Munni of all Trades

Award winning Lifestyle and Travel Blog by Khushboo Motihar

Review

iRobot’s Mopping Braava Jet Launched in India

Technology touches each and every part of our lives; our Smartphones are becoming all the more intelligent, our gadgets are getting sleeker and are packed with features and we can’t even imagine existing without the internet. Somehow, this technology hasn’t really touched upon one aspect of our lives. That is our day to day household cleaning. Sure, there are vacuum cleaners available, but they don’t clean up after you. You have to operate them on your own. Plus, they are bulky and extremely noisy.

That brings me to the question, wouldn’t it be far more relaxing if you could sit on your comfy sofa and use your smartphone to operate a tiny albeit a powerful device that could mop and sweep hard floor surfaces and tackle dirt and stains in small spaces, like kitchens and bathrooms for you? It would be great, wouldn’t it?

Here’s presenting the iRobot Braava jet, the first mopping robot to be introduced in India.

iRobot, Mopping Robot, Technology 2017
iRobot’s Mopping Robot Braava Jet in India

iRobot Braava jet cuts through the mess of day-to-day life and delivers fresh, clean floors every day. Priced at Rs.19,900, Braava jet combines a compact design, vibrating cleaning head, precision jet spray and Braava jet Cleaning Pads to lift dirt and stains, even in hard-to-reach places.

I am sure you are brimming with questions about iRobot. So let me answer a few for you.

How do I operate it?

You just have to attach the desired Braava jet Cleaning Pad and press the ‘Clean’ button. The robot will automatically determine its cleaning action based on the pad chosen.

What type of Cleaning Pads can I choose from?

  • Single-Use Wet Mopping Pad – triple-pass cleaning for dirt and stains well-sealed floors such as hardwood, tile, and stone
  • Single-Use Damp Sweeping Pad – single-pass cleaning for everyday dust and dirt on sealed wood floors, and can also be used on tile and stone
  • Single-Use Dry Sweeping Pad – single-pass cleaning traps and locks dust, dirt and pet hair on all hard floors, including hardwood, tile, and stone

How does the iRobot Braava jet work?

The Braava jet uses the Braava jet Cleaning Pads to tackle a range of hard floor cleaning jobs, from wet mopping and damp sweeping to simple dusting. The wet mopping and damp sweeping pads contain a water-activated cleaning agent. 

What do I do once the cleaning is done?

When Braava jet is finished cleaning, you have to place the robot over a waste basket and hit the ‘eject’ button to drop the pad into the trash.

What are the cool features of the Braava Jet?

  • Virtual Wall Mode:To keep Braava jet from entering unwanted areas, you can create an invisible boundary using the Virtual Wall Mode.
  • iRobot HOME App:Available for Android and iOS devices, the HOME App allows users to access the ‘Clean’ button to start or stop Braava jet, use Spot Clean for a quicker, deeper clean of a smaller area, easily get software updates and directly access customer service.
  • Inclusions when you purchase the iRobot Braava jet: It comes packaged with a long-lasting Lithium-Ion Battery, a battery charger, and two of each type of cleaning pad (wet mopping, damp sweeping and dry sweeping).

Pricing and Availability

The Braava jet Mopping Robot is available for purchase in India at Rs 19,900 with the launch offer of Rs 17,900 at iRobot flagship stores, www.irobot.in and will be available also on e-commerce platforms like Amazon.

Braava jet Cleaning Pads retail for Rs 690 for a box of 10 cleaning pads and can be purchased on www.irobot.in or wherever the Braava jet is sold. The washable cleaning pads retail for Rs 1190 for a box of two.

I had the opportunity to attend the launch of the event and see a product demonstration first hand. Here’s a short video that I have made live at the event:

So, what do you say? Isn’t it time that technology helps make our homes smarter?

Let’s have Candid Constipation Conversations

If I ask you to list your priorities, I think it would be something like this

1. Job

2.Family

3.Friends

4.Looking cool on social media

.

.

10000. Health

I am not exaggerating. We, the selfie taking, snapchat loving, fast food eating, staying up overnight generation, hardly have time to pause and think about our health.

A few years ago, after living off on a diet of takeaway pizza, tetra pack juices and India’s favourite instant noodles, something happened. Rather something stopped happening. Waking up in the mornings was painful; I did not feel like eating anything and I would just be restless. For the first few days, my friends assumed that I just had my periods and that was the reason for my crankiness but when it continued on to the next week, they were concerned. I confided in someone and told them all about it. Instead of getting some well-meaning advice I heard laughter. It was one of the most embarrassing moments of my life.

Since I was staying in a hostel at that point of time, I didn’t have my mom to talk to and I was not sure of which doctor to visit in a new city. The result? I was constipated for a month and I chose to bear the pain and try all the nonsensical home remedies instead of going to the doctor.

