How Storytel Rescued the Writer in Me

 

With the raging pandemic, we have been forced to change our routines.

In the absence of maids, I have to deal with finishing my household chores while working full time and also writing.

As a writer, I have to read more books. Like Stephen King says ‘If you don't read more books, you don't get the tools to write.’

Sadly, for me, with all the additional chores, I couldn't find time to read during the lockdown.

That was when I discovered Storytel. And literally, it saved the writer in me. It has transformed me into a listener alongside being a reader and author. I am glad that I can still enjoy my book time while managing my household chores.

Storytel is an audiobook app that you can subscribe to and listen to as many audiobooks as you want during your subscription. The app has more than 2lakh audiobooks to choose from and in 12 languages! I am also enjoying the books in Malayalam.

 

And all this comes with a monthly fee of INR 299/- only! Ideally, you would spend this amount on just one book. With Storytel, you can listen to as many as you want! Isn't that amazing? Not only this, but you can also download the audiobooks offline to listen to them later. This is an escape everyone should take!

 

I think the narration quality of their audiobooks is just perfect. It is like your favourite person reading out a book to you as you go through your daily chores. During these times, there’s nothing anyone needs more than this!

Storytel also has a section where the authors and celebrities narrate the book for you. You can find Jeffrey Archer's book being read by Lorelei King, Anupam Kher reading ‘Toba Tek Singh’ and Rahul Bose reading ‘Love letters’ and many more.

Audiobooks come in handy while one is cooking, travelling or cleaning – it simply makes gaining knowledge a lot more convenient and easier. Plugin your earphones and you are all set to get transported into a different world!

Let me tell you some of the interesting features among the many that Storytel has to offer:

 

●      Sleep Timer: It has a sleep timer that allows you to set a sleep timer by clicking on the clock icon on the player. A menu pops out giving you the option to set the time. Once you do that, a moon icon appears on the timeline in the player showing when the set time. I would use this after a tiring day where I’d love to fall asleep while listening to an audiobook, reminds me of my good father narrating a story to put me to sleep in childhood.

●      Speed Control: The speed control option allows you to control the speed of narration of the audiobook. Everybody has their own pace of listening and this feature is just the right addition.

●      Bookmark: Another facility that we get is to create our own bookmarks. If you find any part of the book interesting, you can add a bookmark. Just tap on the bookmark symbol on the app and save it in case you want to go back to it again. I personally like to bookmark my favourite lines from the audiobooks. 

Now to tell you about the four audiobooks I listened to during this month.

 

Sapiens: A Brief History of Mankind by Yuval Noah Harris

This book is based on a series of lectures given by Harari at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. The book tells the entire human history from pre-anatomically modern humans through agricultural and scientific revolutions. It's pretty intriguing and engaging. It looks at how Homo sapiens survived through the years and how we became what we are today.

 

The Healthy Writer by Joanna Pen

There are many health hazards associated with the territory of being a writer. Anxiety, depression, sleep problems, neck problems, eye strain, stress, loneliness, digestive issues. You name it, writers have to deal with it.

In this book, the author talks about how she dealt with her own struggles with being healthy. With her co-author Dr Euan Lawson, Joanna Penn teaches us how to reduce pain, improve health, and build a writing career for the long term.

This book was really an eye-opener for me.

 

The magic of thinking big by David J Schwartz.

 

I have read this book before as an e-book but I went back to listening to it as this has some very important lessons for anyone who understands the power of goal setting. And the experience of listening to it was entirely different. I feel ideas get imprinted more when you are listening to something.

Why I killed my husband by Anita Nair

This book is narrated by my mentor, author Anita Nair herself. That was added plus for me. This story can be anyone’s story but at the same time, it gives the feel of a thriller. It will keep you guessing and also has the typical Anita Nair brand of humour that will make you laugh out loud.

As you can see, Storytel pretty much rescued me from a reading slump. 4 audiobooks in a month. Not bad at all. It infused the writer in me with brand new ideas.

