Showing posts with label nature. Show all posts
Showing posts with label nature. Show all posts

Saturday, 13 June 2015

#ComeCloser to Radiance...

We are in the habit of taking our skin and its care for granted. We wash our face with soap or face wash and feel assured that once this is done, our skin will remain bacteria-free. But, that is not true.

Nature has blessed us with soft, radiant, and supple skin, by birth which remains so, for a few years, and hence in our childhood days, we don't develop the habit of practicing any special techniques to care for our skin. But the fact is that the skin needs constant care.


  • The first and foremost need of our skin is hydration. To retain the suppleness of our skin, we need to drink lots of water. If lemon and honey are added to it, it would be like icing on the cake, as honey retains moisture for a longer time. 



  • The next important need is exfoliation of the skin's layers to remove dead cells, which keep on accumulating and restricts the skin from breathing properly. For this, natural scrubbers are the best choice. Take two tablespoons of coarse gram flour (बेसन), add fresh malai and a bit of turmeric to it. Mix it well and massage it on your face, while scrubbing softly, in rotatory motion. The coarseness of gram flour removes dead cells, turmeric exhibits its antiseptic properties to remove bacteria and dust, and malai keeps the skin smooth and soft. The result is glowing, radiant skin, ready to breathe. 



  • Another important care is to protect the skin from harsh ultraviolet rays, when we step out, especially in the scorching sun. Instead of applying sunscreens available in the market and confusing ourselves as to which SPF would be safe for our respective skin type, nature itself has provided us with an effective remedy. Tomato contains lycopene, which acts as a natural sunscreen. Just take red tomato pulp and apply it gently on the skin. Let it settle for a few minutes and wash it off. Lo and behold, you are ready to face the SUN and its harshness. 



  • As we age, we tend to become a bit careless towards our skin-care regime. But still, wrinkles pose a grave threat which needs to be dealt with, effectively. In this case also, fresh tomato pulp helps, with its anti-oxidant properties. 


It is always better not to rely on products with various harsh chemicals as constituents but on our age-old natural kitchen remedies. Vicco, which also agrees with the same ideology, have been making natural products since long, incorporating sandalwood and turmeric. Their flagship product VICCO Turmeric Cream has been ruling our television sets since the past few weeks and their jingle which claims that their products are not cosmetic, but Ayurvedic has touched our hearts too.

My friends and I had been using Vicco's products when they were in their prime. Hence, I am glad that they have made a pleasant comeback to safeguard today's generation and their skin from chemically manufactured products.



Sunday, 27 July 2014

A Whiff From Nature, On My Vacation...

It is not very often in life, that you get a chance to Inspire someone.

It is not very often in life, that you look for Inspiration, as well.

~~~

And, when those opportune moments strike...

You mustn't let them go!

~~~

So, when the kind folks at Godrej Aer looked up to us, IndiBloggers...

For inspiration to crowd - source their fragrances...

While focusing on an 'Evocative Travel Experience' from our side...

It took me, just a second, to be transported back in time...

~~~

To the Winter of 2013...

That we'd spent in the Charming Hills Of Coorg...

~~~

We'd spent two days in this scenic place in Karnataka, as a part of our week long vacation covering Bangalore, Mysore & Coorg...

And, those were the best two days...

Not only because we'd gotten relief from the comparatively hot and humid Bangalore and Mysore...

But, because, while at Coorg...

We were nestled in the midst of...

Coffee Plantations.

~~~

Yes, you read that right...

~~~

Our lodging, being very true to its name...

Had been developed midst a Coffee Estate!

~~~

We were surrounded by Coffee Plantations, all around us...

For 25th & 26th December 2013.

~~~

Very true to its name, our Homestay...

Serene Woods...

Was far from the City Life of Madikeri...

Yet, a small town, in itself, with all of us, guests... :)

~~~

And, It Is This Caffeine Rush...

Which Is The Essence...

Of My Evocative Travel Experience...

