DD most favorite - LEGO CLASSIC

 On DD 5th birthday, we gifted her LEGO CLASSIC 10698. Since then she adores it. This Lego set makes her busy for long hours. 

This Lego set comes in a big yellow plastic box. This box contains 790 colorful pieces; bricks, plates, wheels, windows, doors, eyes, etc.,  a booklet, and a brick separator. This general-purpose brick set is for free building, with plenty of colorful bricks, kids can make literally anything out of it. The booklet has step-by-step instructions to build certain models.

Initially, she used the booklet to build the models, but after some practice, she started building with her own imaginations. Now she is a freestyler and uses her own ideas to build small models. She made houses, animals, castles, shopping malls, a camera, etc. She makes her own model and pretend play with her barbies sometimes.

I love this Lego set as this set is very much engaging. Lego is gender-neutral and age-neutral, you can be a girl or boy, mother or father, or grandparents, you will love to build models with these colorful bricks. It is so relaxing. It makes kids explore their creativity and helps develop motor, analytical, and logical skills.

Here are some reference which we follow to get new ideas

Youtube Channels:

1) Brick Klik - https://www.youtube.com/c/TOLEMIGOCA/videos

2) LEGO Access - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-P2nvnAm3kUQH43M_6GpDQ

3) LEGO - https://www.youtube.com/user/LEGO

Websites

1) https://ideas.lego.com/

2) https://brickshow.com/category/lego-ideas/

3) https://frugalfun4boys.com/simple-projects-beginning-lego-builders/

Facebook Pages

1) https://www.facebook.com/SundayBricks/

Menu Planning: A Month's Worth of Healthy Lunch Ideas , inspired by Rujuta Diwekar

In January month, Rujuta Diwekar uploaded some videos on youtube regarding kid's health. Here is the link of the videos: 

She also wrote on the same topic, "Notes for Healthy Kid", it's a very good book. There are many good takeaways from the book like menu options, parent-kid relationship, the importance of free play etc. She gave valuable knowledge about our Indian food.

The guidelines which she mentioned in her videos are very easy to follow. So here are my one-month healthy lunchbox ideas, which I created using Rujuta Diwekar tips and ideas. I have tried not to include bread as well as factory-made products.

Week 1:

Breakfast	Lunch (Paratha/ RIce)	Bus Tiffin
Idli	Gajar Aloo Matar	Cucumber
Sheera	Sookhi Arbi ( Colocasia root)	Raisins
Utappam	Guarfali (Cluster Beans)	Methi Mathari
Thepala	Tomato Aloo	Ladoo
Poha	Paneer Bhurji	Banana

Week 2:

Breakfast	Lunch (Paratha/ Rice)	Bus Tiffin
Puri with Aloo	Veg. Rice	Paneer
Cheese Paratha	Matar Paneer	Orange
Appe	Dosa with Tomato Chutney	Peanuts Jaggery
Besan Chilla	Cucumber Raita	Banana
Fried Idli	Methi Aloo	Cashew Nuts

Week 3:

Breakfast	Lunch (Paratha/ Rice)	Bus Tiffin
Pizza Paratha	Aloo Gobhi (Potato Cauliflower)	Ladoo
Upma	Bhindi (Ladyfinger)	Makhana
Sprout Salad	Nutrella Rice	Sookhi Bhel
Sabudana Khichdi	Cabbage with Green Peas	Banana
Pasta	Aloo Paratha	Khakra

Week 4:

Breakfast	Lunch (Paratha/ Rice)	Bus Tiffin
Macaroni Salad	Palak Paneer Rice	Mathari
Aloo Vada	Soybean Sabzi	Makhana
Paneer Paratha	Beans	Banana
Vermicelli Pulao	Lauki Kofte	Papaya
Moong Dal Chilla	Sprout Rice	Popcorn

Buy Book  "Notes for Healthy Kid."

 

MomandKidsClub: Planning Birthday Party at Home

MomandKidsClub: Planning Birthday Party at Home: Celebrating her birthday is one of the ways for us to show her how special she is for us. I love hosting birthday parties at home only....

