There has always been a certain segment of psychologically-rich lifestyle bloggers who talk a lot about treating yourself. I totally agree with this approach as a life-management skill. It is easy, too practical not to do and makes you feel better. Plus, you are not depending on anyone else. This self-pampering is rewarding yourself for something you stuck to, managed to be stoic when flowing with the moment was easy, could say NO when everyone expected you to nod your head...there are so many battles we fight each day and if we can make some rules and stick to them, the effort should be appreciated - by who?...YOU!

Couples' therapy can be very DIY, still effective and so easy to find that you won't believe it. You don't need to exchange notes about your list of favorite movies, you don't need more candle-lit dinners and Viagra cannot infuse the warmth you want in your relationship. Couples need to spend time together and vacationing is not the only way to do it - you can do something every day to strengthen your bond, to understand each other more. Just knowing her favorite colors does not make you a good husband. If she remembers the birthday diary of your ancestors, it does not amount to her being a kick-ass wife. The real magic lies in watching TV together even if it is the most hopeless piece of digital content ever produced but just lying there, together without speaking too much - that makes it look romantic.

Like anyone who was born in the 80s, I have had some fascination about postcards mailed by people from faraway cities, especially international destinations. As I grew up, traveling seemed to get less challenging, more celebratory and without the premium that people once put on postcards. The traveling demographic today is rather different...so drastically convenient that perhaps a good journey or a memorable trips seems readily attainable. Back in the day, receiving these postcards meant a lot of sighing.

Anyone who has been at my blog, even twice, would know there is a definite difference between how I perceive thoughts and situations and react and how the more normal world behaves. This includes the pattern in which a cup of tea makes appreciable contributions to my everyday life.

I realized one thing the other day when viewing some real fancy sneakers on Jabong the other day – every time the phrase limited edition was used, it grabbed my attention instantly. Immediately, I concluded that these items would be worth the big sticker price, the materials would be exquisite and the style…wouldn’t make sense to argue it because anything with this tagline would have all ticked every checklist ingredients…right?

This shade of blue is trending a bit these days – around me and in my life. I just bought a dumpster-cum-storage sort of home accessory in this color. Why?

There is something very appeasing about it. I specifically found an image where this hue of blue is used in a typically sad background. However, this shade manages to retain its cooling charm but I don’t want to use words like ocean or river-like in my description. Actually this is not about describing the color but just that it seems to be found in the smallest accessories, in the most unnoticeable forms and still it manages to make an impact. This is not about blinging the ambiance. There is nothing oceanic about the color but just that it has an adrenaline-boosting aura to it. You don’t need to choose complimenting or contrasting colors with much care. Nearly every shade, from dark grays to pale pastels make sense with this shade of blue. I recently bought a couple of lanterns for the living room, that can accommodate a tea-light or LED, in the same shade. This color has another thing that stands apart - despite what hue you are looking at, there is a certain amount of texture involved. Don't know the scientific reason for it but must be about how this color reflects light.

There is something wrong with my perception of fashion and prints in particular. Just the other day, I shared a fact that white trousers or lowers or any kind look lost on most men. My friends were aghast. I believe some of them must definitely have at least a couple of white track-pants or casual lowers in white. I then decided not to share another thing that stays a constant in my mind - the failure of polka dots or dotted patterns of any sorts to make an impression on me. In essence, I am slightly overwhelmed with them.

There is too much going on there - the visuals tend to fight for attention and I cannot figure out the actual silhouette. The shape or pattern of things seems lost. I first felt this when watching a zebra close-up on one of those wildlife Sunday marathon shows. The zig-zag pattern was still easy to digest but when they compared more patterns, using the close-up of a leopard cup, it had the same effect. It was as if I was trying to find symmetry which did not exist. Is there some medical condition or cerebral limitation that causes this? I find this issue with too many dots on steering wheel covers, jackets, handkerchiefs, umbrella prints, Tees, stationary, etc. 

