Be the coolest Mom on earth

Being a mom is the toughest job on this planet. There's nothing like the love surge of a full-body hug or the amazed pride you feel when your toddler takes its first steps! But all this comes with those inevitable pains of feeling exasperated, unnerved, or just surprised. You're ready and willing to do anything in the world to make your child safe and happy. But you see your charm and control slipping away with the growing years.

Going through your child’s adolescence years can be stressful (I agree that is an understatement). Not only do their escapades give you heart burn, you are also worried about what is giving them acidity. Eating junk and unhealthy food, sadly, is what kids equate with cool. No amount of telling them will drive the point home. And a little more telling will drive them to rebellion and you to the nearest mental hospital. Every time they tell you they are “hanging out with friends” you feel like hanging yourself, right?

Now that we are speaking of ropes, let me suggest a better use for it: The tight-rope walk – a fine act of balancing. Many a wise men and women have raved about the virtue of balance. It sure comes in handy. If you think about it you will not have to worry about your children eating unhealthy junk once in a while if a large part of their diet is healthy.

Feeding them organic food regularly will give them a healthy enough lifestyle to combat the occasional evil of temptation. Organic food lends more nutrition to the body helping it develop a better immunity. Not to mention the fact that it is tastier and will help build your reputation around the kitchen simultaneously.

Now let us imagine a scenario. You are telling your children, “It’s been a while since we ordered pizza. How about we order tonight?” Your children are looking at you with a wave of elation in their eyes before breaking into shrieking excitement. Next day the Facebook status of your kid reads, “I have the coolest Mom on earth!” Isn’t it paradise?

Have Your Cake And Eat It Too, With Organic Terrace Gardening

Anyone with a green thumb knows the joy of growing and seeing the fruits of one’s labour blossom abundantly. In fact, in the last post, ProNature talked about some international celebrities who have their own organic garden! So how would you like it if you got to experience the same joy and at the same time, eat food prepared from pesticide-free homegrown healthy vegetables? All of it is possible now with the rise of Organic Terrace Gardening.

If your mind is already racing to see how much area it would require and whether you have the space to even cultivate such a garden, let us tell you that you can start with as little as one or two pots. Once you feel comfortable with growing your own veggies and realize how easy it is, you can always grow your garden as much as you want. The only limitation is your interest and your time.

Image Credit: http://www.countryfarm-lifestyles.com

If you’re already into gardening and enjoy it, then this is just the next step for you and you will find it very easy. But even if you don’t have too much experience in gardening, workshops are regularly conducted to educate people about Organic Terrace Gardening, it’s ease and benefits. In fact, recently the National Seminar on Organic Terrace Gardening concluded in Bangalore and saw people from all over India come together to share their experience and learn more. For starters, Dr. BN Vishwanath’s book ‘A Handbook Of Organic Terrace Gardening’ is a good guide too.

To start with, you can try plants like mint, coriander etc which are primarily used for garnishing and flavouring. The additional advantage of this is that leafy vegetables grow faster and we’re sure that the feeling you’ll get on seeing the plants thrive and by using then in your kitchen will only encourage you to grow more plants. So you can start with leafy vegetables, chillies etc. and move on to other vegetables in due course of time.

Image Credit: http://smitha-myviewsonlife.blogspot.com

Maintaining such a garden also isn’t too difficult with it being possible to make strong organic anti-pest solutions right in your house, for example by combining Neem, tobacco, onion, garlic and chilli. If you’re using your terrace and not your backyard, only your roof needs to be free from seepages and leakages. And make sure that your plants get enough sunlight. That’s about it.

Once you start, you’ll realize how easy it is to grow your own vegetables that are free from any pesticides and packed with the pure goodness of nature. It will also make your home greener, adding a feel-good factor and also purifying the air around. Not to speak of the fact that you won’t have to run to the market everytime you run out of your favourite veggies but only run to your garden.

So the next time you cook, you can have your cake and eat it too by taking credit for not only the well-cooked recipe but also the well-grown, healthy, pesticide-free vegetables. Sounds like a win-win situation to us!

Leading The Way

As an increasing number of celebrities around the world switch to an organic lifetyles, we bring you a few names that might ring a bell and speak louder in favour of an organic lifestyle.

1. Gwyneth Paltrow

This ‘Shakespeare In Love’ actress has a focus to “nourish the inner aspect” according to her food philosophy of eating locally, seasonally and always organically.

2. Julia Roberts

The Pretty Woman is feeding her family organic food…AND from her own organic garden!

3. Nicole Kidman

Nicole Kidman also grows her own organic veggies.

4. Brooke Shields

Brooke Shields uses BabySoy, clothing made from soybean fibers and renewable materials, in addition to other organic products.

5. ‘Monica’ or Courteney Cox And husband, Scream Star David Arquette

Better known as Monica from the popular TV series friends, she launched her own organic clothing line Propr along with her husband David Arquette.

6. Jennifer Lopez

7. Elizabeth Hurley

8. ‘Spiderman’ or Tobey Maguire and his wife Jennifer Meyer

It was Jen Meyer who recommended Organic Matters, a company that offers recycled alternatives to many commercially manufactured goods, to Courteney Cox. Jen Meyer even inspired Courteney Cox to switch to more eco-friendly beauty products.

Have you heard of any celebs supporting an organic lifestyle lately? Let us know in the comments…