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atlanta

Lifestyle

An Ode to My Dog: CoCo

I didn’t grow up with a dog, in fact, the only pets I had were parakeets and rabbits.  Both of which I knew I would never have as an adult.

Just after I got married, 11 years ago, my husband surprised me with a maltipoo for my birthday. I was speechless and a little upset mostly because I had no idea what it meant to be a dog owner! Little did I know I was about to embark on a journey that would reshape the person I am today.

We named our first furry baby, Peanut. To be honest, before he arrived I had put him on a one week trial….if it didn’t work out, we were going to send him back.  Peanut was born in Texas and arrived via American Airlines where we met for the first time. He was 8 weeks old. Tiny, like a Peanut, with white curly hair. He was terrified. When I reached for him I immediately panicked because I didn’t know what to do next. Once I got hold of him from the back of his crate, he curled into the palm of my hand and calmed the nerves we both had and we both immediately felt a sense of relief. It was clear, I was consumed with so much love for this little animal.  It hit me in that moment that we had just become family. It didn’t take more than 5 minutes for me to make my decision that he was staying with us forever!

Most valuable lesson as a dog owner:

Unconditional love. Peanut gave me the gift of friendship with no strings attached.  He grew to love me and my husband as his furry parents and we loved him as our furry baby. He journeyed with us through two pregnancies and babies and accepted and protected our kids with every bone in his body.  We tragically lost Peanut to a coyote attack shortly after his 7th birthday and it felt just as tragic as the loss of any family member. There were days Peanut and I were besties and days we were frenemies, but we were family. In his absence I learned that he taught me to be more kind, more compassionate and more forgiving.

Today we have Coco another adorable maltipoo.  He is everything Peanut was and continues to be for us.  While having a dog can sometimes feel like work, there isn’t a moment that goes by that I’m not reminded of Peanut and how his legacy serves as a reminder to not take the human and dog relationship for granted.  I can definitely say I am a better person because of my furry babies and will be forever indebted to my dogs for the lessons they teach me everyday!

Your chick,
Sonia

Chick Picks:

There are so many versions of this sweatshirt! The one I am wearing is linked here |  A slightly higher end version of it is linked here | Revolve has a distressed version here | Jeans are linked here | Booties are sold out, but I have linked something similar here |Check out the necklace that we all have here  see it on me here

Lifestyle

I Spent 4 Hours and 49 Minutes on My Phone Today!! Should I be worried?

Ok, don’t judge me- but I really wanted to know exactly how much time I was spending on my phone so I measured it using the Moments App (ioS 12 also has a built in feature to help you keep track as well).  I was introduced to the app a while ago and I have been documenting my usage and time for the past few weeks.  I thought I was going to feel bad about the amount of time I spent, but I found something even more interesting and awesome instead!

If you have an iPhone here is how your can check your usage now!

Launch Settings from your Home screen. > Tap on Battery. > Wait a moment for Battery Usage to populate. > Tap on the Show Detailed Usage button to get a breakdown of foreground and background power usage. > Tap on Last 7 Days to get a broader look at power consumption over time.

**First pic is from one day, second pic is from seven day summary**

 

Screenshots from Moments App:
My Results

It turns out I get plenty of sleep – averaging 7-8 hours a night – awesome right!?! It also turns out that I spend almost 5 hours a day on my phone…I thought I would have negative feelings about this, but it turns out I don’t.  Let me explain.  I work at home and with my time divided between Digital Chicks Media and our blog, it makes sense to me that I would be spending the equivalent of a day’s work on my phone, aka my computer on the go. With social media and engagement at the core of what I do, I guess it is not surprising, but there is a silver lining to all this information.

Black and White Sweater Dress for $35 (available in every color) another one I love is linked here | Loafers are Chanel, shop similar here | My go to red lipstick is linked here 

The Silver Lining

I am living day-to-day moments for most of my day – that is time that I am spending with my family, at the gym, cooking, driving, etc.  That is a nice find that somehow I can’t ignore.  I actually felt good about that, is that weird?  My kids get home from school around 3:30PM and go to bed around 8PM. The main thing I try hard to work on is the amount of time I spend on my phone while they are home. I want to make sure that those 8 hours of living are happening sans my phone while my family is together.

Something my husband and I try to do walk away from our devices to resist the temptation to not be present in the moment while the kids are home.  While work can sometimes creep in trying to move to another room to finish out an email or call is a helpful way to recenter and be present in the time you are away from your phone.

The Takeaway

In life we have to strike a balance between the things that we do and find a place in our day to day lives for all of it.  Smartphones are a necessary evil that really are not that bad, they have enhanced our lives by so much.  So, next time you resent the amount of time you may be spending on your phone, find out how much time you are actually spending and let that knowledge either empower you or help you create changes you wish to see to make being in the moment more meaningful.

Your Chick,

Sonia

Chick Picks:

Lifestyle, Travel

4 Trendy Spots to Enjoy The Atlanta Weather NOW!

As many of you know, Sonia and I (Rina) grew up in the Chicago area. After getting married, I moved to a small town outside of Atlanta with my husband and now we’ve been married for 13 years (time flies…!).  After the initial shock of being away from friends and family wore off, I have grown to love so many things about the South — particularly the city of Atlanta.

