This year, Saifra and I have decided that we want to extend the conversation on our blog to talk about more than just the fashion, art, celebrity style and beauty trends that we love. As working women, we know that in order to lead fulfilling and holistic lives, these passions have to be balanced out with our careers, family, friends, lovers, and our relationships with ourselves. This reasoning was a part of why Saifra and I felt so compelled to leave behind our corporate jobs to create build Nyla Noor.

So this year, in addition to the posts and information that you have come to expect, Saifra and I would like to share the ways that we strive to attain balance in our own lives. Welcome to The Balance Series. Once a month, you can expect advice and information from experts in various fields sharing different ways that we as women can learn to live more harmonious lives.

Many people who see our handbags are instantly attracted to the wave design, which we incorporate into each silhouette. While the wave serves as our brand’s trademark, as an aesthetic design element and sometimes a functional purpose, it is also a symbol and reminder to find balance amid the ebbs and flows within our own lives. Much like the wave itself, we are reminded life is filled with peaks and valleys and life is about learning how to ride the waves.

People ask us all the time, how do you do it? How do you balance the time you devote to Nyla Noor and still be mindful of your personal life- make time for your friends, be there for your family and take care of your self? Our answers are typically a variation of this: It’s a work in progress. There are no magic solutions and as a result, finding balance amongst the highs and lows of work and life requires trial and error. It’s all about finding out what works for you. Some of us need to work 15 hours a day, 5 hours of sleep and 3 sessions yoga sessions per week to feel re-calibrated. For others, that schedule would swing the pendulum in ways that aren’t in synch with who we are.

Whether you have found your sense of balance in your world full of multi-tasking or not, one thing that Saifra and I have learned is that the smallest of tweaks in the foundation can allow for big changes.

So we start this series with the bookends of our day- sleep. Arianna Huffington, the co-founder and editor-in-chief of The Huffington Post shares the power of a good night’s sleep. Instead of bragging about our sleep deficits, she urges us to shut our eyes and see the big picture: We can sleep our way to increased productivity and happiness, smarter decision-making and ultimately balance.

We hope you enjoy this new addition to the conversation and we encourage you to join in. As a woman balancing out the many roles you play in your life, how do you seek more balance?

Hugs and Handbags,

Nyla Noor