And the Magic Begins...

#colgatemagicalstories #random

Kids and their fun. They need something new every day and each parent thinks what to do to keep the child motivated and happy. 

Colgate came to aid of such parents when they launched kids packs which includes four sets of magical stories. The theme is called 'magical sea world' and it lets your kid learn something new every day. With more than 15 magical sea characters (some your kid might have never heard of before), it comes in four attractive and interesting themes, a Treasure Hunt, a Pirate Ship, Coral Reefs or the Sea Magic with a little mermaid. The other good things about these packs is they also contain some very interesting facts that enhance kid's knowledge. These interesting and mysterious themes allow kids to run wild with their imagination and create their own stories - all they need to do is cut the package and enter the magical world. (Well, they can't cut it as the pictures are very close together, hence only an adult can do the honors)

Magical Sea World Collection

My own kid is a little too tiny to play with such stuff hence I gave all the packs I received to my nephew, who is just as loved and important to me as my little baby. Yeah, the initial reaction was 'mausi, it is not a toy' but when we explained and opened up the pack it was a whole different talk. The moment his eyes fell on the pirate his imagination ran wild. I have never seen him so excited. The entire day he cooked up various stories and all we did was sit enchanted and listened to him. 

One of the stories he told - 'Once there was a man, he was a bone pirate. He ran wild across the sea... He once found a little mermaid who was in trouble. He took the mermaid on his ship and found her lost friend the turtle. The shark was about to eat the turtle so the bone pirate kills it with his spear and runs away to the safety where they meet crab man and their friend dolphin.' Yeah reading like this must not be a great fun, but when you hear a four year old cook up story like this, you could do nothing but stare at him with awe and admiration. My sister is not at all into writing, she is not into reading as well, but she could not be happier after seeing her adorable son cooking up such stories. For me, well I am very proud aunt, finally I will have someone in family who will have remote interest in storytelling. It was real fun and best part was the spark in his eyes and smile he gave when we clapped after the end of each story.

The Box of Colgate with the Magic inside

The above story was not just it, he also made many others and included his own toys in them. Once he merged his train set with the pirate ship and saved all onboard as the ship was on fire. He did realise later that trains don't have tracks on water but well, it is a two-fold thing right - education plus entertainment. 

All in all it was a great experience and he played with it so much that the cardboard has withered and torn now. Sadly I forgot to take pictures of the characters while he was playing with them. :(

I would like to say a special thanks to #Colgate for bringing this joy in our lives. We will always cherish it.

You can know more about this initiative from Colgate at http://www.colgate.co.in/en/in/oc

I hope your kid enjoys it too.

Love and Cheers

Help your kids grow with Horlicks Growth+

#CatchUpOnGrowth  #Random

PC: clipartcraft.com

Life is full of challenges, competition and we see it every day - at work, at home, everywhere. As a parent last thing we want is the same thing for our children. Yes, there are certain things we cannot control but something are definitely in ours. Somethings like our children growths - mental, physical and psychological.

I don't remember much from my childhood but one thing I do remember is falling sick again and again. Same is happening even now. My immunity is still  very bad and most of the times I am surviving on medicines - not good at all, I know. I feel so miserable and everyone says it is the after effects of what  happened of when I was growing up, i.e. my body never developed proper immune system and now it is costing me. Well, what's done is done, now what can I do. I do try to make up but - ah! never mind. However, what I can do is make better future for my kids and kids of my friends and families.

PC: epubbud.com

In today's scenario, what we eat, drink, even breathe, is 80% toxic. In old days if you ate an apple you would feel full and get lot of vitamins and minerals, however gone are the days when 'an apple a day, kept doctor away'. Try eating 2 or more apples in one go, you might need to visit a doctor as it would contain so many harmful chemicals etc. So in short, we don't get apt nourishment through what we consume and so is the case with our kids. And given it is very important to provide them right and balanced meal, Horlicks has come up with an amazing product which helps our kids recover with lost nutrients.

“Horlicks Growth+ is a specialized nutrition product designed by international pediatric experts for children in age group of 3-9 years who are lagging behind in height and weight. It contains high quality whey protein with added nutrients that are known to enable children to catch up on lost growth. It has been clinically proven for visible growth in children in 6 months.”

