Blogmas | Las Vegas

Posted on December 2, 2022 by Bhanu Misra Marya

We recently went to Las Vegas! This is actually my 5th trip to sincity (and 3rd trip with at least 1 kiddo!)

We tried to do some new things this time. So sharing some of what we got up to! All activities are family friendly (aka dooable for the kidos and the grandparents!

Hike in Zion National Park

After our Banff Trip, we knew our kids enjoyed hiking in nature. So we weren’t going to let a 3hr drive stop us from experience that is Zion National Park. There is a variety of hikes for all level of hikers but of course we stuck to the easy paved hikes. I would have loved to spend another day or two there but doing the lower Emrald pools hike was a great taste of Zion. The views are breath taking. And going in November meant you weren’t dealing with the desert heat.

Venice Gondola Ride

This quick copy cat ride of the famous gondola experience in Venice is a great activity for any age. This is my 3rd ride, but my youngest one did this for the first time when she was 5 months old!
Although the ride is super quick (under 15 min) there is an opportunity to learn about vegas, hear a beautiful serenade and enjoy some time in a boat on the water (always relaxing)!

Flamingo Habitat

This place is a vibe! In the middle of the Las Vegas strip is a gorgeous outdoor setting with palm, trees, waterfalls and cute animals! This completely free activity is like a trip to a mini zoo. Kids of all ages will love the animals and watching the fishes (which are mesmerizing to watch on the bridge).

Seven Magic Mountains

7MM is an outdoor art display of stacked colourful boulders. It’s a great place to do an IG transition and they are even safe enough to climb (carefully ofcourse! for the perfect shot)
I did read if you got at 9am, you’ll beat the crowds, but we went mid afternoon to get the most sunshine!

Cereal Killersz

The Cereal Killerz Kitchen is actually a Cereal Bar. They have every cereal ever made + some rare ones that were only available for a short time and then of course some you haven’t head of! The best part was that they have alternative milk options! You can a classic cereal and milk bowl, or a millkshake. I would definite go back here next time!

Want more? Continue reading my Blogmas 2022 adventure here!

Blogmas | Intro & My Why

Posted on December 1, 2022 by Bhanu Misra Marya

Happy December 1st! Long time no talk ;)

I’m one of those (analogue) people who looooooooves scrolling through the archives of a blog. I love seeing the beginning of people’s stories. I find it inspiring.

When it comes to my own blog, I NEVER look through the archives. I find it so cringe that I end up making my older blog posts private!

But at least I have them there, I have the stories and the ideas from the beginning. And really it’s all about keeping up with the practice that I admire in others and even myself.

So I’ve decided to start a BLOGMAS!

What is Blogmas?

For the Tiktok kids in the back, “Blogmas” is a series of posts on a blog leading up to Christmas (Dec 25th). It can be done on any online medium (or even offline). But my first memory of it was watching vlogmas done by YouTubers in 2012.

Why am I doing Blogmas?

I’m doing it for both logical and emotional reasons. Logical because I want to be writing, creating and posting more often – discipline is the name of that game! From an emotional perspective because I want have memories 🙂 Also because I’ve officially reopened my Etsy shop, I want to ensure that I’m aligning all of my online presences and themes: Inspiration, Consistency, Happiness & Productivity.
Lastly, the hope is that I’ll learn something from participating in Blogmas that I can either share here on the blog or implement on my Etsy store.

How can YOU participate?

In any way really! It can be something online or unplugged. You can paint for 25 day. Share a new pic IG for 25 days. Create a youtube channel and start Vlogmas. You can volunteer at a soup kitchen for 25 days or learn a new skill for the next 25 days.

It’s all about staying consistent, creating, learning something & having fun!

And of course, be sure to check back over the next 24 days and follow along with my Blogmas!

Book Review – Ishmeal

Posted on April 1, 2019 by Bhanu Misra Marya

I recently finished reading Ishmeal. Which is actually an accomplishment because I started it January 2018. But I stopped reading it, just around the time I ended my mat leave.

I was recently listening to a podcast where the guest was talking about how to read more books and he said that its totally okay to “quit so you can start”.

I couldn’t have agreed more. I’ve stopped many books. I mean for me, reading as an adult… is not school, I am not going to be judged if I didn’t finish a book, there is no essay requirement and definitely no quiz. I always give a book the benefit of the doubt and try to read 25 pages or so. But, if the book hasn’t peaked my interest I’ll stop and move on to another book. The best thing about choosing to stop reading a book is that it’s not final. You can always begin reading that book again. Which is exactly what I did here.

This book essentially is about how the earth is being destroyed by humans. So the premise of this book really appeals to me. It was written in the early 90s and the entire story (well 95%) of it takes place as a conversation between a gorilla and a human.

The conversations take the reader through different times of history from Adam/Eve (i.e. “the beginning”) era through to the 90s. The reader is meant to understand why humans believe the earth was made for them, that they are above the law of community and how they have not figured out a way to live in harmony with other creatures on earth. The author describes several cultural myths and biases that seem to give humans the “excuses” to rule over the earth and continue agricultural domination.

The book tip toes around primitivism and other extreme view points to help save the earth and allow humans to live in community with other species on earth. The book has a good message to humanity, I just couldn’t get behind the some-what-extreme solution provided.

A few of the important points I will take with me after reading this book:

humans belong to the world (not the other way around)
if your know something important share it with 100 people if they feel the message is also important they should share it with 100 people (and so on and so forth)
history should be re-examined so we can continually learn from our past

Check out the other books I’ve ready in 2019!

4 Steps to Master & Enjoy Your First Art Sale LearnWithTLY

Posted on February 2, 2016 by Bhanu Misra Marya

I am starting my blog series with 4 tips on how to MASTER & ENJOY your first Art Sale.

I was planning on writing a debrief of my experiences at the #VaughanOfAKindShow but that happened over 4 months ago and I figured I could post something more helpful! I’d love to hear your thoughts on how you prepared for your first art show or community craft sale so leave me some comments down below and come #LearnWithTLY!!

Get a handled on your product offering and prices: This is one area I am definitely going to improve on when I do another show. It’s best to have your products and pricing completed 1.5-2 weeks in advance. If not, you’ll feel flustered when your prints are not ready at the photo-lab *points at self*
Start advertising early: Blog, Email, Twitter or Facebook post about your upcoming event (including all the details of time and location) a few weeks leading up to the event. You may think you are bombarding people but your friends and family can be your test customers (think A/B testing) so giving them the details they need so they can come visit and support you (no pressure!)
Design your booth to be inviting to your customers: Design a booth that will invite your customers to be able to really see your product (even pick up and inspect. I used clear plastic envelopes so I didn’t cringe when people picked up a product. Local fairs and sales are really about the community so everyone who comes by your booth is both a potential customer and a neighbour :)
Be ready to make sales: Be friendly, have a credit card payment device + money box with cash on hand, offer a show discount, have bags for your product after it’s been purchased, come with plenty of business cards (including your email and social media accounts), bring water and snacks

I hope my tips help – I know I’ll be reviewing them when the next fair and sales comes around!