World Toilet Day - How You Can Contribute To #ToiletForBabli

India is slowly being recognized as a nation of power. Today Mr. Modi is being welcome by nations all over the globe as a great leader for the country. Back home he is trying his best to develop India at the grass roots. With the "Swatch Bharat" initiative he is teaching us all that a little contribution from each individual can actually bring about the change we have all been looking out for.

At the same time on the side roads of a little village, young girls are seen defecating in the public. No they are not happy in doing so, no they are not shameless. This for them is a problem because their village lacks the basic amenity of a proper toilet. Not having a proper toilet or other sanitation amenities also leads to a lot of health issues for these young girls. Men and women are not spared and diseases spread like wildfire in such areas. Thousands of children die every day - yes every day - and the reason is something that we can all help eradicate.

World Toilet Day - How You Can Contribute To #ToiletForBabli

While in a lot of places it is simple neglect by the people themselves, there are other rural areas where lack of resources makes sanitation the last thing that people care about. What we need to understand and also help other's understand is that sanitation is imperative for good health. And without a healthy population no nation can every make progress. Our government and our people will always keep struggling with health if we don't focus on cleanliness and sanitation.

World Toilet Day - How You Can Contribute To #ToiletForBabli

#ToiletForBabli is an initiative started by Domex India - Hindustan Unilever's flagship sanitation brand. Domex runs the Domex Toilet Academy (DTA) programme. This programme was launched on 19th November 2013 with an aim to "become a sustainable and long-term solution to provide sanitation that benefits the local community and helps stimulate the local economy. The Toilet Academy makes toilets accessible and affordable, while promoting the benefits of clean toilets & good hygiene." The academy has already reached out to the villages of Maharashtra and Orissa where they have built toilets and have a target of building at least 24000 toilets by 2015 in rural areas which face the problem of open defecation.

Today is World Toilet Day (19th November) - the UN is fighting against sanitation issues all over the globe. On this day I urge you to be a part of the initiative started by Domex and help change the lives of millions of kids in India. Please do participate in the "You Click Domex Contributes" initiative. All you have to do is visit http://www.domex.in/ and click on the “Contribute Tab” - for each click Domex will contribute Rs.5 on your behalf to eradicate open defecation, thereby helping kids lead a dignified life.

Images are sourced from indiblogger.in and domex.in

Welcome To My Dream 24K Home With Porcelanosa

A dream home - your abode of peace and tranquility. I have always been a person who loves simplicity in her environment yet wants it to be absolutely chic and classy. This is my story of a dream home with 24Kliving that I would like to build one day. If I had the opportunity to source all my materials from Procelanosa then this is how my house would be. Welcome to my dream 24K home with Porcelanosa!
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A large gate led me into a driveway which was surrounded by a lush green garden lined by tall trees on the sides. Far away I could see the little house, shining brightly in the sun. As I walk down the cobbled path leading to the porch I notice the lovely flowers swaying in the gentle wind. Tiny butterflies flutter around the little pond and a beautiful tree house sits atop the largest tree in the garden.

Welcome To My Dream 24K Home With Porcelanosa

I step onto the huge porch and notice the gorgeous MULTIFORMATO TOSCANO ANTICATO natural stone floor tiles - I sit down on a step and take in the view before I notice the wicker chairs with cushions in a corner along with a fresh pot of coffee. I move inside, huge glass windows bring in the sunshine right into the living area. Here the floor transforms into a brilliant wooden touch with the OXFORD COGNAC tiles on the floor giving a sense of warmth. I can already imagine a Christmas eve sitting here with friends and family chirping away to glory!

Welcome To My Dream 24K Home With Porcelanosa

I walk along a corridor that leads to the kitchen, there are family pictures on the walls. The flooring has transformed into a lighter natural stone once again as I enter the kitchen, CEILÁN MARFIL tiles on the floors bring a brightness and make the kitchen appear huge. There are all modern amenities  in the kitchen, a cooking area separated by the dining area while a huge electric chimney would ensure that the eating and cooking experience is smoke free. A huge glass door leads you into the back kitchen garden where fresh veggies are smiling out in the sun.

