Category: Lifestyle

Lifestyle

Easter Scavenger Hunt for Kids

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Easter is just around the corner and staying at home does not necessarily mean you have to leave back your traditions and fun time with family. Simply make some small adaptations to your traditions and have a great time with your entire family.

Instead of having an Easter Egg Scavenger hunt in your neighborhood, swap it with clues in your house or backyard and make it fun for your kids.

Here is a list of clues ready to print and hide around your home to have a fun Easter Scavenger Hunt at home.

You can fill your Easter eggs with candies the traditional way. If you want you can even replace your eggs with coupons for kids to redeem later. They can include any fun activities they enjoy to do. A great way to have some fun and learn !!

Create your own Egg Trail !! Happy Easter!!

Lifestyle

Book Suggestions – What I have been reading

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I have always enjoyed reading since I was a kid but to be honest with preparing for grad school and applications reading completely fell wayside. But I started reading again from February and cannot explain the joy it gives me. These days, I have made it a point of self care to read for atleast 1 hour before going to bed to unwind from the day and the news.

I mix it up sometimes reading a hardcopy of the book, sometimes reading on the Kindle app and sometimes on the iBooks app on the iPad. Libby is another great resource I use to read ebooks and audiobooks. I prefer to steer away from the phone to read personally to avoid any distractions while reading.

Here is a list of books I have been reading (re-reading). Would love to hear from you guys about books you have been reading and would suggest reading.

1) Where the Forest Meets the Stars – For long, this book had been on my list to read and I finally read this book on the kindle app where it is free. The book focusses on 3 people who try to deal with the challenges life throws at them. The story is about friendship, power of love and healing, strength, hope, miracles and is a delightful read brimming with emotions.

2) The Palace of Illusions – I re-read this book recently and would recommend it to anyone who is interested to learn about the rich literary heritage of India. Written in first person, the book provides Draupadi’s (Daughter of King Draupada and the wife of the five Pandavas) perspective on what happened during Mahabharata. This book is based with a fresh take on the Indian Epic, Mahabharata from the point of view of the brilliant and fearless Draupadi (Panchali) with her soul touching yet enduring life story.

3) A Woman is No Man – Etaf Rum, the author has powerfully contextualized in her book the lives of 3 generations of Palestinian woman and captured the complexity of generational trauma and family, the violence of occupation and diaspora, and the incomprehensible strength and resilience of women in a raw, brutal and honest manner. I felt so many emotions while reading this book.

4) When Breath Becomes Air – I read this book 1 and a half years ago but thought of including it to the list because I really appreciate the language of the book – the way it is delivered. This book is short on the outside but packs a punch. The author, Paul gracefully deals with traumatic subject matters and triggering topics, and skillfully weaves the narrative of his own life into instructions on how to make life more meaningful.

5) Little Fires Everywhere – I re-read this book again as the Tv adaptation has come on Hulu now. This book is about relationships, race, the power of motherhood and tries to show that even with the perfect planning things can get messy. The book has a slow start but picks up as you read further.

6) Homegoing – Currently reading this book and it is a powerful and engaging novel. It tells the story of two half sisters, Effia and Esi, born to different villages, who grow up in different circumstances, and have very different lives. The book tells the story of many of their descendants covering over 300 years. It goes into great detail of slavery in the 18th century and racism.

Other Books on my list to Read

Ikigai – The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life

Dear Girls – Ali Wong

Olive Again

Open Book

Happy Reading !

Lifestyle

Top 12 Things to watch during Social Distancing

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If social distancing has you stuck inside going crazy, here are some shows and movies you can watch to keep yourself engaged.

Also did you know, Hulu is offering free subscription for the first month ? Which means there is more content to stream even if you do not have a Hulu subscription already.

1) John Oliver: Last Week Tonight – This show airs on HBO and you can also find the clips on YouTube. It is an absolute favorite of mine. Comedian John Oliver reviews the crazy current affairs happening around the world with his insightful wit and fearless candor. The best thing about his show is how he addresses even the most serious problems in a light way.

2) Stay here – I binged this show during social distancing on Netflix. It is easy on the eyes and perfect for people looking to makeover their homes. On this show, the hosts transfer short term rental homes from sub par properties to dream holiday destinations which are rented on platforms like Airbnb.

3) Shark Tank – This show is available on Hulu and I am a fan. I have been following this show for years and it never gets old. On this show, budding entrepreneurs present their ideas to the sharks in the tank with the hope to strike a deal. Over the years, through this show I have come across so many new products in the market and also tried some of them that appealed to me.

