Simplifying my Life...In a Zen state of Mind Now...

For the last couple months I've been in a Zen State of mind. Feels so light. Feels peaceful. If you are curious to know what happened..Its just one word, " UNCLUTTER".

I know I know,it all sounds Cliche. All sceptics out there..I was one of you as well. Whenever I would read about being organised, uncluttering your house and mind, and stuff like that I would think Yeah right..who has the time for this. We always have excuses for not doing things.

I'm a homemaker now. Of late I've realized that I've been spending more and more time taking care of stuff I don't necessarily need. Then why spend my precious time when I could be doing other things I really enjoy doing. This will make be happy. Also with the holiday season soon approaching would'nt all our stuff we don't need be a valuable resource for many who don't have them. Is'nt this the time for sharing and giving. Believe me when you give it brings you inner peace and not to mention the happiness to the person who recieves it.

So I had a game plan. I meant business. I had my mind made up. There was no stopping ME !!!. I discussed my plan with my family. They were excited too. (Alright I did have to bribe my 7 year old with some money for his piggy bank). The plan was to unclutter one room at a time. Things we knew we did not need had to go.. It was not a easy job let me tell you. But do it one baby step at a time and it works. We started with the kids rooms, their clothes, shoes and toys were sorted out. Only kept things we REALLY needed..and the rest was packed to be given to Goodwill. When you see the results, its instant gratification. You suddenly see the closet all organised. The space is bigger because not much stuff lying around. This motivates you to keep uncluttering and make your life SIMPLE.

So this way we kept working on getting the clutter out of our life and getting some Peace and harmony into our life. We did not do this all at one time. Kept 1-2 hours everyday for this work and it was all worth it.

We are not complety done yet. My kitchen is next on my list and so many odd drawers here and there.. But you do get the point I guess... As for me, let me enjoy my Zen state.....and have a hot cuppa of tea..before I get ready for my Zumba class in the evening. Ciao. There's always Time to Simplify Our lives.

Wednesday Ponderings...Compliments

Nowadays we are all of us so hard up that the only pleasant things to pay are compliments - Oscar Wilde


I have this book Simple Abundance - A daybook of Comfort and Joy by Sarah Ban Breathnach. The following passage is from this book. I really enjoy reading this book and this is what I read today and would like to share it with You...


All women need more compliments in their lives. We need to give more of them to our families, friends, and strangers. We need to hear more of them, even if we have to give them to ourselves. But most of all, we need to bask in them.


Today be receptive. Start with the assumption that you're beautiful, dazzling, absolutely fabulous. Ask Spirit to reveal how gorgeous and brilliant you really are. Every time someone pays you a compliment, accept it as if an angel had just whispered Spirit's appreciation. Smile and say, "Thank you. How nice of you to notice." Become abundant with your compliments to others. We're all so fragile, especially when we put on a brave face. A sincere compliment can penetrate beneath even the most sophisticated masks to soothe troubled souls. The woman you think needs compliments the least is probably the one who needs them the most.

I absolutely agree with the above passage. I've seen when I pay compliments to someone it does bring me joy as well.. Ofcourse the receiver is happy too. Its a good habit to cultivate..Let me begin right now by thanking my readers who take the time to read my ponderings and some of you take some more time to leave a comment... Its appreciated. Until next time...

Do you believe in first impressions...

I have always wondered about this. It used to be said that ,the first impression is the last impression..

In my view when you meet the person for the first time..he/she will always put forth their best aspect of themselves..will try to portray a perfect image. I'm not sure its deliberate though..it just comes naturally maybe. In this case you are super impressed and love the person you've just met..

Now on the flip side..What if someone has an extremely bad day or going through something serious in his/her life..now this person you meet for the first time maybe you will not be that impressed and happy about..So we are kind of not giving this person a second chance as we have built an impression/image of this person in our minds...

So in my opinion the first impression is Not always the best/last impression...this is what I feel..looking forward to your views.

OMG I'm Exhausted !!!

Its summer at its peak here in the US. We had a very hot July..Mostly I'm in Mumbai , India for the summer and relaxing and chilling as my kids have their vacation and I get mine... This year we decided to have my in-laws here for the vacation as we all could spend some quality time here and what better time than when the kids are home. My older one will be 7 in 2 weeks and younger will turn 3 in september. Let me tell you to keep 2 boys busy is one exhausting job. I'm losing track of time..and MOmmy Mommy is all I hear all day long... It feels good too at times but secretly I'm just waiting for the school to begin.

