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Happily Hafsa

A blog about mom life and how I navigate it.

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Be the first to know when I share new recipes, beauty tips/products or my latest mom adventure.

The Adventure Called Motherhood

Becoming a mom is one of the greatest privileges and the biggest challenge we face as women. All of a sudden, our priorities, goals and needs change to revolve around these gorgeous little people who are now a part of our lives. This blog chronicles my motherhood adventures. From the exciting to the mundane, and everything in between- I share my favorite beauty and skincare tips, my health and wellness goals, the best and easiest Instant Pot recipes and the fun I have with my little ones. Welcome to my organized chaos!

Instant Pot Recipes

Instant Pot Recipes

Delicious and quick recipes that help me get wholesome meals on the dinner table in no time.

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Mom Life

Mom Life

It's fun. It's crazy. It's overwhelming but you wouldn't trade it for the whole world. It's mom life and here's mine.

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Beauty for Busy Moms

Beauty for Busy Moms

It's hard to look your best while running after little ones. Here are some quick and easy beauty and skincare tips for you.

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“There’s no way to be a perfect mother and a million ways to be a good one.”
– Jill Churchill

MOM LIFE
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Hi, I'm Hafsa!

I'm a wife and mom of two gorgeous little boys who are the light of my life. When I'm not busy running around after them, I'm a photographer, a wanna-be Instant Pot chef and a creative entrepreneur. My passion is helping fellow moms maximize their productivity so they can pursue what makes them glow. I accomplish that by offering ideas and practical life examples of how to simplify mom life to amplify productivity. I also love social media and it's power to connect people from diverse backgrounds and stories. My favorite things in the world are shopping, naps and tiny baby toes and I can't wait to get to know you better.
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The Instant Pot has transformed the way I cook and saved me hours of cooking and cleaning time. I have compiled my favorite recipes that I have tried again and again in this one spot to make your life easier.

