Kids and games will.always go hand in hand. No matter how many games they have, they will always want more. But which games would you like to invest in as a parent so that you know that it will help your child in their overall development. Brain games help kids learn patience and goal setting. These games won’t be quick to finish but will make them more intrigued every step of the way towards the winning goal.

Here are a few of our favourites. I introduced some of them to my daughter when she was 4 years old.

Puzzles
You can never go wrong with puzzles. Puzzles teach kids the concept of whole and pieces being fractions of a bigger picture. It increases skills like shape recognition, concentration, goal setting and patience. They also improve hand-eye co-ordination, critical thinking, judgement and visual perception skills.
There are many puzzles that are available in the market but Frank puzzles are our favourite. You will find them for all age kids are the price is also very pocket friendly.

Brainvita
Many of us have known this game since our childhood and now it’s time to introduce them to your kids. I introduced this to my daughter when she was 3.5 yrs old and she loved it. The goal was not to win but to understand how the logic of the game works and to my surprise she was able to pick it up in no time.

Dominoes
There is no game like this one. It’s time consuming, it’s super- challenging and alot of fun. Setting up blocks in a way that they do not roll over each other until you have placed each and every block that you have… Something that many adults give up on! But kids don’t and won’t! When you introduce this game you might have to pitch in and help them get to it and once they get the hang of it they will be able to acheive it themselves. Hand-eye co-ordination and patience are the skills that can be amazingly achieved by this game.

IQ Fit
This game has got all of my daughter’s attention recently. She is 6 yrs old now and can understand the complexity that this game provides. It is nothing different that the block piling game adults play on phones but with a little twist. It includes both 2D and 3D puzzles.

Sudoku
We all have played this game, havent we? You don’t even have to buy it. Just make some of these on paper or get some printables. I introduced 4×4 sudoku with designs instead of numbers and then made the transition to numbers and bigger sudoku.

These games can be played as a family too. You and your kids are definitely going to enjoy them.

This blog is a part of #LBWP – Let’s Blog with PRI, Season 2. You can also check 10 easy porridge recipes for kids by Amritha and reviews of 5 best shower gels/bodywashes for women by Cindy.

Hosted By : Prisha Lalwani Mummasaurus.com IG: @mummasauruss FB: /mummasaurus1

Looking back in time, food has always played a role when it comes to art. Cave men during Stone age times, used vegetable and fruit juices and animal fats to bind their paints. Archaeologists have found that Egyptians drew picture of crops and bread on the walls of the pyramids. They believed that through magical properties they nourished the souls who moved onto the after life.
During the Renaissance, Giuseppe Arcimboldo, a painter for the Habsburg court in Vienna, and later, for the Royal Court in Prague, painted whimsical puzzle-like portraits in which facial features were composed of fruits, vegetables, and flowers. But I perceived food art only when I came on Instagram.

On a special occasion in recent times, my daughter made us some heart shaped sandwiches with jam filling and topped them with candied fruit. Something that she had learnt in school in the past two years. Nutrition week was also here and Eira had to create a fruit or vegetable art for school and we tried to come up with something. It got me thinking that since she loves to do these special gestures quite often it would be good to introduce her to something more creative and healthier.

I can get away with some form of drawing or crafts but not when it comes to creating something with food and I could think of no one better than Sonam to help me out in this!

Sonam Jain is a mom of a 3.5 year old boy, a food artist by passion and a parenting blogger, well known as Themagicplatter .

As an MBA Graduate, she worked as a rural marketer understanding the consumer psyche of her audiences. It was then she realized the creative side in her and started crafting food in an interesting manner for her nephew giving birth to food art. After working for 7 years she got married and decided to enjoy the perks of motherhood. Her foodscapes are a sight and every child is drawn to the food she serves.

“I too have a fussy eater and I decided to educate and help moms of fussy eaters by sharing insights on picky eating and how to overcome the phase. I strongly believe parenting in modern era needs a lot of changes. And it’s important for us to learn a little about of parenting along with following our gut instinct since our environment, social circle demands it with so much to learn as a parent it’s important to nurture relationship and build enriching experiences for your little ones. For my son and for the cause that I believe in, I decided to nurture my creative side. I am know for my foodart skills where I create colorful, attractive and whimsical platter for kids. Each plate of mine will tell you a story and make meal time fun for kids” , says Sonam.

