I have been getting a lot of DMs asking the details about how I DIYed this theme for Shaarav's 3rd birthday. And I know I'm super late in creating this post but what can I say this is how busy this #workingmom 's life is these days.
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To start with I looked into pinterest for some theme ideas for our "Jungle Safari" theme and got a few which I improvised a little with my own ideas to create this theme. So, when I had a picture in mind of what I wanted the decor to look like and the elements I wanted in it next I did was to decide on the colour combinations and accordingly I jotted down the things that I needed to make them.
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I live in a small town with limited resources so I decided to keep it to things which could be easily available in the market. So I went for coloured chartpapers.
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For the leaves, I had downloaded the leaf pattern from the internet and printed them on coloured sheets. To avoid monotony I opted for two types of green and to give the leaves some dimension I curled their ends with pencil (some outwards and some inwards).
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The tree bark I did in black because I couldn't get my hands on a brown coloured chart paper. It has been assembled in parts and has been drawn freestyle to make it look as natural as possible.
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Similarly, the animal cutouts have been drawn in parts on chartpapers and assembled together.
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For the banner I've used the one I received as a part of a personalized book order we did for Shaarav from @mynamequest . For sticking all the elements I've used cellotape because double sided tapes tend to spoil the wall and so does fevicol.
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The theme coordinating party props are courtesy from my brother who drew, coloured and cut them out of cardboard.
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I hope I haven't left out the details. If more queries or questions please do let me know.
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#BBCreatorsClub #thebookstermom #cloudandsunshine #jharkhandblogger #ranchiblogger #toddlermom #raisingshaarav #shaaravdiaries #shaaravunplugged #shaaravsaga #shaaravtales #shaaravstories #shaaravuninhibited #shaaravturnsthree
.
To start with I looked into pinterest for some theme ideas for our "Jungle Safari" theme and got a few which I improvised a little with my own ideas to create this theme. So, when I had a picture in mind of what I wanted the decor to look like and the elements I wanted in it next I did was to decide on the colour combinations and accordingly I jotted down the things that I needed to make them.
.
I live in a small town with limited resources so I decided to keep it to things which could be easily available in the market. So I went for coloured chartpapers.
.
For the leaves, I had downloaded the leaf pattern from the internet and printed them on coloured sheets. To avoid monotony I opted for two types of green and to give the leaves some dimension I curled their ends with pencil (some outwards and some inwards).
.
The tree bark I did in black because I couldn't get my hands on a brown coloured chart paper. It has been assembled in parts and has been drawn freestyle to make it look as natural as possible.
.
Similarly, the animal cutouts have been drawn in parts on chartpapers and assembled together.
.
For the banner I've used the one I received as a part of a personalized book order we did for Shaarav from @mynamequest . For sticking all the elements I've used cellotape because double sided tapes tend to spoil the wall and so does fevicol.
.
The theme coordinating party props are courtesy from my brother who drew, coloured and cut them out of cardboard.
.
I hope I haven't left out the details. If more queries or questions please do let me know.
.
#BBCreatorsClub #thebookstermom #cloudandsunshine #jharkhandblogger #ranchiblogger #toddlermom #raisingshaarav #shaaravdiaries #shaaravunplugged #shaaravsaga #shaaravtales #shaaravstories #shaaravuninhibited #shaaravturnsthree
I had been meaning to share with you all my last big project which was Shaarav's birthday but couldn't find the time. But better to be late than never, so starting with this I'll be sharing some of Shaarav's birthday pics in the next few posts and I'm hoping to get you likes and comments on the same.
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THEME FOR SHAARAV'S 3RD BIRTHDAY!
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Choosing the theme for Shaarav's birthday was not an ordeal for us this time too. The 'THEME' had to be 'JUNGLE SAFARI' looking at his undying love for wild animals this year, be it lion, zebra, hippopotamus, monkey or giraffe.
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He named it and we tried to incorporate it in the frame.
