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Lifestyle

6 Reasons Why You Will Love Vero – True Social Media

Honestly, thank you to the makers of Vero! This new app touts that it is the social media solution of the future and after hours of tinkering, here is what I have learned and think I will love:
Its a One Stop Shop!
Yup, its fully integrated. No more “click link in bio” – now images themselves are hyperlinked (bye bye “swipe up” feature).  On Vero you can store your reviews on places, books, movies, etc. and integrate that into your actual story. Better yet, your posts that tell the story don’t automatically delete after 24 hours — Vero actually archives your memories into easy to access categories. This creates a comprehensive representation of who you are, the things you like and what you like to do.
Vero Manifesto
Vero Manifesto
No More Identity Separation
As a blogger/small business owner, I have personal Instagram page and a blog Instagram page. Now, with Vero, you can categorize your followers and share things accordingly.  The categories are Follower, Acquaintance, Close Friend, and Friend.  This is a MAJOR plus for me — for personal posts I can just share those with my family and close friends. For my blog posts I can share with everyone! But it can all be on one comprehensive and very personalized and authentic feed.
Follower Categories
Follower Categories
Some Familiar Features
You can still search for relevant hashtags and people similar to the way you would on Instagram.  This is comforting when switching to a new platform. Hashtags are very useful for categorizing people, trends, and events as well as for searching for relevant posts.
App Aesthetic is Awesome
Instagram now seems very sterile with its white backdrop and locked-in features.  Vero has a darker backdrop that makes pictures pop. The backdrops also adjust according to the image and is lighter for lighter images and darker for darker images. Smart framing for the photos helps enhance the viewing — isn’t that everything you want on a photo-based sharing platform?!
Integrated Layout
Integrated Layout
No Ads
Yup, you read that right, no more spillage from Facebook with sponsored ads and seeing posts you didn’t ask to see.  This app will eventually require a paid membership (annual fee) but to see what I want to see, I think that is fair.
Post Are in Chronological Order
After Instagram changed its algorithm and started giving preference to more popular and engaged posts.  On Vero you see things as they happen when they happen, IN ORDER!
So far, I am very impressed with Vero. Currently I use Facebook, Facebook Stories, Instagram, Instagram Stories, Trip Advisor, Email, and my blog to reach out to my followers. But with Vero I think I can merge a lot of these under one roof. Integrating my social media presence optimizes the way I present my brand — and helps manage my time. The more you share the more complete your story is.
So, what are you waiting for? Make the switch and download Vero App.
These opinions are my own and this post has been written purely out of the exhaustion I experience managing my brand across a variety of platforms.  I see potential here, so I wrote this post.  Time will tell if the Facebook juggernaut is just too big, but for now, I am willing to try something new.
Cheers,
Rina
Lifestyle

5 ‘P’owerful Ways to Connect With Your Spouse

Please tell me I am not the only one who feels like sometimes life gets too busy…to the point that there are evenings when my husband and I are hardly able to chat in the evenings.  I have spoken with my chicks and my mom about this and it seems normal for life to cut into relationships — but honestly, no one likes to feel like they are not ‘connected’ to their spouse or significant other (SO).  Having been married for 13 years with two young children, it’s easy to let one busy evening become two nights in a row and then, before you know it, a week!

Here are some important reminders, the five ‘P’s, to keep your relationship on track and healthy:

Prioritize

Identify that you miss your spouse…this is an easy way to kick yourself back into gear. The best place to start is to communicate that longing. It helps get the wheels turning for you and for your SO. I tell my husband I miss him all the time, even when he is right in front of me. It lets him know that I am thinking about him and that time with him is a priority for me.

Secrets for winning at Relationships
Anil and Rina : Established in 2005
Plan

Remember, actions express priorities. So once you acknowledge that you miss each other, it is time to make a plan. We were so good about date nights in the beginning, but lately (in the last 3 years) not so much. This year, we want to find a way to get back to that place where we set aside time for each other. Making time to do things together (yes, without the kids and hustle of daily life) expresses priorities.

Play

Remember those little things you did when you had fewer responsibilities? In our case, it was watch a lot of movies, NBA basketball games, and walking around new parts of town. Those activities are fun, flirty, and lighthearted. Don’t just go out to a fancy dinner — go to sports bar and catch the game again, like old times.  Play time together is just as important for adults as it is for kids. Remind each other of the easy, playful times amidst the weight of growing responsibilities with families.

