Coffee and Sweats

by: Nusrat

Spending Time On What Matters x JORD watches

Becoming a parent has made me super conscious of the time.

Is it naptime? Snack time?

How much screen time is too much? Do I spend too much time working?

I wonder if I’m spending enough time with them. I wonder when I’m going to make the time to get everything done. It goes on all the way until bedtime when I ask myself:

How many times is this child going to get out of bed?!

And when I’m finally collapsed on the couch I wonder: When will I ever have some time for myself?

Another thing I’ve noticed is, every time I need to check the time, I look at my phone.

Which is a complete time suck in itself because my intention is to check the time, but I quickly scan my social media for updates and then I get hooked on reading an article and before I know it, a good 20 minutes has passed by of me not spending time with my kids, or doing the chores I need to do before I start complaining about what little time I have to do it all.

When I got the opportunity to partner with Jord watches (pronounced yode), I realized I couldn’t remember the last time I wore a watch. Was it before kids? Before smartphones?

JORD watches are sustainable and made of natural and reclaimed materials and are also stylish like this Cora Series in Zebrawood & Rose.  Ever since wearing this timepiece,  I’ve noticed I’m not as distracted by my phone.

The reality is that I will never stop being a Mom but my kids won’t always stay young. Time has that effect on babies, they grow into kids, and eventually adults. Right now they need me to pick them up and spin them around. I’m cherishing every moment I have with them because time is so much more than an accessory.
I’ll get time for myself later when the kids are embarrassed to be seen with me. Now, it’s time to make some memories.

To win $100 off a JORD watch of your own, enter my contest here. Everyone who enters will receive a discount code just for trying!

by: Nusrat

5 reasons you need to attend Mom 2.0 Summit

Every year I want to attend one of the biggest blogger conferences for influencers and entrepreneurs. Every year I would total up the costs of attending the conference, the airfare, the hotel stay, being away from my babies, and I couldn’t justify going. This year the Mom 2.0 Summit was in Austin, TX and I thought, this is my year. I am going to make this happen!

I was a mix of excitement and anxiety. I had been to blog conferences before. Sometimes I knew all the information and felt like I wasted my time. Other’s were way above my head and I walked out with my head spinning. As a first timer returning from the conference, I can attest that attending the Mom 2.0 Summit will be well worth your time.

1. The Sessions & Speakers

Keynote speakers at past events have been leaders in their field, award winners, entrepreneurs, artists, celebrities – basically kick-ass women who will leave you inspired and empowered. This year’s speaker Brené Brown did not disappoint. If you haven’t checked out her Netflix special what are you doing with your life?

Brene Brown Key Note Speaker at MOM 2.0 Summit

The sessions – It was hard to choose because there were so many I wanted to attend. From how to work with PR agencies, creating and producing a podcast, creating traffic with SEO, building a brand, editing photos…the list goes on and on. The sessions I attended were packed with information I could use. The panelists showed you exactly how they achieved their success and taught you how to do it too. I advise you to make a friend and attend different sessions then share notes afterward.

2. The Brands

Here is your opportunity to get in front of the PR reps of the biggest brands and directly ask them questions about how you can partner with them, if you both would be a good fit, about their influencer programs and about their latest campaigns. These sponsors came prepared with giveaways, contests, photo ops, and goodies. The reps were welcoming, their booths were interactive and it was great learning about each brand. I met with reps from Google, Amazon, Best Buy and Dove just to name a few.

Got my hair done at the Dove booth and picked up some goodies too

3. The Networking

I briefly met with Laura Mayes a co-founder of Mom 2.0 Summit and she told me there were over 1000 people registered at the event and it certainly felt like it. As an admitted introvert, I could have easily wilted as soon as I arrived but I quickly realized that everyone was in the same situation I was in. There were many ‘first-timers’ who didn’t know a single person there and making friends with the person seated next to you was as simple as saying Hi and introducing yourself.

The more the merrier

Everyone around you is just like you – raising a family, running a household, growing a business and here to learn. You will find your tribe here. Make the connections and learn from one another. As Tim Sanders said, “Your network is your net worth”.

4. The Parties

OK so partying shouldn’t be one of the main reasons you attend the conference but it’s a fun perk. The food, the drinks and the fun times are abundant. There were tacos, cabana parties, open bars, DJ’s and lots of dancing which is a nice break from cooking, cleaning, worrying about kids and working.

There were a lot of options for people with dietary restrictions and yes I selected this picture because I’m in it.

