Post 7

Cub has been into superheroes for a while. Not in an obsessive sort of way, but he loves all the stuff superhero. He gets this love from M who is a comic book junkie. We watched Avengers and now he knows more than the standard Superman and Spiderman. We have a huge Superhero poster that I got M for our last anniversary  and obviously Cub adores it equally if not more!


So after making the desi bow-arrow thing at home, we hit upon an idea to make Captain America shield for him. In this case only the suggestion was mine and work was done by M and Cub. An old carton (cardboard box), some chart paper and colours and soon our shield was good to go! :)

Here's how it looks;

The Cub colouring the shield in Captain America Colours!

The final look! :)

And that is our Captain America in action! :D



Next DiY Superhero project?! Thor's Hammer! Watch this space! :)

Post 6

I am completely and totally lost today. Maybe I should pick up my pet-peeve? The obsession with fair skin among us Indians. How I completely and totally hate it. I cannot stand fairness cream ads that try to show how life is better if you are fair. That what you have is not good enough. That fair is better than dark.


Arre kyon bhai?! Aisa kya rakha hai gore rang mein?!


Why are we incapable of just appreciating and enjoying the gamut shades of skin we have around us? Why do we actually believe that dark = not pretty? Why do we say things like "She is dark, BUT pretty nonetheless" as if being fair always means being beautiful?


And who decides what is beautiful? Why are we not capable of appreciating what we are and what we have instead of running behind what we do not or cannot have?! It makes me so mad when people think it is OK to comment on someones looks just because they can. The insensitivity and rudeness of some folks has to be seen to believed.


I often hear about how my kids are fair(er) especially when M is not around. I wish I could come up with equally rude responses, but fail most of the times. What do you say to someone who actually says "Don't grow up and look like your mother!" to your six month old?


I am someone who does not have any complex - either one - left anymore. But imagine the a young impressionable mind who is made to believe that being fair is everything. It just breaks my heart every single time I hear a child who wants to be fair and a feeling of rage and hopelessness when the adults around them actually keep looking for remedies to change their god given colour.


I hope that by the time our kids grow up it will not matter eitherway. That they will know to look beyond the superficial. That the definition of beautiful will not be as rigid. That they will find beauty in everything they do and see. That they will have the brains and sensitivity to shut their trap when they don't see that beauty. That they will appreciate and enjoy the differences rather than try and be clones of each other. That there will be no talk of what colour looks nice on what skin. That they will bring about this change - slowly but surely.


Amen to that.

Post 5!

I am trying real hard to come with half sensible things to write about! :) i keep racking my brains. Since I was telling you about my discoveries in online world, I will continue with that - this time both real and virtual.


When I was a kid we had two standard soaps in the house - Cinthol for bath and Lifebuoy for washing hands. Cinthol was nice and fresh and Lifebuoy would harden up and didn't exactly look or smell divine. But that is what one had and one lived with it without paying much attention eitherway. There would be occasional Camay gifted by folks coming from abroad and it would be exciting! Diwali at grandparents' place meant Moti Sandal soap for bath after the oil massage. It would be a festive pack of three in different colours looking very pretty. Somehow we never bought Lux etc kind of soaps at our home.


It was only two years ago that I bought my first couple of handmade soaps from an exhibition at Chitrakala Parishat in Bangalore and I have been hooked since. With all kind of natural and exotic flavours I absolutely love how they make a mundane bucket bath a little more exciting! :D


I love flavours like Neem, Lemongrass, sea-salt, Patchouli etc. Here's some I have used and loved.


Neev - Made by a NGO based out of Jamshedpur, these were the first handmade soaps I used. These were gifted extensively to friends and family and appreciated by everyone. This is some seriously good pampering for your skin! You can buy them here http://shopo.in/shop/neevsoaps


Parisa Creations - Just looking at soaps Gauri makes is sure to make you lust them! :) Honestly I am still Holding onto the ones I have, but have already gifted some to people. I am waiting for my current soap to get over to use of these! You can buy them here http://shopo.in/shop/parisa


Earth Flower - Created by Priscilla Prerna Rai, these soaps look lovely and have a divine fragrance. Bought and kept in my cupboard. Hope to use them soon. Here is where you can find her https://www.facebook.com/pages/Priscilla-Rai-Natural-Artisanal-Soaps-and-More/204219906305126?v=info


And one of our favourite cheap aani best but amazing soap is Himlaya's Cucumber soap. WE just LOVE the khushboo and keep picking it up every now and then when we are bored of the exotic! :)


Toh iss soap opera ka aaj ka episode yahin pe samapt! :)

Post 4!

