Friday 30 March 2018

Why I Love Travelling #SayYesToTheWorld

Top post on IndiBlogger, the biggest community of Indian Bloggers


Travelling and Vacation  are  like  Stress Busters  which helps to unplug and recharge ourselves from the monotonous routine we follow in our day to day life .

Travelling to new and different locations teaches us lots of  new things and  makes an unforgettable memory .


( Image Source : Google ) 

After marriage I  travelled  to different  cities in  India with husband and all those makes a  lovely memory to be cherished life long . The places I  travelled  are  Hyderabad , Mumbai , Delhi , Noida , Ranchi , Ajmer , Gulbarga  , Gurgaon etc .
Every city has a tale to tell , We meet new peoples , We learn about  the place in detail , it's cuisines , tourist spots , local language and traditions etc and  experiencing all these is fun .

Regarding International Travel , I visited two countries , Saudi Arabia  and  USA  .
And trip to both these countries were  awesome with lots of  new experiences and learnings  and  many sweet memories  .

We went to Saudi Arabia in the year 2003 for Haj  Pilgrimage .
That was a Spiritual Journey , A new land with different language and customs , yet everything so familiar as  have read and heard a lot about it  before .
Travelling to holy cities of  Mecca , Medina , Mina  is something which can not be explained in words  .
The interesting part is one can see people from all around the world there and inspite of  having language difference people still do communicate with each other  in some way or other .

That made me realize that our world is really a global village ,  We are all one , no point in having differences and useless enmity with anyone .

I met and talked with people from  Malaysia , Indonesia , Sri Lanka , Bangladesh , Turkey and learned a  lot about their customs and traditions , their food habits etc .

So that was an enriching experience .

Then last year  in December 2017  I went to USA with my kids for two months, since my husband is working there as an IT professional  and we wanted to spend some time there with him .

My Vacation to  USA  is a like a  Dream Vacation  .

We went from Hyderabad to Dubai then via a connecting flight to Seattle  which is in the  West Coast  of  America . Seattle is an  IT  hub with lots of  Indian  IT Companies there .
Stayed there for  some time at a friends house then we travelled to Portland where  husband  was working , it  was a long drive of  around four hours and we enjoyed watching everything outside , be it be snow or  Pine trees , everything looked so beautiful and different .
Stayed in  Portland for around a month and then travelled to few other cities like Denver , Kansas  City , Missouri , Dallas etc .
 One thing which we enjoyed most was Snowfall , since my kids have never seen snowfall here in Hyderabad , so it was fun for them .

Sharing some of the  pictures of my USA travel .

Waterfall in Portland
Portland is a beautiful city with lots of natural beauty , one can watch and enjoy waterfalls , one can visit Local Zoo , Sea Beach etc .


Cloud  Over  Mountain near Hood River 
This was a lovely view when one can see clouds coming down .


Snow Fall  
After  snowfall one can see thick layer of snow everywhere which looks so beautiful .




Kids learned lots of  new things there ,staring from American Accent to Local food , they enjoyed everything there .
We also enjoyed  lots of  local fruits and vegetables there like Avocado , Raspberry , Blueberry which are not easily available here in India .

So this was a wonderful experience for all of  us , travelling to different cities , experiencing new  cuisines and  connecting with people there , knowing their  customs and traditions .

All this broadens the mind set and we feel good and  become better person than before.

I  Love Travelling  Because :
* There  is always something new to experience and learn .
*  It gives the freedom be away from daily monotonous routine which becomes boring after some time .
* It  makes wonderful memories .
* It gives a sense of  Adventure which is Thrilling and Exciting .
* It's  a  real life experience of  the things we have read or seen in movies . 
* It's  like an education which  teaches History , Geography ,  Politics and many more things .
* It  helps to explore new horizons .
* Reduces Stress to a great level and one feels relaxed and happy after a lovely vacation .

Travel and  Explore new places and destinations , you never know you might fall in love with them .

Watch this Video to know more  : 






After  having wonderful  experiences in these two countries would like be a  World Traveller now and would love to visit many more countries and experience new things there .
Would like connect with open minded people who Love the World and  try to make our world a better place to live in  .














Thursday 29 March 2018

Five Things I learned From Super Blogger Challenge 2018 #SuperBloggerChallenge2018

Hello Everyone
Back with an interesting post on Super Blogger Challenge 2018.
Today I will share five things  I  learned from this challenge.





