notjustmommying

Hello people, The New Year is right here with lots of excitement, hopes and new beginnings, to welcome the coming year with swag and style, we have come together to bring plethora of fashion inspiration in this "Fashion-a-thon" a fashion blog-train initiative by Ruchie of Wigglingpen . Before you move ahead and see what I have in store for you please check out what Sayeri says on her lovely fashion blog--  Here . I have never been a fashion enthusiast, but who doesn't like wearing nice clothes and look good? I am someone who would rather accentuate a simple kurti with a heavy dupatta or a jacket or a top/tee with a shrug or scarf.  Although, I try not to splurge, but don't know how i end myself up in piles of clothes with still nothing to wear. If you have read my other posts you will know that I am trying to go the minimal way and hence I have almost limited my shopping; if i have to buy a dress for myself, I give away one or two from my wardrobe.  ...

Hair oiling/ head massage has always been difficult with this little ball of energy. He sits still for regular massage, but not for champi. We recently started using nourishing hair oil by Mamaearth and guess what? It is the lovely packaging that keeps him engaged.. mama sings "baba white sheep" spins a few stories around it and baby learns a few new things everytime while getting his champi (head massage) done with this awesome smelling hairoil. Jojoba oil in this hair oil helps in keeping the scalp healthy and avocado oil stimulates the hair growth. The oil with its unique concoction also treats cradle cap. More about the oil- Like all other Mamaearth products, this hair oil too is a MadeSafe certified product. MadeSafe certification is given to household products that are safe to use and do not pose any potential threat to health and environment.  The oil contains no mineral oils or artificial fragrances, key ingredients of the oil being - jojoba oil, coconut oil, ...

My first introduction to The Diaper Bag, "new mom's most useful companion when out" happened when I was 39 weeks pregnant preparing to pop. That's when I ordered a "Pink" coloured diaper bag (please don't ask me why), it was a disappointment and I barely used it. Back then my only criteria was a pretty looking, spacious bag with many pockets and separators. However, the bag that I use now is a back pack that we recieved with our duty-free perfume shopping. It is a lovely silver/grey coloured bag, with one pocket inside and one on the outside. I have a thin body frame with narrow shoulders, carrying handbags is never too comfortable for me. Also with a baby I prefer my hands to be as free as possible. So,  babywearing and a backpack make going out super smooth for me. Below is the list of items that you will always find in my diaper bag. Diaper Bag essentials for a toddler- 1. A cloth diaper or many ( depending upon how long we are going ...

Sponsored post 5 key factors to consider while looking out for the perfect family car When my child enters a toy shop and sees cars, all he wants is a different car from the ones he already has. Sometimes, he wants a big car and sometimes a tiny hotwheel car, sometimes the red one and sometimes a green car!!  I wish buying a car was that simple for adults too, but sigh, it is not!! What are the points that one must consider while planning to buy a Family car. 1. Safety- more than 4 lakh road accidents are reported each year in India, with over 20% being fatal. Aren't these stats shocking? This is a reason enough to consider safety as the prime factor before buying  your car. Few of the things that one should check for are-  airbags, antilock braking system , fog lights, sensors to avoid front collission and anchorpoints for child seat. 2. Comfort and  amenities - ergonomic and comfortable seats, good leg space, proper insulation to cut outside noise, ...

"Nov you" "Owe you" Yes, I am waiting for my little man to say that, since he hasn't yet said "love you" to me, I am only guessing the sound of it (knowing he doesn't say "La" still) Like everything that happened on its own time, this too shall.  In my previous post ( Click here) I shared some bits from my baby's vocabulary and speech journey, each day I have something new to listen to and it only makes my smile wider. A child has her/his own time to meet the milestones, there is no magic wand to have them up n running and dancing and singing. Out of all the milestones speech has the widest range from 8-9 months to 24 months for their first words.  The two types of communication that a child uses are Receptive and Expressive. The Receptive communication means that he/she knows a particular word and Expressive communication is that they are able to speak or express it. For example, a baby may know what water is, but ...

Image source google Every milestone of this little boy leaves me dumbstruck; but out of all these milestones, speech has been the most interesting one. New words each day, funny, cute pronunciation; often makes me feel like "ohh isko ye bhi pata hai" (ohh, he knows this as well) This post is mainly a record for me and my family to look back, read and smile. May be when A grows up, he'll read this and laugh too.  Babies babble through the beginning of their lives and we all wait for them to speak up their first words. My baby's first sound was that of ba, so he started with bubububu, which was meaningless babbling. But for us bubu is for grandfather, so, his gibberish meant a lot to his doting bubuji. At around 8 months he uttered his first meaningful word and guess what that was - A.C.!!! Yes, the A.C. for air conditioner. He would point to the A.C. and repeatedly go on saying A.c. a.c. a.c......  I don't even remember when he started saying mu...

Gone are the hostel days when I used to sit with my friends for long head massage/ oiling sessions along with lots of gossip. I now end up running behind a toddler with my hair crazily tied up in a messy bun. Also now i don't  really like oiling my hair, may be because i don't have time for it and also because washing hair after oiling needs extra efforts. So, I rarely use oil, thankfully I am blessed with good hair, but still one needs to take some bit of care. With approaching winter and hair getting dry I was wondering which oil to buy, and just then I came across this Oil replacement cream. What a wonderful product for people who can't stand oil or who have no time or luxury to get their hair oiled.  The New Pantene Oil Replacement has Pro-V and goodness of oils; giving you two times stronger hair. Why I liked this product- when I first used it, I felt my hair a little sticky, but I realised I had used a larger quantity. The stickiness though went away in so...

