Why Stay At Home Moms Need a Break Too

Image Source

Imagine getting up early morning after a tiring day's work, all geared up to start yet another action packed day. You don't wait for the alarm to ring (anyway however badly you want to press the snooze button you can't afford to) since you have a truckload of work to finish. So, you get up and start with all your morning duties - milk in the pan, prepping for breakfast and lunch and the mid-day snack for the kid, tidying the house before the maid comes for cleaning, get the little one ready for school, drop him at school, rush back home before the husband leaves and finish the remaining work, pick the kiddo from school, come back home, feed the little one and make him sleep (time to take a deep breath), finish whatever chores is pending and prep for dinner, take the little one to the park, finish the dinner and by the time you realise, the day is gone by. You will not be appreciated for the work you do, rather, your work is taken for granted and you will not be paid for the 24*7 work either. In between this, try pushing in some spare time for reading, writing or any other hobby of yours. And if you are working part time, then God be with you while you try finding time to finish the work! Now, imagine doing this seven days a week with no break at all. 

Stay at home moms are highly underrated. With so much women empowerment talks and points on why working woman is the smart one, no one appreciates the one who makes the house a home without compromising on a single chore, the one for whom there is no option of leave or running away from their workplace or a place to rant about their day's work. It is as much exhausting mentally as it is physically for the one who is "sitting" at home without ever sitting down for a minute. Things are monotonous and there isn't any deviation from the routine, mundane chores.

We yearn to sit down without having to think about what needs to be done, we yearn to rest without having to worry, we yearn to close our eyes and enjoy the moment that passes by us very fast. And this is why we, stay at home moms need a deserved well-deserved break where we could just sit without having to worry about making beds, getting dinner ready, tidying the house and all those unexpected work that pops up in between. We don't want our little ones to be our problem, we want to enjoy them. We need to stop doing everything else, atleast every now and then, just so that we can reaffirm how wonderful being a mother is. We definitely need to feel like a princess once in a while and not like a robot that we seem to be. Because, the man maybe bringing the dough for the bread but we are the ones proofing, rolling and baking it! 

So, while you are at this now, I have a little boy tugging my dress, fighting with the laptop for my attention, wanting a diaper change and feeling hungry at the same time. And oh, I forgot, we need to get ready to go out in ten minutes time before which I need to clean the kitchen, fold the clothes and change the bedsheet (for reasons obvious to a mom who has an infant/toddler!). Now that you are trying to imagine this, let me go and finish the rest of my work. So long!

Image Source

The Carrier With A Soul

The boy is an active, I-love-to-run-around toddler now. There are days, we go to the nearest mall for window shopping with our friends and he just wants to run all around the mall and then sleep off – still bearable since the pram comes to our rescue. But there are other days we go street shopping and he insists on walking and I am scared to death to loosen my grip on his tiny hand. I prefer carrying him in such situations since there are road crossings and lot of walking in crowded streets involved. But carrying him for a long time and/or walking around with a sleeping toddler on my shoulder has become highly impossible since neither is he comfortable that way nor am I as my shoulder hurts long after that. This, along with a few other trips that demanded the little one to be carried around, urged me to look for toddler carriers.

I’ve been a huge fan of baby carriers even before the boy was born and this was on my list of must-buys. But I didn’t end up buying since my sister in law gifted me one when Adhrith was born and I looked no further. I carried him where situation demanded but not always because the carrier was not user friendly and I needed help every single time I used it. Anyway, the boy outgrew the carrier and I was scouting the net for a good baby carrier when I came across Soul Slings. One check at the site and I knew I was at a place where babywearing was taken to an entirely different level. They had ring slings (I so badly wanted one when Adhrith was born and I searched long and wide for one but sadly I couldn’t find any then), wraps, mei tais and full buckle – all in amazingly beautiful patterns and shades that you feel like buying them all! It is here that I learnt about the different types of babywearing products, uses of each and how it makes your life easier. 

