Upgrade your Car with Quikr NXT!

I own a Nano LX 1st version. I know it deep in my heart that how much ever I love the first car I owned, it's now time to move on. The car has been good to our family for about 4+ years now but now it's, well old. And usually requires a lot of repairs and maintenance. Plus there are new versions of the Nano and so many other cars in the market!

Selling a car is a big task. I'm not one who can put a brochure or signage on my car that says "For sale - Price expected Rs. 5XXXX - Contact on 9876543210". I mean, what if I start getting unwanted calls, or start getting pestered? And selling it via a garage will mean getting a much lower price than it deserves, as they will give me reasons like 'It needs a lot of repair', 'Market is very low these days', 'A newer model sells for cheaper price.' and so on.....

Thank god for Quikr! My favourite way to sell used furniture, gadgets and now why not the car? Quikr, (unlike other used item buying and selling portals) now has a super cool chat feature called Quikr NXT, which basically allows you to not share your number and simply chat with interested buyers/sellers at your convenience.

I have already used this chat feature when I put up a few used gadgets for selling. Listing products is super easy and quick using the app too! No need to log on to your pc and post ads. Click a picture, enter the required information and you're sorted!

So what I would do is, post 2 ads. First would be to sell my present car. Will take good images of the car from all angles, and show any dent or damage present. One thing I've learnt with time is to always be honest about what you're selling. That way there is never any chance of dispute. I will enter the price I'm expecting and tick the negotiable check box too. All done, and fingers crossed!

Next I would post an ad for interest in buying a car. Yes, you can also post free ads if you're interested in purchasing something say a car, or an apartment etc. I will enter the required details and information along with my budget.

I always keep my number as private so that people can contact via email or the Quikr app chat. That way you can reply at your own convenience, no fake callers, no risk of number getting shared with spam callers and no calling at weird hours! I find the app very convenient. Now, With Quikr Nxt, buyers and sellers can immediately connect with each other through chat across Quikr's mobile app, mobile site and even its desktop site.

As soon as I get a good deal for my existing car, I will sell it off. And if I get hold of a good car to buy before my car is sold, I can simply chat and request the seller to wait for a few days. Then I can buy another car of my choice and go for a long drive to celebrate!

Disclaimer: This blog is a part of Indiblogger's #QuikrNXT campaign.

#NaviMumbaiFoodies check out Potpourri's Wednesday Buffet Dinner!

Though I have been to Pot Pourri at Inorbit Mall Vashi many a times, I did not know that they've begun buffet dinners every Wednesday starting this month!

I could hardly contain my excitement when I saw the spread and all that at just Rs.650 per head.

First lets talk about the decor & interiors. This place was renovated and they've done a fab job. Specially with the food quotes. The place can get a little cluttered & noisy though, specially when it's crowded on the weekends.

As the name suggests, they have world cuisine and had quite a variety for their buffet too. Soups & Salads, Entrée, Main Course, Drinks and Dessert!

There was tomato soup and chicken soup, served along with breads and breadsticks. There were different kinds of salads, highlight was the Mediterranean eggplant and barley salad. The potato and mushroom salad was delightful too, and served in a cute little glass jar. I think there were 6 salads in all, and many varieties of dips too! I loved the colourful variety, it was very pleasing to the eyes.

To quench our thirst we had the option between iced tea served in cute jars again, mango/black-current smoothie served in glasses or the simple option of fresh juices. Forgot to mention another unique offering : Chilled cucumber and coconut soup. It was quite refreshing! The smoothies were nice too, though I liked the blackcurrent one over mango. I also have always loved their regular water served with a slice of lime/orange and basil leaves!

For Entrée we had the options of hummus, bruschettas, mini hot-dogs, cheese fondue, bagels, zucchini rolls (and all of this in both veg and non-vegetarian options!). I told you, it was a wide spread! The hummus and bruschetta were really good, something I would take again, had I not been stuffed simply by trying everything.

For main course there was Penne Alfredo Pasta, Harissa Paneer Forestier, Grilled fish with Salsa Fossa, Rice etc. I was not very happy with the main course. The pasta was good, but not very hot. The paneer, I couldn't understand the taste. But it was okay, since I was almost fill thanks to everything else.

