Ever found yourself standing in the kitchen wondering what to make for breakfast again?!!
It’s Sunday morning, everyone is expecting something special where you are looking for a recipe that’s quick, easy to make with readily available ingredients, tasty and most importantly, healthy!
Yes! Besties bring you just the recipe you are looking for – Eggless whole wheat Pancakes!
Today’s post idea is a result of last night conversation between me and my husband where we were discussing about M’s (who is two years old now) first flight to India which happened to be around 10 weeks of her age..still remember feeling anxiety, nervousness, goosebumps and what all (..by the way, M was fine all along 😀)!
Adding it to our parenting section, A and I bring along some travelling tips for our fellow mommy readers!
Bassinet Seat
First and foremost, try and get hold of a bassinet seat if you are travelling with a baby. Along with the bassinet, the seat gives you extra leg space to stretch your legs while the baby is sleeping and even if your baby is not comfortable with the bassinet, it comes handy for that extra stuff like toys, blankets etc. you are holding.
Most of the airlines help you book the bassinet seat beforehand..so, next time you book your tickets, mention that you are travelling with a baby and request for a bassinet seat and if you are booking your tickets online, we suggest calling them separately and request for one!
For the mothers travelling with toddlers, I came across this really useful product called Fly-Tot. I still have to try it on M but sounds like a promising one and have heard some great reviews!
Diaper Bag
This is my bag of tricks while travelling with the little one. Apart from lots of diapers, you will find a nursing cover (if you are breastfeeding) or feeding bottles, extra clothing (recommend carrying those extra layers as it’s usually cold), blanket, some snacks and fluids (if the little one has started on solids) and all the diaper changing material like changing mat, wet wipes, nappy cream.
Breastfeeding pillow
This is one thing that comes to a rescue specially when you have a baby who won’t lie in a bassinet. The wrap-around pillow helps in maintaining the position while feeding and if you have a baby less than 4 months old, he/she can sleep easily on the pillow while you have your hands free.
Pack for playtime
Entertained baby, happy mother and a good flight! 🙂
Never ever forget to pack for the playtime! It’s better to keep the toys your little one associates with like his/her favourite bunny, maybe the book and the sleep toys.
I came across this very good activity of wrapping the toy in plastic wrap and asking your little one to open it..fun activity as it keeps him/her engaged and it usually take some time to open the wrap!
I usually, am not in favour of using technology as an entertainer but I do keep some child friendly videos on my “fully-charged” phone/tablet before taking off an airplane and yeah! candies come in that cheat list too.
Take child’s sleeping time into account
Not necessarily, but if you can – try scheduling your trip around baby’s sleeping time. A well rested baby is more likely to make the experience better!
Remember: every baby is different and we are still learning when it comes to babies..please feel free to advise on your experiences in the comment section below!
Skincare is important but affordable skincare is a necessity. Everyone should take good care of their skin as that is the only way of ensuring a beautiful skin even when you’re in your sixties 🙂
V and I have prepared this list after much research which features some great affordable yet effective skincare products suitable for all skin types. We hope you like them as much as we do.
1. Liquid Neutrogena Facial Cleanser
This is probably one of those facial cleansers where we don’t even remember the number of bottles that have been emptied. This cleanser is very mild, cleanses well and leaves skin feeling amazingly fresh. If you haven’t tried it yet, you have to do it right away.
This is a very gentle scrub which works well in removing dead skin and deep cleaning our pores. Within first few washes, you will notice a visible difference in your skin and it will feel cleaner and younger than before. The corresponding product available outside India is St. Ives Apricot Scrub.
3. Himalaya Herbals purifying Neem Face Pack/Innisfree Rose Sheet Mask
For face mask, we have 2 recommendations. First is Himalaya Herbals neem face pack which we have been using since forever and it still continues to be one of the best face masks available in the market. It suits all skin types and does a great job in detoxifying the skin, fading away scars and blemishes and reducing acne. It uses natural ingredients and smells amazing too. Available in Indian stores outside India.