4) Greys Anatomy – I have been following this show from the first time it was aired in 2005 until now and really enjoy it. It is engaging and fun but I won’t lie there are some seasons which are not as great and engaging as the others. Available on Netflix and Hulu. But the latest season is available only on Hulu.

5) Money Heist – I have just finished the first 2 seasons of this show which is originally a Spanish show but has been dubbed in English on Netflix. With its unpredictable and overwhelming plot, this series is so addictive that you will end up binge watching it.

6) Culinary Shows – Some good shows on Netflix are The Chefs Line, The Final Table, Chef’s Table and Ugly Delicious.

7) Next in Fashion – This show is Netflix’s take on fashion for all the project Runway fans out there. It is a battle of designers, most of whom are already accomplished to showcase their skills and sew to impress the judges with the opportunity to sell their line on Net-a-porter and win a cash prize.

8) Love is blind – This show is a throwback to the old days around 30 years back where people got married or spoke to each other first before actually meeting the significant other. This Netflix’s original show is a terrible show on numerous levels however is also quite addictive and quite popular on Netflix at this time.

9) The Morning Show – This is an Apple TV exclusive show and can be watched by anyone who has bought an Apple device lately for free as Apple is giving a free subscription for 1 year.

10)Vir Das Live Show– On 28th March, 2020 (Saturday) Vir Das is doing a insta – live concert starting at 9.00 pm IST (11.30 am ET) for 30 mins and promises to entertain you with his humor. He also has various shows available on Netflix for streaming with the latest one being his stand up special – Vir Das for India. Sharing the link to register for the same.

The link provided above also has various other live shows for you to stream for free.

11) Other Old but great shows

Breaking Bad (Netflix)

Sherlock (Netflix)

House of Cards (Netflix)

The Big Bang Theory (Netflix)

Suits (Amazon)

Bones (Amazon)

House (Amazon)

Project Runway (Amazon)

12) Movies to watch – There is a great collection of fun movies available on Amazon, Netflix and Hulu.

And the best thing is now on Netflix you can have your own party and watch your favorite shows and movies together with your friends or watch on Hulu for free for a month.

Here is a list of some movies you can watch:

Murder mystery (Netflix)

The Shawshank Redemption (Netflix)

Set it Up (Netflix)

Life as we Know It (Netflix and Hulu)

The Ugly Truth (Netflix and Hulu)

Spenser Confidential (Netflix)

Spy who dumped me (Hulu)

A Simple Favor (Hulu)

A Bad Moms Christmas (Hulu)

The Holiday (Hulu)

Feel free to share what you are watching and enjoying during social distancing. Happy Bingeing!!

Lifestyle

Free Activities to do at Home during Coronavirus Social Distancing

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As we are moving to a more homebound lifestyle atleast for the time being, I hope that this blog post can be a lighthearted space for some of you! Some of us have the liberty to work from home while others are still out there continuing their day to day lives in these uncertain times. I hope and pray for their safety and appeal to others who can to practice Social Distancing. The Government is doing everything to keep us all safe, lets do our bit.

I know staying indoors can get boring and annoying and make you feel restless. I am sharing some free activities that can be done from the comfort of your homes. Feel free to share your favorite apps or your go to activities during these times with me.

Activities to do at home

This may be a great time to pick up some DIY projects for your home. Some fun project ideas that I have worked on myself and shared previously are DIY Jewelry Dish, DIY Plant Pots, create your own gallery wall. A few upcoming projects on my blog are TIE- DYE project, organizing your home by better storage ideas, create a cozy nook in your home, wine cork bulletin board (for a wine lover who collects corks), etc.

Home Wellness Apps

Planet Fitness – As a measure to encourage people to stay indoors, Planet Fitness is streaming Live workouts on Facebook everyday at 4.00 pm PT (7.00 PM ET) for both members and non members. Also, if you miss the live streaming you can always go back and watch it later. Over and above this, when you download their app they have several free workouts for everyone.

Peloton App – Usually Peloton offers a free 30 day trial period however during this coronavirus outbreak they are providing a 90 day free trial for home workouts which include Yoga, HIIT and many other activities which do not need the machine as well.

Corepower Yoga – They have added few online classes and will be adding more too.

Carrot Fit App – This app is free at the moment too and offers 7 minute workouts.

Down Dog App- The Down Dog App is free until April 1, 2020 and offers various at home workouts – Yoga, HIIT, Barre as well as 7 minute workouts

Strong by Zumba (You Tube) – They offer various workouts ranging from 7 minutes, 20 minutes and 30 minutes free on You Tube. The best part is you do not need any equipments for the same. They combine cardio, muscle conditioning, bodyweight training synced to music.

