I started giving ragi porridge to my daughter after she started solids, she really liked her ragi porridge. Things to make sure before starting ragi porridge when you are making it at home is ragi should be properly sprouted and you can keep changing the consistency of porridge as per age.
Homemade ragi flour is best for babies.
Ragi powder is really good for babies and is full of nutritional benefits. It is rich in iron and calcium and one of the richest source of protein. It helps in weight gaining for babies and easy digestion. Ragi is quite fulfilling meal for a baby.
So how to prepare sprouted ragi flour at home?
Ingredients
Ragi/ Finger Millet (1 kg or as you require), if you have Organic one then it’s even better.
Process
Take ragi in a big bowl and pour sufficient amount of water to wash it properly.
Strain the water to remove impurities that comes up.
Repeat the process 3 to 4 times until you get clear water .(remember this step is really important as ragi comes with a lot of impurities)
Now add some more clear water and soak it for 6 to 7 hours or overnight.
Sprouting ragi- Now strain the water and keep Ragi in a Muslin cloth or steel bowl with little opening to allow air flow.
You have to keep it overnight for Proper sprouting.
I use to keep in bowl and keep turning upside down after a few hours to avoid smell.
Now you can check your ragi would be fully sprouted.
Ragi
Impurities floats up
After 3_4 Wash
Strian and soak again
Soaked ragi ready for sprouting
Sprouted ragi
Making ragi flour
Now you have to keep sprouted ragi in sunlight for 2-3 days to dry it out. This is to prevent it from spoiling due to any kind of moisture
Then dry roast the sunlight dried ragi on slow flame in a pan, this will dry it out even more and make it crispy and easy to grind
Cool it and grind into fine flour
Ragi flour
Your ragi flour is ready and now you can use it in any form like make porridge, or mix it with wheat flour and chapati or cookies. Do try and share with hashtags #forbabnmommyblogs
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How to manage money when you have a new member in family
Welcome new member of family
As you become parents and start a new life with your little one, you start learning many things.
One of it is money management as little bundle of joy comes with a lot of expenses. Starting from their daily needs to new wardrobe and all the needed items for taking care of the little one plus mother’s health.
It all starts the day you get pregnant from doctors visit and daily appointments to your delivery with a little one in your hand and beyond. You need to plan a lot to take care of not spending too much on extra expenses.
Let’s talk about how we can take care of not spending too much.
Choosing the right doctor and hospital
As new parents you try to search for the best doctor and facility for your pregnancy. Most of the high end hospitals comes with high packages, so you need to search and talk to your relatives and friends for suggestions. And choose the best doctor with good experience and needed facilities for delivery. Just make sure the hospital is clean and tidy with all needed facilities for your and your baby.
Choosing a right Health Insurance
As you know now a days medical cost is getting costlier every year. So one should decide early about there mediclame i.e. health insurance which covers maternity expense. Usually one would not get maternity benefit immediately after taking the policy as there is waiting period of 2 to 4 years depending on the provider.
This will save you a fortune on your delivery bill.
Vaccination
Doctor would recommend you take all vaccination for your baby. You can choose the required one only. Also they might suggest to take pain less one which cost higher, but their is not much difference with normal one. Your kid will cry for some time and then will forget about it and will be normal. Just try not to touch that place for a day or so.
Also if you are not going abroad then you can double check the brand and price as this also tends to increase the vaccination cost.
Cloth diapers
Switch to cloth diapers is the best way to save money and environment. You can buy diapers in lot or when they are at a discount. It would last long for three years and can be reused or sold again after your baby is diaper free. One diper can fit different size, so as your baby grows you don’t need to buy a new one, just adjust the same and you are good to go.
New baby clothes
My princess
We often do this mistake of buying a full wardrobe for your newborn in excitement. But the fact is most of the time we kept them covered in a blanket or rompers. And all the relatives and friends gift clothes too. So buying few sets and getting some preloved from cousins is also good. As the preloved clothes are best for newborn as the fabric is really soft with regular use. This way you can save a lot.
New baby shoes.
Now this one is really important, we can skip buying shoes for new baby until they are able to walk or stand on their own. Most of the time babies are wearing rompers so they don’t require shoes. When they learn to stand then only you would need proper shoes as before that most of the time they are in your lap, bedding or stroller.
Baby gear
Hi
Being a new parent we tend to buy many things like rocker, walker, stroller and most of the time it’s used rarely so think twice about what you really need for the baby. If you are living in a place where you can rarely use strollers, baby carrier is a better option and you can always check some pre-loved options as these items are not used at times and people give it in lesser price as pre-loved.
Initially we have also used a pre loved stroller to make sure she sits in it and get use to it. Then only we bought a new one and that too which can be used for longer period.
Pre-loved options
This is one really easy way to cut of your high expenses. Most of the baby items are rarely used and parents give you in less price. So when your are planning to buy costly items for baby, don’t forget to check pre-loved groups for better deals.
