Its Wednesday and I was looking forward to post today.I am happy to report that I have knocked off another 1.2 kg!and lost a total of 2.5 inches-1 inch off the waist,1 off the hips and 1/2 from bust.I am kicked! .I had measured myself last time on the 22nd of January.
I have been very determined and have been working hard.And by working hard,I don’t mean only excercise..in general,I am trying to stay on my feet for as long as possible.
Along with this I started some Yoga,and modified my diet(thanks K).I try to not sit down for 15-20 minutes after eating.So,right after finishing my meals,I get up and do the dishes and tidy up the kitchen.Previously,I used to leave this chore for later.Consciously or unconsciously,I have tried to bring in small changes in my lifestyle.
My goals- I am not aiming for anything huge..Ofcourse,being able to lose weight is huge! But,this time,I have set myself small goals.I want to lose another 2 kgs till my birthday.Then,I would have achieved my 1st goal of losing 5 kgs till my birthday.
My next goal is to get more flexible.I started practising Yoga,since 8th grade,since it was a part of my school curriculum.And was very comfortable with most asanas. I don’t know when or why,I stopped practising.Since I started yoga again,I find myself remembering the various poses and remembering how flexible I was.KapalBhaati Pranayam-When I first started it,I was doing it all wrong,I was stressing my throat to exhale forcefully.When I started exhaling correctly,I couldn’t do it for more than 1 minute.Now,after nearly 2 weeks,I can do it for around 3-4 minutes comfortably.
Weight lost since 14th October 2009- 4.2 kgs.
Feeling good!
This is just the third day of NaBloPoMo and I am wondering what to write.Is there anything you want me to write about?Leave me a comment and I shall oblige:)
Of resolutions and crafting.
One of my resolutions this year is to craft more.I have promised myself a couple hours each week for my crafting..be it knitting,painting embroidery..whatever..
So far I am on target..we are in the 6th week of the year and I have quite a few things to show for.
First we did the hand/thumb painting for thiscontest.Then,the canvas painting for Aadi’s room and then,there are place mats that I painted-fabric painting.But,they are incomplete as I couldn’t decide how to finish them-as in should I just hem the edges or use lace or bias.For now,I am only hemming the edges and can I tell you how much I hate hemming!
I want to finish a dress I started knitting for Aadi last May.I want to finish it before May 2010! Its so hot here,I don’t feel like knitting or crochetting..or even looking at yarn.Painting seems like just the thing for summer.
And the gardening.I have been tending to my little kitchen garden.I had planted a tomato sapling,before going to India..everything else died..the husband forgot to water..but it survived and it has 2 tomatoes growing on it!Inspired by this,I got some more plants-another tomato plant,a strawberry plant,gerberas and some others that I dont know names of..but they look and smell nice.
And today,I painted Aadya..as in the wooden Alphabets that spell her name-They go on her room door! Painted them a shocking fuchsia..pics of the completed project to follow soon.
I am trying to do a post a day..hope I can!
Toddler going on teen update
Did you notice today is the the second day of the second month? I know,I still get excited by such things.Everything about February excites me..after all it is my birth month.I turn 30 in a few days and I don’t know how I feel about that.I guess it will be normal birthday,after all days don’t come bearing banners!
Anyway,I realised I haven’t done an update on Aadya in a long long time.So much is going on with her,I don’t know,where to begin.
She is a big girl now.I think she doesn’t think of herself as a toddler most of the times.She has been able to dress herself for quite a few months now.I even before I went to India,she was doing it.No..now,I remember she was able to undress herself and needed help with dressing up.Now-she needs no help.She even dresses up her dolls and bears and us.One day I walked into the bedroom,DH was sitting on the floor and Aadi was telling him,come on baby now put your one hand here..and now two hand!
She speaks complete sentences,complex sentences,with new words.I don’t even know where she gets these words from.For ex-“I want to change because I want to be ready when Papa comes,so that we can all go out in the Gaadi!”All said non stop!She requests things,”can I do that?”Should I do that? or if she anticipates what we are doing,like opening the fridge to get milk,she asks,”did you want to get milk?”Her vocabulary and grammar amazes me.Honestly,I don’t think,I knew that till I was much older.
