Spa-tacular

The holiday season can be incredibly stressful. Add that to the daily pressures of work, home, family, and friends and you've perpetually stressed and snappy. Not a good combination.

I'm saving up for some spa treatments to decompress and get ready for the new year.

Here's what I have my eye on:

The Deep Sea Detox at Bliss: "This super wrap includes a firming oil massage, a marine seaweed body mask and a stimulating shower to simultaneously slim, promote lymph drainage, replenish minerals, relax, hydrate and leave you looking totally 'see'-worthy."

If you're looking for a cheaper option, The Elemis Exotic Lime and Ginger Salt Glow and the Hot Salt Scrub both look like good options.

Fabulous Facial: "This fab-for-all facial includes all the expertly performed facial essentials (cleansing, exfoliation and extractions), and is designed to be customized 'spa'- cifically for you with a variety of beauty-boosting upgrades. Fabulous indeed!"

Add a quickie mani and pedi and you're ready to usher the new year in! Pin It Now! Tweet

Winter Nails

I'm a huge believer that small acts of taking care of yourself can truly make you feel prettier and more put together. While I do like to leave my nails bare to refrain from using polishes too often, sometimes I love to use a night of pampering for an at-home manicure. It also makes for a great bonding activity during a girls night in!

In my opinion, it's far too expensive to have a plethora of nail polishes that you only ever use once in a while so I've bought three colors that I can use all fall and winter. Here they are:

-Essie Fishnet Stocking: perfect for day time during colder weather and also for parties and nights out
-Essie Wicked: The most beautiful rich color that really does go with all outfits
-Essie Eternal Optimist: This is a more conservative color that can be worn in a work environment or at a more formal event

These colors match well with my olive skin tone, but I have no doubt it would look good on everyone! Pin It Now! Tweet

Memento

I'm a sucker for little meaningful mementos.  For me, they have an immense ability to make transport you back to a certain time and place. As someone who tends to be a little nostalgic, they're perfect reminders of good times had and better times to come. I also read in Gretchen Rubin's The Happiness Project that having positive, happy reminders around the house is a great way to keep your spirits high.

To create your own little mementos, simply grab a napkin from a date, a family dinner, or even a hotel you've stayed at and place it in a frame. In order to make the end product look more professional, back the napkin with a plain card or letter paper. Wouldn't it be sweet to have dozens of these in the form of a gallery wall? Pin It Now! Tweet

Hurricane Sandy

{Photo from www.weather.com}

The aftermath of Hurricane Sandy has been devastating. While Chicago was spared of the destruction, it is still difficult to hear about the families that have been displaced, the lives that have been lost, and the entire neighborhoods under water.

Now more than ever, we see the human spirit can be a glue that brings those from different backgrounds and areas together. If you haven't already done so, please make a donation and help those in need.



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Coming Up

It's a new week and a new start. I'm looking forward to enjoying the (somewhat) mild fall weather here in Chicago and being productive.

Here are the posts coming up on West of India(na):

~An adorable idea to save special mementos
~Five outfit ideas for Thanksgiving dinner
~Gift ideas for a hostess
~Must have make-up for holiday events
~Delicious quick and easy recipes for all of you to enjoy

Please leave me a comment if there's something else you would like to read about! Pin It Now! Tweet

Lunch In A Flash

As mentioned before, I have a penchant for quick and easy meals that are still healthy and pack nutrients. The last few days, I've been enjoying this quick meal for both lunch and dinner.

Ingredients:
1 box organic whole wheat couscous
Sausage of your choice {I used the vino formagio ones from Trader Joes}
2 tbsp olive oil
1 cup spinach {feel free to use the cut, pre-washed version if you're short on time}
1 tsp salt
Trader Joes Hot Salsa
1.5 tbsp low fat Fage yogurt

Bake or pan fry one or two sausages of your choice. I chose to pan fry my sausages to save time, but either option works well. Once that's done, transfer it to a plate and keep covered. Bring half a cup of water to boil and add the couscous and spinach along with the salt. Each time I made this dish, I used a handful of couscous and it was more than enough. I also added some curry powder here, but feel free to add whatever you would like to give the couscous some added taste. Basil leaves, thyme, or even red pepper flakes are all good options. Wait until the water has dried up and quickly stir in the ingredients together. Transfer to your plate with the sausage and there you have it -- a quick, healthy, nutritious meal. It's delicious on its own, but I chose to mix it a little salsa with some Greek yogurt for some added zing.

