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A Special Birthday Weekend for Two Special Guys

Even though I sometimes suffer from a’woe is me’ attitude, I know I’m a lucky girl. Take this weekend as an example.

Vishnu and I hosted my parents and Vishnu’s parents and brother so that we could celebrate both our dads’ milestone birthdays together as a family. My dad turns 65 tomorrow, and Vishnu’s dad turns 70 just a couple of days later!

With Vishnu, Aekta, and Niel’s help, I created a mini itinerary for us. I figured a good balance of sightseeing, rest, and good food would make everyone happy, especially the birthday boys.

I’m not going to lie…coming straight off the plane from London and entering into a long, busy, full weekend was a bit nuts! But seeing all of these faces made it that much easier!

Vishnu was in charge of dinner on Thursday night (re: the night everyone flew in), and because we wanted something easy, he decided to order Bombay Wraps. A great idea on his part because they were a huge hit! My personal favorite is the chickpea wrap – so flavorful!

Friday started nice and early, which is a good thing because that gave us plenty of time to eat breakfast and get ready. Our first stop – the Willis Tower. This was everyone’s first time visiting in 20+ years, so it was a lot of fun walking around the sky deck, taking pictures, and nervously walking on to the ledge!

We stopped for lunch at Cafecito before heading to Millenium Park and The Bean. Again, lots of picture taking…

After getting my mom and Vishnu’s mom an Uber (they were tired!), the rest of us decided to take the scenic route home. This included a walk down Michigan Avenue and a stop at the Ghirardelli cafe because Niel was craving a milkshake (for anyone who cares, the Nob Hill shake is AMAZING).

We rounded the night off with dinner at Opart Thai House (yes, again!!). So much yum!

Because I knew everyone would be a little tired from the day before, I didn’t plan much for Saturday morning. Lunch was at Frontera Fresco and so delicious. For our first activity of the day, we rode along the Chicago river on an Architecture Boat Tour and soaked in all of the beautiful sights.

And then we stopped at Ghirardelli once again for more ice cream!

Saturday night involved pizza (Lou Malnati’s), cupcakes (Sweet Mandy B’s), and board games (Scattergories and Taboo). However, my favorite part of the night was surprising our dads with birthday decorations, cards, and a whole lot of love!

Sunday was a free for all. The boys wanted to go to the Field Museum, and the girls wanted to go to Devon St. (where all of the Indian shops/restaurants are), so we split up and conquered the day!

Devon was a fruitful trip for me because I now have all the spices, grains, and lentils I need to make Indian food (or so we think!).

Our original plan was to take the family to RPM for one last hurrah, but we decided to save that restaurant for a future trip. Instead, my mom and Vishnu’s mom made a tasty home cooked meal, which honestly surpassed everything else we ate the entire weekend!

And then it was Monday…the day everyone left us!

Like I said before, weekends like this remind me of how blessed I am, specifically when it comes to family. I’m so thankful for all of the wonderful humans in my life and can’t wait to see them all again soon!

I’ll end this post by wishing both our dads a very happy birthday! So glad we celebrated your special milestone birthdays in Chicago! Love you both!

And with that, I plan to reset my habits tomorrow. This means everything changes for the better (hopefully!) – food, organization, fitness, sleep, etc. The past few weeks (months?) have been a little decadent in one too many ways. Not a bad thing at all, but I need a bit more ‘normal’ in my life. Wish me luck!

Weekend Recap – One Final Post-Wedding Ritual

written by Parita 5 Comments

This weekend was nothing short of fun!

On Friday, we had dinner with Samir and Roshni (and her brother and sister-in-law). Even more than the delicious RPM food, we really loved spending a few hours with them talking and laughing (oh the laughing!).

On Saturday, we woke up bright and early to prepare for our short trip to St. Louis. Adarsh’s parents hosted a post-wedding ritual in the local temple and invited all of us to join them. In short, the drive down was quick and fun. Aek drove and I kept her company by keeping the conversation flowing. The boys slept for most of the car ride.

