Feng Shui Nursery - A Haven of Peace

Expecting a baby is definitely fun and exciting along with the preparations for your new arrival. Planning and decorating a space for your baby will be one of the first things to do on the list. The nursery is a place where your child will spend a lot of time as he/she grows. Designing a Feng Shui nursery can be a fun and rewarding experience. A good flow of Feng Shui energy will indubitably lead to a healthier and happier child. Yes, Feng Shui nursery aims to enhance, stimulate and enrich the atmosphere that contributes to the overall health of your baby.

How to Feng Shui a nursery?

Feng shui is an old Chinese practice of interior designing that allows for open flow of energy. Hence a Feng Shui designed nursery will help your baby thrive well and be happy and healthy. Let us in this article discuss how to initiate a home remodelling to create a sacred, safe and nurturing nursery incorporating Feng Shui principles.

Location

First and foremost of all select a good location for your baby’s room. Never choose a room that is near the garage area or that has an empty space below. Also make sure that the baby’s room is not located where there is excessive noise as it might hinder the baby’s sound sleep. Choose a room that has a window to facilitate natural light and chi movement to flow in.

Bed placement

The crib should be placed on a solid wall with the head of the crib against the wall. Avoid placing the crib lengthwise as the baby will be in a defensive position. The bed should never be placed against a window or in line with the door.

Colors

Incorporate soothing pastel shades in a child’s nursery. Implementing bright colors can over stimulate your child and hinder good sleep. Choose soothing and restful colors that are harmonious in Feng Shui terms to allow your child to calm itself.

Clean the room

Clean and clear the room by removing all clutter and consider an energetic cleansing also. For this purpose you can sprinkle therapeutic grade essential oils and wipe surfaces with water mixed with citrus oils.

Choose themes and motif with extra care

Incorporate natural designs as they are an excellent way to promote your Child’s growth. Avoid designs and motifs that depict aggressive or ferocious animals. Avoid patterns that have sharp edges also.

Lighting

A soft and pleasant level of lighting is essential to create a gentle and soothing atmosphere. Very bright light can disturb the baby’s restful sleep and too dim light can induce respiratory problems.

Foster soft movement

To create soft energy and movement mobiles can be hung near windows. These mobiles will sway gently in the breeze and create a soft music to induce a restful atmosphere.

Sound

Elimination of electronics that can create an electrical magnetic field in the nursery contributes to a soothing environment.

Implementing Feng Shui techniques is the perfect way to ease the transition from womb to room. Think about those lifestyle rules next time your hire a professional home builders to remodel your home. And yes, Feng Shui is a great way to ensure a healthy environment for your “bundle of joy”.

Breakfast Room

Hotel guests have breakfast in this room every morning. They offered various food and drink, but I was more interested in its design interior.  

 

The Weekend in Black and White

Cheap Ways to Increase Home Value

If you are thinking of selling or renting, then this is the right time to be thinking of increasing your home value. Even though it may turn out to be quite an expensive task, it is really vital to upgrade, remodel and renovate a house so that you demand a rightful price for it. There are a number of things you can do to make it adequate for the market while staying on a low budget. Yes, it does sound impossible but it really isn’t. You just need to be careful and mindful of the details.

Here are some steps that may lead you to boosting your home value:

Inside is crucial

Inside of the house is, obviously, crucial. You need to have it neat and clean. Go with bright interior lights. A cheap way to give a fresh touch to the interior is to buy new curtains and linens. It will look elegant and give the feeling of new. Install new door handles, door bells and new locks. Keep the kitchen and bathroom spotless, and replace fixtures such as sink faucets and shower heads. Also, don’t forget to have all plumbing issues resolved. Add new wallpaper or a fresh coat of paint to prominent rooms such as the living room and kitchen. Walls you don’t intend to have repainted need to be washed. As for carpets – either shampoo them thoroughly or buy new ones.

