If you are wondering how Bollywood starlet Rani Mukerji managed to shed all those extra kilos and unwanted flab before facing the camera for her latest film ‘Dil Bole Hadippa’, the answer is regular yoga practice.

Apart from following a meticulously planned weight training module, she attended yoga sessions, which appear to have done the trick. It took the actress, according to industry sources, almost close to a year to do away with those extra 10 kg, which made her body look a little inflated in front of the camera.

Determined to lost weight in a systematic and natural way, Rani Mukerji approached a team of yoga and fitness experts to get herself a slimmer look. She had hired yoga teacher Payal Gidwani and fitness instructor Satyajit Churasia for ensuring a new slim, trim look.

Satyajit Chaurasia incidentally is the celebrity trainer, the brain behind Aamir Khan’s starting six-pack figure in super hit flick Ghajini. He was quoted as saying, ” It was in April (2008) that Rani (Mukerji) decided to tone up and lose the flab though she has been working out for a long time (with me).”

The duo chalked out a meticulous combination of cardio plus weight training. According to a news report, Rani Mukerji does weight training for half an hour and walks on the treadmill for exact 45 minutes five days a week. She underwent rigorous workout sessions as well, doing 300-500 stomach crunches and stretching exercises daily.

Why not seek inspiration from her, and ‘present’ your special friend or office colleague a healthy way of life. You may join them in the endeavor of trimming that extra flab and getting fit.

What are those offbeat but highly useful gift options, you sure would like to know! Await our next blog post to know more about them…

Bookmark to:

Teachers Day is right here in the first week of this month. As a sign of respect and tribute to Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, his birthday is observed all over the country as Teacher’s Day in India.

We have been celebrating Teacher’s Day on September 5 since 1962. Dr. Radhakrishnan was considered one of the most learned persons and a great scholar and teacher of his times.

You can thank your teacher, coach or guide who has been a great source of help, inspiration and motivation to you. Here are some really thoughtful and nostalgic gift ideas that your teacher will definitely appreciate.

Picture it forever: Take a picture of your class and put it nicely into a special or even simple picture frame for the teacher to proudly hang up in the classroom or retain in his/her home office. You can opt to personalize the frame with the teacher’s name and your feelings about the teacher engraved. Ask an artistic student to paint it right onto frame.

Memory album for your teacher: Here is another variation of the above idea. You can put together a memory album for your teacher. Take a photograph of each student creatively against a nice background; develop the roll of film right away.

You can then have many colors of scrap-booking paper cut into same sized triangles for the students to choose from and to write a message for the beloved teacher. Each kid will also sign his or her name on their triangle.

You can then put the photographs and the matching triangles together in a creative album that will make an everlasting memory. You can title the first page with your teacher’s name, class and the year. It will sure prove to a big hit as the teacher can share it with his colleagues and family members as well.

Bookmark to:

Easter is the historic day when Jesus came back to our land from the grave to vindicate his teachings and justify to the Romans the ideologies handed down to us. Those who opted to follow this ideology remember this occasion as one, which signals the end of Lent - a period of abstinence from material pleasures when one returns to the old adage of piety.

Easter is a great opportunity for a get-together and gifts! The first thing that strikes one’s mind when you are wished Happy Easter is a toss-up between Easter Eggs and Easter Bunny. Home-made Easter Eggs can be packaged prettily and presented to office colleagues wrapped in cute baskets.

Easter Eggs are wonderfully chocolate-y with a colorful (gold being the main color) surface. Arranged well they make for great decorative items for the desk. If your colleague is married, gift enough eggs for everybody.

Rope everybody else in the office and make a gift hamper for the boss. Make it complete with bunnies (either the soft toy variety or the edible variety), large eggs in a suitably big basket, with a dashing bow.

Keep the right colors and patterns in mind. Opt for a deep color for the bow and for the wrapping material – pick stripes and checks and muted colors.

Opt for an Easter hamper – a beautiful basket, two or three dozen eggs, depending on the number of people in office, confetti, popcorn, sponge balls, or your choice of filling. Get a small gift each for your colleagues and of course, the Easter Bunny. Order a bunny cake, too.

There are options in form of Le Meridien and Patchi for Easter Bunny! Almost every patisserie and cake shop will have its fair share of Easter goodies to select from for every budget.

Tags: Cheap corporate gifts, promotional gifts, Gifting occasions, gifting etiquette, Best business gifts, Best corporate gifts, low cost gifts, corporate gifts companies, Corporate gifting, Business Gifting
Corporate gifting

Bookmark to:

In the previous two blogs, we found out gorgeous green gift ideas in keeping with the spirit of the International Plant Appreciation Day. In this blog, we try to see out how to help your friend or colleague to make his home or office settings more beautiful.

Water, as all of us are aware of, is considered to form the true ‘essence of life’. It’s the ‘serene spirit of life forces. The same finds apt expression in modern designs. Fabulous fountains - outdoor and indoor - offer a captivating connection to nature and infuse calmness.

Indoor fountains blend look and functionality. Research has demonstrated that they can increase productivity, if placed near the office desk. You can go for well-crafted magical miniature outdoor garden fountains. Garden wall fountains sure will make a lavish gift.

