The Chicks Get Down with BFunk in Chicago

June 30, 2019

Let me start this post by saying that I love social media. I am so grateful for everything that I have learned from YouTube or been inspired by on Instagram. Normalizing our day to day existence has been the single most unifying theme of my life after social media. I love that there is always someone out there that has thought about what you have thought about or felt the way you have felt.

Along those lines, following the journey of Shivani Bhagwan and Chaya Kumar as they creatively rose through the ranks of YouTube stardom has been one of those journeys. Watching generation after generation go back their roots in a way that is trendy is something I give them a lot of credit for. Not only have they taught us so much, but they have brought back a sense of pride in our Indian heritage.

“ Bollywood is a feeling.” ~Chaya Kumar

Naturally, when I found out that they were hosting a workshop in Chicago, I signed up Sonia and I immediately. We are Punjabi and love Indian music, so a Bhangra class by the pros was right up our alley.

We had amazing time among a group of more than one hundred dancers. They taught us step by step the dance to their famous Makhana routine. Although we had not performed in ages, we had a great time getting into the groove with a bunch of like minded people.

Check out a little video recap of our experience and be sure to follow them on YouTube, they have over 1 million subscribers, don’t be left out!

What YouTubers do you love and why? We would love to hear from you! Comment below!

Your Chick,

Rina

Lifestyle

Dinner Party Games Too Good To Miss!

June 25, 2019

Hosting dinner parties can be so much fun! Deciding the menu, place settings, and flowers are all essential parts of a successful dinner party, but you can’t forget about the laughter and good times! I have two suggested games that can add some umph to your next family dinner or dinner party!

Family Dinner Game: Campfire Games: Would You Rather? Edition.

My sister, Rina, and I took this game along to our last dinner out with our four kids. The kids ages range from ages 6 to 9. The game is broken into two colors from which you pick one of each and ask questions like, “Would you rather always smell like cheese, or have an itch on your thumb toe that never goes away?” Kids and adults will delight what each person will choose and why. Because the options are separated by color there are 2500 different combinations, so you can plan on having fun with this one for a very long time!

Teen/Adult Dinner Party Game: Who In The Room?

This game has a suggested age of 17+. It can be played with younger children as long as the questions have been pre-screened. This game is an excellent choice for a family gatherings or a close knit group of friends. Each card gives you 3 different questions to choose from about who in the room you think would fit the suggested question. An example of three questions would be:

Who in the room spends the most time on Facebook?

Who is the room always puts toilet paper on the toilet seat in public restrooms?

Who in the room is the worst cook?

On the count of three everybody in the room points to the person they think would fit the question asked best. It’s hilarious to see the responses and makes for sharing fun stories!

Happy game playing!

Your Chick,
Sonia

Lifestyle

Think Tank Wrap Up

June 19, 2019

When Sonia and I started the blog, we had committed to creating content regularly, engaging with you all often, and also to keep learning. We have attended conferences in the past, but this past year we have really amped up our affiliate game (see our post on How Blogger Make Money here). We are starting to build relationships with brands that we shop often and truly love. Now was the time for us to understand what being a true brand ambassador means.

When we learned that Think Tank was happening in Chicago this summer we had to check it out. After two days of networking and learning, we want to share what we learned.

Brands Love Bloggers

This was a relief. We met with so many brands that all agree that they are JUST NOW starting to really dig into using bloggers to do their advertising. As publishers, bloggers work hard to create content and share it in a meaningful way. It felt good to hear that brands find value in what we do.

Everyone is a Winner

Brands see usage of affiliate links as a win for them and for the publishers. Bloggers can negotiate commissions with brands (via affiliate managers) that they are looking for a long term relationship with which makes the collaboration mutually beneficial. The number one way to get registered as an affiliate is via Share A Sale. On that platform you can apply to thousands of brands’ affiliate platforms at one time. If you want to know more about this comment below and we will get in touch.

Bloggers Can Really Cash In

As I mentioned above, once you are an approved affiliate for a particular brand and have developed a track record supporting them, you can negotiate for higher commissions. This makes sharing what you love so much more fun! You can also negotiate how you prefer to be paid out; CPA (cost per acquisition), flat fee, hybrid models, and more.

Among affiliates, bloggers make up the largest group. So this means that if we support each other and support people that truly inspire us to shop, it works for everyone. If you would like to know more, let me know and I would be happy to share.

As of now, Chicks And Salsa are affiliates for Spanx, Nordstrom, ChicWish, TULA, Civant, and Shein. We are also publishers on RewardStyle and 21 Buttons (both of which I have written about here).

Thanks for your interest in this post.

Your Chick,

Rina

Lifestyle, Travel

Staycation at the Holiday Inn North Shore

June 17, 2019

We love being able to share the hustle of female entrepreneurs with you and one such opportunity recently presented itself. We were invited to check out the newly renovated Holiday Inn North Shore in Skokie by CFO Sheila Lakhani Gilani for a little #Getaway and I am not sure if the kids or us chicks had more fun!

This enormous property has 250 rooms and 15,000 sq. feet of flexible banquet space perfect for up to 1000 people. Sounds about right for an Indian wedding venue! They have a full service catering staff on hand to make your event special. As part of the renovation, all of the rooms were also upgraded with BeautyRest mattresses, new amenities, and an updated look. We loved that our room that had a kitchenette in it, it is such a life saver when traveling with kids.

Located 30 minutes from the airport and the city, this conference center stays very busy. During our stay there were several large corporate meetings taking place as well as a poker tournament. The property, however, did not feel congested or crowded.

We enjoyed playing at the indoor pool and also dining at the Bar Louie located inside the hotel itself!

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Thank you so much to the amazing Manager and staff at the Holiday Inn North Shore for a fun staycation with our kiddos!

We love reviewing places to stay and sharing them with you, check out our post on the Hyatt Regency in Orlando in case you are headed there for your summer vacation. We also have a few tips for visiting Harry Potter World if that’s your thing.

Thanks for stopping by Chicks And Salsa!

Your Chicks,

Rina and Sonia

**This post was written in exchange for a complimentary staycation.