Heel your soul!!

Hey guys.... Today's topic is really really close to my heart...... HEELS!! I have been in love with with heels like forever... And I just cannot have enough of them... But then which girl can? It gives a nice posture... Lady like elegance and can certainly make heads turn where ever you go! Stilettos , wedges, kittens, cone, block, platforms.... There are soooo many of them! I might not have a huge collection, but looking at the pairs I own surely makes my day. On the other hand what turns me off is seeing worn out... Cracked... And dirty heels. So, today I am going to write about my routine once I am back home after a party or any function.

Well, this is my teeny tiny collection

And I love all of them to bits!!
So once I am back  I thoroughly inspect my heels.. To check for any stains or flecks of dirt.
Once that is done, the further procedure depends upon the material of the footwear.

1) PU (polyurethane)
         Now, since this isnt a very durable material, this baby needs real special care. All I do for it is clean it off with a dry cloth. If i see any flecks of dirt or any stain, i just clean it it with a mild cleanser (i use Johnson and Johnson bodywash... Pretty mild) and a clean cloth. After the cleaning, i make doubly sure that it is entirely dry before i put it back in, you do not want wierd stuff growing on it!!

2) Suede
           This is a very very soft material and very comfortable. This baby to be cleaned with cleanser and for spot cleaning, an old toothbrush can be used. Just use the brush with a light hand, and you should be good to go. Again, make sure it is dry.

3)
      Well, this is the toughest and i clean it vigorously with a brush, cleaner and a cloth. Since its white, the dirt shows off pretty easily and the OCD in me takes a ferocious avatar!! Warm water, cleanser and my trusted toothbrush.... Thats all that needs to be done! Wipe it dry and you are done!!

4)
       Now, this one hasnt been used much (and sorry I do not know the name of the material) and doesnt get dirty very easily. I just wipe it and thats it.

          Once this is done, I wrap my  babies and put them back into their boxes and store in a dry place until its next use.

This may seem like a  long process but its worth it guys, your heels will be happy with the way you treat them and will last for a long long time.  Thats all from your crazy organiser, adios until next time.

Pic credits: Ashwini Patekar

Bolo Ambe Mata ki jai!!

        Hey guys...I know..I know..its been too long...but final year...all the books that weigh more than me..jugglng all that has been difficult!! However, today I will be talking about my brush with religion and devotion in my years in the hostel.
 
        Well, I myself have never been a religion fanatic, all my parents' efforts to teach shlokas and bhajans have gone down the drain!! I wont call myself an atheist...I  do believe in some greater power out there...but the upvases and the elaborate poojas and the milk abhishek have always been something that I have failed to comprehend. However..my second year in hostel and all my perceptions changed!! at least 25% of them did!!

        It all stared in the navratri of 2012, my friend just made a casual announcement of having the navratri arti in her room , and all of us had chided her...saying it was a lot of work, keeping the diya burning all night, arrange for prasad everyday, have the 15 minute arti especially since it would always co incide with our exams, still she was confident enough and thats how the hostel got its official arti room. It started on the previous night of the first day, decoration materials were brought, devi's photo was cleaned, a pedestal was beautifully made by the girls. I, being painfully lazy, just looked at them, returned to my room and had my beauty sleep!! However, the next morning, things had changed!! The room had a complete makeover, fresh flowers, devi's picture on the pedestal, beautiful decoration, the heady fragrance of agarbattis (incense stick). Then there was the arti, and for the first time..i enjoyed it! There was no show off, no sense of being superior. Just a group of girls, some of them knowing and singing the artis beautifully, while others googling the lyrics and trying to sing along. It was definitely a new learning experience and showed me that side of devotion that I had never ever seen before! The evening artis would be even more beautiful, Devi's image in the diwali lights and the flickering diya was one of the prettiest sights I had seen in my life!! And then there would be the prasad!! Now being humans and primarily Indians...the girls' fondnesss for sweets was very publicly evident and none of us minded it!!

