Kicking off Mother's Day celebrations early with a very timely reminder 🤍
Thank you @laxmifoodsbrand for hosting such a beautiful evening honoring us moms at @bungalowny . They say there's nothing like "maa ki haath ka khana" (a mother's cooking). And when Chef @vikaskhannagroup himself credits his mom (and grandmother) for teaching him everything, you know it's doesn't get any better.
Earlier today when I was talking to my parents, my mom started giving me advice on what she felt is the best next step for me, personally: close the chapter on Modi Toys (it's a work in progress, in case you can't tell). So I decided to start recording her because she always tends to drop a gem. And she did not disappoint:
My mom was hospitalized once in India. Stress-induced, because she was fighting her brother-in-law over property and money.
A woman - someone who was like a mother to her - came to visit her. And she said something my mom still remembers word for word, decades later:
"You're lying in a hospital bed fighting over property. But if you die, your husband and kids are lost. The people you're fighting? They'll be fine. So let it go. Move on. Leave the city. Leave the country if you have to."
So she did.
My mom left everything. The home she built, the life she knew, her entire extended family, the only country she'd ever lived in. She moved to America with her kids and my dad and started over - not because it was easier here, but because staying meant possibly losing herself.
She's telling me this story now because she sees me stuck at the same crossroads with Modi Toys.
And then she says the thing that really struck me: "Someone can take something from your hands, but they can never take something away from your destiny."
No one stole Modi Toys from us. We're choosing to close it. But walking away from something you built, something you feel like you earned the right to keep - it's brutal. It feels like a loss.
My parents lost a great deal when they left India. But in doing so, they made space for a life they couldn't even imagine yet.
After 7 years, Modi Toys is now pausing operations.
This wasn't the ending we imagined when we started. To be honest, I never even imagined an ending... of any sort. I thought we would build a business that we would pass down to our kids someday, and they, to theirs.
But nothing about this journey went according to expectations. We thought we were building a toy company. Instead, we built a bridge between generations.
We started Modi Toys because we wanted our own kids to grow up with their culture woven into their play. We didn't know if anyone else wanted that too.
Turns out, more than 75K families did. Families from London to Ludhiana to Los Angeles. Families celebrating birthdays, baby showers, and blessings. Families enduring their darkest days and celebrating their brightest ones.
We impacted more lives than we could have ever imagined. But now it's time for us to start a new chapter in our lives.
As we close the page on this one, we're marking down everything on our site through December 30th - that's your last day to order.
We're exploring options for Modi Toys to continue under new ownership, but there are no guarantees. What we do know for certain is this: the work mattered. Not because of what we built, but because of what you did with it.
You brought our toys into tummy time and hospitals and car rides and weddings - and show and tell! You made them part of your traditions, old ones and new. You showed your kids that our roots run deep and are worth holding onto.
That's the legacy. Not the business. You.
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EDITED TO ADD QUICK REMINDERS:
- The last day to place orders is Dec. 30th - or while supplies last
- All orders are final sale
- Orders placed after Dec. 15th will NOT be delivered in time for Christmas
- To place an order outside the USA, please visit www.moditoys.in (our sister site - payments will be taken in INR)
- Please visit the link in bio to find us locally at a stockist near you
- Once an item is sold out, it will not be restocked
- We will NOT do price adjustments if you placed an order prior to our current sale.
Thank you!!
For years, Avani Modi Sarkar was: Mom AND entrepreneur. Mom AND founder. Mom AND productive.
Then Modi Toys paused. And suddenly the question became: If I’m “just” a mom right now, is that enough?
That identity shift hit harder than expected because motherhood is simultaneously the most important job she’s ever had and the one society oftentimes values the least.
No promotions. No paycheck. No LinkedIn update. No external validation.
Just invisible labor, emotional load, and tiny humans depending on you every second.
NEW EPISODE OF HARDEST JOB EVER DROPS TODAY // Our conversation with Avani really resonated because so many ambitious moms quietly tie their worth to productivity. And when the career title pauses, you realize how much of your confidence came from being able to answer: “So what do you do?”
Listen on Spotify or Apple Podcasts. Link in bio.
#hardestjobever #workingmom #mompreneur #entrepreneur #newmom
This evening wouldn't have been possible without @laxmifoodsbrand hosting an intimate celebration of Mother's Day at @bungalowny .
As I was trying to figure out the perfect gift and card to give to @vikaskhannagroup for this special occasion, I ended up learning so much about his early childhood. I had no idea that he was born with misaligned legs, and as a result, had to wear wooden shoes and braces for the first 12 years of his life.
The doctors told his mother he'd likely never walk. She refused to accept that as his fate.
During those difficult years when he was bullied and ostracized, Vikas ji found solace in the kitchen, next to his Biji (grandma). She taught him to cook, while his mother taught him to fly.
At first, I thought, what a shame that these two very women aren't here to be a part of the celebration. But after one bite, I realized their love and memory is already kneaded, rolled, and folded into every dish that Vikas ji makes.
This evening truly was perfect. The restaurant already had such a warm and welcoming vibe, with its sundrenched skylights and vines draping the walls. And yet somehow, @patelneerja managed to elevate the place even more with soooo many incredibly thoughtful details that tied in the essence of @laxmifoodsbrand (more on that in my Stories).
I know just how much time and effort goes into making everything look so effortless, so huge kudos to the team for making this all possible. @atozdecors@browngirlmadethat@swapniljunjare
March is packed with Hindu holidays. Here's a quick rundown of what's coming up:
Holika Dahan (Mar 3) - The night before Holi, we light a bonfire to mark the victory of good over evil. It's rooted in the story of Prahlad and it's such a good one to tell the kids.
Holi (Mar 4) - Colors, community, sweets, and the reminder that spring is finally here. You already know this one 🌈
Ugadi / Gudi Padwa (Mar 19) - The Hindu New Year celebrated by Telugu and Kannada communities (Ugadi) and Maharashtrians (Gudi Padwa).
Chaitra Navratri (Mar 19-27) - Nine nights dedicated to Goddess Durga and her nine forms, each representing a different aspect of divine feminine power.
Ram Navami (Mar 26) - Lord Ram's birthday, celebrated on the last day of Navratri. A perfect moment to read a Ramayana story together and talk about what it means to do the right thing, even when it's hard.
Shivratri hits different when your kid runs toward it instead of away from it.
This is what it looks like when culture isn’t forced, it’s felt.
If you’re raising brown kids in America, you know how intentional this is.
#Shivratri #ModernBrownMom #RaisingWithCulture #BrownParenting #StanDareToPost
@stanforcreators@moditoys
Stan Dare To Post
Day 1 of 30 Challenge
With Vasant Panchami coming up this Friday, add this new story to your bedtime rotation. Do you want to see more of these types of stories for other special occasions? 💛
Many of you have been asking: "How are you feeling?" and "What's next?"
The truth is, some days this still doesn't feel real. I'm still here posting like nothing's changed because a part of me can't believe it has. Other days, it hits me all at once.
As for what's next - whether this is a pause or an ending - I truly don't know yet.
But I do know that I'm not walking into the unknown alone. We did good work. Work that mattered. Work that made a real difference in people's lives.
And when you put good into the world like that, it finds its way back to you. Maybe not today. Maybe not tomorrow.
But one day. 🙏