PC: etsy.com

And if we talk about our children growth, proper and healthy immune system is not the only requirement, kids also need right height and weight. Talking about heights, no one wants their kids to be too short to pull a box from top shelf or too short to be always mocked at. Kids stop getting tall after certain age, earlier it was around 12-14 but given change in lifestyles and everything I believe it would be around 10ish now. Hence it makes it vital for every parent to make sure that their children get enough nutrition to get those extra inches. 

Talking about weight, we all want to be skinny and sexy. No one wants their kids to be overweight but it is also important to ensure that they are not underweight. If being heavy have its side effect, being too light is also not very healthy. It affects both physical and mental health, plus it affects the brain development. 

Horlicks Growth+ product claims that it helps children grow in 6 months. If it improves mental and physical health of our kids, which in turn affects their psychological health as well, I believe it is a wonderful product to try. I am going to try it, would you? 

Read more about this at: https://growthplus.horlicks.in

Love and Cheers

Book Review: Super Women by Prachi Garg

#BookReviews

Title: Super Women
Author: Prachi Garg
Publisher: Srishti Publishers
Pages: 168
Price: Rs. 105
My Rating: 4.5/5

Blurb:

In a nation that reveres women as goddesses of wealth, knowledge, power and infinite energy, there are a few who have gone on to prove why. Not only have they carved a niche for their talent, but have also inspired and empowered many others in the process. 

This book brings forth the stories of twenty women entrepreneurs who have struck a perfect personal-professional harmony, and a chord with their immediate consumers. Their innovative ventures encompass a varied range of services – from supporting victims of acid attacks, to providing free skin care solutions; from online retail of lingerie, handmade bags and fashion accessories, to eco-friendly products of everyday utility; from pet care products, to quirky merchandise; from empowering folk artists, to providing clinical assistance to those going through tough times; from image consulting to house hunting; from arty solutions, to innovative marketing and corporate communication; from creating happy readers to making religious ceremonies simpler – these entrepreneurs have opened avenues formerly unexplored. Superwomen is an interesting journey of how they played all their roles to perfection, aligning their families with their ambitions, showing the world their true mettle.

My Review:

I read very few non-fiction books as they usually don't interest me. However just the tile here intrigued me - well it is called 'Super Women', it was bound to lure :P

The book narrates real life stories of twenty successful entrepreneur women who have done something that not just brought difference to their lives but also to the society. Each story holds a strong message regarding how an independent woman brought change in life. When I think of 'women' in India, myself included, I feel we are so dependent on men. Our husbands, fathers, brothers etc. We can't do anything either without their approvals or support - no offence to any female out there, we all are self- sufficient but most of us don't even try to do something without a 'he'. The stories narrated in this book showcase how much can be done if you have the willfulness and desire to do something. A woman can do so much in her life and... well lets leave it there.

The book is well crafted and well narrated. If read properly and with right intention, it can be a big motivator as it forces a person to think - 'what the hell have I done in my life?'

The cover of the book is beautiful and intriguing. It depicts the right scenario i.e. a woman can do anything and everything she wants starting from household chores to office to raising kids, in short everything.

I really liked the book and I am glad Anuj Kumar from Kalamos Literary Services offered me this book for the review. My rating: 4.5/5

You can grab a copy here.

Hope you like the book too.

Love and Cheers

Introducing my book: Live-in with a Ghost

#Books  #Personal

I have received many feedbacks regarding how writing reviews on my blog have helped other authors. So, given it is my 100th post yay!, I decided to do something for myself.

Through this post I would like to introduce my book (which was published almost a year ago) to all my blogger and reader friends. The title of my book is - 'Live-in with a Ghost' which is a romantic fantasy and touches upon supernatural aspects.

Many people have asked me how I came across with this idea and here is how. When I wrote the book we were in South Africa and like always my husband was super busy. Given we were in foreign country, we had literally no friends and I had no one to share my feelings and grievances. Hence, just like we used to do in our childhood I created an imaginary friend and started talking. People laugh at this notion and some called me crazy but it helped me - it helped me my sanity and marriage. My imaginations took a wild turn when I thought what if I had a partner who was just for me? Unlike my super-busy husband he would pay full attention only to me - I know it's selfish - but through this thought I started a story in my head which eventually turned into a novel.

