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Strictly lighthearted

Eat, Laugh, Travel …. oh and #SeriousNotAllowed

Travel Diaries

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Is it just me or does anyone else also think of breakfast before going to sleep? Now I want coffee ... and cake! #CantSleep . . #food #foodie #coffee #breakfast #random #life #mood #coffeelover #cake #dessert #sweet #photography #homebakery #dubaiblogger #foodblogger #eat
I was left stunned this morning when I got a notification saying my overall 'screen time' on the phone was down by 74 percent! Yup, I had decided to take an unplanned social media detox break last week. It wasn’t my first time either as I believe in taking one every few months. Each time it teaches me something new. My observations this week were: . . The days were off to a less stressful start. Limited distraction meant I accomplished more during the day in less time. . . Taking a back seat meant I had that much needed breathing space to judge my own work and help differentiate the necessary from the unnecessary. . . It felt liberating! I wasn’t even aware of how much mindless scrolling I had become accustomed to without even realising it. . . I was now more aware of which bloggers I truly enjoyed, as I went straight to their handles to see what they’d been up to when I did log back in. Quality over quantity any day! . . It was a golden opportunity to connect with ‘real’ life rather than ‘reel’ life. I was living in the moment instead of through a phone screen. . . I guess what’s important is to make a conscious effort to strike a balance between the ‘online’ and ‘offline’ world. If you’ve never done a social media detox before then I strongly urge you to do it. As I once read somewhere, sometimes it is important to disconnect to reconnect. #ThinkAboutIt . . How much time do you spend on social media? #DisconnectToReconnect . . #TemporarilyUnavailable #socialmediadetox #breathe #mentalhealth #relaxation #digitaldetox #addiction #recharged #taketimeout #beyourself #justdoit #nature #travel #photography #switzerland #outdoors #thoughts #mentalhealthawareness #mood #dubaiblogger #bloggers #socialmedia #monday
‘Postscript’ is a sequel to ‘PS. I Love You’ by Cecelia Ahern. Seven years have gone by since Gerry passed away and Holly feels more confident and agrees to speak about Gerry’s death on her sisters podcast and how his letters helped her move on. What she thought was a simple one-off interview turns out to be such a hit with the audience, it leads to the creation of the ‘PS. I Love You’ club. Run by a few terminally ill patients, they all look to Holly to help them do what Gerry did for her and leave behind something meaningful for their loved ones. But now that Holly has finally put the past behind her, will she agree to join the club even if it might mean re-living the grief all over again? That’s what this book is all about, as Holly is given a chance to understand things from a different perspective as she re-visits the past with Gerry, and discovers how much she has grown as a person since he passed away. . . Would I recommend the book? Just like Holly, I too was hesitant on whether I should read this book or not. Grief is something I have experienced closely in the last one year and I wasn’t sure I wanted to read about it and go back to square one again. But I’m so glad that I did as it was a beautiful reminder of how you come out much stronger as a person when you think you’re at your weakest. The book is no doubt emotional yet uplifting at the same time. I quite enjoyed the more mature version of Holly and loved how Gerry still had a strong presence in the book. It’s almost like re-living their love story while saying goodbye at the same time. You might shed a few tears while reading a few chapters but  it will be a proper good cry when you reach the end. So please have those tissues ready. . . Which book are you currently reading?
“Photos are a return ticket to a moment otherwise gone” #HolidayModeReactivated . . Sometimes I don’t know what’s harder ... taking a pic or fitting it within the #instagram window! 😅 . . #Turkey #Istanbul #TopkapiPalace #travel #memories #throwback #photography #travelpics #wanderlust #holiday #nature #outdoorpics #weekend #dubaiblogger #turkeytourism #igersturkey #photooftheday #favouritepic #today #throwback #thetravelhub
