"I Write"

I write when I want to romance the words.
I write when I break up with my words.
I write when my heart is content and dancing.
I write when my heart is empty and sobbing.

I write when my imaginations soar high with wings.
I write when my thoughts come free of the strings.
I write when the world around me changes for good.
I write when the world around me makes me brood!

I write when I want to make my days brighter.
I write when I want to make my load lighter.
I write when a gentle touch makes me sing.
I write when the words spoken by a person sting!

Image courtesy :"here"

I write when the rain makes me high.
I write when I see some thing and sigh.
I write when I am loved and when I feel proud.
I write every time I start thinking aloud!

I write as I want to leave all the thoughts behind.
I write as nirvana it is which I always find.
I write when from the clutches I want to release my mind.
I write when my haphazard thoughts have to be aligned!

I can't be every thing I want to be in my life.
I write and try to manage the daily mind-heart strife.
I write to fulfill my dreams , desires and aspirations.
I write as I come across many who are real inspirations!

I write down to know me better with every passing day.
I write down to reach my heart via an easy passage-way.
I write as it is the only way to set free some feeling.
I write as it makes me a complete human being.

This is in response to WriteTribe prompt and the Thursday bloghop #80 at the Writer’s Post. 

"The Ultimate girls get together with Kitchens Of India"

Salma came to India 2 years after her marriage. She was dying to meet her friends. Rather than meeting for an hour in a multiplex or a restaurant she thought of throwing a party at her home. By the time the idea flashed in her mind it was too late. The cook who usually cooks for parties at her mom's place went on a long unplanned leave.She was staying for a short duration in India and wanted to make the most of it. She got tensed as she wanted to invite her friends for a pyjama  party which will be filled with loads of fun , chatter , gossip and never ending leg pulling. She craved for the moment and got tensed as she couldn't think of a solution for the party. Her mom was sick and she was not a great cook.

When she started casually browsing in her laptop absorbed in thoughts she came across the gourmet products from Kitchens of India where she could even order the ready to make mixes easily. Kitchens of India became her life savior and she knew what all to order instantly. Four of her friends were non vegetarians and they would settle for nothing less than chicken biryani and mirchi ka saalan which is Hyderabadi delicacy. She added that to cart . She ordered Hyderabadi Chicken Biryani mix , Mutton Kolhapuri , Murg Methi and Mughlai Paneer. For the other four friends who were pure vegetarians she ordered vegetable Biryani mix and Dal Bukhara and shredded mango chutney. She was impressed by her choice of dishes .

She moved to the dessert section and selected Jodhpuri Moong Dal Halwa which she and also her friends love to have. She was so impressed by the collection that she selected the strawberry mint and jodhpuri moong dal halwa from gifts section to give them to her best friend.  She was so happy to purchase them all at such low prices.

She made some rotis and rice for her friends and in no time she conjured all the tasty dishes. The food spread was wide enough to lure any one. She was excited by her apt decision. She got fresh and decorated the dining area and bed room. As it is a simple pyjama party she didn't lay much emphasis on decorations. She decorated the table with candles for dinner.

Image source :"here"

She decorated the bed room with newly bought satin bed sheets and pillows. In excitement Salma hopped all over the house cleaning every corner so that it sparkles

Image source:"here"

She sent a reminder on her invitation mail which she sent a week back requesting all of them to reach on time. The reminder was some thing like below.

Hey Girls, 

Tons of chit chat , gossip and many good movies and needless to say yummy food is waiting for you. 

Come soon!

Image source :"here"

Love,

Salma.

Every one gorged on the food and had helluva fun. Salma's ideas clicked and every one loved the candle light dinner idea and the cute satin bed sheets adorning the bedroom. After they had a content dinner they played some nice old songs to time travel to college days and their chit chat did not end till the wee hours in the morning. With their tummies and hearts full that was the best party they had in recent times. When all girls get together its not just the useless chat. They discussed future plans , their wish lists , dreams and aspirations too in midst of relishing the moong ka halwa. The party was the ultimate pyjama party ever.

