GratitudeCircleBloghop Archives - JAYANTHY'S FREE SPACE

Much Love Monday: Thank you October, Wrapping 2019

Jayanthy Govindarajan — Mon, 28 Oct 2019 11:15:31 +0000

Hello! This could be my last post for this year. Wrapping 2019 with a gratitude post for this month makes me feel content at this moment as I write this.

How was your Diwali? Mine was good. We enjoyed it. I hope you and your family had a great time too. Since I hardly used WhatsApp this month, I couldn’t send messages to many friends this Diwali. Still remember, you all were in my thoughts and prayers this Diwali. I’m happy to find such lovely people online.

Yes, It’s that time of the month where we sit down and cherish all the moments that just travelled by. October has by far been the best month this whole year, not because it’s the husband’s birthday. The second best month was June, also not because it was my birthday month. We spent the four months together, what can be more special?

Finally something good this year so I’m wrapping 2019 with a cheerful smile.

My attempts at gratitude posts failed miserably this year. I wanted to try writing Weekly Gratitude posts, but hardly crossed 2 months. I’m not sure if I might write another gratitude post to officially wrap 2019. Or maybe I might. Still, I really wanted to share this here. So here’s pretty much my year in short along with October.

Wrapping 2019 with a Smile

We (Lakki and I) reached Chennai on the 1st of October followed by the husband the next day. This was an unexpected trip for him, but still delighted he came over. Distance definitely changes a few things. Married for 3 years, as a team we focussed on taking care of those around us. It backfired terribly. We are still a team, but just got better because of what we discovered this year. These 130 days has done a lot of good than I thought possible.

I’m happy for the love of my life, the 1000+ conflicts we’ve had this year, has made us talk so much better to each other. This year has reminded us so many lessons about life. Yes, a reminder since we had left “US” behind due to daily life. The most important of all is being there for each other at all times. Since we were away for most of this year, it was really tough to smoothen things our way. My most favourite quote came to my aid this year,

When the going gets tough, the tough gets going.

When we got our chance to stay together we did not just grab it with both hands, but embraced it fully and lived it like there is no tomorrow. Last October, we spent it at Bangalore and this one at Chennai after our travel. Isn’t that a treat to me? So I’m thankful.

I feel blessed to have my daughter next to me all the time. This year was tough on her too, staying away from her dad wasn’t easy for her. Misery loves company and we were each other’s ally. She enjoyed every second with her dad these 4 months. They went on rides almost everyday and she just didn’t let him be. More than me she is awaiting her next trip.

She has started to weave her stories already. We are impressed and are happy, won’t ask for more. Her new versions of rhymes are totally cracking us up. Here is a sample:

You must have heard of the Baby Shark rhyme. If not check out Cocomelon Baby Shark. She saw the aquarium at my mom’s and started singing the rhyme. I told her that this aquarium is too small for sharks. This one could hold Gold Fish, Black Molly and Angel Fish for now.

She was all ears, she nodded her head and repeated the same to me in her own words. Then changed it to baby gold fish do do do.. How quick these little ones grow..

I am happy for my Family & Friends. I roasted them with many dry and dull stories for a while now. Yet have been very supportive this year. I was emotionally drained with lots of things this year. Staying away from hubby was draining me a lot. Mom, dad, sister along with my grandmother, uncle and aunty helped me in their own way.

I’ve had many meltdowns this year than ever and my girls(including my granny) listened and comforted me many times. I got to meet some of them this year, though we’re already planning to meet soon. I’m happy to have these people in my life.

I’m grateful for the time I’ve got to stay at my parents this year. I still do and I am thankful for the love my parents share on the little one. I’m happy for my sister-in-law and her family for being supportive and helping us despite their very own problems this year.

This month we took a road trip to Tirupati, a long pending one to meet Mr. Venky. This was an interesting trip because the driver shared so much history about this particular Temple along with other temples. He drives almost everyday to Tirupati and he’s doing this for 14 years now.

His stories were aplenty and we were all ears. We also visited a much lesser known temple on the way back. It’s Mahishasuramardini’s temple near Tirutani. The usually bitter neem tastes like a normal leaf here. I don’t know the science behind this. I’m yet to find it out.

Bullet Journal, Social Media

I’ve been away from Social Media this month. Surprisingly, I find little interest or almost no interest to open most of the platforms. The only platform I use right now is Facebook, to share my blogposts in BAR group. Otherwise, you’d not find me much in WhatsApp, Instagram or others too.

I’m perfectly alright, I just wanted to invest more of my time with my family and myself. I’ll tell you I’m bad at multi-tasking. I cannot read a book and listen to music at the same time. So when the little one approaches me and I’m busy typing, I cannot focus on what she talks. So I took a break from phone overall. Now, I use it for typing posts(at times) and calls.

No, these social media platforms don’t hinder me, it’s just me who consumes it more than necessary. I want to use it minimally because I don’t want my daughter to be too fond of my phone either. We play games and watch a few pre-downloaded videos on the phone, both are offline work with the phone.

My bullet journal was my everything this year. I am learning to draw and my journal is helping me there too. The one good thing about it, is the creativity. Either I copy designs or scribble something on my own. My weekly logs make it interesting to see what I did to what I ate. I’m planning to do a Roundup post about my bujo. Let’s see.

Also, thankful for the good rains in Chennai this monsoon. Even though it’s not full-fledged yet, I’m happy to see rains in Chennai after 3 years. I feel like our prayers are always heard.

I’ve made some major decisions this year for the coming year. More on that soon in the coming posts.

That’s about my October. My husband is starting back tomorrow. Right now we don’t have a rented house there at the moment. A new project and a fresh start has come again. Wishing things settle down sooner, so we could too.

How was your October? I’d love to know. With so many things to be thankful for, I am wrapping 2019 and hoping for a better life in 2020 for all of us.

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Much Love Monday is a series I am hosting in my blog about how each of us look at Mondays. This will be hosted on the 3rd and 4th Monday in this blog. You can share your experience about your Monday or an experience worth sharing on Monday in your blog. You can add this badge to your post and comment here so we can follow each other’s posts.

Joining Vidya Sury’s Gratitude circle first Time this year and I’m happy to be part of it at least once this year.

The post Much Love Monday: Thank you October, Wrapping 2019 appeared first on JAYANTHY'S FREE SPACE.

November Gratitude 2018

Jayanthy Govindarajan — Fri, 30 Nov 2018 10:37:00 +0000

November was the festive month that brought so much light and followed by it were some dull moments. This month changed my thinking. It is in this month that I learnt what it really means to listen to my surroundings, myself and others. To get to the better part of the month, think Diwali. I loved the festive season and this time it was simple for obvious reasons. This month was simple and unexpected in many ways that it taught me so much. Let me dive in to the month for tough times teach me to be more grateful.

Image Courtesy

Ilakkiya

One reason why I love my days and somehow manage to run around all the time, is because of my baby girl. Last year this time she was 7 months and celebrated her First Diwali. This Diwali, she is making noises and tries to say ‘Pattas’ (crackers) in Thamizh when she hears one. She enjoyed her Diwali sweets as breakfast for three days in a row and I let her enjoy them. Well, she agrees to brush her teeth morning and night even though she is just biting her brush at the moment. Now my baby girl is officially 18 months old. I wonder how it would be when she turns 18 years!! 😉

Ilakkiya is brushing on her own and funnily she is also teaching us how to brush! Well, she also calls out to her fur friends to come down and eat their food. I wish she follows that herself! 😉 Slowly her babbles are changing into meaningful words and she enjoys telling her Thamizh Alphabets and sits down like she writes them. As much as I am enjoying the show, I cannot stop laughing at the expressions she makes as she does it. A month and so much memories. I can’t stop thinking how these little ones grow so quick even as I throw up tantrums about her making my day hectic and almost impossible.

She runs around the house and is also ready to play hide-and-seek with her brother and me. She stands before a wall with her head down and imitates like us(we count numbers) but she babbles. Then comes to find us. She has started dancing and is still keen on climbing up and down the stairs. She loves her books and she is able to relate to pictures and real people. She recognizes us in pictures. She sees the picture of the queen and says Akka(sister). I wonder who gave her that idea. Well, let her know that all girls are Queens. I love to laugh when she is busy reading her alphabets. When she sees the parrot for P all she does is *ki ki ki ki*. That’s how the parrot talks right? 😛

Daylight Savings

You wonder why I am including this, even though I am not working? Let me tell you that. For a week, I had no idea why my schedules were out for a toss. Then as I read a fellow blogger’s post, I realized what I missed. The daylight savings has brought changes in my routine. Calls with the hubby are delayed by an hour and that has changed so much in my routine. Ilakkiya’s nap time has also changed. This way I had two troubles to handle this month. Doesn’t our mind always work towards organizing? Mine too did that. Well, I changed her nap to one instead of two. Early to bed happens yet no early to rise this season. So, calls with the hubby has also become more like business calls. Morning specific time mostly, or when not happening, we make it evening. I am glad we have the liberty to listen to each other’s voice everyday. After all, that’s more than important.

