01/25/2012 11:13 pm
I confess. I like wine. I like it a lot. I am a pretty high-stress person and I take on way too many activities and projects (just ask my husband). With juggling a full-time job, two board commitments, being part of numerous volunteer committees and trying to keep my home life in check…things can get crazy. How do I relax? How do I handle the curve balls life throws at me? I drink. That sounds bad. What I meant to say is that I find repose in fine wine.
There was a reason Jesus turned water into wine. It’s amazing. There is so much diversity in wine. From a light Savignon Blanc to a deep and robust Cabernet, everyone has their favorite. Wine people get it. When you meet someone who has the same love for wine, you can talk for hours and learn so much from one another. And, it is so true, one person’s tastes can be completely different from another and that is okay. One of my favorite whites (and I am not a big fan of white wines) is Barefoot’s Pinot Grigio at just about $5 a bottle. But then, there a few BIG reds I like — Rubicon Cask Cab ($60) and Silver Oak Cabernet Savignon ($80) and Opolo Zinfandel (great buy at like $30/bottle).
Trader Joe’s carries some fun wines. Love BevMo and CostPlus has some gems too. But, if you love good wine, there are some great wine shops in Orange County you should check out.
And here’s the kicker…I am helping to plan a HUGE wine tasting event taking place in the OC on Feb. 11, 2012. Wine Knot 2012 at the Huntington Harbour Yacht Club will feature eight (8) wine partners from Sonoma Valley to Paso Robles. Guests who purchase a passport to tasting will get three (3) complimentary pours from each of the partners, get to enjoy live music, dine on decadent foods and get to bid on some amazing silent auction items. Why not celebrate Valentine’s Day early this year…I mean nothing says love like PLENTY of wine and great chocolate (which there will be both of at Wine Knot).
Wine Knot Featured Partners Include:
- Thompkin Cellars
- ONEHOPE
- The Other Guys
- Taft Street Winery
- SeaLegs Wine Bar
- BRIX
- Pear Valley Winery
- Brew Bakers
Get more details on Wine Knot 2012.
Win a pair of passports to Wine Knot by commenting below and telling me your favorite wines. One lucky winner will be selected at random and contacted by Feb. 7th should they be the winner. Good luck and happy wining to all.
Should you wish to purchase passports to tasting for Wine Knot 2012, mention “OC Family” and get $5 off the passport price.
12/21/2011 3:10 pm
This is an actual conversation I had with my 3-year-old daughter. And if it makes a difference and any of Santa’s elves are reading this blog post…I have been a very, very good girl.
Savannah: “There are lots of Santas huh mommy?”
Me: “What do you mean Savvy?”
Savannah: “I have sat on lots of Santa laps.”
Me: “Oh, those are not the real Santa, they are his helpers. They listen to your Christmas wishes and report back to the big man himself.”
Savannah: “Why is Santa so big?”
Me: “He eats too many cookies.”
Savannah: “I like cookies.”
Me: “Cookies are good.”
Savannah: “Will Santa bring me presents?”
Me: “If you are a good girl and are super nice to your mommy and daddy and all your family and friends.”
Savannah: “I am a good girl.”
Me: “I know and Santa knows this too.”
Savannah: “How does he know?”
Me: “He is watching you all the time.”
Savannah: (with a concerned look ) “Why? Even when I go potty?”
Me: (laughing) “Maybe not when you go potty, even Santa has respect for privacy.”
Savannah: “What’s privacy?”
Me: “What mommy wants sometimes.”
Savannah: “Maybe Santa will bring you some privacy mommy…but you need to be a good girl.”
* Congratulations to Vicki D. — the winner of the OC Fair New Year’s Eve Block Party tickets.
12/12/2011 8:03 pm
New Years is a little different with kids. Wait, it’s a lot different.
I’ve never been a huge fan of New Years just cause it all seems a little over-rated to me. To go out to a restaurant, club or nice bar on New Years, you can expect to fork over a good portion on your paycheck, which is just ridiculous. Then, on top of paying like $20 for one drink, you have to hold onto that drink with extreme caution cause most likely you are skin-to-skin with hundreds of others you don’t know trying to get to the bar to get a drink. And don’t event try to hold a conversation with someone, just smile and nod. Sounds like fun, right? Usually service tends to be crappy and you are still expected to leave a nice tip. I guess if I was single and sans child, I may be tempted, but I am not 21 anymore and I am okay with that.