She is learning the correct words for everything..which makes me sad..just reminds me that my baby is not a baby anymore.Tanto is tomato now, fawer is a flower,loplop is laptop,nuzik is music,Mashala is yogurt/dahi..its like she knows Everything now..So,I purposely don’t correct her when she calls her Peas,balls..or her Praline wafers Lulu or when she says she’s instead of her…I just want her to stay a baby a little while longer.Some of the latest additions to her word-bank are- Actually,Exactly,Really,Of course.But the funniest is when you ask her,why she needs something..and she answers-Because! *rolling eyes* I thought..the parents had a copyright to say that and leave it at that!
The only time when she wants to be a baby is when she is role-playing.Thats when she tells us to hold her like a baby,and talk to her like-jab main baby thee.(when i was a baby)At other times,she pretends to be mom and we have to be her babies.She loves babies and is fascinated by them.
The only other time,that she wants to be a baby is when its meal time.The little girl,who was eating all her meals by herself,since she was 1..now demands to be spoon fed.She refuses to eat on her own.And she just doesn’t want to eat.She’s turned into quite a fussy eater.She wants yogurt with everything and even then picks at her food.She loves carrots,salads and hates peas and corn.
She knows her alphabets and numbers but goofs up numbers,when we ask her to say them..when we are not paying attention she does alright.
And there is the recent drama of her crying and screaming at the drop of a hat.That has me baffled.She cries so often,sometimes I want to sit down and cry with her.sometimes I am scared,if something is hurting her and thats why she is so irritable.Defiance I can take,stubbornness I can take,anger I can take,but loud screaming cries..bog me down..and by the third or fourth time,I am ready to kick her out of the house.
She is good on all other counts.She comes and says sorry,on her own,VEry Very sweetly.She says her thank you and pleases.She helps around..yes,she has to help us,in whatever we are doing..sometimes thats just more work,but she is happy helper.I am floored by her imagination and her memory.She remembers even the smallest details of our India trip .She not only chooses her own clothes but also comments on ours..What can I say she is our little Diva…:)And she is all of 34 months.
Year 2010
The year 2010,has a nice ring to it.Somehow from the start,I have a good feeling about this year.Until last year,I thought,this will be the year for baby number 2..but somehow,I am just not getting the baby vibes.
But,on most other counts,I think this will be a good year.
This year,I set myself some goals and made several resolutions.One of my resolutions was to blog about the resolutions before the end of January..there that one’s already broken.Moving on to the rest-
This year,I vow to-
* LOSE Weight-That is always the top priority,isn’t it?
*Feel Healthy and good about myself-Whole of last year and the year before that,I had a very poor self image.I hated my body..I hated everything about myself.This year is the year to feel good about myself.
*Love Myself-completely for who I am,for who I was.
* To control my temper-Being a Full-time mom for 3 years,can turn even the most sweet-tempered person into a fire-breathing dragon.
* Keep a better house.We have lived in this house,almost a year..but it was still a house..This year I want to turn it into a home..Friends tell me,that they get a good vibe and a welcoming feeling from our home..I want to feel that vibe..
*To save some money- The last year has been very bad for us financially.There is some truth to the old saying,”It is not easy to uproot a plant from one spot and plant it somewhere else.” Quite literally,that’s what we did to ourselves.The expenses were HUGE,our savings meagre..and this year that ought to change.
*Get my driving licence..No excuses,no drama..Just do it!
*To cut down on TV time-I never enjoyed TV..but after moving abroad,the lack of real people around or the loneliness drove me to TV.But,after moving to Australia,the time we (Aadya and I) spent in front of the TV,increased exponentially.Most of the times,it just runs in the background…but even then.
*To blog more frequently and on more diverse topics.
*To craft more..it relaxes me..and puts me in touch with myself.
*Take up a course-the professional kind and also some hobby course.
I started working towards these resolutions,from the first day of the first month.
* We stopped eating out-even before the last year ended and continued that,in the new year.
*I started Yoga and watching my diet-I accepted ,honestly,that in past my efforts have been not a 100%..so this time,I am not giving myself any choice!
*We gave ourselves budgets for everything- X amount for groceries,Y amount for phone bills,Z amount for DH’s expenses,D amount for my expenses,A amount to go into Aadi’s piggy bank and so on…
*We avoid using our cards-even debit cards,as much as possible.
