Harps is an award winning blogger who shares her remarkable journey of motherhood after experiencing post natal depression and an unexpected diagnosis of Down’s syndrome. Her readers have often coined her words “relatable” and “warming”.
As you may have seen from my instagram and facebook page recently, Arjun’s luscious locks have got a life of their own all of a sudden! We will be keeping Arjun’s hair like his grandfathers and his daddy for religious reasons and when he is older, he will wear a turban – the Sikh crown.
You may be wondering why Sikh’s keep their hair? I’m no self proclaimed expert in Sikhi and nor am I a perfect Sikh, but I adore my faith and the principles it beholds.
The 5 K’s in Sikhism are five articles of faith that baptised Sikh’s wear at all times as ordered by the tenth Guru, Guru Gobind Singh Ji. The 5 K’s form the external identity of a Sikh. The hair (kesh) is one of the 5 K’s (if you’d like to read up on the other K’s, you can do here).
Sikh’s keep their hair as a symbol of respect for God’s perfect creations. Throughout history, hair has been regarded as a symbol both of holiness and strength in the Sikh faith. Sikh’s believe that the hair channels strength and spiritual energy. Sikh men are distinctly recognisable by their crowns – their turbans worn to keep their uncut hair clean and tidy. Many Sikh women also wear turbans for the same reasons and as I’ve stated before, they radiate pure elegance.
I adore Arjun’s thick brown locks. To me it’s a part of his character and who he is – I don’t think I could bear to part with them! But his hair is at that stage or is quickly approaching the stage where it’s soon going to need a bit of taming. It definitely has a life of it’s own!
My curly haired monster!So like many Sikh mummies with little boys in the same predicament as me – which way do we keep their hair through that “middle” stage between baby hair and them wearing a turban when older?!
There are so many signature hairstyles that little baby boys rock – some typical of Sikh boys. I decided to get my followers involved by putting together a little light hearted montage of what some of those “middle” hair styles are. I’m sure many mummies can relate!
A big thank you to Nicky, Tanveer, Hardeep, Jagdip, Kiran, Harnam and Ameet for participating and sharing pictures of your gorgeous boys! x
1. The Famous “Telephone Wires”: This is typically a Kenyan style and one that all my cousin brothers had when they were younger! This hairstyle involves plaiting the hair on either side and using ribbon to tie them together at the back. Who said boys can’t rock ribbons?! From the front, they look like telephone wires hence the name!
Kulpreet
2. Man bun aka Joora: A hair style that I think Arjun looks adorable in but as his hair is still quite short, it isn’t one that he does often. This involves a little bun at the top of the head. How adorable is it?!
Arjun
3. Patka: This is typically done on boys with a little more hair than Arjun where a bun is tied at the top of the head and a small piece of cloth is used to wrap around the head and the bun. Check out Aval posing with his patka on :).
Aval
4. Pig tails: Boys with pig tails look absolutely adorable. They exude some kind of innocence with their hair bunched back! How cute does Aarav B look?
Aarav B
5. Pugh: These kiddos melt my heart! Donning the Sikh crown at such a young age is so admirable. A pugh makes their little cheeks look even cuter! How adorable does Bachittar Singh look?!
Bachittar Singh
6. Clip: Good ol’ kirby grips or snap clips often do the trick if you still want to showcase your little one’s gorgeous head of hair. I often pin Arjun’s hair back to push it out of his eyes. Imaan looking gorgeous with his hair pinned back at the side below!
Imaan
7. Fountain: Like a pony tail but on the very top of the head. Forget the fountain, how cute are Ekaras’ cheeks!?
Ekaras
8. Ramaal: A ramaal is a piece of material that is used to tie around the head, like a bandana. It’s different to a patka as a bun doesn’t need to be tied and it isn’t wrapped around the head in the same way. Here’s Arjun enjoying his langar at Sant Baba Isher Singh Ji’s samagam where he managed to keep his ramaal on!
Arjun
9. Pony tail: Exactly what it says on the packet! There’s the signature side pony and also the top pony. Here’s happy Aval wearing a side pony..
