Pillow Mattress    Crafts for kids are fun....one sewing machine and a Lady who knows to sew is really an asset to anyone like me who craves crafts !! I have been thinking of making a fun mattress for my child with the extra pillows and pillow cases that have been lying at home...and because sewing doesnot come so easy to me, i needed a friend with a sewing machine... I brought in just 4 pillow cases, ( you can use color coordinated or even contrast cases) 4 pillows that fit in those cases Line up 2 pillow cases first, horizontally, beside eachother and sew. Then attach another case in line, similarly the fourth. All you have to do is stitch only on one side of these cases, when you are done, the sew line should not be seen once flipped over. Just make sure you dont use up much for the border, otherwise your pillows might not fit into the cases.Insert pillows and tell your kids you made them a new mattress....they jump on them or take naps...forget about their stuff now !! - PrathyushaTalluri  

  Home made Sunscreen Lotion   I know summer is over, but skin tanning and sun burns continue until end of October in India and until end of August, mid-september in the Western world. Sunblock is a must have when in sun. Many sun protection products contain harmful chemicals such as oxybenzone, a synthetic estrogen that can disrupt the hormone system in humans. Considering to use a safe, natural, effective sun protection cream or lotion is the best, one that is made with essential oils. These natural oils like carrot seed oil help maintain liver functions, myrrh oil works as a powerful anti oxidant, helichrysum and lavender oils act as armors protecting the skin from sun damage. Coconut oil contains a natural SPF of 4, zinc oxide has natural SPF of 20+. To make a natural sun block at home: 20 drops each of lavender essential oil, carrot seed oil 10 drops each of myrrh oil, helichrysum essential oil, 1/2 cup virgin organic coconut oil ( at room temperature) 2 tbsp zinc oxide. Combine all ingredients, except zinc oxide, in a large glass jar. Place the jar in a bowl of warm water and stir the ingredients, this melts the coconut oil and helps mix all ingredients well. Add zinc oxide to the melted mixture and stir in well. Pour into a squeeze tube, tin or lotion bottle. Shake a few times after converting the mixture into the container, just to make sure zinc oxide doesnot settle separate. Before applying, shake well. **Caution: Use within 6 months of preparation. Try this once and if you like it, you might make a few batches to prep for the harsh summer next year. This can even be a very nice gift to the other ladies you know. Our homemade sun protection block works pretty well as a scented application too, it has the sweet essences of natural oils...no reactions and no worries !!   ----------- Prathyusha Talluri

Tin and Sand Candle Holder   Memories come a long way...the summer vacation with the kids, little girl's first beach trip,...and the souvenirs we bring along are so precious...son's first collection of sea shells when he was 4, sand from the family reunion at the beach, put them all in a Tin Can and why not make it a memorable gift to grandparents or Daddy !! We need: * A clean washed and dry Tin Can *  Decorative Paper or Printed Self Adhesive Sheet *  Modge Podge *  Hot Glue Gun *  Foam brush or Wide painting brush to apply glue *  Decorative twine or Satin Ribbon * Small candle that fits in the Tin *  Sand, enough to fill 3/4 of the Tin Tin cans are easy finds at the grocery store, even the famous Delicious Milkmaid, Condensed Milk comes in a Tin. Take an empty, washed clean and fully dried Tin, measure the dimensions of the paper you would like to cover the Tin with. Cut the paper correctly. Apply Modge Podge partly to the exterior of the Tin and start sticking the decorative paper you like. If you like Self Adhesive sheets, then Modge Podge is not necessary, just stick the adhesive sheet directly. Using the hot glue gun, attach decorative twine or Sarin ribbon to both the rims of the Tin or wherever you want to dress it up. Fill the Tin 3/4s with sand. Now place the candle on the sand...wallah...your surprising candle holder is ready...you can plce some seashells if you collected any around the candle for more decoration. Caution: just make sure you let others know the Tin might get hot when the candle is burning inside, and so place it on a coaster for safety. Memories go a long way !! - Prathyusha Talluri

