first Halloween party
Life, Musing & Anecdotes

Our First Halloween Party #MondayMusings

by tinabasu
written by tinabasu

Halloween the popular tradition from US is a new entrant in the Urban Indian Culture. Last week we attended our first Halloween party in full costume and make-up. What did you do?

first Halloween party

Last week I asked you about your plans for Halloween while knowing I had no plans as such for it. But when you have crazy people around, planning a party can take place in 10 mins over Whatsapp! My son is two and goes to a play school now. I was hoping there would be a Halloween Party there, but unfortunately, there wasn’t one. They instead made a cute Halloween craft!

I’m like one of those moms who want to get a slice of everything for my kiddo. And thankfully I am not the only one. Few other moms of his batch were also looking forward to a Halloween Party so that the kids could enjoy.

Guess what, a party was organized and several kids were in attendance with quick costumes! A few years back I did some Halloween Makeup with my friends and thought of keeping that tradition alive! This year I did some quick 10-minute makeup to get in the Spiderman skin! This is of course, inspired by a Pinterest post. But guess what, I didn’t have a Spiderman tee, so I had to be happy with my Spiderman do in my Superman tee!

I had no idea what to dress my little man in! So I had to make use of this puppy cap that my mom got back from Berlin, paired it with a spooky jacket which happened to match with a purple pair of spooky shoes!

But it’s a tad bit difficult to do makeup for toddlers. Mine doesn’t even want to sit for a minute. Somehow I get him in a dress forget about doing any makeup!

Kids were super excited to dress up and go on trick-o-treating. We had scores of visitors at home this time but thankfully I was prepared and it was Bluey this time who gave off their treats!

Next year, I think we should be having our first organized Halloween Party with Halloween Décor. I have a few ideas in mind, hopefully can bring them out in reality! So how was your Halloween? What did you do this Halloween? Let me know in comments below.

Linking this post to #MondayMusing  #Mg Microblog Mondays

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flash fiction writing #FridayFotoFiction Photo Prompt
Fiction & Writing#FridayFotoFiction100 Word Fiction

The Agent – Flash Fiction Writing Challenge #FridayFotoFiction Nov 3-Nov 8

by tinabasu
written by tinabasu

#FridayFotoFiction is a weekly flash fiction writing challenge where we give you a photo prompt and ask you to write a 100-150 word flash fiction about it.


Top post on IndiBlogger, the biggest community of Indian Bloggers

Hello, beautiful people, we are already in November! How fast has the year flown by? How was your last week? There’s always time for #FridayFotoFiction and flash fiction writing challenge if you are bored of the week already! It’s Friday after all. Flash Fiction Writing Challenge always helps to change your mind even if it’s for a few minutes. So let’s go to prompt right away.

Flash Fiction Writing Challenge – #FridayFotoFiction Nov 3-Nov8 Prompt

flash fiction writing #FridayFotoFiction Photo Prompt

The Agent– Flash Fiction Writing Challenge – #FridayFotoFiction Nov 3- Nov 8

They have been trying to contact their member for days, but all communication efforts have failed.

They can’t track agent 6091 on their system.

“I need my agent, before it’s too late”, commanded the master!

“The tracking device is dead, master”

“How can she go missing?” he bawled.

***

These are beautiful, she thought scanning the dresses on the rack.

Do they always wear such soft fabrics?

These patterns look so good, she told herself checking them.

No wonder everyone says this place is The Beautiful Place.

I am staying here, no question of going back. It’s my new life – exclaimed Agent 6091 looking at her new reflection on the mirror.

With her tracking device dumped in the river her clan can never track her down.

The new body looked pristine. Agent 6091 from Gliese 667Cc was now hidden in a human body and she was in love with earth!

