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chicks and salsa

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:

Fashion

Mad About Plaid

There are some annual trends that are so consistent that I don’t have to let go of those pieces from year to year. Once the weather turns and the colors (for me, mainly black) turn to orange, rust, brown, and yellow, we turn to plaid to help ring in the new season.

Well, kind of.

I love black – so when I found this black and white plaid blazer I knew I had to have it. It’s the perfect compromise for someone like me not totally ready to commit to the fall palette but ready to layer up! This blazer from TopShop is different though – it is jersey knit and double breasted which means it is super soft to the touch, has a little bit of give to it, and looks as amazing as it feels.  Jersey knits are a staple in my wardrobe all year round — special shout-out to my jersey maxi dresses that keep me going through the summers.

The Look

You can see from my feed, unknowingly I have acquired many TopShop items lately, whether it is from Nordstom or TopShop itself.  I guess TopShop’s style speaks to me – like this animal print crossbody (pictured here)or leopard print dress that I have rocked in multiple ways. They do a good job of staying on trend. Even with accessories, trendy resin earrings are from TopShop too ($18)!

The best curvy girls jeans are linked here | The comfiest clear heels under $50 are here  (size up 1.5 sizes |  This plaid blazer is linked here | My resin earrings are $18 and linked here

I take inspiration from many fashion bloggers (Sarah from House of Sequin is a favorite lately!) when I put together an outfit and this look is no different.   Mixing and matching vibes by pairing my rocker tee and blazer is just one inspired look that I have tried.  Anyone can recreate this with what they already have in their closet — its a good excuse to pull out that comfy tee.

Thanks for all the love you showed this look on Instagram. I have reviewed several of my handbags in this video so check it out for details on sizing and styling.

As always, thank you for checking out this post.  If you have not already, consider subscribing to our channel on YouTube for a closer look at who the chicks are.

Cheers,

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.
Chick Picks:
food, Lifestyle

5 Reasons Why NOW is the Right Time For You To Buy An Instant Pot

I love to cook, and even more so after I had kids. I wanted to be the super mom that made fresh home cooked meals for her kids. Let’s be real though cooking is – messy and time consuming. The easy way out sometimes is to pull something out of the freezer. BUT buying an instant pot was life changing.

I bought the instant pot last summer only because it was on sale. I had no clue how to use it and frankly speaking it sat in the box for 4 months because its intimidating! I would look at it and say to myself, “that thing looks way too confusing, and I don’t have time to figure it out.”I was so wrong. It is the most convenient and efficient cooker I have EVER used.

Time

It has saved me so much time (like tons). Once the meal is in there and you have set the time – you can walk away. The meal then cooks and switches to keeping the food warm or turns off depending on what you have chosen. The instant pot cooks 70% faster than a slow cooker. If you’re Indian and are comparing it to our mom’s Indian pressure cookers: IT IS 100% safer (those things are crazy).

6 Quart Instant Pot (My Recommendation) | Instant Pot Cookbook | Accessories for Steaming

Nutrients

The instant pot cooks with high heat which comes in handy in thoroughly cooking your food. The temperature is between 239 degrees F to 244 degrees F, it kills toxins that slow cookers may miss. In addition, vegetables and other foods will maintain their nutrients by being cooked at higher temps.

Scent Free Cooking
I like to make Indian food, and Indian food aroma can spread throughout the house. My dear husband would walk into the home and be bombarded with the smell of onions and masala. I’ve switched a lot of my Indian meals to instant pot meals. Not only has it saved me time, but my house doesn’t smell like a restaurant anymore!
Neat and Clean

Using the instant pot reduces the amount time you will spend cleaning your kitchen. There is only one pot to clean in the Instant pot. No stove messes at all. The is a WIN WIN in my book. I dread kitchen clean ups.

Healthier Meals

Whatever your work schedule consists of I promise the instant pot is going to make your life easier. It’s so easy for everyone to use. With a little bit of planning, you can have your instant pot meal all ready for you the moment you walk in the door. So you can have “fast food” that is far more healthier. The Instant Pot Pressure Cooker Cookbook was a great buy for me to get started. I’ve been able to keep things ready and my husband will come home and just dump it in the instant pot and start the IP.

I initially had bought a 3qt instant pot but real quickly realized that the 6qt was way more handy dandy plus had more functions.. I did a lot of research and bought this one. It is the most efficient for me: Indian food, baby food, snacks, homemade yogurt, and even ghee!

Pro Tip #1: For larger beans like Rajma (Kidney Beans) or Chole (Garbanzo Beans) you will need to up the cook time to 90 minutes instead of the pre-set 30 minutes.  Smaller beans will cook just fine with the default setting.

Pro Tip #2: For those of you with young children like me, the Instant Pot Duo has a sterilize feature that can be used for baby bottles and breast pumps – such a convenient feature!

Pro Tip #3: Want to make Daal Makhani or Biriyani in your Instant Pot?? Follow us on Pinterest for Indian Instant Pot recipes!

Invest in one- you won’t regret it!

Your Chick,
Neema
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