I simply love this practice in my home. All you need is a simple chalk board or white board with dry erase markers. Share a sweet message when you can and enjoy reading sweet replies too. Thanks for visiting. Love and be loved!:))
Thursday, January 31, 2013
Thankful message board - A simple and creative idea to share smiles!
I simply love this practice in my home. All you need is a simple chalk board or white board with dry erase markers. Share a sweet message when you can and enjoy reading sweet replies too. Thanks for visiting. Love and be loved!:))
Monday, January 21, 2013
For the love of Botheration's!!
Amazing is the love we have for our botheration's,
Shred them on a piece of paper,
Sink them in ocean so deep,
Offer them to almighty to leave,
Throw them from mountain so high,
Bury them in soil away from our sight,
Tell mind to shut and be quiet,
No matter what we do....
They follow us truly with all their love and delight
Perfect companions from past,
Like a baggage that's there to last,
Sit quietly for a lazy cup of chai on a cold snowy night,
They open up like a book.. chapters sooo bright, with such a delight!
They sit by my side like a child ignored, naughty and bored,
Gazing at what I have to say,My love and dismay,
I know, I can ignore, overlook, disregard and even try to forget them.
Me and my botheration's...Best Friends Forever, we are here to stay!!
Saturday, January 19, 2013
"I belong to you"- Valentines Day art project!
Thursday, January 17, 2013
A beautiful, blissful and blessed prayer my daughters love:)
May I be safe and loved,
May I be happy and healthy,
May I be kind and caring,May I know that all is well!!
Sunday, January 6, 2013
The Roller Coaster!
Living life fully is like a roller coaster ride. There is a whirling. spinning, fast-paced perceptions, and adventure! If you are tense and holding on tight, resisting each turn, you will feel exhausted and sick at the end. But if you can relax and have faith that the builder of the ride made it for your fun and safety, then you feel thrilled, energized, and joyful!-Jeff Houk
Friday, January 4, 2013
Thursday, January 3, 2013
Wish you all a very Happy New Year with this colorful art Project!!
Well, we all survived the 21st, for a day I happily gave up on the household chores with no strings attached to winding up the daily routine. Relaxing though it was, it ended soon when reality called on super busy 22nd and not to mention the Holidays.
No matter how hard you try to keep kids busy there is no way you can stop them from saying what’s next? Are we there yet? What’s for snack? We are bored. I made a list of things I wanted to accomplish in the holidays with no running around and getting kids ready for classes. Well, I still have it with none check marked. I was so waiting for the holidays but when they started and where they went I have no idea. And as we approached the New Year I knew I was going to face another question that I have been dodging for years. What’s your resolution? No matter how hard I try to avoid this question it always finds me unprepared. I never understood this resolution thing for I believe each day and each moment is a new beginning.
However, there must be something in resolution. People follow it and find it so interesting to ask as well. So, I also thought about it. What is it that I want to change in myself? The funny part is I have a long list of things I can offer my husband for his resolutions but didn’t quite get mine. I asked him for help but he knew that’s trouble calling and wisely stayed out of this trap.
Left for myself to discover, I scribbled so many ideas and finally arrived at a very unusual one. The moment I wrote it, it took away tons of burden from me and made me feel very light at heart and soul. My strengths, my weaknesses, my fears and my inhibitions all found recognition.
All I wrote was I am going to accept myself the way I am. Acceptance relives us from the burden of who we want to be and let us live in the present moment. It did to me and will do it to you too. We all are like books in this world with each one of us playing a unique character in the story. Let’s be ourselves and play our roles that no one else can fulfill.
This month’s art project is love yourself the way you are. I selected the bird because they travel light.
What you will need
· Sequence
· Handmade paper
· Glue
· Pencil
· Scissors
Draw the basic design on the paper using pencil. Stick sequence on it using glue. This project has so many possibilities, explore yours!
Wish you all a very Colorful New Year!