I read more about Soul Slings and I found that they were open to product review. I sent them a mail right away though, I must say, I did not expect a reply.However, the next day I get a very friendly mail from Chinmayie, the founder of Soul Slings, asking for more details. A couple of mails and days later, the Soul Full Buckle Carrier came to stay with us for a month and we’ve had the most amazing mamma and baby time! It came in a small pouch, compact and folded nicely to fit in a bag easily (I was amazed at the ease with which it could be folded since my last one was quite bulky and so not travel friendly) and with an instruction manual that covers almost everything about how to wear your baby and the dos and don’ts.

The first thing you notice about the carrier is the soft material and the attractive design. Once you use it, you realize the ease of wearing- there is no fidgeting with the buckles, the strapping is as clear as it can be that you are least prone to making mistakes and there is no rocket science involved! With a Soul Full Buckle, you can either front carry or back carry your baby. For us, backcarry worked the best since this little one of mine is a toddler and he preferred piggybacking rather than being in the front. Backcarrying was a breeze with this beauty and from the first time, not even once did I require a help to back carry Adhrith.

We went everywhere with this beauty (yes, we ditched the pram :)) – malls, the streets of malleshwaram, chickpet, markets, grocery shopping, metro rides, long walks and we even cooked dinner together at home! At times, I carried him for quite a long time and yet never felt a pain or strain – not on my shoulders, not on my back. The boy was super comfortable perched up, I was happy to get occasional kisses and hugs and we had long random conversations while we walked, worked and shopped. We were stopped by strangers to complement us, to ask where we got it and how to buy it. At other times, we were the centre of attraction with people watching with open mouth while I strapped him on my back and the little boy waved at them. The boy even slept comfortably in this while I finished my chores/shopping and life couldn’t have been any easier!

When I started using the Full Buckle, I had strong resistance from people close to me, telling me how bad it is for me and how the little one should be running around now and not be carried around. However, I must say, once they saw how useful and travel friendly this has been, I’ve had the same set of people reminding me to take the carrier when we went out! The Soul Full Buckle is safety tested and certified, padded in the shoulder and waistband for maximum support and comfort and is budget friendly, especially as compared to other soft structured carriers in the market. It is lightweight and has adjustable shoulder straps and perfect fit adjusters thereby making it a one size fits all carrier for all babywearers. Also, there is a hood that can be strapped on if it’s sunny or the little one is fast asleep and you don’t want anything to disturb him. On the negative side, well, I am still searching for one!

The last one month was just like the days before Adhrith was born with my two hands free always, combined with the beauty of having Adhrith with me always. This beauty made me feel like a superwoman indeed! If you need more reasons, trust me, apart from the comfort and convenience, this is the best style statement for us, mommies. Now, after a month, I am more hooked to babywearing than ever before and I can’t wait to try out more options. If this is what babywearing is, then trust me, I am going to hold and snuggle my little boy as long as I can!

P.s: The Soul Full Buckle was sent to me for review. However, the views expressed here are solely mine.

Ammumma

Image source

If there is one woman who inspires me always and urge me to push my limits every single time, I can, without blinking my eye, say that it's my Ammumma - my maternal grandmother. My first memory of Ammumma is of an independent, strong, working woman who thought the world of us, her grandchildren. You could see that our mere presence was more than enough for her to be happy. She didn't wish for anything else!

Being widowed at a very young age after just over a year of being married and with a 60 day old baby to look after, Ammumma fought hard with fate and life in general. She had to act strong, will her mind to be courageous even when her mind was in a huge turmoil, seeing nothing but darkness in front. Still, she pushed through the dark road in front of her, worked hard and raised her baby girl all by herself, not resting until her little one was married off!

