52 Weeks of Adventure: Week 45: Preparing for Diwali!

For those who have stumbled on my blog just today, I am on a 52 weeks adventure this year wherein I decide my own adventures! For more details, check out here!

Another year when we are away from home during Diwali, one of the biggest festivals in India. But this year I decided to make it BIG during Diwali and not let homesickness take over us. It is my first time that I have done all that my mom used to do back home during Diwali, just that I have done things on a smaller scale. So here is a week which was super busy in preparing for Diwali.

Last year I had made just small lanterns for the main door. But this year, I wanted to do more. A big lantern, some door decorations and small paper lanterns too. Thus started my quest for art and craft supplies and I almost bought a shop back home ;)

My art and craft shop at home ;)

Next was making the big lantern and decorations from all the material. The big lantern was a labor intensive job and almost got me a back ache. The smaller decorations were easier and less time consuming.

The mess called art! :)

Ya, ya! I love the bright colored lantern :)

These will go on the main door

The next task was getting rid of the clutter at home. Diwali is a festival when all the clutter goes out of the home and hence cleaning is major aspect of Diwali. I am a lousy person when it comes to cleaning. Sujoy is usually the one with 'We should have a clean home' syndrome :P. I am really laid back in that aspect. Sujoy is the one who takes care of vacuuming and dusting at our place.

So it was a herculean task for me to get the house cleaned sans Sujoy's syndrome ;). I started with getting rid of all the clutter which was there in the store rooms, then wardrobe cleaning which made me realize that I need to give away a lot of clothes which I haven't worn for a year now and lastly the kitchen. Phew! I did all the cleaning in phases and hence was sane at the end of it :P Of course, Sujoy was there to help!

Wardrobe Cleaning Alert!

Lastly was the Diwali faral or Diwali snacks. Back home, there is an array of food items prepared. But I stuck to just 4 items. 2 sweet and 2 savory. I made besan ladoos, kaju katli (cashew nut sweet) , puffed rice chiwda and a new avatar chiwda i.e. cornflakes chiwda.