Work in progress

         This has been a routine for us for the past 4 years now..the bell used for the arti has now become an reminder call for the arti, the number of girls has increased, the artis are sung in two different languages now, and well..i have learnt at least one bhajan now (still not sure if i know it well!!), the favours that we ask from Devi maa, right from passing us in exams to serving good food in the mess...and more than anythng else, the beauty of devotion in absence of elaboration! This is all from your crazy organiser! Do share any such experiences from your hostel..will be looking forward to it!!
                                                                       

The girls!!

Electric kettle.... My constant companion!

Hi guys,
   Sorry for the lazy and delayed updates... Was searching for a really interesting and common topic for discussion.. And guess what? The topic was lying on my window sill for the past six months!! Well.. It is the most common thing that you will find in hostel rooms., definitely can't live without it and our partner for all nighters during exams!!  No.. It isn't Maggi ( even though the description holds true for it)... It is our very own favourite ELECTRIC KETTLE! So what exactly happened?
    It happened around 6 months ago... It was my friend's birthday and I was in charge of making the caramel pudding.  My kettle is a really old model and doesn't have the auto off on boiling.... So when I boiled the milk in it and got distracted for just a second, all my hardwork started flowing down the sides of the kettle... Onto my mattress and all over the floor!! And while I was busy cleaning all the mess... Little did I realise that the milk got burnt and got stuck to the coil! Scared for my life I packed the kettle and did not open it, until 3 weeks ago, when I desperately needed the kettle and asking for it from others became a pain!!  That's when I undertook the CLEAN THE KETTLE project!
       Then started the endless Google searches, innumerable keyword combinations to find the perfect solution..... Little did I know it wasn't going to be as easy as a simple google search. Anyways, after around an hour of research, I came up with this method and it worked perfectly for me! This is how my kettle looked ( downloaded this pic from the net, mine was a Little browner)

   Now, most of the solutions suggested detergent, baking soda, vinegar and the likes. But where do we get these... In a hostel room!! That when it struck me... Anything strongly acidic would work wonders!! 

 STEP 1) Liquid soap:

           I first added around one tbsp of Vim Liquid and added around a glass of water and brought this mixture to boil.  This step has two benefits, it cleans up the insides of the kettle... Where no brush can reach and it also loosens up the burnt bits and makes the cleaning easier.  I brought this mixture to boil for around 10 mins and thoroughly rinsed it. 

STEP 2) Lemon juice:

    Then add the juice of one full lemon and mix with 1.5 times water and keep it for one hour.  The acidity will loosen up the really difficult stains and also kill most bacteria, making it Sterile! 

STEP 3) Boil:

   After an hour has passed, bring the lemon solution to boil. I love the fragrance that spreads in the room after the boil. Now... Thoroughly rinse the kettle. It smells so nice and citrusy after the rinse!! 

This is how it looks now

 

This is all your crazy organiser had to offer this time... Stay tuned for more tips and hacks.... Till then, adios! 

ME AND MERI MAGGI!!

