Why Westin Pushkar is the next happening destination

Hello! I almost didn’t write this post. I’m here in Pushkar, attending yet another destination wedding (my 5th destination wedding in 6 months). Super busy as I was, I got the idea for this post after I had posted a picture with my husband on Instagram and tagged the location – Westin Hotel, Pushkar. Within 4 hours of the upload, I got five phone calls! asking questions about the property as each caller was thinking of planning a weekend getaway here. I instantly felt obliged to have stayed at this exotic place twice (:
So I thought, hey let’s tell people more about this amazing place. Here are ten reasons why you should pick Westin, Pushkar as your next weekend get-away!

1. Location: Rajasthan is one of the most talked about destinations. Just 3 hours away from the capital city Jaipur, Pushkar is the perfect destination for a weekend get-away. Westin, Pushkar takes advantage of this popularity, a prime establishment at a prime location. https://www.google.co.in/maps/place/The+Westin+Pushkar+Resort+%26+Spa,+Khasra+No.+1242,+1243,+1196%2F1726,+Pushkar,+Rajasthan+305022/@26.4547497,74.5046009,13z/data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x396bdd219ea7fce7:0x1c9af3aaeeb9fbfa?hl=en-in
2. A stress free environment: Westin is situated 7kms from Pushkar Junction which means it is in the outskirts of the city. The place has a calm and chilled out atmosphere in itself. If you looking for a quiet relaxing getaway this is the place to be!
3. The grand lobby: My favourite place to sit and have my favourite cup of coffee was of course the balcony of my villa. But finishing second was their lobby. You can experience the pleasant desert wind while slurping your favourite evening beverage.

   

   The lobby

4. Good Food: I personally feel good food rules our mood always! Westin provides you with really good food which means good mood all weekend;) My recommendation, Dal Bukhara. 
5. Panorama Lounge: This lounge stands to its literal meaning. It is a rooftop lounge which gives a beautiful panoramic view of the Aravalis. It is truly breathtaking. Best time to enjoy it is at night. I am not putting a picture, you need to see and experience yourself.
6. Villas: Villas are big and spacious. Some villas have private swimming pools which is an experience of its own kind. Royal category villa has an outdoor pool and luxury category villa has an indoor pool. If you are taking a villa on the first floor you can enjoy a beautiful sunrise with your morning beverage.

   

   Indoor swimming pool

7. Good Hospitality: The hotel lives up to its Starwood legacy. The staff is well trained and warm. They live up to the Starwoods expectations. 
8. The Owners: The owners of the hotel are very warm and welcoming. I personally had a very good experience with them. The first time I visited the hotel they were unable to serve us wine as they were on soft launch. This time when we checked in a wine bottle was waiting for us in our room with an apology letter of not being able to serve us the previous time. I was touched with such a gesture of the owners. 
9. Private Movie Experience: I loved the whole idea that you can also book their small and cozy theatre and enjoy a movie with your special ones. 
10. Destination Weddings: I know I am going a little off track but yes it is a beautiful venue for a wedding. The hotel is big enough to have different venues for different functions and can cater to a big number with comfort.

The spa and gym are still about to be opened. In all, the property is a must visit and a very good get-away option. You can get the bookings done through their site http://m.starwoodhotels.com/westin/property/overview/index.html?propertyID=4379&language=en_US

All pictures courtesy: Preksha Goyal ( http://instagram.com/preksha_93)

Making Fat run without running!

The winters are about to be over, and before you know the summers will be here! And that stubborn belly fat is going to show-off through your clothes. I hope these easy weight reducing hacks will make you ready for SUMMERS. 

1. Drink your H2O: Drink lots of water! I have noticed most of the time that when my stomach is empty it’s not food but water that it needs. I am thirsty and not hungry. That doesn’t mean you should just drink water all day long! Drink water half an hour before every meal. Don’t drink water between and just after your meals.

