31 October, 2018

Winter Wonderland #WordlessWednesday

Here are some photos of the Winter Wonderland our place has become when it snowed yesterday night.





Until next time,



Linking this to #WordlessWednesday Linkup hosted by Isha and Natasha.


26 October, 2018

The Hidden Children by Reshma K Barshikar - Cover Reveal

~ Cover Reveal ~
The Hidden Children (The Lost Grimoire #1)
by Reshma K.Barshikar



What price would you pay to be extraordinary? What would you do to speak to a butterfly? 

Shayamukthy cruises through life: shooting hoops, daydreaming and listening to her favourite books. Even moving from the US to India, to a new school, a new culture, hasn't really rattled her. But something isn't right anymore and it begins when 'New Girl' joins the school. 


She pulls Shui into a world of magic and wonderment, a world she has been hidden from all her life. What starts as a quest to look for a lost book, hurtles Shui into a world where people live in trees, talk to the dead and speak to butterflies. 


But like all power, magic comes at a steep price, and under all things wondrous lie demons waiting to crawl out. The more Shui learns, the more she doubts everything and everyone around her.   


Will she be able to master her powers, or will they devour her and everyone she loves? 





Releasing on 10th November

About the Author:

Travel writer and novelist Reshma K Barshikar is
an erstwhile Investment Banker who, as she tells it, ‘fell down a rabbit hole
and discovered a world outside a fluorescent cubicle.’ As a travel and features
writer, she contributes to National Geographic Traveller, Harper’s Bazaar,
Grazia, The Sunday Guardian, SilverKris, The Mint Lounge and The Hindu. Fade
Into Red, published by Random House India was her debut novel and featured in
Amazon Top 10 Bestsellers. She also holds well renowned workshops for young
adults at both BDL Museum and Kala Ghoda and is keen to build a strong Young
Adult reading and writing community to fill the desperate lack of young adult fiction
in the Indian Market. Her new Young Adult novel, The Hidden Children, will be
launching at the Vizag Junior Literary Festival. Reshma is from the ISB Class
of 2003. She calls both Mumbai and the Nilgiris home. 




Contact the Author:

Website I Facebook I Twitter I Goodreads





Until next time,





25 October, 2018

Stylish Bracelets which are durable and weatherproof

Note: This site contains affiliate links to products. I may receive a commission for purchases made through these links.

I love wearing bracelets. I like wearing bracelets which can match most of my outfits. Since we, women wear different colors and varieties of outfits, it is difficult to choose a bracelet which suits most of them and also look modern and stylish.

Wind passion is a website that piqued my curiosity. They have multiple handmade accessories like Bracelets, Keychains, and cufflinks. These handmade nautical accessories are made in Europe and these are designed especially for people who love to adventure and explore. It's interesting that the accessories are waterproof, can sustain severe weather and are of the highest quality.

Wind Passion is dedicated to surfers, hikers, adventurers and everyone who dare to explore.

I have tried these bracelets and what I observed is that they are simple yet unique in their design. The mechanism to tight/ loosen the bracelet is easy to use. The design with bright colors and stripes is inspired by the Sea.

I would recommend these bracelets for everyday use for women and especially during traveling as they match with different outfits and also go well with the watch by the side. 


“VICTORY” CORD NAUTICAL BRACELET FOR WOMEN


I liked this color combination and it looks stylish for everyday use. 

This is another design which is simple yet good. Click on the mode name to purchase.



This website has some collection of unique Keychains as well. The good thing about these products are that they are simple and good for practical use. 

Here are some options of cufflinks and bow ties for men :


VIOLET SKY STYLISH ROPE STRING CUFFLINKS








That's not all of it! If you use any of these links from this blog post to purchase products from Wind Passion, you get a discount of flat 25%. Isn't that a sweet deal?

Purchase from Wind passion

Until next time,



Why Mother Sparsh natural water wipes are better than any other baby wipes

When a baby enters this world from the mother’s womb, her/his skin is delicate like a flower. When I held my son immediately after the delivery, I was scared that something might happen to my baby if not properly handled. The babies’ skin is very soft and sensitive. I think every mother might have gone through this feeling when dealing with their infant for the first time/ during the first month of the baby.
 