These Small small saving can helps you save a lot and keep your budget stable.
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MediaTek Technology Diaries – Technology Now & Future Fortunate enough to attend the event organised by one of the leader in chip manufacturing – MediaTek. After attending this event I came to know we have so many chips in our home and in daily use appliances like in TV, microwave, fridge, smart light etc. MediaTek’s … Continue reading “MediaTek Technology Diaries – Technology Now & Future”
MediaTek Technology Diaries – Technology Now & Future
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Fortunate enough to attend the event organised by one of the leader in chip manufacturing – MediaTek.
After attending this event I came to know we have so many chips in our home and in daily use appliances like in TV, microwave, fridge, smart light etc.
MediaTek’s Technology Diaries Series leads discussions on Cutting-Edge Technologies Impacting our Everyday Lives.
Many of you might be familiar with MediaTek, they are Taiwanese Semiconductor company who manufacture chips for many devices. Devices like smartphone, tablets, navigation systems, multimedia products etc.
This was 3rd chapter of Technology Diaries series by MediaTek, through which they want to make technology clearer & easier to understand for general public. Also to understand how technology shapes our daily life and the role and importance it has.
Wall of Fame
Third chapter in the series was led by popular radio host RJ Sriram Sullia of Fever 104 FM, along with Anku Jain, Managing Director, MediaTek India and Anuj Sidharth, Sr. Manager, Marketing and Communications, MediaTek India and Rajiv Makhni technology journalist, managing editor at NDTV and host of a show Tech Makhni on Radio Mirchi.
At present AI is one of the most heard word on TV, Social media etc. Artificial Intelligence is a program that learns and become more smart as time passes.
AI detects the user behaviour or say how one uses a particular thing and suggests applications, top news headlines, products you ‘ll be interested in buying when you open those web pages or websites/apps.
AI is quite useful in daily life like some of the music apps will creates or suggest you a playlist as per your previous song selections. Amazon will show you products as per your browsing history.
Now a days we have apps that will learn the pattern from your shopping history and will created a shopping list accordingly.
One of the most heard place about AI now a days is mobile phone and photography. New mobiles are equipped with AI scene recognition that will change the setting and will give you near to perfect click.
It also keeps learning and add new things to it self to provide more user friendly experience. For example AI enabled phone now comes with Face Id or say face unlock. Over a period as you use face unlock system learns more about your face pattern and make it more accurate.
MediaTek has its own contribution in AI with NeuroPilot. This provides MediaTek’s products with high performance and power efficient for AI features and applications.
They have there state of the AI enabled processors which are used in different devices from smartphone, smart home to wearable and connected cars.
Self Driving Cars
Most of us have heard or read about this and how its a game changer. First thing that comes to our mind after hearing self driving car is Tesla.
Experiment on self driving cars goes way back to 1920’s, yes you read it right this was the period when it started.
There are 2 things in it i.e. self driving but there is a driver behind the wheel and driver less.
Driver less is still in development and many experiments are conducted by BMW, Mercedes, Volkswagen and other major auto manufacturer.
For making all this a success major credit goes to the evolution in technology. How a small chip can process so many things in fraction of second and respond as per the situation.
MediaTek is one of the company that provide solutions for such technology. Like there NB – IoT i.e Narrow Band Internet of Thing and through turnkey hardware and software solutions.
IoT i.e Internet of Things is a network of smart devices, vehicles, smart home basically for all the appliances which contain electronic, software and connectivity which enables them to share data and information.
MediaTek NB-IoT platform enables NB-IoT devices to be installed in locations that cannot be served by competing IoT connectivity standards, powering device installations in remote or difficult to access locations.
Autus, MediaTek’s suite of automotive and automated driving solutions, uses AI, mmWave, machine learning and advanced visual processing solutions and technologies to deliver the latest in navigation and infotainment innovation.
Wearable/Fitness tracker
In today’s world everyone is busy in there life which ultimately affect our health.
To help us in this sector now we have fitness trackers and wearable devices. These devices are equipped with a chip that is able to process the body moment and provide us the result about our health like heart rate, sleep pattern etc.
These Smart Wearable also learn over the time and provide suggestions like time to do some activity if it found you ideal for a given period of time.
Smart devices
There are many smart devices that we use daily and most important is our mobile.
MediaTek Helio P70 is the latest addition to the Helio series of powerful and power-efficient chips for the mid-market segment.
Nowadays chips are getting more powerful and power efficient and same goes with P70. It has capabilities of AI, smart photo album, Face ID and most important depth of field for that Portrait effect for all the selfie lovers.
Other smart devices that many of us uses are tablets, smart television, smart home security and media devices that can turn any television which has HDMI connector to a smart TV like Amazon Fire TV or Google Chrome Cast.
Amazon Eco Dot
MediaTek powers an array of Amazon consumer products, including the Amazon Fire TV, Fire HD 8 and Fire HD 10 tablets. These are the latest in a series of Amazon devices powered by MediaTek that offer consumers rich multimedia experiences with minimal power consumption.
