COFFEE TALKS and a lot more!

Opening her fridge is like walking into a goodie store—from alluring jasmine buds to irresistible tender jack ( gujje ) pickle! The freezer is stacked with one labeled dabba after another, where she has carefully stored the last raw jack and jackfruit harvest. She even labeled them tree by tree so I would know exactly which one is suited for kottige , which to just eat, and which to make palya with. It is so, so organized!   She had saved every sweet she received, and I honestly don't know how much effort and love she has invested into all of this. There is dried jackfruit packed so neatly, and that pepper-infused jackfruit syrup made without a single pinch of added sugar or jaggery is just pure magic. Fresh lime extract awaits us too, squeezed straight from her own lemon plants, alongside a whole lineup of pickles—tender jackfruit, garlic, appe midi , sliced raw mango, and lemon, each with its own unique flavor. And oh, that soft, tempting jackfruit and mango mamlas , all thos...

  I love optimizing everything. The lamp wick is fixed, the oil is poured in, and a matchstick is kept ready right on top of the matchbox—the only thing left to do is light the lamp the next morning. The pulses are washed, put into the vessel, and placed inside the cooker, crowned with the whistle; all Sudhi have to do is turn on the gas. The rice is measured and kept in its vessel, and the exact quantity of water is kept ready in a steel bottle next to it—once the rice is washed, the water is poured in and it's ready for the cooker. The veggies that Sudhi must chop are all washed and kept ready. The measured quantity of milk for our coffee/tea after brekky is kept ready in its vessel. The plates are all set out by Sudhi. The tiffin boxes are completely set, with the spoons already placed inside for both Puttu and me. Even my buttermilk with chia seeds is kept ready in the fridge from the previous night. All of this happens the night before. Even the podcast I love listening to...

It had been a long time since Suddu wanted to take us on a short weekend break. I dunno how much research he did to make sure it matched all mine and Puttu's criteria, but one day he finally said, "How about Yercaud?" And that's how our little getaway began. We started early, around 5:30 in the morning, after having theplas and pallya at home. Puttu was fast asleep when we carried him into the car, but the moment he realized we were heading somewhere, his face instantly lit up with excitement. That happiness itself made the trip worth starting. The drive was beautiful. We chatted, laughed, and enjoyed every bit of the journey. Our breakfast stop was Samrat 100% Veg. Honestly, the food wasn't very memorable. The Pongal was good, but the dosa left us feeling quite bloated. I was desperately looking forward to a good filter coffee, only to realize it was Bru instant coffee! Surprisingly though... I still enjoyed it. As we covered the winding hairpin bends, Puttu doz...

 There are moments in the day when this lil human simply melts into my arms, and I just sit there, soaking in his baby scent. Time seems to pause. No end-of-day tasks, no chores waiting to be done—just the two of us. It feels like meditation. 🤍 And then there are the other moments... Appa is buried in back-to-back calls. The chores demand immediate attention. The end-of-day tasks seem to be laughing at me. And Puttu transforms into the toughest trouble. 😅 He annoys me to the core, then somehow ends up biting his own tongue or bumping into a door or wall. A second later, he's clinging to Appa's office door handle, banging on it and screaming as if I've committed the greatest crime imaginable, while I'm shouting at the top of my lungs, trying to keep up with the chaos. Such is life with a toddler—one moment of pure peace, the next complete pandemonium. Somehow, both become the memories we never want to forget. ❤️ And then comes the weekend—sometimes even a lon...

 My mornings begin with the gentle breeze slowly finding its way through our window... and before anything else, Puttu announces that he wants to go greet the cat, who has already made its morning visit. 🤍 And the moment we step outside... oh my God! The drizzle... the fog... the lush green trees swaying with the breeze... Every single time, my heart whispers, "You just belong here." It's as if everything around me wraps me in the warmest hug. There he is—my Puttu—wearing one oversized T-shirt, squatting in front of the cat, seriously asking why it didn't come to visit the previous evening. 🥹 Then around 10 a.m all of us gather in the portico, sipping fuming hot coffee before setting off on our little jackfruit hunt. We come back, sit together, and while AjjaChaami is almost finished cleaning the jackfruit, Puttu... well... keeps annoying all of us to the core. 😄 That cat...That drizzle...That cold breeze...Those comforting woollen sweaters...Warm Coffee mu...

  45-Min Pilates Full Body Workout Section Exercise Description / Focus 1. Warm-up & Seated Flow Seated cat–cow Spine articulation in sitting Seated forward roll Forward fold + roll up Seated torso twist Oblique twist, knees together, one leg extended 2. Core & Abdominal Series Double leg stretch Tabletop → extend legs → pull in (lower abs) Single leg crunch twist Elbow to opposite knee Bridge with lift Single leg bridge + hip lifts Hamstring glute bridge pump Foot on opposite knee, hip pulses Diamond shape core Knees apart, reach side to side (obliques) Seal / rolling ...