*I have been reorganising the house..putting away things,unpacking,sorting to donate,re-arranging furniture,decorating rooms(on a budget).My goal was to finish re-organising before the end of January,but,I still have 2 cupboards to tackle.
*Licence-haven’t done much..will save up and then take some continuous lessons.
*Put aside time for blogging and crafting,each day.Starting NaBloPoMo..again today.
Checked about the courses,need to arrange the finance.hobby course seems doable for now.
I am pretty happy with the year so far..hopefully the rest of it,will go smoothly too.What’s going on with your resolutions?
Kid’s room decor-Under $10
Ever since I got pregnant,I wanted to decorate the baby’s room with pretty baby stuff .Unfortunately,we never stayed in a place,long enough to be able to do something productive.Also,the baby was is still sleeping in our room.But now,we have been in this place,long enough for it to feel like home.Now that we are safely past the one year mark,I am ready to start decorating.
But,everytime I look up for Kiddy decor,its so expensive and even if I want a pretty room for Aadi,I don’t want to spend $$ on it.
So,I decided to make one myself.I half traced,half drew the design on canvas and painted it and surprised Aadi with it in the morning.
Material-Blank Canvas,Acrylic colors,Fabric colors,pain brushes,roller brush
Cost-
* Blank Canvas- $3.33 (Found a set of 3 for $10 in the Reject Shop)
*Colors- Collected over time(some bought in sale,some from Reject Shop,box of fabric paint from India)
*Look on the Child’s face- Priceless!
Note-This is the first time I painted on Canvas and I loved it.I am already thinking what to do with the other two pieces,that came in the set!
The Surprise
Last night,after Aadya went to bed,I burned the midnight oil to complete a surprise for her.This morning when she woke up,I told her that there was a surprise for her in the living room.She ran outside.Till now surprise means,a hidden bag of candy or unexpected popcorn..or something else,edible.So,naturally,when she went to the living room,she expected something of that kind.”Mamma,there is nothing here,”she screamed.I asked her to look on the coffee table.”Kuch nahi hai”she yelled back.I asked her to look next to the pretty mirror.
She looked around and came back with her coloring book,saying..”Yeh toh mera surprise nahi hai na?”(This is not my surprise ,right?)I said no and sent her back to look for the surprise again..This time I told her,the table near the TV..thats the coffee table right?Go look on it!Off she went again..and this time she came back,with a blank canvas,that was lying on the dining table.The Dining table is Not Close to the TV!!!!
Anyway,I sent her back,with some more clues..That may be she should look for something colorful..and that time,she got it right!ON THE 5TH count!
This time when she came back..she was so excited..Wowww Mamma is this for me?So this is my surprise..Papa and Mamma got it for Aadya..and so on..She didn’t leave her surprise,for the next couple of hours.
If you haven’t scrolled down already,I wont keep you any longer..Here’s a picture of my princess,with her precious Gift…
Edited to add- Details are up on the craft blog.
10 Things about me
The rules are:
Tell your readers 10 things about you that they may or may not know, but are true.
Tag 10 people with the award, and be sure to let them know they’ve been tagged (a quick comment on their blog will do).
Link back to the blogger who tagged you.
My new friend,The Passionate Goof or the Goofy Mumma,as most of us,know her ,passed on this lovely tag to me…a few days back.And one of my resolutions for this year is to not let the tags spill onto next month!
Anyway,ten things about me-
1.I love reading and when I pick up a book,I cannot stop till I have finished it.Even if its boring me to death,I have to finish it.When I was in college,I had 2 books running,simultaneously..a small light read for travelling and something else,for bedtime.And I have to read something,before sleeping,even if its only for 5 minutes.
2.I am a people watcher and can spend hours doing it.At the mall,at the airport,at the doctor’s office.I try to imagine,their lives,their conversations,their likes(from the books they are reading/what they are wearing).
3.I always smile when I see catch someone’s eye,when I am walking.And if I see someone I know,I am almost always the first one to say hello.And I do it,even if the said someone has ignored me in the past and continues to ignore me again..I just come away feeling sad.