Also I feel I need a vacation just for myself just after school reopens and I can have some time to relax.. Alright got to go as I can hear ..MOMMYYYYYYYYYYY !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.

Some PEP talk...

Today as I was catering to my 2 1/2 year old toddler's lunch request there was an AHA moment... He wanted me to cook him some pasta for lunch and he loves his veggies in it too..so was'nt that hard to make him happy. He sat on the kitchen counter watching me make his favorite food. Of late I'm getting really exhausted and my son is very energetic and loves to play all the time and lets face it ...he's quite a handful. My older son is 6 1/2 was just the opposite at this age..He kinda sploilt us (me and my hubby)...He was always well behaved and had proper nap times and a good eater and played well with his toys and took such good care of them. In fact I still have his toys when he was a 1 yr old and they have been kept so well.. By 2 1/2 as I mentioned is just the opposite...I really don't know what to expect next from him...Each day is a new adventure for him as well as me..

Ok let me get back to the 'AHA moment' I mentioned earlier..As my pasta is boiling I figured out how to deal with kids who are high energy and maybe unpredictable..I know there are good moments too..and those I really cherish..Like some days are so much peaceful..and some not so much...

Are you guys ready for my formula...Here it goes :
Loads of (PATIENCE + Energy + PERSEVERANCE ) = Happy Family
So in short PEP (abbreviated form) will make happy mothers and happy kids and when the dads come back from work they are happy as well.

I'm sure many of you would agree with me that to deal with kids and raise them in a positive way we all need tons of Patience. Its easy to lose it and raise our voice but then kids learn from us..and we don't want them to learn wrong...do we..But I do agree its easier said then done..Patience is indeed a virtue..and I'm still developing my patience and trying not to get stressed over trivial things...

Next is tons of Energy- Most of our kids I know which includes exchanging notes with my friends..are really high energy kids..with them you need to somehow match their energy levels and get them involved in sports or physical activity of some kind..Like for my younger one..he loves going to the park and loves the outdoors..He loves going for walks so thats what makes him happy and he's exhausted ..he eats well and naps well. But I know sometimes we get so tired to take them out and there's when they start exploring the house and maybe mess it all up...

Last is tons of PERSEVERANCE - Now some kids are really strong headed. For them you will have to keep trying again and again.. Like about their food habits or some thing which you are trying to work with...Or Maybe some parents are trying to make them stop drinking from their bottles. Some are trying to take away the blinkie. For some it maybe toilet training... It takes a lot of will power on ur part to keep on working with ur kids again and again and again..and it WORKS...

I hope this is helpful to you. Atleast this has been helpful to me. Only today I found the right way to present it hopefully...so this was my PEP Talk to Me...and if you have something which works..feel free to share it with me..

Who am I ....

I'm a homemaker... I have loads of laundry staring right in my face...they are waiting to be folded and sorted out. Alright just loaded the dishwasher..Check. One task off my list. My older one in school - Check. My younger one had his shower and his breakfast. Check. Great so far so good. Yet so many jobs I still have on my list of things to be done.... You would be wondering whats up with me..with so many things still pending how come I get the time to write this post.. Well I don't - I'm just sipping my 2nd cup of tea..and I'm looking for motivation to start the mundane household chores again.

Alright I should'nt be complaining when so many do not have the luxury to be a homemaker aka house wife.. See I have the flexibility to choose my own hours, I can drink tea whenever I feel like..or shower whenever I feel like..in short no schedules to follow, no pressure of driving to work and facing those awful traffic filled days and struggling to be on time.. No leaving work making sure I'm on time to pick up kids from school and also planning the dinner menu driving back home..Yeah I get all that , But hey I'm only human and its our birthright to complain which could be called Venting Out..

Here in the US we are not so fortunate to have help as back home(India)..There its readily available and cheap too. Here it gets a bit expensive and then too its like cleaning services for 1 hr couple times a week... So here we are the maids, the cleaners, the chauffeurs, chef , teacher, companion... Also when you start doing all the above mentioned chores it does'nt seem that bad and its manageable..but there are days when you JUST HAD IT !!!!. Yes, it makes us feel so good that we don't have to depend on anyone else except ofcourse our DH and kids who share the household chores too...