~~~

And, for the next two days at the Estate...

We were not only Sipping...

Our Cuppa Coorgi Coffee...

But also...

Seeing...

Admiring...

And Smelling...

Caffeine...

~~~

For the next two days at the Estate...

Coorg...

Became synonymous with...

Coffee...

~~~

And, for a person who has been pursuing Biology...

First, as a Student...

And, then, as a Career...

~~~

Serene Woods was a Heaven for me...

It was an Ambrosial Delight...

To capture the rejuvenation...

And, the energizing effect of Caffeine...

Not by drinking my favorite brewed beverage...

But, by taking a whiff of it...

As a gift from Nature...

~~~

Because, for me...

If it's Coffee...

It's NOT...

Love At First Sight...

But...

Love At First Scent! :D

~~~

It was a delight to discover for the sheer pleasure of being amazed by Nature...

That, the Brown Coffee Bean, we encounter in Metro cities...

Is not Brown...

~~~

It is White, in the First place!

The Majestic Blooms...
Of The Coffee Bean...
A Characteristic Aroma Of Their Own...

And, Green in the Second...

The Bunch Of Greens...
Among The Whites...

It is only in the Third and final phase...

Of its Cultivation...

That, The Brown Coffee Bean...

Is Extracted From Its Ripe Red Seed...

The Brown Brew...
Comes From The Red Rubies! :)

~~~

The intoxication of Caffeine...

Completely Bowled Us Over...

~~~

It's Not The Estate We Returned To At Night...

It's The Warm, Welcoming Aroma Of Caffeine...

~~~

So much so, that when the time came...

I couldn't part with my Caffeine Haven...

Without having taken a memorabilia with me...

With having taken my parting Memento...

From Coorg's Signature...

Yes, That's My Dose Of Coorgi Caffeine...
Midst The Coffees Of Delhi! :)

~~~

If I have to pick one Aroma...

That lingers on with me...

From the many Nature Trails, I've undertaken, with my Daughter...

The One Which Evokes Nostalgia...

The One Which Perks Me Up...

~~~

It undoubtedly has to be...

Coorg's...

Caffeine - Coffee, The Brewed Concoction...
Offering A Valued Odoriferous Connection...
Filling Aroma Tingles My Olfactory Nerves!
Flavorful, For Mentions, Which It Deserves!
Enthralling Are Those Intoxication & Touch!
Excites Me, An Existence, As Aer, Oh Much!

~~~

And If That Ambrosial Aroma...

Gets Picked By Godrej Aer...

As An Inspiration...

It'll Then Become...

Godly Rejuvenated Aer! :)

~~~

This post is a part of #InspireAFragrance Contest by Godrej Aer in association with IndiBlogger.
You can vote for it, here.

Monday, 21 July 2014

The Irre'Zest'ible Five...

Top post on IndiBlogger.in, the community of Indian Bloggers

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Zest...

Something Exciting...

Something Adventurous...

Something Inspiring...

Something Unique...

Something Extraordinary...

~~~

There Are Some Zestful Activities In My Everyday Life...

Which Aid In Renewing My Vigor And Zeal Towards Life...

~~~

Reminiscing Over My Mother's Many Creations...

Like This One...


Admiring Her Artistic Creations...

Gives Me A Sense Of Fulfillment...

And, Reminds Me Of The Passion And Perseverance...

She Had...

For Her Efforts...

This Year, We'd Be Commemorating Her Fifth Death Anniversary...

But, It Doesn't Feel Like It...

Because, She Lives On In Her Art...

Her Works Adorn My Home...

And, She Lives On...

In Her Art! :)

~~~

Photographing Nature's Beauties...

Like These...

Especially In The Monsoons...

Rainbow Magic!

Notice The Sun And The Peacock, Even Midst The Grey?

The Spray Of Freshness, In The Monotony...

The way Nature's Marvels present us with Life Lessons...

