Shasie’s World

TRAVEL: ATLANTA, GEORGIA

2019-01-22T00:00:00.000-06:00

My time in Atlanta was WAAAAAYYY to short. I didn't get to do much besides checking out the Georgia Aquarium on Sunday. By the time I left the aquarium the other tourist attractions nearby were already closed. I really wanted to check out the World of Coca Cola Museum and the Center for Civil and Human Rights, but alas I had to settle with just taking pictures of the buildings. I tried to see more touristy attractions AFTER my training on Monday, but it was pouring down rain...sigh. Sooo I ended up just taking a lot of pictures of places near my hotel and the training center.

I miss living in a city like Atlanta that actually has USEFUL public transportation. They even have subways that go from the airport into the city! I took the metro from the airport to my hotel and back. It was super convenient and I missed rush hour traffic when it was time to get back to the airport for my evening flight on Tuesday. I'm a dork and I took pictures of my rid on the metro! It was just so nice to be in an ACTUAL city again! Houston's a city...but not like other cities... I took the metro to the art district/midtown area of Atlanta because that's where my hotel was located. I stayed at the lovely Marriott Atlanta Midtown. They had a photo booth that I took photos in front of every day.

THE CITY

TRAVEL: GEORGIA AQUARIUM - ATLANTA

2019-01-18T00:00:00.000-06:00

Atlanta has been on my list of cities to visit for a long time. Last year (2018), I finally had the opportunity to visit when I was sent there for work training. Now I've technically been to Atlanta a bunch of times if you count flying in and out of the airport (which I don't), but I had never been to the city. My training days were Monday and Tuesday, so I scheduled my flight to arrive early on Sunday morning to have time to explore. When I told friends that I was traveling to Atlanta for the first time everyone told me that I HAD to visit the Georgia Aquarium. My physical therapist told me about the whale sharks there and I just KNEW I had to visit. If I didn't get to see anything else in Atlanta I was going to the aquarium.

As soon as I checked in to the hotel, I headed to the lobby to plan my aquarium excursion. I decided to Uber during my time in Atlanta instead of fussing with a rental car. It was so much easier not having to worry about where to park in a city I barely knew. My uber driver dropped me off at the aquarium and my underwater adventure began. The Georgia Aquarium holds some pretty impressive stats. It's the 2nd largest aquarium in the world after losing the number one spot in 2012 to Marine Life Park in Singapore. With 10 million gallons worth of water, the aquarium is home to over a hundred thousand animals. Bernard Marcus, co-founder of Home Depot put up the initial investment for the aquarium with a whopping $250 MILLION donation. The aquarium is not just for show. They are heavily involved in research, education, and preservation of animals in their native habitats.

I had a great time at the aquarium. I spent most of Sunday there making sure to take in as much as I could. I watched the dolphin show and the sea lion shows. Those were so cute! Georgia Aquarium rescues Sea Lions that are in danger or injured and work to release them back to the wild; however, they had one Sea Lion that can never go back to the wild because his wounds are too severe. They found him with bullet holes. He survived but unfortunately has to live out his life inside the aquarium. It really makes me mad hat someone tried to kill that poor Sea Lion. People really think animals are safer outside, and I would love for all of them to be free, but I really think Humans have ruined that. Anyway, back to my visit! Please enjoy some of the amazing pictures that I captured below. I was stunned to see how massive the Whale Sharks were in person. I've never seen a fish so big!!

Fish taking a little nap on a leaf.

Pretty fish! I called them neon fish. They kind of had a glow about them!

Sea Otters

Beluga Whales

Otter floating on his back in the water!

Penguins

Puffin

Upside down jellyfish

Clownfish

Sea Horse

Grouper

Sea Turtle

Whale Shark

Albino Sting Ray

Shasie's Favorite Things

2019-01-16T00:14:00.001-06:00

WELCOME TO 2019! I haven't posted in a while because I've been heavily focused on my new business (more on that in a future blog post). But, I wanted to get my groove back by introducing I a new series to the blog called, "Shasie's Favorite Things". For the most part, these list-icles will be random and compiled with everything from the obscure to the obvious. Basically, I'll be sharing anything that I come across, purchase, try, see, hear, feel, etc that I like. I don't have a set frequency for this series yet, but I'm thinking at least once per month. So here is my favorite things list for January 2019! Happy New Year!

