7 Stress-Busters for Everyday of The Week!

It is Monsoon season and it always brings along some memories, the refreshing fragrance of wet soil and lush greens all around. But we are not able to enjoy this romantic season this time. It’s Monsoon and it is either flood or drought. We are stressed. The covid numbers seem to be on a rise. We are stressed. The neighbor is still getting to work from home while we have to rush to the office every single day. We are stressed.

It is a vicious circle. Stress causes more stress and then the mental and physical problems and then more stress. Sounds weird but real. So basically, what we need is ways to bust this stress, all the time, every day of the week. here are 7 much-needed ‘stress busters’ for a short break for every day of the week (and a Bonus one):...

The ‘Back to School’ Tiffin Recipes!!

I have never sent a tiffin with M till date and now she is looking forward to the experience, and here I am getting chills thinking about what all I can cook super fast ‘n’ easy while giving her happiness ‘n’ health packed in her lunchbox. So the mom in me tried to make a list, a ready reckoner, of the dishes that can be made in a jiffy, that do not require much preparation, are fun and healthy enough. Here goes the list:...

Home Date ideas! 🙂

So, along with family movie nights or long drives with the babies, I (the researcher, the thinker one) started looking for fun options that can be availed without leaving the premises of our beloved home. Here I am sharing some of the most loved and feasible options because, let’s face it, we all need some time for the couple in the parents....

A Pressure Free Mother’s Day to You!

This day takes me back in time when we, as kids, had started this celebration of Mother’s Day for our own Mothers. 15-20 years back we started with small celebrations like making tea for Mum, giving her a break from cooking a meal for us while we went to get food of our own choice, helping her around the house on this day (just like we did for her Birthday) etc. Now when I am a mother of two, I realize, we were so excited about doing all this that we missed observing that she......

A Mother’s Day to Share!

So this Mother’s Day, take a break from being just a Mother, live a day with your little being/s. Do things that you want to do but with them instead of for them. Get to know them and let them know you, as persons and not just as mother-babies, their opinions and priorities, share yourself with them, like you would with a friend, sit down for a while and ask the questions instead of rushing them through their respective routines......

Off to Office?? …Fingers Crossed!

I was all anxious when he told me about that call from the office where he was asked to come down for some important work. I went from being panicked to rushing up his lunch box to telling myself ‘All Is Well’ to putting up M for her class to brainstorming about what all can be packed for his snacks. So he finishes his breakfast and comes to pick up his food bag.....

Holi Special! 🙂

And, I have a 5-year-old with me who has just started to understand and enjoy these festivals. Looking at her excitement I better be prepared with something else to compensate for the missing frolic and Colour playing. So I pondered and brainstormed and what I am going to do now to maintain the fun factor and celebrate Holi in its full element and still be safe, is this....

Women’s Day – A Shout Out, a Hope!

In the light of Women’s Day’s thoughts and wishes, I totally stand by what is said to be the most clichéd statement - A change in society can only be brought by its Women. Be it a wife, a teacher, a colleague, a sister, a friend, a daughter or most importantly, a Mother. I often wonder, "Why is it that some women don't get a partner in the marriage but only a husband? A husband who is there for the family, just financially - for food, clothing, shelter, medicine and education." Is it just the upbringing of the boy that he finds himself to be a misfit when it comes to being more than a provider in the household? Or is the girl's upbringing equally responsible for this clear division of roles in the household?...

‘Keep On Keeping On’ – Short Reads#6

It can be for work, family, health, work-life balance, spirituality, a dream, financial security, a hobby, a passion. One of the simplest meaning but the most difficult to practice thought I came across many years back-...

Real Happy Diwali ‘2020’!! 🙂

Like every other festival this year, this Diwali is going to be different too. While the manner might not be same but the happiness of catching up with loved ones will still be the same; the parties will not be same but the food can be same; the grandeur cannot be same but let the real significance of these auspicious days remain the same - the victory of light over darkness. Also, the festival shopping – new clothes, sweets and delicacies, gifts for dear ones, diyas and lanterns and....crackers??? Umm... Talking of crackers and fireworks, at least this Diwali there should be a complete ban on these pollution-enhancing packets that burn a hole in the pocket along with the atmosphere and especially this year, with all the patients who are either suffering from the COVID-19 infection or those who are at risk; the crackers burn a hole in the lungs too. So what to do with the money that was budgeted for buying crackers, loads of gifts, sweets and other things that we will not be able to actually spend on this year. While saving is obviously the best option the second-best option is Giving....

