Doodle4Google - My India

Google frequently places Doodles on their homepage - the drawings designed through Google Logo and these are created by Google Webmaster Dennis Hwang. A left hander, Dennis started creating Doodles for Google Homepage to celebrate and mark world wide events since 2000 and I have been following the events most of the time.

For US children, Google held a competition 'What I wish for the World' earlier with amazing entries on topics like World Peace, Spread Literacy, Save Energy, Be Friendly nations, Stop War, Recycle the future, healthy world, etc and 400 finalists were chosen. You can find the winner 2009 here for 'What I wish for the World' contest (state finalists here). The 2008 theme for Doodle4Google was 'What if...?' and you can have a glimpse into the regional winners here.

Doodle 4 Google is all about fun creating Doodles blend with creativity. Google now calls for children from India to create Doodles 4 Googles on the theme 'My India' and project your dream India - show your patriotism. Google calls for entries showing love for your country - what it means to you when you represent in a Doodle. Here is Info for Students and Schools. You can draw on themes related to Places, literature, culture, India's achievements, Bollywood - just about anything about India. Follow the Templates and sample doodles - tips to create your doodles here, create your very own Doodle 4 Google and Register here. Give a title for your doodle (a maximum of 5-6 words) and a supporting statement (a maximum of 100 words). Based on your Google doodle, you should explain what India means to you and what you have represented in your doodle. Once done, Submit your entries here online or send to postal address in A4 size paper to reach before 30th September 2009.

Doodle 4 Google,Google India Pvt. Ltd.
No. 3, RMZ Infinity - Tower E
Old Madras Road
4th and 5th Floors
Bangalore, 560 016

The best doodles will be voted on by a panel of judges as well as by the Indian public, and the winning doodle will be featured on the Google India homepage for a day, to be viewed by millions of people. The final winner will also win his or her very own laptop (and a technology grant for their school)!

The finalists will be announced on 21st October 2009 and online Public Voting will be made from 21st October 2009 to 31st October 2009. Award ceremony and National winner will be announced in November.

Tips from Dennis Hwang:
* Make sure your design complements the shape of the letters in the Google logo, but don't let that restrict your creativity.
* Experiment with different media to see which one works best for your design (you can even create your doodle on your PC).
* Don't over-complicate your design – simpler images often have the most impact.
* Remember that your design could end up on the Google homepage, so imagine how it will look on screen.
* Remember to use colour well and think about how it interacts with a white background.
* Avoid commercial or copyrighted images.
* Think outside the box – try to create a doodle that's different from your classmates and hasn't been done before.
* Feel free to use the space behind and in front of the Google letters, but try to maintain your design's overall balance.
* Have fun! "Doodle 4 Google" is all about creativity and enjoying designing fun things.

So, encourage kids to participate. Follow Tips from Dennis here and see him in action on how to make Doodles on Kidsfreesouls You Tube Video Here.

Btw, you can send your drawings/paintings here on Kidsfreesouls pasteboard too.

- ilaxi patel
Editor, http://www.kidsfreesouls.com/
Author of 'Guardian of Angels'

Mood swings? Take a Break!

Mood swings, Life stings? Take a break! Break free from the routines, break free from work pressures or just break free from stress - Relax and chill!

My Yamaha(2) - pic taken with Blackberry Pearl
How often we have anxiety when the day begins. Balancing home and work place. Most of our mood swings hurt not only ourselves but children around. This is when we are harsh and knowingly, unknowingly moods are reflected by our emotions, which involve around three mysterious factors – arousal, expression and experience. A bad mood can be hazardous. I just noticed my friend's son blew his head off in anger and landed up in hospital with heart pain!

Scientists say that chronically angry and hostile people may be more likely to develop heart disease. A 1995 study of over 1600 heart attack victims by Harvard University Researchers found that a single angry episode doubles your odds of having heart attack within next two hours!

So there - follow Kidsfreesouls tips and save yourself from anxiety and mood swings - stop children to be scary as your mood swings off in classroom or at home - children sure hate an abusive teacher or a nagging mom!

* Get enough sleep – Sleep Less & Live more but be sure to get recharged as sub optimal amounts of sleep can play havoc with out emotions. Mood swings causing trouble to control anger if you are tired and cranky. The brain cells weaken with fatigue and ‘off mood’ stinks bubbling depressive feelings

* Be Positive – Everything around us is essentially neutral; we impose the value, either positive or negative. Most of the time, a human mind impose negative thoughts, an insight that often ‘snaps’ out. Most of the fears do not turn true and those who fear generally bump into mood swings. The quick fix is simply to smile bad moods away. It becomes easier to conquer the mind and keeps you cool and relax.

* Keep in touch with Nature – Banish the blues as contact with nature is thought by many experts to contribute to optimal moods. Staying in full traffic is more tiring than taking a stroll in a garden. Set right the mood by enjoying nature – the sun, moon and the stars, the birds and the trees and all beauty around.

* Let there be Good food – Mood swings are often fuelled by neurotransmitters in the brain that are turned on and off by the food we eat or we don’t. Drinking tea or coffee with fewer intakes of food swings the mood as poor eating habits makes you cranky. Balanced food diet with limit intake of caffeine and sugar lowers the irritability. Dehydration can cause fatigue and hence, drinking six to eight glasses of water per day is must.

* Entertain yourself – Listen to good music to keep you in good spirits. Relax those brain cells with soft, melodious, meditative music. Listening to Rock and heavy metal blurs the mind cells.

