It's the most wonderful time of the year!

Christmas can mean many things to many people. It's the most cheerful time of entire year & why wouldn't it be?. The air is filled with festive cheer, peace on earth, good will to men & loving one another!

Here's what i love most about Christmas-

a)Christmas carols.

b)Christmas cards.

c)Christmas movies.

d)Christmas trees.

e)Christmas parties.

f)Christmas cribs.

g)Christmas Mass.

h)Christmas lights.

i)Christmas TV specials.

j)Decorating the tree and the house.

k)Fresh-baked goodies.

l)Shopping for perfect gifts.

m)Receiving presents.

n)Santa Claus.

o)Enacting of the nativity.

p)Celebrating the Lord’s birth with friends and family.

q)Being with family.

r)Sharing in family traditions each year.

s)The true spirit of Christmas.

What are your favorite things about Christmas? Do you celebrate it? Do share!

Pleasure don't cost a thing...

Money can't always buy you happiness and often one has to depend on the little & simple things that Life has to offer to make everything better.

Life is always a step ahead of us & never ceases to amaze us. It never fails.

So, here is my list of the simple things that make me (and everyone else) smile & don't cost a thing-

1.Finding money in unexpected places.

2.Receiving an actual Letter in the age of Text message, Chat, Email,Facebook and Twitter.

3.Smiling.

4.Making someone smile.

5.Narrating and interesting story or anecdote.

6.The taste of water when you're dying of thirst.

7.Sleeping in on a day off.

8.A familiar scent.

9.Reminiscing about the good times with close friends and family.

10.Receiving compliments.

11.Laughing.

12.Holding hands with someone you love and saying nothing at all.

13.Playing in and with water.

14.Fitting into clothes that were previously tight.

15.Looking at animals in the zoo.

16.Hugs.

17.Spending time with your pet.

18.Mother Nature in all her glory and splendor.

19.Making memories.

20.Falling in love

21.The generosity of a good Samaritan.

22.Faith

23.Love

24.Kisses from the person you love

25.Sharing a secret smile

26.Winking

27.Babies

28.Animal babies (they're cuter than human babies)

29.Winning a prize.Or even better, getting something free of cost.

30.A reunion with a long-lost friend.


Do add to the list with your favorite simple pleasures.

Inspire

An inspiring advertisement; simple and remarkably effective. Does the job!

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Kiss the rain

After many muggy days, it's absolutely delightful to have Mother Nature pitter patter away the entire day. Not too heavy that it floods the city and not too light that you can go about your daily routines; just the right intensity to allow you to stay indoors. The temperature decreases, the chill sets in, the skies are a canvas of graphite blues, steel grays, and deep purples while the trees, shrubs, all living creatures are awash with new life.

It's on days like these, when it's absolutely right to feel wonderfully slovenly and sloth-like.

Don your favorite Tee and pair of pajamas and head to bed. Cuddle up and make yourself cozy in your comforting comforter or quilt, watch TV, play some music from your Ipod or read a book as the rain rumbles and resounds in the background.

If not your bed, snuggle up in your settee, savor and snack on some piping hot crisp eats and down the mellifluous chai, or enigmatic Qahwa. If neither are your choice of poison, simply seek solace in hot chocolate or milk.

There is no greater joy than standing at a window or from an elevated surface and watching the rain drops plop onto various surfaces. A far more reveling pleasure is derived from watching helpless pedestrians and commuters get wet, albeit their umbrellas and rain coats, and the smugness of knowing you're warm, dry and snug as a bug in a rug.

As the temperature decreases, the cold fills the air and glass surfaces become a canvas for childhood blackboard games like noughts and crosses and connect the dots.

If you're up for it, take your rain protection gear and step out. Have a blast as you splash puddles of water everywhere and sail paper boats in road streams thus reliving childlike happy days.

If you want to be one with the elements, just kiss the rain and fall in love all over again!

Cat and Mouse

Who would have imagined that an animated series centered on a never-ending rivalry between a cat and a mouse, punctuated with humor, slapstick comedy and comic violence would capture the attention and fascination of generations to come?

Thank you William Hanna & Joseph Barbara for creating the Tom and Jerry cartoon series. I personally love the cartoons that were produced by Fred Quimby than Chuck Jones.

