The Ultimate Travel Checklist!

Hey Dolls,

It’s that time of the year again when we plan our spring vacations, and head out to explore the world, especially because its warmer its easier to explore. As some of us are planning our trips to warmer climates, we fail to write the trusty checklist, and more than once forget something as we head out the door. I remember when I went to Maldives a couple of years ago, I failed to take my insect repellant & sunscreen, and boy was I sorry!! It’s horrible to realize you forgot your keys, wallet, or even worse…your passport in the house, especially when you’re already halfway to the airport! So here it is…my ultimate travel checklist, so you will never miss the most important travel stuff!

You can download this, print it out, and enjoy your vacation! Do tell me about your plans for the vacations and upload your pictures. Let me know what your travelling essentials. Be safe when in a foreign country & take good care of yourselves even when on holidays, I'll do more of travelling related posts so stay tuned!

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XOXO,
Anshika Agarwal.

Spices with benefits.

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Being an Indian I can proudly never emphasis enough on one thing, we love our spices! Whenever I browse through Pinterest, I find myself always stopping and staring at images of spices. There’s something about the colorful little mounds, scattered on top of dark surfaces, that is so visually appealing to me. It’s like an edible mosaic is created with the bright and bold hues, So on this republic day, I was inspired to do a post on different spices used in Indian cooking that exude that same color intensity. As much as they add flavor to meals, they are also beneficial in other ways besides just taste, and it’s interesting to learn how they can help us in our day to day lives.

Some of the most common spices used in Indian cooking are:

Salt

Pepper

Ginger

Turmeric

Paprika

Cumin

Saffron

A few of the above are great to help improve our overall well-being…

Pepper

Don't we just love a lot of pepper on your soups? Apart from taste it has a lot of benefits right from helping with severe diseases like cancer to day to day problems like digestion, weight loss, cold, it also increases your metabolism. The more shocking benefits are it beats dandruff, helps with anorexia as it improves digestion and stimulates our taste buds, it helps our organs absorb more nutrients from our food and is a natural antidepressant. Details

Ginger

Light yellow in color and strong smelling, some claim ginger to be the “wonder spice” for all of its health benefits. If you’re feeling nauseous or have an upset stomach, ginger can help get rid of these nuisances. From poor digestion to even sore joints, chew on a little bit or add some to a hot drink because ginger has the nutritional properties that can help. Ginger juice is also very effective for cold and cough.

Turmeric

I have used turmeric a lot in recent years. It’s one of those spices that is perfect to use in the colder months because of its warm color and smell. Turmeric is a natural anti-inflammatory used widely in ayurvedic medicine. It also helps boost your immune system, so this is a good spice to use if you feel a cold coming on. Have it with milk every night before bed and it will help you with most of the problems. I'll be doing a post on Turmeric mask for skin soon.

Paprika

Paprika is packed with healthy nutrients that are good for our bodies, and especially vitamin A. One tablespoon of this red-colored spice contains more than 100 percent of the daily intake requirement. As the vitamin A helps to improve eyesight, paprika also gives your body extra iron to help those bones stay strong.

Cumin

Cumin is pungent and strong, and acts as a great salt substitute. With its low levels of sodium, using this instead of extra salt can help reduce blood pressure, all while adding a delicious flavor to meals. Cumin is also a good source of vitamin B, which helps to improve sleep. Try eating a banana sprinkled with some cumin right before bed if you aren’t getting enough shut eye.

Saffron

Although this is one of the most costly spices, it’s worth it due to the multiple health benefits it provides also a few strands does wonders. From digestion help to reducing inflammation, you can use saffron in a lot of ways besides just adding it into foods. You can make a saffron milk mask by adding some saffron strands to raw milk. Allow the strands to sit for about 2 hours before using, turning the milk a reddish color. Rub the milk onto your face and leave on for 10 minutes before washing off. The saffron mask will help clear up dry skin and acne and brightens up your skin! It also gives your food a nice color so go ahead and eliminate your food coloring. Add it to any of these to add additional benefits (works for all skin types)

Hope you'all enjoyed reading this post as much as I enjoyed writing this, do try these spices also try including some herbs if possible in your food. Stay healthy and do subscribe to make sure you don't miss any post. You can also instagram or tweet a picture of your healthy foods do tag me or use #bombaygirl07.

XOXO,
Anshika Agarwal.