 Want to check out the app?

There is a limited period 90-day offer available as of now at INR 375/-only and I think you should grab this offer right away - http://mooimoments.in/campaigns/englishoffer

 What are you waiting for? Open your ears to stories!

Loving Flowers For Your Loved Ones

Are there any romantic ideas quite like a great gift of flowers for your day, bring a smile to your face, and cause you to really feel special? Whether you're a man or a woman, giving a flower or a bouquet to your spouse is one of the best, most affordable ways possible to add a little natural, old-fashioned romance to your relationship or marriage.

If you want to bring a smile on your wife, husband, girlfriend or boyfriend face, then flowers are one of the few romantic gifts that require such little thought and yet still go a long way. Flowers are easy to obtain, affordable to buy, wonderful to look at, smell wonderful and may function as a fresh reminder of your love for days. 

When it comes to individual online flowers delivery in Gurgaon or creative bouquets and arrangements, there are a lot of options to choose from you could get your lover flowers every week and get them to seem new and unique every time.

Pick your flower

For several hundreds of years, the red rose has gained the popularity as an image of love. It symbolizes interest, love and romances and on Valentine Day, large numbers are bought around the world.

If however, a rose is too traditional for your flavour, a professional florist will be able to recommend you on buying the best collection of flowers to show your feelings. Every flower has a particular significance, and some flowers have many definitions, according to their colour. The red chrysanthemum symbolizes romantic love, while the yellow-coloured chrysanthemum signifies unreciprocated love. With the help of an efficient flower shop, you can create a shiny, wonderful bouquet that is a tasteful and symbolic expression of your emotions.

Choosing your loved one's favourite colour as a theme is a popular choice for many flower buyers. This effort and good care show your thoughtfulness, rather than purchasing a meaningless gift. Arrangements such as flowers with shiny colours in a variety of colours and colours such as white, red, pink, orange, violet and yellow-coloured create wonderful gifts.

Gift Ideas

The services of a professional florist can add a designed and expert finish to your gift. Flower shops have several choices for flower arrangements and gift hampers to complement your romantic gesture. Suggestions for romantic gifts to add to a slow down include chocolates, champagne, bubble bath and candles. Flower shops generally offer a delivery service, creating an ideal opportunity to surprise your beloved by having their gift hamper and flowers sent to their front door.

Chocolates show desire. Delivering confectionary such as chocolate is associated with love, especially as it is an aphrodisiac: candy causes emotions such as excitement and heightened sensitivity.

The mixture of flowers and a great gift hamper sent to your beloved will not only be a welcomed surprise but function as an ideal way to show that they are in your thoughts. However, if you really love someone and worry about him or her, then you do not need any occasion to send flowers; you can do so just like that to show how much you care.

Moms Special Sarees: An Ode to the New-Age Mothers!

Over the years, the concept of Indian moms has undergone an intense makeover - from a stereotypical textbook version of a mother to first being a woman, who has her priorities sorted and straight. This transition has left everybody in awe and completely baffled. She prefers choices and isn’t afraid or feel guilty to exercise them - be it about wearing a saree to work or the decision to have kids or not. Be it about working post marriage or getting married at all!  She keeps herself first.

She keeps her health on priority and completely does away with the idea of putting her in the last. The emotional melodrama is also tossed out of the window. They don’t hesitate to walk out of a scene that drains them and their energy. This is something that definitely calls for the celebration! Happy Mother’s Day!

Bharatsthali enlists the new-age mothers from all over the world, who have brought a refreshing change in the melodramatic-sacrificing-helpless Mother India-esque landscape and of course, they all love to wear sarees on special days or their special visit to India.

Heera Modi

In her late nineties, Heera Ben Modi is a guiding light to many. Her son, Narendra Modi may be the Prime Minister of India, but she stays in her hometown, stands in the bank queues and takes an auto back home. Simple, contented and happy in wearing dharmavaram silk sarees. Such understated qualities in a human and she have them all!

