"The Happy Homes" Blog Launch!!!

We moved to our own nest 5 years back. My daughter was a year old then, and it was a perfect cozy place for three of us. The walls, cupboards, the fridge, the washing machine, nothing was spared from her art work. We never restricted her from doing anything. She is 6 now and wants her own private space, her own space to play, study and sleep at. So it was good time for us too to redo our house. Co-incidentally, when I got an invite from Dr. Fixit in association with Roff India for the launch of their new blog, "The Happy Homes" it was a perfect time for me to get ideas on doing my house.

Me been clicked at the Photo Booth with funky prop

I joined other bloggers at the Pidilite Kondivita Head Office in Andheri. While commercials were being played on the big screen, we bloggers took snaps with props at photo booth and experienced the visual house. Visual house, where we had 3D visual tour with AV to experience the look of a house in two different forms, one which looked messy with leaking roofs, seepages, damped walls. The other very well done with perfect water proofed painted walls and ceilings. The well done house looked so refreshing and full of positive vibes. We were asked to fill a feed back form based on the visual tour.

This miniature house attracted most of we bloggers

Then was a panel discussion where a Pulmonologist and Sleep specialist, Vastushastra Consultant, 'Maharashtra Societies Welfare Association' chairman and an interior designer came together to discuss on how to make the transition from a Home to a "Happy Home". 

While doctor Alpa Dalal shared on how damped walls can cause chest and respiratory issues in kids and adults, Mr. Omkar Thakur the vastushastra consultant said, the dampness spreads negative energy in the house which in-turn effects peace in the house. Mr. C. A. Ramesh Prabhu, the Chairman of "Maharashtra Societies Welfare Association" shared about the judiciary which governs the Housing Societies. While most of us feel we can play with our interiors in our own way in a housing society, he said it a no no to even work on a window, without prior permission from the housing society. Ms. Shilpa Kakkar Madan, an interior designer and contributing Editor at Better homes shared interior design tips, like how the tiles are taking over paints and wall papers these days, how to play with fancy colours like blues, violets and oranges to brighten up the house.

The unveiling of "The Happy Homes" blog

The discussion was followed by the launch of "The Happy Homes" blog, a place to find expert advice on renovation, home-keeping, browse around for happening interiors and trends. Do check out the blog and am going to incorporate most of their tips for my present home redo and will keep you all posted with the outcome.

Mahindra Blazo, #SmartTrucking...

I have never stuck to one travel mode in my travels. Have traveled in the State Road Transports in the Himalayan roads, to the awesome drive on one of the best National Highways of the country Mumbai-Pune expressway. From the country roads on rural Karnataka to the lone deserted roads of Kutch. All that counts for me is my time and the load on my pocket. Remember long traffic jams on the flyovers and highways, when heavy trucks breakdown at mid of the road or when your car broke down at the mid of a lone road and you had a real bad time in finding a garage to fix it. Through different journeys we get to meet different people and get to collect different memories. I still remember one of my bus journeys from Pune back to Mumbai. We were travelling by the Shivaneri bus service, the A/C bus service which plays between Mumbai and Pune. Our bus met with an accident with a truck at the toll. The truck registration number read from my native, when I checked with the driver about his place in Kannada, the person was so touched that I even bothered to speak to him. The littlest joy I could give him when he was really bothered about the incident made my travel memory even more memorable. Every morning I cross a checkpost while going to office, on one side of the road are the trucks which are lined up to clear their permit to enter the city limit, every truck reminds me of that incident. These trucks even make me think of the increasing fuel price which is badly effecting our livelihood. The trucks which carry the market loads and food grains, to the trucks which carry the construction needs, the parcel carrying truck which delivers your online shopped stuff home or the shipping container carrying truck which gets the shipped products made at a way long place from your home to your place, or the milk truck which carries your first meal of the day to the truck which delivers the automotive to the nearest showroom, every mode has been effected. The better the mileage and efficiency of these carriers, better our livelihood could be. 

Check out the all new Mahindra Blazo which promises, 

o Better mileage

o Great fuel economy

o Lesser breakdowns

o Service guarantee at the breakdown point

o Unique modular cylinders for engine gives low maintenance and repair cost

I’m writing this blog post for the #SmartTrucking activity at BlogAdda.

Bird Watching at Bana!!!

On every drive of ours from Hassan to Mysore, we drop by Bana  or Vana(meaning forest in Kannada) as called by the locals is a wild stretch near Mosale Hosahalli. Every visit of ours gets me to click lots of birds and wild. On one of our recent trip, as we reached the place there was a local woman, she told us to show peacocks but didn't encounter with even one, but got to click some wonderful wild clicks.

Black headed Ibis

Pond Heron

Wood pecker

Moorhen

They looked like Greater Cormorant, not sure though

This Spider web was as big as 2-3 feet.

There were lot of Mushrooms spread over the ground.

It was a day trip to Mysore and on our way back we visited Bana again looking for peacocks. Missed clicking a better view, this was the best I could click. They wander around in the fields and are often chased by the villagers.

A pond Heron which was quite close by and didn't bother our presence

Waterhen

If you are a bird enthusiast and planning a road trip in and around Hassan, do visit this place if time permits, its worth a visit.