Easy Tips To Become An Avid Reader

            Summer is officially here and that means that going out in the day is going to be one task! I personally would love to curl up in the house with a nice cold coffee and a book. Most of the people complain that they don’t have enough time to read books or that they try to read but are never successful. I face that at times as well, it is difficult to find time to sit and read books and that’s why I am listing down a couple of things that I do to motivate myself to keep reading. I hope these tips help you too.

            Your Space -

            First things first, create your book-nook. A small place where you can sit comfortably without any distractions and read. It needn’t be a separate dedicated room or anything just a chair in a corner with a reading lamp should work. Throw in some comfy pillows and snuggle up. You can also set up a table and chair near the window and read away. Make sure there are no distractions around  no Television, no computer not even your cell phone if you can do that (I personally can’t stay away from my phone)

            Scribble-

            This is something that I do very often. Whenever I am reading a book I keep a highlighter handy along with a pencil. If I come across something nice I highlight it.  I also scribble down if a thought comes to my mind while reading. By the end of the book I would have few scribbled notes and highlighted parts making the books all the more personal to me.

            Apps-

            We live in a world which is filled with apps and websites, make good use of them. Apps like GoodReads help log all the books you have read and plan to read, you can also write reviews, track your progress, read reviews by others, share your progress on Facebook and Twitter and basically be book buddies with your friends. This really helps and makes reading a little more fun.

            Reading Challenges-

            Reading Challenges also helps a lot (Although I haven’t really completed any but it did help me read up a lot) reading challenges motivate you read more and helps you cultivate a reading habit. GoodReads has a book challenge where you decide to read a certain number of books every year. While you are at it, add me on GoodReads so that we could inspire each other. To add me click Here.

HTBrunch also conducts a #BrunchBookChallenge , you can follow me on Instagram and checkout books I am reading by clicking Here

There are many other challenges online, Check out the image for one of my favorite challenge.

            Always carry a book-

            Always carry a book with you and whenever you have some free time just start reading. eBooks are great as they don’t take up extra space in your bag, you can just read on your phone.

            Everyday goal-

            Dedicate some time everyday just for reading it could be 5 minutes or half an hour depending on your schedule. This would make sure that you read every day. The other way to do this is to decide number of pages to read every day. Decide to read at least 20 pages every day, you can do more if you have more time.

            Keep a list-

            Make a list of books that you want to read, you can use apps or make a handwritten list. This would make sure you never run out of things to read. There are many lists available online as well, posting some below.

http://www.modernlibrary.com/top-100/100-best-novels/

http://www.modernlibrary.com/top-100/100-best-nonfiction/

http://thoughtcatalog.com/ryan-holiday/2014/02/25-recommendations-for-life-changing-biographies-for-voracious-readers/

http://www.entomologyofabookworm.com/2012/03/telegraphs-110-best-books-list-by-genre.html

http://flavorwire.com/434548/50-essential-mystery-novels-that-everyone-should-read/view-all

            Second hand books shops are your friend-

            This is my favorite, visit old used books shops! You get books at cheaper rate there and often find some good deals. You’ll end up buying more books for lesser money thus making sure that you never run out of books. If you are a regular customer the owner might also give you additional discounts.

            Start with topics and genre you love-

            If you are just starting then it makes sense to start with books on topics and genre you love. This will keep you interested and will make sure that you complete the book.

Hope these tips help J

PS - 23^rdApril is the World Book Day.

Long Distance Relationship Chronicle – Time Difference

             Time difference is another complex thing, although luckily here the difference is just of 1 and a half hour but it still becomes difficult to manage. By the time he is home from work and done with dinner and finally has time to speak to me, it’s already bed time here.

            I really am amazed by people who are able to sustain a relationship where the time difference is more than 5 hours. It just means that one of them has turned into a zombie/vampire and is up at odd hours.

            

Long Distance Relationship Chronicle – The First Tiff

            That happened today, four days down and we had our first long distance mini tiff. I think it has more to do with the fact that I don’t see him anymore. We had planned to video chat daily butthat has not happened yet, some internet issues. Whatsapp calls lags and it is frustrating really. What makes it even worse is that he is getting lousy at texting, he isn’t updating me what’s happening and it feels like I am the one taking all the efforts to try and speak to him all the time.

            Long distance is anyway difficult; add all the miscommunication to it and it is going straight down the drain. He promised he would be more active in the texting department let’s see how that goes. 

Long Distance Relationship Chronicle – Day 1 Ends

            Day 1 was so longgg.. I mean really! If days could feel so long without him I wonder how 2 years are going to turn out. It wasn’t even like we weren’t in touch; we were constantly in touch sharing every small aspect of day. I realized that now that we were apart wewere sharing more about the happening of the day compared to the time when he was here.