At the top of that list is the weather. Being able to spend time with my family outdoors most of the year is unbeatable. To make use of the endless southern warmth, Atlanta has several new developments that merge a love of eating, of drinking, and of shopping entirely outside!  I want to share my top four ways to chill in Atlanta. These spots are versatile: good for family activities, date nights, and a night out with the girls.

Krog Street

Another new concept in metropolitan areas are these European style “supermercados.”  It is an emptied out warehouse with filled restaurants and vendors. These vendors line the interior of the warehouse in an interactive way that includes fun samples of different types of foods. On a recent trip with my sister and a friend, we all craved for different things: Shelly wanted ramen, I wanted Pho, and Hannah wanted chips and salsa. Lucky enough, Krog Street delivered on all of it!  I want to make a special mention of Superica, an elevated tex mex experience that uses locally sourced ingredients. They are also very mindful of their food presentation, making the experience delicious and beautiful.

My midi dress is on clearance for $44 | Shop similar summer dresses here and here | If you have not scooped up a good pair of white sneakers yet, my Adidas rose gold kicks are on sale | My top selling bag by Zac Posen is also on sale here

The Atlanta Beltline

Around the corner of Krog Street is the Atlanta Beltline.  Similar to the 606 in Chicago, the Atlanta Beltline is much larger and more robust having been built on 22 miles of unused railroad tracks.  All kinds of people enjoy the beltline for long walks and bike rides. A cool accent of the beltline is the support of local artists as the walkway is lined with casual and creative artwork.

Ponce City Market

This “market” opened in 2014 in the old Sears, Roebuck & Company building. It is linked directly to the Atlanta BeltLine.  This is a large flexible space to eat, drink, and shop. See the list of places to eat, shop, and hang out here.  My personal favorite is the adult-only roof top ($10 cover) and carnival complete with putt-putt golf, carnival games, and a beer garden with fire pits — and some of the best mixologists in town.  This place is a little piece of heaven and perfect for literally whatever mood you are in.  Find a corner, make it yours, and enjoy yourself.

Video is from Vimeo: ASD|SKY – Ponce City Market Roof | Skyline Park + Nine MIle Station

Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) Fashion Museum

The location of this school is what really makes this a sight to see. With an unparalleled view of Atlanta from its main patio, SCAD is a unique blend of culture, art, and education. It is the home of one of the premier design schools and several influential designers have emerged from the institutions. Although the Atlanta location is the main campus building, they are very friendly about visitors and with its unique view of the city, it is definitely worth a visit.  The fashion museum inside the main campus features designers and art that change almost quarterly.  The view alone is worth the visit and completely free, but the museum has an admission of $10 — an educational experience into the world of art and design.

If you only have a little bit of time in Atlanta and have already done some of the more obvious tourist activities (like visit the Coca Cola museum, CNN, Georgia Aquarium, Stone Mountain, and Centennial Park), consider a local experience that is hip and relaxing.

Of course, no trip is complete without trendy luggage to go along with it! If you have not yet checked out Andiamo luggage, click here.  We have gotten so many compliments on their carry ons its not even funny, see our post here. 

Hope that this was helpful. Which of these placed have you visited?

Your Chick,

Rina

Chick Picks:

Lifestyle, women

#MomsOffDuty – What Does That Mean? Celebrating 100 Posts!!

This is our 100th Post!!! That is more than two years of Chick Picks, Fashion Posts, Motherhood Rants, and Party Tips and we could not have done it without you!! Thank you so much for supporting Chicks And Salsa!!

One of our most frequently used hashtags is #MomsOffDuty.  It was brought to our attention that ‘life outside of motherhood’ and ‘Moms off duty’ implies that we did not have children or did not care about them. This could not be further from the truth!  It just means that we are not going to beat ourselves up about taking a little ‘me time‘ every now and then.

Yes, we are moms and yes we are obsessed with our kids (as most Moms are). BUT the blog is a way for us to find an avenue outside of the realm of crafting, cooking, and career. Chicks And Salsa is a way to use creativity and media to connect with other women in a way that encourages us to develop ourselves as members of this society.

Reflections:
As women, especially those of ethnic descent, we have a tendency to place ourselves last — behind spouses, kids, career. If there is anything I have learned in these past few years, it is that putting yourself first can feel good sometimes, too. It is also important to realize that ‘mom guilt’ never goes away: we will always wish that when we try a new restaurant with friends, that our husbands were there or when we discover a new park to run at, that we could exercise and watch the kids at the same time.
Moms Off Duty—that is how we feel when we squeeze in a coffee with friends during the day or get a babysitter and vent to a friend over cocktails after school. It is all-encompassing. It is the food that we eat, the activities that we participate in, the civic work that we do, the obligations we have at work, and our responsibilities at home. It is about taking a moment to build yourself as a woman, no matter what corners that life brings your way. Stringing together the moments outside of our routines are often the ones that we remember and cherish.
Celebrating Each Other
You Do You
We challenge you to be ‘off duty’ once in a while and do something for yourself with or without someone else. Push yourself to a new limit and rediscover an old hobby. Or listen to some old tunes and dance like no one is watching. It is possible to be a great mother, an influencer, a career-builder, and an independent woman — find your way to putting yourself first and in doing that, find yourself.
Lastly, thank you for all the love that you have shown us these past few years, hopefully we have more to offer as we learn more about all of you!!
With so much love, your chicks,
Rina and Sonia
Shout out to Neema, one of our contributors and Mom-extraordinaire, see her posts here.
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