Family

Things take a shape as we get to know them. For all, whether we get along or not, we know family is family. I love mine, both sides. Somehow this month, made me realize so much about aging parents and in-laws and what it is like to age. I felt, they with lesser comforts gave me and my husband so much. We with more comforts, fail to realize the power of giving back. I, for one, appreciate my husband, my parents and in-laws for they are people who know the value of giving wholeheartedly. I learn from them. I see life then and now and wish to understand the value of it today and work towards betterment without complaining.

Writing and Reading

Though there is little writing happening in the blog this month, I am glad to see that I wrote a post every week of this month. I have taken the Social Media Detox challenge and I am enjoying how I am changing my view on social media. I am half way today, but such a tremendous change for a person who wakes up with the phone and holds it last before I shut my eyes to sleep.

I told you I am no shopping freak, but you would not believe me if I showed you this list. Well, this is just for Ilakkiya. I am saving the things I bought for me for another post.

I am reading a very important book this month. A book that’s breaking me every now and then. By the time I finish it, I bet I will be as blunt as death is in that book. Yes, it is The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. I was scared about death. I did not see the most important part of this book as I took it from the library. I read the fact, but I left out the most important information in this book. When I brought it home, I re-read it and fear burned. I am glad I read it after coming home. If not my stomach would have churned and I would have left the book for another time. I am glad I took it. To read a book narrated by Death was something. I got curious after a day and picked the book and started it. I am crying and stopping and re-reading certain things. I think I will re-read this whole book if that is making me stop and cry and realize life for what it is. I don’t pick war books, I picked this one just because it had good reviews. I am glad I did it. I am still reading it, so once done, I will post my update on that.

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It is two days since I borrowed this book from the library. I just cannot keep it down. ⠀ ❤️⠀ I am finishing my daily chores as early as I can, so that I could sit down and read. ⠀ ❤️⠀ If a book is waking me early and helping me wind up early, then isn’t it something special?⠀ ❤️⠀ This one is. ⠀ ⠀ #thebookthief #markuszusak #bookstagram #amreading #nonstopreading #readinggoals #2018books #loveforbooks #readingforpleasure #bookclub #bookbloggers #chennaiblogger #mommytalks #mommyblogger #booksofinstagram

A post shared by Jayanthy Govindarajan (@jayanthygovindarajan) on Nov 15, 2018 at 5:44am PST

Work and Social Media

I am glad things are changing. I am picking up new things and I am glad I am working towards making myself better. I realized that is really what I need to do when it comes to home and work. Just mind my business and do what I must. If I really could help others, I must. If not, better my work than causing trouble for others. Work is like rains in Chennai. Opportunities come once in a while, but not often. Still, I am so glad to work on what I get rather than complaint about what I don’t have. Trust me, this gives me moments to cherish. After all, one and a half year more and my daughter will be at school and I am so sure that I will be able to take more hours in a week towards work than now. Still, I am happy about this moment for the little work I get and not compromise it with Ilakkiya.

Love

Some of my friends shared that long distance relationship teaches us more. That is so true. I miss him so much more and the good part is we don’t share that in calls because we know it is mutual and we just smile when we think on those lines. The one thing that we still fight about even when we are away by so many miles is about doing our job and staying independent(I mean it is the way of life, right?). I am glad that my hubby actually pushes me out of the comfort zone often now. I wish at times I just lie down and cry that he isn’t here to do this or that. I only realize that I am here to do it and I love doing it. He always says, Family (yours or mine) must be taken care of and that’s the first duty of a man and a woman. I so agree.

Journal and Me

Though I don’t pick the book and write everyday, I work on my monthly planner now. I am doing this for the last three months and I am feeling so happy about the free days I see on the planner. I include almost everything in it. I am also working on a Daily task list (personal only) at the moment. I am seeing improvement in some areas of my daily life. I will write posts next year on journaling. I am sure I will enjoy this for a longer time.

Small facts that I enjoyed this month:

A nice poetry that helped me trust myself again.

A little doodle to take things off my mind.

Time for a change. I don’t know makeup. I have never looked comfortable with it. Now, I am working on basics with the help of subscription boxes. GlamEgo it is.

The best part: A decade gone by. I joined Infosys on 17 November, 2008. I quit Infosys on 7th January 2016. When 17 November 2018 came by, I couldn’t stop thinking about a decade ago, I was all excited and glad to be a part of Infosys.

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A decade back. 17 Nov 2008 We were all excited to join Infosys! To be called an Infoscion was something very special to all of us. This day marks a decade of Infosys for us. As much as I miss Infy, I miss the lovely times we all had together. Memories like this are worth cherishing. Some of my best memories and days were at Infosys. #Infosys definitely plays a vital part in my life. Being my first company, it will always be special. ❤️ #thisdaythatyear #cherishingmoments #lifeatinfy #infosysmysore #lovethatplace #memories #etched #lifethen #friendship #lifewithinfoscions #infosysdiaries #memoriesbackthen #throwback #adecadeold

A post shared by Jayanthy Govindarajan (@jayanthygovindarajan) on Nov 17, 2018 at 6:37am PST

I am delighted to see so many happy moments this November. How was your November?

Linking with Vidya Sury for her #GratitudeCircleBlogHop.

Join us!

The post November Gratitude 2018 appeared first on JAYANTHY'S FREE SPACE.

My Kind of October #GratitudeCircleBloghop

Jayanthy Govindarajan — Tue, 13 Nov 2018 12:24:00 +0000

October is generally a very pleasant month. It was the beginning of many beautiful journeys and the holidays made this month extremely adorable. The colorful, enigmatic and Powerful Lakshmi, Saraswathi and Durga Maa brought smiles and blessings this month. This joyous month is the best festive season celebrated with so much gust all over India.

For me, October was an amazing month in itself. With birthdays of loved ones came unknown surprises overloading my month with delightful moments. Right from the beginning, October has been kind enough to me to call it the best month in so long. I was so drenched in October that it had to be Diwali to wake me up and get things done.

I can go on and on about October because it was a month to cherish. Since I don’t want to overdo it, I decided to get into the specifics of it. Even though I am posting this after Diwali, will share those dhamakas in next month’s gratitude post.

Ilakkiya

My darling daughter is now 17 months old. Days and months are running so fast than I could really imagine it. Ilakkiya took her first flight this October. She has already enjoyed her train journey and road trips, but I was worried about how will her reaction be in the entire trip. Thought it was a matter of 35 minutes, I read so much about travel with a kid for almost a week before the travel. I did everything to tire her, so that she could sleep, but she was active than I expected. New place, new surroundings and of course, so many people around her – enough to keep her smiling and babbling all the way. She wanted me to let her walk about in the flight. I got the window seat and for once I was bothered by it. I wasn’t willing to let her down nor was she interested in watching the dark night with beautiful lights. After all, I needed a distraction. You know what it was, Pomegranate. Yes, those tiny pearls can keep her busy for 10 minutes. That’s exactly the time we traveled in the sky. She sat compactly in the luggage trolley and I found her so cute. Okay, I really didn’t remember to click a photo. I just admired her and knew there are many travels ahead and will click her during one of them.

Just like many previous months, I started this October at Mom’s. Baby girl had a vaccine early this month. She had a mild fever, but after the vaccine she didn’t talk with the doctor. She had another little companion and spent her waiting time playing with her. It was lovely to see them playing together. I love it when my daughter is not fussy about toys and plays along with other children.

As much as I wanted to take her on all days of Navrathri, I couldn’t do it this time. I enjoyed watching her eat puffed rice straight out of the banana leaf. She joined me in my venture to a temple near home and loved walking inside it. She always wanted to sit down a bit by the end of the rounds and then she kneels down and bows before the God. That’s adorable and I just watch her do it with so much sincerity. I would just want to pick her and kiss her.