            Still haven’t got used to this feeling. My brains still makes plans and then realize that he is not here. I tried Google hangout but something is off with the connection and the video chat lags a lot, have downloaded Skype but I am not really very familiar with it. It is scary how much we are dependent on technology now. I wonder how people in olden days handled long distance, staying apart for days and months with nothing but just occasional letters to communicate, it must be difficult. 

            I am actually scared how these days feel so long.

Why English Why?

“I don’t need to flirt, ill seduce you with my awkwardness” :P

She  so wish this was true. She generally found it easy to talk to people. When it comes to him, its like she hasn’t  learnt how to speak a sentence properly. Lately she fumbles a lot when speaking to him, its like her head is telling her something, her  heart is telling her some other thing and she is speaking something different entirely!

It wasn’t that difficult earlier, she did have a crush on him for 3 years but it was just that. It never escalated into anything more than that, just made up for some spice in college. Now that she was getting to know him, she realised that the damage was done! The crush has escalated.

Discussing love life in excrutiating details over a  cup of coffee with her besties has now turned into her nightmare. She just doesn’t seem to have answers to all their questions.  Waiting for him to message her has become her favorite passtime.

She hopes he hasn’t noticed the weird her. She hopes that she finds her vocabulary back soon and is able to communicate than just murmur some stupid words. Fumbling is another issue again, nervousness makes her blabber and she quickly realises what an ass she has been and then awkwardly tries to cover that up, basically making the entire thing even more awkward and weird.

Have you ever been betrayed by your vocabulary like this?

Conversation

Me  – I am so hungry. I wish the lecture gets done soon.

He -  You should really consider having a good breakfast before leaving.

Me  – don’t you start again.

He -  you anyway don’t eat much.

Me -  I do alright. Haven’t you noticed most of the time we meet it’s generally about food. Lunch or dinner.

He – come up with more things to do together then.

Me  -  why don’t you do that? You always tell me to pick things to do.

He – it’s better no? if I start picking things you won’t get to do things that you want.

Me - isn’t the same happening to you now? You don’t get to do things you want. You always just agree to do whatever I say.

He – well that’s the point, I am happy doing things that makes you happy.

Me  - *Blushes*

Thus the boring lecture was spiced up thanks to Whatsapp! :D

Has To Stop

The quick breaks to office bathrooms to cry... has to stop.
The hatred towards him... has to stop.
Questioning myself because of all his abuses... have to stop.
Hating myself for being weak... has to stop.

There is no one else who can affect her the way he does. Despite all the things that she tried to not care it was just not that easy for her. Yes sometimes things don’t work out the way they are supposed to be, that’s not even bothering her much but what’s bothering her is the fact that he still continues to use her for his ego boost and she falls in the trap every time. The self loathing increases day by day and how much ever she tries to move ahead he brings her back to the same exact spot every time. Emotionally messes up – every morning feels like a struggle and every day a battle to put up a brave face, a big smile and an attitude that she is perfectly fine with her life. 

That Feeling

Something was different with her… a state where she is happy and sad both at the same time. While someone was causing her extreme hurt there was this other person who gave her the much needed peace of mind.

They were talking on text on and off for days now…

I want to go for a Drive. She message him

How about in an hour? He replied back…

She couldn’t believe that this was happening, she had made a  passing comment about what she wants to do and he was ready to come do it with her. There was no message for the next 1hour and she thought he must have fallen asleep..

One hour later…

Chaleydrive pe? He messaged!

A smile spread across her face. Chalo! She replied.

Though there are some formalities to follow, some not-so-usual situations to handle. But she hopes things work out the way she makes them work out in her head.

There is something different… she is drawn to him like never before. 

Adjust

Things Change.. People Change.. Circumstances Change… She had noticed him change over the years as well...

From being totally head over heels for eachother it came down to hardly talking in a day…

I don’t have time, there is a lot going on in office. He always replied.

But he always seemed to find time for everything else that he wished to do.

She had gotten used to it as well… only meet occasionally or when there was a necessity. She soon found out there was another girl.

No brownie points for guessing that the unfortunate breakup followed.

It’s the time after that what messed her up. Abuses and insults followed which she couldn’t take.

 Is it so difficult to part ways with both their dignities intact and without creating all the mess which does nothing but insults the very relationship that they had. 

Things to remember when Dating a Journalist

nternet is a funny place and these days it has become so much of a part of our daily life that you start and end your day with it.  I actually have got into a habit to googleeverything. You tweet, Instagram, Facebook Update, Foursquare Update almost everything that you do and actually find happiness in it, anyway this post is not about that… this is about something interesting I came across online today. I saw a facebook update about  “15 Reasons to Date a Lawyer” obviously me being me quickly googled “Reasons to Date a Journalist” and I was actually amazed that there was this whole list of things that came up, pretty fascinating actually.

