5 Baby Steps to Safe Skin

Don't you just love cuddling cute little babies and toddlers who look like they are made of jelly? :-) I absolutely adore those tiny tots! I have seen so many cousins, nephews, nieces and babies of friends and colleagues gurgling incoherently and making squeaky sounds. We all love to see them happy, but do we know what most mothers (and also fathers) should do to keep their babies that way?

One major reason why kids cry (other than when they are hungry) is when they are uncomfortable or have skin issues. It is very important for parents to keep their babies free of rashes. They mostly occur if the nappies, panties or diapers are not changed frequently when wet. Also, cloth snatches the softness of the babies' smooth skin. From my observations, I bring you five ways to keep your baby's soft skin safe:-

1. Bathe babies in sterilized water and use only baby-soap and baby-shampoo.

Young children have very sensitive skin which reacts immediately to anything which is even remotely harsh. The common soaps for adults must never be used on babies. Invest in safe soaps meant for babies. Also, take care that the water temperature is comfortable and it is sterilized.

Healthy babies love to play!

2. Keep your baby dry.

Babies are quite leaky creatures! They salivate, suckle on their thumb, pee in their pants and cry. It is important that parents and caregivers ensure that the baby is cleaned and dried with a soft towel or washcloth. Buy some wet baby wipes for when you travel with your baby. Keep changing their nappies, diapers or diaper-pants as often as you can.

3. Clothe them in cotton.

If babies are gifts from God, then clothes are gift wrappers from humans! For skin so sensitive, the clothes must be breathable and light. Cotton is easily the best material for your baby. For winters, sweaters must be the next layer. Avoid dressing your toddlers in fancy materials such as satin an silk. That will only irritate their skin.

4. Moisturize well.

Babies are naturally soft and supple. But they too need protection from the atmosphere which robs them of all moisture. Before bathing your baby, give her or him a nice massage with baby oil. Use this time to bond well and flex and exercise their muscles. Babies absolutely love oil massages! Use baby moisturizer after bathing your kid.

5. Take care of their diet.

What you eat reflects on your skin. So it is for babies! After your babies are weaned off mother's milk, what you feed them plays a big role in how they grow and how healthy their skin looks. Make sure you follow age-approved diet plans for your growing child.

Once you have followed all of the steps above, you can rest assured that your baby's skin will stay soft and safe! :-)

Pampers brings you the softest ever Pampers Premium Care Pants. Its cotton-like softness is #SoftestForBabySkin and allows it to breathe, thus keeping baby’s skin soft and healthy, and your baby happy.

Food for Smiles

In our socially connected world today, we are digitally close but perhaps our hearts are miles apart. We tend to compare more - who looks better on Facebook? Who has more followers on Instagram? Who tweets from the most exotic locations? We tend to have thousands of friends, but we know few of them closely. We appear to be superficially happy, but are we really content from within?

The latest fashion fad will tell you it is the "in" thing to be skinny. How else will you fit into that pair of super-skinny jeans or string bikinis? You know you cannot lose all of that stubborn fat just by gymming and running, so you will also start following a strict diet of only freshly squeezed or cold pressed juices, fat free milk and high protein meals. In doing so, you will steadily reduce your production of endorphins, serotonin and dopamine - the "happy hormones". And ultimately, you will sit there all alone - sulking at your life and scrolling through your social media newsfeed.

I used to be that person a few years back. But I cut out all of the negativity from my life and now I love to stay happy and keep people happy! It is nice to go out for a jog in the park and eat green veggies. But you must not starve yourself of that occasional glass of wine, bar of dark chocolate or plate full of McCain snacks!

When my friends from Poland and Brazil and I shared some delicious snacks...

If I throw a party for my friends, I would have an array of delectable finger foods to go with the craft beers and soft drinks and fruit juices (for those health freaks ;-) ). I'd serve McCain Smiles to the sullen guests to help them forget their worries, McCain Potato Bites to the skinny fellows who haven't eaten carbs in ages, McCain French Fries to the angry old ladies who think the West is trying to hijack our culture, McCain Veggie Fingers to the snooty non vegetarian who things vegetarians only eat leaves, and McCain Aloo Tikki to the snobbish foreign return who complains about everything that is wrong with India.

When all of my eccentric friends dig into their deep fried goodies, they will lose themselves in the cheesey flavours and stop groaning about their lives. They will know that it is time to put aside their smartphones and tablets. They will find friendship once again as they smile and laugh through the evening and into the night.

Every Girl Must Watch This!

I have hardly ever spoken about what I watch on TV. It is quite unfortunate now that I just don't have the luxury of time to watch my favourite shows, but there used to be one time when I would watch a lot of things on the telly....

As a kid, I grew up on American cartoons, series and sitcoms. In my teens, I was especially influenced by "Ginger", the lead character from "As Told by Ginger". That was a cartoon series on a pre-teen girl who would go through the usual rigmarole of having to deal with pre-teen-girl-problems such as keeping her friends happy, avoiding getting into the bad books of the popular girls, having crushes and getting guys to like her, having mixed feelings towards that guy-friend, the first kiss, puberty, make-up, shaving the hair off her legs, dressing well, keeping an annoying brother out of her way and having a love-hate relationship with her parents. Phew! That girl did have a lot on her plate. I completely loved her story! And I watched this during my formative years and most of my early teens. Here's the title track for you:-

This was the only cartoon series in which the characters would have their own wardrobes! They would change clothes every day and even repeat them! This was the most realistic cartoon show ever! I was terribly upset that it stopped running in India after a few years, perhaps because the average Indian cartoon-viewer preferred action-sequences and mystery. Back then, I did not have Tata Sky+ Transfer to rescue me from my situation. If I had had it then, I would have recorded every single episode so I could watch it anytime - even now. This amazing technology lets you carry your entertainment anywhere! I can now actually watch my favourite episodes up in the air when I'm flying on a long haul flight, or when I'm stuck in a slow moving traffic. I can watch it on a tab, a laptop or my phone - or good old TV!