Aval
10. A headband: doesn’t Kulpreet look like an adorable mini Argentinean football player?!
Kulpreet
11. Free spirits: And some boys just rock their natural state! … Curly, straight, full of volume, slick!
ArjunAarav PKulpreetAarav BAval
How do you keep your son’s long locks?x
Being a MAD Blog Awards Finalist is mind boggling and so overwhelming – I’m so grateful! It would be an absolute honour to win! I’m so excited for you to continue my journey with me!
If you’ve enjoyed my blog content, then we’d be grateful for your continued support by voting for us to win the “Best Pre School Blog” category in the MAD Blog Awards, it takes 30 seconds to vote! 🙂 : VOTE HERE
So after lots of mental toing and froing, a forgotten method of payment, two trips back and forth, a mini meltdown, £126 down, a few calories burnt, two hours and two Ella’s kitchen pouches (which hadn’t been paid for yet!) later, a new toy, we are finally home with our gazillion bags of shopping and a fridge and house bursting with an abundance of food (most of which will probably never get eaten but it seemed like a great idea at the time). We did it. My first proper trip to a supermarket with Arjun alone!! It was an eventful one to say the least but I’m so glad we did it even after our initial set back!
After lots of to’ing and fro’ing and convincing myself to go (thank you to all of those that commented with tips on my Facebook status encouraging me to!), we set off once Arjun woke from his two hour nap. I was feeling ok about it. My list consisted of just bread and cheese and as long as I could get those, anything else would be a bonus.
We got to Sainsbury’s, Arjun was in a pretty good mood. I took him out of the car after bagging a parent and child space. I almost forgot about those as I haven’t been to a supermarket alone with Arjun since he was born.
Once out of the car I had a rummage in my pockets and quickly realised I’d lost my bank card. I panicked but quickly calmed myself down in the hope that it would be somewhere in the car. It wasn’t. ARGH!!! I put Arjun back in his car seat and he was so upset. He cried and cried – it was a proper cry with tears. It made me more peed off with myself. Luckily Sainsbury’s is just five minutes up the road. I rushed back home and ran in to the house to get another card.
We headed back and started our trip. It was such a lovely feeling walking up and down the aisles. I felt like I had so much freedom as opposed to being trapped behind a phone as I usually am when I do my online shop. Although I had a toddler who wanted to touch EVERYTHING, it felt nice. I walked him through all the bits I was placing in the shopping trolley. He felt the textures and cooed in response.
I picked up an abacus for him. I barely buy him toys as he has so many but I thought it would be good for learning his alphabet and for counting. Plus the colours would keep him entertained while I shopped!
We got to the baby aisle and I decided to (stupidly) stock up on some Ella’s Kitchen pouches as he loves them as a snack sometimes and they’re great for when on the go. Big mistake. As soon as he spotted them, he let the whole of frickin Sainsbury’s know he wasn’t going to stop till he got one. He won. I hadn’t packed a pouch so I let him have one from the stack I’d picked up. That kept him quiet for a few minutes. Once he was done, he demanded another. You can guess how the rest of the trip went. I put my foot down after two and let him whinge every so often.
I managed to actually enjoy my trip – yes he whinged at times, yes he screamed the shop down but so what. Show me a kid that hasn’t done it at least once?! Unless I take him how will he learn?
To most it’ll sound crazy that a trip to Sainsburys is such a huge deal. I do feel like a bit of a loon for making it such a huge deal in my head. But the truth is I can’t help it. My make up is such that I have the tendency of building things up in my own head and slightly freaking out resulting in me not wanting to face public places alone with a baby.
I feel like I’ve accomplished something so major even though it’s something that other mothers probably wouldn’t even think twice about. We’re all different, we all have our own challenges and hurdles and we’re all on our own little journey and we’ll all get there one day! xx
1. Wooden spoon: they’re so fun to bang absolutely everything with … Even the glass coffee table!
2. Jewellery: it’s so sparkly!
3. Colourful sponges: I love all the colours and the straggly texture which sort of kind of resembles my mummy’s natural frizzy hair! Haha!
4. Shoes: Currently working on getting a pair of mummy’s glitzy heels on! #babygoals
5. House phone: always a pleasant surprise for my loved ones when they receive a call from me :). Scheduling the daily calls in can get pretty hectic amidst all my other daily tasks like sorting the bathroom out. No rest for the little!
