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𝗠𝗔𝗗𝗗𝗜𝗘 I Millennial Mom in Thailand🇹🇭

@madsturk21

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📍🇹🇭 9 yrs
Corporate millennial • Boy mom • Former D1 athlete • 47 side quests
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More things I brought home from Thailand that are way better than another airport souvenir 🇹🇭🧳

Part 1 had over 170 saves… so here we are with Part 2 👀

After living in Thailand 🇹🇭for almost a decade, I’ve collected a LOT of cool local brands, handmade finds, and little gifts that actually feel special to bring home.

Here are a few more that made it into my suitcase this time.

Want to know exactly where I got everything?

Comment “Part2” and I’ll send you:
✨ the shops featured in this Reel
✨ PLUS my free Thailand Handmade Starter Guide with 10 more local + handmade shops to discover

And make sure you’re following — I may have a few extra Thailand shopping perks coming your way. 😉🇹🇭

Save this for the end of your Thailand trip when you realize you still need gifts and don’t want to spend your last day panic-buying generic souvenirs. 🎁🧳

Thailand shopping • what to buy in Thailand • Thailand souvenirs • Thailand gifts • Bangkok shopping • local Thai brands • Thai handmade products • Thailand handmade taken in Thailand by @madsturk21

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4 days ago

Things I brought home from Thailand that are way better than another airport souvenir 🇹🇭🧳

After living in Thailand for almost a decade, I’ve collected a LOT of cool local brands, handmade finds, and little gifts that actually feel special to bring home.

These are a few that made it into my suitcase this time.

Want to know exactly where I got everything?

Comment THAILAND and I’ll send you:
✨ the shops featured in this Reel
✨ PLUS my free Thailand Handmade Starter Guide with 10 more local + handmade shops to discover

The shops in the guide are different from the ones in this video, so consider it your bonus shopping list. 🇹🇭

Save this for your next Thailand trip and send it to the friend who always has extra room in their suitcase. 🧳

PART 2 coming next👀

Thailand shopping • what to buy in Thailand • Thailand souvenirs • Thailand gifts • Bangkok shopping • local Thai brands • Thai handmade products • Thailand handmade taken in Bangkok, Thailand by @madsturk21

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9 days ago

I started thinking about changing my Instagram username.

And somehow I ended up here. 🥲

Thinking about all the tiny pieces of ourselves we quietly leave behind as life keeps moving forward.

The weird thing is, these aren’t always sad endings. Sometimes we’re just choosing the new chapter.

But that doesn’t mean we don’t feel the flicker of the person we used to be.

And apparently, I have a lot to say about that.

So this is the beginning of something new around here:

Tiny Goodbyes.

A series about the little moments that quietly mark the end of one version of ourselves and the beginning of another.

The jersey number.
The last name.
The athlete.
The chop.
The family you pictured.
The moment your baby isn’t really a baby anymore.

And probably a hundred others I haven’t thought of yet.

Tell me yours. What tiny goodbye hit you harder than you expected?

I have a feeling some of the best parts of this series are going to come from the comments. 🤍 by @madsturk21

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19 days ago

Night markets can be fun but they’re only one tiny window into Thailand’s handmade shopping scene. 🇹🇭

Some of my favorite local makers aren’t sitting in the main tourist aisles or appearing at the top of a Google search. They’re quietly sharing beautiful, small-batch pieces through Instagram and Facebook—and unless you know where to look, they’re incredibly easy to miss.

After 9+ years of living in Thailand, I’ve become the person friends message when they want something handmade, meaningful and a little harder to find. Over time, that personal shortlist became the Thailand Handmade Edit: a curated guide to 40+ local brands you can discover and shop virtually.

Think homeware, jewelry, perfume, art, clothing, accessories and special pieces for children—all organized so you can support local makers without spending hours searching.

Comment THAI and I’ll send you the free mini edit featuring the first 10 local makers. 🤎

And a big thank-you to @thekatelynrhoades for sharing this carousel template—I loved adapting it to fit my own message!

Thailand shopping guide | Bangkok shopping finds | small-batch goods | meaningful gift ideas | independent designers | conscious shopping | ethical souvenirs | slow-made goods | Southeast Asian design | gifts from Thailand | Instagram shopping | expat recommendations taken in Thailand by @madsturk21

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21 days ago

I knew the kind of birth I hoped for, but I also knew there were no guarantees.

