That's what this science party was all about - it had balloons. it had sugar. it had colors. it was packed with demonstrations and experiments "designed to be awe inspiring, amazing, and totally absorbing."

Birthdays are always a special occasion, and for our son's recent celebration, we decided to go with a science theme. For a kid who constantly says ”I have an idea!” and loves experimenting with momentum, gravity, and all that goes boom, splash, and pop, a science-experiment birthday party seemed like the right fit. 
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The science experiments were the highlight of the party, making the birthday event memorable and fun for my four year old and his friends. I hired the Washington DC Mad Science to come to our house and do a fun and interactive demonstration. They offer shows, workshops, pre-school and after-school programs. You get different scientists and can choose different experiments for each age group. No two parties are the same. The kids loved the erupting volcano, the mixing of rainbow colors, the bubbling potions, and so many other experiments. Noah had so much fun along with his friends, and even the parents enjoyed the birthday party.

Overall, the party was a hit with both kids and adults alike. The combination of hands-on learning and fun made for an unforgettable experience for everyone involved. Here are glimpses of that morning:

Guests were greeted by laboratory inspired welcome sign, inviting their little scientists  to check-in upstairs. As they arrived upstairs, the kids had lab coats, googles, lab badge, ready for them to wear. The check-in and the decorations set the tone for the party and immediately got them excited or curious about what was to come. Noah's dad baked "The Egg-free Cake - Experiment Number 4" - and we added gum balls with toothpicks as molecules. You can add cute science cake toppers from Etsy too. We just chose to keep it simple and experimental. Nothing too serious.

At the end of the party, kids got to take home their science theme favors: lab coat, kids safety googles, all-access lab badges (I made the party signs myself but check Etsy for printables) crush rocket launchers, petri dish with gummy frog and worm, mike and ike candy "tablets" in test tubes , and a syringe pen.

I hope you find this helpful. If you ever have a question, feel free to send a quick message or get in touch with me on IG.

Ramadan is almost here, so I was looking for all the Ramadan decor and party supplies for any possible small gatherings in my house. Did you know that Walmart has a whole section on Islamic Holiday products? I'm intrigued. I knew that Etsy has countless... I  mean COUNTLESS number of Eid and Ramadan products that directly help small businesses. And of course, if you use any of my links, you can directly support my own small business while supporting others. 

In case you are looking for holiday products or Ramadan specific products, here I'm linking a few of my walmart finds in case you are interested. 

How we lived, especially the last 21 months of parenthood, without this Dyson cordless vacuum cleaner I do not know. We’ve had the upright vacuum, and we’ve been waiting to get a cordless one for the last six years, since we got married. It's quite an investment, so we were thrilled to finally get our hands on it to make our lives easier.

What I love about it:

• cleans both floors and carpet
• cordless cleaning
• converts to a handheld
• a digital display showing runtime
• "point and shoot" bin emptying 
• drop-in docking!

Seriously, I basically like everything about it. For first time moms, this should really be on the list of all the things a mom-to-be needs. I struggled to find time and energy to clean, which was a constant in life. Given that I hardly had time to clean up after caring for a newborn then, and now a toddler full-time requires far more dying up, this is a life saver for me. My son can’t just pull the cord out of the socket in the middle of my vacuuming, and I don't have to schedule a time alone to do this. If you follow me on Instagram, you probably already know that we recently moved into a new house, which is a 4-floor townhouse. So, you can tell how carrying a regular vacuum cleaner up and down to get any quick cleaning done was too much of an ordeal. 

If you’re newly engaged, planning for your wedding gift registry, I seriously recommend adding the cordless vacuum cleaner to your wish list. It makes cleaning up quicker than a hand-held broom or dealing with tangled cords, and you’d have more time to just enjoy yourselves. ​

This purchase really makes sense for anyone - who’s constantly on-the-go, busy juggling multiple responsibilities, or strives to keep their home clean. No... this post is not sponsored (It should be and I wish). The post has the potential to earn a commission that helps maintain this blog should you choose to use my link to make your purchases - whether it's through Dyson directly, Amazon, Target, or any other retailers for that matter. Thank you so much for reading and thank you, in advance, if you’re using my product links to show your support. Now who think's I should invest in the Dyson haircare? I hear people raving about the supersonic, which is apparently the fastest-drying, no extreme heat solution. I'm tempted!​

Every year, I love decorating for the holidays, because it lifts my spirit in the winter - especially with the twinkling lights, the holiday music, and all the merriment. I have so much fun decorating for the holidays. This year holiday decor has been especially important to me. The year 2020 is very different for all of us. It seems to be the year where I am really in the need of all that spirit because...it’s been tough. We can't spend time with family, friends, or relatives like we are used to. We can't really go anywhere to enjoy all that the seasons have to offer.

