- 00:25
- 30 Comments
About 2 weeks ago, I had committed to change my shameful adult struggle of not waking up when I am supposed to .I had my heart and mind set to get this done but as it always is (with me atleast) I did not think the whole plan through.
What would have been week 1 and 2 of the challenge, had me on leave from work, staying up nights preparing for my master's exam. I would study all night, write my paper at 11AM and sleep once I was back home at about 3PM. The routine was a mess, but thankfully, my papers weren't. Once I was done with the exams, I was ready to commit to the challenge.
I resumed normal life this Monday, that is 2nd, and yesterday completed the first 5 days of the challenge. Here's an account of how the week went.
MONDAY- 8AM
I was resuming work after a break of almost two weeks, so I was fairly motivated to get up when the alarm rang. I incentivised myself with some great coffee and to my utmost delight, grinding beans manually happened to be the best wake-me-uper ever! The action + aroma of ground coffee was enough to get me out of my daze. Good start!
Activities: Made coffee, cooked and ate breakfast, got dressed properly...eyeshadow and all!
TUESDAY- 8.15AM
I was on the phone till 430AM the previous night (ahem) so I was pleasantly surprised when I could wakeup on time without much drama. I had refridgerated a portion of the breakfast from day before AND had some ground coffee left. I think the fact that I had less chores helped ease my brain.
Activities: Made coffee, heated breakfast, packed lunch, got dressed properly (as in ironed my shirt, brushed my hair...that kinda stuff)
{did you just judge me there? Oh please don't! I usually spruce up on my way, I swear!}
WEDNESDAY- 8.25AM
Again, a night of late call with the bestie. Woke up quiet groggy.
Breakfast: Blueberry Kale Smoothie
Activities: Made smoothie, got dressed (no makeup)
THURSDAY- 930AM
Strange morning... all 3 of us (myself and my two flatmates) woke up late and at the same time! We bumped into each other trying to brush our teeth and giggled over our grogginess.
Breakfast: In Office
Activities: Quick shower and dash
FRIDAY- 620AM
I woke up naturally this morning, that is without an alarm and was pleasantly surprised (shocked, really) to note the time. I was happy to observe that I wasn't groggy and wanting to go back to sleep. (whaaaaaaa!) Yet, I chose to roll in bed until my mom called around 8 to gush about the flowers I'd sent them.
My parents celebrated their 30th wedding anniversary yesterday and I am so thrilled about this. They've had what I'd call an ideal marriage- full of love, support, respect, challenges, hardships and yes, lots of disagreements. Their love for each other is palpable and they've set the best #marriagegoals for me to look up to. I was a little bummed that I wasn't there but I did my best to make their day special from far...you know flowers, cake, having the extended family over for a surprise dinner...that kinda thing
My parents celebrated their 30th wedding anniversary yesterday and I am so thrilled about this. They've had what I'd call an ideal marriage- full of love, support, respect, challenges, hardships and yes, lots of disagreements. Their love for each other is palpable and they've set the best #marriagegoals for me to look up to. I was a little bummed that I wasn't there but I did my best to make their day special from far...you know flowers, cake, having the extended family over for a surprise dinner...that kinda thing
Breakfast: Eggs on toast
Activities: Spoke to mom, made coffee, cooked breakfast, watched the news (WAHOW!), got dressed properly
OBSERVATIONS FROM WEEK 1
Instead of cutting back 15 mins as per plan, I woke up FULL 60 MINUTES early almost everyday, which is A-M-A-Z-I-N-G! Yet I am not 100% convinced that this will be routine from now on. Therefore, my week 2 agenda is to stick to waking up at 8AM and make sure this retains
I also went to bed between 1 and 2AM (430AM on Tuesday) so its understandable that I did not wake up fresh as a daisy. But I am starting to think that people wake up like this only in TV commercials...
I don't remember a single morning when I woke up without heavy eyelids and a stiff body and a (strong) desire to just stay in bed. I have always been an indulgent sleeper and I really would just stay asleep till 4PM on any given day, if I have the choice. That I will some day start waking up daisy fresh and go like this is probably never going to happen and in light of this revelation, I am getting into the idea that waking myself up is something I need to actively achieve.
I don't remember a single morning when I woke up without heavy eyelids and a stiff body and a (strong) desire to just stay in bed. I have always been an indulgent sleeper and I really would just stay asleep till 4PM on any given day, if I have the choice. That I will some day start waking up daisy fresh and go like this is probably never going to happen and in light of this revelation, I am getting into the idea that waking myself up is something I need to actively achieve.
A key step in achieving this is to not dwell on the sleepiness ('but I was up late!' 'just one snooze' 'maybe I will just lie with my eyes shut for 5 minutes, that's not sleeping!') and divert the mind to some task. Cue, coffee grinding! I am telling you, this is genius.
