#SuperBloggerChallenge2018 With #Instacuppa, #Week 2 "Traditional Sambar Recipe With a Twist"

Yey! Its week 2 of #SueprBlogggerChallenge 2018, and I am so glad and excited to be a part of this great journey.

As for week#2, the prompt is, “A Traditional recipe with a twist”, I am sharing one of my favourite dish South Indian Vegetable stew or sambhar recipe with a super easy and interesting twist.

South Indian vegetable stew or sambhar is a great side dish to pair with breakfast or main meal. This recipe calls for lots of vegetables like eggplant, pumpkin, bottle gourd and drumstick. You may add or remove vegetables as per your liking and taste. Each vegetable lends a different flavour and taste.

Here, I am sharing the recipe that we used at home. It is easy, tasty and nutritious.

Ingredients

• ·         1/3 cup pigeon pea lentil
• ·         1 cup mixed vegetable (pumpkin, bottle guard, drumstick, okra etc.)
• ·         1 medium onion finely chopped
• ·         1 tomato finely chopped
• ·         5-6 curry leaves, 1 -2 dry red chillies, and ½ teaspoon mustard (for seasoning)
• ·         ½ teaspoon asafoetida
• ·         1 teaspoon red chilli powder, ½ teaspoon turmeric powder, 1 Teaspoon coriander powder (you may add these dry spices as per your taste)
• ·         1 tablespoon Sambhar powder (it is a mixture of spices such as coriander, black pepper, etc. that is radially available in Indian grocery market. You can also make it at home, here is the recipe)
• ·         Salt according to taste
• ·         1 tablespoon oil
• ·         Water 1-2 cup
• ·         Finely chopped coriander leaves for garnishing
• ·         Twist ingredient: 1 cup Buttermilk

Instruction

• ·         First, take pigeon pea lentil and mixed vegetables in the separate vessel and washed them properly and drain the excess water.
• ·         Now, pressure cooks the pigeon pea lentil and mixed vegetable in a pressure cooker for 15- 20 minutes or until they turn tender (3-4 whistle is perfect). I prefer to cook vegetables along with pigeon pea lentil in a pressure cooker. However, you can also cook them in a vessel over the low medium flame until they turn tender.
• ·         Let it cool down after few minutes open the lid and mash the lentil and mixed vegetables with the help of a spatula or hand blender
• ·         Heat the oil in a pan over medium flame
• ·         Add curry leaves, dry red chillies, and mustard seeds and allow them to crackle
• ·         Add asafoetida powder
• ·         Add chopped onion, sauté them until they turn golden brown
• ·         Now, Add tomato and mixed all dry spices (red chilli powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder) and sambhar powder with some water. Mixed all spices well, and sauté it for few minutes
• ·         Add mixed and mashed mixed vegetables
• ·         Then add 1 cup of buttermilk to mixture slowly and stir continuously, adding of buttermilk will give a creamy texture and consistency to your sambhar. After few minutes, add mashed lentil
• ·         Add salt and 1-2 cup water; boil it for another 5-7 minutes
• ·         Turn off the flame; your south Indian vegetable stew is ready to serve. Garnish it with fresh coriander leaves.
• ·         It is a tasty as well as a healthy dish that tastes best when served hot.

What is great about this twist?

Buttermilk is a highly nutritious ingredient, it is rich in minerals and vitamin. By adding buttermilk, we can increase the nutritional value of traditional sambhar. Another side, adding buttermilk gives a smooth and creamy texture to your routine Sambhar, which tastes so good and yummy.

So, it was my attempt to do an interesting twist to the traditional sambhar recipe, and I am hoping you would like it. Did you have tried any twist to any traditional recipe? What was your experience? Please share with us!

Note:

the post is a part of #SuperBlogggerChallenge 2018 Hosted by Healthwealthbridge.com  Allaboutthewoman.com  fashionablefoodz.com and should be not repurposed, republished or otherwise. the content is here owned by blogger. superbloggerchallenge2018 is not responsible for any kind of infringement caused.

 

 

 

 

#ThrusdayTreeLove- Trees are Amazing!

"Trees are poems that Earth write upon the Sky"- Kahil Gibran

So true, Trees are awesome, they are amazing, it is safe to say that life would not be same without the trees.

