Random Thoughts On a Rainy Day

If you follow me on Instagram, you would know that I embarked on a long work cum pleasure trip this summer.
I was both excited and nervous. Excited because this was my first big trip post baby Ishanvi and nervous because Ishanvi was traveling with us.
I would like to say that it was a successful trip and Ishanvi showed great potential of becoming our forever travel partner. There were a few hiccups too, but everyone made it back in one piece with bags full of shopping and hearts full of memories. That's a win win I say.
As a mother the biggest challenge that I still face is making Ishanvi eat all her meals properly. I am on cloud nine when Ishanvi finishes her meal happily and I am a hot mess when Ishanvi refuses to eat whatever I offer her, sometimes even her favourite food.
This parenting stuff is really tough and it is so difficult to not loose your cool.
In other news, Ishanvi turned 2, and she will soon be starting playschool. That is going to be another adventure and I hope she makes new friends and learns to eat on her own.
We haven't started potty training her yet, but I think we will have to start soon.
2 years since Ishanvi was born and I am still 5 kgs over my pre-pregnancy weight. 
But now, I think I have become an expert in the art of camouflaging. ;)
I am still not back to wearing sarees as I used to, before Ishanvi. But I wore one for Ishanvi's birthday. :)

And blogging...I don't know where this is going. Because I hardly blog these days. But I know, I will get there some day, because blogging still remains one of my favourite things to do.

And now let's move on to today's outfit. This shoot was done way back in April, and I am glad I am finally posting it.
It is one of my favourite outfits, so don't be surprised if you see me flaunting it more than you would like. The Shirt is from Koovs and the bag was a steal from my Thailand trip way back in January.
Special thanks to my friend Sharmila who clicked these pics.
Hope you like them.

 

And last but not the least, I support removal of article 370.
JAI HIND!

Happy Mother's Day to Me!

After years of wishing people around me, Happy Mothers Day....Here I am am, a Mother myself.
Mother of 20 month old Baby Ishanvi.
Last year was my first Mother's Day as a Mom. And I had a lot of expectations.
I thought I would be surprised with breakfast in bed, flowers and a spa session for relaxation.
Guess what! It didn't happen.
I was disappointed and upset.
So this year, I am taking charge.
I am dressing up in my favorite dress and reading a book "at home". Buying myself some flowers and planning for my next vacation.
After all, why depend on others for one's own happiness.
Happy Mother's Day to ME!
Coz I DESERVE IT!
END OF STORY!

Dress: Myntra
Cardigan, Footwear: FBB
Earrings/Necklace: PreciousYou
Photography : Abhijeet Kank

Product Review: Nature Sure Agnimantha Weight Loss Formula Capsules

Weight is something I have always struggled with while growing up.
I feel fortunate I discovered fitness in my late teens and stuck to it for good.
While my weight loss wasn't quick and drastic, but I managed to transform from a 85 KG 18 year old to a 60 Kg 21 year old.
With regular work outs and a balanced nutrition, I managed to maintain my weight for almost a decade.
But all hell broke loose after I delivered a healthy baby girl in 2017.
I really thought, I would knock off the weight in no time. But I couldn't. I wasn't shopping for new clothes as I wanted to fit into my old ones. Lack of retail therapy and my pregnancy weight gain, made me really sad, until I decided to start it from square one.
I started working out again, whenever I found time. And tried to reduce my sugar and Carb intake.
But after a few months I started seeing results. And in a year I had lost 8 kgs. Which I am sure isn't big, but I was happy.
But after that I kind of hit a plateau and no matter how much I worked out, I wasn't losing weight. And exactly around that time, I was approached to review Nature Sure's Agnimantha Weight Loss Formula Capsules.
I am not the kind of person who resorts to quick gains to lose weight.
And pills were a complete no no.
But after I spoke to the spokesperson of Nature Sure, I was convinced that the pills were completely natural and herbal. So I decided to give them a try.

