And it's April!

Where does time fly??

It's a bit scary how fast the days go and now we are 1/4 of the way through 2014 already!

This year started with a lot of promise and potential and yet it also marked the first anniversary of a great loss for my family.

I had plans that didn't come to fruition and some that did.

One of Those Days

So I had a topic all decided for today, but for some reason when I sat down to write about it, I suddenly didn't "feel" it any more. Don't get me wrong, the subject is lovely and close to my heart, but today just doesn't seem to be the day for it..

It's one of Those Days.

Bordeaux Diaries: Les Délices du Bain

I have a hobby of collecting things which my mind perceives to be precious for whatever unexplainable reasons! So far, many complicated types of mechanical pencils, cute erasers, collectible bookmarks, colorful post-its in different shapes, limited edition lip glosses/nail polishes, napkin notes from various cafes I have been in and the cutest little diaries have made it to my possession, with most of them still in their original packaging and neatly arranged in a dedicated drawer. Even though a lot of these items were either free or were very nominally priced but each one of them marks a personal memory for me. I call it my "Happy Collection" as they make me smile each time I go through them.
 
I never thought I would want to add a soap, or lets say soaps to my Happy collection! Not until the day I came across this shop called "Les Délices du Bain" which translates literally into "the delights of (taking a) bath" in English. The exterior of the shop gave me an impression of standing in front of a Candy Shop. Despite the word "Savon" meaning "Soap" written on the glass, I could not stop myself from thinking of candies! Colorful and intricately textured soaps packed in transparent sheets with ribbon frills around them made my eyes go pop with fascination.

To Niche or not to Niche?

Good morning World! Originally this post was intended for April or May , however, I felt the need to write it sooner. One of the joys of Google calendar for blog editorial scheduling  is the ease with which I can move my post ideas around!

One of the first things we first discussed when setting up this blog was the concept of niche blogging and how we were supposed to categorize ourselves. Straight away it was pretty clear that as long as we were planning on doing this together, we are going to be "lifestyle" bloggers. Lala, our resident fitness fanatic is the only one who has a certain underlying theme to most of her posts. I, on the other hand, write up whatever I feel like writing up on.

Bordeaux Diaries: DURANCE - Art de vivre - Art de la terre

 I love my daily evening strolls in Bordeaux! With the curiosity of a child, I keep walking for as long as possible soaking my eyes with the serenity that this city has to offer. While it's a very personal and spiritual experience on various levels, as a blogger I am also on a look out for an inspiration worth sharing with all of you lovely readers. Based in France, my intention is to focus specifically on those marques which are "authentically" French with their products or services having an exclusive standing in the market based on their distinct qualities. This is my way of being true to my French lifestyle and cultural experience.

Dolce Saponaria - Organic Heaven!

Ocean mall is not a mall I visit very often.. It hardly has any traffic, which of course is heaven for me as I’m not one for very crowded places, I've just been there a few times. This time around I went there out of sheer boredom on a day there was a strike in the city.

While waiting for a friend and aimlessly roaming about, I came upon a shop called “Dolce Saponaria” It is a Polish chain which offers various Bath and Body products and the works it has I tell you!. It’s a beautifully decorated shop and all the goodies lined up lured me in. I just had to find out what all it had to offer.

Workout - Inside out!

Image credit: Google

We are all aware of the fact that regular workouts can help us lose weight, get fit and tone up. Today I will share some interesting hair and skin care tips with which you will be able to maximize the results of your fitness efforts.

13 Little things I love

Stepping into week 3 of blogging I thought I'd share some insight into what makes me tick. So here it is!
13  little things I love in no particular order.

Bipasha Basu's Love Yourself - Beginner's Workout Review (Part 1)

Image credit: Google

 This week I am going to share my very first review of a workout DVD called "Bipasha Basu: Love Yourself" with you. An epitome of health and fitness, Bipasha Basu is an extremely gorgeous woman and a renowned Bollywood actress. As a shameless Bollywood lover, I have always been a fan of her glamorous personality and acting skills but after using this DVD, I consider this actress to be my source of fitness inspiration. While there were other Bollywood fitness trends catching our attention in the past few years such as the famous "Size Zero" mania, I personally commend the fact that unlike those shallow fitness standards, Bipasha Basu opted for compiling something practical like this DVD to help her audience grasp the concept of being healthy in a real true sense. For those who aren't aware, this was Bipasha Basu's debut workout DVD released in 2010.

Lists and Schedules - 8 Life Long Habits

I'm a bum. Yep, I admit it. B.U.M. Now before you all think bum aka behind aka butt, let me just say none of that. I'm a bum because I tend to procrastinate like nobody's business. I will start off a project with enthusiasm only to get lazy and not get really give my best to it in the end. Now the problem is I'm also highly ambitious. So what my bad habit does, is hold me back from performing to my potential in all walks of life.

Four inevitable fitness facts.

Image credit: Google

In my previous post, (Weight Wars - When a fitness freak went astray) I shared with you all the story of my first fitness journey, the setback that got me off health track and my ambition to start all over again. While there were endless lessons, trial and errors based experiments, I also learned the four inevitable fitness facts from my previous pursuits. And what good would I be if I don't share them with you all?

2014 - Making Goals not Resolutions

I don't 'do' resolutions.Never have. Once or twice, getting all swept up with my bestie's new year resolution enthusiasm I tried my hand at it. Needless to say I couldn't even remember what I had 'resolved'. I've been going with the flow for the past few years but this is the year of change for me. This year, I have set myself targeted, action oriented goals with certain timelines.

The idea of goals and tasks is much more appealing.Something we tend to overlook is meaningful, timely, realistic rules while trying to achieve said goals. I set 6 categories of my life , where I wanted to make improvements.