Sharing some tress pictures, captured during morning time.

The post is a part of #ThrusdayTreeLove series hosted by Dear parul

#MondayMommyMoments- "5 Ways to Deal with Exam Stress"

Exams are one of the most challenging parts of childhood life. It is not only challenging for kids but creates an equal amount of pressure for parents as well. In fact, sometimes, this exam stress causes various sets of physical, mental and emotional sign and symptoms in kids. Such as:

• Irritability
• Sleeplessness
• Lack of desire or have no desire to eat food
• Stomach pain

Set of various psychological symptoms such as upset mood, fear of failure, hopelessness etc.

Of course, being a conscious parent us all want that our kids not only perform well in exams, but they have a good mood and positive energy (during the exam) as well. Here I am sharing 5 effective and easy ways that can help a lot to beat exam stress.

Be mentally prepared

I remember, during my childhood days, my mom had a very strict and regular study schedule for us (for me and my brother). She would always be said to us,

 “Do not leave things for the last minute. If you study earlier and get proper preparation for the exam, it is more likely that you will perform better and would have a lesser stress during the exam”.

I also believed in the same principle. As a student, I was always confident and curious to perform better during an exam. And all credits goes to a regular-planned study schedule. And as I mom, I would love to follow the same thing with my kids. It is the most effective way that lessens our tension and performance anxiety during exam days.

Talk to your child; make a positive and constructive communication

The second most important thing that can help a lot to beat exam stress is to talk to your child; explain to them that “feeling anxious or nervous during exam time is completely normal”.  It is a time to remind them to work hard and encourage them to put these nerves to a positive one. If you observed any signs of exam stress (loss of sleep, irritability etc.) ask your child what is bothering them? Make sure them, that you are always ready to help him/ her.  Once our child sees that we are supportive, it will ease their stress and anxiety level.

Pay extra attention to healthy eating and sleep schedule

Exam stress can play havoc with our child’s regular sleeping and eating pattern. And as a parent, it is our responsibility to encourage them to eat healthy, make time for fun and exercise and stick to a routine of going to bed at a reasonable time. Here are few things that can help a lot.

• Make a fixed schedule of food, exercise and sleep time, to get the things done properly. Encourage them to eat fresh fruit, veggies and healthy snacks riches with protein and grain. Try to avoid junk and unhealthy food
•  Include omega 3 in the diet (dry fruits are the excellent source of Omega 3). These foods increase immunity and good for the mental health too.
• Motivate them to make time for exercise. Exercise has numerous advantages for kids; it releases endorphin, improved mood and relieved stress.
• Explain them the importance of good sleep and help them to get a good night’s sleep. Good sleep will improve thinking, concentration and they would be able to perform better.

Don’t compare and avoid adding any family pressure to perform better

Another important thing, as a parent we all want that our kids get good marks, and achieved the desired goal. Sometimes, these kinds of ambitions compel us to do unnecessary compare and we put a tremendous amount of pressure on our kids to perform better in exams. In fact, sometimes we even did not realise that we are doing this. During exam time, it is must to be self-content with a confidence with things which she/he had learnt during the whole year. Assist them to see the bright side and appreciate the positive things in life. It is most important key to beat exam stress.

Keep the environment light and relaxed

Last but not the least thing, keep remember that surrounding environment is one of the most important factors that can positively (and negatively too) affect your child’s mood, so make sure that,

• Your child takes required break during studies
• There should positivity in an over-all atmosphere of home.
• Keep a watch on exam stress signs
• Be flexible around exam time. Do not worry about household jobs that are left undone.
• Stay organised, everything your child needs should be close at hand, to avoid unnecessary tensions.

So these are the things that can help a lot to deal with exam stress. What are your thoughts? How did you help your child, during exam time? please share!

this post is also a part of #supemomcontest and #Momdaymommymoments  hosted by http://healthwealthbridge.com/ and http://kreativemommy.com/5-things-motherhood-no-one-told

#SuperBloggerChallenge 2018 with #Instacuppa- #Week 1, "5 Ways Yoga Can Improve your Physical and Mental Well-Being"

“Yoga is a way of life, it is an art, a science, a philosophy”- B.K.S. Iyenger

Yoga word is derived from the Sanskrit word “yuj” which means “to unite or integrate”. It is a 5000 + year old ancient Indian science that brings harmony to life. Though it is an ancient science, it seems to get hotter all the time. According to 2007 National Health Survey (which included a comprehensive survey on the use of complementary health approach) yoga is the 6^th most commonly used health practice among adults. According to this study, more than 13 million adults and more than 1.5 million children practised yoga in the previous year. People who practised yoga experienced reduce mental stress, improve physical fitness and enhance the quality of life.

