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Short Form Podcast?

By Dr.Amrita Basu(MBBS,MS) on June 23, 2021 2

What does one do when they want to do more professionally but have responsibilities which make them work more from home? They go digital.—That’s what I did in 2014. I was suffering from shopping burnout as a mommy to a two-year-old with limited socializing, a stressful new job, and a new home. Hi, I am Dr.Amrita.ENT surgeon, writer, artist, podcaster, and creative entrepreneur.

Please vote for my podcast here

https://myrodecast.com/listen/entry/4985

Starting my own blogging journey in 2014 helped me start sharing my knowledge online. I was helping more people than what was determined by the hours I worked and where I was.
In 2018 I started my podcast on Anchor, enjoying the process of creating audio content. But I was struggling with audio quality, tech, and monetization. Creative sustainability was missing.

In 2020 things became complex. The uncertainty of the pandemic and work-life balance went for a toss. My digital homes took a hit. I continued writing and podcasting but was feeling severe burnout.
In 2021 when the second wave hit, I suffered podcast block. I simply couldn’t find the motivation to keep doing it. I took a two-month break and then did a monthly podcast for the next two months.

I came across the My Rodecast challenge in the Anchor newsletter, and I realized this was an opportunity to rethink my podcast.
If short-form podcasts of 1 to 2 minutes work, I could do that two times a week and a long-form content once a month, maybe? Would that work?
Will that help my podcast better. Here’s to persistence and a second chance.

11 Reasons Yoga is for You Too! #InternationalYogaDay

By Dr.Amrita Basu(MBBS,MS) on June 21, 2021 5

It’s my life, and I want to feel alive while I am alive
Bon Jovi

Bonjovi is right. You and I both need to FEEL alive while alive. The COVID 19 situation has driven home this point loud and clear. That’s why today, on this International yoga day, I wanted to talk about my yoga journey.
If you are stiff, inside and out, you won’t feel alive but frozen. You need to open yourself up to new experiences mentally and physically to truly be alive.

We used to do yoga in school. Then my mom enrolled me in the Swami Santdas Institute of Culture Yogic College, Institute of Yoga, and I practiced there off and on for two years. Then gymming was way more popular, and it was more suitable for the lifestyle. Swimming and the gym were my go-to exercise places in my teens and twenties. Just before I became a mom, I invested in a treadmill.
Yoga was left behind in a rush.

11 Reasons You Should Embrace Yoga Why yoga works

In the pandemic, my daughter and my sister, and my hubby both helped me again get back on the yoga wagon.

You can do it anywhere with a floor.
You can start at any age.
It costs nothing to start. There are wonderful apps and youtube videos giving great inspiration. It’s a billion-dollar industry. I will be sharing what I love as I populate this category on my blog.
There’s a yoga pose for every level of fitness.
The trick is in breathing in and out the right way.
Starting slow is important. Don’t push your body to go into strange positions if you are not comfortable.
Yoga has various nuances. The most misunderstood observation is 0robavly that it’s merely another way to lose weight. It’s simply more than that.
It’s a way to find an inner balance. It’s a way to connect the inner and outer world.
A way to bond with family and friends. You support each other and take the step forward for a healthy life together.
The cyclical use of the muscles and movements helps improve the flexibility of joints, ligaments, and muscles. Stretching is vital as we age.
You realize that the path to good health starts with you.

11 Favorite Yoga poses anyone can do.

The tree pose a part of the Surya namaskar. Last Friday, I shocked my sister by standing in the tree pose while rolling out my expert paratha. I am now an expert at making roti and baking bread after my kitchen adventure as part of my pandemic project.
Surya Namashkar: consists of several asanas in a cycle.
Vrikshasana:Tree pose
Tadasana: Palm Tree pose
Padmasana Lotus post
Padahastasana(You Touch your toes with your fingers)
Chakrasana:Wheel pose
Makarasana:Crocodile pose
Bhujangasana:Serpent pose
Dhanurasana:bow pose
Pavanmukta asana:Wind releiving pose
Parvatasana:Mountain pose

Yoga is for your inside and outside. It’s the bridge that balances your body and soul. Give it a try.
Let me know in the comments your favorite Yoga pose.
My favorite yoga mat you can find here. The book Exam warriors has a section on yoga for kids and is my daughter’s favorite.

