Thoughtful gifts for Children

Thoughtful gifting is difficult, thoughtful gifts to children is way difficult specially when it comes to low or no experience.

Just  the other day while wrapping a gift for neighbour's  daughter I realized that  I spent almost  an hour fretting over how difficult it is to find something decent that children would really use. With short notice of birthday parties and last minutes purchases I always fear duplication. It worsens when all parents from the same vicinity buy from the same stores  and the children end of getting multiple copies of the same gifts .

So here is my list of thoughtful gifts.

1. Piggy Bank: A good way to inculcate a habit of savings in children or atleast a good attempt. Buy a pretty one that a child can keep in his room and give him few coins in an envelope as starter. You find tons of these online and even in toy stores
2. Jewelry/Storage organizers : The mothers of young daughters would thank you for this gift as there are so many trinkets lying around the house and mostly we run out of storage spaces. Get something that can be hung in a cupboard or can be rolled up. If you are a DIY enthusiast you can make  one easily. There are so many tutorials floating on internet
3. Sports stuff: Apparently there is a wave of lawn tennis around me and rackets strings keep coming off. You can  buy rackets, skipping ropes, football, softball, darts, archery set etc
4. Soft toys : Do I have to write anything about it? I love them, you love them and obviously kids love them. 
5. Barbie accessories: Girls tend to have multiple barbie dolls but the accessories worn out or get lost in a few days. You can replenish them by giving barbie accessory sets. 
6. Planting Kit: I couldnt keep this off the list. Put together a lovely ceramic pot,  soil packet, a sapling or seeds, a tiny watering can and a note on how to go about it. Would take some time  to write the note but would be worth it. 
7. Time :  If you are a parent of the child and working long hours like everybody around, this would be the best birthday gift! You can print a simple voucher with some time allocation(like 4 hours)  and undivided attention. This may sound weird but given a choice to a child on materialistic things versus affectionate behaviour they choose latter e,g Candy versus 5 minutes on lap for good behaviour. 

Another bonus tip for working parents who have to send their children for a birthday party every fortnight.(Yes! they have better social life than us). Buy multiple gifts in  one go along with some wrapping papers.  Will save those last minutes rush to your nearby toy store. You can  also buy gifts when you are on a holiday purchasing unique items or just buy online where you might find better options to choose from. 

Zero Cost Balcony Gardening! (Well, almost nearly!!)

Off-late I have started spending a lot of time at home. I watched my quota of television, read random articles online,read my books, tried my hand on some DIY crafts but nothing seemed to captivate my interest for long. So I looked out of  the balcony towards the few inconsequential plants and wondered if I can take my balcony as my next project. I didn't wanted to spend any money cause I dont know how long this spell will last.

Teeny meeny pumpkin plant.

Its been a joyful ride since then, I have jumped with joy (literally) looking at my tiny pumpkin seedling popping out of the soil, regrowing the celery that I ate in my salad and sacrificing one of my sweet potatoes which has now turned in to a sapling! So if you plan to get your own balcony garden for free below is what it takes. 

Container : They are everywhere in our house. Old plastic bournvita jars, plastic buckets that are broken, old  2 ltr coca cola bottles. Just look around for any container that can fit a small plant it's your pot for gardening. I used an old bucket, some terracotta pots that were lying around and an empty bournvita jar. 

Soil : This is a little tricky part. If you have the patience till your next trip near the hills or the country side then all you need to do is  get a sturdy plastic bag and something to shove the soil and fill the bag. Step outside Mumbai and there are so many mountains waiting for you with their rich soil. Plan a 10 mins stop on your return and come back with your bag of  chemical free soil! Not planning a trip no problem, become friends with your building gardener and get a small supply for free! OK not your style go to nearby nursery buy a small packet of soil. 

Seeds/Sapling: This is my favorite part. Nothing beats the joy of looking at your first seed sprouting and the options are endless sitting right in your kitchen. Coriander seeds - take a handful drop them in your pot (with some soil), cover them and water them and Ta Da you will see those tiny little plants coming out in a week. You can grow sweet potato, celery, methi, garlic, onion, ginger etc. No need for fancy hybrid seeds!

Compost/Fertilizer/Food for plant : Here is where the cost comes in, you will need to shell out some money to buy fertilizers of some sorts.  However it will not create a hole in your pocket if you buy a non fancy brand from your local nursery. I have spent a total on Rs 50  for 5 packets that were good enough for 3  ornamental plants .  I have been trying to find some DIY way for this too but composting would be cumbersome at this stage. 

Sweet potato in an old bucket

Advice : Once you start your project of growing things in containers, lot of people will give you free advice on why it wont work!   That's something you don't need in balcony gardening and  but will come free of cost!!!

 "Sweet potato in a bucket, it wont grow there!!

 " Never mind!!! I loved the way it grew its tiny shoots then the true leaves and see now it has a stem too" 

Lovely joy of creating a life! 

P.S: This blog is an outcome of enthusiasm of exactly two weeks of gardening. There is too much, too complicated information available online on seeds, time for sowing, soil types, pests, bugs  etc. I dont understand them and plants are not aware of it  so there hasnt been any problem yet!