bumps n baby monsoon special edition
DESCRIPTION
Bumps n Baby is a leading parenting blog. Many topics like baby food, home remedies, general parenting tips are covered over here. In the Monsoon special edition you would get to read some really good recipes and many general parenting tips.TRANSCRIPT
July –August 2015
Hi lovely readers, First of all we thank you for accepting the Bumps n Baby magazine with arms wide open. It is your feedbacks, encouragements and support that provide us with the much-needed fuel to drive forward and bring in more and more reader friendly initiatives. Monsoon is here and so is our 2nd edition of the Bumps n Baby Magazine. A cup of hot coffee with some healthy snacks to munch on and the BnB magazine to read will make the perfect combo for the rainy days. This time also we have kept in mind all your needs and interest and have come out with an engaging and informative magazine. This edition is Monsoon special. You can read everything about monsoon care and make this monsoon season a healthy and enjoyable one. We value your feedbacks. Write to us at [email protected] with your queries and suggestions and the topics you would like to read in Bumps n Baby. Happy parenting. With love, Team BumpsnBaby
DISCLAIMER: All the contents in this magazine, including advice from doctors and other professionals, should be considered as opinion only. All content provided in this magazine is for informational purposes only.
Copyright@ BumpsnBaby
Cover design by Srikant Agasti
Magazine layout, design and article editing by Anumol K.A
July –August 2015
|July – August 2015
Mommy and the milestones!!!
First time mothers.. Does the term
milestones ring a bell?
Even before the baby is born the tech savvy
new generation moms have subscribed to
pregnancy news letter describing week by
week fetal development and of course
checking with your doc if anything is missed.
You complete your 9 long months by
comparing your pregnancy with the
pregnancy newsletters that fill your inbox
and ofcourse comparing yourself with other
to-be-moms or moms. And you are stressed
out and worried through out your pregnancy
phase when you know that your pregancy is
not similar to any of your dear and near
ones.
You keep on asking your gynaec whether
everything is alright. To which he says,”
Every pregnancy is different, no need to
worry”.
Finally when the little bundle of joy comes
into this world , you heave a sigh of relief!!
All is well... !! :-)
Nah… But the newsletters you have
subscribed to don't just leave u!!
Here begins the story of mommy and the
milestones. Difference being the
gynaecologist has now been replaced by a
paedaetrician.
1 1
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Initially it's a week by week monitoring that
most of us do. Although all of us are well
read and definitely know that “every child
is different ", but yet don't think most us
can stop reading these milestone journals
and get back to the doc saying ,”She doesn't
turn yet or she doesn't crawl yet.”
And yes panic strikes again when the doc
asks " does she do xyz things on her own"
oh no .. /
This is your story as well as mine. Am sure.
Let me share my experience with my
daughter.
Tishya she is 16 months old now. And yes I
am those totally geek freak working mothers
who had subscribed to N number of
newsletters, blogs etc ( please note the past
tense there. ) and used to compare my baby
with the milestone charts they provide.
And to make things worse for me, we had a
neighbour who has a baby a month older to
Tishya. The milestones haunt you even more
when you have a kid in the same age group
around you! So to be on the practical side, it
wasn’t just me but the entire social circle
comparing my daughter’s milestones with
the neighbour kid being the milestone.
So occasionally rather at every milestone
that he met, I would get a friendly advice
that “oh she would now start sitting in
‘ANOTHER MONTH’ or she would now
start walking in ‘ANOTHER MONTH’ as
the neighbours kid had already done it”
|July – August 2015
I tried my best to keep myself away from
these, but then Mommy and the milestones
are inseparable.
Tishya started turning on her sides around
2 months, turning on her back at 3.5 months
.and then lifting her head up around the
same time., sitting unsupported around 8
months and walking supported around a
year and recently she has started walking all
by herself. Yes she did reach her milestones
inspite of my worries.
The best advice that I can give from my
experience is that forget the milestones and
enjoy the journey. Your bundle of joy might
walk a little late or talk a little late. They
have to do that for the rest of their journey,
let them take their own time and learn.
Encourage them but do not scare them.
Worry only when they stop enjoying what
they are doing. Evolution is the key to
success here.
Every milestone that your child reaches,
ensure that you capture that moment and
thus cherish them for a lifetime.
This mommy has given up on the milestone
hits and started concentration on the
journey.
Lets hope each of us have a happy journey
and enjoy it so much that milestones are
forgotten -
- Saumya Ajaykumar
3 3
| July – August 2015
My son has just started his preschools.
But he started to notice and identify the
alphabet before his preschool and can recite
ABCs.
Kids begin to recognize letters between the
ages of 2 to 3.
Letters are the first things every parent wants
to teach their kids.
Teaching the alphabet is the foundation of
reading and writing.
When to start teaching your child
letters?
It is never too early to read a book to your
baby. It applies to alphabets too. You can
introduce letter through reading alphabet
books, storybooks, blocks etc. Some kids may
show interest in learning these from a very
young age and some will not until they are 3-
4 years old.
