Teddyy Changing Mats Made My Life So Much Easier: Here’s How

Motherhood is a beautiful journey. Each moment is filled with laughter, happiness, surprises, and tears. It would not be fair if I said motherhood is made up of only good things. While a lot of it is, it is also about sleepless nights, baby blues, and messy diaper changes. It has been said that it takes a village to raise a child, and I have found that to be very true. 

There has recently been an increase in the number of nuclear families, and this makes handling a baby even harder.

For new mothers, a simple thing like changing a diaper can be quite challenging. As a new mother myself, I found changing my baby’s diaper quite challenging which lead to many pee and poop accidents, and I always ended up having to change the bedding along with the diaper. That’s when I got my hands on the Teddyy Diaper Changing Mats. These disposable mats are the most convenient changing mats. They are made from soft and spongy material, and they have an anti-bacterial core, which makes it extremely comfortable and safe for the child. Its criss-cross design prevents spills and is super absorbent, leaving my baby dry and comfortable. 

Its waterproof back sheet prevents the bedspread from getting wet while the soft and comfortable mat keeps my baby relaxed and dry. 

I love traveling and having a baby did not stop me from doing what I love thanks to Teddyy. These disposable mats are a perfect travel companion and are a must-have diaper bag essential. I use it while diaper changing regardless of where I am.When I go on a road trip, I place these mats in the car seat or stroller, and the super absorbent sheets ensure my baby is dry always. What I like most about these mats is that they are compact and easy to carry. They are also easy to dispose of after use, which means  I no longer have the hassle of washing and drying cloth mats or dry sheets while on vacations. 

Moreover, when I go to a friend’s or relatives’ house, I no longer have to worry about the bed sheet or sofa getting soiled with the mess that my little one might create. I use it while my baby sleeps, eats, and plays. They are that convenient. 

If you are a mommy who is always on the go and likes to visits parks or going to malls or having a day out with friends and family, then this mat is a must-have. 

I am glad I found this baby changing mat. Now my baby can sleep on a dry bed and can be changed in hygienic conditions no matter where I am. It has made things easier, cleaner, and more comfortable.

 

All the new mommies or would be mommies preparing to welcome their new ones, please make sure to add this item to your list and always carry it in your baby bag. I usually buy a pack of ten sheets that come priced at 299 rupees from any baby care store or online stores They are easily available at Amazon and are a must have. If you find this article helpful, do share it with your friends and family.

#suoermatsforsupermoms

Complete Guide To Help You Choose The Right Skin Care For Your Baby.

Summers are just around the corner followed by rains, in the humid weather of mumbai, it’s important to wisely choose the right skin care products for your little one. Sensitive baby skin gets affected by extreme weather conditions. You need to change products for your baby’s skin according to the weather. While in winters it’s important to keep the skin moisturised, in summers skin needs to be hydrated along side letting it breath, you need to make sure that the product you use is light on skin. 

As a mother of a child with a hyper sensitive skin, I could never use the old school oil massage to keep her skin moisturised. I was in search for a baby care range that is mild and chemical free yet helps her skin stay clean and moisturised. With millions of options available in market I started my research, and I learned that while choosing products, you should always look for it’s Ph balance. 

Also after speaking to my paediatrician, I learned that baby’s skin is more vulnerable to irritants and take more time to adapt with change in temperature and humidity. Choosing the right baby care range should be done considering the environmental factors, this will help to protect the skin and will keep it moisturised and hydrated. I was suggested to try sebamed baby care range for my little one by my paediatrician, as it’s developed by dermatologists to meet specific needs of your baby’s skin. 

Why Ph level is important while choosing baby care range?

The Ph level indicates the acidity of that product, it’s measured on the scale of 0-14, 0 being the most acidic nature and 14 indicates the alkaline. Ph value 7 indicates neutral, which is also the Ph level of water. The normal Ph value for a human healthy skin is considered to be 5.5, but a baby is born with a skin of Ph value 7, and using any product with a higher ph value of 5.5 can be really harsh on baby’s sensitive skin. Products that are higher in acidity can cause irritation and can take away the natural moisture present in baby’s skin. 

With increasing awareness regarding ph value, almost every product comes with a Ph balance of 5.5, but always look for products that are free from parabens and other chemicals, that might harm your baby’s skin. 

My experience with Sebamed. 