Note from mum: he has either memorised their numbers (hardly likely given he doesn’t know his numbers) or he manages to find them through the phone book! Great going for the call that stayed connected to a random for an hour and a half though Arj!
6. Oven: the buttons are soo pressable and some of them make a sound AND there’s always food that comes out. Why wouldn’t I want to play with the oven?!
7. My jogging bottoms lace through: This keeps me entertained for hours. I like to concentrate when doing this.
8. PlayStation controller: aside from it being the perfect size to fit in my dinky hands and it having chunky buttons, it does something to the picture on the TV! I think I was born with magical powers. I always knew I was destined for big things.
9. The stairs: a giant mountain! Great work out too.
10. Handbag straps: sensory overload. Lucky mummy has a range of colours and handles! I likes chain style ones the best but leather like are the nicest to chew..!
11. Computer keyboard and mouse: And it’s always the one that mummy and daddy are working on that is the most appealing. They always try palm off some old model my way. Pstch, how silly do they think I am?!
12. Baby proofing kit: because my parents are soo caring and haven’t bothered house proofing, the baby proofing kit has now become one of my fave set of toys.
13. Socks: I generally like to have a pair of socks on me for lots of reasons. They’re a great teether, they keep my feet warm and they double up as a scarf. I rearrange my socks drawer daily. Mummy always seems to get annoyed by this, not sure why. They’re my socks!
14. Bottle of water: nothing quite as entertaining as lugging around a 2 litre bottle of water and then scrunching the bottle to make noise and then shaking it to see the water swish.
15. Clothes: so much fun pulling down mummies clothes to put over my head or throw around as a scarf!
16. The Vaja (harmonium) and the Tabla (Indian drums): I’m current working on finding a way to be able to play both at the same time.
17. Tissue paper: it doubles up as a snack too. I don’t know why my mummy gets her knickers in a twist every time I do it. It’s not like I wouldn’t be willing to share.
18. My mummy’s glasses: I think I wear them better.
19. My sippy cup: It doubles up as a sprinkler and it’s so hilarious watching the water spray on to everyone when I flick it! Hahaha
20. The TV remote and any other remote: Handy as it doubles up as a phone too.
21. The weighing scales: The numbers move when you stand on it and if you take one leg off they move again! Mummy does it all the time and she makes this face whenever she stands on it. It says 11.7 when I stand on it so that means I am 11.7 years old.
What are your favourite toys but not toys?
Arjun x
It’s been an eventful last few weeks and Arjun getting chicken pox added to it! At 14 months old, I was pretty grateful when I realised what it was – I thought it would be a painful few days but I was glad to have them out the way while he’s little and won’t remember when older.
Here’s our chicken pox diary.
Day 1: Friday
As I was changing Arjun’s nappy, I noticed two “sores”. Something inside, call it a mothers instinct, told me to have a spot check around his body. He’s had a sore or two before at nursery but I’ve never felt the need to check the rest of his body. This time felt different. He seemed well in himself. I spotted two little pimples on his arms next to each other. I decided it was probably nothing and we both got ready and set off to start our day.
We had a fun filled day at my parents house and Arjun was in good spirits.
I popped out to see my Biji with my sister Goov and Preetam and left Arjun at my parents with my parents and Harv sleeping.
When I got back, Before I even picked him up, I knew something was wrong. He didn’t look himself and wasn’t excited by the sight of me or Preetam. I’ve never seen that before. When I felt his body, I panicked. He was really hot. He’d just woken up as we’d entered. I checked his temperature and it was 39.9. He’s never had a temperature that high before. I panicked a little. He was really quiet and not really responding to our usual antics.
I gave him some Calpol, waited for it to kick in and once I was satisfied that his temperature was dropping, we took him home.
Day 2: Saturday
Arjun woke up pretty grizzly on Saturday. Again he was really quiet and had a temperature but not as bad as the night before. He felt wet and clammy but he generally is a sweaty baby during the night.
We decided a change of scenery may do him some good so decided to spend the day at Preetam’s parents house as planned where we were also joined by Preetam’s sister and husband. I welcomed the extra company to keep Arjun occupied and hopefully lift his spirits.