"As Told by Ginger" is one show every growing girl must watch. It teaches one how to handle life and deal with being at the cusp of childhood and adolescence. It taught me to be a better teenager when I finally turned one. And it made me think through the consequences of my actions, so I rarely acted on an impulse. I hope it will teach you (or your daughter) a thing or two too!

My Home Needs a Makeover

I spend most of my waking hours in my office. Or if I can take some leaves, I whisk myself off to some beautiful far off location for a quick vacay. On those weekends that I am not travelling, I find it utterly boring to stay in. So, I step out for lunches and dinners and shopping trips with friends.

I have been wondering why I don't like to stay at home, and I think I have finally struck gold! I don't find my house appealing anymore. It has been almost six years since I last painted my house. And the colours have started to feel dull and monotonous now.I don't find the same excitement I used to when it was freshly painted. Oh, how I loved inviting people over on the pretext of coffee or dinner. The real reason was to show off the lovely interiors! I guess it is time again to get my home a nice makeover.

Dull, brown walls are cutting no ice with me anymore

Just the thought of a house-makeover was giving me the creeps. I recalled how the paint swatches would soil the floors and clothes and we would still not be able to decide on a colour we all liked at home. But I am lucky this time. Bed Bath & More lets one select paint shades through their interactive app. You can actually pick out the rooms and fill their walls with the colours you choose. Once you are done deciding, you can straightaway buy the paints online! How convenient!

My bedroom

I started with my bedroom. I use my bedroom only to sleep. I am not in school anymore, so I don't need orange or yellow paints for concentration and creativity. I need something that soothes my nerves and helps me sleep well. Blue seems to be the perfect colour for this. The shade I have picked out has an element of the sea. I can imagine how I will fall asleep thinking of the waves crashing against the rocks or washing up across the shore.

My bathroom

My bathroom will also have to be a relaxing place. That is where I take long baths and sit while my face-pack dries. I like the concept of aromatherapy, and love the notes of lavender that are used to calm one's nerves. This is why I have selected a shade of lavender for my bathroom.

My kitchen

Finally, I decided to keep yellow for the kitchen. Yellow is a bright colour that helps you feel energetic. Kitchen is where all the energy-giving food is prepared. For tasty and exotic dishes, the cook must feel creative. And what better colour than yellow to stimulate your creative juices!

I have all my colours saved and slotted. Now, all I have to do is actually get the walls painted! :-)

I am participating in the #PaintFinder activity in Association with BlogAdda & Bed Bath & More.

#SachchiAdvice from Dad

Most affluent Indian parents treat their daughters as delicate dolls, mollycoddling them and not letting them lift a finger. Daughters of doting fathers are usually brought up on unlimited access to clothes and accessories. They are gifted cute VW Beetles on their graduation and a new phone every birthday. Most of my girlfriends have been living a fairytale. They never repeat outfits, always have their daddy or a driver to pick them up and drop them to sundry parties and hobby classes. Now that they have jobs, they are not even expected to save any of their income! They still get their pre-job privileges and have all of their salaries available for splurging on binge shopping and parlour treatments.

Unfortunately, I had none of the above. Even though my father loves me very much and earns enough to give me the life of a princess, he has ensured that I have a simple upbringing. I have never received pocket money in my entire life. Whenever I needed money, I would have to tell my dad the reason, and he would hand out a sufficient sum to me - not less, but certainly not more than what I would require. While many of my friends had cellphones at the age of 13, I was lucky to get his old mobile when I was 17. I spent most of my childhood thinking I was adopted. Afterall, my mum got to go on lavish shopping sprees (even to Dubai!), so we certainly did not have financial problems, right?

My father would extoll the virtues of hardwork and self reliance. He would tell me that one day I would be richer than those people with pocket monies, and he was teaching me how to be independent. I did not understand much of it back then, but all of that makes perfect sense to me now. I look back and feel proud of the fact that I bought my first bicycle at the age of 9 with my own savings. I would keep all of the gift-money (which I received from relatives on birthdays and festivals) in my little piggy-bank.

That habit of saving money had made me independent in a lot of ways. When I turned 16, I could fund my dates without having to ask for anything from my parents or having to lie to them in the process. I did not have to be a high-maintenance girlfriend who would literally rob their boyfriends of the very last penny that they managed to save. I saw the biggest benefit when I started working. My finances were impeccable! While most of my new colleagues were spending on expensive labels, fancy dinners and exclusive parties, I was carefully slotting my monthly salary away into retirement funds, bank deposits and mutual funds.

The king (my dad) hangs out with his princess (me) in Moscow (March, 2015)

No, I did not turn into a miser. I just learned to manage my money better. Even after saving aggressively, I have enough left to buy myself nice outfits and shoes. I also managed to visit 6 countries this year (yes, you read that right! :-) ) with my own hard earned money. And I do a trip within India every month. Sometimes, even I cannot figure out how I manage to globetrot and save so much at the same time. But I know, it is my father and his excellent child-rearing skills that has made me this successful and independent woman I am today. I cannot thank my dad enough for all the #SachchiAdvice he has been giving me all this while. I know how to stay physically fit, but my dad has taught me the art of staying financially fit!