Finally, you can always up the ante by adding freshly cut fruit as a dessert :)

*Please note that this is not a sponsored post

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Read

I've loved to read for as long as I can remember. I'm pretty sure I spent all of kindergarten reading books. It's a habit my mother inculcated in me, for which I am forever grateful. During college, the number of books I read dropped significantly, but recently, I've been trying to make more of an effort to read a book a week. While I'm pretty old school and love the feel and experience of reading an actual book, I must admit that the Kindle has made it so much more convenient!

Here are five books I highly recommend:

1. A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway - this first person account of an Italian campaign during WW1 is gripping and powerful and truly moves you

2. The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri - as the child of Indian immigrants myself, this book hits close to home and puts into words some of the most pure emotions

3. Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns) by Mindy Kaling - this right here is a girl after my own heart. Read this book -- you will not regret it. I promise you.

4. The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin - I started this book thinking it would be a little silly but it adds a scientific perspective to happiness and gives you steps to achieve it yourself.

5. Honeymoon with my Brother by Frank Wisner - a book that will change your view on break ups. It's a must for any adult.

Reading doesn't have to be daunting. Start small and with a genre you like and read whenever you get a chance. Regardless of how long it takes you to finish a book - it's time well spent.

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Quick n' Easy

I've been to known to make notoriously poor choices for dinner after a long day at work. Mostly due to the fact that I am simply too tired to make a meal or don't have the time. While I'm a healthy eater regularly, I've been making more of an effort recently to make healthier meals for dinner.

Like many of you living in large cities, I don't often have the option to buy fresh, local produce to help cooking from scratch. A Trader Joes is pretty much all I can get to on a moment's notice.

Here's a quick, cheap, and healthy meal with ingredients from Trader Joes that you can change to suit your own tastes:

Ingredients:
One pack frozen Chile Lime Burgers
One carton of Authentico Chunky Guacamole
Organic Hamburger Buns
TJ's Fresh Red Salsa (Hot)
Steamed Lentils

Total Cost: $15.75

I sauteed a burger in olive oil for about 10 minutes. In the meantime, I loaded up the burger buns with guacamole. Once the burgers were ready, I transferred them to buns and kept the heat on medium-high. I then sauteed the lentils with the fresh salsa and sprouts that I already had to create a salad of sorts. Feel free to use this as a garnish on your burger or eat it on the side. The entire process took me about 15 minutes and as a plus, I only had two dishes to wash! These ingredients usually last me 4 days worth of dinners and I often mix and match ingredients. My drink of choice with dinner is copious amounts of water and I substituted dessert for pineapple spears. So there you have it, a quick, easy, and cheap dinner!

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Fall

It's been a while since I've posted and I have absolutely no excuses. Fall is my favorite season and I've been spending all my time out and about enjoying the weather. Don't get me wrong, I love summer and all it brings, but there's something about the heat come August that is stifling.

The change of weather makes me want to turn a new leaf myself and do more things. All of which I will document of course! Stay tuned for more posts and feel free to leave me a comment if there's anything in particular you'd like to read about.

Happy Fall!


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DIY: Birthday Cards

Gift giving is somewhat of a passion of mine. I tend to stay away from merely buying gifts at a store, but rather enjoy making something myself or seeking out a gift that is truly thoughtful. For the birthday of one of my closest friends who lives in Baltimore, I decided to make a card myself. Here's how I did it...

What You'll Need:
1. Plain cards and envelopes (any size you'd like)
2. A set of paints
3. Fine glitter
4. A glitter pen
6. A paintbrush with large bristles

Step 1: Dip your paintbrush in water and cover the surface of your card. This will give you a more blended end effect.

Step 2: Using any variation of colors you'd like, paint the surface in large strokes. There's no need to be too careful here as you want an effect that is more seamless.

