Nirupama P.R.V.'s Blog: Catty Opinions of a Book Loving Couch Potato, page 29
January 18, 2018
2017 Review: Stats & Insights
Data and Analytics are trending buzzwords today. I should know, I am a freelancing one myself. One of the advantages of having a WordPress blog is that you get to view your site statistics in one place. What better way to kick off another year of blogging than learning from the performance of the past year?
So, today’s post is a review of 2017, a look at my year of blogging.
First and foremost, a look at the Top Pages and Posts:
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This year my Book review posts did very well as did my post on ‘10 Ways to Read a book or more- before 2018‘. It helped that I had linked it on my Twitter bio and many flocked to accomplish their reading goals before the year ended.
Next most important aspect are Referrers:
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As imagined, WordPress Reader ranked number one. Thank you dear readers for your confidence and time.
It also seems like Search Engines led readers to me. Which is interesting this year, as my biggest fan, my mom has bookmarked my blog. So, someone else is either searching for me or being misled to me. Either way, I am happy. So, if you are reading this article and have mistakenly landed here: Thank you for your time and patience. 
January 8, 2018
January 2, 2018
About Me 2017
Every year I update my “About Me” and re-post the content of the previous one. It’s a nice way to look back at my writing, life, goals and voice and look forward to the New Year. Plus, it’s a brilliant hack to add a post with minimal effort. There is effort involved obviously in updating the fresh About Me page, but as my most viewed page, it’s worth it.
Here goes- About Me 2017!
Welcome to my blog!
This is my space to write about everyday adventures, travels and opinions on anything and everything! Books, movies, places, experiences, revelations: I share all this and more on this blog along with my Eureka moments. This blog pretty much serves as a record of my musings and growth as I try to tackle life as a curious thirty year old, mom and budding writer!
As a helpful heads-up, dominant on this blog are:
Lists: since I love lists of all kinds!
Book reviews : of whatever I read. (so, it might be old!)
Crafts and activities: because creativity and engagement are a mom’s best tools
Motherhood related thoughts: as I am a dragon mom (You have been warned!)
Philosophical ramblings: Read tagline again!
Blogging has been a great channel for me to gain new perspectives, find inspiration, learn many lessons, and capture my thoughts. (and yes, inflict my many opinions too!)
So, why do you blog? Do let me know in the comments below and many thanks for stopping by!
Filed under: Life Tagged: AboutMe, Blogging, Book Reviews, Crafts, goals, Inspiration, Lists, motherhood, New Year, Philosophy, Writing
January 1, 2018
December 21, 2017
Winter Play Activity Book
Winter vacation has begun for T today and as soon as the clock struck 9, I wondered how best to keep her engaged.
Enter the Choice Activity book. T loves coloring. So , we both colored on these little pages from a Dollar tree notepad. While she made her favorite items, I drew thirty activities with her playthings that she could choose from. A la restaurant menu.
It was fun for her and me because I had to rack my brains for the last five. Plus, it had to be reasonably identifiable.
Front page: that can also be colored
Activities to choose from: 
Mix of creative, imaginative and physical activities :
Includes only existing toys: the “mousetrap” is a fun boards game by Elefun and Friends and not a rodent exterminator tool! 
Activities include educational and development items: 
Point was to give a choice and have fun too:
I hope to have T color/ check off each item in these holidays. The advantages of this little booklet are:
I have a list of activities and don’t need to rack my brains for ideas
It serves as a fun list for T to choose and follow instead of feeling bored and indecisive.
It can be colored and is small enough to carry around.
It is easy to add to if we do come up with other items we want to add
I hope to share the resuls (success and Lessons) in the new Year, which means more materials for blog posts
How are you planning to spend the Christmas vacations? Share your thoughts and tactics in the comments below.
Filed under: Life Tagged: Activities, Arts, Books, Creativity, Fun, fun activities list for holidays, Games, ideas for play activities checklist., Inspiration
December 15, 2017
Winter Wandering
This week’s post is a round up of some of the winter activities we have been up to now that Icy Blasts have arrived in Chicago.
Visit Northbrook Court:
This mall is beautiful, not very crowded and has lovely spaces. Photo-ops for Insta and FB are amazing. Plus, it’s enclosed and cozy.
For the Kiddos, revel in this lovely Treehouse Play Area:
Premium Outlets:
A great spot for Shopping and Fun. While the open layout will necessitate bundling up, it does have a lot of places selling hot chocolates and coffee, so that should keep you warm and happy.
Navy Pier:
While downtown does get bitterly cold, the newly renovated Navy Pier is amazing. Enclosed Ferris Wheels and the amazing Winter Womderland were loads of Frozen Fun.