Following are the Things to remember when Dating a Journalist –

1. Time is less of a problem. Yes! Journalist don’t have a 9to5 job and thus it’s always easier for them to squeeze in time for you and multitask.

2.  Journalistare dead serious about Deadlines and Time, if you are a person who doesn’t like to wait for your significant other Journalists are the people for you. They are always on Time, very serious about
Deadlines etc there is a drawback to it as well for eg – You are not allowed to come late.

3. There is a pretty good chance that you’ll end up discussing latest news, Politics etcon your date.

4.They always have topics to talk on. There won’t be a time when you are out of topics ( so awkward silences go right out of the window ) they also are great at parties or family event

5. They are good listeners. Journalists have an inbuilt talent to hear out the story, they love to listen to people and get more information about them. So if someday you just want someone to talk to, it’s time to call up that Journalist friend.

6. They are trustworthy… Journalists have a thing for loyalty and trust. It would be obviously appreciated if there is trust, loyalty and transparency in the relationship

7.They also have a knack of thinking on their toe, being adventurous and less of a drama queen.

8.   Journalists do get invited at all the major parties and events happening in the city.

9. It’s pointless to try and hide things from them, they are going to eventually going to find out the truth 
( actually I think this applies to all girls )

10. Journalists are super serious and dedicated to their job. So its not like other things are less important it’sjust that their job is important than anything else.

11. Journalists wants to know EVERYTHING, every small detail counts!

12. Journalists have a opinion on everything.

13.  Journalists are on Social Media… in other words they are everywhere on Social Media!

You may also like to go through -  http://www.eharmony.com/dating-advice/dating-advice-for-you/15-reasons-to-date-a-reporter/

http://j-source.ca/article/5-things-know-dating-journalist

http://www.collegemagazine.com/editorial/3432/15-Reasons-Journalists-Make-The-Best-Valentines

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/shitika-anand/8-reasons-why-you-shouldn_1_b_4746544.html

Curly Hair Problems!

Hellooo.. today seems to be a good day as somehow my always messy, out of control and unmanageable hair has decided to make me feel good and are actually looking and feeling super awesome! But that’s not what the post is about, the post is about the problems and the horrors that girls with curly hair go through. I was online the other day when I came across these Meme ( or whatever they are called ) and after each one I went like WTF! This is so true!!! :D

 I am just going to post all those pictures in hear so that all the beautiful curly hair girls out there can relate to and people with not curly hair can understand how much of a task it is to manage curls!

DIY 2014 Organizer

Every year it so happens that we make resolutions and all of them are broken over the first few months if not weeks. Every year I maintain a diary and write down almost everything in it, it kind of also becomes my notepad etc but its always fun when years later you read it again. For me the diary I wrote in school is so nostalgic and I believe when ill be old with greyhair and with no work to do ill sit and go through all these diaries and refresh my memory again. This year however I have decided to make an Organizer!!! I believe that even thought I plan to do many things I am not able to achieve all of them, I loose focus or I get involved a lot in one thing and completely ignore the other and that’s where the Organizer comes in picture. I searched a lot online and found these awesome printables from various sites. I figured that as I am a student many of the printables were not applicable for me so I just printed out those parts which I believe will be applicable for me and just downloaded that. ( You can do the same, I am going to put all the links below so just print out whatever you feel is perfect for you. Also I don’t own these printables they are the sole property of whoever made them, I am just sharing them. )

So let me just show you how I have done my Organizer.

1.      Binder/File

So this is the Binder that I have used. You can use just about anything. I figured Filofax are also in great demand these days but I find them not that good for me. So I decided to just use a file or a Binder. You can use anything you feel fit for yourself. You can also just stick the papers on the wall if you find that convenient. It all depends on you really.

2.      ColourPens

I plan on making the organizer fun and colourful, so that it makes me want to come and write in it, so that it keeps me interested but I also don’t want it too messy with lots of colours in a way that the text gets lost in the colours and design. I wanted something where the text and my notes are instantly visible when I open my Organizer and that’s why I decided to use colourful pens to write in and use a simple template/background and so far it has worked great for me.

I just used a simple clear plastic pen pocket and punched it in the start of the file so all the things remain in one place and I don’t have to go search for it everytime I sit down to write. I also plan to put in some Sticky Notes and some Washi Tapes ( I am not able to find any in my locality in Mumbai, so if you know where I can find them please let me know in the comment box below. Thanks J )

3.      A transparent File

I have attached this transparent File/ Paper Holder or whatever it is called at the start of the Organizer, ill use this as a to-do list or something. I will put in any document that I have to read or something that need to do etc, I can also use it to post the post it notes so that I don’t ruin the inside pages. And the day it is empty like it is now means there is no pending work. YAY!