Friday, December 21, 2012
The power of prayer and significance of various rituals and methods of performing hindu pooja (worship) - beautifully told by Sri Sri Ravi Shankar!
Q: Gurudev, there are so many different prayers in Hinduism. Some for Devi, some for Vishnu. In each prayer it is said that with regular recitation of the prayer one will be benefited. Now all prayers say the same thing, how do we know which one to follow?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: See, the first thing to understand is that God is One. No matter by what name you may call him, he is One. That is one thing.
Secondly, it is not true that God is pleased by listening to His Stuti (devotional songs or hymns sung in praise of God).
When you open the windows of your house, the sunlight just comes inside, isn't it?
If you close the windows of your house, do you think the sun will get angry with you? Will the sun suddenly stop giving sunlight if you do this? No!
Whatever prayer we do, we do it for our own happiness. We pray to uplift our own selves. We do not pray to please God.
People who think that they can please God by fasting are foolish. It is sheer ignorance.
Now, do not think that God will give you something very special if you worship him and pray. Yes, if you pray, you will surely get the fruits of your prayer because that is the law of nature. Just like how, when you open the windows, the sunlight will surely come into the house and when the sunlight comes you will get the benefits for sure.
See, God anyways loves you very much. But to grow to love God just as He loves you, that is what devotion really is and this is the essence of prayer.
Pooja means that which is born out of fullness and completeness. To express a heart which is overflowing with so much gratitude and joy, Pooja is done.
‘Dear God, I am so grateful and blessed. You have given me so much in abundance’ – to express this feeling, we do Pooja.
When such a feeling arises within us, then some action inevitably gets linked with it also. One simply cannot resist expressing this deep feeling of gratitude.
For example, when you meet a very close friend of yours, you shake hands and pat his back to express your affection. This is very common in Punjab (a state in North India). So in this way, we express our love towards each other by doing some sort of action.
In the same way, when a devotee is so in love with the Divine, he wishes to do something or give something to the Divine. This is why our ancestors developed the various rituals and methods of performing Pooja. So, whatever we have received from the Divine, we offer it back to him.
God has given you flowers, so you also offer flowers back to Him with a prayer that may our hearts also blossom just as abundantly towards Him. God gave us water, so we offer water to Him during Pooja, with the feeling that we too should become humble like water and bring coolness to everyone. Like water, we too should have a foundation in life (just as water is the vital element and basis of life). So we pray that our life too becomes like this.
We also offer Akshat (whole unbroken rice grain) to the Divine because it is a symbol of never ending abundance. The rice grain does not break ever. Scientists have said that matter and energy can never be created nor be destroyed. Similarly also for the rice grain because it never gets destroyed or damaged. When we eat rice, it provides energy and nourishment to us and is absorbed by our body. And upon death, when our body is cremated and returns to the Earth element, the same rice grain after sometime grows from the Earth and becomes ready as food for consumption. When the body turns into ash, the ash becomes food for many fishes which in turn become the food for many other human beings again. So this happens again and again in Nature. When you bury the body under the Earth, the body dissolves away into the five elements.
Similarly we offer Chandan (sandal paste) also, with the feeling that its fragrance spreads everywhere. All our five senses which bring sensory experiences and pleasure to us – the eyes, the ears, the nose, the tongue and the skin have certain sense functions and substances associated with them. So all the substances and objects that bring joy or pleasure to these five senses are also given as sacred offering in the Pooja. We ring the holy bell during the Pooja because due to the sound that is produced, the mind is freed of all thoughts from here and there, and settles in the present moment. Then the mind comes in harmony with the Naad – the single sound in the environment during the Pooja. Therefore, to focus and channel the mind, many drums, trumpets and cymbals are also played during the Pooja. Such a loud sound causes the mind to come into the present moment.
