Post-holiday shopping continues...

I took my son to Yorkdale Mall to get his first-ever, Santa photos back in December. Well, my baby was scared of Santa! (I hear many children are scared the first time they meet Jolly Old St. Nick..can't imagine why...). It'll probably be a different story when he finds out most of his presents are from "Santa". Is it wrong that I was secretly hoping he would cry in his first photo? Okay, so the crying sucks when you're standing around happy elves and a semi-enthused Santa and moms waiting to have their happy children pour out the "I've been good all year" speeches, however I was thinking long-term; 10 years from now it'll be fun to pull out the old crying-in-Santa's lap photo and laugh about it!

Yorkdale had a great partnership with Shutterfly this year, an online print company. Depending on which photo package you purchased, you were eligible for a coupon code of a proportionate amount on a gift card to use towards a Shutterfly purchase.

Here's how I spent my $20!

http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=0RbtGzNm1ZOvA&cid=SFLYOCWIDGET

Marathon Style

My husband has a really bad habit, (for now it's just this one :) ). When he finds a television show he loves, he watches it marathon style..episode after episode after episode. Not only does he monopolize the television, but he rewinds and re-watches his favorite scenes, all the while forcing me to do the same. Initially, I don't find the shows he watches funny or interesting, until he encourages me to watch a few episodes with him and I become just as addicted as he is (as if I needed another show to fill up my pvr!)  The current show: Come Dine With Me Canada. We've been watching five episodes in a row at every sitting, and we still can't get enough!
The premise of the show is that five strangers take turns hosting a dinner party for the others over five days. Contestants judge each other on the food and overall hospitality of the host/hostess. The winner takes home $1000. The best part of the show? Jamie Carr, the narrator. His remarks are hilarious and full of sarcasm. He usually says exactly what you are thinking therefore giving the show an almost interactive quality. The recipes from most episodes are found online and I just tried one of the contestant's Churros recipe, yummy! 

Here's the link:

http://www.wnetwork.com/Shows/ComeDineWithMeCanada/Recipes.aspx?ArticleID=30425

I love being a Masala Momma!

Okay, no more excuses! I have so many stories to tell and not enough time in a day to sit down and write about them all! However, today I am very excited to share an article I have written for the website, www.masalamommas.com, created by the ever-so-talented Anjum Choudhry Nayyar. The website is a an "online magazine for today’s South Asian mothers and moms-to-be or moms with a South Asian connection". I have known Anjum for some time now and her work has inspired many women along the way, myself included. When the opportunity presented itself for me to write a piece for the website, I was ecstatic. The article is written from my own perspective- that of a new, modern, Indian mom- and is about my transition from caring for my son while on maternity leave, to arranging for a caregiver and deciding between daycare, grandma and a nanny. 

Check out the link: Nanny vs. Nani Article by Nitika Puri

(http://masalamommas.com/2012/12/12/nanny-vs-nani/)

Hope you enjoy the article!

Flu Season..ugh

My son woke up this morning with the most horrible cough I have ever heard. This is his first toddler cold and although I can't give him cold medicine, I went online and found a few simple, natural remedies that did help to alleviate some of his discomfort.

1) Honey- I gave him half a teaspoon of honey this morning and another half before his evening nap. It seemed to help because I noticed he wasn't coughing as often, or as violently, as he had before the honey.

2) Warm water with a splash of apple juice- I need him to stay hydrated and the juice gave him that extra little kick of energy and motivated him to drink the water, which he usually hates.

3) Vicks Babyrub on his toes and a little bit on his chest before bedtime. He is sleeping like, well, a baby! His humidifier is on every night but I made sure to fill it before bed to help ensure easier breathing.

I've been debating whether or not our family, including my munchkin, should get flu shots this year. My husband and I generally avoid it- in the past, I became sick each time I received it and seemed to do well in the years that I didn't receive the shot. It's a whole different ball game now that my son is around. If you are around young children or seniors, it may be a good idea to get the flu shot!

http://www.cp24.com/news/toronto-public-health-opens-free-flu-shot-clinics-1.1009857

http://health.gov.on.ca/en/public/programs/publichealth/flu/phu_clinics.aspx?gclid=CLnHsKLp3LMCFQKRPAod3GEAfQ

http://www.toronto.ca/health/flu/schedule_en.htm

Welcome!

Hi all!

After an entire year of chaotic excitement and sleep deprivation with my 12 month old baby, "Baby Jay", I have acquired a bursting diary filled with thoughts, ideas, various experiences and questions to share with my fellow mothers of all cultural backgrounds.

I am a young, modern, South Asian mother living in Toronto with my husband and son. I am a Math and Science teacher by profession, however I am taking some time to re-discover what it is that my heart truly desires, professionally speaking of course.

I am excited to share my journey thus far and continue (for all my friends and family) and start (for everyone else) giving my perspective on life as a Modern Indian Mom!

Looking forward to it :)