PC: www.pixabay.com
The baby is protected in the mother’s womb from all pollution and harmful effects of the environment. At birth, baby’s skin is very thin and can be easily damaged. The top layer of the baby’s skin called Vernix is a protective layer and acts like a moisturizer which protects them from infections. Over the first month, the skin of the baby matures and forms a protective barrier. Premature babies’ skin might be more delicate.

That is the reason, new moms must take care while choosing the baby soap, moisturizer and everything they select for the baby which is in direct contact with baby’s skin. We usually should select a mild, non-fragrance soap or wash for the bath. We should carefully choose a moisturizer which has natural contents. Due to the delicate skin, doctors advised me at that stage (after my delivery) not to wash my baby’s skin more and use natural, non-fragrant wipes to clean the bottom part during the diaper change. Doctors also suggested me to use a soft clean cloth if we cannot get natural alcohol-free wipes. The fragrance/ alcohol content in baby wipes might irritate the baby and make the infant’s skin drier.

At that time, I was looking for natural wipes without alcohol content and which were fragrance-free. We get a lot of baby wipes in the market which are fragrance-free and soft, but finding a wipe made with natural ingredients is tough. Diaper rash is the most common concern for newborn babies and so, choosing a wipe which doesn’t irritate their skin is a challenge.

We didn’t have natural water-based wipes during that time. But now I am happy that moms can use  Mother Sparsh – India’s first water-based wipes brand.

Baby’s skin is 10 times more sensitive than adult skin. Moreover, we clean our baby’s delicate skin more than 10 times a day. Ordinary baby wipes used for cleaning have harsh chemicals which may deplete the top delicate layer of their skin. These harmful chemicals might be present in the fabric/ingredients of the usual baby wipes. So, the best option is to use cotton and water or the water-based wipes.

Mother Sparsh Baby wipes are chemically proven to prevent diaper rash and they are made with 100% plant-based fabric. Now, the new mothers know better what to choose for their baby’s skin. You can purchase the water-based baby wipes on Amazon/ First cry and many other famous retailers.


Now, I don’t have any infants at my home to take care, but I suggest all new moms to try these water-based wipes and see the results. When in doubt, take the flame test. What do you say?


Until next time,









PS: I am glad to be working with my sponsor Mother Sparsh to share these details with you all.

22 October, 2018

11 Ways to make Long Term Travel Affordable - A Guest Post from Shipra

I am glad to welcome Shipra Aggarwal to my blog to share some tips on making the long-term travel more affordable.



People usually put their traveling desires on hold because they believe that traveling could be expensive. They think that it will take away all their savings and spending savings on desires instead of necessities is not preferred in our Indian society. Nowadays plane tickets, hotel reservations, and restaurants are becoming costly, so there is no wonder why people think travel is not obtainable.

But there is another side of the coin also. This thing is that travel can be very cheap & affordable if the people are ready to open their minds and change the way of their thinking. If you are ready to change your way of thinking and are willing to think of those travel options that you haven’t think before. 


Here are some of the options that you should consider that will change your way of thinking and make your travel affordable.

Planning is must

Before going to any place for travel, it is necessary to do proper planning. From air tickets to your accommodation, & places to explore, everything should be planned. If you will not do any planning, then definitely you will spend a lot and there are chances you will also use the cash that you kept for the emergency purpose. So, instead of spending unnecessarily on anything, make a plan and spend wisely.


Don’t spend without Budget

After planning for the travel, the next step comes your budget. Your budget should contain all your expenses but within the limit. It should cover all the expense for your necessities. Don’t use all your savings instead try to save money by taking wise steps. Always keep some cash for an emergency such as any kind of medical expense. 


Credit Card

If you are planning to travel for long-term, obviously you will need money and you will carry a credit card. While choosing for the credit card, always choose that card gives you maximum benefits on international transactions such as SBI Elite. This card has a very nominal international transaction fee of 1.99%. So, using a card can be beneficial instead of that card which has a huge transaction fee. Also, look out for the other benefits of the card in terms of reward points and discounts whether on booking tickets or on shopping.