I talked to Sonam and she immediately agreed to teach Eira how to create some magic into her own plate. We decided to do a live session and share it with our Instafamily. We used bread, apple, carrots, cucumber, peanut butter, chocolate sauce, cranberries and blueberries and some sev/ragi oats to make this food art.

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Eira got to learn how to create Sonam's magic into her own plate! Check out our video and enjoy creating it with your child.

A post shared by ѕєєmα вαrdєѕkαr (@myworld.with.eira) on Sep 29, 2020 at 1:02am PDT

When the session was over, Eira was ecstatic. She could see that Sonam had created a food art that was just like her. A happy child. Eira enjoyed it a lot while learning that something special and so creative can be made using healthy food.

With this post I am taking my blog to the next level with Blogchatter’s #MyFriendAlexa and you can find all my posts for this blogathon under the hashtag #seemabwrites .

You might also like to read 10 Interesting Food Facts and Foodie are you? Which one?

Being a mother is rewarding and a wonderful experience in itself. The first touch of your baby, their toothless smiles to their first walk and their non-stop chatter and screaming at their top of their voices. Those sleepless nights, tantrums and wailing can be overwhelming sometimes. It is all a big mix of complex emotions of joy, exhaustion, love, worry and much more that we Moms feel.

It’s not wrong of wanting a break sometimes or just having a cup of coffee all by your own in the comfy corner of your house or sleep for late hours in the morning without worrying about breakfast after an all-nighter. If we happen to do that and choose ourselves over our kids for once, mom guilt appears. It hovers over you for long telling you that choosing your kid over yourself was the right thing to do. If you happen to go a bit far while disciplining your child, if you happen to cook a bit late or if you’re just tired and feel like running. But you won’t! Those are just thoughts that come to you when you’re tired and overwhelmed from it all.

All we need is some positivity that we are doing our best as a mother but you’ll agree with me when I say that our kids won’t affirm us on a daily basis and especially when we have a meltdown. So it’s high time that we affirm ourselves and get some positivity in our lives. But won’t it sound silly to say something to yourself? Not at all! A study conducted by Cargenie Mellon University, USA showed that self-affirmations improved and helped college students’ performance when they were under stressful situations.

So let’s get started with 20 positive affirmations that we moms must remind ourselves daily.

1. I am doing my best as a mom and that is enough.
2. I am exactly who and what my kids need.
3. Whatever I do today will be enough.
4. My kids love me inspite of my flaws.

5. I am worthy of everything.
6. I will b calm and peaceful under pressure.
7. I do not live for other’s opinions and I do what is best for me and my kids.
8. I am grateful.
9. I can make my kids laugh and keep them happy like no one else.
10. My kids know I love them because I express myself to them.
11. I will embrace the here and now.
12. It’s okay to ask for help.
13. I am capable of amazing things.
14. This too shall pass.
15. It’s okay to want a break from it all.
16. I am doing a good job.
17. Every challenge I face makes stronger as a mother.
18. I will take care of my mind, body and soul.

19. I am a good Mom.
20. Happiness is my choice.

I’m sure you all are going to feel better and revived in no time. Let me know in the comments below if you have some of your own affirmations.

This blog is a part of #LBWP – Let’s Blog with Pri, Season 2.

You can also read blogs written by my fellow bloggers Hansa Kajaria’s about Gandhiji in the time of Corona and Disha sharing 6 lessons in 6 years of marriage.

Hosted By : Prisha Lalwani Mummasaurus.com IG: @mummasauruss FB: /mummasaurus1

Food is everywhere and is important for all of us. Many of us love to travel to places to try their aunthentic dishes while some love to relish their pizzas every weekend while binge-watching Netflix. Some just recognise the the fish being prepared in the kitchen by its mere smell while some will not let anyone touch it without taking a photo for their social media accounts. Some love eating out while others cook at home from scratch.

We all have a foodie within us and we definitely do not fall under one category. Let’s find out which type of a foodie are you…

• Food Over Everything Foodie
  Let’s start with the worshippers of food. Food is above and beyond everything for these foodies. Food foe them is divine and they can go on and on about it. As if they do not have any life beyond that or rather don’t want any. They will choose food over everything and everyone and know how to relish food in the best possible way.

• The Sophisticated Eaters
  These foodies survive on salads. They might even invent salads and dressings of their own if it comes to it. Always counting calories and dare you take the name of pizza or burger in front of them. They might gain weight just at the sight of it and will not let you eat it as well. Don’t you hate dining with such people?? I mean who would give up on a pizza! Ever!!