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But choosing the colours for the theme definitely was an uphill task because his favourite colours change everyday. So we mostly stuck to 2 colours - Yellow and Green.
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This time I went a little overboard with the decor, though not spending much since everything is DIY, the grasses as well.
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Shaarav's 'jumping with joy' reaction was the best reward for my hardwork.
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Special mention to Mr. Husband Kartik Kujur, my sisters Swati Kachhap Surabhi Kachhap Swasti Kachhap and brother Naman Kachhap for lending a helping hand for the decorations.
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Do mention in the comments if you liked our decor idea for our kiddo's birthday.
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P. S. Don't forget to spot the special entry in the frame on request - the famous "Ladybird" from Julia Donaldson's "What the Ladybird Heard" series of books which Shaarav's loves to listen to again and again.
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#cloudandsunshine #raisingshaarav #diybirthday #diylover #diyentusiast #instamom #shaaravsaga #shaaravtales #shaarav #shaaravdiaries #diy #doityourself #shaaravturnsthree #ranchiblogger #jharkhandblogger #instakid #toddler #toddlermom #toddlerfun #diybirthdaydecor #birthdayfeels #birthdaybanner #birthdaydecor #diybirthdaybanner #momblogger #momsofinstagram #toddlerbirthday #wheelstheme #birthdaycelebrations #birthdaysarespecial #thebookstermom #bbcreatorsclub #toddler
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THEME FOR SHAARAV'S 3RD BIRTHDAY!
.
Choosing the theme for Shaarav's birthday was not an ordeal for us this time too. The 'THEME' had to be 'JUNGLE SAFARI' looking at his undying love for wild animals this year, be it lion, zebra, hippopotamus, monkey or giraffe.
.
He named it and we tried to incorporate it in the frame.
.
But choosing the colours for the theme definitely was an uphill task because his favourite colours change everyday. So we mostly stuck to 2 colours - Yellow and Green.
.
This time I went a little overboard with the decor, though not spending much since everything is DIY, the grasses as well.
.
Shaarav's 'jumping with joy' reaction was the best reward for my hardwork.
.
Special mention to Mr. Husband Kartik Kujur, my sisters Swati Kachhap Surabhi Kachhap Swasti Kachhap and brother Naman Kachhap for lending a helping hand for the decorations.
.
Do mention in the comments if you liked our decor idea for our kiddo's birthday.
.
P. S. Don't forget to spot the special entry in the frame on request - the famous "Ladybird" from Julia Donaldson's "What the Ladybird Heard" series of books which Shaarav's loves to listen to again and again.
.
#cloudandsunshine #raisingshaarav #diybirthday #diylover #diyentusiast #instamom #shaaravsaga #shaaravtales #shaarav #shaaravdiaries #diy #doityourself #shaaravturnsthree #ranchiblogger #jharkhandblogger #instakid #toddler #toddlermom #toddlerfun #diybirthdaydecor #birthdayfeels #birthdaybanner #birthdaydecor #diybirthdaybanner #momblogger #momsofinstagram #toddlerbirthday #wheelstheme #birthdaycelebrations #birthdaysarespecial #thebookstermom #bbcreatorsclub #toddler
For this week's read, we picked this wonderfully illustrated picture book by Katie Stileman (which is said to be rivalling that of the Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle) called "Peely Wally".
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This super adorable book is a cute little story of a little bird called Peely Wally whose egg rolls away from high up in a tree after she jumped with joy for laying a perfect egg. This superbly engaging book is about the adventurous journey of her egg through a loopy dotted path which the kids can trace passing from one animal to another until finally it reaches back to Peely Wally. Shaarav had fun tracing the dotted line to see where the egg finally landed and wanted to do it again and again.
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With lots of animals to spot and talk about and a butterfly to find on each page this book has a cute little special surprise at the end which is the star attraction of the book. Shaarav just loved discovering the surprise and was super thrilled to know about it. This book is suitable for toddlers aged 2-6 years who love animals and birds.