Salma was overwhelmed and carried all the memories to the U.S.A. She eagerly started waiting for the next pyjama party in India. She recommended Kitchen's of India to all her friends in the U.S. and also got many instant mixes for her self before leaving :) 
So how was your weekend party ?

Do visit "KitchensofIndia" and enjoy the Indian cuisines 

This post is submitted for the contest "My Weekend Party with Gourmet Food" by Indiblogger and Kitchens of India.

Jabong.com's Yeh Jawani Hai Deewani Collection- Review!

The day to day juggling between office and home and lazing out on weekends gives you very less time to go out and shop. I still take time to go for shopping as I want to try what I am wearing and I check my reflection for 100 times in mirror like any other girl does but at times when the items on display are drool worthy I settle for online shopping. I have shopped on Jabong.com a couple of times and I liked what I bought. Only thing is it is very tough to chose from the huge collection and wait for the product so as to try and decide if it suits you ! My experience so far is good and they have an excellent return policy too if you are not satisfied by what you bought.

Coming back to my post when I was casually surfing today evening I found this awesome contest on Jabong.com site -Yeh Jawani hai Deewani - Blogger's Contest which grabbed my attention. As I saw Ranbir and Deepika's tempting costumes in trailer I decided I will review the collection.

I haven't watched the movie yet but the promos and reviews were enough to browse through jabong’s Yeh Jawani Hai Deewani Collection. As soon as I started browsing I was hooked.

Firstly I loved the way Yeh Jawani Hai Deewani Collection is categorized in the dashboard. Ethnic elegance, Midnight party, Playing it cool and Casual cut categories helped me to browse easily . More over Ranbir and Deepika's duo is cute enough and they seem like asking you to check out their magnificent collection :)

Ethnic being my favorite I first clicked that tab. I loved the collection of both men's and women's wear. The prices are reasonable too. Even if you purchase them in the shops it will cost you the same. I specially loved the ethnic jewelry and the tops .

In the display among what all I browsed my favorites are below:

I loved the  Earthy HuesBlue Multicolor Stripes Kurta. Infact I saved it to purchase later. It’s so cool and the color is soothing. Its price is 649/ - There are kurtas and  tops ranging from 500 to even 5000. I absolutely loved the ethnic collection. Have a glimpse at few which I shortlisted.

Img source : http://www.jabong.com/Earthy-Hues-Blue-Multicolor-Stripes-Kurta-214027.html

I liked the Ira SoleilViscose Knit Purple Kurta worth 885. Loved the back side of the top more!

image source : http://www.jabong.com/Ira-Soleil-Viscose-Knit-Purple-Kurta-200089.html#

I loved the multicolored ear rings from SangriaMulti Danglers & Drop worth 499/- They can just go with any top or any lehenga. Aren’t they lovely ?

image:http://www.jabong.com/Sangria-Multi-Danglers-Drop-233232.html

If I have to quickly pick one product from "Playing it cool" category I would go with the below red fast track watch worth 1995/-

Img:http://www.jabong.com/fastrack-Nc6001Sl01-A598-Red-Silver-Analog-Watch-144681.html

From the casual section I had my eyes on this full sleeve maroon top worth 799/-. Its elegant and stylish.

Img : http://www.jabong.com/the-vanca-Full-Sleeve-Self-Pattern-Maroon-Top-215587.html

I liked the Miss Bennett Grey Clutch Purse worth Rs 909/- from the mid night party collection

Image : http://www.jabong.com/miss-bennett-Grey-Clutch-Purse-154803.html

These are my random picks. Actually the collection is huge and you can just dive in to it and choose every thing you want to. The plus points of this collection are

• The latest trends are all showcased at one place hence it is easy to access and save.

• If you buy a top , a shirt or sandals you can create a lovely ensemble which goes with them.. You can do this all by yourself by picking from the collection.

• There are many colors to chose for the same product.

• The categorization makes it easy to purchase.