So instead of focusing on controlling the outcome, I focused on everything I could do beforehand to feel prepared, supported and informed.

My mindset started with my mom. She had three unmedicated births, so somewhere along the way I developed this stubborn little belief: if my mom could do it three times, surely I could do it once. 😂

That belief gave me confidence — but I knew confidence alone wasn’t preparation.

One of our earliest and best investments was our doula.
@doularasee

We hired her about 6 months before my due date and met with her monthly, usually in the comfort of our home. Each session covered different topics, questions and decisions we’d eventually face.

She had attended 100+ births with the natural delivery doctor we had in mind and knew the Thai hospital system incredibly well.

And she was bilingual. 🇹🇭

Nelson speaks Thai, but I didn’t want my husband translating medical conversations while also trying to support me through labor 🤣 he didn’t want to translate either.

I also wanted to prepare physically AND mentally.

For me, that meant treating birth a little like I used to treat athletics: you can’t predict exactly what will happen on game day, but you can absolutely train before you get there.

So I trained, learned, asked questions and tried to understand my options long before labor started.

I worked 1:1 with @movewellwithanna throughout my prenatal training.

Having individualized support helped me continue moving and strengthening my body while adapting everything to pregnancy and eventually preparing specifically for birth.

I also did prenatal yoga with @talia_tallia and somehow got lucky enough to have a friend pregnant alongside me 💛 @liva_kirk

Preparing together made the whole experience more fun, supportive and a lot less intimidating.

I also took prenatal classes with @jenchapman_bkk at @thegreenroombangkok and birthing classes through @bumpsydaisybkk where I learned about my doula & much more about my options for giving birth in Thailand.

Our doula helped us create a clear birth plan, and we discussed it openly with our delive taken in Bangkok, Thailand by @madsturk21

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2 months ago

Thailand 🇹🇭 has changed me.

Nine years in and I’m doing a bit of reflecting.
Most of the time, this country makes me giggle 😃— there’s this particular mix of kindness and chaos here that I genuinely didn’t see coming.

The list of things keeps growing but that’s what makes it fun.

Tell me yours. I have time. Thailand taught me that 🤪
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•thailand •bangkoklife •expatlife •livinginthailand •thaiculture •americanabroad •cultureshock •movingabroad •thailandtravel •expatthailand taken in Bangkok, Thailand by @madsturk21

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5 months ago

I know my content makes it look like I’m constantly campaigning for moms to take the trip, book the girls weekend, and remember who they were before somebody started calling them “Mom.”

And I stand by it.

But just for the record… my husband is currently on a 10-day dream golf trip through Scotland with his dad. ⛳️🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

Golf. Cigars. Dramatic Scottish landscapes. A BAGPIPER casually strolling through his video like he was a paid actor.

The man is thriving.

And honestly, this is part of what works for us.

We love doing life together, but we don’t need to do everything together. He has things that fill his cup. I have mine. We make space for each other to go have the experiences, take the trips, see our friends, and come back with stories.

Marriage with side quests. 🤝

So yes, I’ll continue my very important work encouraging millennial moms to book the girls trip.

Because apparently my husband understood the assignment a long time ago.

And don’t worry…

I’m keeping score. 🙂

millennial mom • motherhood in your 30s • moms having fun • girls trips • mom life • marriage humor • married life • motherhood without losing yourself • life outside motherhood • millennial marriage taken in Thailand by @madsturk21

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7 days ago

Well… this was NOT Plan A. 😂

I originally tried to have a large mirror custom made here in Thailand and ended up getting scammed out of my deposit after being strung along for almost two months. Eventually I cut my losses, blocked them, and decided I was figuring this wall out myself.

And unfortunately, this isn’t the first time it’s happened to me. 😅 Ordering custom pieces can always be a bit of a gamble when you don’t know the seller or have a trusted recommendation.

But don’t worry, I am apparently the person who tries these things so you don’t have to. 😂 Consider me your Thailand guinea pig.

Plan B: I came across a viral IKEA hack using sets of the BLODLÖNN 30x30cm mirror squares to create one giant mirror. So I lined up four sets and… voilà.

The giant awkward empty wall that had been bothering me forever finally looks intentional. And the whole mirror situation cost me around 1,000 baht.

And YES, I also finally got the sideboard that was custom made! Different seller, thankfully. It took about 80 days instead of the quoted 40–60, so your girl negotiated a discount. 😅 But I love how it turned out.