This is part of the Blogcahtter Half Marathon and CreateCornerstoneContentChallenge.

STRESS free Education (Book Review)

By Dr.Amrita Basu(MBBS,MS) on June 16, 2021 4

Is stress free education possible?The book I am reviewing today is about Stress Free Education and Deepa Gandhi the author tells you how.

I know Deepa Gandhi since 2016 (virtually).So I am.a biased reviewer. But she is one of the most consistent, hardworking and Creative blogger that I am privileged to have worked with.That’s why if she is giving advice, it’s smart to listen.

When I saw her book on Stress free education I downloaded it to get the back story of how she manages to raise creative,disciplined kids who enjoy learning.That’s the clue Enjoyment .

No stress learning is about enjoying the process of doing things without stressing about it. The book has helpful sections to break down serious topics into helpful chunks.

Topics covered

The author doesn’t waste words and goes to the crux of the problem.

Whether to homeschool or not.

How to prepare for exams.

Homework Tips.

Nutrition before exams.

Montessori: yes or no?Plus much more

What were my favorite parts?

I liked the section on approach to homeschooling.There’s a world of difference between the COVID times online schools and actual homeschooling.For the latter you need to decide on the syllabus ,the schedule and plan social health activities too.What you need to know before taking such decisions is covered concisely in the book.

The author gives sensible advice to make homework a no stress activity.What you teach your kids today, will help them tomorrow.That’s why a plan to finish homework at a fixed time is good advice.

Nutrition tips before exam are an unique addition to a book like this and Deepa also gives example meal plans to help.

The Reading habit– As a parent you and I need to read more to help kids develop reading habits.As a family we all read a lot.Thats why on reading this I felt validated.

The thing about team sport’s is few people talk about this but team sports teach life skills.About participation,cooperation, leadership, and humility .Sports is a stress buster and often with higher education kids miss out on this.Especially girls.Things need to change right from the mindset at home itself.

At the end of the day education is not just learning and getting good marks. That is an important part, but even more important is the ability of the child to apply the knowledge, to go forward in life. If we as parents don’t guide them to learn without stress, tp think out of the box,we are not doing the right thing.

As a parent in these times self doubt and not doing enough is our constant companion. A book like this helps.Its a common sense guide to educating without unnecessary anxiety

Healthy competition is needed.A variety of curriculum nurtures the creative mind.That’s why this Ebook is a helpful pocket guide.

Stress Free Education – A Guide for Parents by Deepa Gandhi

Book Blurb :A parent’s guide to raising happy kids who are not stressed out due to academic pressures.

Download link

https://www.theblogchatter.com/download/stress-free-education-a-guide-for-parents-by-deepa-gandhi

About the Author

Deepa Gandhi is a post graduate in Foods and nutrition. She is a freelance Dietician and a writer in many fields like parenting, health and travel. She shares her experiences as a mom and as a nutritionist in her blog kreativemommy.comShe has published 3 eBooks.As a mom and as a teacher, she is passionate about everything creative. She tries many meaningful activities that are engaging, and always fun for kids. Deepa travelled a lot after marriage and now stays with her husband and two daughters in Bangalore.

This is part of the Blogchatter Half Marathon and Blogchatter Ebook Review.

3 Super Powers to be a Good Writer

By Dr.Amrita Basu(MBBS,MS) on June 15, 2021 6

How can you be a good writer?
How can you write well?
How can you write better?

These are all questions that have similar answers.
Being good or better are all relative and subjective terms. Not really measurable. But to be a persistent writer, that’s measurable. I am trained to be a doctor. Thats my bread and butter profession and the reason I do what I do.
But being a writer, came like a second chance at discovering my own self.

