This is the first post in a new series I’m starting here on My Homemade Life called “New Bites.” I often want to showcase the great and delicious restaurants we’re eating at and recipes we’re making at home, so I hope you’ll all enjoy this new project. This is not a restaurant-review initiative – I am NOT being paid to or given free things for my feedback. This is simply MY personal experience trying new restaurants and recipes as a beloved hobby and part of my life.
First up is our dinner experience at Amara Kitchen and Bar – a new Indian-American restaurant in Inman Park, Atlanta. We snagged a Scoutmob Hand-Picked deal for this outing, which was a deal that let us sample a few different dishes and drinks. Continue reading
That’s right – my brother and sister-in-law are following their dreams and living at the beach! It’s so incredible and I’m so happy for them. They saved, stuck with it through setbacks, swallowed their pride and landed same-day job offers for each of them at The Outer Banks Hospital. They moved at the end of March and with me knowing I was going to be starting a new job mid-April, I had to get out there to visit them and see their new place the first few days of April. They have an adorable little house in downtown Manteo on Roanoke Island. They can walk to shops, restaurants, grocery stores, movie theatre, barber shop, waterfront, marina, lighthouse, etc. We had such a blast during my visit and I’m already looking forward to my next trip. Here are some photos. 
That’s right – me and my mom are going on a 2-week trip to India and we leave tonight! It’s going to be quite an adventure and I’m so grateful to be able to have the time to travel right now and to go on this trip with my mom. We’re going to spend a few days in the “Golden Triangle” of New Delhi, Agra and Jaipur. We’ll tour the Taj Mahal at sunrise, see historic sites and spend a day with elephants where we’ll get to bathe, feed and ride them. Next we spend a couple of nights in a treehouse in Ranthambore National Park where we’ll go on canter safari to look for Bengal tigers and other wildlife. The last leg of the trip has us flying south of Mumbai to the Kerala region where we’ll take a cooking class with a family in Cochin and do on a houseboat cruise in Alleppy. I’ll have more report once we get back. 🙂
The Golden Nuggett (my 2007 yellow Chevy Cobalt coupe) has been with me a long time. 10 years. But it was time for something new and after many months of talking, trying out cars and saving money, I am SO grateful to have been able to pay cash for our new 2014 Ford Escape. I took a lot of risks last year that had financial implications and I’m very proud of how everything worked out.
I can’t give details yet because it’s not 100% complete, but something great and big is in the works. I interviewed like crazy after my contract role with Havas + Coke ended on January 31st and I ended up having to TURN DOWN several roles. So very grateful to be in that position and be able to choose what I really want and what’s best for our family.
Can’t stop, won’t stop. And have to pack it all in before I start a new job. Headed to Florida two days after I get back from India to see Sean’s friends Sean and Caitlin tie the knot. I’m then off the Outer Banks of North Carolina the day after I get back from Florida to see my brother and sister-in-law’s new place on Manteo since they both got jobs at the Outer Banks Hospital and are moving from Ohio on March 19th. This has been their dream for YEARS and I’m in awe of how they made it happen.