     Hi guys... Today I will be writing about my bff since 4 years... Meri Maggi!! You may think...why this sudden detour from the normal organizing hacks? Here's why:
   Cleaning makes me very hungry... And believe  it or not... I can be a lazy ass when it comes to filling my stomach.  So the easiest solution? MAGGI.  I remember the ads back then in my childhood, mothers surprising their kids with a plate of Maggi after a rough day at the playground... But the exact opposite would happen at my place. My mom would always say a big no to Maggi... Stating it was thoroughly unhealthy... And that I should rather eat fruits....I always found that hilariously funny... But I obliged anyway. So the prestigious Maggi always remained a "forbidden fruit"  and well, who doesn't want to taste the forbidden fruit. So, my tryst with Maggi started around mid of my first year in college. It was always fun, trying to hide the Induction Cooktop from the Rector, making sure its noise dint go too high... Always trying to camouflage its noise by our shrill girly laughter (inductions were not allowed in my hostel back then!!  That may explain the craziness).  It always embraced hungry tummies in a motherly fashion and provided respite from the horrible mess food.  Come rains, the classic combo of butter cheese masala Maggi and coffee was a must- have.
          While Maggi spread joy (literally) in my world, many of my close friends became that CLOSE to me because of this ₹10 packet.  May it be a bad day at college, a fight with batchmates , getting insulted by patients, fight at home or plain mid night cravings, Maggi was always the comfort food we would turn to.  Never has Maggi failed to make smiles appear on our faces.  Just the aroma of Maggi in my hostel lobby would attract people to that room, just like flies to honey and the Maggi would be gone within minutes.
    I do not say that Maggi is completely healthy, or that may be the lead in it is a hoax, but with the ban on Maggi and confiscation of all the packets already on the display in shops, I just hope Nestle bounces back with a greater and non controversial range of Maggi noodles..... Else it will indeed be the end of an era!!
P. S. : Nestle guys, I still haven't stopped eating Maggi... Such is my loyalty to you... So guys... Pls Pls Pls.... Make a way out of this mess... Many tummies are waiting for their jadoo ki jhappi !! 

CRAZINESS RELOADED!!

Hi guys...really sorry for the delay. Blogging from my cell was a real pain..but now I have got a laptop to myself and a working wifi connection!! Woo Hoo!! I will make sure to post more often now!! So apart from my craze for cleanliness... what else am I really interested in? Shopping. And my shopping involves buying anything and everything under the sun. Going to a stationery shop and ending up buying lots of trays so that you can organise your stuff..going to the supermarket as a favor for a friend and ending up buying shampoo sachets because I did not buy anything...it may sound funny but this has happened to me. And now my latest fad is makeup. Girls hostel can really turn you around!! So...with this ever growing shopping and the ever dull and crammed cupboard, how exactly do you maintain the balance?? I learnt it the hard way when a glass jar of my favorite hair oil fell and spilled all over the room..all due to my carelessness. Well here are some crazy cheap tips and tricks:
This is what my vanity section looks like (sorry for the terrible picture quality...my cell phone may be on its death bed soon!!)

1) Your nearby kirana guy:
        I have been living in a hostel for 4 years and the kirana guy near my hostel is now familiar with my habits. He preserves those small cardboard boxes in which he get chocolates as a wholesale package. You can store stuff in it as it is..or even better..wrap it up with a newspaper or a pretty wrapping paper. Now you can store many products in one tiny place...without things toppling over!!

2) Your favorite chocolates:
       When I was a kid, I remember my mama bringing me Ferero rochers from the US. Back then I used to store the dabba after finishing off the chocolates as a souvenir and also to brag in front of my friends about my "foreign mama". Jokes apart, I still keep those dabbas, they are the perfect size and will fit anywhere. I have used them to store my nail polishes, you can use them to practically store anything!!

MAKE A KIT OUT OF IT:
    You can store make up,nail paints lipsticks and glosses. I have put all my nail polishes, acetone, some cotton and also a nail cutter, so that the next time i want to change my nail color, i dont have to search for stuff all over the place!!

3) Your online shopping carton:
     Studying in a rural area, there is not much scope for shopping here ( maybe thats the reason i mostly end up buying vicco vajradanti tooth powder and feel happy about my "shopping"!!),. this is when online shopping comes to the rescue. From your chaddi bras to laptops and phones, everything gets ordered, but then what do you do with the carton that is left over?? Do not throw them away...it is really good quality cardboard!!  Till now  have used them to keep my shoes, my makeup and to keep my every increasing book load in a pretty display!

 

This was a big cardboard box from Flipkart, just added some partitions....and this is what I got!

 

4) Bags:
     I had recently gone on a de clutter spree..and disposed off a lot of bags, but i used to have loads of them and later..storing them became a problem ( but that did not deter me from buying new ones!!) However, now I have come across a great trick. Just get nails drilled into your cupboard door and hangs bags there...they will make a pretty sight , as compared to our drab cupboards. This trick also works for hanging belts and I also use it to hang Odonil so that my cupboard smells fresh but it doesnt come in contact with my clothes!

