Made Of Great

Since childhood, if there’s one person I have admired, it is my mom. Now, for all children their mother is the driving force, the shoulder to cry on, the light at the end of the tunnel. And mine is no different. I myself am a mother, and now when I think back, I am just amazed at how she brought us sisters up, without contending herself in any way.

I have learned (and still do) a lot from her. She is the epitome of patience, tolerance and relentlessness. She still amazes me with her strong personality which doesn't seem to fade away with age, not even a tad bit. She is a self made person. A fearless, confident woman who faced new challenges totally out of her comfort zone and after a lot of learning and unlearning, emerged victorious. The best thing about her is that till today, she never shies away from learning. Even if it is from a toddler!

Probably she is this way because she witnessed my grandmother putting up a brave face in front of her eight children early on when my grandfather passed away unexpectedly. Without any regular source of income, my grandmother made sure all her children went to school, at a time when feeding them on a daily basis was a challenge. My mom grew up the hard way and probably that taught her the most valuable life lessons that she respects till today. That is the reason she used to hate it when we wasted food or made faces if we didn't get our favorite meals. That is the reason she is so fearless and tackles any situation with absolute courage and determination. That is the reason she competes with herself every day, to challenge herself so that she can be a better person in order to help others in need.

For me, my mom is divine. She possesses these qualities that elevate her to a godly status, I reckon. If you ask her friends they would describe her as the friendly, the ready-to-help person, who doesn't expect anything in return. To see such qualities in today's world, is a rarity, don't you think?

She tries to inculcate her qualities, her knowledge as far as possible in me. But being the lazy one, I hardly can match up to her. But there are certain things that have, thankfully, brushed on to me. One is to be true to myself without knowingly hurting anyone. As much as possible, I try not to cause any trouble to anybody. If I need to get something done, I will do so to the best of my ability no matter how difficult it may seem without taking any help from others. I like to be punctual, honest and genuine and these are some virtues that I have learned by merely observing my mom. Of course, if I can be even half of what she is one day, I would be in complete awe, if I may say so myself!

My mom is the one person who is made of greatness, who leaves a lasting impression on anyone who meets her. Simple, trustworthy and loving. That's what she is. I love you, mom!

Many such people are made of great. And a combination of such qualities can only result in more greatness. Like the association of Lionel Messi and Tata Motors. Both known for their reliability and trust, their joint commitment and conviction can only make lives better. Check out this link: TataMotors.

******   Post written for the Made Of Great campaign on Indiblogger  *******

Let's Put A Smile On That Face

I would like to relate a true incident when I was rescued by McCain snacks. It was a few years back, when my elder son, Varun, was all of six years. He was this extremely active kid (still is, actually) who could either run or jump, but couldn't sit still. Every evening he would love to go down and play with his friends and that would give him the ultimate joy with which he would go to sleep, awaiting more action and fun the next day. Until one day, when he caught the flu. A nasty one.

With fever running about a 102 degrees, he was extremely tired and the blocked nose and sore throat didn't make it any easier. He slept through the days and nights due to the medications and in the evenings, he would just sit on the couch, pretending to be watching TV but all he would think about was not being able to join his friends. He didn't like being stuck at home. His friends would call asking for him and I would turn them down while looking at his sad little face. By the third day, he felt a bit better but was absolutely bored. As a mother, I couldn't bear to see him that way. My cute little jumping jack was now sitting still, quietly. I couldn't take him out either as it was quite cool and I feared it might worsen his condition.

So, I came up with a plan. I thought, why not invite his close friends home? He could play with them and probably that would perk him up a little. I called his friends, whoever was available, to come home and play with Varun. I then told my son of my plan. His face instantly brightened! I eagerly headed to the kitchen to fix some snacks for all the kids. I scoured my kitchen top to bottom but couldn't find a single thing! Not even a biscuit. Now, I didn't have time to go to the shops to buy something, his friends were on their way. I was so disappointed. Just as I was wondering what to do, I chanced upon an advertisement of McCain’s snacks on TV. I remembered that I might have some McCain snacks in the freezer. We all love these snacks and keep them stashed, just in case. I quickly opened the freezer and there it was. A full pack of McCain smiles! Varun’s favorites! Phew, that was close! No sooner did his friends arrive, Varun’s mood changed and they all began playing in his room. After about half an hour, I called them out for a snack.