• Both for men and women there are many varieties to pick be it clothing , watches , sunglasses, shoes , sandals or hand bags.

• The price range is reasonable and suitable for every one to buy some thing or the other from the collection.

• I loved the collection. I just need plenty of time and also pocket full of money now to choose the best products for myself and my husband and purchase them :) 

This post is written for blog contest by Jabong.com - India's leading Online Shopping Portal". For more information about the contest please visit "Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani Bloggers contest"

"Obesity - The Biggest Adversity!"

Mama : "Pinky ! Don't eat so many samosas. I am telling you. One day you will become round like the potato stuffed in it."

"No Mom. Thish is so tashty!"  Pinky replied her mouth stuffed fully.

Pinky is Vikram and Sweta's 8 year old daughter who is pampered a lot. She is cute and pink like a barbie doll. She was named Pinky when her elder brother all of a sudden started calling her Pinky due to her pinkish complexion and charming features. She enjoyed the privilege of being the little sister in the family and she was treated like a princess when she went to her grandparent's place in summer holidays.

Pinky's mother always tried to restrict her food habits but Pinky paid deaf ear. Food was some thing to which she was deeply connected to. It was her first and last love. She even ignored friends when it comes to food. When every one is playing hide and seek she finished a packet of hide and seek biscuits. When every one busily practiced dance for the annual function Pinky relished her sweet paapads , ice creams and toffees sold outside the school gate. Pinky's dad immensely loved her and named her after her grandmom Padma. Where ever she went Padma aka Pinky was every one's favorite.  

"Oh! Pinky is such a golu polu kid." Namrata aunty used to exclaim during the birthday parties and community get togethers.

When they went to grandmom's village for summer holidays it was an every day feast for nearly two months. Pinky's grandmother made all her favorite cuisines from laddoos to Puris to chicken biryani. It used to always look like a wedding or some other grand party till Pinky left.

Pinky's mom used to warn her mother : "Maa ! Please don't spoil Pinky. Her food habits are horrible already!"

"Arey. She is just a kid. When she gets old she anyway cannot eat all this stuff :(", Pinky's mom used to criib.

After a getting pampered for 10 years Pinky finally entered her graduation. Her college is popular in the city and looking at the girls there she started feeling odd. Every one is diet conscious. Almost every one worked out. She slowly became under confident which even effected her performance in the class. One not so fine day she broke in to a fresh stream of tears at home. .

She sobbed saying, "Mom. I don't want to go to college. Every one things I am ugly!"

Mom : " No beta! Why are you talking like that ? What happened?"

Pinky: " I don't know mom. I just can't go there. I don't fit in my old dresses. I don't fit in any happening group in college."

Pinky's mom consoled her saying, " Don't worry. Follow my words at least nowand in no time you will lose weight and feel good. Are you ready to do whatever I tell you to?"

 "Yes mom,"  replied pinky sniffing.

Finally Pinky started working out and her diet chart was made by her mom. She avoided all the oily foods, junk food and any thing which would halt the weight loss. With in a month she lost 2kg. She was very happy but she did not forget her goal and worked towards it. In an year she transformed so much that people started recognizing her efforts and appreciating her looks. The old golu molu Pinky vanished in to thin air. Actually almost half of the Pinky vanished in to thin air leaving a slimmer , prettier and a more confident Pinky.

Now Pinky participates in dance competitions and also plays badminton!