My Pre-Karwachauth Diary 2020!!

Think Karwachauth, think dressed up women in Bridal colours. So after the lockdown, everything opened up gradually. But Salons are still limited. Even if few of them are open, not everyone has the courage to visit for a much needed Hair Spa or getting the canvas ready for the quarter bridal or semi bridal makeup. Yes, I have a young kid at home and more than that, I am too scared to visit a Salon during these pandemic times. So, I started to plan the backup....

ME TIME!

Self-Love/ Self-Care is the need of the hour. We understand how important it is and why so much hype around it. To start with, I have spent more than a decade of my life living in Mumbai. This city moves really fast. If you are not good at Management, chances are you might end up getting frustrated or depressed. This city tries to teach you Management – Travel Management, Self Management and Time Management.  It is an institute in itself. Whether you are a management trainee, a films/television struggler, a student, a corporate professional, a homemaker, a railway station vendor, a house help, an auto-rickshaw driver; it doesn’t differentiate while giving lessons. After all these years, what people say about Mumbai that ‘Mumbai never sleeps’, being the night owl that I am, I have seen the wee hours here, the Long Drives, ‘Cycle wali Chai / Coffee, even Boost’. In spite of the rush hours of local trains, weekends with friends, grocery shopping, bill payments, cooking, laundry, office etc… the only thing constant in my life was – the little time I spent with Myself, every week, and it got me going through rough patches of life as well. A......

The Joy Of Giving!

In all the years of growing up and survival, I have been using Joy and Happiness as synonyms. But recently I came across some writings aligned with some personal experiences and discovered that these two are not interchangeable words. ‘Receiving’ gives you Happiness while ‘Giving’ gives you - ‘The Joy of Giving.’...

“Nothing About Business by Harjeet Khanduja” – Short Reads#5

Currently, I am reading this book called ‘Nothing About Business’ by Harjeet Khanduja. It shows how daily life situations can be an inspiration to understand the nuances of Businesses, Entrepreneurship, Human Resource Management and even Work Culture of a workplace....

The Lockdown Sunday watch!

We all know the common list of must-watch, evergreen movies that have been listed and discussed repeatedly. But the point is we have already seen most of them (if not all) many times; with various groups and divisions of relatives, friends, friends of friends, special friend, just friend, only with parents, spouse, only with the friend whose EQ or IQ matches with us, kids etc. From Sholey to Bawarchi; from Chupke Chupke to Andaz Apna Apna; from Hum Apke Hain Kaun to Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge; from Dil Chahta Hai to Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara. It is all done and dusted....

The Glorious Rains!! 🙂

When I raise my head to bask in the glory of raindrops, all I can see is the thick layer of grey clouds that cover the whole sky giving the world a gloomy, dull look. Everything seems to be brooding. But the reality is, these clouds bring true colours to our lives – the lush greens, the flowers, the Rainbow, the pond full of clear water reflecting the blue sky, chirping birds and the yes - colourful umbrellas and raincoats....

The New Lines Reveal!!

I noticed there were many new lines apart from my ‘lines of destiny’, as said by the astrologers. These new lines are crisscrossed all over my hand, small in size – like healed cuts, wrinkles of mildly burnt skin, the dry and stretched skin of my palm and fingers, nails have become so soft that they bend and crack at slight friction or accidental force, so frequently that eventually, I had to cut them short. ...

‘Be The Best Version of You’ – Short Reads#4

You- the Unique Human Being, the Individual; the only person on this earth with your Fingerprints, your Retina, your Thoughts, your Smile, your Experiences, your Skills is YOU....

The Kitchen Cabinet – our Lockdown Beauty Parlour!

While I am sure that we all need a beauty touch-up after almost three months of dishwashing, brooming, wiping the floor, non-stop cooking (and planning to cook even more), running around the house with kids Or for kids Or both (parenting you know), late sittings in front of the screen(whether for Netflix or office work) and many more unnoticed and passing-by tasks that we all have been doing and will be doing for some more time to come; but I am not sure how safe it will be to pay much overdue visit to the beauty parlour and hair salon right now....

Dream Come True – Work From Home!

Social Distancing, Quarantine are the new words added to our vocabulary these days. Although the situation is worrisome and serious, the key to coming out of it is staying inside and staying positive inside. The need of the hour is to be thankful for our safety, be aware that this is a once in a lifetime situation and we must utilize this to our best capacity. We have two options – EITHER keep yearning to go out and sulk OR use whatever time we get to re-invent and re-discover ourselves. The choice is ours. With the Lockdown 3.0 running and with all the housework that needs to be done, baby duties, office calls and conference calls, still, all the dreams of ‘Work-From-Home’ and 'whims and fancies' attached to it can be fulfilled now....