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#cloudandsunshine #thebookstermom #bbcreatorsclub #raisingshaarav #shaaravdiaries #shaaravunplugged #shaaravsaga #shaaravtales #shaaravstories #shaaravuninhibited #jharkhandblogger #ranchiblogger #toddlermom
.
This super adorable book is a cute little story of a little bird called Peely Wally whose egg rolls away from high up in a tree after she jumped with joy for laying a perfect egg. This superbly engaging book is about the adventurous journey of her egg through a loopy dotted path which the kids can trace passing from one animal to another until finally it reaches back to Peely Wally. Shaarav had fun tracing the dotted line to see where the egg finally landed and wanted to do it again and again.
.
With lots of animals to spot and talk about and a butterfly to find on each page this book has a cute little special surprise at the end which is the star attraction of the book. Shaarav just loved discovering the surprise and was super thrilled to know about it. This book is suitable for toddlers aged 2-6 years who love animals and birds.
.
#cloudandsunshine #thebookstermom #bbcreatorsclub #raisingshaarav #shaaravdiaries #shaaravunplugged #shaaravsaga #shaaravtales #shaaravstories #shaaravuninhibited #jharkhandblogger #ranchiblogger #toddlermom
We are back with our book reviews.
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The book that we chose for today was "Who's Afraid of the Dark" authored by Melanie Joyce and illustrated by David Creighton-Pester. This book is for those who are afraid of the dark.
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Young kids can be either very fearless and not afraid of anything or they can fearful of things like darkness, insects, spiders etc. Shaarav isn't typically afraid of anything but he's rather hesitant of going in the dark. I wouldn't say he's scared of the dark but he somewhat hesitates going in a dimly lit area or room. Though he wouldn't run away if left alone there, but he shies from going there.
.
This book is about a little fox who explores during the night to discover that all the noises he used to think were scary are just other animals living their lives like him and;learns not to be afraid of the dark! So I found this delightful, dimly lit story a perfect medium to show my little reader that there's nothing to be afraid of the dark and the fun that can be had under the moonlit magic at night.
.
The illustrations are nice and soft and brilliant, perfect to fall in love with the soft pastels. Whenever we read this storybook, my kiddo snuggles up to me and listens to the story in awe and amusement learning that everything at night is not to be afraid of.
.
The writer has brilliantly attempted to make the kids understand that maybe the dark isn't so scary after all! And it has been doing the trick for us. This book is appropriate for kids of age group 2-5 years.
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#bbcreatorsclub #CloudandSunshine #thebookstermom #raisingshaarav #shaaravdiaries #ranchiblogger #jharkhandblogger #shaaravtales #shaaravstories #shaaravsaga
.
The book that we chose for today was "Who's Afraid of the Dark" authored by Melanie Joyce and illustrated by David Creighton-Pester. This book is for those who are afraid of the dark.
.
Young kids can be either very fearless and not afraid of anything or they can fearful of things like darkness, insects, spiders etc. Shaarav isn't typically afraid of anything but he's rather hesitant of going in the dark. I wouldn't say he's scared of the dark but he somewhat hesitates going in a dimly lit area or room. Though he wouldn't run away if left alone there, but he shies from going there.
.
This book is about a little fox who explores during the night to discover that all the noises he used to think were scary are just other animals living their lives like him and;learns not to be afraid of the dark! So I found this delightful, dimly lit story a perfect medium to show my little reader that there's nothing to be afraid of the dark and the fun that can be had under the moonlit magic at night.
.
The illustrations are nice and soft and brilliant, perfect to fall in love with the soft pastels. Whenever we read this storybook, my kiddo snuggles up to me and listens to the story in awe and amusement learning that everything at night is not to be afraid of.
.
The writer has brilliantly attempted to make the kids understand that maybe the dark isn't so scary after all! And it has been doing the trick for us. This book is appropriate for kids of age group 2-5 years.
.