• The Midnight Foodie
  Their food clock strikes at midnight. They just can’t resist those food accidents in the middle of the night. As if food keeps luring them towards it like sirens. And mind you, those snaccidents won’t be anything healthy… Maybe a bar of chocolate or a slice of pizza and sometimes even a whole tub of ice-cream. If no one sees me eat it that means it has no calories!

• The Blogger Foodie
  You dare touch anything before some pictures are clicked by this foodie and all hell will break loose. They go all paparazzi on their food. They are always on the lookout for foods and drinks that are Instagrammable. Their phones and social media pages will be full of food pictures. You might have to get into a habit of eating cold food with this foodie.

• Just One Bite Foodie.
  This foodie believes that food is always tastier in other’s plate. They are always confused as what to eat and will end up tasting just one bite from everyone. As they say, grass is alway green on the other side and this foodie completely falls into that. But does one bite truly mean just one bite??

• The Emotional Eater
  This foodie just needs a happy or a sad moment to eat food. I’m happy so let’s celebrate! Which place nice should we head out for??!!! I’m so sad! I’m allowed to eat, burger, fries, pizza, chips, nachos with a side of coke and a tub of icecream. Let me drown my sadness into food and only food.

• The Food Artist
  This foodie can make anything look delicious. They truly believe that food is an experience and should not be taken lightly. They can change an ordinary everyday meal to an amazing and delightful experience through sight. They can make fussy eaters dance to their tune with their food art.

• The DIY Foodie
  This foodie has a laboratory for a kitchen. They will have almost all the ingredients available and will live to experiment on food. Even a normal Pav bhaji will have some twist of their own. They will never be happy at spending in restaurants and the final comment will always be, I could have made this at home. They might even be snobbish at times complaining about the sauce served or the stir fry being soggy. Ask them to cook anything from any part of the world and they will have it ready in no time and that will make them feel on top of the world.

• The Fast Foodie
  We all have a little part of this foodie in us. No matter what time of the day it is, they just want to have junk food. They might even rely on one and only one kind of junk food when they dine at restaurants. You might have come across those pizza lovers. No matter where they are, they only want to have pizza. Mostly with extra… extra cheese!!

• “What’s for meal” Foodie
  This foodie will always have one question to ask. What’s for breakfast/ lunch/dinner? Knowing what is being prepared makes them excited and they just can’t wait to relish that. They even enjoy home-cooked meals and can make sudden plans to head out if the menu disappoints them.

I’m a midnight foodie and an emotional eater. I might even fall into “What’s for meal” category if my Mom is around. I’m sure we all have this foodie in us.
Which type of foodie are you??
Do share in the comments below.

You might also like to read 10 Interesting food facts

With this post I am taking my blog to the next level with Blogchatter’s #MyFriendAlexa and you can find all my posts for this blogathon under the hashtag #seemabwrites

This is my first blogpost for Blogchatter’s new campaign #MyFriendAlexa under the theme “Love Food”

Food is a very fascinating topic. There must not be one person on the planet who might not have some favourites when it comes to food. It is a never ending discussion atleast for me…

Keep reading to educate yourself to some less known facts and impress your family the next time you serve them.

1. Scientists have discovered that peanut butter can be turned into diamonds

Our delicious peanut spread which we just can’t stop eating over perfect toasts, is very rich in carbon say scientists at the Bayerisches Geoinstitut in Germany. So it’s possible to turn simple American Garden into diamonds now. Fascinating, right ladies!!
All you need to do is to extract the oxygen from the carbon dioxide found in the peanut spread, and then enact immense pressure on the carbon left behind.

2. Popsicle was invented by accident

In 1905, a 11-year old boy named Frank Epperson from San Francisco left a mixture of soda and water overnight. To his surprise a new treat had been discovered by him and he enjoyed it. He named his invention “Epsicle”. He spent his summers selling “Epsicles”. Later his children called it Pop’s sicles i.e. Popsicles.

3. Potatoes are great WiFi reflectors

When Boeing Co. needed to test out in-flight wireless signals on full planes, they couldn’t ask humans to sit motionless for days at a time while they conducted experiments. The signals can be spotty at 35,000 feet up in the air. They found potato as an unsual substitute for people. We have more similarities to potatoes than you’d think. Because of their water content and chemistry, potatoes absorb and reflect radio wave signals the same way humans do.

