Love That!

So in the course of daily living and internet searching, we all come across stuff that we love.  Well, love isn't love until we give it away right?  Only this blog isn't really a business.  I mean, maybe someday I will be that cool, but right now, it is just my shout out to cyber world and to the handful of family and friends who read this.

So, since people aren't giving me free stuff to give away, I am going to just share some of the things I love.

This week, I love this stuff:

1.  Housekeepers.
Okay, that sounds kind of snobby, but stick with me.  I work a lot.  I travel for work a lot.  I have 3.5 bathrooms.  Years ago I sold Mary Kay, and this is the most valuable thing I learned from that organization:  How to value my free time.  I look at how long it would take me to hard clean my house:  bathrooms, floors, dusting, kitchen.  That would be a minimum of 4 hours.  Now I take a look at my week and determine how much those 4 hours are worth to me.  In my world, they are worth a lot.  Are they worth $80?  Ab-so-freaking-lutely!

Do you know what I can do with 4 hours on a Saturday?  I can take a 6 mile hike.  I can go to the farmers market, get my car washed, and read a book.  I can sleep in (okay, I never really do that, but the thought is fantastic).  I can play a round of golf.   You get the idea.  I understand that housekeepers sound extravagant, but honestly, I would give up cable before I gave up my housekeepers.

If you are interested in having a housekeeper, I would recommend that you do a little research first.  You want to make sure that they are licensed and bonded.  You may also want to check their references, or look at a referral website like Angie's List before giving someone regular, unsupervised access to your home.

1. Mrs. Meyers
So after all that gushing over how much I love my housekeepers, it is not to say I don't clean anything.  I clean the kitchen after using it - counters and dishes.  I run the vacuum before company comes over.  I do laundry.  Recently I have found the best household cleaners, that just so happen to be green.  Feel free to pick your jaw off the floor.  I know I am not usually one to promote green stuff, but baby, this stuff is awesome.

I picked some of this stuff up a few weeks ago, and was doubtful that it would meet my OCD cleaning requirements.  I just couldn't imagine a green cleaner killing bacteria, and getting things clean.  But I was wrong.  I have tried the countertop cleaner and the dish soap in two flavors - Basil and Lavender, and it is awesome.  The stuff really cleans (in my opinion, just as good as 409 or Dawn) and it smells heavenly.  It isn''t overly perfume-y and doesn't linger forever.  It does however do a good job of cleaning while smelling fresh and pleasant rather than chemical-y.

I just checked out the Mrs. Meyers website (to borrow these images), and noticed that they have a $5 off coupon for orders of $25 or more on line.  I have also found these products at stores like BB&B, and Target.  Personally, I can't wait to try out some of their other products.

3.  The Halogen "Whitney" Pant from Nordstrom.

I am obsessed with finding high quality, low maintenance work clothes.  I want to look like a million bucks on a $100 budget.  A couple of years ago, I found the Halogen brand in Nordstrom's Point of View department.  I have been in love since the moment we met.

 First of all, once you find your size, the pants fit perfect.  The Whitney cut is my favorite, but I probably have at least one pair of each cut.  Second, these work pants are MACHINE WASHABLE.  No dry cleaning needed.  Will I pay $78 for a pair of pants that I don't have to dry clean?  Heck yeah!

Third, free alterations at Nordstrom.  (Cue the angel chorus.) You see I am 5' 3 3/4" tall.  Petite clothes are supposed to be for people 5' 4" and under.  If I wear heals, Petite clothes are too short.  If I wear regular clothes, I would need 6 inch hooker heals to keep my pants from dragging the floor.  At Nordstrom, when I buy pants, the sweet seamstress comes right on up to the dressing room and marks my pants for hemming.  I pay, leave my pants behind for a day or two of alterations, and then pick up my perfectly fitted, washable, stylish pants.

Hallelujah.  Amen.


So there are three of my favorite things.  What are you loving these days?  I am going to try to make this a regular feature, and I would love if you share your favorites with me too.  Share the love!

Wine Festival!

Have you ever been to one?  They are super fun.  Tons of wine makers, specialty food makers and craftsy folks all in one place.  The best part about a festival is that you try before you buy.  Now that is something you don't get at the neighborhood grocery store!

My favorite wine festival (okay, the only one I've ever attended) is the McMinnville Wine and Food Classic.  I went in 2010, and had such a great time I went to the 2011 event last weekend.  They hold it at the Evergreen Aviation and Space Museum, so you get to look at really cool helicopters and space return capsules and stuff while you are tasting. This museum is also the current home of Howard Hughes's Spruce Goose.