   

   A cute handy bottle of water can motivate you to drink more water

2. Meals: My grandfather always followed the saying ‘ Eat breakfast like a King, lunch like a Prince and dinner like a Pauper’. I have always followed his saying and it has helped me a lot. Eat lots of fruits during breakfast and have something filling. DON’T EAT JUNK BETWEEN MEALS. If you feel hungry between meals (which you will) you can hog on to fruit chaat, suji biscuits and bhelpuri without potatoes. ADD SPICES TO YOUR MEALS. AVOID FRIED FOOD.

   

   Spice it up!

3. Last meal of the day: Eat your last meal of the day before 8 pm. Have something light like idlis, upma, salad, uttapam, soup or brown bread vegetable sandwiches. 

   

   Add colours in your bowl for dinner:)

   

   The yum Chand Upma 😛

4. Late Night Munchies: When you eat at 8 pm you are bound to get hungry at night. DRINK MILK, , EAT DRY FRUITS, SALTY MAKHANE and FRUITS. 
5. Cut down on salt and sugar: Restrict your salt and sugar intake, they encourage bloating. That doesn’t mean that you cut out on it 100%, a little of both is necessary for healthy functioning of the body 
6. Wonder Soup: I drink my mom’s wonder soup at night when I really need to reduce and cut down on my fat. This soup is filling and yum. All you need to do is cut capsicum, cabbage, tomatoes and carrots and boil it in water. Put salt, black and white pepper for taste. These veggies fill your stomach and have weight reducing qualities.
7. Use Stairs: If you have to climb till the eighth floor, I know the whole idea of climbing the stairs makes you run towards the lift. But you can climb the stairs till the floor your stamina allows and take a lift from that floor 😛
8. Green Tea: Substitute your masala teas with green tea as often as possible. You take more sugar through teas all day long than the desserts you have! You can try exciting flavours of TYPHOO green tea (http://www.amazon.in/Typhoo-Green-Tea-Masala-Bags/dp/B00WR6H8GO) they specialise in exotic fruit flavours such as blackcurrent, orange and more. 

   

   Yum Typhoo Green Tea. My personal favourite is black currant flavour

9. Change Postures: if you have a sitting job try to change postures in every half hour or so. Whenever talking on the phone walk and talk (as the idea brand suggests us)
10. Cinnamon Tea: Before going to bed make cinnamon tea for yourself. It helps in increasing your metabolism for the next day. 

The most important thing is stress less in life. Do things that make you feel happy about yourself. Smile! Be happy and SHINE ON!

All picture courtesy: Vaibhav Jain (http://instagram.com/gyanjee_advaita) & Sakhi Semant Harish (https://sakhish.wordpress.com/) without them this or any of my blog is impossible ❤️

10 Travel Essentials for every not so Organised Girl

Who doesn’t love to travel? We all have that travel bug in us who wants to see the ‘whole new world ‘ but some of us can be a bit forgetful while travelling. Ever since my marriage I have been travelling a lot …Since my plans are usually last moment, I follow a checklist to pack. Hope its helpful for you too!

1. Not-so-big handbags: I love to carry big handbags but as I travelled, more I realised that you need a compact yet spacious bag which actually takes in all your stuff quite easily. The most important thing when buying a handbag for travelling purpose is that it should not have much of a weight of its own. 

 

2. Handbag Essentials: When I am travelling, my handbag means the world to me. I keep my glares, a spare kajal, lipgloss, phone, kindle, band-aid, travel perfume, mints, Swiss knife, lots of tissues, sanitizer, mini umbrella and a sanitary pad with the cutest sanitary pad holder which you can find at Felt Fetish http://instagram.com/felt.fetish .

3. Electronics : The most important thing that pops in our mind first is the phone. Yes, of course phones and also all the accessories related to it i.e. Battery charger, earphones, selfie stick and a fully charged battery bank. My tried-and-tested and favourite is a Sony battery bank easily available online http://www.amazon.in/Sony-CP-V10A-WC-10000mAH-Power/dp/B01700R49W?tag=googinhydr18418-21&tag=googinkenshoo-21&ascsubtag=ff83cffb-b833-43a6-ae51-ab16723da6f8 .

