April 26, 2013 · 6:12 pm

Friday Favorites: Ikea Love

I’ve seen lots of our local Ikea lately and not because we’ve really needed anything. Since we’ve had an extended winter this year and I’m trying to get in frequent walking, my first suggestion to Hubby Darling is to go walking in Ikea. 1. You get completely lost in the store with all the inspiration. 2. Who doesn’t love a little window shopping. Over the past few months we have picked up a few items for her storage solutions during our “walking trips”. As we are not in the new house yet, it was important for me to find items that would work in small spaces but could easily transition once we move. Who knew that someone so little would have so many things?! Here are some of my favorite recent Ikea Finds for Baby.

Dombas Wardrobe

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The interior of the wardrobe

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Yes laugh it up, I too giggled like a little girl when I saw the name. As Little Mirchi’s clothing collection started growing we soon realized that the small dresser we had for her was not going to be enough for our little one. This wardrobe worked great for the extra space we had in the living room between our couch and breakfast nook. It’s simple design doesn’t scream clothing wardrobe and the multiple shelves inside make it great for baby clothes & accessories. I added 3M hooks on the doors to hang her headbands and nursing covers.

Gulliver Crib

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via Google Images

via Google Images

Although we haven’t purchased this crib as of yet, I know this is the one. I love the clean lines and fresh white color. At first I was a bit skeptical at the quality and safety of the crib, but after reading rave reviews and finding this crib on multiple “Best Crib” articles… I knew we made the right choice! The above are a few lovely nurseries that incorporated the Gulliver crib.

Raskog Kitchen Cart

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This might be my favorite storage solution for her! When I saw the compact design and lovely turquoise color of this kitchen cart I knew exactly what I would be able to use this for. I turned this into a portable diaper/bath station. There are three compartments on this cart (all adjustable in height). On the bottom I added her diapers and extra wipes, the mid section holds diaper creams, wash clothes, and swaddles while the top section houses a wipe holder, burp clothes, toiletries and changing pads. I love that this cart can easily roll from room to room due to the included wheels that come with the cart.

*All opinions are my own and I have not been compensated in any way to share any of these products.

Have a wonderful weekend!

 

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April 12, 2013 · 7:02 pm

Learning to grow the Aquaponic Way + A discount for Love Laugh Mirch readers

We had a few gorgeous bright days this week which was a lovely little reminder that sunshine is quickly approaching. With all the great weather come my favorite fruits (mangos, guavas, watermelon) and lots if fresh salads!

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With all the rage to eat local & organic, readers of Love Laugh Mirch have a special opportunity to take advantage of a Aquaponics workshop happening in the Central Florida Area. As many if you know my Dad started growing vegetables & fruits the Aquaponic way a few years ago and hasn’t looked back since.

“Aquaponics is the joint cultivation (growing), of fish and plants in a man-made re-circulating ecosystem that allows sustainable natural food growing without the use of harmful pesticides or chemical fertilizers.”  Over the last few years I have tried many fruits, vegetables and herbs grown by Aquaponics and there is a huge difference in taste and quality. The fruits are juicer, the lettuces are crispier and the best part, it’s all naturally grown – pesticide/chemical free.

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The workshop “Aquaponics Training Workshop Backyard & Small Scale Urban Farm” will be held on April 20th – April 21st 2013 9.30am – 5.00pm

For readers of Love Laugh Mirch, If you book by tomorrow April 13th, 2013  you will revive a 25% Early Booking Discount. Class sizes are small to ensure the very best personalized training so take advantage & Register your seat today and get the best price possible!

For more information or to register visit: http://www.aquaponicsurbanguru.com/introduction-to-the-world-of-aquaponics/

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April 4, 2013 · 5:15 pm

Bollywood Baby Shower

“I would love to work in a Bollywood film as there is so much drama and color in the films there.” -Brad Pitt

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For anyone that knows me well, they know that I am slightly completely Bollywood obsessed. The bright colors, over dramatic backdrops, romantic scenery – everything about it puts stars in my eyes. When we were thinking of what theme to use for our co-ed Baby Shower I kept circling back to the bright colors and couldn’t decide on just one. After browsing the internet and baby magazines I decided that I really didn’t want to stick to pastels and wanted a bright Bollywood color palette.