#bbcreatorsclub #CloudandSunshine #thebookstermom #raisingshaarav #shaaravdiaries #ranchiblogger #jharkhandblogger #shaaravtales #shaaravstories #shaaravsaga
The Truth Behind My Picture-perfect Motherhood
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Have you wondered what picture-perfect motherhood might be like for you? I imagine it to be like the one where I am utter patient with my child, where I refrain from shouting at him out of frustration because he spilled water again and I need to clean it up or I come back home tired wanting to lie down for some time only to find a whole pile of toys scattered all over the bed. Picture-Perfect motherhood for me would be where he listens to me once for a change and does exactly what he’s being asked to do. Sigh! Wouldn’t life be so much easier and so much beautiful if we had everything our way? But the reality is entirely different from what we want and how it is.
.
These past three months that I have been working I have been juggling my life. I wake up at 5 am in the morning and the first thing I do is put dirty laundry in the washing machine. Then I begin to cook and clean which I try to complete by 7 am because by that time it’s already time to wake Shaarav up and get him ready for school. I completely need to be with Shaarav until 8 am at which he leaves for school. During that one hour, I need to wake him up, make him brush his teeth, bathe him, massage and change and feed him and get him ready for school. Believe me, getting through this one hour daily is the toughest and the most draining hour of my entire day. It’s a real struggle with a toddler who wants to sleep a little more and doesn’t want to wake up, or takes an eternity to brush his teeth asking for more toothpaste repeatedly, or is reluctant to take a bath or refuses to come out of the tub or wants to wear jeans and redshirt when I picked black trousers and yellow T-shirt for him to wear, or when he wants to eat bread and jam when I prepared;aaloo paranthas;for him after confirming with him thrice. And mind you, these are just some of the unreasonable demands that I need to entertain and honour every day.
.
I try to maintain my calm and not lose my patience, but going through all this daily besides solo parenting when I have a schedule to maintain because I have to catch a 9.30 am bus to office if I don’t want to get late is insane. I feel I don’t get enough time for myself anymore because after returning from work when all I want is to lie down for some time and check my Emails, Facebook or WhatsApp my son comes running up to me with his favourite storybook asking me to put my phone away and tell him the same story a 100th;time.
.
And I have to bite my tongue to prevent myself from scolding him and consciously take a few deep breaths to curb my rising frustration before I take the storybook from him with a smile, pick him up and place him on my lap kissing him on his cheeks and begin our storytelling session.
.
When I thoroughly believed that my life as a stay-at-home mom was tough I am realizing that my life as a working mom has become a whole lot tougher. I constantly have to deal with a guilty conscience for not being able to make enough time for my son anymore – for not being a perfect mother to my child. I constantly find myself torn apart by the conflicting feelings of wanting some time off for myself and then ending up feeling that I wasted the time which I could have given to my son. I feel like I could go crazy dealing with this every day.
.
But a growing realization that I had not so long ago is that in my pursuit of being an ideal mother I had stopped being a real one. But now I have understood that it’s not wrong to idealize motherhood, but the kind of mother that I have been idealizing isn’t the mother that lives the same life as me. Reality is that there’s no perfect motherhood and there’s no perfect, one-size-fits-all love. When I first met Mr. Husband, I remember having the feeling that I couldn’t love another human more until I met my son. I look at him and it feels he’s enough and more I could have ever asked for. My life derives its very meaning from his existence. And I might not be a perfect mother or I might not even don picture-perfect motherhood, but one thing I’m very sure of is that I can love my son perfectly despite my lack of perfection.
.
And for that I need to be kind – kind not just to my innocent child but kind to me as well, for I have been harsh on myself for way too long. I need to choose kindness over harsh judgement because if there’s one thing I ever want to do perfectly is to make my son feel free and safe by my love. And love can feel safe only when there’s acceptance – acceptance that the real motherhood is as beautiful as or even more beautiful than picture-perfect motherhood, and that I might never be a perfect mother but I can be the perfect me.
.
Love,
Mrs. Sunshine
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#cloudandsunshine #thebookstermom #bbcreatorsclub #raisingshaarav #shaaravdiaries #ranchiblogger #jharkhandblogger #shaaravtales #shaaravstories
.
