Dove Indulgence !

Dove is a brand, that spells indulgence ! And what better way, to start the summers than being pampered by Dove at the #DovePlay event by IndiBlogger ! It was a ladies only meet & the men & boys protested & went into depression !

We were told to dress in white colour.We all turned up in whites.And one has to look at the pictures to realise that women can dress up in white in   myriad  ways ! White tops,white tees,white trousers,white jeans,white kurtis,white salwars,white churidaars,white skirts,white frocks,white capris & so on ! We landed up at the J.W Marriot ,Juhu,Mumbai for the play date with Dove !



We were greeted by IndiBlogger team & Dove ! We queued up to get our white dove batches with our names & the chart of the agenda  for the date with Dove.We were snapped many times .This alone was enough to make us feel special ! And yet ,there was more grandeur waiting  to unfold, as the event progressed.

There were snacks galore, all lined up .We decided to have just a dekko by tasting the pani puris ! Well,they were simply superb ! Other snacks were bhel,ragda patties,sandwitches etal !We could just imagine what must be lined up for dinner ! So ,we decided to stay put, till dinner time !

In the auditorium,we were briefed by IndiBlogger team .It was in the usual way, which meant   free coupons for many ladies ! Then the Dove host took over.We were told to get up & split into teams based on our bands which were handed over in the queue at the beginning ! Then the zumba dancers held sway ! What a work out it was ...bursting with energy ! We ended up sweating in the air conditioned auditorium !



Then three   teams went into different halls to play different games namely the Hula loop,the jigsaw puzzle ,the Dove ball game & hair styling.All games kept us engaged in teams & we worked ourselves into a frenzy as there were prizes to be won !  And after the  games ,all women participants were pampered by hair dressers who straightened ,curled & cut hair ! All the participants looked like celebrities after the hair makeovers !



Then, we all assembled in the lawns by the poolside for the mixing of the drinks. Janaki was a sport & she made a red very berry concoction which earned her a tie in the drink contest ! I did taste it & it was really good !

After this ,we headed for a sumptous dinner spread ! There was paneer,biryani ,naans,raita,dahi vadas,dal makhani,salads etal.And then, there was another sinful spread of the choicest of desserts.This included chef's special,gulab jamuns,rasmalai,chocolate cakes,cakes, & many more ! And all the cakes & chef's special were vegetarian !

Dinner over,there was another game.This was  to pick up the dove cutouts from a glass enclosure which had a mix of many cutouts.A fan would churn all cutouts into a cyclone & the individual had to pick out the doves ! It was fun ! The winner was the one, who collected the maximum doves !

Then, it was time for the winning team to take a bow ! Blogwati G did the honours as her team had performed the best !


It was time to bid good bye.Dove gave us goody bags.My goody bag had a Panasonic hair dryer & a bottle of Dove Elixir ! It has an actual lavendar petal inside ! So it is real ! I wanted this oil, as my hair has turned dry ! It is simply  perfect for my dry hair ! My hair feels nourished,indulged,pampered & cared for ! It is so easy, to style my short hair as it is moisturised right, by the Dove Elixir !

IndiBlogger gave us white tees .And the best part was Dove & IndiBlogger made sure that those who stayed far away, were dropped home at their door steps in cabs ! I was dropped at my home, at eleven in the night & that too in an  Innova !

I think such overindulgence by Dove & IndiBlogger has set the stage for further meets.

Is it any wonder, that for the # Play date with Dove,lady bloggers had travelled from Ahmedabad,Kolkatta,Pune etal !

Ice cream !

I read an article by Vir Sanghvi in HT Brunch dated 23rd May,2010, on ice-creams .I was inspired to write my take on this delicious dessert.

When I was a kid,a visit to the dentist was a sure shot way of getting to eat ice-cream. The dentist would advise that we keep the gum cold so that it pains less & ice -cream was recommended  as the antidote ! We all loved to eat it.We continued to eat ice creams as we grew up.I had a friend who would tell me that at marriages & other social functions,she would just gorge on ice creams ! I used to wonder as to how could anyone like ice - creams so much ? But I am wiser now, having fallen for them absolutely !

After marriage,I think my love affair started - with ice creams, that is.As I had heard as also read that one should have affairs to keep interest alive in the marriage,I thought,why not give it a try ? So,I started this open relationship with ice - creams ! But I like only colored ice -creams. I do eat vanilla as well but only when I am left with no other option.The reason is I feel vanilla is just like frozen milk & I detest milk.I am averse to chocolate ice -cream as I am unable to understand as to how anything that is bitter can taste good with any ice-cream ? I can see many disapprovals as you read this.My kid just loves chocolate ice-cream.I have tried umpteen times to make her develop tastes other than  chocolate  but drawn a blank so far.

I recall eating a banana split ice -cream which was so big that I felt, that my tummy was going to burst any moment but thankfully it did not.But the incident left such an impact that till now,I have stayed from the said ice- cream.I did enjoy some sundaes after that.But by & large I stick to ice- creams having two to three flavours & not an assortment of flavours.



Ice-creams are a good investment .All guests relish them -old as also young. ! Moreover,in a tropical country like ours, ice- creams provide coolness & sweetness in combination which is so very irresistible.They are healthy as they are made from milk  in combination with fruits & nuts.So,as I progressively age,I defend devouring ice-creams to replenish my falling calcium levels !

This year is said to more hotter than many years gone before & that is why I have started keeping  ice -creams handy in my refrigerator.Even if no guests come,I can always eat them as dessert or as a snack or when I am feeling low.It perks me up immediately.

I have also begun enjoying gelato -frozen dessert though in the suburb,wherein,I stay ,gelato outlets are absent.Gelato has another plus going for it as it is low fat. I do feel left out, when the gelato maufacturers announce new flavours & charge a pittance on the first day for the same.I wish there were more people like me to savor gelato & other ice-creams on a fortnightly  basis . It will be what the generation next calls  " cool " - literally !One more thing - my marriage has grown stronger & withstood this extra marital affair.