Mini Hot Air Balloon Crafts To decorate spaces is a very creative hobby...specially childrens bedroom or nurseries are fun...they are the most colorful and dramatic with murals and borders of cartoons,fairies, flowers and such. Choose your theme and do your best! Creativity is at its sharpest when decorating kids' rooms. Today its the hot air balloon's turn. Think of painting a big hot air balloon on the wall, match it with similar curtains and bedspread...then for the statement art piece, design a realistic Mini hot air balloon. All you need are: * some colorful balloons, * bright colored Spherical Paper lanterns, Or Make paper mache Balloons with the real ones as moulds. * Some tiny, suitable sized cardboard boxes or Chinese take-out boxes, * Wire to hang the balloons, thread to hang the boxes under * Glue * Pair of scissors * Colored card stockpaper Keep the take - out boxes or similar small boxes brightly colored and decorated as needed. If you have paper lanterns ready, then just attach these take- out boxes using thread and glue. Now attach wire to the lanterns, hang them to the ceiling with a hook. If you want the paper mache balloons, then soak colored paper stripsin water until very wet. Blow a real balloon and start pasting the soaked strips using coats of glue. Let dry and blow off the real balloon once the paper mache is fully dry. Your hot air balloon is ready for dressup..follow the same steps for attaching the box and hang it up. Or using hard card stock, cut up and glue pieces of cards as shown in the picture and hang it up as in above steps. Those cute hot air balloons look so realistic that you will not want to remove them ever!! - Prathyusha Talluri

 Butterfly Crafts with Paper     Paper crafts are numerous...there is a humongous database of paper crafts if you browse on the web, and at any craft store. Who dsnt have paper at home ? Any paper, not just a colored paper, we can make butterflies with even a used newspaper or an advertisement pamphlet. As long as it is printed or colored, we dont have to bother about coloring each butterfly.   We need: * Paper as much as the many butterflies we want * Strong thread or wire to tie  * Glue to stick * And any base to stick the butterflies we make, like a canvas, greeting card, paper lantern etc.  Draw a palm size butterfly and cut it to shape. Then fold like an accordion and tie with a thread or wire at the center. Your fancy butterfly is ready, you can even keep it as is without folding. As shown in the pictures, we can paste our butterflies to decorate any item. Many artists have created chandeliers, Crib Mobiles, Canvas board art, greeting cards, paper curtains etc., using the same butterflies. There are paper cutters and stencils that are in butterfly shapes available in the market, with these cutting numerous pieces for a large craft project becomes easy. Such a project is perfect for a school craft class too. They decorate any space perfectly and are forever beautiful! Who says butterflies dont stay longer?     - Prathyusha Talluri

 Decorating Spaces with Floor Pillows   Wow, those Floor pillows!! For someone who loves decorating spaces, floor pillows are favorites! Indian tradition of Deewans and the Floor seating arrangement nothing different to decorating with Floor pillows....and hence we reign in innovative pillow decor too. Floor pillows have become a craze with many interior designers and lifestyle-furniture stores, across the world. The fabrics used create a mark of the region they showcase. These floor pillows come in various sizes and shapes....the widest for twosome,to the wierdest shape of a stone pebble...made of leather, cowhide, silk, wool, woven fabrics, jute, knitted materials etc.....they are also for someone who doesnot want to spend much for furniture or who lives a nomadic life of relocating often, just carry and move, no need to dismantle or assemble, these are even ready for a clean wash in the machine sometimes, or just a sun bath for sanity. Child-friendly, comfortable for sleep, ready to carry for a long drive in the car, simple and innovative as house-warming gifts,easy to make your own at home.....we can go on and on about the features of these floor pillows. Mom's saree your sentiment, then use it to drape your favorite floor pillow, match it with similar curtains and make it a fav.corner in the room for reading a book or sip a cup of coffee on a rainy day....give me a chance and i will make a living room full of floor pillows ONLY!! - Prathyusha Tallari

 Icecream Stick Crafts Icecreams are famous among kids....i have also seen many Moms who think twice before trashing those icecreams sticks, incase they can be used for any craft purpose, some day for a school project., etc. Building doll houses with these has been a common trend from ages, and the DIYers have improvised thier purpose, many new crafts have come into place. You browse the web and you will find yourself drowning in numerous icecream stick craft ideas. Simple puppets of your child's favorite characters, farm animals, wild animals using some felt material and googly eyes and color sketches can be easily made. Photo frames, fridge photo magnets, greeting cards, pencil holders using tin cans and some strong glue, front door decor....what not, i can type examples for hours... what i want to say is, these are eco-friendly too, just reuse those sticks or buy an inexpensive pack and keep your child busy for an hour making these fun crafts...icecream stick crafts work pretty well as gifts to welcome guests or say thanks - goodbye to friends and family. - Prathyusha Tallari  

Life is Not Easy!! Everyone talks about Life....how to live it, how to deal with its difficulties, how to mend it etc....but "how to face it?" is not an easy thing to talk about....with serious illnesses, accidents, thefts, physical abuses and many other serious issues being heard, Life has become a nightmare for many. Until one faces things or sees them happening closely, it is impossible to understand what follows after these incidents.....people sympathize the families that faced a loss, but how deep the hurt is, thats not easy to express...it is scary, yes the only word, Scary! If a wife asks her husband to tell her about his bank account details, he might quickly ask 'why do you need it?', but how can she say that she is preparing for the worst, then he might reply, 'are you dreaming of my death?' .... Who can teach him to prepare for the worst? Isn't it being smart by writing somewhere or keeping the spouse informed of the bank details, insurance information etc., so that she and the kids or even the parents don't suffer due to financial helplessness? Just by mentioning the wife's name or parents' names as nominees doesnot give one a title of 'Mr. Most Responsible and Well prepared'...in these times, preparing for a famine is being smart, and not pessimistic anymore. How difficult it is for the loved ones to run behind the authorities and banks after a loss in the family when they themselves are grieving bitterly. With technology came issues too, passwords, PINs, Scanned copies of some lost certificates etc, they are too vulnerable and sensitive. Sometimes, the old methods of printed hardcopy documentation is so necessary...they are the most useful to the family than a high value insurance claim that is sitting locked with a password in a broken laptop....helps no one!! As a civilian, i am proud of some insurance companies that are advertising their encouragement in this matter, their ads show Elderly parents investing to cover their funeral costs and medical bills as a relief to their children...it doesnot mean their children are careless, its just a kind gesture and a loving thought to help their own family even after leaving. Whoever is reading this piece of heartfelt thought, kindly encourage yourself, friends and relatives to be smart and prepared to face Life!! - Prathyusha Talluri

  Brilliant lies Hello rishi, good morning! is your mom there at home? No aunty; she is busy and told me to tell you that she went out.. I remember reading so many such jokes and cartoons which demonstrate parents encouraging children to convey false messages/ information. But we can not take it, when kids come out with a lie. However, latests research done at one of the universities in north Florida concludes in a different way; they found that, kids who lie often for very simple and silly things are far ahead in their IQ levels comparating to other kids. They picked up closed 120 children from different schools, with in the age group of 6-7years to do this research. kids who lie a lot exhibited extraordinary memory power and have done so well in many tests, whereas kids with no habit of lying, remained behind. When kids lie for every reason, their brain works even more fast just to pick up the right alternative information, and simultaneously they practice to increase their memory power just to make sure to redeliver the same details. "when kids lie often, this process helps them undoubtedly, as their verbal power, mental ability and of course their creative skills increase drastically" say this research. So parents, next time when you find your kid lying, need not get panic and don't be worried ; instead, stay relaxed as they are going to be brilliant in other areas of life. Nevertheless, as parents we definitely not be so comfortable or can't watch this show even though the studies and explorations say this. According to psychologists, kids just take some time and will come out of this habit on their own, on the other hand, parents need to monitor and make a note of the things which are picked up by their kid when lie. Its a proven fact that parents are the best scientists and psychologists and mentors as far their child is concerned. So, keep an eye on your child's behavior and can take call accordingly. - Bhavana

 Rubbing Alcohol and Household Care Rubbing Alcohol, also known as Isopropyl Alcohol is not only useful as a sterile cleanser before and after medical injections, it has various other not-so-famous yet household uses. It is so helpful, that ladies will adopt it soon after reading this. * To clean mirrors: Use a small spray bottle and fill with rubbing alcohol, spritze the mirror with it when cleaning for a streak-free look. * To clean windows: Mix 1 cup rubbing alcohol, 1 cup water, 1 tablespoon white vinegar to make your own glass and windowcleaner. * To remove permanent marker stains,To clean granite surfaces: Mix 2 cups water, few drops of dish detergent and 1/4 cup rubbing alcohol. * To sparkle stainless steel vessels,faucets and sinks,To remove hair color and hair spray marks on sinks topsand faucets. * To wipe car mirrors and glass and make them frost-free: Mix 1 cup alcohol and 8 cups water to wipe the car windows and glass to turn them frost-free. It works temporarily, so follow the process whenever you wash the car. * To treat plants bug-free: Make a solution of 1 part alcohol and 10 parts water, spray the mixture to do a sample test on one leaf of a bug infested plant, after 24hrs, if no reactions, spray well and treat to cast away plant bugs. This is a generic usage, please do more research on this before following. Rubbing alcohol is a simple item available over the counter, without any prescriptions, if used with caution, away from children, it helps serve many household needs. - Prathyusha Talluri

  DIY Bird Baths   Birds and garden go hand in hand...who is the one with interest in plants and flowers and no love for the birds and their chirping?! Can't imagine! Summer and Water also walk together...not just humans, birds too need to be hydrated. Most plant lovers remember to keep Bird baths in their gardens, big or small. Even a container gardener can also arrange one and wait for the birds to flock in for hydration. What a nice view in an apartment balcony! Here are some ideas to make bird baths, easily with different sizes of terracota pots and apt.adhesives and paints.....some can be made using candle stands as base and deep dinner plates as water holders, some hanging bird baths using wreaths and terracota basins, some are old, useless water sinks setup in the garden with pebbles in the bottom for shallow waters to stop birds from draining, some are made using simple saucers and cups attached to old, useless night lamps or on huge pots. Try your first bird bath and treat the birds !!   - Prathyusha Talluri  

Party Decorations with Streamers Parties are not parties without decorations....decorations have become the most talked about during the party season, be it for Birthdays, Weddings, Babyshowers etc....There are not many parties these days without themes. Some decorations take days of settings up, some few hours, however all  successful ones involve weeks of prep. DIYers use their own handmade decorative items, while most of us buy the readymade stuff. Crepe paper, balloons, streamers, lights, pompoms, backdrops, themed table cloths, tissue papers, what not........ While Simple decorations are hard to think of these days...we can create a busy look using the easily available paper streamers, i mean the paper ribbons. Instead of pasting them from top to bottom, we can start from the floor level and up....hang them as chandeliers using plastic loops, make jelly fish hangings with paper lanterns and streamers for a Sea-Themed party. Streamers are the most inexpensive decoration items, once hung, they can be recycled or reused too. Try the simple decorating methods to save some energy for the party and some bucks for better return gifts or treats!!! _Pratyusha.T

Story of The Rain Chains Water conservation has become a need these days due to scarcity of water and also due to shortage of pure water....Rain water harvesting  is the only way to bring in more water where there is scarcity. Everyone is already aware of this fact. While many of us know about harvesting pits, rain water collecting barrels and stuff, rain chains are getting famously useful too. They not only help collect rain water from roof tops, they also help resolves water seepage issues related to a building, and they provide water baths for birds. Rain Chains are available in the market these days, however, many DIYers are actively creating their own designs of rain chains. Using simple metal curtain rings, clay pots, pine cones, useless spoons and cutlery, metal cupcake moulds, jewellery making items etc., quite a large amount of rain chain models have been created....here are a few for your start up....i have mine in mind already...when are you making your first rain chain?! _Pratyusha.T