He spent most of the day lying down or sitting quietly. He wasn’t himself at all and was really clingy. Usually he’s running around opening every cupboard in sight or attacking the fridge magnets! He wasn’t interested by his toys or the TV remotes.
It broke my heart to see him like this. He didn’t have much of an appetite at all. I’d forgotten about the idea of chicken pox by now as I’d assumed that he’d have had more by this time if it was that.
We decided to take him for a short walk and ended up at the park which was pretty empty. He usually loves the swings and slides but he didn’t want to be put down at all. He was super clingy and very tearful. So we decided to take him back.
Day 3: Sunday
By Sunday Arjun was in much better spirits and his temperature seemed to be a lot better. I noticed a few more pimple like spots on his arms but nothing major and not in the usual places chicken pox appear (tummy and face).
His Goov Masi came to visit and they did finger painting together which he found really fun. He laughed and giggled – my boy was back!
We popped to Preetam’s parents again that evening after a drive to Starbucks. Arjun was in much better spirits and was being his cheeky self. He even managed to eat a little – pizza! I’d have been really worried had he refused his favourite food.
I wasn’t sure if it was chicken pox or a viral infection that had passed but either way I thought it was better to be safe than sorry so decided I’d keep him at home the following day.
We stocked up on Calamine lotion just in case.
Day 4: Monday
Arjun woke up in good spirits and his temperature seemed to be completely fine. He managed to have a little breakfast. He played happily while I called his nursery. As soon as I mentioned that Arjun was unwell, they asked if he had chicken pox. Boom! My initial motherly instinct was right! Two other babies had been sent home that morning as they had chicken pox and so it was highly likely that’s what Arjun had.
I almost felt relieved knowing what it was. I was also really pleased that Arjun had got them so young.
I messaged my blogging buddy BattleMum on advice on chicken pox as her baby boy had them recently too. She recommended PoxClin Mousse so I sent Preetam a message to bring some home.
He seemed fine in himself so I continued working from home as he played. While I was on a work call, I noticed his arms had started to blister. I didn’t manage to get a clear picture but they quickly started to fill on his arms. He kept touching them – I wasn’t sure if it was because they were itchy or because he was just fascinated by them but it was pretty difficult to distract him! I managed to distract him for a while with play doh and a rolling pin … Till he decided to taste it!
At his grandparents house that evening, while he was rummaging through the cupboards and finding empty yogurt containers to sit on (his new “thing”), I noticed his eye seemed a little sore and gunky. I suspected conjunctivitis. Great, just what we needed!
Day 5: Tuesday
I called the doctors to ask about Arjun’s eye. They thought it would be a good idea for us to come in given he was already unwell. I decided to walk to the doctors with Arjun but ended up carrying him for a lot of the way! We were quarantined at the doctors as Arjun was contagious. The doctor confirmed it was conjunctivitis and to wash with warm water.
Arjun was hard work on Tuesday. He decided to bypass his morning nap (not entirely his fault given his doctors appointment coincided with nap time) and didn’t want to be apart from me. He was happy when I was close by or when he was in my arms. He actually managed to eat a bit more than he had done the last few days (that wasn’t hard as he was practically on a hunger strike), he really enjoyed the homemade vegetables pies I’d made him.
After lunch, it took me a while to put him down for a nap but he slept well. I managed to get a lot of my work done during his nap and was glad to have company in the afternoon. Our friends Karan and Pavan came to spend the afternoon with us to give Arjun some extra company.
When he woke up he was in a really good mood and was kept busy by Karan and the tabla and also had some time in the garden with Pavan playing on the slide and swing.
I decided to make paneer that evening as a pick me up – I really needed comfort food! You can find the recipe here.
I decided to go to work the following day as Arjun seemed better so Preetam took the day off to be at home with Arjun.
Day 6: Wednesday
I missed Arjun so much when at work. I don’t consider myself overly googoogaga when it comes to kids but seeing your child unwell is the worst feeling. I stress even if he has a sniffly nose! They enjoyed the day together and Arjun seemed back to his normal self bar the hunger strike. They say it’s normal for a child to lose their appetite during chicken pox as the insides can also be infected making it painful.
