Tag: Blogchatter projects

“Little ACORN” – #BlogchatterA2Z

“Little Acorn”

This book “Little Acorn” caught my eye with its cute and lively illustrations and I bought it on a whim. And just as the same way it caught Shaarav’s attention the moment he saw it. But “Little Acorn” has much more to offer to young kids and parents alike besides its beautiful and absolutely adorable illustrations. Little Acorn has become like this “cute friend” for little Shaarav who has come to adore this fun and cute acorn.

Little Acorn

What’s the story?

It’s a cute story about a little acorn which grows to become a beautiful oak tree and goes on to give its own seeds (acorns). The story begins with a little acorn who goes unnoticed stuck high up on a tree while he watches the world below go all hustle and bustle. While it just cozily sits up there growing all fat and shiny protected from harsh weather when slowly as the weather changes to autumn and the leaves begin to turn golden brown it excitedly jumps on the ground along with the leaves blowing in the wind.

A squirrel which was busy storing nuts for the winter finds it and hides it in the forest ground where it waits patiently until one day it has a peculiar feeling and begins to feel all tickly. And suddenly he sprouts little roots. It feels so ticklish that it stretches left and right and to its utter amazement it stretches so much that it reaches above the ground into the light. As seasons change pass by, nourished by sunlight and rain little acorn also changes and grows into a full-grown tree stretching its branches and spreading its roots.

It becomes a very fine tree and in its full glory it feels proud and happy to house many feathered guests, spiders, beetles and squirrels. Until…one day it makes its own acorns. Check out our IGTV video on Instagram for our storytelling session.

What did we like about it?

With its adorably cute illustrations and a fun story about the life-cycle of a tree, it didn’t take much time to become Shaarav’s favourite. With sufficient fun action and catchy action words and perfectly rhyming text “Little Acorn” never fails to capture my son’s attention. We love to go “Wheeeeee” and then fall on the ground with a “thump” and then wiggle and stretch left and then right just like little acorn. Apart from the fun things about the book if you’re thinking of introducing life-cycle of a tree to your kid, “Little Acorn” is just the perfect book for it and that too in a fun way. So, we also like its sweet story that is educational too. And in addition, it also strengthens a child’s vocabulary by introducing new words and a lots of animals too. We have its board book version which sits well with a playful Shaarav who like to sometimes sleep with his books too.

Book Details

Written by: Melanie Joyce

Illustrated by: Gina Maldonado

Designed by: Lee Italiano

Edited by: Emily Bruce

Published by: Autumn Publishing (Igloo Books)

Genre: Nature Picture Book

Book Type: Board book (Paperback and Hardcover also available)

Recommended Age: 0 to 5

Number of pages: 24

Ratings: 10/10

What’s there for the child to learn?

The story of the “Little Acorn” sets a stage to talk about the life-cycle of an oak tree or plants and trees in general, different parts of a plant or tree and also about different seasons. As part of the bookish play we decided to have a storytelling session (read aloud) and learn about the life-cycle of a tree as well as different parts of a plant. For building a resource and for the purpose of explaining it vividly to Shaarav, I drew the pictures myself (which can be downloaded and printed for free).

Life-cycle of a tree (an oak tree)
Acorn or Seed
Acorn seed germinating and forming a sprout
Acorn seed growing to become a seedling
Acorn seed growing from a seedling to become a sapling
Acorn seed developing into a full-grown oak tree
Parts of a plant

The ultimate result of the whole process was a great bonding time with my son at the same time learning things in a fun and creative way. This post is a part of #BlogchatterA2Z challenge. Keep watching the space for our book recommendation for the alphabet B tomorrow to see how we are #BondingOverBooks and in case you missed our theme reveal for this year’s BlogchatterA2Z challenge you can check it out here.