My baby's birth has brought the biggest change in my life. When i got married i thought it to be the biggest event/ turning point in my life,  but alas it wasn't. Getting married is a cosmetic change, a change of place and people you live with; but becoming a parent, esp. mother stirs your  soul, changes your mental abilities and pushes you beyond your physical capabilities, it is life changing in every way. Since the day i bacame a mother, things started happening that had never happened before.. sleep became a luxury that we couldn't afford for 3 long months> more than 90 days we were sleep deprived. I wouldn't call it the best time, but we did sail through, everybody does. Being a mother made me highly efficient,   I have never felt so efficient before in my life. I can multi-task, take shower in 2 minutes( even maggi takes longer to cook),dress up carrying him in my arms,  cook multiple things or do multiple chores while carrying this little boy...

Image source: skola.toys Flowers and the bee - A toy for toddlers to enhance multiple skills  Children are intrinsically curious and creative, growing up in this made up world adulterates these traits.  I still remember my childhood days, how we loved  playing outdoors and made into toys things that would otherwise be trashed. Not that there was any dearth of toys, but making those things gave us a sense of accomplishment and also taught many other lessons.  So, if you ask me, the best way to keep their imagination alive will be to keep them close to nature and to offer them opportunities for lots of open ended play.  Skola is one of my favourite toy brands; they have  wonderful range of educational toys made from the high quality material which is mostly wood.  I am going to share my views and our experience of this particular Skola toy - "Flower and the bee" Packaging- The toy came in an attractive doodled carton...

Image source Wikipedia  As parents we want our kids to inherit the best of our qualities and we often pray that they don't acquire the flaws and traits we detest in ourselves.   I have never been inclined to numbers, never had aptitude for things that I could not see, touch,  feel; so, while I enjoyed social sciences and biology; physics, chemistry and maths never made much sense to me.   Howard Gardner, the famous psychologist from Harvard proposed the popular theory of multiple intelligences in 1983, which emphasised on 8 main types of intelligences/abilities that every human posseses, with few being dominant and others being dormant or less active. These intelligences are- 1. LINGUISTIC 2. LOGICAL-MATHEMATICAL 3. VISUAL-SPATIAL 4. BODY-KINESTHETIC 5. MUSICAL -RYTHMICAL 6. INTERPERSONAL 7. INTRAPERSONAL  8. EXISTENTIAL  This clearly means that every human has these abilities with varying ...

Those of you who have been reading my posts or following me for a while now, would know that I am attempting to endure a natural living, use of eco-friendly stuff and  minimising wastage.  I have just begun, which means I am at almost "zero" currently. It is a change in lifestyle of not one person, but whole family and hence may take over months and years and along with time it requires lots of patience and perseverance. Being Diwali around, I am dedicating this post to a few tried and tested eco-friendly cleaning hacks for two most important areas of your house. What you will require- Some spray bottles Rags/flannel cloths/sponges Lots of white Vinegar Lots of baking soda Lime Salt Kitchen Cleaning For cleaning drains - Put one cup of baking soda in the drain and gradually pour one cup of white vinegar over it, it will clean the drain. If the drain is clogged use your regular plunger first and then follow the above steps. To clean the sink- sprinkle...

It is diwali time and when I was a kid Diwali was a synonym for lots of gifts, sweets, crackers and new clothes! I am sure you have made your list of family and friends and what to gift to whom.  Choosing a gift is always a task, especially when it comes to buying for these tiny most giftworthy members. Know what, I have a nephew who expects a toy each time we come home from outside, no clothes, no chocolates, no books; only and only toys. I am sure he is not the only one like that. So, why not make the most of their preference for toys, instead of choosing a regular toy, we can buy fun educational toys that can enhance multitude of skills for them. The brain gets it's stimulation from everything that surrounds us, so why not introduce  toys that will help develop cognitive skills, motor skills and creative or out of the box thinking for your kids? I find educational toys the best things to gift, and even better if I get these in wood. Choosing the right toy i...

Flintobox is a popular activity subscription box for kids between 2-12 Each box is loaded with play-based activities for kids that promote early child development in a fun way. With a new theme every month, this research-based box is crafted by montessori experts and child psychologists, and caters to the 12 developmental areas of a child. I have been hearing and reading good reviews of flintobox since the time it was launched. I received the Flintobox as a token for hosting "gadgetfree bachpan" contest for which flintobox was a sponsor.   Although A is little young to play meaningfully with the activity sets given, I let him engage with it the way he wants and he thouroughly seemed to enjoy exploring the activities. Product description: Each box comes with 3- 5 activity bags based on one particular theme. Colour Carnival was the theme for our box. Bag 1. Had a colorful shape sorting and number matching puzzle and a book. Bag 2. Came...

If you have followed my blog-series on music, you would already know what I am talking about. Musical bonding holds a very special place for us and we have found our emotional connect to it; so, my series wouldn't be complete without a dedicated post on it. To get a better understanding of this parent -child programme for all my readers, I spoke to Aditi Shah, founder of Musical Bonding and here is what she has to say about one of her babies- "MB"!!      How did you come up with a programme that is so unique to Indian market? Musical Bonding did not happen as a planned programme for the Indian market. The music provided by The Music Class allowed us (my husband and me) to have lots of fun with our two kids, singing, dancing and learning. Musical Bonding started as a simple attempt to make some friends in a new country and for the benefit of my own kids.   Why Music, what does music mean to you? I have background in Indian classical music and k...