Asking you what letter it is pointing out the
letters, recognizing it by their own are the
sign your little ones might be ready to learn
the alphabets.
As parents we should start encouraging and
give amble opportunities to our toddlers to
learn about letters.
4
| July – August 2015
How to introduce alphabets to your
little one?
There are lots of fun and creative ways to
introduce alphabets to your child.
Little ones learn through playing and fun
activities. Choose the ways in which your
child loves to learn the alphabets.
Singing nursery rhymes
Singing the alphabets songs to your little one
helps them to learn in a fun way.
Before they can identify the letters they
should be familiar with the phonetics or the
alphabet sounds. Singing alphabet nursery
rhymes helps in this.
Alphabet books
Picture books/ board books about alphabets
and pictures of things starting with each
letter can be given to your kids from an early
age.
Try to point out the letters and read the
words loud and clear and also spell them
while you read pointing to each letter.
Alphabets Cookies
Alphabetical shaped cookies/biscuits,
cheerios and other edibles are available in
market or you can bake/make one at home
itself.
This is a fun way to introduce letters and also
a way to make little ones have a snack or
breakfast.
Pointing out letters
Pointing out and reading aloud the letters on
car plates, advertisement boards, on dress;
pretty much on everything that has letters on
it. This is helps them to identify letters easily.
5
| July – August 2015
Coloring the letters
Help them to color the letters in books, which
is the yet another good way to introduce them
to letters.
Alphabets in your kid’s room
Hanging out ABCs cut out shapes, decorating
your little ones room with stickers and
posters with ABC’s etc will give more
exposure to alphabets and develop an interest
in learning the same.
Videos teaching Alphabet
There are video/CDs available with alphabet
songs and the introduction to phonetics. As
kids are getting a great visual treat through
video they will pick up alphabet in an easier
way like this.
Magnetic Letters
Magnets in the form of letters are available.
These can be placed on the whiteboard or
refrigerator. It is fun to put all the letters
together; magnetic letters are best toy for
kids to learn the letters.
Alphabet blocks and mats
Alphabet blocks and mats are
available in almost all toy
stores. These are a great way
to teach kids about letters.
Play games with these blocks or on these
mats. Read aloud the letters, ask them to pick
up a particular letter or encourage them to
identify the letters.
Do not force your kids if they are not
interested in learning alphabets.
Each child has his own pace when it comes to
learning anything new. Most of the kids will
master reading and writing alphabets by the
age of 4-5.
Happy teaching. -
Fun ways to introduce ABCs to
your toddler/preschooler
x Singing nursery rhymes
x Alphabet books
x Alphabets Cookies
x Pointing out letters
x Coloring the letters
x Alphabets in your kid’s room
x Videos teaching Alphabet
x Magnetic Letters
x Alphabet blocks and mats
6
|July –August 2015
Rains bring a big relief from the
scorching summer heat. But along with it,
rains bring a risk of infections and diseases.
To make the parents more worried, babies
and toddlers are more prone to these
infections.
Monsoon care for babies and kids is very
important to prevent any health issues and
diseases during rains.
To prevent the babies and toddlers from
contracting any infections or diseases
during the rains, its important to know why
the rainy season is so much disease and
infection prone.
The reason is that during the rains the
weather is moist and humid. This is a
perfect conducive environment for the
bacteria and the viruses to grow and thrive.
Also lack of sunlight further adds to the
multiplication of these rain borne infection
carriers.
Some points to help prevent occurrence of
these rain borne diseases in babies and kids
are given below.
PERSONAL HYGIENE
Hygiene is the utmost important aspect to
be taken care of during the rains.
Keep the child and the premises clean. Give
bath to the child daily and wipe them at
regular intervals.
Make sure you wash your hands and your
babies hands before and after meals and
when you change nappies.
Cut nails to prevent dirt accumulation. If
you have a house help , its advisable that
they wash their hands and feet before any
contact with the child.
WATER LOGGING
Ensure that there isn’t too much of water
logging in your premises. Stagnant water is
the source of most rain borne diseases. Also
mosquitoes breed on stagnant waters so
7
|July –August 2015
clear out stagnant water from your
premises.If you have potted plants at home
, ensure that is no water logging in them.
Use a disinfectant around your house.
Protect your little one from mosquitoes
with the help of repellants or by putting
wire meshes on your windows.
DRINKING WATER
Take utmost care that you give only boiled
water to the kids during the rains. Water
borne diseases are at peak this season.
Ensure you carry your own water whenever
you go out.
FOOD
Like water, food contamination is also very
rampant in the rains. Avoid outside food as
much as possible. For kids ensure you give
them homemade and warm food.
CLOTHING
Rainy season is very humid and can get cold
as well. Ensure you keep the clothes dry all
the time. Wear clothing such that they are
protected from mosquitoes. Keep a jacket
handy as well since its cold even in indoors.
Also invest in a good footwear. Keep the feet
of the kids clean since that is the way germs
will enter your household ( applicable to
adults as well)
SKIN RELATED ISSUES
Due to the moist and humid conditions
there are lots of fungal and bacterial
infections that babies are infected with.
