Karim Jones

What was supposed to be a super quick "in and out" trip ended up taking almost three hours, and it ended up being a much needed afternoon. and I somehow navigated the maze which is ikea several times, and we decided to throw nap time out the window. As I corralled the kids into the restroom to wash their hands off, I looked in the mirror and snapped this shot really quick. All the little reminders...like when I see Oscar's tiny toes when he's napping and think, "Wow, I made those."

So, in those moments where I'm not feeling like I'm being "Best Mom to Sofia, Pato, and Oscar," I look through my "toolkit" of thoughts, to help me go back to the mom I want to be. If the answer is "no," then I try to think of one simple way I can go back to who I want to be. Or, "I want to be a Karim that sees the best in others."At the end of the day, it takes work to use these thoughts and get back to a place mentally where I'm not feeling frustrated or angry or annoyed at others in my home. I like to think I'm getting much better at using my thought toolkit, but I can also admit there are times that I seem to be tossing that toolkit out the front door and drop kicking it over the fence.

If there's one thing I love, it's FOOD! If there's another thing I love, it's taking pictures! Whether you're making eggs Benedict for the hundredth time or your millionth bowl of cereal, it helps when you're taking pictures of something that actually looks good, and doesn't look over or under cooked. I love the look of a meal that looks like you're just about to eat together.

Once we were stuffed with sandwiches, scones, and more treats, we took a little walk around the hotel to check out the beautiful window displays. Well, it all worked out perfectly because Sof ended up not having school on the Friday they were gone, so I decided we would try something I've been dying to take Sof to for forever: Their excitement began the second we pulled up to the hotel (free valet voucher with Afternoon Tea! ) and our their doors were opened by the friendliest valets. I'm pretty sure they felt like royalty when the doorman held open the hotel doors for them and welcomed us to the hotel.