 We all had heard the common benefits of practising yoga such as better breathing, increased flexibility, improved posture and better ability to cope with mental and physical stress. yoga is not only a form of exercise, it is a way of living life.

 Since this week, when we are starting the great #SuperBloggerChallenge 2018, and the amazing hosts had given a very appealing prompt as "Exercise that can help" and "Physical and mental well being", for the 1st week.  I got so excited.

Being an avid yogi, I believe yoga has plenty of advantages for our mental and physical well-being. it is not only a form of exercise, it is a divine journey that changed our lives.

Here I am sharing 5 ways, yoga can improve our physical and mental well-being.

Discipline

“Yoga is not about the touching your toes, it is what you learn on the way”- Jigar Gor

Definitely practising regular yoga requires lots of dedication, patience, sincerity and most importantly a desire to learn a new way of living a life. But once you get involved in the daily routine of 5-6 times a week for 30min- 1 hour, it has transcended into other areas of life. You would be able to perform your routine tasks more efficiently with whole new level of awareness into your life. You will have a new and positive outlook in every aspect of life through the practice of yoga as a discipline.

Mindfulness

“Yoga is the golden key that unlock the door to peace, tranquillity and joy”- B.K.S. Iyenger

We lived in an incredibly busy world. Our pace of life is often frantic. We always had multiple responsibilities. We always busy in doing something. Most of the time either our mind emerged in past memories or we worried about the future consequences. But for living a healthy, happy and successful life, it is must to learn “press the pause switch”, in simple words being present in the moment and having a “mindfulness”” in your present activities is the simplest thing that we can do to feel calm and relaxed. It can bring a miraculous change in your life.

Yoga helps you being present in the moment. It is another less discussed benefit of practising yoga. With the help of yoga, you will develop a deeper appreciation of every moment. It can allow you to let go the worries of future. It will rewire or reshape our brain and improve the quality of our life experience.

Love yourself

Yoga is the journey of the self, through the self, to the self- Bhagwada Gita

Usually, we all had been trying to do things for everyone else without taking care of ourselves. Every morning we launched into the day without plugging into ourselves first. And most of us often complain to do not get enough time for ourselves. But this kind of attitude did not work at all. It creates exhaustion, stress and irritation. Setting a routine for self-love and self-care helps you to come out from this mental and physical state. And yoga helps you a lot in doing the same. It is a way to stay connected with yourself especially when it feels impossible.

Yoga is much more than just asanas, kriyas and poses; it is a beautiful journey that teaches you to be self-compassionate. It helps you to learn how to love yourself. Loving yourself is not a self-obsession, it is a great way that helps you slow down and to spend some quality time with yourself. When you open your body, focus on breath, sit quietly for a moment you automatically fall in love with yourself.

Detox

“The body is your temple. Keep it pure and clean for the soul to reside in”- B.K.S. Iyenger

Our body needs detoxification and cleansing time to time. We all love to start a new day with a clean slate. It always feels great to have a fresh, positive and healthy outlook in our day to day life. And detoxification or cleansing helps in achieving this goal by eliminating toxins from the body. But detox does not always mean a fasting or restricting diet with juice and herbs. It can be done with the help of yoga. The right yoga routine helps in detox not only your body but the mind as well. Each new breath is a new moment. Yoga especially pranayama helps in the increased flow of oxygenated blood to our body and also helps in cleanse the blood.