Have you wondered what picture-perfect motherhood might be like for you? I imagine it to be like the one where I am utter patient with my child, where I refrain from shouting at him out of frustration because he spilled water again and I need to clean it up or I come back home tired wanting to lie down for some time only to find a whole pile of toys scattered all over the bed. Picture-Perfect motherhood for me would be where he listens to me once for a change and does exactly what he’s being asked to do. Sigh! Wouldn’t life be so much easier and so much beautiful if we had everything our way? But the reality is entirely different from what we want and how it is.
.
These past three months that I have been working I have been juggling my life. I wake up at 5 am in the morning and the first thing I do is put dirty laundry in the washing machine. Then I begin to cook and clean which I try to complete by 7 am because by that time it’s already time to wake Shaarav up and get him ready for school. I completely need to be with Shaarav until 8 am at which he leaves for school. During that one hour, I need to wake him up, make him brush his teeth, bathe him, massage and change and feed him and get him ready for school. Believe me, getting through this one hour daily is the toughest and the most draining hour of my entire day. It’s a real struggle with a toddler who wants to sleep a little more and doesn’t want to wake up, or takes an eternity to brush his teeth asking for more toothpaste repeatedly, or is reluctant to take a bath or refuses to come out of the tub or wants to wear jeans and redshirt when I picked black trousers and yellow T-shirt for him to wear, or when he wants to eat bread and jam when I prepared;aaloo paranthas;for him after confirming with him thrice. And mind you, these are just some of the unreasonable demands that I need to entertain and honour every day.
.
I try to maintain my calm and not lose my patience, but going through all this daily besides solo parenting when I have a schedule to maintain because I have to catch a 9.30 am bus to office if I don’t want to get late is insane. I feel I don’t get enough time for myself anymore because after returning from work when all I want is to lie down for some time and check my Emails, Facebook or WhatsApp my son comes running up to me with his favourite storybook asking me to put my phone away and tell him the same story a 100th;time.
.
And I have to bite my tongue to prevent myself from scolding him and consciously take a few deep breaths to curb my rising frustration before I take the storybook from him with a smile, pick him up and place him on my lap kissing him on his cheeks and begin our storytelling session.
.
When I thoroughly believed that my life as a stay-at-home mom was tough I am realizing that my life as a working mom has become a whole lot tougher. I constantly have to deal with a guilty conscience for not being able to make enough time for my son anymore – for not being a perfect mother to my child. I constantly find myself torn apart by the conflicting feelings of wanting some time off for myself and then ending up feeling that I wasted the time which I could have given to my son. I feel like I could go crazy dealing with this every day.
.
But a growing realization that I had not so long ago is that in my pursuit of being an ideal mother I had stopped being a real one. But now I have understood that it’s not wrong to idealize motherhood, but the kind of mother that I have been idealizing isn’t the mother that lives the same life as me. Reality is that there’s no perfect motherhood and there’s no perfect, one-size-fits-all love. When I first met Mr. Husband, I remember having the feeling that I couldn’t love another human more until I met my son. I look at him and it feels he’s enough and more I could have ever asked for. My life derives its very meaning from his existence. And I might not be a perfect mother or I might not even don picture-perfect motherhood, but one thing I’m very sure of is that I can love my son perfectly despite my lack of perfection.
.
And for that I need to be kind – kind not just to my innocent child but kind to me as well, for I have been harsh on myself for way too long. I need to choose kindness over harsh judgement because if there’s one thing I ever want to do perfectly is to make my son feel free and safe by my love. And love can feel safe only when there’s acceptance – acceptance that the real motherhood is as beautiful as or even more beautiful than picture-perfect motherhood, and that I might never be a perfect mother but I can be the perfect me.
.
Love,
Mrs. Sunshine
.
#cloudandsunshine #thebookstermom #bbcreatorsclub #raisingshaarav #shaaravdiaries #ranchiblogger #jharkhandblogger #shaaravtales #shaaravstories