Three Sisters (Blackberry Island #2)

I can never have enough of fictions especially women's fiction. The cover of this book gave me that feel instantly .. This is my first Susan Mallery book.. Really liked it .. She certainly joins the list of my favourite women's fiction authors next to Cathy Kelly.

Looking at the cover of this book and the title you might think the novel is about three sisters. The three sisters are in fact old neighbouring houses on Blackberry Island. The story is about the three women in those houses. Andi, the protagonist , who after being jilted at the altar, buys one of the houses planning to open her paediatric surgery and also live in the house. After her disastrous ten years spent with Matt, Andi has sworn off men. Despite all that effort, she falls for her contractor. Will their relationship work inspite of the differences in their job status?
Deanna, a neighbour, is one who strives to have the perfect home and family. But the reality is very different. Then there is Boston, an artist whose baby died in her arms. Now all she does is paint and sketch baby Liam.

I have a few quibbles.. Certain scenes sounded rather repetitive . I understand the author wanted us to  know how their lives fell apart and how these ladies are going through an emotional struggle. Like , Mike leaving Andi at the altar and Boston painting her son and Deanna washing hands etc ..After the fourth time, they were too boring and unnecessary.

I liked the story of Deanna and Boston . It was more deep and strong than Andi , who is the protagonist. It could have been better. Apart from the above, I enjoyed the book thoroughly. I liked all three characters. Especially how Andi and Boston hate Deanna and then when they get to know her better, become best of friends. Explains the women nature perfectly :P

The book may seem like a light read but it still manages to describe family ties, heart break , friendship , small town life etc.  When I chose this book little did I know about Susan Mallery. She seems to have written a lot of series. Fool's Gold being the most famous one.. I will try to read a few of the Fool's Gold series soon, probably next year. This book is Blackberry Island series no : 2 ..

We have neared the end of 2015.. I have been able to read books this year which itself is an achievement. Hahah.. True.. I know a lot of my friends who have given up reading after having a baby :P .Thanks to my son , who after turning 3 has stopped ripping my books and allows me to read these days..:P .. Looking forward to reading more in 2016...

 

Chennai rains and a sinking heart !!!

Oh my god .. It was a nerve wracking week because of the Chennai floods. Trust me , I have been stressed... Stressed by just sitting and waiting for information from loved ones back in Chennai. I cant imagine how stressed people who actually faced the calamity would have been...

I know a lot of people who live abroad and have their friends and family in Chennai.. Chennai is home and when it was struck with torrential rain and the connection was lost , I know what would have gone through in their minds. A sudden sense of panic, fear of unknown , the urge to contact and all these washed away with a sense of guilt... Yes, it all ends with a guilty feeling of us enjoying all luxury ( material perks ) and our loved ones struggling there with no one to help... It did to me ..  For all those living far from home, missing out on major life events, both the sad and the celebratory, is a common sacrifice.

Those hours of no contact with the people back home and our frantic efforts to reach them and figure out if they were safe was excruciating.. Don't fret my friends..You may have left your home for another country where you would have an opportunity of some kind, be that education, career, love or even freedom but home always remain close to heart. When we leave home , we leave a piece of us back there and hence the continued state of agony. Never mind, we will still be the selfish son or daughter who abandoned their families to get ahead , with tonnes and tonnes of love and care for them in our hearts..

All the technology we use to stay in touch with them had failed , leaving us stranded with emotional distress. So every little piece of information about someone being rescued brought great relief.. Two days of no contact with family brought worst nightmares. What would they be doing without food, without power , without water.. scary to imagine... Finally I received information from them stating they are fine... uff phew what a relief !!!

Then, I sat back to imagine what everybody there are going through.. Especially the old people , pregnant women and the extremely little ones...A well settled family becoming paupers over night.. Nature has its own way of teaching.. Everybody would have learnt a lesson from this incident.. be it the politicians, or the celebrities or the common man. The pictures of smiling women rescued in rain , the photo of a woman delivering milk in waist deep water and many other videos from Chennai taught me to be brave and to think positive. When I spoke to my friends and my cousins , I felt if you have your humour intact, nothing can pull you down..

Thanks to all the known and unknown brothers and sisters who helped my family and friends ( extended family .. ) in my absence. I am so obliged .. It is you who we trust and leave them behind. Thanks to all those who marked friends safe on Facebook as soon as they got the info. Thanks to every single individual who helped people stuck in the first floor of their houses with provisions and food and water.. God bless you all.

Now, just hope that the rain relents its hold on Chennai and life returns to normal soon..

The Throid Madness !

Hypothyroidism has become a regular topic of discussion between our friends these days .. After hearing a lot about hypothyroidism and being a victim of it myself, I know how hard it can be to overcome its symptoms even after being treated. Be it natural or synthetic medicines , the symptoms take time to reduce and in my opinion doesn't disappear completely... To begin with, let me tell you , I am not a doctor and do not possess any medical qualifications to advice.. I am gonna give you few suggestions that seem to work and which I personally follow.

