Like most busy working moms who wrestle with work-life stability, three-time Grammy Award winner Victoria Monét cherishes spending time along with her 4-year-old daughter, Hazel, whom she shares with ex-boyfriend health coach John Gaines.
In Sunday Funday, L.A. individuals give us a play-by-play of their very best Sunday round city. Discover concepts and inspiration on the place to go, what to eat and the best way to get pleasure from life on the weekends.
Identified for writing hits like Ariana Grande’s “Thank U, Subsequent,” Blackpink and Selena Gomez’s “Ice Cream” and Chloe x Halle’s “Do It,” along with “On My Mama” from her debut album “Jaguar II,” the L.A.-based R&B singer-songwriter just lately penned one thing for youthful audiences: the heartwarming kids’s image ebook “All over the place You Are,” printed June 24.
In a latest interview, Monét revealed the inspiration behind her ebook.
“As a dad or mum, it’s onerous to overlook these pivotal moments,” she stated of the separation anxiousness that many kids really feel when their dad and mom are working and unavailable. “It’s necessary for kids to know that there’s a objective behind them. I wished to supply assurance and relay an necessary message: Every thing can be OK.”
Regardless of her demanding schedule, Monét at all times finds a method to make high quality time for Hazel. In 2023, Hazel, then 2, grew to become the youngest Grammy nominee in historical past when she was nominated for her vocals in “Hollywood” alongside her mom. And when Beyoncé kicked off her “Cowboy Carter” tour at Sofi Stadium in Inglewood final month, Monét took Hazel to her first live performance. Their very best Sunday in L.A., which Monét fondly calls “me time,” would contain taking part in outdoor, having fun with a go to to a household enjoyable middle, indulging in vegan candy treats and studying “All over the place You Are” to 1 one other earlier than mattress. Right here, Monét shares a joy-filled Sunday spent along with her daughter.
This interview has been calmly edited for size and readability.
8:30 a.m.: Awake with gratitude
On Sundays, me and Hazel get up later than common as a result of we in all probability stayed up late the night time earlier than if I didn’t must work. We usually begin our day by doing our gratitude journaling, the place she doodles and I write. Then we do our self-care, the place we brush our hair and enamel. I’ll then go downstairs and make her character pancakes with chocolate chips or Fruity Pebbles cereal.
After that, we might make some artwork. She loves to attract, and we’ve got a pleasant artwork part in the home that includes every little thing from crayons to markers, scratch-off artwork, watercolors and rainbow paints.
10 a.m.: Dance, dance, dance!
Hazel is energetic and enjoys doing issues, however on the weekends, we’ve got instructors come to the home for dance classes. Thus far, she has taken ballroom dance, ballet and faucet. She was in gymnastics for some time. We’re wanting ahead to taking ballet and tumbling at To The Pointe Dance and Pilates Centre.
She loves being outdoors and enjoys using her bike or visiting the park. Throughout the week, she performs soccer twice every week. She loves it as a result of it isn’t severe but. It’s extra about giving them an opportunity to have enjoyable. They do drills on the best way to kick and run on the similar time. It’s onerous when you consider it.
Midday: Take pleasure in contemporary pasta at Uovo
Hazel loves pasta, so we regularly go to Uovo Pasta, which has a number of places in Los Angeles. Their handmade al dente noodles are good — they in a single day them from Italy. We might get the pomodoro and ensure that it’s not too spicy. Their cacio e pepe is nice, however that’s a once-in-a-blue-moon factor for me as a result of I’m [mostly] plant-based. Hazel normally will get what I get. Once I was pregnant along with her, I ate Flamin’ Scorching Cheetos on a regular basis, and now she likes them too. After lunch, I’d must convey her dwelling as a result of she naps round 1 p.m.
2:30 p.m.: Leap for pleasure at Off the Wall
After her nap, we’ll hit Off the Wall in Woodland Hills. It’s trampoline heaven, the place you may catapult larger than you supposed to. There are mountain climbing partitions, an arcade and meals. They’ve an air-filled basketball court docket that’s on a tender flooring and there are celebration rooms within the again. Hazel loves that place, particularly the trampoline. She likes me to chase her, so I get a exercise whereas we’re there. I’ll actually be sweating after we go away.
4 p.m.: Pattern candy treats at Pleased Ice or Magpies
For a candy deal with, Pleased Ice is a favourite. It’s the best-tasting slushy snow cone, particularly throughout the summer season when it’s scorching. They’ve places in Northridge and Hollywood, however in addition they have a truck [at Smorgasburg on Sundays in downtown L.A.]. For Hazel’s celebration, we had the truck come to our home. I normally get the Rainbow Rocket, which is a mixture of all their Italian ice flavors, and Hazel will get the identical factor I do. She is pleased to get something, frankly. Magpies Softserve is one other certainly one of our favorites. Their vegan honeycomb tender serve is so good. Hazel likes their soft-serve pies.
6 p.m.: Tapas-style eating at Joey
Hazel is newly choosy, but when she had been to exit to dinner with me, she would love Joey in Woodland Hills, which gives a wide-ranging menu. They test off a field for everyone. I’m a tapas-style lady, so I prefer to order a wide range of totally different dishes: guacamole, tuna and avocado crunch roll and Korean fried cauliflower. I’ll order the sake-glazed Chilean sea bass and pasta for Hazel.
We’re homebodies, so one other dinner choice could be spending time collectively at dwelling, cooking and taking part in within the pool. We get pleasure from making veggie and tofu tacos collectively. Issues you may eat together with your fingers are at all times enjoyable with children. That’s one cause they like s’mores a lot. Sometimes, we’ll make one thing pescatarian like grilled salmon or different fish.
8 p.m.: Watch “Moana 2” … once more
At night time, we’d watch a film and wind down with some Skinny Pop popcorn. Hazel would in all probability watch “Moana 2” once more proper now. We noticed it within the theaters, and he or she goes by way of phases the place she desires to look at various things, however she just lately stated that she desires a “Moana 2” celebration for her fifth birthday. I assumed she’d like one thing else by then. However then, she thinks there can be 20 Moanas.
10 p.m.: Learn “All over the place You Are” earlier than mattress
Earlier than mattress, Hazel usually asks me to learn “All over the place You Are” to her. She likes to learn and enjoys being learn to. I’ve learn it to her so many occasions that she will learn it again to me. She recorded a phase of the audiobook with me and was excited to listen to herself when she recorded it within the studio. Studying the ebook to her, I spotted that lacking a dad or mum is so much like dropping a liked one. You possibly can nonetheless really feel their presence though they’re not round. Love binds individuals collectively regardless of bodily distance. Even after they don’t see you, kids must know that you just’re nonetheless there and that you just’ll at all times be with them.