4.      At a Glance Yearly Calender

Needless to say why, it has to be there in an Organizer. This is useful when you just want to quickly checkoutsome dates or need to check out the days you are free or something. It just helps to have the entire calendar laid out in front of you.

5.      Goals of the Year

I have often noticed that every new year we plan somethings for the next year, some of those things are possible to achieve while some are plain unrealistic and sometimes it so happens that the plans you have made for the next year are not relevant due to some changes that your life undergoes. So I use this chart to plan goals month vise. So I know exactly what I have to achieve in this month or the next month. It helps me stay more grounded and more realistic. The thing I love about this particular layout is that it has a lot of columns so you can have goals right from basic to something very important. It helps track your personal as well professional goals.

6.      Weight loss Journal

For a long time now I am dying to loose some weight, and its just not happening. The problem is I absolutely loveee food and I am very lazy to actually workout and thus this is the result. So I am using this just to keep a track and maybe this will motivate me to focus on weight loss more.

7.      Month at a Glance

As I told you earlier I have made this according to my needs, I don’t really think I have so much on my mind that I need to have a daily and a weekly calendar I am able to manage my time with the monthly calendar. So I am just using that. I put in important things that I need to do on a particular day and then just manage my day using my cell phone calendar. But incase you want weekly and daily calendar as well ill put the link down below

8.      Blog Planner

I have this blog for like 5 years now and as you can see that I am not that active. Every year I plan to blog more, read more blogs etc but its not just happening. So this year I used this planner and I am actually that it is kind of helping me be on track. This is like what my 5^th blog in January itself? I am happy and I hope this continues. There is this small space below to write down any blog ideas that you may have and a small inspiration box where you can write in whatever that will inspire you to blog more.

9.      My daily details

This is something I made myself just to keep a track so there are different areas of my life that I want to work on and that’s what I have written in each tab which helps me keep a track on my daily activity.

-          Exercise - As I mentioned above, I have an exercise issue if I may say. So this is not a surprise. This is just to track how much I have worked out (if any)

I use an android app which helps me keep a track of my workouts MyFitness Pal. You can download and see if it works for you.

-          Water -  I also drink very less amount of water than what I actually should. Hence, this tab just to keep me hydrated.

I again use Water My Body android app for this. ( I just think it’s so easy use apps as your phone is always with you and it’s just convenient )

-          Walking -  This will again come under Exercise but I prefer having a separate tag for it.  Obviously I use an app for this as well - Run Keeper

-          Expense – I am not earning now, so I don’t have like a lot of money to manage but whatever little I do have I thought it would be a good idea to start tracking the money that I spend. Because somehow it so happens that I don’t realize when I am spending money on useless things. Maybe this will help me realize where I genuinely need to spend and where I am just wasting it. Android App – Expense Manage

-          Prayer – I am not very religious or a god fearing person, but I have noticed that when you pray your day is just more positive and confident and in this world where everything is so fast and you don’t have time for anything prayer obviously gets very little or no time (atleast for me) and thus this tag to keep some spirituality in me.

-          Read 15pages a day – You cant see that tag here but I have just penned it down later. I have taken the GoodReads.com challenge of reading 50books in a year twice now and have failed both the time. So this year I thought that everyday ill at least read 15pages of a book. So I get a check mark everyday if I read 15pages. I find this nice, as it pushes me to read more even though I am tired.

Well that is all there is as of now, its my first Organizer so maybe I have missed something or have put in some things that wont make much of a difference but let time tell me that. Ill be adding and removing things according to how I feel my needs are or according to what is working or working for me. Lets hope ill be doing a successful Organizer post at the end of this year.

Links –

1.      Binder, Pens and Paper File – Bought it at a local store, you can find it there or on flipkart or ebay.

2.      Year at a glance –  http://itsagingersnap.com/2013/11/2014-binder-printables/

3.      Online Passwords - http://itsagingersnap.com/2013/11/2014-binder-printables/(I haven’t added this above cause I had already written down the passwords so couldn’t upload it here, Sorry!)

4.      Weigh loss chart - http://www.pinterest.com/pin/327988785332785853/

5.      2014 Calender - https://app.box.com/s/2mgg2v4d62ib7w8lyvx0

6.      Blog Information sheet - http://www.blessingsoverflowing.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/Blog-Information-Sheet.pdf

7.      Monthly Blog Plans - http://www.awellcraftedparty.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/monthlyblogplanner.pdf