Of course, you need to consult a doctor and do the tests and get treated first. Once you start your treatment, your mood will definitely become better. Well, I mean it ..This hypothyroidism messes with your moods ( I really do not want to swear :P ) . Depressions and mood swings would have definitely become your regular thing.. But I know, that's so not you.. Hence treating it with meds and bringing your T3, T4 and TSH to normal will help you become YOU again.

Well, if you are gonna live with it, you need to understand it. Establish a good relationship with it... It might sound stupid :P but that's how I see it .... Hypothyroidism slows down your metabolism. It reduces your stomach acid there by leading to lots of digestion issues.. Having warm water with lemon first thing in the morning or before breakfast and  a glass of diluted organic apple cider vinegar before a big meal will help reduce lot of digestive issues.

Now , lets target the other dreadful symptom of hypothyroidism.. Constipation.. Sluggish metabolism results in constipation and impacts gut health and ability to digest. The best remedy is to include probiotics in your diet.. Having good probiotics helps improve digestion and nutrient absorption. It modulates immune system and helps synthesis of vitamins.

I hear a lot of people complaining about hair loss and I have it too :P . Thinning of hair is a major problem with it. You need to get your iron levels checked and start including a good quality multivitamin supplement. I haven't had success in this area to be honest.. If anyone has any other ideas to help cope with this , please let me know :-)

Dry skin brushing is another boon for us. Dry body brushing is a traditional natural health practice, which involves brushing over the skin dry, followed by a shower or bath. Buy a good brush with natural bristles so that you don't hurt yourselves. I cant stress the goodness of this . It relaxes your nervous system and enables your lymphatic system to work efficiently. Waking up your lymphatic system is gonna make the job easier for your body to remove toxins. You don't want the garbage clearing system of your body clog :P. You can see how it is done in the below video.. You have loads of info about this on the net.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ANy_2xWLAo

All the above tips might sound simple and is good for any normal person..That's right.. These little things are extra special for a person with hypothyroidism because of the benefits they provide.. Apart from this I have got to tell the usual thingy.. Exercise.. I am sure you've heard this from a lot of people and docs.. I am sure it helps and you know that :P

Some people say going gluten free helps hypothyroid patients but I am not too sure :P..  Haven't tried it... I am so keen in knowing what you guys or your friends do to tackle it . Keep me posted.









 

In a pumpkin state of mind !!

I like everything about Halloween.. The spooky , scary , horror stuff .. And seeing kids dressed like witch and wizard .. from the costumes to the candies , Halloween is fun filled time.. Halloween is new to me (only after moving to UK and now Oz )  .. I only watch people celebrating it and enjoy..  For all those who celebrate it , have a safe and spooktacular Halloween !!

With Halloween mood setting in , there is pumpkins everywhere. Although,  I don't celebrate Halloween ( All Saints day !! ) , it would be unfair to turn blind eyes to those huge , round , orangey luscious pumpkin waiting to be tasted.. Firstly , me and my hubby are not big pumpkin fans.. So if I was gonna use them , it better be tasty ...

You all know what I like the most .. Yes , its coffee.. So trying pumpkin spiced coffee was the best idea !!! Spiced coffee sounded so interesting ..and pumpkin cupcakes for a budding cupcake fan ( my son :P )  I was all set to try it.. I always turn to Sally for recipes.. Like always , she has never failed in giving the best recipes ...  Please find the link below for the coffee ..

http://sallysbakingaddiction.com/2015/09/14/homemade-pumpkin-coffee-creamer/

Alright yes, I tweaked the coffee version a little to match my needs.. Firstly pumpkin pureeeeee ... I made my own .. I didn't buy the can. When I put the pumpkin in the oven , that's when I realised why so many people like it .. The smell was gorgeous .. much better than baking chocolate cake or bread.. It is like a crossing a road and smelling freshly ground coffee.. hmmmm .. Heavenly..  And then pumpkin spice .. I didn't get it in my super markets . So, I used all spice powder ( ground ginger, nutmeg & cinnamon ) . I used my milk frother instead of whipped cream.. Pour this creamer into your coffee ... Simple yet so good.. Smells great and is strong with coffee and spice flavours..

Reminds me of the fall season in UK ... Halloween always fall during the Fall ( Autumn season ) .. It matches the spooky mood.. with dried leaves all over, dark & windy evenings.. This coffee would have certainly matched the seasonal tone  and want for something warm and spicy :P .. Its spring here in Oz.. Nevertheless , this coffee is so damn delicious .. Worth it in any season ..  Who wouldn't want the house smell like heaven.. It happened again when I baked these cupcakes ... Cupcakes and coffee .. What a combination !!! 

My palate is definitely becoming gourmet ... If you are like me , willing to try different things .. go for this pumpkin spiced coffee at your café.. You will positively crave for it :-) ..



 

Death before Decaf !!

Decaf is a topic I have been meaning to discuss for some time now . Today I stumbled upon this meme " Death before Decaf " and decided its time ... There is more caffeine in my body than blood ( honest truth !! ) And I especially like to read the many studies affirming the positive impact of coffee  on our health :P. However, it can be addictive because of the caffeine. Why am I ( of all people ) thinking decaf ?

