Today we received a surprise package for the girls, from one of the lovely ladies in my study group. You know the excitement of receiving a package when you are least expecting it is far greater than the anticipation of waiting for one 😊 yes, when the postman knocked on the door, the girls and I looked at each other, then at SP,wondering if he had ordered something. The parcel was addressed to the girls & they were rapt! I am blown away by this little act of kindness.
Goodies! Ms An had ripped the packet open before I could take a photo.
MsA wanted to cook tonight, as she had to do a write up about cooking. And I gladly agreed. This meant that I was able to relax after work and not stress about getting dinner ready on time.
So, I spread a picnic blanket on the front lawn, grabbed a book and a cuppa and watched the world go by. MsAn played on the street, some neighbors stopped for a chat as they went for the daily walks or supervised their own kids. Mowgli was happy with all the extra attention too. The weather was beautiful too. SP came outside with his tea too, and we stayed outside for as long as we could, until it started getting dark.
He grabs the lead, if he doesn’t want to go back inside.
Another day comes to an end.. looks like the lockdown fatigue is here to stay. Tomorrow is the last day of the school term for the girls. We have officially survived two terms of home learning. At this stage we are looking at atleast 4 more weeks of home learning after the school holidays. But, I am not going to think about it just yet… one day at a time.. This will pass.
It’s all well and fine to promote self care, but it’s no good if we don’t practice what we preach. I have a day off today and I decided to spend some time on myself.
Usually, my day off starts no different to any other day. I still wake up at the same time, rush through the routine and get the girls , specially MsAn ready for school or online class . Today, I allowed myself the luxury of staying in bed a tad longer .
As everyone else was busy with work and school, I did some house work and then put on a charcoal mask and stayed in bed reading till it was time to wash it off. Isn’t it’s so important to switch off sometimes ? Put all your tasks on the back burner and just relax.
I also used the Hair dryer for the first time in 6-7 months. MsAn had Food Tech at school today and loves cooking and baking. Nutella scrolls Scones
A quiet lazy day followed by a long walk with MsA and my big little puppy and my heart is happy . I am ready to deal with week and all the challenges it brings my way .
This is a very late post,but how can I not blog about this very big milestone.
I turned 40 this year, in February. My big FOUR-OH! Normally, I am very excited about my birthday, but this year, I was surprised by own lukewarm response to the day. Could it be that the buildup to a milestone birthday, just fizzled out all the excitement of the day?
It could be due to the fact that I had just returned from a 6 week long trip to India and was still missing family, feeling homesick. Maybe because I didn’t have a plan .Or perhaps it was just that I was anxious about turning 40. My mom was 40 when she died and I had all sorts of worries about turning 40.
19th February,2020 arrived and it felt like a normal day. SP and I had taken a day off. We dropped the kids at school and went out for coffee and breakfast followed by a long drive to Williamstown. It was one of those rare kid free dates. Next stop was a trip to the hairdressers, followed by lunchtime cocktails and grazing platter , before picking up the kids. We finished the day with a nice dinner at a Mexican restaurant, complete with the most delicious margaritas and mini cupcakes.
Do I feel any different after turning 40? No, not really.. everything is still the same.. I still get the giggles over the silliest things, I still get excited over the same things and the things that annoyed me earlier,still annoy me. So, really 40 is just a number, isn’t it?
My anxiety or worries about turning 40 have disappeared or perhaps have been replaced by COVID worries. I keep joking with SP and the kids, that I didn’t get a chance to use 2020, so I am going to turn 40 next year ..it’s only fair, isn’t it?
I leave you with my favourite photo from a lunch with my girlfriends – they surprised me with a cake.. I was truly surprised and felt so spoiled at that moment and one of my friends captured it beautifully.
My necklace is my 40th birthday gift from my dad and sister ❤️💙
How did you celebrate your milestone birthday? Were you excited or feeling ‘meh’ like me ? Leave me a comment to share 🙂
A couple of weeks back, on a dull , gloomy, rainy day, I decided to organise a high tea for 4. I mean, why not? Just because we are not allowed to have guests over, doesn’t mean that we can’t have a party for ourselves.
