After people deliver they always have that post pregnancy fat which they feel depressed about. The day before I delivered I weighed around 69 kilos. Post delivery when I came for check up after a week I weighed around 59 kilos. A clear shot of 10 kilos had come down.

When I fitted back into my Honeymoon clothes A lot of people asked me tips on how did I manage to do that, but there was nothing in particular that I did.As a custom we are given a lot of Ghee and healthy laddos post delivery which fetched me a lot of weight as well. But that was something which I didn’t bother about. I ate whatever I was given but after I completed 6 months of breast feeding there were a few mantras which I started following, which has helped me in being fit.

1. Ditch the Lift: We initially stayed on the 2nd floor, so i never used the lift and would always use the stairway to climb up or get down, No matter how tired I would be, I did that. Now we have shifted into an other house, so I keep roaming around the house & would not take the lift wherever I go.

2. Fetch the Broom: This might sound a little Tacky, but yes I do sweep my 4 bedroom, 3 Hall House, to tuck in the stubborn fat. I’m a Non Gym person, I dont like Gymming or working out. Yoga, walking, Other forms of exercise or Zumba is something which I would opt for. So brooming works well for me & I am proud of it.

3. Chase your little one: After the little one completes 9 months, Moms have to be on the go. Avisha started walking early so that called for a full time running mom. I had to be behind her all the time, keeping an eye on her, even when we would go out, she would only walk and didn’t like to be carried. This is one of the best ways to exercise and stay fit.

4. Ditch the Sweets: I have a sweet tooth, eating a sweet after a meal was in my blood, but i could see it going a negative way & decided to cut down on that. I swore on not eating sweets, but in turn being a low BP patient that created a reverse affect on me. Now how do i satisfy my sweet cravings, well dark Chocolate to the rescue. I started eating dark chocolate which get my sugar levels and fat levels normal 😀

5. Get out with your Pet: Morning walks are the best, I started taking my pet for morning walks and would run with her (Female Golden Retriever) She jumps around & runs super fast, which in turn helps me as well.

---

So, these are the small lifestyle changes that I made, apart from this mental fitness is also important. Sleeping on time, Spending quality time with family, Having me time, Doing one activity of your choice & living a stress free life is important.

---

Being Stress free is tough, if you think stress is killing you, then yoga is the solution to it. For me when I am Stressed, Good food helps me get relieved, now eating more again results in Increase in Fat which again can be overcome by the points above. These are the Mantras that work for me, hope they do for you as well.Do comment below, on what are your mantras to be fit.

---

This post is a part of #SlimTurns4 Blog Birthday celebrations hosted by Slimexpectations and Thoughts by Geethica.http://www.thoughtsbygeethica.com

Iron Deficiency starts from a very early age, say around 4-5 Months itself.

How do we know that our child is iron deficient ?

• Pale Eyes
• Reduction in the appetite
• Low on stamina
• Very lethargic

I know it’s tough to see this is such small kids for them checking for pale eyes is the best way.

Whats the cause ?

Anything that the kids face is our fault, now if our kid is iron deficient it’s because of our carelessness of not taking medicines on time.

Why do you think doctors ask us to take Iron, Calcium & Vitamin tablets right from our second trimester until breastfeeding. It’s because these nutrients are important for us which also has an impact on our kids.

Find the link below on a Instagram blog post which I’d done on Importance of Iron, Calcium & Vitamin medicines.

If we fail to take these medicines it bring down the iron level in kids as well.

My experience :

It was found by our doctor that Avisha is Iron Deficient when she was around 7 months old, he had asked me to give her Hemsi PD 0.5 ML. I used to give that to her but occasionally. After 2-3 Months the doctor mentioned that there is an improvement in her Iron Levels, that was news to me because I didn’t give her the medicine properly. But what I did was concentrated on her diet.

What was her diet like ?

I used to give her Iron Rich Food, like Ragi, Pomogranate, Palak & other green leafy vegetables, Tofu, Beetroot, Dates etc.