I am participating in the #SachchiAdvice Contest by MaxLife in Association with BlogAdda.

My Food Gaffes

I have written time and again about food, whether I am on a trip or just in my city. Most of you who are my regular readers will know that food is central to most of my travel writeups. THAT is how much I love to eat! Even though I am a BIG foodie, I suck at cooking. I mean, I cannot even cook to save my life!

The first time I decided to experiment in the kitchen was when I was still in primary school. One lazy Sunday afternoon when my parents slept peacefully, I could not control the rumble in my tummy. I was craving some fried potato chips. Not wanting to wake my parents or satiate my hunger with biscuits or chocolates, I nudged my sister to follow me in the kitchen. Once inside, I was the head chef and my little sister, the sous chef! Now, my mum had warned me against getting anywhere close to the gas stove. I too wasn't very confident with operating complex cooking tools. (I still can't use a cooktop properly! :-P ) So, I decided to use a candle! (smart science student me! :-P ) I took out one of those old birthday candles from the bookshelf, snuck out a lighter (it was only a showpiece as no one in my house smokes) and got a dried potato wafer out of the packet.

Then I lit the pink candle with the lighter, let the wax melt a little so I could stick the candle on the granite countertop, and finally fried the potato wafer on the flame! In a few seconds, the wafer became too hot to hold, so I quickly put it in the deep freezer for a few seconds to bring it to room temperature. When it was finally ready, my sister and I split it into two and gobbled it down. I can't say how it had tasted back then, but I sure am scared thinking right now of what all that paraffin from the candle could potentially do to me. I hope I don't get cancer. The entire episode was hilarious though. When my parents found out, they (obviously) scolded me, but made some nice chips for the evening.

The sushi that made me cry :'-(

Cut to the present, I don't bother cooking lest I burn down my own kitchen. But I don't stop myself from trying out interesting cuisines. My first tryst with the Japanese cuisine was when I bought a DIY sushi box from a gourmet food store in Lower Parel. Now nobody had told me to go easy on the wasabi. I thought it would be a bland chutney sort of a thing and nicely spread it over my sushi rolls. One big bite into that thing and I had hot tears streaming down my face! I ran to the nearest water stall and drank a litre of water before I could tolerate the residual sting in my mouth.

Fortunately, now I know how to eat sushi properly. The trick is to mix very little wasabi with some soy sauce and very lightly dip your sushi in it. Sushi is actually quite tasty when you eat it the right way!

The "sweet" life that only Kings and Queens can afford

I have had a sweet tooth since I was a toddler without my realizing it until very recently. I absolutely adore desserts, especially ice creams! I have tried almost every brand available in the Indian market. (And I have also had icecreams in Spain, gelato in Italy and some more in the freezing winter of Russia!) Ice cream largely hasn't burnt any holes in my pocket, but I cannot forget my first "breakfast" at the Haagen Dazs restaurant in Hiranandani Gardens, Powai. Just one item on the menu ended in my footing a four-figure bill! The aftertaste wasn't so sweet afterall. :-P

The Tiny Owl App

I can recount countless food fixes that I have been party to over the years. Hopefully, I will have fewer of those now that there is Tiny Owl to the rescue! Through their nifty mobile app, I can now quell my hunger with the touch of my finger. I don't have to eat candle-burnt chips anymore as all the options are rated by several users. Their discounts will also ensure I don't go broke on ice cream! :-) Tiny Owl is solving a not so tiny problem in the lives of us foodies!

Play it Safe with Condoms

India has a massively growing population - 1.2 billion odd individuals and counting! Even though sex is still a taboo topic in this country, the statistics show that Indians are having a lot of sex. Unfortunately, most of this lovemaking is happing without any sort of protection or birth control mechanism. While the possibility of pregnancy is a big risk that most couples take during unprotected sex, a bigger danger is that of catching sexually transmitted diseases or infections. Birth control pills can only help so much. To really stay safe, couples must use barrier methods of contraception. CondomBazaar.com is one such brand which is trying to get Indians habituated to using condoms.

The good thing is that India now has quite a few players in the condom market and the government too is encouraging everyone to use protection. The variety that is available these days is quite impressive. There are dotted and ribbed condoms for more sensation, flavoured condoms for oral sex, lubricated condoms for a smoother intercourse, and ultra thin or skin condoms which feel like the man is wearing nothing. What quite a few of us do not know is that condoms are not only for men. There are special types of condoms for women as well. These are called female condoms, and are worn by women for their vagina. These type of condoms are more expensive than the ones for men, but give women the power to control their sexual health.

Despite the heavy use of condoms, one must not blindly rely on them. There is always the risk of condoms getting torn or slipping out during the act. After all, they are made of latex. Always exercise caution in handling condoms. Try not to use nails or sharp objects on the condom. Another aspect a lot of people ignore is the expiry date. Condoms do expire or become unusable if kept in the wallet for many days. The same condom must never be reused after one session of sex. And each used condom must be disposed off by wrapping it in a paper piece or tissue. We must take good care of our sexual and genital health. It goes a long way to play it safe!

The Power of Speed

I have always been craving speed. Speed in how fast I can shower, brush my teeth and get dressed for work ( I am always rushing to catch my office transport every morning); speed in how quickly I can read and understand complex concepts in the word of Finance and Risk (I learn many new terms and calculations on a daily basis); speed in how frequently I can write articles and churn out interesting posts ( I run two blogs and am always falling behind my post targets).

