I plan to celebrate October 2018 as a #gratitude fest on my blog for the whole month. So it’s indeed apt that the very first post of the month happens to be for the Gratitude circle with Vidya; the deal is to write about how one made it a month to remember long after it’s over. (or that’s how I see it)
I started a #100HappyDays pact with myself since 23rd September as that marks the start of last hundred days in this year. So every day is a celebration of some sorts and God has been kind in making that happen. Read on as I take you through my September to remember.
Health & Fitness
♥ First thing first was to get back to my fitness regime at Cult. I happened to speak to a customer care executive there who helped me get back into the groove with her kindness. God bless her dedication to ensure a healthy zeal in all their members! (She has been following up with me on my progress too). I was finally able to schedule classes to my convenience and now I am at 4-5 yoga sessions in a week.
It helps that CULT has initiated a fitness challenge of sorts and there is a T-shirt to be won at the end of it – you bet I am eyeing it with gusto 😉 Wish me luck peeps!
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On top of that I have started my morning walks too. First day of the walk I was greeted by a carpet of freshly fallen Harshringar flowers. I just adore these delicately perfumed blooms and the sight of them fills me with joy instantly. They are also called parijat / shiuli / shefali …. What do you know them as?
So on most days it’s both yoga and walk and on others its just one of them. Whichever way I look at it, every morning begins with fitness. I have managed to fit a little bit of Pranayam and meditation into this too. A huge Yay for me!! ♥
Travel Diaries
♥ Travel happened this month and to one of my most favourite destinations – Amritsar. Since a few years, its become a yearly thing to journey to the Golden Temple and imbibe some of the peace and joy into my soul. And I went here with one of my favourite persons in the world- my baby sister P; that sure did make this trip to remember for a long time.
Travel comes with food and shopping and that happened in tonnes out here. We filled our tummies with typical Amritsari delicacies and shopped for jutis and phulkari textiles with an unrivalled gusto. I cant wait to flaunt my purchases soonest. ♥
Gifts of Love
♥ I will remember this September for a very special reason – the closer ties I made with many of my online friends. The gift of friendship is perhaps one of the best one and I got it in plenty in September. On top of that, some of them sent me gifts too – now isn’t that sweet! The gift were sent JLT (just like that 😉 ) making me feel so so pampered. Can one ever ask for more? ♥
Gratitude Journal
♥ I was going through Vidya’s gratitude post and she mentioned an app developed by a fellow blogger Upasna which can be used as a gratitude journal, but on the phone. I checked it out and fell in love with the colourful interface. I have started using it since a week and am so happy to jot down my top 5 happy things of the day in it every night. You must check it out, if writing gratitude is your thing too. ♥
Social Front
♥ This month saw a happy reunion of the Bangalore Bumchums – our trio of sisterhood from Bangalore days. It’s always a joy to connect when we all happen to be in the same town; aren’t such friendships to be just treasured for life? Jo made yummilicious food for us, which we slurped down without any hesitation. Now can one really ask for more? ♥
TBR Progress
♥ Reading has gone down as I am back to my nitty-gritty routine and then travel happened too. So managed to finish two books only this month; the credit for one of those books goes to Soumya who sent it to me as she thought I would love to read it too. She was right – it’s a fabulous book and I recco it further peeps ♥
Its been a September to remember, especially with the trip to Amritsar. I am just grateful to be able to live the life I do and with such support and love from family and friends.
I have embarked on a new journey this month in a bid to live a healthier and fuller life and am grateful for the opportunity. Initial struggles in the beginning days of it, but hope to make a success out of it. I will talk more about it when I am comfortable with it. Wish me luck peeps! ♥
Thats it from me for this month folks, you could catch my previous month’s Gratitude post here
P.S:
Do drop me a link to your gratitude post; I love to read what you are thankful for!
Sounds like September has been a great month for you too!
Thanks Raney; its been that 🙂
Hope you have been having a great month too!!
It has been though a very busy one too.
Busy is good- right? I hope things are going great at your end!!
Happy to know you had a lovely September. I love Golden Temple. Been there once and cant stop thinking of it. So beautiful and serene place it is.
Happy that Cult has been working for you. I have one T shirt and a new one will be shipped soon 😉 I enjoy how they let you meet goals and stay consistent. Have a lovely October! 🙂
Thanks so much Parul- Cult has been a boon in my life. Cheers to the T shirt and hopefully I will have a new one for myself too soonest!!
So very happy to read this post, Shalz. First Amritsar is among my most favourite places in the world. There is something so tranquil and amazing about Golden Temple that it calls out to me. I need to go again. Then the food and shopping as you mentioned and did I tell you that I absolutely adore the Punjabis, such hearty and warm hearted folks. Glad that you are back to your fitness routine. In my case, I am undergoing physiotherapy and that has worked wonders for the knee. I diligently do the strength training and am slowly building walking stamina. I am now able to brisk walk for 30 minutes which makes me so very happy. I am not having any weight or time goals, just want my knee to be back to normal.