I believe in using the entire skin care range from one brand, starting from pre bath massage oil, body wash, shampoo, followed by moisturiser. I decided to do the same for my child. I directly started with the body wash and shampoo followed by the body lotion and diaper cream.  As advised by my paediatrician to change the product according to the weather, I use the body milk in winters and when in summer I use the body lotion. I see both products work magically on her skin, as the former keeps her skin well moisturised in winters due to its high oil content, while the later keeps the skin hydrated yet is very light on her skin and does not cause any irritation in the humid weather. I choose to continue with same body wash and shampoo through out the year, also I apply diaper rash cream only when needed and same goes for the body talc. 

This entire range of baby care products from sebamed has been really helpful for my baby’s sensitive skin and I honestly recommend this. You can choose and select the product according to baby’s skin type (oily or dry) and the weather. As a new mommy if you feel, this piece of information has helped you choose the right skin care range for your little one, share it with other moms and let’s together help every mother choose the best for their baby’s delicate skin. 

Also follow my Instagram @mamamusings_ to stay hooked with us for a little sneak peek into our small little world, live everyday with us, and let’s share this journey of motherhood together.

Happy motherhood. 

DIY Halloween Decore & Outfit inspirations.

October, a month that marks the beginning of festivities and wedding season. But in past few years there is something more than weddings and festivals to this month, and that is HALLOWEEN. With globalisation in India, lot of festivals from all over the world are celebrated with full swing and enthusiasm.

Many schools have also started hosting Halloween parties, and markets these days are flooded with Halloween Decore and costumes. But there is something more exciting about creating your own costume and photo backdrop.

Today I am going to share few DIY outfit ideas and also how you can create a beautiful photo backdrop for this Halloween.

So here is the list of supplies that you will need to create this back drop:

Pair of Scissor

Card stock (black, orange and green)

Balloons ( black, white and orange)

Adhesive

Two way tape

Candles

And worn off chair

Pair of Fake eye

Orange ribbon

Black Permanent Marker.

Lets get started.

⁃ Cut the card stock papers in any shape of your preference to create a flag hanging.

⁃ To create the spider: Blow a black balloon, and in the front side, stick the pair of eyes. to create the legs of spider, cut thin stripes of black stock paper and stick around the balloon with the help of an adhesive.

⁃ With the help of a black marker draw some spooky faces on orange and white coloured balloons.

⁃ Create a hat with black coloured card stock paper and place it over a balloon.

⁃ On a green or orange stock paper write words of your choice like ( Boo, Trick or Treat, Spooky, Spell the Magic)

⁃ Use and old chair or stool to complete the look.

⁃ Place a few candles around and give the final finishings to the setup. You can use a pumpkin and place the candles inside the pumpkin.

To create the outfit:

Look one:

Take a plain white cloth, cut a round in Center for the neck, and then with the help of a needle and thread or glue gun attach orange ribbons for tie up strings on the shoulders. With the help of a black fabric paint draw a face in the front. And your super cute Halloween outfit is ready to be worn.

Look two:

(Because this outfit is what my daughter is going wear on the 26th, at Halloween party at her school, I will soon upload a picture of that here.)

So moving further, let’s se how can you create this outfit:

⁃ Take strips of net fabric in the colour of your choice (purple, orange, green), start tieing the strips on a black elastic or ribbon. Create a tutu skirt.

⁃ Wear a black tshirt or onesie, and black coloured stockings.

⁃ With the help of a card stock paper or felt, create a witch hat.

⁃ Cover a wooden or plastic stick with black ribbon and make a bunch of small pieces of brown coloured wool. Attach the two things together to create a witch’s broom.

There are hundreds of idea available online to create one look with any supplies that are easily available in your house.

If you find this helpful and if you get inspired by my idea this Halloween do share your pictures, and leave a comment below.

Also if you love reading my blog please show your love and follow me on Instagram at @mamamusings_

Until next time

Happy Halloween

Happy Parenting.

Why I call this Subscription Box, A Magical Box!

Motherhood is tiring, and it’s difficult to keep a toddler entertained with something new every now and then,  both for a working or stay at home mommy. And this is why kids these days are attracted towards more screen time. In a recent bloggers meet I met a very well known pead Dr. Indu Khosla (currently, practising at cloud nine hospital, Mumbai), according to her, excessive screen time for kids is one of the biggest reason behind learning disability in a child, it also hampers the brain development  and emotional growth of a child.

Being a stay at home mother, I try to plan various DIY activities for my little one. But sometimes social commitments and household chores take all my time, also there are days when both, myself and my little one look forward to something that’s more professionally done, something that’s different than what we are already doing. That’s when a SUBSCRIPTION BOX comes into picture, a subscription box is a well planned activity box sent to your door step every month.

