DocDivaTraveller: June 2020

Alright, so we have been homebound for almost three months. What has changed during this period? Everything! From having no domestic help to cooking every single meal at home, from working from my laptop to my toddler's daily online classes, to stocking up on multi coloured masks, these things have become an integral part of our lives or #TheNewNormal.

If there is something that let's you push back your worries in these uncertain times, it's TikTok. People have been resorting to this app for every aspect of life. TikTok has become #TheNewNormal. What do I watch on TikTok? Well literally everything!

When the Government of India itself is on TikTok, what do you expect? From giving information on Covid to how to wear masks, from saluting our soldiers on the borders to the PM speaking himself, you can stay upto date with current affairs through TikTok. And of course the entertainment factor is forever there.

Well the content creators have been doing exceptionally well. They have adapted to this home quarantine situation and have been churning out content suited to our new lifestyle.

I am happy I don't have to scour the NEWS channel for current affairs. I personally love watching NEWS but not these days. They have become a source of negativity and I have been trying to keep away from my television set. This where TikTok Newsroom comes to play. I love the plethora of articles in the Newsroom and I get lost in reading.

There is nothing more entertaining than TikTok videos. The short humorous ones are my favorite. That's the best way to unwind after a long, stressful day. Hats off to the creators who post such hilarious content. Those are enough to uplift anyone's mood.

The food posts satiate my hunger cravings. Although I cook a lot (a storm in fact) and our home has become an eatery these days, there is nothing more satisfying than a time lapsed burger recipe or a Dalgona coffee. If I want to trim my hair, I would look for those kind of videos. If I want to give my bedroom a facelift, I open up Home decor/DIY videos. If I am looking for home workout motivation, I look no more!

Last but not the least, watching video of pets is a stressbuster for me. The amount of unconditional love which they provide is unmatched and TikTok is an amazing platform to freeze those moments.

Guys I have joined TikTok too. My handle is docdivatraveller. However I am yet to post videos! I am already engrossed with their content to make any of my own :D Are you guys on TikTok? What kind of videos are your favorite?

June 30, 2020 11 comments

A girl's handbag is like a black hole (according to men 😃) Well it may not be a black hole but definitely the universe, right girls? We love to carry everything that might be remotely useful to us for the trip or even a daily commute. However we should try to edit our bag from time to time.

So here I am listing 5 absolute essentials (apart from cash, keys, make up essentials and pads) that are a must have in a woman's purse. However the needs may vary according to the role you are playing. Like if you are a mom, you may need to carry a dozen other things. So I am trying to curate a general essentials list.

1. Toilet seat sanitizer: Well I can't stress on this product enough. I can't even imagine stepping out of my house without my spray. Apart from the fact that it keeps me safe, its pleasant smell uplifts my mood too.

2. Healthy snacks: Well you never know for how long you may get stuck in traffic jam and you may be famished. With working moms it often happens that we step out without breakfast. So imagine how hangry we gonna be if we get stranded by any reason.

Avoid keeping biscuits in your bag. It would lead to consumption of empty calories. Keep a fruit of your choice (sliced preferably) or a whole apple or banana if short on time. Also keep roasted almonds and pistachios. Delicious and healthy.

3. A bottle of water: I never ever step out of the house without a bottle. Depending upon the size of my purse, I carry a bottle accordingly. It serves many purposes. It helps me hydrate regularly. It's economic because I don't have to buy a bottle and is environment friendly as I don't have to dispose it. I can't even count how many times I have quenched my friends' thirst with my bottle.

4.Umbrella: Get a small folding umbrella that fits in a purse. It's a life saver. Given the heat that Delhi has 10 months a year, it makes walking those few steps to and fro from the metro a cakewalk. Also you are always prepared for a sudden shower.

5. Intimate wipes: Last but not the least, these are a must. I have the everteen Natural Intimate wipes in my purse all the time.

The everteen intimate hygiene wipes are made with pure natural fabric to give your intimate area soft & soothing touch while wiping. It helps to keep your vaginal skin soft & fresh with its ultra-soft fabric.

Now maintain your intimate hygiene anytime, anywhere with everteen intimate hygiene wipes that gives you ultimate relief against discomfort while you are on the GO!

Carry as you need!

The everteen intimate hygiene wipes are convenient to use and easy to carry. The wipes are individually wrapped to lessen your burden of carrying the whole bulky pack.

Every wipe is ultra-soft which is made of 100 percent natural and biodegradable cloth. The key ingredients used in the liquid are derived from natural plant extracts. Mild formula of everteen natural intimate hygiene wipes is entirely free from alcohol, sls and parabens. Everteen natural intimate hygiene wipes are ultra-soft and wrapped individually for your convenience when you are on the move.