I also observed that because I am so used to waking up and dashing, I was not very great at managing the extra hour I had at hand. Which means I was still late to work. Bummer.
Deciding what to wear is a real time eater. Must be addressed night before.
WEEK 2 GOALS
#1 Maintain wake up time at 8AM
#2 Aim to leave home by 915
#2 Aim to leave home by 915
#3 Start ahead by packing lunch and setting out clothes the night before
#4 Try and set a bedtime
#5 Should I try to set aside 10 minutes each morning for self care? Anything from meditation, stretching or a quick HIIT workout like this ---------------------------------------------------}
Or is that being too ambitious?
We'll know soon I guess.
- 04:31
- 19 Comments
Especially, when it feels like you are almost biologically programmed against it.
The most pressing issue I have to deal with on a daily basis is the fact that I cannot wake up. I simply cannot make myself get out of bed at the time I need to. Or, about an hour after I had to. When I see these people luxuriate their mornings, I cannot help but flip out that I don't even have a set wake up time! Propelling myself out of the door while zipping my pants up is life that I know right now. Doing a sheet mask while sipping on fancy tea and contemplating my day is so nebulous that it seems entirely unattainable. Need I articulate how ashamed (and frustrated) I am of this situation?
In the last two years, I have gotten exceptionally bad at starting my day properly; partly due to depression that was undiagnosed for a while and partly because I can work from outer space and get my job done, so who cares about a desk! {smug bitch (me)}. On a tangent note, lack of sleep or too much sleep, over a prolonged period is an alarm for mental fatigue and its not to be ignored. I am still battling clinical depression and anxiety (sadly, yes, it takes this long), but I cannot help but beat myself over the fact that I have a 100% late attendance record at work last month. That's just unacceptable and unprofessional and just all round bad. Bad. I do work in an informal industry and my workplace is nothing short of the best place ever, but an honest human being knows when they are pushing it.
But.
If only it was that simple. If only. I tried many a tips that seem to be popular with everyone and to the following effect
TIP #1
Open curtains. and the sunshine flood in. Let the almighty sun let you know that its wake up time!
Open curtains. and the sunshine flood in. Let the almighty sun let you know that its wake up time!
Me: Put pillow on face/ roll over
TIP #2A
Get a loud/ shocking/ blaring alarm
Get a loud/ shocking/ blaring alarm
TIP #2B
Keep alarm away from your bed
Me: Go back to bed with a freaking vengeance. Like, HOW DARE YOU! YOU...YOU STUPID ALARM-BITCH! You think you got me! I swear with my hand on my heart that's exactly how it went down. EVERY TIME. Btw, did I mention I am 28 years old? For visual reference, enjoy this.
TIP #3
Coffee!!!
Coffee!!!
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| Checkout these coffee guys though. Super good! |
TIP #4
Eat a good breakfast
Me: Unless said breakfast is making itself and then magically transporting into my mouth while willing my nervous system to signal my brain to start chewing, this ain't gonna fly
Now onto the holy-grail of AM wisdom.
TIP #5
Whatever you do, DO NOT check your phone for emails/ instas/ whatsapps!
Whatever you do, DO NOT check your phone for emails/ instas/ whatsapps!
Me: Switch off alarm and open Instagram. I don't pay no heed to sage advice, coz I'm daring like that!
PRO: It keeps my eyes open
CON: Keeps me glued to phone and body in bed, thus defying the general purpose of getting up early. Dafuck!
CON: Keeps me glued to phone and body in bed, thus defying the general purpose of getting up early. Dafuck!
I think the most sure-shot method, thus far, is switching off the fan (done to 6 years old me during summer vacation). Slow clap, dad. Slow clap.
So here I am. In a bid to attract positive energy from the Universe webverse, I am putting this out here: I am going on a serious mission to address this morning issue. And that starts with setting a proper wake up time.
Of the 1000 articles / videos I have seen on this, the one point that stuck with me was to ease the body in to doing something that it clearly doesn't want to do. That I believe. To this, I am adding another wisdom: the body takes 45 days to get used to something. Hmm.
So, what's the plan homey...what's the foolproof plan?
So, what's the plan homey...what's the foolproof plan?
The genius plan, bloglanders, is that I am going to cut back my wake up time by 15 mins starting tomorrow in order to ease my body into a routine. This is a whole new level of taking it slow. If I cut back 15 minutes per week, I am looking at a 8 weeks ease-in program to waking up at my desired time. 
WOW! That's either enough time to cajole my body nee brain, or too much time to fall out, rather or fall back. ANYWAY! 8.45...how hard can it really be?