My categories comprise of spiritual development, physical changes, educational milestones, personal achievements and something for fun

Weight Wars - When a fitness freak went astray.

Image credit: Google Images

This post is dedicated to all those determined people out there who have started and are en route courageously on their very 2nd fitness journey. You must be wondering why i said 2nd? Because today i am here to share their dreading experience of having lost the fitness level earned after months of consistent efforts due to some external and uncontrollable circumstances. Indeed it's a very stressful situation where you are subconsciously aware of your fleeting fitness levels but somehow you are just not in a state to take charge of the situation. However, be warned, because even though you may get this feeling that i am offering justifications for lack of self control, believe me that i am NOT! Read on.

The Big 30!

I think about the number I’m going to hit soon. The big 30!

All the ooohh’s and the aahhh’s attached to it. Entering the new decade…the aunty decade! What is all the hoo haa about anyway? Except for being called aunty, that never really did settle well with me… The irony that I’m an elementary school teacher and so am called aunty everyday! Some thing’s just can’t be helped I suppose.

When I decided to write about this topic, I was going to turn 30 and now I am.
No big difference really. But it isn’t about hitting a number now is it? It’s about the journey that lead us all here… to the point where we feel wow, 30! That’s big.

Its only big because we make it seem that way, because everyone else makes it seem like it’s a milestone we have achieved by being this old or maybe it’s because when we weren’t 30 we looked at people who were and saw them as old or how they had evolved to come to think of it now. That is what has happened to me too, I’ve evolved.
The experiences, the trials and errors, the lessons learnt, the laugh lines, the scars, the going from walk mans to mp3 players and roller blading to driving cars….the having quality over quantity (the o.p.i nail colors over the cheap sweet touch haha).
It’s about the years packed with so many memories that matter, not the number. The good and the bad,knowing that people will talk no matter what you do, there's no pleasing everyone and how to say no. The losing, gaining and the lost forevers (yes yesss you can include the much weight gained and the little lost here too!) The books read the knowledge gained. All the little realizations we have in the daily hours of our lives that pass by like they mean nothing but make you who you are at the end of it all combined.

Image credit: Google Images

One of the things I cherish most is the relationships made. And I mean the kind when you walk into a restaurant or a shop, whether it is a local store or a movie store or even down the street (which we can hardly do anymore without the scare of getting mugged *sigh*) and everyone knows you and heys and hellos are passed around.
I go to this shop nearby my house for the monthly purchases. Every month when I go there I make sure I get a free water bottle (the small mineral water bottle), I mean I deserve one, Its tiring shopping for stuff and money going out of the pocket like a running tap!
So this time around when I went the owner of the store calls out to one of his boys and says “baji ke liye pani ki bottle ka tax lana!” The joy I tell you!! The pleasure of that little gesture made me so happy, I was all smiles, the one that goes all the way up to your ears! I forgot all about the money we spent there and the inflation and how expensive everything is nowadays for that little free bottle of water….above it all, it was the gesture that meant so much and the comfort I felt, the warm feeling you get inside when you know the people around you.

WorkPlace Wednesdays 5/5

(source : flickr)

Hello everyone.I went back to work last week after a gap of two years (long story for another time). My job is at a large government run hospital in Karachi, with it’s particular set of quirks. This is just a fun, sometimes serious insight into my work life.

I’ll keep updating these WpW (Work place Wednesdays. Technically this going up on a Thursday, but it happened a day before, so just go with it.) on occasion to give you an inside peek into what we doctors actually get up to. Today is the first in this occasional series and as is fitting, it’s about the 5 things that got reaffirmed for me on the first day back.

14 promises to Self in 2014.

Image credit: Google.

In 2014, I am in pursuit of myself. Instead of letting a New Year's Resolutions list disappoint me in the end, I opted this time for an approach that seems much more realistic and effective to me. While self-discipline is of extreme importance, incessant self-criticism on the other hand can be destructive. It's like one day you decide to become a painter and you expect you first piece of art to be perfect. Either your first piece is a masterpiece or you conclude that you are not capable of painting! This is the mind frame we associate with the whole New Year's Resolution's theory. If our resolution is to go on a diet or start a work out routine in the year ahead, we expect an entire 365 days streak or we give up on the entire idea the very minute we slip off the track. Over time, this practice of giving up on resolutions with unrealistic approach towards their fulfillment turns us into self loathing, self criticizing individuals who believe that they are not capable of ever achieving anything. The New Year's Resolutions is more of a "My way or the highway" drive and I have decided to change my route this time.

How this Came to Be

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The idea to blog came to us over a plate of samosas( for those who don’t know, its a small fried turnover of Indian origin that is filled with seasoned vegetables or meat, with the newer additions of chocolate, cheese, pretty-much-any-filling-you-want). This was about a year and half ago but nothing came out of it at that time. One of us, Lala, soon moved to France after that and life went on as usual. Then a few weeks back, Lala revamped  the plan and asked us to band together and blog under one title.

Hence was born the Confederacy of Confessions.

New Year's Resolutions: Love to make you - Live to break you.

Image credit; Google Images

We all have had that infamous love and hate relationship with "New Year's Resolutions". Those lengthy and extensive lists that we compile while striving to spare not a single desire unwritten as if the intensity of our mind's power will summon a Genie who would be willing to grant us all that is listed. I love the writing part of the New Year's Resolutions ritual because that's when we are the most candid versions of ourselves. The clause which reads: "I will write regularly this year.", or "I will get fit and healthy this year." reflects that we are well acquainted with the needs of the greater person within us. This is when we recognize our self-imposed limitations and are willing to break free. This is also when we claim responsibility for ourselves and are receptive to the bitter yet sincere voice in our heads that we choose to disregard otherwise.