So this was the plan.
I was supposed to consume 2 capsules before lunch and dinner with warm water, every day for the next one month.
I wasn't going to change my diet or fitness regime. I wanted to found out the real impact of the capsules by carrying out my normal lifestyle and see if the capsules worked.

I had decided I would not weigh myself frequently. So I waited until 15 days for my weight check. And guess what? I weighed the same.
Aah..I knew it. If people lost weight by eating pills, the world would be full of thinner people.

But I anyways continued with the capsules, without thinking much or doing anything different.
At the end of the month, when I depleted my capsules supply, I thought, this is it.
The moment of truth has arrived. I stood on the weighing scale and I was 2 kgs lighter. Agnimantha Weight Loss Formula Capsules helped me overcome my plateau. I was really happy.

Conclusion: Nature Sure Agnimantha Weight Loss Formula Capsules are made from 100% natural ingredients that help to improve digestion and metabolism and flushes out the toxins from our body through frequent urination. Thus helping you to lose weight naturally.
I also want to point out that along with consuming the capsules I worked out everyday for an hour for 5 days a week and drank more than 3 litres of water everyday. I would recommend trying this capsules for people who seriously want to lose weight and are unable to do so, in spite of exercise and diet planning. As it helps to correct the "doshas" in your system with natural ingredients.
It is not recommended for pregnant and lactating women, children and infants.

A bottle of 60 capsules costs Rs. 1611. 

Product Review: Nature Sure Jonk Tail (Leech Oil)

If you follow me on Instagram, you would know that I received a few products Nature Sure for review.
I have been using these products for over a month now. After thorough trial and testing, I am here to share my review.


Today I am talking about the Nature Sure Jonk Tail (Leech Oil).
The reason why I was really excited about trying this product is because Leech based hair care therapy was used by none other than Cleo Patra.

Why Nature Sure Jonk Oil?
The saliva of Leech/Jonk has many curative properties and it is an active ingredient in most medications. It is especially effective in treating alopecia, baldness and hair related disease which makes it an ideal ingredient for hair care products.
Nature Sure makes sure that it uses 100% pure ingredients thereby making this hair oil effective.
 
My experience:
I started using it twice a week. The oil is green in color, non-sticky and smells a bit weird but not very repulsive.
I applied it on my hair roots and massaged it in my scalp for some time. I left it overnight and washed my hair in the morning.
I continued this routine, twice a week, for over a month.
 
Week 1:
When I washed my hair, I was keenly monitoring my hair loss.
The hair loss looked the same.

Week 2:
Hair loss during hair wash was the same. But hair loss during hair combing was a little less.

Week 3:
Hair loss during hair wash was the same.
Hair loss during hair combing was considerably less and my hair just felt fuller and thicker.

Week 4:
I actually did a happy dance when I saw that there were hardly a few hair strands that fell out during hair wash. Hair combing felt pleasurable every single time as I could hardly see any hair loss.


A 110ml bottle of Jonk Oil  last me for almost 2 months. And it only costs Rs. 227.
I think it is totally value for money and perfect for new moms who have experienced post partum hair loss and have no time to take care of their hair.

It's a simple solution that really worked wonders on my hair.


I was very happy with my experience and have switched to Nature Sure's Jonk Oil for good.

OOTD: Gudi Padwa Special

Happy Gudi Padwa Everyone. Gudi Padwa is the Marathi New Year and this post is my tribute to the Marathi culture, I was born and raised in.
Growing up in a nuclear family setup where both my parents were working professionals, festivals held a great significance in our lives. It was the day, our parents were home and we had such good time over good food and non-stop conversations. We hardly watched TV then.
My mom being the best story teller that she is, would tell us all about her childhood memories of the different festivals they celebrated. She would tell us, that even though her parents were financially constrained, they made sure that they celebrated festivals with proper traditions. 
As a little girl, my mom had once asked her mom, why do they incur unnecessary expenditure on festivals when they should be ideally spending it on something more important. And her mom/my Nani had simply replied that it is festivals that enrich our mundane lives. People coming together to celebrate festivals is a way of preserving and enriching our culture. If we don't clebrate it, you as an adult wouldn't celebrate it either and so wouldn't your kids. We don't want to be responsible for killing our culture, customs and traditions.
And that's why, no matter how busy or tired my mom was, she made sure we celebrated festivals in the right way and spirit. And that's what I try to do too.

