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The Pretty City Girl | Indian Travel & Lifestyle Blog


Whether your friend is newly married and has moved into a new house or a relative has bought a new apartment, you must be thinking of what to give as a housewarming gift. Whether it is a casual party in someone's new house or Gruha Pravesh pooja, it is good manners to congratulate the residents with a gift. Even if your budget is not too high, you can definitely bring a present when you visit someone's new house for the first time. And worry not, you can even opt for online delivery, if for some reason you cannot go shopping.

From something as fresh as an indoor plant to a scented candle, here's my list of top housewarming gifts for every budget –

Photo frame or a painting
The frame could be of any type. You can print a happy picture of the friend/relative and put it in a frame and gift them. Or maybe you can simply gift an exclusive frame without a picture. Photo frames are not expensive.
If you think gifting a photo frame is cliche, you can gift an art frame maybe. Something like wall decor, canvas painting, 3d painting, etc. 

Vacuum cleaner
I had to mention a vacuum cleaner on this list. I would love if someone gifts me a vacuum cleaner as this is something really handy to clean sofas, curtains, etc. You get handy vacuum cleaners in the market, so worry not. And in case you do not want to lift it, you can surely opt for online delivery. 



Candle set
Honestly, I would never purchase a candle set myself unless I need it as a prop. Giving a candle set, especially the one that is infused with aroma, is a gift your friend/relative would truly like. The candle sets even come with other aromatic supplies like incense sticks and really pretty faux flowers. 


Bath accessory set
I love those ceramic bath accessories! They look extremely stylish when put together in a bathroom setting. I suggest you go with a universal colour like black, white, grey, or a mix of these so that they suit any sort of bathroom theme.

Bedsheet set
When we moved into our new house, we got a couple of bedsheet sets and they're something we would never buy. I mean, we go for bedsheets from the local store and not a big brand. So I felt good after receiving bedsheet sets that actually covered the entire bed without us needing to constantly pull its ends. 



Coaster set
Coasters are truly neglected items in the house. People would rather clean a tea stain than use a coaster. However, if you gift a classy coaster set to someone, that perhaps comes with a tea kettle or pretty glasses, I think they would really love it (and use it too!). 


Indoor plant
What can be better than gifting an indoor plant, the one that keeps the house alive? If you don't trust your friend/relative's patience in watering the plant and if you fear its death, then the best option would be an indoor cactus or an aloe vera. I have these plants at my house and they hardly need any watering! My aloe vera had turned yellow but once we moved its position, it started growing so beautifully that it has about 20 children growing in different pots now! Both these plants don't need everyday watering. Heck! You can even water them whenever you remember and they still grow. 
You can gift an indoor cactus/aloe vera in a beautiful ceramic pot. And if you don't know how to carry a plant to someone's house, you can opt for delivery online.

Flower vase
We all love flowers, however, the flowers are not constant. They bloom, they stay, and they fall. So if you hate how flowers wither away, you can gift a vase with faux flowers. You can buy a sleek, tall vase and put plastic flowers and twigs in them. Yet again, you can choose delivery online from a service such as Dunzo that lets you pick up and drop stuff for you! 

With this list, I hope you find the perfect housewarming gift and have an amazing online delivery experience.
August 04, 2019 No comments
Last month in July, I had been to Ghangad fort, which is about 35 km from Lonavala. And you will not believe, but I had never been to that part of Lonavala before (or even if I did, that must be when I was a kid and have no memory of the place whatsoever). I always wondered what's so special about Lonavala apart from the Tiger Point and a few spots close to the Market Road that people always visit Lonavala. I have a few friends on my list who happen to go there at least once a month and I wonder what's so special about the place. However, on my trip to Ghangad fort, I saw other parts of Lonavala and was truly stunned! It was the velvety green cover and the misty mountains accompanied by fresh monsoon air. I saw scenic internal roads that were full of green lands on both sides with occasional caves made by the thick trees. At that point I knew, I was coming back to Lonavala again, just for a road trip, but yes, definitely coming back!



The start of the journey 
This time, the road trip was totally different. We didn't go by our cars because we were 13 people, 2 dogs, and a cat. And the cars at disposal were only 2. So we got a minibus on rent in Pune and it was the first time we were doing something like this. The main reason for hiring a minibus was that we didn't want any of us to drive. We wanted to enjoy our family time without constantly having to worry about the road. The excitement was high and expectations at their best. We started out early on a cloudy morning and headed out on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway. Some of my family members were still hungover from the early wake-up call. We stopped by a coffee shop for the morning pick-me-up and continued on the road. The dark clouds continued to hover, preparing for a downpour at any moment. As the bus picked up the pace, so did our journey, with music, jokes, the frequent barking of the dogs, and antaakshari. And after a while, there was silence...well, except the dogs. They continued their fun while the poor cat rolled up in her basket, totally scared.
As soon as we crossed the Dehu Road junction, the landscape became more dramatic.



An interesting pit stop
Almost halfway through, we had a vote for a pit stop. But not like a meal break or refuelling break. Rather a detour to another place before ending the trip at Lonavala town. Some suggested Kamshet, a few were keen on Devghar, while the others wanted to do a trek to the Rajmachi Fort. After all, monsoon is the season to explore the Western Ghats in their best form. The vote for a trek was higher than other options. 
Rajmachi was only 13 km north of Lonavala town. So, we took the exit towards the Valvan Dam and headed towards the Kondhane Village, at the base of the hill. Before reaching the village, we stopped by Shirota Lake. The huge water body was brimming to its banks, after the rain and came alive with greener and fresher surroundings. There was a designated camping ground on one side of the lake, where a few colourful tents were visible.


An impromptu trek
After taking a tour of the lake and endless selfies, we headed back on the narrow winding road towards Rajmachi Fort. We parked the bus near the Udhewadi village and started the uphill climb to the top of the fort. Unfortunately, none of the oldies could join us so it was just we cousins, two dogs, and my dad...the overenthusiastic one. It took us an hour to walk through the rain-soaked track and slippery stone steps. Like a road journey, a trek also helps establish an individual’s approach in life. Except for a little bickering about the maintenance, the walk was good. I have already been here thrice and somehow, I always happen to visit it once more. The steps to the fort were walled on both sides and it wound around the exterior of the fort. In some parts, the relics of ramparts and gateways were still visible, while most parts of the façade were covered in moss. From the top, we could see the two peaks of Rajmachi. The views from the ramparts were breathtaking. As far as one could see, there were only mountains and valleys, with the misty clouds covering the top. Neither of us could get enough of the panoramic views. We could also spot the Bhimashanker and the Ulhas River, down in the valleys below. 


After another hour of walk downhill, we came back to the bus. It was perhaps the best pit stop that any of us could have expected. What was supposed to be an hour’s drive from the city had turned into a half-day trip. But the idea was to enjoy the road and what lied on the way, rather than arrive at the destination. 
Content and in high spirits, we reached Lonavala around evening, only to have another day of similar adventures. 

TIPS 

  • When doing a family booking, always choose cheap and comfortable cabs from Pune to Lonavala.
  • You can also detour towards Lohagad Fort or Bedsa Caves from Malavli, before reaching Lonavala. 
August 02, 2019 1 comments
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