When I finally could no longer take it, I went to the nearest hospital and inaudibly mumbled “I have constipation” when the kind doctor asked me what was wrong.

My doctor nearly screamed at me when she heard what I had been doing. I had tried everything, from having a teaspoon of castor oil to eating bananas all day in a bid to facilitate my bowel movements. Nothing worked. She made me realize how irresponsible I had been with my health and when I look back to those painful days, I realize that I had been underperforming on all my important projects, and was generally quite short tempered for no reason. Constipation in India is a silent disease. It not only affects physical health but also wreaks havoc with your mind. When you are obsessed about getting better and at the same time wanting to hide your condition from others, nothing matters. I realize I was stupid. Constipation was just like any other disease yet for some reason I was convinced that it would make the butt of all jokes.

I want to highlight 7 quick facts about Constipation through my blog:

  1. A“normal” bowel routine can range anywhere from 3 bowel movements a day, to 3 bowel movements a week. If you feel that your bowel movements have been irregular, then consult a doctor, it’s better to be safe than sorry, my friend.
  2. Some important signs of constipation are hard, dry stools that are difficult to pass, the need to strain and the feeling of an incomplete bowel movement.
  3. Constipation can occur because of a lack of healthy diet. Do you know that we need to take in at least 25 to 35 grams of fibre daily. Also, doctors go hoarse telling us to drink at least 2 liters of water daily, yet we rarely pay heed to their advice. Lack of enough fluids in the body can be a major contributor to constipation.
  4. The Indian toilets are ideal especially when you have constipation. If you are not comfortable using it, do try Constipasana, where you use a footrest while sitting on a western toilet. It will help you ease your bowel movements.
Constipation, Constipasana, Health
Constipasana helps ease constipation
  1. Never ignore the nature’s call. No matter where you are. You will just increase your chances of getting constipation.
  2. Physical exercise is important. You may be dead tired after a hard day at work, but take some time out for your health. Health is wealth, is not just a clever rhyme; it is the truth.
  3. People who have suffered from constipation often complain of anxiety, physical discomfort, poor appetite, depression, poor sexual satisfaction, stress and reduced confidence, all of which lead to a poorer quality of life.

You can save yourself the trouble simply by visiting a doctor. I cannot stress enough on the fact that it is important to go to a doctor and not rely on home remedies.

I hope you found our open and candid Constipation Conversations useful and that our quick facts helped you learn something new.

Disclaimer: I attended a panel discussion on constipation awareness facilitated by Abbott India Limited. Any opinion expressed in this blog is my personal opinion and not the opinion of Abbott India Limited. Abbott India Limited does not assume any liability for the content of the blog. The blog post is not meant to be a replacement for a doctor consultation, nor is it a medical recommendation or prescription of treatment for people having constipation problems. Any reader of this blog suffering from constipation problems should specifically consult his/her doctor for the same and follow the suggested course of treatment

 

 

The 365 Days: Book Review

If you have Mallu friends, then I bet you that at least one of them has a relative or a family member who works or has worked in the Gulf. In my childhood, I used to envy these friends when they would happily tell us about all the exotic presents and chocolates their parents would get for them from the Gulf.
To a child, whose friend had a parent working in the Gulf meant two things;
1) no strict rules
2) having access to the fancy toys and confectionary that one would never find in India.
As I grew up, these thoughts remained with me. I read about Kerala’s remittances economy briefly in college and in my very limited knowledge that seemed like a great life. I didn’t really understand what the fuss was all about, but I was so wrong.
Reading ‘The 365 Days’ by Nikhil Ramteke in the past few days opened my eyes to the harsh realities of those who go to the glimmering Dream City, Dubai, with hope filled eyes and debt filled pockets, in order to make it big.

The story begins slowly, giving the readers the time to familiarize themselves with the protagonist Shijukutty and his life. We see the world through his eyes. His daily struggles and his aspirations are a part of his narrative and then one day he decides he, too, would like to try his luck in the Land of Gold.
Within a span of few pages we are whizzed through the formalities and we and Shiju are transported into the Gulf. The labour camps are cramped, with people packed in small spaces, the construction sites are dreary and the work is backbreaking. Still, it seemed it was worth it, especially when the salary was in dirhams. Sadly, this illusion is broken too.
The book contains colorful characters with their own set of stories; it deals with the themes of love, grief and laughter with a pinch of salt of course. We see the wealth disparities between the educated Indians and the Indians who were duped by agents back home.
A line from the book that really touched me goes, “Finally, most of us left the Dream City with a rattling body, a broken spirit and an empty soul”. It effectively sums up Shiju’s 365 days.

