Ten foods to lift your mood

Below is an article from rediff.com

I read it and knew that I must share it with you all, because most of us who are mothers feel very tired and exhausted towards the end of the day and this in turn leads to feeling sad, and overwhelmed....so read on girls and rush to your kitchen for one of the food items listed below....milk, walnuts, dark chocolate...sounds good to me for now !!

Let's face it, sometimes life can be tough. And managing your work and your personal life can be tough, and managing your weight and fitness, well, even tougher. No one can live a long and healthy life without the will to go on; sometimes mood swings can make us feel that life is too much to handle. But did you know, a bad mood not only gives you a gloomy outlook, it also lowers your immune function, leading the way to illness.

As it turns out though, what we eat is not only important to maintaining a healthy lifestyle; it can really make a difference on your outlook as well. The food you eat affects your physical as well as your mental well-being. This means a bad diet can be one of the causes of depression. On the other hand, a healthy diet may be enough to lift your spirits without the need for medication and counseling.

So, if it is true that food fuels your body and also fuels your mood then which are the foods that you should search for when you hit the blues? Well, here is a list of foods for your mood:

Oatmeal
The carbs in oatmeal trigger the release of serotonin, a neurotransmitter that boosts mood and can even help you sleep better. Recent studies have shown that after consumption of high carbohydrate food, the hormone insulin is secreted, which lowers the blood levels of most amino acids, with the exception of tryptophan, which is a precursor to serotonin. When there are high blood levels of tryptophan in relation to other amino acids, it enters the brain at a higher rate, thus synthesising more serotonin. While all carbs will give you this kick, stick to whole-grains (complex carbs) as they are digested more slowly and will thus keep you feeling fuller for a longer period of time. Examples of whole grains include brown rice, daliya and oatmeal. So if you want to have a good day, start the day with a bowl of oatmeal.

Milk
Well, as it turns out there a reason why you should add milk to your cereal. Milk is also a good source of tryptophan as so are other dairy products. Thus adding milk to your cereal or just having plain milk will have a happy and calming effect. Whey proteins have also been shown to decrease anxiety and frustration.

Coffee
Your morning Java contains caffeine which is the world's most popular psychoactive drug. It boosts metabolism and energy levels, making you feel more alert. It also manipulates the channels in the brains, thus activating the brain's pleasure centers. However, too much caffeine can make you dependent and make you nervous, irritable, or bring on headaches. If you have trouble sleeping, avoid coffee and other caffeinated foods and beverages before bedtime.

Banana
According to a recent survey, many people suffering from depression felt much better after eating a banana. This is because bananas contain tryptophan (although it's not one of the major sources, a medium banana still contains about 10.6 mg of tryptophan). Moreover, it also regulates your blood glucose levels with the Vitamin B6 and smooth your mood naturally. Vitamin B6 is needed to convert the phenylalanine to mood-enhancing dopamine. If you don't get enough vitamin B6, you'll probably feel low, and stress depletes your levels further.

Avocado
The monosaturated fats in avocados help your brain be sensitive to serotonin levels. And there is more, these same fats will help lower blood pressure over time. So that's two kills with one stone. Moreover, avacados have one of the highest contents of Vitamin B6.

Turkey
It's no secret that turkey contains tryptophan, but it also contains a chemical phenylalanine that the brain converts to dopamine. Dopamine is a neuro chemical that elevates mood and motivation.

Fish
When you're feeling down, cook up some fish. Their high levels of omega-3 fatty acids have been shown to fight depression, moodiness and impulsiveness. They boost serotonin levels and the zinc present in fish enhances your brain's receptiveness to the neurotransmitter. The best fish are fatty fish such as salmon, herring and sardines. Salmon is also a natural source of Vitamin D which according to recent researches may increase the level of serotonin.

Walnuts
Walnuts have long been thought of as a "brain food" because of their wrinkled, bi-lobed (brainlike) appearance. Walnuts are an excellent source of omega-3 essential fatty acids for vegetarians. They are also enriched with tryptophan, which is a precursor to serotonin -- mood enhancing chemicals.

Alcohol
This is one thing we all know that works! According to a recent study, moderate drinkers (two drinks a day for men, one for women) had fewer depressive symptoms, but alcohol in large quantities can be a devastating depressant.

Dark chocolate
So the best things always come the last. This sweet treat has a mild, temporary effect on your mood. In part, it's an emotional response. However, chocolate contains some caffeine, which acts as a stimulant, and the food's sugars and other compounds trigger the release of serotonin and endorphin. Moreover, cocoa and dark chocolate contain significant amounts of antioxidant flavanols, which improve blood flow in the brain.

There is one more thing that will help you lift your mood almost instantly. It's not a food, it's exercise. Research suggests that exercise may provide an immediate mood boost for people suffering from depression.

You deserve the best that this life has to offer for your body, mind and spirit. It all starts with how you treat yourself.

Let the good feelings flow!

Look what I found..an online free make-over site

Today as I glanced through my new issue of the Oprah Magazine, I saw a very interesting thing. It was a huge advertisement by Estee Lauder, and there was a small leaflet about this amazing thing that they created. It is a widget/tool/software program that allows you to make-over yourself by using all the products in their makeup range. You get to choose your photo, then you start with your basic foundation, concealer etc. Then you go on to choose the blush on, the bronzer (did not know what this was !! till now). Next you get to work on your lips, choosing various kinds of lipsticks, glosses in various finishes. You finish off with a lip liner. Next are the eyes, you choose your eye shadow, your liner and mascara.

You get to do all this after the tool has helped you to carefully measure your facial points.

The outcome is truly amazing, and one can spend hours n hours doing this....I am doing this since morning and have not stopped yet !!

Below are pictures of the three looks that I have tried so far...Have a look and go get yourself a make over too !!

The tool can be downloaded from: http://omagonline.com/esteelauder/

Have fun girls !! and send me ur pictures...

Before

After

Personal Message:

my first trial with the Estee Lauder widget

Before

After

Personal Message:

double wear lipstick one click look

Before

After

Personal Message:

look-3

A few of my favourite things...

What I want to do under this title, is to enlist my favourite things such as cosmetics, perfumes, handbags, shoes etc etc...all girly stuff basically.