DIY Natural Cleansers for Dry, Oily & Normal Skin

Every morning and evening we wash our faces, hoping to rid ourselves of any 

potentially harmful substances that have come in contact with the surface of our precious skin. It’s important to know that we’re cleansing our skin with the 

best possible ingredients, which is one of the main reasons I love making my

 own beauty products.  Not all skin is created equal, though, so today I have 

recipes for three different cleansing concoctions: one for dry skin, one for oily

 skin, and one for normal skin.

First up: Dry Skin. Wintertime, hot showers, air conditioners & heaters are 

often the culprit for skin that lacks moisture. The base for this cleanser is

plain yogurt, which, apart from its natural cleansing properties, is full of 

protein to soften your skin. It’s also a bit acidic, so it acts as an exfoliator,

removing unwanted dead cells from the surface of your skin. Honey acts as

a humectants, drawing moisture into your skin and keeping it there, as olive 

oil adds further moisture. Apples give your skin vitamins A, B, and C, as well 

as a dose of antioxidants to keep you looking fresh.

Next up: Oily Skin. For those whose skin tends to be on the oily side, 

let lemon and oatmeal be your new friends. Lemon acts as an astringent 

as well as a disinfectant, killing any bacteria that may otherwise cause 

breakouts, while oatmeal exfoliates the skin, absorbing excess oils in the 

process. Honey will restore moisture into your skin, balancing out any 

dryness that could have been caused by the lemon.

Finally, Normal Skin For those whose skin tends to be somewhere in 

between dry and oily, this cleanser is for you. The yogurt and cucumber 

nourish and clear your skin without drying it, while the mint adds a 

pleasant soothing experience.

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DIY Lace Twinkle Lights

Twinkle lights can bring an immediate sense of warmth and joy to a room like no other.
I love to adorn every room with them when it comes times for the holidays — and I’ve 
been known to drape some here and there even when the onset of winter season is way 
off in the distance.

Today I’m combining twinkle lights with another one of my decor loves — lace — for a
 beautiful decoration that’s perfect for this time of year. Here’s how to make your own
 lace twinkle lights!

Materials: Water balloons, lace fabric, fabric stiffener, petroleum jelly, scissors, and
 a needle or pin.

1. First, Cut your lace fabric into pieces or strips — they can be as long, short, wide,
 or narrow as you like. Try a couple different sizes and shapes, and see what works
 best for you.

2. Blow up your water balloons with air and coat them in a layer of petroleum jelly.
 The water balloons will determine the shape of the lace spheres, so keep this in
 mind when it comes to size. I found that smaller balloons (like the one on the right)
 looked best in the end.

3. Submerge a piece of lace into the fabric stiffener and wrap it around a balloon.

4. Keep wrapping until the balloon is full covered (you can overlap fabric if necessary),
 leaving the knotted portion of the balloon visible. Repeat steps 3 and 4 for each of
 your balloons, then let them sit for at least 8 hours to dry — I let mine sit overnight.

5. Once the material has dried and hardened, use a needle or pin to pop each balloon,
 and pull the balloons out through the pre-existing hole.

6. You can pop your twinkle light right into this hole. My lace spheres all seemed to
 stay put on their own, but you’re having trouble getting yours to stay on your twinkle
 lights, you can use a needle and thread to stitch up the opening over the wire, as 
shown below.

I liked alternating lace sphere and plain twinkle light in random segments. I also really
 like how each sphere turned out slightly differently — it adds to the whole 
hand-touched feeling.

3 Reasons Why Baking Soda is the Best Kept Beauty Secret!

Of all the beauty ingredients out there, one that is totally a must is Baking Soda! Not only will they give you super soft skin and gorgeously shiny hair, but you can also create a super easy scrub that will help lighten areas like knees and elbows. The funny thing is, it’s so easy to use and give such great results!

Super Shiny Hair

Baking Soda is AhhhMAZING at removing any residue or film that may linger on your hair after you wash it. To create an invigorating shampoo that gets rid of any build up, mix one tablespoon baking soda with your shampoo, then wash and condition as usual!

Beautiful Knees and Elbows

Getting your knees to match your elbows really shouldn't be that difficult, but it is! Luckily this scrub makes it a whole lot easier! Mix together lemon juice and baking soda to create a paste, then rub on elbows and knees daily! Refrigerate excess! The lemon will naturally lighten skin and the baking soda removes dead skin making this concoction very effective!

At Home Microdermabrasion

It’s so easy to get a super amazing microdermabrasion at home with baking soda! All you really need to do is mix a tablespoon of baking soda with your favorite face wash and voila, an instant and very effective face wash!

