Ikea Haul Under Rs.1000 - Small Upgrades To My Home

Most of you must know that apart from the physical store in Hyderabad and one more coming up at Navi Mumbai, Ikea also sells online in Mumbai. I have been stalking their amazing range and to try out their quality, bought 5 things that costed me a total of less than Rs.1000 (yes, a TOTAL of Rs.1000 for 5 products) that helped me in small or not so small ways!

1. BENÖ Chair pad Rs.149

I have a cane stool at home that had some parts poking out, making it uncomfortable to sit. This chair pad easily got tied to the stool, and a cheap but very comfortable option to make the stool usable! It's been a couple of weeks since we're using it, so far so good!

 

2. SCHOTTIS Pleated blind, white, 90x190 cm Rs.199

Perfect to block out view without giving up on the sunlight. Needed a temporary option for the bathroom till we figure out what to do. Also, you can cut it to whatever size required. And it's a no-drill option. It's not very durable though - it's very paper like (though made of polyester) so not sure how long it will last. But serves my purpose wonderfully for the price.

 

3. PRESSA - Hanging dryer 16 clothes pegs, turquoise Rs.299

I guess this is not unique or innovative and you may get similar things elsewhere, but I love both the colour and the quality - it's very sturdy and clip quality is great too. Something every house needs for drying smaller items like socks, undies, hankies and so on.

 

4. BOLMEN Toilet brush/holder, white Rs.79

A toilet brush, with a stand - that looks stylish, just for Rs.79. What more should I say.

 

5. RINNIG Dish-washing brush, green Rs.89

Really cute looking small brushes to clean dishes - available in three colours - mint green, black and pink. They can be kept standing too. Infact I think it can be used anywhere, not just for the utensils. My only worry is that the bristles are too coarse and I am scared it may scratch the crockery. Yet to try it on expensive kitchen utensils.

So 5 things for a total of Rs.815 and Rs.99 delivery it costed me Rs.914 for these tiny upgrades to my home. I have so many things wishlited on their website, things are really thought through and you will be amazed at the solutions they have for all your home related problems, if you want to call it that.

P.S. This post is not sponsored by Ikea in any way, and is just a review I wanted to share with you all.

Things to keep in mind when looking for rental apartment & while shifting!

If you are renting out a house and need to shift once lease/agreement of the old one got over, or you've shifted to a new city or locality and have rented out an apartment then you will know what a headache shifting is. Specially if it's with the family! If you are going to be moving soon, then I have some pointers for you that you should know, and you won't necessarily read these on the usual websites.

1. Check if all electric connections/plumbing work.
When you are looking for houses, you will make decisions in a hurry, and you may take note of major things like whether fan and light is working, windows and doors close, bathrooms function and so on. But it's a good idea to literally check each and every thing like the fan's regulator, all electrical plugs etc before hand - so that you can ask the owner to fix things rather than having to pay for it yourself. It would be a good idea to have an electrician/plumber visit and repair things before you move in so that you can go back to day to day functioning at the soonest.

2. Take pictures/evidence of any existing damage to property
Owners will blame you for damaging their property and deduct the amount from the deposit when you move out, so it is best you take evidence when you are moving in. Actual images of the house when you move in, plus more images of any wall/tile/appliance etc that is already in a damaged condition so that when there is a discussion, you have your evidence! With a mobile and ample storage these days, it is easy to quickly take pictures/videos and use them if required.

3. Check network reception
There was a time when vaastu, nearby amenities, floor rise etc were the only important things while looking for a home to rent out. But with changing times and the internet era, you have to make sure you are getting good reception on your phones and get WiFi connection asap too. I actually know a society where they don't get any network on a couple of service providers, at all. I would definitely not rent a flat there! Make a call from the site, check data download/upload via speed test apps and check if you get network in all rooms (and bathrooms).


4. Nearest bus stop, auto stand, grocery store, medical etc
Bus stops are redundant in many places thanks to uber/ola etc, but if you still travel by bus/auto make sure you have a stand nearby so that daily commute is easy. Also find out if daily necessities are nearby - medical, general store, 1-2 food joints and so on. After all, you cannot rely on online orders all the time!

5. Packers & Movers
If you're shifting somewhere in the same locality, you can rely on a local packer and mover, for out of city transfers better to go for someone more recognized and branded/professional. Make sure to read a couple of reviews for whoever you choose, there will be many on justdial/google business etc.

6. Label boxes properly!
When the packer and movers come to do their work, all hell usually breaks loose as they start dumping all your stuff in carton boxes etc. Make sure you ask them to only work at your comfort and pace - and keep labelling every box that gets packed - to the minutest details. For eg. don't just write the person's name who's stuff is kept inside, but also which cupboard/drawer it was taken from. This will make it a lot easier for you to put them back in place.