If one thing I have learned about being a writer in these seven years is to keep writing. I am sometimes unable to follow my own advice. But I keep trying—That’s my number one superpower. I am persistent.
I may be slow as the proverbial tortoise, but I keep at it—That’s something that helps me in everything I do.
In 2021 I am failing miserably at completing many of the blogging challenges I have signed up for.
But I am still trying. Because that’s the reason, I am still able to write in this China-created Pandemic.

The three most important qualities that I feel are most important to continue being a good writer are

Persistence
Discipline
Consistency

If procrastination is a bad habit, then I suffer from it—Thats where my first superpower helps.

I persist

How to be persistent in writing? I started blogging in 2014. Published my first book in 2017.
The journey from blogging, writing, vlogging, podcasting, painting, and teaching is exciting. Aside from my professional life as an ENT surgeon, the blogging world was a journey into self-discovery. Do you need to blog to write more.No.You need to write more to be a better writer? Write where you can, with what you have.

Even when you are successful as a writer, you need to do the work. Opportunities are everywhere. But the trick to being successful is not losing yourself in the throes of success and not despairing with failures.In times like these, when the world seems to be stuck in a bubble when you don’t know what’s going to happen next, you turn on your computer, and you decide to write.

Write about how you write.
You write about why you write.
You write about where you write.

It’s not just the final result of your writing efforts but the process of writing which is so important.
Your powers of observation, your life experience, your thoughts, hobbies, and all that you learned and keep learning will help you write better.Becoming better is a continuous process.You can always be a better writer by writing more and reading more. But until you persist at both these habits, you are neither here nor there.Your mind is your magic box. Your life comes pouring out through your words when you persist in writing them down.

The next part is being consistent.

Have a plan with your own learning, practicing, and just putting your work out there.
It’s scary being judged. I didn’t want to do that. I was happy with being a doctor. I didn’t really need to go down this dark, scary self-doubt-filled writing road. But I did it and continue doing it because it makes me come alive. It’s challenging making sense of words. Easier when I write nonfiction, than fiction. But I try. I am consistent with my practice of writing . Last year I published my nonfiction book on Childhood Obesity and two fiction books of my Krishna Mishra Mystery series.

It was a crazy adventure in a pandemic. But I thought, why not?Who is stopping me except myself?
I didn’t allow my self-doubt to stop me from pushing the boundary.I am trying to be consistent, and I am happy to tell you I finished 1000 blog posts on my blog.That’s where being consistent helped. I keep trying to read more and write more. I am competing with making my writing better, becoming more prolific.

Make a plan. Then follow it as best as you can.

This is where the third superpower that of discipline, comes into being.

I am disciplined enough to practice every day. I may not be able to publish on my blog daily. But I write every day, I edit my work in progress, I scribble on my diary, keeping track of my ideas, and I keep at it.
The discipline of practicing a craft that I love helps me write better.

The competition, remember, is not with anyone but with your own self. At one time, I wanted to write daily blogs, like Seth Godin. He writes daily, and I enjoy reading his daily newsletters. But if I try to do that, I could burn out.
That’s why I try to keep writing from a place of wonder and learning. If it stops feeling like fun and play, I take a step back. Life now has too many upsets. So writing needs to be a calm space. I think my three superpowers help me do just that.

Did I tell you my words have a new friend? Thats my paintbrush. I am falling in love with watercolor flowers, and I think it’s helping me write better.
I don’t know where this reading journey, writing painting, blogs, books, and art will take me. But if an adult playground looks like this, I am happy to play.
Keep the play alive in your writing. That’s the trick to be a good writer. It’s not just the grammar (that’s important),not the fancy words(unlikely to help) and definitely not self-important declarations.

At the end of the post, it’s about communication.

If I can help you understand what I am trying to say, my work is done. Being helpful to you, young kids, and young adults who want to start writing because it’s a beautiful way to keep a digital record of our times.It’s not easy, and it’s not always directly fruitful, but if you enjoy the process and feel good writing, that’s the compass that will help you walk the path.

Being a happy writer is one way of becoming a good writer.

Books to write well

On writing
Big Magic
Writing
Jeff Goins
Natalie Goldberg

Writing down the Bones
Bird by Bird

Building a Writing Practice(Book Review): Does it matter?