Studio Tone it Up App – Currently they are offering a free trial of 1 month as against 1 week and offer a huge variety of classes like yoga, dance, kickboxing. HIIT, Barre, strength training, etc. They mention if you need any weights or any other tools at the start of the class but many just require a mat.

Note – Remember to cancel paid apps once the trial period is over to avoid being charged.

Entertainment

Over and above the steaming services like Netflix, Hulu, HBO and Amazon Prime which you can watch from the comfort of your home many cultural institutions have opened their doors and are allowing people across the globe to enjoy art and music virtually.

The New England Aquarium will post content every day at 11.00 am ET on the aquariums social media platforms. They offer live videos with educators and various activities for children.

Many world renowned museums have partnered with Google Arts and Culture and are doing virtual tours online currently such as The Louvre, Metropolitan Museum, Van Gogh Museum, and many more. While it may not give you the best experience that an in person visit offers, it is a great way to explore some of your favorite museums or something you have been meaning to go for a long time from your homes.

If you are a nature lover don’t be disappointed. National Parks like Yellow Stone and Yosemite have got you covered. They offer virtual tours to explore and feel connected with nature.

If you have a library card, you can check out the libraries collection of ebooks, audiobooks and other subscriptions it offers. In case you do not already have a library card you can always sign up for an e- library card.

Learn Something new

Have some spare time on hand ? How about learning a new language ? A fun way to use this time could be to pick up learning a new language. Duolingo is a great place to start learning any language.

With Coronavirus changing our daily lives and with most of us having some time on hand it may be a good time to take up classes from prestigious universities from the haven of our homes. Sharing a link of the same here

At the very end please remember that we are all in to together and it is a great time to extend your support to those in need at this time. Help your staff with basic essentials like food, sanitizers and whatever you can. Help elderly people with groceries and medications as they are the most vulnerable to this pandemic. Ask your non profits if they need anything and try and help in any way you can. Support your favorite local businesses by buying gift cards to use later. Please do not hoard necessitities more than your household requires so that others are not left in a bind. Donate to your local food banks.

Please be cautious but do not panic. And needless to say, wash your hands regularly.

Lifestyle

Time Saving Apps in USA – Convenience at your fingertips

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With the world progressing so quickly all of us are always looking for new and upcoming apps to make our lives easier and cost-effective. These days, the Internet is flushed with apps designed to benefit everyone, however not all apps deliver on it. Being more productive with your time and being cost-effective is something we talk a lot about and these apps do exactly that.

I have put together some apps which I use for my chores and to save time.

1) Parking Like a Pro â€” We all know how difficult it is today to find a parking spot in the city let alone the thought of parking incorrectly and getting a ticket. There are many apps such as SpotHero, ParkWhiz, and Parking Panda which allow you not only to track down a parking spot closest to where you would like to go but also reserve it for you. They send you a parking pass with directions to guide you there and also offer discounts and special offers. And all this without the hassle to worry about getting a ticket.

2) Grocery/Products shopping â€” On a snowy day or rainy day or even simply to save time, ordering your grocery from the comfort of your home is now possible. Shipt and Instacart allow you to shop for groceries/products from various grocery stores and procures them for you and delivers it at your footstep for a membership cost. While services such as Instacart and Shipt will bring you fresh produce to your doorstep, Google Express is more focused on dry goods such as cereals, canned foods, and coffee. You can also use your Amazon Prime membership to shop for groceries at no extra membership fee. And all this can be received within just 2 hours with just a click away.

3) Food Delivery Apps â€” Apps like GrubHub, Doordash, Seamless and UberEats are great if you want your food delivered to you at your doorstep. All you need to do is enter your location and it will show you a list of restaurants which will deliver to your location. You can pick your favorite restaurant from that and order it at your doorstep. You can also save delivery locations, such as work or home, to speed up the process. Hosting a party and need alcohol delivered to your doorstep ? You can order it now at your doorstep on Drizly.

4) Laundry Apps â€” If you aren’t lucky enough to have an in-home washer and dryer, laundry day can be a real pain. It’s not an enjoyable chore under the best of circumstances, but having to haul a heavy bag to a laundromat is arduous and time-consuming. With these apps, you can have a little bit of that laundry room luxury (and your freshly cleaned clothes, of course) delivered right to your door. Apps like Cleanly, DRYV, Rinse, Tide Spin and Boomerang NYC allow you to simply schedule your delivery pick up time and drop time and an employee will be there to pick up the laundry. They also take any special care instructions on the app and the payment is also taken care off on the app itself.