Love,

Mrs. Sunshine

If you liked our book review and book related activities and you wish to purchase this book, here’s our affiliate link to the book from Amazon. You could buy this book using our link at no additional cost to you, and at the same time add a small amount towards our efforts motivating us to bring more of such useful content and ideas. BUY IT HERE!!!

 

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BlogchatterA2Z Challenge 2020 – Theme Reveal

On By Sweta KachhapIn Blogchatter Projects, Children BooksLeave a comment
“Bonding Over Books” is my theme for BlogchatterA2Z 2020

Hello Readers!

Do you remember the blogging madness in April last year? Yes, I’m talking about the month where I wrote 26 blog posts in 26 days. The same crazy BlogchatterA2Z Blogging Challenge is here with yet another season of its blogging madness.

BlogchatterA2Z Blogging Challenge

If you are still wondering what BlogchatterA2Z challenge is, let me tell you it is an exciting and thrilling, action-and-drama-packed, month-long blogging challenge where the participant needs to put up 26 posts with 26 alphabets in 26 days (Sundays being a holiday). The posts can be a part of a theme or individual posts depending on the participant’s choice.

So, with that being said I have chosen to stick to a theme for myself just like last year to give a feel, connect and solidarity to my posts, something that my readers can look forward to reading each day throughout the month. And now, it’s time for the “Theme Reveal” and I can already sense the adrenaline gushing in me, that’s the kind of excitement BlogchatterA2Z challenge entails and is raved about. Excited much?

Theme Reveal

As part of the BlogchatterA2Z challenge last year I rededicated my marriage by renewing our marriage vows by taking not 7, but 26 vows through alphabets A to Z with #MarriageRededicated.

This year we all know how we all doing our part to be safe, healthy, busy and sane during this period of the countrywide lock-down due to the pandemic spread of COVID-19. The most difficult part of this whole situation for me is to keep my 3-year-old engaged, entertained and at the same time aid in learning.  I have been planning and designing activities for my son to keep his screen time to minimum as much as possible. So, I decided to take this to my advantage integrating the activities I do with my son with a story telling session along with its review. Exciting, right?

With this season of #BlogchatterA2Z, I shall be sharing 26 book reviews from 26 alphabets spread across 26 posts with the theme “Bonding Over Books”.

Why this theme?

As you all know after joining work, I had been feeling really guilty for not being able to make sufficient time for Shaarav. I have always been keen on raising a reader and to foster in him the love for books. And I have watched how reading transports him to fantastic places and introduces him to new ideas simultaneously expanding his vocabulary. But, somehow, as I got more busy juggling family and work, the books that we used to read and the stuff that we used to do every day had started to dwindle and was restricted just to Sundays. Fortunately, this unfortunate COVID-19 situation and the current lockdown has bestowed me with the privilege to make up for the lost time and bonding with my son.

Last year I celebrated my bond with Mr. Husband, this year I wish to celebrate my bond with Mr. Baby. So, with these 26 posts you can expect 26 book reviews with each alphabet and book related activities. I hope to make the best of this lock-down period and also that some of you could also borrow our ideas to keep your children engaged and entertained. Keep watching this space starting 1st of April’ 2020 as Shaarav and I strengthen our relationship and forge an everlasting bond by #BondingOverBooks.

Love,

Mrs. Sunshine

 

Views: 270

No More Sweating the Small Stuff

On By Sweta KachhapIn Blogchatter Projects, Motherhood1 Comment
No more sweating the small stuff!

I am a perfectionist and people who know me are well aware of how badly I want things to be planned, organized and executed to a t. And how incorrigibly cranky I become if the things fail to fall in place like the way I wanted them to. So before having Shaarav I felt that “I had it all together” but then Shaarav happened and all hell broke loose. Things have changed from being relatively peaceful to suddenly being chaotic and confusing. Read my post on “The Dilemmas of Being a Working Mom.”