My ideal New Years is getting a group of friends together who also have kids and doing a nice dinner, sipping on some nice wine and ringing in the New Year on East Coast time (I can hardly stay up till midnight anymore) while rocking a little Guitar Hero or Wii dance revolution. Crazy huh?
But, there are also events like the OC Fair’s New Year’s Eve Block Party which sounds like a good time for just about anybody. Live music, foodtrucks, carnival rides, fireworks and new this year — casino games. I am giving away two tickets to the Block Party, so comment on this post by telling me why you want to ring in 2012 at the OC Fairgrounds and I will select a winner at random. Winner to be selected and contacted on Dec. 19th! Good Luck.
Here are all the details…
When: Dec. 31, 2011 from 7:30 pm to 1:30 am.
Where: The OC Fairgrounds
Entertainment: Rio–a Tribute to Duran Duran; Joshua Tree — A tribute to U2; Britain’s Finest — The Complete Beatles Experience; The Cured; Flashback Heart Attack — Ultimate New Wave ’80s Show; The Who Revue, and more!
Food Trucks: Flying Pig Truck; Crepes Bonaparte; Piaggio On Wheels; Brats Berlin; Chomp Chomp Nation; The Burnt Truck; The Grilled Cheese Truck and more.
General admission is $40, plus parking will be $10.
To order tickets go to OCFair.com.
Get the entire scoop by visiting NYE Block Party.
So what are your plans for New Years? Please share.
11/30/2011 11:47 pm
I don’t want to come off as a scrooge, but the holiday season has got to be the most stressful time of year. At work, every client piles on the work in the month of December (gotta spend the cash before year-end). Outside work, every organization I am involved with has their own holiday party. My friends all have their own holiday parties. I have my work holiday party and Tim has more than a few work parties. Then I have to try to keep track of all the various holiday events at Savannah’s school. I set up a Google calendar for Tim and I to see what our month of December looks like and it is not pretty. For the next three weeks we pretty much have a holiday party every night, often doubling up on the weekends. Oh, and in between all that, I have to somehow find time to shop for those on my list. I could seriously employ one of Santa’s elves right about now.
It seems like it is like this every year. I really do enjoy the sights and sounds of the holidays, but I can hardly take them in cause I am so rushed to just check things/events off the list. So I am trying to do something new this year, something that is very hard for me to do…I am trying to not be perfect. I am trying to not be uber-creative when it comes to gifts. I am trying to make things more simple and reflect on what is really important…enjoying just being in the moment and celebrating all that I am blessed with. Oh, and I am doing much more online shopping cause this way I avoid parking lot fights and in-store squabbles (it got ugly last year people…really ugly).
So, if you’re like me and may get a bit stressed this time of year, here are some tips I would like to share that may make for a little more merriment this holiday.
1. Be realistic…you can’t make it to every party. Choose the ones you know will be more fun and have a good excuse for not being able to make the others (maybe say you have a charity toy drive you’re attending).
2. When it comes to gifts you need to get, make a list so you don’t over do it. Start with the family members and friends you really like at the top and then work your way down the list. If you forget someone, it’s okay, just make a bunch of hand-made IOU cards that you can hand out.
3. You should always give a gift to the host/hostess of parties you attend. A bottle of wine is always welcome and this gift serves two purposes…you provided a gift and then you can proceed to drink your gift.
4. A nice peppermint mocha or egg nog latte from Starbucks can help put you in a better shopping mood. Add a shot or two of brandy and this can really spruce things up.
5. Get a custom stamp that reads “Right Back at Ya, Love the (your last name here)”. When you get a holiday card from someone you did not send a card to, stamp their card and send it on back to them.
6. Keep a bunch of Chuck E Cheese tokens or foreign coins (you know the ones you have had forever and are never going to exchange) in your purse so that you can drop them in the can for the Salvation Army.
7. Take a night time walk to enjoy the holiday lights. If you happen to see one of those slow-moving lit-up wired reindeer, flip it on its back…it looks like a dead cockroach…it’s hilarious.
Okay, I hope these tips help put a little cheer in your holidays…a little jingle in your step. What are your tips for reducing holiday stress?
*full disclaimer: besides numbers 3 and 4 above, I have personally not attempted any of the other listed tips above.
10/26/2011 10:28 pm
I admit that since having Savannah, Halloween has become a bit more G rated. Bye bye crazy parties, hello old-school trick-or-treating. Long gone are the days of bobbing for beers, back are the days of carving pumpkins and and sorting through the 3-Muscateers.