The religious ceremony was a little long but good. Dinner was delicious (as was every other meal we ate). The late night conversations and shenanigans were the best.

Before we knew it, it was Sunday and time for us to drive back to Chicago. I drove for a couple of hours before Adarsh took over. The drive up felt a lot longer than the drive down…probably because we were all exhausted!

Overall, our time in St. Louis was absolutely wonderful. It was so great to spend time with everyone, including my parents, Vishnu’s parents, and my cousin who lives/works in St. Louis.

So thankful for all these wonderful human beings! 🙂

Your turn – how was your weekend? Eat anything super delicious?

Weekend Recap – Special Visitors

written by Parita 13 Comments

This weekend included both a high and a low. The high was (and still is because they leave tomorrow) that my parents drove down to spend the weekend with us! The low was (and unfortunately still is) that Vishnu caught some kind of respiratory infection at work and was super sick. He’s on antibiotics now, so we’re hoping he’s on the up and up very soon.

With that being said, here’s what our days looked like…

FRIDAY

I stopped working around 5:15, and by that time, Vishnu was home and sleeping/watching TV on the couch. Sluggish doesn’t even begin to describe how I felt, so I went to the gym for 45 minutes. Nothing like a kettlebell workout to get you going!

After showering, I asked Vishnu what he wanted for dinner. By this time, he really wasn’t looking/sounding too great. I can always tell by the way his eyes look – they were getting smaller and redder by the minute. I decided to make him a grilled cheese and side of sweet potato fries, and I ended up having leftover zucchini noodles (with sauce/veggies/cheese). We watched the latest episode of How to Get Away with Murder and pretty much called it a night after that.

SATURDAY

Vishnu wasn’t feeling any better on Saturday morning, so while he slept in, I started my day at 7:30. I meal planned for the week, went to Trader Joe’s, made Brittany’s no bake brownies, cleaned the apartment, and went for a long run/mostly walk.

My poor boo was still not feeling better, so he pretty much zonked out on the couch until my parents arrived.

I know I’ve seen my parents quite a bit over the last few months, but it’s been a while since the four of us have had a chance to hang out. We drank chai, talked, and hung out for a bit before it was time to make dinner…semi-homemade pizzas!

The next time around I’ll be sure to document how I make pizza at home because the overall consensus was very positive. All three pies were delicious winners!

We ended the night with Everest, a movie based on real life events about a team of climbers who in 1996 come face to face with a deadly storm and near impossible odds of survival. The cinematography is incredible, and the story is, as you can imagine, quite gripping.

SUNDAY

Sunday was a pretty chill day. Aside from an almost two hour walk with my parents, we honestly didn’t do too much. Our original plan was to drive up to Tarpon Springs for dinner, but because Vishnu wasn’t feeling too hot, we decided to postpone that outing to next weekend. Instead, dinner was a Parita creation – a warm salad with veggies, quinoa, lentils, almonds, crasins, and an ACV/mustard/honey dressing.

I was pretty exhausted by the end of the day, so I headed to bed earlier than normal. Vishnu may have stayed home from work, and my parents may have the day off, but I have to work!

And that’s a wrap…have a great Monday!

Weekend Recap – Back in Atlanta!

written by Parita 15 Comments

Back in Atlanta? Weren’t you just there?

If you’re virtually asking me those questions right about now, the answer is YES and YES!

My parents got back from India a week and a half ago, I found a cheap ticket, and it worked out timing wise with work. And not only did I get to spend some quality time with my parents, but I got to try on all the outfits my mom bought in India, see my friend Roshni, do some wedding planning stuff with my sister, and attend my cousin Darshan’s birthday party.

As I mentioned in a previous post, I flew into Atlanta on Wednesday night. When we got home, my parents and I chatted for an hour or so before heading to bed.

I worked from home on Thursday (nothing exciting to report there!). Later in the evening, however, my friend Roshni came over for dinner. I made African Peanut Soup from The Oh She Glows Cookbook. It was a huge hit! It was so good to see Rosh – we chatted about her recent trip to India, Aekta’s wedding, and other random things.

