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6 Tips to Plan Your Wedding

By Dr.Amrita Basu(MBBS,MS) on December 4, 2017 56

When I got married I wanted to be a simple affair. Just I would-be-hubby, family, and honeymoon. I had my priority sorted.The budget was tight and I wanted no personal loan. But God had other plans. My mom and little sister planned the most wonderful Bengali biye(marriage) on a budget.

How did I plan my wedding on a budget?

6 Top tips to plan your own wedding on a budget

#1 I knew how hard my mum struggled to make ends meet. So I had saved a major part of my stipend for two years in a recurrent deposit. Traditional Indian marriages give a lot of sleepless nights and financial stress to parents. I really didn’t want my mom to go through that.

My would-be-hubby agreed.He was my best friend.But if you know Indian families, you will know just getting your marriage registered and not meeting and greeting all your keen and their in-laws, are crime of the highest degree

I still wanted a budget.But a smart one. I have seen how the quality of life deteriorates with loans and had no plans of being under debt trap.

#2 Be smart while buying jewelry for your wedding.

For my wedding, the plan for the main wedding day was all about the splendor of the Gold. The Bengali bride is supposed to be decked up like a Christmas tree.This needs a massive budget.But I kept it simple. The extras like maang tikka, kamarbandh I made in silver and got them gold-plated. Since silver is also precious metal it was not wasted money. I looked good and managed to do it within the budget.

For the reception I chose to sparkle in diamonds but nothing over the top. An elegant diamond necklace, a simple diamond bracelet, rings, danglers for the ear made up my look for the reception.It was simple and fuss free.Much needed on a boubhat(reception from the groom’s side) day.

How to be smart while buying wedding jewelry?

Watch out for pre-Diwali and the festival sales.Massive discounts are offered with the making charges. This can help a lot when you are buying several pieces together.
Don’t buy jewelry which is an exact color coordinated with wedding day outfits.You may not wear the heavy sari or lehenga frequently but you will wear that jewelry.Be careful and pick up the right pieces.
Buy jewelry from the outfit.Jewelry is an asset.It needs the best decision and investment.Buy it with care.Clothes unfortunately though much needed doesn’t make sense spending a huge amount of money.
Try to buy jewelry sets which can be worn assembled into larger pieces, or taken apart to form small delicate pieces.Multipurpose jewelry is best.This way you can pack a punch and not worry about where to wear them after your wedding day
Buy classic pieces which will be family heirlooms.

Buy jewelry with not only will look good on you, but also be value for money.Avoid depreciating assets. I am a typical Indian woman when it comes to buying jewelry.But not so typical when it comes to my feeling about them.

I love gold and diamond jewelry.The beautiful warm golden color looks and brightens up my skin.Diamonds I feel are the much-needed sparkle a new bride needs. I love wearing jewelry, my detachment towards them bordering on the analytical is what drives me while buying jewelry.

Before buying jewelry I researched thoroughly.Jagoinvestor is a site which helped.It is from reading Manish’s books that I got to know that the gold rates get adjusted over 15 to 20 years period.

Gold savings doesn’t make a lot of profit but are inflation-adjusted.So if you want a safe investment, they suggested gold is great.

Diamonds must be certified and have a guarantee of the seller.Their wear and tear is minimum.I believe in keeping assets diversified.Jewellery, when worn, is beautiful and when used as assets are powerful. Believe me, my planning helps when we bought a new home together.

For the jewelry to be an asset what you need to know:

Buy only certified jewelry and not from small local shops.The purity of Gold is what gives it the value.Until you have a quality guarantee you are not safe.

Before you actually shop for your jewelry check online for prices and visit a few shops and get an idea about the money you should save.Having an idea helps you save that.This way you are prepared and won’t feel stressed.Jewelry is one way of having Goddess Laxmi with you.

#3 Book the marriage hall and catering early.

Early booking often gives you a hefty discount.Now for this, I have another super tip. Many good hotels rent out their marriage halls at a nominal price(even free ) when you are catering from them.This way you don’t have to worry about the decor, lighting, and security of your guests.

#4 Get a professional bridal makeup done

Find the most affordable and professional one.If you are a blogger or have a blogger friend you can great deals.Scout around to get a good rate. Then don’t forget to give the artist a testimonial. This way you get dedicated service ,you’re helping somebody and also managing it in your budget.

