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I decided to bring in my 2017 clutter-free and that called for replacing stacks of cardboard boxes full of photos, video cassettes and documents that once crowded my study by a more space efficient and convenient substitute. External hard drives have today turned into this space efficient substitute, that is not only faster or technologically better, but also easily portable and absolutely value for money.

I’ve used the Western Digital My Passport Ultra at work and swear by the sleek and powerful device for its innovation and reliability. Thus when I was looking for a home-solution for all the photos, videos, music I’ve saved, I opted for the Western Digital My Passport. My Passport is the redesigned version of the highly popular My Passport Ultra range and priced slightly higher.

WD My Passport First Impressions
WD has launched My Passport in India in four of the six colours available internationally. The brand has stuck with the most popular colours white, black, red and blue for their India debut. The new look, designed by FuseProject, a design firm founded by the legendary Yves Behar, has an amazing visual appeal. The latest version of My Passport Portable Hard Drive comes with a WD Backup, WD Security and WD Drive Utilities software, an installation guide and USB 3.0 cable. The drive is segmented into two halves, with the upper half plain and the lower half featuring a diagonal scalloped pattern; a port and LED on one side with tiny rubber feet at the base. Though the design does nothing for the overall functionality, it does set it apart from all the competition.

WD My Passport Performance
WD has made available the My Passport in 1-4TB variants, all of them pre-formatted for Windows 10, Windows 8 or Windows 7 operating systems. Since I use a Mac, I reformatted the drive easily. The sequential read/write speeds clocked in at 114.3/114.1MB respectively, making it relatively good at the write speeds, especially for large files.

The entire focus of this product is on the software with all three niche aspects of WD Backup, WD Security and WD Drive Utilities thrown in. WD Backup is the basic folder synchronisation tool offered, which lets users select folders on the PC or to/from a Dropbox/Baidu account to back up automatically as per the pre-defined schedule. WD Security lets users set up the drive’s 256-bit hardware encryption feature to a password, to recognise and synchronise with the registered machine, preventing unauthorised access. Finally, WD Drive Utilities lets users do a quick SMART status check and run diagnostic tests to identify errors if any and prevent drive failures that otherwise would take several hours.

WD My Passport Conclusions
WD has been known for its range of products, and My Passport offers oodles of storage, good performance, password protection and a two-year warranty. With a price tag of between 7 and 17k, it’s a product to reckon with. Though the drive is a good choice for the portable storage needs, the only glitch is that the password encryption doesn’t prevent the drive from being reformatted. Yes, users might lose the drive but they can be rest assured that the content will not fall into the wrong hands.

If you are looking for a portable hard drive, my suggestion would be to compare your selected product with WD My Passport before you seal the deal.
~ Heena

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The air we breathe today is getting worse by the minute, and with each passing day, the air quality is hitting a new low. All around the world people are falling victim to failing air quality; which directly or indirectly is affecting their health. No one can really escape the air pollution especially in the Indian metro cities that are deteriorating day after day.

As a homemaker, especially a mother I feel the immense need to make the environment healthy for my little one. Unfortunately, there is very little I can do about the situation outside our home, but I can sure do some things that can improve the environment and air quality inside our home with much more than just air fresheners for home. Some of the easiest things I do to improve the air inside our home are:

Purify Indoor Air
One of the most basic things that I do to clean the air and eliminate odours at home is to tackle the issue areas. The troublesome areas in my house include the kitchen and the bathrooms, so I make sure to give special attention to negate the direct odours with air fresheners for bathrooms and kitchens.

Ventilate The Environment
The main reason for the poor quality of indoor air is the hight moisture levels. To counter this problem the easiest and least expensive method I have adopted is to install trickle vents and exhaust fans that offer tiny ventilation spaces for natural air purification without much fuss.

Grow Houseplants
Plants are natural purifiers that can rejuvenate the air, providing the much-needed protection against the toxins in the air. I've planted indoor plants like Peace Lily, Lady Palm and English Ivy that are powerful filters that can purify air naturally, especially in enclosed spaces for a safer, cleaner atmosphere.

Light Scented Candles
Beeswax ionises and neutralises air while improving air quality by removing allergens like dust, pollen and told from the air. So I like to fill my home with beeswax scented candles not only for its therapeutic properties but also as pure beeswax candles burn slowly with practically no smoke.

Spray Air Freshener
At times I like my home to have my signature scent that overrides all other smells and odours. Scents that I prefer are light and fresh which I either make from natural ingredients that are all available in my kitchen or I use air freshener sprays from an organic brand.

Let me know in a comment below what you do to purify the air in your home?
~ Heena

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The fast-approaching wedding season brings to the fore hustling brides-to-be looking for the perfect bridal ensemble. The yearning to stun all eyes overwhelms the need to switch pause. It is absolutely not incomprehensible either as weddings are events that create memories for life, memories that are passed down to future generation as inspiration.

Jewellery forms one of the three core components of the wedding ensemble; bridal attire and footwear being the other two, and therefore it is not surprising to see brides on a lookout for the perfect jewellery to go with the rest of her attire. Amidst an all-consuming whirlwind of wedding preparation, we try to simplify the jewellery shopping experience by providing brides-to-be with a dictionary of necklaces along with tips on who should pick what.

Chokers
Measuring between 14 to 15 inches, chokers settle high on the neck. Women with swan necks should totally go for these as they enhance their look considerably. Women with shorter or wider necks should go for necklaces with a length of 18 inches and longer. The shape of your face is also a factor in determining whether or not a choker would be a good idea. Women with round faces should avoid chokers as they make their faces look rounder. Instead, they should opt for something that forms a V around the neck. Those with oval or heart shapes faces, on the other hand, can carry these really well.

