ముచ్చటైన దీపాల తయారీ... మీకోసం ప్రత్యేకం   దీపావళి అనగానే ఇల్లంతా కూడా అందంగా అలంకరించుకోవడం మనకు తెలుసు. కానీ కొత్తగా, క్రియేటివ్ గా మన ఇంటికే కొత్త కళ తెచ్చేవిధంగా అలంకరించుకుంటే మన ఇంటికే మహాలక్ష్మీ వచ్చినంత సంతోషంగా ఉంటుంది కదా. మరి అలా అందంగా మన ఇంటిని ఎలా అలంకరించుకోవాలో, అసలు ఎలాంటి చిన్న చిన్న వస్తువులే మన ఇంటికి అందాన్ని రెట్టింపు చేస్తాయో ఈ వీడియో చూసి తెలుసుకుందామా...! దీపావళి అనగానే మనకు ముందుగా గుర్తొచ్చేది కాంతివంతమైన దీపాలు, వాటి వెలుగులు. మరి అలాంటి వెలుగులను పంచె దీపాలను చిన్న చిన్న వస్తువులతో ఎంత అందంగా,కొత్తగా తయారు చేసుకోవచ్చో చూద్దాం.    

చికాకుగా ఉందా...? ఇల్లు సర్దండి ! మీకు ఎప్పుడైనా కారణం లేకుండా చిరాకుగా అనిపిస్తే ఒక్కసారి ఇల్లు శుభ్రంగా ఉందో లేదో ఒకసారి చెక్ చేసుకోండి. అకారణంగా వచ్చే కోపం, చిరాకులకి ఇల్లు శుభ్రంగా లేకపోవటం కూడా ఒక కారణం అంటున్నారు పరిశోధకులు. ఇల్లు శుభ్రంగా పెట్టుకోకపోతే... ఎదో తెలియని చిరాకు, ఒత్తిడి వంటివి మనల్ని ఇబ్బంది పెడతాయట. మీకు తెలుసా? ఎంత పని ఒత్తిడి ఉన్నా, దొరికిన సమయంలోనే ఇంటిని చక్కగా సర్దుకోవటం, ఎక్కడి వస్తువు అక్కడ పెట్టడం, అవసరమైన వస్తువు కనిపించేలా పెట్టుకోవడం, ఇవన్నీ మన జీవితంపై మనకున్న శ్రద్ధని చూపిస్తాయట. ఎక్కాడు వస్తువులు అక్కడ పడేస్తూ, తిరిగి సర్దుకుంటూ, మళ్ళీ పాడుచేస్తూ ఇలా ఓ పధ్ధతి లేకుండా ఉండే వాళ్ళు ఏం చెయ్యాలో చూద్దామా...! మన జీవితం ఓ పద్ధతిలో సాగిపోవాలంటే, ముందు ఇంటి నుంచి మొదలు పెట్టమన్నారు పెద్దలు. ఎప్పుడైతే ఇంటిని పొందికగా, చక్కగా సర్దుతూ దానిని రోజు అలాగే శుభ్రంగా ఉంచుకుంటామో, ఆ క్రమశిక్షణ అనేది నెమ్మదిగా మనపై కూడా చూపుతుంది. దీనివల్ల జీవితంలో మనం చేసే అన్ని పనులలో కూడా ఈ క్రమశిక్షణ అనేది అలాగే అలవాటుగా అయిపోతుంది. విపరీతమైన కోపం లేదా చికాకు వంటివి ఇలా మిమ్మల్ని ఇబ్బంది పెట్టే సంఘటనల నుంచి తప్పించుకోవటానికి తక్షణ మార్గం ఏంటో తెలుసా...? చీపురు పట్టుకొని ఇల్లు మొత్తం దులిపెయ్యండి. ఆ పని పూర్తయ్యేలోపు మీ మనసులోని కోపం, చికాకు వంటివి అన్నీ కూడా తొలగిపోతాయి. కాబట్టి ఈ విధంగా చేయడం వలన మీకు కోపం, చికాకులు తగ్గిపోతాయి. అదే విధంగా మీ ఇల్లు కూడా ఎప్పటికప్పుడు శుభ్రంగా, అందంగా ఉంటుంది. కాబట్టి ముందు ఇంటిని శుభ్రంగా ఉంచుకోవడం మర్చిపోవద్దు.   - రమ

  We never know when we feel sad, or angry..specially after a busy hectic day, it might be from any kind of work pressure, from handling too many things at home or driving home through a busy traffic, some discussion at work..anything... You actually dont atall feel like talking to anyone, then dont talk..really, dont talk..Even if your spouse tries to initiate a discussion. If you have been married for quite some years, then he/she will understand you are irate and will be silent..If you are newly wed, then its a better and kind thought to let your spouse know you didnt have a good day and would like some silent time...that is better than you being angry with your family members, they being hurt and the silent war continues for days... However, even if you dont want to talk, atleast give the other person a clue that you are irate, or "BE WARE OF ME" kind of a notice...If you are tight lipped, they might keep asking you the reason for your silence and you will end up being more irate...   - Prathyusha Talluri

  Your 1st Child, 2nd Child...every child is a wonderful gift from God...their first dress, first bottle, first pacifier, first pair of socks....are extremely precious, we love the tiny sizes...and every Mom stores them. But where do they end up, in the attic..you actually store them to refresh those moments, but you hardly see them...the purpose is not solved..and it adds to the clutter at home. Before you feel they are not useful and throw them and one fine day you sit and regret for loosing them..its a better idea to get them framed. Frames available in the market come in sizes and with purposes to display items, not just pictures..they are called Shadow Boxes.. You need not hang those frames / shadow boxes in the Living room if you sentimental..let your Bedroom be the place, or your Child's Bedroom, study room be the area for those memories to be displayed..you will feel good everytime you look at them and your Child will also not feel shy when he/she grows up. They are just some items, not their baby-days' pictures.   - Prathyusha Talluri

  Stay Home Mom--this title is not heard of much, these days. Most Moms are working out of home...and to be called a Stay Home Mom/ Home Maker makes us feel as if we are not being considered by the World...infact, its the most difficult job..handling a child and a whole household is not easy,,you already know it..then why should you let others declare that you are idle at home...I really appreciate the working Moms too..they go to work, come home and the family is staring at them with all the chores..that's frustrating but Moms dont mind!!! One really relaxing chore is to play with your child...if you have older kids, spend time with them, doing nothing else...stare at them while they do their home work, play or while they talk to you...you will recollect so much motivation...however, teaching your child early to respond kindly to you is most important here...if the child is rude, too naughty, you might even feel like running away :)... Let the child tell you all that she/he did today while you were away..if you stay home, let them know how much you enjoyed playing with, watching them play...interaction with the innocent young ones is one thing that erases the tiresome feeling from your mind.   - Prathyusha Talluri

  Before the Wedding, he will definitely try to impress you alot, no matter how much time gap you have between getting engaged and getting married. Your friends are his good connections too, he tries to take their help in knowing about your likes and dislikes, they help him in giving you surprises.....you dont know all about this, but they are communicating well and frequently. Now its been some time you are married, and suddenly he doesnot like you talking to your friends on phone...he wants you to spend time with his family than with your girlfriends. They are strangely hesitant to talk to him.....they were friends too but not now. You feel bad, but how to change the situation?!... Well, its not atall a problem without a solution...once your friend is married too, introduce her spouse to yours...let them hangout, invite them for dinners, get togethers...and when you notice the Boys are getting along well, plan a trip...you will definitely like the times now....however, everything new needs to be tested...when you invite them over the first time, watch if your Guy likes the other Man's company...if you dont feel the vibes, then they are better acquaintances than Family Friends.   - Prathyusha Talluri

  We, Women like making new friends like anyone else..infact why should i say WE WOMEN, we are normal human beings. But if you have noticed, this interest of making new friends definitely reduces once you start a family, however, this is definitely not a rule. You will be more interested in doing something for the kids and the spouse...by the time you find a moment for yourself you either yearn to take some rest or call up an old friend or family member rather than trying to make friends with new people. Is it strange??!!..I dont atall feel its strange but its absolutely normal... We dont have enough time to get introduced to new friends, invest time in the friendship, try to understand the other person..and most of the times, you dont like the new person you met,,,,you either call your old friend to tell her that this new person didnot impress you or you are very conscious of her looks or her bold personality. the other person may also feel the same about you. It also depends many a times on the age group, common interests, how much the other person shows interest in being good friends with you, the feedback everyone else gave you about her....there is no thumb rule, you may even find a better friend now, however, your old trustworthy friend is still the Best!!! she has already seen every phase of your life, your behaviour everytime, and she is still your friend, isn't she the right one? Let her know she is precious!   - Prathyusha Talluri

  Before starting the project, you need to make a rough sketch of the area to be screened. In addition, consider the requirements and preferences of the project. Screening plants are mostly used for dual purposes - shade and windbreak, shade and screen, security and privacy. Decide which facility you want, while choosing the screening plants. Make use of vines and shrubs to cover the bare fence of your garden. By doing this, you will ensure that you have added a decorative element to your garden as well as protected your fences. Plants and trees that can be used for screening your garden include Abelia, Azalea, Butterfly-bush, Camellia, Ixora, Jasmine, Plumbago, Oleander, Feijoa, Bamboo, Tinus, Dogwood, Hawthorn, Willow, Poplar, Alder and Tamarisk. Japanese cedar is the best bet for providing partial shade to your garden. Apart from growing fast, it holds more of its lower branches, so that it can be best utilized for providing shade and privacy to your garden. If you want a lot of shade, planting hollies is suggested. You may also go for Atlantic white cedar, if the place is chronically wet. Although hedges require a lot of maintenance, they make very effective screens and barriers gardens. They can be grown as high as 15 feet, or lower as well. If hedges are thick, prickly and thorny, they can provide more security to your garden. Perennials can be used to provide a wonderful screening to your garden. They can also be combined with shrubs and trees. If you have plenty of space to plant the screening plants, then consider a tiered or a layered look for your garden. For the purpose, you may make use of a small tree with a wide top, such as Crabapple. You may plant the Crabapple in the back, with medium bushes in the front. For a low ground cover, you may plant bulbs in front of the bushes. Another way to screen your garden is to plant tall ornamental grasses in the back, with lower grasses positioned in the front. A combination that is quite popular in the present time is tall pine in the back with deciduous shrubs in the front of the trees, complemented by flowers in the front of the shrubs. Evergreen plants provide continuous screening for your garden, throughout the year. You may select plants with multiple or curly stems, so that appropriate screening is provided to your garden. You may also combine evergreens with deciduous plants. Maples, buckeyes, birches, oak and elm are perfect screening trees for a spacious garden. A combination of such trees and large shrubs such as Russian olive and lilacs often work out well for such gardens. Small gardens can be screened with plants such as roses and cinquefoil bushes. You may also erect a couple of small trees and tall shrubs, to provide screening. Willow tree can provide a lot of screening to your garden.

  కొంత మంది విజయం చాలా మందికి ఉత్తేజాన్ని ఇస్తుంది. ఎక్కడో, ఎవరో... వాళ్ళు మనకి నేరుగా పరిచయం ఉన్నవారు కాదు.. కానీ వారి వృత్తిలో మెట్లు ఎక్కుతూ, అంతెత్తుకు చేరుతుంటే....ఏదో ఆనందం మనమే ఏదో సాధించినట్టు... ఎందుకిలా? ఎందుకంటే అది అసాధ్యమేమీ కాదని నిరూపించారు. రేపు మనము అలా ఎదగచ్చేమో? అన్న ఆశని మనలో నింపుతారు కాబట్టి ఫార్చ్యూన్ మ్యాగజైన్... ఒక వ్యక్తి వ్యాపార, వృత్తి, సామాజిక, సాంస్కృతిక ప్రభావాలు వంటి అంశాల ఆధారంగా అంతర్జాతీయ అగ్రశ్రేణి వ్యాపారవేత్తల జాబితాను సిద్ధం చేస్తుంది. ఆ జాబితాలో మహిళా వ్యాపార వేత్తల జాబితాలో మన దేశం నుంచి నలుగురు భారతీయ మహిళలకు స్థానం దక్కింది. ప్రపంచ వ్యాప్తంగా అత్యంత శక్తివంతమైన వ్యాపార జాబితాలో ICICI బ్యాంక్ CEO చందాకోచర్ నాలుగో స్థానంలో నిలిచారు. అలాగే National Stock Exchange Chief చిత్రా రామకృష్ణన్ 17వ స్థానంలో ఉన్నారు. యాక్సిస్ బ్యాంక్ శిఖాశర్మ 32వ స్థానంలో ఉన్నారు. HSBC నైనా లాల్ కిద్వాయ్ 42వ స్థానంలో ఉన్నారు. ప్రపంచ వ్యాప్త మహిళా వ్యాపార దిగ్గజాలతో పోటీపడుతూ... ఇలా తమకంటూ ఓ ప్రత్యేక స్థానాన్ని పొందటం అంత సులువేం కాదు. అలా అని అసాధ్యమూ కాదని నిరూపించారు. ఈ నలుగురి ప్రస్థానం.... వారి అభిరుచులు, వృత్తిపట్ల, వ్యక్తిగత జీవితం పట్ల వారి దృక్పథం... ఇవన్నీ ఎందరో మహిళలకు స్పూర్తినిచ్చే అంశాలు. వారికి అభినందనలు తెలుపుతూ, వారి స్పూర్తితో... మన లక్ష్యాలని నిర్ణయించుకుని వాటిని సాధించేందుకు ప్రయత్నిద్దాం.. - రమ Teluguone

- Prathyusha Talluri   Painting flower vases is common, and we think of only floral patterns, mostly. Lets try something new. Winter's arriving too..we can also think of a warm look. Customize a plain vase by taping off a chevron pattern with painter's tape (it need not be perfect). Spray-paint the exposed area with a lighter shade of the vase color. Remove the tape when the paint is dry. Boost the style of plain glass vessels by slipping them into something more cozy. Stretch a piece of felted sweater around the vessel, right side in. Pin for a snug fit, then remove and sew it where it was pinned. Cut the excess and turn it inside out. Make use of sweater accents such as button plackets, pockets and sleeves. Or add your own embellishments fashioned from scraps of old wool sweaters. Add some memories to the clear vases you already have. Make sure the glass is clean inside and out and then, slip some old photographs carefully into the vase. Isn't it a new decorative statement!!  

  Most of us receive flowers as gifts and strive to take care of them. Its also an art, not everyone can display bouquets/ flower vases in the right way and beautifully. Put flowers in water as soon as you get them home. Fill the vase with li'l warm water, add floral preservative(if you get one), and then add flowers to the vase Cut an inch off the stems using a sharp knife, especially if the flowers will sit a while before being arranged. The fresh cut will help the stems absorb water better. Warm water helps tightly closed flower heads, such as roses, to open fully. Leave them in water for a day or two before using them on a special occassion. Use florist's foam to keep flowers in place and constantly hydrated so they last longer. Soak the foam for 15 minutes before cutting it to fit the container. Water the foam every couple of days. Recut stems just before adding them to the arrangement. Strip off any leaves that fall below the water line. Add large, heavy flowers first to the arrangement as you work to ensure even placement on all sides. Fill in with smaller, airier blooms, and leave enough space between the stems so individual flowers have room to shine. Include flowers with various shapes and stem lengths. Make your bouquet taller than its container by about one and a half times. Also, make the width balance the height. Mix in different textures for a monochromatic arrangement that's interesting to look at. Save larger leaves and stems with leaves on them to fill in around the flowers. Drape some of the greenery over the container's rim. Keep flowers away from sunlight and heating vents. Recut stems and add water often.   - Prathyusha Talluri.  

