Future ready with Bose!

Dear earlier me,                                                                                                       29th January 2018

I am writing from the future to tell you how exciting it is! No, we don't know how to time travel yet, but hopefully will soon and I will come and give my diary to you for you to read all about what the future holds for you. We’re living in the age of technology and things like augmented reality, 3D printing, bullet train projects, robots, virtual assistants and what not! A lot to take in? It may be overwhelming, but it’s amazing!

Today I can actually place fictional objects/people next to real ones using my phone’s camera and some apps. I can 3D print a printer if I please or maybe make a 3D model of myself, and immortalise myself somehow? The globe is getting smaller, it’s easy and not that expensive to travel from one corner of the world to another!

And not to forget talking to our virtual assistants like Siri, Allo or Alexa! These are the days when you may be seen around wearing headphones and talking to noone. If you were to see me like that, you'd think I am crazy, but what actually is happening something really awesomesauce! So basically, I can ask my headphones to play a particular song or read my messages or even ask a question to google and hear the answers - all of this without having to look at my smartphone even once! Now that's something to be excited about in the future, right? So I am on my way to work in the train and I suddenly remember a task, all I do is talk to my headphone and a reminder gets set on my phone - now that's the true meaning and essence of HANDSFREE!

The future is going to have amazing internet speed, and this is also the age of content being the king and we have loads of entertainment that we can stream using internet right on our device via Amazon Prime or Netflix or YouTube - and really good entertainment at that! And you would not want to be disturbed by honking or people talking around - and for that there is no better voice cancellation in this world than Bose - now that is something even you, my older self, will agree with - after all Bose has been around long enough for you to witness that!

So keep note, when you are in the year 2018, do not forget to get your hands on the Bose QuietComfort 35 Wireless Smart Headphones II, you will definitely thank me later! Now that technology has achieved getting us our own assistant, hope they crack teleporting too, because I am quite travel of commute, to be honest, and listening to music on my Bose headphones is my only saviour!

Ciao!

-Your future awesome self.

New year resolutions to be a better parent in 2018!

We don’t really need New Year’s to try to become better parents, but it is a good time to refresh and revise all those promises we made to our kid/s or to ourselves. I’m not saying that we have to achieve perfection, there is no perfect parenting technique after all! It’s all about learning from our mistakes and avoiding new ones.

1. Decrease screen-time - 

In this age of "YouTube zombies", adult content available online, blue whale challenges and the like - the one most important resolution is to make screen time, especially the use of smartphones/ laptops/ i-pads limited and supervised. 

I realized that as long as my toddler doesn't see us using the phone, or find it lying around, he doesn't ask for it. He is busy playing with his toys. But, if he sees us using our phones or finds one lying around, then he wants it and can be on it for hours if we let him. So I resolve not to use the smartphone once I am home from work. I hide it and only check it once he is asleep. To not miss out on any important calls, I get notifications for calls on my smartwatch instead.

A great way to do that is also go for a family walk/ outing instead of being in front of a screen. Don’t forget to protect yourself and the kids from mosquitoes when you step outdoors. I like the Goodknight Cool Gel – it is non sticky and skin-friendly. If you want to avoid applying anything on the skin, then go for the Goodknight Fabric Roll-On. Just 4 dots of this product on your child’s clothes can ensure that mosquitoes don’t bother you. Both these products are 100% natural and paediatrician certified hence, safe for kids.

2. Nutrition -

My toddler falls ill frequently - indicating that his immune system is weak. He doesn’t like eating anything healthy and although we pushed him initially, we eventually let it be after that. This time he caught pneumonia and it opened my eyes.

So I resolve to try and try, no matter how many times I fail, to feed him the best healthy and nutritious food although sometimes the food goes waste since he spits it out. I will make it a point that at least 2 of his meals a day are healthy - vegetables and fruit based. Apart from that, whatever best I can do in terms of supplements – in milk or as a chewable, I will be giving to my kiddo.

3. Saving for their future –

Education is the most important thing we can give our kids, after a home and comfortable living. And it’s best to invest and save for their future from the very beginning. I am a compulsive shopaholic and must admit, I spend a lot of money that I earn on outfits or quirky items. This new year, I promise to control myself and save up instead. If you guys have some good investment tips, I am all ears!

4.Compete, but only with yourself–

When I say, be a better parent this year, I am not saying be better than other parents. NO. You’re a great parent, you were great last year, give yourself a pat on the back. Being a parent is no easy job, I can vouch for that! But, one should always strive to be even better.

For me, it’s all about controlling my temper and keeping my patience with my kiddo, after my long work hours. It’s also about practising self-control over gadgets and spending more quality time (meaning absolutely dedicated to the kiddo), even if it’s one hour a day.