©Tina Basu

Word Count – 150

#FridayFotoFiction Featured Blogger Oct 27- Nov 1

Last week we had a staggering amount of link ups on this prompt. 20 wonderful stories by our beautiful set of bloggers. This has been the highest number so far and we are quite pumped about it! We, without a doubt, love reading through all your posts. So this week we have several sets of announcements for featured bloggers on #FridayFotoFiction.

Our first featured blogger for Oct- 27- Nov 1 is Neel from Neel Writes Blog. Read his featured post The Waiting Game. Congratulations Neel.

flash fiction writing #FridayFotoFiction Featured Blogger

Our second featured blogger for Oct- 27- Nov 1 is Namratha from Namy Says So. Read her featured post A Mystery to Solve Congratulations Namratha.

flash fiction writing #FridayFotoFiction Featured Blogger

Our third featured blogger for Oct- 27- Nov 1 is Mahak from Baby & Beyond. Read her featured post Heart Prints. Congratulations Mahak.

flash fiction writing #FridayFotoFiction Featured Blogger

We are expressing Thank You this month and have an exciting contest running the #ThankfulThursday #ThankYouNote Contest. Have a look – 2X Amazon vouchers up for grabs!

thankful thursday #ThankYouNote contest

Gayatri has been a very active member o the #FridayFotoFiction Community and we can’t thank her enough for all her enthusiasm and wonderful stories. Last week she wrote not one but two posts on the prompt. So Thanks Gayatri. Read her posts – The Promise and The Wall Street

flash fiction writing #FridayFotoFiction Featured Blogger

#FridayFotoFiction Monthly Winner October 2017

We told you we are uber cool, and we love writers. End of the month brings happiness and also some Lakshmi! Every month we will pick up a winner who gets Amazon Gift Vouchers! Isn’t that cool?

The only rule to be in this list – Must have participated in all the #FridayFotoFIction Flash Fiction Writing challenge on all 4 weeks of the month – i.e. all the photo prompts of the month.

There were many contenders for the monthly winner this time and we had to do a lottery between the likes of Anagha, Akshata, Rashi, Gaurav, Lavanya.

So our #FridayFotoFiction winner for the month of October is Gaurav from iGaurav.

Read all his posts of this month 1. The Deal  2. New Home   3. Happiness 4. The Cost of her Smile

Congratulations Gaurav. Voucher is on it’s way.

monthly winner #FridayFotoFIction

How to participate in #FridayFotoFiction Flash Fiction Writing Challenge

  1. Follow  &  , your hosts for , on Twitter.
  2. Every Thursday evening Tina and Mayuri will share a Photo Prompt with you on Twitter and on their respective blogs.
  3. Write a 100-150 Word story based on or relevant to the given Photo Prompt.
  4. Use the  badge at the end of your posts.
  5. Link up with Tina or Mayuri
  6. Read, comment, share on the host and co-hosts posts and at least two more posts linked in the party.
    Pro Tip – Networking and commenting are good for your blog’s health and ranks.
  7. Use  in your post and share in on social media using the same hashtag.
  8. Every week Tina and Mayuri will pick one featured blogger whose post impressed them the most.
  9. Every month one winner will be picked from the participants. This winner will be picked on the basis of regular participation through the month and will win a cash voucher from Amazon.
  10. Keep your fictions and engagement civil. Adult content/ affiliated links/ derogatory remarks/ hatred towards any religion is not allowed.

Grab the Badge

 

Tina Basu

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thankful for health
LifestyleHealth & WellnessLife, Musing & AnecdotesThankful Thursdays

Thank You Health – Thankful Thursday #ThankYouNote Contest #Thanksgiving

by tinabasu
written by tinabasu

Health is wealth – however clichéd it might sound – it is the absolute truth! On this Thankful Thursday, we ask you to write a Thank You Note to your health and join the #ThankYouNote contest this month.