Angelina Jolie

Does she need an introduction? She may not be a biological mother to her six kids, but she is their guiding light and has faced both compliments or critique because of them. She has had her share of bad relationships, flings and marriages but that never stopped her from taking the control her own life. Both her professional and personal life are inspiring and worthy to be chronicled.

Nita Ambani

She could singlehandedly be credited for the transformation of her son, Anant Ambani. When he struggled with severe health issues and obesity, she made sure that he wasn’t left alone to face the Internet trolls and associated complications. So, when he decided to knock a few pounds off, she was with him. She exercised and followed a strict diet along with him. All while she was managing the work. Talk about work-life balance and a strong bond with Kanjivaram pattu silk sarees as strong as this!

Madhu Chopra

Madhu Chopra ran away from home to be a doctor and likes to wear ikkat sarees in her daily routine. She is a certified pilot and can speak nine languages! Her daughter, Priyanka Chopra is her reflection when it comes to confidence and taking some bold decisions such as not wearing itsy-bitsy clothes and missing out on ten films in the early phase of her career.

WarisDirie

WarisDirie might not be a popular name for you, but for over a million girl she is Godsend and a fighting warrior who saves them from atrocity like genital mutilation. Waris was a victim of genital mutilation when she was all of five and ran away from home because her father fixed her marriage with a man in his sixties. She came to London, became a model and eventually started her NGO- Desert Flower that fights against female genital mutilation. Besides, her view on teaching our sons about consent and gender equality are as relevant and much-needed in today’s time.

Your mother might be a single parent, who couldn’t make it to your PTA or basketball game every time because of her hectic work schedule, but because of her job, you are studying in the top college of your city and have a better chance at your future. She could be a stay-at-home mum, who hardly socialises but ensures that you and your family continue having their meals on time and have one less worry to take care of. She wouldn’t join or hang out with you and your friends post-school, but she makes sure that you are well-fed and your bed is ready.

So, while love for you and her desire to do good to the family remains the only constant, she isn’t going to let herself to be exploited by emotions or circumstances!

Protinex: It's all about Hydrolysed Proteins

When hydrolysed proteins were first introduced to the consumers in the year 2000, it was just understood that they digested faster than the available protein powders. But over the years, their impact has been studied and documented well.

So, what are hydrolysed proteins?

Hydrolysed proteins are proteins that have been partially digested or ‘hydrolysed.’ The proteins are broken down into single amino acids and small amino-acid peptide strands making way for a speedy delivery from gut to muscles when compared to intact proteins.

How important is protein for health?

Protein is an important component of the human body. Hair and nails are made of proteins. Our body requires protein to build and repair tissues. Enzymes, hormones, and other body chemicals are created using proteins. They are also an important building block of blood, muscles, skin, cartilage, and bones.

Common sources of proteins are both plant-based and animal based. Common vegetarian sources of proteins are milk, pulses, dals, beans, and soy. For non-vegetarians, eggs, fish, beef, mutton, and chicken will supply all the protein you need. When these protein-rich food items are included in your daily meal, the protein demands of the body are met.

Calculate the protein content in your daily meals using the Protein calculator from Protinex.

What is Protinex?

Protinex is a protein supplement from Danone, which is a leading global food company built on four business lines: Essential Dairy and Plant-Based Products, Early Life Nutrition, Waters and Medical Nutrition. It was introduced in the Indian market 60 years ago. As of now, it is the No.1 doctor prescribed protein supplement powder in India.

It contains adequate amounts of nutrients and hence makes your diet perfectly balanced. It has a high protein content of 34g per 100g. It comes in various flavours like elaichi, chocolate, vanilla and original. There is also a special variant for Diabetics and one for pregnant women by the name Mama Protinex.  It doesn’t contain trans-fats. A glass of Protinex brings in vigour and energy making you achieve your goals easily. A word of caution: It contains Soy Protein Isolate, and is hence not recommended for people allergic to peanut or soya.

