Tag Archives: wine

Things I’m Loving Thursday 2

It’s Thursday, so that means it’s time for another list of things I’ve been lovin’ this week!

1. Watching baby Lucy grow! 

Okay it is just crazy how fast this little puppy is growing! She is only four months old, so she has a lot of growing left to do!

This is little Lucy just about two months ago, right after we brought her home:

Just a baby....
Just a baby….

And here’s the same “little” puppy last night!

She looks so comfortable....
She looks so comfortable….

(Sorry for the low quality photo- we were rushing out the door for dinner plans!)

I have said since we brought her home that Lucy was going to be big and that she would grow fast, but it’s still hard to believe!

2. Michigan By The Bottle Tasting Room- Royal Oak Location

Last week while we were on vacation, one of my favorite small businesses opened a second location right down the road from me!

Source: facebook.com/mbtbonwoodward
Source: facebook.com/mbtbonwoodward

Michigan By The Bottle is a tasting room that features Michigan made wines. You can pop in anytime during their business hours to purchase bottles of wine or do a wine tasting. They also have really fun and unique events, like yoga sessions immediately followed by wine tastings, live music nights, and dinner and wine paring events. I was driving about 45 minutes northeast to their original location in Shelby Township, so I am SO excited to have a location in my own neighborhood!

3. Last minute Holiday preparations

I can’t believe Christmas is in 1 week! Christmas eve is easily one of my top 3 favorite nights of the year. Last year I was cursed with food poisoning on the morning of Christmas eve leaving me unable to enjoy the evening, so I am extra excited to celebrate this year! My nephew from Florida will be coming into town this weekend, and we have plans to bake cookies and decorate gingerbread houses with him. Add in some last minute gift shopping, a whole lot of gift wrapping (I haven’t even started that- oops), a work Christmas party for myself and one with my boyfriend, and the next week is going to be a whole lot of holiday fun! I really can not wait! (PS- if you’re still looking for some last minute gift ideas, check out my Fit Girl’s Christmas List.

4. New Michael Kors Hamilton Tote

I was so lucky to receive my Christmas gift from Mike a few weeks early so I could take it on vacation!

Happy girl! With puppies fighting behind me.... always
Happy girl! With puppies fighting behind me…. always

I was in need of a new airplane carry on/ computer bag/ large purse since my old one (from Target several years ago) was dying a slow death. I am so in love with this bag! It fit perfectly under the airplane seat and the structure makes it easy to access everything inside. For the trip I packed in my iPad, wallet, snacks for the plane ride, a swimsuit in case my suitcase didn’t make it, along with more odds and ends and I still had so much room! Plus it’s just beautiful!

5. Emergen-C

Source- dollargeneral.com
Source: dollargeneral.com

Every time I feel the first signs of a cold coming on, or if I’ve been traveling a lot (or if my boyfriend says he has a sore throat…. reminder to him that he should be drinking one right now), I start drinking these little packets right away. Since they first debuted a few years ago, they’ve expanded their flavors beyond just orange; I’m actually sippin’ on Cranberry-Pomegranate right now! Any little bit helps this time of year!

6. The 2014 Hater’s Guide to the Williams-Sonoma Catalog

I had to add this in as a next-day addition. I recently came across this article and it had me just cracking up! As a total amateur Martha Stewart wanna-be, this was just so spot on and hilarious! If you’re like me and try really hard in the kitchen, but don’t actually know the difference between a fry pan and a saute pan, you have to take a moment to read this article!

 

What are the things you’re loving during this week before Christmas?

Disclaimer: This post is not sponsored, and I am not compensated in any way for the things I feature in this post. 

Wine Wednesday!

Happy hump day!

Maybe not every Wednesday, but at least a couple of times a month I’d like to spend Wednesday’s talking about wine! Please note: I am a complete amateur and will not be offering professional grade wine advice, but I love to try different wines and compare them! So let’s get to it.

This week I’ve been drinking Bogle Vineyards Cabernet.

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My boyfriend discovered this wine at a restaurant a few weeks ago, and we’ve been buying it ever since! It’s perfect for evenings at home, as it’s fairly inexpensive and pretty easy to find. My boyfriend initially picked it up at a local wine store, but we’ve since found it at several grocery stores.

This Cabernet is on the sweeter side for a cab and goes down smoooooth!

My wine and my dirty kitchen counters... only the best quality pictures for you guys!
My wine and my dirty kitchen counters… only the best quality pictures for you guys!

We love this one and plan on trying more from Bogle Vineyards in the near future! Maybe for Thanksgiving?

What kind of wine are you drinking this week?

2014 Fall Wine Trip

If you’ve never been to Northern Michigan in the fall, it needs to go on your bucket list! Fall is often overlooked as the ideal road trip season. Gas prices are typically lower, the weather is comfortable, and the changing leaves are the perfect scenery for long drives.

A few weeks ago, my boyfriend and I were able to combine his work trip with a long weekend of sand dune climbing, eating out, and WINE TASTING in beautiful Traverse City.

In case you’re not familiar, just north of downtown Traverse City lie two peninsulas- Leelanau and Old Mission. Each is lined with scenic lake views and feature winery after winery. If you’re an outdoor adventurer and/or food and wine lover, Traverse City is the perfect weekend mini-vacation.

Friday afternoon once my boyfriend’s work obligations were done, we drove West to Sleeping Bear Dunes, where we parked the car, took off our shoes, and trekked through the sand.

photo 1
Sand dune hiking!

Once it started to get too chilly, we made our way back into town and found the perfect little spot for dinner and some hard cider, Northern Natural Cider House. They are right in downtown Traverse City, and had amazing, simple food and made their own hard cider!

Enjoying the hard cider and chips and guacamole, waiting for dinner!
Enjoying the hard cider and chips and guacamole, waiting for dinner!

Saturday is when the real fun began! After a quick breakfast at the hotel, we headed straight North to the tip of the Leelanau Peninsula. There, we spent some time at the state park, walking through the beach areas and a lighthouse museum.

photo 1

photo

When we were done exploring the state park, it was wine time!

We spent the rest of the afternoon going from winery to winery and sampling a few sips at each stop. Some wineries charged a small fee for a few tastings, and some were completely free to try. There are wineries of all different styles and sizes, and it was really fun to talk to some of the owners!

I've definitely already had a few wine samples in this picture...
I’ve definitely already had a few wine samples in this picture…

Throughout the day, we ended up buying a few bottles of wine to bring home, which I will talk about in future posts!

Sunday morning, we enjoyed breakfast at The Omelet Shoppe, and headed home… with a stop at a road side stand for some cider on the way!

Don't spill... Don't spill...
Don’t spill… Don’t spill…

Perfect fall weekend! We are already looking forward to our next trip!