High Chair - An Indian Brand which makes it's mark: R for Rabbit 

Finally it makes sense. Why most of us have just one child. Consumerism has ensured that babies are an expensive business and simply mind boggling! The choices available can confuse even the most systematic research oriented parent. Especially when you know that the baby will soon outgrow it or may just not take a liking to it. Add to it the contradicting opinions & beliefs thrown at you, seeked by you and observed. My mom never used a high chair to feed her 3 babies and all 3 of us are well and enjoy meals! And knowing my mom I don't think she ever tolerated any sort of mess so I doubt she practised baby led weaning. 

The elders in the family were aghast when I offered a whole banana to my munchkin! I was insisted upon to feed him purée! So there I was a confused mommy pulled apart by wanting to try BLW and yet ensure the baby was being fed! Anyway, that is another story all together!

So there I was waiting for S to start sitting up on his own so I could get him the high chair! His own chair on which he would happily eat any and every thing I'd present to him! (Grand plans I had!) and that kickstarted my hunt for an ideal high chair. By default the hunt begun on Amazon and boy! I was honestly taken aback at the options- available-brands, colours, features, style & the damage on my pocket! It only made my decision harder Coz I was even more lost!

Almost all seemed similar! So how does one decide which to pick?! It was time to get down to some basics! I sat with my pen & paper & made a list of questions running through my mind to make things easy.

Q1-what purpose does the high chair fulfil?

A1- a comfortable & safe chair for the baby to sit on while I feed him, approximately 40 minutes thrice a day.

Q2-who will be using it more? And how?

A2- S & Me & other family members. S struggling to get out of it, preferring to sit underneath it. Me trying to be a cool mom & for me to stand or sit by the dining table to feed him.

Q3-where will I be using it most?

A3 - At home, by the dinning table or the terrace.

Q4-what potential difficulties will  I or the baby face when using it?

A4- Call me crazy but the only major difficulty I can think of is cleaning it!!! stability of the chair being the other concern.

Q5-how long am I hoping to use this high chair?

A5- Hopefully until S is 3 or 4 years old or until he can sit on a chair table suited for him & self feed.

Q6-does it need to be trendy?

A6- Errmm...yes...no! Be practical! uff!

Q7-price?

A7- I will not spend more than Rs.5000/- on a high chair simply because I don't know if S will actually allow me to strap him into it & feed him and i do not want meal times to be intense Maa-Beta Drama! 

So, there I was, with some clarity, I listed down my minimum requirement list as follows:

-No Cushion or Removable Cushion (Cushions manag to develop fugal growth because of left over food & the humidity)

-Round edges to ensure S doesnt hurt himself when he crawls underneath it or around

-5 Point Harness

-Stable widely spaced legs for better balance

-least number of crevices to prevent food collection & decay

-Wide food tray (I do a mix of traditional weaning & baby led)

-super ease of cleaning

-Leg Divider under the food tray to ensure S doesnt slip down

-multi utility

-Ease of assembly, dismantling & storage  

Yes, I consciously kept away from listing down the frills! Its the same approach I adopt when buying new machinery for my factories- Keep it simple, add ons can always be added on later when the need arises. Stick to functionality!

Now most of the available high chair brands are imported and easily served all my questions. If you are to compare most available brands (imported & Indian) you will find them almost similar. Ultimately it comes down to pricing which starts from Rs.5000--Rs.1 Lac! Yes!!!! 

Going by above parameters, I zeroed down on a relatively new on the block Indian brand called R for Rabbit. Primarily Coz I have a thing for all things Indian. Secondly the pricing was super affordable so even if S didn't take to it, it wouldn't hurt as much. Thirdly it fit the bill of functionality perfectly. 

R for Rabbit: Cherry Berry The Convertible High Chair (Green colour)

(Claim a 20% Discount on all R for Rabbit Products on their website. Use SPECIAL20)

I placed an order on the company website which was rather simple & quick like other eCommerce sites. Infact the company communications system is very prompt & efficient & they offer an option of COD also! perfect!

