Winter Skin Care #DecemberDelights

Hey everyone, as the weather has changed we need to take care of our skin even more. As always, we put ourselves in the last and neglect ourselves. But we don't realize that the winter season can make our skin very dry. Cold weather and low humidity levels result in dry air, which then steals moisture away from the skin every second of every day.

I will share a few tips with you today which are not time consuming and are very easy to follow.

🏵️ Wash in Luke warm water :

Hot showers always feel good. But remember,they make your skin more dry. Always wash your face with lukewarm water .

🏵️ Moisturise immediately after you wash your face :

Applying moisture to damp skin helps seal that dampness into the skin. 

🏵️Be careful while choosing the right moisturiser:

Most moisturisers have petroleum-based ingredients that can actually further dry your skin in the winter months. Be sure to choose a smart formula that has natural, nourishing ingredients. Go for an oil-based rather than a water-based solution, as it’s more likely to help your skin retain moisture in the winter.

🏵️ Drink lots of water:

We tend to drink less water in the winter because we turn to hot drinks like coffee and tea, but don’t forget that your skin needs hydration from the inside, out. A little warm water with lemon can be very refreshing and hydrating at the same time. Or keep a warm water in a flask near you and you can have whenever you want.

🏵️ Overnight Moisturise:

Dryer areas like hands, feet, elbows, and knees have thin skin and tend to lose moisture faster than other areas on the body.  So remember to use a moisturizer every night too.

🏵️ Exfoliate :

We often forget to help the skin slough off dead cells in the winter, particularly on our hands. Find an exfoliating mask and use it on your face and your hands, as well as gently on your lips, then follow immediately with moisturizer to truly see a smoother difference. 

🏵️ Hydrate from inside out :

Eating foods high in water content can help hydrate your skin from the inside out. Watermelon, cantaloupe, apples, oranges, kiwi, and watery veggies like tomatoes, cucumber, zucchini, and carrots. 

🏵️Sunscreen: 

Do not forget to use your sunscreen even when there is no sun outside. Even if there is no sun, the ultraviolet rays are still there which are very harmful for your skin. A sunscreen is a must.

I hope these winter skin care tips will be helpful to you. Please share in comments your winter skin care routine.

#winters 

This Post is a part of #DecemberDelights by Vidhya Thakkar and Rupa Publishers should not be repurposed, republished or used otherwise. The content herein is owned  by the blogger. Hosts are not responsible for any infringement caused

New Year Resolutions

We are in the last month of 2019, another year is going to end. Very soon we will be welcoming 2020. As the new year approaches, many of us retrospect and make goals for the next year.

How was 2019 for you ? Do you make resolutions for the year and abide by them? 

What are New Year Resolutions ?

According to Wikipedia, " A New Year Resolution is a tradition most common in the western hemisphere, but also found in the European hemisphere in which a person resolves to change an undesired trait or behaviour to accomplish a personal goal or otherwise improve their life. "

I like to set target and goals for myself. It motivates me to do better if I am able to achieve something. I have been making New Year Resolutions since I was a child. But then my resolutions used to be very simple, study properly and get good marks. But now  definitely my perspective towards life has changed and so have my resolutions. 

How to make goals which are achievable:

• Make a list of your goals. This can be your family, career, finances, health. 
• Break the big goals into smaller goals.Smaller goals are easily achievable. 
• Make them visible. Write your Goals somewhere where you can easily see them. This will be a constant reminder for you to achieve them.
• Adjust your goals periodically. While you are in the process of accomplishing your goals, take some to time re - evaluate your goals. Are you able to accomplish them in the given time frame ? Allow yourself some flexibility to achieve your goals.
• Make your goals measurable. For eg. if your target is to lose weight, make it quantifiable as to how many kgs you want to lose.
• Be realistic with your goals. Ask yourself whether you have everything to complete your goal - knowledge , skill, time , resources.
• Set priorities. This means if you have 5 goals to complete , prioritize which goal do you want to achieve first.
• Keep a track of your progress. Writing in a notebook is a great way to keep a track of your progress.
• Celebrate small accomplishments. Once you achieve small goals, celebrate your success. This will motivate you to do better.

So as the year is going to end, it is time to sit down and prepare a list of important changes you want to make in your lifestyle. 

Here is a list of resolutions which you can make for the upcoming year.

Get in shape :

Losing weight is the top resolution for most of us. Exercising more  and staying fit and healthy is something which most of us want to achieve.

Start eating healthier food and less food overall:

This is an extension of the previous point. Switching to a healthier diet can be incredibly tricky when we are surrounded by cheap junk food. But with a good amount of determination , one can slowly develop healthy eating habits.

Stop Procrastinating:

The biggest barrier which keeps most people from reaching their goal is the desire to relax and  do something fun instead of working hard. Once you get used to procrastinating, it is difficult to snap yourself out of it. You will need to put in  a lot of work to change this bad habit.

Meet New People :

In today's busy life and routine, most of us usually end up staying at home, missing out on  a lot of interesting opportunities to meet new people for networking and having fun. it can be beneficial to your mental well being and can also help your career.