My next stop is the bedroom, an abode inside the house where relaxation is of utmost importance. Spectacularly minimalistic yet modern - the adjoining walk in closet also houses the FOC LAMINADO ROBLE HUESO / LINO HABANA TEXTIL wardrobe with a natural wood floor finish done with ARTISAN 1L BLANCO. The plush bed with lots of feather cushions invite me for a nap but there are still more things for me to explore.

Welcome To My Dream 24K Home With Porcelanosa

I enter the bathroom - STON-KER Floor tiles in MADAGASCAR BEIGE feel just right under my feet. The bathroom looks spacious thanks to the LAJA BEIGE and XLIGHT Wall tiles. The glass ceiling feels like I'm right outside and the technically adept bathroom allows me to close the ceiling when I want to shut out the world outside.

I slowly make my way back onto the porch where my coffee is still awaiting me. I pick up my favorite book as I walk out to sit and enjoy the sun by the little pond.

One day, someday, this house will be mine and I will make it a home!

All images are sourced from http://www.porcelanosa.com/

A Spoonful Of Health For Your Child

Children are precious to all parents, whether they are little babies or grown up adults, children are always children. Any home strives for a healthy environment for the children. Children are after all the lifeline of any home. When a child falls sick the entire household strives to get the child back in a healthy state. Mothers will make concoctions of natural ingredients while fathers will ensure the best medication is available for the child. The entire house goes topsy turvy until the child regains his health.

As we advance in technology children have started neglecting their health in terms of physical activity. They stick to the TV or computer or that hi-tech gadget that daddy got on his last trip abroad. As a result eating healthy is very important to make sure the child doesn't get obese or doesn't fall pray to low immunity disorders.

As a child myself I found my parents very focused on ensuring my immunity was taken care off with the food I ate. Yet I was always prone to colds and coughs. So from a small age itself my parents introduced me to eating Chyawanprash. And as far back as I can remember a spoonful of Dabur Chyawanprash has been a post dinner ritual in our home. And while our parents fed it to us for improving our immunity, we loved eating it because it tastes very good. Come winters and it became even more important to eat the Dabur Chyawanprash to ensure none of us would fall sick.

A Spoonful Of Health For Your Child (image source: liveveda.com)

Even today as an adult I feel it is important to have Chyawanprash. Dabur Chyawanprash contains
1. Amla which is known to be one of the best antioxidants
2. Giloy (Guduchi) which has immuno-modulatory properties and helps provide strength to the body (Giloy is an excellent herb to help combat cold)
3. Ashwagandha which has anti-stress, anti-oxidant and immunomodulatory properties
4. Satavari which helps to promote general health. It is said to be beneficial for a good eyesight and also helps improve memory
5. Bala - an anti-oxidant that acts as a strength promoter
6. Vidarikand which is another ingredient that helps rejuvenate your body

Other than this there are other about 35 natural ingredients that prevent illness. Chyawanprash helps boost your immunity so that your body is able to cope with various infections and diseases. Research has indicated that Dabur Chyawanprash actually gives you 3 times more strength to fight diseases.

As winters have set in my regular dose of Dabur Chyawanprash has started. Not only for children but I would also recommend adults out there to try including Chyawanprash to their diet and notice the difference for themselves. And I am sure you will enjoy the taste as well (despite all those natural ingredients!)

A Spoonful Of Health For Your Child (image source: http://generalbyng.pbworks.com)

Do add a spoonful of health for your child and see him play around spreading happiness. After all healthy kids learn better, play better and make a happier home!