Moving Further, Why opt for a subscription box?

• A subscription box is a well planned box of age appropriates activities for your child.

• It comes with a surprise element that you and your child will love to explore together. It’s important for the parent to enjoy the activity time, in order to make the child have fun and learn at the same time.

• You do not have to run errands to collect supplies for the activity, it saves on your time and energy.

Recently, I got my hands on a subscription  box from Magic Crate, they send age appropriate boxes all across the country. For my 20 month old, they sent us a box called “My Fruit and Vegetable Friends”, it was a perfect one for her age, as we are thorough with all the fruits and vegetables and she loves pretend play with her Toy Kitchen.

So let’s explore this box together and I will tell you in detail about all the three different activities that this particular box had.

Interactive book: Zizi-Jojo Whoop For A Soup. 

This interactive book makes a perfect bed time read, also it’s a good choice to introduce books to your toddler, if you haven’t done that yet. It has various flaps and the book asks your child to spot different fruits and vegetables. This helps the toddler stay involved and does not let them get bored too soon.

Little Ice-Cream Seller:

Loved this pretend play  activity, which lets your child explore the fun of making and selling ice-creams. This comes with a ice-cream box, scoops of ice-creams, a scooper, two cups and cones each, topping cut outs and a menu card.

It lets you bond with your child while you make ice-creams for each other, also it helps them improve their vocabulary by introducing them to different flavours or colours and toppings.

Little Chef:

This is again a wonderful pretend play activity, it helped my daughter learn about healthy eating. She enjoys making a sandwich for everyone, and creates a new sandwich everytime with a different combination of veggies.

This activity comes with different vegetable slices, a piece of omelette, a slice of cheese, a cutout of ketchup patch, bread slices, a plate and a recipe book.

Recipe book has different recipes of sandwiches, this helped her learn to imitate, and follow instructions (ofcourse with my help).

Little Fruit Artist:

This one was her most favourite, it came with a picture book, few fruit stamps, two ink pads, a pouch and a backing sheet.

This ink pads are non toxic and safe for little one to use. Also this introduces your child to stamping, which further helps them in improving hand and eye co-ordination. We had fun stamping on our picture book and then made memories while we stamped floor and even our clothes.

After my personal experience with this box, I feel this is a very well planned age appropriate activity box. The activities are thought keeping in mind the development of a child’s fine motor skills, It encourages a child for creative and imaginative role play. Further more, it lets your child explore his/her interest in areas like art & craft.

The supplies in the box are of very good quality and is completely child friendly, it has no sharp objects which might harm the child.

Activities in the box helps the child have fun and learn at the same time and most importantly while you do this, it helps you strengthen the parent and child bond.

I highly recommend this subscription box to parents who are looking forward to something different and if you wish to work on creative and imaginative side of your child. This box has magically helped us spend some quality time away from screen.

If you wish to buy this for your little one then just click HERE and head to their website. This box is priced at 1200/- INR.

Please feel free to leave any query about this in the comment section below, and if you like what you read then do not hesitate to follow us on Instagram @mamamusings_ for more such fun activities for your little one.

Stay Healthy

Happy Parenting.

I Tested It And This is Why I Trust It!

As said – “A mother is born with her child”, everyday is a new learning, you learn to nurse, learn to burp, put them off to sleep and also to clean their diapers.

I am no different than you all, inspite of taking a few pre natal classes, where they talked a little about initial baby care, I was totally blank when I held my daughter for the first time.

Thank god to my stars I had both my mother and my mother in law by my side to help me take care of the little one. First two days at the hospital was a cake walk, every time I pressed the bell button, there came a fairy who would take my new born, clean her and get her back, everytime I fed, she sat for half and hour and burped her. But motherhood begun when I reached home.

My MIL was more than prepared to welcome her little darling. With everything beautiful around, I saw a basket of essentials on my bedside. It had diapers, a pair of clothes, burp cloth, few napkins and a glass jar with warm water and pieces of mul mul fabric. Like a new age Morden mom, I said why this mumma? I am going to use wet wipes for her. That’s when she told me, “are you aware, in most cases, wet wipe is the reason for diaper rashes in baby’s delicate skin?”. She explained further, commonly available wipes are made of polyester, and it is not the best choice for a new born, also these wipes has chemical, which can be harsh on their skin. I was convinced with what she said, but I wanted to check it myself. So I decided to do a flame test with wipes from a popular brand. And I was shocked to see the results, while burning it left a bad odour and the residue was in lumps instead of ashes. I was convinced and stopped using wipes for her, but it was not the best option while travelling or to be used in parties.

