Grounded Narratives

A few blog posts ago I alluded to struggles I'd been facing for a few years now. I said that I would address these issues here soon but honestly, I didn't know when would be a good time. So I thought that today is as good a day as any. Last year I was diagnosed with trauma. It had been years in the making, a result of an emotionally abusive relationship and years of challenging events with seemingly no respite in sight. Although I had eventually gotten out of the relationship, I had unconsciously allowed this person's opinions of me become so ingrained in me that I had lost all knowledge of my former self. I lacked self-confidence. I blamed myself for many things that had happened in my life. I was perpetually sad and struggled to find even the smallest things to smile about. I had no motivation to do even those things that I loved. I would take photos and see my smiling face but deep down I knew that was just a front. I was broken, a shell of my former self. Now I'm no...

Another year older! September is one of my favourite months of the year. Not only is the month  when I started my blog  but it also happens to be my birthday month.  For years I've let this day just go by, smiling whenever people wished me a happy birthday even when deep inside I wasn't too happy. But I wanted to make this birthday different. I was determined to spend it in the best way I possibly could; taking care of myself. I made sure to dress up, even with nowhere to go and did my nails (something I'd been postponing for weeks!). I also decided to do something that I enjoy but hardly make time for i.e. take photos and update the blog! I've wracked my brain trying to think of what to gift myself this year and I couldn't make up my mind. This year being what it is has made me rethink many things. I don't really need to add anything to my wardrobe, my jewellery collection is sufficient although I can't help but admire beautiful accessories online, but do I...

It's been nine years since I wrote my first blog post and in that time, I have evolved even as my blog struggled to catch up and reflect that change. I've gone through many life changes: motherhood, journey to finding myself and dealing with my mental health. Despite all that, I have been unable to let go of my piece of internet real estate. Nine years! Come to think of it, this is the longest relationship I've had, hahaha! It sounds funny just thinking about it. So, just as I did for my eighth blogging anniversary , I'll give you a little life update.  What's been happening... As I celebrate nine years since I took that bold step to put myself out there and my pursue passion for writing and sharing this with you, I can't help but wonder if I will ever get my old mojo back. I know that I can't force myself to put out content that doesn't resonate with where I am now and the things that I'm enjoying even though they might not always be fashion-relate...

Hi there. It's been a while. I've been meaning to update you and even started several blog posts but none of them seemed good enough. I know, #overthinking, but here we are. I thought a life update would be the perfect way to get back to blogging. Last week I marked my 8th blogging anniversary. I must confess that the date almost passed me by. Eight years seems like a long time, right? I can hardly believe it. But I'm so proud of myself for at least keeping this space alive, albeit partially. I was reading a post about habits that will improve your life and having a creative outlet was one of them. This blog has been my creative space since its inception. As time went by it became the space where I documented the various stages of my life key in point becoming a mother, starting my online shop and eventually transitioning to full-time employment. However, as I embraced these new phases of my life, I also lost love and found it again (that's a story for another d...

My love for reading books has always been bubbling beneath the surface and it has finally blown over. I've not always been a great reader. To make matters worse, motherhood has given me even less time for leisure activities like reading. However, I started pushing myself a bit and now I make time to read.  I find it a good use of time to read while in the matatu, when I take myself on a lunch date or when my eyes need a rest from constantly staring at a screen.  This year, I have decided to challenge myself a bit more by documenting the books I have read and loved as well as have a running list of books that I would love to read. Below are five books that I am keen to read this year. 1. Memoirs of a Geisha 2. Becoming by Michelle Obama 3. An Edited Life by Anna Newton 4. Reasons to stay alive by Matt Haig 5. Heart and hustle by Patricia Bright Which books do you think I should add to my reading list? Thank you for stopping by....

Over the last couple of months, I have learnt to find ways to enjoy myself and spend little to no money. Most of these activities are indoor activities. 1. Reading I love reading and I'm trying to read more. I tend to spend a lot of time watching things either on YouTube or a series but this is something I have been trying to change. 2. Cooking I find cooking very therapeutic. I love coming up with new recipes using ingredients that are already in the house.  3. Upcycling my clothes A friend gave me this idea some time back but I have been unable to sufficiently take it up until I decided that I needed a new wardrobe. Since I still like some of my old clothes I decided to give them new life by upcyling them. 4. Sort through my photos My photos folder on my laptop is a mess and I have taken to going through my old photos sorting them out into the appropriate folders and eventually backing them up. I have been saying that I want to print some so I think t...

I have found that staying organized is the key to getting a lot of stuff done. As I try to run my blog, shop, be a mum, meet my life goals and have somewhat of a social life, I have been forced to accept that I can't just be winging it. I have to make sure that I use my time well. Today's video is all about how to stay organized. I have been following these 5 tips in my quest for sanity amidst the hustle and bustle that is life. I hope this video helps you as you try to stay organized. Please don't forget to like, comment and subscribe.  Thank you for stopping by. xo

 Months before I celebrated my birthday (which I celebrated last week), I had started reflecting on what lessons I had learnt in the last year. One of the lessons that I saw recurring was the importance of knowing what works for you and sticking by it. It  might not come automatically but when you figure out what works for you when it comes to matters of relationships, career, style, health, etc.: You will first and foremost ensure that you spend far less time making decisions. You know when to say yes to and when to say no.  You also become more confident in yourself. Having figured out what works for me, I find that I don't need to explain myself to anyone or feel the need to justify my decisions.  You are better able to follow through on your decisions. It becomes easier to stick by your decision and face the consequences down the line. You don't get easily swayed to try this and that just because other people are trying them. This will, in the end, save...