So today I begin with my top-rated favourite things...and it is a Vitamin Enriched Face Base by Bobbi Brown.

I bought this thinking it to be a cream...a moisturising cream...and it turned out to be much more.

I love it for it's fragrance, it's super fresh and energising. The texture is as smooth as silk, it gets absorbed very easily into the skin, and most importantly it does not leave me looking oily.

The skin kind of just drinks up or soaks up all the goodness offered by this cream.

It has a host of great things for the skin like Shea butter, carrot extract, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, E etc.

It is a great way to start make up, and even if it's just a dab of powdered foundation or a loose tinted powder, all stays put on this base, and the finish is all smooth.

My current pot of goodness is almost coming to near finish....which reminds me I had better put this goody thing on my to-buy list ASAP !!

Julia Donaldson's books

Recently we read some picture books of Julia Donaldson's to my kids which they really liked.These include books like "The Gruffalo's Child" ,"The Snail and the Whale" and "Hippo has a Hat".

The first Julia Donaldson book that I read to my kids was "The Gruffalo" and they just fell in love with the book ( so did I). It is truly a modern classic and those mothers who haven't already read the book to their children,please do so....you will have great fun!This was a year back and then I bought "The Gruffalo" because it is worth having it in the house when I am reading a book that frequently because otherwise it is just renew,renew & renew from the library. I knew that "The Gruffalo" had a sequel but I could never find it in the library.I kept searching with the first letter of her first name,which is "J", instead of searching by the first letter of her surname!!!I don't know how I didn't realize it!

Then I went to "Kinokuniya" again last month and bought two books of Julia Donaldson called "The Gruffalo's Child" & "A Squash and a Squeeze". Both my kids became extremely fond of these books and I had to read the sequel of the Gruffalo to them almost everday!Then,fortunately,I found Julia's books in the library as well,after realizing that I should search under "D" and from there I borrowed "Hippo has a Hat" and "The Snail and the Whale".My daughter loved both the books and my son likes "Hippo has a Hat".I think that "The Snail and the Whale" might just be a little wordy and complicated for him.

Julia Donaldson's books are very enjoyable and most of them rhymes (probably because of her songwriting background). My kids can recite parts of her books because of the rhyming pattern.Books like "The Snail and the Whale" & "A Squash and a Squeeze" also has a lot of wisdom in them. For example, the "Squash and a Squeeze" tell us that we are never grateful for what we have and we only realize how lucky we were only when we lose privileges.

The book that I least liked of all the Julia Donaldson's books is probably the "Postman Bear" but my son likes it because it is a "lift the flap" book and he gets very excited about lifting the flap and seeing what's inside.

Now I am planning to borrow or buy other Julia Donaldson's books which we haven't read yet.Her picture books are great for "read aloud" sessions with young children.

Dressing for the occasion

I was watching the new reality/talk show hosted by Farah Khan, called Tere Mere Beech Mein. I liked the format of the show, I hate the set, and hate the entire over-the-top drama.

What I also did not like the way some lady guests on the show dressed up. As watched them, I kept wondering if they had never heard of the term 'dressing for the occasions'..

The ladies were tugging up their neck lines, as they struggled to sit down and have a decent conversation. They were pulling down their hem lines....trying to look decent as they sat legs crosses (knee over the other)...they were constantly pulling up and or pulling down....

I felt they were too distracted with what they were wearing. They should have just worn clothes with a more forgiving neck line, and a hemline that stayed at a decent length even when one sat down....I am not asking them to be fully covered in a salwar suit etc; but a little dress sense goes a long way. Point in case Genelia ....who I love a lot...Shilpa and Bipasha also turned out in short dresses but I liked their classy dress sense. Kareena was super in a animal print shirt and blue jeans.

I also know that such shows are times when they wish to show off their wonderful figures and look like million dollars...but I ask...all this at what expense?

You can't complete one line without your hand wandering either up or down...what does that say about you? It shows you're not comfortable with what your wearing.

I am an ardent fan of the Oprah show, and have seen ample number of celebrities on her show, but I always found them to be very decently dressed (save a minute number of them who turned up in their kids clothes !!).

Why even go that far.....check the men on the same show, they turned out fully covered, decent, and yes looking good. I did not like Salman's shirt though :(

Shahrukh, John Abraham, Riteish Deshmukh, Vivek Oberoi, Karan Johar, Shreesanth, Irfaan Pathan, Yusuf Pathan...all looked good in full clothes.

Ladies please, you can still look 'wow' minus all those skimpy clothes....save them for some party please.......

Artist in my house

Aaditya got the above star from his Mamaji for the following work.

The first one is a drawing depicting where we currently live, the boy is Aaditya who is looking out of the window, and he's looking at his friend "no-no" (moon). He used to call the moon as "no-no" when he was little.

This is his first attempt at writing number without the tracing sheets. He wrote them independently without help. His 7 and 9 are typical of a left handed person, so have to still work on them.
This picture shows Aadu's Mamaji's house, the building is tall, it has spiral or rounded finishes along some parts of its exterior, there is a hill to the right, the sun shines over the mountain.

On the other side of the building is a tall tree ..

Chicken Biryani - my style

I love making this Biryani, not only is it yummy, it is gratifying and satisfying to see friends and family enjoy it. The process to some may seem tedious and long, but believe me the outcome is absolutely fantastic.

What you need:

Chicken 1 Kg

Basmati Rice 1 Kg

Onions 7 medium ones or 5 large ones

Ginger - Garlic paste 2 tablespoons each

Green chilli - 4-5

Tomato - 3

Yogurt - 1 cup

Lemon juice - juice of one lemon

Red chilli powder - 2 teaspoons

Chicken Masala - 3 teaspoons

Turmeric powder

Tej Patta - 2-3

Cardamom - 4-5

Black pepper - 1 teaspoon

Cloves - 4-5

Cinnamon - 1 stick

Mint leaves

Fresh Coriander

Salt (obviously !!)

Marinade:

Mix together the curds, the lemon juice, 1 teaspoon of ginger paste, 1 teaspoon of garlic paste, turmeric 1/2 teaspoon, chicken masala, red chilli powder, salt.

Meanwhile wash and drain the chicken pieces; poke them with a fork.