Keeping the child dry is very important.
Use a talc to absorb the moisture. Also wipe
clean the child time to time so that the
infection won’t spread.
MOSQUITOES
Keep the mosquitoes at bay. Use a good
mosquito repellent. Close the windows
during evening time so that there is no inlet
for mosquitoes. Keep the rooms well
ventilated.
Ensure there is no stagnant water around. If
you have indoor plants, change the water on
a regular basis.
Hope the points above help you keep your
little one safe during monsoons.
8
| July – August 2015
Monsoon is here and it is raining cats and dogs. Most of the time
you are indoors due to heavy rains. So is your toddler/kid.
You don’t want them to be out in the rains where there is a high risk
of them catching an infection or fever.
The rhyme that my 2 year old keeps singing these days is ‘Rain Rain
go away. Come again another day. Little baby wants to play…rain
rain go away…’ -
Your little one,like mine, may be getting bored sitting inside the house
most of the time.
Are you looking out for ways and means to keep
your toddler/kids busy indoors?
Here is 10 fun activities to do indoors during the
rains to keep your little one engaged.
9
| July – August 2015
#1. WATER PLAY !
With the rains pouring outside, don’t you think its difficult to divert your toddler
from not playing in the water?
Setting up an alternate water play works with toddlers. Collect some rain water in a tub or a bucket. Make paper boats out of newspapers and float them in the water. Or make holes in a bucket/mug and pour water through it. A mini rain shower is ready for your kids to play with.
Never leave kids under 4 years unattended near water. So this fun game should be played strictly under adult supervision only.
#2. CARD OR BOARD GAMES
Rains are the best time to get the card and the board games outside. For the
younger lot , the alphabet , fruit , animal cards works the best.
You don’t have to go by the rules. You can just ask them to arrange and rearrange
the cards into different designs and layouts.
#3. PRETEND AND PLAY
Pretend that it’s a rainning inside your house as well. The raincoats and the
umbrellas can be used inside and you can very well set up a rainy day inside the
house!! It will be fun for the kids to pretend play a rainy day.
10
| July – August 2015
#4. MOVIE TIME
Heavy rains outside can keep you under house arrest for long. You can plan a
movie time with your kids. Arrange some popcorns or snacks and enjoy the time
with your little one.
#5. KITCHEN AND OTHER HOUSEHOLD CHORES ASSISTANT
Kids love helping you with the kitchen and household. What better way to keep
them busy indoors. Let them play the role of your assistant in everything you do,
be it cleaning ,cooking , dusting etc.
Reward them with a favourite treat or a movie for the help they have done.
#6. ART AND CRAFT
Involve your kids in some art and craft. For example get ready for festivals like
Diwali or Chrismas. Make them do a card for birthday or just paint something
that they want to. For the younger ensure that this is done under supervision.
#7. STORY TIME
Indulge in some story telling and some story book reading for the older kids or
for the younger lot , board books and picture books. Lying on the bed with a book
is something that all of us like to do on a rainy day so why not enjoy the company
of your toddler while doing so.
11
| July – August 2015
#8.PARTY TIME
Have an inhouse party with your kid and some friends.
Do we need to find a reason to party. Indoor party is a great way to have fun
indoors.
You can celebrate the birthday of her favourite doll or a wedding indoors.
Some music and dance with healthy yummy snacks can add to the fun. Choose
your neighbour’s kids as guests so that you don’t need to pick or drop the kids.
#9. BAKING
Try your hand at baking a small cake or cupcakes or cookies. Kids absolutely love
getting involved in these activities. You could make them decorate the cookies
and the cake with chocolates or icing the way they want and present it to the
family during dinner.
#10. SCHOOL AT HOME
Set up your living room as a classroom and you pretend to be a student and your
child a teacher. It is fun listening to your child teach you poems and alphabets.
So this rains, its not going to be “rain rain go away..,”, but definitely “rain
rain come again… mom and baby want some indoor masti ..!!!“…-
12
| July – August 2015
Motherhood is one of the prestigious blessings to the women from God. It is very important for the moms and expected moms to take care of themselves during rainy season. As the monsoon has arrived, women should take additional care during rainy season. Moms turn out to be extra busy taking monsoon special care of their kids and family, most of the time neglecting their own health. So ladies, it’s time to take care of you also. Mommies and would be ones should keep few of the following things in mind to stay healthy and comfortable during rainy season. WATCH YOUR FOOD It is generally very important to include nutritional food to your diet. But this is the time to take additional precautions regarding your food habits.
Include whole grains, cereals and sprouts in your diet. This will improve your digestive health. Include ginger, garlic to your regular diet as they boost your immunity. Avoid eating raw vegetables as salads, as they may be contaminated with bacteria or insects larvae/eggs due to moist weather. Prefer freshly cooked food to keep risk of infections at bay. Avoid some kinds of fishes like shark, tile fish due to their high mercury level and possible bacterial contamination. You can include Salmon, oysters, crab and other low mercury seafood. Cook the meat properly to destroy microbes present in it. Stay well hydrated during monsoon to help in smooth digestion. Pregnant mothers should drink at least 3-4 liters of water to maintain good level of amniotic fluid in pregnant woman.