wardrobe Management End of Season however brings excitement to us to welcome the upcoming one, it also adds work load to our daily routine. Managing our own wardrobe according to the seasons also one of such challenges. Here are few tips help you to organize your seasonal clothing needs: 1. If you feel that its time to keep the present seasonal stuff aside, wash those cloths and iron them neetly. 2. Arrange them as per the sizes so that it can be easily reachable when you want to recycle few or give away. 3. Utilise the Storage space under the beds and sofas to safeguard your seasonal clothes, or use cartons to put them back in to lofts. 4. Try to spread naphthalene balls or use cedar blocks in these boxes or storage ares to prevent your cloths from bad odour and moisture. 5. Make sure that you revisit this stuff at least once in two months to check if every thing is intact. _Bhavana

Decorating Under the Sinks!! Water Faucets and Sinks are seen everywhere in the world, they exist in kitchens and restrooms. We notice a neat and clean sink, but no one wants to even look whats u der the sink...one awful place to think about....even the Plumbers make sure they deck up the sink tops but underneath is the neglected part..yet a visible space. The homewoner feels so uncomfortable to take the guests on a home tour when the sink arrives, even the guests dont want to give a glance......whatever i said, isn't it right. Why cant we hide that awful space?! We brought you some pictures of quite a few intelligent homeowners and designers who thought smartly about hiding the 'under the sink' area. Using Adhesive Velcro by Command Products, 3M industries we can easily mount a curtain onto that curvy sink side. Or have a craftsman build a modern cabinet under the sink. If you think these jobs might take longer to accomplish, simply finish the job by bringing in some healthy indoor plants to cover, or browse for a readymade stainless steel fixture wrapping around the sink. One silly space but surely needs attention to hide....under the sink!! -Pratyusha.T

Ideas for hanging pictures innovatively We need not always follow the same traditional method of piercing a nail into the wall and hand a picture frame. Quite a few new ideas have gone viral in decoration with picture frame. If the frame didnot come with a facility to hang it, a Coke or Pepsi can's handle can be detached and fixed to the frame, as shown in the picture, making it easy to hang. Jute ropes, metal wires and clips can also be used as a frame hanging facility. Ideas galore, soon as you browse through the web. A dab of toothpaste behind the frame to mark the points for drilling nails in the wall, measuring the distance between the hooks behind a picture frame with a tape or a painter's tape and then sticking the tape to the wall, followed by drilling nails in the wall makes ones job easy. Just follow these or explore new ideas to make your 'decorating with picture frames' mission a simple one. -Pratyusha.T

Ideas for Picture Display around Staircases   We have been sharing more and more about displaying photos and pictures on walls, shelves and other empty spaces...today its the staircase's turn. Why leave a staircase empty...?! Decorating with photo frames around staircases is interesting and absolutely adding a new perspective to the decor of the home. We can gather similar frames, photos of similar character, color,photos of just one category of family members ( like only children, only parents or grandparents' photos), photos of world tours etc....and make that staircase space a 'feature wall'. Using a dark background color or a contrast color as base, pictures can be hung for display. A staircase that is open to visitors, or one that leads to bedrooms, one that is in the living room, or the one in the foyer can be a center of attraction and a 'conversation piece', when decorated with pictures, opposing those that are separate, and which are not visible to the guests, no matter how much you spend to decorate, they are not seen anyways. In our next article, Lets see how interestingly and innovatively we can hang pictures otherthan just hammering nails in the wall! -pratyusha.t