1. SPARKLING ICE DRINKS

Image from SparkingIce.com

Lord knows I'm not the best when it comes to dieting or making healthy eating choices. Every time I try to make a change, I start off really well but then fall off because temptation gets the best of me. One habit that I've been trying to knock for years is drinking soda. I do not think soda is the drink of the devil, but it IS pretty unhealthy. Indulging in the occasional soda from time to time is ok...but I drink multiples and daily. It's full of sugar and empty calories and probably the biggest reason I can't lose weight, but I LOVE them (addicted). Over the years I've tried different beverages to combat my soda cravings. i.e. Crystal Light, decaffeinated teas, but nothing worked. However, I think I FINALLY found a beverage that can help me break my soda addiction: Sparkling Ice.

I first discovered Sparkling Ice drinks at an apartment model tour. The leasing agents had the bottles on ice for people to drink during the tour. I grabbed a Black Rasberry one and I was hooked. It took a little bit at first to get used to the flavor. They definitely taste better cold, but it was mostly because they have zero sugar, and my body was used to intaking sugary drinks. Now, I'm obssessed with them! I typically buy 10 at a time, at my local Kroger because they have a 10 for $10 deal but you can also purchase them on Amazon!

2. CURVER LITTER BOX

I believe my ever-going battle with litter boxes has finally come to an end. I've been swapping and testing boxes since I adopted Marble in 2013. If you've never owned a pet, especially a cat you may not appreciate the struggle. Cats are great pets because they are independent, and you don't have to take them out to go to the bathroom...however, that leaves the owner dealing with litter boxes. I hate litter boxes. They smell, and they look terrible. I've tried an array of boxes, containers, and mats over the years. I even tried a litter box furniture unit but that became ruined bc Chanel somehow managed to miss the box IN the unit and pee on the wood (insert smh emoji).

I finally resolved to buy one of those gigantic hooded litter boxes that are super obnoxious to look at and scream "YOU HAVE A CAT" to remedy the "missed litter box" situations. And while it fixed the situation it was so ugly to look at in my living room. When you live in a 1-bedroom apartment you don't have that many options to store the litter box, and I HATED seeing it every day. I tried to purchase a pet gate to cover it, but that looked even more ridiculous. I was just about to give up and accept my ugly decor fate when I stumbled upon this GEM during a random Marshall's excursion:

Introducing the super chic, super easy to clean Curver Litter Box. It was just chillin' in the pet section at Marshall's. I scooped it up, but there was just one problem...they only had one!! I have two cats, and I need to have one litter box, per cat, at a minimum. Technically you're supposed to have one more litter box than the number of cats, but no one has time for three litter boxes.

When I got home I did a google search for Curver litter boxes and they showed up at The Container Store. I also saw this litter box listed on other sites such as Amazon, etc, but they were extremely marked up...from $63.99 to $100+. I paid $39.99 for mine so do not pay more than that! Here are the boxes set up in my living room. The fact that the litter drawer slides out is a lifesaver! It's so easy to scoop and refill. I don't have to take the lid off every time, and the basketweave finish looks nice in your home!

3. 'A GREAT THOUGHT A DAY' NOTEPAD

While picking up items to revamp my home office, I stumbled across this notepad at Staples. I definitely do not need another notebook, but what intrigued me about this one were the daily quotes. I skimmed through a few pages and really loved the messages. I wanted to buy it to share the motivational thoughts with all of you and I've already started on my Instagram. Most of the quotes that I've posted this month have come from this notepad. I'm also not posting in order. I'm randomly picking quotes every night to share and marking them off so I can remember that I shared them! I purchased my notepad for $7.99 at Staples but I've seen it listed for $15+ other places. Stop by your local Staples and see if they have it!

4. MICROSOFT SURFACE STUDIO 2

I launched my brand consulting business back in November 3rd of 2018, and ever since I've been on my computer way more than ever before. Even more than blogging. But my personal computer is a laptop and it's been a laptop since I donated my desktop two+ years ago. However, my hands really started cramping up from typing on the small keyboard and using a small mouse. I also couldn't work efficiently due to the small screen.

So I decided to invest in my business and purchased a desktop...but, not just any desktop...the Microsoft Surface Studio 2. I've been wanting this desktop since Studio 1 came out. Everything my heart imagined that I would need a desktop for this bad boy allows me to do. I can design, draw, etc. It folds down so that I can draw on it like an architects station, and it has a mammoth screen. Now that I have the desktop, I've been working at my desk more, and my hands, wrist, AND eyes are feeling better already. I definitely still have my laptop. Laptops are great as far as convenience and traveling, but when I needed to do work for my clients, I needed a desktop that would keep up!

That's all I have for now folks! I'll do another edition soon! What are some of your favorite things right now?