Pinky and her mom. Cartoon made with the help of toondoo.com

I feel lucky as I didn't know what noodles were when I was a kid and we never had a habit at home to have chips or coke or pizzas frequently. In the fast paced life fast food seems like a savior but in the long run it only saves and preserves the extra calories. So it is my humble request to all the parents to not treat their kids with frequent calorific foods. Instead cook some thing interesting at home. Make a fruit salad, a brown bread sandwich or any thing which is less greasier and more healthier. Before implementing this please inculcate the habits in your daily routine. Kids listen to you when you yourself do what you say :)I know many such Pinkys in my life who are pampered a lot. Recently I have been to a relative's house where a 6 year old boy who is at the verge of obesity was about to finish a full packet of chips. Immediately after that he bugged his mom for coke. He had french fries and two egg puffs. I was shocked to see that mom was oblivious to his pot belly and all the adipose layers he was putting on as easily as someone puts on a sweater in winter. Now he will be pampered and every one will love pulling his cheeks and exclaiming that he is the cutest thing on earth but after few years when the after effects will be unleashed it will be too hard to lose all the weight which he took years to put on! It will take a day to put on a kilo but a month or two to lose it. So just imagine how much time you need to shed those extra 10 kilos or may be 20?

Pampering once in a while is fine but it definitely should not become a habit. Other wise every one has to suffer one day like Pinky!

Every one knows how to google the benefits of exercise but it is a big deal to work out on a daily basis. You need to have a great amount of zeal to do so. I will just brief the benefits of exercise below!

• Daily regime of exercise makes you feel good. The feel good endorphins are released when you exercise. Of course sex and even hot peppers release endorphins but that is just not enough  to lose weight:)

•  Endorphins are neurotransmitters, chemicals that pass along signals from one neuron to the next. Neurotransmitters play a key role in the function of the central nervous system and can either prompt or suppress the further signaling of nearby neurons. (source : google). Endorphins give you the kick which a drug like opium or morphine also cannot give. Isn't it a good kick ? ;)

• Exercise keeps you fit and fine and healthy. You all know that for a person who works out there is a low risk of heart diseases, brain diseases and in short you can develop immunity and fight any disease!

• Exercise even helps in preventing cancer. CANCER is the biggest enemy of India now - a - days.

• Arthritis and Osteoporosis - two more enemies of India can also be shooed away with a proper pattern of exercise!

• It improves your sexual life and helps you stay stress free! It is the best stress buster. It can be a 30 min walk , gym , aerobics , pilates , yoga what ever suits you. Important thing is you should enjoy what you do and do it in combinations. Otherwise your body will not respond to a routine pattern after few months.

• Exercise also clears your skin and keeps pimples and blemishes away. The sweat glands and sebaceous glands (oil glands) do their work. The glow is better than any facial :)

• Last but not the least before you realize your weight will drop. It will not happen over night for sure. You need to be realllllllly patient for this! 

I saw something shared on facebook recently. It was an ad outside a gym which said - "You want to be a whale or mermaid this summer ?:)" - Think ! Some ads just hit where it hurts. People are going gaga over maintaining a perfect figure but going overboard is dangerous. The gym personnel always feel what you do is insufficient or you have flab here or there. Do what all you can and don't over do it and go to extremes till you fall sick. 

Some one replied that mermaids don't exist and even if they do they are always confused and live in pain thinking whether they are humans or fishes. On the other hand whales are smart and happy! Its true but my honest opinion is even if whale is smarter and happier than mermaid one need not be in the size of a whale.:) 
You need not become a set of bones but you should know what will make you feel good and what will improve your health. No need of doing it for others. Do for yourself and see the difference!

So what are you waiting for. Get up and get going. Care about yourself. Don't be a couch potato. Don't ignore the early warning signs and avoid obesity which is the biggest adversity!

This post is written for the contest  "The Moral of The Story Is...!"  by indiblogger.in where you have to write a moral story about ignoring warning signals .

Do visit this link - "myhealthyspeak.co.in"when you are here.

The elusive me- Catch me. Yes you can :P

The one thing which seemed most difficult in my life was getting married. I am not sure how people finally decide to get married! I wondered and still wonder seeing all the lovvy dovvy talks. Yes I am a big time SRK fan and I love watching romantic movies in all languages but LOVE was something which seemed too unreal to me. I was against marriage for some days then when I saw that all my friends were getting married so easily I started pondering. Still I was not convinced as to why should I marry? Why should I bear kids? Just for the heck of adding branches to the family tree? I was not sure. I banged my head. I rejected many and also got rejected by some due to my outright attitude. I did not fall in love. I should say I was not bold enough to take few steps! Marriage seemed like a ghost haunting me where ever I went with people questioning when will be my D-Day ? Why am I rejecting so many etc etc. 