7. Keep an overnighter handy
Once your stuff has been moved to the new place, you will probably not have the energy to unpack anything the same day and will be searching for things like toothbrush, undergarments, medicines the next day and may not find them. Best to keep an overnighter packed with all essentials like clothes for 2 days, under garments, socks, medicines, toiletries etc so that while you keep unpacking, you can start functioning normally. This point is even more important for working couples who have to get back to work the very next day.

8. Keep record of all expenses, bills etc
Take bills from electricians, plumber, carpenter, mover and packer etc. One - it will help you understand how much it overall costs you to move houses. Two - if you have to ask the owner to pay for anything, owner will surely ask you for a receipt of payment made. Three - if any repair done was not done properly, having the bill handy totally helps.

9. Move in/Move out formalities
This one is something I was not aware of. The person renting the house has to pay society moving in/moving out charges and also give an intimation at-least 2 days before hand that they're going to move in/out. Society then gives an approval letter for the same to happen. The charges are taken so that incase there is any damage to the lift/society's property, that is covered. This process/who pays the charge etc may different from city to city but best to make sure what it is, in advance.

10. Agreement
Whether you get a notarized agreement or registered agreement, very important to have one in place with all clauses, deposit amount, rent amount etc mentioned. Make copies of the agreement and also have a soft copy on your email, so that even if you loose the copies, it's not a big thing.

Hope this helps, specially when there is no broker to mediate, you have to do a lot more research on your own. If there are any more things that we can add to this list, do comment with the same and I will update on the blog article. Happy moving!

Lego City Burger Bar Fire Rescue - Review

The lego crazy family received yet another product for review and we had a blast! I love how each lego set is not just building blocks, but allows kids to indulge in role play, unleash their imagination and also learn a thing or two.

About the product -

LEGO City Burger Bar Fire Rescue Building Blocks for Kids (327 Pcs) 60214

• Includes 3 LEGO city minifigures: 2 firefighters and a grill chef

• Features a fire truck toy with a minifigure cab, rotating back end, new-for-january-2019 directional pump with ‘water jet’ function and 2 storage compartments, plus a motorbike

• Also includes a burger bar with burger sign, opening service window and a trash can

• Accessory elements include a new-for-january-2019 fire axe, 2 helmets with opening visors, oxygen tank, trash can, motorbike helmet, small fire extinguisher and 5 buildable fire elements

• Raise one or all sets of flames on the burger bar sign and trash can to put out a small fire or battle a raging inferno

• Rotate the back end of the fire truck and squeeze the bellows on the water pump to launch the water elements and knock down the flames

• Burger bar with sign measures over 6” (17cm) high, 4” (12cm) wide and 2” (6cm) deep

• Fire truck toy with water pump retracted measures over 3” (8cm) high, 5” (15cm) long and 2” (6cm) wide

We had a major milestone for my almost 5 year old with this lego set. For all the sets before, I had to build them for him with his assistance, and then he played with them. But now that he's almost 5 years old, I showed him how to follow the step by step instructions from the instructions booklet and asked him to make the burger bar on his own - and he did! It was indeed a proud moment for me. I feel lego absolutely helps with motor skills, hand-eye coordination, learning about shapes and plus great for some non-screen play and bonding time!

The set has a burger bar which is on fire, a fire truck and a bike with 2 fire-fighters and one burger bar crew. Check out some details of the set -

I am absolutely mind blown by the details that are thought of while making lego sets today. The firefighter's helmets, the cabinets and truck doors that open, the sliding window in the burger bar, the mini ketchup and mustard in the burger bar, the axe on the fire truck and so much more! 

The set (MRP Rs.3,499/-) and other sets are available on Amazon or at most toy stores like Hamleys. They often go on discount online too, so you should definitely watch out for deals. Age 4 and above can easily play with lego creative range, and for younger kids there is Lego Duplo.

How important are accessories when it comes to gadgets?

I am a gadget and technology geek girl, and hence always love owning the latest phones, laptops, cameras and so on. I own an iPhone X, MacBook Pro, iPad, Go Pro Hero Session, Insta 360 camera, JBL Bluetooth Speaker, Boat bluetooth earphones, to name a “few”.

We always focus on the specifications, price, warranty and features of these gadgets when we’re purchasing them and if something stops working we are quick to blame the brand for faulty manufacturing or other various reasons.

But did you know that the accessories you use along with the gadgets play a very important role too? Are you using an original phone/laptop charger, if not, you could end up blowing up the device itself thanks to replicas. Are the covers and cases genuine, certified and verified/approved by the phone brand? A cheap cover, if and when you drop your phone, may not protect the phone or tablet from the impact of the drop!