Our second recommendation is Innisfree sheet mask. Innisfree is a korean skin care brand which features a variety of amazing skincare products based on korean formulation. Sheet masks are great masks which use specific serums to clean and nourish our skin. If you haven’t tried these yet, now is the time.
While there are many toners available in market, we do not believe in any other toner apart from a good organic rose water. It has all the properties of a good toner, it is mild and suits all skin types. Pick any organic rose water available in the market and you’re good to go. If you are looking for toner to target a specific area of concern like skin redness, you can pick rose water toners paired up with witch hazel etc.
We grew up using this creme and while we have used so many after this, we cannot still go wrong about this one. This is a mild, moisturizing and nourishing rich creme which suits all time. The heavenly peach fragrance adds up to the plus points and comes at an affordable price.
It goes without saying that sunscreen is a must in every skincare regime. Whether it is sunny or not, you need to wear a sunscreen while stepping out of the house. A sunscreen protects us from harmful rays coming from sun which are present in the atmosphere all the time. Neutrogena sunscreen does an amazing job in protecting our skin from these rays. It is a broad spectrum sun block with PA+++ and does not leave a white cast after application. This is one of our favorite sunscreens.
Simple, easy to use, hydrating, pink and rose fragrance! That’s pretty much all we need a lip balm to have and this one has all of it. Nivea rose lip balm is a great lip balm, has a slight pink tint and comes in a hygienic stick packaging. We love it, period!
We urge you guys to give these products a shot and sincerely hope you love them as much as we do. If you have any similar suggestions or have used any of these before, we would love to know.
Rose water is a well known product due to it’s antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties which leads its way to many skincare/haircare/edible recipes. We can find numerous varieties of rose water in market but we only want to purchase the ones which are pure and organic. A good quality rose water will always be prepared with steam distillation process instead of using substitutes of rose fragrances in simple water.
Extending V and my love for natural products, here’s presenting a list of 7 ways in which you can use rose water in your daily routine.
Hydrating Facial Mist – For those long hot days in summer, this is a great rescue. I always keep a travel size spray bottle in my hand bag filled with rose water and spray it all over the face when tired or fatigued. This gives an instant dose of freshness with beautiful rose fragrance.
Makeup Setting Spray – I have never bought a makeup setting spray from the market. Rose water works like a perfect makeup setting spray. Just spray all over your face post your makeup for that dewy natural look. I love the way it changes the makeup look so brilliantly.
Toner – Yes, it tones too. The main properties that I expect my toner to have is to hydrate, maintain pH level of the skin and tone the skin. Rose water does all these in the most natural way. Just dip a cotton ball in rose water and dab it all over your face and you’re all set to move to your moisturizer.
Night Cream – Rose water works wonders to your skin when left overnight. Just mix some rose water, aloevera gel and few drops of your favorite oil (I use coconut oil) in a bowl and mix it thoroughly. You have most natural and effective night cream ready.
Face Pack – This goes without saying that rose water is used extensively in many face pack recipes both homemade and store bought. I cannot even count the number of DIY face masks I do using rose water. The simplest one of those would be mixing multani mitti (fuller’s earth) with enough rose water to form a paste and use it as a face pack (add some yogurt if you have dry skin). It deeply cleanses your skin and gets rid of pore dirt giving you clearer looking skin.
Night Mask – Night mask is another great way to add rose water to you beauty regime. As said already, rose water left on skin overnight is a faster way to beautiful skin. For a simple DIY night mask recipe using rose water, checkout our post Indulge in Night Masks
Pre-Moisturizer – A simple way to add a layer of extra hydration is to use rose water as a tonic spray after toning and before moisturizing in your CTM (cleansing toning moisturizing) process. This will give your skin an aqua boost and you’ll feel fresh throughout the day.
Well, these were some of the ways in which we use rose water in our daily life and hope they will be of some use to you. If you have some ideas of using rose water other than these, please share, we would love to know.
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