Sometime back I have seen a video where a Guy received his package even though there was no one at home.
When the delivery guy ring his bell on his smart home security which was connected to his smartphone. He communicated with the delivery guy through his smart home security and asked him to put the package in his parked Tesla beside the main gate.
He even open and closed the boot of his Tesla sitting remotely and could see the delivery guy keeping the package in it.
Few more benefits of technology is Alexa and Google. With the help of smart devices like Amazon Echo and Google home mini now kids can solve there queries with so much ease.
They just have to say Hey Google or Alexa Which is the tallest statue in the world and they will know the answer – Statue of Unity which is 182 meters tall located in Indian state Gujarat.
One even control other smart devices of there home with these devices.
Technology has its drawbacks as well.
All your personal information can be hacked and made public, it’s not that easy but we have instances which proves it can be done.
Applications can track all your activities like what all you visit online etc.
Applications can track your location where have you been.
All the data is shared with other companies and they make money on it.
What you type that can also be tracked and stored.
I feel people are more connected but online through apps and not personally.
One of the major drawback of technology is with our kids. Now a days kids are so use to smartphone and tablets that they are not interested in other physical activities.
Now kids are only interested in playing online games and watching videos.
No matter how safe the self driving or driver less car can be accidents do happen with those cars and we can’t rely 100% on technology.
Really I have learned so much about the chips used and current and future technology trends through this event and help me clear many doubts about technology.
With RJ Sriram Sullia and Anku Jain Managing director Media Tek
Kannur has one of the most beautiful beaches we have visited till date. It’s also known as ‘Crown of Kerala’ due to various reason and its geographic location. After we bought our first car it was my husbands wish to drive the car on a beach and splash the sea water while driving through the … Continue reading “Drive-in Beach Kannur”
Kannur has one of the most beautiful beaches we have visited till date. It’s also known as ‘Crown of Kerala’ due to various reason and its geographic location.
After we bought our first car it was my husbands wish to drive the car on a beach and splash the sea water while driving through the waves (just like what we use to see in movies). So, while planning our holiday he came across Kannur and immediately it was his first preference to visit this place.
Drive in Beach
After doing some research for route & stay, we finalized one home stay through Airbnb. Our home stay was located right on the beach, well not exactly right on the beach but stone throw distance.
It was around 310 Km from our home, we started early but not that early around 5.30 AM. With kid it’s hard to leave very early, you keep thinking if you have kept all the required things for your kid or not till you sit in the car and leave.
What we have started doing is we pack all the luggage a night before and arrange it in the car, only thing we leave for the morning is the food item and ourselves ?.
This leads to less hassle in the morning to arrange the stuff, less sweating which leads to fresh mind and body to start the long drive. We took 2 stops one for B/F and another a loo/tea break, also it helps in relaxing the legs which is required if only one person is there to drive.
Coorg Gate, stop just before entering Kerala
The route was quite straight forward till we reach Kerala, then some ghat section comes through the beautiful jungle. Our second stop was just before the ghat/jungle section at Coorg gate, that’s the only restaurant on the right side. It has ample of parking, nice clean toilets (w/o health faucet).
The route we took was –
Mysore highway till Krishnarajasagara road, then from there Bilikere – Hunsur – Gonikoppal – Vayathur – Iritty – Mattanur – Kannur
Route we followed
Most of the road is in good shape till we reach kannur but just before kannur there is road and new airport construction going on so there are some diversions, mud road etc. otherwise no issue at all.
Beautiful scenery on the way
With all the stops and road condition it took us 7-7.30 hours to reach our home stay, by lunch we were at our home stay.
We booked Ivorycoast’e home stay through Airbnb and believe me it was simply awesome experience with our host. Our host is simple, humble, polite and friendly guy who will help you in every manner.
Balcony of our room
They serve fresh, homemade Kerala style food at very reasonable rates. We didn’t go anywhere else for any of our meal. If we are out somewhere then we finish that site and came back to have the lunch and then after some rest head back to another place.
Backyard of Home stay
Another benefit of our home stay is distances from the places to visit, it was like in the middle of Muzhappilangad Beach and Kannur Light house & St. Angelo’s fort. Ivorycoast’e has 6 rooms, 3 on ground and 3 on first with porch, balcony, garden area with table chairs kept.
(For more detailed review of the property visit my TripAdvisor)
Here you have your B/F, Lunch/Dinner served which you can enjoy with cold breeze coming from the sea and magical sound of sea waves.
Relaxing under palm tree
Thottada Beach is just 50 mtr away from the Ivorycoast’e, it’s beautiful, clean, calm beach. It’s located behind the residential area so not many people come here. In the morning we saw only 4-5 people doing there morning walk or exercise. You can easily enjoy your time with family and loved one’s w/o worrying about any kind of disturbance.
