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Aisha M. O'Reilly | Motherhood & Womanhood

@aishaandlife

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Helping you survive motherhood, marriage & womanhood in between
SAPB Awards Winner x2
Host: @thewholemamaza
Mama: @theoreillykids
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What they don’t tell you about marriage, we’re all just figuring it out as we go. 📍Save for #mindfulmarriage tipsWe’ve been married for 11 years, together for 21. By no means are we experts and that’s not the point of these posts. The point is to add to the very little pool of positive, realistic and healthy examples of marriages that’s circulating.There are many things people don’t share about how to have a healthy marriage. These are 11 secrets of what makes ours something we hold dear. Swipe for them all. What’s kept us steady are the pockets of happiness, the friendship, the shared jokes, and choosing each other even when things feel unromantic.We’ve learned that liking each other matters. Talking before resentment builds matters. Doing life together, even the boring parts matters more than grand gestures.❤️ Share with your partner or a friendWhich one was the “secret” you didn’t know?_____#marriagegoals #happymarriage #interracial #interracialmarriage by @aishaandlife

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6 months ago

I JUST WANT TO KNOW: what would you do if your spouse said they didn’t like the gift you got for their milestone birthday? 🤔📍Save as a conversation starterKev’s birthday gift storytime Part 1: I spent ages researching coffee machines because @mlungukev LOOOOVES his coffee. I finally found one I was convinced he’d love. And I’d love making his morning cups of coffee with. I won’t lie…I was SURPRISED! I had to break this up into two parts so I can first ask: How would YOU react if your partner didn’t like a big birthday gift?❤️ Share with your partner_____#thoughtsthursday #storytime #40thbirthday #birthdaygift #yapping by @aishaandlife

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I JUST WANT TO KNOW: is there a right age to talk to your kids about the birds and the bees?📍Save as a thought starterOne thing I’ve realised about “The Talk” is that if we don’t have the conversation, someone else will.A friend at school.A video.An older cousin.Or, worst of all, someone with bad intentions.Our kids are growing up in a world where information is EVERYWHERE. Whether it’s accurate, age-appropriate or safe is another story.For me, the goal isn’t to have one awkward conversation. It’s to build a relationship where my kids know they can come to me first. I want to be their most trusted source before the world starts filling in the gaps.❤️ Share with your partner or fellow mamaHave you spoken to your child about seggs? What age and how did you approach it? If not, when do you think is the right age?⸻#thoughtsthursday #conversationstarter #honestmotherhood #momofthree #momlife by @aishaandlife

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Which one is your favourite Fam? The black dress got me mesmerised 😍🥳Download the SHEIN App to check out these amazing stores and unlock the latest fashion trends anytime, anywhere! Search & follow Aveloria Modichic,Hauture,Vixey on SHEIN and use 🎫ZAQS7aishaandlife4037 to enjoy exclusive discounts! ✨@sheinofficial @sheinza_#SHEINtrends #ad #mombod #momootd #momstyleStore Name:Vixey🆔 467997082🔗 https://shein.top/mlehq9fStore Name:Vixey🆔 324966270🔗 https://shein.top/9qc7emkStore Name:Silquee🆔 403551657🔗 https://shein.top/np3e47iStore Name:Hauture🆔 421642719🔗 https://shein.top/5d7ymzlStore Name:Hauture🆔 437047741🔗 https://shein.top/mlehp7eStore Name:Hauture🆔 422658963🔗 https://shein.top/nih8q7uStore Name:Aveloria Modichic🆔 26918341🔗 https://shein.top/g5d6rzvStore Name:Aveloria Modichic🆔 58334472🔗 https://shein.top/mlehowfStore Name:Aveloria Modichic🆔 398902042🔗 https://shein.top/nih8p76Store Name:Aveloria Modichic🆔 18745648🔗 https://shein.top/g5d6qz7Store Name:Maija🆔 40776555🔗 https://shein.top/nih8p5tI think I’m almost done with resetting my wardrobe. I have most of the basics, some workout gear, and now I’m adding these smarter looking items too. What would you add to the list? by @aishaandlife

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I JUST WANT TO KNOW: has anyone else’s husband suddenly become the loudest breather on the planet since menopause? Asking for me 🤭😂📍Save for the day you wonder if menopause or perimenopause is making you dramatic or if everyone else is just incredibly annoying.Can we please talk about menopause irritability?Not the hot flushes.Not the night sweats.The irrational rage over absolutely nothing.One minute @mlungukev is sitting quietly on the couch, minding his own business. The next, I’m wondering why he’s breathing so…enthusiastically😭Or he’ll ask me an innocent question like, “What’s for dinner?” and suddenly it feels like I’ve been personally attacked.He genuinely can’t win some days. I’m completely aware of it. I know he hasn’t actually done anything wrong. But knowing that and convincing my hormones are two very different things.Thankfully, after more than 20 years together, he’s learnt when to laugh with me, when to give me a bit of space, and when to pretend he wasn’t about to ask me another question.Marriage has seasons.Right now, ours just happens to include hot flushes, random rage, and one very patient husband.In all seriousness though, menopause doesn’t just affect the woman going through it. It affects the people who love her too.So here’s a little shoutout to the partners, kids and friends quietly navigating this season alongside us. Thank you for loving us through the mood swings, the brain fog, the sleepless nights… and yes, even the days when your breathing is somehow offensive. ❤️❤️ Share with a woman in your lifeBe honest…what’s the most ridiculous thing that’s irritated you lately? I promise this is a judgement-free zone 🤭#menopause #womenshealth #perimenopause #over40 #marriage by @aishaandlife