Parenting can be a consuming experience especially when you’re a working mom who solo parents her hyperactive toddler most of the time. Time and again I have been challenged to my capability of being overwhelmed with my tangled emotions of having it all together at one moment while losing it completely at another and struggling to maintain my sanity. Mr. Husband says I worry a lot and that I should shun sweating the small stuff.

And, of late I have realized that though motherhood is tough and unheralded way too often the joy of motherhood comes in moments. There will be frustratingly tough times and taxing moments except amidst those challenges you’ll experience those tiny shining moments of pure bliss which would make it worthwhile.

I am amazed at how motherhood has made me realize that life cannot be lived and appreciated in retrospect and in order to do that I need to stop sweating the small stuff to live in the moment and be at peace. And as grateful I am for as glorious a blessing motherhood is I need to embrace and cherish each day as it comes however amazing or terrible I am at it. So from now on no more sweating the small stuff and diving deeper into the beautiful and fulfilling experience motherhood has to offer.

P.S. I am taking my blog to the next level with Blogchatter’s #MyFriendAlexa.

Love,

Mrs. Sunshine

 

Views: 451

The Dilemmas of Being a Working Mom

On By Sweta KachhapIn Blogchatter Projects, Motherhood1 Comment
Dilemmas of a Working Mom!

Today I had a rather slow and peaceful day in a long time. And as I tucked Shaarav to sleep kissing his forehead, I found my thoughts meandering in the farthest reaches of my brain awakening the deepest emotions. Parenting is full of personal choices and a recent life-changing choice that I have made is joining work. I am now a full-time working mom.

Why life-changing you may ask?

The reason being I have joined work after having been a stay-at-home mom to my little human for a little more than two and a half years. I have talked a lot about my choice for being a stay-at-home mom on my blogs “Stay-at-home mom – a Need, a Compromise or a Choice?” and “How I’m a “HAPPY” stay-at-home mom?” But even after successfully being a working mom for more than three months now I often find myself at crossroads.

I have said this time and again, yet I reiterate that nothing can fully prepare us for becoming a mother despite our best efforts and regardless of the tireless pursuit of preparing for being one. When being a mom itself is difficult considering the constant, demanding and exhausting nature of the job, let alone being a stay-at-home mom or a working mom. It’s no easy feat keeping another human being happy and healthy reckoning how uniquely complicated raising these little humans is no matter how well we contemplate the minutiae of motherhood. And as much as it may sound exaggerated I have found being a working mom much of a heroic feat.

I have never been a very career-driven woman, but having been raised in a middle-class family with working parents we have been brought up to believe that the sky is the limit and that we could achieve anything we put our heart and pour our soul into. But after starting a family of my own I was kind of squandering the opportunities wanting to work in a way that could fit around my family. And just when I was about to lose hope I was presented with the golden opportunity of joining work that not only met my criteria but was also paying me well.

When I joined work I was quite sure I could handle both career and motherhood without breaking a sweat given the fact how resourceful I considered myself. But each day as I navigate through the myriad of daily struggles, juggling work and family responsibilities, I find myself overwhelmed. Life feels like a race and every day is a battle against the clock. Trying to complete household chores sticking to a schedule with a toddler and finding the strength to entertain a toddler after a long tiring day at work seems a formidable task.

I underestimated the demands of motherhood and the difficulties of combining parenting with work. And to be very honest, I constantly feel burdened with the daily grind and frazzled with a mix of complex emotions. I’m grappled with the eternal guilt of not giving enough time to my son and not being available for him. And, despite making every effort possible, finding a harmonious balance between work and home while staying all sane feels like a dauntingly difficult a task. It feels I’m getting lost in the rush.

But, do I have the option of giving up?

I indeed feel such guilt and such longing, but could I live with the guilt of giving up?

It is puzzling and suddenly I’m not so sure about it.

But, one thing I’m certainly sure about is that I definitely cannot afford regrets. Regret is one thing I can’t live with.