Through home decor and decorating for the holidays, and being the enthusiast that I am, I can rekindle that spirit and keep the positive vibe alive here at home, all the while keeping my creative juices flowing. As we remain quarantined and can't have big gatherings this year, we can still celebrate in small measures. For us, it's with something sweet, something visually appealing, something with taste to enjoy in our day to day life.

Towards the end of the night, whether it's enjoying a warm cup of hot cocoa or snacking on a holiday confectionery, when we’re all into sweets, something simple yet functional works - adorned with tiny holiday details, bringing that holiday spirit. Here’s my dessert bar cart on wheels. I went with a simple dessert station setup or you can say... a seasoned snack station.  Although it is a bar cart, this one is obviously not set up for drinking purposes.

With my husband having a major sweet tooth, it’s pretty often that we have homemade dessert in the house on the most random days. So, if ever there is a situation where we do need to bake a dessert, my husband is always super enthusiastic about stepping up (Now, cooking meals is a different story).  So, it made sense for our home to have a dessert cart just for the holidays, and he made these seasonal rice crispy treats. 

Now let's dive into styling. How to style a holiday bar cart?

1. organize and group
2. create visual interest (texture/height/shapes)
3. add holiday details
4. bring in the snacks/dessert

I like to start with gathering sets of three... usually... to start. As I go on, I add pieces where I see fit. You can add a tray to group a set of identical items together. I used this tree bark server to organize and highlight my holiday bulb sipper cups I got from HomeGoods. I honestly thought of decorating my bar cart after I saw these. They’re so fun looking! (Here are some other cute options). I used a string to tie a jingle bell to each sipper, giving it more of a personality. What can I say, I’m extra ;) Talking about giving the bar cart some personality, this joyful and cute Llama musical snow globe adds mine :-)  It plays the festive music “We Wish You A Merry Christmas.” Let's not forget the Christmas gnome to add that seasonal flair.  

You have seen me use books on various occasions to create dimension. Cake stands and serving platters of different size and style can do just the trick. I’m using a high (on sugar) cake stand, mini houses of varying size and color (it’s a set only for $5 from Target!) and Bottle Brush Mini Tree to add height and visual interest. ​

Bring seasonal snacks of your liking. My husband and I have been munching on these Butter Toffee Caramel popcorn every week (*Cry face*) Every time we seem to make a promise to ourselves to not restock, but every time it gets the best of us. Blame toffee (and quarantine) for the extra weight I'll be gaining this season! Remember that your cart or station will fill up very quickly if you aren't thoughtfully choosing pieces or eliminating choices. You don’t have to add all the holiday dessert items you can possibly find. Choose a few favorites and stick to them. If you must have more, then add another designated area to include more options, instead of cluttering the cart.

I love to add pine leaves here and there at home! There are various options in the stores as well for fresh florals and fresh greenery if you want to add them! If you are someone who feels safer with faux leaves, there are several options for that too. You can also add string lights and garlands. 

Now back to listening to my christmas music (playing all month long). Happy decorating!

Happy Holidays! Have you shopped during black friday or cyber week? The pressure is too high for me during that week, so I tend to wait until afterwards to do my holiday shopping. I do set a budget and create my gift guide ahead of time and keep an eye out for sales to save a little whenever I can. I do purchase things on regular price a lot when I absolutely fall in love with it. One of my THE favorite fashion jewelry brand has major sale going on, and I don’t know what to do with myself! (*crying inside*).

Gorjana has been one of my favorite Nordstrom brands. Why? Something about their modern design - it’s simple and elegant, light and fashionable, delicate looking and yet durable. (You’d think I’m getting sponsored for this! Someone put in a word for me, will you?). 

I have a specific necklace from their line that I, honestly, wear with almost everything. To style my look, I just grab a piece and throw it with any outfit for something light and modern. You saw me wearing one of their necklaces many times! It’s lasting me forever - possibly because their necklaces are often 18-karat gold plated. I never got to buy them on sale, so now seeing this major markdown, I’m so excited. I obviously can’t buy them all and break the bank. So I’m including my favorites from this major discount that’s happening in case you want to grab a few.

I’ll be grabbing a few pieces for the ladies in my life. Jewelry can be the perfect gift! If you are looking at options for the ladies in your life. Each year on mother’s day or my mom’s birthday, I’d buy one piece of jewelry for my mom, to add to her collection of classic fashion jewelry. For the girlfriends in my life, I gravitate towards jewelry often and my go-to is often gorjana. Check these out (sale items above and below some of my favorites in regular price). Feel free to send these over to anyone looking for light and fashionable jewelry for their mom, best friend, or special lady in life. ​If you'd like to see more recommendations, please leave a comment or send me a message!