Dip each piece in the marinade and place in a bowl; after completing all pieces, pour the remaining marinade over the chicken.

Leave this in the fridge over night for best results or atleast for a couple of hours.

The next day, you will need to do the following...

The Rice:

Soak the rice in water for 20-30 mins, then in a deep and thick bottom pan pour some oil or ghee, and add the Tej Patta, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, black pepper - let this fry till the spices release their aroma. Be careful not to burn them. Then add in the rice (after draining the water); saute the rice for a couple of minutes, coating the rice with the oil/ghee and spices.

Add salt to taste; then add water (I usually add twice the number of cups as that of the rice, so for every 1 cup of rice I add 2 cups of water) in this case we have to cook the rice till 3/4th done, and also drain the excess water; so use all reasoning to add as per ur 'Andaaz'.

Other things that you will need:

Fried Onions:

Cut about 4 of the large onions into thin slices; add a bit of salt to them and leave aside for 1/2 an hour. After that drain off all the water, and sprinkle the onions with corn-flour. In a pan/kadhai heat oil, and deep fry the coated onions, trying not to form clumps. Fry till golden brown. Drain them on some kitchen paper.

Mint & Coriander:

Wash and cut mint leaves and fresh coriander. Leave aside. This should be done at the last minute just before you actually assemble the biryani.

The Chicken:

Heat oil in a large pan, add in the chicken pieces and fry them till they turn golden.

Once they leave the side of the pan (they are not sticking any more), put on the lid and let the chicken cook in it's own juices. Remember you will have some excess marinade left in your bowl; do not throw it, we are going to use it up.

The Gravy:

In a pan heat some oil, add onion; once onions are golden add ginger garlic paste, then add tomatoes (coarsely shopped), green chilli, then add in the excess marinade from the chicken cooking step. Cook this till the tomatoes are soft and the marinade is cooked down. Add fresh coriander.

Let this cool, then using a hand mixer make it into a medium coarse gravy.

Assembly time:

Take a deep and thick bottom pan, cut a piece of butter paper of the size of the pan's bottom. Put this paper in the pan, this is a self discovered trick which avoids the biryani from sticking to the bottom of the pan !!

You can totally avoid this step if butter paper is not in the house. BTW butter paper is available where you get your baking supplies or even near the aluminum foil racks.

The first layer is a thick layer of rice, top it up with fried onion, the gravy, and then chicken pieces, on top of this add the mint-coriander leaves, then add some ghee along the edges of the pan and also in the center.

Repeat this layering process till you are finished with all your chicken & Rice.

The topmost layer should be rice - gravy.

Let this sit on the stove for a good 30 minutes or more, on a low flame, shut the lid tightly over this layered biryani. If you are worried of some steam leakages, make a dough of simple wheat flour and seal the lid along the outer edges. If you want to keep it warm, just place a 'tava' below the pan, and leave the gas on low flame.

Serve the Biryani with:

Boondi Raita

Onion Salad

Cucumber slices that have been chilled in the fridge.

My way of making Onion Salad:

Thinly slice 2-3 medium onions, sprinkle salt, red chilli powder, a bit of black pepper and juice of one lemon. Mix well and keep in fridge.

When it's time to serve this, the onions will have turned soft, sweet and the entire combination works very well with any non-veg dish.

Do try.

Of this and that...

I have done numerous things in the past days that I was not blogging....there was this...and there was that ....

Ha ha ha...

Anyways...I would like to share the little snippets of 'gyan' that I gained during those days.

I read many new blogs, found a few very good ones pertaining to Interior Decoration, Photography, and everything colorful in general. Want to see for yourself? Please visit Rang Decor

Another thing on my mind of late is silver jewellery and traditional Indian patters....I feasted my eyes on Maya Bazaar and Sukra Jewellery

There was another one... Amrapali

I spent an entire afternoon on these sites, figuring one which one I liked most...and it turned out that I loved the traditional patterns by a huge margin over the modern designs....

So I am a traditional girl by choice.

I made some Gajar Ka Halwa, there was even the humble but superbly turned out double-layered sponge cake, then there was the star of the Sunday lunch: Chicken Biryani; that turned out the best it has ever...I did do a few things differently this time...so I am going to stick to the new-found modifications.

I will put up the entire preparation of the Chicken Biryani in the next post...so just hang on

Giving up milk tea & Diet Coke

I have been wanting to give up milk tea ever since I learnt that adding milk to tea negates most of its health benefits .I am a great fan of milk tea and I just couldn't do without my morning "doodh cha".

Since yesterday I haven't been drinking milk tea....yes, it is too early to say that I have given up milk tea completely...I might just change my mind. Yesterday I replaced my morning "dudh cha" with black tea, ginger & a dash of lemon.It, in fact,tasted quite good but I still missed it in the afternoon while I was facebooking. Another benefit for me when I drink black or green tea is that when I don't add milk,I skip the sugar as well.

Another thing that both of us are trying to quit are diet drinks.We often drink Coke Zero when we go out to eat and even at home when we decide to snack during night. The last three days I have been free of diet drinks or any kinds of artificial drinks.Just a while ago I drank fresh coconut water and oh it had such a refreshing taste!

Giving up diet drinks is easier because it is a habit that I had developed recently whereas milk tea has been a staple in my diet since many years.

I loved this ...

For all those people out there who love Indian Hand Printed stuff in Indian colours and combinations...this is the site for you.

http://www.saffronmarigold.com

They have everything from bed covers, pillow covers, duvet covers, tablecloths, table runners, curtains etc.

I loved each and every product and every print that they have. Loved the colours....

I want to buy it all !!!

God give me some money !!!

What is your work-out time?

When do you work-out? Do you have a fixed time? Do you stick to it like an ant to a candy?

Do you change and shuffle your work-out time? Do you work out as-and-when you get the time? Do you exercise according to your energy levels?

Do you exercise daily or alternate days?

Too many questions...but they all are valid; and most importantly they all have very interesting answers. Just try asnwering all of these questions...and you'll know what I am saying !!

Well let me share my answers...

1) I don't

2) No

3) No

4) No

5) No

6) No

!!!!!!!!!

Now some of you may accuse me of being lazy, of not giving my health the importance it demands...