There is of course some speed I like in external entities too. I wish to be able to travel really fast (from work to home and vice versa, so I am never late for anything; from one place to another, so I never have to take extra holidays on my vacations; from one country to another, so I am never tired after a long haul flight). But one thing which on which I just cannot compromise is the speed of my internet connection. It becomes extremely frustrating when I am trying to browse for some important information which I need urgently, and it takes ages for the webpage to load. I also hate it when my existing 3G connection fails to work at many places and I am waiting for videos to buffer when they are ideally supposed to play realtime.

But thanks to Airtel's latest 4G network, things are going to be different. Now, I will have the power of speed! Airtel is the first telecom provider in India to roll out the 4G network. It is not just for one or two metro cities, but almost two hundred and ninety six cities! The best part is, the charges will be same as that for 3G. With cheap rates for higher speed, I will now be able to do many things which I previously would not have been able to. I can now watch movies on my long train journeys without worrying about the video to buffer or having to pay a lot of money. In fact, I won't even lose connectivity hopefully as the 4G network will be available at most places I visit.

This also means, I can work while on the go. I will not have to wait to reach office for the high speed internet. I will also not actually have to stay at home when I work from home. I can just hop on a car and go on a long drive while I work nicely in the backseat while waiting to reach my destination. Faster speed means, faster browsing experience, being able to Skype really well, having better quality images and videos during live streaming. All of this will be believable and a possibility with these unbelievable speeds under my hood!

... Because Home is Where the Heart is

I have been living in my humble room since time immemorial. The walls in my room have seen a lot of wear and tear.

If I have the opportunity to have my room transformed, I would make it more like me. I am a travel enthusiast and also a writer. I love looking up at the sky and getting inspired by nature. I admire how the sun comes up everyday without fail. It never succumbs to excuses. Taking a cue from the sun, I face my day enthusiastically without using the crutches of  excuses. When I look up at the roof of my room, I do not wish to stare at a bland off white ceiling. Instead, I wish to get a glimpse of the clear, blue sky. My dream home will either have a glass roof with a real view of the sky or the ceiling will be painted to reflect a beautiful sunny day, with light clouds floating in a light blue background.

At night, however, I would like to look at some stars, constellations and galaxies. I am a big fan of the night sky, and stargazing is my favourite pastime on my trips to lazy villages which don't have any light pollution. I would love to have a ceiling which changes colours at night to glow with stars and turn pitch black when I sleep. A dark room is always good for a perfect sleep.

When I look at the walls of my room, I only see random colours and patterns which have been advertized on paint ads on TV. But what I really wish to see are trees and blossoms and animals running in the wild. I am an adventurous, outdoorsy kind of a person. I always love to get out and do something active rather than sit at home and do nothing. My dream home will have walls full of canopies of large leaves in different shades of green. Green is very soothing for the eyes and mind as well! I could also have some animals in my little forest. :-)

Home is where greenery is!

I feel the floors are most neglected in a room. We only think of some sort of tiles to fill up the space. It is either marble or granite or marbonite or mosaic. What I really wish to have on the floor is lush meadows - perhaps, grass-patterned tiles? Apart from being a traveller, I am also a long distance runner. My feet never tire even after clocking twenty one kilometers! A true runner loves her roads just as much as she does grass and mud. My dream room will be my world! It will not just be a designer brick and mortar cube with paint all over it.

I am participating in the Upload and Transform #HomeCanvas activity in association with Godrej Interio and BlogAdda. If you are not blogging, you can still be a part of this activity. Here’s how.

Tricolor Pasta - Where India Meets Italy

On the eve of the Indian Independence Day, my best friend and I shopped for some of my favourite things so we could surprise our family with a tricolor pasta dish. Italian happens to be my favourite cuisine, and I decided to use the Independence Day theme to highlight my patriotism for India and love for Italy. For all of my regular readers, here is my secret recipe:-

Tricolor Pasta - Where India Meets Italy

Ingredients

1. Del Monte penne rigate pasta - two fistfuls
2. Napolitana sauce - for the saffron (for India) or red (for Italy) layer
3. Cream cheese - for the white layer
4. Pesto sauce - for the green layer
5. Olive oil
6. Mushrooms - button mushrooms (champignon de Paris) and Indian portobello
7. Olives
8. Broccoli
9. Bell peppers - red, yellow and green
10. Lemon and coriander seasoning
11. Salt to taste

Apparatus (Utensils Required)

1. Saucepan
2. Spatula
3. Colander
4. Laddle
5. Spoon
6. Cooking pot
7. A couple of bowls (to transfer the cooked dishes)
9. Knife
10. Wide bottomed tumbler (for plating up)
11. Dessert glasses (for plating up)

Here is all you will need - the Italian ingredients

Time to prepare

90 minutes

The entire dish took us only an hour and a half to make. This includes everything - from cutting the vegetables to plating up.

After the veggies and mushrooms are cleaned and cut...

Method

1. Add some water and salt to the penne rigate pasta and bring it to a boil in a cooking pot.
2. Strain the pasta in a colander and collect the water. This shall be our broth for later. (We do not waste food) Keep both the boiled pasta and strained water aside.
3. Heat some live oil in a saucepan.
4. Chop the coloured bell peppers on the side.
5. Lightly stir the bell peppers (keep the green ones separate) in the pan.
6. Keep the bell peppers aside.
7. Wash the mushrooms and scrape off their skin. Now, cut them in halves or quarters depending on how big you like to have your mushrooms.
8. Saute the mushrooms in the pan. Add salt to taste. Take care not to mix the two types of mushrooms as each type will be used in a different layer of the pasta. You may use any mushroom of your choice - oyster, shiitake, shimeji, etc.
9. Set the mushrooms aside.
10. Now, cut out small florets of the broccoli and wash them in a colander.
11. Blanch the  broccoli florets to make them soft yet retain their dark colour.
12. Now, lightly saute them in the saucepan.

