As the summers are approaching, it's time to bid goodbye to all those layers of clothing and layers of fat in our midriff! There are numerous ways to achieve so however I used to feel hopeless before I discovered sculptshe.com

1. Count your macros: Weight loss is 80% diet and 20 % exercise. So the first step towards losing that weight is to cut down your macronutrients. Half the amount of rice you usually eat, cut down one roti and so on. There is nothing possible like spot reduction, so you need to focus losing that weight uniformly.

2. Go on a Calorie deficit diet: The second point also pertains to diet because believe me, diet IS going to make the biggest difference! It's simple mathematics. When you burn more calories than you consume, you are going to lose weight and vice versa! Since you cannot burn too many calories by workout alone, you need to cut down your calories drastically.

3. Abdominal exercises: All type of crunches are going to be your best friend.

4. Don't skip cardio: Just focusing on the midriff won't do the trick. You need to put your entire body to work to shed that flab.

Cheat code to get a flat tummy:

Not all of us can burn that stubborn tummy fat! It requires a lot of hard work, dedication and time. However that should not deter us from wearing that pretty little bodycon dress that we saved for summers! So I have a quick solution for you all! Sculptshe.com has the best shapewear for tummy and waist. I wish I had found the site before, I would not have to flaunt my tyres last year. Thankfully, this year it's going to be different for me!

a. Shapewear: It's a life saver. Literally. It shapes your hips, waist and thighs. You can use it daily and it's a boon for new mommies in their post partum period. It slims your waist and thighs and gives maximum compression. 

Pros of the shapewear:

► Natural Butt Lift

► Removable & Adjustable Straps

► Side Zipper to maintain invisibility underneath all clothing;

► Zipper on crotch available for easy bathroom use;

► Low Back so you can wear this underneath backless dresses.

b. Waist Trainer: It can be worn during workout because it does not roll up. Has double waist belts that ensure maximum compression and has adjustable velcro straps. It reduces three sizes instantly. It's highly elastic and durable. This site definitely has the best workout trainer.

So fellas, how have you decided to get that flat tummy?

 Am I the only one or do you also feel that we pay so much lesser attention to a man's wardrobe? Well I definitely feel so. Look at the apparel market and it's inundated with women's and kids' outfits. When was the last time you bought something formal/expensive for your husband/ brother/ father or any man in your life? With working from home the new norm, even trousers have taken a back seat.

My husband is no different and he has least interest in buying clothes. Partly because I am the 'stylist' of the family; partly because he's at the hospital for more than 15 hours a day wearing his scrub or Operation theatre costume (as people would say). So when a Zoom meeting was organised where it was made mandatory to dress up formally for men, I was on the hunt to find a new suit for him.

After scouring the internet, I came across allaboutsuit.com/ which has every possible formal wear for men at very attractive price points. From suits to blazers, pants to vest, wedding collection to prom collection, you say it, you will find it.

Wedding Suits: Tuxedos are so damn sexy! Are not they? I love everything about a tuxedo: whether it's white or black, unconventional powder blue or sage green, I love the luxe it oozes out.

These are some of my favourites.

Prom suit: Which teenager remembers running from store to store for the ideal prom suit? Well it's not a hassle anymore. You can find myriads of cute styles of prom suits here.

So ladies and 'gentlemen', which is your favourite form of formal wear? Let me know!

 Vitamin A , a fat soluble vitamin is indispensable for the health of hair and skin. I guess we all know that!

 So what does it do?

Vitamin A helps to speed up healing, prevent breakouts and support the skin's immune system and it promotes natural moisturising - which means it helps to hydrate the skin effectively, giving it a radiant glow. It assists in promoting and maintaining a healthy dermis and epidermis; the top two layers of your skin.

Good sources of vitamin A (retinol) include:

cheese

eggs

oily fish

fortified low-fat spreads

milk and yoghurt

You can also get vitamin A by including good sources of  beta-carotene in your diet, as the body can convert this into retinol. 

The main food sources of beta-carotene are:

yellow, red and green (leafy) vegetables, such as spinach, carrots, sweet potatoes and red peppers

yellow fruit, such as mango, papaya and apricots.

