Kids Corner- Mushroom and Shrimp Noodles Recipe

Hi Mamas,

Let me share a quick and healthy recipe- Mushroom and Shrimp Noodles. I made it one afternoon, when I was looking for something new for my Li'l Champ's Lunch, which I could eat as well. So I found these fresh white button mushrooms and Frozen cooked shrimps in my fridge and out came this dish...

This is a family dish, which your toddler can eat as well with some variation in spice levels if required. Can be for Lunch, supper or dinner.

Serves: 2 Adults and 1 Toddler

Ingredients

Egg Noodles- 75 g

Water- 500 ml

Salt- 1/2 Tsp. or as per taste

Vegetable Oil/ Olive Oil- 1 Tsp.

Red Bell Pepper- 1/2 (diced)

Yellow Bell Pepper- 1/2 (diced)

White Button Mushrooms- 7-8 (finely chopped)

Onion- 1/2 Large (finely chopped)

Garlic- 2 cloves (finely chopped)

Cooked Shrimp (Frozen/ Fresh, de-tailed and de-veined)- 10-12 (diced)

Black Pepper- as per taste

Method

1. Boil the Egg Noodles with water, salt and oil to al dante. Meanwhile, cut and chop vegetables.

2. Add the Bell Peppers, Mushrooms, Onion and Shrimp along with black pepper and let it simmer to your preferred consistency.

3. Serve with Garlic Bread or as it is.

Time Required: 20 minutes (preparation and cooking)

Variations

1. You can remove any ingredient you don't like. 

2. May add more veggies like carrot, peas, broccoli or boiled and mashed egg.

3. Can substitute water with vegetable or chicken stock. 

4. Can substitute Shrimp with fish, minced chicken or any other meat.

Hope you enjoy this with your family and let me know how it turns out!

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Style Diva- Decoding your Personal Style- Natural Persona

Take the Style Quiz here

Natural Persona

What defines this Style?
Relaxed, Minimalistic, comfortable, easy to maintain, loose fitted, Casual, Functional, Practical

Personal Characteristics
Relaxed, Friendly, Informal, Easy going, Girl-next-door, not much concerned with fashion, most often a Mother! As Mums, we want to be as fuss free as possible atleast with our clothes, considering all the fuss and mess that we have to handle!

What do you like?

• Comfortable, loose fitting, easy to maintain clothes
• Minimal Accessories
• Light and muted colours
• Flat or low heel shoes
• Simple or no make up

Wardrobe Must Haves

Lots of Jeans, T-shirts, cargo pants, tank tops, Loose structured blazer, unstructured dresses, sneakers, fine accessories, sporty watches

To get the best out of your Style Personality
You tend to appear sloppy sometimes, avoid that with proper grooming and adding a bit of interest with some key pieces or colour.
Use light accessories like scarf, necklace strings to add a new dimension to an outfit.

Celebrities with Natural Style
Cameron Diaz, Julia Roberts, Jennifer Aniston.

Hope you have discovered your Style and Style Persona... try to get the best out of it and for any queries and concerns, please email me at nsur20@gmail.com
Would be happy to answer your concerns and will try to get the best out of your style!

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Style Diva- Decoding your Personal Style- Dramatic Persona

Take the Style Quiz here

Dramatic Persona

What defines this Style?
Bold, Glamorous or Sophisticated, Statement Pieces, Sharp silhouette

Personal Characteristics
Bold and Confident, Sensual and alluring, Sophisticated and authoritative and posses leadership qualities, add drama to your look, like to be center of attention, tall, sharp and angular facial features.

What do you like?

• Tailored and structured lines.
• Large, dramatic, styled design features and prints.
• Contrasting Colours
• Exotic, Unusual, Large Scaled accessories; often Statement pieces.
• Bold, defined make up!

Wardrobe Must Haves

Bold Colours, Statement Accessories like collars, necklaces, earrings, cocktail rings, Jackets with wide shoulders, Pumps, wide belts, structured skirts and dresses.

To get the best out of your Style Personality
Tone down on certain occasions with softer looks.
Wear only one statement piece or have only one focal point of your outfit
Balance the neckline and hemline i.e. lower neckline-lower hemline and vice versa to avoid looking trashy

Celebrities with Dramatic Style
Victoria Beckham, Lucy Liu, Dita Von Teese, Angelina Jolie, Naomi Campbell

Keep reading for Decoding other Style Personalities...