INSTANT POT RECIPES

RECENT POSTS

Beautiful Boy Nursery Reveal

Delicious Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Lactation Cookies

Why We Love Goldfish Swim School

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Instagram post 2226689598413713702_4038845033 There was a time not too long ago when I looked at becoming a mom as the end of life as I knew it- and let’s face it, the end of all fun.⠀ ⠀ I believed truly that motherhood meant endless chores, catching breathers between mealtimes that were too close together, always playing catch-up with my to-do list, no potential for doing something for myself and constantly being harried. This is after I had already considered my professional opportunities dead and buried.⠀ ⠀ But here’s the truth.⠀ ⠀ In motherhood, I have found the BEST, strongest, most resilient and creative version of myself.⠀ ⠀ A few years ago, I attended an event where the speaker said, “the quality of your life is a direct reflection of the quality of the questions you are asking yourself”⠀ ⠀ And what questions was I asking myself?⠀ ⠀ “Why me?!”⠀ “Why is my life so hard?”⠀ “Why does my husband have to travel and why do I have to do all the things by myself?”⠀ “Why do we have so much laundry?”⠀ ⠀ And on and on and on this list of questions around my self-misery went until that day when I stopped and looked at my life.⠀ ⠀ I was tired. I was overwhelmed. My house was a mess. I was unhappy and because I was unhappy, my husband was stressed out and my son was anxious.⠀ ⠀ And so I asked myself.⠀ ⠀ “How can I change my life so I can do the things I want to do?”⠀ “How can I become more efficient at doing the things I need to do?”⠀ “How can I create systems and routines that allow me to be a good mom, good wife and still make time for passions?”⠀ ⠀ And the rest is history.⠀ ⠀ Our subconscious is an incredible thing. And when I started asking the right questions, I was able to find the capacity and the resources to build upon the foundation that already existed.⠀ ⠀ Think of the questions you ask yourself.⠀ ⠀ What is one question you’re asking thats holding your back from the life of your dreams?⠀ ⠀ Lets see how we can reframe it so the answers help you create a life by design, not by default.⠀ ⠀ #momlifelessons #motherhoodslens
Instagram post 2223618163633859399_4038845033 Our home is supposed to be our tranquil place but for a lot of women, especially moms- it ends up being the place where their to-do list is the longest and they feel the most stressed.⠀ ⠀ Between the cooking, the unlimited piles of laundry (HOW do 5 people have this many dirty clothes??) and the ever-lengthening list of chores- it’s hard to find a moment to stop, breathe and just be.⠀ ⠀ I found myself desperately yearning for a place in my house where I could just sit and relax. No TV. No noise. Just a place where I could slow down before speeding up.⠀ ⠀ The other reason why I decided to create this space is that one of my intentions this year is to reconnect with my spirituality.⠀ ⠀ Between life with a baby and two older kids and the demands of my work, I found myself praying just to get it done, rather than with the focus and thought that my prayers deserve.⠀ ⠀ As my kids get older, I want them to see their faith being lived in their home. Having a prayer corner means that they see us pray there, multiple times a day, every single day. It becomes a part of our home landscape. They want to be a part of that experience and will feel drawn to this space to practice what they see us do.⠀ ⠀ My dream is to instill in them a love of prayer at this age that they take with them as they grow older and find their way through life.⠀ ⠀ While creating this room- these are the things I kept in mind:⠀ ⠀ 🌿 incorporated things that make me feel calm and relaxed (hence all the plants and books)⠀ 🌱 I decluttered HARD and got rid of all the extra stuff so the room feels light and airy⠀ 🌵 I focused on creating varying heights to make the space feel visually inviting⠀ 🍃 I incorporated different textures that add warmth and comfort to the room⠀ 🌴 I picked a room with tons of natural light and kept the night time lighting very soft⠀ ⠀ You don't need to spend a fortune to create a space that brings you calm and peace. Most of the elements in this space are just moved from other parts of the house. Rather, start with the end in mind- the way you want to feel in the room- rather than focusing on all the things.⠀ ⠀ How do you incorporate some tranquility in your home and life?
Instagram post 2217847935025025270_4038845033 This was my hospital bag. When I came home with Dean almost 3 months ago, I put it right here to unpack later. Since then, this bag has sat here. I'd think about unpacking it and then something more urgent would take precedence. It’s become part of the landscape now. We clean, walk and live around it and don't even see it. The other day, I was trying to decide if I wanted to commit to doing something scary. And as I was thinking about it, I was staring at this bag. 