I have no idea what I am going to write about today. But write I must me thinks! :)


How many of you shop online? I have just discovered the joy of online shopping. There is a treasure trove of awesome stuff people are creating and selling. We are really spoiled for choice. From getting funky home decor to gorgeous jewelry to cool new games for kids - it is all there.


I will keep sharing my discoveries here! :) Today let me tell you about Paperwalla Art! This cool dude who works in advertising for a living and cuts paper as a passion. He makes the coolest frame by cutting paper and framing it. He even customizes things for you and is super creative and fun to work with! :)


Folks who know M and me, know that M is a HUGE Amitabh bhakt and this was our for anniversary last year. This frame is his favourite dialogue his favourite Big B movie. Our original idea was just to make a few dancing bottles and the have the dialogue around it. Then Paperwalla made an AB cutout and I was hooked. After that I just got the finished frame and it just totally blew us away! :)


This is where you will find him and his work!


https://www.facebook.com/paperwalla


Here's what I got made from him. Isn't it fantabulous! :)

Post 3

and lack of creativity in the post titles hits a new low. But i think putting a number will help me keep going! I have over a year of writing to make up after all.

Today I am tad unwell, so going to keep it short (yes I will!). Copy pasting the facebook update I did today because it deserves a place on  the blog and not be lost just like that!

Conversation between Cub and me at lunch, a couple of days ago.

Cub: Lets have water lunch one day!

Me: What the heck is a water lunch?

Cub: That means we will only have water for lunch.

Me: Okkk! Par usse pet kaise bharega (but how will it fill your tummy)?

Cub - Arre! You only keep saying naah: "Don't drink too much water while eating, nahi toh paani se hi pet bhar jaayega"!!!

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We have a packed weekend ahead meeting bloggie friends - local and from other cities. It is odd even calling them blogmeets anymore because now we are just regular friends catching up every now and then. Most of us have even stopped / reduced blogging and stay in touch online / offline through other channels. What started as reading each other's blogs, commenting, exchanging few mails and finally meeting has come around a full circle. This now seems to be the only way of making new friends and I am not complaining!

Cub's school has started and a routine will soon fall into place. Have started him off on karate classes and I hope he will fun learning a new skill. Our colony has a whole lot of activities happening for kids, but i don't want to tie him up every evening. This is twice a week and since he is in to this whole superheroes phase right now, he is loving the idea of learning martial arts! :)

Here's what Cub was busy with past coupla days. Remembered from Sue's status about stick bows and arrows we made as kids. I used jhaadu sticks and made arrowheads out of some flipkart packaging. He already had a store bought bow. 10mins of work for me and hours of fun for him. Of course it's charm is over in two days! ;)

Trying to figure out how to make homemade arrow work! :)

jai shri ram and bajrangbali ki jai! :D (ofcos i made them pose!)

Have a good weekend all of you! :)

Post 2! :D

I am so used to writing long posts after long intervals that I am kinda dreading this daily post thing. i LOVE Art's blog for that reason. Every little interesting tidbit in her life is on the blog in short posts rather than waiting to write these detailed post. Actually there are no details lacking in her posts either. Must take tips from her! :)


Summer vacations are officially over and Cub starts his school from tomorrow. Upper KG or Senior KG or whatever else it is called. Second year in big school. I hope it is a lot of fun for him. There is expected to be a lot of writing this year and Cub officially hates anything to do with writing! So wish us luck! :D


These holidays were fun. I am not working out of home after almost 10 long years and we went to Bombay and Pune for a whole month. That is kids and me. My first flight alone with both and it was not half as bad. Though my respect for single parents traveling with kids from US etc has increased manifold. 24hours on a flight! Wow!


Cub made friends easily in both places and was out of home most of the time especially in Bombay. The kids in my building who have seen him as a baby have always had a soft spot for him and included him in all their games of cricket even though he could hardly even hold a bat straight. It was really sweet of them! In Pune all the kids were new and yet he managed fairly well. Sadly he was terribly tantrummy when at home and drove us up the wall wayyy too often with his constant whining and crazy demands. We are guessing its sudden realization that the grandparents' love was now shared and perhaps it just being a phase.