Camphor is burnt to perform Aarti (circular movement or display of the lamp in reverence before the deity or the idol) before the deity. Just as God rotates the sun and the moon around you, you imitate the same and thus offer and move the small camphor lamp before God to bring joy to you. This is also to express the prayer that the light of our life should never go astray from God and should always be centered and revolve around God. It is with this deep feeling that you perform aarti. In the whole of India, people everywhere perform the aarti but do not know the deeper meaning behind it.
Aarti means the highest and the greatest possible bliss. It represents the fact that the Divine is the greatest source of joy. When our hearts overflow with such intense love and devotion that every particle of our body is soaked in it, then that is what aarti really is. Aarti is that which gives you total contentment. It is made up of two parts: ‘Aa-’ and ‘rati’. ‘Rati’ means joy, bliss and ecstasy. So when we are full of such kind of devotion and bliss - that is called Aarti. So we perform aarti with the prayer that our lives should also be filled with the ecstasy of devotion, such that we see God everywhere we look. This is called Pooja. Pooja is never done to flatter or please God.
But in our country, people go and feed sweets to the idol of the deity, so much so that the face of the deity is spoilt. Then you are unable to see the eyes, nose and the mouth of the idol. Furthermore, they offer flowers to every deity’s picture or idol with fear and guilt that if they offer to a flower to Lord Hanuman and not to Lord Shiva, then Lord Shiva will get angry and punish them. All sorts of superstitions arise in the mind. This is why it is said that you must have only one Ishtadevta (referring to the tradition of having a prime or central deity for worship and devotion). All others deities are simply divine forms of the same Divinity. The essence is to see One Divinity in everyone and everyone as part of One Divinity. That is what it is.
For more wisdom posts visit www.artofliving.org
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: See, the first thing to understand is that God is One. No matter by what name you may call him, he is One. That is one thing.
Secondly, it is not true that God is pleased by listening to His Stuti (devotional songs or hymns sung in praise of God).
When you open the windows of your house, the sunlight just comes inside, isn't it?
If you close the windows of your house, do you think the sun will get angry with you? Will the sun suddenly stop giving sunlight if you do this? No!
Whatever prayer we do, we do it for our own happiness. We pray to uplift our own selves. We do not pray to please God.
People who think that they can please God by fasting are foolish. It is sheer ignorance.
Now, do not think that God will give you something very special if you worship him and pray. Yes, if you pray, you will surely get the fruits of your prayer because that is the law of nature. Just like how, when you open the windows, the sunlight will surely come into the house and when the sunlight comes you will get the benefits for sure.
See, God anyways loves you very much. But to grow to love God just as He loves you, that is what devotion really is and this is the essence of prayer.
Pooja means that which is born out of fullness and completeness. To express a heart which is overflowing with so much gratitude and joy, Pooja is done.
‘Dear God, I am so grateful and blessed. You have given me so much in abundance’ – to express this feeling, we do Pooja.
When such a feeling arises within us, then some action inevitably gets linked with it also. One simply cannot resist expressing this deep feeling of gratitude.
For example, when you meet a very close friend of yours, you shake hands and pat his back to express your affection. This is very common in Punjab (a state in North India). So in this way, we express our love towards each other by doing some sort of action.
In the same way, when a devotee is so in love with the Divine, he wishes to do something or give something to the Divine. This is why our ancestors developed the various rituals and methods of performing Pooja. So, whatever we have received from the Divine, we offer it back to him.
We also offer Akshat (whole unbroken rice grain) to the Divine because it is a symbol of never ending abundance. The rice grain does not break ever. Scientists have said that matter and energy can never be created nor be destroyed. Similarly also for the rice grain because it never gets destroyed or damaged. When we eat rice, it provides energy and nourishment to us and is absorbed by our body. And upon death, when our body is cremated and returns to the Earth element, the same rice grain after sometime grows from the Earth and becomes ready as food for consumption. When the body turns into ash, the ash becomes food for many fishes which in turn become the food for many other human beings again. So this happens again and again in Nature. When you bury the body under the Earth, the body dissolves away into the five elements.