Super Blogger Challenge 2018  was started some six weeks back where as the participants are given weekly tasks to complete , the most important one to  write a post every week , link it in the Linky, read and comment on other's blog , then do weekly homeworks etc .
Initially when I read the rules I thought it would be difficult for me to do with a hectic schedule at home and Kids final exams going on but then thought of accepting the challenge and  I am happy I did as I am learning new things here and enjoying it :)

FIVE   IMPORTANT  LESSONS  LEARNED  FROM   SBC 2018

1. TWITTER   INFLUENCE 
I have a twitter account but I was not very active there , more on Facebook & Instagram.
After joining this SBC challenge  I  became more active on Twitter , participated in some of  the  Twitter  Activities  which were part of  this  challenge .
And  learned  more about Twitter Activities and Twitter is a good platform for bloggers to reach readers and brands .
Now will be more active there and will try to connect with more people on twitter and this would definitely  help my blog & blogging career .

2. PINTEREST  ACCOUNT 
As a part  of  homework   we were asked to make an account on  Pinterest .
I already had one but was not using it as  do not had much idea about it .
Now learning  tips & tricks of  Pinterest  that how it can be used to  share our  blog posts there and get good traffic from there .
Thanks to Hosts to make us do this homework :) 

3. HEALTH  BENEFITS  OF  DRINKING  INFUSED  WATER  
I  had  read before on  health benefits of  drinking infused water  but  had little knowledge on it .
Since the Sponsor of  this SBC Challenge is Instacuppa , a brand well known for it's Infusers  , 
learned a lot on  Infusers , detox drinks , benefits of  infused water etc.
So now will have these healthy drinks as a part of  my diet :) 

4. HOW  TO BE MORE ORGANIZED &  FAST 
When we were given list of  topics for these 10 weeks ,  I started thinking & planning on topics which I will cover , that made me more organized and  planned .
In order to submit my post's  link before other's on Thursday Night  I  became  more  Active & Fast :) 
So these are  the Plus Points of accepting a  Blogging  Challenge :) 

5.  IMPORTANCE  OF  READING  OTHER'S  BLOG 
Earlier  I used to  read others blog but that was occasional not regular .
But after joining this  challenge my reading  skills have improved :) 
When  I  read other's  blog I do get lots of  idea's  and knowledge on varied topics .


Every Challenge  in Life teaches us few good things and we  grow as a person with more knowledge & experience .
This  SBC  has also taught me many new & good things and happy to be a part of  it  .

Hope  you all  liked my post , Do share your views on it :) 
Would love to read your comments on this topic .

Love 
Ghazala 



Wednesday 28 March 2018

Enhance Your Look With Hair Extensions

If you are not quite pleased with the duration of your hair  , the substitute hair  integration or extension could possibly be the ideal selection for you . They are some unique techniques to lengthen hair and therefore hide your hair loss and thinning of  hair .
There are several ingenious methods like the Invisible Hair Weave  that may attach the substitute hair without the assistance of the glue and braids .
The good things about this process is there are several kind of  fibers available which can be used for hair extension . For instance , apply for the substitute hair fibers  like the  Toyokalon  and Kanekalon.
This is often a perfect solution for those who have a warm date within the weekend and have started to know he prefers lengthy hairs .
Extensions could possibly the right choice which could permit you to accomplish this varied look instantly .
One apparent advantage here would be that  the artificial ones are less costly compared to  other available choices .
Also you are able to opt for several different colors with in this category .
However , the disadvantage here is they can't  withstand hot temperature and so are not appropriate for various styles . For this reason lot of people like the real hair extensions .
Actually you may also search for ethnic origin to sport the right style .
What are the standards you have to search for when you are selecting your ideal extensions.


If you are choosing substitute full lace wigs , you'll probably get several options .
However , the  caliber  of  the color will get more subtle and precise using the cost rising.
Also , the color from the fiber varies significantly using the manufacturers.
Again , you will find the niche suppliers who provide signature shades too .

One interesting  factor using the artificial hair fiber would be that the excellence of the fiber is within the majority of time pointed out .
For instance , if you are supplied with  virgin hair , this means locks are  not processed by any means.
Your  hair is carefully collected after which  provided  to different shapes or left with in the bulk form. Another quality of  real hair may be the Remy in which the strands are organized carefully .
They're of  higher quality and much more durable compared to other non-remi groups .
Also , they stay shiny and provide the tangle free hair .

Various fashion followers like Kate Winslet , Julia Roberts used  Extensions to obtain a altered look .
So try hair extensions if  you're a fashion lover because it should help make you stand out within the crowd .