All of this helped a lot and I still continue this. Atleast thrice a week I give her Iron Rich food as a proper meal, apart from that 1 dates everyday, now as she is close to 2 years I also give her 2 dates a day.

A Child’s Diet matters a lot. Having a balanced diet is important (I’ll soon do a post on that)

Make sure you guys find out if your child is having any deficiency and try to compensate with home remedies rather than giving Medicines.

If in case Y’all want any kind of recipes for the above mentioned food items do let me know.

Will do a post on that 😊

PS: Please don’t skip medicines for your kid, what worked for me might not work for others, giving Medicines is also important as it increases the appetite of the kid.

4 Days Prior to her Birthday we boarded our flight to Dubai.

It was Avisha’s first International Trip.

It was a morning flight, so I carried her in sleep itself and changed her clothes on the way to the airport. Fed her and at the airport made her eat breakfast.

We booked our Tickets in Emirates, which is one of the most luxurious airlines.

The Service provided by them was amazing. Avisha was given a Basinet, so she slept comfortably throughout the journey. She also tried talking to a lot of people after entering the flight,

But got a little disappointed when a few of them didn’t respond much to her. After the flight took off I Fed her and she dozed off & woke up only half an hour before we landed. After she got up, I made her eat a little snack so that she doesn’t get cranky by the time we reach the hotel.

Click the link below to see Snacks options for kids while travelling

https://earlymomage.com/2019/03/29/travel-foods-for-kids

We landed and there was a huge walk to the exit, thanks to Emirates for providing us with the pram, so we could cover the walk with Avisha easily. (Please opt for the pram while travelling)

A luxury car had come to receive us and we then were transferred to the hotel, Atlantis.

Atlantis is one of the best hotels and is a must visit place in Dubai. They have a lot of activities in house itself. Like they have an Aquarium, they have a water park, direct access to the Jumeriah Beach etc.

We checked in and first & foremost had our lunch. I made Avisha eat Khichdi, which was a part of the Buffet that we had opted for.

The Room was massive, the view was outrageous. We then changed & got freshened up and left for a tour of the hotel; we went towards the beach, spent some time there, clicked a few pictures & then left for the Mall. We went to the Mall of Emirates.

We had a list pre-planned on what and where do we have to go. There are a lot of Shuttles available so we opted for the one which goes to the Mall of Emirates so this saved us travel expenses.

I carried Snacks and Banana for Avisha which I took from the hotel. For Dinner we made her eat Cereals that I had carried from Chennai for her.

The next day we visited The Aquarium in the Hotel, post which we checked out and checked in to another hotel, as we wanted to experience Atlantis only for a night.

We did a list of things in Dubai:

1. We went to the Dubai Mall,
2. Went for the Dessert Safari,
3. Went Shopping in Gold Souk,
4. Went to Burj Khalifa,
5. Went for the fountain Show.

Out of everything that we did, Avisha enjoyed the Dessert Safari, Aquarium & the Fountain Show a lot.

She walked all around the Dubai Mall & didn’t get tired at all.

She wasn’t ready to sit on the pram. We enjoyed our trip with Avisha, though my husband and me got tired but with Avisha it was worth.

Clothes taken for Avisha:

As it was hot we carried Summery clothes for her & something fully covered for the Dessert Safari.

This is what we did the first 4 days and the remaining 2 days were occupied with the functions.

Avisha enjoyed the functions and on her birthday was the wedding, so we couldn’t do anything much, but yes we clicked a lot of pictures and she made a couple of new friends as well.

Hardships Faced:

• She always wanted to walk and run about, which made it difficult for us to cope up with her level of energy.
• She became a little cranky when we went shopping in Gold Souk & in Bur Dubai, as it was very hot, so we had to leave immediately.

A funny Fact:

• She got bored looking only at our face and was ready to go to any stranger.

