DocDivaTraveller: November 2018

I love to pile up on scarves, beanies and gloves to combat cold weather.

Is it just me or everyone else is feeling the chill? As November is on the verge of winding down, and so is the level of Mercury. Though Delhi gets pretty warm during daytime; early mornings and nights have become really cold. And that has prompted me to take out my winter wardrobe.

If you want to enjoy cold drinks in winters, you better be warmly dressed up!

After almost seven months of sundresses and tees and jeans, its finally time to don those chic coats and cozy cardigans. Like every year. I just take out my belongings and make a list as to what all is missing; so that I can buy it on time and be weather ready, fashionably. So this year I decided to stock up on more chic coats (I have an obsession) and more denim and leather jackets, If I need to stock them up, you too should upgrade your wardrobe! I came across Luvyle and they seem to have an excellent collection of winterwear.

Overcoats with warm animals are the perfect companions to beat the cold!

So here are a few absolute chic winter essentials:

Not only I love this bordeaux colour but its shape is to die for. I love overcoats for more than one reason: They are not only chic and warm but can be worn over many layers. Its my perfect stylish companion for cold temps.

A white sweater is what you need to uplift your mood during the gloomy days.This is a flowy cardigan; not too thick, not too heavy and is perfect for those pleasant Sunday brunches. Find lots of women sweaters.

Can a girl do without a leather jacket? You dont need to be a moto chick to wear this. You just need it. I have quite a few myself but I definitely need this tan one!

Like a leather jacket, a denim jacket is a must too. Its warm, but not too warm making it the perfect daytime piece when its not freezing out there! Moreover, you need it for fall and spring too!

My obsession for overcoats is not new. However when its neck is fur trimmed, it becomes a fashion mandate. I love this coat's silhouette, colour and of course the fur trimming.

Winters are definitely incomplete without killer boots! Weather be it the ankle boots or uggs, over the knee type or even snow boots, you need to have more than one pair. Personally I love these over the knee boots. Get loads of fashionable women shoes online.

So which one of these do you need to buy? Or you want them all? Let me know!

11/28/2018 No comments

As clichéd as it may sound, but the truth is that a mother is also born as soon as a baby is born. I had been a 'non baby' person throughout my life. I am a single child myself, who has been brought up in a nuclear family far away from cousins. Also none of my friends or neighbors had any small kids; so basically I never came across small babies. So my daughter was the absolute first baby of my life.

Being a medico, I had delivered babies although during my maternity posting. But that was just taking the baby out and handing it over to the paediatrician. I had just learnt that babies can't hold their neck themselves, we need to support their necks all the time. But how much tough this situation is became apparent only I had my own baby to hold and manage.

My daughter was born underweight, so she was way tinier and wrigglier than other neonates. The first time I held her in her arms, I didn't immediately feel that connection as I was in severe post surgical pain of my C section. And the fact that she yelled all night long, on the second day made matters tough for me as I was unable to rest and sleep. After three days, I came home with my new born but she continued to cry the whole night long and my mental and physical health deteriorated.

This continued for 2 months continuously. I used to rock her in my lap the entire night and roam around in the house while everyone else slept. I never got a single moment to rest. She was born on March 11 and exactly after 2 months it was Mother's Day... the first Mother's day of my life as a mom. I didn't fall in love with her at the first sight. My health issues coupled with the fact that she never let me sleep at night made matters worse. On May 11, exactly after 2 months, I was rocking her the entire night, trying to make her fall asleep. The entire night of struggle had passed. It was exactly half past six in the morning when I layed her down on the bed, hoping she would fall asleep and let me rest too. But I was taken aback by the most startling gesture. She gave a me a wide, toothless smile...her first smile!

For the uninitiated, newborns don't smile. It takes time to do so and it's an important milestone in itself. But that smile came so unexpectedly, that I forgot all my woes! That was the best Mother's day gift ever and I vividly remember that precious moment. She fell asleep but for the first time in those two months of motherhood I waited for her to wake up so that I could witness that smile again.

There began my love affair with my munchkin which continues to grow everyday. I don't think I can love anyone else in this world as much as I love her.

I very vividly remember the time when she was born. I was a young, naive mother and she was weak and helpless. Baby cleanliness is a constant activity especially in newborns. Sometimes you have to clean the barf, sometimes poop or sometimes just general wiping. The safest method is to use water and cotton but it's neither convenient nor travel friendly. That's why we mothers use wipes. But the cardinal question is are they safe?

Baby wipes if made from polyester will cause rashes on your baby's skin. So I started scouring the market for cotton wipes and that's when I came across Mother Sparsh baby wipes.

These wipes are made of cotton and 98% water and hence are as good as pure water. The wipes are fully bio degradable too. That means firstly only natural materials are biodegradable. And secondly you are doing something for the environment too! That's a major bonus.

What do I love about these wipes?

These wipes are the purest water based wipes and hence are suitable for your baby right from birth. These are 100% alcohol and paraben free and hence absolutely safe and mild for the delicate baby skin.

These are made of pure cotton. So no chances of diaper rashes.

Easy to pull out from the pack.

These contain jojoba oil and glycerine too for moisturising effects.

These are hypoallergenic in nature.

These wipes are non soapy and non greasy.

They cost 175 INR for a pack of 80 wipes.

This post has been sponsored by Mothersparsh but the views are completely personal.

11/26/2018 9 comments

With every trip, I fulfill my self made goals of covering newer waterbodies. During this Italian trip, I had swam in the Ligurian Sea in the Italian Riviera. Then I had a very brief encounter with the Adriatic Sea in Lido Island, Venice. The water was warm and lovely and I was not satisfied since I was in it for a very less time. I however knew I would meet the Adriatic Sea again, in Bari. The region of Puglia is along the Mare di Adriatico or the Adriatic Sea and is known for its beaches. Bari, the capital of Puglia, has a very long coastline. When we were on our longest train journey from Venice to Bari, more than half of the journey had been by the sea. The waves were crashing as if they would flood the rail tracks. It was a new and a wonderful experience indeed.

We were dead tired when we reached Bari. It was our last destination and so the exhaustion was natural. Also the train journey was of nine and a half hours. It was almost three when we reached the station and another half hour later we reached our hotel. I rested and arranged our luggage (the next flight was on Ryan Airways and they had very strict luggage limitations) Hubs went to the departmental store to buy chocolates and wine as souvenirs. After he came back, we went out for exploring Bari. Although we felt like slipping into our beds but it was our last day in Bari. We had to make the most of it.

We started walking from our abode in Vecchia Bari (old bari) to the seafront promenade. The promenade is really long with the Adriatic Sea on one side and all the administrative buildings and shopping districts on other side. We found the city of Bari to be very modern, very un Italian/ European like. It seemed that we had landed in some different country altogether.

Our sore feet got energised by the sea air. We did not mind the long walk; in fact loved every minute of it! Suddenly it started drizzling. With so much experience in the uncertain weather of Europe, I am always equipped with umbrellas, everywhere.

After an hour of walking, we reached a beach. It was secluded and a bold warning forbidded swimming. The tide was high and the sea was wild. Very obvious why it was prohibited to swim.

We just touched the water and then took pictures in the lifeguard's tower. It was a bit overcast after the mild rain. Suddenly the setting sun could be seen. It was half past seven.

Every cloud has a silver lining. Literally. We saw a full rainbow in the sky. I can't remember the last time I saw a rainbow. Back home in Delhi, the sky is studded with buildings so you don't have a horizon! I was honestly thrilled. Wish the rainbow could be captured in our camera as beautifully as it had been shot in our minds.

We ended our day by walking back and stopped by the Bari castle by the sea. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and looked magnificent at night. On the promenade I bought myself a plate of fried chicken and a vegetable roll for hubs. It was the first time in our Italian viaggio that I spoke purely in Italian; as that man knew zero Inglese. I felt really proud of myself :D

11/22/2018 9 comments

Festivals are around the corner and everyone is bustling with the joy that it brings and the effervescence that it creates all around.

The smiles are wide, and so is the level of enthusiasm, but along with all of it comes the pressure to give your loved ones the perfect gift.

This season gift your loved ones a true masterpiece, a portrait painting to celebrate all the things that they have done for you.

It is the perfect token of appreciation for all the support whether physical, emotional or intellectual that they have provided to you.

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Turn pictures to painting of your favorite memory and see a wide smile come across the face of him/her.

A gift is just a small gesture to define or show your gratitude for the other person but it can speak volumes and is a great way to strengthen the bond that you share with him/her.

This festive season pledge to bring all the people who actually matter to you closer by showing them more affection and love.

Let them know that they truly matter!

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Your relationships define your lifestyle and great relationships are a great way to build an awesome lifestyle.

Turn photo to painting and immortalize those cherished memories forever in the heart and soul of the ones whom you dearly love.

“The greatness of a culture can be found in its festivals.”

A portrait painting is the perfect tool to light up any given space.

A personalized portrait painting has the ability to create a lit ambiance and thus become the perfect showpiece for any home.

PortraitFlip is an e-commerce site which helps to convert photo to canvas painting at some really great prices which do not make a big hole in your pocket.

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How it works:

Go to the PortraitFlip website and click on the get started button.

You can then choose the size and medium in which you want your portrait painting and fill all the details such as: number of people, whether you want it framed or rolled.

Once everything is filled the cost will be displayed, you can also give your own suggestions to the artist in a message box that is placed below.

After all this is done, you have a choice between paying the full amount or a 30% deposit and the rest once your painting is completed.

Isn’t it so simple?

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PortraitFlip gives you a great no of options in which to make your portrait painting.

There are several mediums to choose from such as charcoal portrait, oil portrait, acrylic portrait, watercolor portrait, pencil sketch portrait and colored pencil portrait.

As a customer one is always kept in the loop and thus you are guaranteed satisfactory results.

Festivals are a time for joy and merry, in fact it is a great time to introspect and analyze all that has been going on throughout the year.

It is also a great time to finally catch up with relatives and create some meaningful memories with them.

This festive season help spread positivity and exuberance all around you.

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Get your loved ones a great and meaningful gift, something which will strike a chord within their heart.

A portrait painting is certainly a great way to do that as the receiver can connect to it on a really personal level apart from being visually appealing too.

Use your memories as a yardstick to measure your life and you will realize how truly rich you are.

The body may perish but the legacy will remain so make sure that it is something that people you know can share it with a sense of pride and happiness.

11/16/2018 12 comments

Do you know anyone who is not fascinated by colours? Well not maybe on clothes or inside the homes, but outside....more the better! There have been extensive lists of colourful towns in Europe, Central America, and all. After all seeing a riot of colours on a big scale is a treat to the eyes indeed. I particularly look forward to visiting such colourful towns, that's why Cinque Terre and Phuket fascinated me so much.

Also Read: Where are the colourful houses in Italy?

The repeated popping up of happy pictures of colorful beach boxes on my Instagram feed had me intrigued. On researching I found that there are three places in the world that have rows of colorful beach boxes: Brighton in England, Cape Town, Africa and Melbourne in Australia. So when we were in Melbourne, I made sure that I included it in the itinerary.

The colorful beach boxes are in Brighton beach (note the similarity with England) which is quite a distance from the city center. That is obvious as the ocean cannot be in the middle of the city! There are two main beaches in Melbourne: St Kilda beach and Brighton beach.

How to get to Brighton Beach?

Google maps! We had a rental car so we reached there pretty easily. It was around one hour drive from Yarra Valley. The parking was rather expensive ( as per Indian standards) it was 4.5 AUD for an hour. Whoa! Anyways the beach itself was so cheerful that it was worth every penny.

There are around 84 boxes on the beach. We went there at noon time so it was crazily crowded. Each box has a different mural/ colour combo/ painting. However the theme is the same... screaming fun all the way. It was really difficult as to click which hut and leave which one. Flocks of over enthusiastic tourists made our choice easier...we left those which had a long queue for taking pictures.

The water of the southern ocean was way too cold than anyone would have liked. It was noon but no one was swimming.

Brighton Beach Boxes History: These arose out of morality regarding sea bathing. As a result these boxes cropped up in England, France and Italy and in Australia too. These are owned by Bayside City Council. These retain classic Victorian architectural features like wooden walls, corrugated iron roofs, timber framing and weatherboards.

Added benefit: apart from the brightly hued huts, one gets a glimpse if the impressive Melbourne skyline. I mean we were staying in South bank in the heart of Melbourne where every building was a skyscraper. However in order to click the entire skyline, the Brighton beach is the perfect place. Also you would get to play with a lot of sea gulls here. We found them quite friendly.

Tips: Don't forget sunglasses, hat/ umbrella and a bottle of water. The Aussie sun can get really cruel even though the water may remain cold!

At the end of the trip I can confidently say that this is the most aesthetically pleasing place of Melbourne and definitely one of the most instagrammable places of Victoria!

11/15/2018 18 comments

It's good times for us shopaholics! Because Black Friday is here and I have got some really cool codes: 2018 Black Friday Promo Code Online. There are some great deals which I really get adavantage of!
Which is you favourite season? For me, its definitely spring! Although we do not experience spring here is Delhi but the rest of the things are spring like! The mornings are chilly and so are the late evenings and nights. The air is filled with fragrances of frangipani and Nyctanthus. There are colours everywhere!

When it comes to fashion, spring is my absolute favourite. This season signifies lovely colours which ooze warmth. Burgundies and Bordeaux, deep blues and navy, leather and leopard, everything reflects richness and warmth! While browsing the web for latest spring essentials, I came across Hassoffer.com which has a huge number of Hasoffer Coupon Codes Online 2018 which had everything I wanted and at discounted rates!

I wanted to shop so many things but I finally narrowed down to these four.

1. Casual Jackets for women: Its still chilly out there. You need a coat which would keep you not only warm but in style too.

2. Women's Dresses: Not only I am crazyabout this colour but look at its silhoette and fit! The dress is fabulous!

3. Faux Leather: Spring is incomplete without leather right? Faux because I am totally against animal products. Animals are to be admired from a distance right? And not to be worn!

Faux leather gives warmth and can be easily paired with a long cardigan or coat or worn under a dress.

4. Navy Blue Cape: For those nights which are nor too cold but still need layering, this is the perfect outerwear. It covers your arms and adds that much needed dose of style and warmth.

So stock up your wardrobe right now. Hassoffer not only has codes on clothes but on gadgets and other essentials too! They have an excellent collection of morphebrushes and you can shop them cheap by applying Hasoffer Morphebrushes Coupons Online 2018.

Do you shop using coupons? Which is your favourite coupon store?

11/15/2018 No comments