Exterior is important

You know how we are taught that when meeting someone new, first impressions are the important, maybe even crucial? Well, the same goes for houses. The state potential buyers find it in will be the image stuck with them till the rest of the journey. So, keep the yard free of eyesores like dead trees and shrubs as well as free of clutters. Then, start with building a new fence around the property and changing the front door. Pint it some welcoming color, like white or any other that matches the tone of your home wall paint. Another good idea may be to add some flowers and plants along the front of the house, wash the house's exterior and apply new paint to window trim and other wooden surfaces.

Use space in a smart way

You know that room you’ve been using for ironing? Well, it’s time you turned into a room your clients will actually see as additional space! Remodel your attic or basement into a fancy teenage room, or instance. You can ask your realtor what it is that the clients are looking for and adjust to their needs – whether it’s a nursery, a master bedroom, crafting room, or else. Basically, invent a room!

Create Multiple Seating Areas

If you have a huge balcony or a terrace that you’ve used just for random coffee breaks it’s time you turned it into a summer den! Add patio furniture (you can get some amazing pieces at a low cost). The furniture will emphasize the size of the space and create a destination. Add pots with plants for more ‘natural’ and homey look and you are set!

Clear out the space

When living in a house, it is inevitable to clutter the space with unnecessary things we probably used once or twice. Go through your house, ceiling to floor and remove all things you don’t need. Once you are done, you’ll see how much more space there is! You’ll probably discover spaces you’ve absolutely forgotten you’ve got! Consult a friend who is interior decorator or someone who just has the eye for this sort of thing and see how you could re-arrange the furniture to give rooms more space. You’d be surprised how well it can look!

Maharashtra: One State, Many Cuisines

The Indian state of Maharashtra is located to the west of the country. With Mumbai as its capital, Maharashtra is India’s wealthiest and most developed state – and its residents take their food very seriously. Food is considered equivalent to God and traditionally offerings are made at mealtimes. The cuisine of the state is divided into segments based on the region and city, but there are some key ingredients that are common in all food across the state. These include peanuts, cashews, coconuts, seasonal vegetables and grains such as bajra and jowar.

Another characteristic that is common in the cuisine of Maharashtra is that food is often bitter in taste. This is due to the use of tamarind and kokam, which is balanced out with a subtle sweetness of gur. In addition, ghee, peanut oil, groundnut oil, ginger and garlic are all staple ingredients in kitchens across Maharashtra. The culinary regions of the state all have their own unique style and tradition.

The historic city of Kolhapur is highly regarded for its cuisine – especially its speciality mutton dishes. The ancient Kolhapuri cuisine features two curries of particular noteworthiness – tambada rassa and pandhara rassa. The former is a red curry made using powdered red chillies, and the latter is a white curry, a soup-like dish made from mutton stock, ginger, garlic and coconut milk, as well as spices such as cinnamon and coriander. It is served as a starter but is also believed to have medicinal uses to help cure coughs and sore throats. A Kolhapuri thali will typically include hot and fiery dishes. These might include fried fish, kharda (minced green chillies lightly fried with chopped garlic) and bread such as bhakri. 

Move further west and you come to the coastal Malvani region. Cuisine of this region is part of the wider Konkani cuisine, which favours fish, seafood, coconut and spices. All types of coconut are used in the food of the region – dried, fresh, paste or milk – and the dishes are generally made spicy with generous helpings of chillies (and other spices). The heat from Malvani cuisine is balanced by a drink called sol kadhi, made from kokam fruit and coconut milk.

In central Maharashtra you will find the Varadi region – again keen on its spicy cuisine. Signature dishes of the area include zunkar bhakar, pathawadi and vada bhat and recipes often include powdered coconut, daal and besan (gram flour).

Finally, we come to Parsi cuisine – an integral part of Marathi cuisine with a large Parsi population living in the state. No meal is complete without rice, potatoes and a helping of the famous kachumbar salad. Some particularly popular Parsi dishes are patra ni machhi (fish and green chutney steamed in a banana leaf), khichdi (rice and lentils), and jardaloo sali boti (lamb with apricots and almonds).

For a taste of the food of Maharashtra you can book a table at one of London’s fine-dining Indian restaurants. Here the chefs will be able to produce dishes identical to those served in Maharashtra by cooks who know these authentic recipes like the back of their hands.