Image from google.

My search for a safe and chemical free wipes was still on, and then I came across wipes from Mother Sparsh. It said, made of no polyester and viscous biodegradable fabric and 98% water. I instantly got attracted towards it and wanted to give this a try. But before I used it on my little one I decided to give this one a flame test too. The results were surprising, it took a while to burn the wipes, which showed that it has more water content. There was no odour and the fabric burned into ashes. I was convinced and satisfied with what I was going to use on my child’s skin.

I was now stress free of carrying a glass bottle filled with water, which was always at risk of leakage. Now a soft fabric with 98% water presence in it was available to me in a well packed package. Also, I felt proud about not adding my bit to the landfills as the cloth was bio degradable.

Image from google

If you wish to read more about the brand and the product head on to MotherSparsh. And once you have taken a call, it’s really easy to get your hands on these products you just have to click on this link (https://amzn.to/2LfezjV) and place your order.

I choose Mother Sparsh because it’s: as good as cotton and water, do let me know why you choose mother Sparsh.

Please feel free to leave any query about this in the comment section below, and if you like what you read then do not hesitate to follow us on Instagram @mamamusings_

Stay Healthy

Happy Parenting.

I am a WARRIOR and I am prepared to FIGHT against FLU!

There are many difficult moments that accompany motherhood, but you will agree that seeing your little one ill is the worst one. As parents, we do everything we can to try and keep our kids away from becoming ill or feeling the pain. But, sooner or later, no matter how hard you try, your kid ends up getting sick, and it is heart breaking always.

When your kid gets sick — say, with something as common as cold, runny nose, cough, headache https://bit.ly/2oO1LmC, or may be fever; something not life-threatening but is definitely an unpleasant feeling to see your child who can barely express the pain and irritability they are going through.

As a mother I always ensured a hygienic and clean environment for my child and hence was confident of keeping all infection away from my little princess until I attended an event on –Influenza Awareness Bloggers Meet where such myths were busted.

The event had Dr Mukesh Gupta – Gynaecologist/ Obstetrician with 16 years of experience in his field and Dr UdayAnanthpai – Pediatrician who comes with 29 years of rich experience , interacted with all the mothers to make us aware on Influenza. Also we had a Mom celebrity GeneliaDeshmukh present at the event talk about her experiences as a mother and tackling Flu.

So now you would be wondering, if your child is really at the risk of getting FLU?

As Dr Uday says, most of us confidently assume we are not susceptible to Flu. However, busting this statement Dr Uday said“Everyone is susceptible and our body is exposed to many risks on a daily basis” Further more, he said, :You believe your child is safe as you send your child to a clean and air-conditioned school. Good schools may have AC, but one infected child may spread flu to others. So any child is at high risk of getting influenza irrespective of the hygienic environment he is in.

Also if you are an expecting mother, you are at a high risk of having Flu, explained DR Mukesh, as the immunity power of a human body falls during pregnancy. Flu is more likely to cause severe illness in pregnant women than in women who are not pregnant. Pregnant women with flu may also bring in complications for their unborn baby.

Let’s talk about, how you can prevent this and protect yourself and your little one? 

Precaution starts even before you conceive. Dr Mukesh emphasised that a pregnant woman should take a flu vaccine, even before she gets pregnant. Only a healthy body can bring a healthy baby, and vaccination during pre conception is an ideal time. If missed at pre conception, it can be taken anytime during the pregnancy.

Samuhik Vaccination is the ideal way you can protect your entire family from getting flu. Flu spreads by babies coming into contact of Flu affected people when they touch or cough or sneeze . So it’s best that the entire family – parents, grandparents and even caretakers of the baby get vaccinated. Genelia supported this, as she mentioned – “My elder child may carry a flu virus and my younger child may get infected. So it is important to protect them both and get the whole family vaccinated”

When is the best time to get yourself, the family and the child vaccinated? 

Dr Uday explained, Vaccines may take 4 to 6 weeks to develop complete immunity in your body, so you must take it before any epidemic like swine flu breaks out. Also he added, “April, May, June is the best period to take influenza vaccination for children and whole family for complete prevention against flu”. Also most importantly, this should be repeated every year through lifetime.

While interacting with mommies, Genelia mentioned – No mother must be a Worrier, she’s a Warrior. Best way to tackle your questions about flu is by discussing it with your doctor.

