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Tuesday, March 24, 2015

Yummy Food and Memories - A great way to spend time



(Video Courtesy Kellogs)
“ Eat breakfast like a King, lunch like a prince and dinner like a pauper.”- Anonymous  

We all know this adage yet how many of us actually follow it? I am always pressed for time, when I have to make breakfast. With sleepy eyes and uncoordinated hands, I try to make Paranthas, Poha and Upma. I wait for weekends with bated breath as I know I can get away with brunch. Breakfast at a restaurant is the stuff that dreams are made of. Weight gain is also an issue so breakfast at home is the only option at times.

I recently came across the #‎Kelloggs #‎SolidNashta‬ ‪#‎Breakfast‬ campaign on Facebook and Youtube.The entire concept of neighbors wrangling for Nashta at #‎Guptaji‬’s house touched a chord in my heart. Mrs. Gupta is a rock star in the area , her nashta’s are famous and obviously yummy. Highly intrigued, I checked out the Facebook posts, and I must admit that the #Nashta recipes look scrumptious. Kellogg's is synonymous with quality and goodness. A good breakfast full of grains yet low in fats would really be the key to maintain good health. The bonus here is the speed of preparation. I am sure that I will be able to whip up a tempting array of breakfast items. Mrs. Gupta, If you hear me, please call me to your house for Nashta. I hate cooking so early in the morning, and I never have good ideas. Hence, breakfast is always same old. My daughter would love to try these varieties, and I would love to sample your #Nashta and pick up tips from you. I would surely appreciate her adding high-quality wheat, corn and rice to her diet. Mrs. Gupta’s yummy coconut laddoos, Sitaphal Cornflakes and mouthwatering chapati chivda will be heavenly. I hope Mrs. Gupta calls me to sample all these treats.
If you are like me and are sleep challenged in the morning, then I am sure you would also love these yummy recipes. There is very less preparation involved and the results are well worth the efforts. For information and more recipes visit https://www.facebook.com/anaajkanashta . All the recipes are listed with the required ingredients and easy methods. There are more than a hundred recipes for your perusal. Moreover, if you are still wondering about the hype, check out the ad at https://www.youtube.com/user/kelloggindia.

I am excited about the prospect of meeting Mrs. Gupta and her family; they look so cute. I would also love to skip making breakfast for my family for a day and be pampered like a queen. The best part is that with such yummy recipes under my belt, I would also be much in demand. They say that the way to everyone’s heart is good food. Hence, I intend to capitalize on that. Yummy food and good memories - Great times.

Saturday, March 21, 2015

Day of Happiness - Coca Cola Ishtyle



Video Courtesy youtube

The new Coca Cola Ad featuring Sid and Alia took me down memory lane. I remembered that spending time with loved ones makes exceptional memories. The best way to enjoy good company and food is to throw a party and indulge in good food, drinks, gossip and laughter.

The “international day of happiness “ campaign by coke inspired me to take the plunge and inject some fun back into the monotonous routine. It's difficult to manage kids and organize a party at the same time, so a game plan was required. Planning for a party, inviting guests and cooking up enormous amounts of food to feed the hungry hordes is exciting to say the least. I enjoy this madcap phase of organization, cleaning and shopping. It takes me away from the hum drum of my daily routine and is so refreshing. A well-executed party also brings about a sense of accomplishment and productivity. Yes, surprisingly throwing a party makes me happy and gets my juices going. The best part is that my husband partakes in all the activities, and hence I can finally convince him to make his world-famous Pindi chole. The spicy and tangy food and cool drinks are a match made in heaven. The menu of Chole, Maa ki daal, Bhature, Kheer, Mughlai Paneer was simple to execute and absolutely great good. It was so much fun and bantering while we cooked the food. I would love to throw more parties in order to spend some more fun time with my husband. My daughter also got into the act and helped us as much as she could. She also reminded us to keep taking Zumba breaks, and we had to keep shimmying to her favorite songs. It was a perfect family activity without any computers, phones and the Internet.  
After loads of preparation, D day arrived with guests brimming with enthusiasm. Playing a host and looking after my guests made me feel great. It was amazing to hear the laughter, cheer and soak in the illuminated atmosphere. We also started an impromptu dance session to raucous laughter. Guzzling gallons of coke, slurping yummy food and singing out of tune karaoke made one forget the stresses of life.



I feel that working in tandem as a team brings us closer as a family and that thought sure brings a huge smile on my face. Let's get together and cook, drive, eat, play and just have plain fun. These activities and memories are priceless. Simple things like spending time with family and friends make me happy. So the next time, you feel in a rut, Organize your own day of happiness. Make sure it's supported by some fizzy goodness. These bubbles sure make life that much happier. Head on to  http://CokeURL.com/96jnc for your own dose of inspiration and spread smiles and cheer to your loved ones.
This is a post for indiblogger.   