When I got home, I was embraced by my little terror. It was the best feeling ever. We spent the evening singing nursery rhymes and blowing bubbles.
Day 7: Thursday
Karan and Pavan suggested we spent the day at theirs knowing I was pretty drained from having days on end at home with Arjun. I thought the change in environment would also do him some good. He loves it at their house.
He had a great day playing at their house and we were later joined by his Goov Masi. He kept us entertained with his usual antics and by trying to lead the way with “row row row your boat” – he has the cutest scream at the end of the rhyme!
By this day Arjun’s face had pretty much cleared up. There were still a few spots on his legs and arms.
Day 8: Friday
During the night Arjun seemed to have developed a cough and times it felt like he was slightly struggling to breath. I struggled to fall asleep worrying about him and decided to turn to Dr Google instead – big mistake. It basically told me my baby could die in a few hours if he had a chicken pox on his lung. I panicked. I’m a hypochondriac at the worst of times when it comes to Arjun so that was the last thing I needed to read!
I made a doctors appointment first thing just to be safe though. The doctor confirmed his chest didn’t sound too bad and that he should be ok but to keep an eye.
We spent the rest of the day and night at Preetam’s parents where we were also joined by Preetam’s sister. Arjun was back to his normal self – a stark difference to how he was the week before there! He was up to his usual antics – he decided to show everyone how to ab roll – a little gym buff in the making, he spent hours taking his crayola pencils out of the box and putting them back in and he played with the fridge magnets – 90% which he’s already managed to break (the remaining 10% he hasn’t managed to get his hands on just yet), and he watched his Dadi Ji tutor her students.
His Dadi Ji also made him home made play doh which he had fun playing with. You can find the recipe for the play doh here.
I also baked him cinnamon and banana cookies while we were there and he absolutely loved them! You can find the recipe here.
We had lots of fun during our sleepover and Arjun sure did keep his Dada Ji and Dadi Ji busy!
In the end we didn’t use the Calamine lotion (but it will be coming in handy for holiday in case anyone gets heat rash!) or the PoxClin as Arjun didn’t suffer from any itchiness. He only had about 15 spots in general so I don’t know if this was just a mild dose and if so perhaps he may get it again but I’m hoping we’re done with it! I’ll be sure to take Arjun around any kids that have it to test out his immunity 🙂
Have your babies had chicken pox? What are your thoughts on the vaccination?x
I spontaneously came up with this recipe by incorporating some of Arjun’s favourite foods – bananas and raisins. They are super quick and super easy to make and are full of nourishing goodness and Arjun loved them! Time taken: 20 minutes
Makes: 15 cookies
Two handfuls of rolled oats
2 ripe mashed bananas
1 teaspoon honey
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons raisins
Method:
1. Pre heat the oven to 180c. Using a food blender, grind the rolled oats so they are a powdery texture. If you don’t want to grind them, leave them whole but you may require a little self raising flour to help bind the mixture better.
2. Mix in the the cinnamon and honey and work the mashed banana in slowly to ensure a dough like consistency is achieved. Mix in the raisins.
3. Roll out the dough gently. It may be a little sticky due to the bananas so use some flour to line the surface before doing so.
4. Use a cookie cutter to cut in to desired shapes – we used transport cutters. Place on a lined baking tray and bake for 15 minutes on 180c or until lightly browned.
5. Leave to cool for 10 minutes before serving.
I decided to take Thursday off from my phone, social media and blogging. Just a break in general. I’ve been feeling really overwhelmed and exhausted as I shared in my last post. Coupled with a slight cold and a sleep fighting baby, it’s been so tiring.
I stayed away from my phone and it felt so nice – I felt lighter, my head didn’t feel so strained and my fingers got a break from the constant typing. I used my camera to take pictures instead and only checked my phone in between locations. I will definitely be doing that more often! It’s amazing how wrapped up in a phone one can become – flicking between Twitter, Facebook, blogging Instagram, Shopstyle, Pinterest and the list goes on (you catch my drift) – you can end up spending hours on end engrossed in your phone and cyber space as life passes you by.
We spent my “day off” exploring what the beautiful Cotsworlds has to offer… It was just what I needed – open space, both mental and physically and a break from everything.