Thursday 22 March 2018

Benefits of Using Herbal & Organic Beauty Products #SuperBloggerChallenge2018

Being a  Beauty  Blogger  I am being asked many times about the benefits of using Organic & Natural Beauty Products which includes  Skin Care & Make Up both.
People do ask me Why to buy such expensive organic skin care products , what's wrong with the ones we are using since ages ?
I have explained this to many about the ill effects of  harmful chemicals in these products and why choosing a herbal or organic one is better in long run .
Today in this post I will try to cover few important points on this topic.




Research says Women on an average  put  168 + chemicals on their bodies every day , it's through skin care  products , hair care products  , cosmetics , Perfumes , Mists etc .





First we should know about the chemicals frequently found in beauty products .

* PARABENS 
They are used as preservatives in most of the beauty products .
Can cause hormonal imbalance , early puberty and other health problems .
*PTHALATES 
Mostly found in shampoos .
Can cause problem in Kidney & Liver .
* SLS & SLES 
They are surfactant .
These are found in Shampoos , Car wash etc .
Can cause Skin allergy , depression .
* SYNTHETIC COLORS 
Can cause Skin irritation or Allergy .
*SUNSCREEN CHEMICALS 
They are found in sunscreen creams & lotions .
Common names of these chemicals are  Avabenzone , Benzophenone , PABA etc .
These chemicals are easily absorbed by the body and are endocrine disruptors .
*TOLUENE 
It is a Petrochemical derived  from  Petroleum or  Coal  Tar sources .
They can affect respiratory system and cause skin allergy .

So now one can understand what we have been using since childhood and how harmful it was to us and how harmful it is if we continue to use it  .
Now we have the option to switch over to better products which are chemical  free and toxin free .
Yes I am talking  about Organic , Herbal  & Natural  Products .
Past few years  we have seen a boom in this  industry , specially on  online media as more & more people are becoming aware of  the  situation .
Though  bit expensive these natural brands are much better than the regular  ones  which are loaded with harmful chemicals and toxins .


TOP  BENEFITS  OF USING  HERBAL/ORGANIC/NATURAL  PRODUCTS 

1. They are better for your skin & health .
Products from these herbal & organic brands have less or no chemicals in it .
They use natural ingredients and many of them are  fragrance free , color free ,  preservative-free .
So they are safer .
Many of them have less shelf  life like that of 6-8 months only and some of them are needed to be kept in refrigerator as they are preservative free .
I have used many such products and found them too good & effective .

2.  Free of Harsh Chemicals 
As discussed above these products are free of harmful chemicals .

3. Eco Friendly 
These products are eco friendly as they have minimal or no chemicals.

4. They are Gentle on Skin 
Since they contain natural ingredients , they are gentle on skin .
Like moisturizers from these natural brands have Cocoa Butter , Shea Butter in it which are too good for skin .

5. Protect  the Skin from Premature Ageing 
These organic skin care & beauty products have good amount of anti oxidants , Vitamins in it thus they help to protect the skin from premature ageing .

6. Prevents  Hair Fall & Hair problems 
Hair fall is such a common thing now , even younger generation is facing this problem 
Reasons : Poor eating habit , stress , pollution , hair styling devices , chemical laden products etc .
When one is using herbal hair products like shampoo , conditioner or  oils , one is actually doing good to themselves as these products prevents hair fall and other hair problems .
As these natural products  are rich in natural ingredients like some good oils , henna , some herbs etc .

So better to switch over to these herbal & organic products for our own betterment.

Hope you all liked this post and found it useful.
Do share your views on this topic in the comment section below.

Ghazala 
 


Thursday 15 March 2018

How Blogging Made Me Famous #SuperBloggerChallenge2018

Hello Everyone
Back with an interesting post on my Blogging  Journey.
Earlier also I had done some posts on this topic and shared  the insight into my blogging journey .
Today I will  share some more :)
I will share  How Blogging Made Me famous :)




I started my Blogging Career  some three years back and it had  been a wonderful Journey & Experience .
Before starting my own blog I was writing for few sites like Mouthshut.Com , UserReviewed.Com , Adytude.Com etc .
I was earning good from these  sites and  learned  a lot on writing good and detailed reviews of products and services .
At Adytude one needs to rate & review ads ( Commercial  advertisements )  , that was also fun .