Similarly we offer Chandan (sandal paste) also, with the feeling that its fragrance spreads everywhere. All our five senses which bring sensory experiences and pleasure to us – the eyes, the ears, the nose, the tongue and the skin have certain sense functions and substances associated with them. So all the substances and objects that bring joy or pleasure to these five senses are also given as sacred offering in the Pooja. We ring the holy bell during the Pooja because due to the sound that is produced, the mind is freed of all thoughts from here and there, and settles in the present moment. Then the mind comes in harmony with the Naad – the single sound in the environment during the Pooja. Therefore, to focus and channel the mind, many drums, trumpets and cymbals are also played during the Pooja. Such a loud sound causes the mind to come into the present moment.
Camphor is burnt to perform Aarti (circular movement or display of the lamp in reverence before the deity or the idol) before the deity. Just as God rotates the sun and the moon around you, you imitate the same and thus offer and move the small camphor lamp before God to bring joy to you. This is also to express the prayer that the light of our life should never go astray from God and should always be centered and revolve around God. It is with this deep feeling that you perform aarti. In the whole of India, people everywhere perform the aarti but do not know the deeper meaning behind it.
Aarti means the highest and the greatest possible bliss. It represents the fact that the Divine is the greatest source of joy. When our hearts overflow with such intense love and devotion that every particle of our body is soaked in it, then that is what aarti really is. Aarti is that which gives you total contentment. It is made up of two parts: ‘Aa-’ and ‘rati’. ‘Rati’ means joy, bliss and ecstasy. So when we are full of such kind of devotion and bliss - that is called Aarti. So we perform aarti with the prayer that our lives should also be filled with the ecstasy of devotion, such that we see God everywhere we look. This is called Pooja. Pooja is never done to flatter or please God.
But in our country, people go and feed sweets to the idol of the deity, so much so that the face of the deity is spoilt. Then you are unable to see the eyes, nose and the mouth of the idol. Furthermore, they offer flowers to every deity’s picture or idol with fear and guilt that if they offer to a flower to Lord Hanuman and not to Lord Shiva, then Lord Shiva will get angry and punish them. All sorts of superstitions arise in the mind. This is why it is said that you must have only one Ishtadevta (referring to the tradition of having a prime or central deity for worship and devotion). All others deities are simply divine forms of the same Divinity. The essence is to see One Divinity in everyone and everyone as part of One Divinity. That is what it is.
For more wisdom posts visit www.artofliving.org
Thursday, December 20, 2012
Stop complaining..take some action!!
It is easier to light a candle...than to keep cursing the darkness!!
Wednesday, December 19, 2012
Sunday, December 16, 2012
Have faith...
The goodness will overcome the evil and...
The faith can accomplish miracles!!
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
Pillars of Christmas come alive with art!
Project featured in Times-Republican
Christmas is in the air! Our hearts
are poured with so much joy and excitement.
Bright stars, color red, fir trees, glowing
candles, bows, jingle bells, candy canes and the wreath remind us all to be
grateful for the gift of purity and eternal love.
As we started getting the Christmas
greetings ready for friends and family this year, we drew various designs. None
satisfied my older one. She kept looking for more in meaning, significance and
message. Finally, we came up with this design; we called it the pillars of
Christmas.
What you will need
· Star
· Markers
· Crayons
· Glue
· Sequence
· Glitters
· Other Christmas craft supplies available
Stick star using glue. Write Joy, Love, Peace, Magic, Believe, Sacrifice,
Faith, Hope and Christmas for the tree. Use a crayon or marker to draw an impression
of trunk. For a sparkly effect stick sequence,
glitter and other craft supplies available.
You can add more words. For a large group make it even more fun by
getting everyone involved in this project. Let everyone pick and decorate a
word that defines Christmas for them. Now arrange all of them in a shape of
Christmas tree. Be creative and let your imagination shine through your work.
Wish you all a holiday season that shines
as bright as the star of Bethlehem!