Family

I am blessed and I can never do without them. I was a very reserved person with family during my school and college days. I am glad I opened up to them later and happy for the situations that made me so. Though I regret some of my early life decisions, I am truly happy to have such supportive parents and a darling sister. They have been my shoulder to cry in my toughest times. As much as they have shared their thoughts about my mistakes, they have also encouraged me to move forward and be ME all over again.

I am also learning to make peace with many mistakes of mine and others. So, this is a new phase where I am in a position to understand that everyone makes mistakes. It is important to convey our disappointments as suggestions and with respect so that it helps make the relationship better. I am learning to put myself in their situation, even though I know I wouldn’t do something like that. It breaks my ego and helps me find a solution which I otherwise worry about and complaint.

Writing and Reading

I wrote two posts on the blog. Though I had planned 5 for the month, I only accomplished two. I am glad I wrote those two apart from my September Gratitude List. I must say I learn a lot while I write my posts. I also took a lovely break from Social Media last month. I will tell you why soon! I did a little bit of reading. Overall, my writing, reading and Social Media was very limited in October.

Since I was in Bangalore for a week, I had a lovely time reading Children of India by Ruskin Bond. I cherished what I read. Though I completed the book only during early November, I read those stories in the calmness of the room in Bangalore. Those sent me back to sweet memories of Bond’s early days.

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After a long break, back on Insta. Hello folks! ? Currently reading. Look at what I am reading today. ? I liked Ruskin Bond after I read his Funny Side Up, my first read from his entire collection. I loved it and couldn’t put the book down. Yet another book of his for the trip. ? A day late on the Bangalore trip, but I am glad to sit and relax today. ? While the little one is catching up on her lost sleep due to cold, cough and travel, I am excited to catch up on reading. ? #amreading #backinbangalore #bangaloredays #lovelytime #readinggoals #ruskinbond #childrenofindia #ruskinbondfan #ruskinbondbooks

A post shared by Jayanthy Govindarajan (@jayanthygovindarajan) on Oct 22, 2018 at 4:38am PDT

Parenting

With Ilakkiya growing day by day, it seems like I need deep reserves of Patience, quick paces and eyes on all sides. She is a curious little girl who wants to know everything and follows everything we do. The other day I was doing my breathing exercise with eyes closed while the little one was turning side to side. When I opened my eyes and looked at her, she was busy doing Pranayam herself! 🙂 So, as much as I am worried about her, I am also getting this awareness of what I say and what I do. It’s like someone is watching you all the time! Definitely my screen time is reduced a great deal and I am glad about it. I have finally realized that these are my moments to cherish with her and even though I get too bored when I spend a whole day with her, the next day is all new and I am happy to switch my routine in a better way.

Work

Slowly, I am working on small projects with care. I am not bothered about how many projects I have in hand. It is about how much effort I put into what I have and how to make it better. Slowly, I am understanding what it means to DO YOUR WORK.

Love

I couldn’t wait to type this. Still, I saved the best for the last. The Husband was here and we spent two weeks together! It is still like a dream. One week in Chennai and one week in Bangalore. Wow, it was like a dream come true. I planned so much for his birthday this year from the beginning, but he traveled right after our second anniversary and my plans never mattered to me after that. At last, to my surprise, we spent his birthday at an unbelievably calm place with good food and much longed family time. For this, I feel blessed.

Though, he had told me he would visit home soon, I did not believe it. New project and confusions go hand in hand. Project people decisions and decisions from the company ought to be similar for the travel to happen. After lots of workarounds, I am glad that travel resolved a couple of their issues. I couldn’t deny the fact that I missed him a lot. We spent time in Bangalore like we haven’t spent time in two years. I must agree this was such a nice time spent together.

Travel and Friends

Bangalore Days!

The time I spent in Bangalore could carry me happily into the next year. I met with friends after ages. I met three darlings who grew to become my sweethearts all along the way.

They are my happy people. My college buddy, my office buddy and my pregnancy buddy. What more could I ask for. I wasn’t able to meet a couple of other pals, due to shortage of time. I am sure time will come when I could meet them too. After enjoying the time in Bangalore, I really didn’t want the trip to end. I sat puppy faced and ready to cry, but we knew we had to move on. A few more months and we will be together. Sometimes we need to put our priorities as an individual and a parent too. He waved us off at the airport and he boarded the flight after we reached Chennai.

While I landed, I was mesmerized by Chennai’s beauty and I was glad I was home. One reason why I looked forward to travelling back home was the Johnson’s Cafe meet. I got the news while I was in Bangalore. I was not very sure I wanted to go, but glad I met them all. Read about my meet here.

So, once again I can say that October was such a lovely month that I can cherish the coming months just by its memories. You all must be deeply busy in November already, so let me catch up with your Octobers now.

Happy Happy November guys.

Joining Vidya Sury’s Gratitude Circle.

The post My Kind of October #GratitudeCircleBloghop appeared first on JAYANTHY'S FREE SPACE.

September Gratitude #GratitudeCircleBloghop

Jayanthy Govindarajan — Mon, 01 Oct 2018 20:15:00 +0000

September

Image Courtesy: Google

A month that has changed a lot since last year. Last year this time, Ilakkiya was five months old and I was a new mother apprehensive about taking care of her all by myself. I am happy to share I got help from unexpected front and I feel grateful about that. Now, after a year, I am a calmer mother (okay, not a saint yet, I don’t think I will ever get there), improving my consistency towards daily life and I have taken the liberty to follow the 15 minute slot for most things I do. These are some of the best things this September.

This month has made me stronger than I thought possible. Life isn’t easy when you are staying away from your hubby. The only person who understands”why you do what you do” with an air of confidence. Also, I see that he has shielded me from so many daily nuisance. Some moments happen and it is like adding salt to a raw wound, but I am learning. I am really learning what it is like to be a woman and an opinionated one at that. I am learning when I must share my thoughts and when I must not. I am learning when I need to trust my decisions and when I need to open up and talk. I am thankful for friends who help me find my voice when I am filled with doubts.

Family

I love the fact that I spend the last week of most months at Mom’s. This helps me rejuvenate and also write the gratitude post in peace. I am thankful for my family, even though we are a crazy bunch, I love them.

With a working mother who keeps us on our toes,

A retired father who thinks we are still 5 year old,

A Martial Arts trainer sister who wants us to wake up everyday at 5 so she can train us to connect with our chakras,

A stern aunt who shares very little in common with us,

A funny uncle whose dry wit about my mother (his sister) cracks us,

And the craziest grandmother who is still a teen at heart,

Ilakkiya is enjoying her ride on this fun train.

Oh, I must share about her two fur friends. After all, she bosses over them. She asks them to come near her and when they do, she runs and hugs her grandpa! Well, she loves to feed all her goodies to both of them, yes, only if she doesn’t find them tasty, that is!

Ilakkiya

She just completed her 16th month. She has started to run faster. She is in the other room before I could turn around and ask her something. She is still contemplating whether she can climb down the stairs or not. Those are my scariest moments. She loves to climb up, however, she holds me when she finds one or two difficult. She has her own brushing kit now. I used to brush her teeth without a baby toothpaste before, because trust me, I was really worried about her swallowing it all. Baby toothpastes indicate it is okay for them to swallow. I am still not getting myself around it, but I am trying to make it minimal. Some vaccine months are complicated due to a rise in temperature. This is one of them, I need to see how it goes. Ilakkiya is enjoying her new book from the library. It has bright colors and figures for her to touch and feel it. And my baby girl is curious about everything. She loves to wander and find things from most corners of the house.

Writing

I enjoyed writing posts this September. I was happy to participate in #MyFriendAlexa with Team Blog Chatter. I planned the month ahead and I enjoyed writing down my schedule in a notebook. This is the first time I planned an entire month ahead. It felt peaceful. I was able to write and post them per schedule. I felt amazed at how much I could achieve. However, I completed 6 posts instead of 8. Somehow I felt this is what I could do this month and I stopped. I wasn’t very convinced with the campaign midway and felt a little disoriented about the approach. Anyway, I am happy that I participated and learnt my lessons. I am thankful because I needed that push before a month, and I saw a huge change in my Alexa Rankings. I am glad it is over now.

Reading

I read so many blogs this September. I found so many interesting bloggers whom I might have missed otherwise. I read so much on parenting and travel that I am okay to venture into the unknown now. I loved the reading list sent by the team, but managed to continue my very own reading list without any hindrance. I am glad for that. I learnt so much from so many blogs. I am excited about blogging and I will follow some of the new blogs I found through the campaign.