5. The Iris Awards

I’m so thankful to my friend Qiana for talking me into staying back on Friday night and attending the Iris Awards ceremony. Not only was it fun to dress up and walk the red carpet, but it was also an impressive event with Adam Rippon as the MC. Something in me shifted during the Iris Awards. All week I was surrounded by women – empowering, uplifting and encouraging women, who share and collaborate and build with you. The ceremony was more than the nominees or the trophies or the winners. It was a celebration of achievement, of support, of believing. It was such an inspiring night.

I’d like to thank Rent the Runway for coming through with this Alexis dress just in the nick of time

If like me, you are weighing all the awesome reasons above against the costs of attending the conference let me tell you this – on Day 1 of the conference I felt that I had gotten my money’s worth. Next year’s conference is in Los Angeles. Stop thinking about it and do it! Will I see you there?

by: Nusrat

National Siblings Day

Dear Nas,

Today was weird. It was hard which is why it was weird because it’s not my first National Siblings Day without you.

Of course, I thought of you all day. I remembered all the days we would be excited to spend the day together doing absolutely nothing. How a random trip to go grab some coffee would turn into a 4-hour shopping spree with a cupcake break somewhere in the middle. Then we would follow up with 4 completely different simultaneous conversations over Twitter, Instagram, Facebook messenger, and text. I know Abbu and Ammu raised you but only I knew *exactly* what to get you for a present.  My favorite part was your high pitched scream after you opened it.

Abbu: It’s just makeup

You: Um, no. It’s the Urban Decay Naked palette and it’s completely sold out everywhere!

Abbu: Blank stare.

Speaking of Abbu and Ammu, I dreamed recently that I was so overwhelmingly frustrated with them. You know there is no reasoning with them sometimes. In the dream, I called you and you backed me up. Like we always did for one another. You also had me cracking up laughing in the dream like you always did. Now it’s just me against two, even more unreasonable, aging parents. I know I promised you that I would take care of them but I admit it hasn’t been easy. You were the glue that held us all together. Watching our parents age is not something I’m prepared for.  I always thought I would have you by my side and we would deal with that together. Watching our parents grieve is … heartbreaking. I got this though. We have each other and you have nothing to worry about.

I have a lot more. I want to tell you about how much your nephews miss you and talk about you. I want to tell you about how Sake thinks she owns the house and how Ninja is a grumpy old grandma now. I will save those for another time. For now, I will remember our fun times – like sneaking in cheesecake into the movie theater and learning the hard way that it is really hard to eat cheesecake in the dark. I’m going to rewatch the entire series of GIRLS. And Sex & the City. And Mad Men and every show we watched together.

No more shopping sprees. This is how I celebrate us now.

Apa

by: Nusrat

Teeth Whitening for Coffee Addicts

Disclosure – I received a complimentary kit from Smile Brilliant to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.

I’ve thought about it. And if you have your daily cup of coffee I know you’ve thought about it too.
Are my teeth getting discolored by all this coffee drinking? And tea, cola and wine drinking? What else is staining my teeth?

I noticed that my teeth are not as bright in pictures as they used to be. I begin to pay attention to the commercials, the magazine ads and all the many different ways to whiten your teeth.
Do they hurt? Are they expensive? Should I jump on this too? Yellowed teeth make you look older than you are and my diet is definitely not helping my smile.

CoffeeandSweats.com #Smilefearlessly

But I was scared – I have heard of people trying whitening treatments and complaining of nerve pain or sudden teeth sensitivity and was the money even worth it? I want that celebrity smile but I don’t have that celebrity cash!

So when Smile Brilliant reached out to me to try their at home whitening kit I was curious and excited to do it!

How do you whiten your teeth with Smile Brilliant?

It’s super simple and easy. You create an impression of your teeth. You send the impressions off in a pre-paid envelope. Less than a week later Smile Brilliant will send you a customized tray that fits perfectly on your teeth.

Smile Brilliant provides instructions on how to create the impressions. Basically, you have some soft putty that you squish and play with. Then you spread it over the little blue tray that is provided and sink your teeth into the putty. A few minutes later, impressions made.

I mailed them off in the prepaid envelope and in less than a week I was holding my custom made whitening trays that came in their own storage box. It was really simple.

What’s next?

The kit comes complete with whitening gel, desensitizing gel and instructions for the whole process. Squeeze some gel into the trays and fit the trays over your teeth. Then you hang out for some time. Anywhere between 45 minutes to 3 hours.

Coffee and Sweats Smile Brilliant

Yes, you can still talk with the whitening trays in your mouth without drooling everywhere! It’s barely noticeable, to be honest. I wouldn’t recommend going out and wearing them in public but at home, I had no issues carrying on a conversation with them on. Oh.. yes one more thing. Try not to sneeze with the trays in! Maybe I’m just a violent sneezer but those trays came flying out of my mouth and it was hilarious!