Thottada Beach near Home stay
Ivorycoast’e is mostly popular with foreigners which come here to relax for 10-15 days and explore the local culture. When we were there Theyyam festival was being celebrated in a near by temple. Our host was kind enough to take us to witness the festival.
Theyyam celebration
Believe me it was amazing experience.
Theyyam celebration at near by temple
Other than relaxing at our home stay we have visited Kannur light house, and St. Angelo’s fort and the most important place for which my husband had planned the holiday i.e. Muzhappilangad Drive in beach.
Muzhappilangad Drive in beach is one of the largest in Asia. There is entry fee of I think Rs 30, it’s around 5 Km in length so you have enough space to drive your car or find some place away from crowd. The beach is very clean, its awesome experience driving your car on the beach (as per my husband ?).
Beautiful sunset
We have visited in the evening to witness sun set and it was amazing experience. It was special as it was my daughters first beach holiday. She was initially afraid of water as it was too much of water coming and going also it was her first time on beach. After some time, she was enjoying her time playing with sand.
She enjoyed her first sea & sand experience
There is one thing one must be cautious about i.e. washing the under body after driving the car in sea water.
Second day of our visit we went to see Kannur light house and St. Angelo’s fort. There is also a museum below the light house which has a collection of different types of lights used in different types of light house etc. there is ticket to enter the light house and museum which is reasonably priced.
View from top of the light house
The view from the top is quite magnificent you can see sea at one end and greenery at other. Even in sunny day it was very pleasant on the top due to cold breeze. There is separate ticket to go to the front of the compound sort of walking space with garden at one end, it’s good for morning/evening walk beside the sea. Parking is available on the premises which is free.
Enjoying with some photo session 🙂
Timings are – 10 to 6
Spiral staircase to the top
There is documentary played inside the museum, in local language and English which gives more information about the history of light house and types of light houses.
Huge retired Light used in one of the light house Kept inside museum
For St. Angelo’s we have to first pay the entry fee as it is located in cantonment area, then there is parking that one has to pay. Entry is free. It’s a Portuguese fort built in 1505.
View of Arabian sea from fort
There is ample space inside the fort and has a cliff like end of the fort. There are watch towers on the walls and a chapel in the premises.
Inside the fort
From one the walls of the fort we can see the port where the fisherman park their boats. Fort has some beautiful trees inside it’s an ideal place to relax, watch sunset and enjoy the breeze. School children comes here for picnic or visit to learn more about history.
Inside Fort
We have really enjoyed out stay here, it was amazing experience in the home stay with amazing homemade Kerala style food and in the town with amazing long drive from Bangalore.
Visit Month – January
Note - All pics are from our trip and clicked by us.
Reading books is the best habit for all kids from any age. It’s an activity that gives you immense pleasure with great knowledge, if you have read a book you can remember it for life as it stays in your memory. Reading not only gives you knowledge, but it has many benefits attached to it. … Continue reading “Neev Literature Festival”
Reading books is the best habit for all kids from any age. It’s an activity that gives you immense pleasure with great knowledge, if you have read a book you can remember it for life as it stays in your memory.
Reading not only gives you knowledge, but it has many benefits attached to it. Nowadays technology has a really bad effect and now book reading is replaced by phones and tabs.
I would like to share some benefits of reading books and how Neev Literature Festival is celebrating the love of reading and introducing it to children.
Children enjoying book reading at Neev literature Festival
Benefits of reading
Gives you knowledge
The most important benefit of reading is it gives you knowledge, the more you read different books of different subjects, the more you gain knowledge of the particular subject with all details.
Improves memory.
Improves memory, when you read a book it stays in your memory and you can recall all the pictures and incidents of the story.
Exercise for brain-
It’s an exercise for your brain and hence it keeps you brain healthy and active.
Stress Booster-
Is a mental stress booster, it helps in releasing stress, you can read your favorite books when you are stressed and it helps you relax.
Improves Vocabulary-
Helps in improving vocabulary, the more you read you come to know new words and phrases.
Improves Writing Skills-
Itimproves writing skills, when you read different books from different authors you are learning new ways of writing. It helps you write in a better way.
Helps in Sharing-
Reading helps in sharing your thoughts. When you read more you can explain more and in a better way, what you feel about any particular subject.
Better Sleep-
It’s a nice sleep activity, it helps you sleep better.
Cost Effective-
Low cost and easy to carry, books are not so costly and easy to carry with you. You don’t need active internet connection or costly devices for reading books.
The most important benefit is reading has a lot morebenefits, from gaining knowledge to health.
I am glad to attend this Literature Festival organized by Neev Academy. Would like to share more about the event with you all, so that you can pin it for next year and make sure to attend this Festival.
Neev Academy Bangalore
Finally when I entered the campus, it was such a delightful experience and most noteworthy is to see the enthusiasm of all the kids attending the fest. The campus was full of colours and books, with the beautiful art exhibition.