You will become a better person

“Whatever you do in life, yoga shows you how to do it better”- Gurumukh Kaur khalsa

Last but not the least unusual benefit of yoga, it will help you to become a better person. Yoga will change the perspective of life and helps you a lot in developing some great qualities, such as:

• ·         You will learn to listen to your body
• ·         You will have better listening skill
• ·         You will have more patience and better toolset to deal with difficult situations
• ·         You will have clarity in relationship
• ·         You will stop complaining and have a positive outlook on your life
• ·         Improved concentration and better mental health

So these are some great ways yoga improved our mental and physical well-being.  Did you have observed any other benefits while practising yoga, please share with us.

the post is a part of #SuperBlogggerChallenge 2018 Hosted by Healthwealthbridge.com  Allaboutthewoman.com  fashionablefoodz.com and should be not repurposed, republished or otherwise. the content is here owned by blogger. superbloggerchallenge2018 is not responsible for any kind of infringement caused. 

#WhatILove- "Three Prominent Reasons, "How Smartphone are ruining our Valentine's day Celebration?"

Happy Valentine’s Day to all!

Before beginning this post, I had an honest confession. Though feeling little hesitant to say, it is true that

• §  I have smartphone addiction.
• §  I took the help of smartphone, whenever I feel depressed and sad (by keeping engaging my selves on various social media accounts and writing assignments …I know it is not right. But sometimes I have done this)
• §  Especially since last 3 year, I had developed the tendency to check frequently my emails, messages unnecessarily. (It is not an excuse...but sometimes living in extremely bad weather conditions makes you do these silly things).

Ok...feeling relieved...now move on the main topic of the post…

Valentine’s Day is here. Love is in the air and we all are geared up to celebrate this festival of love with full enthusiasm. Though I personally believed that a single day celebration is not enough to express our love and care for dear ones…and I am not a typical party person…and the same thing I had shared in the last post, “3 reasons, why I do not like to celebrate Valentine’s day in a typical way?”

Now, this week when Zainab has given a good prompt as “are smartphones are ruining Valentine’s Day celebration”, as a part of #what love series, I would love to share my thought on the same topic ( also, the post is a part of #Mondaymommymomets, where we are sharing our thoughts on celebrating Valentine’s day since last 2 week)

No doubt, smartphones have become so ingrained in our daily life. It has made lots of things much easier than before. They give us unprecedented access to information that was incomprehensible even years ago. 

Another side, like everything, has its both positive and negative side…smartphones also have same.  And when it comes, to running the spirit of celebrating Valentine’s Day, I completely agreed that smart phone. In true sense, the excessive and uncontrolled usage of smartphones are ruining our valentine’s day, and there are 3 prominent reasons, how smartphones (actually, the excessive and uncontrolled usage of the smartphone) are ruining our V-day celebration.

 It creates a sort of emotional distraction with our loved ones

We lived in an age of constant distraction. And most of us are constantly engaged with our smartphone (due to various personal and professional commitments).  And unconsciously, When we are in the mode of this constant distraction, we lose the emotional connection with our loved one. We forget to pay a proper attention to emotional needs of our partner. In fact, scientific studies, prove the same thing. According to a recent scientific study done by Andrew K. Przybylski and Netta Weinstein of the University of Essex showed that smartphone addiction can hurt our close relationship and creates a sort of emotional distraction from each other.

Even during the V-day celebration, couples had the same emotional disconnection with other. The smart phone is a destroyer of loving relationship and intimacy and ultimately these things ruined the spirit of celebration of Valentine’s Day too.

We forget to enjoy the moment

Nowadays, we compulsively carry our smartphone with us wherever we go, and this device, demanding our attention multiple times. Even during Valentine’s date, we have the same thing as a priority that our mobile alerts and notification are urgent and more important no matter what is the occasion? For us, Instead of enjoying the moment it becomes more important to post a Facebook update about of your Valentine’s Day dinner or sharing the V-day look on Instagram? Our instant temptation to share things immediately on social media causes us to forget to enjoy and embrace the moment.

 It is a harsh truth, that we are prioritizing the virtual world and digital life over anything else. Inevitably, excessive smartphone use drives us away from each other, and we forget to enjoy the moment.

Loss of communication

Smartphone obsession deeply and negatively affects our communication with our partner. It hinders the ability to make more personal and meaningful communication with each other and reduces a desire to spend quality time together. Nowadays, with smartphone obsession, we always place more emphasis on our digital life and lose the sight of the beauty of relationship.