Top post on IndiBlogger, the biggest community of Indian Bloggers

Hola people welcome to a new month – November. It’s my favorite month because its winter, it’s my birthday, it’s my mum’s birthday, it’s Thanksgiving! It also happens to be our first anniversary of #ThankfulThursday – how cool is that? #ThankfulThursday anniversary during Thanksgiving? It’s a year of saying thank you, a year of showing gratitude a year of expressing thankfulness. So what better than coming up with the ThankfulThursday #ThankYouNote Contest. This Thanksgiving month write a post based on the 5 prompts for 5 Thursdays and we choose winners based on max participation and you win Amazon vouchers! How cool is that!!

thankful thursday #ThankYouNote contest

Read on for contest rules at the end of the post. Please stick to the contest rules so that we can choose the winner better.

Prompt for #ThankfulThursday #ThankYouNote Contest Week 1

thankful for health

I started the post with the proverbial words Health is Wealth. Who can write on it better than me who is dealing with health issues one after the other? Ever since the toddler has started playschool, he brings back home cold and cough, virals, infections and almost everything possible on earth from the kids in school and that results in everyone in the house falling sick once a month! Last month, we had to take the son to Hospital ER because of an excessive cough – he had not slept or eaten anything in two days and I was losing my mind.

Yesterday I woke up with a blocked ear and terrible pain in my right ear. In the two hours that I waited before reaching out to my dad or my dear friend Amrita, your co-host, who is also an ENT surgeon, I was feeling murderous because this pain was terrible. Painkillers and antibiotics later I am still sitting with a bleeding infected ear! I have never in my wildest dreams had I thought, an ear pain could be this dangerous. Amrita saved me from that excruciating pain.

We don’t feel thankful to our body or health till something is wrong or you have to deal with pain! Ear for me was like a veg starter – neglected! Apart from occasional wax cleaning I have never paid heed to get it checked by an ENT or keeping it healthy regularly! But now since I have been pained, since I have been wiping blood with my husband’s white hanky, I now know how thankful I am for an otherwise healthy body.

Eat Right, Excercise, Be Happy, Love yourself, take time forself – no one else can love you more than yourself.

While I was having my baby, a lot of people came up with their advises and predictions – your pregnant belly is like a watermelon you are expecting a girl, your linia Nigra is dark – you are expecting a boy, the baby kicks a lot – you are expecting a boy and a lot of such stuff. My mom had the best answer for all of that rubbish – We are not concerned with the sex of the baby, we want a healthy breathing baby with all parts intact! Yes, that’s what every mother wants – a healthy normal baby! Believe me, that’s the first thought of every woman who learns they are expecting a baby and not whether I’ll have a boy or girl.

I can’t be thankful enough to god for giving me a lively wonderful baby with amazing birthweight. I can’t be thankful enough to god for giving me a healthy life. I still have all parts intact – no broken bones to torn tissues, no plates, and screws – yet!

The only time I have ever visited the hospital was to get the baby out at 39 weeks because I was too frustrated with this little guy thinking it’s a washing machine! It was clear from the 38-week scans that I was heading towards a c-section because this guy was busy getting cords around his head and was floating in a weird position high up and I refused to let him occupy that space for some more weeks!

The thoughts of an operative measure can be scary for people. But then when you can trust your doctor and hospital then it’s not a trouble. Post-operative time is painful, no doubt, but I still remember my doctor telling – the day you leave the hospital you will run and go. And touch wood, not for a single day I had a problem since I left the hospital!

It is good to Google and gets information – but assuming Google information can make you a doctor yourself is wrong. Don’t read too much and mess up your mind nor assume you know better than the doctor. I am always thankful to my health and my trusted doctors.

Are you thankful for health too?