Today I had time on my hands to comprehend my thoughts and emotions. And suddenly a light bulb went off in my head and it dawned on me that work-life balance can mean different things to different people. To me, it would mean enjoying my motherhood to the fullest besides having a career with financial independence. Ideally, I’d love the freedom of working from home or working part-time so that I can spend more time with my little man. But I guess that’s the duality of being a working parent and that’s something I’ll have to struggle with. I may, however, be burning the candle at both ends, the fact of the matter is, I cannot have it all.

But then, wasn’t I struggling as a stay-at-home mom too? So, what makes being a working mom any different? Let’s face it, all mothers, be it a stay-at-home mom or a working mom, don’t always have it easy.

And, all this makes me realize that there will be days when it makes complete sense and there will also be days when all of this makes no sense at all. As much true it is that I could be judged and belittled for my choices, it so happens that my heart’s also going to have these moments of doubts about what could have been. And my disenchantment with integrating work into motherhood to establish a harmonious co-existence will be making it all the more confusing than it already is.

But the one thing that stood out from all this mental churning was that if I am happy on the inside, I am emphatically going to be happy on the outside.

So, now the question arises, am I happy?

Yes, indeed. I wanted a career and I have it. I am thankful for the opportunity regardless of the frequent bouts of guilt for being a working mom. But, financial independence having a job entails is what I am really happy about. I am happy that I can now contribute to the household income and have greater financial stability. I am happier with the feeling of accomplishment being a working woman brings. And I am happiest with the opportunity that being a working mom presents for making my son understand the importance and virtue of hard work and why it’s important to chase your dreams and make them a true.

Am I satisfied?

Oh, yes I am. I am truly satisfied that finally, I get to carve and shape my career. I am satisfied knowing that whether I choose to be a stay-at-home mom or a working mom, it is my love, attitude, faith and trust in my choices that’d help raise my child to be a kind, happy and successful adult.

Am I at peace?

Oh, hell yes. There’s no greater feeling than knowing that I played a big part in my child’s upbringing and was there for Shaarav during his early years when he needed me the most. And now that he’s beginning to get more and more independent with each passing day, I can think of me and my career aspirations which I had been putting on hold for so long. So, yes, I am at peace knowing that I have been there for all of his firsts and that our values are now his values too. And, it gives me immense peace in the belief that I am making well-thought-of choices for me and my family in the long run – the belief that it’s all worth it!

P.S. I am taking my blog to the next level with Blogchatter’s #MyFriendAlexa.

Love,

Mrs. Sunshine

Views: 585

It’s just a phase

On By Sweta KachhapIn Blogchatter Projects, Motherhood, Parenting55 Comments
It’s Just a Phase!

Early motherhood years are tough and trying. And as much as young kids act as stress busters, in an inexplicable way,  they are also a kind of stress givers too. Well-meaning relatives who have managed to raise a half a dozen kids say and even I know that it’s just a phase, but at the moment it seems like an eternity. Though Shaarav has never been a picky eater and he seldom fusses about food, of late he has become an obstinate child with a violent temper. He refuses to budge if he isn’t given what he wants.

I have been that mom who has tried to handle the situation by love, persuasion, diversion, or even resorting to more uncalled for means like shouting and screaming. I’m not particularly proud of them, but sometimes things do tend to go a little out of hand calling for more serious action when nothing else works. I have spent an absurd amount of time cooking food that I know he loves only to find out that he wants entirely something else at the moment. And believe me, no amount of reasoning works with a headstrong almost three-year-old. And of late I have been talking and shouting and screaming so much that I have begun to get irritated at the sound of my own voice. Why does motherhood have to involve so much talking? Not that I’m complaining or I don’t love talking but it is insane how much talking motherhood involves every day.

I know a couple of moms with children the same age as Shaarav who are also going through the same phase, and stressing over the same things. We try to derive relief and satisfaction from knowing that we are not alone and how familiar our worries feel.

