Dreams!! A beautiful poem by my 2nd grader:)

Dreams may come true,

Dreams may not come true,

But always remember,

A dream is a part of you!!

Khushi Pasrija

Wish you all a colorful and joyful spring!

Mom, "Do you love me"?

Yes baby! Loads and Loads...

You want to hear a joke?
Yes, I do

"An elephant was riding on an ant" followed by so much fun filled giggles.

Well, the fun thing is it’s probably the hundredth time I am listening to this. Not, in a week, not in a day...but in an hour!

Thinking of this, I am really looking forward to the spring break...Is there something like a survival guide for holidays. Even social media is loaded with updates from moms like me wondering what their fate holds this spring break or how are they going to deal with this special bonding time. I tell you, time flies so fast and soon spring break will look like a piece of cake in front of summer vacation;)

Well, all I can say is luck favors the prepared mind. So, get equipped with the ideas and activities that will keep the little minds occupied...

Wish you all colorful and fun filled times! Here is silly a joke for you that I am trying to answer from past few months...Why did chicken cross the road??  Looks like I have a choice here. Keep wondering why he did or join the laughter club! Laughter sounds better for nowJ.

Strawberries - Fun art project using Potato stamps!

 Project featured in Times-Republican

What you will need

• Potato

• Knife
• Paper
• Pencil
• Poster paints
• Paint brush

Wash a potato. Cut it in half. Draw a pattern on the cut surface of half potato. You can also draw another pattern on the other half. With a knife cut away any potato that is not part of the pattern. After you do this, the shape you are going to print will be raised from the rest of the potato. Cover the raised part with a light coat of poster paint. Lightly press the potato on a sheet of paper, when the pattern fades, paint the potato again. Finish by making stem n leaves using paintbrush.

Thanks for visiting. Have a berry sweet day!!

Blow painting - Fun art project using straw!

Project featured in Times-Republican!

What you will need

• Paints
• Paper

• Straw

• Stencils (optional)
• Paint brush

Squeeze little dabs of flowing colorful kid’s paints or take them out using paintbrush on a piece of paper. If the paints are thick then add some water so they can easily move when blown. Enjoy cool effects by blowing paint using straw.

Thanks for visiting!

Have a funfilled and colorful day. Be awesome today:))

  

Impression art - Fun art project pressing paints

Project featured in Times-Republican

What you will need

• Paper stock
• Paints ( poster and acrylic)

This project is so easy, so fun and creates magnificent details. The first thing you need to do is figure out in your mind what you will like to create....Flowers, butterflies, birds, trees, dragons.

Fold paper in half. Now, generously pour the colorful dabs of paint on one side of paper using your imagination. Press the other half gently and let the paint make its impressions on other sheet. Open up gently like you are opening a book. Try a mix of both poster and acrylic paints for captivating details. Enjoy the art:)

Be colorful today! Thanks for visiting:))

We are all part of something bigger...and we are all part of it together!

www.artofliving.org

If every child in the world learns a bit about all cultures, a little bit about all values, the whole scenario will be different. It does not matter what color or race you are, what matters is a sense of belongingness with the whole world!!

Sri Sri

INK - Visual Art!

Love and be loved!!

Featured in Times-Republican!

No matter which part of world or which religion you belong to, Valentines is on the roll everywhere. Love is a global phenomenon. There are millions of things you can love and millions of way to show it too.

Love is the basic necessity! From the moment we are born we learn to love and be loved. For a new born it does not matter what toys, clothes, and nursery they are in. The gentle nurturing, love and warm embrace of parents makes them feel loved and secure.

Unfortunately, our wish list rises as we grow and we start replacing love and security with material things. Only if those beautiful things in the stores could have bought happiness, I tell you the world would have been the happiest place with no one sad, depressed and lonely.

Have you ever wondered how many flowers, greetings, cakes, gifts, chocolates, candies etc. get bought every year to celebrate love on Valentine’s Day?

The essence of love is from us and the comfort of knowing that we are loved and someone is there for us no matter what is irreplaceable.

This Valentine’s Day don’t forget to tell your loved ones that you belong to them.

Here are some wonderful ideas to share laughter’s, happiness and sweet moments together on this special day.

1. Personalized notepads and bookmarks

All you need is

• Note pad
• Sequins
• Buttons
• Markers
• Glue

Stick sequence or buttons on the bottom of notepad using glue. Use markers to add a touch and write a message.

2. Thankful message board – 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.

3. Heart stamped rocks -

All you need is

• Rocks

• Paints

• Pencil

• Paint brush

Clean the rocks with water and let them dry. Paint the rocks using pastel shades. When dry draw a heart using pencil and fill with bright color.

4. A wall full of loving moments –

What you will need

• Colorful construction paper

• Tape

• Scissors

• Heart stencil

• Pencil

• Pictures

Using stencil draw hearts on construction paper. Cut them using scissors. Stick pictures you love on them using tape. Now stick those hearts on the wall using tape. Relive the beautiful memories. You can also hang these picture hearts on jute twig using clothes pin.

5. Create your own personalized piece of art by using old crayons.

All you need is

• Card stock

• Crayon stubs

• Pencil

• Glue

• Markers

• Scissors

Remove any wrapping from crayons. Using scissors trim uneven crayon stubs. Sketch a heart on card stock using pencil. Outline with glue and stick crayons.

Wish you all a colorful Valentines. Love and be loved!

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!:))

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

Amazing is the love of our botheration's for us...

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!

I told them I am busy for now...will catch up later somehow,

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!!

"I belong to you"- Valentines Day art project!

How about telling "I am yours" and "I belong to you" this valentines...than asking to "Be mine":)

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!!

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

Just Know....

What we Resist........Persists!

Wish you all a very Happy New Year with this colorful art Project!!

Featured in Times-Republican!

Well, we all survived the 21^st, 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 22^nd 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!

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

Stop complaining..take some action!!

It is easier to light a candle...
than to keep cursing the darkness!!

What determines our destiny?

The choices we make and the chances we take
Determines our destiny!

Have faith...

The light will overcome the darkness..
The goodness will overcome the evil and...
The faith can accomplish miracles!!
 

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:)