Thanks for visiting and have a colorful day:)
Tuesday, November 6, 2012
Wish you all a joyful and colorful season with love and happiness around!
 |
| Project using scraps! |
Be Creative! Reduce, Reuse, Reconsider, Recycle:)
Wednesday, October 31, 2012
Joyful napkin holders - A simple, fun and creative Thanksgiving project!
Project featured in Times-Republican!
All you need is
·
Paper towel tube
·
Handmade or construction or scrapbook paper
·
Glue
·
Scissors
·
Photos
Cut paper towel tube 1-1/2 inches wide. Stick colorful construction paper on it using glue. You can also stick pumpkin seeds around. Print photos and trim them into 1- ½ inch squares. Cut handmade paper in 2 inches squares for an impression of border. Now, stick photos on handmade paper. Stick them on paper towel tube using glue. Insert napkin.
Thanks for visiting and have a colorful day!!
Friday, October 19, 2012
Simply Inspiring!
 |
| Be more - Set thyself free! |
Do not fear failure. Do not let negative experiences- and there are always plenty- get in your way. In your life, many things-especially the biggest heartbreaks-will only make sense as you look back, not as you are experiencing them. Many of what seem at the time to be your biggest setbacks will end up leading to your biggest opportunities, and in ways you can’t predict. So don’t let that voice of doubt-the obnoxious roommate in your head- have the last word. As Montaigne said “There are many terrible things in my life, but most of them never happened.”
Arianna Huffington
Editor-in-chief of the Huffington Post Media Group.
Thursday, October 18, 2012
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
Create your own wall of fame from memorable moments - A colorful art project!
Project featured in Times-Republican!
Festivities are about to start, shelves are loaded with stuff and hearts with feelings. Getting together with everyone brings joy but also comes with a baggage. Nothing comes without some side effects!
Let’s make a way into this festive season being us and taking a pride in the decisions we have made and priorities we have chosen. Life will be way easier and fun if we all can play our roles being ourselves. We all are trying to climb this high ladder in life. Take a short break and look at how far we have come, get a stock of what we have gained and lost.
For the journey ahead pack a fresh bag with learning’s and beautiful memories, forget regrets and mistakes. After all who wants to carry dirty laundry to a new journey?
This month’s project is create your own wall of fame.
Take a stock of memorable and beautiful moments out of your life. Collect what you have left of it and create a beautiful collage. It brings so much joy to heart and motivation to see our achievements in life at a glance. Give yourself the credit you deserve before you set out to achieve more and get too busy to acknowledge yourself!
What you will need
• Canvas• Pallet knife
• Pencil
• Acrylic paints and glue
• Markers
• Glitters
• Sequence
Draw basic design using pencil. Using pallet knife cover the canvas with base paint, add a touch of various colors. Mix acrylic paints with glue and glitter and fill the design using paint brush. Be playful with colors, add sequence and glitters. When dry, touch up using markers. The base design is ready. You can now write quotes with markers and add pictures.
Thanks for visiting and have a colorful day!
Monday, October 1, 2012
Pumpkins - super fun and creative fall art project using finger paints!
- Card stock
- Finger paints
- Crayons
- Paint brush
- Paper plate
- Pour paint in a paper plate.
- Generously dip index finger in paints and make impressions on card stock for pumpkins.
- For stems, dip paint brush in green paint and dab. You can also use markers or crayons.
- Touch up using crayons.
Wednesday, September 26, 2012
Friday, September 21, 2012
Edible
 |
| Dream catcher! |
My pockets are green peas.
My blue jeans are grape popsicles.
My socks are cottage cheese.
I have vanilla ice cream shoes
with limp spaghetti bows.
I wish I could eat everything,
but then I'd have no clothes!
For art work go to http://colormehappyworkshop.blogspot.com/2012/02/dream-catcher-my-daughters-colorful.html
Thanks for visiting and have a colorful day!
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