For today's Gudi Padwa special post, I am wearing a Narayan Peth Saree with traditional Maharashtrian jewellery and crescent moon bindi. 
Narayan Peth Saree is a traditional Maharashtrian saree that is woven mainly in the Solapur district of Maharashtra.
Historical records say that the Maratha King Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj traveled to the Narayan Peth region and camped there for a while. When he continued his journey, some weavers stayed behind and they created the Narayan Peth Saree.
Narayan Peth Sarees are light in weight which makes them easy to carry and are inexpensive as well.
Hope you like my traditional look. Scroll down for pictures.

Saree: Lazree
Photography: KK Photography

Garbh Sanskar - Communication with the Unborn

I am not kidding when I say that I have grown up on Mahabharat and Ramayan. Indian Televison's best made tele shows Ramayan and Mahabharat aired on Indian Television when I was a little girl. My mom is a huge fan of Indian mythology and my bedtime stories were all about the Indian Gods, Demi Gods and mythological characters. That is how my love story with Indian Mythology and Culture actually started.
One story that really fascinated me as a child was the story of Abhimanyu (son of Arjuna) learning the incomplete science of Chakravyuha (war strategy) while still in his mother' s womb(Garbha).


So the concept of Garbh Sanskar was etched in my mind since I was little girl.
Garbh Sankar is based on the underlying principle that the baby experiences everything that the mom does. And that is why every culture in the world insists that the expecting mom be happy and in good spirit throughout her pregnancy.

So when I found out I was pregnant, it was a no-brainer that I wanted to imbibe Sanskar while my baby was still in my womb/garbha. I consider myself very fortunate that I live in India, where Garbh Sanskar programs are conducted very frequently and with utmost proficiency.
Without much research I picked up The Abhimanyu Garbh Sanskar course which was being conducted at a centre close to my home. The two day course focused on imbibing the 16 Sanskar or Sola Sanskar that Hindu culture believes and abides by, on my baby through me.
The course not only taught us simple physical and mental exercises to practice during our pregnancy, but also, how we could introduce simple daily changes in our thought process and lifestyle to have a positive influence on our unborn baby. It was a life changing experience for me and I was really satisfied with the 2 day workshop.



However, not everyone has access to such workshops and hence I wanted to pen this post for the sake of those who cannot attend such programs.
So this post is basically a gist of things that I took away from the workshop and from my readings of various Garbh Sanskar books; that every pregnant lady can practice easily even while sitting at home.

1) Instill Love and Belonging: Garbh Sanskar is all about communicating with your unborn. Every expecting mother should speak to her unborn baby for 5 minutes at least twice a day. Tell the baby about what you did, tell your baby about his father, the extended family. Talk about your dreams and aspirations for the baby and how much you are waiting the baby's arrival. All these talks, instill a sense of love and belonging within the baby and makes him/her feel welcome in to this world.

2) Instill Positivity: On the first day of our Garbh Sanskar class, we were given a task. On our way back home, we were supposed to observe our surroundings and make a list of 10 things that we liked. The next day, we were asked to tell everyone, what we liked. People talked about the sunset, their favorite car on the road, a happy family riding on a bike, etc. What this exercise actually tried to achieve is, it tried to help mothers see the good things around them, which we very easily ignore in our daily life. So if you are at home, and you love your bedsheet, appreciate it. Tell your baby how beautiful the color of the bed sheet is, how soft it feels and what memories it brings back to you. If you see a friend and like what she is wearing, compliment her, tell her how pretty she looks. This exercise will instill positivity in the baby and it will really look forward to coming into this world. It also tells the  baby that their mom is a very positive person and he/she has high standards to live upto.