Say what you want girls...I know what I am doing......I am doing......Nothing !!!

I face the difficult task of changing or for starts chalking out my work-out time based on certain events and their out comes.

1) has my son gone to school?

2) have I done enough preparation for hubby's tiffin so that I can rush off to the gym and still get back and pack off those garama-garam phoolkaas?

3) is it the maid's day of coming over?

4) is it the milkman's day of delivering milk?

5) did I sleep well last night, so that I am able to keep myself from hollering at every word that ano one says to me?

These and more events are to be taken care of before I even chart out my work-out time.

I wonder how some ladies (and some of you) manage to stick to one time throughout?

I want to work-out......honestly I want to.....

some one please help !!!!

Off to school or not...

I have been keeping my son at home since this Monday. There are ever increasing number of people being diagnosed with H1N1, then there were some frantic calls from friends telling me not to send Aadi to school as there were some un-confirmed cases of students being affected.

I am worried about the situation.

My son fell ill on 30th of July after coming back from school, he had a mild fever and a cough, a runny nose. We took him to the doctor etc and the medication was started. Surprisingly he was not given any antibiotics as the fever was low grade and the runny nose and cough would eventually go off on it's own with the help of some medication.

He was completely well since last Wednesday, but the cough was still there, so I thought it would be wiser to keep him home rather than to send him off to school and put other kids at risk.

So all in all it's become a long break for Aadi who is enjoying it fully !!

We're also doing some letter-tracing and other activities to keep him in tough with school stuff.

Each evening we discuss about our plan for the next day....

Off to school...or not....

Back to blogging

Pardon my absenteeism. I was away in homeland for over a month.

I am so happy to get all those emails, asking me to start blogging and that they are really looking forward to reading something here.....I love you all !!!

Well I had a good trip, I got to meet some long lost friends, and as usual it was super duper fun to meet up with everyone I met, Shibani, Neeta, Amolika, Mrinal, Manali. Love you girls !!

I also met my little cousin sister Aarya, she is a happy-go-lucky 9 month bundle of amazement !!

The best part was that my son loved her instantaneously and was by her side through out. He loved the concept of 'a baby'. He even fed her with a bottle !! (this gave way to everyone around me to gently suggest that I must plan for another baby soon!!...well easier said than done ;) !! )

Another thing that happened was that I missed my home...just being in my home, with my stuff around, doing things and chores at my pace etc. And I did miss hubby darling dearly !!

Aadi also missed 2 weeks of school, which was nothing major as a KG1 guy can always catch up fast with all the missed stuff.

A great coincidence occurred....

Shibani and I are friends since our MBA days, we meet almost every time I'm home. Now this time around Shibani was in Pune at her parents home, and so we met in Pune, and I had this major urge to meet Neeta, a friend of mine since Junior College, but some how we were out of touch ever since she went to study Dentistry and I went off to Engineering College. I had taken her number from her sister, and so made the call and we spoke as though we spoke just yesterday !! BTW: Her son's name is Aaditya too !! (that can be counted as coincidence # 1)

We decided to meet soon, and the conversation was ended.

After some time Shibani called to say that she was on her way to pick me up to go to the Jewellers (now don't get ideas that I was majorly jewellery shopping in times of this recession..) I was to only go with her and maybe...just maybe buy a pendant for Aadi to wear around his neck with a rope of black thread!! I was not ready and lots of things needed to be done so I told her I would not be able to accompany her...and I mentioned to her about Neeta and how we were friends and now again were back in touch and wanted to meet etc. etc. etc.

Surprise...surprise !! Shibani knew Neeta, and not just knew her...they were friends since their school days !!!

So we three decided to meet and what a meeting it was......

Shibani and Neeta meeting after school ...that is roughly 16 years....and Neeta and I met after 13 years !!!

We had so much to talk...so much to ask, so much to tell......WOW.....it was just amazing.

I felt that even though we were grown up, had our own professions, our kids, our very different lives, we were connected in more ways than less. Friendship is that bond where everything else just dwindles in importance. We are on the same level in a friendship, and that's what makes it so special and wonderful. It's just great to have non-judgemental friends.

I would go on and on writing, but it would be all over the place. So I end for today and promise to keep writing now on, regularly.

P.S. We forogt to take snaps !!!

Role Play

These days, the son is into role-plays and loves being the 'Papa'; I have to tag along as the Mom (his mom) !!

In his role-play he has a son, and then he pampers his son, sits him on his own chair, puts on the song 'Meri dunia tu hi rey..' from 'Heyy Baby'. While this song goes on, Aadi is feeding the baby with a spoon, cleaning his face, changing his diaper, and then they set off for a walk, the baby is in a stroller now (The chair on which the baby sat, turns into a stroller...now that is an idea one can take forward...who would not want multi-function kid furniture!!)
This song and dance and walking all over the house with baby is not limited to one-time play of the song, but it goes on and on and on for half and hour or even more...I am of course reminding him how his baby will get bored of the same song for o long !!
Aadi enjoys this routine, and we're doing this almost every other day.
I am the doting grand-ma to his son, and then in between his play, if his baby cries I have to pacify him after Aadi instructs me with 'tyala pyar kar' (make him happy/cajole him/baby talk him)!!
I enjoy this role-play time, and it helps me see what Aadi absorbs from us as his parents and how he uses all those inputs to treat his baby...I must say from what I see he is going to make a very good Papa someday; but I am not sure of the diaper change though, coz he hates to get his hands dirty be it food or paint or anything else.....gosh I can't wait for the time when he will learn to wash himself after potty time !!! ha ha ha


That is my son's son!! Yes Mater (from the famous 'Cars' movie) is my grandson !!! The little yellow car is my grandson's toy car !! The proud Papa (my son) is pointing to his baby !!!
I know all of you were imagining a baby doll or something, but my son is using a tow truck to be his imaginary baby....that sure speaks volumes of his vivid and wild imagination and of course full marks to him for being so resourceful. It also shows how kids don't lay emphasis on good-looks....they just want unconditional pure love.
And yes that is the chair that transforms itself into a stroller when they go for a stroll!!