SO C'est la Vie !!!! .But it all works out in the end.. Its all well that ends well. All of you have a Happy Mothers Day.

A Time for Everything...

I'm reading a book, "Simple Abundance- A Daybook of Comfort and Joy" by Sarah Ban Breathnach. As I was reading this page, I found it so interesting and optimistic I had to share it with you. Its a passage from this book...Enjoy.

There is a time for everything,
And a season for every activity under heaven - Ecclesiastes 3:1

Yes,but they are not the same.
You cannot raise happy, secure ,emotionally well adjusted children, revel in a fabulous marraige, and work a sixty-hour week.
You want to, I know. So do I. But we can't. It is physically , emotionally. psychologically, and spiritually impossible. We have tried. We have failed.
We cannot circumvent the laws of Heaven and Earth just because it would be convenient. Just because it would fit nicely into our plans. We have tried. We have failed.
When we cannot do it all at the same time, we are meant to do only some of it. In order to find out what that "some" is to be, we need to ask : What is it I truly want right now ? What is it I truly need ? How do I get it ? How much does it cost in life's currency ?
This might be the season for you to wipe a runny nose. That does'nt mean the season of running your own business won't occur. This might be the season of living out of a suitcase. That doesn't mean the season of restoring a colonial farmhouse will never come. Making deals doesn't mean that someday you won't be making school lunches. The seasons of life are not meant to be frenetic, just full.
"You probably can have it all," Anna Quindlen muses. " Just not all at the same time. And ...you might have to make certain compromises when your children are small. But your children are going to be small for a very short period of time... it will go by in a blink of an eye, and you will only be 40, 50, or 60 with another 15 or 25 years ahead of you." A quarter of a century to do what you want to do, the way you want to do it.
Blessed is the woman who knows her own limits.

So signing off for the night with this thought provoking excerpt from this book...

A Happy Heart Makes a Cheerful Face....

A Happy Heart for you all to bring a smile to your face...

A simple decorated heart cake. My Wilton's cake decoration Course 1, week #2 lesson. We learnt how to decorate a cake with a star #16 tip.
Cake : Vanilla Cake with Strawberry Jam Filling

Frosting :Buttercream

Decoration: Used Tip #16 (star)

Colors : Blue, yellow
I Still have to practice some more to get more satisfactory results... This is a beginning....



A Beautiful quote to ponder upon till we meet again.....
I am learning all the time. The tombstone will be my diploma. - Eartha Kitt.

Wilton's Cake decorating program.

I have finally enrolled myself in the Wilton's Cake decorating program. I had googled this online and one of my blogger friend also recommended this. So it was on my mind for almost 3-4 months when finally I decided to just go to the nearest location and get myself enrolled. I'm in Course 1 which lasts for 4 weeks - 1 lesson/week. They have 4 levels. I know they do it here in the United states at Michael's. Just go to your nearest location and enquire about it if you are interested or check them out online.

Today is my second lesson and I'm super excited. We have to take a baked cake complete with Icing and our instructor is going to show us how to decorate..I just can't wait. I'm more or less an amateur baker. Though I've picked up quite a few things and techniques from the net and Youtube. So will keep you guys posted as to what happens with my cake decoration lessons..Is it going to be a hit or a miss...Whatever the results it makes me happy to do something for myself.

This is exactly what I wanted to say in today's post...Many a times we get so wrapped up in everything around us and doing so many things for everybody else we many a times forget to just take care of ourselves. So if you just do a little just FOR YOURSELF.. See how it feels..I'm saying this from experience. It could be as simple as just taking a walk or getting a new haircut you wanted or just going to the library and picking up books you always wanted to read. So How about TODAY...So tomorrow you can have happy memories of Today.

Leaving you all with a beautiful quote :
You only live once - but if you work it right, once is enough. - Joe E. Lewis

Dear Mr. Dryer...

Its been couple days that our dryer decided that enough is enough and it was time to say good bye to us...He left us there stranded...My new load of freshly washed laundry..thanks to Mr. Washer was left to dry by itself or find a replacement.