We decided to visit Cotsworlds Wildlife Park which I’d highly recommend for a beautiful day with gorgeous views, open and airy surroundings and lots of animals! There was a mixture of farm animals as well as wild animals, a train ride and there was also a fun adventure park where Arjun enjoyed his first zip wire experience.
The stunning Cotsworlds views …
The wildlife park …
He’s obsessed with magnets … That’s what he chose as his gift from the wildlife park …
Following on from the wildlife park, we made a quick trip to The Burford Garden Company as we passed it. It was absolutely gorgeous with lots of super cute quirky decoration and buys and a super cute Childrens shop which specialises in wooden toys. We’ll definitely be visiting again and next time will be stopping for tea and scones when time isn’t restricted. We managed to grab a pair of Hunters each in time for the wet weather though :).
We finishs the day off with a quick spot of shopping for Arjun at Bicester where we enjoyed a yummy Nutella crepe followed by tea and scones. A day of indulgence indeed!
I had such a beautiful slow paced day and really enjoyed it. It’s just what I needed and I’ll be sure to do it more often – a way from my phone.
x
I thought twice about having a moan here but then I’ve always used my blog as an outlet for my feelings. I know in comparison to what’s going on in the world, my issues (if you can even call them that!) are really minor.
I’m sat here downstairs in pure silence … I’ve just got home from work, made myself a quick parontah with my mum’s signature bhurji paneer (I know I’ll be crying when I step on the scales tomorrow to see the result of my paneer binging of late!), Arjun is upstairs fast asleep. Most mum’s would savour this moment. I sort of am … But I know the fact that he’s decided to have his nap at 5pm so close to bedtime means that we’re going to have a bumpy night tonight … again.
Recently, I’ve been feeling really down. Not my usual upbeat self. I’m struggling to find the energy to do most things, I’m struggling to keep up with blogging, work and managing a house and baby. And the reason I’m struggling is because I can’t seem to crawl out of this dark little hole I’m in right now. I have no idea why. I don’t know what the actual cause is so I don’t know how to fix it.
Almost 4 weeks ago, my Papa Ji (grandfather) passed away, and ever since I haven’t actually had the time to absorb what’s happened. A week after his funeral, Arjun caught chicken pox which I’ll be blogging about separately. I didn’t realise how draining a few days at home with him would be. I think I’ve taken for granted, or not really given myself much credit for how far I’ve come with taking Arjun out and about. He’s a toddler that’s inquisitive and needs entertaining and we’re not really used to spending days at home. Don’t get me wrong, I almost welcomed a break from socialising and life in general but after a week of that combined with a very frustrated little baby (from boredom more than the pox!), I felt ready to return to work.
I guess it’s pretty normal to feel tired returning back to work – I’d been off from work between Papa Ji’s passing and his funeral and then again while Arjun had chicken pox. The 5.30am wake ups were never going to be appealing. Going back to work has been nice in that I’m distracted during the day and it’s a break from everything else.
My mind has been pretty absent – on Monday, although drained after my first day back at work, I was so excited to see Arjun. The traffic I faced on the way to collect him just filled me with anxiety. I just wanted to be there. I didn’t have the energy at that point. I was so relieved when I finally pulled up to the nursery car park. I swung back to grab my bag from the backseat and saw the big gaping gap where Arjun’s car seat should have been. It was missing. I’d forgotten it at home. Preetam (bless him) has been dropping Arjun to nursery for the last few weeks and we’d shifted the seat. It just heightened my feelings of feeling like a rubbish mother at that point. My duties feel like they’re slipping. Like I’m slacking. Had I fulfilled my duty of taking Arjun to nursery, the car seat wouldn’t have been in a different car and I could’ve taken my baby home. He’d be expecting me. He knows I come as soon as he’s had his milk. I couldn’t go in there though only to leave him again.
I was so bloody fed up, I just sat there and cried. If any other mother or father saw me, they probably thought I was an outright lunatic. The whole trip had been so tiring and in the end I couldn’t even take him home. I called Preetam who told me to come home and that he’d get Arjun once he was back knowing how tired I was. In the end I saw Arjun a whole hour after I should have :(. To top things off that day, I forgot to link up to my own linky on Monday and also tweeted out the wrong darn link! Grr
This morning, I was in such a rush and half asleep as I left the house due to a rough night with Arjun. I ended up forgetting my car (and house) keys in the house while Preetam was in the shower and so I was stood in the cold for ages while I patiently waited (and tried to not think of a way to blame him for it lol).
On a positive note, I have been grateful for being able to get involved in charity work for Khalsa Aid which Arjun insisted on helping me with! I am also super grateful for my blogging buddies x
I’ve decided to take a total break from social media/blogging/my phone tomorrow (I wish I could commit to more!) to spend time with my family and to declutter my brain.
I’ll be back soon x
P.s sorry for the terrible English – this post was literally a feelings dump.
Arjun’s Dadi Ji decided it was time to make homemade play doh just like she used to for Preetam and his siblings.
It was really nice to hear old stories about Preetam and his siblings and how they used to play when little while mum made the play doh. It was nice watching his mum make something for her grandson while reminiscing about her own time when her children were younger.
I’m really glad our parents get to relive that time with the benefit of not having to deal with around the clock nappy changes and sleepless nights! Haha!
Here is the recipe for homemade play doh shared by Arjun’s Dadi Ji x
Makes: 4 pieces Ingredients:
1 cup self raising flour
1 cup water
1 tablespoon oil
1 tablespoon cream of tartar
4 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon red food colouring
1 teaspoon orange food colouring
1 teaspoon blue food colouring
1 teaspoon green food colouring
Method:
Mix all the ingredients apart from the food colouring in a pan over a medium heat until it forms a dough like texture.
Once formed, remove the dough from the pan and knead with your knuckles and split the dough in to four pieces and work in the different food colouring to each piece of dough.
I’ve been meaning to write this post for MONTHS! But just haven’t got around to doing so. As I was packing Arjun’s bag for tomorrow I thought I’d do this post at the same time 🙂
Arjun is now 15 months old.
The change bag: I’m absolutely obsessed with this change bag. After searching low and high, four change bags later (including a skip hop one and an Armani one) and a few pennies shorter, I finally came across this one.
I first saw this change bag when my cousin had her baby boy, it immediately caught my attention as it seemed a lot bigger than the others I’d had.
Bhavan was happy for me to have a snoop around her Costanzo Enrico change bag for me to see if it fit my bill, and it did! I ordered it there and then (with her permission of course! – she may not have wanted a bag twin!!) and was so pleasantly surprised at its bargain price of £29.99 for an 8 piece change bag and thanks to Amazon Prime my new purchase arrived the next day and I haven’t looked back since! Based on the price I wasn’t sure that the quality would be amazing but it hasn’t failed me yet (touch wood!).
I use several of the additional pieces that come with the change bag including the nappy pouch organiser, baby mat, padded shoulder strap. It also comes with a baby bottle holder and a wet bag.
The bag has two zipped side pockets, two front deep pockets which also include a Velcro flap, a large back zipped pocket, an internal large zipped pocket and two elasticated internal pockets. The number of pockets is perfect for what I need and I’m sometimes left with a spare pocket.
I’m able to fit all of Arjun’s items, a change of clothes for him plus basic make up for me as well as my purse, phone and keys.
Here’s what’s in my change bag …
Nappy changing: I use the nappy pouch organiser to hold the baby change mat, Vaseline, metanium (in case he gets nappy rash while we’re out – especially while teething), nappy bags, 2 nappies. I usually keep a few spare nappies at the bottom of the change bag in addition.
I keep this pouch in the main internal section of the bag. I keep the wipes in this section too but outside of the nappy pouch organiser for easier access in case I need to mop Arjun up after eating.
Snacks: I usually take a selection of snacks which can include Organix baby crisps (in a little container to stop them from breaking), breadsticks, raisins (Arjun’s favourite), Ella’s Kitchen pouches. I usually keep disposable bibs too.
I keep these in the back large zipper pocket of the change bag for quick access.
Water: I keep Arjun’s sippy cup in one of the front Velcro pocket of the change bag so it’s easy to access.