Conclusion

As a conclusion, “ constantly keep engaged yourself on the smartphone screen can tear you away from the action around you and as a result of this obsession not only ruin a single Valentine’s day celebration, but it can adversely affect our relationship, our lives as well”.

v  We all need to learn “how to maintain a balance between a real and virtual world?”

v  We need to plan a “digital detox” from time to time?

v  It is a high time to be strict and design a proper guideline for avoiding this smartphone addiction.

What are your thoughts? Are you planning to take a break from the smart phone, during the V-day celebration? Or it sounds really hard for you? Please share your thoughts!

the post is a link up  with Zainab from slim expectation  for #WhatILove

this post is also a part of #supemomcontest and #Momdaymommymoments  hosted by http://healthwealthbridge.com/ and http://kreativemommy.com/5-things-motherhood-no-one-told/

#ThrusdayTreeLove- "Beauty of Winter trees"

"All the trees are losing leaves and none of them is worried"- Donald Miller

very well said. Yes! it is true that winter is a season of recovery and preparation and during winter nature undergoes lots of changes, and trees and plants stop growing in the winter, they lose their leaves,..despite these changes they never complain, they taught us an important life lesson.

"We all often complain. we complain about the things which we do not have in our lives and forget to treasure the things, we already have. these trees inspire us to accept the change, stop complaining, and stay happy and positive in each and every circumstance"

sharing few photos of winter trees for #ThrusdayTreelove

The post is a part of #ThrusdayTreeLove series hosted by Dear parul

3 Reasons Why I don"t like celebrating Valentine's day ( in a typical way)

Aww…Valentine’s Day is coming. As soon as February rolls around, Valentine’s Day creeps up on us like a high-grade fever. Love is in the air. The whole world is geared up to celebrate the season of love and romance with wine, chocolate, food and song. Couples are busy in planning the perfect date with pretty gifts, spa days and romantic meal offers. Oh! Isn’t it so exciting?

Sorry to say, but I had a different opinion on celebrating this festival of love. Of course, I love this festival of love with good mood and enthusiasm. but there are few things that I did not like about it.

Here I am sharing the few things that I did not like about celebrating this festival of love in a typical way?

There is no need to romance to be forced

Nowadays, Valentine’s Day has become a day of celebration, where couples are basically forced to evaluate their status and profess their underlying love for each other and I strongly dislike this thing. A celebration or festival should always bring a joy and happiness in our life, not the spirit of being forced or get pressurised from the celebration.

There is too much pressure from commercials, advertisements and social media

It always feels great to get personally invested in symbols, love and traditions. But it is really annoying to take the stress “make something extravagant happen” on any special occasion. And in the case of Valentine’s Day, we are in essence commended to be romantic. The pressure that comes from commercials, advertisements and social media make it sound like if you do not shower your love and care for your spouse with expensive gifts on valentine day then you are not a loving couple. Sometimes, this surrounding pressure compels the people to make the wild purchase that they really can’t afford.

Nearly all business inflates their prices on Valentine’s Day.  And the craziest thing is that we all know that it is just a marketing stunt, it is a gimmick but still, we line up to get ripped off. Actually, it is not worthy.  It is not mandatory to show your love and affections through expensive gifts only. There is no meaning to follow a preconceived notion that gifts are the most important tool to obtain and receive love. There are so many other ways to shower your love and affection for your dear ones.

Sometimes it feels it is all about competing with other couples

I believed that each couple is unique and so their love story and married life too. Each one has their different style of expressing love and care for each other. But with the changing time, this expression of love and care turned in to a “couple contest”, especially on “valentine’s day”. Sometimes, it just becomes an occasion where everyone wants to show their celebration is so huge and magnificent from others.  Couples blow their pictures on all over social media as if we need to prove to everyone that someone loves us. And ultimately the celebration of love just get remain as an act of frippery. It becomes a competitive race that could be won only by sharing the most exclusive detail of celebration.  I don’t think the strength of a relationship should be measured by the level of efforts put into the celebration of the one day.

As a conclusion it is not that I shun romance, far from it but rather the commercialization of Valentine’s Day is the problem that ruins the sentiments and experience of celebration.  I just hate all the hype that surrounds February. So, instead of spending dollars on expensive gifts and waiting for hours at outside the restaurants, I did love to spend some quality together by sharing some home-baked cookies or just by watching a favourite movie. I did love to appreciate and express our feelings to each other by just saying “I am always with you” or “you are the best mom/dad of the world”.