Now that all our individual mini-dishes are ready, we will start making the layers of the tricolour.

13. Take one third of the boiled pasta and cook it with the orange-red coloured Napolitana sauce. If you have more time, you may prepare your own tomato based gravy.
14. Add the red and yellow bell peppers to this layer, and sprinkle some lemon and coriander seasoning. Keep replenishing the olive oil in the pan. You may add some button mushrooms to this layer.
15. When the saffron layer is ready, pour it out in a bowl.

16. Next, prepare the green layer (bottom layer) with half of the remaining pasta and pesto sauce.
17. Add green bell peppers and some button mushrooms too.

18. For the white layer, add cream cheese generously to the saucepan full of the remaining pasta. You may control the consistency with milk and the broth which we had kept aside.
19. Add the portobello mushrooms to this mixture.
20. Pour out the white layer. This can be called the alfredo sauce layer.

This pasta dishes are now ready to be plated up! :-)

The Indian flag for your tastebuds

Serving Tips

1. I chose dessert glasses for my dish. Serve each coloured pasta in a separate glass Now you have orange, white and green dishes.
2. Make the Ashok chakra on the white layer  using olives.

India on my dining table! ;-)

3. I have an alternate plate up style - pour some green layer at the bottom of a wide glass tumbler.
4. Next pour the white layer.
5. Insert an olive slice towards the edge of the glass so that it is visible form the glass surface outside.
6. Fill the glass top with the orange layer, and you are all set!
7. You may choose to serve this with garlic bread.

Tricolor Pasta served in a glass tumbler

Let's have a quick recap through this video which I made only for you!

If you liked my recipe, do cook this Tricolor Pasta and tell me how it tastes. I'm eagerly waiting for your feedback! :-) 

The Goodness of Nature

My colleague at work recently had a baby! I am elated for her. She was a wonderful employee right up to the ninth month of her pregnancy. She only took her maternity leave three days before the actual delivery date! I was mighty worried looking at her baby bump which appeared as though she would go into labour any minute. But this lady would go about her daily routine just as any of us would. She would walk about and get her own cup of tea, run her own errands, and even spend tiring days on office offsites! She is such an inspiration to me! When I become a mother, I wish to be like her - non complaining and not misusing any of the facilities available to me.

Now that she has her bundle of joy in her lap, she treats him with utmost care. People are allowed to touch the baby only after using a specially formulated hand wash. The baby's clothes are washed in sterilized water. The baby right now only feeds on his mother's milk, but I am pretty sure, when he is old enough to eat other stuff, all his utensils will be sterilized and his food would be checked for temperature and safety. Another thing my friend worries about is his bath water. It has to be of the perfect temperature and absolutely clean. Before the daily afternoon bath, the baby boy gets a nice, long massage.

My friend has her own mother who helps her out, and there is also a maid specifically to take care of the demands of the new baby in the house. Still, my colleague insists on massaging the baby on her own. She tells us that spending more time with your own baby improves the mother-son bond. The baby learns to respond to her words and even uses special communication techniques that only the mother can understand. For the body oil, my friend trusts Dabur's natural baby massage oil. She relies on the therapeutic properties of olive and almonds that naturally keep the baby strong and the softness in his skin intact. The first few months are crucial for a baby's muscular development. And a good massage goes a long way in improving flexibility in a baby. A baby's reflexes also start developing with massages. It is very important to steer clear of artificial and strong ingredients such as paraffin or paraben or chemically formulated moisturizers.

A baby is well nourished only when the massage oil is natural. The goodness of nature cannot be replaced by anything artificial!

I am participating in the #FirstLove activity at BlogAdda in association with Dabur.

The First Massage

I just returned home from a hectic day that involved exposing my skin to the dust and pollution of Mumbai as the rickety auto rickshaw jolted through the potholed roads of my maximum city. In the unseasonal heat of monsoon, I perspired as I got off the auto to enter the air conditioned confines of my bib collection venue. The "bib" in discussion refers to my running bib for the latest marathon that I shall run next Saturday. I noticed how the sudden drop in humidity inside the hall almost robbed my skin of its moisture. Later, when I got back home and started cooking, I could feel beads of sweat coating my body again.

The routine above is a similar one that most of us go through - a routine of temperature and humidity change. In all of this, our skin suffers a lot. In low humidity and low temperature conditions, we have dry, scaly skin which looks unhealthy and undernourished. Contrarily, when it is hot and humid, we have boils all over. I really miss the skin I had as a baby. It was smooth and supple, so soft to the touch. Everyone who came to see me would pick me up and plant a kiss on my cheeks. They would cuddle with me and nobody could keep their hands off my plump body.

I had such a wonderful skin back then only because my mum and grandmums made sure I got an oil massage every day. Even now, my mother tells me how she made sure I was massaged with the finest olive oil imported from Italy. My grandmums would stretch my limbs softly and make me exercise during the massage. They firmly believed that my bones and muscles would develop with good massage. It would also help me learn to walk quickly and improve my motor skills. I would quickly and expertly learn how to pick things up and crawl and perhaps walk with a wobble.

Good baby oils are very important when you massage your baby. The natural ingredients make sure that the baby's sensitive skin does not react to any artificial chemicals or colours. Oils, even otherwise, are very good for the skin's texture. They retain moisture and protect your child from cold and the harsh atmosphere, especially in winters. Mustard oil also builds immunity. Let me know how you take care of your baby's massage needs!