I am currently reading two books. Sheryl Sandberg’s, Lean In for Graduates – my ideal read every morning and night. She inspires me and makes my day productive. She has helped me gain so much insight about career choices that women make. I am rethinking my own options. For the slow afternoons and 5 minute breaks, I am reading The Listerdale Mystery by Agatha Christie. I am glad to have this shift to Christie. I haven’t read much of her works before, I wonder why!

Parenting

Finally, I made peace with baby girl’s weight issues. Ilakkiya enjoys eating and burning down those calories. When she happens to annoy me with something, I just tell my mother how irritating it is. My mother, grandmother, and my father laugh it out and say, whose daughter she is! I decided not to complaint to these people. They make me the laughing stock. Anyway, I enjoy every activity she does, even if it is utterly annoying. She loves to wipe the floor with water and kiss her hands right after that. Trust me, I don’t do anything of that sort, in case you are thinking maybe she follows it from us! When I explain little one’s bossiness to some, people just say, after all she is your daughter! Well, I need to think twice before saying a word again! 😉

Work

I have taken a step back when it comes to Work this month. I haven’t come out from the fraudster pranks from last month. I decided to keep it slow. I am in the process of learning and I am sure I will. Some great bloggers shared their thoughts about it last month in my gratitude post about online work. I am glad to find them positive and focus on improving my skills.

Gratitude App

I am excited about the Gratitude Pie App by Upasna. It is an interesting app where we can list our daily gratitude and it forms a lovely pie. I have been a part of Upasna’s gratitude pie circle and I am so happy to see that her dream has come true through this app. You can download it from Play Store for Android. I am bad at drawing circles, this app makes things simple.

How did your September go? I would love to know about it.

Joining Vidya Sury’s #GratitudeCircle

The post September Gratitude #GratitudeCircleBloghop appeared first on JAYANTHY'S FREE SPACE.

August Gratitude List

Jayanthy Govindarajan — Thu, 30 Aug 2018 07:44:00 +0000

This month has been a roller-coaster ride. I have pulled myself to sit down and cherish the moments as this month closes. August was the beginning of many new journeys and the end of a few things too. I will list them all down and I have entered a new phase of parenting from this week. You will know more about it in this post. I will start with celebrations and then enter into phases that is helping me strengthen myself.

Ilakkiya:

What better celebration can I have than a 15 month old turning the house upside-down? Ilakkiya has started to run around and she has decided to burn down every single calorie. She has started to repeat single words and she loves imitating every single person. We also had our first fight this month. I am planning to write about it in a letter to her. She also did the regular phone conversation imitation using my phone with her cute babbles. She is slowly becoming daddy’s girl and trust me, I love it because I get the free time. Maybe, I will think differently as she grows. She is having an awesome week with her maternal grandparents and that’s the main reason I am writing this post early. Ilakkiya loves to dance and drum. She loves the guitar too. The most crucial change for me on her schedule is that her naps changed from 2 to 1. So more power to her to run down the house and more power to me to keep my calm!

Parenting:

Her 15 month vaccine happened early this week. I was surprised to see the little one crying only as the doctor inserted the injection in her thighs. Earlier, she used to cry immediately when I hold her hands, but this time she was curious in observing the madness around her and cried when she felt the pain. Weight gain is a issue in some kids. Even if they eat a elephant some kids will only look like an ant, maybe a big black ant! That’s all. I am bombarded with questions on her weight for almost 6 months now. So after being asked 1000 questions every single day for the last 5 to 6 months now about her weight gain issues, I have finally found out an answer for the most concerned outsiders. I am glad this brings more peace to me and I don’t really have to push my daughter anymore too. I just stick to plain simple truth. I just remind people that every child is different and chubiness doesn’t mean a child is healthy. Though I would love to see my child chubby too, I must remember none of us were chubby! Half of parenting falls into the category of answering unknowns about my child. I have a strong, healthy and sweet kiddo, this is all that matters to me!

Celebrations:

August is the month of celebrations. My sister completed a decade of her married life and she had come home this year. We had a wonderful time at our once-upon-a-time ancestral house, which is now reconstructed, but the good thing is my aunts stay there, so we still call it our grandma’s home. We had a nice lunch and chatted sometime. However, we sisters cherish this month more because we shopped, we had nice long conversations, laughed till our tummy ached and gossiped like we always do. Ilakkiya enjoyed with her aunts and grandmothers since all uncles are away at work.

T and I completed our second anniversary and this year it is all the more special. Last year, I was at mom’s since the baby was just 3 months old. This year we spent it together and it is more special because you will know it as you read on. (Well, don’t let your mind wander).

My in-laws completed their 41 years together and still they fight and talk again like they are newly married. At times, old couples are fun to watch. Wait till I post about my parents. Their wedding day is in 2 days and my sister and I are beyond excited about the celebrations. It is their 32nd and I love their silly fights. My sister and I always make the best audience. Well, we have learnt to become good audience now.

Sharing the wedding month with my parents and in-laws makes me realize how different we all are as couples and yet similar on many fronts.

Writing:

I loved sharing Much Love Monday stories on my blog this month. I wrote for 2 weeks and felt that’s the way I wanted to share. I wanted to share two stories a month going forward. I must make changes to the disclaimer I made for the same. I loved sharing those stories and I am also excited to ask about “How’s your Monday?” to many now. I feel better listening to their stories and this has opened a new dimension to the otherwise talkative me.

I also signed up for MyFriendAlexa campaign this month. This is my first season with them, I am excited as well as nervous about how it is going to be. With September filled with an array of festivals, I know it is going to be challenging. I watched one part of Blogchatter’s session on Facebook and I still have 3/4th to go, but that answered few of my questions. Especially the one on what I must be prepared for. So with Vasantha’s endearing words and always helping attitude, I know I will find my way next month.

Work:

I am a failure. I took a couple of projects and gave my best work and my best deal. They just turned up saying inaccurate work. I felt that I was being cheated instead of feeling like a failure. Yes, I trust my work and I know when I give my best. I have learned from my mistakes to always give the best work. I do just that. I called myself a failure because I just didn’t know to identify a fraudster from a genuine person. This month taught me an important lesson on the work front. I found what I love to work on and also my weaknesses. I love to write articles, edit and proofread them. I also found out that I sound desperate when I ask too much details instead of curious to know about the job. I am not sure how to work on it though. I need to know the details before I work, that’s how it works right?

Somehow in almost 3 years of freelancing, I found “Too many options, too little knowledge” being the base of many fraud happening in this field. No one is ready to get the complete details of the work before they take it in their hand and I am called silly for asking those details. Anyway, I feel I have grime all over me already that I need to bathe and start fresh.

Love & Relationships:

This! This is where I want to cry this month. I cried and cried for a week that I have no more tears. No, it is not something really serious. It is just that the Husband is on travel and I need to stay away from him. Though my logical mind clearly says, he is just out on work and this is what we wanted before and I have so much of work to finish here before I travel with him, I just couldn’t hold back my tears. We cried a little together and that made us feel better. Ilakkiya misses her father already, I never expected this. Still, she sees her father’s photo in our room and points him out to me. I decided a change of place might be good for both of us and came to Mom’s. We feel better and though as I type this, my eyes are filling up and my throat is blocked, I know I will eventually be okay.

I love my family for all the support and all that. Yes, both sides, actually all sides. It’s just the missing part that I cannot really bear. I don’t want him to miss out on her growing up. These are crucial years and I hope we travel soon. Though we decided this method to work on our commitments, we also decided to wait it out for 6 months. 180 days look better than 6 months, no? Anyway, I am glad to take up challenges on the personal front and with life in general to keep myself productive(seriously, not busy – this won’t get me anywhere) so I finish what I set out for and travel to set up our cocoon.

I know this will be the best challenge in my life to parent singlehandedly, also manage the house and myself. I just wish I find the courage, strength, patience and kindness to handle myself well, so I handle others in the same way.

Journal:

This is my everything. Though I didn’t journal much this month, I have started the 180 day project to journal just about everything, No judgement there. For once, I am okay to open up to my journal, to keep my sanity in check. I am okay to give a vent to my feelings and give them a way out when necessary. Life isn’t going to be a bed of roses anymore, probably it never was, now I just see it with eyes wide open. Thanks to my journal for bearing it all.

Books & Reading:

I was in tears when I finished “A man called Ove”. I haven’t reviewed a book it, because I am good at recommending them, but not reviewing them. I am bad at giving glimpses without the spoilers. However, this book is different. I could just come up only with this small poem as an ode to the author and Ove.