4. Bananas are berries but strawberries are not!

Bananas are classified are berries. Botanically, berry is a fruit which comes from one flower with one ovary but has several seeds. Strawberries come from one flower but with multiple ovaries. Hence not a berry! Strange right!

5. Fig isn’t a fruit, it’s a flower

Figs are inverted flowers that bloom internally. Fig’s pollination process is very unique as they need to be pollinated inside-out, rather than outside-in like other normal flowers.

6. Nutmeg is a hallucinogen

Nutmeg has a natural compound called myristicin. It works like a hallucinogen if taken in large doses probably about more than 2-3 tablespoons. In olden days, it was used on sick people to aid sleeping and in some places even on infants in smaller doses.

7. Chilli peppers trick your mouth

What do you think when you decide to take a bite of chilli pepper? It’s going to burn your mouth. But did you know that it is not a physical reaction but only a mental one. Chili peppers contain a chemical known as capsaicin, which naturally binds to the pain receptors on our nerves. Your brain thinks you are having something hot and spicy.

8. Serbia has the most costliest cheese

Pule cheese is from donkey’ milk from a place in Serbia and costs more than 1000$ per pound.

9. Ketchup was once a medicine

In 1800s, a doctor claimed that ketchup has medicinal properties and could treat diarrhoea and indigestion. He came up with a recipe of his own for treatment which later was turned into a pill.

10. Drink to your music

Researchers experimented and came to conclusions that the music being played has an effect on your drinking. Loud music makes people drink more and faster.

So these were all the fun food facts that I had to share. I’m sure you enjoy all these foods but had no idea about them. Let me know in comments if you have any interesting facts to share.

With this post I am taking my blog to the next level with Blogchatter’s #MyFriendAlexa and you can find all my posts for this blogathon under the hashtag #seemabwrites .

Babies are like a clean slate or an empty book. Upto the age of three they pick up their basic vocabulary and languages for communication. Introducing books to your newborn helps them in a lot of ways. Even if they do not talk, books are a great way of some learning and bonding time. All they are interested in are a lot of colors and shapes and pictures and you reading aloud the story or making up your own is an added bonus. 

Books are considered as a great gifting option too. They make wonderful return gifts for birthdays and other occasions as well. While buying or gifting books for babies and toddlers, first thing to keep in mind is that it has to be sturdy. Babies like to explore. They pull and rip, chew and munch on everything they find. So board books are the ones you always want to go for. 

I introduced the concept of books and reading to Eric even before he was born. It has made a huge difference in his interest later.

Eric has some favourite reads which have been constant over time and I’m happy to share them based on his interests and recommendations. 

1. Black and white/ High contrast books: Don’t you see too many black and white items in the baby’s section at the shopping malls these days? Why do you think so? These black and white or high contrast items and books are bound to have a great impact on newborn especially from 0 – 3 months. They visually stimulate your baby’s vision and brain growth. It doesn’t hurt to continue keeping them included even after that as they will always have your baby’s love being their first books. You can even find playgyms and toys of these colors. Our favourite is the “Baby’s very first black and white book of animals” from Usborne even after . a year. When asked for Eric’s choice, he always picks this one first. 

2. Baby faces books: Books with babies in it just click in no time. Babies relate to faces very soon after birth and these kind of books go a long way.  Books with real baby faces and having different expressions will make your baby very happy and respond more. You can even make a personalized book of your own baby with different expressions or milestones or a book with all your family members. I got “This Little Baby” from Bookstart publications. It has more of black and white contrast images and I chose this book as it would relate more when my son was 2 months old due to the contrasting pictures. After a point the mirror at the end of the book was a wonderful thing that he discovered. As if he was a part of the book.

 

3. Cloth books: Kids just love to mouth everything and books are no different. Cloth books are a great way to increase the interest and make sure they do not take a bite. Crinkle cloth books are one of the best and I got “Baby Touch Snuggle Book” from Ladybird for him. The bright colors and crinkling sound is the perfect way for him to play and read at the same time and if Mama has a hard time during his bath, this book makes its way to our bath tub too. Best thing about cloth books are that they are washable. 

4. Touch and feel books: These books generate curiosity in babies. They start exploring the use of their senses and how these textures feel different. These books being different than a regular board book makes them one of his favourites’. Eric has the “Baby Touch Flip Flap book” by Ladybird. The bright pictures and colors in this book is loved by babies and toddlers alike. 