No, No before you all run to conclusions and think I'm losing my mind- Let me explain the situation. We in this technology advanced era have gotten so used to the household appliances that many a times we just take them for granted. Maybe if we show a little gratitude to the services provided by them and being there for us when we need them..it would be fair on them.. Of course they are machines..they have no feelings..You are absolutely right...But a thought just crossed my mind and for a moment just lets pretend they have feelings. So I decided to show my gratitude to the unsung heroes(appliances) in our household and thought it would be appropriate to address them as Mr. Washer, Mr. Dryer etc.. Why not right...after all they are with us day in day out... So Mr. Dryer maybe you just need a day to rest or maybe you are in a coma--please come back , we all need you..the clothes love you..and need your warmth. We homemakers and busy moms can't work without you. You have been an integral part of our lives. Mr. Appliance Doctor is on its way and I hope can see whats wrong and can fix you.. Everything is going to be fine.

Leisure by W.H. Davies

What is this life , if full of care
We have no time to stand and stare ?

No time to stand beneath the boughs,
and stare as long as sheep and cows :

No time to see, when woods we pass,
where squirrels hide their nuts in grass-

No time to see, in broad daylight,
Streams full of stars, like skies at night:

No time to turn at beauty's glance,
And watch her feet, how they can dance:

No time to wait till her mouth can
Enrich that smile that her eyes began ?

A poor life this if full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare.

I love this poem even till this day. I remember learning this as a child and I revert back to the wisdom in this poem from time to time.

Sometimes when life goes about at such crazy and hectic schedule this poem always reminds me to take a moment and relax. Enjoy the bounties of nature. There will always be some task to be completed some place to reach.

I'm sure many would agree with me that time to time many of us over commit ourselves. We think if we squeeze in our time we could even do a particular thing for someone. In all this grand plan of making time for everybody we many a times fail to make time for ourselves. I'm guilty of this. So I know and now it soon catches up with you and then you end up emotionally , physically and mentally drained.

So as we all our in our spring cleaning mode I just took a moment to declutter my mind as well. I'm making a list of things I can do and things I could not really do. If I over stretch myself I end up over exerting myself and that leaves me feeling so tired and not happy either . So I narrowed on 2 important things which will really make my life very easy and make me happy-

• I figured its alright to allow ourselves to say , 'No' once in a while to commitments which we really do not have time for. Its impossible to please everyone everytime.
• Make time for 'ME' time where I can do things I love to do- this could be as little as 10-15 minutes to an hour- things like writing, blogging, reading to name a few.

See, I feel better already by pouring my heart out in this post. See you soon with more of whats happening in my life. In the meanwhile, feel free to give me your suggestions and feeback on this post.

Another Snow Storm...

By now we on the East Coast have seen so much of snow this winter, we do not even want to think about more snow. Until this morning, we get some more. The school called this morning to let us know, No School Today. My son is excited and happy as he gets another snow day...

My younger son is happy as he has his big brother to play with him all day long. Now I see this as a plan to keep me super busy. The morning begins with a lazy start. The kids are awake and are tip toeing downstairs to check out the snow. Soon I'm busy fixing breakfast and lunch and occasionally tempted to see the weather report.

It has started to snow and sweet soft snow flakes oblivious to everything around are beginning to cover everything it falls on. Now that does feel beautiful to look at. But as too much of a good thing loses its charm after a while, thats how I've started to feel about snow too. The first snowfall is beautiful and kids love making snow angels and having innocent snow ball fights. Then when it starts disrupting the normalcy around you, then you know you have had too much.

Soon Its evening and I get some quiet 'Me' time when the kids are being entertained by my husband who was working from home. I guess when you say you are working from home in fact you are over working. We saw him emerge once from his study for lunch and has been busy all day with his conferences and the likes. So I enjoyed my time sipping my favorite hot ginger tea and writing this post. This has been therapeutic for me and when I write and pour out my thoughts and ideas it makes me rejuvenated and makes me feel so good.

Talking about Winter and the Snow storms, I know this shall soon pass. Spring will be here soon. You can feel the crisp spring air, the birds chirping happily, the sun shining bright letting us know all is well. The new flowers blooming and seeing the landscape change makes you so happy.

So this makes me think, if we did not have the cold severe weather would we appreciate the warm weather and the beautiful gifts of nature. I guess not, as we would soon begin to take things for granted. Only when we lose something , do we value it for what it was worth.

A Wakeup Call...

Thanks a lot for caring. I was away for a while and many of you were worried for me. I was a bit under the weather and also too sad to post for some time now.

