for parties and food drop offs- they are heat pressed from fallen palm leaves, recyclable and compostable.
Momming ain’t easy, and I know that firsthand nowadays, so I wanted to spoil the squad a little. So I hired a manicurist to come give mini massages, which went down a treat. That was a little splurge, so I also brought a nail art sticker kit for a little diy pamper time too.
We had such a fun afternoon chatting and eating- I’m so lucky to surround myself with fabulous women like these.
