Posted by Karuna

Restore the Ph Balance of Your Intimate Area with the Himalaya FOR MOMS Intimate Range – Review

In continuation to my post on Himalaya FOR MOMS Soothing Body Butter, here is another important product that caters to our needs and one that most moms often ignore—the intimate area. You already know about the changes your body goes through during pregnancy. Interestingly, even your intimate area is prone to changes during pregnancy! Yeast infections are more common in pregnancy than any other time, thanks to all the increased estrogen.

Here’s what you must know about pH Balance:

pH is a measurement of how acidic or alkaline (basic) a substance is. The scale runs from 0 to 14. A pH of less than 7 is considered acidic, and a pH of more than 7 is basic. The normal vaginal pH level is between 3.8 and 4.5, which is moderately acidic. However, during reproductive years (15-49) it can increase, leading to discharge, itchiness, and discomfort.

 In order to follow an intimate hygiene regimen, choose a product that helps take care of your intimate area and maintain the right pH balance, like Himalaya FOR MOMS Intimate Wash and Wipes.

Himalaya has introduced these two unique products to take care of your intimate area. The product is specially formulated for new moms, moms, and moms-to-be. I have started including Himalaya FOR MOMS Intimate Wash and Intimate Wipes as a part of my personal hygiene routine as well. I’ve been using these for a while now.


HIMALAYA FOR MOMS INTIMATE WASH

Himalaya FOR MOMS Intimate Wash gently cleanses the intimate area while maintaining freshness. Ingredients like Tea Tree Oil help relieve itching and irritation and Pongamia Oil helps prevent odor due to its anti fungal property.  

How to Use: Take a few drops in your hand and gently wash your intimate area with a little water. Rinse immediately post application.
 
My Experience: I liked the consistency of the wash–it is clear and runny. Just a few drops make me feel clean and fresh. This is my go-to product during my periods. Nonetheless, I think it’s a must during and after pregnancy.

Pricing:
200 ml – Rs. 205, 100 ml – Rs. 116. The product will last you long even when used daily. I prefer to keep a small bottle handy while I’m traveling.
 

 

HIMALAYA FOR MOMS INTIMATE WIPES

Himalaya FOR MOMS Intimate Wipes is a travel-friendly option and is enriched with Lavender Oil and  Pongamia Oil. Lavender Oil has a mild yet refreshing fragrance and helps eliminates odor, and Pongamia Oil helps reduce itching, irritation, and dryness.


How to use: Gently wipe your vaginal area from front to back and dispose after one use. The pack comes with 25 wipes and a seal to retain the moisture when not in use. I prefer to carry it to work as well.


My experience: I really like these wipes! I find them convenient and easy to use. Most importantly, they keep me fresh and do not cause any dryness or itchiness in the intimate area.
 
Pricing: Pack of 10 – Rs. 50, Pack of 25 – Rs. 110

I would like to hear about your views and experience in maintaining intimate hygiene? Do you agree, its ignored and think more awareness needs to be spread about the same?

 

Himalaya Mom Soothing Body Butter – Review

They say that being a mother changes you, and they aren’t kidding.

I still remember how my skin suddenly became dry and dehydrated during my pregger days. Figured out that hormones were the main reason – causing dry and itchy skin. I wanted to slather my skin with a body butter 24/7 because it was so dry!

If you are an expectant or new mom, the good news is that Himalaya has come up with not one but three amazing variants of Soothing Body Butters specially to take care of your demanding and changing skin. Himalaya FOR MOMS Soothing Body Butters are specially formulated for women during pregnancy and beyond.

Himalaya FOR MOMS new launch – Body Butters

A trA trusted brand for years, I am happy to review their body butters knowing their formulae are the best of natural ingredients and are free from phthalates, parabens, alcohol, mineral oils, and tallow. These Soothing Body Butters are suitable for moms with dry skin!

For best results use the Himalaya Mom Soothing Body butter twice daily

I have been using the new Himalaya FOR MOMS Soothing Body Butter every day as a morning and night ritual. It makes my skin super hydrated, soft, and supple. These body butters have 2 key ingredients:

  • Cocoa Butter – which is a natural antioxidant. This soothes, hydrates while keeping the skin balanced
  • Glycerin – which is a humectant that locks in moisture and keeps skin hydrated for longer.
  • Rejuvenating fragrance of Jasmine
  • Uplifting fragrance of Rose
  • Calming fragrance of Lavender

I really liked how Himalaya FOR MOMS Soothing Body Butter comes in 3 soothing fragrances which are very effective in distressing too! My favorite in order are Lavender, Rose, and Jasmine. Which one’s your favorite?

