Food: A way of Celebrating Christmas

“ Life will let you down. People will let you down. But food? Food will never let you down.”

           -Brotip #205

Hello Lovelies!

Did I scare you when you logged on and first saw a quote? Worry not its still me Lola, I haven’t gone to the mountains or gone all spiritual about life and its meaning. Yes, but I do believe food is the answer to every question. My feminine ways have always lead me to say polite and pretty things and not go all dude like about anything, having said that this “brotip” I couldn't ignore. My cook is second on my speed dial list (just after my gym instructor *wink*). I am not sad when my husband leaves town but when Shanta tai is set to go on a leave I get depressed days in advance. Food surely is the answer to every problem and a party and way of life in itself for me. 

Christmas is my favorite festival, it gives me every reason to indulge my sweet tooth in cakes, pastries, scorns, pies, hot chocolate, brownies, truffles amongst many others, and that too guilt free! No one can stop me, guilt trip me or take away my indulgences from me. I’m a woman on a mission, the mission being pure indulgence. I block my trainer and dietitian on those days from my phone like they don’t exist. Such a happy world and such a lovely festival it is! visit giftease.com and buy or send Christmas Gifts online to India.

My house is filled with the most exotic food during the festival season. The only aroma that one smells outside my house door is that of exotic, rich and good food. The guests never stop coming and I cannot be happier about that, I love entertaining and like any true foodie indulging others along with myself. 

Good food and Christmas go hand in hand, I stock Gourmet chocolates, truffles, and even the sugar free varieties for the conscious ones. Days in advance I look for good products to keep the kitchen well stocked for my guest to be well fed. We plan Italian and continental delights. I usually buy hampers with exotic products along with various types of coffees and baileys for my after party night cap lovers to give a good after taste just after all the yummy and heavy food.

This year my menu includes, Assortment of Cheese, Russian salad, potato casserole, Roasted Chicken, spaghetti and meatballs (safe choice), Veg Lasagna (safe choice), Plum cake, Chocolate log, eggnog, Liquor chocolates amongst some others. I’m still finalizing my list of goodies, I am pretty sure I will keep re looking and making changes till Christmas is here, such is my love for food. I wish you all too a berry merry Christmas!

Are you feeling Charitable this Christmas?

Christmas is a festival of JOY! Christmas is celebrated on 25^th December each year as the birth anniversary of Jesus Christ, the savior of the world, the son of God. Christians as well as non-Christians celebrate Christmas in most countries across the globe. It is synonymous to celebration of joy and festivities with near and dear ones in every place.

In most countries, the last week of December is holiday season in most countries where people celebrate the festival with friends and family at home or travelling to different part of the globe, and many expats go back home during this time to celebrate the festival in their home country. While Christmas is a celebration, a number of people go through the blues during the chill of winter, as they may not have any one to celebrate it with or enough funds to celebrate it.

A very important or integral part of Christmas is gifts. Gifts to spread the joy of the festival and make everybody’s Christmas a merry one. However, there are many who do not have near and dear ones to share the joy of the festival with them, which gives rise to another important part of Christmas, being charitable and spreading the love and your good fortune with ones who are blessed with lesser on the financial and family front.

There is very famous saying, which makes us realize that being Christian is about being helpful and charitable. There are various campaigns which allows one to be charitable and gift the less fortunate ones at the click of a button. 

UNICEF is running a gift for charity Christmas campaign, that allows an individual to donate money for a cause they wish, which may be weighing scales to check underweight kids weight regularly, packets for therapeutic food for children, pencils for education for children, or even 200 polio vaccinations. UNICEF in return will send a gift card acknowledging your good deed.

For those who want to give something with their own hands or be a part of the process and spend time with the less fortunate while spreading the joy, there are the traditional old age homes, orphanages, spastic societies and numerous other places as well as NGO’s who from time to time not only require regular supplies like clothes, medicines, food supplies, blankets, Diapers for kids and aged individuals, Writing supplies for children etc.  These institutes also welcome individuals to come and celebrate the festivities with individuals living in the NGO’s, helping one feel charitable as well as spreading joy while Christmas. There are numerous ways in which, an individual can spread the joy of this festival as well as be charitable. No small good deed goes unnoticed, it always gives immense happiness to give, even if it is the begger down the street or the housemaid who works endless hours each days at your home to keep your home functional or for the matter the old man who comes to collect garbage.

The sky is the limit, there are various ways in which one can spread the joy, and lead to boundless happiness in others lives along their own. The question is : are you feeling charitable this Christmas?