I ordered some Samosas and sweets from a local sweet shop, as they have adapted their business to still operate in COVID times. There is nothing that makes me happier than being able to support local businesses..ok may be I lie- Samosa & chai makes me happier 😊
And as if the universe conspired to make my tea party even grander, SP’s office sent a surprise package – a box of mini- cupcakes. Sometimes all it takes to uplift your mood is a little tea party! Grab a cuppa and join in for a virtual tea party.
September is self care awareness month and I am making a conscious effort to look after myself . Here are some of the things that I have done to look after ‘Me’
One of the things I miss most when staying at home is picking out accessories each day. Last Friday, I made a conscious effort to put on one of my favourite necklaces and some earrings, dab a little kaajal & lipstick – ta da.. instant mood lift!
Finally after nearly 6 months of setting up office at the Dining table, I set up a little office nook for myself. It’s funny how we always put ourselves last .. atleast I do. When we moved to remote learning and working from home, SP already had his home office set up . I moved the hallway table to set up the kids desk & took the last available table – the dining table. That obviously took a toll on my back , neck everything. So, here’s my big step towards looking after ‘me’
And lastly, this is not a big deal or may be it is .. I ordered lunch from UberEats yesterday ! As I said it’s not a big deal , but at the same time it is. You see, I time my lunch break with MsAn’s . So most of my lunch time is spent on whipping up something quickly for us – maybe nuggets/ an omelette / sandwiches/ dosa – anything.. but that means I have just enough time to stuff my face before I get back to my desk. Or sometimes I bring my plate back to my desk. So, I gave myself a break & had a relaxed lunch .. just like I used to at work . It’s the little things that make a difference, isn’t it?
And lastly, one of the things I miss most is talking.. spitting out all my thoughts.. I miss that now, so I am trying to write more, here and offline just random scribbles.. jotting my thoughts down .. so as to clear some space in my mind , because frankly there is too much noise in there right now. 😊
If you are still here and reading my ramblings, thank you .. do leave me a comment or an emoji, to tell me what you are doing to look after yourself!
Sooo, we have managed to survive the first half of 2020. The Pandemic has tested us, pushed our boundaries and reminded us of our place in this whole wide world.. hasn’t it?
We know now that the world doesn’t revolve around us and that it’s time for us to take a step back and consider our options and our actions very carefully. The world as we knew it has changed and chances are it will never return to the way it was.
Yesterday, our Premier announced partial lockdown for Victoria and as I heard him rattle off the postcodes of the suburbs affected, my heart started to sink. No, it’s not because we are in one of those suburbs.. it’s the fact that we are going backwards. As the hour progressed, my sense on doom started to grow too and I found myself fighting back tears, just thinking about how the people in those areas must be feeling – the stress,the pressure, the worries of health, work everything.
It’s hard being an empath – it’s hard soaking in everything around you- not only are you dealing with your own worries, you also take in the feelings of others around you. The short days don’t help with the feeling of doom and gloom as well. So, I have decided to consciously change my thoughts about the Environment around me! And the first step to that is to treat the second part of the year as the better half of the year! Almost like willing it to turn out the way, we want it to be – safe and normal.
Being disconnected from the outside world has given me a chance to reconnect with old school friends and one of them asked me if I still write . And I said no. I haven’t written it in a while. And I couldn’t think of a reason why not. I have said it here so many times that writing/ blogging makes me happy , helps me clear my mind – perhaps I should make a conscious effort to do it more often and more regularly.. you know as a self-help medium ..
Sometimes all you need to do is to look out a different window to see that everything is not as dark as it seems inside.Sometimes all you need is a little nudge to look out a different window. So, I am going to make a very serious effort – everyday . I successfully finished the FatMumSlim June Photo challenge – ok there were a few days when I had to play catchup .. but I completed the challenge & have decided to continue it for July too. So on the days that I don’t have any wise words to share, I will share a photo instead.
So, on that note, I will end this post. I don’t think I have any readers left, but if you have accidentally stumbled upon this page, do stop and say hi !