Assembling it was a matter of 10 minutes even with S being the man meddling in. (They have a super short simple video explaining the assembly). It's light weight (approx 3.5kgs) allows you to easily carry it with one hand while holding your munchkin in the other & drag it between rooms. Even sans the baby you can easily carry it to the bathroom for a wash down. I keep moving it between the dinning room, terrace, kitchen & the bathroom. The edges are extremely well rounded moulded finishing ensuring zero harm to baby. They feel soft. The legs are wide & have a rubberised wide capping ensuring stability & grip. The chair is fixed atop the table quickly with a very simple click. The 5 point safety harness is removable making it easy to scrub it & decently sturdy. What I truly loved about it was the simple design minus the fan fare which enables me to literally wash it down with a hand shower after each meal and yet it's all dried up and ready to be used for the next meal! This was of utmost importance to me! Even though i bought a cushioned high chair I don't use the cushion. As the cushion if washed once will take a day or two to dry off plus on my experience any foam cushions tends to develop fungal growth when there is food on it and it's a pain to clean. A big plus with this high chair is that it can be used 3 ways:

1. A mounted high chair

2. A chair with a food tray

3. Table & Chair 

this multi utility makes it absolutely paisa vasool at Rs. 4950/- Perfect Value for Money. 

The leg divider is also removable & easy to clean up.The food tray is wide, however I personally would have appreciated for it to be a little more wide but I wont complain. 

It's height cannot be adjusted nor is the seat a reclining one. However I have not felt the need for these features. It does not have wheels however the rubberised caps allow it be dragged sans much noise.

So yes, in all, I'd say, R for Rabbit High Chair is a brilliantly designed in India, Manufactured in China, Shipped from Gujarat High Chair. It is functional to the T, its multi utility ensures its used either ways & is priced just right for a baby product. Indian brands are great & I love them! 

So if you are a pragmatic parent not wanting to spend a bomb on a high chair, I'd highly recommend the R for Rabbit High Chair! Worth every ruppee!

P.S:

What I wish it would have:

-Hooks behind the chair to hang bibs ;)

PPS:

Claim a 20% Discount on all R for Rabbit Products on their website. Use SPECIAL20 

Valentines, Three Decades later...

It was just another day, another date. One more Sunday morning, the same old doorbell with the Milkman, Dhobiwala et al. She sat with her morning cup of tea just like any other day, her only “me time” before the day started with all demanding her attention. The newsprint was filled with the colour red & heart shaped paraphernalia. Ofcourse! Its February 14- St. Valentine’s Day! The day to celebrate love. She skipped through most of the pages, skimmed through her whatsapp messages which again reminded her of Valentine’s Day via the forwards. It didn’t mean anything to her. It was just another day. 

The kitchen clock struck 9 o’clock & she knew the maid would ring the door bell. She turned towards the kitchen to refill her cup of tea when indeed the bell rang, she opened the door expecting to see her sleepy maid but wait, she didn’t! Instead who she saw was a girl in pink, smiling & greeting her, “Good Morning Ma’am!” Must be a mistake. As irritated as she could be, she looked at the girl questioningly, only to be told, “Ma’am, I am Hema from Belita - Salon comes Home. You have an appointment with us right now.” Wooaah! What happened to my morning? She wondered! Before she could ask the girl to check the apartment number, her otherwise nonchalant husband of 30 years, shocked her by hugging her from behind & whispering in her ears, “Happy Valentine’s, My Love”. She could not believe her ears & turned to check if it was indeed him & not a dream! 