Saturday, March 14, 2015

Forever , together and Happy Memories - Lookup in Life

Life is full of big and small challenges and choices.Its perplexing, vexing and downright taxing. Sometimes it feels enough of a challenge to get up from the bed. Fortunately for me, I have my mom to buoy my spirits up.  

I specifically remember the confusing time before my daughter was born. I was new to the concept of maternity and alone in the land of dreams (America) . All the doctor visits, diet planning and preparing for the baby were creating a lot of stress on me. While I was overjoyed about having a baby, I was scared about handling in. I felt alone and vulnerable. Fortunately for children, parents don't need to be asked. They just look out for you. Much to my delight, my mom booked a flight to visit us and stay with us to look after the baby for two months.

As soon as my daughter was born, my mother took charge of everything. Even if I felt helpless to soothe my baby, my mom always had a way to infuse laughter and happiness into the situation. From my delivery to handling the baby, she kept saying that “all is well. The company and guidance of your parents can instill so much confidence. Under her tutelage, I could learn the tips and tricks to look after myself and my daughter. I especially remember the times when we would get dressed up to take pictures. This small act of capturing memories added a lot of zing to an otherwise monotonous day. The best part was her enthusiasm, zeal and pure passion to be with the baby. She reiterated that motherhood was not only about responsibilities but also about having a new experience in life.  

My mom is my inspiration to enjoy life with all the challenges that come up. When we shifted to India recently, she helped me set up my house. All her inputs and suggestions helped us take decisions and make our house into a well-loved home. Echoes of laughter, infinite discussions and even more endless cups of tea with my mom are some of my most precious memories. We agree and disagree but make positive and happy memories.  
Now we are on the lookout for another move to a different city. Fortunately for us ,this time around we have a partner in crime called housing.com. This website will help me narrow down my options, look at pictures and contact owners at my convenience. This will give me more peace and energy to create happier memories with my loved ones. Being #together makes me feel stronger, energized and a more positive person. I feel that I can conquer any problems when I have my parents at my side. You can find more information about choosing the home of your dreams at https://housing.com/.   











Tuesday, March 10, 2015

My story of change - Lookup in life



(Video courtesy housing,com)


“Home is where the heart is .” - Famous Idiom

These words hold a extremely special place in my heart. I am a typically nuclear family bred kid who has close ties with my parents. Hence it was very difficult to stay far away from my parents. I was newly married and excited about our move to the land of the dreams - USA. It felt great to be independent, and it was all fun and games for some time. However, the solitude soon started creeping in. I felt incomplete without my family and missed out on all the fun in the festivals.

 
Cut to year 2014, we decided to move back to our homeland in order to be near our parents. It was especially relevant for my daughter to spend time with her grandparents. It was a scary time, and we had been gone for a long time and were anxious about this new change. However, I firmly believe that change can help us shake the monotony in our life. Its nerve wracking to take the plunge, yet change makes us feel so empowered. There is such an adrenaline rush and so many decisions to take. Though we are based in Delhi, we were posted to Bangalore. The IT city was a stranger but not for long. We spent a lot of time with brokers in order to narrow down an apartment. I am extremely fussy about the location and safety of my residence. At times, my husband would get exasperated with all my demands yet we should soldier on. I wanted a house close to excellent schools, shopping and with great amenities for my daughter. An apartment is a home only when it echoes with laughter and pleasant memories. The best part of this exercise that my daughter got to spend time with her grand parents. Her laughter, excitement and sheer unadulterated happiness made it all so worth the effort.  
 


Trying to rent an apartment through agents, paying their fees and visiting numerous horrible locations is probably the only fly in this ointment. I recently saw the advertisements for housing.com. It really got me thinking that I could have had an easier time in finalizing a place. At https://housing.com/ , I browsed through the site and found it to be quite interactive. In fact, I am on a lookout for a bigger flat near my husband's office, and housing.com provided a plethora of options. I searched for the bedrooms as per my budget and in the location of my choice. I could browse through pictures and amenities offered. This gave me a fair idea of the apartment, and I could narrow down my options. I love this new and easier interface in my rental search. I am sure that I will be able to get an apartment of my dreams using www.housing.com.
All is well that ends well, and I feel this move has helped me live the moment. I was very happy with my move to India and feel surrounded with the warmth of my loved ones. So, take the plunge and make the change for a better life. Lookup in Life !   