Another cute picture of my grandson !! I think I need to take him to the dentist ;)

How To Deal With Separation Anxiety In Preschoolers

Separation Anxiety: 15 Ways to Ease Your Child's Fears

It took months before I was able to leave five-year-old Madison, my fourth child, at school without having to peel her fingers off of me one-by-one and endure her tears and tantrums. The curious thing was that she'd gone to nursery school the previous year without making a fuss. Although Madison's teachers reassured me that she settled down and seemed worry-free within minutes after I left, I didn't know how heart-broken I would feel leaving her in such a state.

Separation anxiety is a little one's way of saying how much they really don't want to say good-bye. Most preschoolers and grade-schoolers experience it at some point in their early lives. Sometimes it occurs out of the blue after a change in the environment. Other times separation anxiety occurs because children are worried about life at home

-- perhaps because parents are fighting or someone is sick -- and they feel a sense of uncertainty about leaving home. Most often, however, separation anxiety is purely a "missing mom" issue. Madison fussed for months on end until I had my eldest daughter drop her off. Almost immediately, the tears and tantrums disappeared. Follow these 15 strategies and you may be able to minimize the problem too.

DO: Keep your good-byes short and sweet. In doing so, you convey the message that you have confidence in your child's ability to cope.

DON'T: Hover around. Your child will sense your anxiety, and this will make it more difficult for her to calm down.

DO: Tuck a family picture or a loving reminder away in your child's backpack for her to look at later in the day.

DON'T: Sneak out. You want your child to know unequivocally that she can trust you.

DO: Develop loving good-bye routines. Madison and I invented a kiss-hug-nose-rub routine that we both enjoy.

DON'T: Bargain or bribe your child to behave. Your little one should be allowed her feelings.

DO: Send clear messages. Your child needs to know that you expect him to go to school no matter how much he fusses, cries or stamps his feet.

DON'T: Take your school-aged child home. If you do, you send the message that if your child cries enough he won't have to stay.

DO: Invite children from the class over, so your child can forge friendships that will make the transition easier.

DON'T: Get upset. By keeping an upbeat and positive attitude about your child's school, teacher and friends, you'll help your child feel safe and enjoy his time at school.

DO: Ask your spouse or another family member to take a turn dropping your child off, or pick up one of your child's classmates on the way to school, and your problems may disappear with lightning speed.

DON'T: Discuss problems with the teacher in the morning. Save conversations and questions for the end of the day.

DO: Involve the teacher. You need someone on the other end who will greet your child and ease the transition.

DON'T: Be surprised if you solve the problem and it reoccurs after holidays and sick days.

DO: Believe in your child's ability to make positive changes.

Remember: Separation anxiety means that a strong and loving bond exists between you and your child.

source:http://parenting.ivillage.com/tp/tpbehavior/0,,n8sx,00.html

hooked onto youtube

These past days, YouTube has me hooked onto it...and I am loving every moment of it. I log in every single day to see what I can see !! Well I did have a throat infection, and the medication made me week and I had to rest etc etc etc. and that meant that I did rest well and watch some amazing movies.
I watched some serious ones like 'Gulal' - a story of a simple studious boy who goes to a city in Rajasthan to pursue law, but gets caught up in the local politics and ends his life. It is a simple story with some very well written characters and the casting was good too. Loved one song in it...'Rana Ji'; it has amazing lyrics.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x3ATqmHseME
That's the link for you.

I watched 'Titli' - a film that has Konkona Sen Sharma, and her mother Aparna Sen, both superb actors. Their equation as mother and daughter came out so beautifully...the chemistry was amazing. The movie is about the daughter 'Titli' who hero worships a film actor called Rohit Kumar...she dreams of marrying this actor. One day, as they are going to pick up her dad from the airport, they meet this Rohit Kumar on the way and as his vehicle has conked off, the ladies offer him a lift ..and then there are conversations of a girl who has a crush on this actor and between a woman (the mother) and the actor. The girl comes to know a huge secret about her mother and this actor. The second part of the movie shows us the completely changed Titli....
A beautiful movie to watch..I typed out the secret, but then it would have spoiled the fun for you all...so go ahead and watch.

'15 Park Avenue' - an amazing amazing movie.. Again the super brilliant Konkona Sen Sharma, this time as a mentally ill girl 'Meethi/Mitali'. The entire story revolves around Meethi and her family, their struggles to keep Meethi at home, her treatments, her thoughts, her life before the illness etc. Shabana Azmi as her elder sister is a superb professor of Physics, and so convincing as a strong, opinionated, confident lady with a short temper.
This is a must watch for all.

'Amu' - Yes...this one has Konkana in it too !! Here she plays an Indian girl who was adopted by a lady and they go and live in LA. She is amazing with the accent, never over the top, but just right. OK..and her name is very cute in it...'Kaaju'.
OK, so Kaaju comes to Delhi to meet her relatives and also to know more about her roots. Little does she know that she would find out about her real parents who died terrible deaths during the riots of 1984.

'AntarMahal' - A Bengali film about the time when British ruled India, and the Viceroy had declared that who ever puts the face of the queen onto Ma Durga during Durga Puja would be awarded the title of 'Rai Bahadur'. This story shows Jackie Shroff as the eccentric childless Jameendar, who decides to get the 'Rai Bahadur' title, and engages a young artisan Abhishekh Bachhan to do the job. The story unfolds the life of this Jameendar household, the level to which this man goes to get his wife pregnant, the way he treats his wives. The anguish that his wives face, the dynamics between them is beautifully portrayed.

I think those are all that I saw, currently watching another Bengali movie 'Bariwali' which has Kirron Kher as the owner of the house.

The non resident

One morning, as I went to the kitchen to make my son's school snack-box, I was horrified to see a really huge cockroach ....those of you who know me, know what I would do in this situation....RUNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN
Yes ran I did ...as fast as a half-sleepy person can run...and screamed to the husband who was getting the son into his uniform....'there's a huge...really huge cockroach in the kitchen...do something fasssssst'
The husband went to the kitchen, and came back to the room...where I was standing on the bed....the son wondering what happened to his mom..
Husband said 'I killed it, he was not our resident..so it was easy!!'
I ask: 'how did u know he was not a resident'
He said: 'he did not know where to hide' !!!!

ha ha ha ha ha

children of mixed parentage

Our weekend mornings are spent lurking around Bangsar while the son has fun at Gymboree. It is here that I get to see a lot of mixed breed kids...I don't think that is a nice enough term to use but it gets the point across quickly. I am talking about kids born to a white man-Malaysian Chinese or Malay lady; or white lady married to a local guy.
These kids have a mix of facial features, making them look really confusing. I am in no way looking down on them, but more in terms of amazement and curiosity.
These kids look confused to me, they cannot identify themselves with the local scene coz they have only little local genes in them and the rest of the, which is white gets more confused in the local scene where the whites are not in majority....
This makes me think about my son too, although there are lots of Indians around us, will he be confused as a Marathi-speaking boy, that he cannnot hold a conversation with everyone in his mother tongue? That he can speak in Marathi to only his family and a handful more....will he face an identity crisis in future? or is he going through it every day even now?
During the early part of my childhood we were in the northern part of India, and our Marathi was not that good, we spoke only at home...outside it was pure Hindi or English in school.
When we moved to Pune, I was in the 2nd standard, and me & my brother were made fun of by our building kids for our famously funny Marathi !!!
We did not know our Marathi number...I still get confused after about 50 ..
I picked up the language, but my brother was not good at it, to the extent that in the 7th standard his Marathi teacher called mom to school to show his essay on 'majhi aai' (my mother) in which he had gone overboard with his use of non-sensical Marathi words !! and she even pleaded with my mom to shift him to German language from 8th standard !!

For all or little that I understand, I think we should let kids develop as per the local scene, and not try to force their original culture on them. Having said that I myself would shudder to think that my son would know more about Chinese New Year than Diwali or Gudhi Padwa....
I would even hate if he picked up the local accent !!
So I guess a fine balance needs to be made between the original culture and the culture that the child is growing up in.
I know a lot of people who lived in the USA, had kids and once the kids were of 5-6 years they came back to India or atleast moved to Asia for the fear of alienating their kids from Asian/Indian culture. I don't consider that the right thing to do, but I cannot judge them as they lived through the issues and problems themselves, I am a mere observer.
Even my next door neighbor is leaving for India next month, and says that if they don't go now, their kids will never like India. The kids are now 7 and 6 years old. Again I do not know if that is a reason good enough to make you go back home....I do not know...

some deep thoughts...

These days when one surfs any news channel, newspaper etc there are stories after stories of torture, suffering, some man-made some nature inflicted...one sees people, children crying their heart out and hoping really hoping for someone to have a little mercy on them and free them from their sorry state. They seem to be vying for the kind attention of the Almighty by all means possible...
Hinduism believes in the 'Atma' or the soul; and also there is the principle of re-birth and re-incarnation. And they way all these are linked is by the thought or belief that what wrong deeds we did in our past life, we pay for it in our present life, and the wrongs we do in this lifetime we will pay for them in our next life or re-birth.
It makes me think and makes me very sad to see all the suffering around us now, and then to think of it this way that all those who are suffering now are only bearing the brunt of having done something wrong in their past lives...
When a child suffers, through an illness, through the loss of one or both parents, or faces abuse in any form...is the child repaying for his bad 'karma' during a past life? How can a child be allowed to bear such pain when elders who we all know are doing wrong deeds are roaming around scout free....when will they repay? why should they get the chance to enjoy in this life and then not worry until the re-birth? Why can't they suffer for their bad karma in this lifetime?

Some say that we pay for our bad karma in this lifetime itself, I'd like to believe this more..at least it makes one feel confident of seeing bad people being put to test or suffer for all the evil they inflicted on someone else...

A great book for parents !

I highly recommend the book "How to raise a Brighter Child" by Joan Beck to all parents who have children under five.The author advocates early learning and stimulation for babies,toddlers and preschoolers without pressure ,ofcourse.The author says that early childhood (0-6 years) is a time of tremendous development and parents should take advantage of these precious years to provide children with the mental stimulation to boost their intelligence.

While reading the book I got the feeling that the late author was a believer of the Montessori method of education.But she doesn't focus fully on Montessori and shows parents how they can help their children learn in everyday situations.She doesn't give an outline of lessons but shows how to play games with children and how to interact with them so that they learn. There are examples of how to take advantage of children's natural curiosity to stimulate their minds.

Some useful suggestions in this book are:

• Giving the child a good language model to copy.


• Using "Bingo" and dice games (such as snakes & ladders) to teach the child about numbers


• Making nature intriguing to the child by giving her a magnifying glass.Leaves,insects...everything looks more magical when enlarged.


• Encouraging children to make collections of seeds,insects,leaves etc.


• Inspiring creative art beyond crayons and paper:how paper plates,peanut shells and toothbrush can be used in painting.


• Some montessori activities such as cutting matching pieces of cloth of several different textures-velvet,silk etc and asking the child to match them by sight and touch.

The only drawback of the book is its unimaginative layout devoid of any illustrations. This book was not updated after 1999.

Art work by children in Aadu's school

These were some of the drawings that were put up on the notice board at Aadu's school. I am amazed at the use of colors, the cover-the-paper concept, and the shadings, and more amazed at the overall concepts of these pieces.
I did not notice the standard of study of these students, but they are from the primary section for sure...and for primary section these art-pieces are simply stunning !!!

Chicken Chettinad Style - a must try

My plate


His Plate

************************************************************************************
Yesterday we made Chicken Chettinad style, the recipe came from a dear friend Shaimanti...who had put up photos of the same recipe on her Orkut page. It looked soooooo tempting that I had to ask her send it to me..
Now initially (before the recipe arrived) I thought Chettinad would be a difficult and tedious recipe to follow...but boy how wrong was I !!
Without much delay...I present to you all the easy-peasy recipe ...do try it, it is really fast to cook and too good to eat !!
Ingredients:

1 kg chicken, washed and cut into medium sized pieces

1 cup small onions, shallots (sambar onions)

1 cup chopped tomatoes

1/2 tsp turmeric pwd

10-12 curry leaves

1 cup coconut milk (extract from 1/2 coconut)

fresh coriander leaves for garnish

salt to taste

1 tbsp oil

Make a paste:

2 green chillis

8 garlic flakes

1″ ginger

1 tsp poppy seeds (soak in warm water for 10 mts)