3) Instill Creativity: To instill creativity in her baby, the expecting mother should pursue hobbies she likes. Buy a coloring book and start coloring, pick up some wool and start knitting, listen to music or even better start singing and if your gynac permits even dancing. Play a sport (permitted by your doctor) or if you can't, at least watch one. The Garbh Sanskar Class that I attended had insisted that we color one picture everyday of our pregnancy and watch at least one full cricket/football match during pregnancy, put mehendi/henna on our hands at least once during the pregnancy and if possible draw rangoli in front of our door everyday. Solving puzzles is also a good exercise that keeps you engrossed and creative.

4) Instill Courage and Bravery: Reading stories of courageous people and watching movies about such legends give rise to emotions of bravery and courage within the mother and ultimately within the baby as the expecting mother is high on emotions during her pregnancy. I had borrowed story books from my nephew and read the stories of Shivaji and Jijamata, Jhansi Ki Rani, Ramayan, and watched movies like Bahubali and Moana. Watching senseless masala and violent movies should be avoided, at least during the 9 months of your pregnancy.

5) Instill Strength: Food plays a really big role in making the mother and baby strong. So eating healthy and nutritious food is a must, but what is more important is for the mom to work out/exercise.
If your gynac has approved and you are a person who was into fitness even before conceiving, you should continue exercising during the 9 months of pregnancy. It is believed that  every time the mom lifts a dumbbell, or does a squat, the baby feels the strength of his mom making him strong too. Every time the mom sprints and her heart is racing, the baby feels the adrenaline rush too. Also, by practicing fitness you are teaching your child in the womb that fitness should be a part of their life early on.
 
6) Instill Faith: Bringing a baby into this world is a big deal, and I am sure every woman prays that every source of energy in this universe protect her baby and deliver it safely in this world. The power of prayers cannot be measured and so the easiest thing to do during pregnancy is to pray. It will not only protect you and your baby, but will instill faith in your unborn child. Chant prayers, hymns, mantras, meditate daily and read religious and spiritual books, it will not only uplift your mood but will introduce your baby to your path of faith and divinity while in the womb.

Here's a list of small things you can do during your pregnancy that will keep you and your baby in happy spirits.
1) Listen to music preferably soothing music, every single day.
2) Listen to holy chants early in the morning and before going to sleep.
3) Talk to the baby every single day, and make the father speak to the baby too on a daily basis.
4) Make sure you groom yourself well during pregnancy. Looking good not only boosts your confidence, but your mood too, which will help your baby stay happy and confident.
5) Add milk, dry fruits and fruits to your daily diet along with veggies.
6) Stay away from television and gadgets as much as you can.
7) Go for evening walks preferably with the father of the baby. Practicing Yoga is a good thing to do during pregnancy, if permitted by your gynac.
8) Visit places of worship during pregnancy. It has a calming effect on the mother and baby.
9) Read a book.
10) Browze through your wedding album and talk to the baby while doing so. Describe your outfit, the venue, food, introduce your relatives and friends. Basically do everything that brings back pleasant memories to you.
11) Make sure your family throws a Godh Bharai or Baby Shower for you. Or even better, you throw it yourself. Godh Bharai or Indian Baby Shower has great significance in Hindu culture, because it is not only a ceremony hosted to welcome a new soul into this world but also to celebrate the woman/expecting mother who is acting as a medium to bring the divine soul into this world. It is a big deal and hence celebrating it brings a lot of joy and happiness to everyone especially the expecting mother. The unborn baby feels the joy within the womb, and can't believe how lucky he/she is, that so many people have gathered to welcome his/her entry into this world.

 
Keeping an expecting mother happy, should be the responsibility of all the family members. But I believe, one should not depend on others to seek one's own happiness. So, mommies take it upon yourself to find your own happiness. Read a book, take that afternoon nap, go for a spa session, catch up with friends, go on a date with your partner or bestie, eat your favorite food and dress in your most favorite clothes. 
After all A happy mom = A happy baby.

I hope you liked reading this post. If you have anything to add, please comment below.

Photography: Deepali Suryawanshi

P.S. This is not a sponsored post.