Back in the day, sexy was the only way. If you were being a witch for Halloween, it wasn’t a wicked witch complete with warts and chin hair, it was a cleavage-bearing naughty witch. A nurse didn’t mean full-body scrubs with your hair pulled back, but more something to the tune of short white skirt, bare mid-drift and a tight tube top adorned with a red cross. Then there was the naughty devil, the very mean police officer, the oh-so-seductive angel and the list goes on, and on, and on. And it seems like the naughty versions of your everyday costumes have become even more popular. Visit Party City online and you don’t even have to navigate through the mix of tame costumes anymore, but can go directly to the Sexy Costumes section.
When I had Savannah, I packed away the naughty and pulled out the nice. I’ve been a cowgirl in full overalls and the plaid shirt (no skin showing), Barbie (and this was really more of a sweat suit with my hair in a ponytail) and this year Savannah wants me to be Sebastian from The Little Mermaid. Sebastian. Is there any way I could naughtify Sebastian? Just seems wrong.
I do have a couple more adult-friendly parties this Halloween weekend and I am working on something a bit on the sexy side, but still suitable for a family-friendly gathering. I am creating my own costume, a “little” number that expresses my love of fine wine. Pictures to come.
So, what are your costume plans? Are any moms out there putting the “sexy” in Halloween??
10/10/2011 10:33 pm
On a recent day where I dropped off Savannah at school, Mrs. D, one of Savannah’s teachers pulled me aside to let me know that Savannah and the rest of “the crew” had been in cohorts, taking time during recess to plan their upcoming playdates. She didn’t think that this planning was causing too much of a distraction from the practice of tracing and coloring between the lines, but she wanted me to be aware of it nonetheless. I guess I knew there was something going on…I had started to pick up on Savannah’s little hints and inquiries… “Mom, you think Delaney would like to see my room?” “Jake is my new best friend.” “Does Bella’s daddy want her to come to our house?” But, I really wasn’t familiar with “the crew” until after Back to School night. That was when the yellow room teachers pulled the parents of “the crew” together. There, in tiny little chairs, we got to know one another and shared the developments of our “crew’s” planning. We traded contact information and a family playdate was arranged.
On a Sunday, our three families met at a local fall festival. This venue provided great entertainment for the little ones so that the adults could engage in conversation over libations. I feel we all had a great time and the kids were in hog heaven. Their weeks of planning paid off and our families got to know each other a bit better. But I couldn’t help but think of how this “first family playdate” shared some of the awkwardness of a first date. Like for instance, how much do you share on the first family playdate? We talked about our jobs, but didn’t get into our hopes and dreams for the future. We talked about where we lived and if we wanted more kids, but didn’t talk about where we grew up and our family values. And yes, we had some drinks, but I think we were all wondering what is an acceptable number of beers before I cross the line from fun and responsible parent to messy mommy?
Tim and I are really just meeting many new families through the relationships Savannah is building at school and just like with all new relationships, these too will take time to grow. It’s funny…it’s like there are layers to relationships and these layers may be different depending on what type of relationship it is, but bottom line…we all peel away the layers at different rates and we all only expose what we are comfortable with at appropriate times. With that said, I think I am ready to get “the crew” together for another playdate. That is, if they weren’t thrown off by my inappropriate pole-dancing in front of the nuns? Kidding people, kidding.
Do you have similar experiences to share? Please do.
09/22/2011 12:02 am
I work at an interactive marketing agency (Rhythm Interactive) and I work amongst some VERY talented developers and designers. All day — everyday — we are building new websites and personalized applications and testing these marketing pieces on many different desktops and mobile devices. When I get home, the last thing I want to do is play on the iPad or stare at a computer. I want to go outside. I want to play in the fresh air. No gadgets needed for these free and healthy activities. But it worries me when so many kids are glued to devices and maybe it’s because we, as parents, are not being the best role models. I know I am guilty sometimes. I do on occasion talk on my iPhone while on a walk with Savannah. I do check e-mail on my phone while at the store checkout. Savannah sees this. And yes, Tim and I quite often bring the iPad to dinners so that once we have all eaten dinner, Savannah can play a game or watch one of her movies — it gives us that bit of quiet “us” time since we rarely do date nights without her. But on more than a few occasions when we have gone out to dinner, Tim and I have noticed kids that are completely tuned-out from the family conversation. Not only are they playing a game or watching a video, but they have their headphones on and never speak a word to their parents. This is disturbing.