So these are my thoughts on celebrating the season of love. Is it disappointing to you? Or you also feel the way that I do? Please share with us.

his post is also a part of #supemomcontest and #Momdaymommymoments  hosted by http://healthwealthbridge.com/ and http://kreativemommy.com/5-things-motherhood-no-one-told/

#WhatILove- I Love The "New York City"

It was around 3 years ago when we moved from India to the USA and we had a nostalgic and thrilling experience during this time. And our life has turned into a powerful mix of emotions. New habits, new challenges, distinct culture….and of course visiting the new places is one of the most incredible experiences that we had here.

This week, when Zainab has given a prompt “what you loved today, this week or this month” as a part of #WhatIlovewithZ series, I got so excited because I love the New York City a lot and this month we had  our "First New York visit tour". It was like the dream come true. We had created some great memories that will stay with us forever. And I would love to share our first visit experience to New York with 10 must visit places of the greatest, grandest city of USA.

Whether

Over the course of the year, New York has a temperature range between 26 F to 83 F. the summer season lasts from 4th June to Sep. 18 and the cold season lasts from Dec. 5 to March 12.

Best time to visit

You can enjoy New York at any time of year. Just because…It is "The New York". Summer is definitely the best season to enjoy your visit with kids and family, but with a heavy crowd. If you want to get a lower airfare and hotel rate with less crowd winter is the right option for you. Macy's Thanksgiving parade, Christmas decoration are the obvious attractions during winter. Fall and spring have their own beauty.

Even though there is the various option for transportation from Connecticut to New York (bus, trains…), but we had preferred the own car option for convenience of kids. And we had started our dream journey with some close family friends. During the entire 1-2 hour journey, skyscraper buildings are the first and most amazing thing that fascinates us. The fantastic view of these tallest buildings (that we had never seen before) assured the beginning of "The New York City". 

Firstly, we had reached the heart of city "Manhattan". Manhattan has most of the iconic landmarks of the city. Empire State Building, Statue of liberty, central parks some of the major city attractions.

Times Square

Times Square is one of the most popular commercial intersections in the world, located in central Manhattan. Approximately 50 million visitors passing through it every year. And really, it is worth to watch it. Flashing neon lights (that keeps on 24 hours) and gigantic electronic boards mesmerised us instantly. It is a big, fantastic and unforgettable place. Naked cowboy, ABC's studio and Planet Hollywood are some must cover points. You can get 50% off on theatre tickets at the discounted booth.

Apart from these Hollywood shows, the most prominent thing that attracts Indians is "plenty of Indian restaurants" and Indian shopping malls for everything from grocery to clothing and jewellery, you can buy anything which you want. While moving around the Times Square I had suddenly remembered the Kal ho Na ho's beginning dialogue "In New York, every 4th person is an Indian", it is absolutely true. For a moment, we may forget that we are in the USA, by seeing an amazing Indian crowd. We had enjoyed a great roadside chat in Manhattan streets.

Empire state building

It was our next destination in the mid-town Manhattan. The empire state building is another world famous landmark and must visit the place. Seeing the breath-taking view of New York City from its open-air observatory is the most rewarding experience. The tour takes almost 1 hour, but you may make a faster visit by buying an express visit ticket. Peak hours may vary, but it is usually recommended to visit early morning about 8 A.M., in mid-afternoon (after 3 P.M.) or at 11 P.M.

One world trade centre

We all had remembered the tragic incidence of "terrorist attack of 9/11". And "One world centre" is the building that recalls us about this incidence. This is situated in lower Manhattan and 6th tallest building in the world. The building has the same name as the North tower of the original world trade centre, that was completely destroyed in the 9/11 attack. The building is still under construction but had a wide emotional appeal. One world trade centre involved 3 areas. The 9/11 Memorial is an outside free area and has no charges. The timings are 7.30 A.M. to 9 P.M. Museum has ticket charges and it is recommended to purchase the ticket in advance. One world observatory located on floors 100-102 of one world trade centre with exhibits and restaurants. It is officially opened to the public Friday. There are various guided and self-guided tour options (both free and paid) are available to enjoy the breath-taking view, you can select any one according to your convenience.