Beautiful Art exhibition at Neev Literature Festival
The most interesting of all activities, that I enjoyed with my daughter was Book talk – reading session by Paro Anand. She was the keynote speaker at the Fest, her fearless and honest writings are inspired by her close association with kids and adults. Her stories have empowering effects on kids.
Book Reading by Mrs Paro Anand.
Her unique way of storytelling with songs and actions was making it a fun-filled learning. All the kids and parents enjoyed the reading and interactive session.
Book Reading by Shabnam Minwalla
Another interesting book reading session by Shabnam Minwalla reminded me the days of my childhood, when our Mom and Granny read us stories and we all sit around her hours lost in them.
Conversation between Children, Authors and adults .
This year they launched “Neev Children Book Awards” at Neev Literature Festival to recognize the outstanding writing in children’s literature. A wonderful series of conversation between children, authors and adults. The goal behind it was to recognize great children’s literature of all ages, growing readers for life and making reading part of every home.
These awards aim to promote and encourage high quality children’s literature from all over India.
The awards have three categories,
Picture book.
Young reader’s book.
Young adults book.
Awards nomination were open to all children’s titles, published in India or written by authors of Indian origin.
Big library at Neev Literature Festival
Beside that we had a chance to visit the big library from Neev Academy for all kids and parents. Where they can choose and read the books of their choice and interest.
Children and parents selecting books from library.
Neev literature Festival happens every year, if you have missed this year don’t forget to mark your dates for next year and celebrate your love for reading with them.
When you become a mom, you have so many questions for your baby and one of the big questions is when should we start reading for your baby? Reading books to your little one is a good habit and it should be started as early as possible, if you remember everyone saying us during pregnancy … Continue reading “When to start reading to your baby?”
When you become a mom, you have so many questions for your baby and one of the big questions is when should we start reading for your baby?
Reading books to your little one is a good habit and it should be started as early as possible, if you remember everyone saying us during pregnancy we should start reading good books and listening nice music and shlokas. This was because your baby starts listening you from the womb.
Sharing few tips for reading to your child as per her age:
0-3 months your baby is small, not able to sit. You can hold your baby and read and talk to her, sing her rhymes.
3-6 months babies start looking at objects and can see & understand different shapes as well as pictures. They tend to touch different surfaces in order to explore and so you can use nice picture books with varying textures.
6-12 months babies start sitting alone and love to explore more. They will try to hold the book and most probably try to eat it too. Try getting colorful hardbound books with small words and pictures during this time.
1-2 year baby is now big enough to hold books and choose his/her favorite book from their mini library. They can now flip papers of her book and ask you to read. They would love to ask questions to you from the book and start recognizing the books’ pictures with objects and living beings around them and often would let you know what they saw in the book.
You can always try doing small activities with them, asking to bring the items shown in picture from objects around them. Match fruits and vegetables, animals and toys & so on.
3+ babies can ask you to tell a story that is there in the books and ask you many questions related to the story. You can start with numbers and letters recognizing and counting objects in the books. You can start with good habits books and books related to the school and family/ friends, as they would love to hear about the activities happening around them and enjoy creating their own stories.
How reading helps your baby
Reading books helps your baby recognize sounds and rhythm.
Reading is a fun activity that creates a bond with the baby and comforts him/her..
You can make a schedule for reading books at night or during the day.
Reading regularly to babies helps in improving language skills and they show interest in reading when they start preschool.
Reading with actions and singing attract them and they learn to show and let you know, how they feel, what they see and so on. It helps babies communicate better.
What kind of books to choose?
For babies you can choose cloth books and touch & feel books.
For toddler’s you can try books with different sounds and fold-outs, when they can see different surprises as they open the folds or press the object.
Toddlers start learning from their surrounding and show interest in the objects around them, so you can get them body parts books, fruits-vegetables books, animal story books.
Preschool kids love listening to rhymes and doing small activities while reading books. So you can get books of small stories with pictures.
Kids later start showing their interest in long stories and learning numbers and the alphabet so you can get story books and learning books.
I have a toddler and she loves reading books, and while I was searching for new books, I found about Neev academy and their Literature festival.
Neev academy is organizing a literature festival, which is happening in Bangalore on 28th and 29th of September. It is a children’s literature festival with the intention to celebrate books and the love of reading. The second day is open to all parents, students or anyone who loves to read.
Distinguished authors and speakers are coming in for various reading, writing, storytelling workshops and panel discussions. It would be great to be part of this festival and learn more from the authors and speakers.
 I have one more good news for all of you, they are organizing Neev Book Awards 2018 for distinguished children’s literature. They aim to recognize outstanding writing that leads to a fuller understanding of India, Indian lives and Indian stories. The nominated entries can be viewed at http://neevliteraturefestival.org/awards.
There are a number of ways taking a quick weekend away can benefit your health. Taking leisure time can led to experiencing more positive frame of mind, stress-free attitude, less depression and more satisfaction.
WHEN WE HAVE EACH OTHER WE HAVE EVERYTHING!!
Weekend is the best way to give a pause to your busy life and enjoy your special moments with family..