Thursday, March 5, 2015

Pampers Baby Dry Pants for happy mornings



Babies are angels sent upon the earth to remind us that innocence still exists. We are so jaded with the struggles of life that we generally forget to appreciate simplicity, enthusiasm and innocence. Babies remind us to stop, breath in and calm down. Nevertheless, it can be very taxing to look after babies as they cannot communicate verbally. To top it all off, babies are eating and pooping machines. This cycle eventually leads to damp and dirty diapers, which can irritate the babies and keep them cranky. My daughter’s skin is quite sensitive, and she used to get rashes if her diaper remained wet.


However, interacting with babies is a lot of fun. She is so fond of music and any activity. I introduced her to rhymes and even bollywood music and very soon she was grooving to all the ditties. Her favorite rhyme," twinkle little star “ always brings a huge smile to her face. A born actor, she loves to make faces and gives exaggerated expressions. She also loves her daily routine, and in case I miss any of her rituals, she gets mighty upset. Her sweet expressions, her laughter and her love for me are uplifting and make me feel so positive about life.  












I cherish these few precious moments spent with her before her bedtime. She loves to listen to her favorite story, “Everywhere the cow goes moo". I often follow it up with a nice calming massage with olive oil or lavender scented baby cream. Lots of tickling provides oodles of laughter and squirming. To ensure that she sleeps the night through, I use Pampers dry diapers. These keep her dry and cozy and provides an uneventful night for me too. They are leak proof ( No more oops and accidents ) and keep her dry from the inside. The new diapers from pampers called “Pampers Baby Dry Pants” has a special magic gel that keeps the moisture locked in and the baby remains dry up to 12 hours. No more rashes and discomfort and I have a happy and active baby.

My mom introduced me to the ritual of swaddling. I swaddle her in a comfortable cloth blanket, and my daughter loves to be swaddled. I love the cute bundle that she becomes. A lot of rocking and patting put her in the mood for a nice snooze.  
It is actually very calming for me to indulge in these short fun activities with her. Being a horsey, singing songs, making faces, reading books, tickling tiny tummies and blowing bubbles for her is a lot of fun. It connects me to the child within me, who wants to break away from the shackles of the daily routine. Furthermore, I sense that my daughter feels comforted and secured when I do spend quality time with her. It's equally important to invest in premium diapers to ensure maximum comfort for the little one. Pampers has me covered and you can get further details at http://www.rewardme.in/tag/Pampers. A dry baby is a happy baby, and a jolly baby means a happier mom.

This is a post for indiblogger.   

Happy Moments - A look-up to life story


"When I was just a little girl , I asked my mother what will I be ? She said
Que Sera Sera , Whatever will be , will be ... The future's not ours to see.. Que Sera Sera"- Jay Livingston and Ray Evans

These time immemorial lyrics define intrigue, excitement and zest for what lies ahead in the future. However, very too soon, we all get caught up in the rat race and the humdrum of life. Frankly I, miss the times when I was excited about my future and my dreams. These days, I am focused on working, earning my salary and getting my own house. Yes, my own home signifies a strong financial pinnacle and a sense of achievement. Nevertheless, I feel that I have become a robot rather than a human being with feelings.


(Image courtesy lookup contest for indiblogger)

In the middle of this chaotic life, my oasis is the verve and enthusiasm of my daughter. She is always excited about life and what she can achieve when she grows up. Her vivacity and innocence are uplifting, and the moments spent with her without the distractions of modern technology, make my day. She fills my house with positive vibes and optimism. She brings color and laughter to my life with her unique way of thinking. Brimming with ideas and experiments, she makes all the daily struggles seem much more worthwhile. Ever ready to learn and conquer obstacles, she drives me on with her cute hugs and smiles.



The best example of her inspirational attitude was at her annual day dance concert. She had been practicing really hard but fell ill with loose motions around four days before her event. Determined and resolute, she was vehement about attending her concert. I was so apprehensive about her performance as she was very weak. Fortunately, she put all my apprehensions to rest and performed with such zeal that she actually shined in the event. Her four dance performances attracted stupendous applause. Bravos, encores and exceptional performance were like music to my ears. I realized that I too should not harbor negative thoughts and remain positive in order to achieve results. Child is truly the father of man and can teach up important lessons. Life can be much more fun if we focus on things that make us happy.
It is a give and take relationship. We must also spend the right amount of quality time with our loved ones. We should end our never-ending quest for the best shopping deals, travel deals and even housing deals. In fact, we should rely on the experts in order to procure the house of our dreams. Hence, I was quite excited to read about housing.com, a revolution in the real estate business that promises a panacea to all housing ills. You can get more information here at https://housing.com/lookup. I am sure that the re-branded lookup, also touted as the next big thing in real estate, will provide me with all the answers to my housing and lifestyle needs.
This blog post is a submission to the indiblogger contest.