The one where I wore real pants

I have come to the conclusion that you can make any title cool if you use the F.R.I.E.N.D.S episode title trick. So it's been a good six months since we have all, all of humanity, has gone into a lockdown. Now, the definition of lockdown clearly varies from person to person. I have seen people living it up "quarantining" by posting casual pictures of them eating out at a proper restaurant to people who haven't gone out at all, except for absolutely necessities. No judgement here.

We have been lockdown-ing somewhere in the middle, where we do hang out with friends, but at a distance and where we do go grocery shopping, but in the middle of the day on a week day, when there are lesser people. But, what I have been doing regularly since March, is work from home. And as there are various stages of grief, there are, I believe, various stages of WFH. It started with yay-no-commute and moved onto omg-these-pjs-are-so-comfy to bake-more-bread-at-home. And as they say, all good things must come to an end, and it did end for me a couple of weeks before. Not the WFH part, but my affair with pjs-all-day part. 

If anyone knows me in real life, I have always been this dress up even if you are going to the grocery store kind of person. So, I am surprised it took me this long to say "enough already", both to my pjs and to Covid. The other day, to water the front lawn, I decided to dress up and wore real pants and a real top. If I could have watered the lawn with heels, I would have, except I want our neighbors to like me not run away from me. It just made me feel so much more human and sad. The year when all norms are out of the window and no rules apply, I won't be surprised if I actually dress up in office clothes every day to wfh. ok, maybe not. I don't hate the comfiness of my pjs that much.   

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Organic-ness

I keep complaining that I don't have any topics to write about. But, if only I dug into my head and list out all my pet peeves, I can live off it for a year, at least. I am using "live off" loosely here, because no one is paying me for writing about my peeves. I just have enough content for a year.

So, one of my pet peeves is things not happening organically. I really miss the good ol' days ( I am talking 2010-ish, I know we have all lived a thousand years in this age of social media and instant opinions) when organic just meant growing plants without using chemicals and artificial fertilizers.

Let's talk about now. With social media, you are more aware of how other people's lives are. You know what they eat for breakfast, how their kitchen looks like etc. Speaking of kitchen, I am sure we are all "aware" of the now over-done scandinavian look for the house. White walls, minimal furniture, aesthetically done walls and such. Along with this came the problem of uniformity. Every influencer's kitchen, living room began to merge and started looking very similar. And the amount of time all of us (ok, I won't drag you), I spend on social media, I got used to seeing these unrealistically clean, aesthetically-messy kitchen. Pre-social media, people would have to look up design magazines to get inspired by. And, not a lot of people would do that and the interior decor would be mostly organic.

So, when I was watching a video of a couple of Indian decently-famous people doing a zoom interview, where they were also cooking a dish together, I saw their gorgeous, messy, organic, real kitchens. It was so refreshing to see, that it inspired me to write. Yup, that's how starved I was to see a real house/kitchen, with the mismatched re-used spice bottles, wires running across, sinks with some unwashed dishes etc. Ah, a real kitchen. Sometimes, in the world of social media, we forget that our uniqueness is what makes us, us.

Do you also sometimes miss seeing real kitchens and living rooms ?

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Information Overload And The Art Of Decluttering

This year, I have been consciously moving towards minimalism. Before I go further, a little clarification - when I say Minimalism, I don't mean it in the 15-pieces-of-clothing-in-the-wardrobe kind of minimalism. Mine is more of I-will-work-with-what-I-already-have-in-the-wardrobe kind of minimalism. My quest for thus started at the corner of convenience and style. I realized I am not even utilizing 40% of the clothes I have in the wardrobe. Once I was in a happy space with my wardrobe, I realized I am not even utilizing 40% of the information I have stored in my brain.

A little background, I have always been an information gatherer. I am the happiest when I am reading about something. Little did I realize that - what was once considered a great habit- would turn to be the bane of my existence. I have a hundred tabs open on my laptop, a thousand bookmarks of articles I want to read "later", at least 140 liked videos on YouTube that I want to go back to and watch, 45 podcasts I have subscribed to, 200 recipe pins on Pinterest and don't forget all the files and folders I have stored in my brain.