Tea Infographic from www.divinitea.com

You see a vase and you start imagining the type of flora and fauna it can host. You enter a business meeting and seem impressed with the flower collection. You buy another pair of floral-printed denim and feel that this time, the print is really unique. Do you think you create happy vibes? Wrong!! You are nothing close to helping people feel better. You are predictable and therefore boring, in a suck-it sort of way. I have encountered so many of these instances. Yes, bright flowers are something I love too, spread across the room in a minimal, subtle way. The fragrance can be seriously uplifting - after all, many potent essential oils are actually flower extracts. However, calling a home charming, a room outdoorsy, a workplace welcoming, a hotel lobby glamorous, a beauty queen ethereal, or a guitarist in a floral ensemble, a true Boho gypsy sort is a stretch. I truly believe that everything that is themed around nature, natural, organic, beautiful, earthy, and real does not need to be floral all the time.

This is not about hating floral themes in any way: Please take a minute to navigate to the floral dress blog that I did some time back - just go back to the Home Page and use the bottom-placed search bar to look for "floral". Please note that this is not about hating flowers in any way. When done correctly, they are obviously lovable. But an overkill, complete with wearing a floral dress, floral scent, floral-themed phone case, and florally decked-up handbag, perhaps overdoes the entire thing. And this comes from me, despite maintaining more than 100 planters across four balconies, I still feel I have stayed away from the florally biased love. When I found out that sunflower was the chosen flower for 2021, I loved the idea of it, but ask me about putting up sunflower-print lampshades with a sunflower print wall hanging in the background, and it is a sure-shot turn-off for me. Yes, summer fashion is always highly floral, but only when combined with an equally generous dose of muted hues and lots of whites to create the perfect contrast. This is why, when soft neutrals came across as the chosen floral design trend for 2021, I loved the idea. Similarly, some fashion experts have been quoting big, graphic, and oversized as the way to do floral fashion, and I agree, but again, the balance has to be maintained - staying away from the excesses! 

What seemed like an empty patch of floor in our reserve bedroom now challenges me - I must do mountain climbers and skull-crushers to ensure my physicality is maintained to some extent. I haven't stepped out, not compared myself with others at the gym, or done anything drastic, and still, this challenge is huge, as daily motivation levels can vary, and I tend to be dicey with time management. What am I talking about? The fact that your home itself can be the canvas for some adventure-type activity without Googling the best nearby locations for a weekend break!

You can easily do things that help to challenge your overall fitness with basic supplies at home. There is no camping or hiking gear involved here. This is about getting adventurous with the least important things that are found in nearly every household. Lately, I started doing mountain climbers, and as compared to push-ups, these are much more full-body involving and can be done in so many ways. But then, there are a million push-up varieties too. So, let us not compare them. If you could combine mountain climbers with push-ups, 30 minutes can seem like an eternity. Plus, all you need to do them is a plain, empty floor and a towel, because you will sweat a lot for sure! These are two core-killers and seriously, even if you happen to be in good shape, 5 sets of each, alternated, can leave you panting, sweating, and almost blushing...just like the after-glow. The rushing of blood also kills the anxiety pangs. It keeps you occupied even after wrapping up the session, as the body is trying to cool itself and recuperate from the torture you just unleashed!

One Exercise for Most Core Gains - Fast, Slow, Sides Variations

Another home-based exploration can be DIY car care, inside-out. Everyone knows how to wash or wa,x and clean a car, but how many people actually do it all together? You have to start with dry dusting, followed by soaping, pressure washing, and then allowing your vehicle to dry. Take a breather while the car dries up. Now, coat the insides and external surfaces with a good waxing compound and buff. This has to take at least 1 hour, and by the end of it, you will have completed the most complex, full-body workout without even knowing it. This tires your body and engages your mind in the most unexpected ways. Every inch of your body feels stretched. It is like a complete workout, cardio, and muscle with good stretching, and helps to use up those free hours and tires you sufficiently to fall asleep like the dead.

USE SPRAY PAINT TO REVAMP WORN-OUT DOOR MATS: homesthetics.net

You have to try spray painting. The spray cans are easily available on Amazon stores these days, and there is so much you can do with them. From planters to pots and all surfaces that are rusting, you can spray-paint them into new glory. The only thing is doing some prep in terms of covers and sheets that don't allow the underlying and surrounding surfaces to catch the spray. You want painting and not discoloration or spotting, so ensure the spraying room is pretty much free from stuff that can be wrongly coated. Try to play around with colors. Have patience of allow each coating to dry before applying the next one. This is easy, artsy-crafty sorts, and brings back the enthusiasm we once had during the schooling years. You can even find reasonably priced finishing cans, overcoat supplies, and items to lend the perfect finishing touch. For the uninitiated, this can be really engrossing and fun. There is so much to self-learn, learn via self-exploration. Just Google priming and you discover a whole lot of science about surface preparation when it comes to DIY painting jobs.