I LOVED shopping in Bombay. The street shopping of course. I bought summery petticoat like frocks for Bub, shoes for both the kids, lotsa hairbands and funky necklaces for Bub. And all of it costed me so little that I wish I had more time and space in my luggage! :)


Both the kids went ballistic over mangoes. Especially Cub who would eat as many as you offered. He even loved licking the seeds clean! Not that Bub was any less and would keep "Aaa" with her mouth wide open and ready for next bite. My parents went absolutely crazy loading up mangoes at home the entire time.


Pune chapter was with M's mum and that was as much fun. Of course it was reallly hot and getting out during the day was tough. We met some friends, some family and ate at some really nice places. If guys from Pune are reading this blog, you must try this little place called Zikomo on baner Road. Absolutely fantastic food. I am dying to go back to Pune to eat there again.


Ma in law ofcos like always fed us fantabulous home cooked food that is any day better than bahaar ka khaana. Rajma, chana, karela, bharta - you name it and we had it! The best part she made home ice candies for the kids with these little plastic moulds she has. One day mango, litchi another and blue curaco on third. Cub wants his mom to be a cooking goddess now! Sigh! :) There was chat for dinner one day and boiled veggies and bread on another. Total dhamaal.


MiL and M had a lot of bank work etc to finish so we would tag along sometimes and Bub thought an empty branch and it's people were created for her entertainment. And pox on the guy who made a two floored branch. She spent entire morning going up and down the steps and I obviously had to run after her the entire time because they were the most unsafe steps ever!


Oh and must tell ya Cub learned swimming this summer. Yayy! He obviously needs another class to get breathing techniques etc right, but he can swim now. Now for me to learn.


All in all a good time off for all of us! What were your summer vacays like? Went out? Chilled at home? Summer camps? back to school?

The Bombay Buddies! :) Few more are missing from this pic!

Helping Aaji make Aamras!

With Pilot Mama! :)

Cool Daadi served us chilled mocktails! What's to complain?! :)

Sand play is never enough even in small colony park. Imagine a whole beach full of it! :)

and a sea full of water! :)

Running wild outside Vijoba's house! :)

Dressed for dinner at Marriott in Bombay. A treat from grandparents!

Meeting old friends like there was never a gap! :)

Very thrilled wearing new frock stitched by Vandana aaji aka Laddoo aaji! :)

The naughty bub thrilled after making me run after her up the steps in Daadi's bldg!

Cub and Bub together! :)

There have been enough posts of Cub alone and few of the Bub and almost none of both of them together! Now that Bub is older and can play, it has been so much fun just watching them enjoy each other's company and to see the love blossom.


Cub has always been a doting brother and that has still not changed. Touchwood. Of course now with Bub playing the perfect younger pestering sibling, he sometimes just gets upset enough to say "Go away!", but he never hurts her intentionally whatever be the provocation.


The Bub takes complete advantage of being the younger one and treats Cub like her own private property. She won't let him carry her when he wants, but will use him as her rocking horse the moment his back touches the bed! He might have to beg her to let him give a kiss and she can almost lick his face off with gooey wet kisses!


Cub plays the disciplinarian (I squirm everytime I hear him to talk to her the way I talk to him! :( ) and the sweet and protective sibling in parts. While Bub still does not show her affection as easily it is so easy to see her worry anytime Cub is hurt or crying or when we are hollering at him. She tries to soothe him with gentle patting and haath pheroing.


She is extremely thrilled to see Cub after any gap of time. She says the cutest and most enthusiastic Hiiiii and gives him the biggest smile ever with her eyes dancing and shining to boot. We still cant get over how she finally started saying Bhaaiiiyyyaa. You have to hear her say "Bhaiyya Aa Jaao!" Whenever he goes down to play, she stands in the balcony and keeps shouting Bhaiyya till whole world and it's brother has looked up and waved to her.


He on her part indulges her in pretty much everything. If we refuse something to her, he fights with us to give in. He easily shares his toys and books and pretty much everything else.


Right now things look good! :) Here's how they look! :)

Bonding with Laddoo Aaji! :)

Dressed to go out! :D

because my brother doubles up as a rocking horse as well! 

Ready for their morning cuppa milk at Daadi's house! :)

and then for some masti!

Double trouble, anyone?! :)

full on lauuuu! :)

Cuddly hugs, anyone?!

Didn't i say she treats him like personal property?! :p

Cooking together! whatever was that about too many cooks?! :)

we are same same but different! Matching tee gifted by Aaji-Ajoba! :D

and this is how we look when we are not upto some mischief! :)


ps: am going to try and do one post everyday this month and see if i can keep at it! wish me luck! :)

cheers!