I was really looking forward to the favourite part of any meal for me, desserts! They had fresh fruits, pastries, chocolate mousse, mini cupcakes and a strawberry roll. Everything was too sweet for my liking so nothing exceptionally great to be mentioned.

Overall, the variety was very enticing. I would suggest them to cut down a couple of dishes and concentrate more on quality maybe? Especially of the main course and desserts! I would definitely go there again with family for the soups, salads and starters!

They made very efficient and smart use of their space to set up the buffet and have a-la-cart at the same time! Special mention to their staff who make ends meet!

If you've been loving my food blogs, do comment and let me know! Stay tuned for the next place visited by the #NaviMumbaiFoodies and do follow us on twitter to!

Himalaya Herbal Baby Care Gift Jar - Review

I received a lot of baby care gift packs when my baby was born, and one of them I recently received was the Himalaya Babycare Gift Jar.

I have always been impressed and happy with Himalaya herbal & wellness products, because the ingredients used are always herbal, natural or ayurvedic as compared to artificial chemical ingredients in other brands.

The Gift Jar contains:

Gentle baby soap (75 g)
Gentle baby shampoo (40 ml)
Baby powder (100 g)
Diaper rash cream (20 g)

I was very excited to use them all, because when it comes to caring for your infant, you want simply the best, safest and natural products!

The Gentle baby powder -

The powder when you touch it, the texture itself lets you know its different from standard powders. It has Khus-Khus grass which natural antiperspirant and astringent properties, keeping my baby all day long! I love it's fragrance too!

The Gentle baby soap -

The best part about this soap is it contains olive oil and almond oil, leaving my baby's skin hydrated, soft and moisturized. Earlier after using a soap his skin would get dry and I had to lather a lot cream. After all winters and babies do not really get along very well. The soap is supposed to be for normal skin, which I believe they're trying to distinguish from sensitive skin.

The Gentle baby shampoo -

Again, natural ingredients like chickpea and hibiscus help clean and wash baby's hair so gently! Smells great, once again. Though the size/quantity in this jar set is very small, I'm going to keep it for travels maybe.

The Diaper rash cream -

Contains "Yashada" Bhasma that aids in healing the rashes, along with almond oil, aloe vera and other natural ingredients. I haven't had a chance to use this yet, fortunately, but I'm pretty sure it'll work wonders on the sensitive baby bottom.

Overall, for the price i.e. Rs.165 for the jar set, its great value for money. You can even buy bigger gift sets, or buy them individually from Himalaya's online store. If you buy more than one, you can avail discounts too!

Along with the products there even is a brochure of their products, which made me aware that they even have diapers! I did not know that as I hadn't seen them in any store. My next buy is definitely going to be their diapers.

If you've used Himalaya baby care products too, or have any questions, do feel free to drop in a comment! Would love to hear about your experience.

Nexus 6 Midnight Blue 32 GB Hands on review

It took me a couple of months to decide which smartphone to buy to upgrade my Nexus 4. I was confused between the Oneplus One, iPhone 5S, HTC M8 Eye and Nexus 6. I was not too sure of Oneplus One's brand and warranty, iPhone 5S was basically getting a lower config for a higher price, HTC M8 was a great camera phone but overall looked expensive and finally the Nexus 6, well was out of my budget and too big.

And then, I came across Flipkart's offer on the Nexus 6. Rs.10,000/- flat off on exchange of my Nexus 4! Meaning, I had to pay Rs.34,000/- instead of Rs.44,000/- for the 32 GB variant. Without any further hesitation, I placed my order!

My Nexus 4 was faithful to me for 2+ years, but the battery and camera were starting to test my patience big time! The courier guy picked up my Nexus 4 while delivering the Nexus 6.

Key Features of Google Nexus 6 (You can view the full list of specifications here)
3220 mAh Battery
3 GB RAM
13 MP Primary Camera
Android v5 (Lollipop)
2.7 GHz + Qualcomm Snapdragon 805 Quad Core
6-inch QHD AMOLED Screen

The box 

The box is a neat white one, with the number 6 engraved in big. There is a manual, warranty information booklet, the turbo charger with separate data cable and voila! A pair of earphones! The Nexus 4 & 5 shipped without any earphones, so I wasn't expecting one but there is! I guess making the phone so expensive, they had to add them.