I would totally recommend Himalaya FOR MOMS Soothing Body Butter to anyone who loves happy and supple skin! Please remember, this body butter intensively moisturizes and nourishes your skin, and it gets absorbed pretty quick, doesn’t leave an oily feel, and makes your skin glow!

At Rs.320 for a 200ml tub of Himalaya FOR MOMS Soothing Body Butter- Lavender, it is going to last pretty long! You can also get it in a 100ml or 50ml size to try it first, at all major online and offline stores.

Is Montessori right for my child?

To quote Maria Montessori: “… Education is not something which the teacher does, but that it is a natural process which develops spontaneously in the human being. It is not acquired by listening to words, but in virtue of experiences in which the child acts on his environment. The teacher’s task is not to talk, but to prepare and arrange a series of motives for cultural activity in a special environment made for the child.”

Here are few reasons why a Montessori maybe a right fit for your child

Montessori schools are most suited to children in families where there is respect for the child, the parent set few but clear limits, and the child learns to respect and follow these limits. It won’t work if you let the child do what they want and when they want or if you are just the opposite and are way too strict too. Its about a balanced approach.

It doesn’t matter what is the learning style for your child. Montessori works for all children. The materials offers opportunities to learn visually, aurally, kinaesthetically (through touch) and even verbally. Kenisha need both visual and touch and feel so this works well for her!

I love how a Montessori Class is quite quiet! The children seem focused on their activities without the teacher having to yell to calm them down. Yet they are allowed to move around in the class, which is great for toddlers who can’t sit in one place for too long, something I truly appreciate

Most articles will say that Montessori programs are especially good for children who are self-directed, can work independently for extended lengths of time, and work well alone or in small groups. But in my opinion a Montessari teacher plays a huge role to bring all children to be independent over a period of time at their own pace.

The focus in Montessori curriculum is on individual learning. This allows children to work at their own pace and can also provide a healthy environment for special needs children.

Is a Montessori School Right for Your Child? – Take this Quiz by Eden Prairie Montessori

Montessori vs Traditional School

Personally I cannot say which one is better than the other because they both are unique ways to promote development and education. I think its truly a personal choice every parent needs to make.

To sum up here is a an excerpt that helps to put it in perspective

“A traditional school environment tends to be highly structured in terms of time—if you know what time it is, you know what the children are doing—but it’s loosely structured in terms of space. Montessori is the reverse: highly structured in space and loosely structured in time. If you know where children are in the room, you know what they’re doing, but the time is free. In play-based child care, teachers tend to swing between letting the children play and doing teaching activities.”

Choosing a Montessori School?

If you are interested in supporting the development of giftedness, creativity, and talent in your children then take a look at the Montessori options available in your vicinity

If you choose to send your child to a Montessori school,

  1. Make sure the school you’ve chosen is affiliated with and accredited by a Montessori organization. Also check about the
  2. Tour the school and talk with your child’s teacher/principal to determine if it is the right fit for your family.
  3. Distance/proximity plus an additional Daycare within the premise is perfect for working parents (that’s how we made our pick)
  4. To see the true difference of a Montessori education prepare to keep the child all through early years until they are ready for class 1.
  5. Keep in mind your finances and your future plans for your childs education. This will also help you decide whether you prefer Montessori or another board.

If you’re considering Montessori versus a traditional school for your child, do your research, both in person and online. I recommend you talk to parents who’ve sent to both schools you’re considering. Your child’s education is the most important gift you’ll give him, so choose wisely. No pressure or anything.

If you enjoyed this article you may be interested to Montessori Classroom at Home for Toddlers -The Easy Setup Guide read and Why I chose to send my 2 year old to a Montessori preschool?

What is your perspective on Montessori? Do share in comments 🙂

Tina’s Toy Time Review – A toy YouTube Channel for babies and toddlers

I was always that disapproving person looking at moms who would give a mobile to their child to watch YouTube. Yes, I would judge such parenting styles and tell myself I wouldn’t allow any screen time, if I ever had a child.

Being a Mother changed my perspective

Unsaid, I totally changed my viewpoint once I was hit with motherhood. I am still very strict about screen-time but I haven’t banned it like I thought I would! I think we wouldn’t have survived!

Even with the limited screen-time allowed to children the biggest question mark is monitoring what they are watching, especially when it comes to YouTube. I rarely allow Kenisha to watch it when am in tight spots and have run out of all valid suitable ways to keep her engaged. Like when you are at a doctors clinic with a pin drop silence, on an important official call that needs

 

Say Hello to Tina’s Toy Time

When Tina from Tina’s Toy Time asked me to review her newly launched YouTube channel, I was really intrigued! This came right at a stage when Kenisha had a new found love for all sort of toy videos she recently discovered on YouTube where hands would pick, drop and play with toys but sometimes these cute videos turned strange with weird flashy animation or inappropriate content.

