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Men's leather Toms in brown

Weekend Recap – Birthday Fun & Oddball Comedy Festival

written by Parita 12 Comments

When it comes to my own birthday, I don’t like to make a huge deal out of it.  A little chocolate in some shape or form, and I’m a happy girl!   But what I didn’t realize is that I was applying my nonchalant attitude to Vishnu’s birthday as well.  Yes, I always make sure to do something special for him, but I never make it ALL about him.  And as much as he denies it, I know he enjoys and appreciates a little extra attention on his birthday.

That is exactly why I decided to change things up this year!

After work on Friday, I made a little celebratory dessert – Katie’s Gooey Chocolate Chip Brownie Bars.  You guys, these bars are addicting.  I know this was Vishnu’s birthday weekend, but I definitely ate more of this sweet treat than he did.  Unfortunately, I forgot to take a picture…oops.  Trust me though, you need this in your life!

When Vishnu got home from work on Friday night, I asked if he wanted the first half of his present a little early (his actual birthday was on Saturday).  Before he even had a chance to say “ok, sure,” I ran into our room.  I knew he was going to love what I got him, and I couldn’t wait any longer.  If you can’t tell, I was more excited than he was!

Leather Toms

Vishnu’s a shoe guy.  He has more shoes than most girls I know!  And that’s exactly why I got him some beautiful new leather TOMS.  The cognac color is beautiful!  They even look great with scrubs. Smile

On Saturday morning, I asked Vishnu what kind of food he was craving.  The answer was brunch, so the birthday boy and I headed to Banyan Café.  This restaurant came highly recommended from a waiter at a different restaurant, so we were super excited to check it out.

The Black Bean Benedict had my name written all over it, so that’s what I ordered.  Vishnu decided to go with the Smoked Salmon Benedict.  Both dishes were absolute brunch perfection.  My benedict came with eggs, black beans, a grilled peppers, salsa verde, corn bread, and a side of rosemary breakfast potatoes.  Vishnu’s came with eggs, smoked salmon, capers, tomato, lemon marmalade (I know right!), toast, jalapeno aioli, and the breakfast potatoes.  We will be back!

Banyan Cafe Brunch

After stuffing ourselves silly, I suggested we walk around for a while.  The weather in St. Pete was gorgeous – warm with a slight breeze.  Vishnu forgot his sunglasses at home, so we made what I thought was quick pit stop.  Umm no.  The birthday boy decided to take a birthday nap, and I didn’t have it in me to wake him up!

Eventually, we had to get ready for part two of Vishnu’s birthday present – the Oddball Comedy Festival!

Oddball Comedy Festival

I did a little research beforehand and learned that this event can get a little crazy in terms of parking, lines, etc.  We decided to leave home around 3:30 because the parking lots opened up at 4:00.  In true Parita fashion, we were a tad bit early, but it all worked out because we were able to grab a quick bite to eat from the Taco Bus food truck!  We were also able to watch a few different comedians perform on the festival (secondary) stage.

A little before 7 pm, we headed to the amphitheater for the main stage performances.  You guys, we laughed…A LOT!  Of course, when you go to something like this, you have to put your sensitivity hat away and just go with it (I’ll be honest, I found this a little hard when it came to certain topics.), but overall, we had a great time!

Jeff Ross, Roastmaster General and the host for the night, was awesome.  He started the show by using an audience cam to narrow in on members of the audience so he roast them.  Later, he randomly picked 10 people to come on stage so he could roast them.  Hilarious!  Of course, Amy and Aziz were ridiculously funny!  Amy joked about how she’s always told what a great time it is for women in Hollywood and how that can’t be true because all the women are starving!  Aziz joked a lot about his relationship and how being a minority in Hollywood has affected him.  Good stuff!  Vishnu and I were reacting some of the jokes on our way home…albeit not as successfully!

There was no celebrating on Sunday because Vishnu had to get up early and head to work.  I, however, woke up and finished Why Not Me?.   I then made a to do list and got to work – cleaning, organizing, packing, shopping, writing, etc.  Needless to say, Sunday was a full yet productive day.

While I’m sad the weekend is over, I’m excited about my trip to Chicago this week!  And the fun doesn’t end when I get back.  Our friends Jenny and Jimi are visiting and staying with us over the weekend.  WOO HOO!

Have a great Monday!