I am participating in the #FirstLove activity at BlogAdda in association with Dabur.

Fixing the Perfect Match!

The Indian Premier League is long over, but the cricket fever still remains. It is a little like eating chocolate and still lingering on to the aftertaste. I have heard many people say that cricket is like a religion (with its own God ;-) ). But I beg to differ.

I feel that cricket is much more than a religion. Most religions have Godmen who prescribe. But cricket does not have to resort to any tactics to garner followers. One gets addicted from the very first game! Cricket is more like a cigarette or drug addiction. (I do not smoke or do drugs, but I know a lot of people who do.) The more you indulge in it, the more addicted you are. And this addiction does have its side effects - you forget to do your homework, to take your dog out for a walk in the evening, to buy groceries on Saturdays or to be on time for your oh-so-very-important meeting at work.

Cricket has become so overpowering that most people have started missing their kids' PTA meetings, skipped their cousin's wedding, sacrificed a long, romantic dinner on one's own anniversary or missed their daily workout.

Fortunately, we can now stay connected to the game while doing all the other thing that we love to do or are required to do. All thanks to UC Browser, This new mobile browser in the market claims to be faster than your usual options. And what's more! You can get live cricket updates and pictures and videos on a specially dedicated cricket service - the UC Cricket. This feature gives you the live scores with auto update, fixture and result reports and the latest news and videos.

Now that you can carry cricket in your pocket, make sure you carry your own self to all those wonderful events which you have been missing! Your child will actually study harder if she/he knows that you take keen interest in school and related activities. With UC Browser set to take care of everything, you can now go on that date which you had been missing for the match. Who knows, your date might actually want to watch the cricket match that you never wanted to sacrifice for any occasion. 

With so much time at hand, I would certainly go travelling to offbeat places with my smartphone or tablet in tow. The moment I get in the train, I would switch on UC Browser and start the cricket service. Now, for every workout session, I will watch the UC Cricket videos as I run on my treadmill. This will be so much better than being a couch potato and neither eating well nor doing any exercise. So, the next time you decide to choose one over the other, choose both! You will have both cricket updates and social media status updates from your new location where your are trying a cool activity with all the people you have been too busy to meet.

Buddy Parenting - A Positive Trend

When my parents grew up, they were reared with a threatening cane which would come down sharply on their knuckles if they misbehaved. Fortunately, that trend has changed. When I was growing up, my parents ensured that I learned to behave well not out of fear but out of understanding. I am no longer a kid and am old enough to have my own now. I am now treated as an adult and my opinions are valued at home. I was wondering how people bring up their kids these days. So, I decided to carefully observe my cousin and my little nephew of six.

My sister in law is an angel of a woman and I strongly believe that only luck won my cousin such a gem of a wife. She is an even better mother! I spent quite a few weeks in their spacious home in Ahmedabad, and observed how my little nephew was being treated like a young mind and not just a cuddly baby.

Large rooms can help your kids play and stay happier!

As a toddler, my nephew learned to brush his teeth before eating anything in the morning as my sis in law would make that look more attractive than tearing open a bag of chips. Every time my nephew wet his pants, he would start crying out of fear and guilt. But my smart sis in law, would give him a perplexed stare and ask him what the big deal was. She would ask him to change his pants as she wiped the floor clean. My cousin learned to deal with guilt in this way. His fear of trying out new things was quashed as my sis in law would make him accompany her to the grocery store. The little kiddo learned how to pick his favourite biscuits and carton of Chocos from the aisles of the supermarkets. He learned how to assert his individuality in his own little way.

If your kids hate walking, buy them a mini-scooter!

On my latest trip abroad to Moscow, I saw how happy the tiny tots looked. Most of them did not have to be carried or dragged on prams. They wore skates, used skate boards or scooters to keep up their pace with their parents. I even saw some cool parents take to scooters so they could commute the way their kids did.

Our children can teach us wonderful ways to enjoying the little things in life. We must not be instructive or authoritarian in our style of parenting. It is much better to be a friend to your little bundle of joy. Try buddy-parenting and immerse  yourself in the 'Khushi Ke Pal' as you emulate the philosophy of 'Khuljaye Bachpan'!

What's That Smell?

"Home is where the heart is"... or so they say. But in my case it usually seems like "home is where that hideous smell is"! Odour is that secret weapon this world has to irritate us beyond our senses. I wake up to the guff of garbage wafting in through the windows in the wee hours of the morning. Every single day begins with an assault to my olfactory system. I spring out of my bed and slide the windows shut, hoping to bring the situation under control. But, I realize with a heavy heart, the damage is already done.

I walk into the bathroom and it smells funny again. I check if the block of air freshener is remaining, and it is. Then why is that obnoxious smell still lingering in the air? I turn on the faucet and squeeze out a big glob of bubble bath liquid. The aromatic smell should subdue the stink for some time, I hope. I foam up a lot of bubbles and after a long, relaxing bath, walk into my closet to pick my outfit for the day.

My senses are overpowered with the strong stench of naphthalene balls, and my clothes exude the same whiff. I quickly pull out a blue and white tunic and spray Chanel No. 5 generously all over me. I cannot go into important meetings smelling of naphtha!

When I open my dressing drawer to pick out my favourite shade of pink lipstick, I sniff a trace of expired makeup. The shelf makes me nauseous with the mixed toxic fumes of powder, compact, foundation, blush and nail polish. I make a mental note to dispose off the old stuff and buy some new makeup.