What is the point of it all, if I can't find the information I need when I am in the middle of a conversation with someone. I realized I usually end up with "Sam, What's the name of the movie with that guy from that TV show we watched last Saturday"? My brain is so overloaded with information that it doesn't have the time to absorb and process it.

So, here's what I have decided to do to de-clutter:

- It is OK to miss out:  I was someone who simply had to be on top of every new Tv show, movie or the latest bestseller. it took me some time to realize that it's ok to just say "Oh..I haven't watched that one". Pick a TV show that you enjoy and watch it. It's OK to not know about trending topics on Twitter. And don't worry, you"ll always have other topics to talk about.

- It is OK to not have read every single article on a topic:  I hear about B. I want to know more about B. I look up online about B. Don't go overboard with reading about B. We live in a world where there's too much information (TMI is an acronym we use often for a reason), too many opinions, too much noise. Just say NO to it and stick to reading, maybe just 3 articles on it and let go.

- Have one expert to follow on every topic: For movie reviews, have one expert that you follow. For political opinions, have one or two experts to read on. For makeup videos, follow a couple of bloggers on YouTube. You get the drift. This saves a lot of time.

I am still learning. Instead of 20 tabs on the laptop, I have come down to 5 :p It's a start :) Let me know how you declutter?

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Write Like No One Is Reading

Every single day, I sit in front of my computer and wonder what to write about, and I come up with nothing.  

Should I write about this, I wonder, but, what if someone takes offense? What if my writing isn't good enough? And who would want to read my blog anyway when there are a million other blogs out there? 

Should I write about this topic? I am not qualified enough to write on this topic. And what if they think I am being vain? And what if that person thinks it's about them. What if they judge me based on my writing? What if I'm not as funny as I think I am? Will people find me boring? 

These are the things that go through my head. Every single day, when I sit in front of my computer and wonder what to write about.

Dance like nobody is watching, they say. Maybe that applies to writing too. Write like nobody is reading. Twirl. Throw your hands up in the air. Twirl some more. Get on the table and dance.

Finish all the blog posts that's in the drafts. There might be someone who relates to it. There might be some one who may not agree with what you have to say. That opens a door for a conversation. And who doesn't love good conversations. So, it may not be a bad thing after all. When you write like no one is reading, you don't edit out or filter your voice. And that's what words are for. To put your thoughts on paper. Jut you and words. 

So, here I am, writing like no one is reading (maybe because there really IS no one reading?) I kid..I kid.. 

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How To Hygge Like You Know It

I love words. And especially words that encapsulate a feeling, like the inuit word "Iktsuarpok", meaning the sense of anticipation as you wait for someone's visit to your house. So, how could I let go of a beautiful word like Hygge without sharing it with everyone.

Hygge(n.) a Danish ritual of enjoying life's simple pleasures.

It's a Danish word. And as everyone knows, all things good and stylish come out of the Scandinavian countries. Think white interiors and minimal, uncluttered furniture. Yup! So, is it even a surprise that Hygge is a Danish concept?

Hygge is a lifestyle. Scandinavian countries have really long, cold winters and the Danes don't let that get them down. They just Hygge.

What is Hygge? Contentment. Happy thoughts. Watching TV under a  cozy throw. Reading a good book. Conversations with friends. That long phone call with your best friend, Hot cup of tea in the morning. It's that feeling of coziness, when everything feels right with the world.  Anything that gives you that warm, cozy feeling is Hygge. Encapsulating all these things is the concept of Hygge.


How To Bring In Hygge Into Your Life: 

• GET RID OF YOUR PHONE

Less Technology = More Hygge. Play your favourite music while making dinner instead of having the TV on in the backgound. Hang out with friends, call someone, read a book.

• BUY CANDLES, LOTS AND LOTS OF IT

                                                Buy candles and light them. The dim lighting helps to soften the home and the surrounding and gives you the right amount of coziness in your heart.

• COMFORT FOOD

                        Going out to restaurants and eating food that you cannot pronounce is so overrated. Hygge is simplifying your life and finding joy in uncomplicated things.

• INVITE FRIENDS OVER & DON'T WORRY ABOUT THE MENU

                           Hygge involves being with friends and family. Just enjoy the company by sharing a simple meal or just a cup of coffee.

Winter can be tough, do the things that bring warmth and joy to your heart. Slow down. 

