We’re Still Here. And We’re Starting A New

Keys clicking, words flowing — we’re back

Our last blog post was in 2022. Yes, twenty twenty two. If our blog were a plant, it would have shrivelled into dust and been quietly replaced with a fake one by now. But here we are, metaphorically watering it again and hoping it (and you) forgives us. The truth is, life has been full. You have probably seen us over on Instagram and TikTok with coffee rituals, home resets, at-home date nights, diy projects, Sunday brunches that stretched all the way to bedtime, and gratitude lists scribbled on the sofa. We showed up there, but writing took a long nap.

And honestly, in a world that feels like it is being run by robots, maybe what we all need is more of the messy, unpolished, human stuff. The kind where friendships wobble, hard conversations don't only happen when life corners you, when Mon is covered in paint while Nai swears she read the Ikea instructions correctly but still cannot assemble the furniture, or when dinner has to be cooked because the takeaway budget is gone, work is exhausting, and life makes no sense at all. Yet somehow, we are still here, figuring it out together with coffee in one hand and laughter in the other.

Come with us as we walk you down memory lane, through mango seasons, melted birthday cakes, and sunsets that still glow in our bones.

Homecoming

You travelled with us to Sweet Jamaica, the land of wood and water. The place of mango season, where the air smells of jerk on the grill, and every visit feels like a homecoming. Any Jamaican will tell you, the energy of home cannot be captured in words. It is felt in your bones, tasted in the food, and carried in the laughter that lingers long after you leave. A visit that was sweet like sugar, romantic, and filled with nostalgia. It was the end of April, and that only meant one thing: mango season. Nai devoured mangoes and jerk chicken as though nothing else existed, and do not get me started on Jamaican KFC. You have never had KFC until you have had it there. Do not argue with us. Argue with your mama.

Santorini to Mexico

A quiet retreat, uneventful in the best way, and exactly what was needed. Slow mornings, long conversations, and the kind of stillness you only realise you have been craving once you arrive. A pause before life sped up again.

Next came birthday celebrations in Mexico, where joy turned all the way up. We danced in the rain on the beach, snorkelled for six hours in a single day, hiked until our feet ached and balanced the adventure with spa days that felt like pure indulgence.

Mornings began with slow jogs along the shore, ending just in time to watch the sun climb over the horizon.

The trip did not go without a hitch! Mon made the mistake of drinking tap water and paid the price, lol. Her misfortune became part of the beautiful story. Mexico was vibrant, soulful, and healing, wrapped in salt water and lots of laughter.

Formentera, A Caribbean Memory in Spain

Ibiza! This trip was one of those pinch-me moments that still feels like a dream. Chosen family invited us on board, and for the first time we sailed from Ibiza Town to Formentera.

There is something magical about watching the island rise across the water, the sea shifted from deep sapphire to clear turquoise until it felt like we had slipped into another world. Formentera is breathtaking in its simplicity. White sand that looks untouched, water so clear you can count the sea-life swimming below, and a horizon that never seems to end. It reminded us so much of the Caribbean that as island girls, we felt right at home. The rhythm of the waves, the food, the laughter, the endless light. It all echoed the places that raised us. We ate, we walked, laughed until our bellies hurt, and Mon squealed her way into the open sea, swimming with fish like a child discovering their joy for the first time.

Grenada, A Birthday to Remember

A birthday escape for Mon and the moment we realised the sailing bug we caught in Ibiza had well and truly taken hold. Mon’s mum gifted her a day at sea, sailing to a deserted island, catching our lunch along the way, and cooking it over a wooden fire in the middle of who knows where. Laughter travelled with us everywhere we went. The cake we brought melted in the heat, but no one cared because the day was already perfect.

And if you know Mon well, you know she spent the entire day in the open ocean, salt on her skin and joy written all over her face. This was an era of island girls in their natural habitat.

We felt right at home, drinking coconut water from a roadside cart, the sea breeze, the sand in our toes, the food seasoned with love, all of it was familiar in our bones. What made it unforgettable were the rituals. Every evening and every weekend, we walked the beach together, letting the tide set the pace. Mon, ever the sun chaser, treated sunrise and sunset like her own adventure sport, standing in awe as the sky poured out its colours. Those walks became our sanctuary. We dreamt about what was ahead, romanced in the in-between moments, and paused to give thanks for such a beautiful, experiential year. It was a true pinch-me season of life, one we still carry in our hearts like the sound of waves that never quite leaves you.

Back Home Again

Fast forward to 2024. Back home, you watched us move house and diy the hell out of it because we had spent every penny on travel. Picture it: paint-stained hands, late-night furniture building, arguing over Ikea instructions, rearranging rooms to make them feel like home, and laughing when the curtains were hung upside down. Those moments were rituals too. Building intimacy through effort, mistakes, and joy.

Since then, there have been job changes, a summer in Mallorca where Mon danced for seven hours straight and ended up convincing several women to join her skinny dipping in the dark blue waters of the ocean. She has that effect on people, the ability to induce the purest joy. Through it all, the rituals never stopped. We simply stopped writing them down here.

Beginning Again

Now we are ready to begin again. Not with perfection but with presence. Monai_Lifestyle has always been about more than aesthetic corners, diy projects, and reno on a budget. It is about our Couple Rituals, those small intentional practices that make a house feel like a sanctuary and a partnership feel like home. It is about authentic conversations that happen when you sit down with someone you love and really ask, What is on your heart today.

This new chapter widens the lens. Alongside rituals and reflections, you will see a glimpse into Nai’s world through her writing, as a psychotherapist with gentle guidance, relationship insights, and psychoeducation. You will also find Mon’s world in corporate life, where the unspoken cost is not just long hours or high expectations but the quiet way environments can ask you to shrink. It is learning to navigate cultures that prize conformity over authenticity, knowing you cannot always show your full self, yet choosing not to lose yourself entirely. Survival is never just about what happens at work. It is about who we remain when the laptop closes and the rituals of home and love return us to ourselves.

Why We Share

The world feels heavy enough. There is more than enough pain and hurt around us, and what we are searching for here is joy and peace. For us, that comes through the small rituals of love and care. The things that keep us grounded when everything outside feels uncertain. Making each other tea, asking what is on your heart, catching a sunset, eating together after long days, and tidying up side by side. This is not about performance. It is simply the way we choose to live. An everyday commitment to build safety, joy, and trust, even when it is inconvenient.

Love is a practice. It is something you do for someone else. As bell hooks reminds us in All About Love, love is not just a feeling but an action, a daily practice of care, commitment, and responsibility. Those private acts of care become the quiet strength we carry into the world with intention, and this is the heart of Couple Rituals with Mon and Nai.

What to Expect Next

Here is what you can expect from us now:

• Seasonal resets

• Weekly rituals and reflections such as coffee rituals, at-home date nights, intentional conversations

• Psychoeducation and resources for those who want to go deeper

• Honest glimpses of navigating the balance between corporate demands and slow living

Thank you for walking down memory lane with us. Now, let’s step into what’s next, with presence, with joy, and with rituals that remind us who we are.

We are grateful you are here, whether you have been supporting us for years or stumbled in today. This is our reintroduction and the beginning of a new rhythm for Monai_Lifestyle.

With Love Always

Mon & Nai

Join the Conversation What is one ritual that helps you reset when life gets busy. Share it with us, we would love to highlight your stories alongside ours