* Be active & keep moving – A brisk walk for ten minutes boosts energy and reduces tension immediately. Engage in an activity that suits your taste especially when mood swings up and it disappears with diverted attention. Being active makes a big difference as laziness only sulks you down.

* Pinpoint the problem – Before you fret and fume over a problem, discover the problem itself ‘why did this happen’ , what is the course of action, and things would not seem bad. A solution will find its way as anxiety disappears making you clearly see the problem and deriving to solutions or just forget – Blast the problem!

You can find my Book 'Guardian of Angels' at Amazon.com and even get to read my Blog on Parenting. The book has some great tips of practical guidance and can be shipped anywhere you are in the world. Find reviews page on kidsfreesouls. Enjoy. (Read more on Ed Desk Blog )

- ilaxi patel
Editor, www.kidsfreesouls.com
Author of Guardian of Angels: A practical guide to Joyful Parenting

Go Green - Build Roof Top Gardens and read Judith Macnaught or Guardian of Angels

Roof-top Garden and imagine the thrill to watch nature amidst the beauty of the green lush surrounding! Well, how often do you or your children go to the roof-top and watch the sun going down?

I do. Especially when I am ready Judith Macnaught or Barbara Cartland - the ever Romance novels that one can't ignore to put down. Btw, what is your choice? Do share in your Best reads in the comments and maybe, we have a common choice.

Btw, there are many good reasons to build a rooftop garden, or a so-called “green roof”—whereby layers of soil and plants on top of homes and buildings provide a host of environmental “services” for the living space below as well as for the surrounding ecosystem. If you are thinking why, here's the updated Environment Column that answers all - In English and Spanish too.

Try 'Do-it-yourself' tips at Green Roofs or just go ahead, plant some good saplings on the rooftop in shapy pots. You will sure love to go to the terrace again and again and gaze nature - Let the Kids have the Fun of childhood too. - Go Green! Enjoy.

- ilaxi patel

Editor, http://www.kidsfreesouls.com/

Newspaper for Kids

Happy Independence Day

Happy Independence Day - 15th August

“Long years ago, we made tryst with the destiny and now the time comes when we shall redeem our pledge. At the stroke of midnight hour, when the world sleeps, India will awake to life and freedom” said Jawaharlal Nehru. Today, India is a Can-do Nation, Democracy intact, jubilation in real. India, the land of Free, proudly stand independent and as we commemorate the nation on its 63rd Anniversary of Independence, Kids Free Souls salutes all those immortal souls for their gallant undying contribution for the cause of the freedom.

Click for the Independence Day page for the National Anthem song download and India page.

Celebrations of Independence Day in Gujarat :
(http://www.gujaratindia.com/)
Date:- Saturday, 15th August, 2009
Time:- 09:00 am (IST)
Venue:-Rajpipla, Dist. Narmada
Click To Watch Live Webcast

- ilaxi patel
Editor, http://www.kidsfreesouls.com/
Newspaper for Kids

Happy Janmashtmi

Aham sarvasya prabhavo, Mattah sarvam pravartateIti matva bhajante mam, Budha bhava samanvitah"
“I am the source of all spiritual and material worlds. Everything emanates from Me. The wise who perfectly know this engage in my devotional service and worship me with all their hearts”

Happy Janmashtmi - Krishna and Radha existed some 5000 years ago and is said that Krishna disappeared on 18th February 3602 (Research sources). Some say, he died under a Kalpavriksha tree in form of Samadhi (meditation) It is said that Krishna descends to this planet once in a day of Brahma, or every 8,600,000,000 years as per Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupad of Krishna Consciousness. Krishna spoke Bhagavad Gita to the sun god some hundreds of millions of years ago and Arjuna was his first disciple who understood the supreme personality of krishna.

Well, faith is in every soul who believe in a super power - whoever be. As Krishna birth is celebrated all over on 14th August, here is wishing 'Happy Janmashtmi' to all who pass this way and click to Kidsfreesouls for all Krishna pages - story, shlokes, review of Gita, etc.

Btw, do you play cards? It has been a tradition to play pack of cards and fast for the day. Later, at 12.00 midnight, Lord Krishna's birth is celebrated in homes and temples.

- ilaxi patel
Editor, www.kidsfreesouls.com
Newspaper for Kids

Rabindranath forgotten??? Samsung Star 3 G

Have you followed me on Google Friendfeed? Sign in here and Follow Kidsfreesouls.

Btw, how many forgot Rabindranath Tagore's 'D' Day? Frankly speaking, I did! Even after presenting wonderful song 'Jana Gana Mana' for download and all the info that I placed on Kidsfreesouls.

Late but nevertheless 'Never' - It always happen, memories are short lived. And, amidst all my packed schedules last many days apart from the iPhone failure (my son's)- Apple's got the trick as it makes you so addicted to the iPhone and the phone goes crash all of a sudden. Especially when you are used to browse pages and add status to FB, it's pain but otherwise, my Blackberry is the all time Best! If you have an iPhone and facing similar problem, get to Samsung Star 3G and believe me, this one is just 'Value for money'. It's got the Touchscreen but no, not like the iPhone - However, my recommendation and for sure - the BEST SAMSUNG STAR 3 G PHONE around and the most in the waiting list in Ahmedabad. A stylish gadget with most of the features so like iPhone - one couldn't miss iPhone any longer and that too, just using the piece in just a day or too!

Well, log in for Kidsfreesouls News as a new Stadium like the Wembley would be taking shape and presented to the city during Swarnim Gujarat 2010-2011.

- ilaxi patel
Editor, http://www.kidsfreesouls.com/
Newspaper for kids