Mommy and baby enjoying beautiful morning
Sometimes you just want to relax and spend some time with family. Never let your work life affect your family life…so take a break every weekend or at least once in a month and have a long ride?
Lovely tea gardens in Munnar
How weekend getaway helps you!
It helps you both physically and mentally improving your productivity at work and happy relationship…?
Morning track in a national park and then relaxing in a stream of fresh waterBenefits of weekend gateways
Benefits start even before you visit any place or do anything i.e. even with a thought of getaway or holiday boosts your happiness. This is my personal experience as well as results of scientific study.
Screen free time as when you are out for holidays, we enjoy the place and company and most of the time no network really helps?.
Daddy and baby enjoying the view
When you are free from your cellphone and laptop your brain and eyes are also stress free and they are also on relax mode.
Out of home means no kitchen, no cooking ? so you have more couple time, family time and you enjoy food together.
Baby’s first beach vacation
You can have more of outdoor activities with kids as most of the time we are busy with home and office work.
When you are on holidays you do more of physical activity and it’s more of your body exercise ?.
Fun time with Kid & beautiful Colosseum at back
You get free from all tension and get solution to most of your problems as after holidays you are all positive and stress free and you can concentrate proper in your work life.
Tips to plans a nice weekend gateway
Selecting a place according to your mood, whether you want a relaxing holiday or full of adventure or if not outstation then as per your interest.
Depends on ones interest – they can plan to watch a play ( I am talking about live performance ) or visit an exhibition or a movie or if possible go and watch your favourite team’s match.
Or just to relax one can pamper themselves with some nice Spa session and beauty session.
Relaxed Morning on beach
If planning outstation then one of the most important part after deciding where to go is selecting the best accommodation.
Always keep in mind the location should be near to all places you want to visit. Otherwise you would end up most of the time in traveling from hotel to places.
If you are traveling with kids/toddlers having a room with kitchen works best, as you can anytime access kitchen for kids.
Dadu dadi with granddaughter having good time at archaeological site
If you don’t want to spend too much money on lodging then definitely go for home stays through airbnb or any other website.
Recently we have a wonderful stay at Silver Brook Estate, Coorg and Ivorycoast’e, Kannur. These are both home stay’s and have kitchen facilities with helpers, you’ll feel home away from home at such places ( Would share proper detail of places soon ).
Kids enjoying the sun and having some fun
Keeping the luggage light, yes I know with a baby you have lot and lot of stuff to carry but try keeping only the essentials for the trip. Less luggage means less stress before, on and after a holiday as less things to pack – unpack, less things to take care of this means more free time in hand and relaxed mind.
Planning to visit all places before traveling, saves your time and helps you finding the best location as per the places you have planned to visit.
If you have infant or toddler then baby carriers are must have. kids are so relaxed and comfortable in carriers that they allow you to enjoy the place and you also have your hands free to do other stuff like taking some amazing pics.
Daddy enjoying beautiful sea and baby sleeping comfortably in her carrier Check my other post on baby carriers – Strength and Bonding
If possible try visiting some new places and avoid going to crowded places, in our recent trip we explored some really nice places that was not listed as tourist attraction but was worth visiting.
Always carry some snacks while traveling and keep having something every few hours. It gives you energy to enjoy more on your trip.
There is nothing wrong in a lazy beach vacation but physical activity helps oneself unwind more effectively then lounging does. Hope these tips helps you plan some more gateways and revive yourself having family bonding time. I am taking my Alexa rank to next level with Blogchatter #MyFriendAlexa
#MyFriendAlexa Hearing screening yes this is as important as any vaccination provided to your newborn baby. We are not so aware about this as it is not a compulsory test in Indian hospitals. But I am happy to see now private hospitals are taking initiative in new-born screening. This test is now included in compulsory test … Continue reading “Importance of hearing screening by Cochlear”
#MyFriendAlexa
Hearing screening yes this is as important as any vaccination provided to your newborn baby. We are not so aware about this as it is not a compulsory test in Indian hospitals. But I am happy to see now private hospitals are taking initiative in new-born screening. This test is now included in compulsory test for newborns.
We had this test for our baby girl at Apollo Cradle, in starting few days. I was really tensed when the doctor said they are not getting response so they need to do test again. After one month, thankfully she started responding soon and we were happy as no such test happened again.
But as I was unaware of these test and all details, I decided to learn more about this and share with all new moms. Let’s discuss more about hearing screening and related details.
What is newborn hearing screening?
New born hearing screening focus on identifying hearing loss at early stage. As we all know knowing the problem at early stage is better so that we can get proper solution as soon as possible. Hearing screening can be done as early as starting few days and if any hearing loss is detected further test can be done. We can get confirmation for the level of hearing loss and can start the treatment and early intervention as soon as possible.
Sharing a small video to know how hearing works in my next blog.
Early Intervention refers to therapy and other services provided to babies and family that may help with hearing loss and learning important communication skills.