Carrots and Carrot seeds: Carrot is a root vegetable with carotenoids, flavonoids, polyacetylenes, vitamins, and minerals, all of which possess numerous nutritional and health benefits. I ask every skin patient of mine to have a whole carrot in the morning everyday; nothing makes the skin healthier than that. 

Carrot seeds are harvested from the dried flowers of carrots, in the second season of harvest. They have innumerable health benefits. Carrot seed extract restores luster and shine in hair strands. It reduces breakage and split ends and soothes scalp caused due to dryness, itchiness and dandruff. It works wonders  when it comes to healing sun damage, wrinkles and scar tissues.

The magic of carrot seeds have been tapped by NEUD in their revolutionary carrot seed products. Try them out yourselves to see their amazing effects.

1. NEUD Carrot Seed Premium Face Wash for men and women:

 It helps maintain the skin's youthful radiance with each use.  Potent antioxidants in carrot seed extract neutralize free radicals to prevent collagen breakdown and protect the skin's ability to repair itself.  A unique blend of nature and science combined with purity and care, the deeply cleansing pH balanced NEUD Carrot Seed Face Wash does not contain any harmful chemicals.

HOW TO USE ?

Wet your face and neck with clean water and apply NEUD Carrot Seed Face Wash liberally.  Gently massage in a circular motion to work up a rich lather.  Rinse off the face wash after a few minutes and pat dry with a towel.  Do not rub the towel to prevent abrasions.  Use NEUD Carrot Seed Face Wash twice daily.  For best results, follow with NEUD Carrot Seed Hydrating Lotion.

2. NEUD Carrot Seed Premium Hydrating Lotion for men and women

This premium personal care product from NEUD is infused with pure carrot seed extract and is naturally pH-balanced.  NEUD Carrot Seed Hydrating Lotion penetrates easily, nourishes deeply, tightens, and rejuvenates to give you a flawless skin.  As your daily skin care companion, it restores skin's elasticity, making it plump, healthy and baby-soft.  Carrot seeds contain proteins that help remove free radicals, promote new skin cell formation, reduce wrinkles & scars, and heal wounds faster.  NEUD Carrot Seed Hydrating Lotion is free from harmful chemicals and is suitable for all skin types in men and women. 

HOW TO USE?

 Wash your face and body.  Apply NEUD Carrot Seed Hydrating Lotion gently with upward strokes.  Leave it on until fully absorbed.  Apply the NEUD Carrot Seed Hydrating Lotion at least 15 minutes before putting on any make-up.

3.  NEUD Carrot Seed  Shampoo for men and women

NEUD Carrot Seed Shampoo helps restore luster without washing away natural oils.  It cleanses scalp deeply, reduces frizz, repairs split ends, soothes irritation and itching.  Carrot seeds are a natural powerhouse of vital vitamin A;  a, and y carotenes, and carotenoids, all of which are essential for shining healthy hair.  These potent antioxidants prevent damage to hair shafts by protecting against free radicals, UV radiations and pollution.  Ducol and carotol in carrot seeds make NEUD Carrot Seed Shampoo effective against scalp infections and dandruff.  Limonene, linalool, pinene and carvone in carrot seeds have relaxing properties. 

 HOW TO USE?

 Apply NEUD Carrot Seed Shampoo liberally on to wet scalp and hair.  Massage it gently for a few minutes to create a luxurious, foaming lather.  Rinse with water after a few minutes till the shampoo is completely washed off. For best results, follow with NEUD Carrot Seed Hair Conditioner.

4.  NEUD Carrot Seed  Conditioner for men and women

Regular use of NEUD Carrot Seed Hair Conditioner helps improve microcirculation of blood to the scalp and promotes growth of healthy hair.  It also stimulates new cell generation. 

HOW TO USE?

 Liberally apply NEUD Carrot Seed Hair Conditioner to the tips and length of your hair after each shampoo.  Leave on for a few minutes and rinse it thoroughly with water.  For best results, use NEUD Carrot Seed Shampoo before applying NEUD Carrot Seed Hair Conditioner.

What I absolutely love about all these products?

They are visibly effective.