With a pregnant belly, it’s pretty difficult to figure out what to wear on a daily basis. If you’re pregnant or have been pregnant before, you know what I'm talking about. With the weather being so cold right now, I simply opt for sweatpants or maternity pants, paired with a top and jacket to keep me warm. However, in the rare occasion that I do dress up, I tend to lean towards dresses (always). And, I actually enjoyed wearing rightly-fitted, maternity dresses or women’s dresses that had the flexibility to cover and flaunt my bump while being super comfortable. If I could, I would wear maternity wrap dresses, maternity maxi dresses (they have some beautiful maternity bridesmaid dresses as well!), or maternity midi dresses all day, every day - with my pair of sneakers or flat sandals. When maternity clothes fit our bodies properly and make us feel good and comfortable in the outside, it feels good in the inside!

The first two trimesters I wore regular wrap dresses (ordered up a size). They usually provide ample amount of slack to readjust to your growing belly. I didn't care too much about seasonal trends. In all honesty, if I wanted to wear comfortable maxi dress in the cold, I wore it with sweat pants underneath and matched it with sweater and jacket on the top. It kept me warm and cozy. Now, if there is one brand I depended on regularly for cute maternity clothes, that embraced my pregnant belly and fit me perfectly each time - it's ASOS. If you know me, you've probably already heard me talk about this brand a lot. Every maternity dress I ordered through them, for my pregnancy related events, were a perfect fit for me. I can wear these dresses post pregnancy as well - extra point for that! I didn't try their pants or tights, so I can't speak for those. But, ASOS dresses are simply stunning.

You are probably wondering if this post is sponsored, so let me make that clear: this post is not sponsored by ASOS (darn, it should be, right! *wink*). However, if you make any purchases using the affiliate links to my favorite dresses, then it has the potential to earn a commission. I've always been a fan of their products (their crop tops are so cute and versatile!), and now pregnancy clothes got added to that list. My list of favorites from their maternity section is too long. If I could, I would buy them all. So, I wanted to share a few with you if you are in the market for a cute bunch. 

​Here are 10 of my favorite maternity dresses by ASOS:

I hope you find these helpful as you shop for a new collection of maternity clothes for your closet. If any of these you find perfect, let me know - or better yet, send me a picture! 

As you have already noticed, my last several posts have been all pregnancy related and pregnancy updates. When you are expecting, so much of your life revolves around the life growing inside - your eating habits, your thought process, and your lifestyle. I found myself always googling all sorts of questions and pregnancy tips and products I was curious about. As we are preparing for our baby to arrive, I wanted to share my experiences for any mom-to-be or momma-to-be who are in a similar phase. 

• What To Eat When You're Pregnant

It's difficult to figure out what to eat when pregnant and create a pregnancy meal plan for nine months. I mean you know what nutrients you need to focus on and all the healthy pregnancy food out there. However, knowing what to focus on weekly makes life much easier. This book provides a week-by-week guide on what to eat during each stage. Although I didn't try all the recipes, that's also included, I found it tremendously helpful to know what food-of-the-week to focus on for the target development. It just helped narrow down the overall list of food to eat when pregnant. I also loved learning and being aware of how my baby was growing each week and how the food was effecting the growth.

• Brain Rules for Baby

 This book is quite insightful and educational. I really enjoyed reading this book and learned some valuable and fascinating information. Dr John Medina is a developmental molecular biologist and a dad, who draws examples from scientific studies and neuroscience research and facts, as opposed to mere opinion.  

I have six other pregnancy books here, but I'd be lying if I said I read them all.

My goodness, only four more days till Valentine's day, and we're so ready to meet our baby boy. I doubt I'll ever be fully ready for labor, but he is definitely a little too snugged in there and pushing around to hopefully make his debut soon. During this waiting period, I'll post a few pregnancy related topics while the countdown continues. 

I understand soon-to-be parents or soon-to-be mommas tend to get very excited about decorating the baby nursery. The whole decorating part can be fun as the anticipation of baby’s arrival builds up. Even though we live in a two bedroom apartment, and I’m highly tempted to invest my energy on these cute nursery ideas and nursery themes on Pinterest, I’ve decided to not dedicate an entire room to creating one just yet. Although designing and putting together baby's room would be so much fun, it’s not necessary for us right now. Why? Because of two reasons:

Staying positive and hopeful is not always easy during pregnancy, especially when the future is so unpredictable, and there are so many pregnancy horror stories out there (not to mention the hormones!) That's when self-love and supportive networks can help guide us in a more positive direction. Even with all that, it can be difficult to ignore the negativity that surrounds us, and we might not be able to always ignore them. And, that's okay. We are only human. We just have to move on and focus on the next day. Things that helped me stay positive: