Fashion Panache

Styling with Atyu - Babywearing in Summer

2020-08-11T13:48:00.022+05:30

Summer is hot right now in Europe. Super hot! Super duper hot! There's a heat wave and code 'red' for the weather on certain days this month! But then summer is also meant for going out, and right now, without day-care, keeping Atyudarini busy is full-time my job (and that should explain why I've been MIA for quite some time now).

BABYWEARING TODDLERS:

Also nowadays Atyudarini walks quite a bit when we head out, but then, there are still those 'lift-me-mommy' moments and 'screaming on the roads if I don't pick her up' moments! Well..... So yeah, babywraps are still very much in use. Of late, I'm more and more fond of short-wraps which are quick to wear than the long ones though I can do fancy finishes. With 'life-me-up-now' and 10 minutes late 'I-want-to-walk', shorter wraps and ringslings make much more sense!

DIDYMOS PRIMA MONOCHROME TRIBLEND:

One of the best wraps I've owned recently is the Didymos Prima Monochrome Triblend. The Triblend part of it what excites me the most - it is a mix of 68 % Organic Cotton, 25 % Hemp, 7 % Tussah Silk. It is a dream - it is thin, it is airy, it is lightweight, it is compact, it breaks-down in just 2 wears - simply put, it is just the best babywrap for summers! Though I'm always a fan of something more colorful, right now Didymos has only Prima in Rainbow & Monochrome in Triblend and since I already on the Lisca White Rainbow, this time I went for the Monochrome.

FANCY FINISHES WITH SIZE 5 BABYWRAP:

Here are 2 of the babywearing fancy finishes possible with a size 5 babywrap. The one above is ruck sack carry with Rainer's Heart Finish (with a ring) and the one below is Double Hammock carry with a Freshwater Finish.

This is a size 5 (4.3m), making it perfect for quick tie-ups while there is a little bit of tail for some fancy finishes. Btw, I was so scared of ruck-sack carry earlier, and wore Atyudarini only with BWCC, when she was much younger. But now, as she's growing and has more control (she even hangs onto my neck while I finish wrapping), for toddler babywearing, ruck-sack is easier which can be easily done with shorter wraps. I can easily get a high carry and that's always super-fun for Atyudarini to see the world from my level and my angle! Anyways, I'm still yet to get an hang onto double hammock style of wrapping. It does get a bit loosened up as I walk. Any tips for me?

What's your preferred babywrap size and what's your preferred wrap fabric for summers?

Styling with Atyu - Short Wrap Back Carry!

2020-06-01T18:50:00.033+05:30

As I mentioned in my last post, I've been trying out short wraps, these days and they are such a blessing! This one is again by Girasol, Its a size 2 wrap meaning, its just 2.6m. The very big advantage of 2.6m is, it is light and it is possible to carry it everywhere like a scarf! While fancy finishes of base size/longer wraps are super fun, sometimes, shorty wraps are needed for those quick 'lift-me-mommy' -s.

What happens is, when Atyudarini wants to go biking, or even a long walk, she gets tired after a while. Esp., when we go biking, I have carry her and the bike as well and head back home. Doing that without a wrap is super tiring even if its a short distance. There are 2 major disadvantages of a long wrap at this point - 1. She's already tired and by the time I try wrap a long wrap and try a finish on it, she's really really irritated! 2. When she suddenly gets tired, we are the middle of somewhere like a park or footpath etc and the whole long wrap gets super dusty and dirty. Comes in shorty wraps to the rescue. Its easy to carry, wrapping it around the neck or body and when Atyudarini gets tired, I can wrap her quickly and my hands are free to carry her bike!

Tee: Thrifted from a flea market in Brussels

Jeans: Promod

Babywrap: c/o Zunil by Girasol Berlin

Like I mentioned in the last post, what I love about Girasol wraps are they are super easy to use as soon as they're unpacked, without having the need to break-it-in. Also being someone who loved handmade products, esp., handloom textiles, since these are handwoven in Guatemala, I'm super happy to be using these.

This design is called Zunil. Its 100% cotton and about 215 gsm heavy. Actually, it serves as a very good blanket wrap, even without the baby, on those slightly chilly days of spring! The width is generous and easy to make a deep seat. The natural texture of the handwoven cotton fabric, makes it grippy and even knotless finishes stay-put without loosening. The best part, Zunil pattern is so colorful and it makes me super happy....

While the rucksack back carry with superman toss is quick, sometimes Atyudarini wants to be in the front, on my chest. So I also wear 2 rings like a bangle/bracelet while we head out and sometimes I make a quick no sew ring-sling.

Btw, the location here is De-Wand tram station is Brussels which is one of the places, most extensively covered in murals. Very close to here is the Chinese Pavilion & Japanese Tower!! Read about more things to do in Brussels & Belgium in my other blog, My Travelogue!

European Babywearing Week

2020-05-07T20:03:00.002+05:30

This week is European Babywearing Week!!! Every year, the week beginning on the first Monday of May every year since 2017, is celebrated as European Babywearing Week! Every year they come up with a theme and a topic is assigned for every day of the week! I participated last year too and the theme was 'Joy of Babywearing' and everyday topics varied from Joy of Sleep to Joy of Travel and many more. This year, the theme is '4th Trimester and beyond'. Thanks to Covid, there are 3 sub-themes (Yippeee!!!) - Front Wrapping types, Carrying at Home and Colorful Challenge!!!

Today is the day for Green in the Colorful Challenge and by chance, yesterday this gorgeous wrap from Girasol reached home.... So here we go.....

Dress: Thrifted from a Flea Market in Brussels

Jeggings: Primark

Babywrap: c/o Selva by Girasol Berlin

The wrap is handwoven and made in Guatemala. I loved the color combination. Though its all green, all the tints, tones and shades and the fine stripes in so many colors, makes it so pleasing. Its about 216gsm and is made of 100% cotton. At 216 gsm it isn't too thin but is neither too bulky - the weight is perfect to give an excellent grip while wrapping. At 70+ cm width, its wide enough to easily get a deep seat and with the texture of the fabric, it doesn't pop easily as well!

I've been recently trying my hand in shorter wraps. This one is size 4. As much as I love the fancy finishes of long wraps and mehdai-s, the shorter wraps are easier and quicker to put on and take off! Technically, this wrap isn't even broken in - I just received it yesterday! Yet, it is pretty pliable and I managed to do this Lattice finish. Ofcourse, its kinda a semi-lattice finish with a size 4, but still, for a non-broken-in wrap, I'm happy to have tie this finish!

Messy hair yet baby-wear!

2020-04-21T01:36:00.001+05:30

How is lock-down treating you all?!!! Life has become way too busy right now trying to keep-up with my daughter and keep her busy with a wide array of activities. With that I end up getting really tired and I end up giving her a bit more screen-time than warranted, which wasn't the case pre lock-down! We all miss going on our trips! But that said, we are atleast happy that inspite of the lock-down the local government here in Belgium allows us, infact encourages us to go out for physical activities (ofcourse while maintaining social distancing) to keep ourselves fit. So yeah, going out almost everyday to the nearby parks is the new norm, coz a toddler can get crazy within 4 walls for days together.

Especially, right now, with the spring season, the weather is great and flowers are blooming everywhere. After a hiatus, now is the time for my daughter to bike/run around in the park. She needs it so much more right now! Ofcourse there are times, still that she wants me to carry her! So yeah, the babywearing is still on.

White lace top with mesh neckline: Thrifted at a flea market in Brussels

Faux leather Skirt in tan: Promod

Gladiator Shoes in tan: New Look

Leopard print babywrap: Handspun handwoven khadi fabric

This is one of our recent days. I dressed up, just because! Its been ages of not getting dressed-up, no make-up, and having no motivation at all. While dressing-up & make-up is one thing, hair is another issue! The barbers & parlours aren't open here and my hair is messy to say the least. I bought and used bobby pins probably after a decade, believe me, a decade!!! It feels funny!!! I need a hair-cut.....

Finally, I'm able to wear Atyudarini is short wraps. During winters it was too difficult to wrap her when both of us are wearing heavy jackets, so with the improving weather I can't wait to wrap her again. I'm slowly getting a hang of Ruck-Sack. I've always back carried in a Back Wrap Cross Carry coz it was easy! Finally, bit by bit I'm getting a hang of Ruck-Sack now. I bought this fabric in India, its an authentic Khadi fabric which is handspun and handwoven. Obviously I bought it for its stunning leopard print!
So.... How's the lock-down in your place? Are you a toddler parent in lock-down? How are you managing???!!!!

Potty Training at 15 months

2020-02-21T19:15:00.000+05:30

If you've also been reading my Travel blog, you may remember my fateful day when everything went wrong - when out passports got stolen, and Atyudarini got a skin infection after I changed her diaper in a diaper changing room in a railway station! Well, the one good thing that came out of it was - our potty training began! This happened when Atyudarini was 15 months old.

Till this point of time, she was mostly in diaper, apart from the occasional diaper-free time. She had her night diapers which would be totally filled in the morning when I remove it. Now, thanks to the god-damn infection, I left her completely diaper-free for her skin to breathe and heal. At night, we had a waterproof mat and a towel on it, on the bed and let her sleep without a diaper. Our intention was to keep changing the towel as she wets it. And.......... guess what, she wet it only once over night! It was then that I realized, that her soaked night-diaper was because of just 2 pees - one in the middle of the night and one in the morning 'after' she woke up!!!!!!! That was a big revelation.
Then on, I just stopped putting a diaper on her when we're home! Her diaper time was confined to her day-care and outings. At home she was in her regular underwear and I took her to the toilet every 2 hrs and there she was, using a potty effectively! Ofcourse, this was much before she could actually say many words or comprehend that she wants to use the toilet and inform me on time! This was more of an elimination communication than potty training. This would mean, me being attentive and taking her to the potty every 1.5 to 2 hrs or when her face shows that she wants to poop. So, yes, there were many an accident - esp., if I forgot to keep a tab on the timings!!!

Unlike many instructions that I read, that say, potty training begins with day time and you may still need diapers for the night, here I was, taking off the night diapers first....... She was on & off diapers in the day-time. If I had something else important to do, if I was unwell, she'd be on her diaper; if not, she would off of it! By this time, I had got a hang of her reactions, when peeing or pooing - that is exactly the core of Elimination Communication. Just like how a baby would react when he/she wants to feed, the baby would also 'react' in a way when he/she's not only when pooping, but also peeing. As and when I could, I slowly, in my own pace, stopped her day-time diapers.
At nights, she would let out a cry in the middle of night which wouldn't subside even after offering to feed - yeah, that's the potty reaction! I'd make her sit on the potty placed between my legs on the bed itself, while she's breastfeeding and asleep and she'd go. As soon as she woke up in the morning, its time for the potty again.
The next challenge was travel - potty training when traveling!!!! I would put on her diaper, but it was confusing her. I tried to take her to the toilets wherever we go (anti-bacterial wipes to the rescue!), but it was struggle to pull down & up her diaper, unlike underwear. So I got some potty training pants and it is good to go. She's now 2 and she's almost potty trained....