Hygge is about finding the extraordinary in the mundane  ordinary things of life. And the Danes must be right. Isn't Denmark the happiest country, according to a recent survey? 

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How To Organize Your Kitchen, The Marie Kondo Way

I kicked off 2017 with one thought, well actually, one word, and that was to DECLUTTER. And it almost seemed like a sign when I came across this documentary on Netflix.

Reasons to declutter/organize the kitchen  :

• It saves a lot of time. 
• It'll make you want to cook more, because it cuts down on the looking-for-stuff time. 

The kitchen was first on my list, because my kitchen is  was the most disorganized and the messiest. Well, I even have a magnet on my fridge that says something along those lines. 

Here are some of the tips, that have worked for me on my quest for a de-cluttered kitchen. These tips are from Marie Kondo's first book "The Life-Changing Magic Of Tidying Up". Her tips were mainly for clothes, books etc,but they fit perfectly well with organizing the kitchen too. 

1) DON'T ORGANIZE YOUR STORAGE. IT'S A TRAP. INSTEAD, LOOK CLOSELY AT WHAT IS THERE
                  She says in her book that storage methods do not solve the problem of how to get rid of clutter. Instead, look closely at what you have in the kitchen. Go through every single thing in the kitchen and choose what you want to keep and what you want to get rid of. Open that dreaded shelf, the shelf that contains everything you have never, ever used and some more. We all have THAT drawer or THAT shelf. Open it, pull everything out and spread it on the floor and look at it. In Marie Kondo's words, you are supposed to look at every single thing and ask yourself "Does it spark joy?". Well, you can't really look at your 5 year old unused spice jar and ask if it sparks joy, but try? Donate or get rid of things in the kitchen that you have never used in the last one year. 

2) "SOMETIMES" MEANS NEVER
                    How do you decide which ones to donate? Well it's simple. If you are looking at something and thinking, you are going to use it "sometime" soon, it's time to donate it. Is it that waffle maker sitting in the kitchen, taking up space, in the hopes that you'll throw a brunch party one day? Well, if it hasn't happened in the last one year, it probably is not going to happen in the near future. 

3) DESIGNATE A PLACE FOR EVERYTHING
                      Sounds easy, right? But, there have been so many times when I haven't bothered to put things back where it belongs. I didn't realize how much time I was wasting by just looking for things. 

4)  PUT SIMILAR THINGS TOGETHER
                    Things that are spread out are harder to find and if your memory is like me, then good luck trying to remember where things are. Grouping like things together, makes the kitchen more organized and makes things easier to find. Like, I store all my spices needs for Indian cooking together and spices for non-Indian cooking together. Same goes for baking. Group all-purpose flour, sprinkles, icing dispenser and tips etc together. 

"Happiness is a place between too little and too much" - That's a good motto for life and the kitchen ;)

Have you read the book?

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Less Of this, More Of That

It's a new year..I guess it's kinda obligatory to write something about New Years before the regular programming (blogging) begins, right? Or, should we just skip the first five dates and go straight to Netflix & Takeout? Let's be old-fashioned and talk about the plans for 2017, shall we?

Less Talk, More Do
Less judgement, More try-to-walk-in-someone-else's-shoes
Less binge-watching, More books
Less Things, More Cherishing/using things I already have
Less pop culture, More..Well.. who am I kidding...Let's be realistic ;)

Less over thinking, More Nike
Less stress, More joy
Less I-don't-have-anything-to-wear, More Gratitude
Less sleeping-in, More sunrises
Less negativity, More yay-let's-do-it kinda vibes around me
Less editing, More writing

Less looking-for-the-keys, More organized
Less getting-news-from-socialmedia, More actual, unbiased news (if that still exists!)
Less complaining, More so-what-do-I-do-about-it (refer to 1)
Less I'll-have-what-she's-having (I love When Harry Met Sally), More standing my own ground
Less wikipedia-ing, More Let's-just-not-know-ing

Also, I'd like to know about your lesses and more(s)... Drop me a line, if you'd like to share yours :)

PS: Photo taken on one of our drives from NY (I think!)