Do you like comedy shows?  Who’s your favorite comedian?

Written on October 5, 2015 Related:Entertainment, Humor, Weekend

Weekend Discoveries

written by Parita 7 Comments

Hello from Boston!  I hope y’all had a great weekend.  Mine felt a little short because I had to be at the airport super early yesterday morning.  I’m not complaining though, especially because I get to see some of my favorite co-workers this week.

Something I was thinking about last night was how you can learn so much in so little time.  Take this weekend for example.  In less than 36 hours, I made 4 new discoveries.  Albeit, these are not earth shattering things, but they made me happy so I thought I’d share.

DISCOVERY #1: Rollin’ Oats

I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again – this place is amazing.  Maybe I’m just super cheap, but the prices are definitely what will keep me going back over the next couple of months! 

DISCOVERY #2: The Voice

key_art_the_voice

I used to be a HUGE American Idol fan, but over the past few years, I’ve fallen off the reality singing competition show bandwagon.  However, things changed this weekend.  As I was baking up a storm in the kitchen, I had E on in the background, and that is when I discovered this awesome show.  The concept is what drew me in – decisions are based solely on talent (at least from what I could tell).  I can’t wait to follow along.  And is it just me or is Adam Levine a total cutie?!

DISCOVERY #3: Socca Pizza

discoveries 009

That, my friends, is a socca pizza.  Thanks to one of my favorite healthy living bloggers, Stef, I had a delicious recipe to follow!  I love this unique way of making a pizza crust.  Next on my list is a sweet potato socca recipe by another favorite blogger Lindsay.

DISCOVERY #4: Peanut Butter and Nutella Granola

granola 001

Knowing that healthy snacks are going to be hard to come by this week, I made a couple batches of gluten free granola for me and co-worker.  I combined Julie’s peanut butter granola recipe with her Nutella granola recipe to create a combo granola.  A very selfish part of me hopes no one asks for a taste!  Ha!

Well, there you have it – 36 hours of my life in a nutshell.  Have a great Monday, y’all!

Discover anything fun this weekend? 

Written on March 12, 2012 Related:Entertainment, Food, Recipe

Adventures at Costco

written by Parita 16 Comments

If you had to pick one store that characterizes your family, which one would you choose? 

Hands down, I would have to say Costco is that store for my family.  My parents joined quite a few years ago, and since then, we’ve made weekly trips to pick up milk, granola bars, and other staples.  Quite often, we go just because!  My mom has singlehandedly recruited 10 new members in the past year.  You’d think she works in the sales department!

For those of you who have never stepped inside of a Costco, it’s a wholesale warehouse (just like Sam’s and BJ’s) and a shopper’s paradise.  Besides food items, you can find books, electronics, health and beauty items, furniture, clothing, etc. all under the same roof at discount prices.

There are actually a few things that I will only buy there – contact solution, Aveeno body lotion, and ground flax.  And yesterday, I added a few more items to that list.

costco 001

almond milk 002

It had been a while since my last Costco trip, and I was excited to see that new products have been added to the shelves (new to me at least).  The [pre-rinsed] quinoa was a steal at less than $10.  And in the dairy section, I was happy to find a case of my favorite almond milk.  Three half gallon cartons for under $8!  I also bought a 10 lb. case of Quaker oats, some flax, sliced almonds, tangerines, bananas, and blueberries (not pictured).  My entire purchase came in under $50.

WARNING: It’s easy to get carried away and spend lots of money on things that seem useful at the time, so go in with a plan and stick to it!  Not that I would know or anything. Winking smile

*****

On a completely different note, if you haven’t already seen The Adjustment Bureau, I highly recommend it! 

The-Adjustment-Bureau

Funny story actually…although I had heard of the movie, I didn’t really know what it was about.  I honestly thought it was a political thriller!  Needless to say, it isn’t.  In my opinion, the movie is a mix of different genres – suspense, drama, a touch of comedy, but mostly romance.  Matt Damon and Emily Blunt share a wonderful, natural chemistry that will make you believe in love at first sight.  This is the kind of movie I wouldn’t mind watching multiple times.

Do you shop at Costco?  Any product recommendations?

Have you seen The Adjustment Bureau?  If so, what did you think?