Things just aren’t like the good ol’ days. When I was little and got home from school, the first thing I grabbed was a soccer ball or my bike. Not an iPad. I spent hours outside with friends till it was time to come in for dinner. Not hours playing video games. Texting was only a made up present participle for composing the written word. It is sad to think that many kids get bummed out when you ask them to go outside and play.
Here are some stats from the 2011 State of Mobile Etiquette: Parents, Children and Their Relationship with Mobile Technology report.
* 1/2 of children 8-12 years old report that they have two or more mobile devices.
* 1/3 of children report they would rather go without their summer vacation than give up their mobile devices.
* 59% of children have witnessed their parents commit common mobile infractions, including use of a mobile device on the road (59%) or during dinner (46%).
* Nearly 1/2 of U.S. children say they don’t see anything wrong with using technology at the dinner table.
* 42% of children think their parents need to disconnect more when they are at home.
I think it was my brother-in-law Tim who enforced Tech-Free Thursdays in his house. All gadgets must be checked at the door when everyone gets home from work or school. One night dedicated to talking to one another (crazy, I know), playing board games (yeah, they still have these and they are still just as fun) and maybe even a little song and dance (no, they aren’t the Osmonds). It’s funny…on Text-Free Thursdays laughter fills the house, conversations last beyond the bedtime hour and no one seems to miss their devices.
So, what are your thoughts? I know that their is a time and a place for all the gadgets and devices and being in the industry I am in, I know that they are revolutionizing how we live, do business and connect. I also know that these devices and the many apps out there can provide a different medium for learning. I just think as parents, we also need to lead by example. We can’t have our fascination with these devices take place of real, personal interaction and conversation.
09/08/2011 9:16 pm
A new family-friendly, ladies-in-need-of-libation friendly and boy-after-a-brew-and-fried-food friendly restaurant opened this past spring in Huntington Beach and after a recent visit I AM A HUGE FAN.
Mama’s on 39 is unique in many different ways and this is something I look for when going out to grab a bite or a drink. When Tim and I have a date night — which is not too often — we are not only looking for a good meal and a stiff drink, but a fun experience and one that sets itself apart from other restaurants. Mama’s takes the cake when it comes to providing an experience coupled with great food and a fun staff.
Upon entering Mama’s it’s hard to choose which way to turn. Veer right and you can get a scoop of Thrifty’s ice cream at the old-school ice cream counter straight out of Thrifty’s.
Veer left and you find yourself at the bar. Naturally, I turned left. But before you judge me…I had to rush to get a seat at the bar to take advantage of Where’s Your Wife Wednesday.
If you enjoy wine and having fun on a limited budget, you have to go experience this. Every Wednesday from 4 to 6:30 pm at Mama’s, you can get 4- 2.5 oz. tastings of different varietals for only $5 — and the wines are not too shabby. And yes, if you want to do the tasting twice (I guess some have done this or have asked if they can do this), Mama will allow it, but with the generous pour sizes, I think one tasting should suffice.
The other thing I get a kick out of at Mama’s is their menu item titles.
* Mama’s Gotta Fit In Her Jeans: Roasted spaghetti squash with rosemary, garlic, tomatoes, asiago cheese. SO YUMMY.
* What Happened Last Night?: 24 oz. PBR, 2 fried eggs, and a bag o’ bacon, crispy peppers and fries. If it was a really BIG night, you may want to add on the 32 oz. Mama Mary.
* Mac’n Cheetos: Mac and cheese topped with crushed Cheetos…no toddler (or mom and dad) can resist this combo.
So get on over to Mama’s on 39 (the 39 references the lifeguard tower at the end of Beach Blvd) for Where’s Your Wife Wednesday (and get an order of Fried Green Tomatoes and Mama’s Killer Street Tacos). Like Mama’s on Facebook too cause they post specials for fans. Hope to see you there!
Check out Mama’s entire menu and more here.
08/23/2011 11:09 pm
I am hoping — really hoping for fear that otherwise I look like the most evil of mothers — that many parents reading this can relate. I am not exaggerating when I say that everyday upon picking up Savannah from school I can expect to find eight to 12 different drawings, paintings, popsicle-stick projects, macaroni masterpieces, sticker-mosaics…you name it.
She is only three and I have two plastic storage bins full of craft projects she has brought home over the last year. At this pace — and considering my current dwelling confinement — I am pretty much screwed unless I want to dress my walls with Hello Kitty renderings and sketches of Buzz Lightyear.
I can’t help but feel bad when I filter through the daily art projects that come home in Savannah’s bucket. It’s similar to getting the mail and goes something like this…junk, junk, could be a keeper, junk, hmmm — that’s interesting, junk, love it.