Choose your travel destination wisely

You would like to travel all around the world. But there are many places in the world where traveling can burn a hole in your pocket despite all planning. So, choose a destination which is cheap in all aspects such as accommodation, daily needs items, travel expenses and many more. Choose that country where you can reach easily, comfortably, and with less money. Always go to any place in the offseason. If you will plan to go in the tourist season, you will be spending more than your budget.


Booking air tickets

If you want to go on a long-term travel, it would be better to book your air tickets well in advance. By doing this you will air tickets cheaper and it is possible that you might get some discounts. Try to book tickets months before your travel. Don’t make the foolishness of booking tickets near your travel date as it might cost you many times costly than usual rates. If there are any other means of transport for going at your chosen travel destination which is cheaper than air tickets, then go for that option. You can use the credit card that can give you benefit in booking air tickets like discounts or reward points such as Yatra SBI Card. It gives you the discount of Rs 4000 on all your air tickets booking on minimum spending of Rs 40000. It also gives you 6x reward points on every Rs 100 spend on international spending. You will have to explore all the options before deciding which one to use.


Rent out your place

When you are going for 3 to 6 months, then it is obvious that you must be staying in the place where you are going. So, if you will rent out your own house for that period of time, you can earn money from the rent of that house. This money can be used in your travel.




Go for cheap accommodation

If you are staying at a place for long-term, then costly hotels will not be the right choice for you. So, it would be better if you will stay at a cheaper place such homestays or take the house on minimum rent of someone who has also gone for long travel like you. Avoid taking accommodation near any tourist destination since it will be costly. Choose your place of stay where public transport & all necessities are available. Your accommodation shouldn’t be in the middle of the city as it will costly again and not too far away from the city as that will not be safe.


Cook yourself

Instead of spending lavishly on fine dining, make arrangements for self-cooking. As you have to stay for a long time, it will cheap and beneficial for you. Consider yourself as a local person of that place and live like them. 


Cheap Transportation

Always use cheap transportation such as local bus, auto or local train instead of going through cabs everywhere. There all will be cheaper for you and you will able to know that place more closely.





Earn & spend

Although you can’t do a job, you can do some freelancing so that there must be a regular income source. It will not only keep you in touch with your work but also help in meeting your expenses.


Minimum Stuff

While going on for a long-term travel avoid taking more stuff that would become difficult for you to carry. Avoid heavy baggage and big bags. Instead, go for cabin bags as you can carry them easily. Don’t stuff your bag too much. You buy things from that place also where you are going if it is cheaper there.

So, by considering the above-mentioned points and changing your thinking way a little bit, you can save a lot of money and enjoy your travel in the best possible manner. What do you say?

About the Author :


Shipra Aggarwal


Shipra is a personal finance writer, working with a prominent News Daily in Chandigarh. She has the experience of over 3 years in the BFSI industry and she loves to share her experience with the users by giving them in-depth knowledge of personal finance.


Until next time,


18 October, 2018

Murder at Archly Manor by Sara Rosett - Book Spot Light







Murder at Archly Manor (High Society Lady Detective Series)
Historical Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
Self Published (October 15, 2018)
Approximately 250 Pages
BN ID: 2940161789018
The book is not up on Amazon or GoodReads yet.
A high-society murder. A spirited lady detective. Can she out-class the killer before an innocent person takes the fall?
London, 1923. Olive Belgrave needs a job. Despite her aristocratic upbringing, she’s penniless. Determined to support herself, she jumps at an unconventional job—looking into the background of her cousin’s fiancé, Alfred. He burst into the upper crust world of London’s high society, but his answers to questions about his past are decidedly vague.
Before Olive can gather more than the basics, a murder occurs at a posh party. Suddenly, every Bright Young Person in attendance is a suspect, and Olive must race to find the culprit because a sly murderer is determined to make sure Olive’s first case is her last.
Murder at Archly Manor is the first in the High Society Lady Detective series of charming historical cozy mysteries. If you like witty banter, glamorous settings, and delightful plot twists, you’ll love USA Today bestselling author Sara Rosett’s series for Anglophiles and mystery lovers alike. Travel back to the Golden Age of detective fiction with Murder at Archly Manor.
About the Author

USA Today bestselling author Sara Rosett writes light-hearted escapes for readers who enjoy puzzling mysteries, interesting settings, and quirky characters.
She is the author of the Murder on Location series, the Ellie Avery series, the On the Run series, and the High Society Lady Detective series. Sara also teaches an online course, How to Outline A Cozy Mystery.
Publishers Weekly called Sara’s books, “satisfying,” “well-executed,” and “sparkling.” Sara loves to get new stamps in her passport and considers dark chocolate a daily requirement. Find out more at SaraRosett.com.