Sonia and Badal Celebrating 10 Years!

Sonia and Badal Celebrating 10 Years!

Physical Contact

Do you know it only take 60 SECONDS of physical skin to skin contact to get the endorphins going?  Take that playfulness further by sneaking in moments to flirt at home. These moments can be an unexpected hug or kiss in the kitchen, a slight touch of the hand as you walk by. Making sure to remember that even the slightest physical contact with your spouse can make the body have a positive biological response.

Pillow Talk

This one is great. It ties in with #2, planning.  Each night, when the lights are out, it is nice to have a little recap. I tell my husband a quick story about the kids or myself. He will tell me something funny that happened at the office. We try to keep the exchange lighthearted (and phone free), to help us laugh together and end the day with a smile.  Having this brief re-connectivity can help be a reset and recharge button for the relationship. I actually think about pillow talk throughout out the day and look forward to that moment of peace when it is just the two of us.

** Bonus ‘P’: Poetry**

When I first met my husband he would write me lovely snippets in emails, on cards, and on napkins (anything he could get his hands on!) from time to time, sneaking in a romantic thought here an there really drew me to him.  Since that time, I have see many other relationships use this fun way to communicate with each other.  Check out some of my favorite love poems written by my uncle in his book, The Start Of Something Beautiful.  Maybe scoop up a copy for your honey for old times sake, or check out some of our other ideas for gifts.  Here is a sample from the book:

God Exists Poem

Hopefully, you can use some of these tips. When I am on the same page as my spouse, I move through my day with confidence and positivity. When we are ‘off’, it affects me, the kids, my work, etc.  Are you like that?  Drop me a comment below on what you do to connect with your spouse.

Cheers,

Rina

 

Lifestyle

5 Things I Have Learned Since Starting A Blog

Wow, it has been a roller coaster since launching Chicks And Salsa and, besides the time I have spent with my family, this has been one of the most gratifying year and a half of my life. Doing something that is centered on the betterment and understanding of myself was a hard transition to make but has felt amazing.  The blog has also had some unexpected benefits such as making my relationships with my parents, siblings, spouse, and children better since I had found an outlet for myself. It has served as an avenue to work through my thoughts and ideas in in a more organized fashion that my brain previously couldn’t. I am also truly grateful to Sonia, Avani, Komal, and Neema who have found a home on the blog for their voices and ideas. Compiling our passions, motivations, and insecurities has allowed each of us to grow beyond what we could have imagined. In reflecting on this past year, I wanted to take a moment to acknowledge the top five things I have learned since “becoming a blogger.”

Bloggers Are Awesome People

I was surprisingly met with good energy, positive vibes and smiling faces when I timidly introduced Chicks And Salsa to the blog-sphere.  I was worried about encountering intimidation and skepticism; but other bloggers were generous with their ideas and enthusiasm. After all, we are unique and have a different messages to share with the universe.  We have worked with many bloggers in developing our brand and truly credit them for the support that they have provided.  These women rock! They are hard working, creative, and smart and open to questions. DM your favorite bloggers and see what they say!  Pro tip: to really shortcut the process, join Style Collective. They have all the secrets, resources, and community support to justify what they offer for $10/month.  I wish I had found them much sooner than I did. I use their calendars and templates for emails and contracts regularly. I have also met new networks that have streamlined my outreach.

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Deciding to Start is The Hardest Part

My sister and I talked ourselves out of starting Chicks And Salsa for months. We kept thinking we were too old, too boring, too ‘whatever’ to have a blog.  And although that still may be true, doing it for ourselves has been the greatest gift. The fact that so many of our readers check in is the bow on top.  Sharing a piece of oneself with the universe can come with a host of insecurities, doubt, changes, attempts, failures, laughter, and tears.  It’s the constant pursuit of developing and defining your brand that really reflects who you are as a person. It forces you to reflect on your values and desires, an exercise that fuels motivation to try harder and learn more.  Then there is the challenge of incorporating all this sharing into your day-to-day life without it totally taking over (which it totally has the potential to do, see number 3.)  

Blogging is ALL Encompassing

With blogging, I find myself managing many media platforms. In order to succeed, you do need to be everywhere all the time.  Having my cameras always charged and planning out my content helps — that way I am not aimlessly taking pictures all the time.  I make my time count by being goal-oriented and then I either write the piece, get the picture, or make a list and move on. A bias towards action is important and acting with intention will help limit the blogging… keeping it from taking over your life!