At some point I lost interest in even checking the boys’ pics. Yes mine was a typical arranged marriage. Then one fine day Imran came in to my life. No I was not head over heels on him. The first thing which attracted me was he came all alone to meet me and not with a battalion. I opened up for the first time with a guy easily. I was still not sure if I should say yes. I mean when is the right time to say YES? He asked me numerous times in phone if I am absolutely OK with this match. He requested me to take time if I need. I took a month or so and said “Yes.” The things which made me say YES were – I felt I can talk to this person and listen to him. I felt we can be good friends. His patience specially with a girl like me was something I badly needed: P but ya marriage is for sure not a bed of roses. Even roses have thorns. There were moments of frustration, exhaustion and sometimes a strange feeling – why am I living with a stranger? Simultaneously there were moments when I missed him, when I felt it is tough to live with some other guy and he fits me- Then as clichéd as it may sound I felt may be I am in love . I still am not sure if it is love or something else but I hope the bond grows and relationship blossoms. It’s been a year of roller coaster ride and I am still learning what is a marriage? Below are the videos I made for my wedding website :) Obviously I was on high then :P Hope you are able to watch the shared videos !

                                           

I have been with this awesome group of indibloggeshwaris from 4 months and I have enjoyed every bit of it. I can’t easily list down what all elusive stuff I did in the last year. After wedding most of my time went in settling down and tasting the sweet and sour soup called marriage hence I posted about the new chapter in my life but still in this post I am trying to highlight few things abstractly.

Write Write and Write

I started writing a lot only after my wedding. I didn’t have much time juggling between office and home and lazing out on weekends. Actually I might have been too lazy to bother about my blog too. But as I was on a sabbatical I got ample of time to explore my writing skills. I am extremely glad about it. I wrote stuff in an year which I didn’t write even in 5 years of my blogging tenure. Thanks to " Blogging from A to Z challenge" I recently took up in the month of April and also" May photo a day challenge". Both challenges catapulted me out of the writer’s block and  I could be myself again. Who doesn’t want to get noticed for something they love to do ? When many said they enjoyed my writing I was on  cloud 9. I was surprised by myself. I wondered how I am slowly progressing in small steps.

Content writing opportunity.

I worked with Youthopia.me an e-magazine for 2 and ½ months. Though it was not an extremely satisfying experience I can say I learnt a lot. I learnt the pros and cons of a writing job. I enjoyed what all I wrote. I am waiting for an opportunity which suits me. No luck yet! I enjoyed writing to various magazines throughout this year and I am hoping to harness my skills more and come out with flying colors. Wish me  good luck!

I read books which were in my to-do list from long. As I enjoy writing movie reviews I used to submit for planetbollywood.com . Being a movie buff I realised I analyse movies in an interesting style. People enjoyed my reviews and some used to actually wait for them which is a huge success to me! I still write my reviews for various magazines. The two books which influenced me last year were “Tuesdays with Morrie” and Khaleid Hosseni’s both books.  I read less than I wanted to. I am really hoping to plan and target more books this year.

 If I add more to the elusive list it might get corroded. Lastly I want to thank Alka Gurha who blogs at -"Freebird" for adding me to this awesome Women’s group. I will not lie so there were even moments when I felt I didn’t belong there. I mean I was just 4months old in the group and it was a hectic task to know many people. There were even moments when I felt I might not be able to talk to few but all in all the experience was fruitful. Many even if they were strangers came to my rescue when needed. Their suggestions, ideas, discussions and ideologies and last but definitely not the least their humor helped me a lot. A special mention to" Vinita Bahl" here. She can make a grave situation funny and leave everyone in splits! Cheers to many other ladies whose HQ- Humor Quotient made the group a happy and a happening one.This awesome women's group helped me in knowing about marriage and various experiences as well . Thanks to A to Z challenge too which helped me to interact with many bloggers and make friends. I am looking forward to have a rocking time ahead and hope we celebrate silver and golden jubilees too!