Author Links:
▪      Website: https://www.SaraRosett.com
▪      Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/SaraRosett
▪      Twitter: @SaraRosethttp://www.twitter.com/sararosett
 ▪     Pinterest:  http://pinterest.com/srosett/
▪      Litsy profile name: SaraRosett (no profile links available at this time, home page:                http://litsy.com/)
▪      Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Sara-Rosett/e/B001IXRPSS
▪      Bookbub Author Page: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/sara-rosett
▪      Newsletter sign-up: https://www.SaraRosett.com/signup


Until next time,

16 October, 2018

My Gratitude List for Sep 2018 #GratitudeCircle

Time has come again to be thankful for all good things. Are you practicing Gratitude?

Already it's 16th October and I am late to write my gratitude list. I focused on dance classes in September month and we celebrated a festival and birthday of a family member. We had some short weeks for school, thus more holidays. I performed Kuchipudi on stage after a long time and I have also started training 7 to 8-year-olds for a stage performance.


Gratitude is the best attitude. 




My Gratitude List for last month (Sep 2018):

1. Dance performance :

I performed annamacharya keerthana on stage. With just one week of practice, I think, I could do well. Fortunately, one friend helped me with makeup and the costume suited well.

2. Festival and Birthday:

We celebrated 'Vinayaka chavithi' which is an important festival in Telugu household. This time, I could do some festival dishes better than the earlier years. I think I am getting better in cooking slowly :-) We also celebrated a family member's birthday. We have cut a cake and as usual, I prepared Payasam (milk sweet) and we went for a long drive on the weekend. In our family, long drives and traveling are actually birthday gifts :-)

3. Fall colors:

I love watching nature. This season is my favorite due to many reasons. I love the leaves changing to bright yellows, oranges and then vibrant reds. Here are the best places for a long drive in the fall season in Colorado. 



4. MyFriendAlexa Campaign :

I have participated in the #MyFriendAlexa Campaign and published 2 posts per week. I read almost 10 blog posts every day, commented and shared them on social media. It was a great experience to write content regularly and see my Alexa rank grow. I didn't have many expectations before joining the campaign but this campaign organized by Blogchatter benefited me with not only a reduced Alexa rank but also to enhance my blog visibility. I grabbed more sponsored post opportunities too.

Here are the rank updates:

Sep 1st (Week 1) 
My Global Alexa Rank: 3,642,454
India Rank: 310,640

Week 2 - Sep 11th
Global Alexa Rank : 1,939,208
India Rank : 143,227 


Week 3 - Sep 17th
Global Alexa Rank : 1,435,439
India Rank : 109,652

Week 4 - Sep 25th
Global Alexa Rank : 888,185
India Rank : 47,908

I am still maintaining my Alexa rank :-)

5. Teaching Dance:

I never thought I would teach dance in my life. I always dreamed myself to be a professional Kuchipudi Dancer and not more than that. I am learning to be a good teacher and here are a few lessons that I learned from teaching. I think Now I am enjoying that phase too as a teacher. 


So, those were the important happenings in my life that I am thankful for. What are you grateful for today? Please share in the comments.


Until next time,

Linking this post to #GratitudeCircle hosted by Vidya Sury and #ChattyBlogs hosted by Shanaya. Also linking to #MondayMusings hosted by Corinne. 





15 October, 2018

Driven By Desire by Shilpa Suraj - A guest Post and Book Review

Book Details:

Title: Driven By Desire

Author: Shilpa Suraj

Genre: Romance, Fiction

Length of the Book: 434 pages

Publisher: Juggernaut Books


Purchase Link: Juggernaut




Blurb:

An ace vintage car restorer and a pharmaceutical tycoon, Maxine and Krish have nothing in common.