Free from alcohol, SLS and Parabens, everteen wipes provide you relief from intimate discomfort while helping you feel fresh & clean with mild-cleansing properties

everteen helps you maintain intimate hygiene all the time ON-THE-MOVE

Perfect to use anytime:

Before after intimate activity.
After urination.
During periods.
Anytime you just want to feel fresh clean.

DIRECTIONS FOR USE: Tear open sachet. Open & unfold wipe. Thoroughly wipe external private area from front to back. After cleansing, simply dispose off.

Caution: For external use only. Keep away from children. Store in room temperature. Stop use if irritation occurs. Do not flush.

Why everteen Natural Intimate wipes?

everteen is a globally renowned feminine hygiene brand that offers India's largest range of quality sanitary essentials for women. India's first individually-wrapped feminine hygiene wipes. Each pack contains 15 individually-wrapped ultra-soft wipes for your convenience on-the-move. Made of 100% natural & biodegradable cloth, clinically and dermatologically tested.

Price: 149 INR for a pack of 15 wipes.

Available on everteen.co.in/ and all leading E commerce sites.

Is there any other essential that you always carry? Let me know!

June 29, 2020 14 comments

These Zara booties are one of my favourites!

Did someone say shoes? I bet my ears can't be wrong! A woman can never have too many shoes is as true as humans can't survive without air, water and food! I am a total shoe lady and so are my movie and television choices. I am just gaga over Carrie Bradshaw's shoe collection and In 'My Shoes' too. I buy shoes almost every month and I really don't have any more space to store them. But since its the lockdown season, I am still browsing new shoes to buy and came across Shoessee and some awesome pairs which I am contemplating to buy.

So here are a few of my favourites:

Vintage shoes: These statement heels remind me of a high end designer label but a fraction of their price! Pair it with a monochrome dress or a simple outfit and let your feet do all the talking!

No matter how much you love heels, you need flats for running errands or when you need to walk to somewhere. Ethnic flats are not only pretty but are very comfortable and they make a pretty impressive statement.

They also have pairs exactly like the nude Valentino heels yet a fraction of its price! If you are a fashionista, then you definitely need rockstuds.

Personally I am obsessed with pumps. But they are impractical when it comes to carrying your baby or walking for long distances. Wedges are the most comfortable yet stylish footwear. I am more of a statement piece type of person, so I like these bold silver coloured metallic wedges.

Minimalist sandals :These Bohemian beaded sliders are again very useful for running errands and of course travelling. You don't want to trip in your heels while on a vacation and yet want to look stylish. So these are perfect!

Now I round up few of my favourites from my personal collection.

These blue satin mules are stylish and comfortable.

These red pointed pumps are not at all comfortable but very pretty nonetheless!

I love these pink glittery heels

I could go on and on with my affair with shoes but I decided to stop here. Which one would you like to have?

My favourite part of my closet..

June 28, 2020 11 comments

With everything in the world going on right now and God knows how long this is going to last, it's very important to keep ourselves evolving for the better and motivated. Here are five ways I have found to be really beneficial for a healthier life.

Prioritize good sleep habits:

Sleep is one of the most cardinal factors for good health. Lack of sleep has been found to lower immunity (the most brutal threat right now). Just like working out, sleep too deserves a routine.

Make a fixed time to hit the sack and wake up everyday.
Try to squeeze at least 6-7 hours of sound sleep. (I know 8 hours are impossible for working parents)
Switch off screens at least an hour before bedtime
Do not carry your work into the bedroom.
Don't take caffeine after 5 PM. You can drink Chamomile/Jasmine tea before bedtime.
Always change into fresh clean clothes before hitting the bed.
Make your bedroom/sleeping area your zen corner.

Add instead of restricting

We are often trying to restrict ourselves from lot of things: sugar, empty calories, mindless television watching and so many others. Although restrictions should always be there in life, let's focus on adding the good things.

For example, eating salad for dinner when consumed junk for lunch; an extra hour of walking when lazy the whole day, meditating more when spent too much time on phone, fruit and vegetable juices instead of alcohol, taking supplements instead of weight loss tablets, etc.

Additives like calcium supplements, multi vitamins, immunity boosters are indispensable. I recently came across Nature Sure Kalonji (Nigella sativa/onion seeds) tablets and found them to be miraculous. Benefits of Kalonji are mentioned in many ancient scriptures including Ayurveda. Traditionally, Kalonji is believed to be useful in more than 100 ailments.

What are Nature Sure Kalonji tablets for men and women made of?