They are amazing artifacts of beautification, available in captivating color schemes. Consider a wide array of materials for further enhancement like copper, ceramic and sandstone. One may put potted plants, statuary, etc. around an indoor fountain for enhancing its decorative value. Enticing and ravishing rose varieties will spread fragrance. There are about 150 species so you can choose one that suits the overall décor or typical tastes.

Illumination will make them even more appealing. Garden wall fountains, made in the shape of a basin (with low sprays), are available in various patterns – classic and contemporary. They look more elegant when embellished with detailed carvings.

Indoor fountains can prove to be the most ingenious means of bringing the most soothing properties of nature. They come in captivating designs; you can buy one that will suit the person’s tastes. You can opt to customize it for a personal touch to it.

Indoor fountains are ideal for gifting because of their soothing properties. There are ready-to-gift fountains in catchy configurations.

Tags: Business etiquette, gifting india, Best corporate gifts, promotional gifts, promotional products, Best business gifts, Business Gifting
Corporate gifting, corporate gifts companies, corporate gifting for employees, Popular corporate gifts

Bookmark to:

In the previous blog, we found out how imparting a ‘green’ hue can make a perfect gifting. The idea is to add natural touch to the indoor environ so that your friend or colleague feels fresh and rejuvenated at home or office.

This indeed makes a great gift! To make your task easier, we suggested you a few nurseries that are now innovating to meet your demands. There is ample choice to enhance the green quotient. Indeed is a wide choice is available when it comes to your ‘gift a plant’ plan for fortifying personal and professional relationships.

In fact, this will be a perfect idea since the International Plant Appreciation Day is not far away. Incidentally, it falls on April 13 every year. In this blog, we try to acquaint you with interesting plant types that sure can be considered for gifting.

• Consider annuals, biennials, bulbous plants, cacti and bonsai
• Think of succulents, climbers, ferns and creepers
• Give a thought to grasses and bamboos, palms and cycads
• Why not think of seasonal flowers’ hanging baskets?
• You can try out medicinal plants, helpful herbs and spices for their immense utility value.

There’s so many options for selecting indoor & outdoor plants! Also, as we advised last time, landscaping will help in accentuating the plants. Seeking help of a landscape consultant is a good idea to understand how to do it. Do tell your gift recipient about this. 

Flowering shrubs flower almost right through the year so they are pleasing to look at; they are bushy in shape and size. The fabulous flowering shrubs can provide for a long-lasting and eye-catching framework in any interior design. They come in a wide array of foliage, flowers and form. They are perfect for bringing natural joy. Among the popular varieties are Ixora, Pentas, Hibiscus, Mosanda and Lantana.

Bookmark to:

We shall inform you about a range of personal alert and safety equipment that make a valuable gift simply because safety and well-being of those dear to you is always on top of your mind. Here, we recommend to you precious personal alert and safety equipment that make a valuable gift:

Personal Safety Alarm
It adds to personal safety. This is a foolproof, carry-along security gadget. To be worn around the neck while shopping, walking, jogging alone at deserted or unfamiliar locations, it secures against purse/chain snatchers. It is ideal for college-going girls, office-going females and senior citizens. Just give the rip-cord a bit of sharp tug to activate the alarm. Insert the pin, back into the socket, to deactivate.
Price (approximate) Rs 545

Personal Anti-Loss Alarm for Kids
Alarm gets activated if the child moves beyond the safe or specified distance. Distance range up to 25 m can be adjusted. It is ideal for parents and guardians. The alarm has a transmitter and a receiver. When the distance between the receiver and the transmitter exceeds the pre-defined range, the alarm goes off – 3 beeps in quick succession.
Price (approximate) Rs 695 

Personal Protection Alarm
It comes with door protector, strobe light. If a user feels threatened or needs help, he or she can simply pull the pin. The additional cord (with Door Contact Clip) is for frequently travelers, staying in hotels. The clip will act as a stand-alone door sensor.
Price (approximate) Rs 795

Personal Anti-Sleep Alert
It is designed to alert a driver and is worn behind the person’s ear, avoiding the possibility of an accident. Place it behind the ear for alert in case your head droops.
Price (approximate) Rs 125

You can also gift Personal Security Alarm and other carry-Along Portable Security products from Zicom that are reasonably priced.

Bookmark to:

The best gifts can be termed as those that are personal in nature! I will elaborate on this particular point. Say, for instance, you know someone who’s always on the move, literally plane-hopping!

What would give that person as a gift? It has to be something that sure can come handy on their journey. Any such accessory or gadget will make a perfect present this travel season.

In the following paragraphs, we suggest some truly tourist-friendly gift options useful for the frequent flyer:

Audiobooks: One of the preferred pastimes while flying is casual reading. However, bulky books will only add to the baggage so are usually a no-no! On the other hand, compact audiobooks can be loaded into one’s mp3 player easily. And all one needs to do is to listen and to enjoy!

Noise-canceling headphones: This is sure among the most ubiquitous albeit most coveted accessories to one who loves music as well as traveling.