Cheers to all of us.

I love the new cover pic made by Garima but I used to love the old one a lot too. Therefore happy anniversary to all the " indibloggeshwaris ". I wish you all reach the zenith of success in whatever you do!

Lastly Thanks to "Corinne" and her "Write Tribe". I am hoping to make a difference with every one around me. Taking liberty to share a pic Corinne shared on the group today :) Bye till we talk on the group !

The "Small" Wonders!

World is big and everything embedded in it is a wonder.

We used to stop by every creation for a while and ponder.

Remember how we used awe at the sky and the thunder?

How we used to escape from mommy when we did a blunder?

Remember the pleasure of playing hide and seek in a huge play ground?

And the person you were searching was standing just around.

Do you remember the shouts and screams when he was found?

Remember the fights over silly things on a muddy mound?

 Do you remember the endless games even on a hot sunny day?

Remember the gentle breezes drying your sweat in a soothing way.

Remember the tender grass on which hours together you used to lay.

Remember the petals you used to collect when the wind swayed them away!

 

Image courtesy : http://sarabbit.openphoto.net/gallery/

Remember the diary in which you preserved the petals even if they were wrying?

Remember how the petal held your name in capitals in your neat hand writing?

The preserved petals and the foliage dry up and the ink gets smudged.

So are the memories which in the diary are deeply submerged.

Today as the sky roared and the clouds exploded in to rain,

I remembered the beautiful memories and good old days once again.

It is strange how the rains and the memories are tightly intertwined.

The room holding the past in the brain opens up and the episodes unwind!

Past is the place to visit and not to live but the mind refuses to come back.

Appreciating every small wonder always should not be a child’s knack.

Tomorrow when you go out check the flower in its full bloom.

If you want your present will be exhilarating too. Do not let the past loom!

Stop by the garden when you feel down and smell the rose.

If you feel good about it write down a poem or prose.

Present becomes past in no time so remember to overcome the sorrow.

Moments spent today become beautiful memories for tomorrow!

This post is written in response to WriteTribe Prompt # 4

May Photo A Day Challenge : Day 31. Four things!

The Day 31 prompt for "May Photo A Day Challenge : A challenge that will change your life" - 31. Four things: Choose four things and take a photo. They can be anything. 

Phew ! I can breathe now . Finally the last prompt and the easiest of alllll. Thank god its Friday and thank God its over. I feel relaxed as I can rest and do some thing else now ;) . The marathon of every day challenges ends for me as of now !

Coming to my four pics today, they are just random clicks. Who doesn't like soft toys and key chains ? I have a penchant for them. NOT TEDDY BEARS though. Some how I never liked them much. I like different kinds of stuffed toys. I was mad about angry birds till some days back. My hubby got me my favorite red bird and also the yellow bird in the second pic. The one you see in between them is a character from "THE CROODS" movie by Dream works. Its name is belt. My husband got it at office when the movie got released. Perks of working at a creative place ;)

It is an adorable character. Look how he is trying to make angry birds- the smiley birds. The first pic is of\a key chain I bought in some exhibition . The back side of it has mine and Imran's (my husband's) names written on a rice grain ! The third pic is of a watch I got as a gift on my birthday last month. The last bouquet and the cute teddy were couriered to me by my husband when I had to go to Hyderabad on the valentine's day. A teddy , bouquet of red roses and a hand written note which is so unlike him made me smile broad. No we don't celebrate Valentines day. Hence it surprised me . May be he missed me :p!

angry birds key chain , stuffed toys, Birthday and valentine's day gifts

Check out belt here -  If you havent watched "THE CROODS" do watch !

Ya I know its just four photos but had to flaunt our names on rice grain below ;)

My Instagram dashboard looks some thing like this ! I like it 

Thats all friends. It was fun to know you all through this challenge. Meet some other time in some other challenge. Till then cheers!

Love

Afshan