Loved the books and reading bit and catching up with friends. This was a good month for you. Happy for you and wish you a lovely October.
Hey way to go on the physio – its awesome for the knee. My dad recovered with religious rounds of Physio only! He thanks his trainer everyday! So you go gurl; I am here rooting for you.
I agree with your thoughts on Golden Temple and Punjabis 😉 I also just love going there and am always on the lookout for peeps headed there, to tag along with them.
I wish you a speedy recovery and back to the fitness regime that you are missing at the moment. Blessings and joys in October for you too my dear!
Glad to hear September was a good month for you! Sounds like a lot has happened on all fronts 🙂 Good on you with the healthy journey! I’m doing the 100 day fitness thing too {as you probably know through Insta!}. Hope October is just as fantastic for you!
Thanks Sanch – I think this 100 days reminder is something I picked from Shailja’s feed and turned it into a 100 days to count and make then count for the rest of the year! I am so glad to see joyful tidings headed my way daily!! All the best with your 100 days too! Fingers crossed for an amazing October for both of us! 🙂
Gifts of love are always the best, aren’t they? 🙂
I’m glad I sent you a book that you enjoyed reading, something told me that you will like it as I read it. Thank you for the return gift as well. I’m so envious of your travel diaries! I want to visit Amritsar sometime soon!
Wishing you a very happy October, Shalz with more reading, awesome health and some good travel.
Lots of love! <3
Oh yes indeed!! And I am still so touched and tingly inside by your gesture. Thank you so so much! And I have been recommending that book to one and all 😉
Dont be envious; just come on down to Delhi, stay with me and we will go together to Amritsar – I am always game for that trip! So keep it in the offing for next travel plan!
Thanks a tonne for all your wishes- hope october is happy and fullon for you too Somz!!
lovely post. I also started my exercise regime this month. Loved the shiuli flowers. For us Bongs this flower signifies the arrival of Goddess Durga and we love them. I would definitely check that app. I need more positivity in my life. Hugs
Hugs to you to Balaka; you have been missing or thats what I am feeling? Its great to see you on my blog and I am looking forward to Durga Puja too – i have been meaning to go for one Sindhoor Khela arti since ages but never made it yet – maybe this year will be it for me!! Uff I love the food at the Puja stalls and thats the main aim for me to go 😉
I hope you do install that app – its a boon for my journal writing now!
I was not in a state to visit any blog. You are one of my favourite bloggers and I love reading your posts. I will make up for the missed posts.
I personally feel that sindoor khela has become an overhyped thing, thanks to bollywood and hiñdi serials. It used to be a simple affair (rather sad) when we were kids but these days it has become ultra glamorous. I also love the food in puja stalls. That is my only incentive for going to the pandal.
Awww you made my day girl- what a sweet thing to say! Thank you so much!
I have never been for it, so i guess I should enjoy it as a first time around – fingers crossed!
I installed the app.
Yay!!!
You surely seem to have had a blessed month that was September. May the blessing continue to shower upon you. You go to Amritsar every year! That is so lucky of you. I love Golden Temple. Yes, I just downloaded the Gratitude Pie app today. Hope to use it to the maximum possible extent.
Though my Gratitude post for September remains to be written, I am doing the #100DaysOfGratitude Challenge on FB for the remaining days of 2018. Love you loads.
Awwww Love you loads to Anupriya; some connections happen just over wavelengths and am so glad to have met you online. I wish you loads of luck and love for your future endeavors. Thank you for loving my post so much- Golden Temple is where I feel very blessed and loved; there is something about that place that I cant put my finger on. I am indeed lucky to be able to go there so often.
I am happy to hear you have the app too – I think its a pretty neat thing to be able to jot down things in it on the go – look forward to your september posting.
September was a great month on so many levels for you. And I agree surprise gifts from unexpected corners are the very best. 🙂
I am glad you had such an amazing month. I hope you have an equally great October, and you get a chance to catch up on the reading too. 🙂
Thanks so much Shanaya – hoping and fingers crossed for that! 🙂
I love what I have heard of Amritsar Golden Temple. It is sure on my wish list Shalz. I am hoping to visit it someday. Lovely fitness record that is. I am hoping to settle with some warm ups and cool downs for now due to the knee injury. That still makes up good than doing nothing. I love the fitness routines you have finally settled in for.
The parijatam,as we call it, is a bliss to watch. Look at them, so beautiful. They are serene and I love how they mix with air. I am loving the gratitude app too. Upasna has done a great job in keeping the app simple. All the best with October and May all you are hoping for happen.