I wanted to keep my caffeine intake low on account of my continuous effort to ward off excess pounds :P ( some of us are always on diet , aren't we ??? )  .. Others, such as those with kidney disease or anxiety disorders, may need to avoid caffeine all together. Whatever your case may be, if you are considering decaf you need to read this.

The first and the foremost to consider is whether decaf contains caffeine. While there may be variances in coffee, decaf certainly does contain caffeine - just in lower amounts. If you are not supposed to have caffeine , decaf is not the option. As few amounts of caffeine might add up to more than the limit end of the day..

After so much thought I decided to try decaf. Tough decision for a coffee lover. They say decaf would still be the same as coffee just without caffeine .. The first day when I drank decaf in the morning , I realised I was still sleeping.. haha jokes apart , it didn't give me the push or the wake up call to my cells .. So technically it didn't satisfy one of the most important reasons of why I drink coffee ( I have many reasons actually !! ) ..

Another main difference I felt was the sweet taste of coffee.. I mean really sweet ..I generally add a small teaspoon of sugar to my coffee.. so the decaf I tried was extra sweet coz the powder I used make the coffee tasted sweet.. Now , that's a complete no no.. But I am not the one who gives up so easily on any idea until it works.. so started investigating ( oh ya ! you can imagine me with googly spectacles and a magnifying glass in hand :P )

Certain Decafs are made using Swiss water process or carbon dioxide extraction, both of which are quite harmless. But most decafs employ chemical solvents such as methylene chloride (forget the name - it is a toxic compound and suspected carcinogen ) or ethyl acetate to strip caffeine molecules from the green coffee bean. This ethyl acetate adds a sweet fruit flavour. Now that explains it..So the next time ( I doubt that .. ) I sure would check the label for the process of decaf ..

Decaf didn't gimme the energy and the pleasure that actual coffee  gives.. I was once a person who could drink anything that was close to the taste of coffee ( be it hot water :P ) . But now I have grown to like its aroma, taste , flavour. So my satiety quotient has changed . And I read that coffee drinkers live longer than non coffee drinkers ( I mean really.. Do you want the link :P ) . Do I need to give you more reasons for my solid cup of java ....

Wish I had done this investigation before I bought that big jar of decaf :-(..I don't really know what you have decided after reading this , I sure have decided DECAF not my cup of tea ( I mean coffee :P :D )


 

Bitten by the travel bug !!!!

I generally am not a person who would write about my trip or a vacation because that involves writing about myself and talking much about my experience which I think I am not very good at . But today, I am gonna write about my trip to the Great Ocean Road. You might ask why.. Because , this was such a perfect trip. I have gone to a lot of places ( not a lot , just a few actually :P )  in different countries. This trip and the location was by far the best . I shall explain why as I take you through my journey.

Lot of our friends suggested we make the journey from Melbourne and stay overnight near twelve apostles and return the next day. I would suggest you to give a full weeks time for this journey in a practical world. Each attraction on your way is worth it. You need time to devour the beauty of the small little towns and their laid back seaside life. Two days were just not enough. Well, we didn't try to squeeze in all the attractions in two days. We still wanted a relaxed trip. Especially with our 3 year old son along we didn't want to rush things ( can we ? even if we want to .. ufff these kids :P )

We ( my hubby Mr. S , my son Atharva and me ) went during public holiday in Victoria. So it was crowded ( trust me , I haven't seen so much crowd in any of other Australian beaches ) . We had slow moving traffic before entering the Great Ocean Road and in the Otway forest area.. Traffic could be a pain usually but not in this journey coz you had scenic beauty and A.R Rahman and Ilayaraja music to entertain you .

So, we started our journey of the Great Ocean Road ( GOR )  from TORQUAY, the gateway of GOR . It was surfers heaven . A view from the top looked like little penguins and dolphins waiting to become one with waves.. Little kids floating with their surf boards made me regret not having learnt swimming :P . They seemed to have so much fun in the water catching waves and some sun and sand. Nevertheless I had so much fun watching them :-)

Then , we went to Anglesea. It is a quaint sea side town with a vast expanse of white beaches. It was  perfect for my son to build his sand castles ( that is what he came for :P ) . We had a nice little picnic there letting my son enjoy playing in the sand and wetting his legs in the sea. We had a tough time bringing my son out of the beach..

With a heavy heart and promise of seeing more beaches me and my son left Angle Sea and we drove straight to twelve apostles to be there for sunset. It took three and half hours of visual treat to reach twelve apostles. There were lovely looking small towns in between but remember we didn't want to rush and squeeze things in this trip. When your eyes get tired of seeing the blue sea , white beaches and rocky mountains , you start seeing tall green rainforests in Otway. Immerse yourself in the mesmerising beauty of tall trees and ferns.

As you emerge out of the green comes blue sees again . Finally we landed at Twelve Apostles which is iconic limestone cliff and crumbling pillars. Yes crumbling , there are only seven and half pillars left. I wondered what could be so beautiful about limestone structures .. Trust me , it is nature at its best form. Completely divine and scenic beauty. You can see the structures in golden colour with red tinge of the setting sun and mystic rays . It can make anybody poetic and artistic .

