My Closet...(What I am wearing these days)

I am NOT a winter person. I don't really like cold weather. Thankfully, I don't have to be outside much, the cold breeze hitting my face, makes me sick. I absolutely absolutely love colors. And so you can say, another reason for disliking the cold weather. That being said, I try to make my life colorful and vibrant, through my clothes ( which you'll see as you scroll down) and through the interiors of my house, anyone who has visited my home will vouch for that.

Basically, I wear same thing mostly everyday; tops and jeans. I am not a shopaholic and own not too many clothes or shoes or accessories. Just a few basics, which I try to make it interesting with mixing and matching. When I shop, I try to buy clothes that go with my existing wardrobe and are not stand-alone pieces which I find difficult to pair them with anything.

Alright then, after a brief summary of my likes and dislikes, here's what I am wearing this winter:

1. I am in love with Cardigans. They go really well with jeans, skirts or even dresses. I would rather buy a cardigan in winters than any top, as the latter in any case gets hidden beneath the sweater or coat :)

 Same skirt, same top, different cardigan, different look!

 With a printed scarf and a plain scarf !

 2. Turtle necks: It hasn't been much cold lately, hence not many chances to wear turtlenecks.

3. My new pumps shoes. I am loving it. It makes any outfit look classy...well! only if you can walk in them ;-)

4. Sweater dresses. I never had a sweater dress. This year, I made sure I have one. Wear it with pump shoes or ankle boots, goes well with both.

5. And finally, Dark wash skinny jeans. I was never a fan of skinny jeans and honestly when it was introduced a few years back, I assumed it won't stay long. I was wrong. The popularity of the skinny jeans has only grown, to the point where those drainpipe legs have become something of a style staple. And since it's become a staple, I thought I should own one...:)

Mom at Barberitos....

Dear Mom of a beautiful little daughter, who I saw at Barberitos today, you just melted my heart. What a lovely duo you both were!

You may not know, but I was secretly watching you both eat, talk, smile and laugh...you may not know, but looking at you, I was imagining me and my daughter having a chat over a bowl of nachos and burritos, you may not know, but whenever I see mothers on a date with their daughters, it makes me happy, you may not know, but I was super impressed in those 20 min when you did not peep into your phone even once, you may not know but I overheard your daughter talk about her new friend at school and you smiling over her excitement....you may not know, but I could sense your daughter believing in below words....

Mum, I love you so much,
with all my heart and soul
You let me do mostly everything,
yet you still play your role

I do know how lucky,
I am to have you there
Someone to talk to,
someone to really care

by Roslyn Stewart aged 13

Yesterday, Aanya asked me, "Mumma, why do we have parents?" "We have parents to take care of us, to love us immensely and unconditionally and to guide us become good adults." I answered. 
A lot of times parenting is quite stressful. In our subconscious mind we question ourselves; Are we doing it right? Yes, we are doing it right. We all try to do what's right for our children.

And back to the mom (who I saw at barberitos), an important step towards right parenting is spending uninterrupted quality time with your children. It need not be hours, just a few minutes of sharing, listening and doing things together. I absolutely loved the way you spent the evening with your daughter.

The Story of "Yummy...!!" (Banana Bread)

Generally, I feel nice when someone says "The food is yummy!", for that matter, anyone would feel great. Mission accomplished feeling. But this is not the case when my daughter, Aanya says "Its yummy, Mumma!" It leaves me confused, a lot of times disappointing me, especially when it is followed by "I like it". Know why? Because, after these statements, the food in the plate remains unfinished, with a reason "Actually Mumma, I don't like it. I was just kidding". Strange! Yes, it is :)

So, today when Aanya was at school, I made Banana Bread for her (without nuts).

I gave her in a plate and the first bite was followed by this conversation;

" Its yummy, Mumma. I like this bread!"
"Ok"
"Its so so yummy. I love it!" (after another bite)
"Ok"
"Mumma, you should call my friends and make banana bread. They will love it too. Its delicious" (after another bite)
"Ok" (with a smile on my face now)
"Thank you for making this bread for me. I really like it" ( with a big kiss and a big hug)

And yes, she ate it all up. Wow! This was the best genuine "yummy" I ever heard. And it didn't end there. When Puneet returned from work, she announced "Papa, do you know, Mummy made banana bread. Its so yummy". Now that was too much for the day or for any day :)

Aanya is getting funnier with each passing day and I wasn't kidding when in one of my earlier blog, I mentioned I don't want to keep her small. These are the joys of life with a pre schooler :) Their jokes, funny remarks, their growing independence " I can do it myself", their want to learn " Can I try...", their offer to help " Can I help you fold clothes, wash dishes, mix cake batter....", their games moving a level up to board games, their nonstop "whys" and the best is, they now smile and look in the camera while clicking pictures, something like this....

....I am loving all of it!