Thanks so much Jayanty – a big yay to Golden Temple! I have been hearing from everyone how its on their wish list- hope everyone of you gets this wish fulfilled soonest!
I hope you recover soonest from the bum knee – its a damn shame when injury like that slows you down – hope you are taking good care of it!
This is one real happy post. It is great to know your fitness journey has been going good. I have heard good things about Cult. With regard to your travel diaries, I enjoyed reading your updates about your vacation in the hills and looking at your photographs. I love the hills for the silence and peace they have to offer. Thanks for reminding me about Upasana’s gratitude app. I have to install it to see how it functions. I hope October also happens to be as good as your September and more.
Thanks so much Anu; the gratitude app is just brilliant! I think you are going to love it.
I am hoping for some more travels in this year and been trying to make the last 100 days count – lets see how it goes! 🙂
Its such a nice positive post when theres gratitude all around. And I can vouch for Soumya and her choice of books for sure. So do share your thoughts on what you read. I love to read book related posts. Fitness is a regular feature that I have made sure I bring in to my life. Its a positive effect on my body and mind, I hope this is what I am able to continue in the almost last 100 days of the year 2018.
Thanks Ramya – I was just blown away by the impromptu gesture. I agree with you on her taste of books – she does read an amazing variety there!
Wishing you all the best for the 100 days- lets all make them count!
Ah, what a beautiful month you had, Shalini! I use Upasna’s Gratitude Pie app and it is indeed lovely. It feels so good practicing gratitude on a day to day basis! Amritsar is one of my absolute favorite places to visit. Glad to find your pictures and updates across SM. I’m working on my TBR too. Been slacking a bit on the reading front. Have a happy October 🙂
Thanks so much Shalzzz and your SM pics of the TBR have been devastating me with envy; what yummy book boxes you have been ordering. Do review and share your views of them. I have never tried one and am wondering now!!
I love the gratitude pie app as well. I am very new to this concept of maintaining a list of items to be grateful for but I’m enjoying it.
Thanks for dropping by Sonia; yup this app is pretty neat and I am loving it a lot too.
Glad you have so much to be grateful in your life, Shalini! Your post speaks of inner happiness as if you find happiness in everything life belts out. I haven’t been to Amritsar, it’s on my bucket list and those Parijat flowers, I love them too for their delicate fragrance, though we don’t have them in Mumbai, I think.
Thanks Anshu; I hope you do get your wish of visiting the temple soon; its an amazing feeling to be there.
I am surprised to hear you dont see these flowers in Mumbai – strange! Shall check it when I am next there!
Great month, nice to hear that you went on a trip to Golden temple. That is on my list too, some day I will make it. Gratitude pie is a lovely app , upasana did a great job. Surprises from friends is always priceless, I can feel your happiness and excitement when you received it.
https://shilparya.wordpress.com/2018/10/01/thankful-september-2/
Thanks Shilpa – I love going to Golden Temple and its always a pleasure!! I hope you do make this trip soon too.
I am so happy to see so many of us using the Gratitude Pie app – kudos to Upasna for creating it!
Yoga routine, Travel to Amritsar, Gifts, 100 days of happiness pact – Wow! What a month for you! I can feel the positive impact it is creating just by reading it. I love these posts.
We both are doing a 100 day project for the rest of the year. I wish both of us have many more moments in October to move ahead in our respective projects.
Glad to see you had a wonderful time in September. Wishing you many more in October.
Thanks so much Lakshmi and welcome to my blog!
I wish you loadsof luck for your 100 days pact too – shall endeavour to follow your project to see how its turning out!
I love this season of flower beds. Amritsar and golden temple are always charming. I am happy you are taking the challenge. Its always fun to be with your girl friends. Thanks to you for a shout out. It really matters a lot. I am doing some UI updates after getting feedback from all of you friends. Stay tuned!
I am loving the Gratitude Pie app a lot Upasna and am happy to note so many of our fellow bloggers on it. You have done a great job girl; be very proud of this!!
Looking forward to the updated version soonest- all the best with that! 🙂
Wow, what a September, Shalini! I am grateful to have you in the Gratitude Circle- thank you. I love your comments and I love reading your posts.
Bangalore Bumchums – so cute! For a second I wondered why I am not there (yeah!) then realized you don’t live here. Sigh. But we’ll meet! Sooner than you imagine.
Very glad you had a lovely month. Looking forward to seeing your October update! Hugs!
Thank you for getting me into the habit Vidya – your posts have inspired me to do so!
Ofcourse we will meet sooner – you have no idea how many agarbattis are being sacrificed to appease His Highness; I need a neighbour who cooks yummy food! Paapi pet ka sawal hai 😉
Excellent reason! Hugs! Keep those agarbattis going!
Hugs right back at you Vidya1!!! 🙂