Tag: Surprise Someone

What are you gifting this festive season…??

With the festive and wedding season approaching, we always are thinking on how to make our gifting experience more unique. We all want to move away from the usual gifts, and make our loved one feels special with something that is different, unique yet inexpensive. So here is our hand picked list of all beautiful gifting options that you can consider for this festive season.


Chocolates and Desserts never really go out of fashion, so how about gifting your loved ones a box of handmade chocolates, or donuts or beautiful dessert jars or cupcakes and many more delightful sweets. Ikreate has been into the business since 10 years and have been gifting partners to brands like Colgate, Marico, Sarda Plywood etc apart from private elite clients. Their chocolates and desserts have not just got rave reviews from the clients, but also repeat orders for years together. The best part about Ikreate is the love and passion that the put into everything they make, maintaining the quality over the years and yet being very very reasonable.

Donuts


Price Rs 400/dozen


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Cupcakes


Price Rs 400/6pcs


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Chocolates


Price Rs 650/kg onwards


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For more, check out their Zomato page


Handikart.co.inan online handicraft’s store that offers assorted range of genuine and original handicraft products across India, has announced its exquisite range of products across categories to celebrate its first Diwali. These exclusive products are designed by the untouched & rural artisans from various parts of India and showcase the undying spirit of the artisans’ and their creativity.

The mesmerizing range of gifting options from handikart.co.in has you covered this festive season with idols of lord Ganesha, goddess Lakshmi, eye catching puja accessories like diyas, t-light holders and amazingly genuine brass ware products, terracotta, pattachitra, leather lamps, marble products and more.

With array of lamps, lanterns and decorative accessories, Handikart’s latest collection is about dreamy luminescence and shimmering brilliance.

The collection is priced between Rs. 100 and Rs. 5000 and will be up for grab from 5th Oct till 30th Oct with home delivery across India.

Over 1000 handcrafted products across 27 categories are available from traditional local artisans across the country. From Gorara Stone’s fine carvings to intricate Zardozi boxes of Old Agra; from Sambhal’s hand-made camel bone jewellery boxes to north east’s eco-friendly bamboo and cane products; from Orissa’s Palm leaf art and Pattachitra art to Bhadohi’s Shikauli baskets, Handikart is truly a place where Indian essence comes alive.

Price – Rs. 770

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Price – Rs. 1,800

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Price – Rs. 1,009

marble_ganesha

 

Price – Rs. 198

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Check more on their website


Surprise Someone.in is another wonderful online portal where you can get beautiful boxes, photo frames, handmade bags and a lot of other gift items, which will help create an element of surprise for your loved ones. The price range is very affordable and a lot of times you will double check the price, because the moment you will look at an item you will assume a higher price, but when you will see the rates surprise someone is charging, you will be amazed. They are so pocket friendly. I have personally used this portal a lot of times to gift my loved ones, on father’s day (check post here), to surprise my son (check post here), on rakhi (check post here) and other occasions (check post here).


Hut Shaped Box


Price- Rs. 499

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Folding Rack Box


Price Rs. 399


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House Warming Green Goodie Box


Price Rs. 100


Get more options on their website 


So make the most of this festive season by gifting your loved ones these beautiful gifts, have a great season ahead!

Oktoberfest @ Q-Bar, VITS Mumbai

Known worldwide as a beer festival, Oktoberfest is a phenomenon to be experienced! And it’s time to Celebrate the spirit of the German festival at an enticing destination, Q Bar – VITS Luxury Hotel, Mumbai. With international beer brands and German delicacy, VITS Mumbai has continued the legacy of serving its guests and patrons the fantastic beer fest.

And this time I had the opportunity of experience spirit of the carnival right at Q-Bar with free flowing beer and special German staples that kept the spirits high. Serving a perfect opportunity for beer aficionados to catch-up, the fest offers an array of German Brews and appetizers in pints, towers and beer buckets. I can bet that this is a cracker deal for guests can relish VITS’s carefully chosen menu to pair with preferred drinks, Music, sumptuous food and tones of fun.