By Dr.Amrita Basu(MBBS,MS) on June 10, 2021 3

Today I will talk about the book Building a Writing Practice by Sona Grover. This is part of the Blogchatter Ebook library for 2021.

It’s a concise, commonsense guide to create magic through your writing.

The author is direct when she says the book is for the newbie and the moderately prolific writer. She shares writing exercises that will help both writer categories. It’s a very full pocketbook of writing.

The author starts with the golden rule for writers.

Writers write.

Consistency is vital. Practice is indeed your best friend. If you dont have an idea to get started, the author will help you with that too. She gives tips on how to do it, how long to write, why you must have a writing practice, and ways to make it fun. She also talks about the dreaded WB(*psst the writer’s block) and how to get over it.

She talks about training the writing muscle. The more you practice, the better it becomes. I am a big believer in developing my writing muscles. What you repeatedly do, you tend to learn better.

The Blog is given a shout which warms the blogger’s heart in me. She focuses on brevity, how to create characters, writing from your own life experiences. She gives tips on learning from the masters, pushing your boundaries, and what it takes to write good dialogues.

The author also gives tips to fight overwhelm, imposter syndrome, and breaking the self-doubt -gloom -doom-block cycle. Finally, the author reminds you about the need for self-care as a writer to refill the well of creativity.

What I love about the book

The tip of bleeding on paper. (Not literally). Reminds me of the Bird by Bird.
How to be consistent with a regular writing practice.
Self-care for writers.
Writing from life and memories.
Readability is high
Writing Exercises are straightforward, precise, and valuable when implemented.
The writer keeps the book well designed, and brevity is her superpower. Because in books about writing, you might fall prey to excess. The author doesn’t preach or overwhelm with her tips, tricks, and exercises.
A handy book /workbook for the writer who doesn’t know where to start.The writing exercises.

Plus, it’s free! Go grab it today.

Who is this book for?

The newbie writer
The wannabe writer
The writer who wants to write more
The writer who wants to stay consistent .
The writer who wants to polish their writing without overwhelm.

What the book is not

It’s not writing a book, style guide, or grammar guide. But the author does give tips for writing better in a generalized way.

What I wished for :

An additional resource of prompts could take the book up a notch.

Name of the Book : Building a Writing Practice

Author: Sona Grover

About the Author

Sona Grover is an author of multiple books, blogger, book lover. She likes nature and long walks. She writes fiction and talks about her experiences with writing in her non-fiction books.

Blurb

To improve at the craft of writing, you must develop a range of writing skills. Building a Writing Practice shows you the way to consistency and betterment. The short creative writing exercises in the book are simple and fun and help you step out of your comfort zone.

Download thebook here.

All my Book Reviews

All my Blogchatter Book Reviews

Top 12 Baby Laundry Detergents that Moms love

By Dr.Amrita Basu(MBBS,MS) on June 7, 2021 11

What’s good for your baby’s skin is great for your hands. It’s also good for mother earth. Right?
Harsh chemicals and certain allergens if used as a detergent, can be a cause of many baby skin diseases like atopy, dermatitis, allergy, and eczema. Through my blog, I empower other moms to always remember to read the labels of any products they use. That way, they know they are choosing the right product for their family.

But what happens when you don’t know what’s inside your detergent? You can’t really make a choice. You want laundry detergents to be able to clean, right? But you want it to be fragrance-free and keep your clothes soft and colors beautiful. You also want to take care of mother earth and not harm it with the washing water.

While washing baby clothes, you want the liquid detergent to be baby-friendly and eco-friendly too.

Which detergent is safe for babies?

The liquid detergent mustn’t have sulfur-containing substances like SLS and SLES to avoid sensitivity in baby skin.
It should be free of dyes, bleaches, foam boosters, and parabens.
Hypoallergic formulations are best for baby skin.

But regular liquid laundry detergent has harsh chemicals to get rid of dirt, germs, and more. It is aimed for clothes adult wear. Adults’ clothes obviously need more heavy-duty cleaning than babies. That’s why you must choose your liquid detergents with care.

How do I choose the best baby laundry detergents?