A chance encounter puts their lives on a collision course and a stubborn and steady attraction begins to bloom.

Wanting each other is easy, it's happy ever after that's the problem...

My Review :

Driven By Desire is about a couple Krish and Max who doesn't have much in common. As they attract to each other, both have to figure out what it takes to make it a long-term relationship. 

While Max is a free-spirited ambitious woman, Krish is someone who has a lot of responsibilities both in his personal and professional level. While he is hesitant to take his relationship with Max to next level due to his other responsibilities, he realizes that it's not easy to live without Max who is like a rainbow in his life. While Max can understand the problems in Krish's life and is ready to make their relationship work, she needs more patience dealing with Krish's short temper. 

Can they make it work? Will the family responsibilities / their work become an impediment in their journey? You have to find out this by reading this book.

I don't think the storyline is unique but the characters, the narration and the backdrop make it interesting. I love the vibrant and lovely Max. Krish, Pooja, Adi, and Mr. Sheredian all contribute tot he story and they are all positive and friendly characters. I like Krish who is such a strict and responsible man but is sensitive and caring. I liked the climax though it seemed dramatic like in movies. 

At a few places, I felt bored to continue reading, especially Christmas party and the next scenes. But, the climax is worth the read. The book cover is apt. I would have loved if the story has interesting twists. Overall, a good read with proper pace.

My Rating : 4/5

I recommend this book to all Romance lovers and who love to read a story about real life responsibilities and complications in relationships.

PS: I have received an e-copy of the book in exchange for a review and this is my honest opinion on the book.

Guest Post from the Author about the Book and Characters :


 “Life would be very boring if we only played to our strengths.” – Max, Driven by Desire

Max and Krish from Driven by Desire are some of my most vibrant, multidimensional characters so far. As someone who has always made unconventional choices herself whether it was in her choice of career, her choice of husband or her choice of lifestyle, I wanted to write a story that showed the reader that unconventional is just perception. 

One person’s strange is another’s normal. Driven by Desire is about refuting gender stereotypes, breaching supposedly insurmountable age differences and melding vastly different lives without losing your individual selves.

Meet Maxine Sheridan, aka Max, ace vintage car restorer, chronic klutz, irrepressible optimist and abysmal guitar player. When I first thought of writing what would eventually become Driven by Desire, Max and Krish’s biggest obstacle was their perception of each other. He thought she was an immature, irresponsible tomboy and she thought he was a boring, judgmental stick-in-the-mud. But when you look beyond the surface, you see the incredible.

Orphaned at the age of twenty-one and responsible for three younger siblings, Krish had no choice but to age way before his time. His life centered around his responsibilities to his siblings, the family business and last but not the least, his father’s unfulfilled dream. He has no time for car restorers with multi coloured hair who fall out of trees, land on his head and leave him dizzy in both the literal and figurative sense. And yet, he can’t resist her…He could try blaming it on the concussion but at the heart of it, he knows there is more to it. More to Max than burnt cheese sandwiches, allergy inducing lip balms and ear shattering guitar renditions. And Max slowly manages to show him that there is more to life itself.

But the path to happily ever after is never that easy, is it? There are commitments to meet, examples to set, children to nurture and families to safeguard and through it all an irresistible, incandescent attraction to fight.

Driven by desire offers everything for the consummate romance reader- passion, romance, humour, strong supporting characters, a hero to die for and a heroine who is quirky enough to change his world, if he can just let her.


About the Author:

 Shilpa Suraj was a year and a half when she was first introduced to the world of books. Her mother would park her with a picture book on the floor of the kitchen while she finished her cooking for the day. While it’s no longer the kitchen floor, you can still find her tucked away in a cosy nook somewhere with her nose buried in a book. While books in all genres interest her, it was romance that captured her heart. While racing through every romantic fiction book she could beg, borrow or buy, her over active imagination started to work overtime and weave its own stories. Years in the corporate world followed by a stint of entrepreneurship crystallised her belief that all she really wanted to do was give life to the stories bubbling inside of her. She briefly managed to tear herself away from the world of fiction to find her own personal happily ever after and now spends her time happily focusing on the two loves of her life – family and writing romances.

Enter the GiveAway on Facebook



Until next time,

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