July is the month where I should give up… Back in January, I set specific goals for the year. By July, I wanted to hit 10k a month in traffic. By October, I wanted to cover the mortgage plus fulltime childcare with income from my blog and writing. My first goal has reached its deadline, and I failed. I’m off by over 2k hits. To add insult to injury, I also had…
Read moreOkay craft beer lovers, how many of us have found ourselves sitting on the beach and grumbling as we choke down a lime spiked island lager. “If only I could get my hands on a decent IPA!” we cry out. Heck, we’d probably even accept one from the archenemy of craft beer, InBev’s Goose Island… I know I raise my hand as guilty. I love my beer and my beach. …
Read moreIf you’re like me, then the last thing you want to think about on a beach vacation is exercise and diet. After all, we go on vacation to escape our daily routines and to break the rules. Why do we need tips for staying healthy on a beach vacation? However, nothing is more frustrating that when we come home and the scale tells us we gained ten pounds from a week of…
Read moreSince our vacation was postponed, Bryan and I decided to treat ourselves to a weekend daytrip to Shelby. Honestly, we just needed to get out of town for an afternoon. As you might have guessed, our destination involved both food and craft beer. Shelby, North Carolina is about a 45-minute drive from Charlotte, and it’s home to one of our new favorite breweries – Newgrass Brewing. We’ve been crushing on…
Read moreThinking of planning a trip this fall to Munich to attend Oktoberfest? If it’s an authentic German festival you’re after, then I’d recommend thinking again. It’s true that Oktoberfest may be one of the world’s largest parties with over 6 million people in attendance over the 16-day event. However, how many of those people do you think are actually German? Not as many as you’d believe. Instead, consider attending Starkbierfest, Munich’s lesser-known…
Read moreIn this second episode of “Beer with Bryan,” I review two beers that were included in the judges’ swag bag from the Kayem Artisan Sausage food truck competition that I blogged about earlier in the week. Each of the judges received a mix four-pack from NoDa Brewing. The video reviews NoDa Brewing Hop Drop N Roll IPA and Ramble on Red. Also included in our four-pack was Jam Session Pale…
Read moreA couple of weeks ago, I was invited by Kayem Artisan Sausage to help judge my first food competition – the Artisan Affair at NoDa Brewing. Not that I would normally pass up a free meal (you’ve seen my income reports…), but the deal was sweetened when I learned that the competition was between four Charlotte based food trucks. Each food truck was to incorporate a Kayem Artisan Sausage into…
Read moreA freelance writing and blogging career is a lot like a sales career. Some months are amazing. You demolish your numbers, hit the big bonus, and treat yourself to an item from your wish list (fellow Financial Peace Graduates will understand that last one). Then, the next month is an absolute disaster. Your commission is half of what it was last month. Dinners out change from Ruth Chris to Ryan’s Buffet –…
Read moreI was running late and was more than a little annoyed as my car crossed the Torras Causeway from the mainland to St. Simons Island, Georgia. As life goes with a newborn, I didn’t get much sleep the night prior. Deacon was up crying (more like eardrum shattering screaming) and waking up wasn’t easy. My wife and I opted for the snooze button one too many times. Alas, I had an appointment…
Read moreI’ve been having a ton of fun over on SnapChat this past month. It’s raw, real, and unedited and allows for some quirky creativity. As an example, check out the “story” I did this week on my Schlafly Hop Trial SMaSH Pack review. About Schlafly Hop Trial SMaSH Pack The Schlafly Hop Trial SMaSH Pack is a limited edition mixed 12 pack that hits the stores July 4th. Inside the…
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