I was with one of my friends trying to comfort her as much as I could as her husband is far away from her Now. He had just turned 40 and his exit from this earth was untimely and just so soon. I must say though he has lived is life to the fullest enjoying every moment of it. That's what one of his dearest friend so beautifully described saying what we could have done and achieved by the time we would be say in our 80's he did it by the time he was 40. Also he always had a wonderful smile on his face and his sense of humor was one which got people hooked onto him. Best of all was his love for food. He loved to cook as well. He was a person who could make friends with anybody and everybody. As we were grieving with his wife and amidst the tears we were exchanging notes and incidents about him ,there was laughter with the tears. Then his wife said so too -He would'nt want us to cry for him but to celebrate his life on this earth. A Remarkable human being, a caring and loving husband, a wonderful father to his 3 girls and a wonderful friend.

He taught us all one thing. It was like a wakeup call for us. Seize the moment and live for today and live like there's no tomorrow. Be kind and thoughtful today. Sometimes there is no tomorrow, just a memory of what yesterday was all about. Its almost 3 weeks now since we lost him but he will be missed and remembered forever.

The little Boy who wanted to meet the President.

This five year old boy was really looking forward to go to his new school. It was kindergarten. He had heard a lot of things about his new school. He was ready to move on from his preschool to this new big boy's school as he told his mommy. It was a big step for him and he was really excited. The transition was smooth. He had wonderful loving teachers and he loved his new class mates.


During this time it was also time for the Presidential elections, and at school they were making the kids aware of the entire process of how elections are held, the White House and the candidates. He was so curious and excited just like his other friends in his class. Once he was saddened too. When the elections got to the final two candidates and again they had to choose who would be the best choice for the President of the United States. He asked his mother very innocently, "When the White house is so big why can't Mr. Barack Obama and Mr. John McCain both share it, why do the people have to choose one President ? ". It was a valid question. His mother tried her best to explain to this five year old how these things work in the real world.


Soon the day came when History was made and for the first time, an African American Became the President of the United States of America. By now this little boy had watched Mr. Barack Obama on TV a lot when his parents sat through the presidential elections, debates, his Inaugural speech. He was very happy for Mr. President. He was giving the reasons why Mr. Barack Obama won the elections.


Also during this entire time he was very keen to visit Washington DC to see the White house. His parents promised him they'll soon take him to see the White house. It was just a matter of three hours the driving distance between realizing his dream and where he lived. Finally this last Thanksgiving November 2009, his parents were visiting some friends and decided to take this boy to the White house as promised.


Washington DC is cold around this time. But the promise made to their son had to be fulfilled. They all go visiting the White House and it was around 5:00 pm. It was chilly and dark. This boy was all prepared with his jacket and mittens and a hat. They are driving by and his dad showed him the White House, thinking it was too cold to walk. But this little boy was so determined to walk as close to the White House as possible. Finally his dad finds a parking lot and now they all walk towards the White House. It was a beautiful feeling. It was cold but full moon night. They all take pictures for keepsake and admire the White HOuse. The little Boy seems to be thinking and not quite happy. He tells his parents " Alright , now Can we meet Mr. President Please ". Then it occurs to his parents , all this while he said he wanted to visit the White House was to meet the President. They tried to tell him without breaking his heart, that the President is so busy with so many importangt issues right now, thats the reason he cannot meet with us.


But he did not seem convinced. There were some security personnel outside the White House. The White house for obvious reasons is well guarded. He asked his parents , whether it was alright to go and ask the security personnel whether he could meet the President. His parents let him ask the Security. The little boy walks to the Security , and asks he wants to meet the President. The parents are watching as within couple minutes, the little boy returns with a sad face and says, "The security officer says, Nobody can meet the President, but you could watch him on TV".


His parents try to tell him like any other parent would. "How about you be so good in your studies and school, that the President Mr. Barack Obama will come to your School and be so proud of you. That way you can meet Mr. President. ". The little boy is still waiting and has'nt stopped dreaming yet.

Learning the ABC's...

When growing up do you remember, how we learnt our ABC'S...I still remember A is for apple and I'm sure thats how they still teach in schools. But at home as I'm trying to teach my younger son, the ABC's and trying to find out words he could relate to. I find he relates more to Caillou, Tom and Jerry , Thomas the train/tank enegine, Noddy, Mickey Mouse,Spiderman, Batman to name a few. So thats what I did the other day I decided to teach him his ABC's and have some some fun with it too. He was so happy and excited to know the alphabets because they corresponded to his favorite cartoon characters.

