Colorful trees on the way #ThursdayTreeLove

Here are some colorful trees that we came across during our weekend road trip. 

To read more about our Fall trips, read my travelogues:

Aspen
New England Region

Also, here is a #ColoradoFallGuide. 

Linking this to #ThursdayTreeLove hosted by Parul. 

This is my last post for #MyFriendAlexa campaign. I am writing 8 posts in September month - 2 posts a week and see my Alexa Rank grow. 

If you are on twitter, follow me @mahathi_ramya.

I am taking my Alexa rank to the next level with Blogchatter. Seeing the results, it's great that my India Alexa rank moved down from 3 lakhs to 47k. 

Sep 1st (Week 1) 
My Global Alexa Rank: 3,642,454
India Rank: 310,640

Week 2 - Sep 11th
Global Alexa Rank : 1,939,208
India Rank : 143,227 

Week 3 - Sep 17th
Global Alexa Rank : 1,435,439
India Rank : 109,652

Week 4 - Sep 27th
Global Alexa Rank : 878,301
India Rank : 47,895

Until next time,

Orange hues and spooky decor #TheFallSeason

This time of the year is a lovely time. I love morning walks watching those leaves changing to bright yellows and oranges and then reds. 

Technically, leaves are showing their true color this season as they couldn't produce chlorophyll due to lack of sunlight. Without chlorophyll production, there is no gree color and so, the actual color of the leaves comes out.

A view from Gondola at Vermont

A drive through Aspen

The Fall Colors

In one way, nature tells us that " You are beautiful how you are within". Isn't it?

A morning

It's amazing to see the lovely colors in the fall season. Even when the leaves fall, they look beautiful. Other than the color of leaves, I love watching the spooky decor that people put outside their houses for Halloween in the USA. This post is a photo post of my Fall memories. Enjoy the virtual trip!

Halloween Decor

Halloween Decor

Halloween Decor

A drive during the fall season
PC: www.pixabay.com

Read my other travelogues in Fall season here:

Aspen
New England Region


This is my seventh post for #MyFriendAlexa campaign. I will write 8 posts in September month - 2 posts a week and see my Alexa Rank grow. 

If you are on twitter, follow me @mahathi_ramya. I am using #MRReads hashtag for all the wonderful blogs that I am going to read and share. I will share my posts with hashtag #FantasticFeathers.

I am taking my Alexa rank to the next level with Blogchatter. 

Sep 1st (Week 1) 
My Global Alexa Rank: 3,642,454
India Rank: 310,640

Week 2 - Sep 11th
Global Alexa Rank : 1,939,208
India Rank : 143,227 

Week 3 - Sep 17th
Global Alexa Rank : 1,435,439
India Rank : 109,652

Week 4 - Sep 25th
Global Alexa Rank : 888,185
India Rank : 47,908

Until next time,

Linking to #MondayMusings hosted by Corinne at EverydayGyaan. 

5 Quick Breakfast ideas for busy mornings

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. It breaks the overnight fasting and replenishes the supply of glucose. It also kick starts the metabolism and helps to keep our energy levels up throughout the day. Here are some ideas to prepare a quick breakfast which involves no cooking/ less cooking.

1. Bread based :

If we have bread (whole wheat or multi-grain would be healthy) always at home, it saves a lot of time. One way is to toast the bread and eat with butter.

Another way is to prepare a quick sandwich. Just, layer cheese slices, thin slices of cucumber, tomato, sprinkle salt, pepper and cook in microwave for 25 seconds until cheese melts. A simple sandwich is ready!

The third option is just applying Jam / Peanut butter jelly on plain bread.

2. Egg-based :

Boil the eggs, slice them and sprinkle salt and pepper. A quick breakfast to go!

Try a half boiled omelette with salt and pepper or if you like, make an omelette with onion pieces, green chilies, salt, and chili powder.

Scrambled egg with cooked vegetables is easy to prepare, filling and nutritious.

