DocDivaTraveller: February 2016

2/27/2016 636 comments

Bhule Nath was a very well known merchant. Not only was he the richest in his village but the most generous person too. Villagers used to come him for financial help and he used to oblige them always. In times of drought or any other crisis, he used to come to the rescue of the farmers and his fellow villagers. One day a cyclone rained down the village.

Everything was in debris including Bhule Nath's house and his factory. Lives were lost and people injured and shaken. How would Bhule Nath help them now? He himself needed support. But to everyone's surprise and relief, he had savings and investments. He bounced back into his normal life with grace.

Sanjana wanted to become a doctor since childhood. The dream seemed distant as she belonged to a lower middle class family. She was a brilliant student nonetheless so cracking the entrance exams was a cakewalk. But payment of the medical school fees and buying books required a lot of money. Her parents were immensely proud and supportive of their would-be doctor daughter and they left no stone unturned. Then the unforeseen happened. Her father, the only earning member met with an accident and passed away.

Sanjana saw darkness all around but her mother assured her with confidence. Her father had made all the arrangements for her education, wedding as well as her and her mother's future.

Rohan was the only child of his parents. His father was a meagrely earning clerk. But he had high hopes from life and he wanted to set up his own business. His father was supposed to help him with his precious savings. One day his father gets a paralytic attack and can no more continue with his job. People expected Rohan to throw away his dreams and take the position of his father. But his father had made all the arrangements and Rohan becomes the first small scale businessman in his family!

Did you watch the video above? Was not it surprisingly soothing? In all the stories above as well as the video, there was one thing in common. A solid plan. You never know what life is going to throw at you. So be prepared always! However you should not think about life’s ups and downs everyday. So a plan ensures that you live your life to the fullest without worrying for the future!

Time and again we hear about savings and insurance.These are two shields which protect ourselves and our loved ones from unforeseen circumstances. Can you leave the fate of your loved ones in other’s hands? No. You need to take the rein of your life and your loved ones’ too and secure them. No matter what adversities life throws at you, you are prepared to handle them with ease. #KhudKoKarBuland.

A little planning and saving goes a long way. You don't need to spend a fortune on savings. You can do bit by bit just like a squirrel does during winters. A stitch in time saves nine...remember? Similarly paying insurance premiums at regular intervals ensures that you have a stress free life later on.

Birla Sun life Insurance helps you to back up for the adversities of life so that you lead a stress free life later on. Face the challenges of life fearlessly!

Smart planning secures the future of your loved ones!

2/26/2016 4 comments

Happy hump day loves! Can't believe that two months of 2016 are already going to be over! How were they by the way? Well mine were pretty hectic. With the Delhi winters dipping to an all time low in the second half of January, life became really tough. It was actually tougher for my mom as she is the one who takes care of my baby. Our houses are not centrally heated and hence winters are ugly. And when you have a naughty infant like mine who refuses to wear either any warm clothing or socks even leave alone shoes! Well barring this life was pretty eventless with work work and work; just in time to squeeze a small snowy holiday on the last day of January. The February was busy with our anniversary and then the hubs preparing to leave the country for work. I find it extremely difficult living without him even if its for a week!

2015 had ended on a high note. As I had already shared how fabulous our last vacation was here. Though I must mention that it was not a cakewalk travelling with our infant. It was our first time and really challenging. Well the vacation was special for various reasons. Firstly it was our first 'family' trip. Secondly it was the last vacation of 2015. Thirdly it was a work vacation (hubs had his Orthopedic conference). Last and not the least we stayed at the luxurious Lalit Hotel.

The pink city was gorgeous in itself but our beautiful stay made our trip more memorable.

The property is an amalgamation of amenities and heritage. Our room had a gorgoeus pool view. That meant I wanted to take a plunge in it too. It was chilly in mid December but that did not deter me from taking a dip in it. The hotel had everything that I love: sumptuous food, fabulous interiors, ethereal ambiance and sweet staff. Here are a few pictures that exhibit how fabulous our vacation was.

Delicious breakfast every morning!

Mother Daughter gorging on a delicious breakfast

The marble island

The Courtyard or I could like to call it an Island where cultural performances would take place every evening...