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Style Diva- Decoding your Personal Style- Creative Persona

Take the Style Quiz here

Creative Persona

What defines this Style?
Bold, Innovative, Unconventional, Original, Eclectic

Personal Characteristics
Bold and Confident, Artistic, Creative; Don't care about what others say!

What do you like?

• Play with colours, proportions, prints etc.
• Mix and match vintage with high street fashion, floral prints with checks, extreme colours etc..
• Creating Clashes in your garments and carrying it off well.
• Accessorizing anything with everything!

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Wardrobe Must Haves

Bold Colours, Different styles of clothes, printed everything, quirky details, clothes from different decades, basically whatever catches your fancy! and a few pieces of basic tops, t-shirts, shirts, jeans and trousers as a base for your creation.

To get the best out of your Style Personality
Confidence is the key for you! You either look good with this style or you don't. Create this style only if you think you can carry it off.
If you have a really small frame, avoid heavy layering, which could make you even smaller, if you can't then wear heels!

Celebrities with Creative Style
Lady Gaga, Rihana, Kate Moss, Sarah Jessica Parker.

Keep reading for Decoding other Style Personalities...

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Style Diva- Decoding your Personal Style- Classic Persona

Take the Style Test Here

Classic Persona

What defines this Style?
Timeless, Poised and Elegant, Mature, Respectable, Refined

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Personal Characteristics
Predictable, Organized, Reliable, Loyal. Send message of Authority and Maturity

What do you like?

• Neutrals and Muted colours as compared to brighter tones.
• Simple and classic cuts with minimal details.
• Never go to extremes of Style, colour and detailing.
• Turn out well groomed but not OTT.

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Wardrobe Must Haves

Tailored suits, Structured shift dress, tailored shirts, boot cut jeans and trousers, ballet flats, court shoes, refined minimalistic jewellery.

To get the best out of your Style Personality
Sometimes you tend to look older than you are due to monchromatic, muted colours. You can always add a bit of colour to your outfit through the use of accessories like necklace, scarf,  bags, shoes.
Classic mixed with Dramatic can give unbelievable results and can add a bit of unpredictability and glamour to your style.

Celebrities with Classic Style
 Kate Middleton, Jackie O, Chanel, Victoria Beckham, Audrey Hepburn, Michelle Obama.

Keep reading for Decoding other Style Personalities...

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Style Diva- Decoding your Personal Style- Romantic Persona

After taking the quiz on 'What's your Style?' and getting your results, you must have got some idea on your Personal Style. Now let's talk about each Style in detail to understand yourself better.
Take the Style Test Here

Romantic Persona

What defines this Style?
Feminine, Graceful, Soft and Pretty.

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Personal Characteristics
Caring, Nurturing and Soft spoken; make people around you feel comfortable.

What do you like?

• You like soft and draped fabrics with details like ruffles, bows, beads etc. 
• You are fond of dressing up and never leave without makeup. 
• You love floral fragrance and have a huge collection of that.
• Delicate, pretty and girly accessories

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Wardrobe Must Haves
Floral Prints, A-Line, Empire Line, Full skirts and dresses, Lace, chiffon blouse and tops, ballet flats, kitten heels, stilletos, Simple or elaborate delicate, fine jewellery, lacy and pretty underwear,

To get the best out of your Style Personality
You have to keep your choices looking tasteful and age appropriate if you want people to take you seriously specially in business situations.

Romantic when mixed with Classic adds femininity and class to business attire giving a softer look like adding a lace camisole to business suit .
Romantic with Dramatic can be sensual and seductive.

Celebrities with Romantic Style
 Nicole Kidman, Penelope Cruz, Eva Mendes

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Keep reading for Decoding other Style Personalities...

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Style Diva- What's your Style?

Your Personal Style is something that makes you- Uniquely You! You have a unique personality which makes your choice of clothes, accessories, colours and hairstyle seems right. Dressing according to your personality makes you feel comfortable about yourself.
Understanding your Personal Style can help you to dress up with ease, mix and match comfortably and present yourself well. We often go through various styles in different phases of our life and get over those as we move on and which is a good thing to do as well! But some of our qualities remain same and those are the ones which define us.
Take the following quiz and discover your Personal Style!

Instructions: For every question, mark all the suitable options. In the end count the number of a, b, c, d and e's to decipher your Style...