We stayed at Peterborough near the Apostles. The next morning, we rose early to enjoy the pleasant walk to the Apostles and climb down Gibson steps . Unfortunately , due to high tide the steps were closed. I have to mention about this small little town.  It had a small estuary / backwater near a park. Oh my God, that was heaven for my son. He spent good 3 hours running up and down that ankle high , I mean his knee high ;-) water . He built castles , decorated it with weeds and shells (very few though ) and knocked it down too... I was basking in the sun with a lovely tall cup of coffee ( thanks to my kind hubby ) without worrying about my son . My son jumped with joy and was finally tired of playing in the water. It was mission well accomplished for me and my hubby.

We started back to Melbourne and on our way back we went to The Arch, London Bridge and Loch Ard Gorge. On the way, we asked a stranger where does that route lead to , she replied " I don't know , but whatever that is , it is beeaauutifulllllll " .. I think that explains it all. You don't need to know the name of the place , the various attractions etc.. Whatever it is , it is beautiful and picturesque..

Now you see why the trip was perfect. It satisfied all our needs especially our little masters ... We couldn't cover a lot of small towns on the way like Lorne , Apollo Bay , Warnambool etc. They all looked pretty enticing and enchanting ... ( calls for another trip Mr.S .. hehehe ) ..

The Stepmother's Diary !!!

Books are like people .. You get along with some and you don't get along with some.. This book of Fay Weldon is the one that I didn't get along so well. Set on the patriarchal situation that prevailed, this novel is contemporary and written with great panache.

Although I didn't make friends with the book ( shall tell you why soon :P ) , I loved the style of the author. The whole story is written as diary of the protagonist Sappho who is a playwright. So it is like a novel within a novel. The character says her own story like a drama with dialogues.

The story alternates between pages from Sappho's diary and her mum Emily's opinion on the same. The story is quite gossipy and bitchy. 'You think truly dreadful things only happen in other countries, far away,' Emily says at the beginning of the book, 'but they also happen in your own back yard, to the nicest people, and at the hands of others who believe that they too are perfectly sane and nice, the kind who sort household waste and try to save Africa. This says it all. There are bad things going around.

Beware of the toxicity lurking around is all I can say. I kinda felt that there is lot of negativity in the book. Every character in the story can not be trusted and become friends for benefit. May be I am too gullible and hence cant take too much of manipulative and shady characters. Step mother characters are classic. We have read a lot of them from Ramayana to Cinderella . Story of wicked step children is something new to me.

The quotes of the psychoanalyst Freudian Emily and her Jungian boyfriend just made it more difficult to continue. I guess it is a little too much and doesn't add anything to the story except making it too painful.

I generally do not read two or three books at one point of time. I hate to leave any book unfinished. That is may be because I am not the avid reader types. I seriously regretted it this time because although I liked the style of prose , I couldn't read such negativity and pit holes after pit holes continuously. I should have picked a chic lit in between this serious  stuff. Would have got along the book much better than this :P . It would have taken less time to finish this book at least.

If I have to give stars out of 5 , it would be generous 2 ** , just for the author's prose and style. I googled about the author and found her website with a lot of blog posts that I liked :-) . Follow it if you like .. http://www.fayweldon.co.uk/ . This one book is not gonna stop me from picking up her book again I think , what say ?

Become a Connoisseur of Daily Life !!!

At home with Madame Chic by Jennifer L. Scott is a book that I picked some time ago. The title intrigued me . I was at home all the time and I was dejected at the thought of not going to work and staying at home doing mundane tasks every single day. That was the time I came across this book which said become a connoisseur of daily life. Exactly what I needed I think :-)

I should warn you that this book doesn't apply much to working women or women with grown up kids (to a certain extent) and suits best only for stay at home young mums. The author Mrs.Scott gives insights of her life and how she handles and organises life which she learnt when she was a college student living with a " chic " French family in Paris.

Well I am not gonna discuss what the book tells and stuff. It is a lifestyle book and gives tips for a better living ( nothing new ) . What it does more is tells us what Mrs.Scott does in her day to day life. What music she listens to, how she does her dinner table , her ten item wardrobe etc. Sometimes it makes you feel that there is a constant to do list and activities . It misses to appreciate the "flaneur " part of French life .

All this said , you cant ignore the good things said in the book. I love this book and it goes straight into my beach bag to read and reread. I shall savour this book and try and apply as much as possible.
The book has helped me make attitude adjustment and reminds me everyday can be extraordinary.

I wanted to share what I enjoyed and took away from this book . Fall in love with your home again. When you love your home , you start appreciating the little things in it. Clutter is so not chic. Learn to declutter and enjoy the process which is very important. Else it is gonna be difficult to remain so. Your home is an art exhibit and you are the curator.

Dressing well everyday. This got me thinking. I am one of those who wears pyjamas all day unless going out . My most days are inside the house ( blame the winter :P ) and in sweatpants . The book just changed my thinking about it.  Dressing up every single day has definitely added a spring in my step. So come on girls, dress up today even if you are not going out. It makes such a shift in attitude and sometimes in your spouses too :P . Bringing such small changes ( inspired by book ) helped me a lot in uplifting my moods :-)

Overall my girlie friends, start enjoying your home and life in style !!! In your own style,  in a chic way.. Become a connoisseur of daily life and this book just helps you with attitude change and shows you some of Jeniffer Scotts way. If you want a glimpse of her and the books please read her blog.
http://dailyconnoisseur.blogspot.com.au/ . You might enjoy it and find your own style :-)






 

Paper Towns ...

Here comes the post that I promised . My review of Paper Towns by John Green. I loved The Fault in Our Stars. Hence I picked another book by John Green. My idea of a John Green book is emotional and deep. So I was expecting something similar. This book although attempts to bring deep thoughts , it fails. If you were looking for a sentimental read , I am afraid this is not yours. I love reading sentimental stuff as long as it is not too sappy :P

 

 

It is tough to discuss books without discussing its characters and bit of the story .. This story is about young adults Quentin Jacobsen and his neighbour and childhood love interest Margo Roth Spiegelman.

I liked it when Margo takes a revenge and does it in a scheming well planned way. She looks like a person we would want to be but can not. She is full of adventure and spontaneity . That last night with Quentin was very interesting. After all that interesting things they do , she disappears leaving Quentin with clues to come find her.

Quentin is so madly and deeply obsessed with Margo. I cant actually say that's love. But why is he so obsessed with her ? Why does he ruin his last days at school and with friends by wasting his time searching her ? Why is he trying to desperately find her ?  All that is not explained well but I thought the answers would be understood when they finally find her.

Why did Margo leave? Why did she want Quentin to find her if she wanted to disappear ? Why does she leave clues and why was she surprised when they find her.. All these are not answered well at the end or did I miss something ? I am not so sure. All I feel is Margo's interesting character looses its charm when her purpose is not well justified. The end of the story could have been much better.

Every chapter that I read about the quest to find her and decipher her clues were boring . I kept pursuing with a hope that it will all be worth the wait but unfortunately I feel John Green left me hanging there with lots of unanswered questions.

What I really enjoyed are - the adventurous night of Margo and Quentin ,  the prom night of Quentin and his friends and definitely the road trip. The way the road trip was described was very enjoyable indeed. I would love to go on a trip with my friends like that .

Overall, I would definitely go pick up another book of John Green. It is a nice read but could have been much better if only Margo validated her reason for leaving and the idea behind leaving clues .
So have fun reading friends ..and let me know if you have answers the questions that I had while reading.



 

A dive into 30's ...

Are you in the edge of completing 3 decades on this earth? Or have you just entered the sweet thirties of your life ? I know there is an awful lot of things that is expected of you in the late twenties or before you turn thirty ... All that said and done , there are certain things that you should know and do to dive into your thirties swiftly and come out successful ... Lets learn and follow them to make this transition super smooth..

 

 

The below are my list of to do's and what I have learnt from myself and others .. ( oh yes !! I am in my thirties :-) .. ) .. Well , I am following a certain things and trying to follow the rest. Not sure if I will be successful. Let me leave that to another post in my forties .. hahaha ..

To begin with ,what looks terrific on you in your twenties might look uhh.. little different in your thirties ... So my friends , I think the first thing we should do is update our fashion sense and dress accordingly.. I can see the men reading my blog snicker.. It applies to you as well my friends. The shapes of our body changes and I guess we should learn to embrace it.

Even if you are dressed in your best attire, you wont feel wonderful unless you have learnt to accept yourself the way you are. It doesn't matter if your bum looks big or your tummy pops out inspite of sucking it in... It has survived 30 long years and it definitely needs a hug :-) Learn to love yourself .

Stop comparing yourself with others. I know we have been doing it in our twenties but does it give us happiness ? Constantly comparing yourself with your peers will not help you achieve your goals. People will judge you always no matter what you do. So might as well do what we want to do.

Accepting yourself the way you are doesn't mean you wont strive to become better. Start exercising regularly. I cant stress enough on this point. I know it sounds cliché.. You don't want to look older than you are , do you ? Also, you want your body to be healthy enough to take you through the rest of your life.. Exercising once in a while does not count from now on ( I mean in your thirties .. ) . Make it a regular thing . Bring it into your daily routine.

Speaking of routine, I am sure we wouldn't have had one till now.. I didn't have one till about 3 weeks ago :P . I remember the days when I used to never follow a schedule for my breakfast, lunch and dinner. Didn't sleep on time. Not to mention, never woke up on time :-) Well, your youthful metabolism would have adjusted everything but now my friends, please sleep and wake up same time everyday. Trust me,setting that routine is gonna take you a long way ( I am sure all young parents would agree to this ) .

We have been asked to decide what we want to become at a really young age. Based on which we decide our subjects in year 11 and 12.  But I am not too sure if the decision taken at age 15 is even true. I didn't have the faintest idea of what I wanted to become then... So now is the right time to pursue your life's dream.. It can be anything - buying a house, writing a novel, starting a business, cycling .. Just believe in it and go for it..