Turbo charger + Data Cable

Motorola In-Ear Headset

Now coming to the phone itself. It's a beauty! After using the front and back glass body, a metal finish was a pleasant change. And the ergonomic shape of the phone makes it fit comfortably in the hand and is not bulky at all. Love the crisp display on this big screen!

Front

Back

Side

In - hand

What I loved-

1. Dual Front Facing Speakers - No more issues of the sound getting dimmed because you kept your phone on a flat surface. The dual front facing speakers remind me of the first HTC One, and are powerful. A great thing for music and movie lovers!

2. Ultra-Quick Charging & 3220 mAh battery

With the turbo charger that's included, a 15 minute charge can give a battery backup of 6 hours. That's a great thing when we're in a hurry or forgot to charge the phone and don't have enough time. One drawback, only the special turbo charger allows you to do that, so you would have to carry it with you or get 2 of them in-case you want to use one at work.

The battery backup is great when on Wifi. I use the phone constantly, and it drains only after 14-16 hours of use. 

3. Dual LED Flash & 13 MP Camera

The beautiful round flash that runs a perimeter around the back camera has a dual LED flash, resulting into better photos! The 13 mp back camera takes really decent images, and using any external app, you now have the power to even click RAW images on Android 5.0

4. Pure Vanilla Android

This goes without saying, you will be the first one to get android updates! YES!

5. 6" Quad HD display

The big display is simply awesome for viewing apps, playing games, watching movies or anything! It does have a disadvantage, your privacy is totally gone while commuting or sitting very close next to someone. They can easily read what you're typing or see what you're doing.

What I don't like:

1. Battery not very great when using internet on 3G

I'm a social media addict, and constantly putting out updates, chatting or checking notifications. On constant use, the phone's battery dies in 6 to 8 hours when you're on 3G. That is a disappointment for me.

2. Slow shutter speed

Though the camera and flash are great, the shutter speed is achingly slow. I could hardly capture my new born baby's expressions. Then motorola sent me this tip to reset camera settings to default. I've also installed a third party paid app called 'Manual Camera' that has a great shutter speed.

3. Front Camera

I had absolutely skipped checking this while buying. The front camera is a mere 2mp, which is a disappointment for any selfie lover. You'd expect a minimum 5 mp front camera, specially when you're paying such a price.

4. Body

The midnight blue back metal gathers fingerprint marks like magnet. You might have to keep cleaning it if that bothers you. Also, if you wish to protect your phone, it might get pretty bulky. I got a defender kick-stand case and tempered glass because with a new baby in the house, you need the top-most protection. The case has made the phone very bulky and the tempered glass lifts up a little around the edges for some reason.

5. Price

As compared to the Nexus 4 & 5 being in the 30K range, the Nexus 6 seems expensive being in the 40K range.

Some tips and suggestions:

There is a hidden LED for notifications behind the upper speaker. Android has not activated this, apparently because they think the ambient display that lights up when you get a notification is sufficient. You can enable the LED if you root your phone.

The 'double tap to wake' feature is also disabled and not available. I really wanted this one because otherwise eventually the hard button gets worn out with constant usage, that happened on my Nexus 4. This feature also can be enabled on rooting your phone.

The phone is huge and it might be troublesome to take pics with one hand. Now many of you might already know this, but I was not aware. You can use the volume rocker buttons to click images when your camera is open.

Verdict:

As a loyal Google, Nexus and Android person, I'm still overall happy with my decision. But maybe you want to explore some other phone since you're paying this amount.

Eggless Pineapple Upside Down Cake #CreateFearlessly

I'm always up for trying new recipes, because even if they fail or turn out okayish, my folks will support me cheer me and eat the under-cooked / over-cooked outcome! :P

I had been wanting to try making the Pineapple Upside Down Cake since a long time but didn't have a easy eggless recipe. And then I came across Nestle India's Milkmaid website where they have many easy recipes using Milkmaid (Condensed Milk).