For more information about Dabur Chyawanprash you can visit the website https://www.liveveda.com/daburchyawanprash/

जो है आज है अभी है

जो है आज है अभी है,
कल किसने देखा है।

आज जो जी ली बस वही ज़िन्दगी है,
कल की सुबह हो ना हो,
कल किसने देखा है।

उस खुदा को शुक्रिया हम करते हैं।
जो भी खुशियाँ दी उन्हें याद हम करते हैं।

गम और दुःख भरे जो पल थे,
उन्होंने भी कुछ ना कुछ सिखाया हमें,
उन्हें भी सलाम आज करते हैं।

जितनी भी जी ली बस वही ज़िन्दगी है,
कल की सुबह हो ना हो,

आखिर कल किसने देखा है।

बस जीवन है।

ना दिन है मेरा, न रात हुई अपनी।
बस जीवन है।

ना शोर है कहीं, ना ख़ामोशी ही रही।
बस जीवन है।

ना पास है कोई, ना दूरियां रही।
बस जीवन है।

ना हाथों में कुछ है, ना खाली हथेलियाँ।
बस जीवन है।

ना कहीं जाने की चाह, ना कहीं थम्मे ये कदम।
बस जीवन है।

ना भीगी ये धरती, ना रुकि ये बारिश।
बस जीवन है।

ना किसीको को पाने की चाह, ना किसीको खोने का डर।
बस जीवन है।

ना इसके होने की ख़ुशी, न इसके बिछड़ने का गम।
बस जीवन है।

बेजान, शांत, रुका हुआ सा, आगे बढ़ता, बस जीवन है।

A Dream We Dreamt

A Dream We Dreamt

I dream, you dream, a dream I hope you dreamt!
A dream of you, a dream of me, what a dream, a dream what had it meant!

A smile I had, a smile you had, a happy dream we dreamt.
A life of love, a lovely life, a dream of love it meant.

A word of care, a care for words, a wordy dream we dreamt.
You listened to me, I heard you say, an enjoyable conversation it meant.

A little I teased, a little you played, a joyful play we dreamt.
A childish life, a life of childlike innocence, all worries aside it meant.

I dreamt such a dream, you dreamt such a dream, a dream I hope you dreamt.

Me and you,  you and me, together forever it meant!

Image: www.notable-quotes.com

वो पिछली बारिश

वो पिछली बारिश याद है तुम्हे?
वो पानी में बच्चों सा भीगना,
वो पैरों से पानी को उछालना,
वो पिछली बारिश याद है तुम्हे?

वो रात की शीतलता को महसूस करना,
बेधड़क वो बच्चों सा एक दुसरे को छेड़ना,
उस बारिश की वो मीठी यादें, क्या याद हैं तुम्हे?
वो पिछली बारिश याद है तुम्हे?

वो साथ साथ भीगते लम्हों की कशिश,
वो दुनिया के सामने अपने साथ पर गर्व करती,
वो पिछली बारिश की अठखेलियां,
वो रात की सकून भरी बातें, क्या याद हैं तुम्हे?
वो पिछली बारिश याद है तुम्हे?

क्या आज की बारिश में उन लम्हों को ढून्ढ रहा है?
क्या उन् लम्हों की यादों की टीस का एहसास कर रहा है,
याँ कहीं उस पिछली बारिश की कबर खोद चूका है, ये दिल तेरा?
उस पिछली बारिश का कोई भी लम्हा क्या याद है तुम्हे?
वो पिछली बारिश याद है तुम्हे?

Time To Transform - Life Is Now On The Go!

If you spend 3-4 of your precious hours every working day travelling to and from work, you will surely understand my plight. Traffic all around and the feeling deep inside that these precious hours could be put to better use. While today I try to sleep away or listen to some songs, I really hope that soon I will have the ability to utilize this time doing what I always lack time for - my passion - blogging!

img source: http://tipstrategies.com

A few months back I upgraded to a smart phone phablet hoping that I would be able to blog while on the go. Its a powerful device and I have all the latest apps that are capable of photo editing and writing my thoughts down but what I still lack is a platform to put all this together into a blog post. OK I agree I can still do a lot on the phablet but imagine how easy it would be for me to simply blog while on the go with the same ease as I do on my regular laptop - I would be able to manage a post every single day in the time that right now just goes waste in commuting. I have tons of images for posts that I wish to do, all edited and sitting on my phablet, and I just can't find the time to write up the posts.

Who Needs A Bath - You Do - Maybe Even Twice!!!!

