35 weeks pregnant

Yay!!! 2 more weeks until I reach full term.  I can't wait any longer.  My last pregnancy also I was getting impatient towards the end. Did you also felt the same?

Somehow this pregnancy seems to have gone by fast... maybe as my inlaws or my parents were with me the whole time. It definitely helped. I am so so thankful to them. Me at 35 weeks :))))

• Craving: anything sweet, milk, yougurt, cold apple slices.
• Symptoms: backache, heartburn, difficulty sleeping, feet swelling.
• Weight gain: 30 pounds :(

My pregnancy must haves

Like most women, I got morning sickness, weight gain, stress marks etc.. in both my pregnancies. Few of the things I found that helped me this time around are listed below.

Morning sickness:

• Sea Band- its an acupressure band that helps with morning sickness. Its available over the counter in any drugstore. More details can be found here
• Sea Band ginger chewing gum
• Yogi Lemon Ginger tea
• Vitamin B6- This was prescribed by my doctor. Please talk to your doctor before taking it.

Tight clothes:

• Bella Band- Its a tube of elastic fabric to be worn over the top of your regular pants with the fly undone. Because the bella belt is elastic, it hold your pants up while still being comfortable. Because of this band I could wear my regular pants longer. I got mine from Target departmental store.

Uncomfortable sleep position:

• Wedge cushion pillow - Its is recommended to sleep on your left side during pregnancy. For me it was so uncomfortable until I start using Wedge cushion pillow. I got mine from Babiesrus. More details can be found here.

Stress mark:

• Coca butter formula massage lotion for stress marks - helps with itchy skin and stress marks.
• Coca butter formula tummy butter - helps with itchy skin and stress marks.
• Basq Citrus Sugar Body Polish -This was a trial product I got from Destination maternity. It works pretty well.

Please note: The above listed items that worked for me need not work for you. Please do your research before using any.

Trip to LA Auto Show 2013

LA Auto Show is a yearly event that takes place every november/early december in LA downtown. More information regarding LA Auto Show and 2013 Auto Show can be found at LA Auto Show-Wikipedia

My son is a fan of cars since he was a toddler. His favorite movie when he was a toddler was Disney Pixar's CARS. He has watched and made us watch the movie n number of times.

 He is fascinated with Cars. He can discuss cars non stop. This year he visited LA Auto show with his grandpa and daddy. It seems he was not ready to come out of the show without looking at all the cars displayed in the show. He was super excited that day. Below are few photos from the Auto Show.

Few of my son's favorite cars are Bugatti,  Maserati and Ferrari.  He wants to discuss all about them with me. Poor him, his mommy has least interest in cars. I came to know of Bugatti,  Maserati only from him. He tries hard to make his mommy understand the differences between various cars. 

Our house is full of Hot Wheel cars. I have asked my son if we can donate his Hot Wheel cars now that he has grown up, but he is very much emotionally attached to them and would not let me do it.

I get annoyed sometimes when I see Hot Wheels lying all around the house. My son can play with them for hours.  I don't understand how someone can be so interested in cars. My husband tells me its boys thing and that I will not understand :(

Interesting Center Piece idea using crayons and pencils

If you have kids at home  you will understand how messy the house can get with crayons and pencils lying all around.

I found an interesting center piece arrangement  in one of the magazine that uses crayons and pencils. Its a good way of organizing crayons, pencils...etc.

The crayons and pencils would be easily accessible to you kids whenever they need then and if you show them once they will also get into a habit of putting them back when they are done using them.

Following are needed:

• Artificial flowers (if you like you can use fresh ones as well)

• Glass flower vase

• Extra drinking glasses

• A large glass plate to hold the vase and drinking glasses.

• Crayons and pencils

Arrange all as shown in the picture above.

You can create your own version with different household items. Below is my version that I created with things I already had at home:

Leave a comment below if you like this article. Thank you.

My morning time skin care routine

My morning time skincare routine is very simple. As my skin is acne prone, I need to be extra careful of the products I use.