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Dad, HD, Me, Lil Brother, Mom

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After planning the Florida High Tea Baby Shower my Mom immediately started helping me plan out ideas for our shower here. We picked everything from menu items including popular street food in India to personalized Thank you gifts. I’m pretty sure my mom has been busy in Baby Shower planning mode for a solid 4 months now (SO thankful for her creative ideas & never-ending energy)!

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Remember the wood elephants from my Friday Favorites: Elephant Love post? Well I ended up using those little beauties as our “guest book”. I knew I wanted something other than a book or cards and these puzzles ended up being the perfect size and surface to write on. I plan on framing these in a shadow box until Little Mirchi is old enough to play with them.

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My biggest craving during pregnancy has been dessert! Usually I am all for the salty and savory snacks but these last few months we’ve had the house stocked with ice cream, fruits, chocolate, cupcakes and more. Hubby Darling is loving it as he is a SWEET addict! When thinking of which dessert to serve we decided to do a dessert table with multiple options since the little one seems to love them all – an equal opportunity dessert lover, just like her Dad already :)

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The day of the shower started off a little hectic with some delays but all in all it was wonderful and I could not have asked for more. I’m so thankful for my amazing family who worked so hard to make sure I was happy, our wonderful friends for attending and everyone’s beautiful wishes! Our Little Mirchi is so lucky to be entering a world where she is so loved already.

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March 27, 2013 · 9:15 am

Dishcrawl Jersey City Debuts 4/02 + A Special Offer for Love Laugh Mirch Readers

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We’ve all heard of Bar Crawls but an upcoming event in Jersey City is putting a culinary twist on this concept. It’s called Dishcrawl and it gives locals, foodies, restaurant enthusiasts an opportunity to sample local specialties, meet chefs & other food lovers.

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Tuesday, April 2nd will be the debut of Dishcrawl in Jersey City & the tour (starting at 7pm) will take place in the Paulus Hook neighborhood. All ticket holders will be notified of meeting location via email, 48 hours prior to the event. How fun! My pregnant self will be one happy crawler :) Vegetarian? No problem! Vegetarian options will be available. If you have any particular requests or have questions, the folks at Dishcrawl would be happy to address them.

Now for the good stuff! Tickets for Dishcrawl Jersey City are $45, and can be purchased by visiting http://dishcrawl.com/jerseycity/ As a special incentive to my readers Dishcrawl is offering $5 off if you enter the discount code lovelaughmirch at checkout. There are limited tickets available so be sure to get yours fast!

I’m looking forward to experiencing the crawl myself and hope to see you guys there!

Follow @DishcrawlJC & @lovelaughmirch for updates & more.

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March 22, 2013 · 11:42 am

Friday Favorites: Elephant Love

Both Hubby Darling and I have an extreme love for elephants. Growing up he would visit street pottery shops in Bombay, watching the sculptors for hours prepare Ganesh Idols. Coincidentally, my favorite stuffed animals growing up were a bright pink panther and light gray baby elephant – which I insisted on taking everywhere with me. These gentle giants have captured our hearts since childhood and now that we are expecting, we adore all the baby elephant gear. Once we are moved into the house, we plan on adding touches of elephant love to Little Mirchi’s nursery. Here are some of my favorite recent elephant finds.
Mother & Child Elephant Illustration by Nidhi Chanani
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From the moment I saw this heartfelt illustration I knew I had to see more from this talented artist. The feeling it invokes with the mother caressing the baby in her arms on a gentle lotus flower is just absolutely divine. I loved it so much that I set it as my phone’s wallpaper. I plan on getting this and a few more prints from Nidhi’s collection once we are ready to move in the house and decorate Little Mirchi’s nursery. The hardest part will be selecting the few out of so many of her bubbly colorful prints. You can find more of Nidhi’s wonderful artwork at Everyday Love.
Elephant Lamp in Utopia by Jonathan Adler
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THIS is it! This is the lamp I plan on getting for LM’s nursery. It’s fresh, sculpted marvelously, with just enough detail. What I love about it most is that its whimsical without being cartoony. The lamp is produced in Peru from brown stoneware which peeks through the sheer white glaze. For more of his designs, check out Jonathan Adler.
Elephant Wood Jigsaw Puzzle by Northwest Toycrafters
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While searching for elephant puzzles I stumbled across a site Luulla. This site is a bazar type site where different vendors and craftsmen have their own personal shops set up. After browsing the website I found this adorable looking puzzle set that would work perfectly for what I was looking for. The puzzles are crafted by hand from Baltic birch plywood and hand sanded for a smooth surface. Since there was no option to buy only the elephant puzzles, (it came with other animals included) I contacted Steve from Northwest Toycrafters and he offered to change my order to all elephant puzzles (at no extra cost) AND there was no delay in shipping. Talk about excellent customer service. Keep your eye on the blog for how I will use these sweet puzzles very soon! Check out all the other products Northwest Toycrafters offers on Luulla.
Rattan Elephant Hamper by Home Decorators Collections
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Laundry just got pretty with this adorable elephant laundry hamper. The wicker hamper is hand-woven and comes in a variety of colors (I like white the best). I think this is a great way to add fun and style to any room, especially in a child’s room where laundry can pile up pretty quickly. Take a look at the other colors on the Home Decorators Collection.
*All opinions are my own and I have not been compensated in any way to share any of these products.
Have a wonderful weekend!