Written on January 23, 2012 Related:Entertainment, Food, Movie, Shopping

The S*** Girls Say

written by Parita Leave a Comment

A friend of mine posted this video to his Facebook wall yesterday, and while I can see a lot of women being offended by this, I thought it was hilarious!  And trust me when I say that I am a strong, independent woman who doesn’t really take any s*** from anyone.  However, I believe in the power of humor and laughter, even if you’re laughing at yourself!

I hope you enjoy!  

Happy Tuesday!

 

Written on December 13, 2011 Related:Entertainment

Weekend Highlight Reel

written by Parita Leave a Comment

It’s no secret that I love my weekends, and I don’t think I’m alone.  With so many things on my plate right now, I love having time to catch up and crossing things off my list.  And this weekend was an almost perfect example of this.

My Short Friday Night List:
Go to Publix after work – buy cocoa powder and rent movie (from the Blockbuster box)

friends-with-benefits-poster-thumb

If you’re looking for a cute romantic comedy, Friends with Benefits is a good one.  Personally, I think JT needs to work on his acting a little bit, but regardless, the banter between Justin and Mila was funny.  This would make for a great date night movie, and I say this because Vishnu liked it a lot too. 

My Saturday List:
Gym
*Clean bathroom
*Vacuum
Bridal henna research
Send a few wedding related emails
General catch up on emails
Library
Drop off clothes at Goodwill
Do something with the brussels sprouts sitting in the refrigerator

*These two things got pushed to my Sunday list

I won’t ramble about each of the items on my list, but I will say that Alexa’s brussels sprouts recipe was just what I was looking for.  Maple syrup + brussels sprouts = match made in food heaven!

Also, I finally made it to the public library yesterday and picked up three books.

weekend 003

Now, I know I said in a previous post that I was pretty much done with Emily Giffin’s books, however, a good friend of mine told me that Baby Proof is different.  It doesn’t center around infidelity as much as it does marriage and the compromises and sacrifices that come up along the way.

And the other two books were solely picked up because of personal interest in food and nutrition. 

I can’t wait to dig in and start reading!

My Sunday List:
Clean bathroom
Vacuum
Zumba
Make Chocolate Zucchini Muffins
Update resume
Grocery shopping

I woke up this morning ready to tackle my Sunday list.  I was about to start cleaning my bathroom, when for some reason, I decided to look at the group fitness calendar I have posted on my refrigerator.  You see, my understanding was that Zumba was from 12:00-12:55 pm.  However, this month my gym decided to change things around and move the class up to 10 am.  Seeing that it was 9:45 when I realized this, I had a decision to make – to Zumba or not to Zumba.  I decided to Zumba, and I’m so glad I did.  The music and the routines were so upbeat and fun…we even danced to a version of Jingle Bells!  I did my best to channel my inner Britney. Smile

And the Chocolate Zucchini Muffins on my list turned into Chocolate Chip Banana Bread.  Why?  Well, because I waited too long to use the zucchini sitting in my fridge.  Not a huge deal because the bread turned out perfectly – not too sweet and very dark chocolaty. 

weekend2 002weekend2 004

I did have to make a few modifications to the recipe – 1/4 dark brown sugar and 1/4 raw cane sugar in place of 1/2 cup raw cane sugar, flax eggs in place of regular eggs, and no walnuts this time around.  Still delicious though!

It’s hard to believe that next week at this time, I’ll be back in Atlanta spending time with my family and friends…for 2 whole weeks!!!  Woo hoo!

What were you able to cross off your weekend to do list?

Written on December 11, 2011 Related:Book, Entertainment, Food, Workout

Interest in Pinterest

written by Parita Leave a Comment

The internet is a wonderful thing.  Is there anything that can’t be solved with a quick Google search?  I swear, it makes everything easier.  Even wasting time.

Case in point…Pinterest – my newest obsession.  Simply put, Pinterest is a virtual board that helps organize all of the images you find on the internet.  The idea is really all about the masses.  The more people using Pinterest, the more images and boards for everyone to follow.

Let me share a fun little example.  The other day, I was looking up wedding bands and couldn’t find anything that really excited me, so I got on Pinterest, did a quick search, and got some great ideas.

I call this board “Bands.”

eternity1eternity2

Ok fine, so my “Bands” board only contains two pictures so far, but in all fairness, I’m still getting the hang of Pinterest!  It’s a little overwhelming at first.