13
| July – August 2015
If you love eating street food, resist yourself from eating roadside food during this season due to possible risk factors attributable to unhygienic conditions. CLOTHES Increased humidity and fluctuating temperature cause much sweating during rainy season. So it is very necessary to wear right clothes for the season. Prefer wearing cotton clothes to stay away from any skin allergies. Pregnant mothers should choose loose cotton clothes that allow the comfortable space for free baby movements and unrestricted blood flow. Wearing full sleeve clothes help to keep you safe from mosquito biting which is a
common complaint during rainy season.
MAINTAIN HYGIENE Rainy season is the season for the growth of fungi, bacteria owing to damp weather. Don’t step barefoot. Get yourself a pair of comfortable foot ware.
Pregnant mothers should not step out unnecessarily because of possible risks of skidding. If they wear socks at home, they should choose to wear the socks that are comfortable and not slippery. Keep your homes clean using disinfectant everyday. Apply anti bacterial and anti fungal powder after bath to keep your skin free from any infection. Don’t keep your make-up products in bathrooms as humidity in bathroom tends to make your products contaminated with fungus. Thus, it is better to store these products in dry place to be on safe grounds. You are more prone to the skin infection and urine infections during this season due to various reasons like unhygienic conditions, high humidity etc. So try to keep your body clean and dry by taking hot water bath daily twice a day. Keep your genital area clean and dry. Maintain personal hygiene by cleaning genital area with soap and wiping it to dry. Wash your hair regularly to stay protected from scalp fungal infection. Keep your nails trimmed, as there are high chances of contamination during monsoon. Hope this article helps you to stay fit during this season. So all beautiful mothers there let your hair down to enjoy monsoon.
14
|July – August 2015
Much waited rainy days have arrived.
Now as soon as rain falls, kids would
run out for rain dance and mommies
would stand at their balconies with a
cup of steaming hot tea, taking fresh
earthy scent enjoying the rain
splashing on their face and watch their
little ones dancing and jumping out
there.
Everyone loves to wake up in pleasant
rainy day hearing relaxing rain sound
in back ground along with pitter patter
of rain drops on your glass windows.
But wait before you step out to
appreciate this beautiful weather. First
gear up yourself for health precautions
as the monsoon arrives with the huge
box of different infections and diseases
due to its cloudy and watery nature!!
Water stagnation and unhygienic
conditions during rainy season support
the growth of many insects and
microbes that can cause number of
diseases.
Here I would like to update you with
the various infections and diseases and
15
|July – August 2015
the precautions you can take to stay
away from them.
#1. MOSQUITO BORNE DISEASES
Mosquitoes grow in stagnant water
and thus get the ideal situation for
breeding during monsoon season.
Water stagnation refers to
accumulation of water due to leakage,
unattended water in coolers, open
sewage and dirty water, open water
storage etc.
Malaria: This is the most common
mosquito borne disease. Symptoms of
this disease are fever, chills, headache,
fatigue, nausea and vomiting.
Dengue fever: The virus carried by
tiger mosquito causes dengue fever. Its
symptoms are high fever and severe
headache, with severe pain behind the
eyes that is apparent when trying to
move the eyes.
Chikungunya: This disease is spread
by the virus carries by an infected
female Aedes species mosquito. It is
characterized by high fever, severe
joint pain mainly in the arms and legs,
muscle pain, back pain and skin
rashes.
Prevention of mosquito borne
diseases
Ways to protect yourselves from
mosquito bite
x Don’t allow water stagnation in
or around your houses. If there
is stagnant water in or around
your home, pour a layer of
kerosene over the water. This
will prevent mosquito breeding.
x Apply mosquito repellent cream
while outdoors to prevent
mosquito-bite.
x Get protection from mosquito
bites by wearing full sleeve
clothes, being extra careful
during peak hours of mosquito
biting.
x Use mosquito nets. To install
mosquito nets on windows is a
good idea to keep those little
creatures outside and keep
indoor cool.
#2. COMMON FOOD AND WATER
BORNE DISEASES DURING
MONSOON
During other seasons, we find less
number of flies due to effect of ultra
16
|July – August 2015
violet rays emitting from sun but
muggy weather during rainy days
support growth of insects like
houseflies.
Flies lay eggs and contaminate water
and food, which increases the chances
of occurrence of food and water borne
diseases.
Typhoid: This is very common
bacterial disease spread by
contaminated water and food. This
disease is characterized by fever,
headache, muscle aches, stomach pain,
loss of appetite, small pink rashes.
Cholera: This is also a bacterial
disease spread through contaminated
water and food. Signs of cholera are
profuse watery diarrhea, vomiting, and
leg cramps.