5. Story books: Books with cute pictures and great stories are a hit with kids who are not babies anymore and are soon gona hit one. They love books with characters which they follow and find along the story as you turn pages and they explore. “The very hungry Caterpillar” by Eric Carle has been a favourite for both my kids. “Goodnight moon” by Margaret Wise Brown is a classic and another of our favourites. The simple yet contrasting images and one liner story makes it a perfect bedtime read for toddlers and beyond. 

6. Sound books: These are also a great option but since we have some sound toys, we want to keep books more to reading and listening rather than to musical sounds. “Peppa’s super noisy sound book” is one of the amazing options available.

Its never to early to start reading to kids. The sooner the better as reading is the best gift you can give to your child.

You may like to know about Early reading importance and how I introduced this habit in my kids. Kids’ books also have different stories which deliver different morals. You may like to know more about Beautiful Themes in Children’s Literature.

This blog is a part of #LBWP – Let’s Blog with PRI, Season 2. You can also check out blogs written by my fellow bloggers Hansa and Avin.

Hosted By : Prisha Lalwani Mummasaurus.com IG: @mummasauruss FB: /mummasaurus1

A place of island and beaches that can never be forgotten is Thailand or The Kingdom of Thailand as it’s official name. It is the biggest country in the middle of South East Asia. Blessed with tropical and warm climate and stunning beaches makes it one of the best travel destinations. Tourism is the country’s biggest and most important sector for economy. Tourists keep pouring in no matter the season. Since tourism country is so flourished for many years, traveling on your own is easy.

When me and my husband decided to go on a holiday, Thailand was the first destination we had in our mind. We were too tired of our jobs and wanted a place to relax and rejuvenate.

Arriving at Bangkok, the capital, which is well known for its rich culture, unlimited shopping and street food. We stayed there at Holiday Inn. A lavish brunch was all we needed to start our day. You just cannot miss out on the Grand Palace and Wat Phra Kaew ( Temple of the Emerald Buddha) . It was the former home of the monarch and now is only used for ceremonial purposes and as one of the biggest tourist attraction in Bangkok. It is located on the ground of the architectural wonder “Temple of the Emerald Buddha”. The whole premises contain more than 100 buildings made beautifully out of gold and diamonds in different colors and the architectural carvings of old – Bangkok style. 

The Temple of Emerald Buddha (Wat Phra Kaew) is regarded as the most important Buddhist Temple in Thailand and believers from all over Asia visit it often for graces. The Emerald Buddha is 66 cm tall, carved in green jade and clothed in gold fabric. The yogic posture depicted by the Buddha is a sight not to be missed. It is said that the figurine was found in northern part of Thailand in 1434. 

There are many other temples and exhibits inside the premises and should not be missed at all. The ancient stories and history can be known in detail from tourist guides available at the ticket kiosk. 

After a day we started for Phuket. A place well known for its mesmerizing beaches and calm waters. We had decided to take a road trip on our own. An overnight bus ride to Phuket and we had reached Crowne Plaza. A perfect resort to relax with a beach of its own. 

In Phuket we chose to go to Koh Hey Island which is also known as Coral Island. You can reach there in 15 mins by speedboat from Rawai Beach. It has two beaches of its own. Long beach and Banana beach.

You can spend the day relaxing on the beaches or snorkeling, scuba diving and other sports which are easily available even in off seasons. The beaches there are mesmerizing and you can even choose others as there are many options available. 

We loved to spend our days out and have relaxing evenings enjoying buffet dinners at the resort. Keeping in mind that we wanted to make the most of it. The scrumptious Thai food is another world altogether. Lemongrass and other traditional spices makes their mocktails and food so flavorful that one can’t resist it. Our dinners were made more entertaining with lively traditional music and dance performances. 

Thai massages are so well known to the world and one should not miss out on them at all. Aromatherapy massages done using lemongrass oil is what I would highly recommend.

We spent a week in Thailand and came back with truck loads of memory and camera full of scenic pictures. Thailand is a destination perfect for couples and honeymooners. If you have kids, do not worry, Thailand has everything to entertain everyone…
Thailand – A destination you just cannot miss!!

This blog is a part of #SpeakeasywithRuchiNDips blogging challenge hosted by Dipika and Ruchi.