Motherhood is unlike any other job in the whole world – you never get off the clock. But then, there’s no better job than motherhood. After having legitimately worn out at work and having a frustrating episode of mothering with my unreasonable toddler in addition to having a hotchpotch of other confusing mothering feelings, when my little one snuggles into me finding comfort in my arms I feel perplexed from a feeling of contrastingly mixed emotions.

There’s no denying that parenting is tough and motherhood is indeed confusing but what’s also true is the love. So even when I’m stressed with responsibilities that come with helping this tiny human grow up the way I’d like him to, I constantly need to make a conscious choice to never give in. I constantly need to remind myself to enjoy this phase because I won’t be having these same worries once he grows up a little. And for that very reason, I need to remember to worry a teensy-weensy bit less and take in the absolute love that being a mother brings; even when at the end of the day, after being spent at work it becomes a hell lot difficult to remember this.

I consider motherhood to be a lifetime experience which is full of conscious, effortful choices that I make every day. And I want it to be coloured and shaped with the right kind of choices that I make and the right kind of attitude that I bring in with me. So I work double as hard and with as much gratitude and love I can muster. And though I am more of a ‘word person’  when being a mom becomes overly overwhelming, I try to make my love for my child known to him by kissing his booboos, answering his nonsensical questions a 100th time and sometimes giving in to his unreasonable demands.

A mother’s heart is never off duty. But, I do not want to indulge myself in over thinking about my child in a manner that’s unhealthy or obsessive, but is like a fragrance that constantly surrounds me with love and freshness. And for that, I need to keep reminding myself that in the grand scheme of things it’s really just a phase.

This post is a part of the theme “My Cup of Motherhood” on which you can read my first post “The Truth Behind My Picture Perfect Motherhood” here and the theme reveal here.

P.S. I am taking my blog to the next level with Blogchatter’s #MyFriendAlexa.

Love,

Mrs. Sunshine

Views: 1213

The Truth Behind My Picture-perfect Motherhood

On By Sweta KachhapIn Blogchatter Projects, Challenges, Motherhood, Parenting25 Comments

Have you wondered what picture-perfect motherhood might be like for you? I imagine it to be like the one where I am utter patient with my child, where I refrain from shouting at him out of frustration because he spilled water again and I need to clean it up or I come back home tired wanting to lie down for some time only to find a whole pile of toys scattered all over the bed. Picture-Perfect motherhood for me would be where he listens to me once for a change and does exactly what he’s being asked to do. Sigh! Wouldn’t life be so much easier and so much beautiful if we had everything our way? But the reality is entirely different from what we want and how it is.

These past three months that I have been working I have been juggling my life. I wake up at 5 am in the morning and the first thing I do is put dirty laundry in the washing machine. Then I begin to cook and clean which I try to complete by 7 am because by that time it’s already time to wake Shaarav up and get him ready for school. I completely need to be with Shaarav until 8 am at which he leaves for school. During that one hour, I need to wake him up, make him brush his teeth, bathe him, massage and change and feed him and get him ready for school. Believe me, getting through this one hour daily is the toughest and the most draining hour of my entire day. It’s a real struggle with a toddler who wants to sleep a little more and doesn’t want to wake up, or takes an eternity to brush his teeth asking for more toothpaste repeatedly, or is reluctant to take a bath or refuses to come out of the tub or wants to wear jeans and redshirt when I picked black trousers and yellow T-shirt for him to wear, or when he wants to eat bread and jam when I prepared aaloo paranthas for him after confirming with him thrice. And mind you, these are just some of the unreasonable demands that I need to entertain and honour every day.

I try to maintain my calm and not lose my patience, but going through all this daily besides solo parenting when I have a schedule to maintain because I have to catch a 9.30 am bus to office if I don’t want to get late is insane. I feel I don’t get enough time for myself anymore because after returning from work when all I want is to lie down for some time and check my Emails, Facebook or WhatsApp my son comes running up to me with his favourite storybook asking me to put my phone away and tell him the same story a 100th time.