4.I get attached to people,things,houses,places,very easily and always have a hard time saying good bye.And if you and I ever fall out over something,its most likely that I will call you before you call me.
5.My hands can never be still.I canNOT just sit down and do nothing.I am always reading a book,while watching a movie or I am crafting(knit/crochet/paint/needlework..whatever).
6.My mind is at a thousand places at the same time.I may be talking to you,listening and absorbing your conversation about the sales at the mall,and thinking of my next craft project at the same time.So,please dont be offended or surprised if I ask you,if you know where I can find hot glue gun!
7.I don’t normally form an opinion about anyone very easily.I always give them a benefit of doubt..much to the chargarin of DH.I canNOT be rude to someone,even if they are rude to me on my face.I brood over it fora long time,later.
8.I used to cry very easily..but in the last 3-4 years,its reduced drastically.I think I am all cried out.
9.I am not very happy about the BODY I am in..and I am going to change it -slowly and steadily.There!I put it in writing.
10.The first thing I do each morning is,wash my face with water and apply moisturiser.Till I dont do that,I keep feeling uncomfortable and restless.And this is even before I brush my teeth.I have very dry hands and keep a bottle of Nivea,for very dry skin,handy and keep applying it every few hours.
I think by now,everyone must have finished this tag,but I will still tag,some of you,whom I haven’t read..
I tag-
Shobana
Shruti
Swaram
2B’s mom
Aneela
Meira
Emaan’s mom
Suki
Priyanka
Sonia
Have a nice day 🙂
And its a good day…
Because-
THE SCALE FINALLY MOVED! and so did the tape!
I lost a total of 3 kgs since christmas.My weighing scale batteries had died down and I kept forgetting to replace it(may be I didn’t want to be disappointed again!) So,I replaced the batteries yesterday and checked my weight!And I am 3 kgs lighter.Woo Hoo!!
On 6th of January,I started XBX and on 15th of January,I started some yoga too. I was alternating XBX and walks..and checked my measurements again,on 25th Jan and I have lost 1 inch from the hips.All other measurements are still the same!But the loss of 1 inch,is heartening.
I am still not at a stage when,I can share the numbers with you and not lose sleep over it.But,may be some day,I will get there.
At the beginning of this year,I set some goals for myself.Some short term and some long term goals.One of my short term goals is to write a blog post about the Goals,before the end of January.
Anyway,as far as weightloss is concerned,I have targetted a 5 kg weight-loss till my birthday,starting 6th Jan.And I am going to keep pushing myself ..till I don’t get there.
We are still avoiding eating out.I am keeping count- 4 meals,since December 23rd.I had a sinus headache one day and we were out on the 3 other days.I plan every meal well in advance,even if it means going to bed,half an hour later,or waking up one hour early..yes,its all about sleeping!
If you are reading this,do take a minute to cheer for me,pat my back :),it will make me happier.
Craft Swap-2
I just checked on Ravelry and my swap partner has recieved her gift,so I can safely write about it here.
This is what I made for her-
Its a table topper.The pattern is my grandmother’s.She has made so many of these-for her own house,for my parents’ home,for my aunt’s home,for her friends and colleagues.She made the first one using leftover yarn scraps but,it was so pretty and quick,she made many more.
I used Anchor knitting Cotton thread and size 1.5mm hook.
Guess who got lucky today??
Me,ME Me!!!
Or I think Sunita blessed me with some thrifting dust.
I was browsing Gumtree,when I found this-
Its a beautiful handcrafted table.I L-O-V-E the blue tiles,and according to its old owners,its more than 10 years old.Its as good as new.
When I first emailed the owners,they were waiting to hear from someone else.I asked them to call me,if they didn’t hear from the other people.I told DH,about my exciting find..and he was like,why do you need another coffee table..”Becauseeeeee its beautiful!!”I said.The lady finally called me..and said,the table was mine,if I wanted.Hell ya…of course I wanted it!
This is what I am using it for-
What do you think??
And I got it for -FREE!!! Could I be any happier?
Edited to Add-Yes,Yes it was free.The owners were moving to a smaller place,but didnt want to sell it,since it was a gift,so listed it as a freebie on gumtree.com.au.And I got lucky.I gave them a Tajmahal Magnet 🙂
15 Marbles 