Author: Iniya

Mint Girl Reads: Shine! by J.J. and Chris Grabenstein

One of the best books I’ve read this year is Shine! by J.J. and Chris Grabenstein. Shine! tells the story of a young girl named Piper Milly who is a new student at Chumley Prep, an fancy middle school. She makes fast friends with 3 of her classmates and learns from them. Then a mysterious source announces an award called the Excelsior Award. Piper feels that winning the award will help her fit in. Throughout this story, Piper learns about the importance of friends and that who you are is defined on the inside.

Shine is one of those books that makes you feel good about yourself. J.J. and Chris Grabenstein put a lot of detail into Shine! and I feel like I know a lot about Piper and who she is. The lesson here is to be yourself no matter what happens. The book also talks about how acadamics are important but they aren’t everything.

DIY Christmas Jars

This year, I made some really cool christmas craft projects. One of my favorites was the christmas jars.

Items needed:

  • some old jars (I used mason jars, but you can use any type you want)
  • epsom salt
  • ribbon (use colors that will pop out)
  • medium sized silver balls
  • fake greenery
  • mod podge (or clear glue)
  • hot glue (only use with adult supervision)

Instructions:

  1. Coat part of the exterior of the jar with the mod podge.
  2. Sprinkle the epsom salt on the mod podge.
  3. Repeat until you cover the whole jar.
  4. Do this to how many ever you want to do and set to dry.
  5. Once dry, measure and cut the ribbon you’ll need to wrap around the top of your jar.
  6. Using the hot glue, glue the ribbon around the top and let dry.
  7. Take two or more sprigs of the fake greenery and glue in the center of the ribbon.
  8. Glue one or two silver balls on the greenery with hot glue.
  9. Let dry.

Once they’re dry, you can use them as anything from a pen holder to a candy jar! The epsom salt looks just like snow and the greenery with the silver balls looks really nice. These jars are amazing and really cute too!

Please try this and leave a comment about how it went!

Friendsgiving Party 2017

In 2017, I hosted a Friendsgiving party. All of my besties came . We played games, ate delicious food, and had tons of fun.

I treasure all of my friends greatly and I wanted to have a party / play date with all of them. Thanksgiving was coming up soon and I wanted to do something fun with all of my friends. Then I had a great idea. Why not smash the two together and have a Friendsgiving party? I explained the idea to my mom and she agreed. I was going to host a Friendsgiving party!

My mom and I brought decorations way ahead of time. We bought some orange and silver tassel curtains, photo booth supplies, and a cute sign that read “Welcome Friends”. We decided on colors for the party would be blue and orange. I got a very fall-ish attire. A blue dress with fall leggings and a fall scarf.

We decided to do a mix of Indian and American foods. We had apple cinnamon pie poundcake bites,And muffins, mini colored idlies (an Indian food), and turkey cranberry pecan sandwiches. We had apple juice cider and apple pie punch to drink. All of the food was good and my friends and I couldn’t stop eating. Finally, we all went upstairs to play games. After about an hour, everyone’s parents came to pick them up. I’ve always remembered that day as the best day of my life.

The Ocean

I see the ocean

So majestic, so wide, so blue

Furious…but calm

Choppy…but smooth

A beach in Chennai

Deep Turquoise and Dark Blues

Fill the space

Waves crash and Fish play

In the most majestic place

Down Below

A beach in Corpus Christi

Tides

Come and Go

In and Out

With the flow

An ocean in The Bahamas

Choppy…But smooth

Furious…But calm

So majestic,So wide, So blue

A soothing balm

To my soul

The Ocean

Mint Girl In Udaipur

Last summer I went to Udaipur, Rajasthan with my family.

I marveled at the mesmerizing buildings and wondering how much effort has been put into constructing them. Udaipur is a place I’d visit

The intricate architecture caught my eye and I couldn’t wait to see more of it. Udaipur has interesting architecture around every corner. During my trip to the Udaipur City Palace, I noticed how detailed and descriptive the drawings and pictures on the walls were. The space was well utilized.Every piece of architecture fit in perfectly.

Udaipur

Decorating with mirrors was a very common theme I noticed in Udaipur. Typically, a picture was painted and mirrors are placed in suitable locations. My family and I were equally amazed by the amazing architecture.

I couldn’t wait to learn more about the history of Udaipur. Udaipur has a very interesting past. Udaipur was ruled by the Mewar kings and the members of the royal family still live in Udapur. I am fascinated by the life in the era of kings. The kings in those days used to hunt and trap tigers and panthers in the surrounding Aravali hills. They also like to watch elephants wrestle for entertainment. My visit to Udaipur gave me a peek into a time period very much unlike mine. See you there!

Mint Girl Reads: Count me In By Varsha Bajaj

Count Me In is a middle grade fiction book written by Varsa Bajaj.

The protagonists in this book are 12 year old Karina and Chris who live in Houston, Texas. They’re neighbors but they don’t know each other well until Karina’s grandfather gets attacked and things start spiraling out of control. What follows is that Chris, Karina, and their friends find the true meaning of belonging in America today.

This realistic fiction book is very relevant in today’s world, as kids like me figure out where we belong in present day America. I found this book very moving and emotional. I live in a community that is welcoming and accepting and I am shocked at how people can act. I knew hate crimes existed,  but I never gave it much thought until I read this book. I was shocked at how Karina’s grandfather was treated and how cruel people can be.

If you enjoy diverse reads and middle grade fiction then you’ll definitely enjoy this book.

Mint Girl Goes to We’re Dough

We’re Dough is a popular Lebanese bakery in Houston, Texas.

As you enter the shop, the smell of sesame seeds hit you. The large neon light spelling out” How You Doughin’?”make this place a popular destination for Instagram and Social Media fans. The beautiful lights and the dark velvet chairs call your name and invite you to take a seat and linger around for long conversations.

The appetizing Shakshousa eggs were mouth-watering! The spices  came through well and I found myself wanting more.These eggs were  good on their own, but when they were with the pita bread and the juicy cucumber my mouth exploded with flavors. These are not the traditional poached eggs but they make a great weekend brunch item.

The delicious, crispy Nutella Kaak makes a great desert. The savory sesame seeds and the sweet nutella inside the bread work together perfectly. An unlikely duo, they are one of the best pairs of food I have ever tasted.

We’re Dough was a little bit crowded on the Saturday morning I went there and the service was a bit slow, but that won’t stop me from going there regularly.

We’re Dough is one of the reasons I love living in Houston. With so many diverse restaurants, I’m in a different continent for every meal.

RE International Festival 2019

I go to Roberts Elementary (the best school in the world) in Houston, Texas. Every year, we have an International Festival (the best event in the world) where different countries set up booths and have games and samples of their native foods. 

This year I performed a semi- classical Indian dance. It gives me an opportunity to showcase my skills and share my culture with my friends. When I perform solo, I get much more confidence and I’m ready to perform solo on other occasions.

The International Festival helps me understand how other cultures work, why they’re important, and how I can tie in with it. It broadens  my perspective of worlds I’ve never traveled to.

The International Festival is about being open minded and respecting other people’s opinions and cultures. That is one of the reasons my family goes to the International Festival at Roberts.

This year we had 30 countries being represented and tons of volunteer parents and staff.