Leptospirosis: Accumulation of dirty
water on the roads and forceful use of
those roads by pedestrians during
rainy season has increased the cause of
leptospirosis disease. This disease also
spread through drinking contaminated
water and open wound/cut in the body
coming into contact with dirty water.
This is bacterial disease that is marked
by chills, intense headache, muscle
ache, abdominal pain, redness in eye
and occasionally a skin rash.
Rotavirus diarrhea: It is very
common disease in babies below 5,
especially in teething babies. This
disease gets severe during rainy season
due to low immunity in children,
change in temperature and water
content in air. The symptoms of this
disease are diarrhea with fever,
stomach pain, vomiting.
Prevention of food and water
borne diseases
To stay away from water and food
borne diseases, following precautions
should be taken:
x Wash your hands thoroughly
before and after eating food or
feeding babies.
x Wash vegetables and fruits in
vinegar or with baking soda
solution to reduce the level of
insecticides.
x Avoid eating raw food like salad
or wash them intensively before
eating as it may contain insect
eggs that are very small to be
visible.
x Attend open cuts/wounds
properly such that it doesn’t
17
|July – August 2015
come into contact with dirty
water.
x Avoid eating out. If you are
forced to eat out prefer standard
places to eat and have hot and
fresh food only.
x Keep Rotavirus vaccine in your
babies vaccination schedule (for
babies less than two month)..
#3. OTHER INFECTIONS
1. Fungal infections: Fungus
growth is the most common
complaint during monsoon.
This season suits the best for
the growth of fungus, which
occurs in dark and damp
weather. Fungal infections are
marked by continuous and
severe itching, allergies, skin
rashes. We should keep
surroundings clean and dry to
prevent fungus growth.
2. Stomach infection: It occurs
due to bacteria/ virus. Causes of
transmission are eating out,
unhygienic conditions, eating
food with unwashed hands. It
may be also result of food
poisoning.
Rigorous cleaning of raw food,
proper cooking methods and
washing hands before eating
can reduce the chances of
acquiring stomach infection.
Tips to stay healthy and safe
during monsoon.
x As mentioned above, Fungus
growth is very common during
rainy days due to moist
weather. To prevent fungus
growth, keep your home germ-
free with disinfectant.
x Don’t allow water stagnation in
or nearby you home.
x Look for water seepage on walls
or ceilings and attend the
problems as soon as possible.
x Dirty smell and fungus infection
in clothes is another issue
during rainy days. To keep your
clothes fungus free wash them
top to bottom and iron the
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|July – August 2015
clothes before storing. Heat will
kill fungal spores if any.
x Get a few packets of
naphthalene balls and place
them in cupboards where you
store clothes, in kitchen sinks
and washbasins.
x Don’t step into water puddles. If
you have to forcefully do that,
clean yourself thoroughly after
getting wet.
x Ride your vehicle being extra
careful, as there are chances of
skidding due to slippery roads.
x Use the soap/body wash which
complement your skin. It is best
to use medicated soaps this
season.
x Remove wet, dirty clothing as
soon as you reach home.
x Take hot water bath twice daily
and wipe the body with clean
towel to keep yourself clean and
dry.
x Apply anti bacterial and anti
fungal powder after bath to
keep your skin free from any
infection.
x Keep your bathroom clean and
dry.
x Some ladies have a habit of
keeping the make-up products
in bathroom. The humidity in
bathroom tends to make your
products contaminated with
fungus. Thus, it is better to store
these products in dry place to be
on safe grounds.
x Keep your genital area clean
and dry. Maintain personal
hygiene by cleaning genital area
with soap and wiping it dry.
x Fungal infection may result in
scalp itching and scratching.
Take extra care for your hair
and scalp. Wash your hair
regularly.
x Along with maintaining
hygiene, do regular exercise and
include ginger, garlic and tulsi
in your food to stay active and
healthy with raised immunity
during this season.
Have a healthy and happy
monsoon. Now, get some
colorful umbrellas and enjoy
monsoon.
- Riddhi Nath
19
|July-August 2015
Organic is trending these days! Healthy
living is something that all of us look out
for.And this is true for our kids as well.
With a lot of news reports revolving around
adulteration of food, you can’t rely on
anything these days. Even the ones sold
branded as organic, you got to be careful to
check the authenticity! It is high time to
think about what is the safest way to feed our
little ones.
So what is the alternative for this?
Make your own food. Grow a kitchen
garden!!
Is that even possible? It’s not impossible and
definitely worth a try.
“We stay in a flat in a metro. We don’t even
have a terrace or a balcony.”- This will be
the first thought that crossed your mind on
mentioning about kitchen garden. Isn’t it?
Well, a vegetable garden is still possible
insipte of the space constraints. You can have
your own kitchen garden even in the window
of your apartment.
“I am working parent. Do you think we have
the time to take care of the plants.” – Your
next excuse to put off the gardening idea.
As a working parent myself I can asure you
that it takes minimum effort to maintain a
garden.
If you have kept some flowering plants in and
around your house , this is just the same!
Infact even lesser effort.Give it a try.