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Starting with the 1st beer cocktail – Expresso Black Velvet Beer, the smooth coffee flavored cocktail was just too quenching. The taste just lingered for longer while. And the Captain’s Keg was just another invention which was an innovative cocktail but promises to leave one energized like no one’s business.

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German delicacy like Butcher’s Platter, Chicken Rolls & Wiener Schinetzel were one among the few yummy recipes dished out by VITS.

 

Espresso Black Velvet Beer – Espresso Black Velvet Cocktail is seriously the best of both worlds, beer and espresso, and I plan on enjoying many glasses of this lovely elixir here at VITS. One may think this an unlikely combination but it’s actually quite good and some people prefer it over other cocktails

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Captain’s Keg – Ahoy Matey! A typical Pirate Cocktail that it is but has earned many fans across the European coast. The Captain’s Keg, made with white rum, guava nectar, and grapefruit juice, then topped with light beer and garnished with a lime wheel.  “This is your captain speaking, and I recommend you to have it!” This is what you would too say post having this nectarous cocktail.

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Butcher’s Platter: Scrumptious sausages of meat with a mix of taste and flavor captured the best of German produce. This “slaughter platter”, with its sausages of pork & chicken, is traditionally made and served with German Potato Salad. Well-grilled & soft sausages were simply lip-smacking.

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Chicken Rolls:  Continental in nature, these chicken rolls are quite wholesome. Infused with minced chicken and spinach, they are so soft that every bite can be celestial.

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Wiener Schinetzel:  This easy German recipe is one of the favorites. Marinated in wine, these crispy Crum fried chicken breast with lemon pepper sauce are served with lyonnaise potatoes. And this recipes is complemented with Soukrout which adds to the taste. It’s  must have.

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The decor theme featured German elements like German flag, themed branding on window panes, hanging large size cut image frames of German Culture.

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Live the experience of Oktoberfest with authentic German appetizers, Live DJ along with your favourite Beer and International Beer  at Q-Bar VITS Luxury Hotel, Mumbai.

Wir sehen uns dort!  See you there

VITS, Mumbai- Seafood Festival

VITS Seafood Festival


There is a seafood dish for any occasion and all tastes, and this time I savored  a vibrant collection of fish and seafood recipes that I almost smelling the sea air. Perennially popular, seafood can be used in dishes for cold winter nights, light summer lunches and everything in between.

Seafood cuisine is one of those dishes not everyone feels easy to try. But there’s nothing to be scared of–the hub I suggest is on a roll. The Seafood Festival at VITS Luxury Hotel, Mumbai is just too indulging. Just take a deep breath and give it a try — I am certain that you’ll be pleasantly surprised.

The menu here serves an array of fantabulously cooked seafood recipes that’ll leave one salivating for more. While the menu listed Tuna, Salmon, Shrimps and a lot more, I chose to try the Sriracha Shrimp Basket Fry & Marinara Calamari Basket Fry.


Sriracha Shrimp Basket Fry:


The crisply fried Sriracha Shrimp were way too flavorsome. Complemented with Hot sauce, Tartar, Fried Onion Rings and French Fries, this delicacy was a simply tantalizing.

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The crunchy outer surface and the soft finely cooked shrimp in Sriracha sauce just melts in the mouth! Sriracha come together in this spicy and flavorful dish. Gluten free AND totally delicious!

Marinara Calamari Basket Fry:


The next up was Marinara Calamari Fry. Rings of calamari are first marinated and when an order comes in, these rings, are coated in flour, fried and served with their house-made marinara sauce. The calamari were crispy and tender.

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These were just two of the other mouth-watering recipes.. But I bet guests can gorge on the delectable spread of delicacies including dishes such as Barbeque Tuna Basket Fry where thin slices of well marinated Tuna a fried with barbeque sauce, Tahini Salmon Fish Basket fry complemented with Tahini Dip, Kurkure Basa Fish Basket Fry and the iconic Koliwada Bombay Duck Basket Fry among others.