Loads of rides ensures that we all had great fun. While not the same league as Disney or SixFlags, it was splendid amusement for the cost.
We also had fun identifying a few trees like Cookie Monster and Wonder Woman.
Though we did not visit, the Eric Carle Exhibit is another reason parents can go to Navy Pier with the tots.
With Christmas holidays approaching, I am always scouting for activities to do with T and places to go that are fun for the whole family. Share your suggestions in the comments below.
Filed under: Life Tagged: Activities, Chicago, Fun, Malls, Play, Travel, Winter, Winter Wonderland
December 11, 2017
December 6, 2017
168 Hours by Laura Vanderkam
This post is a review of Laura Vanderkam’s bestselling book – “168 Hours: You Have More Time than You Think”.
Overview
This is a book on time management. But if there is one point that encapsulates its usefulness and practicality, then it has to be the tagline itself. The idea that we should
to view time in 168 hours: the number of hours we all have in a week.
Not a day, or two or typical working hours or even the weekend- but a whole week! The writer herself points out: it is large enough to be useful and flexible, but short enough to be relevant and easy to schedule.
[image error]Key Take-aways:
I found the book very helpful and practical. Below is a list of the points that wowed me or resonated with me:
Busyness:
Vanderkam elaborates on the trap of ‘busyness’. We work hard but not at the tasks that will help us get ahead. Recognizing this tendency is imperative to succeed. Being busy doing the work that matters is what will help us get ahead in our careers, better our relationships and lead amazing lives. I also got another addition on my book list : Brigid Schulte’s “Overwhelmed“.
Priority:
One of the ways to have more time is to focus on our priorities and goals. These should determine where and when and how we spend our time. I loved how the author suggests using the phrase ‘Not a Priority‘ instead of ‘Don’t have time’ in our conversations. She mentions this same point in her famous TED talk.
Time Tracking:
This is a simple but powerful exercise that helps understand how we actually spend time. As someone who has tracked her time repeatedly for stretches of a month each (Laura Vanderkam has personally followed tracked her time for over two years); it was eye opening to observe how and where I was spending time. It also highlighted periods I engage in mindless activity, times I get distracted easily, and gave me a better estimate of how much time my daily tasks actually consume. Plus, knowing what typical days look like is super useful to schedule and plan.
[image error]Think about your day and goals?
Success Stories
The examples of real people and anecdotes help reinforce the concepts and act as motivating factors. Seriously, if so many people with two jobs and kids can do it, there must be a way. What I also enjoyed was the underlying message, that the techniques are merely guidelines, and that we need to tweak this system based on our life: our work, schedules, family, needs, commitments and so on.
Add Value
One solid piece of advice is to recognize our strengths and traits that make us special. There are certain tasks that only we can accomplish : tasks that only we add value to. In order to reclaim many hours of our life, the writer suggests taking a long, hard look at the chores we do. Unless it is an activity only we can add value to, she advises to delegate, outsource or completely nix the activity. She also adds that not all chores can be held to this principle. But even if we phase off one or two large tasks, that can gift us a significant amount of time to pursue more impactful and higher priority work.
[image error]My Value Add: Cooking can wait, Memories can’t!
Plan
Planning our free time is a marvelous tip included in the book. The writer shares that unless we consciously plan activities and leisure time pursuits, any spare minutes or even hours we recover will be lost in mindless distractions. Hence, it is necessary to keep handy a list of things we want to do in our spare time, classified further by the time needed for completion for each of those. This way, when we get time, based on how much we have; we can use it wisely to improve and recharge ourselves.
[image error]Planning for Spare Moments with my Library App
Points to Ponder/ Next Steps:
Tasks to delete/ delegate/ teach T
Write down activities for Spare Moments
Review:
I consider 168 Hours more than a book: it is a fantastic guide for anyone looking to improve their life and manage their time wisely. Laura Vanderkam’s blog and website have many more tips and are treasure troves of information. The author is also an inspiration because she practices what she preaches in her own challengingly busy daily life : one hectic work schedule involving plenty of travel, four kids, an equally busy executive spouse, pets and friends. Her techniques of keeping priorities and staying focussed definitely work to make the most of our time and life!
Filed under: Book Review Tagged: Books, Laura Vanderkam, learning, Spare Moments, Time Management
December 4, 2017
November 29, 2017
7 Reasons to Visit Libraries
This post could well be titled ‘7 Ways to use Libraries’ or ‘7 Ways to Entertain your Kids for free!’
We all know that libraries are amazing and useful. They’re also free (like in the United States) or nominal (India). But do we actually use them to the fullest? Sadly no.