Moreover Vaccinating Doctors can be found in every locality with a simple search by a pincode. In case, one is looking for a doctor, here is a simple way to find Doctors who vaccinate. Your search for a doctor is just a click away from this link ( http://www.mothersagainstinfluenza.in/doctor-list.html ). Also if you want to know more about influenza, you can find some credible information here –  ( http://www.mothersagainstinfluenza.in/ ).

In this fight of #MOMVSFLU let’s all join hands and win strong as warriors against FLU. We have to vaccinate ourselves and our child to make sure that, others around us and children around your child are protected against it too.

“‘Disclaimer: I attended a discussion on influenza awareness facilitated by Abbott India Limited. Any opinion expressed in this blog is my personal opinion and not the opinion of Abbott India Limited. Abbott India Limited does not assume any liability for the content of the blog. The blog post is not meant to be a replacement for a doctor consultation, nor is it a medical recommendation or prescription of treatment for babies having Influenza. Any reader of this blog or their family members suffering from Influenza should specifically consult his/her doctor for the same and follow the suggested course of treatment.’ ”

Please leave your opinion about this in the comment section below, and if you like what you read then do not hesitate to follow us on Instagram @mamamusings_

Stay Healthy

Happy Parenting.

Have you met The All New Johnson’s?

Are you a child from the 80ies? What are your fondest memories from childhood other than watching small wonders, playing contra on video game and fighting for bubble gum stickers? Is there any particular fragrance that takes you back in the childhood days and makes you feel nostalgic about it? For me, it’s the typical fragrance of products from Johnson Johnson. Every baby use to smell the same because 99% of us from those times were Johnson and Johnson babies.

The brand is not a few decades but more than a century old in this industry. We have all grown up using Johnson and Johnson products, but just one incident with someone unfortunate will damage the trust on this brand? Do you feel something that you have used all your life, and everyone around you has been using from generations to generations can be unsafe? All these questions kept bothering me ever since I read the headlines about the brand that is so close to my heart. And I was privileged enough to attend an event from the brand themselves, I got a chance to clear all my doubts and to get answers to all my questions.

Recently, the brand hosted a mega event in Mumbai at the ITC grand Maratha hotel to launch their new range of products. I was invited by the team of MyBabyChakra to witness this launch and be a part of their mom bloggers loop.

Now, the first question that might pop up in your mind after reading about the new launch would be, why a new range? Was the earlier one unsafe? But to this question I have an answer straight from the horse’s mouth, they believe they were always safe and best in the industry but sometimes “the best needs to get better”.

I got to experience the all new Johnsons’s, that was better than the best both outside and inside. The new product range is more gentle and more cleaner. It’s free from all the parabens. This might make you question, the products had paraben earlier? To this the brand said – yes, but parabens in moderation are not harmful for baby’s soft skin. But looking at the needs of the consumer the new range of products is paraben free. The new range is more cleaner as I said, the lotion is white in colour and the shampoo is transparent, which clearly shows that the products has no dye.

Now about the outside of the products, the all new Johnson’s comes in completely new packaging, the bottles are pear shaped which makes it easier to handle. Secondly, the quality of the packaging has been improved, always look for a seal packed bottles to ensure safety and purity. But we are moms of the 21st century, we do not believe what we are told or we read in the news. We always like to take a two further, and we got to experiment the products ourselves to decide, if everything that we were told about the all new Johnson’s was to the point. The brand had organised a fun session to keep us entertained and perform tests on the products. With my team of MyBabyChakra mommies we conducted a few tests to check on the PH balance of the products, and we were extremely happy and content to see the results.

The team from the Johnson’s and Johnson’s left no question unanswered. And I was happy and satisfied that now I can say with all the trust “ I am not only a Johnson’s baby but I am a Johnson’s Mum too.” I am thankful to team MyBabyChakra for inviting me to this event, and I am happy that I #choosegentle.

If you still have any questions regarding the brand and their products, the brand will be happy to serve. Leave any questions that you have regarding this in the comment section below and I will soon get back with an answer straight from seniors of the brand.

Until then, you chose what’s best for your baby and stay healthy.

Also if you like what you read then do not hesitate to leave your views about this in the comments below and also do not forget to follow us on Instagram @Mamamusings_

Happy Parenting.

Confused about how to start saving for your little one?

I have always been a cautious and disciplined person when it comes to savings and spending money. It was always a very important lesson that my parents taught me as a part of my upbringing.

Savings are important for many reasons like safety and security but until I was a parent it never occurred to me to save from a point of view of planning ahead for major expenses.

