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, who she shares with ex-boyfriend health coach John Gaines.
In Sunday Funday, L.A. individuals give us a play-by-play of their excellent Sunday round city. Discover concepts and inspiration on the place to go, what to eat and how you can take pleasure in life on the weekends.
Recognized for writing hits like Ariana Grande’s “Thank U, Next,” 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 lately penned one thing for youthful audiences: the heartwarming kids’s image guide “Everywhere You Are,” due out June 24.
In a current interview, Monét revealed the inspiration behind her guide. (She is going to talk about her new guide at Malik Books on Saturday and the Reparations Membership together with moderator Gabrielle Union on Sunday. Tickets are required.)
“As a parent, it’s hard to miss those pivotal moments,” she mentioned of the separation nervousness that many kids really feel when their mother and father are working and unavailable. “It’s important for children to know that there is a purpose behind them. I wanted to offer assurance and relay an important message: Everything will be OK.”
Regardless of her demanding schedule, Monét at all times finds a solution to make high quality time for Hazel. In 2023, Hazel, then 2, turned 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 excellent 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 heart, indulging in vegan candy treats and studying “Everywhere 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 evenly edited for size and readability.
8:30 a.m.: Awake with gratitude
On Sundays, me and Hazel get up later than regular 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 could make some artwork. She loves to attract, and we now have 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 lively and enjoys doing issues, however on the weekends, we now have instructors come to the home for dance classes. Up to now, she has taken ballroom dance, ballet and faucet. She was in gymnastics for some time. We’re trying ahead to taking ballet and tumbling at To The Pointe Dance and Pilates Centre.
She loves being outdoors and enjoys driving her bike or visiting the park. In the course of the week, she performs soccer twice per week. She loves it as a result of it isn’t critical but. It’s extra about giving them an opportunity to have enjoyable. They do drills on how you can kick and run on the identical time. It’s laborious when you concentrate on it.
12 p.m.: 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 excellent — they in a single day them from Italy. We’d 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. After I was pregnant along with her, I ate Flamin’ Sizzling Cheetos on a regular basis, and now she likes them too. After lunch, I’d must convey her residence as a result of she naps round 1 p.m.
2:30 p.m.: Soar 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’ll be able to catapult greater than you supposed to. There are mountain climbing partitions, an arcade and meals. They’ve an air-filled basketball courtroom that’s on a mushy flooring and there are party 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 once we depart.
4 p.m.: Pattern candy treats at Joyful Ice or Magpies
For a candy deal with, Joyful Ice is a favourite. It’s the best-tasting slushy snow cone, particularly in the course of the summer season when it’s sizzling. They’ve places in Northridge and Hollywood, however additionally they have a truck [at Smorgasburg on Sundays in downtown L.A.]. For Hazel’s party, 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 blissful to get something, frankly. Magpies Softserve is one other one in every of our favorites. Their vegan honeycomb mushy 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 verify off a field for everyone. I’m a tapas-style lady, so I wish to order a wide range of completely 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 residence, cooking and taking part in within the pool. We take pleasure in making veggie and tofu tacos collectively. Issues you’ll be able to eat along with your fingers are at all times enjoyable with youngsters. That’s one motive 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 via phases the place she desires to observe various things, however she lately mentioned that she desires a “Moana 2” occasion for her fifth birthday. I believed she’d like one thing else by then. However then, she thinks there will likely be 20 Moanas.
10 p.m.: Learn “Everywhere You Are” earlier than mattress
Earlier than mattress, Hazel typically asks me to learn “Everywhere 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 section of the audiobook with me and was excited to listen to herself when she recorded it within the studio. Studying the guide to her, I noticed that lacking a mum or dad is rather a lot like shedding a beloved one. You’ll be able to nonetheless really feel their presence regardless that they’re not round. Love binds individuals collectively regardless of bodily distance. Even after they don’t see you, kids must know that you simply’re nonetheless there and that you simply’ll at all times be with them.