Try the single-legged pose and its many variations. What seems easy and doable can be a bit embarrassing and gives you the opportunity to laugh at yourself. If you can do it already, perhaps it is time to hold the pose for a much longer period and time yourself. If you are a starter, this is like discovering how your body communicates to balance itself. Yes, you realize the mechanism via which the upper & lower back, the hands & arms, waist & sides, and your mind work together to uplift and keep the body positioned in a different way. It is like uncovering new zones and sensations in your body. Give it a couple of tries, and it will roll out to be more interesting than it seems. Remember, you are not doing this to lose weight but just to do something different! No goals. No objectives. Just for the sake of trying it.

Explore Other DIY-themed Discussions

Try to be a dust-buster. When is the last time you really did any type of home-care activity that shone through? Nothing can be as rewarding as cleaning up the house in a way that your entire family or your partner craps their pants. No wait, no crapping of any type needed. That would neutralize the cleaning thing. So, what I am trying to say is that if you really get into cleaning the garage and the basement and the attic, there is so much that you will uncover and perhaps even reconnect, within the same home you have been occupying for ages. Attack the cobwebs that need to be destroyed. The floor mats are not your friends anymore. Those niggling crevices need the seriousness of a nuclear scientist. The peeling paint strips are a shout for help. All damp patches are your enemy, and the mopping tools are now your weapons of mass destruction. Every & and any of all types of Dust, Debris, and Grime should feel your wrath!

Common symptoms of leaving-the-office bug:

• Incessant need to leave office premises early without any plans for the day
• Overactive mind starts assuming less time at the office is somehow winning a duel [with LIFE?] 
• Sudden hope that leaving the workplace early will drastically improve the quality of life
• Urge to exit the premises early without any discomfort, pain, or anything upsetting 
• Restless legs that want to get moving express extreme hostility towards being seated
• Sudden realization that your ecosystem still seems like an absolute stranger
• Spurts in visions of grandeur that make you question the objective of the current occupation

Tips to Handle Must-Leave-Work Early Syndrome or Attack:

• Never share it with anyone at work – it makes you look childishly unprofessional
• Try to think of things you would be able to do if you leave early – if this is not a long list, you are overthinking the advantages
• Take the time for a quick stroll – keeps the circulation going and might help dampen this anxiety-sorts
• Give yourself one hour to regain composure – have a coffee, make a call, get some sunlight on your face. Sometimes this works like magic!
• Don’t stick to your seat – you are probably not loving it at this moment. Get-up and move around, socialize a bit with your team. Catch-up on desk management that you had been ignoring
• Don’t overload on a sweet bite – this can heighten the anxiety. Yes, you might want to chew some gum
• Stop bitching about what could have been better – this is a one-day thing. Don’t overdo it and never get melodramatic or melancholy about it
• Don’t compare with your friends whose workplaces allow more flexibility in this regard – THIS IS A THUMB RULE!!

Must Try: Take a few minutes off the daily scheduled tasks and try to test your observation powers. This hardly takes 5 minutes. For instance, I have tried this to disengage the leave-workplace-early mindset by counting the textures in and around a cup of tea!

There is a huge difference, that some people call a fine line, between using colors in a happy, vibrant way and overdoing it to the extent of killing the goose. When the Modi administration decided to print the currency in colors that would make the Tomatina look pale, they crossed the line, in fact dug a hole within the line and jumped to the lowest depths. For some reason, I find very little room for creativity in the currency we use. It is a lifeline, a financial instrument that cannot be fooled around with, best portrayed in colors that are sober and serious. Every note does not need to wear colors right from the handbook of the fashion police and when you have bright, fluorescent-type colors that look outright kiddish, too desperate to grab your attention, you know that just like many other things they tried, the Modi administration yet again, spoke a lot, promised too much, did too little, and still, glorified actions that are downright stupid...