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|July-August 2015
Here are few tips to grow your own vegetable
garden.
The basic essentials to start a kitchen
garden
#1. Pots or containers: You could use the
mud pots available at nurseries or plastic
pots or even old buckets or containers. Grow
bags especially made for growing plants are
also available at nurseries.
Use plastic plates under the pots to avoid
water from draining out especially if you set
this up at the window.
#2. Seeds: Seedlings are easily available at
various nurseries. The people at nurseries
can also guide you on the right season to sow
a seed.
#3. Soil: Soil should be of good quality and
should retain moisture. Again the nurseries
play guide to choose the right type of soil and
also provide the compost needed.You can use
your kitchen waste as an organic compost.
#4. Water: Plants need watering regularly.
Excessive watering is also considered bad.
Depending upon the season choose to water
the plants.
#5. Sunlight: Choose an area where
sunlight is good.However ensure that the
plants are not under direct sunlight for a long
period especially in terraces.Moderate
sunlight is good for germination .
#6. Insect or pest control: Its important
to keep the veggies germ and insect free.
Water boiled with neem leaves can be
sprayed to keep insects at bay.
21
|July-August 2015
How to do kitchen/vegetable
gardening?
Once you have the raw materials its fairly
simple. Sow the seeds, water them regularly.
During the germination phase ensure that
you just sprinkle the water.Direct pouring of
water may result in the seedlings to get
damaged. Also do not over expose to
sunlight.
Monitor the seeds on a daily basis to check if
there is any kind of insect attack.
Patience is the key here. Be patient. Every
seed takes some time to germinate. It
dependant on a number of factors like the
weather , water , quality of seed and soil ,
sunlight etc.
What vegetables to try first for a
kitchen garden?
You can begin with, some veggies that have
less maintenance.
From my experience tomatoes, brinjal, ladies
finger, cucumbers, coriander, spinach,
fenugreek ,chillies and curry leaves doesn’t
require much. For a beginner in kitchen
gardening I will recommend to try these out
first. And most of them are what you use in
day in day cooking.
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|July-August 2015
The benefits of having a kitchen
garden
x The most important benefit of having a
vegetable garden is that you can eat
pesticide free vegetables. Use natural
fertilizers and grow chemical free fruits and
veggies. This is the best thing you can do for
your kids.
x You always have a fresh supply of
vegetables at your reach. Fresh organic
vegetables are more tasty.
x Fun of having your own veggies. Sense of
pride. Oh yes you have grown your own
veggies!! Trust me this is fun.
x Till date kids have been eating what you
cook. Now they can even eat what you have
grown.
x Kids can see this process and take up
interest in the same. Gardening is a great
hobby to cultivate and one of the best things
you can tech your kids
x You don’t have to pay very high prices to
buy organic vegetables from the market.
You can get it for free from your own
kitchen garden. Your only investment is a
little time and effort. When you grow your
own food, you grow your own money.
Having your own self sufficient garden will
take additional effort and time.
First try this out for a simple kitchen garden
and then you can make a full time garden
for your kitchen needs.
Most people give up thinking that the plants
aren’t growing well. Well it takes some time
to sprout and then give fruits. Also ensure
that you pick up the right seed for the right
season. People at your local nursery can
help you here. Also not all seeds that you
sow shall sprout. So patience is the key
here!
Honestly, this is worth giving a try. You
have minimum investment and there is
nothing to loose. Also you enjoy and have
some fun with a trial at gardening and at
the end harvest pesticide free, organic
vegetables.
Hope this helps more people to grow a
vegetable garden and live healthy!!
23
| July – August 2015
Come the season of festivals and the
splash is seen almost everywhere. Be it the city malls all dressed up in its majestic look, the colorful newspaper advertisements with splendid offers, the flashy streets, the attractive shamianas in the nooks and corners, school activities, spring cleaning or renovation at your place, shopping spree, pulling out the fineries and finally lamenting on your burning pockets – all are green signals of celebration time.
Growing up in a nuclear family didn’t leave me out of the traditional values and the importance of celebrating various festivals. As a matter of fact, it was only during festivals we were given the luxury of goodies and gifts. We had a structured way to commemorate these special days. It was not like an everyday affair.
Similarly, in the current techno aid era, we will never want our kids to lose on this rich heritage of culture and beautiful traditions which are slowly and gradually fading out with the influence of western ethnicity and yes of course, blame the busy schedule wherein both parents are working and even children are busier considering their age with the amount of classes and activities they are so deeply and devotedly involved in.
Are we trailing upon our Indian culture and forgetting these beautiful rites and rituals for which our land is so popularly known around the world?
With the cream education and strong media exposure, I am not declaring our children to be completely naïve rather they are more equipped when it comes to awareness and general knowledge.
The world is a small place now and with the increase in communication connectivity people instantly know the various changes that takes around almost every day.
But our fast lives and a decrease in personal touch, festivals have become more of days to relax at home or go for a holiday to faraway place that is hardly human bound.
