The Red Rose

After all, the life decided to unveil itself telling that it is not at all the coziness of blanket filled with roses. Rather, it has not only thorns, the roses have leaves, stem and of course thorns with it. So holistically, it is complete.

 An idea of being GREY-and that it what we do not want to see. The portrait of our life comprises just good and bad at the initial years of life and till adolescence, we live in that portrait embossed. Gradually the greyishness starts, which demands us to get swayed away by the situation, selfishly asking to adjust with it. Not the least, the situations ask us to do what they want to do.

Why? No reason! The roses tell us that I am a fake part of your portrait- a fabrication, which is just visible to you in thoughts and dreams. Someday I would come to you for a moment and vanish in a small sight, but my parts-leaves, stems, and thorns will stay with you to remind of roses, in the hope that one day you will see a blooming rose.

Summer Skincare Hacks For A Working Mom

Yes mom, you are an icon to me and even if I become 50 % of what are you today, I will be more than glad. You are the role model to me. ‘A confident leader’ is what people say about you, and you know that you can also look fabulous by applying few tricks on your skin.  I know that your beauty routine always takes a backseat.  This applies to all the working moms around us. Moms-do not forget your skin, especially when summer is approaching. Your skin is a part of your personality and it needs your extra attention.  Take out time to apply these skincare hacks which will be very useful for you in summers.

Never forget to apply sunscreen. It is must for your skin when you are stepping outside of your house.  You should apply it 30 minutes prior to exposure. It is a clinically proven fact that if you are applying sunscreen at least 30 minutes prior to exposure, it works well on your skin because the cream gets absorbed in your skin and your skin is not vulnerable then. It is not just your face which gets exposed to sun rays, also your toes, feet, arms and back. Put sunscreen over there also. Remember, sunscreen should be the topmost layer on your skin. If you have to apply moisturizer or foundation, apply it first and then put sunscreen. This way you will get the full benefits of your sun protection cream.

Cleanse, tone and moisturize your face properly. Inculcate this habit in your daily routine and make it a religious practice. These 3 steps are a key to an amazing skin in all kind of weathers. During summers, it is more crucial because your face is also getting exposed to lot of dust during summer. After cleansing with a right cleanser for you, apply toner. If you get sufficient time, take steam on your face before applying toner, which will unclog your pores and would take out all the dirt.  Choose your toner wisely.  It should not contain alcohol; otherwise it will leave your skin dry.  Summers does not mean that you have to avoid moisturizers. Choose a moisturizer which is not too oily. Moisturize your face well. Your moisturizer should contain natural ingredients and oils which improve your skin texture and make your skin firmer.

Lips are very important features of your skin. They get dried up in summer due to lot of heat. Using your favorite lipsticks will beautify your lips for few hours. Make them healthy from inside. We know that after a super busy schedule you just want to hit the bed, but if you just take out 5 minutes to apply a lip cream, your lips will be smoother and softer; you will find your lips with a beautiful difference in the morning! And yes, never forget to carry a good lip balm in your bag. Drink lot of fresh juices. It does wonders for your skin.

Take care of your skin tan. We all know sun tan is almost unavoidable during summers. So let us cure it. Nothing is better than home remedies for sun tan. You can also take de-tanning services for your face from salons, but do try this homemade pack. Take equal quantity of lemon juice and honey, mix it well. Apply it on your face, neck, arms, hands and feet. Leave this for 20 minutes and then wash it. It will bring radiance and glow to your face. 

Do not overlook your feet. Take out time for pedicure at least once in a month because most of us wear open footwear during summer and so our feet gets exposed to sun rays and dust.  If your feet is dry, it means that your body is not hydrated enough and you should atleast have 3-4 litres in a day. Before you sleep, wash your feet and apply foot cream.  It will keep your feet healthy, soft and good looking.

Moms! While you are taking care of your skin and body, keep a check on what you are eating in summers. A good diet is important to make your skin glow. The fruit shops are overloaded with varieties of fruits in summer season, so do not consume too much of salty food, include fruits and salads in your diet which has high content of water. It will keep your skin hydrated. Whenever you feel hungry, you can have coconut water, aam panna, green salad etc. Include cherries and watermelon in your diet. Watemelon has Lycopene which helps to retain moisture of your skin.

We know that maintaining a lifestyle which involves raising a family along with full-time job is no cakewalk.  Along with this, do not forget yourself and your skin. Try these simple skincare hacks and find a difference in your skin.

HOLI-The Festivity with Rejunevation

And someone just rang my door bell! It was our society’s security guard with Holi Pamphlet, he handed me a small pamphlet with details of Holi celebration in our society. The pamphlet reminded me of best holis celebration which I always celebrated in a full festive mood. This festival always brought out the most ‘happening girl’ (just for a day). I could never ascertain what it was-the beauty of the colors which always poured magnetism on me or the fascination of colors which allured me?

I have vivid experiences of holi. Whether I was a kid, teenager, an undergraduate, and then a postgraduate-none of the stages of my life stopped me from enjoying this colorful festivity. It reminds me of the splash of colors-red, green, yellow and many. After playing holi, during afternoon 1 or 2, I used to see myself in the mirror and loved the way colors painted my face! Although I could only see my eyes after that. I celebrated most of my Holi at home; they were the only ones where I played in decent enough way. Moreover, we have a tradition of eating Malpuaas (small pancake made with Khoya and All purpose flour) along with ‘Kathal (Jackfruit) ki sabji. My mom makes delicious Kathal ki sabji. The fun filled Holi are dated back to 2008-11, when I was an undergraduate at Bansathali University. Being into an women's  college, we did not leave any pranks to be done in Holi. They were most fun filled days Holi of my life.

Holi @ Banasthali University Source: Bansthali University social media page

    

Malpua

Source: Maps of India

 If I talk about this festival of colors, I should not forget to mention about Vrindavan Holi. In Vrindavan, people play holi with organic colors. They mix water, gulal, flowers and kesar (saffron). One of the broken traditions make Vrindavan Holi more special, popular and contemporary is that as a part of Indian traditions, widows cannot play holi. Few years ago, widows at Vrindavan broke this tradition and started celebrating this festival.

Holi @Vrindavan          Source: http://www.sid-thewanderer.com

If you are Indian, you will surely find connect with this festival, like I always relate to it. Happy and Safe Holi this year.

Writing Is A Meditation

Writing is such a meditation.  It relieves you! It makes you express your unsolicited thoughts. It makes you feel stronger. Do you know why? Because it helps you to confront your own thoughts which are going in your bewildered head. There could be many thoughts in your head which are underlying subconsciously, but you never thought to give it a shape. When you write, you give your thoughts a vivid expression-you paint your thought, quite literally! Remember- a thought can be as good as a constructive idea which is a seed of innovation. Constructive ideas have always made a remarkable history.

Photo by Yannick Pulver on Unsplash

I was 14 when I wrote my first piece and I could feel that I expressed myself so well. Well, I was not serious enough to keep that piece of writing till today. Now I literally feel that I could have safely stored my piece of writings so that I could still feel that moments (To what extent my mind would wander in those years of a ‘just-started-teenage'). I always felt relieved when I wrote, whether I just a self-created report for submission which and of course it included my own ideas. I always felt my passion for writing. I never left writing and writing never left me. Whenever due to my busy schedule, I could not write, it has always made me feel worse.

Photo by Eugene Chystiakov on Unsplash

Somewhere down the line I strongly feel that if writing is your hobby, please do not stop writing. Not everyone possesses this skill. If it is your passion, make a career out of it. Take out time to write. It will heal you! Your hobby will complete you like it does to me. HAPPY WRITING!