The Belita therapist was let in & she went about her work- Disposable soft sheets were laid out on the bed, Newspapers were spread out on the floor on which very swiftly the pedicure tub, tools & equipment & the various creams etc. were laid out. A disposable gown was laid out for her. Quickly, her otherwise sleeping kids put on some spa music in the room, aircon set to an ambient temperature and some air mist sprayed, curtains drawn, Her Spa was all set to welcome her. The husband led her into the room, presented a red rose & planted a kiss to say, “I don’t need a Valentine’s day to tell you about my love for you, but I do need you to forget it all, sit back & enjoy this spa treat, because you deserve it”. She blushed just like a teenager. It was indeed love! Before closing the door, he winked & asked her to be ready for a surprise! 

She was nervous. She didn’t know what to expect from this “Spa”! The Belita therapist politely explained it all to her, the various treatments that had been booked for her, be it the spa Facial, Manicure-pedicure, Swedish Body Massage et al! She sat back & for once forgot all her daily routine & allowed herself to soak in the beauty treatments!

Three hours later, rejuvenated, she stepped out of her personal spa to find her bag packed, a dress & two tickets to Goa. #pamperyourlove

What is your Valentine's Day Story? - 

You will find this heart touching story on:  Belita India - Salon Comes Home

Blocked Nose | Cold | Congestion | Infant

The Desi Way

So my raj dulara, aankhon ka tara, jigar ka tukda, my son S, has had a mild cold & congestion pretty much since day one. All three paediatricians (yes, 3, no am not paranoid, I have 3 coz I delivered at one end of the city, live in another & my mom resides in another) stated it’s normal. Kids will have it plus it’s the winter season! So there we were, listening to S breathe hard. Nasomist (saline water) drops being the only relief. But only so much! Cleaning up the mucus from the nose was another scary task I had, though now it’s pretty simple! Doc recommended we use a nasal aspirator. I will admit, it was a beginner’s luck that I managed to extract the troublesome gooey mucus. Post that a handmade cotton twig is what does it best! Here is how I do it: Safest Way to clean a Baby's Nose

If you are wondering how to best use a nasal aspirator, here is the link: Using a Nasal Aspirator

 If you wish to know which brand of nasal aspirator I use, you can pick it from here : Nasal Aspirator

The congestions started to get bad. I spoke to my doc again. He simply said, “There is no cure for cold. I can prescribe antibiotics which will relieve the symptoms. It’s your call, though I would want you to avoid antibiotics as S is only few weeks old.” Sigh! Glad I was that my doc was being realistic yet I couldn’t see my heartbeat with a congestion. To top it all, S was throwing up milk which had a very sticky consistency i.e. was trying to throw up his mucous along with milk & was very cranky. A frantic phone call to my mom and sister (mother of bratty little twins) & I had a list of things to do- The Desi way-The Ayurvedic way.

Yes. Home remedies work best, as kids & as adults. I tried it all. It worked! It piqued my curiosity even further to understand why home remedies work & how are they better!

So here I am sharing these remedies with you. Please know they worked for me over a period of days & I believed in them with all my heart.

Cold & Congestion Home Remedies:

1.   Ajwain (Bishop’s weed) Potli – a must have at the bed side.Roast the ajwain in an iron pan until it starts to give away its aroma. Tie up the seeds in a muslin cloth thereby making an ajwain potli/ajwain bundle. It’s always nice to have someone to help you with the next step. Heat up the iron pan real hot. Carefully place it on the floor or a table at a safe distance from you. Lay the baby in your lap. Heat the seeds in the muslin cloth on the pan, check its temperature on your hand and then softly place it on the baby’s chest for a few seconds and the move to another spot on the chest. This is to ensure the baby does not get a heat burn. Make sure the baby is wearing a light shirt/top. Do this for a good 7-10 minutes on the chest. You can also do this on the baby’s back during tummy time. Once done, swaddle the baby & insert the potli into the swaddle so that it continues to provide warmth & aroma. I simply put the potli into his sleep sack. Ajwain works at two levels-provides heat to the body helping the congestion melt & also helps open the airway. 