Me and my husband always believed in saving some but we were more of spendthrifts in the initial years of our marriage. But as they say being a parent changes a lot of things (and mostly for good). Out of many other things we were excited to explore as parents, savings was one of the most important things. By god’s grace we did not have to bother about the basic needs and savings but still we wanted to make small savings for her as token of love (and god forbid, who knows someday this might help us to be prepared for any expense for her, if in case future financial situations might not be as green as ever).

Here I am going to talk about how you can just follow few steps and start your savings, how we are taking baby steps to save a tiny bit. And also a little about few investment schemes that we have invested in ( and also a few other generic investment options that you can consider as a parent).

So let’s get started and let me first talk about few steps that you should follow when you start your savings.

Decide a goal:

In our case, we are saving in general without any specific goal, but you might want to save for your child’s education, or higher education, or marriage.

You can have multiple goals and your investment schemes will vary depending on if it is a long term or short term goal.

Do your research:

It’s very important to have a rough idea about how much money you would need to achieve your goal, what are the different investment options, growth rate, and how much return it gives. ( even if you consult a expert, it’s always a good idea to do a little research for yourself). By the end of this you will have a rough idea of how much you will have to save.

Plan your savings:

Once you have a rough idea start with writing down your fixed expenses and side ways write down expenses that you can work on (like entertainment, travel, leisure). And by doing this you will get an idea of how much you can save every month for your goal

Invest:

The final step is to invest your savings, now this completely depends on your personality and your approach of investments. Always consult and expert before making a decision.

Moving further let me share with you the small things that we practise to make small savings: ( all these ideas are my dear husband’s and I am so glad he brought this in practise)

– So every month we get a small one gram gold coin. (Which is not that heavy on pocket, average an amount of 3000-3500) which at the end of year sums up to a 12gm gold.

– There are times when we have a busy week or we do not go out for a fancy dinner or outings and we save some money on our monthly entertainment expenses, we put that amount to her piggy bank.

– Any gift given to her in cash by friends or family goes to her piggy bank, we do not spend a penny (not even on her) ( typical Indian habit) .

– We have decided to open her piggy bank every six months or yearly and double the amount and make an investment. (This practise was followed by my husband’s grand pa, and he believes it encouraged him to save more)

– Any money below rs 10 we make it a point to put in a box and to my surprise i always see it to be a minimum amount of atleast 1000/- or so more every month. Which goes to her savings. (Never thought the most ignored chillar will be a saving too).

Please note that these are just small things that we do to have some additional savings on our personal ground. These might not just be enough to achieve the bigger goals of your child’s life. Savings always are directly related to the goals you want to achieve and your financial stability.

Also, according to my study for small investments on my personal level for Mi, I have listed a few options that you might consider for your child too:

PPF– This is popularly knows as Public Providend Fund. It is a tax free saving scheme by Government of India. Government currently offers 7.6 percent per annum on the amount invested. The amount invested in PPF matures after 15 years. Maximum amount of Rs. 1,50,000 can be invested per annum in PPF and minimum of Rs. 500.

Sukanya Samridhi Yojana for Girl child– This scheme is for girl child by Government of India. It is again a tax free savings scheme by government of India. This scheme is for 21 years.

Minmum investment- Rs. 1000 per annum

Maximum investment- Rs. 1,50,000 per annum

Current rate of interest- 8.1%

Mutual Funds– They can offer the best returns if invested for a period of 10-15 years. The returns can be around 12 percent. Mutual funds don’t offer any guaranteed returns as they invest in equities. Historically equities have given far better returns than any other asset class.

Look for schemes like Kotak Equity Opportunities Fund, Hdfc Midcap Opportuniites, Franklin India Equity Fund.

Example– Franklin India Equity Fund

Launch date- Sept 29, 1994

Return since Launch- whooping 18.5 percent per annum (Rs.10000 invested in the scheme has become 5,80,000 today.

Disclaimer: Please consult your financial consultant or an expert before making any investment. Also one very small and common tip is to never place all your eggs in one basket.

Hope this small little research of mine will help you plan and save for your little ones future.

Also if you liked what you read, please leave some love in the comment below and do not forget to follow me on Instagram @mamamusings_ for a daily dose of our parenting journey.

Happy Parenting.

DIY for Toddlers

Motherhood is tiring, you are mostly low on energy but on the other hand your toddler seem to have endless energy. Specially in this monsoon season it’s difficult to keep them indoors and this often leaves you in a desperate search of new ideas everyday to keep them engaged and busy.