Free from harmful chemicals

Suitable for all skin and hair types in men and women. 

Cute bright orange packaging.

They come with an attractive pouch!

So what are you waiting for? Incorporate the benefits of carrot seeds in your daily regime!

 'A person who has not travelled the world has only read the cover of the book' said Father Augustine. We all love to travel. Don't we? Travelling is the most popular hobby one would come across. However unlike other hobbies, travel is an expensive passion. But it is also true that travelling is the only investment that makes you richer. Having said that, one needs money to travel; whether it is luxury or budget. The key to easily fulfilling this passion lies in smart savings, which I am going to elaborate below.

We started a separate budget for our world travels ever since we decided to globe trot once a year at least. Saving carefully is the key; whether you plan to travel domestic or international. Having explored 23 countries and almost entire India till date, here I am sharing my smart investment tips with you all so that the budget never becomes a burden.

1. Normal Savings: You can decide a small, specific budget to be set aside every month. It can be as low as 500INR per month which will yield 6000 INR at the end of the year and hence 30,000 INR after 5 years, which can be used for a nice domestic trip. Easy plan but not too viable if you plan to travel frequently. You can cut down on 'unnecessary' expenditures on clothes and fancy coffees for travels.

2. Recurring Deposit: Again you set aside a fixed amount every month for your sojourns. The benefit here is that you get to reap the interest. You can also start separate recurring deposits for different members of the family who wish to travel. The end result is substantial depending on your savings and requirements.

3Mutual Funds: This is an excellent way to invest for travelling and one reaps humungous benefits. 

Mutual fund can be explained as a pool of fund that comprises of many investors who put in small deposits of their earnings which are in turn invested in securities like bonds, stocks etc.

SIP or Systematic Investment Plans: SIP is an easy way to achieve life's goals; whether it's planning your child's education or saving for that exotic vacation, building your dream home or plan your retirement.

Depending on what your financial goal is, you can calculate your monthly SIP amount investment.

The power of saving works better when investment is done at an early age.

Gives you a long term advantage.

An SIP investment can help you save from as little as Rs.500 each month, and it can help you to accumulate an sizable amount over time to reach your goals.

Those looking for investing in Mutual Funds can opt for these types of MF depending how soon you want to go for a vacation.

a. Short Term Fund: These type of funds are ideal if you want to get returns within a year. They generate returns of around 7% per annum. This fund aims for consistency, stability and liquidity by keeping the duration and credit risk low. The Macaulay duration of the portfolio is between 3 to 6 months.

* The Macaulay duration is the weighted average term to maturity of the cash flows from a bond. The weight of each cash flow is determined by dividing the present value of the cash flow by the price.

For the uninitiated, Liquidity means how quickly you can get your hands on your cash.

The objective of this fund is to generate reasonable and stable income and provide liquidity to the unit holder.

So if you are looking for an annual exotic vacation, this may help you.

b. Low Duration Fund: The Macaulay duration of the portfolio is between 3 to 6 months. So you can opt for this for a biannual vacation.

This blog started as a journal to document our travels and personal stories and milestones. Well that was way before even my first daughter was born. So practically, my blog is my first born! Life got overloaded with other priorities and I started writing less. My articles started catering more to what might be helpful to you all; my loyal readers, than what might be a personal documentation. But 10 years of marriage is a huge milestone...Don't you feel? Well I do! So my emotional judgement caught better of me and I decided to write something that would help lot of couples who are contemplating to take the plunge or are going through a difficult phase in their relationships. If you are here only for 'unreal, rosy' anecdotes, then this is not for you because let's get real guys. Life is a mammoth more than what we seen on Instagram or magazines. For those who are new here, I got married to my husband when I was still in college. I said yes to his proposal on our second date (2 weeks of meeting), got engaged within 2 months and then married within 9 months of our first meet! Life is a whirlwind 😁

This article is from my point of view (wife's perspective). I am unsure what my husband has learnt as he is not that articulate in this chapter and he's definitely not going to know what I have learnt because he does not read my blog :D

1. Everyone's love language is different.

We grow up reading all those mushy books and watching Rom coms where the guy always opens the door of the car, brings flowers, gives foot massage, etc etc. However the reality is far from it. Every guy has a different way of expressing his love and my husband is no different. It took me 10 years to understand this. For him loving me isn't getting me roses or helping with household chores or patiently listening to me; he never does these *sigh*  But he loves shooting me on his camera, planning trips for us, getting bagfuls of exotic groceries so that I can whip up something fancy in my kitchen! I know...so different yet this is his way of showing love.

