What: Weekend mountain climbing expeditions in the Sahyadri mountains with Petzl and Advivors - The Adventure People, call 9930992329/9969700241 to book a private expedition (minimum of five people), start at Rs 1,200 per head.

Why: In order to promote mountain climbing in India, French company Petzl is drilling climbing bolts into rock faces all over the Sahyadris. You can go find these yourself, or better yet, enlist the services of Ram Vengurlekar, Petzl employee and trained mountain climber. Through his personal company Advivors, Ram will map out your private expedition, train you, and accompany you on a super day or weekend trip. Rock on!

When: You want to knock the chip off your boulder.

What: Under the Tree’s gardening workshops, to register call 9833921120 or visit the Facebook group here, Rs 850 for a half-day rose class.

Why: Horticulturist and weeder Anusha Bubber is Bandra’s Bob Maali. Starting February 1, she’ll open up her bungalow rooftop to hold workshops on butterfly attraction, rose maintenance and gardens by the sea. Group classes of five to ten (bring your own buds or join a class) will also include music, lemonade, salad and sandwiches.

When: You need lawn-term solutions.

What: Fabulous soirees by Groovy Two Shoes, visit www.groovytwoshoes.com or call 9820190997, start at Rs 15,000 for a party of two.

Why: Golden cages and vintage Polaroid shots, rosemary-chocolate popcorn and even a wishing tree: party-supers Yashika Punjabi and Pragnya Rao can source all of these and more for your next soiree. Graphic and interior designers by training (Pragnya writes for Elle Décor and Architectural Digest), they are the brains behind Groovy Two Shoes, an event management company that works with different vendors on everything from invites and décor to location, food and ambience.

When: You want a clue for your do.

What: bpb’s Three Wise Men project, email your holiday queries to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , free.  

Why: Ask in the glory of bpb’s Three Wise Men, a Christmas panel featuring Conrad D’souza (head chef at Pali Village Cafe), Rick Roy (film and fashion stylist) and Aneesh Bhasin (award-winning travel photographer). Email in your holiday-related food, fashion and travel queries, and we'll get them to write you back. Swear on the bible! bpb’s asking: What's the sexiest eggnog recipe? Where can I find elfin shoes? What’s the best weekend getaway for my boyfriend and mistletoe?

When: Until the end of this year - time and yuletide wait for no man.

Who’s Heading This?

Sohal Khatwani wants India to use its head(s). So much so, that he returned to the Motherland from Australia a few months ago to start Head Knockin, a new company that converts desi celebrities into bobblehead dolls and puts them on your desk. Gods and Demi-nods?

But the 27 year-old entrepreneur doesn’t want to run Head Knockin like a Bollywood doll shop. He’s got big plans, ones that involve ventures with Bollywood stars, cricket teams, politicians and you. Most recently, Sohal bagged an official merchandising contract to create Don 2’s SRK bobblehead, as well as another for the Royal Challengers IPL team.  “A chap just came to see me about making RCB Bobbleheads...what do u all think? He made a sample of me...will post pic... This is me in Bobblehead form!” Sidhartha Mallya tweeted a while back. How about some cheerleader bobbleheads to go with the team?

What: Say It With, Atria Mall, unit number 153, Dr Annie Besant Road, Worli, call 9820726388, price on request.

Why: Giant cocktail glasses and candy-coloured boxes, sea-blue candle stands and a crystal chandelier all vie for space at this new(ish) shoebox-sized store, where you can’t actually buy anything. What you can do, however, is pick from the display or order customised gift-wrap and stationery for your upcoming bachelorette, baby shower or lunch soiree, and they’ll tailor the order exactly to your needs.

When: You want a part-y time job.

What: Driver etiquette classes at the Institute of Chauffeur Services (IOCS), Gitaneel Arcade, shop number 19, 44 Hill Road, Bandra (W), call 26412070 or visit www.instituteofchauffeurservices.com, Rs 5,400 for a twelve hour module and “brush-up” classes for a year.

Why: A training school for drivers? Are you skidding me? This training camp not only teaches your road runner proper chauffeur etiquette (punctuality, greetings, opening of doors) but also grooms him away from funny smells like body odor, cigarette smoke, etc. For an extra fee, equipment such as uniforms, caps and a folding chair are provided as well. They also help recruit drivers, and send them to you fully trained.

When: You want a dealer for your wheeler. Next module in the last week of November.

Read the Fine Text

It's true: not all mass messages are teeth-grindingly annoying. Take for instance ekSMS (www.eksms.com), a location-based deals service that operates on both email and phone, passing along coupons for active discounts in different neighbourhoods.With this, we can deal!

All you have to do is text ekSMS your location and what meal you're looking for - lunch, dinner or drinks -  and they send you back four options: we recently received fun breaks at Suzette, Nariman Point; Hard Rock Cafe; Lemongrass, Bandra; and Veda, Lower Parel. To redeem the discount, visit the establishment and show them your coupon on your phone. Easy as pie.

Cyber Cafes

For those of you on the DND cell number list, they offer the same service through their website as well, and send you a coupon via email. We found this method more convenient, as it allowed us to browse deals active at different times of the day for multiple areas, but it hampers mobility; at best, ekSMS works as a tool you whip out  when you're on the road already, done with work or an afternoon of shopping, and want to cop a good deal at your current location.

Early Days and  Early Birds

 Just having launched, ekSMS is currently rather limited, operating in three Mumbai neighborhoods - Colaba, Lower Parel and Bandra - with only  a handful of deals  for each area. Also, the Bandra section often shows discounts in Worli (Cool Chef Cafe, for instance), which is a long distance to travel. There are technical glitches as well - twice we didn't receive the text coupons, but their email is consistently reliable.

Despite this,  ekSMS is a cool, convenient concept, one that plans to expand geographically and to more businesses -  we suggest you keep an eye on this fledgling service. You know what they say about early birds. 

Getting there: Visit www.eksms.com or text 9845898458, free service.

Sex up your career with our free monthly listings of super job openings in the city, from working for an uber cool restaurant to landing gigs at content companies and non-profit organisations.

Jack In the Box: This content-for-brands company is looking for someone with 1 to 1.5 years of experience in SEO and / or ORM. Email your resume to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

The Table: The Colaba eatery needs a young enthusiastic person who is interested in learning about marketing and public relations in the restaurant industry. No previous work experience required. Just good communication skills and work ethic. Email your resume and a short note about why you're interested to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

National Centre for Performing Arts (NCPA): Is looking for an executive in online communications. Email your CV to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

DeTales: This new marketing and communication company is looking for a PR consultant with at least six months relevant experience. The job would entail working on accounts like Bonobo, Pali Village Cafe and Troy Costa. Email your resume to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Save The Children India: Is looking for a COO with 12 years of experience and an MBA degree to plan operations, growth and expansion of existing programmes at the NGO. Email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Brown Paper Bag: Is looking to hire the services of a tech company to handle monthly maintenance for its website as well as work on other special web projects. Contact us on This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Want to list your job vacancy on bpb Classifieds? Write in to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it with job description and contact details.

What: Chachii.com chore completion service, call 7738131051, budget depends on task.

Why: This new service gets a sari-clad, fat-hipped fictional Chachii to run around the city completing your chores. Submit a task on the website (still in beta testing) or via SMS – pick up movie tickets, do groceries, clean room, repair leak, deliver flowers – along with a time line and budget and they will match your request with a vendor in their network. Chalees chore!

When: You have an aunt who can’t.