I'm not an expert in this field. Although, almost did my major in education and had to change my mind because of health related issue. But my very first job was that of a primary/elementary school teacher and I loved it. I was a substitute for a fellow teacher and they let me teach part-time and that job went on for a year. How I loved every moment of it though. Soon I found out that I was allergic to chalk/dust and for the entire time I taught by the 2nd day of the week my voice would be so hoarse and it my throat really hurt. I really struggled, each morning did warm water gargles and took some medication. Finally went to couple of ENT specialists and it was ascertained I was allergic to dust and chalk powder in this case. In the meanwhile I was sure Teaching was my calling and also enrolled for a Bachelors in Education Program. But then decided if I couldn't teach , It would be best not to pursue the Bachelors in Education Program. By now my younger sister was really motivated and she instead enrolled in this program couple years later and now is an awesome teacher. She's into teaching for the love of it and does such a wonderful job with her students. I'm really proud of her.

But now things have changed and are changing. Many schools do not use chalk and use white boards instead and now my older son who is in 1st grade is motivating me to go back to teaching. As they say , Never Say Never. Lets see what life has in store for me.

Women are from Venus....

I read this book, Men are from Mars and Women are from Venus by John Gray a long time ago . Sometimes when it was hard to explain why women do certain things I would just resort to the above explanation. Also when it was hard to understand why men are the way they are..that was the explanation. This was before I was married. In fact I still may have that book somehere amongst the many others who are gathering dust. Not that I don't love reading, but now it gets harder to find the time to read and once I begin reading I really don't like to keep it down until its done. Also I have a very energetic two year old running around and I really need to keep an eye on him not knowing what stunts he's going to pull up next. With blogging its easy..I just type my thoughts in bits and pieces and save it as a draft. Also he cannot scribble on my online notes.

Alright let me go back to my Women are from Venus thought... I'm a very expressive person or shall we say talkative. I can talk about anything . This amazes my DH to no extent. I guess I have a lot of things I like, maybe thats why I always have something to talk about. Most of the men like to keep it short and not elaborate. If you ask them how was your day..I doubt you'll get even a complete sentence out of them. Ask a woman like me and I can go on and on. Also I can talk for hours on the phone. This is funny as today I was exchanging notes with one of my blogpals , we'll call her A and she was happy that I too talk for long hours on the phone..and we found out a few more women like us . It was good to know I was'nt the only one. In fact many a times I've tried that I should speak a little less. But then I realized maybe I have a little more to say...

These are just my thoughts and the intention is not to offend anybody. There might be some men too out there who are very expressive and some women who like to keep it short. In fact I just googled to see whether men or women talk more and there are various researches being conducted. In my case research or not..I know who talks more in our house...

Life is Temporary.

As I sip my morning tea
Reading news and emails
With the Little one still sleeping
and older one in school


Its so peaceful its so quite
As I'm contemplating what to do next
There I read some news about something sad
And an email about something good

Someone has lost a loved one and
Someone has been blessed with a new born

What makes you happy , What makes you Sad
I sit and ponder about this thing called Death

What is Life and What is Death
Its a complete cycle I guess
Life Is just Temporary
It dawns on me then


Make the most of your journey
Its borrowed time from God
When he thinks Your Times Up
You are not getting a reminder call

Just a silent and strong hand
saying its time to bid goodbye
To this earth and to your loved ones
Its time to go Now.

Bollywood Movie- 3 Idiots.

I watched this movie twice last week. Its a funny and entertaining movie to watch. It does have a subtle message in it as well. It makes us look at life a little differently.

I love the entire movie and each and everyone has done a great job in this movie. I don't want to tell you the story and spoil the fun. If you have'nt watched it, do take the time to enjoy it and I can assure you its time and money well spent. The main starcast of this movie - Aamir Khan,N Madhavan, Sharman Joshi, Kareena Kapoor and Boman Irani. Awesome starcast and brilliant performance and direction. Its well directed by Rajkumar Hirani. He's the one who directed Lage Raho Munna Bhai as well.

I have no vested interest in this movie, nor is anyone paying me to write this review. But I do personally believe if you have something good to share..why not spread the word.

It does have a catch phrase in this movie- ALL IZZ WELL !!!!. So When you are done watching this movie, you will feel - ALL IS WELL.

