DIY - Charging Dock

I have been pretty nerved about the state of affairs in my room lately. The variety of charging wires has become very diverse (Apple definitely had added two cents to my frustration with their new lightening charger) and I am all the time plugging and unplugging something up. It's either the iPhone or the iPad, not to mention my office laptop. I, (to be read with a hint of sarcasm) <3 my life. After going through some quick links, I realized that there is no pocket friendly out of the box solution to de-clutter this web of wires from my room. Here is what I did -

• Found a good looking and strong shoe box. 
• Cut up a big hole (a square hole is easier to make ) along one of its lengthy Sides. Big enough to let the three pin of your extension cable pass through.
• On the untouched lengthy side, make five equidistant slits starting from the top edge. The slit should be two mm wide, and you can secure it using cello tape, do that the cut up edge is laminated and smooth. 
• Place an extensible cord inside the box, the long kind you have instead of the round variety so that it can sit inside the box. Placed all the chargers in available plugs.
• Then three pin, let that pass through the bigger hole. The individual chargers can be made to pad through the slits 
• Your covered, uncluttered charging dock in all set.

This works best if you have dedicated device chargers at home, which you do not carry to your car or work.

Eccentricity amidst the Ban

 

So I have, like many others, joined a month long shopping ban. I am a self confessed shopaholic. A recent listing of count of shoes and bags amounted to a number that would put any sane person to shame. It is my first time ever, that I have put a ban on myself for shopping, and as anyone in the same boat would agree, the weekends are the most testing. Some thoughts that I have encountered and successfully battled since the last two days. You may blame it on the lack of planning, but it made little sense for me to plan and hoard stuff, and then start a shopping ban. Let the ban come, we shall learn along. 

• Learning #1 - My kohl is finished, on the first morning of the ban. Now if you live in India or are Indian, you know it is one of the most basic things you rely on as far as make-up goes. How am I supposed to survive without it for the next 28 days? As they say, where there is  a will, there must be a way. Middle-school lessons come handy, I make up a ghee flame, and get myself some pure, home-made kajal. Who knows? I might get into a life-long habit which would save me some money for the rest of my living existence. Such high hopes, I have with myself.

• Learning #2 - My brother's birthday is next week, and I have still not decided on a gift! A workaround - I will give him cash, requesting him to get whatever he wishes. In case he refuses, I will sponsor his birthday dinner. Both the options sound good. I am so glad I picked the birthday card last week. :D

• Learning #3 - How is the idea of getting a nose-piercing? This is the level of random thoughts that make way when the mind is unoccupied from not shopping and thus not planning for shopping trips. Counter thought. If I get my nose-pierced amidst the ban, I would need to shop for a nose pin/ring too. Idea postponed. If the thought continues to float longer, shall comply once the ban is over. For now, the confusion stands sorted. 

• Learning #4 - One of my best friends of all times is getting married next week. Sudden thought of wearing my red chiffon saree with a gold blouse. Inner self supersedes - No. No. No. Save the saree for your own self. That's what it was originally purchased for. Heart sobs a silent sob. Inner voice, even stronger now - Wear the new anarkali mom gifted. Since you have to drive to and fro from the venue yourself, anyways wearing a saree is not the best of ideas. Practicality wins over style. Anyways, practical style is the best style, said the wise one.

• Learning #5 - How about the external drive which you have been postponing since forever? This is one of the perils of today's generation. Other than the usual things which anyways everyone buys, we have a compelling urge of electronics and related stuff. I am reminded of a bluetooth keyboard I had bought last year to go with my tablet, it is a definite winner when it comes to non utilized things in the kitty. Anyhow, when the external drive has waited this long, how much could one more month hurt?! Depend on the available free cloud storage for now. 

• Learning #6 - Valentine's without shopping? Are you kidding me, really. I have planned something nice to do that does not include shopping. But more on that in a different post. Of course, I have red to wear for the day. It may not be new, but I do maintain my clothes well. Smiles smugly to self. 

In times like these, do the monsters of temptation hula-dance around you as well?

February, my love.

All the people who blog have talked about one favorite month that they have. Most often than not, it is the month that they have their birthdays in or the month in which they tied the knot. My favorite month is February. Which is not my birthday month. It would be nice to have a wedding in February though! God, knock knock. Are you listening? For some reason, having a November birthday is not very comforting. The festive season in India is just finishing up, and the wedding season just starting, and thus in the middle of both exhaustion's madness, it is tough to bring on the excitement for my own birthday. The weather also is in-between sorts - the fall is over (definitely!), and the winter has still not arrived. Which leaves a lot of room (aka confusion) to pickup a sure-shot out-of-the-world birthday outfit. Anyhow, that's all about Why my own birthday month is not my favorite month. Let us talk about February, my best month of the year. 

• It brings about my brother's birthday in the first week. Yeah, at this not-so-tender-age, I still wait for birthdays to dig into delicious cakes. 

• Love is in the air. All the movie channels are playing love classics all days long, sometimes, on -repeat! I am a romantic inside-out when it comes to music and movies.

• Flowers are blooming all around. The colors of Spring in Delhi are a welcome change to the fast life.

• Its the shortest month of the year. If you are working, you know what working for two less days feels like.

• In the calender, it is one of those insignificant months with no big festival, or national holiday when I am being double checked for security at any of the public places. If you stay in Delhi, you know what I mean?! Look at the security right before Republic Day/Independence Day celebrations, and how much it adds to traffic, and affects day-to-day activities.

• The Sale season is still On, in case you missed those flat knee length boots - you can buy them Now for the next season. :P  I am, but a woman!

Btw, the Shopping Ban begins today. I am excited and nervous at the same time. Will I make it successfully is one question I have playing on my mind, what do you think?