Chrysler Building

The next skyscrapers of New York are "Chrysler Building" is next destination in Midtown Manhattan adjacent to Grand central terminal that attracts most of the visitors.  It was the tallest building in the world for a brief time before the Empire state building completed. It is a perfect combination of Art Deco era and automobile age. Unfortunately, it does not offer any official tours to visit the inside of the building, but the lobby tour should not be missed. It has the Art Deco light fixtures illuminating the red marble walls, spectacular mural on ceilings, the clock and the beautiful elevators. The lobby is open Monday through Friday from 8 A.M. to 6 P.M.

Grand Central Terminal station

When you are in New York, it is a great opportunity to seeing the largest train station in the world. About 20 million visitors come every year to visit this station this year. The building is full of amazing historical details. There are plenty of things to see here, that includes The ceiling, clock, ceiling smudge, black circle, the Biltmore room, the whispering gallery and of course, the grand central market. It opens from 5 A.M. to 2 A.M. but the Terminal closes itself for a few hours each morning.

Charging Bull

After completing our visit to these two historic buildings, we moved in the wall street of lower Manhattan. And there was a special attraction for kids. Charging bull or Wall Street bull is a bronze sculpture that represents the aggressive financial optimism and prosperity. It is considered as one of the most photographed artworks with a wide international appeal. You have to wait for a long time for clicking the picture on charging bull. Kiddos had a great time while climbing and clicking the pictures here. And to make them happier, we moved to another kid's favourite spot "Central Park".

Central Park

Located in the heart of Manhattan, Central Park is another iconic spot of New York. There are numerous attractions within the border of the park that provides hour of entertainment to kids, families and couples. It is also one of the "best free attraction" of the city. It is one of the most filmed locations in the world. Central Park zoo, Allice in wonderland, strawberry field, Shakespeare garden, green lawn is some great points of interest. And boating, carriage riding and carousel are additional enjoying options for kids at lower rates. After Central Park, we had moved towards the most awaiting destination of our tour.

Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island

No New York tour would be complete without a visit to world famous "Statue of Liberty". The statue of Liberty was a gift from France to America to celebrate the France- American relationship. There are two departure points. Statue cruises offer one departure from the Battery Park of New York and second is from the Liberty state park of New Jersey through the day for the convenience of visitors. And when we visited the "Statue of liberty", I realised that what an incredible experience it is. The statue is not just a huge statue of a lady, but it is a symbol of hope and freedom for the millions of people who immigrate to the USA. It was one of the emotional moments of the tour.

Brooklyn Bridge

The Brooklyn Bridge is a hybrid cable-stayed bridge in New York. It is one of the oldest bridges in the USA. It connects the boroughs of Manhattan and Brooklyn by spanning the east river. The pretty spectacular skyline view while crossing the bridge had mesmerised us for a long time. The bridge is app. 1 mile and there are various guided and self-guided tour options are available here. The tour takes 1-2 hour. You can access Brooklyn Bridge is 24 hours a day, but sunset beauty is most appealing. One important thing do not forget to bring your jackets because it can get chilly up while you cross the bridge.

Bronx Zoo

If you are with kids and family, how can you miss the chance to visit the largest metropolitan zoo in the world? Even though it is situated in a Bronx borough of New York City (that is a little far from Manhattan) but it is a must visit place in the City especially for kids. It is one of the largest zoos in the world. The zoo spans 265 acres that recreate the diverse natural habitat of numerous residents. Gorillas of can go, wild Asia monorail, butterfly garden, the world of birds are some of the most attractive points here. We had a great time here.

 So, these were our favourite visiting spots while visiting "the great New York City". We had loads of fun and excitement while this unforforgetabble tour. Of course, New York has much more to offer and you can spend weeks here to explore the city. Do you have any exciting experience while visiting a new place? Please share with us.

the post is a link with Zainab for #WhatILove

 this post is also a part of #supemomcontest and #Momdaymommymoments  hosted by http://healthwealthbridge.com/ and http://kreativemommy.com/5-things-motherhood-no-one-told/