Q-Bar - The Quarter Club Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Arabian Culinary Night – VITS Luxury Hotel, Mumbai

TAFATHALO was the word that resonated while I was welcomed at the VITS Luxury Hotel for the Arabic Food Festival. The word “Tafathalo” means “Do me the honor” in the Arabic dialect. It is an invitation to come to the table. And yes, once again the culinary wizards of VITS Luxury Hotel had crafted for its patrons the Arabian delights over the month. Aptly translating the tradition of hosting a guests for a meal, which is an old honored tradition in the Arabic World and an expression of hospitality, VITS this time served an array of Arabian delicacies.

The Arabic cuisine is of a rich diversity of  Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, and Asian food. But with the arrival of western business associates in the Arab land, their tastes and preferences also led to spice-up the Arab cooking. And this time the delicious diversity was served in a platter at the VITS Luxury Hotel during the Arabic Food Festival.

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While the menu comprised of Non-Veg & Veg recipes, it was chiefly based on starters. But yes, these scrumptiously flavorsome dishes were incredibly wholesome and pampered the taste buds with utmost care. Accompanied by Mr. Aloy Fernandes Manager (VITS, Luxury Hotel), I embarked on a gastronomic adventure that literally left me salivating for more.


The Arabian culinary night began with Falafel – Incredible Falafel Burger. This one was not just  conventional but the one that was incredibly presented. The taste was such that it would give a fried chicken run for its fame. It was crafted like a  miniature burger with deep fried blend of grounded chickpeas & spices in between the pieces of Peta Bread. This incredible invention was born in the kitchen of VITS. Trust my word, after savoring this palatable delicacy I learnt that it was a veg recipe!  Complemented with Lebanese Dip, Hummus & bowl of Fattoush which comprised of lettuces, pepper, pickle as well as parsley, this recipe graduated to be so astonishing that it lured a pure non-vegetarian like me to ask for more.

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After devouring the Falafel, the next Arabian recipe was Kibbeh. They are to die for! Kibbeh, kubbeh or kokeba all mean “the shape of a ball” in Arabic. These finely baked & deep fried crispy morsels of lamb meat were deliciously succulent. They tasted just too out of this planet! No Shami Kebab can even graduate as a substitute for this, a must try for every foodie.

 

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Casting a spell with its lip-smacking taste was Shish Taouk. Boneless chicken cubes marinated in garlic, lemon juice, olive oil and grilled on skewers with peppers, this innovation tasted fabulously appetizing. Every bite was truly wholesome with the grill flavor lingering in the mouth. Crispy on outside and tender within, the Shish Taouk was one of its kind.

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The essential concept in the Arabic cuisine is hospitality and with great warmth , chivalry, VITS served me with yet another saporous dish knows as Lebanese Sumac Prawns. Sumac is a tangy, lemony, berry-red spice that goes well with grilled fish and prawns. The prawns were luxuriously marinated with Sumac, special spices and slowly grilled to render the reviewer speechless. Yes! this recipe was another tantalizing treat for my taste buds. It was complemented with soft Peta bread & tempting Garlic Dip.

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The non-veg mezze offered each portion of all its non-veg recipes in a platter complemented with the accompaniments. While The Veg Mezze comprised of Falafel (Incredible Falafel Burger), Spinach Bell Pepper, Mushroom & Cheese Fatayer & Orfali Kebab.

Spinach Fatayer; a baked puff affluently infused with assorted bell pepper, spinach, mushroom & feta cheese was amazing. And the last but not the least Orfali Kebab was just an another fabulous crunchy veggie cousin replicating boneless fried chicken strips. This was yet another Arabic veggie delight which I savored and I believe that an ardent foodie must grab a bite of it.imageedit_3_5492179676

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Fattoush, Lebanese Dip & Hummus were the star accompaniments. Specifically crafted to augment the palatable taste of every appetizer that was brought over the table. Also, the entire cuisine was cooked in Olive oil which added to the flavor. The Hummus was olive-oil flavored, Lebanese dip was flavored with hung-curd & thyna paste, and the Fattoush Salad ingredients i.e. lettuce, pepper, olive & parsley were stir fried with Olive Oil.