4. Cosmetics: You need to carry your sunscreen any and everywhere you go, I am in love with the Biotique Aloe Vera sunscreen, I have been using it since forever! http://www.nykaa.com/biotique-bio-aloe-vera-ultra-soothing-body-sun-lotion-spf-50-sunscreen.html . I feel one must not carry too many cosmetics. I generally carry two lipsticks one can be a nude colour and the other a darkshade. My current favourite in nude is MAC Mehr http://www.nykaa.com/luxe/m-a-c-matte-lipstick-mehr.html and in dark tone is Kylie Jenner’s 22. For kajal I always take a fat crayon kajal from Kiko which fulfills my need of a kajal as well as a liner. For night I carry a simple moisturiser from Body Shop which helps my skin maintain freshness during travel http://www.nykaa.com/skin-care/face/face-night-cream/the-body-shop-wild-moisture-white-shiso-whitening-night-treatment.html?root=catg&ptype=product&moreoffers=Y .

5. Toiletries Bag: All the necessities are always in this bag! So ladies, I would say always keep it ready so that you just have to put it in your travel bag and you are ready to go. This bag essentially has soap, face wash, perfume, handwash and a razor. 

6. Clothes: Ofcourse the clothes will be according to your destination but always go to Pinterest for suggestions, it makes your job easy to pack https://in.pinterest.com/ . A little tip from my side, pack an extra pair of clothes as you should be ready for anything. I always carry a warm stole with me.

7. Footwear: The white converse are high in fashion and demand and can be a really good option as its comfy and goes with any and everything. Though my latest preference has turned out to be Vans shoes, they are ultra comfy and unique https://www.ajio.com/b/vans . Take a cool slip on with you also. If you going to a beachy place you need cute flip flops, if going to a place where you need to walk a lot you need nice comfy shoes and if you going to a party place take your beautiful flat sandles. 

I am wearing super comfy Vans loafers in this picture

8. Mini Emergency Kit: This kit basically has all the medicines you require if you get ill. Medicines should be for fever, fatigue, cold, motion sickness and stomach ache. Along with medicines I carry band aids, mini sewing kit, nail cutter and cotton. My emergency kit is always ready, you can do the same!

9. Lingerie Bags: You can get really cute bags in the market to keep your clean and dirty lingerie separately, I have one from Marks and Spencer.

10. A notebook or a Journal: This is my favourite part about travelling, I always carry a notebook to save my favourite memories of the trip which i can cherish for life or later on maybe get it framed.

A glimpse of my travel journal 🙂

Lastly, while packing you need that special person who will stand on your head and tell you again and again to pack less 😛

In the end its all about the experience you are going to gain from travelling and memories to cherish all your life. So don’t forget to do it stylishly…..

Shaadi hacks for girls who love their jammies too much!

Okay, girls!! So the wedding season has just started, and I bet it has already taken a toll on you. I personally hate attending weddings for the simple fact that you have to ‘get ready’ and get out of your super comfy jammies to wear something totally uncomfy (although pretty 🙄)
In just two weeks I attended a grand destination wedding, a rajput wedding, a brahman wedding, a punjabi wedding and a sindhi roka….phew! 
So here are some simple hacks for all those girls who hate getting ready during wedding season but in the end want to look good too 😛

1. What to Wear: Everyone has a different style and various types of clothings at home. The simplest trick is to keep pairing your clothes with different colours all together. Trust me, it helps you in spending less on clothes and makes you look stylish. For example, you can pair your lehanga or skirt with a cape, shirt or a crop top; everytime you will have a different look. 
2. Make-up: I hate make-up! For the simple fact that my skin is unable to breathe under it. My friend, Vrinda Ranga (who loves make up and is a pro at it) suggested Lakme 9-5 Foundation Moouse and (http://www.nykaa.com/lakme-9-to-5-weightless-mousse-foundation.html), and it’s just amazing! All you have to do is apply it like a normal cream and you are done! I personally can’t live without Kajal and Eyeliner. Along with this just apply a lipstick and tada you are ready!  
3. How to look fresh: One simple trick, which you all have heard is drink lots of water. Whenever you feel tired just gulp down two glasses of water, hyderating your body will help you glow and have energy. Other than this I use Body Shop’s Vitamin C Facial Polish (http://www.nykaa.com/the-body-shop-vitamin-c-facial-cleansing-polish.html) it’s a scrubber and makes my skin glow in just ten minutes. 
4. Jewellery: In jewellery always go for a contrast if you want both your outfit and jewellery to stand out. I am in love with fashion jewellery for now and my favourite brands are the Finura by Richa (http://instagram.com/finura_by_richa), Amrapali (http://instagram.com/amrapalijewels) and Jewellery by Astha Jagwani (http://instagram.com/jewellerybyasthajagwani).  They are all easily available through online shopping. I am wearing Finura by Richa in the picture above
5. What to Eat at Weddings: The most difficult thing to do during wedding season is avoiding the extra kilos you want to try every new cuisine you see. I apply only two rules; I try to eat my last meal of the day by 8:30 latest and secondly I eat very small portions of everything I want to eat. Along with that I drink lots of water.
6. The Perfect Selfies: Having a perfect selfie is more important than anything nowadays. These two apps will definitely help you ace your selfie game; Beauty Plus and Perfect365