Some Tips for Dubai:

1. Travel light, don’t carry too many things as you will be shopping for sure and then might end up paying for excess luggage.
2. DO DO DO buy dates from Dubai, they are the best.
3. Don’t keep your itinerary too tricky; keep it simple as per your little ones comfort.
4. If you want to experience Burj Al Arab, do opt for the breakfast.
5. Opt for a night stay at Atlantis.
6. Be very careful with the clothes that you wear in Public.
7. The Duty free at the Airport is one of a kind so do go an hour or so in prior so that you can shop from there.
8. There are a lot of Factory outlets in Dubai, do visit those malls for getting great deals.
9. Climate wise December is the best time to visit Dubai.
10. Do not pre-book any of the experiences, there are people who give amazing last minute deals at the counter.

This was Avisha’s first international trip & also how we celebrated her birthday.

---

Pan Cake is the best option for kids, for Break Fast, Dinner, Evening Snacks also if going out.

It can be made with different variations & a lot of flavors. 

I have read a lot of recipes with Pan Cakes & always was a little hesitant to make, because of the Baking Soda or powder which was used. True, to make a fluffy pan cake these ingredients are required.

A few days back my sister in law suggested this recipe to me for Avisha, with just two healthy ingredients, Tasty pancakes can be made.

Now what are they ?

1. Whole Wheat Flour (Gehun Ka Aata) &
2. Milk.

• Mix Both the ingredients & form a pouring consistency.
• I used Butter for cooking the pancake
• Yes guys, this is all I used.
• You can make your base out of this and add different things to it like different fruits or dry fruits and serve it with Honey, Dates Syrup or Maple Syrup
• Occasionally you can also add Chocolate Syrup. (I use that when she gets to fussy to eat)

Apart from this you can also add 

1. Cinnamon Powder.
2. Dry fruit Powder.
3. Multi Grain Powder (Satu Mav)

I have tried Cinnamon Powder & Dry Fruit Powder, trust me Avisha liked it a lot. I served it to her with Honey.

This is one of her favorites.

Introducing a new hashtag #avithefoodiebaby Stay tuned for more such recipes every Friday.  🙂

 

 

Hey Guys, It’s time for our Weekend Story. As we had a really hectic week & couldn’t spend time with Avisha, we decided to take her out & make her do something that she will really Enjoy.

So we went to Funky Monkey.

What is the first thing that you see in a play area, of course, safety & cleanliness!

The best thing about this place is its safety. It’s absolutely safe for kids from 9 months & parents are allowed to accompany their kids.

The staff there is extremely friendly & make sure that the kids are safe. They keep instructing the Kids on what to do & what not to.

The Play area is filled with a lot of different activities like they have got big & small slides, they’ve got trampoline pads, Ball Pits, merry go round, Shooting Zone, Punching Bags, Toy Maze, Musical Pad, Tunnel Slide, A lot of Obstacles etc.

Avisha enjoyed the Mini Slides & Trampoline the most. She didn’t like the tunnel slide as it was the first time she was trying it out & was scared. We wanted her to overcome that fear & made her go multiple times on it, though she was scared she did listen to us & went around 4 rounds on it. (So proud of her, also a little guilt on torturing her)

What are the Benefits of Such Play Areas :

• Kids get to interact with other kids.
• Kids come over Stranger Anxiety.
• Kids come out of their comfort zone.
• Kids improve on their Gross motor skills.
• Kids overcome their fears.
• Kids get Motivated looking at the other children play.
• Parents get to judge on what their kids are good at.
• Parents get to increase their bond with kids.
• NSTAHM get to spend precious moments with their kids in such play area.

Why Funky Monkey:

1. It is the first play area that we visited in Chennai with Avisha.
2. It’s maintained really well & the staff is highly Professional.
3. It’s bright & colorful which attracts the kids.
4. They are strict with their rules and don’t negotiate on the same.
5. It’s a perfect place for a toddler.

“This is not a Paid Post or not a Collaboration. I have written this because I genuinely like this place and highly recommend the same.”

Play Area Details:

Located in: Phoenix Marketcity

Address: Phoenix Market City, 1st Floor, Velachery Main Road, Velachery, Chennai, Tamil Nadu 600042

Hours:

Open ⋅ Closes 8PM

#funkymonkey #weekdayblues

Recently I got to visit Priya who is the founder of “Priyanjoli”. A fashionable, enthusiastic, Designer come Mom who owns a boutique named “Priyanjoli” in Adyar.