Sculpture by Satish Gujral

Dress: from Philippines
Purse: Pierre Cardin

2/24/2016 1 comments

Beautiful memories of Tia Jewels Launch

I love bling and I am addicted to accessories! I think anyone who knows me would agree! In fact is there any girl in the world who does not love jewelry? Even if there is someone, I have not come across that person! Anyways diamonds are a girls best friend and I am too. Call me superficial. Whatever :D

Its a no brainer that Jewelry brands fascinate me. And their launches even more. Last Saturday I was invited to the launch of Tia Jewels. Tia jewels is about premium diamond jewelry with international standards ie GH colour and 100% certified and Hallmark Jewellery..Designer Polki Jewellery at a very competent price for the first time in Delhi. The event was supposed to start from 12 noon. Since it was a Saturday, it required taking leave from my clinic. I planned to take a half day and reach there post lunch. The event was in Gurgaon so a cab ride meant a travelling time of at least one and a half hours. With excitement on my mind, I left for my clinic.

My day at work started all wrong. A patient of mine was not well and two of my team members had not abode by their duties. This evoked a serious meeting which involved me too. Hence I had to bid goodbye to the Tia jewels event. I was sad and crestfallen.

I finally got free at four in the evening. It was too late to leave for Gurgaon. I called up my partner in crime for consolation and suggestions. Then I thought why not give it a try. Even if we are too late, then it would be just another Saturday outing. So I booked a cab but there too was an obstacle. Drivers were refusing to cross Haryana border because of the Jat unrest. Now what? Hindrance after hindrance. But now I was more determined to turn the tide of things.

I decided to take the metro. Hubs (being the practical person) tried to deter me saying we would not make it on time. I refused to obey him and boarded the metro at half past four. He joined me at Connaught Place.

We finally got down after one and a half hours and after a cab ride, we finally made it to the venue. All my foul mood vanished after I entered there. We were greeted by smiling faces and roses. Neha, the person who invited me immediately came to us and welcomed us. Then the designer of Tia Jewels, Shallu Jain joined us and took me for a tour of her exquisite jewelry.

The pieces are gorgeous. Diamonds, ruby, gold, silver, polki and all my favourite things. I wanted to own them all! I tried a few of them. They are magnificient! The best part? They are not exorbitantly priced. Since Tia Jewels is for real women, they don't have a celebrity brand ambassador. The brand was unveiled by the Director of Cloud Nine Hospital , Sr Gynaecologist Dr Witty Raina along with other epitomes of strength, style and sophistication, yeah, The Modern Women. The event was also graced by renowned Dental Surgeon, Dr Kriti Akroili, Dr Shaguna Mahajan, famous pediatrician, Anju Anand owner of Bella Vita ( Makeup and Salon studio), Neha (Manager in Genpact), Shivani Gupta ( Principal of Bal Bhawan Play School) and Leena Thukral ( Principal of Leens Nestling) and other examples of excellence and honor.

Every piece of jewelry has a story to tell. Shallu spends time on extensive research..seeking the perfect inspiration for her collection. From Cartier to Titanic, she finds inspiration in top notch designs. There was also a beautiful art wall and I loved looking at those canvas paintings. After a cup of coffee and snacks, we made our way back with beautiful memories.

Every piece of jewelry tells a story. This blue heart shaped pendant is inspired by Kate Winslet's iconic pendant in Titanic. The chain is of silver and of a very unique design.

Notice the Ruby ring and the polki bracelet. You cant neglect the other ones too! They all are so beautiful!

The gorgeous display of Tia jewels...wanted to have them all!

Notice my ring...I definitely want this solitaire!!

These pearls and the earrings were one of my favourites!!

Fruits of intricate craftsmanship...

Soaking myself in some art...

I wore:

Blazer: Vero Moda

Top: Forever 21

Pants: Adidas

Purse: Guess by Marciano

2/21/2016 3 comments

Get ready for a Saree over dose!!

I am back with a Saree post! But this time, its for my lovely readers. On the ocassion of Valentine's Day, I have two beautiful Triveni sarees to give! So read on and get yourself a gorgeous Triveni saree. Please don't get disheartened my male readers! You too can participate and win one for your better half!

I have been privileged to wear more and more of the six yard wonder since I have become the brand ambassador of Triveni sarees. Also I got to try out various styles. I am usually not too fond of routines so trying out various Saree drapes every time I wear one is my favourite pastime!