 

Yes...that is the laundry bag that i had mentioned in my last post!!

5) Miscellaneous purchases:
    On my recent trip to Rajasthan, I got my hands on this wonderful puppet pair. I  immediately bought them, but the carpenter guy wont come to drill up those nails!! What to do next??? Simple solution: Just tie them up to your window grill and they will make a wonderful display. After that, many things have adorned my window...and now it gives my window a nice homely feel!!

 Thats all for today, I hope you liked it..if so, share comment and do give your crazy organizer a few tips to store her future purchases!! Till then...adios!!
P.S.: I know the picture quality is not that great...but I have put all original pics, no glorification!!
Also I am going to put up the pics of the prettiest hostel rooms i have seen...so pls send in your entries at: crazyorganizer999@gmail.com

3 cheap and easy ways to liven up your hostel room!!

      A small break from the weary stuff series!! A college student will always be short on funds...so what can you do to still have the best room?? Here are some tips that I have used or really liked: 

A HANGING LAUNDRY BAG:

    I came across this on Pintrest and really loved the idea!

  

 If the frills are too much, you can just sew the mouth of the pillow case to a rounded hanger and voila!! You have a laundry bag that saves you oodles of space, both on the ground and chair!!

CHRISTMAS LIGHTS IN CURTAINS :

         This one is my personal favourite.  Extremely cheap (the lights will cost u a maximum of 50 bucks).  I can never get enough of these lights!!

 

USING COLOURFUL CELLOTAPE TO MAKE PHOTO FRAMES:

  Have read this tip hundreds of times on the net... I really want to try this once M back to hostel!! 

 

 Thats all from your crazy organizer ... For more tricks and hacks..... Follow My blog... And as usual... Like comment and share!!  

"WEARY" STUFF.....PART 2 - smaller things in life!!

            Back after the long break.....i am all refreshed with newer ideas for our own little pieces of heaven!! I know thats a lot of sugar coating, i am home since two weeks and now the very thought of going back to the hostel is repulsive...but such is life. Enough with the hating..let us get back to business!! Today in weary stuff part 2, i am going to talk about small items of clothing.


SOCKS:

 I live in a place where the weather is always at its extremes!! So the sock is my best buddy..may it be the nude ones for protection from tan lines or the funky ones for protection from the single digit temperatures!!! Sometimes I even wear them in layers!!! so how exactly to store them??? My number one funda : declutter. No socks with lint, holes (definitely no!!), brown patches, broken elastic!
Next: rummage all cupboards at home the next time you go home. You may find transparent bags with little hangers on the. Sample: size approx; 30x17cm

  You usually get them with night dresses or dress materials. They are great for storing stuff and the best part? You can hang them! No more losing precious shelf space. Also since they are closed in a bag, they wont topple off every time you open your cupboard.
P.S: always keep clean and dirty socks separately. That goes without saying!!
Also if yu are amongst those who can never find their sock's partner...and interesting tip. Buy a tic tac pin ( the cheap ones that u get for a rupee or two a pair)  the same colour as the sock and pin the two socks together. Now no tension of losing socks!!
See:

 

 Also use them to store your handkerchiefs and napkins.

CLIPS AND OTHER TRINKETS:

  Girls can never have enough of this!! So what can you do? Keping it on the table fr easy reach means inviting Ms. Kleptomania from across the hall or Ms. May-i-borrow-it-i-am-getting-too-late neighbour!! you may have seen the kind of bags i mentioned above in smaller sizes at the mall, in the lingerie section. Well I do not ask you to buy new lingerie, but then when has shopping been just enough??  Since these too have hangers, hang them on your cupboard door and save space!!

Well thats all for today..i hope you guys liked it. And as usual...like, comment and share! Adios!