5) Household Chores Apps â€” We all know how time-consuming, tedious and boring chores can be for most of us. There are many home cleaning services apps now available such as Merry Maids use eco-friendly products and will wash your dishes, do your laundry, fold your clothes, make your bed, and take out your trash and recyclables. TaskRabbit too is a one-stop shop which offers which offers services like assembling furniture, cleaning, lifting and moving, delivering potted plants, etc.

6) Restaurant Reservations – We all know how annoying it gets to make a dinner reservation at a restaurant and the number is constantly engaged. Making a reservation is so much easier with Open Table and Resy online apps. The best part is you can also share the reservation with your friends and everyone can add it to their calendar. And that’s not it, you can add your name to the waitlist if you do not get a reservation and if there is any cancellation you are immediately notified.

7) Splitting Bills with Friends – When you are out with friends sharing expenses can get tricky especially if you go out regularly or taking a trip. It gets difficult to keep tab of all the expenses made and how much you owe or need to receive back. Splitwise is a great app that helps you tab who owes who what. Venmo is another great app to send or receive money to your friends that you owe or need to receive money from without any hassle.

8) Water Delivery – If you are looking to add a water dispenser and water delivery to your home or office Ready Refresh is a great app. They do both one time delivery as well as recurring deliveries and also have services to clean the water dispenser periodically.

Lifestyle

How to Create your own Gallery Wall

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A gallery wall lets you tell your story and is a fun way to add to the decor of the house. I have always wanted to add a personal touch to my home with pieces we collected over time but renting does not always make it easy. I have always liked the place to be more inviting and cozy and not be an eyesore. I couldn’t think of a better way than a gallery wall to do all that. Sharing a few tips with you for getting the gallery wall look.

Firstly, I would suggest to get some craft paper from any local arts and crafts store and trace any frame you wish to use on the craft paper and cut it to size. This really comes in handy so that your gallery wall looks like you envisioned, you have even gaps between your pieces and your pieces are not crooked or crammed.

I cannot stress this more but do not be in a hurry to create a gallery wall. Carefully curate pieces of art that matter and appeal to you or tell your story to give it a personal touch. They can be a mix of photos, art prints, mirrors, postcards from your favorite vacations, gifts you have received which matter to you, drawings, wall planters, love letters, license plates, antiques, medallions, writing pads, dates or numbers that have a special meaning, baskets or platters and plates, your first house keys, etc. The opportunities to get creative are endless.

Now lets get started:

  1. Move any furniture to the side for the wall you plan to use to put up the gallery wall so that you have enough space to hang your pieces freely.
  2. If you are moving any furniture make sure that you mark the area using the painters tape so that you are aware about the space you have to work with.
  3. Lay your art work on the floor and play around with the colors and layout till you are happy with it. A tip would be to anchor your favorite or biggest art in the centre and then slowly work the other artwork around it. Do not be afraid to try out different layouts as there are no real guidelines or rules to create a fun gallery wall.
  4. Remember that is it not necessary to have all your artwork in the same color palette however a tip would be to tie it in with the color scheme of your house or room you are doing it in so that they compliment each other.
  5. Once you have the art work you like, using the painters tape apply the craft paper on the wall and step back and view it from various areas in your room. Check that the sizes of the pieces balance each other out well and make any small adjustments that are needed.
  6. Hang your pieces and remove the tape once you are done. If you are living in a rented space like me you can use Command strips to stick your artwork to the wall without damaging the wall. Move your furniture back into its place, and you are done!

Things I Used for My Gallery Wall

1) Writing Paper Clip . I got it from Staples and it cost me around $5 for the A4 size.

2) Our First car and State’s License Plate

3) Our First Anniversary Dinner Menu – I got it framed from a local framer here (Frugal Framers) and it cost me $30.

4) A fun Caricature from our trip – I got it framed from a local framer here (Frugal Framers) and it cost me $45.

5) Life is a Beautiful Ride with LED Lights frame.I purchased this frame from A.C.Moore for less than $20.

6) A Poem my husband wrote and gave me on my first birthday with him – I printed the poem on the special paper of my liking and clipped it on the writing paper clip I purchased from Staples.

7) Love Frame. I purchased this frame from A.C.Moore for less than $20.

8) A Vintage looking mirror with the quote – Every Love Story is beautiful, But ours is my favorite. I purchased this frame from Cost Plus World Market for $30. Here is a link of the same.

9) Pictures of our Personal memories – Pre Wedding Celebrations in Mumbai, India (Where our Journey began), of our Honeymoon in New Zealand and of Snowy Chicago, our first home.

I used bayphoto.com to get these pictures printed and loved the quality and the final pictures. I printed the 3 pictures for around $100 as I got a 25% discount on my first order.