(Image credit to Ben Garney)

There was even things that were fun for kids...I know a 6 year old that won a helicopter ride playing the old toss the ping-pong ball in a wine glass game.  (Consider this a PSA for her future college buddies - she will beat you when it comes time to play quarters in 15 years.  Be scared, be very scared!)

One of the things I like the most about festivals is that they post the winners several weeks before the festival.  This also helps me prioritize where my tasting will start.  Um, no, I do not sample all the wines...I would still be in a coma if I did that.  In addition to the gold medal winners, I make a point to try wines from wine makers I only see at this festival, wines I have heard about but not had a chance to try, and wines that my friends recommend.

Sounds like a lot, huh?  Well, keep in mind that a taste is only about an ounce, not a full glass.  Then we split those among our group of friends.  For instance, I might taste a couple reds while a friend tastes a couple whites, and we switch glasses for each type so that we all get to try a little more.  It also saves on the tasting fees which are around $1 per taste.

So I completely failed at taking pictures at the festival itself.  I took my camera and did not take a single photo. Bad blogger.  But I did take pictures of what I brought home.

I brought home 5 wines and a treat.  I am going to start with that one on the far left.  I some how forgot to take a picture of it all alone, and I don't want to forget it.

Let me start by saying that I am not a huge white wine fan.  So, if I taste one that is really, really good, I buy it.  That way I know I always have a white that I like on hand for company.  This particular white made by Illahe, and is a 2008 Viognier.  Its light and fruity, and didn't give me bitter wine face or cotton mouth like most white wines do.  I can picture sipping this wine in the summer sitting on my patio with a good book.  Oh, and Wine Enthusiast agrees with me; they give this wine 91 points!

Continuing down the row, is another Illahe specialty.  It is a 2008 Estate Grown Tempranillo.  Us simple folk would call this dessert wine a 'port'.  It is fantastic.  Not too sweet.  Would be perfect with cheese or chocolate or even all by itself.  And now I have port.  It seems fancy.

The next wine was a splurge.  They were actually charging $5 for a taste (one ounce people!) of this wine. I saw that it was a Cuvee, which are generally among my favorites, and it had a beautiful raised tin label, so I decided to see what all the fuss was about. Upon my first sip of the 2008 Capitello Succession Cuvee, I was sold!  It was so smooth, and rich with flavor.  I tried to resist buying the bottle, but new I would regret it later, so I got one.  It immediately went into the 'red dot' category in my wine fridge.

Next is a little treat I found between wine tastings.  There are many booths that sell dip mixes, and chocolates, and pickled things.  This booth sold vinegar and oil.  This was so tasty it immediately made me wish I had a big loaf of artisan bread and a way to highjack the tasting bowl.  Balsamic vinegar (the real, aged stuff), premium olive oil and Rosemary as the dominant herb in a bouquet of goodness.  Hope you come visit before I eat it all! Or you could order your very own from Bistro Blends.

Finally a wine that I have a feeling will soon become a staple in my home. Edenvale 2003 Pearhouse Reserve Claret. It is a blend of merlot, cab franc, cab sav, and malbec.  It is so silky to drink and a perfect combination of fruit with hints of bacon and baking spices. I purchased the last two bottles they had at the festival!

Whew!  It was fun, and I can't wait for a good excuse and good company to try the bottles with me.

I have referenced my wine organization system a couple of times in this post. I promise I will do another post soon about my system (which really isn't a big deal or professional in any way).

What have you tasted recently that you have loved?


P.S.  I am not getting anything for writing this post or putting the links in.  These are truly event/products I have attended, bought and enjoyed with my own funds. Maybe, someday, I will be cool enough to get free stuff from folks that I can give away to the 4 people that read this blog, but I'm not there yet!

Hood Wiver Winter Wine Wun

Today was a fantastic day.  The remnants from several inches of snow were still around. Streets were dry. I went with 5 of my friends (the 6th wasn't feeling 100% - Feel better Dan!) to Hood River, OR to go wine tasting.  To get to Hood River, we have to drive 2/3 the way through the Columbia River Gorge, which can be treacherous in bad weather.  

The roads were not as bad as they indicated on the news, and we had a wonderful time.  Today, we stopped at Double Mountain Brewery for some lunch.  Let me tell you, if you have not tried their pizza, it is something you have to try if you go to Hood River.  It is thin crust, and baked in a 700 degree oven.  Has the perfect amount of char (but not burn) on the crust, and wonderful flavor.  Plain old pepperoni is even great!

With a good meal in our tummies, we headed out to Cathedral Ridge.  The folks there were fantastic to us. It was an especially slow Saturday (to be expected on a snowy weekend!), and they let our group of 6 take lots of time with our tastings.  Here is my haul from Cathedral Ridge:

The Halbtrocken was wonderful.  I am not usually a rose person, but of all the whites here, I liked this the best.  It was fruity, but not too sweet,  It was smooth, and didn't have that bite that whites usually have.  Hints of cinnamon in all of these wines was a great spice without the peppery taste that I don't care for.