Similarly, when purchasing SD cards for your cameras, you should always go for the best in terms of not only their storage capacity, but also their reading and writing speed, toughened memory cards in case you’re using them with a go pro or any other heavy duty action camera where you know it may fall or hit something. I also feel it is wiser to invest in two smaller capacity SD cards than one big one, incase one of them stops working for some reason or you misplace it. At Least you would still have a backup with you!

Background photo created by freepik - www.freepik.com

You can look for cheap deals online and buy SD cards from trusted brands at awesome rates. Just make sure the website you are purchasing from is authentic, for instance Latest Deals. I have 2 SanDisk Extreme Pro 64GB Micro SD Cards that work for action cameras, and come with a reading and writing speed of up-to 300 mb per second!

After all who has the patience to sit and wait for all the awesome footage to get copied, right? You can also go for any of the other popular brands like Sony, Samsung, PNY, Kingston, Transcend and so on. Just make sure you’re not purchasing from any unknown website as they may sell replicas and make sure to check the warranty details before making your purchase!

Next on my gadget wishlist is the new iPhone Pro with it’s extra wide camera, what do you think about it? Speaking of iPhones, how I wish they supported SD Cards!

30th Birthday Trip at The Machan Feat. Volkswagen Vento & Peesafe

It was my 30th Birthday and I wanted it to be special and memorable. Hence wanted to go somewhere, but with the Mumbai floods and flights being cancelled and uncertainty I thought it was best to go somewhere around. A few years ago I had received an ad from The Machan, Lonavla to celebrate my birthday there, and it had since then been on my bucket list. So I thought, why not check that off the list? It's nearby and should be beautiful during monsoons. This was the first trip after kiddo that me and the husband went alone.

Lonavla during monsoons is absolutely magical, enchanting and breath-taking. But also risky, and you need a good reliable car so that you are not stuck anywhere. I was super happy to get the Volkswagen Vento's latest model for the trip. A royal midnight blue colored beauty - automatic dual shift gear system, rear parking camera, auto dimming rear view mirror, cooling glove box and more. Our drive was smooth and enjoyable instead of being stressful. And knowing that there are two front airbags makes you feel safer too.

We reached the property in about less than 2 hours from Navi Mumbai (remember to offline the map because once you start the upward hill climb, you loose connectivity). It was a beautiful place - truly a forest area where the only sounds you can hear are of rain, streams and birds. There was mist and fog everywhere, we were amidst the clouds and we had our own treehouse! The property is really well maintained, spick and span. The staff was polite and courteous too. 

How it could have been better? Our landline was not working and we had to wait for it to be fixed so that we could order room service, the in-room and al-a carte dining menu is very limited and check-in time could have been little earlier so that one can make the most of the stay (It is 2pm, 1pm at-least would be nice). But the nature, the tranquility and our jungle Machan with outdoor bathtub was an out-of-the-world experience overall. I was also glad to plan our trip during weekdays (Thursday-Friday) so that we escaped the traffic and crowd everywhere. Even the tariff is a little lower on weekdays.

I was also carrying a spray can of PeeSafe - because it's monsoons and you tend to want to pee a lot more, and by spraying the peesafe you get rid of all the germs and sanitizes the toilet seat. If you are a female reading this blog, you know how dreadful UTI's are and you definitely do NOT want that happening. Hence, better to carry a travel-sized bottle of PeeSafe. Got to know of it from watching Girliyapa's video, so thanks guys!

Follow me on Instagram to see more pictures from the trip!

1 week of Vegetarian/Eggetarian Keto - What worked and what did not

I have been putting on weight rapidly. Every time I climbed the weighing scale, I would get dizzy by seeing the increasing grams and kilograms. But I am not innocent too - no balanced diet, eat whatever and how much ever and absolutely no physical exercise at all. With a sedentary lifestyle and desk job, I should not have been surprised.

I knew a few people who religiously followed a Keto diet and claimed to have lost kilos and inches. What attracted me to this diet was that you were not expected to stay hungry at all, and could eat delicious things like omlette, cheese, nuts and paneer. I did not mind at all.

I went to a nutritionist, and simply asked her for a weight loss plan and she herself suggested 1 week of Keto. I was surprised that only a week, because everyone else who did it told me you need to follow atleast for minimum 15 days to a month (which was too much of a commitment for me tbh). So I was happy at the 1 week plan - and how hard can one week be right? Oh it was a loooongggg week I tell you.

Keto, if you don't already know, basically is cutting all carbs from your body, so no sugar no carbs means no wheat no rice no bread no fruits. Only protein and vegetables.