I laughed uncontrollably that people wondered what I read,
Tears rolled down my cheeks as I was nearing the end,
I was scared to bits when you fell on the snow that night,
I couldn’t deny that you were the only grumpy man I loved to know more about.

I am currently reading Sheryl Sandberg’s Lean In for Graduates. I found a similar one in Shailaja’s recommends. My father has a great collection in his book shelves. He has always bought books, read them, recommended them to us and finally, left it in his shelves. I didn’t know about them earlier, but now I love each one of them. I have a big TBR list and told him I will take two or three and return them before I take the next list.

My August was awesome, even with all the glitches. I am looking forward to a Splendid September with Blogchatter and MyFriendAlexa campaign.

How was your August? I would love to know about it!

Linking with Vidya’s GratitudeCircleBlogHop

The post August Gratitude List appeared first on JAYANTHY'S FREE SPACE.

Gratitude for June and July #GratitudeCircle

Jayanthy Govindarajan — Tue, 31 Jul 2018 15:19:00 +0000

Image Courtesy

June was a remarkable month to say the least. I learnt, unlearnt and relearned so much. Thanks to my birthday month. It was calm and I spent my birthday with just 3 people. My parents went on a 10 day trip to Kasi. I stayed at my Parents’ since it would be difficult for my grandmother to manage two dogs. My sister and I spent some good time during this stay. As much as I enjoyed the company of my two sweethearts (my grandma and sister), we also fought like never before. It was such a surprise when we could directly see the differences we had. It was like staying in a girl’s hostel. My daughter is in our league now. That made it 4 of us and two dogs. Though this looks like Famous Five team, truly we were the Stunning Six who enjoyed the week just like a child would. With Ilakkiya being the only common element of fun, we forgot our fights the next moment after it and laughed at ourselves and our own stupid moments without judging our actions. Also as much as we enjoyed with our pets, we regretted waking up every day at 5 just for his walk. My dad wakes at 5 every morning and takes the dogs out for a walk. I did that once upon a time, though I used to take them out at 7, but now it feels like I did it years before. I will only do this again when Ilakkiya starts to walk. It would be so much fun then.

I loved spending some lone time on my birthday this year. I loved all the warm wishes sent from all over the globe from my loved ones. I felt very good and that was such a great start. I spent a calm birthday this year. I really didn’t want to cut a cake or buy anything. All I wanted to do was read the whole day. I spent time with my grandmother, sister and Ilakkiya. This is my second birthday as a mother and I am still surprised about being a mother. This year, I was glad to get my first wish from my husband. I love his habit of wishing me throughout the day whenever he finds the chance. This year, it was different. He made an effort to wish in advance and also first on the day. Not that I keep count, but it is really special since I least expected it.

July was a month where I pondered a lot and also found root causes to many of my everyday mistakes. Many small things bothered me a lot throughout June and July. I was frustrated about many things. I saw a movie before a couple of days and that helped me see me in that. Have you watched Kali (Malayalam movie)? That brought out a varied set of emotions that let me free. I have anger management issues. I am much better now though. However, the last two months kept me in complete rage over many small issues. I usually shout and walk out when I am angry. At other times, I am in complete silence not knowing how to react and just become dull. I don’t utter even a word to any person or in some cases, that particular person. I talk to others normally. One such incident happened and I am getting over the rage slowly. I am learning to identify what caused it and why. I think I will find out my solution in August since I broke the wall I built around me just yesterday.

Ilakkiya:

She started to take steps in June. I was beyond excited and couldn’t bear it every time she fell. Anyway, as a mother I mustered up my courage and let her be. I never ran behind her every time she fell, neither did I pick her up when she looked at me. It requires too much courage to be a mother. I picked her up only on occasions where she cried or hurt herself. She is able to reach the shelves now and she is giving us a run. She loves to follow everything we do. Right from Pooja time to picking the pudina leaves, she just imitates us. She loved her time with the pets at home. She was busy pulling their tails, I am glad Joy did not react, instead he shifted rooms.

In July, she is walking and even trying to run around. After all those cute tiny shoes, we picked her first pair of sandals. The first day she walked in it like it was the heaviest thing on her legs. We couldn’t stop laughing at her. It took her a week to walk normally in it. However, every time she wears it, she takes her first few steps like she is on the Moon and then comes back to earth. She has started to climb the stairs. She is super-careful, but I am sweating it out. Anyway, I just walk with her when she climbs and when she couldn’t manage she turns to me and holds me. I love those moments. She loved her Bangalore trip. She loved being with many kids. She literally joined them and played with them. I just sat back and watched her have a nice time with them.

Writing:

June was drafting month. I wrote on most days, but never published anything. I hardly found time to edit, so I let everything be. Though I felt I might regret this, I am actually glad I found the time to write even though I did not post them. This counts for me. I hardly found time to open the laptop this month. Thanks to the phone, I wrote on the go and that helped.

I loved writing in July. I posted some of the drafts and I am happy about it. Thanks to all the time spent in June. I loved the parenting article I wrote this month. It changed my usual cribbing about parenting and made me feel better and light. My husband always understood those principles and followed those, it was just me, I wasn’t able to see them clearly. I wasn’t able to see it until I wrote that post. I am glad I did it.

On Occasions and Flying Visits:

June was one of the busiest wedding month. We were blocked on most weekends. We had a good share of events on both sides. Since the traffic peaks in the evening on Muhurtham days, we went by cabs to most events. So, we were able to spend time with Ilakkiya who otherwise doesn’t enjoy cab journeys. She loves to sit in the driver seat and play with the gear.

One of my most awaited visit came in July. I doubted if I could make it, but we decided about the travel just before 4 days of the actual journey. It was our visit to Bangalore. We were at Palace Grounds for my little brother’s(best friend’s brother) wedding. I love the connection our family has with each other. I am glad I was able to visit with my dad and husband. Ilakkiya enjoyed her first train journey. She enjoyed a few outside treats too. I am glad she is now able to eat everything, especially Biriyani. She loves Biriyani.

On Health:

This is one of the main reasons why I didn’t write the Gratitude post in June. My right knee was swollen. I was completely upset about it. When I was home, I asked my sister to heal my knee. She saw it and said that something was wrong and I better visit the doctor at the earliest. Until then, I really thought it was the usual gastric trouble that cause swollen knee. The moment she asked me what happened to my knee, I told her I really don’t know. I visited an Ortho the next week. He asked me so many questions that I remembered how I got a swollen knee. I slipped in the bathroom before 3 months. I fell so hard that I slid towards the Washing Machine at the end of the bathroom. Yes, that’s how I hurt my leg. Actually, the Washing Machine stopped me from skidding further, but I didn’t know it was so forceful. I got up immediately and felt happy that no elder fell down. Nothing really happened that month. It was during two trips that I felt a poking pain in my right knee. I really thought it was due to travel. I travelled to Kumbakonam and Munnar in Car. Considering the hours I sat in the car, I was naïve enough to think that way. I am glad I visited the doctor at least then. I was in medication for 3 weeks and was strictly advised not to walk or climb or even sit down. I was asked to walk only with bandage on my knee so that it restricts me from walking fast. Clearly something part of my everyday routine. That brought me so much frustration.

However, July made it all better. After 3 weeks of medication, I really felt better, but not convinced that everything was okay. Well, how can I expect everything to be okay in just a month’s time? Well, I was really scared about knee pains and understood how difficult it would be to be like this forever. That was enough to make me do the knee strengthening exercises. I did it every single day and every time I thought about my leg. I realized how much I took my body for granted. It has not healed completely, but it is better. In the follow-up visit the doctor informed me that I was healing better, but nothing for two more months. This time, I obliged. Sometimes, Rest is the best medicine there is. I am thankful that I am getting better.

Work:

Surprised to see this in my blog, right? Even I am. I had planned to start working after Ilakkiya turned 1, but the best thing for me to do right now is Work From Home. I hardly get two hours a day for myself and I really want to keep myself productive. And for me, I realized Working will be the only option that will create and keep my routine going. My search started in July after I did a couple of sponsored posts. I am working on my options. I failed in one and thought that would be the end of my search. To my surprise, I was encouraged by 2 of my friends who were part of my work. I felt really good to continue my search and I am learning what it is like to work from home.