And, present us with special opportunities to look at the Bright of Life and not at the Gray...

Because, There's Always A Silver Lining In Even The Darkest Clouds. :)

~~~

Collecting Memoirs From Vacations...

Like These...



To Remind Me...

That...

Even The Littlest Of Adventures In Life...

Can Leave A Long - Lasting Impression...

With The Memories, That We Gather. :)

And, Just A Glance...

At Souvenirs Such As These...

Is Enough To Bring About...

The Adrenaline Rush...

Of That Adventurous Vacation...

All That Is Needed...

Is An Excitement...

And, A Spirit...

A Zest...

To Live Life To The Fullest! :)

~~~

Expressing My Artistic Side...


On Festive Occasions...

Expressing My Artistic Best...

Instills A Strong Sense Of Self-Confidence...

And, Of Familial Support...

Celebrating Festivals Together...

Brings Along An Inexplicable Sense Of Exuberance...

Having Kept The Celebrations Of Life...

Zestfully Alive! :)

~~~

Reminiscing Over My Daughter's Awards...


These Awards, Stand Testimony...

To Achievements...

In The Past...

Which, Provides A Path...

To Progress...

These Are All Inspirations...

To Chalking Out...

Newer Achievements In Life...

With A Newer Zest...

And Newer Ambitions. :)

~~~

These Are My Pointers To Looking At Life...

With A Unique Perspective, Each Day!

Because,

All You Need...

Is...

Zeroing In On The Priorities In A Life...
Escaping Those Mundane Monotones...
Shatter That Glass Entrapping The Self...
To Unleash Unexplored Talents, Hidden!
~~~

This post is a part of the #ZestUpYourLife Activity in association with TATA Zest and BlogAdda.com.

Thursday, 3 July 2014

At The Helm Of Nature...

Top post on IndiBlogger.in, the community of Indian Bloggers

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I'm Very Much A Nature's Person...

You Could Very Much Say, I'm Nature's Comrade...

In My Own Small Ways. :)

~~~

I've Always Believed...

We Are All Manifestations Of Nature...

And, Of Course, We Are, In Our Own Unique Ways!

~~~

And, If We Look At It, From A Different Perspective, Altogether...

I Believe, Each One Of Us, Has A Unique Nature Too, Isn't It? :)

~~~

I also believe I feel so strongly about Nature because Botany & Zoology were my first love in School and College, maybe? ;)

And, maybe because, in the back of my mind, I experience an adrenaline rush when I get to explore any new plant or animal species when I'm on my travelling spree, or even otherwise?

And, would you believe that half of the Photos in any of my Travel Albums for the Year is devoted to capturing Nature and its pictures! :D

Picture This...

My #JodeyDilonKo Experience has all my Nature-sque Pics taken at the Andaman Islands, 2012.

Now, I haven't yet disclosed, why I'm going all gung-ho about Nature, have I?

It's for Project 365, yet again!!! :D

~~~

And, when they asked me, about my first tryst with Nature...

I was purported back in time - picturing myself playing with a Ladybug, or a Snail, or a Butterfly!

Like every other kid, I learned to appreciate the Power, Impact and Beauty of Nature at a very early age.

And, since then, every interaction of mine has been memorable.

~~~

The same Garden I grew up, playing in! :)

That reminds me of a Picture Trail, I have, to show to you...

Sunrises & Sunsets Are Always A Delight To Capture!
Enroute Agra.

Yet Another Mustard Field, I Spotted, Enroute Chandigarh!
Rains Are Always A Delight To Watch!