Handy Tips for Planning Christmas, in any Budget!

The holiday season, Christmas is everyone’s favourite; it’s just such a good time of the year. The year is coming to an end in a week’s time, all of us surround ourselves with near and dear ones irrespective of our caste, and find another occasion to celebrate and create more wonderful moments and thus memories to be packed in the year before we say good bye to the year and welcome the next one.

Handy tips for planning Christmas, in any budget Children love Christmas, the idea of Santa Claus climbing down the pipe and placing their gift under the Christmas tree if they have been a good girl or a boy. Actually to think about it who doesn't love Christmas! Everyone loves Christmas especially for the bond it creates and the warmth of love over sharing meals, singing carols and exchanging gifts.

Christmas is for everyone and everyone can celebrate it whatever your budget may be. Here are some interesting ideas to plan Christmas in your budget.

Make your list: planned purchases always go a long way. You will only buy what you really need and not get carried away. Decide the people you need to buy gifts for and things for the house and party.

Plan in advance: make your plan in advance, last moment purchases or plans usually lead to either paying a higher price for what you want or not getting it at all due to shortage or as it is very expensive.

Be on the Prowl: If you plan in advance, it gives you enough time to be on the look. Keep looking till you find what you want and at a price that is affordable. When you do it is a perfect marriage. Incase you don’t find what you want; give yourself a deadline after that look for an alternative.

Shop online: It’s a superb way to find what you want without jumping from store to store and travelling half way across the city for one object, which means you save a lot of time and way too much funds that you would spend on travelling. Shopping online also means checking prices across stores, getting better deals and usually getting the items delivered to your doorstep without any hassle at all.

Ask the expert: Get advice from professional party planners and gifting expert alternatively check expert party planning and gifting blogs to make informed decisions and plan appropriately

Create: DIY is not the inn thing for no reason, it is a fun way to involve friends and family but also to create a customized item which will be cost effective as well as your own creation. You can create your own table runners, Christmas tree decorations or small gifts.

Quirky posters games and gifts: If nothing else seems your kind, or you just have to plan your party and gifts last minute party, you can transform the place and mood by some small simple things that don’t burn a hole in your pocket. You can select a few quirky posters along with some easy decorations and drinking gears and games to make the evening entertaining and plan some fun last minute quirky gifts like dramatic or funny statement books, pens etc.

Giftease is India’s leading e-commerce website that offers creative and budget friendly gifting solutions, and numerous deals that can choose and can be delivered at your doorsteps. You can choose from over ten thousand options to suit your taste and budget that have been handpicked by the Giftease team who have an expertise in gifting.

Let the countdown begin, only 7 weeks to Christmas!

Diwali bit adios a few weeks back in October, November is pretty boring with only Children’s Day. The festive withdrawal symptoms reached their peak today. I opened the calendar and counted the number of weeks until Christmas, our very next festive adrenal dose! Only seven weeks left until Christmas, that is exactly what I have been telling myself to keep me in a decent mood if not chirpy.

To keep myself upbeat and not give in to my mood swings I have decided to go on a self-reward program, something to keep me busy and motivated as well. I have bought myself a very very very (you get the degree) pretty outfit for Christmas. It is a red peplum dress that I recently purchased, however the catch is that it is a size smaller than the one I currently wear.

I have a fantastic Christmas party to attend. I have wanted to get in shape for a while now, what better way to pass these seven weeks fast and still keep adding to the thrill of the festivities. I have decided to eat healthy and get fitter everyday as my motivation hangs in my wardrobe. I went a little ahead of myself and to constantly remind me of my goal I have bought a fried egg in a frying pan wall clock from giftease.com, I even bought a “do or die” poster for my desk and then I felt it was a little to hard so to compensate bought another poster, but a Marilyn Monroe one, positive inspiration.

 I have an attention span of a gold fish, which is probably a second; to keep me motivated is a tough job, as the only thing gets my undivided attention is FOOD, yes I love food absolutely everything that tastes nice and is rich and unfortunately very fattening. This time I am determined, so instead of ogling at fancy menu cards and looking up food reviews I use my lunch break to have healthy food followed by a piece of Jus trufs sugarfree Belgium chocolate as a small motivation and treat after lunch and the remaining time I use to shop and keep myself prim and constantly feel good. I even straightened my hair this morning with my new Braun hair straightener that I bought online at a discount; three days back during my lunch break.

This Christmas I am gifting love, confidence, appreciation, good health and happiness to myself. I hope you will also use these seven weeks to give your self a gift of Love, in whatever form that may be. Be your own Santa Claus.