You may feel that the carefree life of the twenties is coming to an end. Which is true in a financial sense. I know, gone are those days that could go bankrupt , the evening you received your salary .. You can no longer afford it :P .. That is why we should start saving .. Saving for a rainy day is a must Start saving one third of your salary ( or your husband's salary ;-)... ) as a must.. That's the first step to retire in style :-).

Realise how long your life is .. Don't let anybody else tell you life has to be 1) Marriage 2) Career 3) Kids. There is no time line or time limit. Figure out what you want to do and just go for it . Be the person who is actively looking for new things to learn. Learn a new language. Learn to cook. Learn to swim . Learn something that will help you fulfil your dream .. Learn Learn Learn .. Keep Learning ... Start reading and keep reading which will help you learn in some way.

During this process of growing up, we have lost sight of what we want . We say and do things to please others . I remember the days when I slogged in office simply because I couldn't say " No " to someone . I am sure, we would have gone through many such scenarios in the walks of our life.. All I could say is please Grow a pair and learn to say " No " ( excuse the pun :P ) in a simple way. Never be rude while doing this coz you never know , you can misconstrued and thereby spoiling a good relation.

These relations or say connections are extremely important these days .  They call it Guangxi in Chinese.. It is networking they say. It is not what you know but who you know . Get out there and start building your own network :-)

Learn to tell stories.. Yes , you read it right , learn to tell stories.. I was always told to shut up and speak little as possible but unless you are heard in this big world, you cant make an impact. Just learn to talk in a succinct and engaging manner.

Alright , alright RELAX.. You are definitely doing OK. You are a good person and trying to do better. Nobody has everything figured out. That's the whole point and fun of life.. Don't let the twenties in you die .. It is better to be absolutely ridiculous than absolutely boring !!!!

If you have a different list for your thirties, share your thoughts..






 

I am not a Barista :-)

Do you think coffee is just a cup of milk with instant coffee granules and sugar ? Then think again !!! This post is for all the lovers of coffee who think coffee is much more than just a beverage :-)  To me coffee is a source of energy , beginning of fun , appreciation of long work nigh , ecstasy concoction and many more... That is why I cannot stress how important it is to make a super strong, aromatic , frothy coffee ...

I am no Barista ... Neither am I a coffee brewing expert but I am gonna tell you the way to make the best instant coffee .. I understand instant coffee is not as tasty (yay... tasty, I call it ..) as brewed coffee but you can bring it close if you use the below method..  Many call it coffee flavoured hot water .. Hahahahah .. but when you don't have the time to brew coffee or don't have right selection of beans , instant coffee is a saviour...

Lets get into the process.. Firstly spend some time in finding the right instant coffee granules that match your taste. It is important to do this coz the entire ordeal depends on how you are going to like the taste of coffee powder. Makes a lot of difference you see ...

    

Add a teaspoon of coffee granules in a mug. Add sugar as per taste to it and add a teaspoon of water . Make it a paste and whip it with a spoon till the mixture turns light , creamy and frothy. It took up to 3 minutes of whipping ( isn't that a good arm exercise ? ) to make a creamy mixture as above.. You can mix a little longer if you have the time and strong arms.. Add hot almost boiling milk into it to make a frothy , yummy tasting coffee. I cant drink coffee that doesn't have froth :P doesn't appeal to me ;-) .. This instant coffee looks like a cappuccino without hearts on top of it :P

It takes some trial and error to find the right amount of coffee granules and water and milk you need to make the right mug of elixir of life !!!

Please try and let me know how it tasted .. Share your coffee recipes if you think that is the best way .. I am more than happy to try it ... After all , there can be many ways to happiness ....

If I Stay 1 & 2

Hey people .. Although I promised I would review either Book Thief or Paper Towns , I have come back with something else. There was this offer on books going on, in my favourite book store which said 2 for $10.00.. I picked up " If I stay " instantly ( mainly because it said its made into a movie ) .. Not knowing what other book should I pick, the store keeper suggested read the sequel " where she went " ... I thought that would be a wise choice .. Reading the sequel immediately after finishing the first one ..

Before reading any book, I try googling its ratings if possible.. Its not like I don't read books that don't have good rating or are not liked by the bigger crowd of audience. I read it anyway. Its just to create a mood and to set my priorities in the list of books that I have.. The ratings were great and most of them said its a moving , heart-warming , heart-breaking story etc.. So I immediately picked it up.
         
   
                               

Let me first talk about " If I Stay " ... The book was good but not great I would say. It definitely was sad and would even achieve to bring a tear or two at some places. But not heart wrenching .. May be because I have a strong heart or have experienced loss of loved ones .. I don't know ..

( *** Spoiler Alert *** ) Mia has to make a choice to stay or go following a fatal accident . She looses her entire family - loving dad , strong and caring mom and loving brother in the accident. . Her boyfriend Adam promises to do whatever it takes to make her stay even if it is letting her go. This is the story line . Mia has this out of body experience and the whole situation is narrated from the eyes of Mia who is in critical condition in the hospital.