Remember This Fallen Birdie, In My Courtyard, 28 July 2013?
Brought It Back To Life, And Made It Fly Again! ^_^

This Swan Ring, Is Naturally, Made Of A Shell.
Collected In The Sands Of Havelock. :)

Even This Mother's Day Doodle Was Inspired By Nature.

~~~

After All, It Is...

Nature, The Bearer And Support Of All Beings, Living, All Alive...
Accommodating Within Its Manifold Existence, Glorious Life-Forms!
Teaching Us The Importance Of Sustenance, To Continually Thrive...
Urges Us, Care For It, As Much As It Does For Us, It Transforms!
Reassuring Us Of Its Infinite, Exquisite Variation, Amazing Bounty...
Enriching Our Tryst With Life - Ours And That - Ones Around Us!

And, as for the choice between The Forest Or The City, I guess I would go with the Beauty Of Forests, Of Nature, Coupled With The Lifestyle Of The City.

Because, Choosing only the Forest Life or only the City Life would be a 'not-so-wise' decision.

In my opinion, it would be Wiser, to opt for The Best Of Both Worlds! ^_^

~~~

This post is a part of the WordPress Daily Prompts : 365 Writing Prompts program where the aim is to post at least one post a day based on the day's prompt.

The Prompt for June 30 was a 'Free Prompt' provided to all of us, Guest Authors.

The Prompt is, The Natural World - 'Describe your first memorable experience, exploring and spending time in Nature. Were you in awe? Or were you not impressed? Would you rather spend time in the forest or the city?'

This is my Fifteenth Post as a guest author to Project 365 : We Post Daily!

Monday, 14 October 2013

Bliss


green or red, raw or ripe
fruit so beautiful nature's gift
wild or cultivated, it's always bliss
~~~

This post is a part of Write Tribe's Haiku Contest.

Sunday, 28 July 2013

PADE --- Special --- Day 28 --- A Special 'Birdie'ful Morning Surprise

॥ जाको राखे साईंया मार सके ना कोय ॥ 
(No one can harm the one who is under God's care)

This Special post comes from memories of a Special Surprise which came visiting us a Month and A Half back and which I had blogged about here.         

    One Fine Morning, my hubby and I were sipping our morning tea in our room when we heard a loud thud on our window's glass panel in our balcony. I thought it must be the news paper vendor who had thrown the paper on the glass panel by mistake. My hubby went out to guide him not to throw the paper on the glass panel but on the door's wooden panel lest it would break.
     
          But he was shocked to see that it was not the paper but a Birdie fallen on the floor near the window. God knows how it banged on the glass panel!


 He sighed and called me. I couldn't bear the pitiful state of a cute, multicolored Birdie as it was motionless. For a second, we were dumbstruck whether it was alive or not! :(
Then, by God's grace it opened its eyes slightly and we heaved a sigh of relief. :D

        I ran to bring some water and poured it on the floor for it to drink. But it couldn't bend to drink it as its limbs were hurt. It tried to push itself but it couldn't stand. I asked my husband to lift it in his hand and Thank God, from the cup of his hand, it could drink water. Then I brought some biscuit crumbs and poured it in its beak which it had started opening now.


Slowly, it started to stand on my husband's palm and then hopped a step. He put it in our plant pot so that it could feel the natural surrounding. By now, its condition seemed a bit better. It hopped and again sat on the floor.


I was pleasantly surprised to see its reflection in the glass panel. It seemed that now it was enjoying its reflection and rejoiced to see one of its kind. It sat there for twenty minutes, drank water, ate biscuit crumbs, gathered strength and then suddenly flew away (How we wished that it could remain with us for a longer period... But were glad to see it recover and fly away to probably its family). ^_^



        It was a sheer coincidence that as at times, in the morning wee hours, I love to take shots of nature, birds, bees and at times monkeys visiting our locality, my camera was in near vicinity and hence I could capture this whole memorable experience in my lens. The Birdie was so pretty that besides taking care of it, I couldn't resist to capture it in my lens too.

We shall never be able to forget this instance which started with a sigh but ended with elated gratification and jubilation.

This whole episode stands as a Special Memory etched in our hearts forever.

This incident stands out as it gave as a Special Opportunity for Service - Service of A Wounded Bird - Which reminded us of a similar episode encountered by Lord Buddha in his lifetime - And Which In Turn, For Us, Symbolizes Service Of GOD. 

