Mahabaleshwar - The land of the berries!

So I've been itching to travel, but lately haven't been able to after my last trip to Goa for Valentine's Day in February. So I'm going on a nostalgia trip and reminiscing my previous adventures!

Everyone knows now that I'm a goa-girl when it comes to a quick nearby trip. But another awesome place I've visited and recommend is Mahabaleshwar! Especially in the Strawberry season, which is during the Winters from November to March. Infact you'll get strawberries and pleasant weather in the mornings and evenings in April and may too!

Here's an interesting fact, did you know that during the British Raj, Mahabaleshwar was the summer capital of the Bombay province! Mahabaleshwar is also the source of River Krishna that flows through Maharashtra and neighboring states.

Mahabaleshwar is an 8-10-hour road journey from Mumbai and the best way is a luxury sleeper or semi sleeper bus. We had opted for Neeta travels and it was comfortable ride. We even stayed at Neeta resort at Mahabaleshwar and opted for the rooms with Jacuzzi. It was a great option, but it was couple of years back. You can browse through different Hotels in Mahabaleshwar and take your pick after checking reviews.

Mahabaleshwar has a few touristy spots that you can check out. There is Arthur's Seat, Kate's Point, Table Land, Pratapgad etc. Usually hotels will have a half day or full day tour options, usually at an additional cost. If you get a good guide cum driver, your experience will be perfect. And it's a must visit in strawberry season because you can have plain fresh berries, strawberry with cream, strawberry milkshake, you can even take home a strawberry plant of your own! Another amazing fact, 85% of our country's strawberries are produced in Mahabaleshwar, how cool is that!

Do be aware of the monkeys though, there are plenty everywhere, always eyeing the food in your hands, bag etc. The will pounce on the food and you will feel like they're attacking you! 

If you're not from Mumbai/Pune and want to visit Mahabaleshwar, then the nearest railway station is Satara and nearest Airport is Pune Intl Airport. And if you're travelling during strawberry season, make sure you carry woolens and thermals as the temperature tends to drop and it gets quite chilly!

P.N. All pictures are taken and owned by me, though they’re few years old hence the mobile camera quality is such. Imagine what a paradise Mahabaleshwar would be for anyone who loves landscape photography!

Himalaya Herbals Refreshing Baby Soap - Product Review

If you have been following my blogs in the past, I wrote about helping your baby beat the heat with Himalaya’s Prickly Heat Baby Powder for babies.

Living in the tropical, humid climate of Mumbai; we’re still suffering from the hot and humid climate even though more than half of June is gone. And we’re all desperately waiting for the monsoons to commence, to give some respite from this heat.

But even these pre-monsoon and monsoon months, being very humid, make us feel sticky and uncomfortable. Imagine how uncomfortable our tiny tots must be feeling, who run around all through the day with the abundance of energy they miraculously have.

Himalaya Baby Care recently sent the Refreshing Baby Soap that contains Watermelon, Khus Grass and Neem; to cool and protect my baby’s skin. Now Khus Grass is there in their other products too so I was familiar with the ingredient, and Neem is the best gift given by mother nature. But I was pleasantly surprised to see watermelon as an ingredient in the soap, who would have thought?

A little about the soap:

What it does:

Himalaya's Refreshing Baby Soap has cooling, refreshing, antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties, effectively helping to manage prickly heat in babies. It contains Watermelon that cools, Khus-Khus to soothe and refresh the skin while Neem’s antibacterial properties prevent skin ailments. Ideal for use during the summer, Himalaya Refreshing Baby Soap is free from artificial colors.

Key ingredients:

Watermelon keeps baby's skin cool and fresh.

Khus Grass has antiperspirant and astringent properties, which keep baby dry throughout the day.

Neem, a revered herb in Ayurveda, has antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties and is beneficial for treating skin infections.

I bathed my 20 month old with the soap for more than week and it smells refreshing, keeps his skin hydrated and happy! Of-course there has to be a regime with powder, lotion etc, but sometimes I feel lotion is not required in this humid season.

The soap is available in two sizes 75g and 125g at Rs.40 and Rs.60 respectively, the smaller one is a better choice when travelling. You can buy the product on http://www.himalayastore.com/babycare/bath.htm

Just an ending thought, I am on a lot of whatsapp groups created specially for mommies, and a lot of the mommies love Himalaya Baby Care products for their kids! If you’re a mommy to an infant or toddler, do comment if you want to be added to the informative groups!

A few useful tips on how to raise outdoors loving kids!