#ThankfulThursdays #ThankYouNote Contest Rules

  1. Must write on each of the 5 #ThankfulThursday prompts to be eligible for this contest.
  2. Must follow, comment and share both the host’s post on social media
  3. Must comment and share 3 of the link ups posts
  4. Comment on the posts linked up and on the host’s posts with #ThankfulThursday hashtag.Use the #ThankfulThursday and #ThankYouNote for social sharing and tag us.
  5. Two winners and two gift vouchers are up for grabs.
  6. A minimum of 10 blog post entries will be deemed necessary for the contest to be validated, so make sure you invite and tag your friends to enter too!
  7. Your performance in this competition will have a score which will matter for the next part of the competition too!
  8. Keep your posts and engagement civil. Adult content/ affiliated links/ derogatory remarks/ hatred towards any religion is not allowed.
  9. Only posts in the link-up written on the prompt will be eligible for the contest and prize.
  10. All decisions of the judges are final and will appreciate your cooperation in the matter.Looking forward to your thank you notes this month.Write with a Thankful Heart!

Grab The Badge

 

Tina Basu

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what are you doing this halloween
Life, Musing & AnecdotesMommy & ParentingParenting

What are you doing this Halloween? #WriteBravely #MondayMusing

by tinabasu
written by tinabasu

Halloween is gaining popularity in India and in the last couple of years kids and adults are coming out in celebrating Halloween like never before. What are you doing this Halloween?

what are you doing this halloween

Are you getting constant rings on your doorbell and finding groups of kids waiting to trick or treat you?  If yes, you know Halloween has arrived and if you are not prepared then you are in trouble! I have been seeing a rise in the Halloween trick-o-treat madness for last two years in my apartment complex with kids dressing up and coming in for treats (mostly).

What is Halloween Day?

Halloween is celebrated every year on 31st October. The Origin of Halloween originated in the Celtic fringes of Britain and adapted over the decades by immigrants. This tradition has its pagan roots and originates from Celtic Samhain festival which meant ‘Summer’s End’ a time to celebrate end of harvest season. The Gaels believed they had to appease the spirits so that they don’t come back to life and damage their crops. So they used to set up places and offer food and drinks to appease them.

But this trick or treating and dressing up for Halloween or Hallowe’en – A shorter version of All Hallows Evening, originated in 16th Century Ireland, Scotland and Wales where people went door-to-door dressed in costumes asking for food in exchange for a song or poem.

halloween costumes

Source: iHDimages

What we see today, is the more American version of Halloween where people go crazy dressing up and innovate costumes and makeup.

My experience with Halloween

When were kids, celebrating Halloween was unheard of here in India. It was confined to books and movies. We had little British traditions followed in the house, because my dad was in Britain for a decade and had brought back few practices and traditions but I don’t remember celebrating Halloween ever.

In 2006 when we I was touring Europe, I happened to visit Disneyland, Paris on October 31st. As expected, Disneyland had the Halloween theme observed that entire week. The Disney Parade was replaced with the Disney Halloween Parade and it was spectacular. Walking witches, Live Jack-o-Lanterns on skates, laser shows – you name it and they had it. It was one of the most spectacular parades you can ever catch. That was my first experience of Halloween. It’s a shame I don’t have any photos with me now – thanks to Orkut Shutting down and DVD going missing!

disney Halloween Parade

Source: Disney Wikia

disney Halloween Parade

Source: Disney Tourist Blog

While I was staying at a paying guest with friends we did occasional parties on Halloween – but no major costume! When my friends were visiting my new house a few years back during Halloween we had some fun Halloween Makeup experiments which turned pretty nice. But I am yet to try out a full-fledged Halloween Costume. But with my son in his toddler years now, I am sure I have to do something in the coming years. And it’s all fun.

#halloween madness gets to us

A post shared by Tina Basu (@twinklingtina) on

What are you Doing This Halloween?

So have you prepared for Halloween? You might not dress up or have extravagant costume or makeup. But have you kept your treats ready? Last year I asked one of the kids, at my door, “show me a trick, I’ll give you a treat anyway”. To which he replied – “I don’t have a trick!” Kids can seriously make you laugh!.