I worked from home on Friday as well (again, nothing exciting to report!). My sister drove down from Augusta on Friday afternoon. We spent the evening sorting through all of the stuff my mom and dad bought in India. So many beautiful outfits!

Everyone was pretty hungry by dinnertime, so with the help of my dad and sister (my mom took a day off from the kitchen), I made Kate’s Thai Red Curry dish. You guys, this recipe is FANTASTIC! So so tasty – restaurant worthy even!

We ended up watching home videos after dinner. All I can say is some things never change!

On Saturday morning, my mom, sister, and I headed to a cake tasting. We met with a cake consultant (I want this job!) and tried 15 different cake/filling combos. My favorites were the cinnamon cake/cream cheese filling combo and the champagne cake/champagne filling combo. Yum!

After the tasting we made a quick Target and Costco run before finally heading home. We did some more wedding stuff before it was time for me and my sister to get ready for my cousin’s birthday party.

The party was a blast! It was so good to see family members and friends that we don’t get to hang out with often. The food was also great, and the DJ was on point (great mix of both old school music and newer songs).

Before I knew it, it was Sunday a.k.a. time to go back to Florida! We spent the morning hanging out and doing random things around the house. Before we left for the airport, my parents and sister surprised me with a little early birthday celebration…and delicious red velvet cupcakes!

And my mom shared a beautiful birthday poem she wrote for me (it made me cry!).

Now I’m back in Florida with Vishnu (!!!) and not quite ready for the work week. Ha!

Happy Monday, everyone! Make it a great one!

Weekend Recap – NYE, Baby Shower, Home!

written by Parita 12 Comments

We’re already four days into 2016. What?! I honestly feel like I JUST got home from London and started my two week holiday. Time flies when you’re having fun. And fun is exactly how I’d describe the past few weeks. Maybe that’s why I felt a twinge of sadness when we got home yesterday. All I could think was “back to the grind.” I told Vishnu how I felt and he reminded me of all the fun to come – a trip to Panama at the beginning of February, my sister’s wedding, our move to Chicago, etc.

Now let’s rewind back to NYE. For the first time in years, we decided to stay in and keep it low key. Low key for the six of us (me, Vishnu, my MIL, my FIL, my BIL, and Neelam (my BIL’s girlfriend) included lots of my MIL’s delicious food and board games, specifically Scattergories and Taboo. We started with Scattergories, and let’s just say my competitive self definitely came out. I ended up in second place right behind Vishnu. We then took moved on to two rounds of Taboo. I was on the winning team in both rounds…just saying! We rang in the new years by counting down with those in Times Square!

I know I talk about my in-laws every now and then, but I don’t think I’ve ever expressed how thankful I am for having such loving, kind, generous and hilarious people in my life. I hit the in-law jackpot…there’s not doubt about that!

Friday was a day of pure relaxation – we talked, we ate, and sat around and watched TV. Such a nice change of pace from the rest of the week (we ended up having more plans than I thought we would).

On Saturday morning, I headed to Augusta for my friend Monica’s baby shower. She’s having a baby girl in March, and I could not be more excited and happy for her and her husband Amit!

The shower was super cute and so much fun. Monica’s mom and SIL hosted and did such a good job with all the details -the decorations were adorable, the food was delicious and the games were entertaining! Everyone had such a blast! Personally, I just couldn’t get over the fact that Monica is going to be a mom in a few short months – it’s surreal! I still remember when she told me about Amit. Can’t wait to meet their little princess!

On Sunday morning, Vishnu and I woke up at 6 am, got ready, packed the car, and started on our seven hour journey home. Since I drove up to Atlanta, Vishnu offered to drive most of the way home. Instead of falling asleep (which is my go to physiological response during car trips!), I stayed up and kept him company. We listened to music, we listened to the first four episodes of the new season of Serial (if you haven’t already – get on it!), we talked about everything we have coming up in 2016, and we truly enjoyed each other’s company (I stayed off my phone for most of the trip).