Such are the chronicles of an almost functioning adult. Sigh.
WOW! That's either enough time to cajole my body nee brain, or too much time to fall out, rather or fall back. ANYWAY! 8.45...how hard can it really be?
Such are the chronicles of an almost functioning adult. Sigh.
- 12:20
- 3 Comments
I did something crazy recently.
One fine day, Facebook dutifuly informed me that a friend of mine from Delhi was visiting US for a week. We hadn't spoken in a few weeks and she was due to visit me in Bombay soon. At 3AM that random night, I sent her a Sephora link saying "Hey! So if you happen to pass a Sephora somewhere, mind looking this up?" Vague, random and potentially, rudely opportunist.
I then went about life forgetting this ever happened. Then last night, said friend arrives in Bombay and somewhere between endless banter and looooong yawns, she quiped, "Oh! I got that thing you wanted." What thing? I never...when did I...Facebook? What! Wait...you BOUGHT it!
What she fished out of her bag, is only just the one beauty product of my dreams! See for yourself. I have dreamed, lusted and desired this for what feels like eternity, though honestly, all this beauty madness has only started recently so excuse the exaggeration. Long story short: gasp, squeal, disbelief, delight, slobbery kisses went down while I clutched this beauty of a palette in my hands and passed out.
Tarte, is a very hard to find in India and while the company does ship to India (I love them more for this) free shipping requires a minimum of 8K billing. Asking a friend was basically the most logical though, tad embarassing way to get my hands on it. Which brings me to today's thought blurb: all this dedicated blog reading and beauty awareness is making me crave / desire brands that are quite literally, out of my reach. While I am all eyes and ears open for where people are travelling to, here are 3 US origin brands that have me stalk and desire them like a crazy, dejected-ex.
OH GOD! I cannot even verbalise how much I need this brand in my life. First off, I have read ITG for a while and I remember when they came up with the first lot of products. I now feel like a proud mommy when I witnessed their Phase 2 set and basically just died out of desire.
LUSTING AFTER: Milky Jelly cleanser (I am gonna order like 6 to get me through the year when I get the chance); Boy Brow in Black and the Stretch Concealer in Deep. Closely followed by both the masks and balm dotcom. I know I know, why leave the rest out, but I try to exercise control when I can. I love how they have segregated their kits and I am willing to risk buying concealer without trying because they themselves understand the plight and have the coolest youtube channel that'll give you an idea on the shades.
PS: how beautiful are their models! They are all friends and associates of ITG/ Glossier aka Real Women!
PPS: major crush on Emily Weiss' voice
SW Basics: I was sold (at an extremely superficial level), just to the packaging. I mean how gorgeous!
LUSTING AFTER: It doesnt quite matter what I purchase, but I have narrowed down on these two as my first purchase. This fantastic read about founder Adina Grigore inspired me to compile this list.
DS & Durga: I have come across this brand quiet a lot on the blogosphere, but it wasn't until I read co-founder Kavi Ahuja Moltz's interview, that it quickly crawled up my need list.
LUSTING AFTER: Sadly, this one, I will have to personally experience to buy so boohoo!
(IMAGES USED ARE NOT MY OWN AND USED FOR REPRESENTATIVE PURPOSES ONLY. THE SOURCES ARE LINKED ON THE IMAGES)
- 06:21
- 14 Comments
Agreed that 2014 was indisputably the year of Sam Smith. But, I still believe that Hozier should have been recognised at the Grammy for the amazing talent that he is. His melancholic song writing, the hearty vocals and that unique sound...bluesy rock, with a faint faint hint of country, made for one hell of a debut.
I am rediscovering his debut album this gloomy Thursday and it's making my heart flutter like I met someone new
- 23:30
- 0 Comments
Is everyone clear on the difference between an abbreviation and an acronym?
So just me then?
Great.
Last night, around 3AM, I had to get out of bed and switch on my laptop to put this inquisition to rest and here's what Google told me
abbreviation
əbriːvɪˈeɪʃ(ə)n/
noun
- a shortened form of a word or phrase."SKU is the abbreviation for Stock Keeping Unit"
So, IBM is an abbreviation
acronym
ˈakrənɪm/
noun
- an abbreviation formed from the initial letters of other words and pronounced as a word (e.g. ASCII, NASA ).
Therefore, NASA is an acronym
Now since I was already online, I wanted to go further. Remember in high school how we'd create a string of abbreviations to memorize certain information? Like,VIBGYOR- the reverse order of colours in a rainbow or BODMAS (!) in Maths? .
mnemonic
nɪˈmɒnɪk/
noun
- 1.a system such as a pattern of letters, ideas, or associations which assists in remembering something."the usual mnemonic for star types is O Be A Fine Girl Kiss Me"
So VIBGYOR is a mnemonic but also an acronym?