3. Idli / Dosa:

If you are from South India, I bet Idli / Dosas are important breakfast items at your home. Once we prepare batter before the day and ferment it, it doesn't take more than 5 to 10 mins to prepare idly / dosa. If you have a pickle/ podi (spice powder), there is no need of chutney and it saves a lot of time. Check this video to prepare the batter for Idly/ Dosa.



Egg dosa / Onion dosa are easy to make and won't take much time. If you have time, prepare masala ahead for a masala dosa.

4. Upma  or Poha :

Upma might take 10 to 15 mins. Though not a very quick recipe, it is very easy to make. we can prepare wheat Rava upma in a pressure cooker to make it quick.

Poha is the most basic and easy recipe which won't take more than 10 mins. I love this simple and tasty recipe for Poha.



5. Cereal and Oats :

The number one option when we are not very interested to prepare anything. Depending on the cereal, this is a healthy option too. 

Try a cereal with raisins or something healthy like muesli with cold/ hot milk. Also, add a fruit like a watermelon/ orange/ apple/muskmelon to make it filling. 

Granola, Oats and berries
Pc:www.pixabay.com

Oats are filling and healthy too. While Oats boiled in milk/ hot water is one option, try adding fruits like banana and strawberry to make it tastier. Also, try oats soaked overnight with chia seeds, greek yogurt and fruits. Trust me, you will start liking the oats. 

So, these are my quick breakfast ideas which involve no cooking/ less cooking. What are your go-to options for breakfast?

Do let me know in comments.

This is my sixth post for #MyFriendAlexa campaign. I will write 8 posts in September month - 2 posts a week and see my Alexa Rank grow. 

If you are on twitter, follow me @mahathi_ramya. I am using #MRReads hashtag for all the wonderful blogs that I am going to read and share. I will share my posts with hashtag #FantasticFeathers.

I am taking my Alexa rank to the next level with Blogchatter. 

Sep 1st (Week 1) 
My Global Alexa Rank: 3,642,454
India Rank: 310,640

Week 2 - Sep 11th
Global Alexa Rank : 1,939,208
India Rank : 143,227 

Week 3 - Sep 17th
Global Alexa Rank : 1,435,439
India Rank : 109,652

Until next time,

Gratitude List for Aug 2018 #GratitudeCircle

August was more of a settling back time after India trip. The trip was exhausting and so, I completely spent the month with fewer action items and more rest. I have continued dance classes but reduced my workload. But, cleaning the house and preparing the kids and myself for the new school year took a lot of energy. Overall, a good transition month to the routine life.

I have found that appreciating whatever little we have and being thankful will help in our happiness. What do you say? With this thought, let me go through my gratitude list for the month of August.

1. Our Flight trip

It was very difficult traveling with 2 kids. I am grateful that my kids were well behaved in the airports when I had to run through the gates, transits, and trains. Even though my kids were tired, cranky and were not eating proper meals on the flights, we could get through the trip without missing a flight/ without any inconvenience. I am very grateful for this flight journey from India.

2. No Jetlag

It was surprising that I didn't have any jet lag after the trip. The reason might be that I was over excited to be back and get ready for the new school year for my kids. We did most of the school shopping ahead and so, the transition was easy. Since I didn't have much jet lag, I could unpack all things early.

3. Pooja, potluck, and parties

There was a lot of gathering happened in August and one potluck with friends. So, I met many people and talked to friends for a long time.  I have attended a few concerts too both music and dance which were relaxing. Within 2 weeks after coming from India, we celebrated 'Varalakshmi Vratham'. Here is my post about this festival on Raising world children's e-magazine. 

4. New students and new beginnings

A few new students joined the classes and of course, I became busy, But it was fun to teach new children. My younger son joined his preschool this year and I was surprised about how happy he went to the school. He sure is enjoying his time at school while I am enjoying 2 hrs of free time for myself. I am grateful that this transition is smooth without him crying and me becoming emotional.

5. Winning prize and grabbing a few sponsored posts

This is a good time for my blog. Do you know the Parenting, Pinterest and Productivity blogger Shaliaja V?  By pure chance of luck, I won a Pinterest free course from her in May and then, again I have won $25 Amazon gift card for her blog anniversary Giveaway. Feeling lucky :-)
I also got some opportunities to work for a few brands for sponsored posts. I am loving the blogging journey so far. 

This was about my August. What were you grateful for in August? 

Until next time,

Linking this post to #GratitudeCircle hosted by Vidya Sury and to #Mondaymusings hosted by Corinne. 

I am taking my Alexa rank to the next level with Blogchatter. 

This is the third post that I am writing for #MyFriendAlexa campaign. I will write 8 posts in September month - 2 posts a week and see my Alexa Rank grow. 

If you are on twitter, follow me @mahathi_ramya. I am using #MRReads hashtag for all the wonderful blogs that I am going to read and share. I will share my posts with hashtag #FantasticFeathers.

Sep 1st (Week 1) 
My Global Alexa Rank  : 3,642,454
India Rank : 310,640

Week 2 - Sep 11th
Global Alexa Rank : 1,939,208
India Rank : 143,227

5 lessons learned from being a teacher

This is the second post that I am writing for #MyFriendAlexa campaign. I will write 8 posts in September month - 2 posts a week and see my Alexa Rank grow. 

If you are on twitter, follow me @mahathi_ramya. I am using #MRReads hashtag for all the wonderful blogs that I am going to read and share. I will share my posts with hashtag #FantasticFeathers.

September 5th is celebrated as Teacher's day in India. On this occasion, I want to share my learnings on being a teacher. 

To the people who don't know, I am a professional classical dancer (Kuchipudi) and I am teaching some students at home just to share my dance skills and improve myself. I have started teaching dance since last year and there are many new qualities that I learned so far in this journey.

Having Patience :

I salute each and every teacher who taught me with patience during my childhood. I think this is a must have quality in a teacher. 

There will be different types of students - a few might be over enthusiast and want to learn more in one hour, whereas a few students don't want to go to next class until they refined their old lesson. A teacher should have the patience to deal with different types of students. 

Sometimes, a teacher needs to repeat the obvious thing a hundred times until it goes to the brain of the student. If some students cannot focus, a teacher has to talk to them about how they can concentrate. I am still learning this new skill and improving on it.

Giving Support :

When I joined my dance class at the age of 6 years, I don't know what dance is. I was not sure if I could do the steps taught by our teacher Ms. Parvathi Ramachandran. But, my teacher and my parents believed in me when they joined me in Dance class. They supported me and encouraged me to learn complex steps and face challenges. 

Now, I am learning to be supportive to the students who underestimate themselves. I am encouraging them that they can take baby steps initially and take time without hurrying. This support and trust from the teacher on a student make a lot of difference in their learning.

Being a life-long learner :

When we teach something to the others, we will actually know how good we are at it. While being a dancer is one thing, teaching the skill is an entirely different thing. If you are not 101% sure of what you are teaching, you cannot teach. You need to practice better first, to be able to train others. 

Thus, I learned that I shouldn't stop improving myself and I should be a life-long learner in this field.


Appreciating the uniqueness :

An art is different when compared to academic learning. To a maths teacher, a student solving a problem himself based on the formula she taught might give her satisfaction. But, in any art, there is no limit of creativity and no two persons have the same creative skills. So, as a teacher, we should only guide students on how to express the feelings, present on stage and other technicalities.  But, a student might completely surprise us with their unique style of presentation. 

After the basics are learned, it is the uniqueness of each student that makes a difference. A teacher has to appreciate this and encourage students instead of forcing his/ her style on the students. 

Dealing with failures :

I remember failing on the stage once or twice. But, I didn't remember my teacher scolding me for that. Mistakes happen and that's how we learn. As a teacher, we should talk to students about their shortcomings and how they can improve instead of hurting them and making them feel low. 

I think as a teacher my responsibility is to prepare my students to face failures, learn from mistakes and deal with their mistakes. 

A teacher can transform your life. I am trying to be a better teacher day by day. So, Happy Teacher's day to all those lovely teachers and to me as well ;-)

In your opinion, what other qualities are important for a teacher? Do let me know in comments. 

Until next time,

I am taking my Alexa rank to the next level with Blogchatter.


Also, Linking this to #MondayMusings hosted by Corinne @everydaygyaan. 

How TV time can help in learning for kids?

This is the first post that I am writing for #MyFriendAlexa campaign. I will write 8 posts in September month - 2 posts a week and see my Alexa Rank grow. 

If you are on twitter, follow me @mahathi_ramya. I am using #MRReads hashtag for all the wonderful blogs that I am going to read and share. I will share my posts with hashtag #FantasticFeathers.






These days, all parents are talking about reducing screen time for kids. I heard an interview with Sudha Murthy, a writer, and philanthropist where she says if children have to reduce screen time, we parents have to reduce screen time. Of course, we are the role models for our children and they follow us.

But, Is TV really an idiot box and should be avoided? Tv is invented for entertainment and relaxation. If we watch it moderately and not addicted to it, TV might not be that bad. What say? 

With this thought, I want to write about what to watch on TV with kids. Instead of completely avoiding it, how can we utilize Tv time to be knowledgeable?

These days, we all have smart TVs at home, which connect to wifi and have many apps installed like Netflix, Amazon prime, and Youtube. So, Television doesn't mean only the channels that we watch on cable Tv or tata sky. There are a lot more options now.

Here are some options that might help in learning new things and might not make TV time useless :

1.  Science videos from Youtube

There are many youtube channels for kids which explain basic science like the Solar system, planets, how things work, How plants grow etc., These videos are fun to watch and kids will learn something new. 

We even have videos to improve vocabulary, learn how to write essays for school, how to express ourselves etc.,

2. Food-related programs

My kids love to watch 'Food Factory' channel on youtube. They enjoy learning how food is made and packaged. 

There are 2 benefits due to this. 

1. The programs are educational and they will know how food comes to their plate and thus they value the food they eat without wasting.
2. These videos are fun to watch with some tidbits of less known facts.

Also, There are many TV channels which air cooking shows and recipes. There are many channels which show how to grow vegetables and gardening tips. Try these and tell me if your kids liked them?

3. Travel and Geography channels 

I love traveling. I want to imbibe this interest even to my kids. We love to watch travel channels together. Sometimes, we start our weekends by watching Nat Geo channel. Kids usually love animals and so they might like these programs. We also watch documentaries that they like - ex: how volcanoes are formed? How Earth is formed? Why storms occur? etc., 

Sometimes, we simply search on Youtube about travel videos of national parks and make a mental note on what to visit when we go there. Kids also compare national parks and they discuss with me if they like to hike mountains/ watch animals in the forest/play in the waterfalls.

PC: www.pixabay.com

4. Family Movies

We watch family-friendly movies on Friday or Saturday nights. There are some great movies like "Up", "Kungfu Panda", "Finding Nemo" , " Zootopia" etc., Search in Google and you will find hundreds of good movies which teach good values to the kids. 

I personally love "Up", which is a beautiful movie to teach about being adventurous and never giving up in life. 

5. Hobby channels and Craft videos

I enjoy making crafts with my children. It's a bonding time and we try, fail, try again and learn from mistakes. We also watch youtube videos on painting and mimic those. 

There are some TV channels specific for hobbies, crafts and creating something. These are worth a try. There are also a few programs which show easy science experiments and explain the science concepts. 

I know, I have written this article mostly from the perspective of smart TVs but I observed that there are a lot of good Tv channels aired on cable TV networks as well. Just take time to explore and set a limited TV time.  

Do let me know in comments what would you love to watch on TV with kids.

Until next time,

I am taking my Alexa rank to the next level with Blogchatter.