The best part about Gallery walls is you can add pieces or take away pieces as you go on to make them relevant to your life. So get creative and have fun creating your own gallery wall.

Here is a picture of another Gallery Wall I recently created!

TV Unit Gallery Wall
Lifestyle

DIY Plant Pots in less than 30 minutes

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I love the versatility of terra cotta plant pots especially since there are so many easy ways you can turn a simple pot into a work of art. I have been looking to add some plants inside the house to add a fresh look to the house and adding some character. I love succulents as they require minimal care and and work both indoors and outdoors. For this project however I am going to use faux succulents but you can easily replace them with real plants.

Material Needed:

  • Terra Cotta Pot
  • A paint Brush/ Sponge Brush
  • Paint Palette
  • Faux Succulents/ Real Succulents and Dirt or any other plants
  • Craft smart – Premium Chalky Acrylic Paint (2 colors- Linen and Rich Brown)
  • Thick White Paper (to keep your workspace clean)

Step 1: Working on the thick white paper, using the linen chalky paint start dabbing your terra cotta pot with paint all over using a paint brush or a sponge brush. Do not just simply run smooth strokes like you would paint instead apply paint by dabbing on the pot to give it some texture.

Step 2: Then to give it a more weathered effect just take very little Rich brown Chalky Acrylic paint and start dabbing it on the pot with your paint brush. Keep dabbing it till you get a look you are looking for. You can give it a very vintage look or keep it slightly vintage.

Step 3: If you feel like you have excess of the Rich brown chalky acrylic paint making it look more vintage than you like then redo step 1 at spots that need any corrections.

Step 4: Also paint the inside of the pots that the brown color of the terra cotta pot is not seen even when you place your succulents. Use the linen chalky color to paint the same. You can paint half of the inside or the whole inside pot as required.

Step 5: For real plants put a dish below and you can plant your succulents adding dirt or for faux plants I just added stones to stuff the pot and decorated the pot with the faux succulents.

Step 6: You can make just one and use it as a centerpiece or make 3 of the same kind and use as a centerpiece to decorate your dining table or any other space you like.

These pots are really easy to make and can be a great project to do along with your kids or friends. They are also a great idea for gifts to bridesmaids, to say thank you or even to add to a hamper for all succulent lovers. A great part about them is that I can easily move them to other parts of our home and they are an inexpensive way to add some character to the house. I can easily remove the faux succulents and use them in other containers. It is also a great idea for staging your house for a sale. The possibilities are endless. I can’t wait to see what you come up with!

Lifestyle

DIY Jewelry Organizer Tray – In less than 30 minutes

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Jewelry Trays are so fun and colorful to create using Sculpey and a fun way to add a pop of color to your wardrobe. From solid colors, to interesting patterns, different shapes and more, the possibilities are endless. Here are a few tips I would like to share with you to create a jewelry tray in no time. Seriously, its fun, useful, easy and addictive!

Materials Needed:

  • Sculpey soft clay
  • Clay Roller/ Rolling pin
  • Butter Knife
  • Cookie/Clay cutters – Different shapes (not necessary – made this one without any cutters)
  • Thick paper or Ceramic tile (to keep your work space clean)

Step1: Working on the ceramic tile or thick white paper, roll your sculpted clay using your hands to form thin ropes of all the different colors you want to use.

Step 2: Twist all the ropes together interlacing the colors into one large rope.

Step3: Continue to twist and turn the rope and fold on top of itself, mixing and swirling the colors together.

Step 4: Using your hands, make the rope in the shape of a ball and flatten the ball using a rolling pin. Avoid it being too thin or too thick; you will want to get it to about the thickness of a quarter. I selected a mix of 2 colors here but you can mix and match as many colors you like or use only one solid color. I used a piece of white and a piece of violet.

Step 4: If you want to make the shape more natural like me just use your hands to give it the shape you like or use clay/cookie cutters to give it any shape you like. You can also use a bowl to give it a round shape.

Step 5: Preheat the oven to 275 degrees Fahrenheit . Transfer your tray on a parchment paper, and bake it for 15 mins for a tray having thickness of a quarter inch. If your tray thickness is more it will be needed to be baked for longer. Follow the instructions on the clay you are using for baking instructions. If you feel the clay does not fold the shape you can even put the tray over an oven safe bowl and put it to bake.

Step 6: Let the tray cool. Once completely cool, paint the rim for detail or leave it as it is. Place your favorite jewelry inside.

These trays are so easy to make and can be made in various shapes, colors and styles. They also make a great gift to give to your friends or simply enjoy yourself. I can’t wait to see what you come up with!