I’m heading to NY this fall and nothing says New York like shawarma carts and…
There comes a time in every adult’s life when they get irrevocable obsessed with HGTV, Home Depot, and interior design blogs on Pinterest. It’s usually about the time when you are considering getting your own apartment, buying a condo, or even putting down roots in a house. It’s about the same time when you thought $120k was a realistic budget to have an open floor plan and a farmhouse sink. I mean, how the heck can a part-time hamster trainer and a freelance copywriter afford a 950k beachhouse with a sauna on House Hunters?! Sahir and I found ourselves in one of the many HGTV predicaments a couple of months ago and had to make a decision…
A soup that can make it to table in less than 15 minutes? Is it even possible? Yes! It’s amazing what the wonder of canned ingredients can do. This recipe is just like my mom’s, but takes about 1/4 of the time. Honestly, every time that I make it, I feel like I’m eating a little taste of my childhood…
Visiting Paris is a must-do for everyone, no literally – everyone. I’m lucky enough to have been three times and every experience was a little different then the last. My first time was as a student studying abroad in college and I was literally in Paris for 48 hours. I vowed to come back with my husband since Paris is, of course, the city of love. Sahir and I made that happen when we spent Christmas in Paris in December of 2016 which is so romantic – right? I thought so too, except between 2 days of flight delays and 7 days of lost luggage in freezing cold weather – it was a little less glamourous. We still had a great time but promised ourselves that we would never travel during the holidays again with a) connecting flights and b) checked luggage. Our most recent trip was a do-over and Sahir made me promise to travel carry-on only. Hardest thing I’ve ever had to do. It was however, super refreshing to just hop off the plane and head straight into the city. Now that I’m a seasoned Parisian traveler, I have made a list of the top things you have to do when you visit Paris…
Remember when you were a teenager and Disney Channel had that movie out “Smart House” and the idea of having a high-tech home was all you ever wanted? Yeah, me too. Being in our home for three years has made us hit a bit of a turning point. We aren’t sure if we should “love it or list it” – honestly. This was a 3-5 year home and as we get closer to that milestone we need to prepare for the future. So what do we do?
I am a serial procrastinator when it comes to packing. I mean, hours before my flight I’ll be putting rolling shirts and ordering chargers on Amazon Now. It’s not my proudest moments. BUT I’m committed to breaking the cycle and this year has been amazing practice. (Remember when Sahir made me go to Paris for a week in just a carry-on?)…
Growing up, my family engrained in me an affinity for Thai food. It’s hands down my favorite cuisine, there can never be enough coconut milk, chili, or basil in any of my dishes. Of my many favorite dishes (Pad-See-Ew, Spicy Basil Leaves, Panang Curry) is the healthiest of the options, the Thai Beef Salad. This “salad” is the best kind because it is more than just lettuce. It combines…
For my birthday this year, I took a trip to Chicago and I decided to try my hand at vlogging. Every year my husband has a big work conference that happens to fall on the first week of May and thus a tradition of “birthdays on the go” began. Every year we spend my birthday in a different city and I am certainly not complaining. We’ve been to New York, Philadelphia, San Diego, and this year – Chicago!
I had such a great time in Chicago and can’t wait to go back! I hope you like this vlog – if you did I’d love to hear from you. These take way, way, way longer to make and I want to make sure that you guys are enjoying the content that I’m creating.
Growing up I was never a fan of chai, but in South Asian traditions chai isn’t just a drink – it’s a lifestyle. My mom literally would not operate in the morning until I made her morning chai for her. I can actually recall not being allowed to wake her up unless I had a mug in my hand. Oh, and it had to be perfect. The right mug, the right 3/4 way full, and the right color. The guidance was “use the color of your skin” – when I was tan in the summer it led to many problems in my household. I was the odd one out. I wasn’t interested in this bitter-sweet drink that was more or less: water & milk. In hindsight, I guess this is how non-immigrant kids feel about…
Remember when you were a kid and there were always times throughout the year that you had to bring something to share to school. Whether it’s a class event, International day, country day, whatever the case – you (as a child) were required to “make” something and bring it to class the next day. Amongst my many accomplishments in grade school, always forgetting to bring something was my thing. Even as consistent as I was, my mom was not impressed. Inevitably, I would call my single-mother-raising-two-daughters-who-just-worked-a-13-hour-shift at 7 AM to tell her I needed to have a meal in the next hour “or else I’ll get a bad grade!” – Asian child blackmail. Time and time again, she would yell at me, and then bring me lal-aloo…