Reduce Stress : 

It is said that stress is one of the biggest killers and can have a very destructive effect on your relationships as well as your health.

Pick up useful skills or fun hobbies :

Just sitting around the whole day won't get you anywhere. It is much better to use your free time in a constructive manner and pick new skills, having fun at the same time.

Be Punctual :
If you are not punctual then make this your goal because being on time is a mark of a true professional and a dependable person.

My New Year Resolutions :

For the upcoming year I have some goals which I want to achieve :

Be regular with my exercise :
Although I goto the gym , I am not regular. I want to exercise at least 5 days a week. My target is to lose 6 Kgs in the next year.

Write more :
I have found my new love in writing. I want to continue writing and hopefully write a children's book. 

Saying " No " to people:
I  find it very difficult to say no to someone. But I have realized that people take advantage of you. So yes, this year I want to say no to people who take undue advantage.

Spend less time on Social Media :
I have realized that I spend too much time on social media. So this year I want to spend less time on social media .

Sleep on time :
I sleep very late and I have to wake up early morning to send mt son to school. So this year I want to sleep on time and get good 6-7 hours of quality sleep.

Spending more time with the family:
My husband is also very busy . But this year I have made a point that at least on weekends we will go out as a family and even at home we will spend more quality time with our son.

Travel :
We have been planning to got Sri Lanka for a small holiday for  along time but haven't been able to go. this year hopefully we will go.

 
My friend Sthuti has penned down some wonderful resolutions for 2020. Do give it a read 
https://mommyaccountsays.wordpress.com/2019/12/12/another-year-ending/

Have you made any new year resolutions yet ?

Would love to know about them. Please share in comments .

"This post is a part of the blogtrain #HerNewYearBlog , follow the hashtag to read varying and interesting perspectives of my fellow blogger friends on their new years."

#newyear #newyearresolutions #happiness

How to get your child to put back his toys after he has played ?

All kids love to make a mess but don't like to clean up. We, as moms have loads of tasks to complete and we lose our patience sometimes. It can be very tiring for us all the time to clean up the mess after your child has played with toys. Also the children need to learn that they have to clean up after they have played with their toys.The earlier you stat with them, the better it is.I'll share some tips which I try and use with my son. 

🎀 Don't make it a chore. Put a rhyme in the background, like tidying up or clean up time. Kids love it and will happily come and clean. 

🎀 Show them how it's done or tell them initially that you will help them in cleaning. Involve them in cleaning and picking up their toys after they have played. Like this they will get into the habit of picking up their toys after playing.

🎀 Motivate and encourage them, even if they put one toy back. Use phrases, like good job, very good boy/girl, do high - five. Remember, nothing can be achieved in one day. They need encouragement to do work.

🎀 Show them how nice the room looks after it is clean.This is very important because the kids should learn to keep their surroundings neat and clean.

🎀 Tell them at night, like they sleep even the toys have to sleep. So put the toys to bed.

🎀 Tell them that they are very lucky to have lots of toys. At night the toy fairy visits and the child who doesn't take proper care of the toys, the fairy takes the the toy away.

I think we should start early and toddlers love to help.Please share in comments how do u tell your child to clean up.

Is your child a fussy eater ?

Are you worried about your child not eating properly? Is he a fussy eater? If yes, don't worry..you are not the only one !☺️ It can be very frustrating when your child doesn't eat properly, it is normal to get stressed out. My son is a very picky eater but slowly he is improving. Even when he was a baby, he used to be very fussy about the purees he ate 🙈

• The first thing should be to introduce a lot of fruit and vegetables to them when they are small.
• Take them for grocery shopping with you. Talk to them and involve them in the process of buying.
• Don't give them the same food everyday. Like adults, kids also get bored of eating the same food everyday. For eg. I make sure my son has one egg a day. So one day I give him scrambled egg, next day french toast, then maybe cheese omelette.
• If your child doesn't like vegetables, try and innovate. For eg. In your pizza sauce, you can add finely chopped onions, capsicums, zucchinis, brinjal. Or in  mixed vegetables you can chop all the vegetables finely,add little bit of cheese on top and make it into a roll.
• You can make food look better. I have a lot of cookie cutters to cut roti, puri, vegetables and fruits in different shapes.
• Try and eat with your child.When they see you eat, they also eat.
• Once your child is 2.5 years plus don't make separate a meal for him. Let him eat what you are eating. This will help him to understand that he has to eat what is made at home and everyone is eating the same thing.
• Teach him from where the food comes from. You can take him to a farm to show how the vegetables and fruits are grown.If you have space, you can even make a small vegetable garden at home and involve him in planting seeds, watering the plants,etc.
• Rewards, ( not bribes) can be motivational.You can make a sticker chart. Give your child a sticker for eating new foods. When he has collected a few stickers, reward him with a prize.
• Cut out all the distractions. It is easy to put on some cartoon or rhymes but let him understand that he has to sit with everyone at the dining table and eat.
• When dealing with a picky eater, remember to keep calm and try some of the evidence-based tips listed above.

With the right approach, your child will grow to accept and appreciate many different types of food over time.

#toddlerfood #toddler #fussyeater