You can watch these guys forever- the plot line never changes - The wily Tom attempts to capture the clever Jerry( who always outsmarts him) and in the process, destruction and mayhem ensues. Along the way, they may upset Spike & Tyke the boxers, annoy the housekeeping lady or mistress of the house and occasionally vie for the undivided attention of a femme fatale using song,dance and prose.

These cartoons have stood the test of time and still entertain the masses. A feat which most cartoons, that were created in the last decade, can barely boast of.

Watch the Tom and Jerry show! It's entertainment value will continue to make life better than it already is forever and ever.




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:)

That's all it takes.

A simple smile.

Whether it's from familiar people or absolute strangers, it's enough to make anyone and everyone happy.

Through this facial expression formed by flexing the muscles near both ends of the mouth and flash of teeth, we acknowledge each other.

We say what cannot be said,

" Hi!"

" I'm happy to see you"

" You look great today!"

" You make my day"

" You've embarrassed me/ I'm embarrassed!"

" That's funny/ You're funny"

" I know you but I don't recall your name, so i'll just keep smiling at you!"

" Thank you"

Here's the best part about smiling- It makes you look good!

Different kind of high....

Here's an unusual 'pick me up' that's not often recommended-

Three tablespoons of good old cough spirit & one big bar of Cadbury's dairy milk chocolate.

Have them together & Voila!

Deep sleep, sans dreams, & instant high!

Judge the mood by the book

We all love reading. We read to pass time, we read when we are bored, we read to learn and we read sometimes, just like that. But have you ever felt that reading might be responsible for your mood?

I have been reading the Millennium Trilogy over the past few weeks and while I was working my way through the last one, 'The Girl that Kicked the Hornet's Nest', it struck me that I have been reading only intense and heavy for the past few weeks and it was time I took a break.

So I stopped, put down my book and picked up another one. This time a Dr Seuss classic, 'Green Eggs and Ham'. Just like that, the day seemed brighter, more cheerful, almost like I had stopped to smell the roses.

So I urge you to look at what you are reading and see if it is affecting your mood. Even if it is a great book, take a break from it, read a book meant for three-year olds, cheer up and then get back to your serious-and-gloomy-book. Trust me, you will feel the difference.

The lion sleeps tonight..

There are some things in life that just put a smile on your face.

Here's one of them-

The Lion Sleeps Tonight FULL - For more funny videos, click here

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Muah!

If someone were ever to ask me what's the best way to make me feel instantaneously 'jump over the moon' happy, it would not be food, music, books, or shopping.

It would have to be a kiss.

Yes, a kiss! Not a peck on the cheeks, but a passionate kiss on the lips.

Don't be coy!

Own up to the fact that we all enjoy kissing. Do read these interesting benefits & my italicized comments-

The Top 10 Health Benefits of Kissing...
Source:www.bestkisses.com

1. Those who kiss their partner goodbye each morning live five years longer than those who don’t. {The secret ingredient for longevity}

2. Kissing is great for self-esteem. It makes you feel appreciated and helps your state of mind.{Mmmm....}

3. Kissing burns calories, 2-3 calories a minute and can double your metabolic rate. Research claims that three passionate kisses a day (at least lasting 20 seconds each) will cause you to lose an entire extra pound! {I would prefer the kissing diet over Atkin's diet any day}

4. Kissing is a known stress-reliever. Passionate kissing relieves tension, reduces negative energy and produces a sense of well being, lowering your cortisol ‘stress’ hormone. {I'm stressed and i need relief!}

5. Kissing uses 30 facial muscles and it helps keep the facial muscles tight, preventing baggy cheeks! The tension in the muscles caused by a passionate kiss helps smooth the skin and increases the circulation.{Who needs botox?}

6. Kissing is good for the heart, as it creates an adrenaline which causes your heart to pump more blood around your body. Frequent kissing has scientifically been proven to stabilize cardiovascular activity, decrease blood pressure and cholesterol.(Why exercise when you have a funner way to get that heart pumping?}

7. Those who kiss quite frequently are less likely to suffer from stomach, bladder and blood infections. {An apple or a kiss a day? You decide}

8. During a kiss, natural antibiotics are secreted in the saliva. Also, the saliva contains a type of anesthetic that helps relieve pain.{No more visits to the doctor for pain-killer medication}

9. Kissing reduces anxiety and stops the 'noise' in your mind. It increases the levels of oxytocin, an extremely calming hormone that produces a feeling of peace.{That's why the phrase 'Make Love, not War' became popular. Let's get all world leaders to kiss and make up.}

10. The endorphins produced by kissing are 200 times more powerful than morphine.{I'm a kiss junkie & No! I won't check into rehab!}

Tips & toes

When you have time on your hands & would like to feel good, give or get yourself a nice manicure & pedicure.