Tina’s Toy time was such a relief because I loved the simplicity of her videos. It looked like real interaction with another person and with toys most babies and toddlers play at their age. Her choice of toys and articles used are always very exciting for the kids and the background effects are too cute, especially the baby giggles and the wows! Her English articulation and vocabulary is clear and easy to follow and perfect for children who do not have English as their first language.

The videos are themed in various categories like alphabets, colours, numbers, shapes and so on.  Though her channel recommends its suitability to 15 months to 3 years but my daughter is 3.5 years and absolutely enjoys it! In fact any child who loves such colourful videos would absolutely enjoy her channel!

Why NPAT Blog Recommends TTT?

Tina Kowalow is a certified Teacher in Canada and a mother of two. She is the perfect person to understand children and create videos that can help harness their imagination using creative and stimulating content. Every child enjoys audio visual and if these can be made educational while cleverly incorporating age appropriate concepts, a child may learn several new words watching a 5 minutes video!

I see how Kenisha repeats after Tina while watching her videos and sometimes she tries to replicate what she saw which is such a great accomplishment in my view.  In today’s time its impossible, especially for busy parents like us to get things done without relying on screen time. But being mindful of the content and selective we can stay rest assured about the exposure our children gain. This is yet another learn through play experience when real play is not an option.

I asked Tina about her future plans and this is what she had to say

When it comes to future plans for TTT, the sky is the limit. Tina is in her element when she’s creating videos – it channels her passion for educating in a fun, technological way that’s unique to the teaching field. So, she can see herself creating such videos as long as they’re in demand.

Her ultimate goal is to create toys, “Tina’s Toys” – non-toxic, safe toys – that coincide with the TTT philosophy of inspiring children’s own imaginative play.

Am helping Tina reach out to more parents looking for fun educational video through YouTube.  If you are one then hit the subscribe button HERE because she adds really amazing videos often. Her current Christmas themed videos are Kenisha’s favourite. Loved the simplistic way of narrating the Christmas story

Not only this we have a giveaway at my Instagram account for 2 lucky moms to win vouchers worth Rs.1000 each. Yes!! we need help to spread the word. Click HERE to join this giveaway.

Don’t forget to share below in comments a review about TTT and your take on screen time 🙂

My Entrepreneur Journey Story

How did I become an Entrepreneur? What led me to follow my passion? How was my journey? What were my challenges? Why did I decide to part ways?

I have tried to answer all your questions in this blog. If you are someone who wishes to start her own venture or maybe make some bucks from your passion, I hope reading this blog brings in some perspective. And if it does. Dont forget to comment and share with me 🙂

Background :

I hail from a simple family with Ex Army Officer as my dad and a Mom who decided that her kids were her full time job. This is important to know for many who thought I came from a business class family or received any help in any way from my family apart from sheer encouragement and support in my journey to prove myself.

Though I was always inclined towards a creative line there was not enough options and consultation to discover the right course or education. During my B.com when my parent’s saw me distressed not enjoying what I was doing I was given a chance to prepare and appear for NIFT. But fashion was not my thing and I realized it later of course when I didn’t make it.  I went ahead and completed my MBA in marketing from Symbiosis Pune in 2007 and then joined a high paying job at a leading IT MNC. It was but the natural flow of things. I had never thought I would be doing anything more than a corporate job. 4 years into the Job and I realized I wasn’t cut for the hardcore politics and follow the lead. Plus IT stopped interesting me I guess. I think it was around the same time things changed and for good.

I have been passionate about craft ever since I was a kid. While we always had an Archie’s store in the vicinity to pick up cards for special occasions, it did not allow us to customize it beyond a certain point. And I was always keen on creating a hand-made card with customized messaging, as I always believe it adds that additional human element to the entire process of gifting. While I loved everything to do with paper craft, people often mixed it up with a more widely known form of paper art, which is Origami. However, the fundamental difference between the two is that the traditional concept of Origami uses only one piece of paper to create shapes without the use of any scissors or glue. However, paper craft gives you a larger room to experiment by deploying various techniques on paper or card as the primary artistic medium for creating three dimensional objects as well.

As a papercraft artist I used various kinds of craft supplies and tools to create more professional looking handmade cards, scrapbooks, altered items, home décor which gives my work a fun and free-spirited feel.

I made handmade invites, favour boxes, 2D/3D greeting cards, quilled paper art, scrapbooks for all occasions, altered arts like Book ends, wall hangings and home décor products out of paper and related products. Click here to see my work – http://www.craftingqueen.in/

What was the big idea behind starting Lulupu.com? Was there something that inspired me to do this?

