My Bucket List for the next 5 years!

All of us have this small wish list that we target to strike off indefinitely. So I thought, this time I must keep a time frame within which I must have struck off each and every item on the list. So let me say in the next 5 years I should have hopefully done all of the below mentioned tasks. Let us take a glimpse of what these tasks are!

1. Solo Euro trip:
Backpack..strangers..new cities..interesting stories..history of various streets and cultures..delicious delicacies..camera..YOU! Stop dreaming and make it happen. Here are a few sites that can help you plan this dream trip:
- The Savvy Backpacker
- Blonde Chic Travels

2. Bike trip all the way to Leh-Ladakh:
Leh is one of the most beautiful and serene places in India and is situated at a good height in North India. Race through the cool breeze on a sexy Royal Enfield bike and cruise the high peaks with swag. This journey would be the closest to nature as it can get. Here's a link that you could use to arrange for the trip - LehLadakhIndia.

3. Start your own blog:
Passionate about cooking, traveling, reading, playing or simply watching TV? Start penning your views and opinions about whatever you love and dream about. Use this guide to start your own interesting documentation of ideas - StartBloggingOnline

4. Learn a new skill:
It may be SAP, CorelDraw, JAVA or it may be painting, cooking or anything else that interests you. Try Sulekha to look for a course of your choice near your area.

5. Learn a new Language:
Here I am not referring to any computer programming language but a real spoken language like Spanish, Sanskrit or Mandarin. You could use Duolingo for this and get fluent with a new language of your choice.

6. Join a non-profit association:
Spend at least one weekend in a month for a social cause that you support. It may be for the welfare of orphans, special kids, old people or even animals. You may not have enough money to donate for these causes, but you could definitely spend 3 hours monthly to spread some happiness. You could also enroll for a program like Teach For India and do your bit for the society and its welfare!

Last week checklist for your wedding!

Marriage is a sacred and pristine feeling that ties two individuals and their families eternally. It is but natural for each and every one of us getting married, to have jitters right before the wedding. It is also quite possible for us to forget a few things owing to our nervousness. So, here's a quick checklist that you could use for your last week before the D-Day!

1. Contact the caterer to freeze the menu, charges and head count; the photographer to finalize the venue, date, timing and other details that may be relevant in this case

2. Ensure that you have everything sorted with respect to signing the official Marriage Certificate/license 

3. Visit you stylist for that one last round of fittings. In case you have piled on a few pounds in those last few months, you could alter your dresses to fit you impeccably

4. Spend a super relaxed day at the spa and salon and get rejuvenated with some good massage packages and beauty treatments. Pamper yourself to the best of your capacity. Trust me, the future holds a lot of stressful days for you

5. Check your finances thoroughly. Make a list of how much you ought to pay to which vendor and by when. These small nuances can be confusing when you are handling multiple vendors at the same time. Also ensure that you keep some cash handy for immediate and intermediate rituals

6. Confirm with your personal stylist who's responsible for your hair and make-up on the D-Day

7. Arrange for rooms and transportation for your friends and relatives. Keep printed copies of direction to the venue ready in hand, so that you can it out to the drivers who are in-charge of escorting everybody to the venue

8. Delegate small D-Day tasks to close friends and relatives. You could make one person in-charge for each of the tasks including catering, flowers, gifts, music and other details

9. Contact the venue and check if everything is in order. Decoration, seating, lighting, back-up, etc.

10. Pack your stuff for the venue including dresses, jewelry and other essentials that you may need for your wedding

11. Last but definitely the most important, pack carefully for your honeymoon ;P 

For more assistance regarding wedding services, you could check out Sulekha!

Guilt-free tips for a healthy and fit vacation!

It's holiday season and we all have our dates marked in the calendar for that annual vacation. Unfortunately, with memories we also pile on a lot of calories while traveling. We work so hard throughout the year for that perfect and fit body just to lose it all in one single trip. That sounds too harsh. Doesn't it. Well, you could take things under your control with a few of my traveling tips for that health-freak in you.

1. Have healthy items on the complimentary breakfast menu:

In case you are staying at a hotel that offers complimentary breakfast (which most hotels do these days) then opt for healthy dishes like cereal, fruit bowl, boiled eggs with salt and pepper, salads without mayonnaise, toasted wheat bread with peanut butter, baked beans or oats. Have healthy fruit juices instead of milkshakes. Don't even think about touching the french toast, maple syrup, muffins, puddings, hash browns and other fried items.

2. Have a hearty meal once a day:

Assuming that you have had the complimentary breakfast in healthy style, you are permitted to have a nice sumptuous lunch at a fancy restaurant. It would be ideal for you to stay moderate instead of going overboard with everything. For your daily dinners, pack some masala oats packets that only require the addition of a hot glass of water, or buy some wheat bread and ketchup/diet spread from the nearest 7/11 store and enjoy the meal in your room watching some good shows on TV.