Motherhood- The Untold Blessing!

Motherhood is a journey that we all have to embark upon and go through on our own. Yes, if we are super lucky, we will be helped by supportive in-laws, our own parents, super understanding partner, a faithful maid OR we might have to be on our own after a couple of days/weeks/months. But I have heard quite a few moms saying we were not well informed about what we will have to lose or what we might become after having a baby. With due respect, I would want to ask them, if they were told about nitty-gritty (cons of mommyhood), would they have chosen otherwise?...

All Right -Short Reads#3

When old goes away and life seems like a long, uphill, dark tunnel that never seems to end, Just remember one thing - there is light waiting for you at one or the other bend....

‘Count Your Blessings’ -Short Reads#2

A job we dreamt of; a partner who loves us for what we are, a sibling we fight with every day but are still proud of; a couple of close friends we can be crazy with; a child we adore; parents whose upbringing has made us what we are today; understanding in-laws; a healthy body many struggle for; travel to a destination we had dreamt about, being able to eat when and what we want – the list is endless, but we take these for granted and complain about what we do not have.. ki ye sab to theek hai lekin.. One of the most underrated quotes in-spite of being heard most commonly is: ‘Count Your Blessings’. 🙂...

The Positive in Negativity

The Corona crisis has brought in many changes in our day to day lives, the way we think and the way we approach a situation. A commendable thing that has come out as a result of this is Self-discipline. We are characters of a catastrophe movie and we have got to be our own heroes. Barring some people, who just don’t seem to understand the importance of this social distancing and lockdown or are intentionally breaching the safety rules, everyone else is serious enough to fall in line and follow what the authorities have been shouting from the rooftops. The lockdown has locked us in our houses without house helps, without a smooth supply of groceries, without vegetable and fruits, without any place to walk around and without any place to go to. Initially, I was very happy as if an unplanned vacation has started and I was happy with everyone at home – safe and in sight. Then began the phase of being worn out when I was tired of cooking and cleaning which left me wondering, “Who are these people who have all the time in the world to be innovative, creative and try new activities every day?......

‘Be kind whenever possible, it is always possible.’ – Dalai Lama -Short Reads#1

Offering our seat to an elderly person or a lady with kids while travelling; stopping to pick up a passer-by who fell from his/her vehicle or just slipped on the stairs; asking the elderly couple next door if they need some groceries or milk in this corona struck situation as they are at higher risk; saying ‘it is ok’ with a smile to children when they break something by mistake; gracefully granting leave to house-help if she or someone in her house is sick; complimenting someone’s food just because the person has put in efforts in cooking for us; offering a glass of water to the delivery guy; gracefully leaving 2-5 rupees with the vegetable vendor if he doesn’t have change; saying ‘Thank You’ to the rickshaw driver who dropped us to our destination; giving some food to the friendly stray animals and many more opportunities every day. Kindness makes us feel good and might make someone little happier today. Try it!...

‘Corona O Corona!’

Corona O Corona,
You have been scary enough, don't you think you have been a little too rough?...

Monday Morning Blues!

It’s Monday once again and you want to sleep a few minutes extra, the snooze button is your BFF (Best Friend Forever) now and the thought of getting up and running to work makes you tired already. Welcome to the ‘Monday Morning Blues’ Club, friend. How much ever fun we make of it, take a hearty laugh at it, cringe at its thought on Sunday evening, truth is: it does exist and it is a scientifically proven fact. One of my weird friend used to occasionally take half-day off (the first half obviously) to be able to sleep longer on Monday. This was his way to defeat the Monster named Monday. Sounds childish? But it worked for him. To each his/her own....

Sister Life!

I was sitting in my balcony, having a sip of tea and texting my ‘Chhoti Behen‘ (younger sister). Suddenly this thought dawned upon me – Life is like a Sister that you get, whether you wanted her or not, whether you liked her or not, she is there. Life can neither be a lover because lovers may come and go, nor a friend because friends are almost always good to you, but a sister. She is the one who is always on locked horns with you, trying for one-upmanship, highlighting your drawbacks, highly irrational while arguing, makes you lose your temper even cry but you know in the long run she is with you, cheers for you and has full faith in you. She is the one who has grown up with you, knows your triggers and also knows how to calm you down. Yes, she eyes your favourite possessions, is always unfair to you, eats away your favourite dish from your plate, snatches your new dress but never gives her own and even makes you looked down upon in front of others and what not; but she still has some best intentions for you no matter what. At times......