In 2009, I relocated to Bangalore for an assignment. Staying away from home with not too many friends around, I decided to use my free time to explore my favourite hobby that I relished as a child – hand-made greeting cards. My mother’s birthday was approaching and I decided to visit a stationary shop to source the raw material. That’s when I spotted the colourful Quilling strips and brought a few of them. I navigated through a few DIY videos on YouTube to understand the technique better. As time progressed, I became extremely addicted to this form of paper craft and simultaneously started exploring other forms as well. I began a blog called www.craftingqueen.in  and kept updating it with my latest work and this gave me an opportunity to interact with other paper crafters not just in India, but across the globe. While the basic material was available in India, for moving to the next level most of the tools and material had to be sourced from abroad. I saw a lot of crafters like me relying on their friends and relatives to get them these products while returning from a trip to United States. It took me a lot of patience to source products through this channel. This is when I decided to create an online store which will give crafters across India an opportunity to purchase these products locally. Initially I used a blog called www.craftignqueenstore.blogspot.in to sell the products. Looking at the traffic and the demand I decided to go the ecommerce way and Lulupu.com was born on March 1st, 2012.

At this point I would like to throw light on one of the segments of Lulupu.com – The Design Team. This special team comprised of talented crafter across the country, who focus on providing a platform to build a community of like-minded crafters. To be a part of this team, a crafter had to qualify the set of filters or parameters decided by us.

Here is our blog that was build with so much love- BLOG

 

 What does one require to set up a business? 

Firstly, it is not a rocket science that if you set up a business which you are extremely passionate about, it works to your advantage as you do not see it as a purely money minting venture. In my case, my knowledge and passion gave me the ability to guide and help beginners and amateurs in paper craft over and above the products specifications and pricing.

Secondly, it is extremely important to register your business and have all the mandatory licenses / permissions. This could be for import/export, trademark or even the GST process. It ensures that your customers are not getting cheated and are engaging with a brand which is ethical and abides by laws of the country.

Thirdly, it is important to know the pulse of your customers and keep a track of changing trends in your industry. Be on your toes!!!

Last but not the least; one has to be mentally strong to face all sorts of challenges. A new venture is demanding and the market is very competitive.

Any challenges you faced in starting this business?

Honestly, I began as an amateur with a lot of enthusiasm and desire to make a difference. My husband encouraged me to focus on my strengths to create the building blocks for Lulupu.com. While he is not an avid crafter, he was able to provide me with a strategic perspective to create a concrete roadmap and structure to set up and grow this initiative. We spent a lot of time in ideating and using consumer insights to prepare the framework which would work well for the growing paper craft community in India. This took us almost a year along with setting up of backend operations before finally launching Lulupu.com on 1st march 2012.

I think one of the biggest challenges was to start from the scratch. I had no idea how to run a business or put it up in the first place. The journey has been tiring and at times challenging enough to give up hope. It’s the passion to do what I love to push me this far.

Our basic idea behind Lulupu.com was aimed at overcoming the biggest challenge faced by paper crafters across the country i.e. sourcing products from global brands locally. Since it is an extremely niche and unorganized industry, a lot of people compare the prices of the products being offered in India with the ones in western countries. But the customers also overlook the fact that the papercraft industry is at a very advanced level in these markets. At the same time for a registered business like ours with proper sales licenses in India, there are innumerable additional costs incurred which add on to the final costing. In a price sensitive market, we were, nevertheless, constantly working towards exploring more efficient and cost effective supply chain to ensure our customers get their favourite products at the most competitive rates without compromising on the quality. What people take time to understand is that they can now order these products right at their doorsteps by a mere click and also opt to pay once they have checked and confirmed the order! They no longer have to rely on their friends / relatives to travel to US / UK to order these products and wait for months before they receive them! Needless to say they don’t have to pay a bomb to local sellers who more than often dupe them with defective pieces or exorbitantly priced items.

 

Why did you close the store after 5 successful years?

When I conceived in 2014 October, I was put on complete bed rest. I somehow managed to continue as I had hired one intern to work on the admin front. Nonetheless, my health did impact the business. I took a 3 month break when I delivered Kenisha and coming back with a bang wasn’t easy. I felt torn apart between my needy baby and my needy business. It was also a time when the market was getting highly unorganized with alot of people jumping into the industry without any knowledge and spoiling the market. I was finding it difficult to work and realised its time to let go. I knew I didn’t have the finances and the time anymore. The baby definitely took priority and I have no regrets. I left the market in a good note and made a name for myself!

Slide below to read few of the published articles I could find

So there you go, that was my journey as an Entrepreneur and I cant wait to hear what you have to say? Where are you stuck? Do you have your big idea in place? Would you need any support from me? Tell me in comments what more I can share? Please be specific and if i have the expertise am happy to share 🙂