Roast and make a powder:

1/2 tsp pepper corns

1/2 tsp cumin seeds

3/4 tsp fennel seeds

1 1/2 tbsps coriander seeds

6-8 dry red chillies

2 cardamoms

1″ cinnamon

6-7 curry leaves

1/2 tsp oil

1. Drizzle a vessel with oil and roast the cumin seeds, coriander seeds, peppercorns, fennel seeds, red chillis, cardamoms, cinnamon and curry leaves on medium heat stirring constantly for 2 mts. Remove from fire, cool and grind to a powder.
2. Make a paste of the ginger, garlic, green chillies and poppy seeds. Keep aside.
3. Heat oil in a cooking vessel, add the small onions and curry leaves and saute till transparent.
4. Add the ground paste and cook for a minute before adding the chicken and cook on high heat for approx 4 mts and do stir the chicken once in a while.
5. Reduce to medium heat, add salt, turmeric pwd and tomatoes and combine well. Let the chicken cook in this for 4-5 mts, uncovered.
6. Now add the coconut milk and transfer the contents to a pressure cooker. Pressure cook for 4 mts or until one whistle. Open lid and combine well.
7. Finally add the ground masala pwd and cook for 3 mts. Turn off heat and garnish with fresh coriander leaves.

Ouch....threading!

Ever since I came to Singapore,threading my eyebrows and upper lip has been a real problem for the simple reason that very few beauty parlours here actually practise threading.Mostly for facial hair removals, they use waxing and for eyebrows they use tweezers.

But I somehow prefer threading because it has fewer side effects than the other methods of removing facial hair. Waxing is perfect for arms and legs but it seems so harsh for face due to all that tugging and pulling.Using hair removing cream also doesn't seem right for face because I read somewhere that it may lead to darkening of the skin in the long run.

Previously,I used to go to Little India for threading but fortunately I found an Indian beautician in a nearby beauty parlour a few months ago. I threaded my eyebrows and upper lips from her a few months ago but after that I did not do any threading due to lack of opportunity and ofcourse my own laziness.Yesterday,when we went to Bishan and while my daughter was doing "rubber art" in the Junction 8 mall, I saw that beauty parlour. Usually I am alone there with the kids and never get to go to the beauty parlour.I went to the parlour and asked whether the Indian beautician was available and the girl at the reception said yes.And so I went back to the area where my daughter was doing artwork to request Faisal to babysit both the kids so that I could be in the parlour for half an hour. He agreed to it (or rather had to because I was so insistent) and so I rushed in the parlour to do full facial threading. My skin is tanned due to the strong Singapore sun and so I thought a full threading would take away some of its effects.

The beautician was very skilled in threading and so it hurt less but the pain was still formidable.However,at the end of the process I was quite pleased with the results! My skin looked brighter and smoother. Somehow waxing doesn't give the smooth lines that I get from threading!

Boggle

Boggle is a great game for children as it is entertaining as well as educational! I bought the preschoolers (ages 3-6) version a few weeks ago for Zunairah and she loves playing it.

The game has picture cards,word cubes and a rack for displaying the cards.When two people are playing they take turns and one person would pick up a picture card and display it.The opponent would then build the word by choosing the appropriate letteres from the word cubes. Suppose if "Frog" is displayed the card would display the picture of the frog as well as the spelling and the child will build "f-r-o-g" by choosing the letters.The spelling can even be kept hidden when your child is beginning to read so that he attempts to build the word by putting sounds together and guessing the spelling. So this game can be played on two skill levels.

Apart from being enjoyable,this game can teach preschoolers:

• letter recognition
  
• word recognition


• reading

And they can learn all this under the disguise of play.In a game situation a child is so desperate to win that he absorbs concepts quickly even without realizing that he is learning.

I loved these

I chanced upon these amazing candles at:
http://design-milk.com/tag/candles/




These are Lego-candles, and are super cute...






This is a fruit-friendly lunch box for kids. Notice how they have 2 circular-elevations, just right for storing an apple/orange/pear etc. With 2 fruit compartments, there is still enough place for a sandwich, a small drink and even a banana !!
This company is called Concentrate, it is a london based company that designs products to help children concentrate more in school.
All their products are amazing. Do check their website !!
http://www.concentrate.org.uk/index.php

Stop your sugar cravings ...

Knowing what's causing your sugar cravings can help you put a cap on them long before they force you into bigger clothes. Which of the three main types of cravings do you have?

• You say: Feed me now, or I'll kill you.
  This usually reflects low blood sugar. Eating sugar helps in the first few minutes but makes things worse in the long term.
  Break it:
  

  Sucking on a Tic Tac or two can be enough to stop the attack. After that, eat more protein and fewer sweets to keep your blood sugar stable. And eat those foods often: Multiple small meals instead of three big ones decrease cravings.
  
  
• You say: I'd really like a Twinkie.
  You generally feel okay but find yourself going through your cabinets looking for sweets.
  Break it:
  Holistic docs say—without great evidence, yet there have been some successful treatments—this could reflect yeast overgrowth in the gut and that treating it with probiotics (healthy bacteria) can help. We like probiotics made from bacillus coagulans, such as Digestive Aide or Sustenex.
  
  
• You say: It's my period, and I'm depressed.
  Low levels of serotonin—the "happiness molecule"—around your period can cause you to crave carbs.
  Break it:
  Eating dark chocolate (not a whole storeful; try an ounce or so) will supply a natural antidepressant called PEA, plus the carbs you crave. And any other time you think you might eat something when you're not really hungry, go for a walk or have some water. Much of the "I want to eat" feeling stems from lack of sleep (walking can help wake you up), lack of sex or lack of water.

Source: http://www.oprah.com/article/health/wellnessandprevention/pkgyourhealth/20090113_sas_yourhealth_youdocs/4

Vist to Kinokuniya

I went to Kinokuniya bookstore today afternoon because I wanted to find out about the price and availability of the Oxford Reading Tree series . After picking up one set for my daughter, I browsed the children's section and I went crazy over their collection. It has an extensive collection of children's books which includes great read aloud books as well as board books and picture books.And I think it has the whole collection of Eric Carle's books...I never knew he wrote so many books until I visited Kinokuniya. The children's collection is so rich that I wanted to buy loads of books.But I stopped by reminding myself that the library is a source of great books and that I should first make a list of the books that I want to purchase.