Now, What is slow fashion ?

Frankly speaking it was the first time I actually got to know something of this sort existed. Reusing Clothes (Something that I always do), wearing one dress or saree multiple ways is something that should be done.

We now a days always are keen in wearing new stuff, not repeating clothes, but do we know that how much are we wasting, manufacturing of clothes also shows its impact on nature. Don’t you think it’s high time on we take a step towards protection of nature.

Buying limited but more wearable clothes is what is slow fashion & that’s the change we need to work on.

I was a person who never liked repeating clothes, but now I’m changing my mind and using it a little on how to style one dress in different ways.

Priya is into slow fashion, her collection is so wearable, that you won’t know it’s the same dress. From Jackets, Blouses, dresses, Sarees, Tops she has got everything made in house. The fabric is weaved in the Markets of Kolkata. So you can imagine how pure & soft it would be.

Her designs are unbeatable, a mixture of the old fashion converted into Chic style. Her Sarees and Blouses are to die for.

I thank her for changing my mentality, because I never really liked repeating clothes.

Also the best part is she always works on how she can use every tiny bits of the fabric In different useful ways.

Do check her page out and you can contact her for customization, her fittings are just perfect. ❤️

Instagram Link : https://instagram.com/priyanjoli

We all massage our babies right from day 1 until they turn 8-9 months or even More now a days few people do until 2. Massage is really important for the babies growth, it improves the blood Circulation, the growth, structure formation at an early age, improves the skin tone and strengthens the muscles of the baby.

The babies bones are really soft and massage formulates the bones. When it comes to hands, legs & back massage we all know on how to go about it.But do you know that there are certain minute Places where Massage makes a lot of difference ??

For example talking about the :

Eyebrows : Massaging the Eyebrows helps in a proper Eyebrows formation.

Upper lip : Massaging the upper lip results in compression of the Gums which will help in even teeth growth.

Nose : If in case your child has a blunt nose, massaging it on a regular basis it outward direction helps in formation.

Head : A babies head is very tender & shaped unevenly, it’s really important to shape it. (A ring pillow really helps, it’s generally home made out of cotton cloth)

Fingers & Toes : The fingers and the toes are to be massages because that determines the length of the fingers & toes and also the shape is formed.

Generic Tips :

• The oil that we use for massage matters a lot, you can use Olive oil if the weather is not cold & if in case the weather is cold then you can use any kind of baby oil. For Avisha I used the Olive Oil from Figaro that helped in strengthening of her muscles also helped bring a glow on her face.
• For the hair, coconut oil can used.
• Coming to oils during winters you can use Mustard oil or any brands baby oil, I used Sebamed for Avisha.
• These oils can be used for the morning massage, when it comes to night massages you can use any baby oil or lotion as well. I used the Sebamed Lotion for Avisha.

Until when Massage is Important : According to me, massage is really important for the first 6 Months, post that we can continue until a year but more than that it shouldn’t be a part of the routine.You can massage the baby but occasionally or only during sleeping time, because the kids get used to it and sometimes when we are not able to do they might try cranky.

Few things to be cautious about :

1. Don’t do vigorous massage, the kid should enjoy the massage.
2. While massaging keep a track if the baby is crying while massaging any particular point. (To check if the baby is having pain anywhere)
3. Make sure the Cream, lotion or Oil doesn’t get into the eyes, ears & Mouth.
4. Don’t leave the child unattended while doing massage.
5. Always keep a sheet below while massaging the baby.
6. Note if there are any rashes, there are possibilities, the oil or cream might not be suiting the baby, so switch & see.
7. For small babies it’s always recommended to make them sleep on the legs & then do the massage as their head is very fragile.

Note : Always ask the doctor while choosing the products for the baby, & I would suggest buying baby products from certified stores as a lot of duplicate products also are available in the market.

---