Should I feel bad to toss some of my only daughter’s artwork? Or should I ask, how am I supposed to react when Savannah opens the trash only to find her precious water color ladybug mixed in a heap of old coffee grinds? I now find myself hiding the evidence which doesn’t in any way make me feel better. I feel like I am cheating on my daughter. I don’t want her to think that I don’t love all her sketches of flowers and butterflies, but I just can’t keep them all.
So, I have to ask, is this normal? Do we all toss some of the craps — oh, I mean crafts — that come home? Do you have ideas on ways to filter through the influx of crafts or have suggestions on ways to display such fine talent?
08/17/2011 11:08 pm
My nieces and nephews are growing up so fast. When Tim and I started dating, my niece Madeline was born. Now she is 11. My other niece Keara is entering high school. As a mother of a 3-year-old, I feel like I can take some comfort in thinking those days are far off, but with the way time is passing me by, the teen years will be here sooner than I want them to be. I take some relief in having sisters and friends who can help guide me. Through experience, they can tell me what I am in for and help to prepare me for the heartbreak and the drama that is par for the course with many teenage daughters. While I think about what lies ahead, a large knot begins to form in my stomach. I am recalling my teenage years and the trauma my parents had to endure (let me apologize again mom and dad for my immature actions, lack of common sense and plain stupidity). With the evolution of time, technological advancements and the dawning of social media (yes, dawning…when I went to college AOL was the coolest thing since sliced bread and sending mail without licking an envelope and buying a stamp was — if anything — a revolutionary concept.) I am scared $#!tless for the teenage years and even more so for having a daughter. Here’s why…
My Top 10 Reasons for Dreading the Teen Years
1. Savannah is a Looker.
At only three, I can tell it is going to be hell. The boys are already loving on her.
2. Like Mom and Dad, Savannah Wants to be the Life of the Party (great, I can only imagine what college holds for her).
3. Social Media.
In my work I am on social platforms everyday. I see some things I would rather not and when I do, I can’t help think…”you have a mom and dad who would not be proud of you.” Look at these profile pictures.
This is what scares me and the fact that young kids on these networks do not know what they are getting themselves into sometimes. I love social media and how it has opened up new models of sharing and connecting with others, but when it comes to having a daughter…I want all social media platforms to be banned when Savannah turns 7.
4. Payback is a _ _ _ _ _.
I have heard it before, but as the clock ticks and as Savannah grows up more and more in the likeness of her mother and father, I know that the grief we both caused our parents will challenge Tim and I in a much harsher way than we could ever imagine (I know both our parents are laughing uncontrollably right now).
5. Tim was a Teenage Boy.
Enough said. Tim went out to buy a gun yesterday.
6. Clothing or Lack Thereof.
When I go to the mall, I look at these teenage girls and say to myself, “really, your mom let you go out wearing that?” Then I think…no, that little angel put that pair of bootie-tight shorts and revealing tank-top in her bag before her mom dropped off her off with a kiss at the library in a buttoned-up blouse and khakis. Crap.
7. Lady Gaga, Beyonce, Kesha, Kardashians.
Put some clothes on. Stop dancing like that. What are you wearing? (OMG. I am totally losing it on myself as I write this!)
8. Curfew
My curfew in high school was 11 p.m. That was super late. Now self-serve yogurt shops are open till midnight and they pump music like it’s the hottest club in Vegas. I can’t even stay up past 10 p.m.
9. Drinking and Driving
This is a serious one. I hear of more and more drunk driving incidents involving young kids these days. It is horrible. As parents, we hope that our kids are not engaging in under-age drinking, but, truth is, many do. My dad made me sign a contract when I got my license and one of the line items on the contract read similar to this: If I was ever caught drinking or with alcohol in the car OR if I ever drove to a party and consumed alcohol and did not call one of my parents to pick me up, they would be disappointed in me and my driving privileges gone. It was the “disappointment” factor that made me call once and while my parents were upset, I think they were grateful I did not get behind the wheel (again, sorry mom and dad for the gray hair and loss of sleep).
10. I Don’t Want to Create a Monster
I don’t want Savannah to rebel. I don’t want her to hate me or her dad. I don’t want myself to turn into a monster of a parent.
There are so many things I don’t want to happen. But, this is all a learning curve — and together — with the support, love and understanding of our family and friends, Tim and I can make it through the teenage years. Right now, I am just trying to get Savannah to listen when I ask her to put away her toys. One step at a time, one step at a time.