I wasn’t too prepared last two years with so many kids coming and asking for treats. And if you can’t treat them they even ask for a 10 rupee note! Each Kid! I had finished with my Hershey’s Kiss stash that mom had gifted after one of her trips. Then we also ran out of 10 rupee change!

But this year I am prepared because I don’t like kids feeling sad. I have one at home, and I wouldn’t want him feeling sad when in future he goes for trick-or-treating and doesn’t get anything!

Yesterday I went to the supermarket and got a big stash of treats. I was surprised to see an entire bay of “Halloween Special Treats” section at the supermarket. In a few years, I am sure there will be elaborate costume parties that everyone will join in. I hope it will be enough for the kids. I am not sure what I’ll do if I run out of this! Maybe go out of my house and not return till it’s late in the night!! LOL.

I haven’t planned any character or costume for my son too. He has a Spider-man outfit, maybe will make him wear that. As for myself…. Let’s see!

So are you prepared? Get some toffees and chocolates before it’s too late.

And with the #pout #halloween #makeup #maccosmetics

A post shared by Tina Basu (@twinklingtina) on

I am taking part in The Write Tribe Problogger October 2017 Blogging Challenge

Linking this post to #MondayMusing  #Mg Microblog Mondays

 

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owning your own home, Tata 99 Home Festival, homeownership
LifestyleHome & GardenLife & Style

Attention Homebuyers! Now owning your own home is easier than ever with

by tinabasu
written by tinabasu

Homeownership is integral for a family. You should own your own home rather than staying on rent for various financial and personal reasons. With Tata 99 Homes Festival, owning your own home is going to be easier than ever for individuals/families looking to own a property for end use or investment.

owning your own home, Tata 99 Home Festival, homeownership


Top post on IndiBlogger, the biggest community of Indian Bloggers

Owning your own home is a dream of every Indian. In current times, you find a majority of workforces in the Indian cities are people who have migrated from their hometowns. The easiest way to look for a place to stay is to look for a rented place. But what happens when you are working in that same city for over 4-5 years? You end up paying a lot of money which has no returns!

Owning your own home – It’s a Good investment

Paying a 20,000 INR rent every month for a decent sized 2 BHK apartment in a residential complex amounts to 2.4L a year which is 1.2 million INR in 5 years. If you are planning to stay in the rented apartment for close to 5-6 years in the same city, it’s wise to get your own apartment. When you stay on rent there is no ROI or returns of your investment for the rent you pay. While when you own your own home the returns are much better.

Your Dream Home

One of the most satisfying emotions is to step into your new home. Home is where the heart is. Everyone has a picture of their dream home – a home that reflects you, a home that makes you happy. But the biggest challenge in this dream is managing the funds. There’s always a question – how will I fund this property? It’s better to watch out for real estate deals that make buying a property easier.

owning your own home, Tata 99 Home Festival, homeownership

Manage Funds with the 99 Flash Sale #TATA99HomesFestival

If you are looking for a property and still thinking how to manage the funds then you must check out the Tata Value Homes 99 Home Festival. This is one of a kind home festival with benefits that you might have never heard of.

Tata Value Homes is coming up with a Flash Sale for the first 99 customers for 99 home units across India with a funding of 99%, and with discounts of up to 19 Lakhs* varying across their projects in India. This flash sale is available for 99 hours only! (bookings begin on 2nd November)

When I was buying my house, managing funds and finding the right property with all amenities were the biggest challenges. We wanted a property that had everything yet didn’t make us starve! How I wish I had come across an offer like this. 99% funding for a property is unheard of. This flash sale is not only a game changer in the Indian real-estate industry but also will help India’s first-time home buyers in fulfilling their dreams of owning their own home.

owning your own home, Tata 99 Home Festival, homeownership

When you buy a property with a home loan, you have to do an approximate 20% down payment. That itself is a huge challenge for a common middle-class Indian family. But when you get a chance of 99% funding for a new home, you can never let that go out of your hand.  This flash sale will make dreams of the first 99 customers come true.