Fear of Unknown

We all face changes in our lives. There are natural changes that occur in life for example seasons, day-night etc. and then there are changes we need to make for ourselves, for a better life, a better present and future. But there is something that stops us from embracing change....

‘Water Water Everywhere…’

“Water water everywhere, nor any drop to drink…..” These lines are taken from the poem named “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner,” by Samuel Taylor Coleridge. We all have read this poem in our school syllabus. I came across this poem almost 18-20 years ago. It is still with me. In these lines, the Sailor’s ship is stuck in ocean water that he cannot drink. Thinking about his plight, I often imagine his situation- he is thirsty, has run out of drinking water and the irony is that he is surrounded by water but is helpless because he cannot drink it. This was when I learned the word irony and its meaning. These lines can be my situation or yours or maybe for our children in years to come. Glaciers are melting due to global warming and the water level in our oceans is rising continuously posing a danger to the existence of many islands and countries, still, there is a shortage of usable and potable water. These oceans and seas contain non-drinkable water, and groundwater sources are depleting or should we say, have almost depleted. Staying in Mumbai or any Metropolitan city for that matter puts us in a......

‘The Weekend Fight’

After Monster Monday, Terrifying Tuesday, Worrisome Wednesday, Tired Thursday, Fun Friday comes Saturday and Sunday; the Weekend. – the most awaited days of the week, and it passes in a blink of an eye. So the weekend has gone and a new week has begun.  After morning rush and dropping off my little one to school, I sit down for a breath and discover that my head is still heavy with yesterday’s argument which obviously I started ‘verbally’ (although, secretly I am still of the view that my words were triggered by his actions – wives you know!). There was a volley of verbal blows between both of us and me, being better with words (blessing!), had a ‘slightly’ upper hand. It stopped when I suffered an unexpected bout of laughter as my toddler raised both her hands, one in each of our direction and shouted ‘No Fighting’. Now sitting alone, my thoughts start the time travel – Yesterday: the Sunday and then further, The Saturday. We had friends coming over on Saturday night for a small get together so obviously we had a good time, my tiny tot slept on time on a weekend, indeed I had a good......

Happy Mother’s Day

Happy Mother’s Day to all you lovely Mothers – Working or Stay-at-Home, New or Seasoned, First timers or Repeat offenders(wink), Strict or Lenient, Single or Co-Parent....

‘Virtual Escapes’

It is said that ‘A picture can say a thousand words’. Indeed. I’ll tell you my ‘thousand words’. It is never too early or too late to fall in love with your spouse once again. I just came across a picture of my ‘tolerant half'(I love to call him that) from our dating days and all the visuals and memories came flashing and suddenly I was feeling all of 22 again. I smile for no reason, getting to see him after long day now has that extra punch/zing, my tone and phrases that I used to tease him back then are here again, I feel cheesy at daily conversations (which had become monotonous over 8 yrs of marital unison) and wanted to give him my best (not that I wasn’t doing all this in our married life already). Wow! What a feeling!! A more than three year old picture of my three and a half year old sends me back to post partum phase when I was so overwhelmed with what to do with this bundle of innocence, this tender and dependant being making weird noises next to me and I forget the running, jumping, talkative, dictating little tornado in......

Happy Women’s Day!! 🙂

Hi Lovely Woman, Woman’s Day is around the corner and even though most men question us celebrating this day, we still love to observe this day every year. It is important to celebrate this day, not because we want to show the world that we are strong but to show that we are One. It’s a common saying, ‘A Woman is Woman’s biggest enemy‘. This can be interpreted in 2 ways: 1. We have this culture of criticizing our daughters-in-law, mothers-in-law, sisters-in-law and even our own ‘padosi ki beti’ who comes home late at night or has boys as friends. We judge them every now and then for everything possible. But have you ever heard a male member of the family commenting on how his Jija/Sala (brother-in-law) or ‘padosi ka beta’ coming home late night with a gang of friends? No. Reason? We (women) are programmed to point fingers at other members of our own fraternity. So we, as a woman become enemies of other women. 2. We, as daughters, wives, mommies, professionals, daughters-in-law, mothers-in-law live in constant guilt of not being able to give our best shot to anything and everything. ‘Had I not gone to that party, my father......