First of June marks the official start of winter,Down Under. The days get shorter and nights longer, temperature drops and as the chill creeps into our homes,an unexplained gloom starts to fill our hearts as well. Yes, winter blues are real! The good news is that we can chase these blues away,with small pick-me-ups and sail through the cold weather cheerfully.
The first year,that we moved out of India,we lived in Canada.Our arrival in Toronto was ill-timed as it co-incided with the start of winter.Every evening,as I looked out the window and watched the sky darken at 4 pm,my heart sinked.10 years,and 3 countries later,I have started to pick up on the warning signs and have mastered the tricks to cheer myself up.Here are a few of my favorite pick-me-ups:
1) Comfort food: When you are down in the dumps,nothing works,except comfort food.One-pot winter warmers are a win-win.There is something about wolfing down steaming hot food,that warms up your spirits.Hearty soups,Pulavs,Khichdi,Mac anc cheese,casseroles are great options for winter dinners.Baking is a good idea too, as the lovely aroma and heat from the oven,warms up your home too.
2) Vitamin D& C : Yes you read it right. Vitamin D is a natural anti-depressant.So,every opportunity you get rug up , go outside and soak in the sunshine.Additionally,take a Vitamin D supplement and keep up your Vit.D levels. And while you are at it,don’t forget to dose up on some Vit.C as well.Just a glass of Orange juice every day,will boost your immunity and keep the sickness at bay.
3) Rug up: When you are feeling cold,its easy to feel sorry for yourself.Dress up warm,when you are feeling warm and toasty,the world looks a whole lot better.
4) Candles and lights: Light up candles,safely,of course and use dim-lights around the house,so as to not run up the electricity bills but at the same time,the glow of candles and lights makes you feel hopeful.
5) Meet some friends: One of the biggest challenges,I faced in winters was home-sickness and that made me miserable.Make conscious plans to meet friends for a coffee or invite someone over.That way you dress up yourself and the house and instantly your mood uplifts too. In the current COVID climate, when physical meetings are difficult, virtual meetings are the ‘New Normal’
6) Laugh a little: Stock up on comedies and popcorn or hot chocolate.Snuggle up with your kids and/or partner and start a laugh riot.
7) Pick up a hobby: If you have something to do after dark,you won’t resent it so much.My winter hobby is knitting and I look forward to the time,when dinner is finished,kids are in bed so I can get to my knitting.My husband likes playing games on his PS3.Just pick whatever makes you happy.
8) Excercise: Excercise is a great mood enhancer.Even if you can’t get to the gym,an exercise video or treadmill in front of the TV-just anything to get the adrenalin flowing.
9) And lastly,relax,accept the weather and enjoy it-Our lives are so busy,with work-meeting deadlines,running after the kids,keeping up with all the commitments. Why not just take the colder months,to relax..and rejuvenate yourself,mentally and physically.
Give yourself or your partner that foot rub that’s long overdue, read that book that you’ve been wanting to read forever, create some winter rituals-when I was growing up,one of our favorite activity was shelling the peas, sitting around the dining table,as a family,with everyone talking about their day. My kids look forward to their cup of hot cocoa after school,when we sit around the table, drink our cocoa and share the tales from the day.
And when all else fails,try to remember that day in the summer,when it was scorching hot and all you wished for was for it to be winter soon.. Good luck on beating those blues.
How are you holding up? How are you adjusting to the ‘New Normal’ ? It’s strange, isn’t it? Who would’ve thought 3- 4 months back that things would get so out of hand ? I keep asking myself the same thing again and again.
Our little household is doing ok – actually we are doing pretty alright – we have a home to stay safe in. SP & I are working from home & the girls have been homeschooling after the Easter break. Their school holidays were brought forward by a week and we had made the decision to keep them home since the week before. So, we have been at home for the last 8 weeks, going out only for solitary walks or essential shopping every two weeks , sometime every 3 or 4 weeks.