Medicine: I keep a basic first aid kit, Calpol, Nurofen, Ashtons and Parsons teething granules and Anbesol teething gel. I also carry a travel bottle of sunscreen during the summer.
I keep this in a freezer bag in case of stickiness in an inside elasticated pocket.
Toys: I rotate the toys that I take for Arjun every so often. I carry his toys in a little drawstring toy pouch that I sewed for him. I used different fabric textures and colours so that he could touch and feel as well as learn colours too. The drawstring makes it easy for him to access his toys himself.
As well as toys I also carry toy rings and a toy tie in case I need to attach a toy to a high chair for example when out at a restaurant.
I keep this pouch in the main internal section of the bag.
Milk: when out and about I find it easier to take ready made formula to save me the hassle of locating cows milk when out in public. I always pack two SMA cartons – one for his snack at 3pm and one just before bed at 7.30pm.
I keep these cartons in one of the side zip pockets.
Change of clothes: I saw a video on YouTube a little while ago about an efficient way of packing baby clothes and was reminded of it by my blogging buddy Suz over at Beau is Blue. It goes like this…
The super cute clothes above are from our favourite baby clothes supplier Fred and Noah.
I keep his change of clothes in the main internal section of the bag.
If I know I will be staying out past bedtime, I also pack a night suit which I put in the second side zipped pocket.
My bits n bobs: I carry some make up and toiletries in a little pouch including hair brush and comb, eyeliner, blusher, contact lenses, lip balm, lipstick, lip gloss, mascara, tissues and anti bac wipes. I also carry a few rubber bands for Arjun’s hair and some hair grips. I use this make up stash if I ever stay at my parents too.
I keep this in the other elasticated pocket.
I also carry a phone charger and some cash in the internal zipper pocket of the bag.
The really important stuff: I keep my phone, purse and keys in a front Velcro pocket for easier access.
And there you have it! I manage to cram quite a bit in to my bag.
What change bag do you use? Do you include any other bits that I may find useful?x
I’ve had lots of messages requesting the recipe for these since I posted on Instagram and Facebook. My super talented and creative mother in law taught me the basis for this recipe. I’m really lucky to have two talented mummy’s who are brilliant cooks – I have hope with them as my teachers!
These are egg free and taste absolutely divine! You’re also free to add in/substitute vegetables as you please. My mother in laws original recipe is cheese and onion. As you can see below I’ve added in a few extras.
The cheesiness against the crunch of the pastry hits my craving for comfort food spot pretty quick! Given its a crustless recipe, it’s not as fattening as it tastes! It’s a quick and simple recipe which doesn’t go overkill with any herbs or spices.
Makes: 50 mini quiches
Cooking time: 45 minutes Ingredients:
350g firm tofu
170g Philadelphia (I used light)
60g medium cheddar cheese grated
5cm piece of leek
1 x small red onion
2 small heads of broccoli
Shortcrust pastry (I use jus Jus-Rol ready rolled)
Pepper
Salt to taste (I added this after I’d made Arjun’s)
1) Drain the tofu thoroughly and crumble in a mixing bowl using the back of a fork. Add in the Philadelphia and mix well. Work in 40g of the cheddar cheese.
2) Dice up the onion, leek and broccoli and mix in. Add in the salt and pepper and mix.
3) Grease a mini cupcake baking tin and use a small round cookie cutter to make the base of the quiches. Place the bases in to the baking tin pushing down using your fingers.
4) Fill each section with the tofu mixture you made smoothing the top.
5) Sprinkle with remaining cheddar cheese and garnish with a sprig of broccoli. Place in the oven at 180c for 25 minutes. Leave to cool for ten minutes once cooked. Serve.
Voila!
Serving suggestion: homemade chips and baked beans
Plate can be purchased Here (available in three different colours).
Enjoy x
For more information about our vegetarian weaning journey, click here.
Disclaimer: as when trying any new foods with your baby that you may be unsure about, please check with your health visitor first.
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Hi, I’m Harps, an award winning blogger who shares my journey of motherhood after experiencing post natal depression and an unexpected diagnosis of Down’s syndrome. Readers have often coined my musings “relatable” and “warming”. I have gone on to turn my passion of connecting people into working with brands ranging from household names through to small businesses and sharing with my engaged audience.
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