Step 3: Once your paint is completely dry, fold the card carefully. Using a glitter pen, write a message on the front of your card

Step 4: Quickly fill the front of your card with glitter, making sure you cover the message entirely.

Step 5: Wait a minute or two and then blow off the glitter carefully. And voila!

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Wicker Park Eats

I'm having a passionate love affair with Wicker Park. I have spent the last few days there and discover something new every day -- mostly food related.

Yesterday for lunch, my boyfriend and I popped into Antique Taco. It was easily the best decorated restaurant I have been to in a while. Every piece was curated to perfection. However, the food left much to be desired. The portions were tiny and simply not that tasty.

Brunch today was at The Bongo Room. A Wicker Park favorite, the lines on weekends can have you waiting for 45 minutes. It's worth every minute. I had the breakfast burrito with chorizo which was cheesy, had guacamole in abandon, a delicious salsa, and just the right amount of tangy, cooked-to-perfection chorizo.

My afternoon was spent lounging on the couch and drinking delicious coffee from Caffe Streets. It was truly a work of art. These people are not baristas, but rather true artists and coffee connoisseurs. It's a must for any coffee lover out there.

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Renegade Craft Fair

My weeks have become terribly busy, which makes it all the more important to enjoy the weekends to the fullest extent.

In my three months in Chicago, I haven't been able to explore the many other neighborhoods, but now that the weather isn't insufferably hot, I've been making more of an effort.

This weekend I headed down to Wicker Park to explore the area. While not as suburban or quiet as some of the neighborhoods up North, it's incredibly diverse and packed different things to do and people from all over. It was a change of pace I definitely enjoyed.

While I had some delicious meals, the Renegade Craft Fair definitely took the cake. It's a fair that showcases  the work of indie craft artists. It was open all day long and even had beer stands and quick bites. There wasn't a single stall I didn't end up falling in love with - much to the chagrin of my bank account. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to take any pictures but another trip is in the works and soon! Pin It Now! Tweet

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

This weekend was a much needed break from work and the hectic pace of regular week days. I got a chance to enjoy the beautiful weather, have a few drinks with friends while watching college football (Go Illini!), enjoy some retail therapy, and indulge in some sweet treats. Correction: numerous sweet treats.

I also got a chance to cook some delicious meals and thanks to a little fuel provided by iced coffees, deep cleaned my apartment.

Unfortunately, it's back to work tomorrow and I have to contend with a shattered iPhone screen courtesy of my own clumsiness made worse by poor motor skills. Pin It Now! Tweet

Labor Day

I'm a sucker for holidays of any kind. Especially when it involves a four day weekend for me. I'm looking forward to enjoying the start of September by eating good food, reading, and just plain old relaxing. Have a great weekend!

On a side note, I'd like to think I'm fashionably late to the Pinterest craze, but truth be told, I'm just plain behind. I finally got on to Pinterest last night and have been pinning like crazy to my Home, Recipes, Beauty, and Entertaining board. Follow me to see what's inspiring me or pin my own images for some inspiration of your own! Pin It Now! Tweet

Alfred Caldwell Lily Pool

The years I spent living in India gave me a renewed appreciation for the true beauty of nature. The architecture and sheer energy of Chicago comes of no surprise to anyone, but in my first few weeks here I found myself craving the sea and sand and some greenery.

A little exploring led me to the absolutely stunning Alfred Caldwell Lily Pool. While quite small, it is truly beautiful and a place where you can go to enjoy the greenery and peace

A short walk over lies the beach by Fullerton Parkway where you can run, lay out, or just relax on the beach.

All in all, it provides a little sanctuary after the hustle and bustle of the work day in downtown Chicago.

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A New Start

Having lived in 2 different countries growing up, I’m no stranger to settling down in new places. This past summer, I moved from a small college town to the bustling city of Chicago. By day I work downtown amongst the renowned skyscrapers and throngs of busy people and by night, I explore this new city and everything it has to offer.

This blog is a way for me documenting discovering yet another place and everything it has to offer by writing about things that engage me. 

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