Enjoy the feeling of having your hands and feet soak in warm scented water, then massaged with fruity creams and scrubs.Your nails then get shaped either in ovals, squares or just stay the natural shape.

Then comes the nail polish. They're available in every possible hue with names that range from blush pink, ruby red, goth black, royal purple to ultra violet, toasty & even manic panic.

No matter how nice or weird the name of the polish sounds, it's the shade that matters & you choose a tint to represent your state of mind.

Once the manicure & pedicure is done, just take a look at your pretty hands & feet.

How does that not say 'Pick me up!'?

Sun-dried duds

Nothing smells more 'happy-happy' than sun-dried, crisp cotton clothes that resonate the essence of sun,fabric softener & detergent.

While the act of getting clothes laundered isn't exactly a fun activity; in fact, it is often a drag! The output, however, of scrubbed, rinsed and spin-dried clothes that smell of clean, can ironically pep your mood, & give you a sense of accomplishment.

That is probably why all advertising commercials for clothing detergents & fabric softeners show the protagonist inhaling the newly washed & dried clothes, and then marching on to achieve the unachievable.

So, when you feel bugged from having to do all domestic chores or just want an instant 'happy-happy' moment, head to your clothes line or wardrobe and pull out a piece of clothing.

Put it on & just inhale the sunny-sudsy scent.

Ah..Heaven!

Tune in

What is it about Music?

Put on a peppy song and run till your feet give way on the treadmill
Play your favourite song and an empty house will suddenly fill up
Play a melancholic song and cry those tears that needed a little help
Push play on that singalong song and those boring chores will miraculously do themselves
Play a romantic song and set the mood for a perfect evening
Even humming a song on loop in your head will take you around that grocery store faster
Revisit an old song and you will find memories flooding your mind
Play a song with ageless lyrics and be inspired

So play that funky music and change that mood. Pick yourself up with a few tunes. Listen to what you want to listen to and play it loud.

I'm a GLEEK!

Classical, contemporary, rock, pop, alternative, country, jazz, fusion, indie, gospel or acapela - depending on your preference of musical notes; music has the wonderful ability to elevate the depths of ‘being down’ to ‘being high’.

If you want to feel musically uplifted, you need to hear a choir sing.

Something happens when a group of vocally gifted misfits come together, do covers and mash-ups of popular tunes against interesting plot lines; they create Pick me up.

Now, when these vocally gifted misfits form the underdog choir, break into song & dance about their journey thus far in a competition; you can’t help but smile, feel your heart and feet tap to the beat & honest-to-God feel exhilarated.

Cue Glee regional finals

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Go ahead, admit you’re a Gleek!

Six scents

"Hey, Foxy Mama! You smell kinda pretty, wanna smell me? Hoohah"
~Johhny Bravo

Certain smells can instantaneously perk up one's mood & I've rounded up six of them:

1) The smell of parched earth after the first rains have fallen. You may crib about the monsoon & its aftermath on the city, traffic & people; but you can't help but inhale deeply once your nostrils catch this first fleeting scent.

2) The whiff of warm coffee wafting through the air. So you got wet in the rain, had a bad day or feel sick? This smell will make you feel warm and better, even if you don't have the time to down a cup of Joe.

3) The olfactory onslaught of freshly baked bagels, breads, cakes, cookies, donuts, desserts, tarts, toasts, & waffles. You may be on a diet, but inhaling and indulging in these smells don't count as cheating. After all, you get the happy high and don't pile on the extra calories.

4)The intoxicating smell of paper in new and old books. The singular reason why you're a bookworm junkie and don't want to check into rehab.