I am writing this post because with so much digitization, libraries are getting stereotyped. They’re often thought of as ancient institutions that little kids are dragged to, students grudgingly visit and seniors lounge in. When the fact is far from it. Libraries are cool and hip and happening. Read on to find out 7 things to do at libraries a.k.a get your money’s worth! [It’s never free- if nothing, they run on your taxes!]
1 Books
This one is easy and the first one that comes to mind. But do you know that libraries also have ‘Hold‘ and ‘InterLibrary‘ facilities? When you start thinking of a library as a network of institutions, the possibilities of resources and access really open up. Just ask your librarian. From suggestions to booklists, there is a lot of information waiting to be collected. You can also suggest purchases to your library staff and depending on the budget and feasibility, you can get your hands on the materials you need.
2 Kid friendly spaces
This point should have been anticipated on this ‘almost-Mommy’ blog. Most people conjure up images of a shushing bespectacled librarian when they think of libraries. Hardly the sort of place that is inviting for children. Well, time for a reality check! Most libraries are kid-friendly. Unless, it is a college library, you will have at least one designated area that encourages children to be as they should be: free to imagine and play.
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3 Imagination Incubation Centers
Whether you are an adult or a mere tyke, just let your imagination soar. Step into new worlds whether it is a by checking out a new genre, or through helpful suggestion by the staff, or perusing the newest arrivals or peeking at your fellow member’s materials (of course it’s okay to do that. Just do it nicely!) You can even strike up a conversation (yes, in real life) and discuss materials and views and who knows what might rise to life?
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4 Toys
If your library carries toys or board games or gaming DVDs, hurray! That’s more savings! And if you do have those toys, show your kid how popular they are. And proceed with the old ‘I-have-it‘ possession-pride trick! Every kid feels special that they have their ‘own, personal, just-for-me’ set. (even adults fall for this one!) Another reason to look at the toys section is that we parents/ care givers can actually get inspired with new ideas to use our existing toys. I totally got inspired to use T’s infinite set of soft toys to do puppet shows (a fabulous tantrum-soother) and teach sizing from our librarian.
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5 Sense of Accomplishment
Children thrive on responsibility and accomplishment. Libraries are perfect for this. Kids can be good little helpers by carrying books and assisting in checking them out. Unlike at a grocery store where accidents cause damage. They can practice reading aisel and book titles and signs (even if it “restrooms”. That is a perfectly legit word. Take a deep breath and just say Good Job!) They can practice making choices (Disney or Marvel). All librarians coo in appreciation at children returning books. So, they get encouraged to read more. If they finish an event or program, even better. It’s a non-competitive way for kids to get a sense of accomplishment. Or if it’s a particularly trying day with the offspring(/s)- a good place to spend time until bedtime.
Pro Tip 1:
Email/ message Grandparents the list of books your child read. Nothing beats the fuss a proud grandma and grandpa can make. Click an image of the checked-out list or set with your angel to save time.
Pro Tip 2:
Assign a sticker for each book read/ read aloud. Or cut out a star/circle and write the book’s name and display it. As your child reads more, add a star or circle to make a the constellation or caterpillar grow. This idea is from my child’s Pre-K class and always a fun craft to do.
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6 Events
Libraries host several events throughout the year from Lapsit times to Story times to Read-a-thons. Pick one you and your family might enjoy and have fun. Or simply get a bunch of friends together and start your own book club at the library. Who says kids can’t have a book club? Or start one for grown-ups and you can have fun too!
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7 Electronic Media
Libraries also have a large store of digital equipment depending on the size of its audience and budget. These include DVDs, gaming CDs, devices (may or may not be permitted to be borrowed home), ebooks, audiobooks, and so on. You can also access their free wi-fi (cheaper and healthier than coffee/fries at coffeehouses/food chains). Some libraries like ours, have conference rooms you can hire for meetings and studios for recording. (Yes, for free).
ProTip 3:
If your library carries Ebooks, check if they also have digital media for kids. These are perfect to reduce the strain of long winters/ wait times in long queues and keep kids meaningfully engaged. I myself carry Caillou ebooks on my Library app and prefer Disney/PBS DVDs to YouTube.
[image error]BONUS: Freebies & Discounts (as applicable)
Libraries have tie-ups with a lots of institutions making your membership worth more even outside. Check if you can get limited access to Lynda.com, bookstores and more using your registration. Also, children’s programs and discounted hours at public attractions are usually advertised on library bulletins. So, enquire with the staff regularly or get on their email list.
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Which of these 7 reasons to visit libraries do you like the most? Any more that I missed? Share your own reasons and pro-tips in the comments below.
Filed under: Life Tagged: Activities, Books, Creativity, Fun, Games, Grandparents, Inspiration, Library