‘Eating Healthy’ does not necessarily mean giving up on your favourite food. All you really need to do is to re-think the ingredients and switch things around to suit your fitness goal. . . Lately, I find myself experimenting more in the kitchen. Yes, it is one of my least favourite places but if homemade means I can munch on my favourite snack even during the week, then I happily will. . . Let’s take this granola for example. It was one of my most favourite items until I grew more conscious of how much sugar goes into it. So I eventually stopped having it - until today. I discovered ‘healthy granola’ was a thing! I’m going to be pretty upset with you if you already knew about it and didn’t tell me! 🤨 . . Now that it’s all baked and the place is smelling divine, I’m just left shocked by: 1. How incredibly simple it was to bake 2. How much money I wasted in the past with store-bought granola 3. How I can finally have Yogurt Parfait with granola for breakfast! . . I’m so thrilled right now, I’m pretty sure there is something I’m forgetting to mention here. What is it? 😝 #R
The most trending hashtag this month seems to be #BackToSchool. It made me wonder what going to school with some of my favourite bloggers would have been like. Let’s imagine it then, shall we? 🤔 . @_sarah.says_ - first day in a new class can be so nerve wracking as we quickly scan the room for a friendly face. I know who I would want to be friends with ~ Sarah. Not only is she funny but also so relatable. She speaks her mind and her witty observations on different situations are always on point. #LoveHerWriteUps . @hudavlogs - then comes the homework! We all want to be friends with the smarty pants who we can always count on. That’s Huda for you. Be it the latest phone app, picture edits or even make up, she will do her thorough research and have all the answers for you! #LoveHerCreativity . @thedesimommy - aren’t lunch breaks the best provided you have something yummy packed? Guess whose lunch box I’d be eyeing? Sidra doesn’t like me calling her a Masterchef but I can’t help it! One look at her food and you’ll call her the same. Her feed will also make you want to dress up! #LoveHerPresentationSkills . @thehrmommy - exam phase is the worst when stress levels are high and we are at our cranky-best. You can always count on Omaira to cheer you up as she finds the good in every situation. There can never be a dull moment when she is around. #LoveHerInspiringStories . @kinza_saleem - summer approaches and we secretly hope our parents have something exciting planned for us. Kinza might be a teacher in real life, but we would surely get in trouble as students, for our non-stop chatter about our travel bucketlist! She is an adventurous soul with hilarious observations. You’ll be grinning without realising it. #LoveHerQuirkyCaptions . But the million dollar question is, who would our teacher be? There can just be one who would never make me want to bunk class ~ Desi Wonder Woman @shehzeen.r . No introduction needed as she is our Queen (said it just like Jon Snow in GoT). No convincing needed either, you love her already! #LoveHerSimplicity . Your turn! Who are your favourite bloggers? Tag them here so I can follow them too!
Eid Mubarak to everyone celebrating. Eid ul Adha feels so special as it’s always a trip down memory lane recalling our memorable Hajj journey two years ago. #AlHamdulillah . . Meanwhile, here is Ortakoy Mosque and the best one to photograph at sunset in my opinion. Ortakoy is usually packed with tourists so this was a successful 5 seconds jump in the air and click click click (thank God not splash splash 💦💦 as I landed back on my feet). 🤳🏻 #WhereTheresAWillTheresAWay . . #Eidmubarak #hajjmubarak #eiduladha #turkey #istanbul #ortakoy #mosques #architecture #sunset #photography #travel #photooftheday #picoftheday #outdoors #dubaiblogger #adventure #asia #europe #nofilter #traveller #dubaiblogger
When you’re trying to be a tourist in your own city! 😂 Camel Couple’s insta game going strong!! #DoItForTheGram . . #Turkey #cappadocia #travel #wanderlust #traveller #photography #travelpics #holiday #tourist #love #beautiful #beautifuldestination #adventure #photooftheday #toocool #igers #igersturkey #dubaiblogger
A burst of vibrant colours in a clear blue sky? Yes please! Though we’ve been Hot Air Ballooning before, but gotta say this one in Cappadocia tops our list. It’s quite an experience being surrounded by so many other Hot Air Balloons at the same time. Thank you @royalballoon for such an awesome morning! ❤️ . . #cappadocia #turkey #travel #traveller #tourist #adventure #sunrise #hotairballooning #royalballoon #beautiful #photography #travelpics #nature #mountains #igersturkey #dubaiblogger

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