Saba Irfan's Blog, page 25

Occasions for gifting a Handmade Portrait

Gifting someone a present is probably the only event where the giver and receiver both feel the same warmth and love. Recently, people have developed a tendency of preferring custom and personalized gifts over any materialistic one. Hand painted portraits are one of such gifts. The warmth of love and care which is seen in these Handmade paintings are unmatched.

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BookMyPainting is a team of young innovatives who are working hard to bring this art into mainstream. They have a tech enabled, user friendly environment where you can easily book these Hand-painted Portraits from photos. Photo to painting is a technique which is appreciated worldwide recently for keeping the old art methods alive.

You must be wondering which occasions are great for such a gift. Let me tell you, every celebration deserve these beautiful creations. Still there are some occasions for which these are perfect.

1. Christmas

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Christmas is one such time in a year when it’s all about Christmas. We all struggle to find the perfect gift for our loved ones. This Christmas you can present them a stunning Handmade Charcoal sketch with great contrast and unmatched Details. I bet you won’t find any difference in the art and real. You can even get the picture of their dog Sketched, and present him with a dog portrait. This is something so out of the box, it’ll be the best gift for Christmas

2. Valentine’s Day

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Valentine’s is truly the festival of love. On this day love birds celebrate their love and take pride in their togetherness. This Valentine’s Day gift your girlfriend a hand-painted oil Portrait Painting and make her believe she’s no lesser than a queen. Oil portraits are so realistic that she’ll fall in love with you all over again. To make it more unique you can get a Picture of her childhood and get her a baby oil painting. This will be the most special gift she’ll ever have.

3. Birthday

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Once a year, we all celebrate life and thank the creator for making us a part of it. Birthdays are truly a Special day for one. This Birthday, the best birthday gift will be a watercolor painting with all the color splashes and artistic creativity. Watercolor is an ancient technique from China and Japan which developed during 500-600 BCE. This is gonna be a perfect gift for someone’s birthday who’s still a kid inside. Make sure you don’t forget to add a birthday message on the picture.

4. Pet loss

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Pets love us unconditionally and unwantingly. They are more like a family member to us. Loosing a loved one is really a hard feeling and can be very difficult for one to cope up with.

Memorialize a pet as a Oil Portrait Painting will be the best pet loss gift ever. This is one of way to keep their memories alive with is forever. Somebody who looses a pet really feels like they have lost their own part. This gift will definitely help them deal with the loss and feel a happy vibe.

5. Wedding Anniversary

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Wedding is the union of two souls. You can gift a hand-painted portrait not only as a wedding anniversary gift but as a wedding gift for a bride and groom too. You can pick a picture from their pre-wedding photoshoot and get a pencil color sketch for them. You can even get their wedding picture painted for the anniversary gift. This will remind their love for each other again and again over the years and your gift will be with them in their journey of a happy married life ahead.

Gifting doesn’t need occasions. It needs love and affection. No matter what an event is, you cam always rely on these masterpieces. They will never break your heart. The receiver will definitely feel the joy and warmth of love in it. Make sure you order it right on time.

Happy Gifting!!!

The first step towards motherhood!

The first nausea, the first dilemma in life that leaves you both scared and excited at the same time, those first tears you get in your eyes that’s not because of pain, but something eternally divine! Those sleepless, restless nights which have loads of promises of happiness attached to it. Those moments of uncomfortable and weird things happening to yourself but you love them all the same. Those times when someone’s kick never hurts you, and finally that time when the most severe pains in the hospital doesn’t make you weak, rather evolve you as a stronger person, a better version of yourself, a mother!

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Yes, I am talking about the epic journey of pregnancy commencing with those nauseas and ending with a bundle of joy wrapped in your arms. Remember, the feeling when you smell the sweet scent of the little one and felt your fragrance get reflected in another human being? Do you recollect the first feeling of considering yourself more than a woman, loving yourself as a mother of somebody?

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The fear that arises simultaneously with this unique excitement is natural. You suddenly get a small being in your hand who’s totally dependent upon you even for their minute needs. That fear you feel first time in your life very severely. But, that’s where your strength evolves too. You decide to care for the little one more than yourself and suddenly you are engrossed in their needs more than of your own.

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That’s motherhood! The limitless caring and love for your baby and the feeling to make the world stoop to your child’s happiness and needs. While you are busy recovering from your post pregnancy changes of your body, you also are busy in meeting the unstoppable demands of this innocent little fellow. The support you get in this time of your life is precious and totally unforgettable throughout your life. Not anyone except the most trusted people of your life are permitted to help you in this journey of motherhood.

That’s when you even choose the baby products you use for the baby with so much care and the brand that you trust the most. It’s not a surprise that the products you use for the baby are those which are delicate on their skin, just as the babies are! Care for their newly soft skin, just as you care for them. Feels on their body just as a mother’s touch!

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That’s what I trust the most A baby care product that’s renown for being gentle on my baby’s skin and carry no harmful chemicals that could adverse effect on her skin.Those products which are paraben and alcohol free, hypoallergenic, PH balanced and hence prevents amt kind of side effects on my baby’s skin. These products are well researched before I used them. After all they are going to be the closest touch to my child after mine. The touch that touches my baby the same way I do, with care, with gentleness!

Here’s how you can make your content on Helo more engaging

 

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Helo is a platform that not only promotes local talents and trends, but also provides users with an opportunity to help them gain popularity in their own and wider communities. As a fast-growing platform, Helo India also attracts many famous and emerging artists and celebrities, who make relevant content on the app, which helps them reach out to the diverse user base of over 50 million monthly active users.                  

So how do you get the perfect audience for your content? One of the most important things to keep in mind is the originality in your content, which would hold a lot of potential to splurge and be shared on the platform, eventually leading to an increase in your following. 

A perfect post with an attractive caption and proper hashtags is what is highly recommended to reach the masses, however, an even more important point than that is the kind of audience you have. On       Helo, you not only create and share content, but you engage with your audience. Replying to a comment on your post is nothing less than writing a fan mail. You have to be there for them to know that you will always care to reply. 

Related Article: 

•  Global Desis use   Helo   to Connect with their communities
• 

Then come the hashtags, as they are key to increase the reach amongst your category. And yes, creative content around the most trending posts always works. Another thing that helps is actively following other content creators, talking to them and engaging in their posts. A good gesture never goes in vain. 

Following these tips will not only help you increase the reach of posts, but will also help in gaining new followers. And there can be no better feeling than knowing there are thousands or millions of new faces whom you can connect with and gain popularity. A chance to be popular with your original content, made possible by the Helo App.    

3 instant healthy and yummy snack ideas for kids!

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Today, as mothers our prime concern is to make our kids eat healthy! Their proper diet and better growth is all we are stressed about. But the more we stress on this matter, the more our kids make a point to fuss on the subject and refer to junk and packet foods. The struggle every mom faces to bring their kids towards healthy foods and snacks is real. Today let’s read about some healthy snack ideas that can give your kids a delightful meal yet the right content of nutritional value.

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Healthy cookies — Preparing cookies at home can be a time consuming and tough task. Even so, making it with healthy ingredients is another stressful procedure that isn’t always possible. It could be really good if someone would have made it with just as hygiene and care as we mothers do! Early foods is one such brand which have taken this initiative forward and have discovered dozens of flavours for cookies which are healthy, organic and yummy too. They have the ones with beetroot, melon seeds, ragi, oats, etc. And the best part here is that these cookies aren’t made in typical sugar that can be harmful to us if taken in excess, it consist jaggery! Thus, when my kid keeps are munching these cookies I know they are not intaking something harmful and are getting a dose of health in each bite

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Sweet or namkeen sheera — Sheeras can be really yummy filling. If your kid demands an evening snack, then try the sheera. It has the capacity to keep their yummy filled for around 1-2 hours. You can either make it using semolina or oats. Both of them are quite healthy for little ones and also light on their tummies. Or you can also mix both of them and prepare a nice sheera with some healthy veggies or fruits included too. And if you want to add in some extra nutrition in it, try Early foods dry fruits seven seeds powder. If can be mixed in any of the sheera to add its rich mineral and vitamin content and give your child a fuller, healthier meal. This seven seeds powder as mentioned contains the seeds of the seven melons and fry fruits which are finely powdered and are very beneficial. A snack consisting one or two teaspoon of these powder is surely going to be great for your child.

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Early foods almond and dates healthy drink mix

A porridge— If you have a toddler crying for a snack or the one who loves gobbling liquids, porridge is the best option for their evening back meal. Again, there are various ways of preparing a healthy porridge. There are oats or semolina and even other flours that can be really good for a yummy tasting and filling porridge. If you want to skip all of these and create some unique taste that’s superb and even best for your child’s nutritional plan, try Early foods dates and almonds healthy drink mix. It has a really delightful taste and the benefits of almonds and dates grinded to make a perfect powder. Just add in the making of the regular porridge instead of oats or semolina or flour and let your kid enjoy a pleasant tasting healthy snack in minutes. You can also just mix it with a warm glass of milk and offer it to your kids for a light treat at midnight or before school.

Children are mostly fussing at meal times. But snacking is something when they tend to enjoy eating and devour everything offered to them happily. Make sure you take full advantage of this situation and offer them nutritious Early foods snacks that’ll not only provide them with all the essential vitamins, but they’ll also love it’s lip smacking taste!

Small steps that can save nature!

With the rise of education about global warming, more and more people are becoming concerned about saving the Earth! Obviously, we want to leave some of the blessings that we are privileged to have for our kids too. No on wants to gift their children barren farms and waterless lakes! Yes, that’s what you are going to leave behind if you don’t care for the environment now! Below are few life hacks that doesn’t require much efforts, but can save loads!

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Keep the surrounding clean– Ok, so one more preaching of #SwatchbharatAbhiyan after prime minister, Narendra modi. But, it is needed. When you throw the thrash outside the window it is going to get accumulated somewhere. And most of our usage and thrash products contain plastic. This is going to clog the gutters and drains. As plastics are in disposable, can you imagine the huge pile of it we are going to have someday? What you do is, recycle your waste. Transfer that plastic bottles into dustbins and place them at regular places. You can even create a good plant pot from them. There are more creative DIYs through which you can use them in your regular home decor and many more items. And if possible, boycott them totally! This would be your small step towards a great tomorrow.

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Plant a sapling — A plant that is planted is actually your donation towards nature. With each sapling comes a source to decrease pollution, provide beauty, shade and food to the world. Who would want to be deprived of such great blessings ? What you need is, take a worn out or old bottle, fill it up with mud(you get it free) and plant some seeds of your choice. Water them regularly and place them around your neighbourhood when their good to go! If possible, start a new plant once a week! Also, you can gift your friends a sapling to create awareness.

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Save water — Something saved is like something earned. You can’t earn or grow water, but at least you can save it! Try using less shower, less flushes, less in taps and so on. Recycle water too! How? Well, I recycle it by washing the veggies and rice in clean water and not throwing that water. Instead I collect it and use it for watering my trees. There is also a saying, carry your own water to know what it’s worth! You can do so to keep a check on your water usage and ofcourse preaching the same is like saving it by yourself too!

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Car pool — You can even save fuel just as you do save water! What it needs it’s just a wise usage of your automobiles. Make sure to check your vehicles and get them serviced at regular intervals. As the ones lacking this procedure creates a lot of air pollution. Go for car pool as much as you can. There are Uber’s, OLA cars today offering the same in reasonable rates.

These few steps and a little more consideration and compassion towards your surroundings. Our earth would be saved! So what are you opting for today?

Assets that can boost your finances in future

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Ownership of anything is a matter of great pride for us! We tend to love owning everything that we desire. May it be a good bungalow or a trendy car, the pride of being called the owner of that asset is immense and above all things for us! These assets are also a source of great profit for us sometimes.

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But this ownership never comes easy! There need to be years of hard work induced in it. These years of hard work takes the form of the monetary value which we give in to buy these assets and later be called its possessor! Reaching to this asset also requires some efforts along with the cash flowing in.

➢ Easy to own assets that can be profitable

There can be numerous such sources that we can buy and which can prove beneficial for us! But are all of them profitable to us? Will all of them gain some positive points on our credits? Are all these really worth buying? Therefore, here are the best ones which can be easy to own and later will also be a source of betterment for you in the future.

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Apartments

An apartment or a house can be the best asset you can own that benefit you really well in the future. The procedure of the same is also pretty much simple as it just involves getting a pre purchase inspection done on the place to know if the place is worth buying, later going through all the formalities and completing the purchase in the end. This house can later result in getting you a good amount of money if given in for lease and even double the rates if sold after some years. It’s a kind of valuable that can bear fruits at any point and repay you better in the near tomorrow.

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Automobiles

Another resource that’s super easy to acquire. Just through loans or summing up your savings, a car bought can be an easy merit to acquire. This can also give you lots in return when already gained in possession. You can lend it as a cab to be used for transport service or even use it for years and sell it at a good price later. An automobile always gives in the best resale value when sold even after years of usage.

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Precious stones

These may be called more valuables than an asset. Some precious stones can give you loads after years of crazy usage. You keep on buying them over the years for yourself or may be to secure your savings at a place, and later over the years if you want to give them up, they tend to raise a good amount for you. These stones often double up in rates during the course of time and get the best prices when sold after some time.

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Smartphone

This is another resource that you should gain when you want to own holdings that could be extremely advantageous for you. These phones can be easily bought through innumerable easy ways like EMI, yearly sales that sell them in really discounted rates and also through credit cards. Though you can’t lend it to someone, but still, after a good usage, you can sell your phones at at-least half the rates you bought them in. This may not exactly give you the profits, but can be included in the lists of assets that you have which may gain you some points later.

Commercial properties

They can be bought just like we can buy an apartment, but the sum needed here is always of larger value. These properties, as they hold a commercial value are destined to face more paperwork and legal formalities and therefore takes more time to be owned than personal apartments. Also, the rate when leasing these places or selling them is always higher.

These assets are easy to gain if you own a fair sum that needs to be invested somewhere. They may seem small investments at this point of time, but they can always matter much when it comes to gaining something from them.

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Create a style statement with your stylish persona

A style is what defines you truly. Your personal perspective of what suits you the best that though may be imitated by many, but can never create the same result on any other person other than yourself. Nowadays, it seems the representing factor of an individual’s personality. People often recognize you with your style of talking, dressing, carrying yourself, etc. In short, style is what we all possess but tend to represent in a different manner individually.

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With the growing competition in looking best to achieve the best, it’s important to create our marks in the minds of society. And believe me, achieving the same isn’t a joke. You tend to dress exotically, upgrade your wardrobes more often with attires bought from well-known stores.

➢ Three ways to create a super stylish persona

We always believe the stereotype that looking stylish is limited to our dressing sense. This can be called the understatement of the decade! You are defined by the way you converse, the way you manage to carry any clothing you’re wearing, your work methods and also sometimes your hobbies. From taking better courses to help you converse well to following your hobbies seem more exciting, it’s all included in creating a superb persona. Let’s put some light upon the three best and easiest way through which you can create a better approach and become cooler in your lifestyle.

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Wear right!

We always tend to consider the latest fashion trends and the accessories or the dresses that are expensive to be the right ones for is. This actually isn’t true. Your body type has a requirement that somebody else’s body doesn’t have. A skinny body looks fabulous in some clothing while a petite one wouldn’t be able to grasp that style perfectly. That’s why always buy what suits you the best rather than what you see others looking good in it. That’s when you can create a unique stylish self by wearing what’s perfectly made for you. Thus, note the point, it’s not wear good, it’s actually wear right!

2. Flaunt and follow your hobbies

Never ever underestimate your any hobby. It’s a part of your being, the part of your soul and your interests. It may sound weird to others because they don’t possess the same interests as you do. Your interests, your hobbies, your passion belong to you alone and are a part of your personality. It’s what contributes to your unique style. This is what helps you create an uber cool yourself. Enjoy while you are engrossed in your hobbies and flaunt it with pride and let the world decide if they approve it or not. You can be the best when you put everything you are made up of on display and bind a better self that adds in to your stylish persona. For example, a poet may be assumed as a boring person, but actually that poetic hobby decides how he converses, approaches to any situation and sometimes even what he is wearing. This simply becomes the part of his personality that just couldn’t be ignored or denied. So better, flaunt that poetic spirit with great pride and let it multiply the positive traits.

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3. Converse confidently

That’s another huge aspect that couldn’t be at all ignored in any person. We often come across individuals who look superb, wear absolutely fabulous attires but when they open their mouths, their conversations fail them badly. This can happen with anyone. By conversing well it’s not that any specific language may decide how well-spoken you are, it’s the style in which you converse that becomes your statement creator. That’s converse clearly literally comes in to picture. Be it any language from the globe, but if it’s spoken clearly well, is able to pass son your message to the opposite party, it becomes the positive add on to your personality. If you desire to be more stylish, try making your speeches appealing along with the clarity. This would add on the charisma you need to charm others with your manners.

Apart from these, you can also look upon some of the traits that you possess and you think can charm others and try flaunting them as well. Make sure your confidence speaks for you and the next time you’re ready to woo someone, get well versed with the above lists to help you!

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Creative tactics to increase your brand awareness!

Today, exposure is what we all want! The greater name and fame we have, the higher our business sales go. It’s just the matter of reviews and word of mouths and your brand suddenly gets known by millions. Also, a great presentation makes it way to peoples heart and later at their homes!

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Brand awareness is important no doubt! No brand can grow and progress if it’s in a shell. You need to make your costumers aware of what you are offering and how to get known and adopted by them. Who’s going to opt for a brand of which they know nothing about?

 Innovative strategies to increase your brand awareness!

Trying to project your brand far and wide can be touch. Also, it requires a lot of time and efforts plus creativity to do the same. Therefore, it’s best recommended to hire an expert professional service for the same. They’ll get you highlighted better and you can enjoy the fruits of the same. Apart from that, let’s see some of those unique ways in which you can increase your brands fame!

o Captivating logo — A logo represents the brand like nothing else does. If it’s catchy and creative, it’ll attract your customers towards you because of curiosity. If it’s dull and the same usual one, it’s going to repel them instantly. A logo counts and the choice for the same matters too. When you are deciding for a logo, go for the one that depicts your speciality and your services well. Be innovative in your creation. Or simply hire Professionals for the same who have got some creative heads which should be phenomenal in designing unique yet trendy logos that fit your brand the best. They should assure the best of logo creation for your brand keeping in mind your preferences.

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o Influencer support— Influencers on social media nowadays have the power to influence a large number of people. Just by getting some of the images and videos viral they can turn anybody’s world upside down! Take the full advantage of this offering. You can hire some influencers and have their support to highlight your brand better. They can either try out your services or products personally or just let their followers know about its specialities. This will grant you the maximum brand exposure and attract a lot of customers to try out your offerings too. (This awareness can actually spread like fire If planned appropriately)

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o Attractive brand packaging — You just don’t want to be counted amongst those common local brands, do you? So, always opt for customised and attractive brand packaging. Your upper packaging should be elegant and exclusive and speak for itself. If your packets portray your logo beautifully with your brand name embossed on it attractively, it’s going to have people take a second glance on your product. And you never know this second glance can result in to a purchase too. Always pay attention to your packets and presentation. Nowadays when presentation rules the market, a captivating brand packaging can never go wrong.

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o Go through the SEO Study — An SEO is what optimises the views of your brand. Especially, if you don’t have any physical store and are just an e-commerce site. SEO study counts and just how! You obvious own a website for your brand and it is the main location where your consumers would be checking you when inquiring about you. Be sure to have your name being on the top of the google search when they type a certain keyword that’s related to your brand. Always pay a close attention to your websites presentation and it’s working. Make sure to highlight your key points well for the readers to access the same quickly.

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o Grab the social media attention — Nothing can get your brand awareness better than a great project on social media. Stay online is the key to stay always on peoples mind. You have to be very active and enthusiastic on your social media channels. A new offer, some giveaways, lots of unique and creative brand and product images and daily weekly posts is what you require to grow your brand reach.

These are some unique ways of grabbing your customers attention to increase your brand awareness. The more you try on the above areas to become better, the more you’ll be known by the people and the better your brand reaches on the market ranking!

8 great tips for home care at its best!

Home care can be demanding! You have to look after the whole spacious area where you reside and keep it shiny clean daily. Having said that, there’s also the toughest stage of doing all the same in the presence of your family members and their active entries and exits from the place. Not to forget their daily routine activities adding in to constant work pile for you to clean.

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These daily usage and constant activities around the house demand some constant attention from the home makers too. Just like a commercial worker has to dedicate all of the time in checking in the minutest details of the workplaces. Like keeping in track with the bills to pay to checking in services of the commercial air conditioning repair, even you as a homemaker have to look up at each minute side of your house and make sure everything’s running fine. One missing point and your whole home schedule would go topsy turvy. It is therefore very important to stay alert and updated about each and every aspect of home management for a smoother lifestyle.

Caring for home better

Your home demands your attention just as your baby does! You have to tend in all those needs and that too pretty perfectly . To make your unlimited home chores a little managed, a little more efficient, follow these quick tips religiously.

oFix a schedule —your home may be vast! Even if it isn’t, a small household demands equal amount of caring just as the bigger one does. Caring and cleaning each part of it daily can’t be possible. It’s better to prepare a schedule dedicated to each of the rooms and sections and clean and organise them accordingly. This will create a proper cycle according to which each of your rooms will get proper maintenance timely.

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oRepair it first — There can be innumerable cases of damaged electronics or appliances at your place. These may slow up your daily process of cleaning, chopping or even cooling your home. Dedicate some time to call up the repairers and get them fixed. Once your electrical appliances work perfectly, your daily chores can move on better in a good pace.

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o Clean the corners — Corners are the worst culprits! Most of the times these corners are ignored which lead to a lot of serious issues in the house. They can be a source of growing pests and unbearable smell at home. Be sure to clean those at regular intervals for enhanced cleanliness at your place.

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oSpecial attention to kitchen — Kitchen is the prime place at any home. Here’s where your family’s health concerns get related. Be sure to give your Kitchenettes and cabinets special and double attention when cleaning. Use an organic and germ killing cleaning agents for only kitchen cleaning purpose. Make sure you never leave any food unwrapped or without a lid. Dry up the dishes on their places after every use and keep checking the approach of cockroaches or other pests which can be dangerous and unstoppable after they enter the kitchen area.

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oStock up well — When we are talking of food area, keeping the food stocked up is another main task that’s to be performed at regular times. Always keep a check on your grocery list and make sure each and everything is stocked up well. Always keep on checking them in a week if they have become stale or have passed out because of open packagings. Maintain a separate cabinet for your kitchen stock to keep a regular record of your grocery needs.

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oMop dust repeat — Your daily tasks should include a repeated and timely session of dusting your homes, sweeping regularly and mopping to avoid any kind of dust accumulation at home.

oVacuum sessions — Your home also demands a thorough weekly cleaning. This cleaning in depth need vacuum sessions at least once a week. You can get rid of major dust and also clean the minute corners like sofa depths, behind the bed section, etc. with it.

oWash it daily — The one basic habit in home management that needs to be changed is doing the laundry weekly. This results in a huge pile of washing to be done each week and you actually end up spending your whole Sunday washing them. It’s therefore better to put your machine to work on a daily basis and wash them daily to avoid any such kinds of tiresome work later.

There are many such tasks like folding clothes, managing the wardrobe mess, cooking at scheduled time, etc that can be quite handy in managing home better. And these eight tips can’t minimise the great effort a homemakers puts in caring for the home. But can definitely organise it well and help in getting it done faster and more conveniently.

The mysterious Staircase!

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The jumbled castle had many range of stairs, all sliding downwards, the never ending one they seemed! I was lost, tired and thirsty. The never ending circular stair case was getting on my nerves now. The feeling of dizziness was increasing, I was desperately praying to it end so that I can land safely on the place I was destined for.

What was more strange was that though the spiral staircase was going on from heights enough for fifteen to twenty floors, there’s wasn’t a single room around them. Each floor seemed to be folded just in the staircase. There’s wasn’t anything around it, no room, no corridor, absolutely nothing. That was what frightened me more as I was climbing down. But I had to, for something important dependent on what I got from the last steps of this staircase.

It was just yesterday, my late uncle came in my dream in a weary condition. All clad in torn, old attire with wounds on his hands, face and legs and walking as if he’s been limping for long. He was withering in pain and cried out to me, “help me dear, help me! I have been in unbearable pain since the day I died. You only can help me get rid of it. Save me from this pain, please, will you?” He folded his hands in request in front of me. I was scared seeing him like this. I felt my mouth go dry. I asked him, “how can I help you uncle? And what’s keeping you in so much pain? You were such a gentleman when you were alive, you never hurted a soul through your action or words.” Listening this he sighed, “oh yes! According to the world I was a kind, gentleman. But little did all know what bad deeds I did in my life. But one of them was so severe that it’s keeping me in continuous pain and it won’t be relieved until you help me.”

I wasn’t sure I could anything for him but out of curiosity I just asked, “let me know what I could do, I’ll certainly do it for you.” “Do you know the tall castle that stands beyond the city?” “The one that people say is haunted?” I felt scared. He half smiled as if mocking the idea of haunting. “Yes the same. You have to reach the top of it through the ladder kept outside the castle and climb down the stairs. You’ll find a huge trunk on the last step, you’ll find a small box in it, just give that box to the family residing at the other side of the lake and remember, don’t even look beyond the cloth below the box. Just close the trunk and burn it and leave.”

“How can I just burn the trunk? What if the castle caught a fire?” “No, it won’t. It would never do anything that could harm others. That fire would restrict itself to the trunk.” “But what’s in the trunk? And who are the family residing at the lake side. And what if there are many families, how will I recognise the deserving one? And why only me? Why not anyone else for this task?” The questions were endless but uncle was already stepping back, as if forcefully, with pain, limping away, “you’ll soon get all your answers, don’t ignore it. Only you can help her, help her and save me some pain please…”

The next day passed in a puzzled state. I couldn’t decide whether it was truth or just a bad dream? But whatever it was, my conscious couldn’t let me rest until I tried out what uncle told me to do. Hence, today, I just took the outer ladder and climbed the castle. I couldn’t make out why even though the outer side of the tower was pretty easy to climb, the inner side could be a jumbled, never ending staircase.

Though I was very scared to visit the haunted castle alone, but as it was day time, I had a little courage for it. Plus I had me pet dog, standing outside the castle, who with just a sniff can recognise I was in a danger.

I was still amazed why would uncle only choose me to do this task. Why not someone else? Well, as he said so, the answer would soon be in front of me. My legs were paining because of climbing down the stairs for long. I felt as if there was hardly any life left in my legs. Now they were beginning to shake too.

Finally, after around half an hour of climbing the Stairs down, I saw the last step. My feet got a new life. I stopped and stared around. Strange, the cottage had nothing beyond those stairs. It was just a round hall where the staircases were and the origin on it, up all the way towards the sky looked as if it were just two to three storeys. I searched the round about hall, to find an exit. Strange there wasn’t any! I felt the chill run down my spine. I actually climed down a haunted castle, following a stupid dream, alone without doing any research on the same. How could I be such a fool! What if I couldn’t get out? What if it got dark with me inside alone and the ghosts came out? Just the thought got me perspiring.

In a sudden action of panic I headed straight towards the stairs. To hell with the dream and to hell with the good deed of helping, I am leaving now! Suddenly behind the staircase I saw something shining, shining really very brightly. I headed towards it, but something stopped me from inside. What if it’s something dangerous. But my curiosity got better of my logic. I went around the source of the brightness left me open mouthed!

It was a large, six feet long trunk with diamonds studded on it. So this was the trunk that uncle told me about. Means the dream wasn’t stupid afterall. It was a real message towards something important. Well, it I just discovered the proof that it was something real, I was sure that box would be in it too and the family would be there too. I slowly stepped towards it ans opened the trunk. It was heavy, a little jammed but opened with a sharp shriek.

And yes! There was a box on it with the same diamonds on it. I lifted it, a sudden smoke filled the entire hall, I could hardly see anything around. I tried waving away the fog, but it wouldn’t go. The box was with me, it was heavy. The red cloth beyond it reminded me of something. What? I couldn’t remember. Slowly, frighteningly I put my hands on the cloth. A sudden loud noise from Somewhere jolted me. I stepped back with the box. Then I remembered my uncle’s warning, not to remove it any cost.

I gulped. With great efforts I came back towards the trunk, tried closing it but still I couldn’t remember where have I seen that cloth before. Suddenly, the trunk shut closed with a huge thud and the fog started clearing away, where? Even I wondered that.

I slowly brought out the match box outside my pocket and decided to burn the trunk. But what if I got burnt in this fure too and couldn’t get out ever? But again uncle said it would never harm me or anyone ever. If rest of the things uncle said so far was truth, this would be too.

Slowly I saw flames burning the trunk away. I retaliated towards the stairs glancing back occasionally. Half frightened, half alarmed if the fire is spreading. But it didn’t! It remained where it was and strange enough, there wasn’t even a burning smell in the castle. What was more strange? I reached on the top of the staircase within five minutes and without much efforts and climbed the stairs back with the box.

My pet was waiting for me and we both set back towards the lake. For once I felt someone was watching me from behind and I turned towards the castle only to see it standing calmly and silent as always.

I reached the lake and strangely so there wasn’t any house visible there. I remembered some months back I have passed from here and there were atleast fifty of them here. Think so government was planning for something to be constructed here and hence they were demolished. May be uncle didn’t know all of it then..I started returning back thinking what I’d do of the box now. The sound of a baby crying nearby stopped me in my steps. I turned and searched for the source. There was the a small hut just opposite the lake and a banyan tree. I went and knocked there, an old man in his late sixties opened up the thin door for me looking puzzled. I just handed it the box and asked him if he knew anything about it. Strangely, he started weeping hugging the box. I asked him the reason for it and what he said was really astonishing.

“This box is what was going to save me. But we destroyed later.. my daughter, she disappeared because of this box.” He started crying loudly. The old lady came out of the hut and when she saw the box and the old man crying, she cried too. “I used to work for a rich man from the town. I spent my whole life serving him. Once he went out of town and left me as a caretaker for his property. After he came back he found that a huge amount of money was missing from his locker and he blamed me for the theft. He told he’d put me behind bars for this. I was so shocked that he could even of me in this manner. I came home crying and then my wife and my daughter who was a widow with a small baby decided to save me by giving all her wedding jewellery to the boss. But he couldn’t agree. Then my daughter went to request him about the same and after that day we haven’t seen her anywhere. Not even the police could find her. Neither have anyone known about the box.”

The story was shocking and sad but I didn’t understand what it had to do with uncle or her. “Then did your boss put you in jail?” I asked. “No he died in a sudden car accident after a week of the incident.” This jolted me! “Was your boss Mr. Manchi?” I was shocked when he answered with a nod. That’s when I remembered where I have seen that red coloured satin cloth before. That girl…. Oh my God!

I felt as if the world was spinning around me. I stood up ready to go. But the old lady grasped my hand and asked, “you know where our daughter is right? Please tell us… Please for the baby’s sake.” She started weeping. I felt as if the earth would dog a hole and if I could just burry my self underneath. “Your daughter is dead. She died three months ago and today I burnt her for her last rites. I said between tears and left running and crying as I went out. I just couldn’t see them wailing for their only daughter and had no courage to see an orphan baby getting orphaned again.

I remember it too well. She was the girl who came in search for uncle that day at the farm house. And I have given her the address to go towards the castle. He was there for a work. She had a beautiful, red satin cloth wrapped up on something. I was here to visit uncle for holidays and wanted to make some new friends. I told her if I could walk with her towards the castle and she was more than happy. She told me about how she loved moving around the country side with her baby and never told that she was a widow. She was so young, so beautiful, so naive. I even offered her a job in the city with us when she said about her need for a job. We were already like friends within just a miles walk. “You are really good dear..I never had a friend in my life before. Neither a sister, just mummy and Papa. But I would wished having a sister, it would be someone like you. I’ll definitely meet you again. I am sure you’re going to help me in future.” And then we parted. After few steps I thought I had lost my path, I returned there too, shouted for uncle and the girl named astha too, but no one answered. Well then slowly I started towards the opposite side of the castle.

We sure met again, it was she whom I burnt today, she who I felt beyond the red cloth today and the one whom I felt watching me after I came from there. Now I knew why I was chosen to return back the parcel safely to her parents. She told me if she would have any sister, it would be like me. Means she trusted me. But how did she die was still a question in my mind.

That night after a long time finally I could sleep and she was there, looking all lovely and beautiful and smiling. “Thank you, sister.” She said. But I was thinking of something else, ” so, I was right. You are dead. But how and why’s uncle included in all this?” I asked her.

“That day when you guided me, you guided me towards my death, my destroyal. Your uncle, your uncle took me in that castle saying he found the robbed money. And yes, It was there, all in the trunk. He cheated my dad and blamed him for the theft money because he had seen me and wanted me as his mistress. He tried to claim me and when you came back calling for him that time, he shut me in the trunk where I died out of suffocation. So you know, you are the cause of saving me and making me die at the same time. But I am glad now that you did my task and have that box that my family needs so much now to them. So now, you know why only you can perform my last rights and relieve me”!

I was left speechless, I couldn’t even imagine my uncle doing such a thing to a girl that was of her daughter’s age. “And uncle?” I just uttered these words. She pointed towards the other side where I saw a man limping on his way sweating blood and wailing loudly. Where he was moving was a ditch that had flames coming out!