I got my makeup done at the Lakme salon and it was the most relaxing three hours on my wedding day.Unfortunately, I forgot my shoes and my debit card while leaving for the ceremony.But God is kind.The shop owner himself found out where the function was being organized from neighbors and hopped over to give back my card personally.The kindness of strangers must be remembered.

In weddings people remember how the food was and how the bride looked, exactly in that order!

#5 Get a good photographer on a budget. Talk to them about the event you want to be covered for.

Don’t get carried away.Stick to your budget.Who wants post-wedding bliss spoilt by money worries?Remember you want that fresh newlywed’s bright glow which can be difficult if you are swimming under credit card bills.Again if you are a blogger or have a blogger friend you can get amazing packages.

#6 Relax and enjoy.Plan, pray and stay patient.Everything will be okay.You need to plan smart and make memories, not debt!

Comment below to let me know your tips for buying jewelery.Was it a pain or was it fun?

Disclaimer: Make all purchase decisions based on own research.This post is meant to share my personal experience and knowledge and is not a professional advice.Kindly read my full disclaimer.

Thank You for My Daily Bread:#Thankful Thursdays 46

By Dr.Amrita Basu(MBBS,MS) on November 30, 2017 19

Food is what makes the world go around.Most people work to get their daily bread.

When we thank God every day we always thank God for our daily bread.

This bread signifies the love that God sends all his children.

I have written a lot about food and life.I even wrote an ebook on Fruits for Life.

I have written about food memories and healthy food but this is the first time I am getting a chance to formally thank food for being in my life.

I have a sweet tooth and a love for nonveg.Both can cause doldrums in the weight department.After becoming a mommy I realized God wants me to keep enjoying the food and told me to start walking every day.By choosing to eat the right kind of food, my cravings for the wrong kind has reduced.I still love my chocolates, everything else I can ignore.

When I think about food I feel its really Gods love in every morsel.

The nourishment it provides.
The warmth it gives.
The sensory satisfaction we feel.
The memories we cherish.
It can fight disease and improve health.

Isn’t food the main reason we do everything?Only when you have your belly’s full and a roof over your head can you even think about saving the world.

Today when I thank my daily bread, I promise not to waste food.I promise to do my best to help someone get food on their table.I promise to take on my plate only that amount which will nourish me and give me strength.

Dear Lord our angel in heaven, give everyone their daily bread so that they can serve you and follow the path you show without hunger clouding their vision.

In today’s world, the diseases of undernutrition and overnutrition can all be fought if you just ate right.The problem is polluted soil, water,indiscrimate chemical usage in agriculture has bad the nutritional quality of even fresh food doubtful.

What can you do ?can you start an urban community kitchen garden?Can you help farmers farm profitably without compromising on quality?Can you help in making organic eco-friendly farming practices a reality?

Have you ever been hungry?Have you ever felt pain and you couldn’t eat ?what did you feel when you finally felt better and ate well?

Comment below to let me know.Writing this with #ThankfulThursdays

ThankfulThursdays 46 prompt :

Thank you note to food

thank-you-food-thankful-thursdays — Thank-you-food-thankful-Thursdays

Read all about how to participate here.

Don’t forget to submit your social media share urls through this form

Read my #ThankfulThursdays series .

Taj Gateway & Vizag Vistas (Part 1)

By Dr.Amrita Basu(MBBS,MS) on November 30, 2017 18

When hubby planned a trip to visit Vizag, the timing was a surprise.The pujo holidays had to be skipped because of exorbitant airfare during the 5 days of Durga pujo.
Surprisingly during Diwali, the prices were reasonable and we were able to get a great rate.There are Indigo direct flights from Kolkata to Vizag.

Direct flights are our favorites because we travel with a child and stopovers or flight changes with a child is never fun.
We booked our flight in July and our hotel directly online at the same time.We did look at a few other properties But I wanted to experience the much acclaimed Taj hospitality.
At the very beginning, I must say the online booking was simple. This was the email address I had, and my contact person was Dinesh Boora Reservation officer. The first point of contact with a hospitality service helps me feel confident and relaxed about the potential for further interaction

Since we were traveling with a senior citizen and baby a lot of planning needed to be done. We booked two executive sea view rooms. We also pre-booked airport pick up and drop.Mr. Dinesh arranged our booking including pick up and drop off and sent me the bill.

The wonder of wonders they wanted no advance booking amount. This was a pleasant surprise. Even Dona Sylvia at Goa had a 10% advance payment rule. This instantly made me feel trusted like a valued guest.

We were set and looking forward to the trip away from the hustle and bustle.

Taj Gateway a & Vizag vistas : Mommy travels to Vizag and covers 12 places in 3 days

The Flight from Kolkata to Vizag

The morning Indigo flight was around ten in the morning and we reached about 12 noon.We were greeted by a pleasantly smiling chauffer waiting for us.

We had a comfortable ride to the gorgeous Taj right at the Ram Krishna beach.The place is picture perfect, the sea choppy and beautiful and the roads clean.

Vizag is beautiful. I had heard about the gorgeous Araku valley, what I was not ready was for the unhurried pace of the city. The clean wide well maintained roads and the total lack of chaos.

At the Taj Gateway Vizag

The flower rangoli greeting us at the reception lobby .the lobby decor reflects understated elegance ,with double height ceiling and a sparkly chandelier.The gorgeous vertical garden feature at the entryway stole our heart.

The best part is the soul pleasing sea view, day or night from the large windows in the executive sea View room.We booked two rooms 517 and 514.The 514 had the better view though.

The lunch that day was at GAD.That’s Gateway All Day their all-day dining with a wide variety of cuisine.

More about that in part 2 of the post.

VIZAG TaJ Gateway food and the view

About the Ramakrishna beach

It was pleasant just roaming the beachfront lazily.The first evening was the Diwali evening and we didn’t venture anywhere except the beach front.It was just a crossing away and had a children’s park which my daughter enjoyed.

The beautiful beach made us wonder how the sea could be such different colors in different parts of India.

The sea at Mandarmoni is a baby, when you compare it to the beach at Vizag.

VIZAG DAY 1 Trip

Day one of Vizag trip

If we wanted to cover the popular and must visit parts of Vizag for our short trip we needed a smart plan.We hired a car through the hotel.The next day my hubby chalked out a plan for us.

Kailashgiri
Indira Gandhi Zoo
Simhchalam(Lord’s siesta at 2 pm)
Lighthouse at Dolphins (shuts down at 5 pm)
Aquarium
Submarine museum
Shopping

First Kailashgiri and the iconic Kailashgiri express train rip all around this superb green vision of Vizag.The AC coach was Rs 100 per ticket and the regular coach costs around Rs 30.

The Kailshgiri has a Shiv Parvati temple, beautiful walks, children’s park, snack shacks, tourist keepsakes and an interesting way to go all around the Kailashgiri hilltop.This circular Kailashgiri Express rail. l is the best way to get a view of the sea and the green hills at the same time.

Kailashgiri means the residence of Lord Shiva.It is a park created by the Vishakapatnam urban development authority having gorgeous overflowing flora and tree covered hilltops.It is at a height of 360 feet with panoramic views of the city of Vizag.You can see the sea and sky meeting and hugging each other from the Kailashgiri viewpoints.That’s Vizag’s USP .you get the gorgeous green hills and the beautiful sea.

Our guide and chauffeur for the day was a polite young man who guided us with tips and stories about each of the spots.He next took us to the Indira Gandhi Zoological Park.This can be toured both in your own car or foot.We saw the exotic white tigers, rhinoceros, exotic birds, alligators, lions, Royal Bengal tigers and bear ,ostrich, emu, giraffes, and deer.

Nothing was out of place at the zoological park.It was one of the most natural landscaped zoos I have seen.The best part, cars were allowed inside at a flat rate of Rs 200.That made zoo hopping easier .Kids and even adults will have a hard time covering the sprawling zoo on foot.

We also like the public ladies rooms available.Services were basic but clean and well-maintained.For women traveling with small kids this is always a blessing.I salute the zoo staff and the people who visit for together doing an amazing job at maintaining the beauty of this place.

The Varaha Lakshmi Narasimha temple, Simhachalam temple

It is the temple of Narasimha an avatar of Lord Vishnu.Lord Vishnu is one of the Three trinity Gods of the Hindus.It is one of the richest temples in India.Not at the same level as Tirupati but rich nonetheless.

We had a problem here.Our guide thought post lunch it opens at 2 pm.But at a checkpoint on the way we got to know it was open until 2 pm and then a one and a half hour wait.The agitating part,it’s a roundabout way to the temple.You buy a ticket, keep your shoes in a nice clean shoe shelter for a minimum charge, buy the offerings for the deity and then pray.

VIZAG SIMHACHALAM TEMPLE

We had 3 challenges.