~~~
This post is my entry for PADE Day 28 - Special by Sfurti Juztamom and Ritu KT's ToRaveAbout.
All entries for Day 28 can be found here and here.

Wednesday, 24 July 2013

PADE --- Rain --- Day 24

On A Rainy Day...
God gives us the best of the gray
Providing us with umbrellas and boats - in a new way
Giving us in life, of hope a new ray
And giving us opportunities to appreciate the Freshness Of Nature's Play.

The Best Of The 'Gray'...





On A Rainy Day...
Every face starts beaming
Every heart's enveloped peacock crooning
Every soul's dreams unfolding
And each mind's innocence unraveling.

After Today's Fresh Rains...


One Of The Peacocks from my School Grounds...

On A Rainy Day...
The spray comes to life like a boon
Leaving its 'aqua lenses' as a gift so soon
Like Rainbows which come to visit us but once in a blue moon
Enlivening the moments of our life - be it morning, evening or noon.

Rainbow Magic!

An Aqua Lens On My Balcony Rod...

Another One...

Three In A Row...

On A Rainy Day...
To tickle our funny bone
Tiny - tots with their Toy T-Rains well known
At this idea, adults drop jaws, B-Rains blown
Learn that the G-Rains they had sown, have mischievously grown.

Toy T-Rain...

Human B-Rain

Rice G-Rains
~~~
These photographs are all freshly baked - taken before, during and after yesterday's Rain. These were taken at my home terrace and garden using an amateur Samsung Galaxy Y Smartphone contrary to pro DSLRs.
~~~
This post is my entry for PADE Day 24 - Rain by Sfurti Juztamom and Ritu KT's ToRave About.
All entries for Day 24 can be found here and here.

Tuesday, 16 July 2013

PADE --- Art --- Day 16


Brainstorm your emotions - Think of Such Art
That Which compels you to hum the strings, of your heart - Such Art
Think a bit more of  the ones of giving, living and listening - Such Art
Try to gain insight into Nature's Excellence - Such Art

Can You Guess This Art Form?
Think Hard! Give It A Try!

(The Two Art pieces You Saw Above Are Nature's Masterpieces - Crabs' Dens In Dug Up Sand - Taken at Radhanagar Beach, Havelock Island, 2013)

Glass Painting

Worli Painting

Sand Art At Puri Beach, 2007




(This painting above was made by my daughter's friend and artist --- Ancy Mathew, residing in Kerala)

Is your perception obliging you to pick up that brush and start - Such Art?
Reminding you of its diversity - Sand, Glass, Worli - Such Art...
Or that of Forgotten Treasures - Quilling, Cross Stitch or Engraved - Such Art?
Are you Mathematically inclined to point out Fractals? - Such Art...

Mandelbrot Set - A Kind Of Fractal


Cross Stitch Masterpiece By My Mother...

God Resides Even In Stone!
I'll tell you what all stirs me --- Such Art!
My beach trips and some invaluable collections --- Such Art!
A Sea - Shelly Peacock And Mouse --- Such Art!
A Natural Skully Shell And A Ring As Well --- Such Art!

Shelly Souvenirs From Kanyakumari, 2008 
Is That A Puppy Face Or Skull?
You Decide!
Tamil Nadu, 2008


Unique Collection For The Jewellery Knick - Knacks
A Discovery While Relaxing At The Beach
My Very Own Leopard Spotted Shell Ring!
~~~
This post marks my fourth 'Shutterbug Of The Day Badge' for Day 16. The first three were Rules, Street & Windows

photography, photo, photo a day, theme photography, badge, badge ideas

Heartfelt Thanks To The Organizers - Ritu and Sfurti!
~~~
This post is my entry for PADE - Day 16 -  Art by Sfurti JuztaMom and Ritu KT's ToRaveAbout.
All entries for PADE Day 16 can be found here and here.