Image Courtesy

Friends and Family:

These people make my life better. Dad’s second birthday as a Grandfather. I love the bond Ilakkiya and he shares. I just admire the time they spend with each other. Similarly, the bond she shares with my sister is brilliant. The moment they see each other, I get a feeling they are up to something. I loved the time I spent with family both months.

I loved meeting friends both months. I enjoyed meeting them and spending time with them. However, I missed meeting my Bangalore friends. I really got an update that the weather was crazy in Bangalore before I started from here. I didn’t want Ilakkiya to catch a cold there. So I planned a very short visit. However, the weather was really pleasant for all the 3 of them. Only I felt the chillness factor to be high. The 3 of them enjoyed like they belonged there. However, my next visit to Bangalore will be just to meet friends! 🙂 I am hoping it happens this year. I loved talking with some good friends and I am glad I did it.

Thank you June and July! You have made me a little thoughtful. I also learnt that being grateful brings peace.

Hello August!

How did your July go? I would love to know!

Linking with Vidya’s GratitudeCircleBlogHop.

The post Gratitude for June and July #GratitudeCircle appeared first on JAYANTHY'S FREE SPACE.

My Gratitude List for May #GratitudeCircle

Jayanthy Govindarajan — Wed, 06 Jun 2018 20:39:00 +0000

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Hello May,

Oh, don’t worry, this isn’t a letter to May. It’s just that I started writing letters this month, I am so tuned to it, I started my gratitude post that way. I am definitely thankful for the letters I wrote this month on my blog. I am delighted I poured my heart out in them and glad many of you loved it. Thanks to all, Yes, I am yet to reply to each comment, I will definitely do it soon.

Since May 1st was “Labor Day” and hubby had a holiday, we went to a relative’s place. Ilakkiya had a nice time with her cousins. She takes her time with people and I appreciate it. It is her first time with a few of them, but she got along with them after sometime. It is important to me because it tells me she loves playing with other kids and I must make an effort to frequently let her do it. Kids must play with other kids. They learn a lot especially to share with people, to know that we always have enough. Thiagu and I enjoyed the evening and our conversations went late into the night. We hardly spend time with each other especially since the new year begun. He is busy travelling and I am busy handling the home and the jobs related to it. So this is a very special moment this month and also a lovely start to the month. I really thought this month we will spend time together and there came his travel plans within a week. As I write this, he is still away and will return after my birthday!

I traveled to Mom’s the next day. I love the time I spend there especially when my parents, my grandmother, uncle, Aunt and my sister are there to take care of Ilakkiya. That gives me so much time for myself. I love it. I am a mother, but not like in a recent advertisement I saw. I must say I was worried where the advertising is leading us to. A mother survives on biscuits and plays with her kiddo all day. I mean like, what? (I don’t want to use curse words, this is gratitude post, no?) I am a mother who needs her food, like a full meal (or whatever is on the menu for the day) before I take the time to play maybe till she sleeps. Okay, in short, I love my time for myself and I get much of it there. My family takes turns to play with Ilakkiya and I don’t really watch over them. The idea of parenting in advertising must really be redefined.

It is almost a year and a half now since I got my periods. First, the pregnancy and then the delivery. I was lucky enough to get it only after a year since my delivery. It actually feels new now since I am more apprehensive than ever because of the changes I want to make. I have ordered Saathi pads for a start. Even after reading some articles and watching a few videos, my idea of a menstrual cup still bothers me. I am willing to take the time till the idea sinks in well.

I wrote in my journal for most of the month. I am happy about it. I read the entries and since this was a very busy month, I enjoyed reading them. Though the May gratitude post is up late, I am thankful I am writing this now. I usually sit and write my gratitude posts when I am down or when I am truly grateful. Only in these situations, I see the abundance I am blessed with. Living a mindful life is a very long process and for a mother who feeds her daughter for most of her day, it is necessary. Ilakkiya is a fussy eater in the mornings. She drags the whole process by an extra hour. In the noon, it is still an hour, but I feel better since my expectations are lesser. Evenings and nights are the best. Neither do I have expectations nor do I have any idea of wasting my energy yelling at her to eat. Babies are best teachers. They teach us not to have any expectation. I cannot repeat recipes for her. If it’s Dosa for the morning, I better keep a kitchidi the next morning. The good thing about this kiddo is that I am learning new recipes and I am left with no choice, but to plan ahead for a backup food.

I loved writing every one of my blog posts this month. I loved the letter and I am glad it was welcomed very well by all of you. I am so happy about it. I enjoyed writing every word in it. I wrote a poem to all women. It was something for me first. Something I felt I needed when I was looked down upon. During the middle of the month, as a family we had to deal with a relative’s loss. It was shocking and we all felt shattered. Some losses change our whole idea of life. I wrote a poem for him because he was such a nice person and we truly miss him. I understood what Maya Angelou meant. It just anchored deep within.

Image Courtesy

Though Thiagu and I had simple plans for Ilakkiya’s first birthday, our minds were not in it. We cancelled our plans, but the elders wanted it for the kiddos. Since my parents and Thiagu’s were eager and Ilakkiya’s cousins were planning since long, we had to go their way. Sometimes it is best to let things happen even if you aren’t feeling great about it. They make good memories too. While I browsed through the photos, I realized they helped us move on a bit. To be more thankful for keeping us alive and for so much love from all for our little one and for us. Life is in itself a celebration.

Thiagu’s travel this time has changed a lot of things. I see how dependent his parents are and how old they have become. I see how my own parents are slowly moving to that stage. These things are helping me learn to prioritize my time and my tasks a little better. After all, it’s until the 50’s we have the best time in our lives. If we maintain a healthy lifestyle, that is! The 60’s and beyond will be a blessing, if we have people who still care for us. Sometimes when elders are angry and shout, I am not able to be angry for long. I understand it is their inability to do something that makes them feel bitter. My grandmother who is in her 80’s is the best example. She is the best when her grandchildren(my sister and I) are with her. They love to laugh, talk and joke about everything silly, just like the little ones. As we grow up, we lose the ability to sit down and laugh at silly things. As we become old, we have so much time to laugh again at silly things though they are hardly treated that way. I am learning not to be angry with elders. It is tougher than I imagined it to be. I take everything personal when it comes to elders. That has left me thinking too much in certain circumstances. Now, things are changing. I just try to smile or I just keep a straight face and keep things simple. After all, my word is Simplify and it is helping me a great deal.

I faced a few disappointments this month. I felt very bad and I even ignored. I am also learning to deal with disappointments. It makes me cry, but at least I know that I must change my focus. I choose to see the good side even when there isn’t a bright side to the situation. At times, I just choose to remain silent when I can’t find any reasons to convince myself of why things happen. Silence is golden and it is better than spilling out unconvincing words.

I also learnt that some people will focus on the bad whatever we do. There are very few people who focus on the good and encourage us. If you have them by your side, you definitely have a treasure, just learn to cherish it. I have already spoken about Ilakkiya’s weight not meeting the scales. A couple of friends really helped, with two others we laughed about the scales. We joked about ourselves being “underweight” until we actually conceived. True, that! As a mother, the scales bother me. As an individual, I am more concerned about her activities, her development and her growth month wise. Not every kid is the same, some are fussy eaters and some eat well. When people come and tell me that my child isn’t even walking at 1, I just want to punch them on the face. Actually, if they had told this to me at month 5, I would have been very anxious. She is just 1 now and it surprises me that I have already received so many comments and criticisms for not being a “great mother”. Anyway, I am learning to keep my anger in check, because I know I have to deal with this for a lifetime. First, I have a daughter and the questions that come up makes me raise my eyebrows. Secondly, at the age of 60, my parents still deal with “Why they must be bothered because they don’t have a son?”. Anyway, I have learnt to ignore this and my sister and I are teaching our parents to ignore it too.

I did not touch my kindle. I really hope it is safe in the cupboard. Actually I did not even see it. Thankfully, I remembered that I must charge it after I finish writing this one. I read a book this month. That is all that I managed. I read The Perils of Being Moderately Famous by Soha Ali Khan. I felt

It made me see how the rich live. It is more of a royal thing. I liked her travelogue. I loved reading a lot about Pataudi, I liked what I read about him. Somehow I felt, he is famous for a reason – simplicity. The stars have a lifestyle and she honestly accepts that she wants to maintain that lifestyle. When too rich, an individual must do things to know where they stand to prove to themselves. That’s what Soha did. She wrote a book and proved to herself that she is who she is.

May showed me life as it is. A lot of mixed emotions all through the month. It has brought out a great feeling, the power of me. I am learning about myself. I am learning about what I can already handle and what I must learn to handle, also what I am not willing to handle. I know this is a long post, but truly this month is very close to my heart.