Here are some of the drapes I have tried in the past few months. Do you like them?

I love this kind of pallu draping...

A gorgeous Triveni Saree worn like a lehenga....one of my favourite styles...

A kind of Mumtaz style (Triveni saree)

Being a Bong its a no brainer that I love the Bengali draping style...(Triveni Saree)

All wrapped up style

Thin pleats pinned up style...

The Traditional Bahu style...

The classical Pallu falling style

This kind of draping is my all time favourite!!

Now time for a simple question:

Which of the above drapes is your favourite or you would like to try? Why?Or do you have your own favourite style of draping? Leave your comments below.

Optional: you can post your favourite saree drape picture on Triveni sarees.com Facebook page with #DocDivawithTriveni

Prizes:

1st prize: A gorgeous Triveni saree
2nd prize: A gorgeous Triveni saree

Rules and Regulations:

1. This contest is open internationally.
2. This contest is open from 12th February to 20th February.
3. Winners would be chosen by Triveni Ethnics.
4. Participants have to do either of the following in order to be eligible:

Follow Triveni sarees.com and Docdivatraveller on facebook.
or
Follow Triveniethnics and Docdivatraveller on Instagram

5. Winners would be notified by email. So please leave your email along with your answers in the comments below.

2/12/2016 53 comments

Love is in the air...ain't it? I can actually smell it ...he he :D Ah its that time of the year again. Valentine's day! What does it mean to you? For a romantic person like me this used to be really special in my teenage years. My darling mom used to pamper me with gifts and good food. Its about celebrating love and my mom was the person whom I loved most that time. Right now that place has been hijacked by my daughter (no points for guessing that :D) Well then during my college years I used to fret with my single girlfriends over being single. I met my soulmate in April 2010 and got married the next year in February. So there was no way I could actually celebrate this festival of love with my boyfriend turned fiance. So I hoped for something special after I became married.

My first Valentine Day as a wife was five days after our wedding (we tied the knot on 9th Feb). We were exhausted from the celebrations and our flight to Mauritius was just after two days. So in between recovering from the exhaustion and preparing for our honeymoon, I managed to procure gifts for my new hubby. I surprised him in the morning but he was more shocked than surprised. He expressed his pleasure but I sensed something was not right.

Next year I had high hopes from him. But gradually I learnt that he does not believe in this day. He thinks its a publicity gimmick and a way to boost stupid sales. He also says that this does not represent our culture and we should not cave in to stupid commercial gimmicks. Moreover we had planned to celebrate our anniversary every year so 14 th February did not require a special celebration. He was correct to a very large extent. Though the child in me did not admit defeat.

2013 passed. We had returned from a long Philippines trip and of course did not have extra money to spend on this so called 'useless day'. I however continued buying him gifts and cooking nice meals for him. After all Valentine's day or not, I loved him from the bottom of my heart.

In 2014 I was eight months pregnant and we were eagerly waiting for the newest member to arrive. So celebration was far for my mind.

Last year our infant was sick so there was no point in going out. But this year I have something special in my mind. I hope my husband does not read this :D Since he treated me to such a lovely anniversary cum Valentine vacation, I plan to cook a lovely meal for him and shower him with gifts.

Are you looking for expressive gifts for your significant other like me? For any Valentine's Day, Valentines day Gifts, Valentine Gift Ideas, Valentine Gifts for him or valentine Gifts for her you can get plethora of options here. Celebrate #IGPValentinesDay in a cute way with Indian Gifts Portal.

My idea of Valentine's Day...roses and more roses!

2/11/2016 3 comments

Happy Valentines Day in advance loves! What does this festival mean to you? I am a die hard romantic and always find excuses to celebrate love. My better half on the other hand is very practical and does not believe in such things :D This year (like every other year) I am looking forward to celebrating this Shiv Sena banned festival. I want to forget the Valentines Day of 2015 as it was a bitter sweet experience.

