15 Marbles

Moments.Musings.Memories. ❤️Gathering little marbles from ordinary days and keeping them for our memory jar. ❤️

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  • City girl Hat

    Some girls like handbags,some like jewellery.Me?I like Hats.I may pass a beautiful dress,without a second glance..but a nice hat,always catches my eye.I had  been looking for a nice hat with a visor.So,when I came across this ( http://warmweatherknitting.blogspot.com/2006/01/city-girl-cap-pattern.html)City girl Hat pattern by Celeste,it was ‘just-what-I-needed’.

    I was working on the Sunshine set,when I found this pattern and it was like an added motivation to complete that set ,quickly. The day I finished it,I just had to start on this Hat.The stitch used to make the cables,is Around the post double crochet-I had never used that stitch  ever but,google and youtube came to my rescue.Once I got the hang of it,I had fun hooking!!

    The best part was when DH came home from work,and I modelled it for him,he said,”Wow,you made it..looks very smart!” Job well done..:)

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  • Weightloss update1

    So,I am on mission weight loss yet again.The Pipette is going to be TWO next month,about time I stopped using,”But,I just had a baby”line.
    I have tried way too many diets to know that dieting is not the way to go.Fad dieting is not for me,period.Nor is portion control…really…Calorie counting doesn’t work too..I will explain why,before you give up on me as a lost cause. Fad dieting doesn’t work,simply because,I don’t have the patience to keep up..day4 is the worst..almost every diet is broken by day 4.I tried the GM diet,the Atkins,South beach diet(that one lasted a week)..I just cannot cook two separate meals for the Bubba and myself.
    Portion control and calorie counting,just never works-because,my portions are already small.And I tried calorie counting,and I can never make the required number of calories..NEVER !Not even when I was breast-feeding.
    The one time I lost weight without trying was,when I had gestational diabetes.I figured it was the medicines that did the trick..yes,that’s how much I believe in myself.This time,I have decided to come what may,I am going to lose this weight.Its about time,the flab vacated my body and some muscles appeared.
    Since moving to Melbourne,I have been going for regular walks,moderate paced walks,at least 5 days in a week.I didn’t think of it as exercise..I was just happy to be able to go to places,myself.The library,the park,the grocery store-I walk everywhere,even when I can take the bus,I walk.Even when I am tired,I walk.As a rule,I only take the bus, to go to the city or any other suburb.And just like that I went down two pant sizes..without even realising.Then,my sister joined a gym and she shared her prescribed diet with me.And I realised that I am eating way too less..some wise person had told me once,that you don’t lose weight,if you eat too little..I decided to give it a try.
    I still cannot eat as much as it says in the diet,but I took the basic principle behind it-small meals every 2 hours, Vs 2 -3 meals.Until last week,this is what my diet chart looked like:

    9.00AM – 1 cup tea
    Occasionally,I would eat something like-3-4 crackers OR 2 slices bread with cheese OR an egg.This would happen once or twice a week.

    1.00pm(sometimes 2:00pm)-lunch- leftovers from previous night-mostly rice+dal/curry OR roti+eggOR frozen roti +curry.

    5:00 pm-1 cup tea or coffee with 3-4 biscuits or 1/2 cup of namkeen(haldiram’s zindabad)

    9.00pm(sometimes 10.00 pm)- dinner -rice /roti with dal+sabji OR some non-veg OR Pasta OR Stuffed Paratha.

    Bedtime snack- 1 cup milk…Once in 10-15 days.

    Uff!Now that I have written it down,it looks even worse.
    Starting Monday,I started eating small meals every 2-3 hours,eating dinner by 7.30 pm latest by 8.00 pm and bedtime snack of milk and nuts every day. For the first time in 5 years,the Bubba and I haven’t had dinner together for a week now.
    That along with my regular walking and increased water intake-this is all I am doing,for now.I am not going to join a gym,I have decided..I have already wasted so much money,both my dad’s and Bubba’s on gym memberships.So,walks it will be.I plan to get a skipping rope and jump rope to do some cardio.

    Weight lost since Last friday- 1.4 kgs!
    Pretty cool na?
    So,I am going to update my weight loss journal,every Friday.
    This time also,before starting my weight loss mission,I sent up a prayer..This time I wished for a stronger resolve and persistence,instead of a leaner me.I figured,if I am persistent,the leaner me,will have to make an appearance!hai,na?