The book is simple, heart touching and definitely makes a good read for those who want to understand a different perspective on the Gulf Money. Kudos to the author for doing such a great job.

Freshen Up Your Home

Aromas and scents are known to help soothe our minds and rejuvenate our senses. However, the modern room freshener as we know it today didn’t have a great beginning. As far as I can remember, air fresheners for homes invariably gave me a headache. Do you remember the days of those sickly sweet smelling strong fragrances? Ergh. Honestly, I would’ve vehemently protested to ban them forever had I been an adult.
Recently, something has made me change my very strong opinions. That’s the Godrej Aer range. With calmingly mild fragrances that appease the senses all day long, the current breed of  air freshener sprays are something special. So, if you are looking for a new fragrance to add a bit of magic to your life, read on to learn about my experience of three fragrance variants.
 

The Rich Irish Cocktail brings you the berry fragrances from the Irish roalty inspired by fresh iris flowers from the lush gardens of Ireland while the Fresh Lush Green on the other hand will immediately remind you of the forests far from the concrete jungles that we live in today. Do you need a little bit of romance in your life? Then enliven your senses and bring the spark back into your relationship with the Godrej Aer Petal Crush Pink which brings to you the warmth of a bed of roses.
Another product I would like to tell you about is the Godrej Aer Pocket which can freshen up your home. Available in the Sun Rise Dew, Floral Haze and a citrusy Happy Fragrance, the Godrej Aer Pocket is designed especially for bathrooms. 
 
 
Each sachet lasts a whole month and is sure to delight you every day. So, do something special for your home today. 

A sneak peek into the world of Goli VadaPav with Venkatesh Iyer

Hey guys,
I hope you have read my review of ‘My Journey with VadaPav’ which I had posted a couple of days back. After reading it, I was buzzing with questions for Venkatesh Iyer and soon enough I got an opportunity to interview him. Hope you enjoy reading it. 🙂



What inspired you to write a book about your adventures of starting a one of its kind food venture in the country?
My motive behind the book was to inspire various entrepreneurs.
Goli has created many entrepreneurs in the due course of time because of its unique business model already. Today we have more than 300 franchise partners who have made ‘Goli’ an established and stronger brand.

In your book you mentioned how you and Mr Shivdas had to mortgage your assets and even sell your family gold. How did your wives react during these situations?
My wife has been my pillar of support and strength ever since I shared with her my business idea. She also lends her management expertise to the business in a professional capacity. There are many people behind the success of Goli but my wife’s contribution is unquantifiable.
Your book is filled with Bollywood references as well as tidbits of history and quotes from famous books. Tell us which of them have served to be your biggest inspiration?
My personal favourite is by Paulo Coelho “You have a dream..The dream has come in the womb of the universe… it is the responsibility of the universe to fulfill the dream… The universe conspires to help achieve your dreams…”
As a writer who is also a co-founder of a very successful company with multiple obligations, how did you manage to schedule time to work on your book?
As I have mentioned in the book “An entrepreneur has to strike a balance between passion, knowledge and action; following the concept of Bhakti, gyana and karma in traditional mythology”
Writing has always been my interest. I started it with writing blogs and the habit continued and here you are with the result in the form of my book. 
To your fellow writers out there, who are struggling to tell their story, what would you like to advise?
Dig in deep and tell your story. Be honest and world will listen to you. 
An entrepreneur, a foodie and a writer; you have donned many hats in your lifetime. Which one did you enjoy the most?

Being an entrepreneur was my first and only dream and the rest happened eventually in due course of time. In fact I would say my entrepreneurial attitude gave birth to the foodie and now a writer in me.
Are you a big believer in luck seeing you cite many instances where a little bit of luck was required along with your perseverance to get the work done?
Yes, I believe that luck is the meeting point of opportunities passing by and your alertness to grab it.
What are some of the craziest recipe ideas did you have while coming up with newer variants for Goli Vadapav?
We have some really interesting variants like Masala Vadapav, SabudanaVada and MakaiPalakVadapav. We designed these keeping in mind various tastes of audience across different regions of our country.
What is next for Goli Vadapav? What are some of the ideas that you are experimenting with?

As a fast growing company, we are in an expansion mode. We plan to open 1000 stores Pan India in coming years. We are constantly launching new variants of vadapav in different forms of vada like rolls, curry pao, vadapav and sides. Our aim is to continue launching new products without deviating away from our core product, which is vadapav.
Could you share your success mantra for our readers?

 Don’t just startup because your friends are jumping on to the wagon. Deeply research your business idea and the market segment you will be positioning your offering in. A proper analysis of long-term sustainable business model is a must. Once you have answered yourself these basic questions only then one should roll out the business.