Protein Calculator from Protinex:

Protinex unveiled the ‘Protein Calculator’ with nutritionist Kavita Devgan on 27 February 2018 at Lucknow.

Protinex, with its mission ‘to educate Indians about the relevance of protein daily’, launched a Protein Calculator at an event in Lucknow. It was unveiled by Kavita Devgan, nutritionist, weight management consultant and health writer. The calculator provides an easy way to calculate one’s daily protein intake thus helping to improve one’s diet to fulfil the daily protein needs.

According to a recent IMRB survey, 73% of urban Indian population consumes foods deficient in protein, with Lucknow being the highest in deficiency at 90%, Mumbai at 70% and Delhi at 60% while Kolkata reported the least protein deficiency at 43%.

Kavita Devgan at the event

 At the event, Kavita Devgan spoke about the importance of proper protein intake in one’s daily diet.

“Protein is a highly misunderstood nutrient and consumers are unaware that pulses, fish or chicken alone do not meet the daily protein requirement. A healthy adult requires about 1 g of protein per Kg body weight. Sometimes it is difficult to meet this requirement through our daily diet unless we are conscious of the food that we consume or support it with protein supplements,” said Kavita Devgan.

Mr. Himanshu Bakshi, Director- Marketing, Danone India said, “93% of Indians are unaware of their ideal protein requirement and believe that they are getting enough protein in their diet. Hence, we developed a simple Protein Calculator to help Indians assess their protein intake. This tool allows the consumer to calculate their protein intake and take remedial actions in their diet or through protein supplements that offer the right quality and quantity of protein in a convenient format”.

How to include Protinex in your diet:

Protinex is a powder and hence is consumed by mixing it with milk. It is a complete protein source which means it includes all the essential amino acids. Being hydrolysed protein, it acts quickly and hence ensures the protein needs of the body are met.

Have you tried Protinex yet?

 Disclaimer: All the information provided in the post are for general health awareness. Please consult your doctor before adopting any new dietary changes.

What are the precautions to be taken while cleaning your child’s ears?

Cleaning children’s ears is a normal routine in many households. Though, sometimes it becomes necessary to clean the earwax because of the discomfort it causes due to its excess production or for few other reasons, taking few precautions is extremely important for the health of your ears. For this, we need to understand more about earwax, its functions and care to be taken while cleaning your child’s ears.

What is earwax?

Glands in our ear canal produce earwax which is also called as cerumen in medical terms. It also consists of our sweat, skin, and sebum. Many people think that earwax is gross or bad. On the contrary, earwax is very useful for our ears and plays many important roles.

Functions of earwax

• Earwax provides natural lubrication to our ears.
• It protects the ear canal skin from dust and dirt.
• It safeguards our ear from water, insects, bacteria, and fungi.
• It is a natural mechanism to clean our ears as ultimately, it finds its way out of our ears along with the trapped dust particles.

How to clean the ears?

Doctors advise ignoring the ear wax as much as possible as it will finally come out of your ears by itself. They strongly discourage the use of a cotton swab or hairpin, as by doing so, you are more likely to push the wax further inside the ear and moreover cause injury to the delicate ear canal and eardrum by using pointy things like pins inside the ears that may result into an infection. Also, a strict no-no to hydrogen peroxide cleaners and ear candling as they don’t have any clear benefits and are risky.

However, sometimes, it becomes imperative to clean it when your child’s ears produce excess wax that may cause fuzzy or muffled hearing or sometimes get hardened to cause discomfort and pain. Excess wax accumulation can also block doctor’s view to the eardrum for identifying potential infection.

If it is unavoidable to clean your child’s ears, you can use 2-4 drops of mineral or olive oil to soften the hardened earwax. Following precautions can be taken while cleaning them –

1. Take a small amount of oil in a container and warm it to the skin temperature.
2. Make your child lie down with the affected ear facing upward.
3. Apply 2-4 drops of the oil to the affected ear using a dropper and leave it for a few minutes.
4. When your child gets up, the wax will work its way out.