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The idea of Arabic Food Festival was brewed in the kitchen of VITS where Chef Hemant & Chef Arnald charted out the flavorsome journey of Arabian cuisine for the guests. The courteous & friendly duo were present with me throughout the evening. Their passion to serve new cuisines & recipes every time makes VITS Luxury Hotel a hub to savor fabulous delicacies every time.

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The festival concludes by the end of this month. So, go ahead and relish the cuisine of Arabia specially crafted for the admirers of world cuisines. After all, VITS is the place to treat your taste buds with incredibly flavorsome signature delicacies that are dished out every time.


 

Poolside - VITS Hotel Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Make your Rakhi special with Surprise Someone.In

Rakhi is just around the corner and is that time of the year when we want to special things for our brothers and these days’ even brothers look at different things to give back to their sisters.

And this year, I am geared up to make my brothers feel really special with amazing gifts collection from Surprise Someone. They have come up with some really great stuff that makes up for perfect rakhi gift and helps my entire process of gifting much more interesting and innovative.

I normally give chocolates to my brothers in place of Indian sweets and there is a big reason behind it, nah not really big reason, but a genuine one, that I professionally make chocolates and bakery items at home and love giving them something that I have prepared instead of the ready made sweets.

 

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As I was surfing through the surprise someone site, I came across some amazing boxes that can beautifully behold my chocolates and also I can personalize them using photographs and messages.

Now just look at this first box that I chose and I tried capturing the exact way I would give it to my brother by putting some chocolates and also a rakhi in it.

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I used all the 4 compartments for filling them up with chocolates of different flavors. The thing that I loved about this box was its multi utility. Once I give the box filled with chocolates, it can later be used for keeping other knick-knacks and come in handy. I mean my brother can later use it in his office for keeping small stationery items or give to his wife at home for keeping jewellery or other stuff. Also the looks of the box are so premium that one would love to keep things in it and flaunt it.

And this second box is so rich and classy in looks that it adds so much value to the chocolates all-together, just by putting my chocolates in this box, they look more appealing and tempting.

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This box also had a greeting on which one could write a personalised message, but because I was currently using the box only for featuring it to you all, I didn’t want it to become dirty and ended up using that greeting paper as a base to my chocolates. You can use it the way you want. This box also has a photo frame in built and I guess that would allow it to become much more personalised. Just imagine, how sweet it would look if the top of the box has a picture of you and your brother, won’t it look much more personal and emotional?

Here is another option, which I personally loved the most and this can make an ideal gift for the brothers to choose for their sisters. This cute looking hut which has two drawers to keep that nail paints, or jewellery or any other small articles you may think of and this too can be personalized with a photograph put in the photo frame built in the hut itself. This surely can become a piece on the dressing table and get your friends jealous.

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And the biggest surprise from surprise someone is their reasonable pricing, I mean the boxes are so affordable and will easily help make your gift look much more expensive in its perceived value. Here are some more pics for you to get a glimpse of the collection.

Do check them out and make your rakhi even more special and get in touch with me if you would like to place orders for chocolates and bakery items and do check out more on our Facebook Page and Instagram

 

Make the small things count.. and Surprise Someone

We all love gifts, I don’t know how many of you love giving gifts, but I am sure everyone enjoys receiving them. As for me I love giving them too. Today there are so many choices to pick gifts for our loved ones whether we shop on ground or online, we can definitely find gifts suitable as per age groups or likings and interests.

However lovely the gift may be, the way one present it adds a lot of value to it and similarly if it is presented in a tacky manner, it takes away a lot from it. No one can replace the feelings with which one gives a gift, but a good presentation does imply your efforts towards making the person feel all the more special.

I recently surfed through the amazing hand made paper bags collection of www.surprisesomeone.in and I have been completely bowled over by it. How nice it looks when you put an expensive sari in a nice vibrant big hand made paper bag, it completely changes ones outlook towards the gift.