We had exactly 10 minutes in hand before the doors to the temple shut for the Lord’s siesta.
There were about 40 or so steps to actually reach the deity.
My mom is a senior citizen and my daughter is 5.

So the sprint would involve me with the offerings hubby with the 5-year-old(no confusion about this) and my mommy as fast as she could.

The good news first. We bought the special darshan ticket only Rs 100 and cuts short waiting time.
Luckily there were no pending queues otherwise we wouldn’t have made it

Now praying hard, I started sprinting, thanking the Lords for my walking schedule which kept me agile and I was not huffing and puffing. The first problem I faced, I forgot to take the ticket from my husband. On the way, I told three kind gatekeepers, that my hubby was coming with the baby and he had the tickets. They could have stopped me, they didn’t. They could have admonished me. They didn’t.

Did I reach the temple on time?

Luckily we did, in the nick of time and we all had a few seconds of praying before we were ushered out.A nice Prasada from the Lords luncheon and we were off to visit the Dolphins nose.

At the Dolphins nose

I remembered the Famous Five mystery of Lighthouse when I visited this tourist spot.

This viewpoint had a Lighthouse as a tourist attraction. My mom couldn’t make it to the top but she enjoyed the view of the sea from the base of the lighthouse. It has a place for keeping your shoes and for you to rest before climbing up the stairs to the top. The lighthouse light is a top attraction and the view defies description. We fancied we saw the disappearing nose of a submarine.

Next stop was a visit to the aquarium with an interesting selection of fishes. The submarine museum close to our hotel was our last stop for the day. It is, in fact, an old submarine bought by the Government of India from the Russian Government. The trip inside is interesting if you like to know cool stuff(which we do) but my mom skipped.It can make the elderly and those afraid of closed spaces uncomfortable. A little walking, waiting and stairs involved.I enjoyed it and almost felt like I was on an adventure.

We retired to the hotel for the day and was greeted by a sumptuous seafood festival at the GAD for dinner!

The heavy breakfast in the morning was a brunch and we took no lunch breaks in between. The dinner was a delicious affair, but we needed a post-dinner walk after it.

In part 2 of my post the Araku valley trip, mystery of the bamboo chicken and the Borra caves will be revealed.

I was nominated for the Tripscam Trip Experts Award 2017 by Mayuri for this contest.Read the rules here.

Trip Experts Awards 2017

How to Raise a Reader: 10 Tips from a Bookworm Mommy #MondayMommyMoments 47

By Dr.Amrita Basu(MBBS,MS) on November 27, 2017 19

Raising a reader is even more difficult than being a reader. My grandma from the paternal side was a career woman in the 60s and 70s. My mom and all my aunts had full-time jobs at a time when women hardly studied or thought about being financially independent.They were all book lovers.Parents, and grandparents all have a role to play in giving us our reading genes. Moms I feel have the biggest role to play.

Estimated reading time: 5 minutes

When I was a kid I remember I spent my summer vacations reading fairy tales with my mom and coloring the pictures and sketches that came with the books. Sometimes they didn’t need to be colored, but try telling that to a five-year-old.I never remember my mom ever pushing me to read a book.I read books, newspapers magazines anything I could get my hands on. The second-hand/much-loved book library at Golpark was a treasure trove. The books were often torn, sometimes dirty and dog-eared, and sometimes outright smelly but if it was a Perry Mason(later ), an Agatha Christie, a Famous Five I would read it. My father used to take me there and the reading cost was a flat rate of Rs 10 and a deposit of Rs 100 depending on how many books you took.

A cost-effective, eco-friendly, just right for book-friendly people.

My daughter likes reading her fairytale books with plenty of pics. She loves being read too. As a family, we read all the time for fun, education, as a weekend activity, and family activity too. We study together all the time. My hubby, unfortunately, doesn’t read storybooks. But that’s what having a voracious mother for a reader helped. I read to her when she was a baby, I told her stories when she was inside me. Now we read to each other.

Tips from a Bookworm Mommy to Raise a Reader

#1 Read to her even if you think she doesn’t understand. Remember your voice, emotions, and vocabulary all have a role to play in her growing up. Not audiobooks and not storytime on YouTube .read to her even if it’s one page per day. Audiobooks are important but not just then!

#2 Tell her about why you love reading. Talk to her about the joys of learning to read. Tell her stories about your first books and how you made friends over a shared interest in books.

#3 Read something you would enjoy too.I still love reading Famous Five and Faraway tree and all Enid Blyton books. So Start reading something which works for both and it won’t be a chore.