Compressor bag: Compressing and then air-tighting clothes will help save space and also guard clothes against undue moisture.

Inflatable travel pillow: You never know how, when, where one might get stranded during a journey. An inflatable travel pillow is a great gift.

E-book reader: If you have an office friend or a colleague who really relishes reading, think of getting an e-book reader; one that has electronic paper screens. The user can load as many e-books he or she wants to put into a device, smaller than a paperback.

Leather ticket case: This will help organize travel tickets, boarding passes and passport documents and keep them safely. With all the hassle and hurry involved, one may well misplace these crucial documents. Retaining them together with this case is a great idea.

Sleeping aids (foam ear plugs and blackout sleep mask) and something like a handheld tripod will also be welcomed.

Tags: , Best business gifts, gifting etiquette, Corporate gifting, promotional gifts, Business Gifting
Corporate gifting, gifting india, Corporate gifting India, corporate gifting for employees, Worst gifts

Bookmark to:

You will be busy celebrating and welcoming the New Year with your friends, family and colleagues - texting and calling them as well. This also is the perfect opportunity to share our joy through exchanging wishes and gifts.

The New Year gift basket is a not to be missed ritual. Here we offer some off-beat ideas and basic suggestions for you to create a gift basket for your boss, colleagues and friends.

• Always keep the hierarchy factor in mind. For your immediate bosses, the gift basket should be a tad bigger, and the gifts, that much more expensive.
• The basket that you gift your owner or MD should be the most impressive. Come up with a bottle of his/her favorite perfume; buy a branded shirt or get a classy pen set.
• The gifts you give may not be that much more expensive than the ones you give your colleagues, but should be packed creatively and presented in person.
• Decorate the handle with a bigger bow or shinier ribbon and you’re sending a sub-conscious message about his status.
• Find out what the person likes is looking to acquire before making a choice and that person really wants to possess. It is not always about buying a costly gift.
• If you want to be conventional, stick to office essentials like deodorants, classy pens, desk-top clocks, miniature calendars, etc.
• Colleagues in your department should be given the same gifts or goodies; you can skip the other departments unless you have forged special ties with some of them.

Make an impact with an impressive gift basket and after that, no one will be forgetting you in a hurry. Last but not the least, do your bit for society, when buying your gifts. Buy some products from an NGO.

Bookmark to:

Post terror attacks in Mumbai, security has become a big concern not only for corporate houses but also for homeowners. In such a scenario, gadgets that enhance and add to the safety and security of your stay at home and office will make a much appreciated gift. Here we present a range of security items that you can consider for gifting to your friends and relatives:
   
1. Burglar Alarm System- Its vital features are as follows:
Detects intrusion;
Wireless, 24×7 remote monitoring;
Detects gas leak;
Remote keys;
Easy to operate;
Price (approximate) Rs. 8000

  
2. B/W Video Door Phone- Its vital features are as follows:
Clear, bright pictures;
Allows 2-way communication;
Cast iron outdoor unit;
Visibility up to 25 ft
Price (approximate) Rs. 8000
    

3. Colour Video Door Phone- Its vital features are as follows:
Clear, bright pictures;
Crystal-clear speaker system;
Price (approximate) Rs. 17500
 

4. Electronic Gas Leak Sensor- Its vital features are as follows:
Detects gas leak;
In-built hooter gets activated;
2-hr battery back up;
Fire-proof
Resistant to extreme temperatures
Price (approximate) Rs. 1000

Zicom Electronic Security Systems Ltd. is a leading player in the domain of corporate security products. Their latest venture is Retail Products (for HOME and RETAIL) courtsey which they have realeased several home safety products.

Image courtsey: Zicom

Bookmark to:

The KEM Hospital has listed some interesting excuses that people give, adding they should not make such excuses and the reasons for doing so:

Excuse 1: “I am not of the right age to donate blood
Fact:  If you are in the age group of 18 to 60 years and in good health, you can donate blood.

Excuse 2: I am too thin or too small.
Fact:  Not so if you weigh 45 kg or more.

Excuse 3: Blood donation will make me weak.
Fact:  After a short rest and a healthy snack, you can resume your normal duties. The body quickly replaces the blood donated thus it is not ‘lost’ as the donor might think.

Excuse 4: It is unsafe to give blood.
Fact: Blood banks assure that it is completely safe. All the blood collection sets and the lancets used for testing blood are sterile, used just once and later discarded.

Excuse 5: A blood bank would not want my blood since I am common ‘O’ group.
Fact: Blood banks constantly need donors of every blood group.

Excuse 6: I have recently been unwell. And I am anemic.
Fact: Just wait till you are fit again. If in doubt, contact a blood bank’s Medical Officers. They check for anemia before every blood donation.

Excuse 7: I am too busy and it is too inconvenient.
Fact: It only takes 10-15 minutes (every three months) to be a regular blood donor.

Each blood unit can be employed to save lives of up to six to eight patients. Blood collected is separated into different components like Red cell concentrate, Plasma, Platelet concentrate, and Cryoprecipitate each of which has a specific use and is given to different patients according to their individual needs. Donate blood, gift life to someone!

Bookmark to: