Preethi Venugopala's Blog, page 37

Kaleidoscope-The Changing Colors of Love

Book 23 Of Tornado Giveaway (Package5) Go to Book No. 22 Check all the Books Here

Name of the Book : KALEIDOSCOPE: THE CHANGING COLORS OF LOVE
Author: Rachna Gupta

Read some reviews:

1.  Kritika Narula
2.  Anand
3.  Tamanna Naik

The Story:

"Every beating heart will confess that once, at least once in their lifetime they were in love."
The collection of poems in this book talks about an emotion so strong that it has the potential to create and destroy! Love in all its capacity has that aura around it; it needs to be felt and when it resides in your soul you find it giving rise to feelings never experienced before. There is passion and tenderness when being together, estrangement and pain when two souls are apart and then there is joy and relief when bound together again. The 37 poems in this book talk about this amazing feeling as seen through my eyes and felt in my heart!
You can also buy @
About The Author 


Rachna Gupta 
If poetry to you means a quest of meditative solace in the realms of nature's beauty then, inscriptions by Rachna Gupta is your gateway to a mystic appreciation of emotions and individuality.

Being brought up in the picturesque city of Siliguri - a little haven cozily tucked at the foothills of the Eastern Himalayas; seeking inspiration from nature came spontaneously to Rachna. Blessed with a childhood that's reminiscent of untouched rural bliss, she would often sit under a mango tree writing in her diary with the wind rustling her hair and whispering sweet nothings in her ears. It is no surprise that her writings depict intense reverence to the power of nature; a divine unifying spirit that runs through everything she pens on paper.

An avid reader and traveler; Rachna breathes a nomad's soul which loves meeting people, understanding new cultures and absorbing the vibrancy in aesthetics that various geographies have to offer. She is also fond of music and cooking. Rachna has spent the last few years writing a variety of articles for Buzzle.com and InfoJug.com. Her poems and short stories can be found on Writing.com and her page on Facebook. Since 2013 her work has begun inviting recognition on well-regarded websites like, Fablery and Wordweavers.com. She has published two of her poems in the December 2013 issue of 'Taj Mahal Review'.

In a novel initiative beginning July 2014, Rachna brought to life her dream of sharing book reviews and personal rendezvous with authors to her readers through her blog. The blog so far has reviews of books written by acclaimed authors such as Paulo Coelho, Khalid Hosseini and Gulzar to name a few. It also invites Guest posts by other authors to add to the novelty of its offerings.

Rachna’s penchant also lies in teaching English language to primary children and draws inspiration in them by inculcating values of literature in budding years. Despite everything that keeps her busy throughout the day, she religiously makes notes about little things that capture her attention. At the end of day when the rest of the world sleeps, these notes are transformed into poems and stories for the world to read!

A doting mother to her son, Rachna now lives in Pune with her husband and son.

Stalk her @Website | Twitter | Facebook
Go to Book No. 24
Now for the Rafflecopter: Gather as many points as you want to. The more points you get, the more you have a chance to win it all. Show your love for books.. Tweet, Like and Spread the Word... Thank you for being a Reader... You keep the Authors motivated... This is our way of saying a Thank you :) 
a Rafflecopter giveaway

#TornadoGiveaway is an initiative of The Book Club. Click on the icon to go to the event page of the Tornado .. Lots of fun awaits you :)

There is Something About You : Yashodhara lal

I received this book as part of the Indiblogger Book Review program. The many promotions online had made me apply for it. So what do I think about the book now that I have completed reading it?

Blurb:
This is not your typical boy-meets-girl story. Okay, they do meet, but there are some complications. 

Trish is twenty-eight. She’s unemployed, overweight, single and snarky. She knows all that. And if one more person – just one more person – tries to fix her, she might explode. Sahil is thirty-five. He has superpowers. Well, kind of. He seems to think so, anyway. He’s also hot (okay, in a geeky kind of way, but still). And he plays the guitar, helps the underprivileged and talks about his feelings. Aren’t guys like that supposed to exist only in fantasies? 

When Trish and Sahil meet, magic happens. Real magic, you know, like fireworks, electricity, that sort of thing. But here’s the problem. Trish doesn’t want anyone in her life. She has enough to deal with – dependent parents, flaky neighbours, bitchy editors, the works. And yet, Sahil is determined to be in her life. 

My Review
To read a book on a rainy afternoon accompanied by a hot cup of tea is one of the best pleasures that life can offer as far as a bibliophile like me is considered. When the book turns out to be a good read, it is an added bonus. Here, I list the things I liked about 'There is Something about You.'
The different storyline:
Trish is a well rounded character (pun intended) and compassionate to the core. She has just been fired from her job and the financial burden of looking after her aging parents, especially her father who is an Alzheimer patient is weighing on her in the beginning on the story. Nothing is rosy in her life. She has a weight issue as well. And everyone wants to fix her, driving her crazy.
 The book talks about her transformation from being a doormat to a completely independent and strong character. Sahil, along with his psychic abilities, comes into her life and changes her perception about many things, in a way giving it a proper direction. 
They are connected by a past deed and this adds more to the depth of their relation. But Sahil comes in with his own set of problems for which he needs the help of Trish. Will she be able to handle it all along with the immense burden that life has already thrown on her?

The Letters:My favorite part of the book:
Trish, the protagonist ends up writing a regular column for a newspaper as the anonymous Amy who is famous for employing her tongue-in-cheek humor to solve the agonies of the readers who write in with their problems. She deals with many issues that plague the society and in the process discovers more about herself and life in general. Some letters are silly, some serious and some out and out comical. 
Many themes and a simple language
There is an undercurrent of extra-marital affair, child psychology, dependent parents, weight issues and love in this cleverly written book. 
Language is simple and the narration is lucid, intriguing. The added element of the letters gives spice and sauce to the otherwise normal story of a girl-next-door.This is a book filled with humor and sarcasm that gives giggles, while it tackles serious issues. 
Verdict

All in all a good read for a rainy afternoon. I really enjoyed it. Yashodhara Lal's writing style reminded me of Sophie Kinsella. 

Will those days ever return?

Flower carpet these days: A scene from home

The flower boy is pushing his cart down our street shouting the names of the flowers. His cart is an amazing riot of colors. The jasmines, chrysanthemums, marigold and roses vie for my attention. 
Instantly, I am transported to a place which is miles away and to a time that is decades ago. Flowers do this to me always. I can hear the laughter, the smell of mouth watering payasam, the fragrance of exotic wild flowers and the chatter of many a happy kid. The visit of a beloved King Mahabali is being awaited by every household and flower carpets are being created in the courtyard to welcome him.
Young maidens are humming the Onam song and are slowly grooving around in a circle doing the Thiruvathira dance.   
Thiruvathira dance Image Source  “Maveli nadu vaneedum kalam, Manusharellarum onnu pole.Amodathode vasikkum  kalam,Aapathangaarkum ottilla thanum…”
Yes, they are singing and reminiscing the good old days when King Mahabali or Maveli ruled over Kerala. When there was happiness and prosperity all around, where there was no treachery and when Kerala was a safe haven.
Without fail, a duplicate Maveli would come to every house. A random pot bellied man selected from the village would don the role of Mahabali every year. As Kids, we genuinely revered the thick mustached, pot bellied King with the giant crown and colorful costumes. It didn’t matter that the crown was made of card board, the jewels plastic beads and the costume was on rent from the dance class.
With the arrival of Attham in the month of Chingam (August-September), our school holidays of ten blissful days would begin and so would plenty of fun. We would create flower baskets using leaves of teak and jackfruit tree which would be diligently weaved using the needles of coconut leaves. The hunt for flowers will begin once the intensity of the sunrays will begin to reduce. So after lunch we would set out with friends and foes to gather flowers— friends joined together to thwart the foes at the sight of the first flower bush.
There would be separate baskets for thumbappoo, Arippoo, Chembarathi, Kaakkappoovu, Hanumaan kireedam. 


Hanuman Kireedam: Image Source Tumbappo : Image Source

There would be strict instructions from elders about the ‘dos’ and ‘donts’ during flower gathering.
The rules:
1)      Do not harm the flower shrubs, pluck only the flowers: (Often obeyed,  as we needed flowers for 10 days at a stretch)
2)      No fights about who gets to pick flowers from which shrub: (Often ignored and the results were bruised knees, bite and nail marks during the bitter fights that erupted during these flower gathering trips. Alliances were made and broken with the hapless flowers as witnesses.)
3)      Do not go to pick flowers from fields which have not been harvested: (Often ignored. Nature often made the prettiest flowers bloom in the greenest paddy fields. Elders who stood guarding the fields would shoo us away and we would return the moment they turned their back. There were special spies employed for this very purpose.)
4)      Return before sunset: (Often obeyed. Most of us were scared cats when it came to wandering after sun set. We believed those tales about banshees, ghosts and man eater tigers. Didn’t want to take any risks)
5)      Create the flower carpets early in the morning: (Most of them obeyed, I was an exception. None of them were fans of the pleasures of a blissful sleep during the early hours on a cool august morning. That too on holidays. My flower carpet would often be the last one made in our locality.)
Those were the days we were closest to nature, when we set out to explore the wilderness and beauty of the country side and bonded over hopscotch and stone games. The size of the flower carpets would increase in size starting from Attham. The largest and prettiest carpet would be made on the Thiruvonam day.
Those were the pre-cable TV era, the pre-internet era. We kids cherished nature and waited for the seasons to change in order to explore the new changes that mother earth orchestrated.
With every passing year, the bonding with nature that Onam symbolized is vanishing. Now it is more about shopping festivals, reduction sales, readymade feasts and flower carpet competitions with purchased flowers. Wild flowers are forgotten, no one even remembers them. Paddy fields are giving way to villa projects, the valleys are all filled with buildings. The myriad hues of flowers imported from neighboring states flood the Onam markets.
Instead of going in search of flowers, kids order their parents to bring the choice of their flowers to arrange the flower carpet.
I wish I could gift an Onam from my own childhood to my son so that he could understand the essence of Onam, the festival which celebrates the blooming earth, prosperity and goodness.
But yes, I can share my memories with him and make him yearn to enjoy the same kind of bonding with nature and experience the beauty of unexplored country sides.
This post is being written for the #BachpanWithFlinto blogger contest.Flintobox creates award-winning discovery boxes filled with fun exploratory activities and games for children in the age group of 3-7. If you wish to gift  Flintobox  to your child, niece/nephew, or friend’s child, use the exclusive coupon code WELCOME to avail Rs. 250/- off.

Book 5 Of Tornado Giveaway: WARRIOR

Go to Book No. 4 Check all the Books Here



Name of the Book: WARRIOR
Author: Olivier Lafont
Read some reviews :

1. Inderpreet Kaur Uppal
2. Privy Trifles
3. Geeta Nair

The Story :

In Mumbai, driven to its knees by a merciless blizzard, Saam the watchmender is cornered into an intolerable position. As Shiva's only earthly demigod child, it falls upon him to stop his indomitable father. Bred to war, son of destruction, Saam rides with six extraordinary companions into the horror of a crumbling world to face Shiva. He is forced to join hands with Ara, his half-brother he can never fully trust and take with him his own mortal beloved, Maya, on this desperate attempt to stop the End of Days. But his path is littered with death, danger and betrayal. Interweaving mythology, epic adventure and vintage heroism, this enthralling novel will change the way you see gods, heroes and demons.
You can also buy @

About The Author 


Olivier Lafont 
Olivier Sanjay Lafont is a French actor and author living in Mumbai, India. He has acted in Hindi feature films such as blockbuster hit 3 Idiots and the critically acclaimed Guzaarish, as well as over 80 television commercials for top Indian and international brands. He has written the screenplay for the award-winning feature film Hari Om. He is also a regular columnist for MW, a gentlemen's monthly magazine, and for Men’s Health magazine. 
Lafont’s novel Warrior was published by Penguin in November 2014. 

Stalk him @Website | Twitter | Facebook
Go to Book No. 6
Now for the Rafflecopter: Gather as many points as you want to. The more points you get, the more you have a chance to win it all. Show your love for books.. Tweet, Like and Spread the Word... Thank you for being a Reader... You keep the Authors motivated... This is our way of saying a Thank you :)

a Rafflecopter giveaway 

#TornadoGiveaway  is an initiative of The Book Club. Click on the icon to go to the event page of the Tornado .. Lots of fun awaits you :)

When Karma Returns!

  My son admiring books!


Scene 1: Year: 2015
“Not entirely his fault… blame it on the genes he inherited!” calls out my husband from the living room, following it up with an audible chuckle.
 I decide to tackle him later and look at my son with absolute disgust, while he positions the pillow to counter my attack. Yes, I am waging a war to conquer my six-year-old, so that I can take him to the bathroom to be bathed. Every day, the moment I mentions the word ‘bath’ he runs to the bedroom and arms himself with a pillow, bellowing “I hate bathing.”
Flashback: (A couple of decades ago)
Me: “I don’t want to take bath. The water will be too cold.”

Mother: “The water is warm and absolutely perfect. You will not get anything to eat unless you bath.”

Me: “Okay, I don’t want to eat anything. I hate bathing. Let me die with 
hunger.” 

*ready but useless tears flow out of my eyes.*
Scene 2: Year 2015
He: “Mother, I can’t go to sleep without hearing a bedtime story.”
Me: “Okay.” *starts reading the story of Winnie the pooh, yawns and stealthily skips a few paragraphs.*
He: “Mother, you skipped the part where Winnie is stuck at the door of Rabbit’s house. You are cheating.”
Me:  “Oh, did I? Big mistake! Sorry.” *stifles a groan and continues reading without missing even a single word.”
Flashback: (A couple of decades ago)
Me: “Father, I can’t sleep without hearing the story of ‘the four friends’. You should read me the story as always.”
Father: “But dear, you already know the story. I am so tired, my dear. We will read it tomorrow, all right?”
Me: “Nooooooooooooooooo.”
*Father starts reading the story stifling a yawn.*
Me: “Father, you forgot to read the part about where the tortoise gets trapped in the hunter’s net.”
Father: *groans.*
Scene 3: Year 2015
He: “Mother I want you to buy me that book. See the one about Peter Pan. Yes, that one.”
Me: “Dear, that story you already have in the Disney story collection that you have. We don’t need another book with the same story.”
He: “Mother, this one is better. It has better pictures. I like it.”
Me: “I don’t have enough money to buy that. If we buy that we won’t have money to pay for the auto when we reach home.” *makes the best excuse possible to make him forget about the book.*
He: “Don’t worry; just break open my piggy bank when you reach home. Use that to pay for the auto.”
Me: *sniggers thinking about the few one rupee coins that occupies his pint sized piggy bank.*
Flashback: (A couple of decades ago)
Me: “Father, I want you to buy me that story book. It has the story of Cinderella.”
Father: “ Dear, but you already know the story and have read it from the cartoon book you have at home.”
Me: “But father, it is already torn. That silly friend of mine tore it.”
Father: “I don’t have money to buy that dear. May be next time.”
Me: “Don’t worry, use this money.” *hands over the 50 paise that grandma had given to buy chocolates.*
Father: *sighs*
As you can see dear reader, Karma returns always without fail. Call it Karma, destiny, luck or whatever you want. But these things called genes makes sure that it does return and messes up everything!
These days, I am updating myself with all the mischief that I did once upon a time, so that I can be prepared when my turn comes.
But then, I used to trouble my father most. Why does my son trouble me instead? Can’t he target his father?!!
Sigh!!! *bites my nails in frustration thinking about the unfairness of it all.*


 It is but not just #AajKalKeBache! Kids during my childhood were the same! 

*Wink, Wink*


“This blogger contest is supported by  Kid Social Shell , a unique digital parenting platform with 11 gaming-learning apps. Use it play 3D nursery rhymes, counting number games, shapes games, fun math worksheets, coloring games and more!”

Tread Softly by Nandita Bose

Review a great book [if you review books] or a great movie [if you review movies] that failed to get the attention of mainstream audiences. Let's help a masterpiece to also become popular through blogging #UnknownMasterpiece
This topic on Indispire this week grabbed my attention immediately. There are many good books which fail to get the attention of the mainstream audience, drowned in the downpour of other cleverly marketed books. I have abandoned many such cleverly marketed books half way through as most of them fail to fulfill the promises that they make during the intense campaigns. Paid reviews and paid campaigns, haven’t we seen enough? But whatever happens, a good book survives.

So when this topic came up, the first book that I thought about was such a masterpiece that I had read recently. ‘Tread Softly’ by Nandita Bose. It is her debut book and a friend of mine recommended the book to me as a very fine read. I had not seen it being promoted heavily anywhere and though the genre is one that I greatly like, I had not read it.So let me explain why it is a masterpiece.
Blurb: Paroma had always known that she would have to submit to her family's choice of a suitable groom so it didn't really matter which brother she ended up marrying. A replacement to his step-brother, Abhinn was a curt stranger on whom was thrust the onerous duty of marrying an unknown girl.Paroma soon found their lives irreconcilable and even social pressure was not enough to compel her to stay. But she returned to Kolkata and began a search for an alternative foothold which she found in a fledgling bookstore. As her bookstore grew, so did her husband's romance with a woman called Geetika. These were, in Paroma's eyes, facts. But beyond bare facts lay lives touched by the magic of proximities and their infinite contradictions.
About the author: Image Courtesy

Dr. Nandita Bose is an artist who dabbles in several art forms, including Khayal gayaki, poetry, art and hopeless romanticism which currently manifests as heart-warming love stories. She specializes in aesthetics and has explored teaching from nursery school to MA levels, corporate training and performance management consultancy. She has written two more novels ‘The perfume of Promise’ and ‘If walls could weep.’ 




BOOK DETAILSPublisherRupa Publication

ISBN-108129119439

Publication Year2012

LanguageEnglish

ISBN-139788129119438

BindingPaperback


My Review:
 “I was a strong believer in premonitions. I’d always imagined the universe to be kind, forewarning us for whatever trials and tribulations were about to unfurl. Under the circumstances, I had to turn agnostic.”
---Tread Softly, by Nandita Bose
Thus begins the book that takes you into the world of the main protagonist of the novel, Paroma. Paroma represents the majority of Indian girls who often face the dilemmas of arranged marriages, strange husbands and a life far away from their comfort zones.

Paroma’s situation is worse than a usual arranged marriage. She has been jilted at the last moment by her groom and his step brother Abhinn is asked to take his place. An accidental marriage that doesn’t offer her any options.

“I sat quietly aware that whatever was swirling around the room would affect me most, but I was helpless just as I had been powerless to do anything about my life all along.”
---Tread Softly, by Nandita Bose
Her thoughts mirror the situation of many would be brides in India where discussions about her life might happen in front of her, but the decisions which would affect her most are often made without asking her opinion. Girls in small towns are often not allowed to speak their mind their whole life. They are taught to adjust and behave.

Paroma is married off to Abhinn who appears aloof most of the time. A strange house overflowing with books, an arrogant spinster aunt, a reckless house maid and many cats form her new universe. She tries to adjust to her new life but the aunt doesn’t miss any chance to remind her that she was never Abhinn’s first choice.

Geetika, a girl who often comes home, has a good rapport with all the member of the house and appears to be the ‘other woman’ in Abhinn’s life. Paroma decides to tolerate her presence as she had inadvertently fallen in love with Abhinn. Her yearning to be loved, her random thoughts, her inner dilemmas and yet her insightful actions makes the book a delightful read.
“In the clear thought that blesses all of us in those nights when we are happy and not a bit sleepy, I recognized that I would never have done what I had now unless I had come to love him deeply.”
---Tread Softly, by Nandita Bose
 The confusions, the lack of communications play havoc with their relationship and it soon becomes strained and reaches a point of break up. Will they be able to rescue their marriage or would circumstances tear them apart? This forms the crux of the story.

The book is filled with beautiful descriptions about the Bengali way of life, human relationships, their food and also love for books. The slow blooming of romance between the Abhinn and Paroma, their interactions, realistic scenes and the first person narration makes you empathize with Paroma.
“But I still craved for that interaction—any interaction— any stray evidence that he acknowledged I mattered, in however miniscule a way I could impact his life, even if not as devastatingly as he had mine…”
---Tread Softly, by Nandita Bose
The novel emphasizes the importance of communication between husbands and wives and how often unspoken words are the ones that need to be spoken the most.

Among the Indian books that I read recently, this book stands out as a masterpiece due to its fresh concept, Indian-ness, narration and language. The characters come to life through the pages and you either love them or hate them exactly the way the author wants you to.
After completing the book the first thing I did was to check out her other books. I have already ordered her two other novels. 

Do pick up the book if you love to read stories that are written in a poetic language that touches the innermost chords of your heart string.

A Minute to Death: Ganga Bharani

About the Book: Title: A Minute To Death
Pages: 116
Rate: 175 INR
Publisher: Half Baked Beans
ISBN: 978-93-84315-07-8
Author: Ganga Bharani Blurb:   Murder most foul or an open-and-shut case of routine suicide?Young, vivacious and an aspiring writer, Riya wants nothing more from her longtime crush/boyfriend than to let her in on one of his exciting investigations. After all, what better source material for a book than a real life tragedy?No-nonsense veteran cop, Rohan picks a case of probable suicide to satisfy Riya’s needs. Little does he know that there is more to this case than meets the eye.What made the victim hang herself at the break of dawn? What is the secret that her group of friends is hiding? Will Riya be able to salvage a workable plot for her upcoming novel out of this case of seemingly simple suicide?Being an editor and an author have many perks. One of them is that you get to read your author friend’s story before they reach other regular readers, before the book hits the stores.When Ganga Bharani asked me whether I would do a pre-release review of her second book (thebook releases on July 23, 2015), I was more than happy to agree. Two reasons: a) Ganga Bharani writes amazing thrillers unlike any other Indian writer. I have come to know this from her debut book, Just You, Me and a Secret. This book did not disappoint me at all as well.b) It is an honor to be among the first who reads a book which is surely going to win many hearts, and bring many laurels to Ganga Bharani.The book is just above a hundred pages long and is written in a no-nonsense manner without any unnecessary spice or cheap thrills. The lucid narration and story grips the reader right from page one. I was able to finish reading it within a few hours. Thrillers are not my favorite genre but romance is. ‘A minute to Death’ has a subtle undercurrent of a romance and yet it has all the essential elements of a fast paced thriller as well. So I didn’t have anything to complain. It was a few hours well spent.Riya, the aspiring writer, quite the tomboy, comes out as an endearing character. Rohan with his intelligence, his charming persona and firm values comes across as a person anyone would love to have as a protector or friend. Every chapter ends with suspense or a new clue, making the reader turn the pages twice as fast than normal. What I liked most was that there was not a single moment of inaction in the entire book. No unnecessary digression at all. Every page has its importance and you just can’t skip reading even a few lines. The crisp narration does justice to the entire story.Okay, for those looking for spoilers, this review doesn’t have any! Sorry. :DYou just have to read the book to know exactly what it is that makes it an enchanting read.Okay, Okay, I will give out just one clue!‘A minute to death’: Yes that itself is a BIG clue.Now, Dear reader, go pick the book and read! Oh! I forgot, you have to wait! The book releases only on July 23rd 2015. One question to the author: Dear Ganga, you ended the story too soon. The romance reader in me wants to know more about Rohan and Riya’s love story. Can I expect a love story with the same characters next (wink, wink)?

Honey- an Elixir

Snippet Source


There isn’t anyone I guess, alive on earth who doesn’t like honey. Kids drool at the sight of it, young men swear by the effectiveness of it to reduce weight, girls use it in their beauty packs and grandmothers advise the new generation to quit swallowing antibiotics and rely on honey to cure their cough and cold.
So honey plays an important role in today’s word in Weight management, it acts as a sugar substitute, it is a source of energy, it aids digestion, fights minor ailments like cough and cold. It even rejuvenates beauty. Honey is an essential item in my household. Ever heard about honey diet?
Honey diet advises us to replace of sugar with honey. Be it in your tea, your coffee or in your cereal, use Honey. Drinking warm water mixed with honey and lime juice first thing in the morning has been a prescribed weight loss idea since ages.
So why is honey better than sugar?
Honey, a plant based sugar helps burn fat faster than its sibling sugar. Sugar increases your calories and decreases your stamina whereas it is a proven fact that honey is healthy replacement for all kinds of sugars.
That honey is a regurgitated product from the honey stomach of bees makes it even more magical. It is easy to digest . We can use it for baking and the end product is tastier than when we use sugar.
In this era, when people are struggling to lose weight, fight diabetes and heart disease which are all mainly the byproducts of over consumption of sugar, dieting using honey will be a boon to all of us. The benefits of honey need to be studied and incorporated into our lives and then we can find the benefits of it changing our lives.
A healthy life style goes a long way in bringing happiness into our lives, as health is a very important facet of our living.
We need to dig deep into the treasure house of knowledge that our ancient scriptures offer. The key to longevity is hiding somewhere in the lost books from our past. It is very important that we return to nature to try and research a cure to the various ailments that human beings suffer from these days.Instead of treating diseases with antibiotics, we should prefer to use natural methods to bring heal our ailments.
Did you know that Honey is prescribed as a treatment for
         Allergies caused by pollen.         Healing mild burns         Cough and cold

The ancients Egyptians used honey in cakes and biscuits and also as an aphrodisiac. They also used honey for embalming.
In Hinduism, honey is one of the five elixirs, the Panchamrita which is part of every big Puja that happens in a temple or home.
But alas, even honey comes duplicate and adulterated these days. It is time for us to find unadulterated honey, so that we too can tread towards a better life and better health.
Find my trusted brand of honey at http://www.daburhoney.com/and check out their Honey Diet.

