Baking Mad with Mum

Over the past 7/8 years, my mum has developed a crazy passion for baking and of course, a mother's home made bake tastes better than you could ever imagine! I absolutely love my mum's cakes! Every year, we are guaranteed to have at least 5 of mum's cakes because she always makes us a cake on out birthdays!

2015 was the start of something big for my mum because she baked the biggest ever cake for my dad's surprise 50th birthday party! We were expected at leat 30 people to turn up and given that 95% of them were Indian, it was guaranteed to be a big feast! I think we worked out that my mum had made 40 ounces of cake for the party and by the end of the night, there was very little cake left. It was no surprise that the cake got eaten so quickly... it was covered with fresh cream, one side was a layered birthday sponge with jam and cream and the other side was a classic chocolate sponge layered with cream. It was a cake lovers dream (it was my dream). It took my brother and my mum to carry the cake (it was ridiculously heavy with all of the cream on) and everyone watched in amazement as they carried it through the garden.

The moment was definitely spectacular for my mum because everyone was convinced that we had ordered it from a cake shop. This is what pushed my mum to thinking about doing something with her baking talent. After weeks of encouragement, she finally agreed to start up her own cake business. As I type this blog, she is trying to finalise her initial menu so I can start publicising for her.

With my dad working in events management and catering, this could see them working as a great duo in business or it could see them hating business together and taking their own separate business path. Either way, they both know I will always be there to support them with whatever I can. It's probably going to be a rough road for my mum to get her business up and running but I hope that with the power of social media we can get her making cakes for everyone to enjoy!!

Those of you who are interested in my mum's cakes, stay tuned because I will be posting links to her social media pages once they are up and running!!

Just another quick plug - please visit the Facebook page for my dad's business 'ZeN Event Services' through this link: https://www.facebook.com/ZeN-Event-Services-107160269443592/?fref=ts
Feel free to contact via email or phone if you would like to use our services!!

Thank you all so much for continuously showing your support and reading my blog. Over the past 2 months my page views have gone up so fast and I am so close to hitting another milestone!! I hope you've been inspired by my blog and I hope you all continue to read it!

All Love xoxo

Carpe Diem

Yet again it's been a while since my last blog but this time it's because I got so caught up in living in my own little bubble that I lost track of time!

If you've kept up with my recent posts you'll know I've finished by January exams and I am definitely so glad they are over but now it's the period of anticipation for results! Anyway, given that I've had so much going on in my life and then going home to spend time with my family gave me time to reflect on things a title so today's blood is about the opportunities of life, successes, downfalls and all the rest of it!

When I went back home for a few days after my exams, I sat my driving test and I was fortunate enough to pass!! The feeling of joy at that moment was immense but what was even more overwhelming was my feeling of gratitude for the fact that I was able to take driving lessons and my test. I was even more grateful toward my driving instructor who, as a friend if my dad, had given me free driving lessons, and I know for sure that I was not the easiest person to teach to drive!!

Making the most of every opportunity I am presented with in life is something I always strive to do and last year (2015) I realised how much of a benefit this has served me in life. In 2015, I commenced my application for the Generation UK-India Study India Programme run by Indogenius on behalf of the British Council.

In 2014, I had begun an application for the 2014 trip however, for some reason, maybe I got side-tracked and totally forgot about the application, I did not continue it. When I received an email saying that applications had opened for the 2015 programme, I told myself I would apply straight away so I set myself a timeline for application and completed it in good time. There was no way I was going to miss out on the opportunity to Study India with all expenses (except my flight) paid for. I was lucky enough to be one of the 500 selected participants for the programme, meaning that in July, I would be jetting off to India. It was the first time I was ever going to sit on an aeroplane, and the first time I was ever going to visit the country my ancestors are in love with. Little did I know that I would fall in love with the country myself. I not only discovered the beauty and amazing features of India, but I learnt a lot about people, about life and about the world.

Attending this programme was a prime example of me making the most of every opportunity I am presented with. However, this was not the only time I have done this because, without taking the opportunity to apply to University, I would not be sat where I am, feeling stressed, fulfilled and most importantly, HAPPY.

When we talk about carpe diem (seize the day) we often think about the big opportunities in life, the things that will make us successful in life. In my opinion, this fogs our visions, causing us to miss the opportunities that are right in front of us. When I talk about seizing the day and every opportunity you are presented with, I don’t mean think about your success, what I’m saying is, take that opportunity to talk to someone new, grab your chance to held that old lady cross the road, help the little boy get across on his bike, take the chance to take care of your friends, your mother, your father, your sister, your brother. In life, those are the opportunities we cannot afford to miss! Who knows what will happen tomorrow? Who knows when you’ll get another chance to tell your mother, lover or brother that you love them?

If there is one thing I have learnt in my experience of life so far, it is definitely that I will never leave the house without telling my mum I love her, I will never waste time sitting in silence instead of saying sorry to someone. Time is precious in everything we do and of course, there will always be situations where we can’t help but waste time because, well that’s human nature, it’s ‘in our genes’. We aren’t build like the animal kingdom who live to survive. We live to work and work to survive.

Don’t get me wrong, in life we definitely need to take risks. If someone asks you to go sky diving with them, do it! They’ll hold your hand and comfort your fears if you’re afraid but don’t let your fear stop you. Don’t let money stop you! My parents have always told me “where there’s a will there is a way” and coming from a working class background, money has never been readily available for us to travel the world or do whatever we want however, there has never been a time in life where my parents have said “no you can’t do that because we don’t have the money for it”. My parents have always found a way to make ends meet and to give me and my siblings the great life we live.

For whoever is reading this blog, I want you to know that whatever your dream is, you can do it! No matter how much people ridicule you and out you down, telling you that you can’t do it, I’m telling you that you can! Put yourself out there! Do the things you dream of every night! Even if you want to tell the boy in your class you fancy the pants off him, do it!! Never ever let the opinions of other put you down and stop you from doing what you love. Without this mind set, I would be sitting on my bed, drowning in tears worrying about how I’m ever going to get a job as a lawyer. I know that if I want something, I have to go out there and I have to get it. No one can do it for me. I’ve taken every opportunity to be my best self, to experience life at its best and I WILL CONTINUE! Now it’s your turn, go and do something you’ve always wanted to do. If no one will support you, I WILL!! I BELIEVE IN YOU!!

All love xoxo

"Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever - Mahatma Ghandi