There are places where my eyes welled up with tears. Especially when her grandfather gives her permission to leave. Overall, I found this book good but definitely overrated ....

 

Gayle Forman did succeed as a writer. She has managed to grab my attention and sustain it. So I move on to read the sequel " Where she went " .. It was so sad to know that Mia left Adam inspite of Adam helping her through the whole recovery process. Adam slips into depression and takes his anger and sorrow on others for 3 years. He keeps blaming Mia for leaving him in darkness and utter bitterness. That is a little too much don't you think ? Mia moves on to become a famous cellist and Adam gets famous too with his albums . I loved the lyrics of Collateral Damage written in the beginning of each chapter.

I wanted Adam to at least have a good closure with Mia. The book has a happy ending. Adam gets to question Mia , finds his answers and they give their love a second chance. I still cant understand why Mia would leave Adam who has been described like a fairy-tale lover. If she had problems , she could have spoken to him . He seemed to be so understanding and approachable. Instead she shuts herself and pushes him away. Understand that she didn't want pity but I think Adam had much more than pity. He loved her so much. Anyways , the book was a good read.

Finally, I would definitely pick up works of Gayle Forman in the future :-) . These books are not so bad. They both get a  3 star *** rating from me.

Feel free to let me know your comments even if you don't agree to me . You might have loved the long lasting love of Mia and Adam or you might even agree with me . Share your feelings in the comments .. Bye for now ..

Less is Lots !!!!

With all the important changes in life and lifestyle ( yes , I am talking about marriage !!! ) came the need for the minimalistic living. My husband Mr. S was in UK for an undefined period of time . I joined him in UK not knowing how long we were gonna stay there.. It could be three months or even be a year or more .. All the uncertainties called for a minimalist living. Have less stuff to carry back to India or have less stuff to throw away or have less stuff to clean up and tidy them .. ( I am sure all Indian IT guys and their wives who live abroad would agree to this ) .

My hubby constantly reminds me of the need to buy less stuff and buy only necessities. Sometimes even if there was a need , living space wouldn't allow it. By reducing physical possessions, we can have a cleaner , more manageable living or working space.

Honestly speaking, I respect and relate to minimalist who favour throwing away all the junk stuff but not getting rid of things of value / quality or priced possessions. I love minimalism when it comes to travel, books , decoration articles, kitchen utensils etc .I am slowly trying to apply it on clothes too..

 I am not here to say go minimalistic and get rid of your stuff . I am not here to make people who have attachment to things feel guilty.

Sometimes, objects and stuffs are the way I relate to the world and experience the goodness of the world. For eg : a smart TV with all the modern technology gives me a wonderful experience.. I love my Kindle or my smart handmixer or my chopper. These are little things I enjoy life with.

I feel very happy with FEW nice things around me instead of a whole bunch of stuff that makes me feel overwhelmed. A few quality and pretty little things make me very happy and comfortable .. Less is lots to me but I still like having stuff. I just make a conscious effort on choosing what stuff I want. I love stuff and yet would love to keep them minimum because I value my stuff and those little stuffs make my life incredible !!!

 Feel free to share your ideas on this . You can comment on the stuff you love or how you have been leading your minimalist lifestyle...

Coffee Confusion !!!

Coffee is my favourite thing and talking about my favourite thing ( with my blog named coffee .. ) is such a delight. Have you ever felt you don't know which coffee to drink when there are hundreds of choices in supermarkets / cafes ?

Well, I have. I am a big fan of south Indian filter coffee. Perfect blend of Narasus /Cothas coffee powder and chicory will make the best , well rounded brew. I drink it with hot milk and a small dash of sugar. A lot of my friends drink it black but I cant :P .. hmmm .. I can smell the aroma of hot coffee by just imagining it ..It feels like heaven. Only coffee lovers can understand what I am fetishizing about.

With me moving from country to country , this is one thing I certainly miss. My favourite filter coffee powders. So I decided to switch to instant coffee with a sad face and half heart. Again, with instant coffees, there are various brands and you don't get proper reviews on them before you choose. ( yes, I try reading reviews before I buy coffee :P .. C'mon it is not as easy as you think ) . Hence I decided to write reviews on the ones I have tried. You might ask,  are you an expert on this ? I am no expert but I have tried a few different instant coffee brands and I drink coffee as a fuel for energy sometimes and sometimes as a delicacy, really relishing it . So doesn't that make me a perfect coffee connoisseur :P

Now getting to the point, I am gonna review coffee based on its 4 basic characteristics - aroma , acidity, body and flavour. I actually am not too sure about acidity so I shall limit my comments to only 3 :P

First one is my personal favourite Carte Noire's classic Instant Coffee.
                                   

It is France's best selling premium coffee brand. Made from a blend of arabica coffee and finely-milled beans, Carte Noire’s classic Instant coffee promises a quality and taste “reminiscent” of roast ground coffee. And that's why I chose it. The bottle is a sexy black colour with a golden ribbon ( attractive isn't it :-) ) . The coffee has rich aroma. You can smell coffee from far. The classic has a perfect coffee flavour but doesn't have much body on its own. It needs milk or cream to give a full rounded body. That's exactly how I like it.