    And now,Can I ask YOU for some help?I am going to update the weight lost,here every Friday.If for some reason,you do not see a weight-loss post here,don’t think about asking me.In fact,just go ahead and ask me..will you?

  • Sunshine Baby set

    DSC02367

    This beautiful Baby set is named Sunshine,because,it just fills your heart with so much sunshiny joy.

    The pattern is from Leisure Arts Layettes Pattern Book.My best friend’s colleague is expecting and she wanted to gift her something hand-made.Thats when yours truly stepped in and the result is this beautiful bright baby set.They don’t know what they are having,yet,soI chose Baby Panda varigated yarn,which is white daintily speckled with all pastel colors-pink,blue,green,yellow,peach..I paired it with yellow.

    DSC02370

    The finished look is enhanced by the ribbed cuff.I was so in love with this set,I had a hard time,packing it to ship off.

    The pictures arent very clear,sorry..This can be custom made in any color.

    Watch this space for hats in the next few days.

  • Of Chinese tortures and stripping in parks

    I survived Chinese torture , stripped in the park,in the same evening and lived to tell the tale. Those of you,who think,this is going to be an A-rated “strip-tease”kinda post,sorry to disappoint you.Nor is it some kind of action thriller.This is just a mom’s not-so-dull evening,out.

    It being Summer,I decided to go get myself waxed.So,I set about with Aadya,in her stroller.The girls at the salon love her and she normally behaves herself,chattering with them,giving them coy smiles and even before she realises,we are done.That particular day,we decided to meet a friend and her 18 month old in the city park.So,not to digress,at the salon…the girls,Lily and Lena,took me inside..Aadya’s stroller was parked at its normal position.Lily or Lena(I forget who is who)asked me to hop on the bed.I did.Little did I know what awaited me. They attacked me simultaneously..one tackling my legs,the other my hands.And before starting,one of them,gave Aadya a sesame snap candy,”For the Chinese New Year”,she said.

    So,the waxing began..and the Diva decided she was bored.Just when the first strip was pulled off,she demanded,Oppenit oppenit!!She wanted me to open her candy packet.She kept at it..Lily and Lena,oblivious to the oppenits,kept yanking..Aadya tried to stand in her stroller,still buckled up,put her grubby fingers on my free hand and pulled with almost the same strength as the girls.”OPPENITT!!!”she demanded..this time I knew,I had to do it.I opened it awkwardly,with my one hand,and teeth. “Thanksh” she said as I handed her precious candy to her.I breathed easily..if the brat was quiet,I could tolerate the waxing.It was her whining that turned it into a Chinese torture!
    One sec,later,I heard,”Droppit,droppit””oh No!!She had dropped her candy! Then,she continued her Droppit song.I tried talking to her,sweetly threatening her in Hindi,reasoning quietly in English..nope,she continued,droppit droppit.I mumbled,”Lena,can you please pick up her candy”..I guess Lena was the one farthest from the bed..coz neither girl,answered.Aadya continued,asking for Dudu,chockie,Kaju,bickie,book,phoune..I think,she must have figured,if i ask for ten things,at least I will get one.Hands done,one of them,was stepping outside.The other started on my eyebrows.This time,Lena heard me..and gave her the bottle from the bag.
    She gulped her Dudu quietly and put the bottle down.Lena had left the bag,too close to the stroller.I was happy,to get my eyebrows done in peace..only to find Aadya,opening my purse and throwing all the cards and money on the floor..saving only the coins.Ordeal over,I quickly put on my shirt,paid and left.We got on the train,reached the park.It was then,that I realised that I had forgotten to remove the singlet I was wearing,when getting waxed.It was sticking to the skin.That was so uncomfortable.We were playing ball,while waiting for our friends.The park was mostly empty.I decided to get rid of the singlet.It was the time to use,Rachael’s bra trick(from Friends,duh!)
    I slipped one strap off,with great difficulty..I was wearing a full sleeves shirt..Then,slipped the second strap off..and then,realised belatedly,it was a singlet,and wasn’t going to open up.So,I just looked left and right and pulled..then finally,pulled it all the way down to my feet and off!I am hoping,no one saw me..or they would think of me as a crazy fool.I told Sanj about it,and he just looked at me poker-faced and said..”So,now you have stripped in a park..bas yahi dekhna reh gaya tha”(this is the last thing I needed to see)..
    Yeah sure..whatever..
    The rest of the evening was just dull,we just ran and played in the park..met Sanj,came back home 🙂