I'm thrilled to announce that we have a guest blogger Zara Lewis sharing some amazing parenting tips with us:

Image source: Flickr

As an active and outdoorsy person, you realize all the benefits that your way of life has to offer. You have probably explored your surrounding with keen eyes and hungry mind, and enjoyed the feeling of freedom when you’re doing something you love. Of course you would want to show your children how good this kind of life is and you can’t wait to go on an adventure together, as a family. However, you don’t want to force them to do anything they don’t want or it will backfire and they will hate it. How to raise outdoors loving kids? It’s not very difficult…

Spark their interest

What makes your children tick? Do they love fairy tales or are they more of insects-and-dinosaur kind of kids? Do they love hearing stories about magical forest creatures or are they interested in learning about how things work? Show them how nature awakens, tell them about butterflies and bees and how flowers and fruits need their help to grow. Collect insects and dried leaves and try to identify them when you get home. This will make them love hiking and they will always connect long walks with their parents with a chance to learn something new.

Have patience

If you love sports you will naturally want your children to share your passion. Sadly, not all kids are as open as you might have been, and you will soon discover that patience is golden. The good thing is: if they see you do it, they will want to try it out sooner or later. With surfing, swimming, or windsurfing, take any chance you get to show them a few tips and tricks. Make sure you have the right equipment for them: stand up paddleboards for kids, swimsuits, goggles, and windsurfing boards. If you are patient and calm you will have a child keen on practicing who will be by your side at the beach sooner than you think.

 Image source: Flickr

Make the choice easier

It will not be easy to persuade them to go outside with you on their day off, because there will be a good movie or a carton on TV or they will want to play video games instead. You have to be strict and limit their time with electronics: summer is for outside, rainy days are for staying home. If they cannot play games on their tablets or watch TV, they can go to the park with their friends and siblings, hiking with you, or to the beach or swimming pool instead. A chance to have fun with their friends and family will make them go out of their rooms, and later on they will see that this is so much better than being bored at home.

Give them something just for them

This can be as easy as having them plant a tomato in a pot and help it grow on your front porch. On the other hand, if you have a garden you can give them a small parcel and help them grow anything they want: flowers, herbs, or vegetables. The sense of ownership and responsibility for their own plants will make them want to go out and check up on it more often, thus making them spend time doing something useful. What is more, fresh air and a bit of a physical work will do them good and make them healthier.

 Image source: Flickr

It doesn’t matter if your child is outdoorsy or not, as a parent you should always emphasize how happy you are and how proud you are of them and their achievements. Support their choices and hobbies, and help them become confident and happy in their own skin. After all, isn’t the happiness of a child the most important things for a parent?

Thank you Zara, for the amazing tips! You guys can follow her on Twitter or wait for her next article!

#PlayTheLifeGame with Baggit!

Bags (and purses) are every girls BFF. We women quite literally carry our bags everywhere we go, and we carry our whole world in our bags (Think of Hermione Granger). Our bags not only suit our needs or match our outfits, they also reflect our personality and tells a lot about what kind of a person you are.

Eenie meenie miney mo..which bag should I pick and go?

I'm one of those who always has a bag full of things wherever I go, since childhood. Back then I used to carry colours and paper, comics etc in them. Today I carry my kindle, earphones, money and candies to name a few.

When I was invited to be a part of Baggit's spring - summer collection, I was absolutely thrilled. That's because I've used Baggit's wallets and bags since my college days and have always loved their collection!

Mojitos & Sangrias with Anahita & Kim!

The event was at a quaint li'l place in Bandra called The Daily - Kitchen & Bar. Drinks & starters were flowing and once everyone was settled, the emcee took the stage and introduced us to the key people from Baggit.

My two favourites from the SS16 launch!

Then the bags were launched and we took turns to check them out and click pictures. There were few quizzes and contests to win the bags and three lucky girls took their favourite bag home! I personally loved two of them a lot - the blue handbag with the slanted bottom for a formal work look, and the peppy coral sling cum backpack for the weekends!

Today's women are carefree, playful, rebellious and fun-loving, and Baggit's latest collection compliments these personality traits!

Gang of Girls!

It was a Saturday, so a few of us even let our hair down and grooved to some amazing tracks the DJ was spinning for us. We were given adorable goodie boxes which was actually a exotic looking vanity case (perfect for taking to weddings!) that had some macaroons from le15, a flash drive and a cute coin-purse from Baggit.

The box of delight!

I can't wait to get my hands on my favorite bag, which by the way is now available at your nearest retail store!

About Baggit: Baggit is India’s leading fashion accessory brand, founded in 1990 by Nina Lekhi. Its first launch was a Standalone Retail store before moving on to Large Retail Format stores and then finally launching its own Exclusive Brand Outlets in several cities across the country. A brand that incorporates eco-friendly values to fashion products, the brand’s strong belief in 'Beauty without cruelty' won it a PETA Proggy award.

Baggit offers a wide range of accessories such as bags, belts, caps, wallets, iPad cases, multi-utility pouches along with several more wardrobe must-haves for women and men. Taking into consideration the need to be organized through the day, each bag by Baggit offers several pockets and slots, making it easier to access one's vitals.