2.   Ajwain (Bishop’s weed) Paste – worked instant wonders! Roast ajwain seeds on an iron pan. Crush them in a mortar pestle. Mix with some lukewarm coconut oil. Apply this paste on the baby’s chest & back. Cover it up with a layer of cotton so that it stays in place & does not soil the baby’s shirt/top. Put on a fitted vest followed by another fitted layer of clothing. This is to ensure the paste stays in place & keep the baby warm. This also ensures that the heat generated by the paste stays within, helps melt the congestion. After few hours, wash it off with luke warm water. This worked like magic in S’s case! I could see a marked difference within 2 days!

3.   Sarson (Mustard) Oil: Little stinky feet v/s S’s relief! 

So they say, cold penetrates the body via ears & feet. So one must always cover the baby’s ears which I have not been able to! S hates anything on his head! So feet is what I attacked! Warm sarson oil rubbed on his feet to generate heat & then put on socks during night. Helped keep him warm & preventing the aggravation of his cold.

4.   Dhua (Smoke)

This is controversial! Doctors are absolutely against it. They have a fair point when they say that kids inhale carbon. However the counter argument is, the doctor on an average is 35 years old. 3 decades ago, mothers weren’t exposed to information the way we are & were not conscious of carbon exposure. 3 decades ago, all mothers smoked their kids (pun intended)! The doctor is alive & kicking, doing very well & treating my baby! I don’t see any reason why I should not! More importantly I inherently believe that our ancestors knew more about simple remedies than us! I did discuss this with my doc to which he simply smiled & said, “Neither do I recommend nor do I speak against.”

So yes, I do administer smoke to S & I don’t regret it one bit because I saw his cold & congestion relieving within one day. (The night before he continually kept throwing up mucus with milk, cried his heart out & was absolutely uneasy). This is something for which it’s best to have an experienced elder at home who can handle the baby. Definitely not me! Fire, smoke & a naked baby! More importantly one is required to take necessary precautions too.

a.    Method: Take 2-3 empty coconut shells & burn them up completely on the gas burner. Place them on an iron pan. Once the fire dies out & embers remain, sprinkle Ajwain seeds & dry peels of a garlic pod. The shells will start emitting smoke. Hold the naked baby at a safe distance above this smoke, keep moving the baby so that the smoke touches the entire body – chest, back, stomach, hair, bottom, legs & hangs. Alternatively, place the baby in the lap. Take a muslin cloth, warm it over the smoke & lightly apply it to the baby. Check the temperature though by touching it on your skin. Ajwain works like a decongestant. Smoke helps with generating heat. Garlic contains allicin, which is an active agent in reducing cold & also prevents its aggravation! In fact I was recommended placing garlic pods by the baby or sew 4-5 of them into a bare necklace & put on his neck, which I didn’t coz we co-sleep & the strong smell was a bit too much for me! This worked like a miracle for S & his congestion!

5.   Other Recommendations:

a.    Placing Camphor in a muslin cloth to help clear up the airway. So what I did was place camphor underneath the pillow, away from him, yet around.

b.   Placing a plain water steamer under the bed to create humidity. You may add ajwain seeds to the water in the steamer.

c.    Karvol Capsules: Easily available sans a prescription, these are essentially capsules which contain essence of natural ingredients which help in nasal decongestion. I cut open the capsules & apply the liquid on S’s shirt, pillow, blanket, swaddle cloth. Works wonders to open up the nasal airway! 

So yes, given that there are about a 100+ ways one can catch a cold or congestion, one can never be sure when it’s going to hit the little one. These basic home remedies done daily help treat the cold & also prevent its aggravation. More importantly, it is also essential that we take utmost care to keep the baby well covered. Like they say in Germany, there is no bad weather, just unsuitable clothing! So wrap up the baby well & enjoy the winters!

MINK Laundry Services - Pamper your CLothes

Women & Clothes- the never ending saga! I always got mad at my mom for spending so much time sorting out the laundry, buying all possible detergents, conditioners, being super cautious with her silk saris & repeatedly wearing them before Dry-cleaning! I never understood why would you not Dry Clean it after each wear!