And I have to bite my tongue to prevent myself from scolding him and consciously take a few deep breaths to curb my rising frustration before I take the storybook from him with a smile, pick him up and place him on my lap kissing him on his cheeks and begin our storytelling session.

When I thoroughly believed that my life as a stay-at-home mom was tough I am realizing that my life as a working mom has become a whole lot tougher. I constantly have to deal with a guilty conscience for not being able to make enough time for my son anymore – for not being a perfect mother to my child. I constantly find myself torn apart by the conflicting feelings of wanting some time off for myself and then ending up feeling that I wasted the time which I could have given to my son. I feel like I could go crazy dealing with this every day.

But a growing realization that I had not so long ago is that in my pursuit of being an ideal mother I had stopped being a real one. But now I have understood that it’s not wrong to idealize motherhood, but the kind of mother that I have been idealizing isn’t the mother that lives the same life as me. Reality is that there’s no perfect motherhood and there’s no perfect, one-size-fits-all love. When I first met Mr. Husband, I remember having the feeling that I couldn’t love another human more until I met my son. I look at him and it feels he’s enough and more I could have ever asked for. My life derives its very meaning from his existence. And I might not be a perfect mother or I might not even don picture-perfect motherhood, but one thing I’m very sure of is that I can love my son perfectly despite my lack of perfection.

And for that I need to be kind – kind not just to my innocent child but kind to me as well, for I have been harsh on myself for way too long. I need to choose kindness over harsh judgement because if there’s one thing I ever want to do perfectly is to make my son feel free and safe by my love. And love can feel safe only when there’s acceptance – acceptance that the real motherhood is as beautiful as or even more beautiful than picture-perfect motherhood, and that I might never be a perfect mother but I can be the perfect me.

Read about my theme reveal post for #MyFriendAlexa Season 4 here.

P.S. I am taking my blog to the next level with Blogchatter’s #MyFriendAlexa.

Love,

Mrs. Sunshine

 

Views: 1171

#MyFriendAlexa – Theme Reveal

On By Sweta KachhapIn Blogchatter Projects, Motherhood6 Comments
“My Cup of Motherhood” is my theme for #MyFriendAlexa

Hello Readers!

Do you remember the month of April when I participated in the crazy BlogchatterA2Z blogging challenge? Yeah, it’s the same one where I had to put up 26 posts with 26 alphabets in 26 days. So you must remember how fun, exciting and full of madness it was. So, Blogchatter hosts another blogging challenge which is called #MyFriendAlexa and this year they are running its 4th season. I had been waiting to participate in it since last year when I came to know about it but was too late to register myself for it. But my wait is finally over. #MyFriendAlexa is here with its fourth season and I am all set to participate in this one of a kind blogging campaign.

#MyFriendAlexa Blogging Challenge

If you are wondering what #MyFriendAlexa challenge is, let me tell you it is an annual blogging campaign hosted by Team Blogchatter which aims to raise the Alexa ranking of one’s blog. Alexa ranking is a measure of one’s website’s popularity which takes into account the number of visitors and the amount of engagement one gets on their blog over a while. Depending on the same the lesser the Alexa number is the more popular the blog is.

So each year Team Blogchatter comes up with a unique plan to help fellow bloggers not just to increase their online presence by providing motivation to write for their own blogs that would aid in raising their Alexa ranks, but to also boost engagements by prompting to read, comment and share posts from other fellow bloggers as well.

So as part of the #MyFriendAlexa campaign, I’d need to write 8 compulsory blog posts spread over 4 weeks in September. Besides, I’d also need to read around 10-12 blogs each day throughout the challenge which would help me discover new blogs and new people to interact with. Had I mentioned aching eyes, cramped fingers and burning the midnight oil during BlogchatterA2Z challenge? It’s going to be a similar environment with all-day work at the office struggling to meet the deadlines and then coming home fulfill your passion. Mind you, just like BlogchatterA2Z #MyFriendAlexa too is not for the faint-hearted since it would require you to push your limits. It’s crazy, right? Well, I’m crazier and I’m hell-bent to complete it and give my writing inertia a little push to gain momentum. My writing hashtag would be #CloudndSunshineWrites and my reading hashtag would be #CloudandSunshineReads.