Now the question is what is hearing loss?
A person who is not able to hear as well as someone with normal hearing is said to have hearing loss. It can vary in severity. A peep with mild hearing loss may find it difficult to understand conversations in noisy places such as restaurant. Someone with moderate hearing loss has difficulty understanding regular conversation unless voices are raised. Others who have severe hearing loss are unable to hear even very loud sounds close to there ears.
What causes hearing loss among newborns?
Family history
Infection suffered by the mother during pregnancy
Premature birth
Lack of oxygen at the time of birth
Severe jaundice soon after birth.
How is newborn hearing screening done?
We need to do it as soon as possible,as early the hearing loss is discovered, treatment can begin and baby can get back to normal language and development.
There are two types of screening test that may be used for newborns.
Automated Auditory Brainstem Response (AABR) – This test measures how the hearing nerves respond to the sounds. Some tones and clicks are played through soft earphones into baby’s ears and three electrodes are placed on baby’s head measures the hearing nerves response.
Otoacoustic Emissions (OAE) – This test measures sound waves produced in the inner ear. A tiny probe is placed just inside the baby’s ear canal. It measures the response when the clicks or tones are played into baby ears.
What is the next step if the baby not pass the hearing test?
It is possible at time baby not pass the hearing screening at birth as in my case too. But that does not necessarily mean that baby had hearing loss. In fact most of the babies do not pass the hearing test and have normal hearing afterwards, their can be many reason like baby might get fluids inside ear at the time of delivery.
So to be sure, we need to take proper further testing and hearing evaluation with a medical evaluation. Make sure these test are done before baby is three months old, so that if their is any hear loss, treatment can be started as soon as possible and baby can meet all round development at time.
What to be done, when hearing loss is confirmed?
Now when you get confirmation with hearing loss,it is important to know the type and level of hearing loss the baby has. You need to consult good and experienced Audiologist, Otolaryngologist (ear/nose/and throat doctor) and pediatrician. As some babies with hearing loss and have some effects on vision also,so proper test is important.
Audiologist will help you with special hearing test and therapy needed and if the hearing loss is permanent, hearing aid and therapy might be recommended for your baby.
Mom’s with Brett Lee – Global Hearing Ambassador of Cochlear’s
I was really happy to attend this informative session by Cochlear India knowing the importance of new born hearing screening. As most of us are unaware of the fact that out of 1000 babies 1 to 3 are born with some degree of hearing loss. So as earlier we can detect the problem we can start treatment with early intervention.
Brett Lee having some fun time with kid
It feel so good to see Brett Lee Cochlear first Global hearing ambassador . He has been spearheading ‘Sound of cricket’ campaign to raise awareness about the various impacts hearing loss can have on individual life and family. He is actively participating and spreading awareness and giving his personal time and attention, going and attending all government hospitals and meeting all patients.
It was a great pleasure meeting Chef Kimberly Rozario at Academy of Baking Arts and learning some really important tips and tricks that are must for baking a good cake. Chef Kimberly RozarioWe had nice time learning Berry Vanilla Gateaux with a special culinary class conducted by Chef for all the bloggers. This full pastry is … Continue reading “Baking with Academy of Pastry Arts”
It was a great pleasure meeting Chef Kimberly Rozario at Academy of Baking Arts and learning some really important tips and tricks that are must for baking a good cake.
Chef Kimberly RozarioWe had nice time learning Berry Vanilla Gateaux with a special culinary class conducted by Chef for all the bloggers.
This full pastry is made in 4 step. Sharing the full receipe.
☑️ Chocolate almond sponge
Ingredients – Quantity (gram)
Almond paste/marzipan – 150
Whole egg – 62.5
Egg yolk – 37.5
Egg whites – 137.5
Sugar – 50
Cake flour – 40
Callebaut cocoa powder – 20
Dark chocolate Callebaut madagaMada 67percent – 75
Procedure
Mix almond paste with paddle. Add in egg and egg yolk slowly until smooth paste.
Change to whisk attachment and whip mixture above until fluffy.
Make a medium peak meringue with egg whites and sugar.
Fold in meringue into 2nd mixture.
Fold the sifted cocoa powder and flour and then continue with melted chocolate.
Bake in 6″ ring for approximately 25 minutes at 165 degree C.
☑️Berry Jelly
Ingredients – Quantity (gram)
Ravifruit blackberry puree – 200
Ravifruit raspberry puree – 100
Ravifruit strawberry puree – 130
Sugar – 15
Cold water – 40
Gelatin – 8
Procedure
Dissolve gelatin with cold water.
Warm all purees with sugar until the sugar is just enough to dissolve.
Melt gelatin and mix with the puree mixture.
Pour into mould and freeze it.
☑️Red Glaze
Ingredients -Quantity (gram)
Water – 75
Sugar – 150
Glucose -150
Condensed milk – 100
Gelatin – 12
Milk chocolate Callebaut 823NV 33.6percent – 150
Red colorant
Procedure
Bring sugar, water and glucose to boil.