Here I am now married to a #Hujband who loves his suits & loves me in Silk & woven saris & crepe dresses. I can't help accept that yes, I have evolved into my Mom! I sort the laundry basket, scour for types of fabric conditioners, look out for stains. I carefully wear my saris & expensive dresses & wear them selectively & dry clean them even more carefully!

Being part of networking forum soften throws up opportunities at you to try out various new products & services! They genuinely seek an opinion. Some try to influence the review whilst some stay clear from any such gimmicks. I prefer the latter as it allows me to be me and honest with my readers.

So here, I am reviewing MINK Laundry Services. 

A small background on where I come from when I evaluate Dry Cleaning Services. Habits are inculcated young, my Mom taught me that if you can buy & wear a sari worth Rs.5000/- plus, you must treat it like an asset, care for it & maintain it well. She swore me to forever & forever trust only Beauty Art Drycleaners for all the heirlooms she passed on to me & I would acquire over the years. So yes, I believe in old school experience when it comes to taking care of my clothes because they truly understand weaves! 

So here was MINK tempting me with trying any of my -5- pieces of prized possessions to be dry cleaned! Haw! I thought, modern technology on Indian clothes! Yet another Presto. (Do not get me started on Presto!)

So MINK's claim to fame- Pampering your clothes & Absolutely Premium right from placing a pick up order to receiving it. 

Placing a Pick up Order: rather easy over Whatsapp

Punctuality: On Pick up, within 20 mins in Powai

Client Engagement: Well Informed & extremely courteous Staff 

Clothes Given: A brand new Linen dyed Pathani Salwar Suit, a never before washed but often worn Dinner Jacket, my #Hujband's favourite leather suede finish jacket & a silk sari which bleeds colour & had a stain.

Post Handover of clothes, the feeling I had, Premium, reminded me of the House keeping staff at any Good business hotel. 

I received a message with a pic of the stained sari which they were trying to get rid of & keep me in the loop.

Now, here is the twist. So MINK promises delivery within -48- hours. I gave away my clothes on Saturday. I definitely did not expect the clothes on Monday given Sunday would have been an off day. However when on Tuesday I did not receive my clothes, the anger in me rose because I cant stand unfulfilled promises. 

So I messaged them the next day demanding to know about my clothes to which I received the standard response that they are truly sorry for the delay & the stain has delayed them and I will positively receive my clothes the next day. 

Now, had these clothes been urgent, I would have blasted the day lights out of them but they were not. These were just long over due clothes. (Plus, I was reviewing them, hence pushed myself to be super patient)

I received my package today as promised.

Delivery: Profusely apologetic for the delay, Smiling, courteous well educated staff handed over the jackets in the hanger along with the folded sari & set in a cover.

Post Delivery Feeling: Yes. Premium. I particularly liked their packaging i.e. the cover, quality of hanger (hope they maintain it), the branded paper bag (ensures repeat use), the sari cover (ensures the sari stays in it in the wardrobe). Clothes don't smell of hard chemicals. The colours have not bled either. Ironing seems crisp even in the current humidity. 

So yes, over all, a good service experience & more importantly the clothes seem to have been pampered well. The packaging definitely steals the show.

Question is Value For Money? Well, they are a premium service so let us not talk about VFM as it is priced above the average local Dry Cleaner. It is the price one pays for guarantee & service. 

On what occasions would I personally use their services again? Wedding & Heavy saris, expensive jackets when needed expressly. Especially steam ironing of trousseau attire. Regular Clothes I would most likely skip. I would definitely like to try infant wear & expensive Pashminas with MINK to see if the softness can be maintained or made better! 

MINK Best Suited for: Expensive Couture & most loved clothing which requires genuine care. Yes, our outer skin too deserves pampering!

Pricing: 

*Note: This review was sponsored by the company, however, the views expressed are my own sans any influence & bias.