I used Hamilton Beach appliances to mix the batter and bake the cake.

The recipe is as follows:

Pineapple Upside Down Cake

Upside down cakes are always glamorous, since you can see the fruity goodness showing off on the top. This one is a classic and must-bake in pineapple season. Tart and sweet, light yet satisfying; try one now and you’ll know what we’re talking about. P.S: Serve with a scoop of our Classic vanilla ice-cream for a soulful dessert experience.

Servings - 10 Preparation - 15 min Baking - 45 min

Ingredients

½ tsp-Yellow Food Colour (optional)
200 g-Maida (Flour)
100 g-Butter
6-Pineapple Slices
1 tsp-Baking Powder
1 tsp-Soda Bicarbonate
1/2 tsp-Pineapple Essence
1 tin (400g)-NESTLÉ MILKMAID Sweetened Condensed Milk
5-6 tbsp-Sugar for caramelisation
1 cup (150 ml)-Aerated Soda

How to make

Preheat oven to 180° C. Grease an 8" diameter cake tin. Arrange the pineapple slices at the base. Heat sugar in a pan till it melts and becomes brown. Pour this hot caramel over the pineapple slices and keep aside.

Melt butter, cool slightly. Add the NESTLÉ MILKMAID Sweetened Condensed Milk and beat well, add the essence. Sieve together maida, baking powder and soda bicarbonate. Add some maida to the NESTLÉ MILKMAID mixture and then add some aerated soda and mix well. Repeat, alternatively maida and aerated soda till both are used up.

Pour batter over pineapple slices in the cake tin and bake at 180°C for 45 minutes or till cake is done. Remove from oven, loosen the sides of cake using a knife and immediately turn onto a plate.

I collected all the ingredients together.

I skipped the yellow food colouring as it is optional. I avoid using artificial food colouring as much as possible because it makes no difference to the taste. Also, I used mix-fruit essence instead of pineapple essence because I had the former at home and did not want to purchase a bottle of essence just for this recipe. I don't think it makes a very big difference. 

Mold greased, pineapple slices placed. 

I did not use the tinned pineapples, but fresh ones. In-fact I cut this one on my own after viewing a 'how-to' video! As long as the pineapple is ripe and your knife is sharp, you shouldn't have any problem with this.

Melting sugar for caramelization

This is very tricky, the sugar takes time to melt, but once it does, it turns brown very quickly and hardens very quickly too. You have to be quick to pour it over the pineapple slices. Don't worry if it looks messy, when you bake the cake, the sugar will melt again and spread.

Preheat oven at 180 degrees celcius

I'm using the Hamilton Beach roll-top OTG here. It is a easy to use basic 4 toast size oven. It is a small sized one so you might not be able to put big molds in it. Cupcakes should come out beautifully though!

Beating the butter and milkmaid with the hand mixer

Used a Hamilton Beach classic hand mixer here. It has 6 speeds + a burst mode so you can go as slow or as fast as you want! Comes with a cover to set mixer on.

Maida, Baking powder and Soda to be sieved together.

To make my cakes a little healthier, I sometimes use half the quantity of maida and half of whole wheat flour. You can try that if you're upto it!

Add flour mixture and soda turn by turn and beat well till it's all over.

You can use a whisk to mix by hand also, but that takes more time and effort, and the batter will not be as creamy fluffy and light as you get using a hand mixer.

The batter is ready!

Time to pour it in the mold and put to bake!

All set to be baked!

Put in the oven at 180 degree celcius for 45 minutes.

The cake came out beautifully done. Though this recipe first rises up like crazy and then settles back down, so keep in mind to use a mold that has enough space for the batter to rise or else your batter will overflow and drip. The cake is moist, soft and just so yummy! You can either have it fresh warm out of the oven along with a dollop of vanilla ice-cream, or you can refrigerate it and have it later!

Disclaimer: This blog is a part of Blogadda's campaign for Hamilton Beach India.