• I look for hypoallergenic products.
• It should be free from fabric softeners and free of fabric conditioners
• Without bleach is my choice
• Free of sulfates, SLES, SLS, Parabens, artificial fragrances, and toxic products.
• Plant-based natural disinfectants with antibacterial properties work as baby products. Products which avoid leaving chemical residues are useful as babies can put anything and everything in their mouth.
• Easy on the pocket.

Top 12 Baby Liquid Detergents Moms Love

Mother Sparsh Plant Powered Laundry Detergent for Babies

If you want the best chemical-free, organic, plant powered laundry detergent for babies. Then Mother Sparsh will make you happy. Being eco-friendly and baby-friendly is something Mother Sparsh understands too. It’s a botanical blend of plant extracts, organic herbs, and essential oil.

It’s tough on stains and germs: The goodness of neem and eucalyptus fights the germs and helps keep baby clothes free of bacteria present in spilled milk, food debris, dirt, etc.

It’s gentle on baby skin and mommy hands: The soothing aloe vera extract is the perfect ingredient to prevent any kind of skin irritation. It’s also why the Baby-friendly liquid detergent is also friendly to mommy’s hands and mother earth. When you want a detergent with safety in mind, Mother Sparsh delivers.

The plant-powered formulation: Neem and eucalyptus oil in the liquid formulation take care of baby bibs, clothes, towels, blankets, washable diapers, sheets, and the million and one things babies need every day. The bio enzymes in the liquid detergent are tough on milk residues, and dirt and remove foul odor in an instant. Being free from SLES, SLS, dyes, parabens, phosphates, and bleaches, you will never worry about irritating your baby’s skin or harming mother earth.

Removes tough stains gently: The Mother Sparsh baby liquid detergent has a mix of enzymes added to it to easily remove stubborn stains from milk, food debris, and dirt.

Anti germ: The neem extract has antibacterial, antiviral, and antifungal properties. Even aloe vera and eucalyptus oil have antigerm powers. These together help fight the germs arising from food stains, sweat, dirt, milk spills, etc.

Biodegradable and nontoxic formulation: It’s free from SLS, SLES, parabens, phosphate, sulfate, and bleach.
It’s dermatologically tested with IFRA-certified allergen-free fragrance. It has a plant-derived cleaning agent(LARYDET-275) and a plant-based surfactant (PEG400 ).

Mother Sparsh Plant Powered Laundry Detergent for Babies

Mother Sparsh Baby Liquid detergent is suitable for cotton, linens as well as synthetic fibers. Only 5 ml is needed for 5 liters of water for handwashing baby clothes. In the case of machine wash, you can add 30 ml for one medium load. It’s made in India, and their entire range is a favorite with my family. Mother Sparsh is safe and plant powered with certified organic ingredients. The neem and eucalyptus oil in Mother Sparsh liquid detergents make this mild and safe for baby detergent.

Read about other mama earth baby products here.

5 Best Wipes for Baby: Everything you want to Know!

6 Best Baby Oil for Baby massage in India

10 Best Natural Baby Lotion for Babies in India

Best Baby Laundry detergent

Baby face creams I love

Baby bottle cleaners

Chicco Baby Laundry Detergent

It has a unique five-enzyme formulation that can remove almost all the stains baby clothes have. It has antibacterial and antifungal properties, is dermatologically tested, and is perfect for your baby’s delicate skin. Chicco’s entire product range is well-known all over the world.

Mee Mee Mild Baby Liquid Laundry Deterge

Mee mee baby liquid laundry detergent is biodegradable, antibacterial free from harsh chemicals, artificial coloring, and phosphorous. It’s fortified with enzymes for effective cleaning. Their secret enzyme combination makes effective cleaning possible with gentleness. It’s a brand that takes care of baby clothes with conscious thought.It baby friendly and ecofriendly.

Himalaya Gentle Baby Laundry Wash

Himalaya promises nature-based products with Soapnut, Neem, Geranium, and Lemon. It’s biodegradable too. It’s gentle on the baby and takes care of the mother’s hand. Soapnut or Reetha is a natural and gentle cleanser. It’s unique to the Himalaya Gentle Baby laundry wash. When you use it, you know you are not damaging the environment.