I wonder why SKU is not pronouced skoo and become an acronym?
I need to get some sleep.
- 02:41
- 0 Comments
Ever so often, even lazy, uninvested girls like yours truly comes across a product or two (or three) that changes life beyond expectations. At said times it is our moral responsibility to share this information with fellow comrades fighting for time and good skin.
2015 ended with 3 incredible skincare / beauty finds and after putting them to good use for almost 3 months, here's some honest review of my current favourites.
INNISFREE GREEN BARLEY BUBBLE CLEANSER
Korean beauty was having a serious moment in 2015. Among the few brands I registered, Innisfree was on top of my wish list along with The Face Shop and Missha. I was on a frantic hunt online but these brands are hard to come by locally. So imagine my delirious delight when I happened to spot a full on outlet in Gurgaon, NCR! I basically lost my shit.
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The stores are only in the NCR: Delhi: Khan Market & Gurgaon: Galleria Mall. Lucky NCRites!
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I came out with three purchases: Green Barley foam cleanser, the Jeju Volcanic Pore Scrub Foam and a capsule pack of the Jejuja volcanic clay mud. I am yet to try the pack, but the cleanser and scrub have my heart.
Last year, I stopped using soapy (sodium based) cleansers and my skin has been super thankful for it. I have tried everything from Cetaphil to Vichy to Avene last year, and this one is the clear favourite. It is super gentle; a little lathers up a long way and I love how squeaky clean my face feels without the horrible dry, taut feeling.
My weekly TLC is now super special thanks to this guy. Once a week, I skip the above cleanser and use this to clean my face and follow it up with a mask. The grains in this scrub are super super fine, leaving no abrasion on the skin. The face feels incredibly clean and soft- prepped for a good mask. Added bonus: I LOVE the smell!
Yet to try this out
PRICE:
GREEN BARLEY CLEANSER- Rs. 650/-JEJU VOLCANIC PORE SCRUB FOAM- Rs. 750/-
VICHY NORMADERM HYALUSPOT
After a momentary respite from breakouts thank to my dermat, some recent skincare experimentation coupled with horrible dietary practise has birthed a fresh crop of juicy nasties on my face that are a piss off to deal with in winter. On one hand my skin screamed for hydration and then next morning I'd wake up to plumped up boils! I kept my moisturiser to a basic water based one, but to no respite. Desperate measures were needed and I decided to finally try the La Roche Posey Effaclar Duo. I always thought that it is a spot treatment product for acne and blemishes, but apparently the ones available in India are more like topical moisturizer for acne prone skin. Seeing me all gutted, the sales attended recommended I try the Vichy Normaderm Hyaluspot. I have tried the Vichy Normaderm Purifying Gel last year and loved it, so I was warm to the brand. And seeing that I was about to spend 1500 bucks on the Effaclar Duo, I didn't hesitate too much to give this a shot at almost half the price.
Now before I spend the words, here is some visual aid
If you see, I had to zoom into the last image a little to show the remains of the zit. I am floored! Day 1 was last Monday and today, i.e. 9, I have a faded white spot in place of the Day 1 monstrosity. What impressed me more was the lack of blemish; my skin is super super blemish prone, therefore this is a killer benefit that I realistically hadn't hoped for.
I have read a plethora of mixed reviews but for my skin (which is combination and sensitive to harsh chemicals) this worked as you can see above. It didn't burn me at all when applied on the pictured boil, but recently I am experiencing very very minor prickle on a new nasty. I will take that happily if the result doesn't waver.
PRICE: 750/-
MAYBELLINE FALSIES BIG EYES
You know what's better than finding a product that blows your mind? Finding an unconvenional use for a product and blow your mind! That's the case with this mascara. I am too new to the beauty game to be a mascara fan. But this guy, with the genius lower lash wand is my current favourite, wait for it, brow product!
I am blessed with decent brows and I use this mascara to just straighten the hairs out and make them neater. Life changing hack! The mascara is black, so are my brows; but it doesn't give me painted, over dramatic look that I love. Now ever since I got into this roll, I skip the eyeliner, put on some lip colour and I dig the freshness of the look. I am still shy to post my pictures so can't exhibit a before and after.
I also got into using it conventionally and with a little eyelash curl and one swipe, I can totally skip liners for day time. I love that it doesn't clump up, as was the problem with the VOLUME EXPRESS FALSIES one. Hooked!
PRICE: 599/-
Phew! So much gushing! I'd love to know if you have found anything new lately. I am on the hunt for a good night cream. Any suggestions?
(INNISFREE product pictures from their website)
- 05:06
- 16 Comments
