I chase life through experiences; I always have. I love to ride whatever wave comes my way. As I get older, I get more passionate about these experiences and share them with the ones I love most, my family. Atlanta has been home to me for almost 10 years, and this city never fails to disappoint. There is always something literally POPPING up. There is always something exciting to see and do, from the Winky Lux installation to Slime City, the Selfie Museum, the Van Gogh exhibit, and now Candytopia.
The excitement of a temporary installation is totally different from traditional museums that you put on your list to visit eventually. I need the pressure to get things done in life and at work (I live for deadlines).
With so many things to do in Atlanta at any given time, be sure to check these two Pop-Ups happening now before they are gone. The Illuminarium is next on my list!
Step off the beltline and into an African Safari experience like no other! This immersive Safari is something that the whole family is sure to love! For tickets, click here.
I HIGHLY recommend this experience to everyone. The Van Gogh exhibit is a truly a unique artist profile has an immersive exhibit that is unlike anything I have ever experienced and a well-coordinated virtual reality experience. Get tickets for this event here.
This family-friendly pop-up was a HUGE hit with the kids. After reading this review, I knew I had to take them. This was a fun visit with a very Willy Wonka vibe and statues made 100% of candy. They also have a photosystem set up with QR codes that allow professional photos taken during your visit to be sent directly to your phone for free. To learn more, visit https://tickets.candytopia.com/event/candytopiaatl
Here is my video with a few other (not pop up) Atlanta favorites.
Since starting Chicks and Salsa I have been fortunate enough to collaborate with several companies who have helped me along in my Keto Journey. Quest, Atkins, and Built Bar, and Splenda are among them. After trying a variety of snacks from these companies I have a few thoughts about where the strengths and weaknesses lie for each.
This post is in no way sponsored and please note that I am not a nutritionist. This is simply a personal review based on my experience with these companies over the past few years. If you have a bias towards a low carb or keto-friendly diet, read on.
QUEST NUTRITION
In my opinion, Quest wins on a variety of flavors that favor people who love super savory foods. From their dessert bars to their chips, and shakes, everything tastes great. HOWEVER, there is a noticeable ‘protein-y’ taste similar to the one that you would expect from a traditional protein shake detectable in everything they have. I don’t mind it, but my husband and friends don’t all love it. To try my favorites from QUEST, click below.
ATKINS
When my daughter was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes and I started to learn about carbohydrates and seeking out carb-conscious snacks, Atkins was my first stop. They really have a delicious collection of snacks, these Sweet and Salty clusters are a favorite as are these ‘peanut m&m’ candies. I quickly realized, however, that I have a sensitivity to sugar alcohols that upsets my stomach. Atkins uses a sugar alternative called Maltilol which is known to cause gastrointestinal issues. Atkins is great but needs to be eaten in moderation. Also of all three companies, I am reviewing today, their ingredient list is the longest- which I don’t love.
BUILT BARS
I remember when I first tried these, I was convinced I had found the best bars out there. Built Bars truly taste like a candy bar with the texture of a Milky Way. Even though the flavors are great, after a while the texture kind of starts to ‘get old.’ I keep a few of my favorite flavors around but only indulge in these once every week or two.
SPLENDA
I truly prefer Splenda ten out of ten times to Stevia. Above all, for coffee drinkers, their creamers are literally the best. They are not available for sale in my local grocery store so I shop them on Amazon.
For other low carb and Keto tips, check out my posts below!
I recently
(finally!) sat down and really spent some time on Roblox with my
daughters. After spending hours on the
well known gaming app, my kids had become addicted and I needed to figure out
what it was all about.
In case you are not already aware of this, Roblox is a game-creation website where users design and upload their own games. This basically means that there are thousands of games buried on the app. As a parent I find this VERY difficult and frustrating to keep up with. On the app they are constantly selling games and ‘Robucks (in game currency)’ to keep the children engaged and active. My kids have asked for Robucks for their birthday, wth?!?
As a rule, I usually reference Common Sense Media before downloading apps to get an idea about what parents are saying about a particular movie or video game, but with Roblox – I admit – I went along with the masses (250 million downloads to date), so that my girls could play with their friends.
Games That Disgust
Currently they are playing a game called “Broken Bones.” In this game, a player jumps off a building or cliff, depending on the number of bones they break they are paid money to ‘level up’ to a jump off a higher ledge where they have the opportunity to break more bones and make more money! As my husband put it, “What idiot made a game like this!?!?”
(Note: with parental controls, my kids did NOT have access to Broken Bones or another ridiculous game called Growing Up)
Similarly, a game called “Fashion Famous” that my girls love is a popularity contest based purely on appearances. In this game, players dress up according to a theme and then are rated by other players and then ranked. Yuck!
There are so many others, Jailbreak, Growing Up, and so many more.
This is a screenshot from Growing Up where chat rooms are disguised as phone texts.
Tips for Parental Settings
If you feel the same
way I do about what I have learned, I have a few tips for you before you hand
over the ipad to your child tonight:
Know your child’s login and password (our kids had set up accounts using their school email addresses and forgot their own passwords which made all of this extra frustrating).
For users under 13 years of age, use parental controls to enter into safe-chat mode, better yet, disable it all together.
Set a 4 digit PIN that will be required anytime changes are made to the account.
Adjust the security settings to only allow access to age-appropriate games only (but these standards are according the administrators, so be weary)
Roblox’s free-and-open communication policy –including the ability for unregistered users to chat — means that your kids’ interactions can vary widely, from legitimate player engagement to potentially risky involvement with predatory users. ~ Common Sense Media
The Takeaway
If I could do it all over again, I would not have downloaded it, here is why:
It is highly addictive, 10 out of 10 times when
I ask my kids what they want to do, they say Roblox.
The parental controls are just OK, you can in
some cases block the chat features, but that does not mean that you can control
the content that they are exposed to.
I can’t keep up! I try it be a diligent parent,
but with so much content on the app, it’s just too much!
This summer my girls were gifted a Nintendo Switch and suddenly Mario Cart and Just Dance aren’t looking so bad. For now, I have deleted Roblox from their ipads and my life (much to their dismay).
Bottom line is keep your kids offline for as long as you can!
Let me know your thoughts on this. I feel helpless in this fast paced world of video games. I really prefer to revolve my life around a dozen or so ‘known’ things like board games, family friendly movies and tv shows, and of course getting into nature.
I cannot stress enough how much I love resources like Common Sense Media for things like this. I acknowledge that our kids are exposed to so much already on and off the computer, in and out of the classroom, but I don’t want them to ever see ‘broken bones’ as a good thing.
** Please note that not everything on Roblox is bad, you just need to keep a close eye on what games your child is playing.**
Rules as stated in a game called Gymnast Gymnastics
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!