#CreateFearlessly with Hamilton Beach - OTG & Hand Mixer Unboxing & Use

This is my invariable advice to people: Learn how to cook, try new recipes, learn from your mistakes, BE FEARLESS, and above all have fun” – Julia Child

So Hamilton Beach, a well known American appliances company sent me a roll top OTG (Oven, Toaster, Griller) and a Classic hand mixer because I am a 'sweet toothed baker'. The term does 100% justice to me because I love to bake, cakes especially, and I love to eat them as much!

The products arrived well packed and the packaging is really compact and cute! I just couldn't wait to open it and show it to you guys! Take a look at the unboxing video:

Links to the products for specification : Roll top OTG and Classic hand mixer. Main features of both:

Easy Reach 4-Slice Toaster Oven:

• 1200 Watts
• 12 litre capacity
• Fits 9" Pizza
• Bake, broil and toast settings
• 30 minute timer
• Front-access crumb tray
• 2 skewers for kebabs
• Superior quality product with all metal body and Stainless steel finish for durability
• External Unit Dimensions (cm)
• 22.9 x 40.9 x 30.3

Classic Hand Mixer :

• Snap-on storage case
• 290 Watts peak power makes mixing easy
• Convenient mixing features including QuickBurst™ button and Bowl Rest™
• Versatile attachment set includes traditional beaters, wire beaters and whisk
• Brushed stainless steel



The mixer resting on it's snap on cover.

Hands on - Classic Hand Mixer

The mixer has beat the cake batter to make it fluffy and creamy!

The OTG while preheating

Pineapple Upside Down Cake all set to be baked

My overall review of the OTG-

The roll-top easy access dome shape is just too good. It saves space, looks good in the kitchen and is easy to use with the basic timer and temperature functions so that even a newbie can use it without any hassle. Though it is a perfect appliance when it comes to making toasts, pizzas and even cookies; it is not the best choice for baking cakes or bake dishes. Because most standard sized molds will not fit in. The heart shape mold I used to bake the cake just fit in, but was pretty close to the upper hot rod and hence was not a good idea. Maybe loafs will be doable too, but definitely not cakes.

The removable tray is an ingenious idea, it's so easy to remove the crumbs and clean it! Also the roll-top cover comes off too. So cleaning this appliance is something even the husband can easily do. :P

Also, there is a warning sign that states: If contents ignite, keep door closed and unplug oven. That is pretty scary, almost as of this happens a lot of times? Also, the timer is only for a maximum of 30 minutes, the recipe I had needed 45 minutes of baking, so I had to put it for 15 more minutes once it finished the 30. I love the "ting" sound it makes when time's up! Good ol' fashion!

I'm going to continue using my old convention to bake cakes, but for toasts, pizzas and open faced sandwiches, this is my new love!

My overall review for the hand mixer-

The 6 speeds plus burst mode are simply awesome! The hand mixer is sturdy and powerful. I wish the chord was a little longer though. Also, the snap on cover does not seem to "snap" really, or maybe I am not doing it properly. But for a baker like me, it is a must have!

Hamilton Beach is here in India with a whole lot of home appliances! And their website also has recipes according to the product, how cool is that!

Disclaimer: This blog is a part of Blogadda's campaign for Hamilton Beach India.

Garnier Fructis Triple Nutrition - Phase 2

Read the Phase 1 of this blog review here. 

It's been a month of using the Garnier Fructis Triple Nutrition Strengthening Shampoo & Conditioner and this is a follow up review on the same.

The shampoo got over about a week ago but the conditioner is still left. You do not require a lot of the conditioner surprisingly, take a small amount and it spreads really well, plus you don't have to apply it on the scalp,

In these 30 days, I also happened to get a long overdue haircut, because I had really bad split ends before.

Check out how my tresses shine and make me happy! P.S. There is no filter on the images!

One important thing, I made it a point to oil my hair and leave it over-night before my the day I washed my hair. (Girls, you will understand how we have to plan ahead when we wash our hair, it takes so much time after all!). Incidentally I use the Garnier Fructis Goodbye Damage Hair Oil. So the combination of the hair oil plus this shampoo and conditioner worked wonders for me.

My hair-fall issue is still not completely resolved, but then that's because of the c-section surgery and medicine and post-partum hormonal side effects, and will go after a couple of months more.