Add in bloomed gelatin and condensed milk.
Pour the mixture over the milk chocolate and add in colouring to emulsify.
Finishing- Glaze with raspberry glaze and garnish with chocolate decor and chopped raisins with gold dust.
☑️ Vanilla mouse
Ingredients – Quantity (gram)
Milk – 150
Whipping cream – 120
Vanilla pod – 1/2 stick
Egg yolk – 120
Sugar – 90
Gelatin – 8
Italian meringue – 120
Cold water – 40
Whipping cream – 135
Procedure
Dissolve gelatin with cold water.
Bring cream,milk and vanilla pod to boil.
Mix egg yolk and sugar and gradually add into hot mixture.
Continue to bain-marie until 83 degree centigrade with spatula. Add in gelatin, wait until slightly cool down ,strain and fold in Italian meringue.
Lastly fold in whipped cream.
It was a long process and we learned so many nice tips from chef as. ☑️ Importance of right heating temperature. ☑️ Moisture control while you microwave food item ( This one really good tips as I often get my food items dry while microwaving ). So you need to use cling wrap while you microwave. ☑️ To avoid air bubbles in glaze or any medium you need to use whisker at the bottom only and still if you get some bubbles you can use cling wraps to remove from top. ☑️ If you are planning for long term baking you should invest in a good quality silicone moulds that’s maintain shape in regular use and good quality food colour and cocoa powder really make a difference in the final product in terms of taste and colour. ☑️ For getting a good glaze and shine to your cake you need to keep insure the right temperature and time of glaze and cake.
All Bloggers with Chef
Chef is full of knowledge so the full session was a good learning one and just wished I can get some basic cakes class to get more of this pro version ?.
Academy of Pastry Arts is an esteemed group of Professional Culinary & Pastry Schools with Pan Asia presence like Malaysia, Philippines, Delhi NCR, Mumbai and Bangalore. There journey started in 2010 with the flagship school in Malaysia and now, the company is growing exponentially with plans to be in Dubai and Indonesia soon.
Their infrastructure speaks volumes with a cumulative area of about 80,000 Sq ft consisting of 46 kitchens and other facilities like amphitheatre, cafeteria etc. With such amenities, it can be safely said that they are the biggest brand in Asia.
The academy uses cutting edge technology, mixed with ingenious techniques, specifically designed to teach the art, science and techniques of creating good food and methods needed to excel in the food industry.
Their are many course available at the Academy and you can choose the one you want, few listed below –
#MyFriendAlexa Nowadayswe have culture of sitting on dining table and eating with fork and spoon, same we are following with our children. But have we ever thought why our traditional way of eating was actually sitting on floor and eating with hands! Our elders also used to sit on floor and eat with hands. So … Continue reading “Benefits of sitting on floor and eating with hand”
#MyFriendAlexa
Nowadayswe have culture of sitting on dining table and eating with fork and spoon, same we are following with our children. But have we ever thought why our traditional way of eating was actually sitting on floor and eating with hands! Our elders also used to sit on floor and eat with hands.
So today I was listening to Dr. Rhutuja and can’t agree more, every word she said was true and just want to share the same with you all.
Nowadays we have nice and costly high chairs for our kids, and from starting we let them sit on high chairs with food and most of the time they are on chairs or sofas. Slowly this becomes their habit and they will not sit down on floor. Let’s discuss how this changing lifestyle affects our kids heath in long-term.
Our traditional way of sitting on floor while having food and if you have noticed while doing yoga also we sit on floor, so it’s a two-way benefits as you are doing yoga also while eating (sukhasana).
2. Easy Digestion
While sitting on floor and eating we tend to move forward and bend to eat and by this way we helps our abdomen muscles in secreting digestive juices which helps in easy digestion of food.
3. Strengthen Lumbar region
Sitting down and eating helps kids maintaining good body posture, opening their hip-joint and giving more flexibility to their pelvis and legs and strengthen their lumbar region of the body.
4. Family bonding
It’s not only kids will sit and eat, as a family you all have to sit down together and eat. This will help in some family bonding time also.
5. Improves Blood circulation
It helps in improving blood circulation by relaxing the nerves and calms your body, that helps in easy digestion too. As when you sit on chair your blood circulation is directed towards feet and while sitting in crossed legs position heart receive proper blood circulation.
6. Eating with hands
While sitting down we should also teach them eating with hands then with spoon/forks. Traditionally we eat with our all fingers as per ayurveda our five fingers are the extension of five natural elements ( will discuss it in my next blog ). While eating with five fingers it energies the food and helps to keep all pranas balanced.
7. Flexible
When your kids body is easy and flexible while sitting on floor, sitting on chair is not be hard. But if you let your kid only sit on chair every time it will be hard for them to get flexible and sit comfortably on floor.
For encouraging kids we need to step forward and set an example for them, they love to do what we do so why not share some good habits that we had from our elders.