Thanks a lot May.

Welcoming June with so much warmth. It’s my birthday month! 🙂

How was your May?

I know you guys would have already moved on with other posts. Anyway, here I come to know more about your May from your Gratitude posts.

Join Vidya’s Gratitude Circle.

The post My Gratitude List for May #GratitudeCircle appeared first on JAYANTHY'S FREE SPACE.

My Dear April #GratitudeCircle

Jayanthy Govindarajan — Mon, 30 Apr 2018 14:08:00 +0000

April is finally settling down and giving way to May. April had it’s share of fun and frolic for me. I love the name of this month. Yes, it’s like addressing someone. It’s a name(I know) and I feel like talking to her whenever I say “April”.

April’s gift came at the end of March. I checked it only in the first week of April. I won an Amazon voucher worth 3500 INR from Indi Blogger for the Evion contest . I was on cloud nine when I saw the mail. Though the expiry date of the voucher said 2019, I didn’t wait. I was thinking to shop a few books and other things for a while. Lucky, this voucher made it on time. I bought some lovelies with it.

After receiving an Amazon voucher worth Rs. 3500 from @indiblogger, I indulged in shopping big-time! You know I am not a great shopping addict, I had a wishlist and I’m glad it happened quick this time. These 3 for me and a set of Rujutha’s books for my sister who started as a Gym Instructor/ Personal Trainer with #FitnessOne! I realized one is never tired of buying books! ⠀ ⠀ #bookstagram #amazonpurchases #loveforbooks #booklover #wishlistcomingtrue #wishlist #lovemybooks

A post shared by Jayanthy G (@jayanthygovindarajan) on Apr 15, 2018 at 5:17am PDT

After a great start to this month, I can’t wait anymore to tell you all how busy Ilakkiya keeps me. She is moving around a lot these days and I am on wheels. I hardly thought about anything else. My blog must be telling you that. I hardly wrote this month. I think I just became a full-time mother! ?We follow each other almost everywhere like this “Hutch” pug! Her lovely expressions are growing along with her. She is not very far from being the Drama Queen. She will turn 1 next month. What a journey this has been? Oh, and last year, this month was my baby shower.

Month 9!! Seemandham #pregnancydiaries #pregnantlife #babyshower #cherishinglifemoments #familytime

A post shared by Jayanthy G (@jayanthygovindarajan) on Apr 26, 2017 at 9:49am PDT

Now, I am slowly learning about the list of things that makes her happy and what’s annoying her. Pulling away things from kids annoys them more, aren’t we annoyed too? So I have adopted the method of asking her politely to give it to me. She examines whatever she picks from the floor and looks up to see if I am going to take it away from her. I just ask her what it is and say, ” Amma kita kudu ma” (Give it to mommy, dear), she looks at it and gives it to me. Kids are adorable, but (see there is always a but with kids) she turns and crawls away as fast as she could if it is something she likes. By like, I mean, something she has planned to put into her mouth.

Her vocabulary is growing. From vowels to something like words. She is trying to respond during conversations now. It’s all those cute baby talks and also tantrums. She also joins in conversations with family members. She loves dogs. The two pets at my mother’s place are the pets she is fond of. Guess what, she knows who is who. If I call, “Joy”, she looks at him. If I ask her “Where is Ruby?” she looks at her. I am surprised kids learn so much. Ha! Finally, I am glad I wrote about her.

I journal-ed this month, Yay! Though not everyday, I managed to note down happy moments and found solutions to some troubling moments too. This month I haven’t written poetry at all. That makes me sad. Well, I didn’t make time for it. The little time I got I managed to journal. So I think I must not really complain. I got 4 new pens this month as a gift from The Husband. We love to keep notes of our daily life, though we aren’t great at drawing at all. Our journals are simple. We just write.

The trip to Munnar is one memorable moment this month. I am planning to write a separate post on that actually. *keeping fingers crossed* We visited Bodi, Meghamalai and Munnar. We stayed at Bodinayakkanur. We loved Green Royale Resorts. They had lovely villa resorts which was ideal for our stay with the little one. In a trip where you stay matters a lot. A safe environment accompanied by excellent service and perfect food. Aren’t these the basic elements of a trip? Ilakkiya loved their Dosa.

Oh, there’s one more important topic to write. It’s about the books! I didn’t read much from Kindle. I managed to do some little reading then and there. One book that I wanted to read since it released was “Just Married, Please Excuse” by Yashodhara Lal. It wasn’t really a quick read, but I liked her journey for many reasons and it was a fun read. Some parts of it really matched with my married life too. It was fun reading it. The next book was from the Dork Diaries Series. It was a fun read and my first book in this entire series. I think I will give a shot at reading “The diary of a wimpy kid”.

Image Courtesy

When I read my entries in the diary this month, I understood how blessed I am for so many people in my life.

* For a husband who has been my shoulder to cry when needed

* A good friend who took the time out of her already busy schedule to talk.

* Loved a quick chat with my college friend.

* The conference call drama – with grandmother and mom. I am a lazy woman who can’t keep repeating stuff. ?

* A Mother-in-law who I see as a pillar of support.

* For all the love everyone showers on Ilakkiya.

* Cheers to the misunderstandings and open talks.

Oh my God! Aprilia you were great!

Join Vidya’s Gratitude Circle!

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Mad March Moments #GratitudeCircle

Jayanthy Govindarajan — Tue, 10 Apr 2018 11:54:00 +0000

March was Mad, actually madder than I can say about it. I will keep the glitches simple since I have sincerely vowed to myself to complain less. I have had enough of complaining that a quarter has already left me drained. I realized one mustn’t just have a strong head on the shoulder, but a sensible one too. Though I have a strong one, this month I figured out it has become a little lame. It was ON ATTACK MODE for the last 31 days. Glad, I didn’t sit and write this post in March. Strong emotions came out in the month of March. Somehow when I am hurt about something, anger is the first and fastest way to express myself. I became aware of it, this March, though after a couple of personal incidents. Still, I am only glad I learned my lessons.

I didn’t journal this month. I actually feel bad about it. I did not make the time to sit and write. If there is one thing I am happy about this month, it’s the blog. I am glad I typed in whenever I could and published a few more posts than I had actually planned. Didn’t I tell you, writing makes it all worth it? I am sure you guys know it better! Though it wasn’t like journalling, I am only happy I expressed what I felt every now and then on my blog through poems. I thank my blog for always being the space I share my experience with and to friends who read through the posts and provide more motivation.

Ilakkiya had cold at the beginning of the month, just like the last one, but this one due to change in weather. She isn’t able to bear the Chennai heat waves. Well, it hasn’t started yet and she is already feeling tired. She loves watermelons, banana and chikoo. So this is helping her a bit. She is moving around a lot this month and that is also a primary reason this post is up very late. Anyway, she is growing up and I am trying to freeze certain moments!

Reading helped a bit this month, but Ilakkiya was the one who looked at my books more than me. She wants to either keep them in her mouth or tear pages. Well, can’t allow both since I borrow it from my local library. Anyway, she loves playing with pages and I love to watch her do it. Only to the point till she turns evil and tears it.

Mom’s birthday was a small surprise that came in the middle of the month. A gala time with family. Since T was on travel for the first half of the month, I wasn’t able to visit or stay at Mom’s place this month. Visiting her on the birthday was a surprise and it turned out to be a better evening than what we had planned.

Our road trip to Kumbakonam is another surprise this month. We had doubts on how Ilakkiya was going to manage this summer trip, but we figured out she loves trips. I guess I must write a whole new post just about her activities. That must be fun. My parents accompanied us in this trip to temples. T and I have found this new joy in visiting ancient temples after knowing a lot about it’s history and the purpose of the temple. Somehow learning more about the temple made this visit more enjoyable. We didn’t just tour around, but we spoke a lot about various temples and their histories and how exactly HRNC works. When it comes to talks about God, there will always be conflicting information, but if we are only visiting the place to explore more about it, information flows more freely keeping aside differences. I enjoyed this trip and I loved every bit of it. Thanks to friends who take the effort to learn so much history and also share it with us.