Made with pure and top-grade natural ingredients, Nature Sure™ Premium Kalonji Blackseed Tablets are the nature’s blessing for a good life. Each tablet contains 300mg of 100% pure extract of Kalonji (Black Seed, or Nigella sativa). Daily use of these tablets helps strengthen your body from the inside, protect it against several health risks, provide antioxidants and purify blood.

How do they work?

Helps rejuvenate body and mind, stimulate brain and digestive health
May be used as an adjuvant for managing diabetes, and regulating sleep cycle
Helps regulate blood pressure & heart health
Believed to strengthen joints & bone health
A top-quality natural & vegetarian product from Nature Sure™, approved by FSSAI and made with pure highest-grade ingredients at GMP & ISO-certified units approved by Directorate of AYUSH

How to take?

Two tablets each with water twice or three times a day, or as directed by the physician.

PRECAUTIONS/ SAFETY INFORMATION

Pregnant women and lactating mothers should avoid taking these tablets due to lack of safety data. Consult physician if you are on any other medication. Keep out of reach of children. Keep away from sunlight and moisture.

Price: 395 INR for a pack of 90 tablets. Available at Naturesure.com and all leading e commerce sites.

Move your Body

I can't stress enough that moving is so important. Even if you are home bound during this Corona pandemic, make sure to do at home workouts. Or you can climb and descend the stairs multiple times to set your heart racing. The endorphins released are the greatest mood elevators. Throw a nice pair of leggings and you would be motivated all the more!

Take breaks and don't feel guilty about it

When you are working from home or at office or even you are doing housework non stop, you deserve a break. And that's not even the important part; you should not feel guilty about it. Breaks increase productivity and uplift mood too.

Make friends with people who are different from you

It is said that if you are the smartest person in a room, you are sitting in the wrong room. Even Confucius had said 'Never contact a friendship who is never better than thyself' . Of course if our friends are not different or better than us, then where would be the scope for us to improve?

Hopefully dearies these are some points that may bring a positive change to our lives. Let me know which ones you are going to follow.

June 20, 2020 14 comments

Earlier we used to associate few things with a particular gender. For example going to work, ploughing the fields, fixing electrical appliances used to be a man's job. Whereas cooking, cleaning, child rearing and laundry used to be in the woman's domain. Over the years, the scenario has changed drastically. Now women to go to work in offices and men do not plough (we have tractors to do that). Some women fix things in the house like a pro (electrical appliances and plumbing alike) while some men can be even better cooks than women! All the best chefs are men remember? Jobs may have switched genders but one thing tends to remain exclusively a woman's job...i e laundry.

As a woman its very sad to see that we women can do everything. We wake up in the morning, cook for everyone, clean the house, wash the clothes, leave for office, come back in the evening from office and then cook, help the kids with their homework and then after arranging the entire house and preparing for the next day, we switch the lights off. If a woman can do everything, why can't our partners share the load a little? I am not asking for too much. Just washing the clothes or keeping things back at their places would suffice. I know it's the mindset and upbringing that deters the men in the house to move their bums from the couch after coming back from work. They say they are tired. But are not the women exhausted? They had a similar day in fact a tougher one. Actually they had never seen their dads do so; hence this generation begs to differ. But now since women fly spaceships too, laundry should not be a woman's job only.

For the last three months, there has been no househelp. Yes, this COVID situation/lockdown has turned our lives upside down. As if managing two kids+household+work was not enough. Scrubbing the utensils plus mopping the floors have been added to our list too. Initially I felt as if my entire world has come crashing down. After some time, I decided to split up few household chores with my husband as that seemed to be only way out.

My husband who has not even filled a glass of water in his entire life finally agreed to carry on this task.
I was so overwhelmed with cooking and cleaning for a joint family (along with WFH and home schooling kids) that my husband surprised me with his cooperation.

Laundry: Washing clothes is probably the simplest chore. He decided to #ShareTheLoad. We are a family of six (including an infant and a toddler) so the pile of clothes is quite huge. I segregate the clothes into various piles that needs to be washed and my husband puts them in the machine. Ours is a fully automatic one so it's quite a breeze. He takes out the laundered clothes and dries them on the line. Also he brings back the dried ones inside. Folding them is my domain. He does a lot by #ShareTheLaundry

Getting grocery: In this lockdown situation, market place is the biggest risk. My husband has been doing this single handedly for the past three months. Everything from milk to vegetables to biscuits and pasta, he loads them in his car while coming back from the hospital. After coming home he disinfects everything and then goes for bath.

Handling couriers: Being a blogger as well as an online shopper, we get a lot of packages. I however haven't stepped out of home in the past three months and the delivery boy is supposed to drop the packages at the gate. My husband is in charge of picking them up and disinfecting them before handing them to me. It's been a great help.