5) The tang of citrus. Whether in candles, cleansing agents, perfumes and potpourri, or the versatile lemon, it's instant rejuvenation.

6)The heady vapors of petrol at a petrol bunk. No one is willing to admit it, but it's true. It's addictive and we're sniffers!

Inhale & exhale! Have a good pick me up!

What's better than a bath?

Awful day? Tired bones? Crappy decisions? Too much on your mind?

Strip down completely, turn on the shower to a temperature that is just right and stand under the water for a good 20 minutes. I know, why waste so much water. But leave that argument for later and for someone else. Once you are under the shower, feel the water wash away everything that was on your mind. Tired bones suddenly feel pampered and gooey, the awful day is magically shrouded behind a a foggy screen, everything unpleasant can be washed away by soapy suds and you can turn all soft and pink.

While you are in the shower, experiment with scents, fragrances and well, soaps. If you don't like it, it can wash off.

So go ahead, have a bad day just so you can indulge yourself.

Soft corner

A creamy dessert that picks any one up would have to be the soft serve vanilla cream cone colloquially referred to as ‘Softy’.

What is it?

It’s a delicious concoction of vanilla cream swirled, twirled and peaked to perfection onto a crisp wafer cone.

Softies are rich and creamy, never too sweet nor too bland, not ice cold enough that it will temporarily give you brain freeze; but just the right consistency of velvety, cooling comfort to calm tepid tongues and tempestuous temperaments.


For those moments when it's not words or objects that you crave, but that child-like experience where you ardently believe that the taste of whipped vanilla cream can make anything and everything so much better than it already is.

I have memories of eating only vanilla softies; never the other flavored softies like chocolate, strawberry or pistachio, simply because it never gave me that heightened feeling of sweetness.

A signature softy is thus synonymous with vanilla & nothing else.

Whenever I'm down, need an instant 'feel good' feeling, but don't have the resources to splurge on decadent desserts; i meander through the madding masses on busy streets, stopping only at corners replete with softy vending machines, to treat myself to vanilla softies.

What can i say?

I'm a 'softy'.

Comrades, Conversations and Calories!

If ever one needs a much needed mood elevator, especially after a tough day when everything that could possibly go wrong actually does go wrong; this is a sure fire way to feel better-

Surround yourself with people who love you, let delightful music play in the background, engage in conversations where you can be yourself (i.e. bitch, laugh, rant & scream), savor a cultured glass of fine wine or flavored vodka, indulge in a calorific meal followed by a large slice of sinful dark chocolate cake covered with chocolate ganache, dark chocolate shavings and ice cream.

All the bad will magically melt away & nothing wrong could ever happen to you. You'll have a smile on your face, a skip in your step & cheer in your heart!

Who wouldn't want to feel like that?

... gets me higher high high

For all of us there is a strain of music that can immediately lift our spirits and make it soar! We just need to find the songs that do that to us.

For me, it's Under Pressure by Queen.

Never mind that the lyrics actually talk about human pain and suffering. Never mind that the message is preachy. Never mind that there is a message. You still feel like singing along with the lyrics, and the beats make you tap your feet and do a little jig of your own.

I love Freddie Mercury's perfect diction, his stage presence, and his beautiful golden voice that can hit any note from the lowest to the highest with the same ease with which mere mortals like us breathe! Watching his performance or listening to his music always manages to get me higher high high...
When we lost him, we really lost a great artist!

And the best thing is that you don't need to be a great artist to sing along to this one. And trust me, you would want to. And hell, if I can sing along, then anyone can.

So don't forget to tell us what your pick-me-up song is! Leave us a comment. :)

Now, ladies and gentlemen - I give you - Under Pressure.

absolutely fabulous

Thing is you should want to change the mood and be happier.

Once you do that, I recommend watching a sitcom like Absolutely Fabulous.



And now get yourself a bottle of the best. Next, say to the world, "Cheers, darlings!"

the sexy way

Today was one of those days when things went quiet, suddenly. I finished my chores early but was not inspired to write. I didn't feel like talking to anyone, neither did I feel like taking a walk.

I needed something and needed it quick.

So, I filled a bath and soaked in it for an hour while I read Cosmopolitan.

Nothing picks you up, like a warm soak in the tub, reading about the 100 sexy things you can do.