1. What defines you?
a. You like to express femininity
b. You like to appear well turned out but not too loud
c. For You, dressing up is an Art!
d. Follow the latest Fashion Trends
e. You choose Practicality over making a Statement

2. What colours do you like?
a. Soft colours like Pink and Peaches
b. Classic colour combinations
c. Strong and contrasting colours in unusual combinations
d. Bold colours
e. Neutrals, Not too bright

3. What kind of fabrics do you like? 
a. Crisp cotton, lace, net
b. Fine cotton, silk, cashmere
c. Fabrics with glitter and shine
d. Luxurious fabrics like Silk, crepe
e. Denim, Khaki, Cord, tweed

4. What kind of Prints and Details you like?
a. Floral and Feminine
b. Not the one with too many colours
c. Geometric and Ethnic
d. Animal Prints
e. Eye catching details but not over powering

5. You Prefer?
a. Soft Lines with bust and/or waist definition
b. Soft folds and Straight lines
c. Billowy lines and unusual silhouettes
d. Baby doll dresses and exaggerated style
e. loose fitting

6. How will you define your hair?
a. Softly curled with gentle movement
b. Timeless hairstyle which rarely change
c. Long curls or short and dramatic
d. Bold, well styled or Curled
e. Casual, unfussy

7. Your jewellery is...
a. Delicate- simple or elaborate
b. Classic fine jewellery
c. Bold/ Modern or Costume Jewellery
d. Bold and Striking
e. Made of wood, shells or stones

8. Your make up is...
a. Subtle with emphasis on eyes
b. Classy and predictable
c. Experimental
d. Dramatic- Striking Lips and Luscious Lashes
e. Minimal or no make up

9. How would you define your Style?
a. Feminine
b. Timeless/ Elegant/ Mature/ Refined
c. Unique/ Eclectic/ Unpredictable
d. Latest Fashion
e. Comfortable and fuss free.

10. Select all that is you
a. Always wear perfume
b. Buy quality over quantity
c. Sometimes appear inappropriately dressed
d. Find it difficult to tone down
e. Get bored by beauty routines.


RESULTS
After you have counted the a, b, c, d and e's, If you have-
More a's, your Style is Romantic
More b's, It's Classic
More c's is Creative
More d's is Dramatic
More e's is Natural
You could also be a combination of any of the two Styles above!

Now, if you are wondering what these words mean? Stay tuned and check out tomorrow's post on Decoding your Personal Style...
Till then, take care and discover yourself...
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Style Diva- Effortless Style

As I was talking about Style in my previous posts hope now we all agree that Style is not something which is the newest trend in the market rather Style is something which is very personal. Style defines you and it may not be the latest fashion but it is something which looks great on you!
Style should look effortless and should go with your personality, age and lifestyle. I would love to share some of my tips for being Effortlessly Stylish

• You can look stylish by wearing most simple outfit and accessories only make sure that they suit you and you feel comfortable in them.

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• A good haircut or style or a new hair-colour can instantly up your Style Quotient and give you a much needed change. But make sure it is something that goes with your face shape (hair cut and style) and the colour goes with your skin tone.

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• Wear well fitted clothes that enhance your positive features.
• Dress up according to age, occasion, body shape, personality and lifestyle.

^Image Credits: http://www.glamour.com

• No need to buy expensive designer labels, if you think something looks great on you, find a similar style in the local brands or street wear and in most cases, you will find it easier to do.
• Get yourself a regular manicure and pedicure. This will make your hands and feet look well cared for!

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• It is not necessary to go out every time with full made-up face, rather going with a natural make up can give you a fresh look!

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• Highlight only one feature on your face- eyes or lips.
• And last but not the least and the most important- SMILE. Nothing can look good on a grumpy face!

Keep reading for more on Style...

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Style Diva- Be Stylish not a Style Victim!

What is Style for you? Think and visualize... What do you see? Do you see some one with a perfect body wearing the latest design from the Runway with great accessories, stilettos and gorgeous hairdo.... enough.... open your eyes and face the world! Style does not come from 

• wearing the latest fashion or expensive high end designer labels; or 
• by feeling the need to display a designer label; or
• by wearing too short or too detailed or too revealing clothes; or
• by feeling the need to change your size either reducing or increasing; or
• basically by doing or wearing something, you are not comfortable with!