What I ate:
My plan had me drinking black coffee/tea instead of regular tea, a green smoothie twice a day (I had it once a day on most days because I just did not have it in me to make it twice and drink it). For breakfast I'd have boiled eggs or omelette and then stored walnuts, almonds and peanuts at work for before and after lunch hunger. For lunch I ordered salads daily (burned a hole in the pocket FYI), but I did not have the time or energy to prepare something in the morning. Evening snacks would be nuts and some black coffee again, or green tea. Dinner would be soup followed by a paneer preparation (paneer bhurji, tawa paneer etc).

How I felt:
First two days were tough, hence I started on Saturday so that I was not getting affected at work. By Monday i.e. Day 3 I felt great - I felt light, full of energy. I also weighed 500 gms less already and that made me feel nice. But by day 5 my energy was gone, I had ache in my body - had recently joined Zumba and now on Keto I was just not able to put energy at class. Soon even walking became painful. When I asked my nutritionist why this was happening, she said this shouldn't be happening. She refused to believe I lacked energy, since I was eating and was not starving myself.

Why I had to stop:
By end of the week i.e. 7th day, the weighing scale showed 2kg drop on the weighing scale, which was great. Maybe if I continued for another week I would have lost more weight and maybe even felt better. But being a working mom and a foodie - I just could NOT continue on this diet. No time to cook and experiment plus was so tired of paneer and egg! I guess if you're a non-vegetarian you get a lot more options.

What I gained out of it:
I got accustomed to giving no sugar to my body and got used to having black coffee instead of sugary tea and coffee so have switched to that. Now that I have tried this, I know the importance of eating clean and working out - to give me good long term results! Because I had to limit carb intake during Keto, it made me look behind every packet and check it's carb content - I never used to check the nutritional facts earlier - so that's another good habit picked up!

Summing it up, my weight is not so out of control that I needed to do this self-inflicted torture. For those who are recommended the diet for medical purposes, is surely is better than other diets where you got to starve. But I will focus on doing physical exercise and eating healthy! Let me know how did Keto work out for you, via comments below..

#HappyTummiesMeet by Enterogermina

I recently attended a blogger’s meet with my kiddo after a long time. And it was a fun and informative one at that! As a mother, you must have experienced diarrhea in your baby or toddler/kid at some point of time. Even as adults we get absolutely weak, the kids cannot even express themselves properly. Here are somethings I learnt at the event:

All the awesome mommy bloggers & their kids at the event.

1.     Types of Diarrhea

Did you know that there are two types of Diarrhea? Viral and Bacterial. Viral diarrhea is more commonly seen than bacterial. Common symptoms in kids for diarrhea are frequent passing of loose stools, dehydration and weakness. But signs to be alert and visit the doctor at the soonest are – If child is inactive and not playing, urine is dark in colour, less frequent and concentrated (signs of dehydration) and is complaining of a griping stomach pain. As long as child is active and playing, things will get fine.

There also is something known as seasonal diarrhea – generally occurring towards end of summers and start of rainy reason – hence now is the time to be extra cautious!

2.     Types of Bacteria

Most of us know that there is good bacteria and bad bacteria. It’s important to balance the bad bacteria with good. This was explained really well at the event via a skit where there was a red coloured bad bacteria character and a blue coloured good bacteria character telling the kids more about bacteria.

Kids really enjoyed meeting the good bacteria!

3.     How to manage diarrhea?

Lot of liquids. Curd is important. One new thing I learnt is a 14-day course of zinc as it helps manage diarrhea. Another very important thing is to avoid milk – grannies will ask to continue giving milk but it should be avoided. Breastfeeding can continue as it is. Doctor’s will not recommend antibiotics for viral, it may be required for bacterial only after doing a stool test. So avoid asking for a “fast solution” because some things take time! Enterogermina is Pediatricians’ No.1 Choice in managing diarrhea.

4.     How to prevent diarrhea?

Prevention is better than cure and just by following some basic hygiene rules we can help prevent diarrhea. Clean, safe drinking water (always carry your own water bottle at the park or mall or while out on a vacation), and washing hands with soap, specially before eating. Though the older kids will be able to follow this, teething babies will grab whatever they find and put it in their mouth – hence more prone to diarrhea. Hence look out for the symptoms.

Activity where they had to feed Popeye good food. My kid got pani puri.

5.     Experience at event –

All the kids and mommies had a fun time interacting with one another. Dr.Zinal gave an informative session on some myths and facts around diarrhea. It was insightful to learn about how zinc helps manage diarrhea and also that one should not let the kids get anemic, iron intake is very important to increase immunity again. So iron rich food is a must! I loved the activity where the kids had to decide which was good or bad food to feed Popeye and also the skit with the good and bad bacteria! Wonderful ways to teach kids good habits and important health related things in a not-boring way!

Giving our feedback to the team.

If you have any questions regarding managing diarrhea, do comment and I will try my best to get the answers to you from the experts.