Here's the thing - there is no hard and fast rule and every child is different and every family's situation is different! This is just my experience... I know of parents who started Elimination communication at 8-9 months and by 1yr the child was already potty trained and I also know of children who wore diaper till 3-4 yrs of age! Actually it doesn't matter - eventually they WILL definitely get potty trained, unless that are specific physical/mental reasons otherwise!!!!!

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Travel Style - Desigual Coat

2020-01-31T19:13:00.000+05:30

The weather of Portugal is so beautiful, unlike Brussels and the winter there feels like the autumn of Brussels and it was warm. However ofcourse we needed a thin jacket to help through windy days. So here comes the OOTD!

This has got to be my favourite jacket. I love the royal touch that this jacket has! Yeah! I know.... The shoes absolutely do not match with the outfit. But then, being a short trip with limited luggage allowance, I didn't want to pack and extra pair of shoes!

Jacket: Desigual

Shoes: Slazenger

Baby carrier: Didymos Lisca Rainbow Mehdai
Atyudarini's Jacket: Primark

This pic was atop the Mouros Castle in Sintra. It was a warm day and I had worn my jean & tee and had Atyudarini on my back in the baby carrier. Atop the Mouros Castle, even though the temperature was warm, it got a bit too windy and I didn't want to take off the baby carrier to wear my jacket. So this is back side worn in the front!!!

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Travel Style - Off Shoulder Top

2020-01-17T19:12:00.000+05:30

If you've also been following my travel blog, you may know that we recently went of a short trip to Portugal. Ofcourse we did visit Sintra and its incredible greenery was so pleasing, esp coming from Brussels where winter had already begun... Here is my outfit post clicked in that incredible location!

While wearing an off-shoulder dress/top as it is, is great, especially if you have a clavicle to show off, I feel, the right way to spruce it up would be by wearing an interesting innerwear!! When I found this very cute sports bra with a criss-crossing back, in a soft, red tone, I knew it could be worn in a gazillion ways and I bought it!

Top: Pramod

Jeans: Primark

Sports Bra: Primark

Shoes: Slazenger

Baby carrier: Didymos Lisca Rainbow Mehdai

How do you wear your off-shoulder dresses and tops? Let me know in the comments below!

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Charlie Banana Training Pants - A Review

2020-01-03T19:12:00.000+05:30

The problem with diapers & potty training is the elasticity of the waist band! Well, as we begun potty training, the biggest challenge was travel - will public toilets be safe, what if there is no toilet where I go, what if 'accidents' happen???? So I tried taking her to the toilets wherever we go, even though I put her on diapers, to 'prevent' accidents when we're on the go. But the challenge with diapers was that it wasn't easy to pull it down or up - so in came the training pants.

Charlie Banana is one of my tried and tested brands. I've used their cloth diapers, as well as cloth menstrual pads and have always been totally satisfied with their quality. Now, I tried out their training pants...

This special product is called '2 in 1 Swim Diaper and Training Pants'. Unlike a diaper as well as to suit being a swim diaper as well, it has very very minimal absorption. It has an excellent waist elastic so its easy to pull down and up again even in the cramped space of the toilets in trains or flights. Ofcourse the outer layer is PUL coated. Usually when we go out, I add another layer on insert within it, so even if there is an accident or even if we're not near a toilet when she wants to go, it still saves the day; but when there is one, its easy as well. It comes both with or without sidesnaps. Side snaps would make it easier to remove if there's a poop accident, but the ones without side snaps gives a more authentic feel of a real underwear, to the kid.

One of their recent collections is a collaboration with Sophie la Giraffe. Atyudarini had one when she was younger, it was her first ever teething toy and I've kept it away now to preserve it forever. I doubt if she remembers her Sophie, but she does love these training pants!!!
Charlie Banana also has another product called Reusable Super Pro Underwear which is meant for older kids who are yet to be toilet trained. This is perfect for children with autism and other issues and cannot be toilet trained. The largest size of the Super Pro underwear of waist size 31 in/78 cm that's suitable upto 25kg of weight. Its absorption is not as thin as the training pants, but not as heavy as a diaper. If its to be used for special need children, you may have to add an extra insert inside. This also comes with 2 options - with and without side snaps.

When did you start potty training? Did you try elimination communication? Did you use training pants at all or did you go from diaper to fully trained directly? Let me know in the comments below...

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Blümchen Training Pants - A Review

2019-12-20T19:14:00.000+05:30

I thought I could take Atyudarini from cloth diapers, directly to underwear. However, the problem was when we travel - I couldn't deal with the quick removal and putting back on, a diaper in trains & flights etc. So, I chose to give the training pants a try!

Blümchen is one of my tried and tested brands. I've used their day diapers, night diapers, as well as cloth menstrual pads and have always been totally satisfied with their quality. Now, I tried out their training pants and as usual, super happy!

This has a layer of bamboo terry and a hidden layer of microfiber. So this is pretty thin and is in between - unlike a swim diaper which has no absorption at all and unlike a proper diaper, which has a lot of absorption. We did use it once in the swimming pool once because, I hadn't packed one for a trip and we ended up spending some time in a pool. The absorption did make it a bit heavy!

As far as its intended use - as training pants, it does wonders. Its perfect. I do not put it on, on Atyudarini when at home or day-care, coz she knows she has to use the potty and even if there are accidents, its ok!!! I put it on her, especially when we are on the move - when I have doubts whether or not there would be clean toilets, if at all there would be any (like in the middle of Sonian Forest!)! I put it on with an extra layer of bamboo, so its as good as a diaper in absorption if an accident happens on the move, but still has the elasticity that's as good as a regular underwear, so if we do find decent toilets, it easy to pull it down and put it on again!!! Ofcourse the outer layer is PUL which keeps the clothes dry.

It has 2 rise levels in the front, to serve the perfect fit. It also has snaps on the sides to help clean removal, if there's poop accident!!! In the pic above are the 3 rise settings in action...

When did you start potty training? Did you try elimination communication? Did you use training pants at all or did you go from diaper to fully trained directly? Let me know in the comments below...

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Personalized Family Jewelry

2019-12-06T19:13:00.000+05:30

When Atyudarini was born, the first ever jewelry we put on her was the personalized name necklace that carried her name along with ours (her mom & dad); infact that's how we announced her name to the world, including family & friends. Even for the wedding anniversaries before she was born, we had personalized name jewelry in which we wore each other's names or both of our names.

Following the tradition, this year too, we chose name jewelry and this time, with all 3 names!!! This time, I chose a necklace and a ring. One is the very elegant 3D Engraved bar necklace. 3 of its 4 sides have, all 3 of our names on it.

The 2nd is quite opposite - the very quirky Birthstone Ring. Its a very wide ring, quite like 3 normal sized wedding bands fused together! Ofcourse, that too has all 3 of our names as well as our birthstones as well.

My love for personalized jewelry is never going to cease anytime soon. I'm quite addicted to this! What about you? Have you ever worn name engraved jewelry?

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Date Style - An almost formal dress!

2019-11-22T19:04:00.000+05:30

Its been 2 years since I had this in the title - 'date'! Well, since Atyudarini was born, romance has really taken a back seat. With a child in picture, romance actually takes a lot of effort and finally we found some time to go on a date! Obviously its special for more than one reason - one: going on a date itself is special; two: getting to wear something that I don't have think whether is breastfeeding friendly or not - is more special!!!! Hahaha... Every breastfeeding mom would get this!!!!!

I found this dress by Rinascimento, a few months back. It was too gorgeous for me to let it go, even though I wouldn't have been able to wear it for the next few months, for the very obvious breastfeeding issue! So yeah, I bought it, and it was sleeping in the cupboard for the last few months.

Yeah, I haven't accessorized it well. I would ideally wear it with an elegant neckpiece, but it never occurred to me! Mommy brain - duh! The watch is a gift from my dad. The bracelet needs a special mention. Remember my 'Organ Donor' bracelet? While I love it, its a bit too delicate to wear it on everyday basis. So I got this super sturdy cuff bracelet which also says 'Organ Donor' for my everyday wear.

When did you go on your first date after you baby was born? Are we the ones who delayed it the most???!!!! Have you registered for Organ Donation already? If not, what are you waiting for????

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Atyu's Closet - 2nd Birthday!

2019-11-08T19:15:00.000+05:30

Atyudarini is already 2!!! I can't believe it!!! Wasn't it just recently I posted her first birthday outfit??? Well..... Time flies.... and here comes her 2nd birthday outfit.

Regular readers of my blog might remember why we chose the name Atyudarini and what it means. Its derived from a name on a temple inscription (more details here). The way in which its written is a stylized version of a script called Pallava Grantham. So on this birthday, I took this script and made a dress for her with her name itself as the prime decor!!!

So on the chest Atyudarini written in the stylized version of Pallava Grantham itself. In the border is her name written in 6 Indian languages - Tamil, Telugu, Hindi, Malayalam, Punjabi and finally Brahmi, the ancient, oldest known script which formed the basis for many Indian languages including Tamil. All these languages have a special relation to Atyudarini in some form or the other! Scattered all over the body of the skirt are the letter 'a' in various Indian languages. All of these are hand-painted.

Unlike last birthday outfit, when I visiting India and could source Khadi (handspun handloom) fabric, this time, I didn't have that option. The fabrics are actually the last bit that you get at fabric shops for a zilch! I found 3 fabrics, all in off-white, in 3 different weight, texture and style. A perfect match it was!!!

Ofcourse, being an autumn baby, the weather can be really fluctuating. Last year, it was so warm, that she wore just her dress. This year, it a bit chilly, so I've put on the dress over her red tee & pants. Yeah.... This last pic is when she literally told me to put my phone inside the bag and stop taking photographs....

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SleepyHead - Mediterraneo Collection

2019-09-05T17:25:00.000+05:30

Sleepyhead is a life saver! It makes co-sleeping possible, but then she still has her own bed. I can constantly make sure she's fine when she's asleep without disrupting my sleep, but at the same time, she's not sleeping on our bed!