Below is a list of products that are my current favorite and they don't breakout my skin:

1) I wash my face with mild cleanser like Cetephil. This you get in any drugstore.

2) Twice a week  I use Freeman fruit facial mask. Its a peel off mask. This you get in any drugstore.

3) Once a week I use a Queen Helene olive oil hydrating masque.  This you get in any drugstore.

4) After patting my face dry with a towel, I use Eucerin Daily Protection moisturizing face lotion with spf 30. Its unscented and Non-Comedogenic which is good for sensitive and my acne prone skin.

5) If I have to go out somewhere:

• I wear Garnier BB Cream on my face. It gives me some coverage and its not heavy like a foundation. My shade is medium/dark.
• For eyes, I use almay purple kohl pencil.
• For lips, I use Nivea Lip balm,

6) For hand and feet , I like Nivea lotion.

Leave a comment if this information was helpful to you. If anything else works for you do share in the comments below. Would love to try it out.

Do I like being a Working MOM or Stay-at-Home MOM?

I am not sure which one I like to be- a working mom or a Stay-at-Home mom.  I know I can be both anytime when situations arises. We women are strong.... aren't we... :)))

I have to admit that I was lucky to have a good set of colleagues and managers where I was working, who understood the need of a working mom. But still sometimes I did face problems.

Few of the things I faced as a working mom:

• Taking early lunch breaks, rushing to my kid's school to attend a function,  staying for 15 min, waving at him, looking at my watch and rushing back to reach office before lunch break is over.

• Not able to participate in my kid's class activities. Felt sad every time he asked me "Mamma why you never participate in my class activity like other mommies."

• Sending my kid to before and after school programs even when he was sick :( 

• Not able to pick him up at the front gate after school is over, the way he always wanted.

• Avoiding taking leaves when I am sick, so I can take one when needed for my kid.

• Trying to rush so that I can pick my kid from after-school a little early and feel good about it.

• Negotiating with my husband to see if he can take a day off, half day or work from home instead.

• Not able to put my kid in other activities on weekdays. Feeling sad when other stay-at-home moms talk about it.  Its a human nature... I think. You want to do the same for your kid.

• To think how good it would to be a stay-at-home mommy.

• Sometimes had to finish office work at home and not able to give time to my kid.

• Somedays I have tried to be super mom and have failed badly.
  
  
  

One thing that kept going and made me feel I am not doing anything wrong, is whenever my kid hugged me and said "I love you mom" and that I am the best. Well ... I will not lie...I had to sometimes.. I mean most of the time.. had to buy him a toy to hear it. So what...I know he will understand me someday.

Will I be a good Stay-at-Home mom?

With a new addition to the family on the way, I know I will be staying at home for a while to take care of him/her.  I know that its also not easy to be a Stay-at-Home mommy. It has its own sets of emotions.

When I took a career break 6 years back for a year to take care of my kid. Everything was nice for few months. I loved cooking (trying to be the perfect house wife... hope my husband remembers :) ) and taking care of my kid, taking him to park every day.

After few months, I wanted to go back to work. I wanted to be independent, to contribute to family earning and feel good about it.

So, do I like being a working mom or stay-at-home mom? My mom was a stay-at-home Mommy always and she was always happy and content. Then why I can't feel the same.  Maybe because I have the taste of both sides or maybe at her time there were less working moms around to feel the need to work.

I hope this time around it will be different, only time will tell...lets see :)

Share with us in the comments below if you felt the same or different, how did you handle the situations...etc. Thank you.

Yes, I have failed and I don't regret

Yes, I have failed... come on... I am a human being. Most of us have failed in finding the perfect  job, in relationships, as a mother/father, in career ...etc..etc..

I too had my share of failures. I have failed, got depressed and cried , understood and accepted my mistake, worked on it and moved on. It was not easy and it took time. I don't regret any of my failures because in one way or the other they have made me strong.

Sometimes when I feel depressed due to failures, I find solace in remembering/repeating few of my favorite quotes which I have read/heard.. over the course of time. They are not the original versions, whatever I remembered I have penned it down.