Planning Birthday Party at Home

Celebrating her birthday is one of the ways for us to show her how special she is for us. I love hosting birthday parties at home only. I always keep some themes which excite my DD and her friends. With a little organization and creative ideas have you in your mind, you can plan a fun-filled party at your home only.

Fix a Budget

I know, organizing fun-filled party is our first motto, but we should know or have to be sure how much you want to spend and how much all those extras will cost, By being strict on the budget, you can avoid money stresses.

The budget should include:

Venue	Decoration	Food	Birthday Cake
Entertainment	Goodie Bags	Party Favors	Return Gifts

Guest List

Making the guest list 3 weeks early give you an idea of where to throw the party, how much it will cost you and also you can decide the games and other activities accordingly.

Fix a Date

Before setting a date, check with the special ones (i.e best friend or relatives) of your kids, to make sure if they are available on the date. You can be preponed or postponed the date accordingly.

Choose a Theme

The chosen theme helps you to pre-decide, what decorations to buy, and what games to plan. Like since 5 years, I have had done Mickey Mouse, princess, garden, space, Christmas theme. Theme based products mostly available on birthday party stores or online.

Plan a Menu

When it comes to a birthday party, one thing has its focal point i.e CAKE. Little ones can be picky eaters, so there should be more than two items on your menu. Find easy recipes, so that you can concentrate on socializing and hosting instead of cooking all the time. If the budget allows, order something which is easy to eat by little ones.

Decorations 

One the theme is chosen, take out your creativity out and set a perfect atmosphere for your guests. You can involve your kid in this decor drama. I always buy decoratives from the local market and hire a balloon decorator to put the balloon on the walls. I give him my materials and ask him to put them on the walls.

Entertainment and Games

You can hire a professional if your budget allowed. There could be fun games, magic shows, puppet shows etc. Or, you can prepare with few activities or game s according to the theme: Some are like

Craft Work	Science Experiments	Photo Booth	Story Telling Session
Musical Chair	Passing the Parcel	Simon Says	Balance the balloon on the head

Party Favors

I always put small favors in a pinata. Let me tell you, I am not a big fan of cheap plastic trinkets, whistles etc. I know kids are too excited catching them but ultimately they end up in the bins at home. I prefer to put some candies, small stationaries like pens, pencils, crayons, erasers, sharpeners etc in the pinata.

Saying Goodbye

 A goodbye gift aka return gift is a cherry on the cake. Yes, you can buy a book, games, stationaries etc. from the local market. Also, if you buy in bulk, the vendor can also give a good discount on the items.

Product Review: Good Knight Fabric Roll-On

Every kid love evening free play in the garden, so my DD Loves her time In the garden and never want to miss it even for a single day. 

Monsoon makes Pune very green and beautiful. But it also brings disease prone mosquitoes with it. Mosquitoes make the city prone to spread  Dengue and Chikungunya. Being A Mom, I am always worried about her playing in the garden during the monsoon. I have used odomos which somewhat work with her, but m really scared the ill effects of the same as we have to put directly on the skin. And finally I found, Good Knight Fabric Roll-On in nearby medical store, which is 100% Natural, Non-staining and pediatrician certified.

I have used Good Knight Fabric Roll-On for 3 months. I usually apply the Roll-On to my DD clothes in the evening, when she got ready for her free play time in our society lawn. The months, I used Good Knight Fabric Roll-On are June to August. So my reviews are totally based on the monsoon season.

Good Knight Fabric Roll-On claimed the product is 100% natural. It is made up of plant-based Citronella and Eucalyptus oil. The oils are known for their mosquito repelling qualities so I do not have to think twice for using it on my DD. We have to just roll on the product in 4 coin-sized dots on the clothes, one each on the shoulders and legs. As the fragrance is too strong, they have already mentioned not to use the Roll-On near the nose.

What I feel, The product is effective on some breeds of mosquitoes, as sometimes, I can see mosquitoes buzzing near my daughter. The smell of the product is too strong (like eucalyptus oil smell) that you need to wash the clothes 2-3 times to get rid of its strong smell.