Repetitive use of the above process for 3-4 days should give relief from the stubborn wax. Remember that you can use a soft washcloth or a cotton swab to clean around the outside of your child’s ears. However, never try to insert anything inside the ears.

However, in case of ear-pain, fever or any discharge, pus or blood from the ears, it is always recommended to visit an ENT specialist in Bangalore for a thorough ear-examination. These can be the symptoms of injury or infection and needs to be treated by the professionals.

Playtime Fun at Full of Toys

Last Sunday, we were invited by Full of Toys, Jayanagar for a playdate, a chance to engage in an hour-long playtime slot with any of the toys in their store.  My husband was out of town, so it was just me and the kid who went to check it out.

Full of Toys is a brand of internationally sourced educational toys promising entertainment and education for children between the age of 4 to 12.

We have our set of board games and indoor games sets to keep our kid engaged. We even go out for bird watching, small trips and nature walks to introduce him to nature. But then, I am a writer and blogger. I don’t get enough time to spend with him. Hence, I was eagerly looking forward to this play date.

We were welcomed warmly by the owner of the store Gautam Gupta and his very efficient staff. The store is a comfy place with stacks of educational toys. There were tables arranged for various groups of parents and children.

We were ushered to our table. The staff member, Gopi, brought a toy and explained the rules to us and we began.

 THINKFUN RUSH HOUR (Click here to Buy)

The first toy my kid played with was Rush hour.  This award-winning toy is suitable for ages 8 and above. It is a puzzle game that demands analytical thinking and reasoning to get a car toy out of a traffic gridlock.

To play, he had to pick a challenge card and arrange the cars on the supplied grid board according to the pattern. The cars could be moved back and forth to clear the way for the red car to drive out. The game has 40 levels with difficulty ranging from beginner to expert.

The solution is printed on the back of each challenge card just in case a player gets stuck.

It was very interesting how he got engrossed in it pretty soon. After solving a particularly difficult level, the staff member rewarded him by bringing him another interesting game. 

THINKFUN GRAVITY MAZE ( Click here to Buy)

Gravity Maze is a building and construction puzzle game that required him to be an architect to beat the 3D challenges. He had to build towers and mazes to get the ball to its target to win.

It aims to give the kids a flair for building and architecture as they tackle this innovative puzzle game. Designed for kids 8 years old and above, Thinkfun Gravity Maze is good for both boys and girls. This game too had 60 levels.

THINKFUN CIRCUIT MAZE (Click here to Buy)

 The third game he chose was Circuit Maze. It seeks to ignite logic and sequential reasoning skills of the kids.

The goal of the game is to arrange the various tokens provided to create a real circuit that lights up the different coloured Beacons.

 I was skeptical about the choice because I was not sure whether he could grasp the concept of circuits and electricity to play the game. I must confess, he surprised me. He even solved a few difficult levels all by himself.

This game is a sure-fire way to boost the brainpower of your kid and introduce them to the concept of electricity. It has 60 challenge levels ranging in difficulty from beginner to expert.  

By the time our hour ended, he was excited to have discovered these games and promised the store staff that he would bring his friend with him next time.

I was curious as to how the concept of such a store came to be while the logical thing would have been to go for a shop with the latest popular kids’ brands. The owner Gautam Gupta shared his own experience how while doing his masters he started using Lego for coding. This was a new concept for him and led him into thinking about introducing the concept to kids. Also, he wanted to bring back family playtime which is slowly vanishing from homes these days.

All in all, it was a wonderful experience. The best thing is that the playdate is free for all. The staff doesn’t persuade you to buy by extolling the virtues of their product. The main aim is to introduce the concept of playtime and educational toys to families. They stick to their tagline: Full of toys is where children play to learn and parents learn to play.