Brand Nourish’s Puer Liquid detergent

They use Ecocert products, with plant-based bioenzymens and plant surfactants to keep your clothes clean and environmentally safe too.

Luvlap Baby Laundry Liquid Detergent

It’s free from phosphates and fluorescence. It’s also environmentally friendly, has antibacterial properties, is pH balanced, and non-toxic without artificial coloring. The detergent cleans effectively. The non-toxic formulation is essential for baby detergents to ensure safety. That’s why Luvlap is a popular brand for washing liquid.

Morisons Baby Dreams Laundry Detergent

Morisons Baby Dreams Laundry Detergent is sulfate-free, with the excellent cleaning power of lime to help remove stains. It has fabric softener in it, which I am not fond of .It doesn’t harm the environment and cleans baby clothes effectively.

Pigeon Baby Liquid Laundry Detergent

Its plant-based, with antibacterial properties and is hundred percent free from phosphate and fluorescent. Its concentrated formula helps with the effective stain-removing property. It’s free from artificial colors and is gentle on baby clothes.

The following four are not strictly baby liquid detergents, but products included in this list because they are trusted brands. Plus, they are readily available in various markets locally and online. The amount of washing families with babies have is significant. So sometimes you use what you can get.

Ezee

Ezee’s no soda formula is the reason it’s a family favorite for washing clothes for other family members. Its neutral pH and micro conditioners, which prevent shrinking and keep fabric soft, fluffy. But this residual conditioner is a problem for baby clothing. Plus, the fragrance is not needed for baby clothes.

Genteel

Genteel is a family favorite and doesn’t contain SLS or SLES. But does contain artificial fragrances and preservatives. A trusted brand with a whole host of chemicals, but it’s gentle on your hands and gentle on your clothes. Doesn’t cause shrinkage, maintains color, and a little goes a long way.

Ariel Matic Liquid Detergent

Ariel Matic liquid detergent promises and delivers too. It dissolves easily, doesn’t fade colors, and has a fresh fragrance—a big favorite with washing machine companies.

Surf Excel Liquid detergent

A brand used for many households cleans stains and effortlessly. It is not hand-friendly or baby-friendly, but clothes could be what’s needed for older kids.

Best practices

• Wash soiled nappies, and clothes separate from daily use clothes.
• Soak babies’ inner clothes, baby sheets, and pillowcases in plain clean water for some time after washing clothes thoroughly to remove any chance of residual soap. Baby lick and suck everything close to their mouth due to their suckling reflex. So, it’s best to take extra care. This is especially important when using any of the non-baby-specific detergents.
• If the detergent has a strong fragrance, you don’t want it.

What do you look for in your baby care products? Let me know in the comments below.

Blog

Sharing is good Karma!

11 Reasons You Should Embrace Yoga Why yoga works

11 Favorite Yoga poses anyone can do.

Sharing is good Karma!

Topics covered

What were my favorite parts?

Sharing is good Karma!

The three most important qualities that I feel are most important to continue being a good writer are

I persist

The next part is being consistent.

This is where the third superpower that of discipline, comes into being.

Books to write well

Featured Post

Sharing is good Karma!

What I love about the book

Who is this book for?

What the book is not

What I wished for :

Name of the Book : Building a Writing Practice

Author: Sona Grover

About the Author

Blurb

Featured Post

Sharing is good Karma!

Which detergent is safe for babies?

How do I choose the best baby laundry detergents?

Top 12 Baby Liquid Detergents Moms Love

Chicco Baby Laundry Detergent

Mee Mee Mild Baby Liquid Laundry Deterge

Himalaya Gentle Baby Laundry Wash

Brand Nourish’s Puer Liquid detergent

Luvlap Baby Laundry Liquid Detergent

Morisons Baby Dreams Laundry Detergent

Pigeon Baby Liquid Laundry Detergent

Ezee

Genteel

Ariel Matic Liquid Detergent

Surf Excel Liquid detergent

Best practices

Sharing is good Karma!

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