నేను మా అమ్మ నవ మాసాలు మోసి నాకు జన్మ ఇచ్చిన మా అమ్మ గురజాడ వెంకట లక్ష్మి మట్టి ముద్ద లాంటి నన్ను మానవతవాదిగా మలచింది. స్కూల్ లో చదివే రోజుల్లో పిల్లల పుస్తకాల్లో చిన్న కధలు రాసి చిట్టి పారితోషికం సంపాదించేదాన్ని . ఆ డబ్బుతో అమ్మమ్మ, నాన్నమ్మ, తాతయ్య..... ఇలాంటి పెద్దలకి పళ్ళు, రుమాళ్ళు, తువ్వాళ్ళు కొని దణ్ణం పెట్టించి ఇప్పించేది . నాకది నచ్చకపోయినా భయానికో భక్త్తికో కాని మాట్లాడేదాన్ని కాదు. ఒక సారి నాకు ఒక పెద్ద పారితోషికం వచ్చింది. వేసంగి సెలవలు కావడంతో కాకినాడ అమ్మమ్మ వాళ్ళ వూరికి వెళ్ళాము. అక్కడ పిల్లలం పార్టీ చేసుకుందా నుకున్నాము. అప్పుడు మా పెద్ద నాన్నగారు "వూర్లో వృద్ధాశ్రమం పెడుతున్నారు.  మొదటిసారి అందరూ విరాళాలు ఇవ్వండి" అన్నారు.  వెంటనే అమ్మ, " ముందు శోభ పేరు రాసుకోండి" అంది.  నా ముఖంలో రంగులు మారినా తప్పనిసరిగా ఇచ్చాను.ఆ సాయంత్రం పెద్దనాన్నగారు నన్ను పెద్దల దగ్గరికి తీసుకువెళ్ళి పరిచయం చేసారు. 'ఇంత  చిన్న పిల్ల మొదటి విరాళం ఇచ్చిందా!' అని అందరూ ఆశ్చర్య పొయారు. నన్ను దీవించారు. తమ తమ కష్టాలు  చెప్పారు. అవి నా మనసులో నిలిచిపొయయి.  రైల్లో వస్తున్నప్పుడు కూడా అమ్మ 'సేవ' అనేది  ఎంత గొప్పదో చెప్తూనే వచ్చింది.   అంతే  నాకు తెలియకుండా నేను సేవా  రంగానికి వెళ్ళిపోయాను.  పదహారేళ్ళు వున్నా పద్దేనిమిదని చెప్పి రక్త దానం కూడా ప్రారంభించాను. కాని అది అమ్మకి తెలియదు సాహిత్యాని కంటే సేవకి  ఎక్కువ విలువ ఇవ్వడం నాన్నకి నచ్చలెదు. "సమయం దొరికితే సేవా కార్యక్రమం చేసేందుకు పోతున్నావు,  కధలు కవితలు రాయడం తగ్గిస్తున్నావు"  అని మందలించారు.   "దాని ఆశయం ముందు సేవ తర్వాతే సాహిత్యం కనక అలాగే  కానిద్దాము" అంది అమ్మ. అప్పటినుండి ఇప్పటిదాకా  అమ్మ నా నీడలా వుంది నన్ను ముందుకు నడిపిస్తూంది.  ఆఖర క్షణాల్లో ఉన్న వారి దగ్గరికెళ్ళి సేవ చేసిన రోజులు వున్నాయి.  ఆసుపత్రిలో ఉన్నవారికి సాయపడిన రోజులూ వున్నాయి. అమ్మతో  ఆ విషయాలు చెబుతూ వుంటే  అన్నీ విని సంతోషిస్తుంది. దూరదర్శన్ వాళ్ళు మా ఇంటికి వస్తే అమ్మ పెదవి విప్పలేదు.  తెలుగు వన్. కామ్  వాళ్ళు ఇంటికి వచ్చినప్పుడు తనని అమ్మలా చూసుకున్న అత్తగారి గురించి చెప్పింది. అభినందన  సంస్థ ఉత్తమ తల్లులకి పిల్లలతో వందన కార్యక్రమం చేసింది.  అందులో పాల్గొని అమ్మకి పూజ  చేసే అవకాశం  నాకు లభించింది  సేవా రంగంలో నేనిలా ఉన్నానంటే దానికి కారణం అమ్!.  ముందు నేను కనిపిస్తాను కాని కనబడకుండా నన్ను నడిపించేది అమ్మ.  అందుకే ఆమె గురించి  రాయమంటే సంతోషం.  నాకు ఆమె గురించి చెప్పమంటే గర్వంగా అనిపిస్తుంది ఎప్పుడూ!  -డా. గురజాడ శోభాపెరిందేవి