I cannot, till date, forget the expression on their faces when I laid the platter of those beautiful, delicious smiles in front of them. Normally, I wouldn't prefer to feed my kids fried food during illness but this time, I made an exception. Just looking at his excitement while gorging on the smiles in the company of his friends, made my day. Thank goodness for the pack of smiles in my freezer! The kids enjoyed and had a great time. Varun was back to his active self and I was relieved, to say the least.

But that was not the miracle. That night as I was tucking Varun in, he unexpectedly got up and gave me his special sloppy kiss. Pleasantly surprised, I asked him what it was for. He said,” Because I could eat smiles with my friends today! Thank you!” I felt a warmth within myself with all the love that I was soaking in. But at the end of the day, all that mattered was that Varun felt great because he could share his favorite smiles with his friends. And I couldn't thank McCain snacks more for making him happy!

Check out the wide range of delicious McCain snacks here.

******   Post written for the Let's Put A Smile On That Face contest on Indiblogger  *******

Fragrant Memories

Fragrances have always been used as an instant pick-me-up and for various health benefits. Be it flowers, scented candles/essential oils that are so much in vogue these days or even baby powder; they all provide the relaxation and calmness that we so badly crave. This is my take on an unforgettable aromatic experience.

It was a long awaited holiday. My first amidst the majestic Himalayas. I, along with my husband and four year old son were travelling to Mussoorie via Delhi. We were enjoying every bit of sight seeing in and around Delhi but all I could think about was of the moment when I would lay my eyes on the snow covered peaks of the Himalayas. That would be the ultimate spectacle for me.

While the winding roads to Mussoorie from Dehradun left me nauseating, I tried concentrating on the scenery outside. Tall coniferous trees stretched out as far as the eyes could see as we went higher. We finally reached and checked into our hotel and later that evening went for a stroll. The next day we visited the Eco Park in Dhanaulti which is around 25 kms away from Mussoorie. The route was absolutely breathtaking. Pines and deodars scaling the mountains were a refreshing sight to sore eyes. On arrival at the park I noticed that the greater part of it was coniferous. It also boasted of a variety of herbal plants and numerous colorful flowers we had never seen before. It was an off season and we were the only ones roaming around and taking in the fresh, crisp air. It was pleasantly quiet, with only the chirping of the Himalayan birds to break the silence. As I wandered, I couldn't remember the last time I had been in such a quaint place, even observing the small dew drops on the grass blades. The tall pines and deodars filled the atmosphere with their natural fragrances. Standing in the park, I carelessly detached myself from the real world to experience the refreshing and stimulating cedar crispiness. The entire park was filled with this sweet smelling bouquet. While my son was busy collecting fallen pine cones and my husband taking photographs, I let myself relax. With my senses instantly calmed, I felt so light that I almost floated in this bed of fresh aroma! I had never ever experienced anything like that before. Ah, the fragrance of pure, untouched nature! My husband had been calling out to me for some time now to look at something but I was in a trance. Reluctantly, I followed his voice only to find the unhindered view of the beautiful snow covered Himalayan peaks! It was nirvana for me, right there!

It has been five years since that visit and whenever my thoughts wander to Mussoorie, I find the sweet waft of pine trees coming back to me instantly. Such was the effect of the aroma. Living in a city, we are privileged if we get to smell the roses (quite literally!) in our tiny little gardens. It is only when we break self-imposed barriers and venture out into our virgin forests and unexplored places that we come face to face with such purity. It is incredible!

Everyone should try going back to their roots from time to time. It gets us closer to what we actually are. Nature's children.


Click here to check out the stylish, designer fragrances from Godrej aer.



******   Post written for the Inspire A Fragrance contest on Indiblogger  *******



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My Beautiful Food!

Food is life. Food is energy, as would most textbooks describe it. But more importantly, food is powerful. It can be soulful, life giving, energizing and, more often than not, nostalgic. For some, food is memory. It can bring back happiness filled moments or tears. It is sometimes a driving passion but otherwise it is merely a fuel, to survive. Whatever it means to each of us, it is an undeniable certainty in our lives.

My favourite dish is Vegetable Pulao with Aloo Mattar. Give this to me any time, any day, I would gladly devour every morsel irrespective of the place, time .... irrespective of anything actually. It was in a magazine that I saw my preferred dishes in such an alluring display that I was left salivating. Surprisingly, a mere picture has the ability to do that to you.

The vegetable pulao was absolutely perfect by the look of it. A colorful medley of vegetables scattered across a bed of long, fluffy and separated basmati rice with a hint of subtle flavours from the whole spices sauteed in ghee with a dash of milk soaked saffron. One could almost get a whiff and taste the richness of it. The aloo mattar was on a totally different dimension. Golden fried potatoes and bright green peas on a bed of thick, creamy, and slightly spiced curry, topped with sprigs of fresh coriander leaves. Usually the potatoes have this smokiness in every bite which could be relished from the picture itself. Delectable and heavenly! This is what I call scrumptious comfort food.

And what better way to serve them in the ever so stylish, Borosil glassware. Trend setting and practical, they are also sturdy whether you use them as cookware in the microwave or to serve your guests in style. It would, indeed, be picture perfect when I would whip up wonders in my kitchen with the help of the beautiful Borosil casseroles and dishes to compliment my cooking. But when such elegance and convenience is around, any simple dish would transform into a masterpiece, wouldn't it?

To explore the beautiful range of Borosil glassware, click here. 




******   Post written for the My Beautiful Food! contest on Indiblogger  *******


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Go Further to Get Closer

It is the ultimate happiness in life when you and the one you love have all the time in the world just to be yourselves. Amidst our daily chores and routine, if we carefully analyse, we are so occupied with tasks that need to be finished that we are rarely left with any time to think about ourselves let alone our loved ones. Whether as an office goer or a home maker, our duties take our top most priority. We never look back at those whom we leave behind while chasing the many dreams and ambitions. Of course, we work and earn so that our family lives a better life. But giving them undivided love and attention in frequent bouts is just as crucial.

Some of us may argue that we do want to spend time with the family but "Time kahan hai?" (Where is the time?). Time is right here, as it has always been. If we want to accomplish something, then we simply have to make the time. Out of our busy schedules, meetings, household chores, grocery shopping... whatever. Steal little moments for a hug or a kiss. Or get away from all the nagging errands that do not allow you to have love filled moments to yourselves. Go someplace far away, take a breather.  Hold hands, look into each other's eyes and relish the moment. Like this video here that shows how you can transform your desires into reality. Take a look.


                                                        Go Further to Get Closer

It is that simple. Want to do something together? Want to run far away from it all? Just do it.
Sometimes you have to go further to get closer.




******   Post written for the Go Further to Get Closer contest on Indiblogger  *******

Knowledge is Great

If I had to choose a subject that I would like to specialize in, it would undoubtedly be my all time favorite, English. And what better place to gather some knowledge than the British Council, UK’s international organization that presents people with learning opportunities across the globe.

British Council is an organization that helps create educational opportunities and cultural associations in different countries. It focuses on spreading the knowledge of the English language to as many corners of the world as possible. Not only does it produce some of the best competitive students, the organization also provides an array of unique certified teaching courses and exams. It also holds workshops and cultural events where students participate to help expand its growing network.

So whether you want to learn, teach or simply perk up your English, the best place to head is to the British Council, a powerhouse of knowledge.


******   Post written for the Knowledge is Great contest on Indiblogger  *******