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This photo was my middle finger to the unrealistic, one-dimensional image the world had brainwashed us to believe is the new mother. And it went viral. 📍Save to remember to celebrate your postpartum body.Looking back now, this photo means even more to me than it did back then. Not just because of what it says about postpartum, but because it captures a moment in history.It was 2020. We were living through lockdowns, uncertainty and fear.The world was in darkness.And yet, inside that hospital room, all I could see was light.My beautiful baby boy.Healthy.Safe.So deeply loved.Pandemic mamas, we birthed light.He’s 6 now, and every time I look at these photos, I see the beginning of one of the greatest privileges of my life: being his mom 🙏🏾*Swipe for more pics and my original caption that inspired fellow moms to embrace their post-baby bodies.*❤️ Share with a pandemic mom Pandemic mamas, how are your pandemic babies?!______#fbf #flashbackfriday #thisispostpartum #honestmotherhood #postpartumbodylove by @aishaandlife

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I JUST WANT TO KNOW: who decided that gentle parenting is the only acceptable way of parenting?📍Save as a conversation starterI’ve been called abusive because I don’t identify as a gentle parent. That doesn’t sit right with me. Because when did appreciating different parenting styles become impossible?I absolutely believe in respecting children.I believe in connection. I believe in listening, apologising and being intentional about how we raise our kids.But I also don’t believe that one parenting philosophy is the only measure of whether someone is a good parent.Families are different. Children are different. Cultures are different. Personalities are different.And parenting is about finding what works for your family.We can encourage people to reflect and grow without immediately labelling them as harmful because they don’t use the same language or approach that we do.There has to be room for nuance.❤️ Share this if you believe parenting conversations need more compassion and less judgement.Is gentle parenting the only right way to parent?#thursdaythoughts #momofthree #honestmotherhood #gentleparenting #realmotherhood by @aishaandlife

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9 days ago

I don’t know who needs to hear this but: time away can do wonders for your marriage📍Save this as your reminder that sometimes the best gift is slowing down together.We needed a few days where nothing was urgent.No rushing.No constant notifications.Just space.One of my favourite things about our Hoedspruit trip was how quiet everything felt.Being surrounded by nature.Watching the landscape change around us. Taking in the views at Blyde River Canyon. Cycling through the wildlife estate and seeing animals along the way.There was something really special about being somewhere that reminded us that life doesn’t always need to move at 100km/hour.Sometimes you just need fresh air, good company and nowhere else you need to be.❤️Share with your partner Are you a beach holiday person or a nature getaway person?#staycation #relationshipgoals #interracialmarriage #bwwm #marriagegoals by @aishaandlife

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Here’s to celebrating another year of my gorgeous friend @oleratoandfamily. What a beautiful soul 🥰Happy birthday my doll. 36 looks SO good on you 😍😍#birthday #friendship #adultfriendships #momofthree #momfriends by @aishaandlife

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11 days ago

What they don’t tell you about being a busy mom of three: bedtime is not the time to have a full staff meeting with yourself.📍 Save for the times your brain refuses to switch offBecause why is it that the second the house is quiet, my brain is like:“Great. Now let’s review every decision you’ve made since 2007.” I think so many millennial moms are carrying years of conditioning that we don’t even realise we’re carrying.Be productive.Achieve more.Be successful.Be a present mom.Be a good wife.Be a supportive friend.Make more money.Build something.Don’t let anyone down.And then we’re shocked when our brains don’t know how to just rest. I envy those who can “switch off”.But I’m also slowly learning and accepting that I don’t HAVE to do everything. And I don’t have to BE everything. ❤️ Share this with a busy momFellow millennial mamas, what’s on your bedtime to do list?!#mommymonday #momofthree #overwhelmedmom #momlife #momhumor by @aishaandlife

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12 days ago

What’s one city you’ve visited that you’d go back to in a heartbeat?This is part 5 of my A Week in Nairobi series. And these are some random snippets and thoughts I haven’t shared yet.Being a working mom of three means I don’t travel often, and when I do, every trip reminds me how much I love seeing new places while still looking forward to coming home.Thank you, Nairobi, for the warm welcome. I have a feeling I’ll be back soon 🤭❤️ Share with a mom who wants to do what she loves #momofthree #workingmom #momstyle #mombeauty #travel by @aishaandlife

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14 days ago