5. Live in the moment –

What I have learnt from incidents that took place in 2017 is that life is unpredictable and one should make the most of the present moment. Take that family vacation you have been postponing since a while, learn a new activity (I totally want to learn how to ride a bicycle since I don’t know how, maybe I can along with the kiddo?), take care of your health and surround yourself with loved ones. Stay healthy, as one is happiest when they are healthy.

Wish you all a happy 2018 – go make some wonderful memories!

The role of Vitamin E in my life.

The journey of being a mother is a beautiful one, but not an easy one. Right from the pregnancy days, with the morning sickness and discomfort, swollen legs and difficulty sleeping and not to forget itching belly and fear or stretch marks! Though I was blessed and did not have morning sickness, I did start getting itchy skin in the last trimester and needed to take care of that. I had also heard that due to the itching later there was an increase in the stretch marks on the stomach region.

via GIPHY

It is startling how doctors will focus and prescribe Vitamin C, D and Iron very frequently, but never focus on Vitamin E. I was introduced to Vitamin E thanks to Google back then, about three years ago. I was very sceptical of using any random lotion or moisturizer because I did not want anything that would be harmful or unsafe for my baby (yes, mothers-to-be can go a little crazy and overboard to protect their li’l ones) and I thought that I did not want my skin to absorb anything chemical-based that would go to my baby as well. So, I read up and saw that Vitamin E oil was a good option to massage the skin with, Vitamin E is the key ingredient for any good cosmetic product.

I also increased intake of food that contains Vitamin E – like almonds, spinach, tomato, mango, avocado, kiwi etc. You can read up about more food groups that contain Vitamin E here. Now that I know about Evion Supplements (Vitamin E capsules and creams), I wish I had known about it back during my pregnancy! And its benefits are not just for the skin issues and acting as an age-slowing vitamin, but it also helps balance cholesterol, acts as a powerful antioxidant, balances hormones and more!

Vitamin E rich food!

Today, I make it a point to eat healthy and include food that contains Vitamin E as well. And plan to start my #Evion supplements along with other supplements when I hit 30 (2 years more for that, just saying). When I asked my folks about Vitamin E, they haven’t ever had any supplement nor do they know which food groups contain the same, so definitely more awareness is required! I would love to know how you include Vitamin E in your routine or if this post helped you know about it!

Redchimpz 5D+ Cardz – Animal & Birds – Review

We city-dwellers, living in this age though have a lot of new-age boons and technology at our service; are deprived of many simple things in life too. For instance, how many of you have seen a tiger/lion in real? Not many. I wonder how will we show our kids the beauty of nature, apart from in movies and books.

I received a package from Redchimpz that contained their Animal & Bird cards. These come in a package like playing cards, but the cards are made of good quality cardboard and there is a round hoop to put them together.

The app is available both on android and iOS and has to be installed first, and then the serial key has scanned. The app will then register which theme do you have and show you options to choose from – AR (Augmented Reality), VR (Virtual Reality), 3D Library, Activities and VR Game.

In AR, you have to place the animal/bird card of your choice on a surface and point your phone at it – whichever animal/bird/creature you’re pointing at, comes to life and you can make it move around your room. VR, you need VR glasses to view the content. 3D Library has all the animals in natural surroundings and you can make them walk, run, etc. Activities has quizzes and games to test your knowledge in a fun way.

The physical cards themselves also have some quick facts about each animal/bird; and you’d be surprised to know how little we adults also know about these creatures. Did you know a Zebra’s kid is called a Colt? Or that peacocks are both plant and meat eaters? I did not know that.

Since my kiddo is still 3, I have to assist him a bit, but he has now got a hang of starting the app on his own and pointing the camera to the cards to see them come alive. He has also learnt most of the animal and birds’ names which is great! And when he see’s that particular bird or animal in reality or on TV, he gets all excited and calls out the name.

At Rs.349 a pack, these are great for your kids to learn in a fun way, and they make a great gift too! Themes you can choose from – Animals, Birds, Insects, Aquatic animals. 

Here are the main features of 5D+ CARDZ:

• 16 flashcards enabled with AR – simply scan the card to see your
• favourite creatures in 3D. Tap the screen to make them move or make a sound.
• 16 Virtual Reality journeys – Rotate the screen to see how they look from every side. Go for a walk with your favourite animal in the virtual world.
• Click and share a picture in AR
• Interactive 3D Library
• Hands on learning activities and quizzes
• 300+ Interesting trivia
• Appropriate for kids age 3 and above 

5D+ CARDZ is a perfect mix of fun and education. It provides hours of entertainment and mental stimulation through interactive games. AR and VR help visualize new concepts more easily and the use of Flashcards promotes “active recall”. Since these cards can be separated into groups depending on how well you know the contents or which theme needs more attention, it is the most scientifically optimized way to improve memory performance.

Follow them on Facebook or Instagram, they keep having contests and giveaways where you can win a pack for your kiddo.