As a child we were taught about hygiene at home and reinforced its importance in school. So when I travel by public transport and get swarmed by the awful 'aroma' of disgust I am surprised at what is wrong with our society. I mean common, you see people all decked up, even a short visit to the grocery store means you will see people sporting their best attire and yet when you come close to them you feel like running miles away. TAKE A BATH people!!!!!

Now I'm not trying to be all mean and nasty in this post, I'm just trying to say that why can't we all simply smell nice. No I am not advertising for a high end perfume, and I'm not asking you to bathe yourself in roses and jasmine for that matter. All I'm saying is bathe properly and if you happen to be one of those people who simply have a bad body odor then bathe twice if required.

Look at this video and you will understand what I'm trying to say. Save the world from this torture - please!!!!

Winters are now gone but a nice warm shower twice a day will keep your body odor away. And not only that it will relax your body and mind. So the wife will be happy when she won't get scolded at because you had a bad day at work, and the husband would get a whiff of freshness not the onions you peeled in the kitchen.

If you ask me how I've dealt with smelly people in the past - I've tried all things - from covering my face with a scarf, spraying myself with extra perfume so that I can't smell anything else around me, to actually trying to spray perfume in public on people who smelt horrible (almost making me puke!)

Its really not all that difficult people, just take a bath every single day, every single morning!!!! This is a request issued for public welfare :)

Don't forget to visit Racold Facebook Page to learn more about how to be reborn everyday with hot water.

PS: this post is not to offend anyone and is written totally from the authors perspective as an entry for a contest by indiblogger that you can read about HERE

No Man's Land by Nilesh Shrivastava - Review

It is not often that you pick up a book doubting what the plot holds and get involved in it from the word go! No Man's Land by Nilesh Shrivastava is a gripping tale of deceit, emotions, greed and above all mistakes that shape the life of its characters.

Land has always been a matter of envy - people who own it boast about their acquisition with pride while those who wish to acquire it loathe their inability to do so. Yet this story is not just about land, the land here forms a backdrop against which you take a journey through the lives of Agastya, his father Ramdev, his corrupt brother-in-law Dushyanta and his two sons Pranay and Karan.

Each character is portrayed as a ball of emotions. The characters' physical appearance never matters as each one develops his/her own personality.

Agastya's drive and hard work is flawed with choices he makes in  his life. Leaving a sprawling business to develop a farm and then brazenly carrying on his illicit love affair with Shailja; Agastya comes across as a realistic person who is stubborn to a fault.

His son, Pranay, narrates this story about Agastya and his choices in life. Thrown in are monologues where Pranay doubts his own choices and deliberates about the only direction in life that he has - loving Shreya who is a sweet tormented character in her own right. The story flows like a river, seamlessly from one character to the other, their fears, immoral choices, lust, love and insecurities. Each character becomes vivid in terms of his mannerisms and his history.

While the story is never drab or boring in any respect there are instances where you feel the drama is too high to be real. Karan who is an illegitimate son of Agastya is developed as a simple person who has only learnt the ways he has been taught by the corrupt Dushyanta yet his outburst on Shreya is so extreme that it makes your image of Karan shatter and leaves you confused.

There are many lines in the book that just touch your heart. Relating to parts of Shubhangi, Shreya and even Shailja is not difficult. The love and care shown by Pranay for the girl he loves gives you hope that such guys do exist out there somewhere.

Pick up this book if you want to drown yourself in a roller coaster of emotions and very believable treachery and deceit.

This review is a part of the biggest Book Review Program for Indian Bloggers. Participate now to get free books

Longing...

I longed to talk to him

and I longed for him to listen

I longed to see that assurance in his eyes

All I got was disapproving looks

no empathy, just unwanted smirks

I longed for him to hold me and tell me 

that it would all be fine one day

All I got was a list of reasons proving why I deserved it, 

it was all my fault.

I longed for him to say Bravo, its a job well done

All I got was a passing congrats with an underlying 'whats great about that'

I longed to be cherished

but was always told that I should only give,

not expect anything in return.

I longed for love, a bit too long

I have nothing left but this little song,

But as they say life does go on.

And love, well that never dies,

so with life the longing too goes on!

(image source: fineartamerica.com)