So, with that being said just like BlogchatterA2Z challenge I have decided to stick to a theme for myself to give a feel, connect and solidarity to my posts, something that my readers can look forward to reading throughout the month. And now, it’s time for the “Theme Reveal” and I can already sense the adrenaline gushing in me, that’s the kind of excitement all Blogchatter campaigns and challenges entail and is raved about. Excited much?

Theme Reveal for #MyFriendAlexa

The theme that I have chosen for the challenge is “My Cup of Motherhood”. Yes, that’s the theme I choose for #MyFreindAlexa. Not many of you know that I started working some three months back and it has been one hell of an emotional rollercoaster ride not so much for Shaarav but definitely for me. It has not just been a physically and emotionally draining three months but at the same time, it has also been an accomplished and fulfilling three months too. With time to manage, life to juggle and duties to fulfill, motherhood has become a lot more complicated than it already was. So these 8 posts are going to be about my recent tryst with motherhood and parenting with my little man. So join me as #cloudandsunshinewrites about #MyCupOfMotherhood for the #MyFriendAlexa challenge. Exciting, right?

So are you up for some serious fun? Keep watching this space for the whole month of September as I share My Cup of Motherhood with you all. Feel free to join me and share your views on the same.

P.S. I am taking my blog to the next level with Blogchatter’s #MyFriendAlexa.

Love,

Mrs. Sunshine

Views: 659

BlogchatterA2Z Challenge – Reflection Post

On By Sweta KachhapIn Blogchatter Projects, Relationships2 Comments
BlogchatterA2Z Challenge – Reflection Post

Hello Readers!

April was a crazy month with BlogchatterA2Z Blogging Challenge. I successfully completed 26 posts in a single month and here’s my reflection post about the whole experience. It was hectic, it was tiring but at the same time, it was accomplishing and fulfilling. Many times during the journey I felt like giving up and quitting the challenge midway it was so daunting but I kept myself motivated and was determined to complete it.

It all started with the theme reveal. Since it was my first time and I had been waiting to take part in the challenge I was very both excited and nervous at the same time. I wanted my theme to be unique and suddenly it popped in my mind like a thinking bulb and nothing could have been better than this. So my theme to the challenge was Marriage Rededicated. Isn’t it unique and exciting? You can read all about it here.

The challenge was real. The struggle was real. But so was the learning and excitement. I got to discover and test my own limits, creativity and writing skills. I got to push my limits and discipline myself to write under pressure. I got to know and connect with so many amazing bloggers and read their brilliant pieces all in one place. And more than anything I could get consistent visits on my blog.

So, with this reflection post, I take the opportunity to thank the whole Blogchatter Team for this wonderfully awesome experience. I’m happy that I jumped on the boat not fully knowing what I had gotten myself into. I’m glad I could survive through the challenge and emerge victoriously. In this month I plan to read and engage in as many posts I can and I’m looking forward to participating in the challenge again the next year. You can find all my post from the challenge under #MarriageRededicated.

Love,

Mrs. Sunshine

Views: 284

“I promise to be ZEALOUS” – #BlogchatterA2Z 

On By Sweta KachhapIn Blogchatter Projects, Relationships1 Comment
Z is for ZEALOUS

“I promise to be ZEALOUS maintaining the same zest, enthusiasm and a sense of wonder, and never grow weary of each other.”

With this vow, we promise to always be willing to be investing the same amount of zeal, energy, and enthusiasm in our relationship with which we started out in the first place.

What does the vow mean?