I didn’t bother much about walking or personal health before 2 years. I walked a minimum of 4 to 5 kilometers everyday without tracking too. I didn’t have a perfect figure, but I felt healthy without any second thoughts. I am overthinking about health this year. As the little one is growing up, I feel my energy drains quickly than ever. I hardly walk, well, I hardly do anything for myself. I am with her all the time. Trust me, I am not complaining. She is now moving around and I am all worked up. As already stated, I finish my work only when the little one sleeps. My work has piled up and I am only busy with her chores. I like finishing her work all by myself, so it’s more like a routine for me, but sure it takes most of my day. Anyway, she is growing, she needs me and that’s something I love about this little bud. Coming back to the health thing, I have pledged to start with a regular 2000 steps at least. I know it’s very less, but it’s okay. That small sense of accomplishment is right now needed for me to build a routine around myself.

March brought out the best and the bad the in me. I realized that during some incidents this month. Anyway life is learning, though I love some of the lessons it has taught me, there are a few more that I am learning to love.

I am only happy I wrote this down! How was your March guys? I am late to ask this, but here I come to read your posts!

Joining Vidya’s Gratitude Circle.

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A notable month #GratitudeCircle

Jayanthy Govindarajan — Wed, 28 Feb 2018 18:46:00 +0000

Ah. I was waiting to start this post tomorrow only to realize it’s February. Though the shortest month, this one was really long for me. As I write this, I am still wondering if I really had any notable moments this month. I believe the whole month is notable, mainly because I “noted down” everything ?

Lucky that I made time to journal this whole month. My unusually good memory took a back seat because of the busy mode this month. Apart from the regular errands, I had to focus on Ilakkiya’s medicines and new food results for the first half of this month. Since Husband was on a work trip some of his tasks took priority too. I am glad I read it all before writing this post. I am happy to see that I had many wonderful moments this month. The more I work to simplify my life and myself, the more complex it is becoming. I am considering it as a good sign personally because I am becoming aware of myself.

Ilakkiya’s fever kept me occupied for the first two weeks. She needed me every minute she was awake. When she was fast asleep, I hardly left her side. These kids, I wonder how they find out if we take a step outside! I had to either carry her or be next to her. She had fever during the first week as expected. She recovered during the second week. Since the Husband was on a work trip, I found it difficult in the mornings to run my morning tasks. When she started to recover, we visited mom’s place. Some fresh breeze and change of place actually felt better. Her 9th month vaccine was also done per schedule. The doctor was kind enough to wait for us that day since we were stuck in traffic and reached late.

Thanks to Kindle! This was my savior this month. I made time to read before I slept. Well, it is also a reason I wrote lesser posts this month. Thanks to #WednesdayVerses, it kept my blog alive this month. I read almost everything I could lay my hands on.

Here’s what I read this month:

A Hundred Little Flames by Preeti Shenoy – Somehow reading a Preeti’s book means you are sure to encounter a relationship twist. The main reason why I don’t prefer reading her books! I like the way she describes other things! Be it about scenic Kerala or touring Pondicherry. The only thing that kept me going was the relationship between a grandson and grandfather. It reminded me of my maternal grandparents. Especially my grandmother with whom I share everything without thinking twice.
The Wedding Tamasha by Sudha Nair – A genuine read because of the similarity to my story.
One Indian Girl by Chetan Bhagat – I think I will not read Chetan Bhagat’s books anymore.
Ganesha’s Secret: Food alone does not satisfy hunger by Devdutt Pattanaik – It is entertaining to read books like this. I love Lord Ganesha and somehow see him as a good friend. He looks cute, right? I always read myths and facts about Indian Gods. The story about Kubera and Ganesha was something I shared with my brother-in-law’s son during our story time.

Currently reading When Breath becomes air by Paul Kalanithi. I am taking it very slow because it is very absorbing and his thought process is so natural that there is a hint of death everywhere. It makes me sad. I think about it so much that I left the book down for a week now.

I cleaned one place everyday for two weeks this month. I felt more clean. The best part about being in a small room is the easiness of keeping only what is needed. However, the worst is how quickly it gets cluttered. I spent one week just arranging my table everyday. I am still not satisfied with the way it looks. Sometimes it is better to leave things as it is. Cleaning takes the most time in a day and it is a routine in itself. Since I am still feeding my little one, I keep my cleaning schedules before bath time.

I am reading a lot about bullet journals and I have taken up Bullet Journal Challenge in Instagram. I am in my third week of Self-Care and it has definitely helped me look into myself. I am opening up to myself. I am learning about me. I am silent on the outside and do a lot of talking on the inside with myself to know where I am in each section.

See what I found from @vivekvasantha After reading a post about time blocking from @shailajav’s blog. . . Much needed. ? #Rensta #Repost: @bulletjournal via @renstapp ··· “ A self-care experience! #Repost @tinyrayofsunshine with @get_repost ・・・ We’re excited to present the highly anticipated Self-Care #BulletJournalChallenge! • The act of journaling itself is a massively beneficial form of Self-Care, and we believe that it’s a powerful way to transform and shape our lives into what we’d like them to be. • We’ve listened to your suggestions and we’ve created what we believe will be a great Self-Care experience. It will consist of weekly topics related to different areas of self-care. We’ll guide you with weekly posts on our Instagram and Facebook channels to help you figure out your very own self-care plan. It will span over the course of two months to allow for enough time to develop the self-care habit. • These topics and ideas are contributions from our lovely community (that’s you!), we are immensely grateful to be able to say that this challenge was made for the Bullet Journal community, by the Bullet Journal community. • To join the challenge: 1. Reflect on the week’s topic and share why and how you manage that part of your life with a photo and complementing explanation. 2. Add #BulletJournalChallenge to your post so everyone can find and enjoy your insights. 3. Follow along with @BulletJournal & @TinyRayofSunshine 4. Join the #BulletJournalChallenge Facebook group if you’d like 5. Feel free to join in whenever, even if it’s long after the challenge has finished. This is an experience that can be enjoyed whenever you are ready. Learn more at: bulletjournal.com/self-care-challenge #BulletJournal #BuJo ”

A post shared by Jayanthy G (@jayanthygovindarajan) on Feb 2, 2018 at 8:08pm PST

I found time to catch-up with friends this month. They make my world brighter than it is. I learn a lot from them with everything they share. After I met my girls, I am refreshed. We used to sit under a tree and relish our lunch prepared by our mothers. Now, after these many years, we decided on a potluck and enjoyed the food we prepared under a roof together. We chatted like there is no tomorrow in the little time we got without kids. It was nice to see the kids getting along with each other. Looking forward to more such meets.

Finally, it happened! We all met after almost a decade. #schoolfriends #longtimenosee . . When a planned potluck works out, the joy in me knows no bounds! ? #Excited. #Elated #Happiness #Joy #Love #oncloudnine . . #amazed #lovetheday #loveyouguys #missingsomebesties

A post shared by Jayanthy G (@jayanthygovindarajan) on Feb 24, 2018 at 5:55am PST

Being a housewife isn’t easy as one thinks. Well, that one used to be me too! It was my very own choice to leave my job and stay at home for the first three years after marriage. Though I used to regret my decision, I am slowly getting the hang of being the housewife. Though people have changed it as a homemaker to make it look better, I still prefer the former. Taking care of the house – right from doing the chores to knowing what is where when anyone needs it to doing all the inside and outside work, it is hectic. Since its a transition phase for me before taking up another job, it looks like a good long term project that opens up new horizons for me. After all, home management is one lesson that helps us for a lifetime wherever we live. I am a learner and that helps best here in learning to handle comments passed every once in a while.

I managed to wake up between 7AM to 9AM this month. I inhaled and exhaled slowly and sincerely for the first two weeks and the next two just went past me. 7AM is a good start for me at the moment.

My sister has applied at Teach For India and is in her final round this month. I am excited about the whole process since she always wanted to teach and this will be a very good opportunity for her. She took the aptitude test at my home before three weeks. Now she will be taking a full day session at a school as part of the interview process. Keeping fingers crossed! Hoping All goes Well.

A recent habit of taking a mind note of the health of the elders at home has become very important to me. My parents, my grandmother and my in-laws are on top of the list. I am sincerely trying to make time for some exercise everyday. ? I walked so much during pregnancy and now I am in this long rest. Well, I really need to go on walks. I miss fresh air.

I spoke less this month. I don’t know why, somehow I am not talking unless there is a need to. Something in me is wanting me to keep quiet and I am trying to listen to it.

Overall, this month was a wonderful experience personally. I feel blessed for a wonderful family, an amazing partner and a sweet baby who is growing quick. I am thankful for listening to myself. The friend in me has overruled the critic in me.

Joining Vidya Sury’s Gratitude Circle.

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