While cleaning the home and cooking and kids have been my domain, I am grateful that my man has been trying to help me in whatever ways he can. Everytime he gets my favourite fruit from the market or brings up a package that I have been waiting for, my love for him multiplies. During this tough time, it's important to keep happiness and laughter intact in the family. #ShareChoresMultiplyLove

'I will #ShareTheLoad and help in household chores in association with Ariel India and BlogAdda'

June 17, 2020 4 comments

There are many ways to look good in real life and pictures.

1. You are beautiful and have an excellent dressing sense.

2. You have a professional flair for editing pictures.

3. You know what o wear beneath to conceal your flaws.

Not all people are blessed with a slim/toned body. But that does not mean such girls don't deserve to look good in bodycon clothes. Yes, in order to look what we expect to (which is practical only for models and people in the show biz) there are secret undergarments which flattens out any bulges and gives that perfect outer appearance. I wish I would have known about Shapellx earlier so that I did not have to feel so shaky during my early post partum days. You definitely get the best shapewear at Shapellx.

What are the different forms of Shapewear?

1. Waist Trainers: The best part about these is that you actually lose weight and get toned in the long run. If you are that kind of person who can't seem to have control over eating, this would help you doubly. First, this would smoothen any bulges beneath a tight fitting outfit. Secondly, it compresses the waist and stomach region to suppress hunger. As a result you feel fuller and are inclined to have smaller meals throughout the day. Isn't this a win win situation? It does not matter whether you are fuller or petite with bulges, a wide variety of plus size waist trainer can be found at Shapellx.

2. Post Partum Recovery Control Body Shaper: This is a life saver for new mommies. Anyone who has given birth can relate. Especially if you have had a C-Sec, the tummy just hangs like a loose fold of skin after birth. I know it's so depressing and detrimental for confidence.

What I have learnt from my Post Partum Depression during my first childbirth phase is that we need to feel good about ourselves. So the second time I made sure I dressed up well and went out and did not let any blues blacken my day. Waist trainer for women is a life saver indeed.

This Seamless Skin Color Full Body Shaper with Adjustable Straps is perfect to be worn under all dresses, pants or skirts.

It features:

1. Reverse zipper design for invisibility under tight clothes

2. Crotch buckle design makes it convenient to use the restroom

3. Adjustable shoulder straps offers comfort and flexibility

4. Chest pressing, suitable for a variety of chest sizes.

Not only these, but Shapellx has a wide variety of shapewear, bodysuits, waist trainers, panties and shorts. The best part? They are having a summer sale right now. So go grab one according to your body type and don't shy away from flaunting tight fitting clothes.

June 16, 2020 6 comments

June 15, 2020 5 comments

So we started the most ambitious trip of our lives till date from Budapest, Hungary. Ambitious as it was the first time (and probably the last) that we had 5 countries on our itinerary. Although it went pretty well but I won't recommend to anyone....that too on a baby moon . Yes I was 19 weeks pregnant during this trip.

The windows had views of the courtyard

Who can imagine what's behind this door? An entire Courtyard house!

We landed in Budapest in the afternoon and we had booked an apartment in the Pest part of the city. Like always, we tried hunting accommodation in the city centre or very near to the metro station. Thankfully we got a good deal about 10 minutes walk from the main city centre

The building/society reminded me of a Mumbai chawl. Courtyard houses in Budapest or Hungarian cities are a norm. If you look up in the web, you would find myriads of pictures of such courtyard houses. Famous ones like the Brudern House has been converted to a luxury hotel. The lesser ones have been transformed into Boutique hotels. The architecture is intriguing. If you can understand what I am trying to say. Multiple flats on each floors encircling a common courtyard. Every one minded their own business as no one could be seen outside. However we had problems in opening the door.

Our host didn't live there. She had clear instructions about the number key. However we were yet to realize that the number combination didn't open the door of the house, it opened the safe in which the key had been kept. We put the number combination and pulled the door and waited for it to budge but in vain.

After half an hour of futile attempts, I knocked our neighbor's door where a bunch of youngsters lived. The girl was sweet and she called up our host but her number was not reachable. Then she came out to see our lock. She simply pulled the cover of the safe and voila there were our keys!

Nothing in the world could have made us think that way. Anyways it was a big lesson for us as it helped us enter the flat in Prague, Czech republik. Seems this is a custom in this part of the world!

The best part about our apartment was that we had the entire place to ourselves. The living room, kitchen and bedroom. For the first time in my life I saw a loft bed. It was in the living room and I even climbed up to see. Although climbing down the wooden ladder was a risk for a g preggo female like me.

Anyways we had a great time there. Although it was so quite that the silence was killing my husband. There was a television too but we were too tired to switch it on. We bade goodbye early in the morning to leave for Praha.