So here are some pros and cons of the Good Knight Roll-On:

Pros:

1) Easy to carry.

2) I will say it is pocket-friendly, as it really lasts for 3 months, as I used it once a day.

3) 100% natural product.

4) Do not need to put on the skin. So safe to use on small kids and babies.

5) Work for 3 to 4 hours (not more than that).

Cons:

1) As claimed, doesn't work for 8 hours.

2)Very strong smell.

3)Repellent works on only some breeds of mosquitoes.

MRP:

Rs.75/- for 8ml

Do I buy Godrej Knight Fabric Roll-On again:

Yes. 

Newborn Checklist: Essential items to stock up on before baby's arrival

Every mother wants best for their babies that's why mothers get everything ready a few weeks before the baby's birth.

Once the baby arrives, your days and nights will be spent in feeding and taking care of the baby. You will get exhausted in setting up your new routine. Also, you do not want to get ready with your new one and rush to the nearest store for small things.

Here, I curated a list of the essentials items to stock up on before the baby's arrival. I have divided the essentials into 6 categories. 

1) Diapering

• Diapers (diaper for the newborn)
• Rash Cream (infant rash cream)
• Wipes (infant wipes)
• Cotton Balls (cotton balls)
• Sanitizer (sanitizer)

2) Cleaning

• A big bottle of antiseptic lotion (antiseptic liquid)
• Baby cloth detergent (baby cloth detergent)

3) Clothing

• Mittens (Mittens)
• Caps (infant caps)
• Jumpers (Vadmans Baby)
• Thermals (if it winters time)
• Onesies (onsies)
• Inner Wear (innerwear for infants)

4) Bathing

• Infant Bathtub (infant bathtub)
• Baby Soap (Baby Soap)
• Baby Shampoo (Baby Shampoo)
• Baby Oil (Baby Oil)
• Soft Towels (Baby Towels)
• Baby Soft Bristles Hairbrush (Baby Comb)

5) Linens

• Waterproof Mattress Cover (Quick Dry Waterproof Bed Protector Large - salmon Rose, L)
• Swaddle (Organic Cotton Baby Muslin Cloth)
• Bedding with Net (Bedding with Net)
• Blanket (Baby Blanket)

6) Others

• Chest of Drawers
• Diaper Bag
• Digital Thermometer
• Nail Clipper
• Rattles

Hope, the above items will make your new journey smoother after the baby arrives. 

All the best.

Must Have Kitchen Tools For Busy Moms

Whether you are a mom of an infant, toddler, kid or teen preparing food for your kids can be very time consuming and tiring. Still, we manage to serve them the delicious homemade food.
We can make our life easy if we have right tools to make our tedious task quick.

Here is the list of the kitchen tools which make my kitchen life easy in some way.

1) Rice Cooker:  It is small easy and convenient to cook rice. Just you need to put rice and water correct measurement. Switch on the power button. Voila, you are done. This is automatic, once the rice gets cooked, it automatically switches to the warm mode.



2) Electric Kettle: It boils water in few mins. That is why it is good life hack for any busy mom. It auto stop itself. It is easy to handle & transportation. It has a broad mouth to facilitate easy serving without any hassles.



3)  Vegetable Chopper: This is a must-have product for every kitchen. From chopping to Julian to kneading doughs it does all smooth and very easy to operate. One can really get creative and do whatever cutting they need with its sharp stainless steel blades.




4) Hand Blender:  The blender is good for preparing juices and milkshakes. Also to chop some soft veggies. I use it every single day.




5)  Apple Cutter: It cuts apples very neatly. I tried it on pears, kiwi, figs, plums and all such small size fruits. It neatly slices it with its sharp blades.




6) Toaster: If you want to get a quick breakfast. This one is Decent Product, even kids can use it by themselves.




7) Egg Boiler: I am not using this product, but have heard good things about it. So mentioning it here. The eggs get boils in maximum 10mins. It automatically turns off when nicely done.