The First  Turning  Point  in my blogging career  was  when  I had won a Car from Adytude.
Yes a Car :)  Datsun Go .
For being active member of  that site users get some gift cards like that of Amazon & Flipkart , which I was getting .
Every six months or once in a year they chose  a Top Performer who is eligible for a Grand Prize .
So in the year  2016  I  was chosen as the Top Performer and my Prize was a  Datsun Go.


Initially I could not  believe what has happened , then  slowly accepted it and was on Cloud9 .
That gave me a  sufficient  moral boost to continue  this as my profession .


Next  was  when  last Year  I saw my name in the list of   Top  Beauty  Bloggers in India :)
That was a great feeling of  success and  achievement .


Next  was when I attended  a  Blogger's  Meet  last  year in  my city Hyderabad  .
That was again a  wonderful  experience .
Meeting  fellow bloggers , some PR managers and having lots of fun .



The  event  was  organized  by Johnson & Johnson and Mycity4kids .

So all these made me quite famous in blogging circle as well in my personal life and people started knowing me as a  Blogger  .

Since niche of my blog is  beauty , have done product reviews for many brands and if  I sum up , have collaborated  with  50+ brands  including some International ones .
My Reviews are mainly 
* Beauty Product reviews 
* Baby Care products 
* Website Reviews 
Have done lots of  Barter as well as Paid Collaboration .
And happy that my work keeps me busy throughout the month and  at the end of month I do compile and list  collaboration done in that month along with earnings & expenditures like doing giveaways , buying subscription box etc .
With every collaboration I  have made good relationship  with PR's , Brand Owners , Fellow Bloggers etc .
So can say now my blogging circle is too big with some lovely people as my close friends.
And every appreciation mail or message from PR's , Blog Readers , Fellow Blogger's is good enough to keep me going .



Some three years back I was not so famous online , was connected with just few friends and relatives on facebook . But with blogging  I  became famous with a good follower  base on various social media sites .
People started knowing me by my work .
In fact many blog readers became my good friends , have met some here in Hyderabad.
They do consult me before buying any beauty product :) 
Even some of my relatives like my aunts take tips from me on Beauty product shopping :) 
That makes me feel like have become a  Beauty Expert now :) 

Also I won few Blogging Contests at  blogging sites like  Indiblogger  &  Blogadda .
Competing with blogger's  all over  the country and  winning gives  so much of  happiness and  a sense of  Pride . 

So all these gives a feeling of  happiness & satisfaction .

If   I  Sum up my  Blogging  Journey it would be :
* A perfect  work  from home for a busy mom like me .
* Creative  Satisfaction.
* Exploring new areas and Learning new things now and then .
*Sense of  Satisfaction .
* Name , Fame & Little Money .
* Good  Friends .

And last but not  the least  it gave me 
MILLION  DOLLAR  HAPPINESS 

Some thing which is so valuable and special.

Blogging gave me lot of happiness :) 
So can say  HAPPY  TO  BE  A  BLOGGER 

A Perfect  Career  Option for a person like me .

So this was the insight of  my  Blogging Journey.

I hope You all liked this post and found it useful.
Would like to read your comments on this post :) 

This article is  written  as a  part  of   #SuperbloggerChallenge  #Instacuppa  
and should not be repurposed, republished or used otherwise.
The Content herein is owned by the blogger SuperBloggerChallenege is not responsible for any sort of infringement caused.









Thursday 8 March 2018

How To Stay Healthy With Instacuppa #SuperBloggerChallenge2018

Health is Wealth  and staying healthy is not that difficult  .
It needs little management & dedication .
Well planned healthy meals , little of  exercise and most important a positive mind set .
Dieting should not means starvation as it leads to other problems like lack of essential nutrients in body and feeling low but  it should be a healthy diet with healthy drinks .

A well planned diet includes  healthy foods & healthy drinks .
That helps to lose and maintain weight  and also one feels energetic & healthy and thus Happy :)
We have done lots of research on healthy diets & diet plans , Now let's  discuss  and explore on healthy drinks .
With the term healthy drink the first thing that comes to mind is Fruit Juices .
Fresh fruit juices are too good for health  , the one prepared at home .
But sadly many people do not have time to prepare that at home .
They go for ready made ones , the ones available in market with fancy packaging & Tags like Healthy & Sugar Free etc , but are they really Sugar Free ? NO
Most of them are loaded with sugar and preservatives , which is bad for health .
So in place of  doing good they could harm the body .
Better to  avoid such drinks .
So the next option that comes is  Infused  Fruit  Drinks, which are gaining popularity these days because of  their health benefits .