Being Stylish is being Confident and confidence comes from being comfortable with who and what you are. Each one of us can be stylish in our own way regardless of our age, size and bank balance; only if we understand our body, personality, age and lifestyle and then dress up keeping in mind all those factors. Style comes from being happy about yourself and from being self-assured. Having a positive self image will definitely lift you up and you will start feeling confident in what you are doing. But this doesn't also mean going to the other extreme and wearing old, worn out, ill-fitted clothes and proclaim that's your style and you feel happy about it! Being stylish also means 'pleasing to the eye- your's and other's'.

^Image Credits: http://www.glamour.com

Wearing something that is trendy, but if it doesn't work for you, your body and your lifestyle, will make you feel uncomfortable and you will seem to be nervous, self conscious and not sure about yourself... Imagine a young mom carrying her baby in one arm, wearing an off shoulder dress with glitters and shimmer (which is causing a lot of irritation to her baby and the baby is crying non stop), with 5 inches heels (she is unable to balance herself on those with all that is happening with her and her baby), and her hair styled in the latest up-do (which her baby is trying to pull out in frustration)...Can you imagine looking Stylish with all that going on with you??? I don't think so.... Although she is following the latest Fashion trends, but they don't match with her current lifestyle, so it's better not to wear those things and go back to some timeless classics that will sail you through any situation and look great too.

Don't follow Fashion blindly, fashion is nothing but trends, which come and go but Style is what will remain with you as a timeless element. You can always buy the latest fashion Staple but if you are not able to carry it off or it doesn't suit you, your lifestyle, your personality, your age... then remember, It's Not for You! Keep it Back on the Rack! Understanding what works for you when is the key to look good and feel great!

Style is not something that you have to be born with,

but something that everyone can develop!

What is Style for you? Do leave a comment....

Keep reading for some simple Tips on being stylish without breaking your back or your bank!

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Style Diva

We all want to look our best all the time. But when it comes to us... we mamas tend to forget that we are individuals as well and we have to dress up properly rather than wearing whatever comes to our hand. Don't let your baby's diaper bag replace your lovely hand bag and your mom-jeans replace a well fitted pair. I can understand that will happen for first few months but don't let that become a norm. Once you get settled down with your baby, start looking after yourself again. Another thing that would have happened would be the change in your body proportions this could be temporary (if you are lucky and able to shed off the baby building weight) or permanent. but don't let that bog you down from looking good. Start dressing according to your shape and develop a new style.
Let me introduce you all to yet another segment of the blog, which will feature all the issues related to dressing up and looking good and if you look good, you definitely will feel great!
Keep reading to revamp your wardrobe and style and discover your wonderful self which is hidden somewhere inside you! Connect on Facebook

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They say "Don't Judge a Book by its Cover, and a Person from his Clothes"

but in Today's worlds, we all know "Packaging" is equally important as the Product itself!

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Kids Corner- Age Appropriate Toys for 9-12 Month Olds

At this stage, your highly mobile baby as more curious than ever. He/she will now start exploring the unexplored (childproofing the house should be the first on your to-do list!). The child is now able to understand and recognize a lot of words and may also be able to blabber a couple of them. He/she now understands the cause and effect theory very well and will try to see 'what happens when I do this...?' (this could be anything from pressing the buttons on his musical toys or throwing one of your crystal vase on the floor...). The toys at this stage should help in developing his motor skills further, increasing his vocabulary and also for developing the problem solving skills. Some of them could be-

1. Activity Boards/Tables/Cubes
Still running strong, these toys can help in motor and intellectual development depending on the types of activities that are there in the toy.

2. Shape Sorters
Now the child will slowly start understanding the concept of shapes. And trying to figure out why a triangle block won't go through the circle opening will be a challenge for them and solving that will help to build up his problem solving skills.

3. Wooden or Soft Blocks
They are required for the same reason as in the previous stage of 6-9 months and also now you may see your child arranging the blocks in some interesting arrangement, this will boost his/her creativity.

4. Stacking Cups and Rings
The baby will understand the concept of big and small using these toys.

5. Push Toys
The child may start cruising around the house by now. He/she will love a toy that they can push around in the house. If there is no toy (even if there is...), be prepared for light pieces of furniture being moved around in the house.

6. Books
Again like previous stages, you can have board or cloth books. Now if you read to your li'l one, he/she would love to imitate your actions by flipping the pages and blabbering.

7. Soft Toys
These cute things will become even more likable by your li'l one. By this time, he/she may also have his favorite toy and his sleeping companion, his foodie buddy and what not. Interactive soft toys are even better.

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