With rains the air, chirpy children are back to school. It’s that time the year to meet old classmates, to study, to shop for books, notebooks and other accessories. If you rewind back to your childhood days, college and school reopening has a charm of its own. As you would recount, making new friends, uniting with old classmates, it’s all fun! Schools have already opened up and colleges will start soon. SSC and HSC students are waiting for their respective admission formalities to be completed.

If you want to strike a bond with a family friend, relative or office colleagues having school or college going children, there can be no perfect occasion than this to give a meaningful and useful gift. You can convert them into exciting gifts for children, and make them happy.

Buying new uniforms, shoes, water bottles, raincoat…the list is endless. Why do make all these a mere routine purchase? Get something for children, which will put a twinkle in their eyes and will bring a smile on their faces! After all, gifting is about spreading happiness, isn’t it? Here are some ideas to help you in making your choice.

• There are unique umbrellas and raincoats specially designed for children and in colors that delight children of all ages. To wade through monsoon waters, you can get specially designed cute umbrellas for little ones.
• Erasers in the shape of Tweetie and Bugs Bunny, water bottles shaped like Winnie-the-Pooh will certainly fascinate the children.
• Fancy lunch boxes will be another good pick. With varieties galore and so much choice, buying a gift for children will be a pleasure in itself.
• Several brands, such as Camlin, ITC, Crayola, Apsara, Sundaram, Maped and Pidilite are leaders in the school products range.

You can only add to the fun by giving some interesting and timely gifts.

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Sportswear has surely made its way out of the rough n tough gym bag to enter the high-flying wardrobes. As a result, most fashion labels are getting sportier.

For example, Boss Hugo Boss last year launched its brand Boss Green to complement its popular Boss Black range of formal wear in India. The brand manager of Boss Hugo Boss, India, mentioned in an interview: “It’s a collection for those who don’t mind doing business at the golf course. They probably wanted a choice of luxury sportswear that wasn’t available at all. Those who earlier would (compulsively) wear blazers to after-work parties have switched to golf wear.”

The reasons are obvious; the look is rather simple and informal with golf T-shirts, jerseys, jackets, trousers, and shoes. Designer Narendra Kumar’s captivating collections for men have had a sporty edge. His collection for Spring/Summer 2009 at LFW 2008 went a step further.

The line was inspired by sportswear with cropped cabin jackets, denims and formal track pants. India saw a funky fashion-sport tie-up when Reebok got a psychedelic makeover - shoes in bright colors like orange, pink, silver, red and blue, topped with superb Swarovski and sequins as well as activewear under the Reebok label Fish Fry.

High fashion is indeed meeting mainstream everyday clothing. The trend is quite pronounced in the West and is catching up fast in India. A big workout culture is developing.
Take the case of actor Deepika Padukone who likes to wear short dresses to go with metallic sneakers & hip hoodies with three-fourth trousers. To party with friends, Nina Manuel often slips on her black Puma dress with orange-n-white boots from the Missy Elliot line. She might pair shorts & stockings with a purple halter Puma top.

Malaika Arora Khan often shares her sister’s liking for tracksuits. So the next time you are shopping for someone who is sporty type, you know where and what to look for.

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Mickey Mehta is among India’s renowned Holistic Health and Fitness trainers for more two decades. He has revolutionized the very concept of Wellness and has redefined Holistic Health by implementing innovative ideas and subtle changes in lifestyle.

He uses Vedic philosophies effectively coupled with the therapies of Tao, Zen, etc. for complete transformation. Some of his top tips as listed on the website are:

• Have vedic diets completely vegetarian with fruits and vegetable juices, sprouts & hot water with ginger and honey. Eat natural, fresh, unprocessed foods.
• Herbs like tulsi, aloe vera, ginseng, wheat grass bolster immunity. They suppress infections.
• Instead of eating 3 meals daily, go for 4-5 small, light meals. Eat every 3-4 hours so as to regularize your blood sugar levels. Never skip meals, especially your breakfast.
• Bananas are recommended for those who are hypertensive in nature as they are low in sodium and high in potassium. They are rich in fibre and provide instant energy.
• Cut down on alcohol as well as aerated waters. Switch to vegetable juices, herbal teas, unsweetened fruit juices and coconut water. • Physical activity helps you immensely. People tend to overeat to overcome feelings of depression and anxiety. Exercise will release endorphins (feel-good hormones).

The fitness guru has listed on his website many such valuable tips to keep your mind and body in shape. In these highly stressed times, making someone close to you to an alternative lifestyle can be the most precious gift you can give. You can contact Mickey Mehta for a switchover to ensure the well-being of your near and dear ones, which is worthier than any expensive gift object under the circumstances.

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