  Every parent dreams of their child's 1st birthday, infact every birthday party counts. When its time for the Birthday Bash, themes are always overwhelming...we need ideas, more and more. I thought sharing some ideas would relieve you of atleast few tensed anxious party planning moments... Use a rainbow-themed first birthday party idea to plan a colorful event for your little bird.   Bubbles and Balloons Party: Arrange a bubble machine from a party supply store, they offer rentals too. And also give some bubble blowers to the kids, let them make their own bubbles, hang clear balloons not the colored ones, but let there be another small balloon inside every big clear one. Around the World Party: Send guests plane-ticket invitations. Use airport lingo, like arrival and departure times, seat assignments, and flight numbers. Candy Theme: Turn basic balloons into free standing lollipops. Wrap them in cellophane and add a wrapping paper tube stick, then position them around the room. Hard candies are super easy to make.Tape together two plastic dinner plates, wrap them in cellophane, and cinch the ends with ribbon. Have fun in your own party!   - Prathyusha Talluri

Eating healthy food alone is not sufficient for a healthy lifestyle but also correct cooking methods are to be employed during cooking. Or else we might be killing the healthy food and make the same dangerous for our own self! Though some of these are tough to break but for sake of our health Using Non-stick Pans at High Heat should be discontinued, at high temperatures PFC(perfluorocarbons) are released as fumes which incorporate into our bodies and damage our liver Using Non-stick pans is a good practice but using metallic utensils is not advisable not just because it prevents scratching and it look but this scratching can lead to ingestion of PFCs. It is best to use wooden or heat-safe rubber utensils When heating oil to smoking, destroys beneficial antioxidants and forms harmful compounds. Just heat it until it shimmers but not smokes! Stirring the food constantly to prevent burning, the flavor of the food is boosted by letting it sit on hot pans. Constant stirring breaks food apart and makes it soggy. Serving hot food on plastic made use-and-throw dishes is very dangerous, because hot foods melt the surface chemicals and enter into our bodies!  While making batter for baking, we expect the ingredients to mix evenly so, we end up over mixing causes gluten to form in flour. Mix the batter gently and uniformly then put down your mixer!  Instead of filling the pan to brim with ingredients, it is better to cook small amounts of food in batches. This ensures crispier looks, healthier and tastier foods

  Kitchens are where the fireworks, ninja wars happen!! The fire, the sharp knives,.... a big no-no for babies, specially babies who can crawl, they start to reach every corner, they are curious about everything Mom regularly pulls out of the cabinet...they love the shiny knives, noisy pots and pans, they like playing here...but to cook peacefully, we have to make sure we baby proof our kitchen.... Your hot-water heater should be set below 49 degrees Celsius/ 120 degrees F so you won't scald your baby at bathtime( these days Babies are given a bath in the kitchen sink). You'll need a fire extinguisher in the kitchen. You'll also want smoke detectors and carbon-monoxide detectors(available in the market) on each floor of your home. Be sure to place safety gates at the head and foot of your stairs, and cover electrical outlets with plastic caps if they are within the babies reach. Make sure paint and other hazardous substances are stored in airtight containers on high shelves in a cool, dry area. If you have cleaning supplies and detergents in low cabinets, move them to the very top ones instead. Bottom cabinets (even if you use safety locks) should hold things that are safe for baby to find -- pots and pans, plastic containers, and paper products, for instance. The same goes for drawers -- move plastic and paper bags (suffocation hazards) and anything sharp to high drawers, and put safe things lower. If you use medicines/ vitamin or mineral supplements, keep them in a hard-to -reach drawer or cabinet with a safety lock -- they look like sweet candy and can poison a curious kid. Child-resistant locks aren't foolproof; they just take a persistent toddler a little longer to open. You may want to place choking hazards, such as magnets, up high too. Last, unplug small appliances (toasters, coffeemakers, mixers) when not in use, but don't let the cords dangle. Stove-knob covers, to prevent baby from turning on the burners, if available in the market, else make sure you place the stove beyond the baby's reach on the counter top. Use nonskid kitchen mats if any.   Lets talk about Baby proofing the other rooms of the house next time we meet here.   - Prathyusha Talluri