Recently, while I was visiting home, I was lazing around and wondering what to read, when Ammumma came and sat next to me. That day, her sister in law had passed away in the morning. Since Appuppan, her husband, had 7 siblings and since she was widowed very young we were not close to many of the siblings except a few. So, when Ammumma was in a hurry to go to her sister in law's place to see one last glimpse of her and was quite restless because my mom was getting late, I couldn't understand the reason, since we rarely kept in touch with this sister in law of hers. But that evening, when she sat next to me, I was in for an emotional two hours listening to this superwoman talk about her days long gone by! She rarely speaks about her one year of marriage before she was widowed and this was the first time I heard about it. She told me how her sister in law, whom everybody spoke off as an introvert, accompanied her and my grandfather to his posting area, took care of Ammumma when she was pregnant, speaking very rarely but loving my grandmother in her own way and keeping herself away when the couple spent time together. We then spoke about her days filled with uncertainity and a newborn, after her husband passed away.

Image Source

Ammumma is a very strong woman, and that day, I heard her voice falter thinking about her dark widowed days with very little help except from a few good-hearted souls and thinking several times before she took any decision and hoping with her heart that she was right in whatever she did. Much to my surprise, many people I was not fond of because society didn't portray a good picture of them helped her to a great deal when she was in need and few people I am very fond of posed the biggest worries to her. It was an eye opener for me of how people will be there for you when you don't need anyone's help and how very few will be there for you in your darkest hours. And how misinformed are we to judge people solely on the basis of what others tell us even when they have done us no harm!

We spoke for more than two hours that day and talking to her reaffirmed what I already knew - she is what a superwoman is, she represents the power of all woman, what a woman can endure and still come out as a winner. To me, she is the true spirit of a woman. To me, she is success - my Ammumma!

That Perfect Idli At Veena Stores

There is a quaint little place that you cannot miss when you pass through Bangalore's Margosa Road. Because, in front of this small hole in the wall shop, there is always a huge crowd - some waiting patiently and some holding a plate of piping hot idlis or other Bangalore's favourite tiffin items and relishing each bite. And that is when you notice a blue board with "Veena Stores" written on it - a name associated with the best idlis that you can find in Bangalore (I think it's the best you can find anywhere). 

For the last couple of years, Veena Stores used to pop up every now and then whenever I had a  conversation about food with someone in Bangalore but, somehow, I never made it there until now. My first visit to this place happened on the spur of the moment when one fine evening, my friend and I, along with our babies, were passing through the Margosa Road when we noticed the blue board of the store shining brightly that we decided to stop and park the car wherever we could find a parking space and try the famous idli from Veena Stores. We managed to park our car on a by-road and walked straight to Veena Stores with babies in tow, not able to contain our excitement at the thought of having the much heard about idlis. 

We placed our order for two plates of Idli Vada and within seconds, we had two plates with piping hot dishes to relish. Carrying my curious boy (who was looking at the plate and drooling) and plate with one hand and feeding him and myself with the other, I must have posed a pathetic sight to the passers by for sure. Nevertheless I didn't care because I was way too excited to try the dishes out! 

I was told the idlis in Veena Stores are the best, but I never expected it to be this amazing! The idli was soft, fluffy and just melted in my mouth and the pudhina (mint) chutney that came with it was the perfect dip to elevate the taste of the idli to an altogether different level. The Vada was crisp at the outside, soft at the inside and not too oily. This little plate of two idlis and a vada was so tasty that we parcelled two more to take back home so that we could sit at peace and relish it. However, it didn't last that long, we polished it off as soon as we reached the car!

It is this absolutely amazing idli that makes me go back to Veena Stores always. I've also tasted a few of their other tiffin options- the Bisibele Bath with crispy bonds scattered on the top, the tangy Puliyogare with a light hint of sweetness, the Khara Pongal, the Khara Bath and the Kesari Bath, all perfectly spiced, flavourful with melt in the mouth texture. However, all these take a backstep when you taste the super soft idli, because one bite into that steaming hot idli and you are in food heaven!

Even since I had idli from here, I've been guilty of comparing idlis I have from elsewhere with this including the one my mom and grandmom makes. Every time I go home and if it's idli for breakfast, I rave about the Veena Stores Idli so much so that my mom and grandma finds it offensive considering that they think quite highly of the idlis that they make! I never thought a dish as simple as an idli could be the perfect definition of heaven to me until I found this  perfect soft, fluffy and melt in the mouth idli! This is surely Bangalore's comfort food at its best!