Surf it all with UC Browser

There is no place that is worth living than India, if you are a cricket fan. You are forgiven for your craziness and even applauded for the extent you goes to watch your favorite game uninterrupted. A world cup match between your favorite team means that you will report sick to office, miss the release of your favorite movie or even refuse a date with that one person you wanted to go out, all life.
Don’t worry; you will be forgiven without any grudge by anyone who is an Indian. Because almost all share your craziness for the most loved game in the Indian subcontinent — Cricket!
I was myself an ardent fan of cricket until writing and parenting responsibilities took away my precious cricket watching hours. I could not remain glued to the television anymore.
But recently I discovered UC Browser and it is the coolest browser ever. The UC Cricket option, which is a heaven to every cricket fan, is just awesome. It has live scores with auto update, fixtures and results, and also latest news and videos from the cricketing world. What else could I ask for?So now, wherever I am and whatever I am doing, I can keep an eye on what is happening in the world of cricket.  I am not worried anymore.
I can surf it all and also surf it fast with UC Browser. So no more regrets that I missed a game I wanted to watch so much. I am in awe of this browser because it helps us to not miss out on the little things that bring us happiness. I can know what exactly is happening in a match at the touch of my fingers on the UC Cricket icon.
The life of a cricket fan becomes easier if he/she is allowed to enjoy the best moments of the game without having to sacrifice other equally important pleasures in life. There usually arrives a time in the life of an individual where he/she is forced to prioritize things. This in itself is a big challenge to people who hates confronting their worst nightmares. And for a cricket fan, the worst nightmare is missing his favorite game while having to attend a boring meeting from which there seems no escape.
Like a genie in a bottle, UC Cricket with its tiny blue icon, leads you into a world that was eluding capture, caught in worldly responsibilities. This particular icon becomes your apple of your eye. I can put options that will make me remember the timings of a particular match that is happening. I can also get quick information about the latest updates of my choice. The cricket fan in me is becoming happy again. I can check the updates while making my kid do his home work or even while cooking dinner.
I am super happy.


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Happy moments with my best buddy!

This post is about my best buddy. He is the apple of my eye and makes me want to live better, live happier. He is my son, the best part of my soul.
We met on a warm November afternoon and it was love at first sight for me. When tiny, soft fingers clutched mine for the first time, a promise was made, one often repeated over centuries by mothers wherever they are, whichever race they belong to. During that one moment, I promised him anything and everything that I was capable of giving him.
I couldn’t bear being separated from him for even an hour and when he started playschool the initial days were extremely torturous for me. I would imagine the most dangers that might befall my child at that strange place and would pray fervently to God to keep him safe and happy.
His happy smiling face and the love from his teachers made me realize that he was slowly reaching out to more people and was happily becoming part of a bigger world which was different from the cozy family cocoon that he was used to.
Once he started school, he began to be my friend. He would confront anyone who dared to question me. If I said the earth is flat, he would repeat it to one and all and hell on those who dared to oppose.We became pals and we discovered cartoons and games together. He would employ my help to conquer the tricky levels in angry birds or Mario and I would earn my payment through hugs and kisses.
He would come home excited about the new secret that he had learned in school.
“Mother, the secret to formation of clouds is wind,” he announced one day.
“Mother, dreams make our tomorrows. So don’t wake me up when I am dreaming. Okay?” Sigh!Then the tantrums during bath time and dinner. And re-reads of the same bed time stories! On weekday mornings, he remind me of the little girl I once was, who loved to snuggle deeper  into the blanket and refused to get ready for school.
“Mother, I don’t like going to school. I don’t like my teachers. I love you,” says he and hugs me. Tears shine in his eyes, heralding a barrage of emotional blackmail.
My husband tells me it is ‘Karma’ in action and I struggle to keep my mouth shut.
After the hectic weekdays, we bond over food, games and cartoons during the two blissful days break. When the week begins again, the same old mad mornings return; along with a grumpy six year-old who hates mornings.
I take care that his lunch boxes contain his favorite food and also treats him to good food once he return from home.
I smile the widest when he reaches home from school, slump onto his bean bag and exclaim, “I love coming home.”

When after a hectic day, he sleeps soundly with a slight smile on his face; I offer my prayers to my God, for the best gift he has ever given me. 
This post is part of Indivine Kellogg’s Chocos ke saath ‘Khuljaye Bachpan’https://www.facebook.com/mychocos