The story of my book is a simple love story where a girl meets a boy in most unusual circumstances. Where she, Jia, is a human, he, Jai, is a ghost. And not just a regular haunting ghost but a ghost of a man who is in coma for quite sometime. Yes, he is alive and it complicates things. Initially super scared of him, she later befriends him and then falls in love. Their love story is obviously complex as people from two dimensions cannot survive together long but somehow they manage... How? Is the part which you can know if you read the book.

Many reviewers have told me that the book reminds them of a Hollywood movie but I cannot repeat it often but the creation of this story was my own, I don't indulge in plagiarism. On a positive note, I take proud in thinking that I was able to cook up a story which was worthy enough to have a movie on similar lines.

The blurb of the book is: "Jia & Jai have a unique love story where she is human and he is a ghost. They meet during an out-of-body experience after an accident. Although from different worlds, she is simple middle-class journalist and he is a rich playboy, they fall in love instantly. During the adventure of their relation they both go through various exciting events which include tears, laughter, love and even fighting-off goons. Throughout their relation, the only thing Jia fears is what if he wakes up and forgets her. And in the end of the story he does wake up but if he remembers her is yet to be known..."

I hope I was able to intrigue you a bit about my book and you would like to check it out. If so, please help out a fellow blogger and click on links below to grab yourself a copy.

Paperback on Amazon: http://www.amazon.in/Live-Ghost-Kritika-Sharma/dp/9384315133

Kindle Edition: https://www.amazon.in/Live-ghost-Kritika-Sharma-ebook/dp/B01CIYUSHU

Flipkart: http://www.flipkart.com/live-in-ghost-english/p/itmeczumaythzdn3?pid=9789384315139

Or, you can get a copy from me. Just message me your details. :)

Please leave your comments, I would love to hear from you.

Love and Cheers,

Book Review: The Triumph of Love by Shivdutt Sharma

BookReviews

Title: The Triumph of Love
Author: Shivdutt Sharma
Publisher: Yogi Impressions
Pages: 160
Price: Rs. 245
My Rating: 3.5/5

Blurb:
'A greatness in thy daughter's soul resides
That can transform herself and all around,
But must cross on stones of suffering to its goal.'
Sage Narad to Aswapati, father of Savitri
- Savitri, Book VI, Sri Aurobindo

Ancient India's legendary romance of Savitri and Satyavan has been told and retold through opera, ballet, on stage, on film and television, across continents. One of the best-loved tales of ancient India, it has continued to weave its magic on the Indian as well as the global psyche.

Unique among women in the Indian epics and scriptures, Savitri embodies not just the complete love for and commitment to her husband, which all epic heroines display, but matches that with the power of absolute will and action. Like Sita, Shakuntala and Draupadi, she is also a victim of circumstances; unlike them she does not seek help from without to free herself and her husband from a tragic fate.

Once she has decided to marry Satyavan, even with the dire foreknowledge of the catastrophic event, she does not regret or waver from her choice. In fact, she becomes determined to confront and challenge fate and bend it to her indomitable will.


What is perhaps unique to The Triumph of Love is the depth of its narrative that lends credence to the romance of Savitri and Satyavan, which has endeared itself to everyone down the ages, to this day.

Review:
The epic love of Savitri and Satyavan has been talked about since forever. When I was growing up, everyone said if you want to love your husband, do so like Savitri who took back her husband's life from 'Yamraj' himself. The story of this novel is more or less based on the same story and while reading it, it felt like a remake of the old one.

The story revolves around the two main characters, how they meet, their life together and love. The sad fact of his death and her persistence and struggle to get him back.

The characters of the story are beautifully written and woven together. The way scenes are depicted, you feel them come alive.

In terms of story, book and everything, it is evident author has put in extra efforts to make it perfect.
What I could not digest in the story is the certain weird instances, which just sort of happen. They seem acceptable in the old ages but now, they seem curious and little funny.

Overall, it is a rather fine read. And my rating is - 3.5/5.

You can grab your copy here.

The book was sent to me by Anuj Kumar, Kalamos Literary Services..

Hope you enjoy the book too.

Love and Cheers