It is said that children are our better extensions. They bloom if we fertilize them daily. So, we as parents should take up the responsibility to make them understand the true essence of celebrating various festivals in its traditional manner.
Navratri, should never mean just going to the beauty parlors, shopping for the 9-day attire,
Anjana Jins
2424
| July – August 2015
late night hang out with friends, taking pictures, eating and dancing around to impress the opposite gender.
Teach them the sanctity of this beautiful festival of fervor, the worshipping powerful Goddess Durga and her 9 incarnations.
Christmas doesn’t mean just decorating Christmas trees, cribs, hanging stockings, waiting for gifts, gorging on cakes, drinking wine and wearing your best dress out. It is a season of love, sharing, helping the needy and regular prayer.
Ramadan should never be a time to show your cooking skills or gorge on the iftar delicacies. It is the month of scarifies and helping. Teach your children the value of empathy and scarifies.
Tips to create awareness amongst our children about festivals and its traditional celebration –
-We all know “Charity begins at home” so create a holy environment right at your place
and become role models for our children during the festive season.
-Narrate fascinating stories from your childhood and the ways you celebrated different festivals along with your relatives and friends.
-Read out stories behind every festival and promote the emotions and feelings behind them.
-Teach your kids to pray on regular basis in order to be always connected to their religion and more importantly to make them learn the supreme power of divinity.
-Take them to temples, churches, synagogues and mosques so that they understand the imperativeness of different religions and associated sentiments. This doesn’t mean taking on pilgrim trips but a balance of both fun and devotion does the trick.
-Encourage them to wear traditional attires on the festival days. Let them know the beauty of these dresses so that they respect and love their age old culture and customs.
-Make them eat the yummy delicacies and teach the significance of these dishes.
-Many festival related shows are aired on TV, develop an interest in the little ones to watch and learn. Have interactive sessions with them.
-Never strictly force them to do follow any particular tradition with sharp words, on the contrary, instill feelings and warmth in them so that they enjoy following their rich civilization.
-Last but not the least; love your kids because love itself creates magical moments in our lives. -
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| July- August 2015
Notes: x Adjust the sugar as per your requirement. This is the correct ratio, but if you think it’s
too sweet for you, adjust it accordingly the next time you prepare it. x You may add condensed milk also to it though it’s ideally not required. x This tastes best when served cold.
Ingredients
x Rice – handful (ponni/basmati) x Milk - 4 cups x Sugar – 1 cup x Ghee – 1 tbs.
Instructions
1. Wash the rice. 2. Heat ghee in the pressure cooker. Sauté the
rice in it. 3. Add milk and sugar. Stir well for few seconds. 4. Bring it to boil and close the pressure cooker. 5. Once the steam comes keep the weight. 6. Keep the flame low and cook for 10 minutes. 7. Switch off the flame and open it after 30
minutes.
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| July- August 2015
Notes:
x You could also use pineapple chunks available in stores. But the fresh pineapple tastes much better.
x In few parts of Kerala the pachadi mixture has mustard seeds also grinded along with coconut. I personally do not like flavor of mustard seeds and hence omitted the same. But for all other pachadis it’s a must ingredient. -Roshni Ann Mathew
Ingredients
x Fresh pineapple- 2 cups x Jaggery (grated)-1-2 tb spoon x Chilly pd-1 tsp x Turmeric-1/2tsp x Beaten yogurt-1cup x Salt – as reqd x Grated coconut-1 cup x Cumin seeds-1/2 tsp x Oil-1 tbsp. x Mustard seeds-1/2 tsp x Dry red chillies-3-4 nos x Curry leaves- a sprig
Instructions
1. Cook diced pineapple along with jaggery, chilly powder and turmeric powder in ½ cup of water.
2. Cook for about 20 minutes or till the water is completely absorbed. Let it cool down.
3. Coarsely grind the pineapple. (Please note the desired texture here is chewable bits and not pureed pineapple). Keep it aside.
4. Grind coconut and cumin with a little water and make it into a fine paste.
5. Add this to the coarsely grinded pineapple and cook till the raw taste of coconut is gone.
6. Add beaten yogurt to it and add salt finally. To avoid curdling, keep the flame low once curd is added.
7. Add the tempering using oil, mustard seeds and curry leaves.
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| July – August 2015
INGREDIENTS
x Banana (over ripe) -2 nos
x Eggs- 4 nos
x Powdered sugar- 7-8 tbsp.
x Butter (unsalted) –to grease the pan
x Cardamom pods-2-3
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Blend all the ingredients to a fine puree.
2. Grease a saucepan or a nonstick pan.
3. Pour the blended puree into the pan and keep it on lowest flame.
4. Keep for 45 to 50 minutes or till a knife inserted comes out clean. Do not
increase the flame else the bottom will get burned.
5. Switch off the flame and let it cool down for about 15 minutes.
6. Cut into squares and serve.
7. You can garnish with fried raisins if you want.
28
| July – August 2015
What/Who was the inspiration
behind MyBabyCart?