And I realized something. This bag is a perfect metaphor for our dreams and aspirations. So many of us, especially after we become moms, put our dreams down to focus on mom life. And those dreams and aspirations just become part of the landscape. We start living around them. We don’t touch them or unpack them because other things always take precedence. They become an afterthought. Very much like this unpacked hospital bag, those dreams contain amazing things inside. When I did unpack it, I found Dean’s newborn stuff, a snickers bar and my favorite cardigan. My dream last year was to have a 6 figure year in my business. In so many ways, that 6-figures represented the truth women, especially moms can thrive professionally without needing to be part of the traditional corporate structure. If I could build a multiple 6-figure business on my terms, keeping mine and my family’s needs in the forefront, it would be life-changing. But I couldn’t pull it off and it sat dormant. I’m picking that dream back up and unpacking it and I am SO excited. And the first step to reclaiming that dream requires me packing a bag again- this time for Dean and I. That's right! I am taking my sanity in my hands and flying with my 3-month old to attend an event hosted by @tylerjmccall with some of my favorite mentors like @jameswedmore, @amyporterfield, and @caitlinbacher. Will it be hard? For sure. But no one ever said dreams come true without difficulties. I am ready to take risk and step outside my comfort zone to make my dreams come true and I want to encourage you to do the same. What is a dream you had that you put aside (doesn’t have to be professional) and how can I help you pick it back up?
Instagram post 2211452018969598313_4038845033 “Life is a balance of holding on and letting go.” - Rumi⠀ ⠀ In a very real way, the 2010’s were the decade that made me. I learned the things that I needed to hold on to and had to let go of some people, places and things I loved.⠀ ⠀ My husband and I started this decade by doing one the scariest things ever- packing up and moving to England- leaving our families, friends and comfort zone behind.⠀ ⠀ From London to Oakville, to Ann Arbor, Michigan, to Chicago- this decade has been one adventure after another- that pushed us further, made us stronger and become the people we are today.⠀ ⠀ In this decade, the best thing in the world happened to me- 3 times. I became a mom to Adam, Zayd, and Dean and discovered a love so deep and true that it only multiplies when it’s divided.⠀ ⠀ In this decade, I lost my grandfather- the one person who has had so much impact on my life. He taught me to read, to write, to type on an old-school typewriter. So much of who I am and what I do today comes from his love and support.⠀ ⠀ In this decade, I gained two sisters when brothers got married, and through them- 3 gorgeous nieces and a nephew- a lifetime of fun and friendship for my kids.⠀ ⠀ In this decade, I lost some friends who meant the world to me. And I gained new ones who redefined the word friendship for me. There was grief and there was love.⠀ ⠀ In this decade, I also discovered my passion for entrepreneurship. I went from working as a law clerk to a marketing director for non-profits to a full-time entrepreneur. In this process, I learned that true failure isn’t not succeeding in a venture, it’s giving up on your dreams. And the dreams are alive and well.⠀ ⠀ My top 9 posts for this year (courtesy of @fohr.co) represent my life as it stands today and I’m so grateful for all the experiences over the last 10 years that brought us here. In my stories, I’m sharing the highlights from the last ten years.⠀ ⠀ I’d love to hear your recap. What was the best thing that happened to you in the last decade?⠀ ⠀ #newyearnewbeginnings
Instagram post 2198839387440041943_4038845033 Putting together this nursery reveal has literally been a study in the adventures and curveballs mom life throws at you.⠀ ⠀ But getting it out here is also my way of saying that even though the curveballs can come at you from all angles, we still need to keep plugging away towards our goals.⠀ ⠀ This room is my favorite room in our house right now. I truly believe that for the first year, the nursery is much more for the mom than it is for the baby. And this bright, washed in light room with the pops of robin blue is just so serene.⠀ ⠀ Before anyone freaks out and I get a deluge of DM’s and comments about bumpers in cribs, I want to clarify that the baby does not sleep in this room yet. And when we move him in, we’ll be removing the bumpers and the stuffed animals from the crib. The fully dressed crib is for aesthetics. Please be cognizant of the dangers of having your baby in a crib with bumpers/blankets/stuffed animals and follow the AAP guidelines on safe sleep.⠀ ⠀ My favorite thing about this room is that everything I need is within arms reach. The practicalities are all there- like the snacks (and a snickers bar) hidden in the bookshelf, the phone charger within arms reach and that little tray for holding my drinks as I soothe a fussy baby.⠀ ⠀ The other thing I love is that on the days when motherhood feels heavy and exhausting, this room has reminders strewn all around of the amazing people I have in my life. The gorgeous shelf behind me from my friend @myuniversalkitchen, the handmade blanket from my MIL, the daybed that was a gift from my parents, the original artwork from my friend @taylorleepaints, the pouf from @marocmama, the personalized wooden toys sent by @blendofspice, the books in the shelf from people like @truenorthslings, @tylerjmccall and so many more.⠀ ⠀ Even when I feel down, I can look around this room and remember that despite the challenges I may face as a mom, there is literally an entire network of people ready to uplift and support me.⠀ ⠀ I've shared a detailed list of where everything is from on the blog so head on over there for the specifics.⠀ ⠀ What's your favorite room in your house and why?⠀ ⠀ #nurserydecor #babyboynursery

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