In the end, it’s all about having fun with your loved ones and dancing carefree to the bhangra beats. I hope these simple things help you pass the ‘shaadi season’ with ease and enjoy to the fullest!



Top Ten Street Foods in Mumbai

Mumbai is a city, Bombay is an emotion. 

Mumbai has always been very close to my heart, I love the liveliness of the city and the fact that this city never sleeps. 

Mumbai street food has a wide range of options for every type of foodie. Here are my personal 10 favourite street food in Mumbai.

1. Breadkraft Franky: If you want to taste the most delicious mouth watering frankies, Breadkraft at Lokhandwala is the best place to have it. They have even started giving wheat franky for the health freaks. 

Personal favourite: Veg Cheese Schezwan

2. Bade Miya Rolls: These little rolls of heaven will surely make you fall in love with rolls all over again. You can grab a bite in Colaba, South ‘Bombay’

Personal Favourite: Seekh Kabab Roll 

3. Bachelorrs: Bachelorrs has a wide ranged menu from pizzas to creams. I loved the fact that you can sit in the car enjoy the marine view and have what you have ordered. 

Personal Favourite : Black Gold Premium Chocolate Shake 

4. Dosas: The dosa thella in front of Shri  Bhaidas Manganlal Sabhaggrah, near Mithibai has 44 different kinds of dosas you can choose from. Its really fun to watch how passionately its made with love and lots of butter. 

Personal Favourite: Pizza Dosa

5. Sitafal Cream: This one is my husband’s personal favourite. I don’t have any preference for creams but when I had Sitafal cream at Hajiali it was an experience in itself. If you like fresh creams, its worth a try. 

6. Jantar Mantar: Jantar Mantar is an outlet in Juhu, where they actually stuff a naan with your favourite filling and make it in tandoor. The output is simply sumptuous. 

Personal Favourite: Butter Paneer Naan. 

7. Vada Paav: Ahh! The famous vada paav of Mumbai, there is no place in mumbai where you would not get a yum vada paav. My sugesstion for vada paavs is simple, have it from anywhere its going to be yum! 

8.  Paav Bhaji: I love to eat paav bhaji at juhu chowpathy. You can try it at any outlet there all are equally good.

9. Kulfi: The kulfi walas in front of Taj, near Gateway of India is another favourite of mine. The simplicity of its taste is what won my heart.

10. Apsara Ice-cream Centre: Apsara at lokhandwala has wide range of natural hand churned ice-creams. All ice-creams are claimed to be made from natural fruits. No doubt when you taste them they are really fresh.

Personal Favourite: Guava Chilli (you definitely need to try this!)  

Spinning Tales through my blog

Travelling is the best teacher one can have. 

I learnt this when I started travelling with my friends. My North-East India trip is still one of my most memorable trips I have had, maybe because it was the first of its kind. Ever since we have been travelling together to various crazy trips.

 And then I got married to even more crazy travel bug than me.

After my marriage I have been travelling so much that, there is a bag full of experience that I want to share. 

The cherry on the cake for me is that we both love to try new cuisines, which makes travelling even more fun! 

I wish to share my travel and food experience