A little about MBC
MyBabyCart started in 2012, after my
son was born. I realized not many e-
commerce websites were offering good
baby products so thought of starting
MyBabyCart.com.
MBC has always stood for 1-thing,
good products for baby and kids. We
never compromise on quality of
merchandise available at
MyBabyCart.com. This quest of finding
amazing products led us to
mompreneurs. Moms who turned
entrepreneurs out of their own need to
give best to their baby.
As we started engaging with
mompreneurs more and more, we
realized the need to build a community
for mompreneurs. An eco-system
which helps them grow, network and
support each other. MBC is trying to
build such an eco-system for
mompreneurs.
Meet the mompreneur of the Month, Mridula Arora, owner of MyBabyCart. Read on to find out about her inspirational journey....
29
| July – August 2015
MBC community consists of women
entrepreneurs who are -
x Highly skilled at a specific craft
like crochet, knitting, quilting
etc.
x Who can import great stuff and
have an eye for great
merchandise.
x Bloggers, with great insights
about parenting and various
other things.
x Photographers for better
cataloguing.
MBC is not just an e-commerce
website, but it is an initiative which is
helping women at home to build their
identity.
About 80% of urban women don’t join
any job and women who do, out of that
nearly 40% take a break from their
career to be with their little one. There
is a huge talent pool of women at
home. MBC is an initiative to help
those women and utilize their talent
and build a business out of that.
When did the journey begin?
MyBabyCart started in 2012 as a baby-
ecommerce website. We scaled up with
the help of funding from friends and
family.
But by end of 2012 sustaining this
business became difficult and so we
decided to scale down the business.
By end of 2013, my friend Rakchha
joined MBC and that is when we
started our journey to start working
with amazing ladies at home and be
their online business partner.
Does being a mompreneur give a
better work life balance?
How do you define the term
‘Mompreneur ‘?
Yes being a Mompreneur certainly
gives you flexibility of time.
When you are an entrepreneur you
cannot switch off your business, it is
very similar to being a mom.
When you become Mom, baby is
always on your mind. First you think
about baby and then about anything
else.
When you become Mompreneur you
bring the same Mom attitude to your
business. Now you have two things as
priority, your baby and your business.
Behind any successful Mompreneur,
there is an amazing support system.
Support system can be just her
30
| July – August 2015
husband, her parents/in-laws. It is
very important to value that support
system and make sure you show your
gratitude towards them in your own
way. You take some time out to show
how much their support means to you.
What is the biggest challenge
you face being mompreneur?
Mompreneur is no different than any
entrepreneur when it’s about handling
business.
Business challenges are same, but
being a Mom you must take time out
for your baby. The challenge is to
ensure you that both baby and
business are your equal priorities.
I personally ensure that I am always
home by 6:30 pm without fail, as that
time is only for my son. I never
compromise on that. When I am with
my son, I am only mom!
What is the biggest advantage of
being a mompreneur?
You have right attitude for business.
As I mentioned earlier being an
entrepreneur is very similar to being a
mom! Mom manages at least 5 people,
kids, husband, parents so she is by
default an expert at handling people, 31
| July – August 2015
multi-tasking, taking care of all the
needs of people around. She is by
default the GoTo person for any
problem at home. This is the attitude
expected out of entrepreneurs as well.
About MBC: What makes MBC
special and different?
MBC is very special, as this is by
Moms, for Moms and of Moms. We are
an all women organization.
Women at home supply our products;
Moms handle our customer support at
home, whom we love to call Customer
Moms.
All our cataloguing work is done by
Moms at home, whom we call Product
Moms. Our blogs are written by
Mother Bloggers.
All products sold at MBC are
handpicked by Moms, so we may never
have 1 crore products but we certainly
have the best and each product is
worth buying.
We don’t want our customers to waste
time browsing through thousands of
product to finally figure out the right
product for themselves. Instead, we
want them to buy fast from our
curated collection and enjoy rest of the
time with their baby.
Any word of advice to budding
mompreneurs?
Lessons learnt during your
journey as a mompreneur. Must
have quality in a mompreneur?
Advice is simple, work hard, have your
priorities right in place and never
forget to show your gratitude towards
your support system.
Lessons learnt- there are no short-cuts
in business. If you want to build a
business, think, plan and then execute!
No problem comes without a solution.
So keep looking for the solution as you
have the potential to solve any
problem.
Must have quality - You are a Mom,
you already have the right attitude,
just go for it!
32
33| July – August 2015
The uterus can
stretch up to 500
times its normal
size during the
course of
pregnancy!!
Tall woman
have higher
chances of
conceiving
twins!! -
The baby’s
fingerprints are
formed during
the first
trimester.
One in every
2000 babies is
born with a
tooth.
During the second trimester of your pregnancy the baby urinates in your uterus. And they drink it!!
The longest
recorded
pregnancy
period for a
woman lasted
for 1 year and
10 days.!!
Only about 5%
of babies are
born on their
due date.
A baby in womb
takes all the
nutrients he
needs and then
only the mother
gets her share of
the nutrients.