#4 Comics are not all bad. The wonder woman, Superman, Phantom, Birbal, and even Archie’s comic books taught us something. So don’t ban things. Just keep a watch on what she consumes. What she reads she will learn. So more positive the message the better it is.

#5 Try picture books when they are very young. I believe it’s never too early to buy books. It’s a journey, better to start slowly and steadily. The tactile pleasure of turning pages is incomparable.

#6 Have books at home. My shelves are full of colorful children’s books, my own and some new ones. My daughter likes picking up one and trying to read when she finds us reading our books. That’s an easy one to establish a love and respect for books.

#7 Have book reading tea parties with her friends. Where they each read a chapter of a fun book they pick together. It’s a cool way to make reading interactive and is like a Grandma goose storytime. Just better

#8 Ask her to read the same book or different books or mix them up. Both help in wiring up the brain to recognize and pronounce the words and similar ones. This helps in fluency and better reading skills.

#9 Carry a book for her when you have to wait somewhere. Don’t give her your phone give her the book.

#10 Take her to libraries and bookshops with you. Some of my fondest childhood memories are the library visits with my sister. She was a reluctant reader at first who one day became a bookworm!

Be thankful for books and reading and spread the joy around. Give her books as gifts with toys. Books are my favorite gift, even more than chocolates.I think the love of reading is contagious at least from mothers to daughters it is!

Research and educationist suggest

To raise a reader, be a reader.

I think that is the crux of it. We have to lead by example. One day I want her to read my blog, my books ,my stories about her, and my advice to her. I may or may not be there. When she grows up as a reader she will one day know how much being her mommy made me a writer and an artist.

Writing this for #MondayMommyMoments.

#MondayMommyMoments Prompt this week :

So don’t stop writing. This was written as part of #MondayMommyMoments because Good things happen to those who persist.You can also read my post 16 Secret Study tips from a Bookworm Doctor Mommy

Why Reading makes you smart

Monday Mommy Moments :The Why & How of it

Why did we start the #MondayMommyMoments linky?It’s a long story and not interesting.What is interesting is that we could do it together for one whole year without fail .That makes this linky party one fun ride.

What we aim to do?

We want moms to write regularly.You write regularly and your blog health improves, You write better ,your blog shines and you have grown as a writer.

How does #MMM help in that?

We give weekly prompts on trending topics, parenting topics, health topics anything that affects you and me as moms.

What do you have to do?

Actually very little.You write a post on your blog like any other day.The post can be on our prompts or not .Even old posts are okay.But we would love it if you write on the prompt.

When we write together on important topics we know we are not alone.Solution to problems become easier .It is also one way to crowdsourced books.We crowdsourced our first #MondayMommyMoments e-book on teaching children about money management.You can read it here.

Why should you write with us?

I think in life we all need a game worth playing.A goal worth having.Doing it with friends who are in the same boat just makes it easier.

When I started blogging I thought I was the only woman in West Bengal who blogged.But now I know many women all over India who are fighting the battles I am fighting.Together we stand stronger and one-day our children will have a better world.

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Memories of Mumbai attack & Acts of Kindness:India Remembers #WATWB

By Dr.Amrita Basu(MBBS,MS) on November 26, 2017 3

It’s ironic that I am writing to spread positive stories and recollecting one of the worst attacks of terrorism India has ever faced.

What it teaches us is that human behavior is what you remember.Kindness empathy, helpfulness and just being there for absolute strangers at the cost of own life.

When the terrorists attacked the Taj Hotel on 26th November 2008 none of the hotel staff fled.In fact, it was because of their courage, empathy and quick thinking many lived.

These heroes of the Taj Hotel had their lives changed forever because they decided to stay and fight. Some of them are no more with us and some are battle-scarred.

What should we do to fight terrorism?

#1 Spread more stories of positivity and hope.What we focus on grows. Today I choose to focus on the brave and good people at Taj Hotels Mumbai. The bell boys, the housekeeping, the kitchen staff, the front desk, and managers. Their contribution to this fight needs to be remembered.

#2 Grow stronger physically and emotionally.God gives us the battles we can win.So believe me we will win.

#3 Meditate.

Its one way of tackling the storm battling inside us when we think why?Oh God, why?

It’s probably the best way to calm our inner storms.

#4 Be aware .

#5 Help our Government and army as much as we can to fight those who want to spread terror.

Writing this to share the hopes of our world with #WATWB

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