If you’re in Thailand and want the sideboard seller, SIDEBOARD with their details 😌

Thailand home decor • Bangkok shopping • IKEA Thailand • IKEA mirror hack • Thailand local shops • Bangkok home decor • Thailand interiors taken in Bangkok, Thailand by @madsturk21

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8 days ago

Okay, THIS is one to add to the Thailand bucket list. 🌿

We packed up the kids, rounded up our neighborhood family crew and escaped Bangkok for a little weekend away… and what a spot this was.

Honestly, such a good setup for a multi-family getaway. The kids had their people, the adults had theirs, and the whole weekend just felt easy. Amazing customer service, good food, beautiful surroundings, plenty to do, and enough space for everyone to actually enjoy themselves.

There’s something so fun about turning a normal weekend away into a whole group affair. 🤎

If you’ve got a few families you love traveling with, save this one and start the group chat. 📍

Highly, highly recommend.

Thailand family travel • Bangkok weekend getaway • family getaway Thailand • weekend trips from Bangkok • Thailand with kids • Bangkok with kids • family travel with kids • multi-family vacation • group family getaway taken in Hintok River Camp at Hellfire Pass หินตก ริเวอร์ เเคมป์ กาญจนบุรี by @madsturk21

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10 days ago

Sometimes I forget how absolutely wild our “normal” has become.

School was closed on Friday, so five families decided to drive 2.5 hours out of Bangkok and went glamping in Kanchanaburi for the weekend.

No huge itinerary. No months of planning. One person picked the spot and we all said YES.

Just kids running around outside, swimming besides the river, eating together, and at some point I asked said, “Should we get on a longtail boat?”

So we did.

And there we were, cruising down the River Kwai, surrounded by mountains and jungle, our kids taking it all in like this is just… what you do on a Friday. 😂

I’ve lived in Thailand long enough that sometimes I forget to stop and think about how cool that actually is.

There are plenty of very normal Tuesdays here. Work. School runs. Traffic. Life.

And then there are weekends like this that remind me:
We really did build a life on the other side of the world. 🇹🇭

And damn, it’s a pretty good one.

Maybe that’s what being a free bird looks like these days. 🕊️

Anyone else ever have one of those moments where you suddenly look around and think… wait, this is my LIFE?

Kanchanaburi, Thailand • River Kwai • Thailand with kids • family travel Thailand • living in Thailand • raising kids abroad • weekend trips from Bangkok taken in Hintok River Camp at Hellfire Pass หินตก ริเวอร์ เเคมป์ กาญจนบุรี by @madsturk21

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12 days ago

I’ve been feeling this pull to slow down lately.

Not quit creating. Not disappear. Just… look up more.

I spend so much time thinking about what I’m building, what I should post, what idea I need to remember, what could become something.

And then I watch a video like this.

My three-year-old, covered in chocolate ice cream that he dreams about, giving the photographer a very serious thumbs up over one of the first ice creams of his life.

And I remember that he doesn’t know what I posted that week.

He doesn’t know if a Reel did well or if I had a good content idea or if I checked everything off my list.

He just knows if I was there.

This weekend we went glamping with friends and I was barely on my phone. And I came home feeling more like myself than I have in a little while.

Maybe I’m just being reminded where I want some of that creativity and attention to go.

Because I do want to build things I’m proud of.

But I also want to build a childhood he’ll remember.

And lately I’ve been realizing those two things don’t always need my attention at the same time. 🤎

millennial motherhood | motherhood in your 30s | identity beyond motherhood | the little years | slow motherhood | being present with your kids | raising a toddler | childhood memories | motherhood nostalgia | ordinary moments | making childhood memories | life in your 30s taken in Cottesloe Beach, Perth by @madsturk21

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14 days ago

Millennial moms, I need to know.
What ONE song comes on and instantly reactivates the girl you were before motherhood, marriage and responsibilities?

Because apparently all it takes is one 2000s song + your mom friends on a girls’ staycation to remember who we were.

Adult friendships and female friendship really do hit different in this season of life.

One of mine is Pump It. What song brings HER back for you? 👇

millennial moms | mom friends | adult friendships | female friendship | girls’ staycation | identity beyond motherhood | motherhood humor taken in Bangkok, Thailand by @madsturk21

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15 days ago