Mango Haram
This neckpiece style originally belongs to the South Indians, the biggest patrons of Gold. While traditionally, mango harams are made exclusively of gold, contemporary designs do have gems embedded into it. The length varies, so depending on your torso and face cut, you can pick the one that suits you the best. Besides, these look outright gorgeous with silks and so if you are wearing a gorgeous Kanjeevaram for your wedding, nothing can beat the charm of Mango Harams.

Meshwork Jewellery
This style departs from the traditional style in a major way, however, the high chic quotient makes it a perfect pairing for rich and royal outfits. Depending on your taste and attire, you can choose from a touch of embellishments of valuable gemstones. Additionally Meshwork jewellery is complimentary with your western outfits; so you can team it up with your lehenga or your evening gown.

Rani Haar
As the name suggests, these necklaces impart a glorious touch to the overall look. Usually crafted in Kundan, it is embedded with emeralds and uncut diamonds. At Hazoorilal Polki Jewellers, you can find royalty imbued in every piece. The kind of Minakari and polishing required is often the domain of only the best craftsman.

Satlada
Woven with multiple sided filigree, the neckpiece is woven into seven layers of pearls or gems, the style is usually 30 to 35 inches long, beginning at the neck and working up to the navel.

Styling for a wedding is a complex equation that combines personal choice with individuality. Since weddings are a lifetime affair, you must check out the latest Polki Jewellery designs, at jewellers in South Delhi. The area is known for its fine craftsmanship, often a product of legacies passed on to future generations, that never fails to stun in terms of design and durability. Since the right neckpiece can help you enhance your look considerably by highlighting your features and setting off against your skin tone choose your jewellery wisely with these tips.

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Life is a journey with a definite destination. However, more important than reaching the destination, is the manner in which the journey is undertaken. And in today's chaotic world full of #IfsOfLife, everyone must be equipped with the best of life tools to make this journey comfortable and enriching even in the most unplanned and most unpleasant situations. Everyone has a long list of, varied things that would make the journey called life, sail through. No matter what you have on your list the two things that you should make it to your list are Health and Financial Security.

 The two things, that are as diverse as chalk and cheese are very difficult to bring together. But one brand has managed this major coup to bring us a term plan that combines the benefits of health with the security of wealth. Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance launched their progressive eTouchOnline Term and Health Cover plan, that is a regular premium payment, pure term and health cover plan.

The plan sure stands out from what the competition offers in a number of ways. The e-Touch Online Term and health cover plan intertwine both health and term insurance in a single product. With e-Touch Online Term and health cover plan, you get the advantage of having a term plan coupled with benefits on accidental death, accidental total permanent disability and 34 critical illnesses till the age of 75. Also, the plan offers varied options to receive policy proceeds and a lower premium for leading healthy lifestyles. The brand not only tracks your health but also equips you with the tools to maintain it, using the recently launched B-Fit app.

The B-Fit app is a pledge you will make to set your health goals, track your activities and earn rewards for achieving your set targets. The app tracks all your calorie intake with a monitor diary, acts as a food guide and recommends food items as per your lifestyle, creates a Health Profile on the basis of the information you update on it, keeps a count of your daily steps via the tracker and also curates content that help you achieve your set goals.

A unique concept as such sure needs to be explored; and I'm all set to chart my financial planning in a worry-free manner.

What about you?

~ Heena

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It's 2017 now…. a brand new year that offers a brand new calendar and for a stationary freak like me a brand new diary too. But just as I bring in new things, I make it a mission to let go of things that I have no use of. It’s an extremely difficult project as I tend to think I will need ‘it’ sometime in the future, however, that need never arrises and I end up with so much clutter.

To counter this important issue I tried out the renowned KonMari method, that is pegged to be ‘Life-Changing Magic of Tidying and Banishing Clutter Forever’. Well, it didn’t work for me. What really worked was my husband saying - 'Keep it versus Discard it'.

Clothes
So, so, so many clothes, some that I haven't worn in the last six months; so we decided to let them find new homes. Initially, it is very difficult to put them aside to give away because of the old-age excuse of 'maybe I'll wear it more this year'. But giving away clothes to people who actually need them makes me feel wonderful.

Beauty Samples
2 of 4 drawers of my vanity table are full of product samples and these keep increasing every month. Some of these are from brands that I know I shall never use, but still, I don't know why I've stashed them. It took me less than half an hour to sort them out to give away to family and friends.

Electronics
Being a blogger has its perks which include a zillion freebies, of which almost 30% are electronic items. When I cleared out my bed drawers last week, items that I had to get rid of amounted to over a hundred pen drives, 4 power banks, 7 Bluetooth speakers and as many as 15 handsets. All of these have gone on Olx for some quick cash.

Toys
One can never buy enough toys for their little ones and that has been the case with us. For the last 5 years, there has been an insane amount of tous we have brought for #PrincessHeer some of which she has not even cast a second glance at. These and many more toys are going to a charity that will surely bring a smile to little faces.

Books
Irrespective of the number I have, I have never parted with a single book until this New Year. Even before we began, my husband made me promise to give away atleast half the books I owned. Over 400 books went packing to a local NGO that works towards educating the girl child and sponsoring night schools.

Doing this, there seems to be some weight lifted off my shoulders and a lot of free space in my house. Have you done your New Year cleaning as yet?
~ Heena

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