Being zealous means showing active interest and enthusiasm in something. When you are being zealous it means you are ardently desirous of that thing to invest your time and wholeheartedly dive into it.

Why do we need to be ZEALOUS for a lasting and joyful marriage?

Being zealous is an attribute which though holds a very important place in a relationship it is the one that most relationship lacks. As we begin to get more comfortable in our relationship we tend to lose the fervour with which we once began the relationship. But it is up to us to maintain the same enthusiasm and ardour to keep the marriage thriving and happy.

So, when I say that “I promise to be zealous” it means that we are willing to go to any lengths keep the spark alive with the same passion, sense of wonder and eagerness with which we once started out.

Marriage requires us to be present for each other and actively interested. What’s a marriage when we’re not present for our spouse or seem disinterested in each other? Nobody wants a relationship that’s just for namesake. Marriage requires partners to be actively involved in each other’s biggest as well as the smallest joys and sorrows equally.

So, when I say that “I promise to be zealous” it also means that we are willing to keep the zing in the relationship alive and keep upping the oomph factor and continue to be desirous to each other.

With this, we come to an eventful month of blogging. You can find the opening post to the vows “What marriage means to me?” here and the previous vow with alphabet Y here.

Love,

Mrs. Sunshine

Views: 402

“I promise to be YIELDING” – #BlogchatterA2Z 

On By Sweta KachhapIn Blogchatter Projects, RelationshipsLeave a comment
Y is for YIELDING

“I promise to be YIELDING and willing to save the relationship instead of trying to win an argument.”

With this vow, we promise to always be willing to be submissive and allowing to be influenced by each other and give in to an argument rather than hurting the other in trying to win in a particular situation.

What does the vow mean?

A dictionary defines yielding as tending to give in, surrender or agree. People look upon yielding as a weakness when in fact in marriage it is the most courageous and powerful attribute. When you are willing to yield it means you care enough for the person and not the situation. The person matters more than the situation and therefore we find it more convenient to lose when winning can mean losing the person and the relationship.

Why do we need to be YIELDING for a joyful and lasting marriage?

Yielding in disagreements in marriage can really be transforming if you aim for a happy and peaceful marriage. Whether you’ve had an arranged marriage or a love marriage willingness to be yielding is one of the most important attribute in marriage. And since we have had an arranged marriage and we are still in the process of knowing each other better to be yielding becomes all the more important.

Coming from different backgrounds and having different sets of beliefs, faiths, ideas and opinions are bound to attract disagreements and conflicts. And our marriage, too, isn’t conflict-proof. No matter how happy we are or how strong our marriage is disagreements is too commonplace in our marriage too. And we are not of the belief as “don’t go to sleep angry”. In fact, we are a more of “sleep-it-off” couple.

When we have a conflict we can either choose to allow it to build up and get heated up or we can choose to step back and approach at the situation with a fresh perspective. By being stubborn we only build walls around us allowing us to wound us more deeply and to grow resentment. So, someone has to be yielding and being yielding doesn’t raise questions about our equality or make us any less important and valued than the other.

So, when I say “I promise to be yielding” it means that in an event of an impasse between us we are willing to reinvigorate by stepping back and returning back to the situation with a fresh perspective rather than nurse our own inflicted woundedness.

A divorce is never an option for us. We had decided very early on that we’ll make this work whatever it takes. Why? Because, there hasn’t been a single case of divorce in our community and we definitely don’t want to be the first. That’s motivation enough for us and more than anything we are in the marriage for everything forever and we are very clear about that.

So, when I say “I promise to be yielding” it also means that rather than making our marriage a power struggle we are willing to resist our urge to “win” arguments and disagreements, and manage our conflicts in a way that we both walk out of it feeling heard, respected and valued. Because, sometimes we need to lose if we want to win.

Keep watching the space for the next vow with alphabet Z. You can find the opening post to the vows “What marriage means to me?” here and the previous vow with alphabet X here.

Love,

Mrs. Sunshine

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