3. Walk or cycle while exploring the new place:

Always prefer to walk or rent a bicycle to explore the new vacation spot. It gives you a good opportunity to burn all those extra calories that you collected the previous day. Additionally, it is an inexpensive and interesting way to discover stories of the destination that you have selected.

4. Have desserts, but share:

We all know that sharing is caring. In this context, you are caring for yourself. I know it's a crime to go all the way to Paris and not have the raspberry crepes there, or return from Switzerland without having that large slice of Black Forest Cake! So go ahead and have a bite of each of the desserts you feel like having, but do not binge on them.

5. Lose the key to your hotel room's mini-bar:

Your room's mini-bar usually will have the tastiest yet unhealthiest goodies stored in it. Do yourself a favor and never think about touching any item in it even once. 

6. Drink warm water always:

Prefer to ask for warm drinking water, whenever and wherever possible. Warm water helps in digestion of food and keeps your metabolism rate intact instead of making it haywire. 

7. Watch your poison:

You definitely have to booze while you are on a vacation. But ensure that you don't stuff yourself with too much alcohol. Its the most calorie-rich item that you need to keep a watch on. 

Have an amazing and healthy vacation with these interesting and fit tips for you to not cheat on your diet. In case you need assistance to book tickets for your travel, you could look-up here.

Do you know The Roommate Rules?

Scared of sharing your room with a stranger? Well, to be honest, you should be a little anxious about this as it might unknowingly affect a lot of things for you, both personally and professionally. Although you have very little power to know everything about your potential roommate before starting to live with him/her. However, once you have decided that he/she is the one, you need to bear certain things in mind to make things a lot easier for you. Listed below are few pointers to help you stay amicably with your roomie.

1. Present a crystal clear image of yourself beforehand: Mention you habits and preferences in a polite manner to your roomie before itself. Don't let him/her discover your choices as and when instances take place. That you have an OCD for neatness, you are an early riser, you are an introvert, you prefer listening to music in high volume, etc. should be clearly communicated to him/her.

2. Resolve matters when they are little: Never let any issue grow bigger until you have a complete showdown. Try and talk about the bothering issues and resolve them then and there.

3. Respect your roommate's belongings: It's always fine to borrow something with your roomie's permission. However, don't take undue advantage of his liberty and start assuming his belongings to be your's. Respect his stuff and be courteous. Ensure that you never cross the line here.

4. Watch whom you bring to your room: You may have group study sessions or even a partner with whom you'd want to spend some time. But make sure that you discuss with your roommate about this and know that he/she is comfortable with this.

5. Maintain safety measures: Always remember to lock doors and windows before leaving the apartment. This may seem silly, but its quite easy to be careless. Never assume that the other person would've taken care of the doors/stove. Make sure that you physically check each time you step out.

6. Extend a hand of friendship: A roommate need not be a good friend, but just imagine if he/she was. It would be really great to have a buddy in your roommate. Things would get so much easier. more fun and interesting to spend your bachelor days with an awesome roomie. Try to befriend him/her and keep things simple.

7. Learn to adapt to new things: Your roommate may follow a different religion, speak a different language or have a staunch belief of his own that you may disagree with. Best thing to do in such situations is to be open to everything and accept new things in a positive manner. You'd be surprised to find out so many interesting things yourself and who knows, you may learn a new language itself!

8. Always follow the Golden Rule: The Golden Rule, as we all know it, states that - "Always treat the other person in a similar way you'd want to be treated." Isn't it so simple to follow this rule? Follow this and you'll discover the meaning of the word MAGIC!

If you think you could add a few more points to this list, please feel free to mention them in the comments below. I see a lot of students looking out for roommates right now before migrating to the USA for doing their Masters from a reputed University. For all those who are still on the hunt, check out this site and find your suitable roomie! All the very best and don't forget to share your experience here.

Hacks for homemakers to make money from home!

A homemaker, be it a male or female member of the house, is the true pillar of the family as he/she holds the house together with respect to innumerable tasks. You may be a new mother, a new wife, a person who's been asked to take rest at home for medical reasons or simply a homemaker by choice/customs. However, a lot of times, they too feel the need to live their passion, make some money and feel independent. Why not? They have every right to live their dream and feel content and a sense of accomplishment. So, for those who want to experience this feeling but don't know where to start, here are a few starting points that could help you discover your passion.

1. Cook some more food!

You may already be cooking for your family and receiving compliments for your variety and taste. Why not take this further and start your own catering service from home where you can pack small portions of your most popular dishes and sell them to your friends and neighbors? You can either wait for the word to spread through word of mouth or get listed on a famous site offering essential services to your locality.