2. Acceptance is the key to peace.

Most of the 'feminists' would bash me for this but believe me, rebelling would not get anywhere; it would only rob you off your peace of mind.  I used to be an obsessively cleanliness freak which led to too much stress in our household. We are polar opposites when it comes to aesthetics and cleanliness. Gradually I learnt not to nag him and do everything myself because that's the most peaceful thing to do. And he has accepted my autonomy in the decor department and cleaning is completely my forte.

3. Don't ever get verbally abusive

Altercations can take an ugly turn but I have never ever used abusive language in our 10 years of marriage and would suggest the same to everyone else. Please treat him with respect; all the time. 

4. Be honest with each other all the time; but do not share secrets about people who are not related to him. 

Honesty is the best and a non negotiable policy when it comes to each other. But we (girls) should always refrain from sharing our girlfriend's secrets or maternal familial intimate issues that does not concern him because there should always be this line. 

5. Adorn your home with beautiful memories

Marriage is full of ups and downs but that's how life is right? You should not get those lows bury you when you are going through a rough patch. I have decorated our walls with stunning travel photographs from our globe trotting adventures and they serve as a daily reminder of the endless priceless memories. Daily reminders are very important. It can be pictures, souvenirs, knick knacks (eg menu from your favourite restaurant), anything that strikes a chord with you and your family.

6. If it does not matter in 5 years, it does not deserve more than 5 minutes of introspection.

The wet towel is on the bed; I know gross. He has forgotten your birthday, insensitive. He does not help you with your household chores; so misogynistic right? These all are fuel for ugly fights but deep down, they are really not going to matter in the future. What matters more is securing a sound financial future, loyality and care for each other. These should be non negotiable.

7. Don't drag the family in  your marriage

I can sense the contradiction even while I am typing this because it's so obvious in Indian households. My lawyer friend tells me that 70% of Indian marriages break up because of family interference. In India, the girl gets married to the entire family and is supposed to take care of everyone; which again gives rise to innumerable feuds.

Don't spoil your relationship with your spouse because of his family. Compartmentalise. Turn a blind eye and deaf ear. If you are in charge of taking care of all (I know, it's very taxing) try and coax your husband to pamper you, listen to you in return. Vent out in journals; but don't poison your marriage because of his family.

8. Celebrate small things.

Most people tend to associate celebrations with squandering but it's so not true. Celebration can be done inside your home most of the times. Order something delicious or cook a fancy meal, elevate your decor, get some of your favourite drinks and turn on the music. Set some rituals of your own. Start new traditions.

9. Say I Love You often

These are magical words which melt me even when I am at the peak of my rage. I have learnt to say these three words without any reason; because there should not be any; to blurt them out. I say them to my husband and my girls; multiple times a day. Believe me, it makes ME happier too.

10. The harshest but an honestly bitter truth is that if you love yourself way too much, DON'T EVER GET MARRIED. Because my dear unmarried fellas and fellows, marriage is ALL ABOUT GIVING AND COMPROMISE and one is really not left with much time/energy with loving your own self.

There are myriads of other things that I have learnt but I thought of sharing these ones with young couples or couples who are going through a rough patch. Marriage is never easy. The last year has particularly been a Herculean task for all the families out there. But in the end, marriage is EVERYTHING. 

So for our 10 th anniversary, we took a small staycation in a five star property in Gurgaon and my husband gifted me the diamond ring of my dreams to immortalize this decade(and erase all the unsweet events 💁☺👭). Also got a sparkling platinum set from my parents (fully pampered). I am not talking about materialism here. But these are priceless memories which I will cherish forever. I even plan to print some family pictures from this getaway so that I can look back and smile whenever I feel low.

Forever grateful for this tiny world of ours.