After brushing my hair, I head over to the shoe rack to find a pair of matching stilettos to go with my dress. I almost double over as I take in the reeking pair of socks that I had stuffed back in my sneakers after a sweaty run in the rain last evening. I instantaneously pick up the offending pair of socks and chuck them in the washing machine.

I finally step out of my home and let out the breath I have been holding. The world outside smells so much better than my malodorous house!

The smell of rotten eggs is horrendous!

I am back home at seven thirty in the evening, very excited for my date with the cute guy I met in office. But the moment I enter my apartment, I am welcomed by that fetid atmosphere again. I panic at the thought of having such a handsome and fine-smelling man witness my smelly house. I quickly run to the nearest supermarket and bring home a room spray.

After drowning the whole place in the scent of lavender, I enter the kitchen to cook some delicious pasta for dinner. When I open the fridge to take out the bottle of zinfandel, the foul smell of rotten eggs scares me. I discard the bad eggs into the organic wastebin, and try to concentrate on the pasta.

It is almost eight. He must be here any minute now. I set the table and change into a sexy backless pink tunic. I roll on a fruity fragrance and pray for the drawing room to smell better. The bell rings, and I can hear my heart beating in my ears. What do you think will happen? Will I have a great date or will my love interest be turned off by my smelly home? Do you have any tips to rescue my evening? Write in to me!

I am blogging for #SmellyToSmiley activity at BlogAdda.com in association with Ambi Pur.

Nioxin - 20 Day Challenge

Earlier this month, I had introduced you to Nioxin - an intensive treatment for hair thinning. While I was pampered with the experience, the hair experts told me I did not have a hair thinning problem. So, on my next visit, I took my mom along.

One of the beauticians analyzed my mum's hair and suggested treatment number 3 for her hair which was normal to thin looking and was chemically treated. My mum colours her hair to hide her greys.

Before the 3 step process, my mum's scalp had to be cleansed thoroughly for the treatment to work. So, she underwent step-0, the dermabrasion process.

After keeping that on for 10 minutes, she was given a hair wash with the shampoo (cleanser). Next, the conditioner or scalp revitaliser was applied. And finally, after another wash, the treatment was sprayed onto her scalp.

At home, my mum dries her hair naturally, but the salon specialist gave her a nice blow dry.

When my mum saw her reflection in the mirror after the Nioxin experience, she was delighted! She took the kit and promised to use it daily. To check the efficacy of this treatment, my mum has not used any other hair product (even hair oil) or undergone any other hair treatment (such as colouring) for almost the entire month now.

Her hair looks healthier. But she tells me, the entire process takes long. Especially the treatment bit, which has to be sprayed on the scalp after separating different hair-sections. Have you tried Nioxin? Let me know your experiences!

You can try and experience #NioxinNowIndia at your nearest salon. This activity is in association with BlogAdda.com.

Have You Planned for your Golden Years?

I took a hypothetical journey into my old age last weekend at the Reliance Mutual Fund Meet for bloggers. Most of us were lifestyle bloggers there, and the CEO of Reliance MF made us realize that we perhaps knew how to spend money and maintain an aspirational lifestyle at this age, but few of us bothered to plan for the years ahead and calculate how much we would require to sustain our current spending pattern.

The presentation began with a set of shocking statistics that revealed how grossly unprepared the population of India is for its retirement. Only 15% of our GDP is set aside for retirement, whereas developed economies such as Australia have over 100% of their GDP in retirement assets.

It is projected that the retired population of India will grow threefolds by 2050, and the Pension Bill might have to be raised to 6% of GDP (as against the current 2.2%). This will put tremendous strain on our economy. This is why we need private players in the retirement fund segment.

Reliance has recently launched India's first notified private retirement fund with an equity oriented scheme. It is essentially a mutual fund with Section 80C benefits. You can have up to Rs.1,50,000 in tax deductions per year. The government has been running the NPS for quite a few years now, but its equity leg is capped at 50%. The Reliance Retirement Fund, on the other hand, allows you to customize your equity-debt split and you can choose to put 100% in equity and related instruments.

The long term nature of this fund makes it quite safe to have a lot of equity exposure. Nevertheless, the golden rule is -

Equity exposure (%) = 100 - your age

If you are 24, you should ideally invest 76% in equity and 24% in debt. Then again, it all depends on your risk profile and desired age of retirement.

The Reliance Retirement Fund works in two phases - Wealth Creation and Income Generation. The first phase is when you only contribute and keep saving, and the latter phase is when you reap the returns after your retirement.

During the wealth creation phase, you can either set up a monthly/quarterly or yearly SIP (systematic investment plan) or make a lumpsum contribution whenever you have enough funds, or even do both. This product is highly flexible and lets you change your SIP amount unlimited times without any additional charges.

During the income generation phase, you can either have a lumpsum return or choose to receive a monthly payment from the returns generated by your corpus. You can also choose something in between. A few years before your retirement, the fund auto-transfers your wealth creation plan into income generation, and equity forms only 5-30% of your retirement portfolio.

It was a great session that morning, and it really made me think about my future. Do you regularly save for your golden years? Or are you just living in the moment? Think and act carefully. Inflation is a silent killer which can erode your wealth and lifestyle. Nip it in the bud!

Memories with My First Expert

When I was growing up (and I think I still am), my mum was always ready with truckloads of advice she wanted to give me. I always wondered why she wanted to say so many things to me. Was I a complete klutz? Did she not trust me to do anything right? But I have discovered over the years that her pieces of advice have always helped me in one way or another.