  We should always make sure our surroundings are clean and tidy but cleaning and cleaning, too much of cleaning might put us in trouble. You can clean before guests come. As the guests start to arrive, stop cleaning, stop to bother about the pillows to be where they should be even when the guests are sitting around, the floor to be tidy always..if they find you making the bed while you are giving them a tour of your home, cleaning your kitchen counter when you are showing them your kitchen annoys people, and they might end up commenting that you are a Clean Freak. You will be a talk of the town soon. There is a delicate difference between "Your home being neat and clean" and "Your home being too clean to handle"... Take it easy at times, dont worry too much, getting excited about cleaning the house before having guests doesnot give you any peace. Clean at a time when you are most happy and energized. Plan ahead, do things one by one. Your house-keeping skills will be appreciated and you will not be commented for being a clean freak....Take care...   - Prathyusha Talluri

  Your Ice cube Trays..... Aim for 4 times a year,with hot, soapy water usually works to keep ice tasting fresh. But if ice tastes stale, presoak the trays for 10 minutes in a mix of water and a tablespoon of bleach-free cleaner and wash thoroughly. Your Food Storage Containers.... Aim for every six months or whenever they need refilling. Wash the inside with hot, soapy water. If the container is tin, towel-dry to prevent rusting. If its glass or ceramic, simply let it air-dry. Your Wooden Cutting Board.... Aim for a light wash after each use, and a deep scrub wash once a week or whenever you use it to cut poultry, meat or fish. After using the board to cut produce, cheese or bread, wash it with mild soap or equal parts vinegar and water, and pat-dry. Never put a wooden cutting board in a dishwasher or soak for long time, wood absorbs water and tends to crack. If you've used it for raw meat, fish or poultry, sprinkle baking soda over the board and spray it with undiluted white vinegar, wash with running water and let dry. Every item in the kitchen needs cleaning, we definitely cant dedicate a whole day to clean everything, but instead cleaning one item a day is better and releaving.   - Prathyusha Talluri

  Adding our touch in decorating indoor spaces is everyones interest but outdoors are usually neglected...growing some plants is not the only thing to do on the other side of your door. Gardens, no matter how small they are, can be managed in our own style. It can be a plant or two beside your main door or a lush 20feet. The shrubs, flowers we plant depend on the climatic conditions of the country/ city we are living in but to decorate our gardens is easy. Some easy tips make our garden decorations weather proof... Using Terracota, iron, glass, brick, vintage items reduce the maintenance time. We dont have to worry about leaving these items outdoors. Infact they improve the aesthetic look of the space. Old milk cans can be used as planters, terracota lamp holders can be used to light up the space with LED Candles to stay accident proof. Bring in some charm by using bold colors, for planters, lanterns, lamp posts, door bells, door mats....explore any home furnishing, garden store or a hand made artifact store, you will find many..infact few terracota items that have broken edges can also be used to grow climbers, they cover the flaws....now you have more ideas not just for indoor decoration but also to bring some life to your outdoor area too...   - Prathyusha Talluri

  Gone are those years when we, Indian women thought only cooking and house keeping is our part of family responsibility. We have realised that women play a key role in earning, family welfare, and that we also have social responsibilities. I am glad we have a medium like this to share our thoughts, let me speak for many of us who are still shying away,or hesitating to express what we want. We want not to be commented when we drive vehicles saying "If the person driving the other car is not driving it correctly then it should be a woman.".....census says that Women are careful drivers.... We want a secured society that respects women of all ages. We still want elders to welcome a Girl-Child heartily into their families. We want encouragement to take up our interests seriously and turn them into a successful career. We want not to be questioned when we come home late after a stressful day at work. We want freedom to visit our parents' place without any restrictions after getting married!! We want our wants to be fulfilled, atleast thought of, can that be possible?   - Prathyusha Talluri