2. Blog your way to success

If you are passionate about something and love to write, then start your own blog. All you need is a fancy name for the blog and a domain (you could go for the free version on Blogger or WordPress for starters and later upgrade it if necessary). You could blog about food, art, travel, fashion, or anything random under the sun. Enroll for Ad-sense program on Google to make some money. You could also create your own YouTube channel if you are a video person and can present good videos to the world!

3. Sell your stuff online

There are plenty of websites today that offer a free platform to people who are interested in selling their work online. Be it paintings, jewelry, handbags, pickles, antique stones or your own book, you will find a site that is willing to sell your stuff!

4. Conduct exhibitions at home

Take your friend or spouse along with you on a weekend to a wholesaler and purchase items in bulk. They could be saris, jewelry, handicraft items or even unique toys. Make an announcement to your friends and their friends through Facebook/WhatsApp and display everything at home with a profitable margin attached to the price tag of each item on a convenient weekend. 

5. Teach a skill of your choice

You may choose to teach online or at home. Select a skill that you believe you are the best at - dancing, singing, painting, academic subjects, yoga or even baking. Spread your knowledge for a fee that the skill deserves.

6. Go green with gardening

Cultivate a garden in your terrace/backyard with a variety of plants. Grow them to an extent from where others will feel comfortable and convenient to take care of. Sell it off for a good price and encourage the community to go Eco-friendly!

Every Shopaholic's Eye-Candy - DISCOUNT COUPONS!

We all have one person at least in our lives who is a shopaholic. Shopaholics are creating a community of their own which is soon going to originate as a religion. This is proven by the fact that there is an entire reality show called "Extreme Couponing" that is gaining a lot of attention. Here are some really useful tips that you could use to grab more coupons and save more money to buy more stuff! Wow, that would sound so magical to any shopaholic. Go on, read along!

1. Never let your laziness over-power you when you need to sign-up for Email Subscriptions of popular websites. There are secret coupons hidden in every subscription that you enter into. Look out for them smartly!

2. During sign-up, when you fill out your details in the form, ALWAYS mention your birthdays and anniversary dates correctly. Why do I say this? Well, did you know that Baskin Robbins gives a free scoop of ice cream on your birthday? What's more? Krispy Kreme hands out a free donut on your birthday along with another one for your sign-up. Check out more offers here.

3. Planning for a dinner date or just a weekend getaway? Make sure you always check Groupon for good deals related to your interest and then zero in on a plan. You'd be surprised by some of the offers and the amount you could save through this.

4. Take surveys wherever possible to receive freebies and coupons. Have you ever had a free double chocolate cookie at SUBWAY? Oh, it really is that simple to grab one for free. Just take a 1-minute survey while your sub is getting ready and win a free cookie.

5. I'm sure you use at least one product that belongs to a premium brand. Ever thought of writing an honest review of the product and publishing it on their Facebook page or mentioning them on Twitter? If not, then do it right away! You will stand a chance to receive some free goodies or discount vouchers from the brand itself!

6. Opt for a secure payment gateway like PayPal or FreeCharge to avail offers and coupons for your bill payments.

7. Last but not the least. Spread the word about all the coupons that you get your hands on to know from others what they are using. Word of mouth is the ultimate form of marketing and publicity!

Go on and shop smartly! Happy shopping!

6 ways to keep the madness alive with your NRI BFF!

I am writing this out of my personal experience. Recently, my BFF and I celebrated our 10^th anniversary of friendship. Although she is in the US studying, and I am in India, we decided to do something special to cherish for life. We always knew “We were MAD for each other” and to keep our madness alive, did a few interesting tasks. We definitely ought to thank the supreme powers of technology that made all this possible! Go ahead and try them to relive those crazy times that you had with your bestie!

1. Bake cookies together, over Skype. And if you are a guy and feel that baking is not your cup of tea (though I disagree), you could mix up a few interesting cocktails or even cook a rare and tasty dish!

2. Play fun games like the very old yet classic Dumb Charades, Taboo, or even Pictionary (for all those who have watched F.R.I.E.N.D.S, I’m sure you can’t resist your giggle right now :P)

3. When you get tired of seeing each other on Skype, switch to WhatsApp and play Antakshari through Audio messages

4. Why waste money on going to a club when you can set up your own Karaoke night in your bedroom. Switch on Skype, sing together your favorite songs with a glass of chilled beer and some munching!

5. Now for some real fun, pick an off-beat movie and do a pretentious review of the same. You may go ahead and also record this video and post it on YouTube. Who knows, you may start trending in no time J

6. Make a collection of all your photos together, funny ones, embarrassing one, hopeless ones, cute ones and many others. Create an album of these pictures using any online photo album software and print one copy each. This sure will help at times when you very badly miss each other!

Hope you enjoyed reading this as much as we enjoyed doing this together. Share your experiences with me and do feel free to make additions to this list :P