The Rusty Red, was my favorite of the day (thus two bottles).  It was thick and inky, had lots of jammy flavors, and was just so good.  Also the dog on the label is "Rusty," and he lives at the winery. 

Finally I got a Zinfandel.  That was C.R.A.Z.Y. for me.  If you asked me my least favorite type of wine, I would say - hands down - red zins.  But the guy managing our tasting, gave us a bit of chocolate to taste with this wine.  It was so good!  I usually don't like Zins because they are usually to spicy for me.  I like a dry, fruity wine best.  This was a big, bold flavor, and almost no lingering spice.  I bought it simply because it was the first Zin I have ever liked.

With a bunch of wine purchased by all of us, we decided that we needed one more tasting before we made the drive back home.  So we drove down the road to Phelps Creek tasting room.  I have to admit we had a bit of a mission in going to this particular winery.  You see there is a church auction in a couple of weeks, and Renee decided that this is the perfect donation for a church youth auction:

I love a winery with a sense of humor!  I love that we go to a church with a sense of humor!  (After all, WWJD - what would Jesus drink?)  I also love that both of these are very good - especially the Hellfire.

Here are a few picture of our group having fun:

Dan, Dan...Where are you?  We missed you!

Me and Renee

I love Ted's short dinosaur arms in this picture.  He. He. (No really, that is just Renee's arm, but that is just not as funny!)

 Megan and Ted.  Love them!

  Jon and Gayle - Don't you love Jon's Stetson?  (Okay, it isn't a cowboy Stetson, it is a Don Draper Stetson, but it really is a Stetson.)

Awe.  Buddies. (Can you believe that Jon has never seen Mad Men?)

The Gals

I think this wine tasting trip was a warm-up for the McMinnville wine festival (March 11-13).  If you haven't been, you should totally go!

Hope your Saturday was just as yummy, fun, and heartwarming as mine!

**Only the friends on this trip would get the title, but I assure you there are no misspellings, seeweeously! **

Fiesta!

Over the course of the past year, I have developed an obsession for Fiestaware.   Fiestaware is a brand of dinnerware that was first released to the public by the Homer Laughlin Pottery Company of West Virgina in 1936. 

The original release included 5 colors and included 37 different pieces.  Since 1936, Fiesta ware has been produced in 39 different color glazes.  Although some of those colors have been discontinued, many can be found through various on-line dealers.  In my opinion the coolest thing about these dishes is that they can go in the dishwasher, the freezer, the oven, and the microwave!  Can I get a hallelujah?

There are many different kinds of collectors.  There are the quantity collectors – those wanting every piece in every color.  There are others who just buy the pieces they love in the colors they love.  Some people just have holiday collections.  Seriously, look up Fiestaware in Google images.  Some people have enough of the stuff to feed an army.

The other thing about Fiestaware is that it is so affordable.  Okay, not as affordable as paper plates, but definitely cheaper than most dinnerware.  (Not to get bossy, but really, you aren’t using paper plates daily anymore are you?  Come on, hug a tree and put your dishwasher to good use with these dishes!)

In 2010, Fiestaware was at the top of my Birthday and Christmas wish lists.  But, of course, I am a bit particular.  I picked out four colors to serve as my main place settings, and here is what the table looks like now:

These colors are Turquoise, Lemongrass, Chocolate, and Paprika.  Aren’t they a good combination?  I can mix and match depending on how many guests I have, and what mood I am in.

Here is a closer view:

These are two of my favorite pieces:  the Salt and Pepper, and the Covered Butter dish.  Aren’t they too cute?

Meet my very own gravy boat. 

I have never had one of these.

Guess I better learn how to make gravy.

Also, meet my new wine glasses.  

They are…wait for it…dishwasher safe, and break resistant, and didn’t cost me my right arm.  They are from the Fusion stemware line from WineEnthusiast.com.

But back to the Fiesta.  I love it!  It makes me happy to even just open up the cabinet.

If you want to check out all the different colors and styles, and buy some for yourself,  my favorite place to buy it is MegaChina.com.  If your order is at least $99.99, shipping is free.  Let’s face it, we would all rather get some stuff for our money rather than pay for shipping.

Stay tuned for a future post on my serving pieces, and why I chose to go with different colors.  What are your favorite Fiestaware color combinations?

For the record, I am not getting anything for putting links to Mega China or Wine Enthusiast.  They have no idea who I am, and don't really care as long as my credit card charges clear.  Just saving you some time in the search process if you are interested in any of this stuff.