If you wish to connect with Full of Toys, check their Facebook Page and Twitter.   

Check this video to know more about the playdate at Full of Toys.

Declaration: This is a sponsored post. But the review of the toys, the store, and the experience are unbiased and true. 

Dream Home with Home Canvas

Every couple envisions a dream home. They paint their home canvas in the shades that reflect their tastes and personalities. Every décor item should tell a story. Each accessory should help transform the house into a home.

Yet, the trouble begins when you walk into a home décor shop. It is an uphill task to find the exact piece of furniture that would suit your needs or mix and match the various décor items to create a visual appeal. It is very difficult to find a single store, both online and offline that would cater to all your needs. Hassled by the experience, often shoppers decide to settle.

Sandeep Sridhar and Radhika braved these challenges during the quest for finding the perfect décor for their home. They pondered as to how to make the experience happier for other couples. This gave birth to Home Canvas, an online discovery platform for the best in furniture and décor.

The Home Canvas experts curate stores, suppliers, and artisans from all over the country.  You can choose furniture, furnishings, and accessories across styles, materials, and price from this online store.

According to Sridhar, Home Canvas is a one-stop destination to help you discover furniture collections, styles that resonate with your tastes and lead you on to finding products in the easiest and most convenient manner possible. 

(Liked this? Check out more from HERE)

It will provide a hassle-free experience whether you are doing up a single room or setting up your new home. They have combed the length and breadth of the country and curated the most exquisite and lust-worthy products. You will have fun discovering furniture collections that you would never have been able to find before.

From the comfort of your home, discover that pretty rug from a store in Jaipur, distinctively upholstered chairs from a Delhi label, or fun study tables for your kids’ room via Home Canvas. As the experts at Home Canvas collects only distinctive products, your home décor is bound to become a unique masterpiece of your own.

The number of stores registered at the site is growing every day promising to create unique design stories for homeowners around the world. 

(Liked this? Check out more from HERE)

So, what are you waiting for?

Head to Home Canvas.com right away and start designing your dream home.

Declaration: This is a sponsored post. The photos are of products from the online store and are used with the permission of the sponsor.

5 Kitchen Products I Love

Image Source

In my home, the kitchen is where only I can rule. I spend hours daily, cooking and cleaning for the family.

There are many products appliances that I really love in my kitchen. If asked to choose among them, I would select the following without much ado.

Prestige Grill-Toaster:

I purchased this using the winning coupons from the Game of blogs conducted by Blogadda. It is my savior during many hectic evenings where my fussy eight-year-old demands something yummy. A few slices of vegetables, cheese, and bread gets grilled and toasted to perfection within minutes. It vanishes from the plate within seconds. It is very compact and user-friendly.

LG Oven:

I am a reluctant baker. But I love making cakes on special occasions. The rich chocolate cake I make is a hit among my relatives and friends. I love it when the aroma of the cake wafts through the house. I use it also to cook one pot meals during emergencies. I have been using it since the last six years with zero complaints. 

 

Borosil Mixing bowls:

These lovely bowls come handy when making cakes, biriyani or other special dishes. Whenever I take these out, my family immediately guesses that some special item is going to be on the menu. Good to mix cake batter, marinating and also serving.



Pigeon Induction Cooktop:

This is another one of my saviors. All my cookers are induction type and hence my cooking gets over quickly. An LPG gas cylinder lasts over six months for me as I use it only to make tadkas, deep frying, dosas or other slow cooking items. Its timer helps me set the time to cook boiled eggs, veggies, noodles and other special items that have specific time requirements. It doesn't use too much electricity and increase our electricity bills. I use this to boil water for bathing. We don't use geyser anymore.


 

La Opala dinner set:

This is something which brings in nostalgia. When asked to select a dinner set, I had gone for La Opala as this reminds me of home. I even searched for the exact design that we have at home. Was not successful, though. My husband jokes that even rasam-rice tastes yummier when served on these white pristine plates.