Mr Mowgli is loving the extra attention and long walks. Although I have to say, that when we first started staying home, he seemed a little confused.. like he didn’t know what was going on. First few days he was happy, then he started acting nervous, whether he was picking up on our anxiety or reacting to the changed conditions, I’ll never know. Although when we went to the vets for his yearly checkup & shots, the vet told us that a lot of dogs were feeling anxious at the moment.
He has calmed down now & looks forward to his walks. He knows that we finish work around 4:30-5:00 and he starts pacing around us, as if reminding us that it’s time for a walk.
We have started spelling the word WALK now, because if he hears the word, he gets all excited 😀
I asked Ms An what her most favourite part of the isolation was and she said spending more time with Mowgli- they are literally inseparable. Her least favourite part of isolation is being separated from her class and teacher and understandably so. MsA’s coping mechanism is watching Harry Potter movies over and over again, night after night over the holidays and now that school’s on , over the weekends. That and FaceTime with her friends . I swear, it’s almost like we have another teen living in our house. Sometimes I join in their conversations 😀 other times they roll their eyes at me . Whatever work, yeah?
SP copes by playing his games on the iPad and talking to friends and me ? I cook – cooking is my stress buster or and have Zoom calls with my friends every now and again. All we have to do is get through each day, One day at a time and before we know it, this will be over.. maybe we will go back to what it was, may be this new normal will be the normal. Who knows? We just have to wait and watch.
999 pieces 😀 I completed this 1000 piece puzzle but managed to lose one piece 😥 but that’s ok.
I think this puzzle is much like our lives right now.. we have everything, yet something is missing.
We are safe in our homes, with our little families, but miss our extended families. I love staying home but miss the rush of going out; I miss people – my friends, coworkers, other familiar faces.
I also miss emotionally blackmailing my dad to come visit me because it’s been so long since his last visit – I don’t know when he will be able to visit next 🙁 Yes, this is a sooky post & I am going to share it – because – it’s ok to not be ok.
I miss the conversations – you know the ones you have with the barista while you wait for your coffee or the checkout staff while you pay for your groceries, the quick chat with a friend in aisle 6 of the supermarket or dropping in at a friend’s after a crappy day and asking that she make chai .. that’s what I miss..
This week has been a hard one – both with work and homeschooling. I have to say that the kids’ school is fantastic and have made the whole remote learning so much easier for us,but still as a parent, you can’t not feel the pressure.
I feel like I am currently trying to balance three jobs – my own full-time job-currently working from home, homeschooling MsAn ( keeping up with her timetable, coaxing her give things a go, coming up with fun things to keep her engaged) & housekeeping . When I was working out of home & came home after a 10 hour day , the things on my agenda were after school activities, dinner, homework, quick tidy up & bed. Oh! And I used to cook only once each day, at night – enough food for dinner & leftovers for lunch.
Now with work from home, we are eating all three meals at home – cooking three times , even if it’s 2 minute noodles or fried eggs for some meals. The house and the laundry keeps staring at me, as if accusing me of not doing enough.
This constant pressure, this mental load was starting to bog me down. It felt like I had an elastic band around my head that was getting tighter and tighter. So, I decided to give myself a break today. My company has recently started the concept of well-being leave ( 3 days in a year for your wellbeing) . Today I used one of my well-being days. I slept in, woke the kids up for their classes, still had to remind MsAn about her classes, but if she didn’t want to do anything, I asked her to give it a go once & left it at that.
She had to do an exercise video & she refused to do it as it’s not fun for her. I didn’t push it, but she asked me if we could go for a walk instead. So, that’s what we did. We went for a long walk- exploring our neighbourhood, admiring flowers in the front yards, talking about life, skip counting and discovering that all the house numbers on one side of the street are odd numbers and on the other side are even numbers! She didn’t complain even once and before we knew it 40 minutes had passed.
The week has ended and hopefully the next week will be kinder to us .. but to everyone out there, hang in there.. this too shall pass.. I started writing this post feeling so sad and miserable, but I am feeling a little bit better after writing here. I hope reading this helps you feel a little better too, because, we are in this together!!
15 Marbles 