Blogging is actually SO MUCH FUN!

Yes, it’s true. Deciding to do this was the exact kick I needed to get out of the funk I was in. For the first time in five years, I was home alone because my kids went to school full time and I had been working part time from home. The blog has taken my ‘me time’ to another level.  I have developed as a writer, photographer, digital content creator, and friend.  Not to mention, I have discovered a whole world of new social media supporters and friendships – some I have met, some I have not (yet!). It has been a rewarding journey that I am excited to continue experiencing. You, our readers, are a huge part of the motivation that drives me forward.  Thank you!

All Black Look
All Black Look
Loving The Learning
Loving The Learning
It Is Easier To Work Backwards

In the beginning, I decided to start a blog but I didn’t have a specific objective or purpose in mind.  Helpful questions to start with are ‘why do you want to blog?’,‘what is the end goal?’, and ‘are you seeking free stuff, money, to network, or travel?’.  I know it seems obvious, but if you want free travel, talk about travel; if you want free products, talk about products, etc.  Genuinely I think I started because I wanted to learn about blogging and I wanted to be informed.  I know now that Chicks And Salsa is truly a lifestyle blog that we have built to speak to all the layers of women, in particular mothers. Women tend to be the demographic who have limited time for themselves and cherish the time they get with their friends. Therefore, we found our mission after we decided to pursue the genesis of Chicks and Salsa. This important nuance helped us grow from the ground up into a purposeful blog.

Phew, what a round up! I hope you found this helpful. In the new digital age, the creative content that one can make and the audience that they can have is truly limitless. Use that indefinite space to find a corner that is yours. I hope that with Chicks And Salsa, you have not only found that you are part of our tribe but also that you are the origin of your own movement.

Cheers
Cheers

Cheers!
Rina

Lifestyle, Motherhood, Review

Life-Gramming with Snap Spectacles : To Buy or Not to Buy?

Come on ladies, we have all been there: whipping out our phones every second our children look cute at a party, school or on the playground. As fun as it is to capture these moments, tying up our hands and pointing a phone in their face can be a bittersweet experience. I have been waiting for an organic method to capturing memories in a real-time way for years and that moment is finally here, or so I thought!  

The Product: Snap Spectacles

Snap Inc. (formerly SnapChat) has come out with Spectacles. While other people have many reasons for wanting these (e.g. documenting intense adventures hiking on mountains or whitewater rafting), my purpose is singular: to find a more natural way to capture moments with my kids — not for social media, but for myself.  

The Spectacles have decent video and audio quality and a fairly minimal profile that makes it easy to use around the kids without ruining ‘the moment’. Although they only have sunglasses version out now, I suspect the next round of specs will have more nighttime and indoor friendly options.     

The glasses are really easy to use, it nice to not have to dig through your purse every time you want to capture something.  They stay paired with your phone at all time so you don’t need to wonder if you will get the shot when you hit the button on the frame (believe me I kept checking to see if it saved and it did every single time.) The shades run 90 minutes on a full charge (the minutes really stretch since it records 10-60 seconds at a time), which could be nice for adventures with the kids (like going to the the zoo, amusement parks, or even a walk at the park) except that ten seconds with kids on camera tends to feel like one, the ten second window seems to fly by.  Also, since the Snapchat app can take photos, I was disappointed that I could not take a picture with the specs, it only records videos. 

Check out more reviews and videos here:

I'm a Cool Mom - Right?!?!
I’m a Cool Mom – Right?!?!
Verdict

BUT, in the end, I ended up returning my Spectacles because I found it annoying to not be able to have a continuous shot, even with a 60 second setting, the video gets broken up into six ten second clips when saved to your story.  Ten seconds and no photo option is just not going to work for me!  This device is so close to something I could and would use.  Maybe when they expand the recording options and create a clear lens frame I may be interested in trying this out again but for now, I will probably spend more time fiddling around with the spectacles rather than with the kids which would defeat my original intent for buying the glasses all together!  

I hope I was able to ease your curiosity of this device I know that I needed to try it to know for myself.  Anything else you have your eye on? Let me know, I will review it and keep you posted.

XOXO,

Rina

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