I love my How To posts. I always feel so nice sharing tips and tricks that I have learnt in the course of time. Today's post tackles something that I have been struggling with over the last year or so, a creative rut. What is a creative rut? A creative rut is basically a period of time when you feel uninspired and unable to pursue a certain project or feel like your life has little to no meaning. My personal experience At some point in 2014 I realized that I had lost my mojo to blog. I felt so uninspired. I couldn't come up with content that I liked and would enjoy putting up. It was just after I had had my baby and I felt like my life had changed and the content I was putting up before the baby just didn't fit in with my new lifestyle. Another thing that I noticed was that I was not in a good place mentally to share good quality, interesting content. A lot of my personal life was interfering with my creative juices. How did I get out of my rut? It has taken ...

Baby girl in the background there :-) Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes...including you. ~ Anne Lammot I have just come from a mini break which I have to say was much needed. I paid a visit to my grandma last week and I was so happy to finally get a chance to unplug and just spend time with my family and focus on me. Travel Experience    I love to travel and one of the things on my bucket list (which I shared here) was to travel a bit more. On this trip, I got to see quite a lot of the rural Kenya, lots of green fields and hills. The undulating hills and lush green grass was the stuff of Jane Austen movies. There's something so calming about the countryside. At Lake Victoria On our way back to Nairobi, we stopped by Kisumu for lunch and I finally got a close-up view of Lake Victoria. Kisumu is hot, stifling hot! Damn! It reminded me so much of summers in Delhi, which honestly enough I don't miss. Reflections I have alwa...

 Have you ever come across that person (perhaps people) who seem bent on making you doubt yourself, your abilities and even your self worth? People who make you think you are too sensitive or that your reactions are inappropriate? These are called toxic people, people who in my book spread a lot of negative energy. I had such an encounter once and it wasn't pretty. I had to fight tooth and nail for a number of years to get this person out of my life but in the end I came out triumphant, free of all that toxicity. I don't want to rehash all that I went through while I was trying to deal with this person. However, I would like to share with you some ways in which you can deal with toxic people. 1. Remove this person from your life Like you would an old band-aid, rip this person out of your life. Their toxicity is ruining you, destroying your self confidence and making your life a living hell. Do everything you can to get rid of them. 2. Avoid them like the plague If the...

 I'm a girl who likes to look for ways to better herself. I read motivational books and blogs. I have a board on Pinterest called Wise Words, filled with motivational quotes, some of which I share on Facebook and Instagram. I have started watching TED talks and I love listening to motivational speakers. I do all this because I believe there is always room for improvement. I might have been able to fight one vice but there is always another that needs to be tackled, lurking right around the corner. This year has been a year of change and growth for me. I think I reached my lowest point just before things started getting better. During those moments when I couldn't see an end to my pain, I remember wondering how God expected me to carry on: working and caring for my daughter and myself, when I didn't feel I had the emotional and physical strength to do so. But then I someone shared something with me that I have refer to constantly. Whenever I find myself facing a situ...

 I like looking for ways to make home decor more interesting, and out of the box, and throw rugs are just that, an extra that you can use to further express your personal style. Throw rugs or blankets add patterns, colour and of course a feeling of warmth particularly now that Nairobi is very cold so you can use the throw rugs to keep warm during the day without needing to get into your bed. And the beauty about throw rugs is that they aren't too complicated to find. You can make do with a big, warm shawl or maasai blankets and if you want to feel luxurious, you can add a faux fur throw to your bed or couch. How to use throw rugs Use them to protect your seats, especially if  you have light coloured seats and children Place a colourful throw on the backs of your seat to add colour to neutral furniture or an upholstered headboard Drape a throw across the end of your bed making the bedroom look more personal For a warm, cozy, relaxed feel, drape a throw rug on your cou...

They say the way to a man's heart is through his stomach. With Father's Day coming up this weekend, I thought it would be a fun idea to share an idea of a meal that you can make for Father's Day. Butter Chicken This is one of my favourite Indian recipes. I like it because it doesn't need too many spices, you can do without the chilli and the chicken and gravy just melt in your mouth.  Ingredients:  Chicken (you can opt for boneless chicken) 2 tablespoons of yoghurt Red chilli powder to taste (optional) Crushed ginger and garlic Garam masala Tumeric powder Onions Tomatoes Butter/Cooking Oil Cashew nuts Salt Marinate the chicken: Place the chicken in a bowl, add yoghurt, red chilli powder, crushed ginger and garlic, garam masala and salt. Make the tomato gravy: In a pan, heat the oil. Saute onions until translucent. Add tomatoes and sprinkle some salt. Cook until they turn soft and mushy. Add red chilli powder, garam masala and cashew nuts. Fry until...