So overall, my hair felt healthier, shinier, way smoother and easy to manage! I'm definitely refilling my shampoo and conditioner asap! And you can even buy it online..woot woot!

Thank you Garnier Fructis and all the lovely people involved in this amazing campaign!

Mastering Mexican with iChef.in !

So this other day, me and an acquaintance Pooja were discussing how troublesome it is to find the right herbs and other ingredients to cook gourmet international cuisines at home. Or otherwise how painful it is on the pocket to buy full quantities to make dinner for just 2 or 4 people. God bless her, she informed me about this website called iChef.in and similar ones.

What iChef does is give you the option to buy a meal kit for the dish you wish to prepare. They will send all fresh ingredients along with a pictorial recipe so that you can easily cook like a pro! How cool is that? iChef prepares 6 new gourmet meal kits every week for you to choose from. You can also buy stuff from their old menus.

With most of the dishes, ordering from a restaurant means either paying more, or getting bad quality on weekends or it getting cold or not being as fresh by the time it's delivered. And your favourite restaurant might not be close enough to deliver to your home! Instead, why not cook your own meal and call yourself a masterchef? Psst.. no one needs to know that you ordered the ingredients from iChef, right? ;)

So I went ahead and called for the Mexican Paneer Mole Curry kit priced at Rs.350 for 2 servings. Since I wanted it for 4 people, I ordered 2 kits. I wanted it next day so their delivery person bought it next day around 4pm. They put a bag of ice in the packet if they have to travel a distance, so that the fresh ingredients do not go bad!

Take a look at their fancy bag, I love it!

I was pleasantly surprised to see that they literally send you ALL the ingredients required! Well apart from salt and oil ofcourse, you have to have those in your kitchen! What I mean is there was an onion, cloves of garlic, everything! And every ingredient neatly labelled and packed separately! And also how the recipe pictorial is scrolled and sent! Quite an effort! Take a look:

I quickly read the method and started off! I finished making the complete dish in 45 minutes flat (Including time to boil the rajma and cook the rice, yes!) It was so awesome, I tell you!

I'll not be putting up the recipe here, but I loved how the onion was either dipped in water before sending or something, because my eyes did not burn at all. Usually I am crying like a teenager who just broke up with her boyfriend, when I cut onions! Also, the rice and rajma were both washed before packing. So they literally do half the work for you! And the instructions are very clear-cut and leave no scope of confusion at all. Hats off!

When I chopped all the herbs, the aroma was so refreshing! And it is hard to find all the herbs at local grocery stores so hunting them is taken care of! Once everything was washed and cut, I just had to follow the recipe and put everything one by one!

 

Quick tip- All the gravy and dips and other liquid ingredients come in plastic containers sealed with tape so that it does not leak or get spilt in transport. You will want to open them in advance before you start cooking, which I forgot to. Because then you're in a panicky hurry and either vegetables will get over-cooked or you might spill something in a hurry. None of that happened with me but it was bit of a hassle trying to open all the boxes in a hurry! I added some salt as per my liking and Voila! The curry and rice were ready!

Oh yeah and I also forgot to keep some herbs apart for decoration, so yeah, do that before hand too!

The final output was a mouth-watering curry which was simply 'Parfait'! Everyone at home loved it, specially my husband who loves rice! He over-ate that day!

I'm looking forward to try more dishes from iChef soonish! The only thing is I'm a vegetarian by choice and the options are fewer for vegetarian, there are many more dishes for non-vegetarians, so do check them out! Do let me know of your thoughts in the comments section!

P.S. Please ignore how baldy I've taken images, I was in a hurry and had to take care of my 4 month old baby simultaneously!

Bedtime Rituals with my 4 month old!

The first 3 months were a havoc when it came to sleeping schedules and bedtime rituals. My baby kept me up all night! Yes. He max slept for an hour or so but otherwise was wide awake. It was a very stressful and frustrating phase for me, and my folks assured me that it would soon pass. And it did!

Soon he started sleeping at 11pm or midnight and woke up at 8-9am (of-course there was a waking up for feed around 5-6am). It felt so nice! He is a very hyperactive talkative baby, who just babbles and coo's and simply does not want to sleep! Putting him to sleep is one art, I tell you!

