oh hey, November!

Bro, where the hell did the month go? I swear I was doing all this work and had all these posts ready to go and then all of the sudden, I got a migraine that lasted for a whole week. It was awful. I honestly would have gone to the ER but you know, Covid. 

This post contains affiliate links. This does not impact your price but I do get a small commission for any items purchased through these links. For my full disclosure, please read my disclosures and policies page here. As always, thank you for your continued support of Chatting with Chai.

So I sipped some tea, got a lot of rest in my bat cave (aka, a dark bedroom with literally THE best blackout curtains I have ever seen), and made lists for Sanj to execute. 

Lately, I’ve been catching myself feeling very… emotional. That’s the nicest way I can think of saying that I felt like a volatile betch. I don’t know. It’s a lot, you guys. These times are so different, I know, but they are so triggering, even for adults. 

I read this post recently about how even as adults, many of us have sensory triggers like a messy house, or loud noises (kids constantly crying and asking for things), and even just feeling lethargy because you’re not moving enough.

It was kind of mind blowing to me. And honestly, I don’t know why because HELLO, I have two kids with special needs. I mean, I should have seen that in myself. 

Coping Mechanisms That Work For Adults

I have realized that there are things that have helped me when I get like this

1. Quiet time, even for 20 mins, away from the kids, babies, TV, and loud noises in general

I know I can’t be the only mom triggered by loud noises. Which is funny because we have five kids that are loud as hell. But if I can get 20 mins where no one is asking for me or screaming, I consider it amazing because it helps me recenter myself.

2. Getting rid of clutter and things we haven’t use in a really really long time

Obviously, I just delivered twins so I’m still working on losing weight. And I have a closet full of things that no longer fit me but have just been hanging on to them for the memory. But they don’t fit my style anymore. I wear comfortable clothes when I’m home and when I’m out (which is never because hello, Covid) I wear simple clothes.

Funny story: we did some Christmas pictures and I wore heels and I legit almost fell like four times because who in their right mind wears heels with five kids?

3. Eating on time

I will literally eat a leftover pop tart that I found in the van and is questionable in age because it saves me the time and effort of eating. But I realized that’s like not healthy… or safe. I’m home and I don’t hate cooking so why not just spend like 20 mins cooking something I really like to eat?

Not even that, but meal planning and STICKING TO IT has been a game changer. I actually have a super FUN meal plan calendar in the free printables library if you want to check it out. You can print it out but I use the digital version and just added it as pages in my digital planner.

Okay, ANYWAY, eating on time has helped me not lose my shit or end up in a pool of tears eating candy and jalapeno chips in bed anymore so that’s been great!

Um anyway…. 🙂

What I’m Reading

Have you read the latest book by Ashley Gadd? If you’re looking for a great gift for a fellow mom friend, I think it’s a great read. I found myself in tears because it was so relatable. My sister, Anandi, actually recommended it to me.

What I’m Watching on Netflix

Have y’all ever seen 24? It’s the one with Keith Sutherland. Well, he’s the lead actor in the show produced by Kal Penn. There are three seasons and I actually think it’s been discontinued, but so far that first season was amazing! 

What Podcast I’m Listening to

As I mentioned last month, I’m knee-deep in learning about ADHD from Dr. Greene, Tilt, and ADDitude. We’re working on auditory skills with the kids (“put your listening ears on!”) so we’ve been listening to shows they like with the screen off and this amazing podcast about Finn and outer space. Do your kids like listening to podcasts?

We also like to listen to leadership podcasts that help us grow personally. I’m not perfect, I mean clearly look above. But I am very committed on being a better person everyday ’cause Lord knows I wasn’t the best person when I was younger! I may or may not still cringe about my college years. 

What Project I’m Working on

I’m really looking forward to 2021. I want to do all these fun and creative things on the site, but I know that my time is limited. So I’m going to focus on things like providing resources for parents and printables and boom cards for teachers.

And since the second set of twins are growing up and can almost sit, we’re going to be doing a lot of sensory activities and exploration with them. Super excited for all that’s coming!

Until next month… drink some chai and stay well, friends.