If you are looking for a something from mild to little strong coffee in the morning to give you the energy, this is the one you should go for. It wakes you up in its own gentle way.

Next is the Douwe Egbert's Pure Gold Instant coffee.

 

 

What I loved the most about D E is its indulgent varieties and upcycled jars :P . Its true , this coffee brand is pure indulgence. It has a mild coffee aroma, well rounded body and rich coffee flavour. Having said that , while adding milk to it , it becomes more mild and not strong enough to give that badly needed kick in the morning. It is pure indulgence. When you have loads of time , you wanna sit and relax with a big mug of coffee in front of the TV, this is the perfect one.                                      

 

Talking about indulgence, I decided I shall indulge a little more in their different flavours. I like Hazelnut . So I tried the Moccona Hazelnut flavour infused instant coffee.

 

Not all times do we get to visit cafes for the real coffee. This is the closest you could get to the real thing. It has an extremely gorgeous smell of hazelnut and coffee. It is a lovely combination. Makes your heart melt... It has full body , typical of Douwe Egberts. Adding milk just reduces its richness and hence I had to add another teaspoon of coffee powder. It has a sweet taste on its own and so people like me who add sugar to coffee , beware. It has a slight flavour of hazelnut. Overall it is a perfect guilt free treat on a cold winter day. It is definitely not for your caffeine rush.

Arrgh.. I can go on and on about coffee I think. Its never ending topic. Watch this space for more reviews and stuff about coffee :D . Have you guys tried different brands and have your personal favourites , feel free to comment and let me know . I would certainly love to know and try. Coffee anytime anywhere ....

I have tried something new in the past 5 months.. Have decided to keep adding to the reviews :-) This time it is purely Australian owned Robert Timms Premium Rich and Smooth Freeze dried instant coffee ...

I just happened to browse through their website and found the story of their owner Robert Timms' very interesting and inspiring.. The jar did not make a great impression first. Don't ask me , why I still bought it.. Sometimes I listen to my instincts :P .. The jar and the cover is not as fancy as the other expensive coffees.. It lacks the aroma . The smell of coffee doesn't hit you when you open the jar. I still went ahead and made the coffee... You wont regret the buy. The coffee tasted absolutely heavenly. I would rank this next to ( almost equal to ) my personal favourite Carte Noire but it lacks aroma .. It gets a well rounded body with milk. It is slightly strong and leaves a lovely coffee flavour lingering in your mouth for a long time...

More reviews will follow as and when I try new brands of coffee.. Keep watching this space :-)

 

 

Twenties Girl

 

Sophie Kinsella is no doubt called the queen of romantic comedy, coz the Twenties Girl was such an enjoyable read. I can easily give it 4 stars ****

Sophie Kinsella is a best selling author of very famous Shopaholic series. As I am not much of a shopper , I decided I will first read one of her standalone series .I randomly selected " TWENTIES GIRL" . A little bit of romance and comedy in my rather monotonous life would go a long way I thought. So started reading it.

The book was absolutely funny, enjoyable, witty and romantic. I never thought a ghost story can be so funny. Kudos to the writer to have managed to write a funny ghost story. I would like to meet a ghost like Sadie. Sadie Lancaster the ghost aunty of Lara the main character is full of energy and adventure. Although she initially appears to be obnoxious but I think that is to get things done by Lara. You will certainly love the way Sadie brings in love into Lara's life. The author's way of writing was so natural that I almost felt like I was watching it live rather than reading.

Alright guys, there are no spoilers in this post, you can continue reading. I wouldn't like spoilers and hence not gonna do it for others too :-) The book starts with lying to parents for their own good. That immediately brought a smile to my face. From that very sentence I read the whole book with a smile plastered on my face.

The story has lots of circumstances to built that bond between the ghost aunt Sadie and Lara. The male lead character Ed is very impressive. If this book is to be made into a movie, I can imagine somebody like Pierce Brosnan or Richard Gere to play this part. Hahaha.. So see how easy it is to imagine the whole story :P And that description of Charleston music and the dance made me so curious. I immediately googled it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pUpAcPAipDA

I quite enjoyed it .It made me become so involved in the book. I didn't know anything about the twenties dance and dress but now I do . Such is the description by the writer. Altogether it was a lovely treat to read.

Disclaimer : I am not an avid reader people :-) I like to read for fun, relaxation and escape.I like characters that are relatable and entertaining. I like to read chick lits :D .... Reading chick lit makes me laugh and that is all I require, light hearted stuff. You might find my stuff silly and sissy ( like my husband Mr.S would call it ) but that's what I enjoy the most. I also read classics , contemporary literature, adventure , science fiction etc but not much into it :P

So, you can expect my next review on Paper Towns by John Green or Book Thief by Australian ( I now stay in Australia, so should read :P ) author Markus Zusak.. I haven't made up my mind yet....It you have read this novel, feel free to share your comments. You can also suggest some good ones for me .. Meet you all soon. Bye.