Now it’s Monday morning – Vishnu starts a busy rotation today and I’m back at work and excited to see what new opportunities come my way.

Bring it on, 2016. We’re ready!

How did you ring in the new year?

Sister Time + Back in Atlanta

written by Parita 4 Comments

Hello? It’s me…

…I’ve been gone for a while but not intentionalllllllllllly!

You guys! I unintentionally checked out most of last week and this weekend. I was looking at my Instagram profile this morning and realized that I haven’t posted any new pictures since London. The only social medial channel I’ve been active on is Snapchat (@myinnershakti). Life lately has been lots of fun but not picture perfect. And honestly I’m trying to be more present and in the moment which doesn’t lend itself to snapping lots of pictures and posting updates [hence the lack of pictures in this post!].

I shared in a previous post that my sister was flying down to visit us in St. Pete last week. She got in on Monday evening, and it was fun and giggles the whole time! We ate a LOT of good food, watched movies, explored our neighborhood, worked out, etc.

This visit was extra special for me because it’s likely the last time she’ll be staying with us before the wedding. And she wasn’t consumed with school/work stuff making this visit stress free and really relaxing.

On Friday afternoon, the three of us packed up the car and drove to Atlanta. We told my in laws that we were driving up on Saturday morning because we wanted to surprise them. They were so confused (and happy) when we showed up on their doorstep on Friday night!

Our weekend highlights included more good food (via my MIL), a nice long run with my sister, Bajirao Mastani, and a dinner party.

I’m OBSESSED with this little dog. I want one!

This is the first time I’ve spent an entire week at just my in laws house. My parents are still in India, and while I miss them a lot, it’s nice to stay put and not think about splitting our time.

We’ll be in Atlanta through next Sunday morning. We plan to squeeze in as much family time as possible as well as a few visits with friends. NYE will likely be spent playing games at home with my in laws, BIL, and his girlfriend. I also have my friend Monica’s baby shower on Saturday in Augusta – can’t wait to celebrate her and her little princess!

Well, that’s all for now! I hope your holidays have been amazing so far! I’ll be back later this week with some fun posts. 🙂

Adventures In Augusta

written by Parita 12 Comments

Let’s take a minute to discuss the weather. In one word, it’s cold here. Of course, Georgia cold isn’t comparable to the weather in other parts of the country. But Miami will do that to you though. Turn you into a complete cold weather wuss!

Anyways, here are the highlights from my last few days in Augusta (where my sister goes to medical school!).

My friend Monica and I realized that we were on the same connecting flight from Atlanta to Augusta! We managed to sit next to each other on the plane and talk the entire way. Can’t wait until her big day!

My parents came to Augusta to see me! It was so much fun talking and spending time together. We went to a local Mediterranean restaurant called Best Bites for dinner on Saturday. You know a restaurant is really good when everyone in our family loves it!

We shared the Best Bites special pizza (seen above!), a falafel wrap, and vegetarian moussaka. YUM!

We woke up to the smell of chakri on Sunday morning. My parents were busy at work in the kitchen making one of our favorite Indian snack foods!

And then it was my turn to get to work. I made Red Velvet cupcakes for my mom since she has a birthday coming up! Red Velvet is her absolute favorite and this recipe definitely delivered. They were delicious! There’s really no substitute for baking with real butter, flour, and sugar!

When I told Vishnu about these cupcakes, he said that the next dessert I make will be real non-healthified bread pudding…for him!

After my parents left on Sunday afternoon, my sister and I drove to the local canal for a walk. We spent the entire time talking (and laughing) in what Vishnu calls our sister language!

We ended the night with enchiladas (topped with my mom’s special green sauce) and the movie About Time (a good Sunday night movie).

And just like that it’s Monday. Make it a good one!

A Special Birthday Weekend for Two Special Guys

Weekend Recap – One Final Post-Wedding Ritual

Weekend Recap – Special Visitors

Weekend Recap – Back in Atlanta!

Weekend Recap – NYE, Baby Shower, Home!

Sister Time + Back in Atlanta

Adventures In Augusta

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