Now What is a Infused  Fruit  Drink  ?
It is a type of  Detox drink which helps to eliminate toxins from body .

How can it be Prepared ?
One need to add washed  fruits , vegetables , herbs to  water and let  it  get infused for few hours so that it's ready to drink .
But for that one needs a good quality infuser .

Today I will share about a brand which has some superb products which can be used to prepare such  Infused drinks and is easily available online in India .

I am talking about Instacuppa .
A brand which has some  excellent products to make healthy drinks .





All Instacuppa products are  100%  BPA  Free , Lightweight , Durable .
They try to minimize the use of plastic and go for glass or bamboo which are healthy alternatives .
One can prepare variety of  healthy recipes and drinks using Instacuppa products .

Some of  it's products :

                          INSTACUPPA  FRUIT INFUSER  WATER BOTTLE



One can easily make fruit infused drink using this  Fruit Infuser  .
One needs to take out the infuser rod and fill it with fruits & herbs like mint etc then  close the lid and put it back  in the bottle , fill the main jar with water and let it get infused for some hours and then enjoy the healthy drink .
Available at an  affordable  price of   Rs 999 after discount.



INSTACUPPA DOUBLE WALLED GLASS GREEN TEA / DETOX INFUSER  BOTTLE 



This double walled green tea infuser bottle will help to keep drink hot for a long period of time .
And we all are aware of numerous health benefits of  green tea .
Which could help us to stay hydrated and  benefit  from antioxidants present in green tea  .
Price : Rs 1499 



INSTACUPPA THERMOSTEEL BOTTLE / THERMOS FLASK 1200ML WITH  FRUIT INFUSER 





This one is  Fruit Infuser with a Thermos Flask  .
This is  a unique product which will infuse and  and insulate fruit water and keep it cold upto 24 hours .
Price: Rs 1499 


So with these products one can easily make infused drinks or detox drinks and  enjoy healthy drinks  without worrying much about calories .

What  I  Liked  About  These  Products  
* BPA  Free .
* Made from premium grade  Tritan .
* Use of  natural product like bamboo , Glass .
* Easy to clean & Maintain , Even Dishwasher  safe .
* Can keep beverage hot upto 12 hours and cold upto 24 hours .
*FDA  approved .


One can check  video's on their site to know how to prepare Detox Drinks , Fruit Infused Drinks etc .
I am sharing one such video :






Hope you all liked my post and found it useful.
Do share your views on this topic, would love to read your comments :) 
Love 
Ghazala 


This article is written as part of  #Superbloggerchallenge2018  #Instacuppa 
and should not be repurposed, republished or used otherwise.
The content herein is owned by the blogger, Super blogger Challenge 2018  is not responsible for any sort of infringement caused. 




Sunday 4 March 2018

Benefits of Eating Local Foods #SuperBloggerChallenge2018

Thanks to Globalisation, the World is a Global Village now .
Sitting in a small town in India  one can place order for stuffs from  other countries .
For Apparels , Cosmetics  , Books or other stuff's it's Okay but for food products it's not good and is  not a healthy option .
In today's post I will discuss the benefit of eating local foods .

Local food is the food grown locally , in your area near to your city or town.
Mostly from near by villages.



* LOCAL FOOD ARE HEALTHIER
Local food are allowed to ripen naturally , where as food that has to travel long distance are plucked before they ripe and  are loaded with preservatives for longer shelf  life  .
Fruits & Vegetables that we buy from local vendors are fresh with less preservatives .
So local food retain more nutrients and are healthier.

*LOCAL  FOOD  TASTE  BETTER
Since they are fresh they taste better than the ones transported from far off places .
One can feel the natural flavor of these local foods .
Specially seasonal fruits and vegetables  taste good then preserved ones .
Mangoes in Summer & Red Carrots in winters have a distinct taste  which we can not get if we try the preserved ones in other seasons .

*LOCAL FOOD  BENEFITS THE  ENVIRONMENT
 Buying local food means less transportation and thus less air pollution .
So they are boon to the environment .

* IT  SUPPORTS  LOCAL  ECONOMY
Buying local food supports farmers & vendors in our area and thus helps local economy .
It's like supporting you state & country and helping the economy , empowering local farmers and making their life better .

*LOCAL FOODS ARE SAFER
They are safer as less preservatives are used .
Chances of contamination while handling & transport is less .



So these are the  benefits of eating local foods .
So by eating local food we are not only helping  our economy and local farmers but also we are  helping ourselves by eating healthier .

Hope you all liked this post and found it useful :)

Ghazala