So here is his bedtime routine- Once his tummy is full and he has burped, I change him into his night time clothes, usually pyjamas or a full sleep-suit. Diapers are a must because otherwise he will wake up in no time. From the beginning we have used and trusted only Pampers for that. All our relatives and friends suggested to go for pampers and nothing else! I have tried all - The standard diaper, the active baby and the pampers pants. The active baby diapers are super soft and prevent diaper rashes while the pampers pant style diapers are very easy to put on and look comfortable!

Next I swaddle him so that he is cozy, and since he gets startled very easily, swaddling makes him feel secured. Then there is a combination or rocking, swaying and singing lullabies that finally put him to sleep. His grandmother loves to sing "Yashoda ka nandlala, brij ka dulaara hai" to him.. While I prefer English ones like Rock-a-by baby or Silent Night. Sometimes I even play soothing music on my smartphone for him. He is a cranky fussy child since birth and we use a pacifier/soother. So when none of the tactics work, we finally give him a pacifier which puts him to sleep.

Thanks to his diaper, even if we wakes up for a mid night feed he drifts back to sleep soon and I do not have to go through the different methods used to put him to sleep all over again.

Now coming to the best part. When he wakes up in the morning he is all fresh and smiling! He makes my day start on an awesome note with all the stretching and smiling he does! The only reason he smiles is because he is not feeling uncomfortable in a wet diaper. He has not even experienced diaper rashes yet, so I am grateful!

If you're a new mom and reading this, do share your bedtime rituals with me! I simply can't wait for him to be big enough to understand bedtime stories, I'll be telling him stories every day then!

Take a look at this super cute advert by Pampers:

Disclaimer: This post is a part of Indiblogger's campaign for Pampers.

#BefikarUmarBhar Live The Life You Have Always Dreamed Of!

I saw this advertisement and pondered what would life be without any constraints, nothing to hold me back:


Top 5 things on my Bucket List that I would do if I were #BefikarUmarBhar:

1. Travel. I'm sure this one is on most of your bucket lists too. I want to see the world, meet new people, experience their culture. Vacations are also the opportunities to bond with your close ones. I want to take my parents, who have never traveled internationally, to Canada where my mom's sister lives. I want to take my kiddo to Universal Studios, Disney etc (of-course once he is old enough to enjoy). I want to stay in a water-villa in Maldives and dive into the clear water whenever I feel like. These are some of the many travel wishes I have. Would also add adventure to this list , rafting, sky diving, bungee jumping, scuba diving are some of the thrilling activities I would like to experience on these travels.

2. Write. I love writing (that's a little obvious I guess, me being a blogger.) But I want to write and publish my own book. I have the title and storyline figured out but have not moved ahead. I have been wanting to do that since 2-3 years now but just don't have the courage to take time off and do that. And trying to write side by side along with work and daily routine is just not happening.

3. Set up my own bakery/cafe. If I could have it my way, all I would do is bake cakes and brew coffee. And later relish them too. Such a blissful thing that would be! Having a small cozy cafe where people could read/relax/have conversations/write etc while enjoying homemade cakes and coffee is something I would love doing. Maybe the place would also have a small library where you could pick up a book/magazine while there. And maybe I could take time out every day and sit down in my cafe and work on the book I want to write?

4. Give more time to friends & family. Time is not going to wait for anyone. One day our grandparents and parents wont be there. It's the harsh reality of life which we try to block away from our busy minds. And later regret, but it would be too late. I really want to take out time and meet them more often, have endless conversations with them. Learn secret recipes from my grandmother. Listen the grandfather's philosophical speeches. Reunite with school and college friends whom I haven't met or even spoken to in years.

5. Give time to myself. Now this is also as important. In our busy schedules, we do not even have a few minutes for our own self. I want to take some time out to care for my mind, body and soul. Work out, go for long walks, take relaxing massages and spas, meditate, laugh for no reason, gaze at the clouds, sit on the grass and do nothing. I really want to loose some weight, gain stamina and be fit overall. And experience the small joys of life, for which unfortunately we are never able to remove time.

