Blue Beauty

 

LRG initials. LG means my full name while R is the initial of husband's nick name.

NameStylish.com gave me opportunity to choose for free a design of their personalized jewelry. As a feedback, I’ve written my opinion about the jewelry here.  I was so interested since it’s my first time to have a custom-made jewelry piece. I preferred to monogram necklace and they made the pendant well.  

 

Small blue stone

There’s no blue shade on the monogram pendant. So for Blue Monday, I share the small blue stone in a simple ring of mine. I’ve got the ring via auction at ebay :)

Read more...

Horses at the Museum

 The horses and carriages were taken at the Museum Angkut (the Transportation Museum in Batu Malang, East Java).  They looked real since they were dead horses that have been preserved.

Camera Critters  and Saturday's Critters

Read more...

Tips for Spending More Quality Time with Your Children

Parenting is a job. Period. And just like any other job, it demands a lot of effort and a lot of dedication. It was Dr. Anthony Witham who said that children spell love – T-I-M-E, and he was definitely right. In order for your child to remember and cherish moments spent together with you and your partner, you have to make that time full of memorable activities which will stay in their memory forever. However, with busy schedules we all face each day, it is hard enough to organise time for children, such as school, afterschool activities, birthday parties, holiday trips, and the like. Even though it may seem hard enough as it is, you somehow have to manage to squeeze in some more, extra moments to spend with them. And here is how.

 

image:creativecommonsa.org

One-on one

No matt-er if your child is still a toddler or a schoolchild, spending time together should become a normal thing to do. It would be best if you organised one-on-one time, for doing something you both would enjoy. And it need not be only Saturdays. For example, If you are a good cooker, and you see you child likes how you are doing it, try giving ‘lessons’ to your child and make cooking dinner a fun activity for the both of you. Even occasional walks or sitting on a bench in the park can be quality time. Talk helps, so you should use those moments to explain your child all the things it is interested in. Make it fun an memorable by bringing their favourite juice or cookies.

Integrated daily schedule

You have probably noticed that children love to help. Especially you, when they see you have so much to do. If you have a lot of mailing to do, have them stamp the envelopes. Make a shopping list together on colourful sheets of paper. Turn grocery shopping into fun time together. Preparing a lunch box can be a combined activity – you make the sandwiches, and the child arranges them in the box. If something needs fixing, ask your child to help you – let it hold the tools while you repair a leaky faucet, paint the fence together, or clean up the dirt from a broken flower pot. This way, the child will learn basic chores and will appreciate the time spent together with you. Even though you probably think this may take some time, and can be pretty messy, after a while you will make it a routine job, and it will be integrated into your daily schedule. Having little helpers can indeed be a true blessing.

Reading and playing games together

Reading before bedtime is simply a must. And after all, it need not be only before bedtime. If you have some time to squeeze in before dinner, read your child a story, or help them with learning how to read. Help your child develop work habits by helping them with their homework, so that they learn that it is a normal thing to do. They will be grateful for eternity for this. Whether you decide to play games together or bring video games into your lives, these activities can contribute greatly to your quality time. If you want your child to see that you are too able to have fun, you can get a bounce trampoline and show the child how skilful you are at jumping. This way, they will mimic all the human features you have – the busy, organised one, but also the interesting, childlike one. You can also spend your leisure time showing your child how to play a video game, and then watch them become more skilful than you. Let your little learners be more successful than their teachers.

And finally, tell your children that they are having a wonderful childhood because they are spending it with you. Days when they will no longer need you so much will come in almost no time, so you should learn to make the most of every moment you have. The most important thing about parenthood is to teach your children how to be good adults, so that they can pass that on to their children as well.

Read more...

A Joint Family? Tips to Find a Cozy, Family-Friendly House

image:99acres.com

A joint family is not just a family but a canvas that depicts different choices, lives, problems and ethics. A joint family depicts the concept of different individuals carrying a different mindset living together under one roof and that too with harmony. The happy co-existence is supported by moral values, love, affection and obviously a house that can accommodate all. A house carries a much broader meaning than just barely being an option for accommodation. A joint family that comprises of elderly people, youngsters and kids live with their feelings attached with their spaces.

Therefore, it becomes necessary to find a home that can give them ample opportunities to lead their lives like a king in the new home. Here are some of the tips for a potential home renter who is looking out for a ‘nest of affection’ for his/her joint family:

1.   The Locality

A renter should take this aspect seriously while on house-hunt for his joint family. The locality should be such that it offers proximity to the essential infrastructures, such as market area, malls, school & university area and hospitals. The working people in the family can have a tough time if the commercial hubs or the office area is away from the residence. Thus, the renter should also consider the aspect.Summing these basic needs, excellent locality, neighborhood and connectivity are some of the factors something that should be taken care of. A joint family may carry a different outlook and choices thus selecting a home that balances every demand can be the best deal.

2.   Size of the House

Since, a joint family comprises of kids and people of varying age groups starting from 20-60 years or even more; a house that accommodates well should be selected. The size of the house should be bigger enough to encapsulate the preferences of the dweller. Kids need an open space to run & play, elder people mostly prefer to sit in the open area and during summers, the entire family would love to enjoy at the terrace. Thus, a renter should take note of the size of the house. However, a bigger house may cost a lot much thus, a resale property or an independent house in a less developed or developing area of a city can be considered.

3.   The Interior

Interior is also one of the most important factors when considering a home for the joint family. The interior is not supposed to be costly or modern but free of any damage. A dilapidated house can be a big mess for any family and dwelling in false condition can be a major turn-off. Leaked ceilings, washed-off walls and low maintenance are some of the negative factors that can affect the peaceful living. Dull colors, gloomy areas and bad lightings are also some of the aspects that can come up as major put-offs for the dwellers. A potential renter should check the interior of the house properly and pin-point similar issues to the owner or the real estate agents for rectification. For instance, rental house in Chennai, Kerala or any other core south Indian cities will have more of open area as a part of their traditional architecture. However, cities like Delhi/NCR follows DDA rules and design style.  

4.   The Other Practical Aspect

 Apart from size and interior of the house, there is another practical aspect that a renter should take note of and that is the size of the family and how each member functions. A joint family can have 6, 10, 15 or even more members and each will have a different style of doing the chores; thus, the workflow should be considered properly. Here are some of the questions that the new home should be able to answer:

• What if everyone is on the same time schedule? Will the kitchen and dining room be large enough to let people cook and serve meals with other folks?
• What if there are guests dropping by? Is the seating facility spacious enough?
• Is the number of wall sockets enough for all the computers, televisions and electronic items that the family would use?

5.   The Safety Factor

Apart from a safe locality, the house should also be able to satiate other safety criteria, such as the balcony should have longer and covered grills for safe kid’s play area, the chimney or the in-house fireplace should have a perfect diffusion system to avoid smoke accumulation, the staircase should be safe with each step broad enough to ease the climbing up and down task. The house should also have electric meters and MCBs well-laid and covered so that kids or people don’t get in touch with them, accidently.

A house should bespeak love, safety and practicality, all in one. Then only, it will be able to accommodate the souls lovingly and properly.

Have a happy search!!

Author Bio

Vineeta Tiwari is a keen writer on Global Economy and Realty market. She has written articles on Global realty market and ongoing trends and tips for investors. An ardent reader, she is happy to pen down research based write-ups for global audience. Currently, she is professionally associated with popular realty portal, 99acres.com.

Read more...