What are the Cons?

Yes, there were some cons. I started noticing a stinging sensation on my gums after the first few times I whitened my teeth. I called up Smile Brilliant for some advice because I didn’t think that was normal. They advised me to use less whitening gel in the trays so the gel wouldn’t reach up to my gums. I tried that along with some oil (I used coconut oil) rubbed on my gums to prevent the whitening gel from touching my gums. Great advice because it worked! I no longer had any issues with gum sensitivity.

They also advised I cut down on the coffee while I’m doing this whitening process on my teeth. Makes sense. Drinking coffee while whitening your teeth is like running on the treadmill and eating a donut at the same time. One thing is destroying the results of the other. So I also cut down on coffee drinking which isn’t really a Con but I’m addicted to coffee so it wasn’t easy!

The Results

I definitely noticed my teeth getting whiter and brighter. My friends noticed my smile and none of my friends knew that I was whitening my teeth. I got some compliments like “Your teeth look really great – I don’t know why I’m just now noticing them” and “You have a really nice smile” – these from people I have known for years!

Yup yup. It was my Smile Brilliant smile that’s what! When I admitted I had been whitening my teeth they realized that was it! My smile looked brighter.

Unfortunately as excited as I was to capture the results on camera I was disappointed that I didn’t see a difference in photos! Same DSLR camera, same lighting and no editing whatsoever. To me, my teeth look the same in the before and after shots. Tell me what you think?

Possible reasons why I didn’t see dramatic results on camera:

I.COULD.NOT.CUT.DOWN.THE.COFFEE!

I tried letting the coffee cool and drinking it through a straw so it would have less contact with my teeth. I did that maybe twice because I would keep forgetting.

I confess that I drank coffee pretty much as often as I did before. Was I whitening them and then staining them again and the overall net balance was enough to notice in real life but not enough to notice in pictures? Inconclusive.

Overall I’m extremely happy with my results. I’m sorry I couldn’t depict that in a photograph – you’re just going to have to see it in person or try it out yourself.

Want to try it out?

Go to Smile Brilliant and use coupon code: coffeeandsweats20 for 20% off! Or you could….

Enter the Giveaway!

Enter to win a $149 credit at Smile Brilliant! Check out their T3 Sensitive System complete with 1 set of custom trays, 9 whitening applications and 9 desensitizing applications. All you need to do to enter is provide your name and email address. Contest open to all readers in United States of America, Canada, United Kingdom and Australia. Giveaway expires exactly one week from today on September 21st 2018. Go enter! It’s time to #SmileFearlessly

GIVEAWAY LINK

Professional Teeth Whitening

by: Nusrat

40 days

40 Days

I cuddle my babies as often as they will let me. Which lately has been a lot. They’re young but intuitive enough to be kind to a sad mother. I scoop them up and relish their warmth, inhale their scent. I hold them close enough to feel their little hearts beating.

Forty nights ago I lay my head on my sister’s chest and begged God to let me hear a heartbeat.  I wept against the silence. She was beautiful even in death.

I now know what it means, to become undone. But there were forms to sign. Decisions to be made. A hysterical mother to comfort and a father who had aged ten years in the blink of an eye.

Twelve hours later I was washing her body. Tears streaming down my face the entire time. I recited prayers and told her not to be scared like she could hear me.

I know she could hear me.

In the car, the little one asked for her over and over again. He saw every relative but not his favorite.
Where is Khalamoni?
Where is Khalamoni?
Where. Is. KHALAMONI!?

The growing urgency of his innocent voice ripped me open.  She wasn’t here. This wasn’t happening. I was spiritually spent and wanted so much to fall asleep and wake up to everything being perfect again.

When they lowered her into the Earth my knees buckled and I forgot who I was.

How life changes in 24 hours.

********************

My parents.

I want to wrap them in bubble wrap and guard them against the world. They are in pieces. I can’t fathom their pain, nor do I ever want to. They don’t look like themselves anymore.  I wrap them in love and treat them kindly.

Is Khalamoni going to be ok? The older one worries about her. He feels her absence and gives me random hugs and kisses. I miss her. I wish I could see her again, he tells me. We read books about heaven together.

Is Khalamoni still dead? The younger one is still waiting for her to come back.

My parents and my children have found solace in each other. I bring them together as often as I can because although they had a special bond before, it’s different now. Before it was joy, now it’s comfort. With each hug, my children are piecing my parents back together.

********************

I carefully walk along the edge of the crater in my heart. I get through an hour. And then the day. 

Some days I stumble and fall apart right into its depths. The Earth still turns. My parents and children have one another.

And I have only stillness.