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I gave my mom a beautiful suit and rather than giving her in an ordinary bag, I put the suit in a nice hand made bag, it multifold the element of surprise and value to the whole gift. She was so thrilled, and I noticed, after she took out the suit from the bag, the suit lay there on the bed for sometime, while she carefully kept the paper bag in the almirah to be used at a later occasion I guess.

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I really feel that in life it’s the smaller things, the smaller efforts that count much more than the bigger ones.

So do take a look at www.surprisesomeone.in and make your loved ones feel more special and loved with their range of gifts and packaging items. I am in love with the site.

Surprising my mom with Surprise Someone.In

Gifts are surely a way of conveying your love and feelings for the other person, and when they come like a surprise, they become even more special. My mom recently gifted a game of Tic Tac Toe that she bought from Surprise Someone, to me and to show her my gratitude and love in turn, I bought a surprise gift for her.

I gave her 6 nail paints from Maybelline and a beautiful neckpiece from the Bushra Collection by Akash Agarwal and now comes the real surprise element, the sweet little hut box in which I presented her my gift. Like my mom even I am hooked to the site Surprise Someone, and this is where I bought this beautiful box from. They have an amazing collection of gift items and also solutions for presenting your gifts in a better way.

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For buying the nail paints and the neck piece I went with my nani to the market, but buying the box from Surprise Someone was really easy, like a child’s play you see, even I could do it on my own.

 

 

My mom was really thrilled with the gift and I felt really happy surprising her, she always keeps buying me something or the other but this time I thought I will do something special for her. And here is what she said after receiving the gift.

 

 

So please don’t forget to log on to www.surprisesomeone.in and make your loved ones feel special with their gifting options. I just love it..!!

Tic Tac Toe- an age old game made much more fun from Surprise Someone

I love giving gifts to my family and friends, and when they are given without any specific reason, its much more fun. Me and my son often play a lot of games at home and one of our favourite game is Tic Tac Toe. Recently I bought a surprise box from Surprise Someone and since then I have been hooked to this portal. Just surfing through their products I found this game of tic tac toe on their site and almost instantly I thought of getting it for my son to surprise him.

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One one fine day, while he was getting bored and asking me to play something, I like a genie popped this game in front of him. To say that he was so pleasantly surprised would be an understatement. He just loved it. And truly, the game is so addictive and the biggest benefit of buying this game from surprisesomeone.in has been the fact, that we no longer need a paper and a pen and drawing the grid time and again. Its so simple to use, comes with a grid board and tokens of cross and knots, one just needs to keep placing them and then tag it with I am the Winner sign, and Pick Up the Tokens, Play, Repeat, as simple as that.

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Do check out their site www.surprisesomeone.in for some amazing stuff, I am already planning what to get next!

Father’s Day made special with SurpiseSomeone.in

Father’s day has always been a very special day, but this year it was made much more special with the help of Surprise Someone. Surprise Someone is an interesting site, which helps you add value to your usual style of gifting, and also offers some amazing gifting ideas.

My first pick from the site was a very very interesting DIY Surprise Box. Me and my son has already bought a few gifts for my father, but this box made us present those gifts to him in a completely innovative and creative manner, which made the entire experience much more special. My father enjoyed receiving it as much as we enjoyed creating it for him.

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The box comes with certain decorative materials like ribbons, motifs, cut outs etc. with essentials like glue stick, tape and scissors, and then all you need to do is let your creative horses run wild and make the box as interesting as you want.

We also picked up an interesting hand made photo frame from the site, which was covered in cloth material. It added a lot to that personal touch we wanted while giving the gift.

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We also found very bright and vibrant hand made paper bags and guess they completed our presentation of gift in a very nice way.

Its an amazing amazing site and I am sure you gonna love their products, I am not going to stop my shopping with just this, I love making people around me feel special and surprise them and with Surprise Someone, Its gonna be a lot more easy and a lot more fun.

I am really glad to have discovered this site, as it made our father’s day very special and full of surprise elements.

Keep watching this space for more interesting stuff coming your way and don’t forget to subscribe and share !

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