When they launched the 'Meditteraneo' Collection, I had to get my hands on one of those gorgeous blue spare covers! This season, they've come up with a new collection called 'Seascapes'! This is tempting as well, but then, I need to stop!!! Haha...

Meditteraneo collection concentrated on patterns inspired by the historical cities around the Mediterranean sea including Lisbon, Athens, Rhodes Island, Cote d Azur etc. All are tints, tones and shades of blue on white base. I had a tough time to choose between Athens & Lisbon. Both the patterns were serene and totally my type! Finally I made up my mind and chose Lisbon. This is indeed inspired by the traditional blue tiles of Portugal. This collection is perfect for Atyudarini, coz her cot is also a combination of blue & white!

This season, their Seascapes Collection is like never before! This time, they've chosen to actually digitally print photographs!!! Ah! Yes! You read that right.... Its a set of 5 designs featuring 2 photographers, these are actual photo prints of the covers!!! My favourite most definitely has to be Sail Away!!!

Another product of Sleepyhead that I love is the OnTheGo bags! This is a huuuuuge bag that fits the Grand Pod perfectly. When its not in use, it can be folded and stored in a small water resistant draw-string bag. While they serve their actual purposes very well, they are super duper useful is a gazillion other ways! The OTG bag of Grand pod is so big that you can use it a vacation luggage in there! I use in-flights to carry.............. the stroller! This ways, the stroller doesn't get damaged in the rough handling! The mini drawstring bag? Well, its water resistant! I use it to store the used cloth nappies on the go! It hasn't leaked for an entire day's outing so far and can easily fit in 3-4 nappies!!!

So, how's your sleeping arrangement with your little one. Do you practice co-sleeping? Are you for or against co-sleeping? Let me know in the comments below.

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Styling with Atyu - Flower Power (Skirt version)

2019-08-22T17:57:00.000+05:30

I'm not really Floral print person! But, somehow, quite a few of my latest thrift purchases have been floral print! Its just that its the most available, right now, as, you know, flowers are the most selling prints for summer!!!!

The skirt is very old. I've already worn it in this blog here and here. I usually wore it with plain tee and this time, I found this floral print button down shirt in a thrift store and decided to do a floral print clash! The shirt's print is very subtle and doesn't really clash with or overwhelm the skirt's print.

Atyudarini's dress is her first birthday dress. Its made of Khadi fabric and Didymos wrap fabric! The pastel colors and pop of pink made me choose it to match with my outfit.

Top: Thrifted from a fleamarket in Brussels.

Skirt: Made by me
Gladiator sandals: New Look
Watch: Timex

Baby carrier: Cookiie Pie Co (same as reviewed here)

Atyudarini's dress: Made by me (same as worn here)

The location is a fabulous historic hotel. More about it is coming up soon in My Travelogue. Stay tuned and stalk me on social media!!!

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Styling with Atyu - Summer Fashion!

2019-08-15T17:32:00.000+05:30

How's summer treating you? Where have you been? Where are you now? We are now into domestic tourism and exploring Belgium. We recently ventured to this very beautiful garden in Namur, Wallonia, Belgium and it surprised us very well! Read on more about it, in My Travelogue. But for now, here's what we wore.

Living in Europe for sometime, has made us more comfortable in cold than heat! When we were in Chennai 30°C was a good weather, now 26°C feels way too hot!!! And yeah, that was exactly the weather forecast for the day when we ventured here! So yeah, quite unusually I chose to wear shorts! Atyudarini was in the simplest, airiest frock and off we went! The fountains and water-bodies here, did lend some cool breeze in the very hot weather.

Top & Shorts: Thrifted from a fleamarket in Brussels.

Shoes: Slazenger

Baby carrier: Cookiie Pie Co (same as reviewed here)

Atyudarini's dress: Amazon.in

Atyudarini's Cloth Diaper: Blumchen (same as reviewed here)

What I really liked about the top, was though the frontal cowl neck is made of synthetic fabric, its lined inside with a very stretchy, cotton jersey fabric. Being cotton is amazing for the weather now and the best part, being stretchy, is perfectly breastfeeding friendly.

The first pic is from our railbiking experience. Atyudarini freaked out when we started but in course of time, she fell asleep!!! Magic of Babywearing!!!!!!!
Have you lived as an expat in a different country, that differs majorly in climatic conditions from your home country? Tell me your stories.....

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International Breastfeeding Week!

2019-08-01T17:58:00.000+05:30

Its International Breastfeeding Week!!!!! I'm a proud breastfeeding momma and I don't bother about nursing in public, which is still, unfortunately, a taboo in many a places! Most traditional cultures are supportive of nursing in public, including India, because, you know, traditionally, the function of the breast is to breastfeed!!!!!!
Breastfeeding did not come easy to me! My initial days were horrifying without any success of a proper latch! In course of time, with a very helpful nurse, Atyudarini came around and by Day 5, Atyudarini was breastfeeding full time. However, she again went on a nursing strike, which lasted for 2 months (when she was 3-4 months old), which made my life miserable. We 'almost' had a fire-accident, thanks to the non-stop boiling & steaming of the feeding bottles plus lack of sleep. I woke up at 5 AM everyday to pump for the rest of the day but still almost 30-40% of her food was formula. It was exhausting and frustrating to say the least. Finally we got through that too and again she started nursing full time. Mr.V dumped the remaining contents of formula tin in the garbage out of sheer exasperation.
She going to be 2 years old and we still nurse on demand. The journey was filled with rocks and thorns, but the effort to cross the tough path, is so worth it! Not only breastmilk is healthy, for a long time, it made traveling, so easy coz I did not have to carry anything at all!!!! Here are some instances of me breastfeeding Atyudarini OTG.........

Location: Hallerbos, Belgium

Outfit: Hot Pink Dress

Location: Liege, Belgium

Outfit: feat. Didymos Babywearing Wrap

Location: Mechelen, Belgium

Outfit: Kalamkari top feat. Cookiie Baby carrier

Location: Prague, Czech Republic

Outfit: Red Dress

Location: Delphi, Greece

Outfit: feat. Didymos Onbuhimo

Location: Schengen, Luxembourg

Outfit: Red Handloom Dress

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Styling with Atyu - Flower Power (Shorts version)

2019-07-25T18:48:00.000+05:30

As I mentioned in the last post, its summer! The days that we headed to Namur, Belgium were continuously at 26°C and now, since we've gotten used to European weather for the last couple of years, this feels hot (for comparison we were in Chennai, India before this where summer temperatures touch 40°C). So yeah, I've started wearing more and more shorts than ever before!

Since Atyudarini was born in Belgian winter, she is very very accustomed to cold weather than warm. She's more often than not, in just breezy cotton frocks or just tees with only her cloth diaper! She is just hating the heat!!! I wonder how she's gonna manage when we head back to Chennai...

Top & Shorts: Thrifted from a fleamarket in Brussels.

Gladiator sandals: New Look
Watch: Timex

Baby carrier: Cookiie Pie Co (same as reviewed here)

Atyudarini's tee: Amazon.in

Atyudarini's Cloth Diaper: Superbottoms (same as reviewed here)

Print clash, is a trend that I've always loved. When I found these 2 in the flea market, both with hibiscus print but in a very different style, I knew, I wanted to pair them together, and bought them! I couldn't find matching outfit for Atyudarini, but the bright orange print on my shorts, made me choose orange tee for her.

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Atyudarini was painted feat. Tamar Levi!

2019-07-18T17:34:00.000+05:30

Something absolutely awesome happened!!!! Atyudarini was painted by the amazing artist Tamar Levi!!!!!!!

Well, it all started with Atyudarini's friend, who is, by chance the daughter of Tamar Levi! She is a children book illustrator and some of her books include Me and my PDA, My Autism Book, The If Odyssey, The If Machine etc. I was totally fascinated by her work, esp., her books about Autism and Children with special needs! Its not an easy subject and she does a very good work! Check out her website - Tamar Levi, more of her works and style of painting.

We soon met up and she was at our home! We have a wall that has wallpaper in our house. Ok, let me be clearer... I've covered one of the walls in our house with an extra layer of wallpaper which is reserved for Atyudarini to do her scribbling, which we keep changing as it gets fills!

When Tamar Levi visited us, she found a new muse in Atyudarini (and I'm extremely honored and humbled by the fact)!!!! Soon, she did a quick illustration of Atyudarini on this wall. I totally love her style. The multicolors? Well, that's Atyudarini choosing & supplying her sketch-pens once in a while, as the illustration was getting made, plus doing a bit of drawing by herself as well! Hahaha...

Anyways, Tamar Levi, recently painted a huge canvas with 19 portraits in it and I'm super happy to announce that one of the 19 is Atyudarini! I will not be able to share the whole painting here as it was commissioned by someone else and sharing it here would mean obtaining permission from 18 other people depicted in it! So, here's a very small cropping of the whole image, featuring just Atyudarini! This pic is the initial stage and the first pic is the final painting. How's it? Head over to Tamar's Instagram page to be updated on her upcoming books & exhibitions.

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Recreating Mom's look - Edition II

2019-07-12T17:37:00.000+05:30

Remember I recreated my mom's wedding day look on my Baby Shower? Well, its time for edition baby, to recreate my look.

This dress is way too special! It was stitched by my grandma and the embroidery in it was made by my mom. Andddddddddd... yeah, I'm wearing it! The dress is 3 decades old! This is one of the very few clothes that I wore as a baby, that are still preserved by my mom! The embroidery is called Sindhi Stitch, whose specialty is that it almost doesn't show in the back of the cloth!

I'm a bit older in my pic than Atyudarini is now, though. I would probably redo this shoot again a couple years later when she's of the same age as I am, in these pictures. The location in my pictures is Kanchipuram in India while the location in Atyudarini's pictures in Brussels in Belgium!

UPDATE:

This post was featured on Links à la Mode fashion roundup by Independent Fashion Bloggers.
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How I Finally Started Making Money With Affiliate Links by IFB

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Travel Style - Offwhite & Gold Dress

2019-06-26T19:51:00.001+05:30

Sorry for being MIA for sometime here. I've been traveling and updating travel blog more frequently than before and Fashion Panache is taking the toll. Anyways, now I'm back here. Recently one of my travels was to the little gem in Germany - Trier. The country's oldest city! More about the little charming town coming up soon on My Travelogue, but for now, here's what we wore there!

Offwhite Dress with Gold Sequins: Made by me...
Red Jacket: Same as worn here
Shoes: Primark
Baby Carrier: Didymos Onbuhimo (same as reviewed here)
Stroller: Greentom Classic (same as reviewed here)

Finally, the weather in this part of the world is turning around and some sun is managing to peek out. That means, the weather finally allows us to not wear the jacket all the time! Its really frustrating in winters, that all the photos have the same jacket or coat or you really have to dare the chill and remove the coat for every picture! Finally, with the warmer temparatures now, I get to go out without the jacket and its such a freedom!!!!

Yes, I've already worn this dress here and that was when I was pregnant with Atyudarini. It is one of my favourite dresses, for its made of Khadi and it has golden sequins in it! I'm a sucker for all things shimmery & glittery. On this day, I wanted to combine the red of my jacket with my stocking which is why I wore the orange stockings and it was totally by chance that it matched the stroller!!!
How's the weather in your region? And what's your summer plans? Where are you heading to?

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Travel Style - Magnificent Malta with Atyu

2019-05-15T19:15:00.000+05:30

I'm falling in love with Onbuhimo-s more & more. Its always super compact and hardly occupies any space in the suitcase/backpack. Though it is technically back carrier, I can also wear it in front to facilitate breastfeeding. Yes, it has a slight learning curve when compared to the SSC, but easier than wrap. I'm yet to perfect wearing the Onbuhimo (technically baby has to be higher than she is, in these pics), but we're getting there and its super comfortable, esp., for Atyudarini coz she can look over my shoulder and have exactly the same view as I do.

This Onbuhimo is by Kolkol. Its an Indian brand founded by Ms.Bayiravi. Her son Advait's first words were Kol Kol and thus the brand's name! Ofcourse they have the entire range of babywearing including Buckle Carriers & Mehdai-s. The fabrics are all 100% Handwoven cotton making it really special with a human touch.

Green Kalamkari Top: Made by me...
Red Jacket: Same as worn here
Red Jeans: Primark
Blue Dress: Thrifted from a flea market in Brussels
Shoes: Slazenger
Scarf: Received as a gift from MIL

Baby Carrier: Onbuhimo c/o Kolkol

If you've been following me on Instagram, you may know that we recently visited Malta. The dull yellow of the Limestone with which everything there in constructed, matched my Onbuhimo, so very well! Btw, if you're considering to visit Malta with a kid, here's a tip - buy a babywearing - the city is not stroller friendly! We had both this Onbuhimo and a stroller in hand and at many a places it proved difficult and on Day 2 & 3, we left the stroller in the room and took only the Onbuhimo!

Kolkol Onbuhimo is suitable to use from 1 yr / 10kgs. The body panel is not adjustable. The hood is large and provides a great coverage. It can be worn until 4 yrs of age making it a great investment. And as time goes by, as she starts walking all the more, and would require carrying only when she gets tired of walking, this would be the best option for its compactness!

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Travel Style - Discovering Greece with Atyu!

2019-05-01T19:12:00.000+05:30

Atyudarini is growing! That also means, she's getting heavy, which makes front carry baby wearing, a bit, err...... a lot difficult! While wearing is front is still technically ok, walking even small distances is proving to be difficult with, one - she's tall so my vision is compromised, and two - longer walks with her weight in front is taking a toll on my lower back.

So I'm trying to back carry her more and more (but since she's still breastfeeding, I have to carry her in front at times, esp., if she dozes off while feeding). I'm yet to master the craft of back wrapping her but here are my other options. I do love my SSC (buckle carrier) but she doesn't coz her vision is compromised. She wants to peek over my shoulder. While I do love my Mehdai which allows high carry, what I love the most is my Onbihimo.

Outfit 1 - Floral Cheongsam Midi Dress: Thrifted from a flea market in Brussels
Outfit 2 - Jeans: Primark
Tee: Thrifted from a flea market in Brussels
Boots: Primark

Baby Carrier: Didymos Onbuhimo in Fairytale

If you've been following me on Instagram, you may know that we recently visited Greece and I got to rock my brand new Didymos Onbuhimo. Even though the various sites including Athens have a lot of altitude variations, so walking includes a lot of upward & downward slopes - plus, these places aren't stroller friendly. I really thank my stars for taking the Onbuhimo and these weren't too difficult. Plus the best part - Onbuhimos are super compact!

This design is called Didygo Fairy Tale and its a part of a large pattern. Like every other Didymos product, this too is a wrap conversion. Its made of 100% Organic Cotton and is adjustable in every way including body panel width, neck cum hood panel. The colors and patterns remind me more of the word 'Royal' than Fairytale!

It was super comfortable, esp., while walking the rugged paths of Mycenea and Delphi and Atyudarini slept off! Have you tried babywearing? Have you tried Onbuhimo? Btw, that's the 2nd Cheongsam dress. I bought the 1st one, authentic in China itself and this is my 2nd one which is more of a Cheongsam inspired dress.

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Charlie Banana Cloth Pads - A Review

2019-04-17T19:15:00.000+05:30

Charlie Banana is one of my favourite brands of Cloth Diapers and another of their staple product is the Cloth Pads called Charlie Banana Feminine Pads. Since I loved their cloth diapers, I chose to try out their cloth pads too Did it work or did it not? I've been using these for about 3-4 months now and here's my verdict.

I tried their 4 pads combo. To begin with, its a super cute set. It even comes with a cute little pouch packed in a cardboard box with 4 pads of 4 sizes. The concept is same as the cloth diapers with PUL outer layer, micro fleece against the skin and microfiber in the core. The microfleece feels soft and dry against the skin. The best part is the wings - its almost as long as the pad's length and tapers down and there are 2 buttons along the length which makes it stay put on the underwear; it just doesn't budge.