Mom and me

When I was a toddler, I was allowed to wear casual coloured clothes to my nursery class. I was a pretty chubby fellow with flabby arms, and I detested wearing sleeveless frocks. But for some sinister reason, my mum loved buying me sleeveless frocks. She believed that kindergarteners looked cuter in sleeveless dresses. Besides, Kolkata was a humid and hot place almost all round the year. I would cry everyday before I left for school because I absolutely hated sleeveless. Then again when I was in primary school, I had a velvet fetish. I liked to think I looked regal and aristocratic in my velvet tunics. And as expected, my mum would force me to wear cotton clothes as the hot sun never spared velvet. I was often cross with my mum for making me look fashion-challenged back in school, but look at me now! I myself will recommend anybody and everybody who asks me, to pick sleeveless cotton or linen garments over any other material. I have been living in Mumbai for most of my life now, and the place is equally, if not more, hot and humid than Kolkata. I have begun to truly appreciate the lightweight and airy properties of summer dresses.

During my board exams, my mum gave me the best tips one could hope to get. She herself was a district topper in her exams, and her words were like pearls of wisdom for a jittery examinee like me. I diligently followed her advice on creating a timetable, taking breaks between study sessions and writing to practise concepts. I also improved my handwriting and worked on my presentation. And it paid me well. I was a top ranker in India and (obviously) one of the toppers in my school. I don't know if I would have done as well if I kept doing what I usually did - read (without writing) and keep everything for the last minute.

I am well into my twenties now, and I still get a lot of advice from her. I am sure I do not appreciate most of it. But perhaps someday, when I become a mother like her, I will begin to understand why she feels the way she does. Nevertheless, my mother is and always will be my first expert!

Destressing Mummy

My mother is a constant worrier! She assumes that she and only she is accountable for everything any member of our family does. She might come across as a control freak to some, but what she actually does is simply care a little too much for all of us.

My mum has a habit of making sure every day goes like clockwork. She has to wake up at four in the morning and meditate. Then she sleeps again for a couple of hours before waking up finally to make lunch for my father and sister, which they carry in their tiffin. Mom then prepares a sumptuous breakfast for all of us, consisting of a variety of cut fruits, nuts, a hot beverage and a protein-rich filling dish. On the days that I get a little late for work, she insists on packing my breakfast so I can eat it on the go. This super-homemaker then manages the housework by coordinating with our various housemaids - the cook, the sweeper and the dish-washing lady.

My mom attends to the door-knocks of umpteen visitors on a daily basis - the milkman, the newspaperman, the laundry boy, and several of her friends who drop by to say hello. I keep wondering how she manages to stay so active throughout the day. When we are back from work, she always has a hot meal ready for us. Then she goes out to buy groceries. My mum is a singer and she routinely attends her music lessons. She is also an environmental activist and joins her NGO founder friend on her numerous campaigns and events.

You will not believe when I tell you she is over fifty years old! Despite her busy schedule, she manages to groom herself well and is one of the trendiest women in her circles. My mum loves to match her clothes, bags, shoes and accessories. She never forgets to wear her makeup before leaving the house. I cannot even begin to imagine the kind of stress my mother goes through. Her lifestyle has led to her developing ulcerative colitis and she has been on a strict diet and medicine regime for the last few years.

I feel that a supermom like her deserves to destress! This is why I wish to give her a Parachute Advanced aromatherapy oil massage so she can relax. After all, she gives me hair oil massages at least once a week. It is time I pampered and indulged her a bit.

I’m blogging about why my mother needs to de-stress with a Parachute Advansed Aromatherapy Oil massage for the #StressFreeMom activity at BlogAdda.

An Equal Home

I have been observing Indian homes for a long time now. And one thing is glaring - the inequality between men and women. When I was a school kid, I would assume women did all the household chores as their husbands went to office. It was an equal partnership that way. But even now as I see working married women around me in office, I find that it is only women who continue to run all errands at home.

The statistics are appalling! Women are forced to become supermoms who do it all - work, raise children, cook, clean and manage to look pretty! It is not an equal world if men do not volunteer to share housework. Washing clothes is no longer a woman's domain. Men must be equal contributors to household chores, especially now that women are the equal breadwinners of the house.

Source: ariel.blogadda.com

There are three easy steps to a happy home. The first is to share all work equally. The man and wife can split the duty of laundry and do it on alternate days. And this holds good not only for laundry but all routine housework. Take turns to wash the dishes. Go out with your wife on grocery shopping and help her carry those heavy bags. Help her out in the kitchen. If she can wake up early to make breakfast for the entire family and show up in time for work, so can you! Learn to chop some veggies and stir some gravy. Sweep the floors and mop them on alternate days with your better half. Iron those clothes with her when you are back from work. Only once you start working will you have more respect for all the work your wife does for you. Sharing the load will make you equal partners at home. If you realize the load is too much for the two of you, hire some help. She will certainly appreciate it, and love you more for it!

Source: ariel.blogadda.com

Also, it is believed by both men and women that sharing housework is good for the marriage. Couples who lend each other a hand at cooking, cleaning and washing, have a healthier and happier love life. They quarrel less and respect more. The first step will automatically lead to the second step of having a happy marriage.

Source: ariel.blogadda.com

Thirdly, most women will agree that if men helped around the house, they would have more time for themselves and for their husbands. If men complain about not having good quality time with their wives, it is their equal fault. When you share the load, your wife will have more time for you. And who knows, you might just have those lovely dinner dates again! ;-)

I am writing for the #ShareTheLoad activity at BlogAdda.com in association with Ariel.