Also to top this up further Our children tend to get bored of toys very soon. And this is why, I like doing some DIY activities, that keeps her busy and in this way Very often I can offer her with something new to be occupied with. So instead of you wasting your energy to look for such ideas you can arm yourself with these two DIY ideas that will help you work on multiple skills at the same time.

So here is a little brief about these activities, these are more on the concept of matching and sorting, and these can be done with age group of 15-24 months.

So for the FIRST ACTIVITY you will need following items:

⁃ Few Q Tips.

⁃ Plastic or paper straws

⁃ Painting colours ( try using the non toxic colours)

⁃ A pair of scissors.

Firstly, cut the straw in small pieces ( approx 2 to 2.5 inch’s). Take four or more colours of your choice, and colour both sides of the Q Tips and pieces of straw in different colours. Make sure you have multiple pieces of each colour.

Now you can ask your toddler to MATCH the coloured Q tip with a similar coloured piece of straw. Further the child can pass the Q tip through the straw piece, this will help in working on the FINE MOTOR SKILLS.

You can also ask the toddler to SORT the Q Tips and straw pieces of the same colours, and to increase the complexity level you can also ask the Toddler to COUNT the number of pieces.

Moving ahead for the SECOND ACTIVITY you will need these following items:

⁃ Pair of scissors

⁃ Coloured chat paper

⁃ Card board cut into square shape ( here I am using one from an amazon delivery carton box)

⁃ Glue stick

Firstly, you need to draw different shapes or fruits or vegetables on chart paper ( always a good idea to choose about the concept that you are currently doing with your toddler, for e.g. we are doing shapes this week so here I have taken different shapes).

With the help of scissors cut those shapes and now with help of a glue stick, stick it on the square shaped card board paper.

Now, cut the square into two pieces exactly from the Center. And your cut outs should now have two equal parts of one particular shape or fruits ( or anything that you have chosen). Your two piece puzzle is ready, to begin with ask your your child match smiler shapes.

Further more you can also play a memory game with these cut outs, flip the cards ( shapes facing on the floor) now ask your child to flip one by one and look for a perfect match.

Moving ahead, to make it more complex just cut these two pieces into four equal pieces and your four piece puzzle is ready (you can also opt for 3 pieces or 5 pieces). Now ask your toddler to form a perfect shape with this four pieces.

So, these are some very easy to make puzzles which can be made out of things that are easily available at our house. Also with one easy activity you can introduce your toddler to different concepts. We are mothers of the 21st century, some of us are managing the house, work, and a toddler all by herself. And thus, We often look for activities that involves less time to be made but can be used in different ways.

Also these are very handy to take it along while you travel. Just put them in one pouch individually and you are all sorted to keep your toddler while travelling in the flight or in train or even when you are stuck in a traffic jam.

Do share with me know in the comment section below, if you can think of any other concept that you can introduce using these two ideas.

Hosted by –                    Lovethatyoucanbuy          Mamamusings                MomzDiary                    Oneupbaby

This blog is a part of The DIY blog train hosted by @oneupbaby, @momzdiary, @mamamusings_, @lovethatyoucanbuy. Here we mom’s have united to share different DIYs that you can easily do to keep your little ones engage. So hop on this train and save lots of fun ideas.

Also if you want me to share more ideas like these and if you really liked what you read, then do not hesitate to show us some love. Leave a comment below and also follow us on Instagram at @mamamusings_.

Happy Parenting.

Monsoon And The Baby Nose

Monsoon is fun, but as a parent, we are worried about our children being more prone to infections and flu that come along with rains.

Common cold, or any other seasonal flu can cause stuffy nose (also known as nasal congestion) in children. Nasal congestion or “stuffy nose” occurs when nasal and adjacent tissues and blood vessels become swollen with excess fluid, causing a “stuffy” feeling. Nasal congestion may or may not be accompanied by a nasal discharge or “runny nose.”

Nasal congestion usually is just an annoyance for older children and adults. But nasal congestion can be difficult for infants whose sleep is disturbed by their inability to breathe, also who might have a hard time feeding, as a result losing their appetite.

Babies are Obligatory Nasal Breathers, which means they can only breathe through their nose. Babies can only breathe through their mouth when they are crying. It has been suggested that infants may not be able to sustain oral breathing for significant lengths of time, because of the weakness of the muscles required to seal the nasal airway and open the oral airway. Nasal congestion is very common, especially for babies under three months and can lead to a serious life risk situation.

Symptoms of nasal congestion:

● Child might face difficulty in breathing or if any whistling happens while the child breathes.

● Significant drop in the appetite, especially if the child is finding it difficult to latch while breastfeeding or bottle feeding.