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Golden Globe Moments 2016

I spent three hours (ok..pretty much the entire evening!) watching the Golden Globes and there were all kinds of moments that were played out on the red carpet and on stage. Watching it also reminded me that there are TV shows and movies that I haven't even heard of. Now, that's a first! They have duly gone on my "Things to Binge-Watch in 2016" list;)

From Katy Perry's bump-it to Taraji's cookie give-away..here are some of the moments I thought were worth writing about. Enjoy!

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2015: The Most Overused/Annoying Words That Need To Go In 2016

 

2015 was the year when people didn't know when to stop. And it was true the most with (some) words. These are the words that has been done to death and that everyone needs to stop using in 2016. Please?


via GIPHY

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Thanksgiving/Christmas Hostess Gift Ideas

With the holiday season about to hit us in its full glory and calories(!), the next month or so is going to have you play either the role of a host or a guest. And with all the planning and the shopping that goes into the season, I have put together a curated list of hostess gifts that are not your run-of-the-mill-same-old-wine bottle, because admit it, you are better than that!

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Jennifer Lawrence's Essay - Why do we as women want to come across as likable.. always!

I am pretty sure we have all read and over-read or seen and over-seen articles on Jennifer Lawrence's essay on pay inequality in Hollywood. My initial reaction even before reading the essay was "Oh god..not another Hollywood celebrity writing about inequality and feminism with the help of a ghost writer" ( I am looking at you Emma Watson).

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Mrs Funnybones: A Review

I don't like calling anything a review because it sounds so formal and standoff-ish and plus there are tons of people on social media giving away 140-worded "reviews" for free anyway.  Let's call it me-telling-what-I-liked-or-not-liked-about-the-book.

I have been reading Mrs Funnybones a.k.a. Twinkle Khanna's columns for a while and I find them refreshing. And she has her tweets to match up to her wit too.

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Don't be THAT NRI

                                                                             

When I moved to the US, the first thing I told my husby and friends was that I will never become THAT outdated NRI. You know who I am talking about. The one with no clue about things happening in India in terms of pop culture or fashion. Especially the fashion.

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Let's just not know what it is!

                                                       

 
I love watching movies and reading books, but I love them even more when I have a bad case of writer's block. You never know when you will come across an interesting line or a scene that just might inspire you to write. It might not be the greatest movie that was ever made, but they sometimes throw certain lines that just stand out and make you think.

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What I learnt from Amy Poehler's Book Yes Please!

 

 I read Amy Poehler's book Yes Please a couple of months back. I love her humour and was only too excited to read it. While I expected her book to be funny, I never thought it'll leave me with a life lesson.

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The Life Cycle of Bangs

As my hair appointment gets closer, I was reminded of this old post that I wrote on my other blog! 

Bangs set us up to fail. The sooner you come to terms with this, the better. 

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Tuesday Trends - Culottes

Let's talk about Culottes today. It might sound like a fancy french pastry, but it's the "in" pants of spring/summer. I think it was around last year too, but I just hopes it would just go away. It's one of those things that I am scared to even look at, because unless you are a 6'2" model or french, you know you can't pull this trend off.

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Serial Shopper

If there was a "Are you a serial shopper?" cosmo quiz, I would probably get a 10/10. I shop or should I say I used to shop very single month. I would at least buy one new piece of clothing every month, it doesn't matter if I absolutely needed it or not. And then last Thanksgiving, on black friday, the day when even the non-shoppers shop, I shopped too, A LOT. And the guilt hit me the day after, and I vowed not to shop for at least a month. Guys, that's huge for someone like me. I went into shopping withdrawal, literally ;) It was brutal.

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Awkward Silences

Any kind of silence is painful, but the kind that happens in a social situation gets awkwardly painful. I mean, I am totally ok with silence induced by anger or because a situation demands it like in a church or a funeral or while watching a movie. What I am uncomfortable with is the kind of silence that happens at a party.

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Groundhog Day

                                                                     What is Groundhog Day

The first time I heard about Groundhog Day was when I watched the movie, The Groundhog Day. If you haven't already seen this movie, I would definitely recommend it. It has all the right things that early 90's Hollywood movies had. The movie is about this bitter/jaded reporter who is sent to cover the Groundhog Day festivities in a small town. He's stuck in a loop where he re-lives Feb 2nd over and over again , kinda like Edge of Tomorrow , minus the guns and of course, Tom Cruise.

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