The 4 sizes include liner, regular, super and super+. The liner is cute and perfect for incontinence, backup for cup, surprise protection etc. The regular feels a bit small for a day pad - it could be a day pad only on light flow days for 4-5 hours. I'd normally prefer my day pad to withstand 4-5 hours on heavy-flow day or 7-8hrs on a light-flow day. The super feels more like a day pad. The super+ does the perfect job of an overnight pad. The shape of the pads is straight and the absorbent core is straight with absolutely no flare. I'd have preferred my overnights with a flared back, but so far this too hasn't leaked.

Did I even mention already how cute the prints are? Esp., Diva Ballerina! Its incredibly cute! When folded you'll have a hard time convincing people that its a pad and not a cure coin-purse! I'd say buy 1 pack of this to gift any girl as she steps into womanhood. The comfort of the supersoft fleece and cuteness of the prints are enough to reasons to take up cloth pads, even if you leave out the environment friendly factor.

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Blümchen Cloth Pads - A Review

2019-04-03T19:14:00.000+05:30

Back with my tried and tested, trustworthy brand Blümchen. I've been in love with their cloth diapers since a long time now and recently they've also launched Cloth Pads! I've been using these for almost 3-4 months now and I'm just in love with these!!! I got to try 3 versions of their cloth pads and they were all wonderful.

The most recent innovation is the Butterfly Pads which were just awesome. To begin with, this almost follows the same concept like the cloth pads. The top layer is majorly bamboo viscose and the core in microfiber and the outer layer is PUL. The PUL fabric designs are same as the diaper cover designs.

The name comes from the shape of the pad. Its well flared in the front and excellently flared in the back and the centre after buttoning is pretty narrow, which makes it fit and feel comfortable when worn. The top layer is a cut pile fabric and is super soft against the skin. The cut-pile's inherent quality include moisture wicking which keeps the skin dry and it channelizes the flow, making the whole pad work and not just the central part. Another feature of bamboo fiber and cut-pile fabric - it doesn't really retain stains. The pad looks as good as new after multiple uses.

The microfiber core is 1, 2 or 3 layers thick for the S,M, L sizes respectively. The L pad is magical and sustains overnight without staining bed or feeling wet! A super big thumbsup! This is one of the best pads I've used which feels dry and looks cute & new even after using several times! The only trouble, which is applicable to many other PUL backed pads (unlike hidden PUL), is the movement of the pad. If worn with synthetic underwear, it moves. You have to wear it with cotton to keep it put!

The other 2 types of Blümchen pads that I tried were Organic Cotton Twill and Slimfit pantyliners. They are excellent in their job as a mild protection on tail-end days or as a back-up for cups or mild incontinence. I prefer the twill pads to the slimfit for it feels more natural for the everyday wear.

So, answering the question of how many pads do you need to begin your stash? I'd say 3S, 6M and 3L and 3 liners. This would be, as it is, enough for a person with a 3 day long period and for those with longer periods, you just have to wash them at the end of each day and they'll be definitely dry in 2 days.

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Night Diapering Solutions - Blümchen fitteds!

2019-03-13T19:10:00.000+05:30

As I mentioned in my 1 year of Cloth Diapering post, Blümchen is one of my go-to brands when it comes to diapering, esp., their bamboo fitteds is a magic for nights!
Recently, I tried their new launch, Blümchen Bio Line Fitteds. This comes in 3 varieties - Regular, Printed & Twill. I've been using these for about 3 months now and Blümchen's promise is kept - it doesn't leak, it stays put easily for 12 hrs on a heavy wetting toddler! Just take my word for it, I've been cloth diapering my gal since day 7 & tried quite a few types & brands of diapers and this is one of the best(est) cloth diaper ever!!!

Just like the bamboo fitteds, that I've been using since almost a year now, this too has all the features needed for the perfect night time diapering. First of all, it isn't too bulky. The whole diaper is made of the same absorbent material and its really soft against the skin. The have elastic at the back and around legs for the perfect fit and doesn't allow any leaks! They have the integral padding, like an AIO and they also have a pocket for extra stuffing. The twill variety also comes with it own extra insert.

The diaper covers of Blumchen are magic again! The have double gusset and 3 height adjustment levels making the fitting absolutely perfect. This is my go-to diaper cover when I travel because with its fantastic elastics and double gusset, there is absolutely no leak. Yet, the elastic isn't too harsh and doesn't leave any marks on the skin. The cute prints are just the icing on the cake!
That said, none of the these have a fleece lining within. Though they also have rectangular fleece liners that can be bought separately, that wasn't really enough for my gal who would wake up with the wetness of the sides. I had already bought a large fleece blanket that usually cut up according to the actual size and shape of various diapers.

Blümchen delivers the best quality, as always! Its one of my favourite brands! Here's the best part - I don't use these for nights alone, these are my go-to for travels. While it is always good to change the diaper every 4 hrs, sometimes it is just not possible. For eg., if I have a 2-3hr train/flight, including the boarding time, door to door ideally would take 6 hrs. In such a case, I'd rather choose to put her in this fitted diaper and change after 6 hrs. So yeah, even in an active day time usage, this stays put for 6 hrs atleast. Here in this pic, Atyudarini is in Budapest Airport's kids area wearing her super cute Blümchen cover with fitteds inside.

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