Below are my favorite motivational quotes:

• God helps those who helps themselves.

• You can't go back and create a new beginning, but you can begin to change the ending.

• Own your mistake, don't try to blame others for your failure.

• Live for today, you don't know what will happen in future.

• Learn to forgive others and yourself.

• Don't live to impress others, its your life.

• Be yourself don't try to be someone that you are not.

• Keep on trying until you succeed.

• Failure is the ladder to success.

• Whatever happens, happens for something good.

Share with us if you know of any other motivational quote that has helped you, in comments below. Thank you.

My struggle with Curly/wavy hair

There is a saying that "grass on other side is always green".  Mostly people with straight hair loves curly/wavy hair and vice versa.

Althought I love my curly/wavy hair, but whoever has curly hair will know my pain. Its hard to maintain people. I get frizzy hair easily. It can be sometimes ... well most of the time hard to manage. I tried n number of products. I even got my hair permanently straightened (rebonding). It worked for 6 months after that it was a problem to manage my half straight half curly/wavy hair :(((( It also looked weird.

I mostly end up flat ironing my hair. But do love to wear my hair naturally sometimes when I don't have the time to flat iron or get lazy. I mostly use drugstore products. 

Following are my current favorite products for curly/wavy hair style:

1) Shampoo & Conditioner

 I use Herbal Essence hello hydration moisturizing shampoo and conditioner to wash my hair.   

2) Deep Conditioner
 I use Aussie 3 minute miracle deep conditioner once a week.

4) Leave In conditioner

After I towel dry my hair , I use Suave keratin infusion heat defense leave in conditioner on my hair.

3) Wide tooth comb

I then comb my hair with a wide tooth comb. 

5) Mousse
Mousse make my hair easy to manage. I use Herbal Essence Tousling Mousse and scrunch my hair.  I love this mousse. Only problem it tangles my hair later, I need to be careful when I comb my hair latter. For more information on how to scrunch hair watch video  3 ways to scrunch hair

6) Heat Protecting

I always use some heat protectant like Aussie heat protecting before drying my hair with a dryer.

7) Diffuser

 I use a diffuser that can be attached to a dryer to dry my curly hair. diffusers are also sold separately.

8) Shine Serum

I then apply Suave keratin infusion smooth & shine serum on my hair with light hands avoiding the roots.

9) Hair Spray
 I spray Aussie instant freeze hair spray on my hair to hold my curls for long.

If you missed article on right hair cut for your face shape do check out The right haircut/hairstyle for your face shape

If the above information was helpful please leave a comment below. If you follow a different routine for your curly/wavy hairs, do share with us in the comments below. Thank you :)

The right haircut/hairstyle for your face shape

Never thought that there can be a relation between face shapes and a haircuts/hairstyles. I always wondered why some hair cut looked flattering on my face and some didn't. I have come across an interesting article right hairstyle for your Face shape and would like to share with you.

Please note I am not an expert in haircuts/styles. I am still trying to find out the right haircuts/hairstyles that suits my face and stick to it. I am sharing this article as I find it interesting. The details are from thehairstyler.com. I did tried one of the cuts/style for my face shape once and it did look flattering on my face.

There are different face shapes and for each shape certain hairstyles/cuts looks flattering.

The idea is that haircut/style should balance the face shape. so, for example, I have a Triangular face (narrow forehead and wide jaw line) and medium hair length, so my haircut should have volume at  the crown and it should be tapering near the jaw line.

You can look at the mirror and find out your face shape or you can watch the video Find your face shape, measurements

Once you found out your face shape click on links below for more information on haircuts/styles that will look flattering on your face.

Oval

Triangular

Oblong

Round

Diamond

Heart

Square

For men, I did find an article The right hair cut for your face shape. Although I don't understand men haircuts. Check it out and see if its useful for you. Do leave a comment about your view on the article.

Please leave a comment if you feel this article was helpful. If you have any other information do share with us in the comments below. Thank you.