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March 10, 2013 · 6:30 am

An Angel With Paws

“If you have a dog, you will most likely outlive it; to get a dog is to open yourself to profound joy and, prospectively, to equally profound sadness. ” -Marjorie Garber

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Last year exactly 15 years + 1 day after we had brought her home, our family dog, Jojo – a loyal, sweet, fun-loving American Eskimo passed away. At the time I was too devastated, shocked, emotional etc. to write about it. This year as March 10th was approaching I couldn’t help but think of all the amazing memories she left us with.

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Often we don’t realize the footprints animals leave in our hearts. Coming home meant me hearing the sound of her nails trot along the tile floor as her bell collar jingled while she ran to greet me. This was her same routine, everyday the same excitement, everyday even more love to give. As my brother and I grew up she was there every step of the way… funny thing is we never thought of her growing up – to us she was always a baby. After moving & getting married I would often wonder how my kids would play with her, how she would just be so gentle with them. Unfortunately, that day will never come. What I will do however is share the lessons she left us with. To care for and appreciate animals, to always greet those coming home with a smile, to love unconditionally, that happiness is about the small things in life and a simple smile (or wag of a tail) can brighten even the gloomiest of days.

"A person who has never owned a dog has missed a wonderful part of life." -Bob Barker

“A person who has never owned a dog has missed a wonderful part of life.” -Bob Barker

As I remember Jojo today, I count my lucky stars that we were blessed to have had her for those beautiful fifteen years. She left us with her love, important life lessons and years of priceless memories.

Rest in peace Jojo. You will always be missed and appreciated.

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March 4, 2013 · 12:10 pm

High Tea Baby Shower

“There are few hours in life more agreeable than the hour dedicated to the ceremony known as afternoon tea.” -Henry James

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Last weekend I was in Florida for Baby Shower Number One. Baby Shower Number Two will be held here in NJ, but since I grew up in Florida, my mom also wanted to host a baby shower for me with some of our close family & friends. It worked out great since I got to take a break from the cold weather that we’ve been having up North and spend some time with my parents.
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The theme for the shower was High Tea. Mom & I adore tea time and when she found out we were having a girl, she immediately suggested a tea party theme. And so, the planning started. We would end up having daily discussions regarding the menu, decorations and colors. We planned everything down to the cheeses in our sandwiches… what we didn’t plan for was the weather. (Those of you from there or who have visited know that there is no such thing as “predictable weather” in Florida)
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The day before the shower my Dad broke us the bad news – there was a 70% chance of rain… starting at 3pm! Oh well how very convenient – 3pm, exactly when the shower was starting, exactly the day we decided to have an OUTDOOR event! SIGH, I think my mom and I nearly freaked on my Dad for a moment before we realized there was nothing we could do and had to re-strategize. At 1pm the downpour started. We cleared the living room for space, seating and moved all of the decorations to the covered cabana. Luckily, Mother Nature had some pity on us and stopped the rain a little before 3, letting us enjoy both indoor and outdoors!
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Everything was so wonderful and would not have been possible without all the careful planning and coordinating of my Mom. Thank you Mom! I loved every detail, down to the little butterflies fluttering around everywhere.
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