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90's Games Nostalgia

You are a 80s & 90's person if you remember at-least 10 of these -

• Chor Police - That game where you made 4 chits named Chor, Police, Raja, Rani or Vazir and the Chor had to secretively wink at people and 'kill' them, and the police had to guess who the Chor is.

 

• Chip Chop -  Originally called the fortune teller origami, we used to call it chip chop, with numbers and colours written outside, one had to choose one of each and there was something written about it inside.

• Ham cheese hamburger / Soup Macaroni Faroni -  That game we played sitting in a circle clapping hands then into fists and finally with elbows!

• Miss Mary jab choti thi- Not the best video, but it explains the game better than words would:

• Who stole the cookie from the cookie shop?

• Dot on palm - Remember taking chocolates from your friend when they forgot to put a dot on their palm with a pen? And you having to give chocolates to them when they caught you?
 

• Truth & Dare - Spinning the bottle and choosing truth or dare, this game is still popular. Another variant is stare, truth or dare.

 

• Ops & Bats - Catching your friend and slapping their back if their sitting and forgot to say ops or standing and forgot to say bats.

• Tapli (Might have other names)- Hitting on their head when someone got a haircut.

• Statue/Freeze - Okay, everyone knows this one. One cannot move once they've been "statue'd"

• X&O - The world famous game that is still popular.

• Dots - Making lines turn by turn to connect dots till all boxes are covered. Whoever gets the maximum number of boxes wins.

• Flames - Checking the compatibility between two names whether it is - FRIEND / LOVE / AFFAIR or AFFECTION / MARRIAGE / ENEMY / SOULMATE 

• Fish Pond - In this game, people would write anonymous notes about whoever they want and fold them and put it in a bowl (pond) and then one person would "fish" out the chits and read them aloud for everyone. Funny, adorable, insulting etc comments all! 
 

• If & Then - Now this one I loved! So, every person gets 2 chits. They write a statement starting with 'If' on one chit, and one starting with 'Then' on another. Both statements need not be related. Then everyone's 'If's' are collected in one box and 'Then's' in another. One person picks a random If statement and joins it with another random Then statement to make hilarious sentences!

• Name Place Animal Thing - Four columns with these categories, and one person says A to Z in their mind till someone stops them. Whatever alphabet they stop at, everyone writes a word with that. Points are awarded for all correct answers.

• Dark Room - A room or any place where curtains can be shut or at night when lights can be turned off. Everyone hides and the "denner" is blind-folded and has to hunt for the people hidden.
 

• Hide & Seek - Also known as Stop & Palti or Lukka-Chuppi. This is a game still very popular.

• Lagori - 7 flat stones are piled on top of each other. The opposite team hits it with a ball while the other team tried to build it.

• Land & Water - As far as I remember, water was the ground/floor and land was any piece of furniture or construction. Whoever's den it was would shout Land and everyone had to run towards any piece of land before they're caught and the same went for water.

• Colour Colour which Colour - The denner would choose a colour and everyone playing would have to find something of that colour and go touch it.
 

• WWE Trump Cards - My entire childhood was spent remembering WWE player's weight, rank, height, biceps, triceps, etc.

• Kho Kho - Sitting in opposite sides and one person pushes on the back, whoever is pushed has to get up and catch the person before they take the empty place.

• Langdi - Hopping on one leg and trying to catch as many people as possible.

• Saakhli - A game of catch catch where whoever is caught joins to form a human chain.

• Uno - Another still very popular card game, also a mobile app now.

• Business - The Indian version of Monopoly.

• Aao Meena - Aaa mina...clap clap clap....super sina...clap clap clap...big boys...clap clap clap...lazy girls clap clap clap...
  Aa mina supersina big boys lazy girls ..Statue!!

•  Slam Book - The scrap book we all purchased at-least once during school and made all our friends (and crushes) fill it!

•  Pen fight - The best classroom desk game! I used to always win!

• Thumb Fight - When we didn't have a pen, our thumbs would suffice. 

Maybe you are not aware of a few out of these, they could be gender or location or age specific after all.