Simple Living and High Thinking.

These words ring in my ears so many years later. Now that I'm married and have kids, have a wonderful husband and a house. With all these come huge responsibilities and I'm beginning to understand a little about life each day. This quote makes sense to me NOW.

Growing up, my mom would just sum everything up in these words "Simple Living and High Thinking". I'm really not sure about who's quote this is..I'm Thinking Gandhiji, but I maybe wrong. She is so patient even today and keeps on moving forward..with this philosophy. Back then when we were kids , like any other kids you always need something or your demands never end. When we would have so many questions and reasonings why we don't have certain things or why we were'nt allowed to do certain things- She would just smile and say the above quote. We would not be that convinced then..But now it all seems right.

Sometimes I think we make our lives so complicated and miss out on the simple pleasures of life. We are in a great rush to be the best, to be number one, to have a better or bigger house, or maybe your dream car or maybe a vacation or cruise. In this run for the Numero Uno position, aren't we subconsciously putting so much of pressure on ourselves and not really enjoying these day to day moments. Many of you may debate that if you rush today maybe your tomorrow will be secured and happy. But how about today..its not coming back. Our kids and their childhood not coming back. This is just my thought.

I feel if we just focus on what we need as a family, as a community as a country as a world to be happy, things will be much better. It will be a peaceful world. We would all be proud citizens of this happy world, not having to worry about Global warming and things of these nature as everyone then would be considerate of each other. If we change our mindset from MINE (me, myself and mine) to Ours..It would be a great start to begin with.

What is Happiness ?...

Don't you ask yourselves this question sometimes. Rather to rephrase this question...What makes you happy ? or What would make you happy ?.


This is such a powerful word so simple yet so complicated..it has a different meaning for all of us.


Since we are just newly in 2010 , wishing our loved ones a happy new year, I started to think about this word again. What's the definition of happy or happiness.


Alright by now like many of you, I rely on my good friend Wiki for reliable information, and here's what Wiki has to say about happiness -


"Happiness is a state of mind or feeling characterized by contentment, love, satisfaction, pleasure, or joy "


Couple of quotes on happiness I agree with -

"Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony." - Gandhiji. (Mahatma Gandhi)

Happiness is a perfume you cannot pour on others without getting a few drops on yourself. - Ralph Waldo Emerson

Also I would say happiness has a different meaning in your various stages of life. At this stage of my life - Happiness is being healthy - surrounded by people you love , doing what you love to do and leading a simple life.

So what's your definition of happiness or your mantra to be happy. I'm still on a quest to seek more knowledge and wisedom on being happy or happiness...the quest Continues....

Back to school..in 2010.

Today is the 1st day of school in 2010. After a much enjoyed winter break, its back to school time. Today as I dropped my son to school I felt so emotional, seeing him say good bye to me. He went along with his backpack and all bundled up (as its too cold here), as if it was not a big deal at all. Yeah, its big a deal for us , parents who become so emotional and so protective for our kids. They want to fly, explore the world, they have so much to learn and to grow.

In this winter break we did have a lot of fun. He shares my passion for food. So we had a blast, cooking and baking and just enjoying ourselves. We made our first ever Gingerbread house together, right from scratch. That is a priceless memory. I'll miss my baking/cooking buddy. I'm sure he'll have some time for these fun filled moments amidst his home work and his other after school activities. If not I'll look forward to the Spring break.

Some beautiful Quotes for you to ponder upon:

“Adults are always asking little kids what they want to be when they grow up because they're looking for ideas” - Paula Poundstone

“The work will wait while you show your child the rainbow, but the rainbow won't wait while you do the work.” -Patricia Clafford

Its 2010 ...

A year has passed by and we are all in 2010. New dreams, new beginnings and new hopes for the future.

Many of us make resolutions. I for one, do not really make resolutions as I believe, they put on added pressure on you and you stop enjoying your day to day life. Eventually many of the resolutions are so unreal, they cannot be met, which leads to depression. So why go through all the hassle and be heart broken. The flip side of it being, since I have no resolutions to live up to, anything I achieve is great for me and it makes me happy. See A Win -Win Situation.

Some funny quotes for you in 2010 :
"An optimist stays up until midnight to see the new year in. A pessimist stays up to make sure the old year leaves." Bill Vaughn

"A New Year's Resolution is something that goes in one year and out the other year." Anonymous