Last year was pretty bad. We had come back from Udaipur and our 11 month old daughter got viral fever from me. (I had gotten sick by too much swimming during our vacation in the first week of February). She was terribly ill and that too for the first time. It was two days before Valentines. However something sweet really happened. I was under training in my husband's hospital. The HR department there was celebrating Valentine's Week. Anyone could write love notes and put it inside a closed box and the secret lover with the best addressed message would be entitled to gifts at the end of each day. So I sneakily wrote a love note ' I love your Orthopedic skills' and signed off with 'your secret admirer'. The winner of that day was of course my husband as everyone was left wondering who the secret admirer was. He got a cute planner which obviously became mine :D

This year we completed five years of holy matrimony and hence its our fifth Valentine's Day. I don't know what got into my better half's mind but he took me to a jewelry shop and asked me to pick up a diamond ring!! I was overwhelmed. We are already back from our anniversary cum Valentines celebration in Dalhousie and this ring is a cherry on the cake!! Now I need to pamper him too!

Are you looking for cute and thoughtful gifts for your significant other like me? I got myriad of options in this perfect Valentine's Day Store. Here's what I chose for my better half...

1. A cute backpack: Since we are constantly travelling and my poor hubs has to carry the load of a 'fashion blogger', a sturdy yet fashionable backpack is a must!

2. Embroidered Socks: Who says only girls get to wear nice socks? Look at these dog embroidered ones. Are not they cute?

3. A Chronograph watch : Though my husband has a collection of expensive watches, a man can never have too many! Cheers to this elegant timepiece!

4. A fashionable sweatshirt: No need for justification. I love it.

5. Aviators: My bespectacled husband never misses a chance to don sunnies. I think aviators look perfect on everyone!

6. Deodorant: Every man needs a deo. Period. The more sophisticated...the better.

So what do you plan to buy for your man? I hope I could help! Happy Valentines Day again loves!

2/10/2016 3 comments

Its five years today! Whoaa time really flies! Today is the very day when I tied the knot with my soulmate. To be precise we took the 'saat phere' at night but who cares anyway! Five years is a long period ...I mean half a decade! More than a soulmate he is my partner in crime, my best friend. We fight like cats and dogs (just as best friends do) but immediately after our fight we are planning our next adventure!

Like every year, this year too we took a small getaway on this occasion. We decided to do something that is very unlikely of us. Instead of going to a tropical island or somewhere warm, we went to the hills! I had been planning to go to Dalhousie with my parents during winters before I got married. Somehow the plan never got materialised. So after so many years I initiated to resurrect the plan. Travelling with parents meant we could take our daughter too! I know I sound selfish but my baby is the happiest and healthiest with them. So it was actually a win win situation!

Dalhousie at this time of the year is usually covered with snow. However this year global warming seemed to have visible effects on the hills. Dalhousie was not covered in snow (it was predicted three days after our vacation) but was very cold nonetheless. The minimum temperature was -5 celcius which is too much for us Delhiiites. I know my European readers must be laughing their hearts out :D Snow was prevalent a bit uphill from the main town. So to celebrate the half decade of our holy matrimony, we headed towards the snow!

To make things funny and a bit personal, I decided to come up with four things that I have learnt about my husband (that has not changed inspite of my repeated nagging or begging :D)

1. He is a kid at heart. He can leave everything for a game of football, cricket or even just hide and seek with the neighborhood children.

2. He is horrendously scared of eating non veg by accident. I mean he is a pure vegetarian since birth but he has an innate fear of tasting it by mistake. When he was in the Middle East he developed severe gastroenteritis just by the thought that he had taken a shred of chicken. While he vomitted miles away from home, I was scared to death.

3. He is pathologically addicted to cricket. He himself is a cricketer and plays matches on behalf of his own hospital as well as from other hospitals' teams. He sacrifices his one precious Sunday in his incredibly busy schedule to playing matches every week.

4. He is addicted to watching television and that too South Indian movies. I mean you expect a surgeon who has had a tortuously tiring day to fall asleep immediately. But my husband no matter whether he returns at 11 pm or 1 am settles on the couch with the remote in his hands and does not give up until I force him to do so. Often I find him sleeping with the remote in his hand and the television on when I wake up in the middle of the night!

So enough secrets spilled for now. He is going to kill me after reading this! Well have I mentioned that he hates reading? He does not read my blog...he just looks at the pictures :D So I am safe!

So here's to wishing my best friend and partner in crime and my husband a very happy five year anniversary! My life, my daughter and my blog would not have been possible without him!