Facial at home

Facials are an important part of our skincare regimen, but going to the spa every month can get a little pricey! We shouldn’t neglect our skin just because we can’t make those trips to the spa. Here is a step by step way to do an at-home facial, in between spa treatments!

• Cleanse: You want to begin your at home facial by cleansing your skin with a gentle cleanser. This can be a  Milk facial cleanser, which won’t strip your skin of it’s natural oils but will remove makeup. You want to make sure you work the cleanser on your skin in circular motions for about a minute.

• Steam: Take a bowl of water and microwave until you see the water is warm enough to let off steam. Put a towel over your head and your face a comfortable distance from the bowl. This will open pores.

• Exfoliate: This will remove dead skin cells, and buffing away dead skin will keep your pores from clogging which keeps acne under control. We recommend All natural homemade facial scrub or PMD.

• Facial Mask: Follow with a face mask. This can vary depending on your skin type. If you have acne prone skin, you can benefit from a raw honey mask.. You can also use an avocado mask, If you want to get fancy, we recommend french rose clay. Leave your mask on for about 10min, and rinse with warm water. Masks are used to moisturize, detoxify, increase circulation and replenish nutrients.

• Toner: This step will tighten pores and balances skin PH. Apply with a cotton ball all over the face.

• Serum: Finally apply a serum on your kin. Serums come in oil or gel form, they will penetrate the skin more than a moisturizer, and provide skin with powerful antioxidants and nourishing vitamins. Some examples are Argan Oil. Find a face oil that’s a good match for your skin and you will see instant results!

• Moisturizer: If your skin is dry you will need to apply a moisturizer after the serum. The vitamins in Goat milk facial moisturizer regenerates, softens, and soothes your skin’s surface, acts as an anti-inflammatory that sustains healthy skin tissue, and contains nutrients essential for healthy skin cell development and maintenance.

Hope you try!

Bananas for white teeth?

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Yes this is true! Don’t throw out that banana peel just yet, use it as a natural teeth whitening treatment.

How to use: Make sure your teeth are clean and dry. Gently rub the inside of a ripe banana peel on your teeth for 2 minutes. Make sure to get all your teeth.  Leave the the banana peel residue on your teeth for a good 5-8 minutes.

Afterwards you can brush and rinse as usual.

What’s the secret ingredient that works on getting the stains out and brightening your teeth? It’s the potassium, magnesium, and minerals that are absorbed by your teeth and aids to lighten them and lift stains.

Do this twice a day for quick results!

Homemade Hair-Oils'

Our hair is the sole most important factor which contributes to the difference in the way we look, Change your haircut and Voila! you have a makeover there itself. But not always it tends to behave itself, do they? That's because they are not happy, in short happy and well nourished hair makes everyone happy! so how do we do the magic?

Like the skin, Everyone's hair is individual and it varies from person to person in terms of color, texture, body, bounce density and length. Hair types may be classified broadly as normal, dry, greasy & combination. Normal hair has healthy sheen & is manageable. Dry hair is usually caused by external factors like excess heat, bleach, chemicals in our hair products, faulty diets & lack of proper hair care.Greasy hair is usually caused by hormonal imbalance also weather, humidity & bad diet. Combination hair is very greasy at the scalp and has dry split ends.


Every hair type needs proper nourishment and care. Hair-oils are an excellent way to achieve it.Does oily hair need oil too? Yes its all about finding the right combination of right oils. Here are few recipes for common problems.


http://bombaygirl07.blogspot.in/COMBINATION HAIR

Ingredients;
4 Stems of Aloe Vera
1 Liter (32 oz) olive oil
2-3 drops of Juniper oil
0.5 tsp camphor powder

Cut the aloe stems and scrape out the gel, mix with olive oil. Simmer for 30 mins until the gel floats on top. Whisk the oil with a hand beater, add camphor powder and juniper oil when cool. Store in bottle and use regularly.

 OILY HAIR

Ingredients;
1 Litre (32 oz) coconut oil
1 cup fresh neem leaves or 2 tbs neem powder
Simmer the ingredients for about 30 minutes on slow and let it stand for an hour and strain. Store it in a bottle.


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DRY HAIR

Ingredients;
500 ml (16 oz) almond oil
250 ml (8 oz) castor oil
250 ml (8 oz) olive oil
50 ml (2 oz) Grape seed oil
Simmer the ingredients for about 30 minutes on slow and let it stand for an hour and strain. Store it in a bottle.