● If you see any mild or major swelling around forehead, eyes, nose or cheek.

● Baby might try to scratch or pick their nose, due to irritation or feeling of suffocation due to congestion.

Causes of Nasal congestion in Babies:

● Common cold is the predominant cause for stuffy nose in infants. Cold viruses increase the formation of thick mucus in the nose and inflame the inner lining of the nostrils. This restricts the flow of air into

● Seasonal Flu are similar to those of common cold, but the baby will also have a high fever. A runny nose is more common in Flu infection than inflammation of the nasal passages

● Allergies cause stuffy nose in babies just like common cold and influenza. Many allergens, like pollen, can inflame the nasal passages and make them secrete surplus mucus.

● Asthma is the constriction of airways that makes normal breathing or breathing during vigorous activities difficult. Nasal congestion can happen if the babies have asthma due to an inflammation of the respiratory tissues.

● Irritants ranges from pollution to dry air. Anything that can irritate the inside of the nose has the potential to trigger excessive secretion of mucus. Dry air can dry the mucus, which can harden causing difficulty in breathing.

Remedies for nasal congestion:

Fortunately, many home remedies are quite effective at making your little one more comfortable. Here are a few easy treatments to try.

● Over the counter Saline nasal drops can easily be considered as one of the best home remedies for stuffy nose in babies. It has anti-bacterial properties that help in killing the bacteria and virus which causes cold and cough. I personally use Nasivion nasal drops for my little one.

Nasivion has a lot of variants & usage differs according to the age group as mentioned below:

Nasivion Mini (Baby) Nose drops:

-It is recommended for babies upto the age of 4 weeks, instill 1 drop of the solution into each nostril 2-3 times per day.

-From the 5th week of life until the age of 1 year, instill 1-2 drops into each nostril 2-3 times per day or as directed by the physician.

Oxymetazoline Hydrochloride containing drops should not be used for more than ten consecutive days. Please consult a pediatrician before use.

Nasivion pediatric (child) Nose drops:

-For children aged between 1 to 6 years only use 1-2 drops into each nostril 2-3 times per day or as directed by the physician.

Oxymetazoline Hydrochloride containing nasal drops should not be used for longer than 10 consecutive days. Please consult a pediatrician before use.

Nasivion Saline Nasal Solution:

-Use 2-3 drops / sprays in each nostril 3-4 times daily or as directed by the Physician.

Please consult a pediatrician before use.

● In case your baby has bad nasal congestion, run a hot shower to create steam and then sit with baby in your laps in the steamy bathroom for few minutes or you can even try to feed the baby there.

● A nasal aspirator can do wonders in clearing up a stuffy nose. Just squeeze the aspirator to release the air and gently insert just the tip. Then slowly release the bulb so that it sucks out the mucus. Make sure to sterilize it after every use.

● Mucus can dry up and form a crust inside the nostril. In that case, wet a cotton swab with warm water and clean the area. To clean the insides of the nostril, you can use a wet earbud. Remember to do it gently and carefully.

● For babies 6 months and up, try feeding baby a little warm, unsweetened apple juice or water (test on your inner wrist to make sure it’s not too hot). Just as with OTC products, they’ll soften any mucus that ends up in the back of baby’s throat.

Home remedies for cold, cough and nasal block are practiced in every Indian household. However, we must understand that all cases of nasal congestion cannot be cured through home remedies. Especially, care and precaution should be taken in case of babies.

Visit doctor if you see following in your child:

● Your child has a high fever, especially if it lasts more than three days.

● Your child has a stuffy nose and his or her vision is blurred, or the forehead, eyes, sides of the nose, or cheeks appear to be swollen.

● Your child is congested and has asthma.

● Your child’s nasal mucus or coughing discharge is green, yellow, or gray, or it is accompanied by sinus pain.

It’s tough to see our little feel suffocated and not being able to express what exactly is troubling them. Do let me know in comments below, what works for your child with stuffy nose or running nose.

Also if you are also a mom (like me) who is more than happy if the child is well slept with a happy nose then you must watch this video (click on the link below)

YouTube: (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jRGObP_vJHk&list=PL6fmLQJYerql4-y_au5ZJkUlWgvt2w3xC)

Also to read more on this visit these two links below:

– http://happynosehappymom.com/

– https://www.nasivion.com/en_IN/home/kids-babies.html

And most importantly if you liked what you read then you just leave your opinion about this and do not forget to follow me on Instagram @Mamamusings_

Until next time,

Happy Parenting

Enjoy Monsoon and stay Healthy.