I finally bought two letterland books,one set of phonics cards and one set of Oxford Reading Tree books. There was no time to look into the other sections of the bookstore as I knew that my kids would be up from their afternoon nap in a short while.

After going home and opening the Oxford Reading Tree set,I discovered that they were wordless picture books . I was quite disappointed as I wanted simple stories but the sets were all packed and there were no lose sets for checking what is actually inside. However,after going through the books,I saw that they were quite interesting and a teaching guide is there to guide the parents.

This week 6 years back

This week six years ago I met Amol, in a very traditional meeting, typical girl-meets-boy, in front of family and they talk and then decide if they like each other....as life partners !!
We both were just talking about the events and recalled every small detail as though it all happened just yesterday!!
There were lots of funny moments...lots of things seem so funny or outrageous now that we can't stop laughing about them...
Amol used to live in KL that time, and had come down for a week to see all the girls his parents had shortlisted (so typical NRI na...), well I was one of them and his parents had met us all some months back.
So as the days to Amol's arrival got near, his parents called and we decided to meet them in Pune (we used to live in Mumbai then), now why Pune and not Mumbai where it would have been easier?
Well at that time SARS was at it's height and we did not want to take chances with Amol !!! ha ha ha, and we even had a family joke going that 'if Amol sneezes just run away...' !!!!
OK, so he came, went to Pune and we went to our home there, and then on 4th they all came to our home, we all spoke, then our brothers..(my Dada and Amol's younger brother Parag) decided that we (youngsters) should sit separately from the elders..so they arranged chairs in the balcony and we spoke some more...then slowly the brothers excused themselves to go inside leaving us both alone !!! ha ha ha I remember we laughed at that moment even then.
When we were alone, we chatted generally...and he asked me 'our education is same...our professions are at the same level..would it lead to conflicts?' I first burst out laughing.....and then told him 'conflicts will happen anyway...not necessarily due to same education etc' and then laughed some more....
They went back then...
Evening we were to go to their home, and tell our decision...oh yes before that we went to lunch some where ..Shreyas I think it was...no sure though..
There we met my MBA pals Ajit and his lovely wife Harshala....and Ajit understood what was going on, then in his own way struck up a conversation with Amol, then as he was leaving he signalled to me 'he is good..go ahead' !!! So much for friendly advice !!
Evening we went to their home and we were asked by my now FIL if we like each other...we very coyly said yes...and then we decided the engagement date and wedding date.
As simple as that .... no Pundit only our ever faithful & trusted 'Kalnirnay' to guide us.
So engagement was set for the 10th of May in Mumbai, wedding November 2nd.
That week while I was in Pune, we even did our shopping for the Engagement, my saree at Shagun, his clothes at Shoppers' Stop, our rings at my favourite Tanishq.
The next day we went to COEP boatclub for a date !! Did a lot of talking, had some chai etc...and he sang a song for me.....boy I was floored !!
Now after all these years with him through some rough weather and mostly bright fun and laughter filled days....I am only glad that I chose him as my life partner.....
Love you A!!

Books that we have enjoyed recently

I keep borrowing books from the library for my kids as I love reading to them and they love being read to. Some books that we have enjoyed recently are:

• Curious George: This is a series on a mischievous monkey who is very active and is always getting into trouble. His adventures usually starts because of his inquisitive nature and at the end he usually is able to sort out the problems and even save the day!The only recurring character in the book,apart from George, is the man with the yellow hat, who is his master and who had brought him from the jungle.Curious George was brought to life by the writing of Margret Rey and the illustrations of her husband, H. A. Rey in the 1940s.Since then it has been translated into many languages and remains very popular among children. My four year old is very fond of curious George but I think the books are a bit too "wordy" for my two year old son. We have just read a few books of the series.



• I'll teach my dogs a 100 words by Dr.Seuss: Both my kids loved this book and it is a great book for reading aloud because of the rhyming words. Unlike some other Dr.Seuss books,it is not very lengthy.
  


• There is an Alligator under my bed by Mercer Mayer: My daughter was fascinated by this story (I think more so because I read it at bedtime!) and I also quite like the book. It is about a boy who is sure that there is an alligator under his bed. Getting no sympathy from his parents who "never saw it'', he forms a plan of attack. He leaves a trail of food from his bed through the house to the garage door. He then follows behind secretly as the alligator gobbles up the goodies, fresh vegetables and fruit making its way to the garage. The boy then locks the door and thereby traps the alligator in the garage. The last page shows the note he leaves for his father, telling him that there's an alligator in the garage and to wake him up if he needs help.Kids will relate to this young hero's triumph over normal childhood fears and the clever solution that he comes up with.
  
  I am looking forward to borrowing some more books next week and one of the books is "The Gruffalo" by Julia Donaldson. I have borrowed this book several times and it is well-loved at our home...more about this later....
  

I am doing it now at 32 !!

On my 22nd birthday, my dad had given me a beautiful card and had written a very nice poem inside...it was in Hindi...not a poem-poem...but just his thoughts in verses ...
Apart from that he had mentioned in the other written matter about "catch-22". Back then I did not know what it meant...and I asked him what it was and he told me about this book called 'Catch 22' by Joseph Heller. He also mentioned to me that it was a best seller and a very enjoyable book.

My father has a massive collection of books, and I remember in our summer vacations he would select books from his collection for us to read. I get my love for reading from him :)

When we were smaller (i mean before we could digest novels or anything other than comics) our summer vacation would one chore that we loved...and it was to re-cover all of Papa's books, with brown paper (just like our school books), then writing the Title and author's name in our scrawly handwriting...(my Papa's handwriting used to be very very nice...now it is bad...he says all blame to computers and type writers coz they take away the joy and opportunity of writing with hand).

OK, back to 'Catch 22'
2 or 3 years back, when I was home on holiday, I looked through the book collection and found 'Catch 22' and immediately put it in my bag to bring to KL to read later. Well later really proved to be late..coz I got it out from my book shelf only this weekend and have started reading it.

So something that I wanted to do at 22...I am finally doing it...reading it at 32 !!!