Most…err…all of my current boards are wedding related, but I can see why Pinterest appeals to so many people.  You can create boards for workout mantras, recipes, home décor, fashion, the holidays, etc.  It’s a picture playground!

Here are some other fun things I found…enjoy!

inspiration1inspiration2

boots1kors1

baby1sweater

inspiration3

And I truly could’ve gone on and on and on because all interests can be found on Pinterest. Winking smile

If you get a chance, check it out…and thank me later!  I’m pretty sure it’ll become an obsession…a dangerous one at that!

Are you a Pinterest user?  If so, let me know, I’ll be sure to follow you!

Written on November 2, 2011 Related:Entertainment, Inspirational, Self

20 Random Thoughts

written by Parita Leave a Comment

I have 99 emails starred in my Gmail account.  From my recent review, it looks like I started out by starring special emails from friends and family, and then I started starring a lot of random stuff.  I think someone’s email needs a good Spring Fall cleaning.

my-random-thoughts-this-day

Anyway, as I was looking through all of these “special” emails, I came across a super funny one from a former coworker.  It’s basically a list of random thoughts from 25-35 year olds.  It still cracks me up!  I hope you find some of these as funny as I do. Smile

1. More often than not, when someone is telling me a story all I can think about is that I can’t wait for them to finish so that I can tell my own story that’s not only better, but also more directly involves me.

2. Nothing sucks more than that moment during an argument when you realize you’re wrong.
<—This is when you distract the other person. Winking smile

3.  Have you ever been walking down the street and realized that you’re going in the complete opposite direction of where you are supposed to be going? But instead of just turning a 180 and walking back in the direction from which you came, you have to first do something like check your watch or phone or make a grand arm gesture and mutter to yourself to ensure that no one in the surrounding area thinks you’re crazy by randomly switching directions on the sidewalk.

4. Is it just me, or are 80% of the people in the "people you may know" feature on Facebook people that I do know, but I deliberately choose not to be friends with?

5. Do you remember when you were a kid, playing Nintendo and it wouldn’t work? You take the cartridge out, blow in it and that would magically fix the problem. Every kid in America did that, but how did we all know how to fix the problem? There was no internet or message boards or FAQ’s. We just figured it out. Today’s kids are soft. <—This was my go to strategy!

6. There is a great need for sarcasm font.

7. How the hell are you supposed to fold a fitted sheet? <—If you figure this out, please let me know!

8. I would rather try to carry 10 plastic grocery bags in each hand than take 2 trips to bring my groceries in. <—Totally!

9. LOL has gone from meaning, "laugh out loud" to "I have nothing else to say.”

10. I have a hard time deciphering the fine line between boredom and hunger. <—More often then I’d like to admit!

11. Answering the same letter three times or more in a row on a Scantron test is absolutely petrifying. <—So true…I would always second guess myself if this happened.

12. Whenever someone says "I’m not book smart, but I’m street smart", all I hear is "I’m not real smart, but I’m imaginary smart.”

13. How many times is it appropriate to say "What?" before you just nod and smile because you still didn’t hear what they said?

14. I love the sense of camaraderie when an entire line of cars teams up to prevent a jerk from cutting in at the front. Stay strong, brothers (or sisters)! <—YES!  I always cheer!

15. What would happen if I hired two private investigators to follow each other?

16. I can’t remember the last time I wasn’t at least kind of tired.

17. Whenever I’m Facebook stalking someone and I find out that their profile is public I feel like a kid on Christmas morning who just got the Red Ryder BB gun that I always wanted. 546 pictures? Don’t mind if I do!

18. Why is it that during an ice-breaker, when the whole room has to go around and say their name and where they are from, I get so incredibly nervous? Like I know my name, I know where I’m from, this shouldn’t be a problem… <—My heart always starts to beat faster…so weird.

19. You never know when it will strike, but there comes a moment at work when you’ve made up your mind that you just aren’t doing anything productive for the rest of the day.

20. Even under ideal conditions people have trouble locating their car keys in a pocket, hitting the G-spot, and Pinning the Tail on the Donkey – but I’d bet my ass everyone can find and push the Snooze button from 3 feet away, in about 1.7 seconds, eyes closed, first time every time…
<—Yep, and the second and third times too.

Did this make you laugh?!  I hope so!!!

Written on October 21, 2011 Related:Entertainment

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