Tata Value Homes have multiple projects across cities like Delhi NCR, Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Chennai, Pune, and places around Mumbai and the #TATA99HomesFestival flash sale is valid on 99 units across all these cities.

owning your own home, Tata 99 Home Festival, homeownership

Blue Heavens – Bangalore

How to Avail this Offer?

Register on Tata Value Homes Site between 23rd October to 1st November, using basic details. Post registration buyers can visit the Tata Value Home properties in their cities between 2nd November and 6th November 2017. Buyers can do spot booking, and walk away with unit allotment and a home loan by select Nationalized Banks with a 99% funding! You can avail discounts upto 19 Lakhs*.

Tata properties come with attractive amenities and are all placed at great price points. Tata Homes stands for trust and quality. When you get a good property at jaw-dropping price from a trusted brand, it’s a win-win situation for you. If owning your own home has been a dream, a key milestone that you have always wanted to achieve, this November make it a reality.

Key Things to Note

Timing: Bookings open from 2nd November 12 AM to 6th November 3 AM

Units: Offer valid on limited 99 Units across the country.

Funding: 99% funding through select NBFC’s across Tata Value Homes Projects in India.

What are you waiting for?

*discounts vary from property to property across TVH’s properties.

 

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accessories
FashionLife & StyleLifestyle

5 accessories everyone should have in their wardrobe

by tinabasu
written by tinabasu

You know how it is that two people wear the same piece of cloth but still one ends up looking better than the other? Well, it is all a game of how one style themselves. If you are a fashion-freak, you must definitely know about the importance of an accessory which enhances your look. In case you are wearing a plain outfit and want to improve it, just accessorize it with a bit of bling or subtle piece of something and you are good to go. Be it a man or a woman, accessories are the way for you to up your fashion game.


Top post on IndiBlogger, the biggest community of Indian Bloggers

To find trendy and fashionable accessory pieces you can look in shopping malls or even online markets. Discount coupons can also be found for different online shopping portals which make it a worthwhile shopping experience. However, to shop for accessories you must first know about the absolute must-haves! Here is a list of 5 accessories that you should definitely have in your wardrobe.

accessories

Statement Jewellery

The type of jewellery you wear represents your style which can range from subtle to loud and plain to blingy. Jewellery is an important part of any dress-up. Be it a small stud or large earrings and necklaces, jewellery is a great way to add that oomph factor to your clothes. Although jewellery is more of a women thing, there are certain pieces that are adorned by men too.

Scarves:

A scarf is a unisex accessory i.e. men and women can carry it with equal grace and poise. There are so many different ways in which a scarf can be tied. It can be used as a headband, can be used as a neck accessory, can be made into a shrug or can be put around the neck in different styles!

Belt

Belts are generally used to tighten the grip of your lower garment (pants/jeans/lowers) but many a time it is also used as an accessory. It can be worn to add a break to a single color dress or as women do, to show their waist shape in an umbrella dress.

accessories

Bags

Bags come in different types ranging from totes to handbags and clutches. Using a contrast or bling bag is an amazing way to accentuate the look of your dress.

Sunglasses & Watches

Sunglasses and watches serve their usual purpose of protecting from sunlight and showing time respectively. However, other than that, they add to your already created look and make you look chic! Want help to choose? Check Amazon watch store to find the perfect watch that matches your style.

accessories

Accessories are not difficult to pick but tricky to use and style. You just need to have an eye for finding the perfect piece to match your outfit. And not just that, it isn’t like you won’t be able to use it otherwise, accessories are usually multipurpose. So everybody who wants to be fashionable should have these must-haves in their closet. You can find upbeat and latest accessories that fit your budget at online stores like Jabong, Myntra, Amazon, Shoppers Stop and more. So be trendy and put your best foot forward!

Accessories everyone should have in their wardrobe – Pin  it for Later

should have accessories for women

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