Paul Masson White Zinfandel

Description on the bottle:  Serve this refreshingly crisp, fruity wine chilled.  Great by itself or with white meat, poultry, seafood, lightly flavored or spicy dishes, and cold cuts.

Sarah says:  Yum, this is exactly the type of wine a beginner wino would drink, and it totally brings me back.  It's light, fruity, easy to drink, and (based on the list above) goes well with everything.  I chose it because I thought the bottle looked cool, in that it's more like a carafe than it is a wine bottle, and I thought that seemed like fun.  If only it was about 70 degrees warmer out, this would be the perfect sit outside on the porch after a long day and chill out with type of wine.  Winter will end one of these days, right?

Overall rating:  Thumbs up

Sarah says:  Speaking of winter, I've decided to stop talking negatively about the weather.  It's Lent, and that generally means I give up some sort of food (ice cream, sweets, peanut butter) for 6 weeks.  And, although I usually accomplish the goal without too many problems, it never feels like the sacrifice that it's supposed to.  I did ponder giving up wine, but I just don't think that's the right thing for me right now.  This year, I thought I'd try something different.  I'm going to try to hold back from something other than food.  Complaining about the weather is something that is easy to do, it easily makes it's way into any conversation, and if you don't have anything to talk about with someone, it's an easy conversation to start.  Especially in this never ending winter, as we are all feeling a little worn down and seasonally depressed, complaining about it is just what everyone is doing.  Unfortunately, this type of conversation has no value, it just brings me down even more than I already am about it.  So, from here on out (or at least until Easter, when hopefully it's warmer anyways!) I will not be joining in the daily weather bashing conversation.

In the true Lent form, I'm hopeful that all my lack of weather complaining will allow me to free up a bunch of time, time that will be better spent doing something more holy.  Praying, reading, chilling with God, whatever it is... it has to be better than complaining about being freezing, while freezing.  Maybe spending more time will actually make me feel less empty, and thus, less cold!  It's worth a shot.

If all else fails, the wine will warm me up.  What are you giving up for Lent?

Clayhouse Wines Adobe Red

Description on the bottle:  The Adobe Red is a blend created for that rebellious, hedonistic red wine lover inside of you, rustic like that adobe but refined with sensuous dark fruit flavors.   

Sarah says:  A wine called Clayhouse?!  We pretty much had to buy it, and I'm pretty sure I'll buy it again.  It seems only fitting that the Clay household keep a bottle, or two, or several of Clayhouse on hand at all times!  The wine store only had this version of the Clayhouse wines, but he said he'd order some other types to have on hand for me.  I can't wait to go see what our options are!  As for the taste?  It's decent.  I enjoyed this more yesterday after eating a few girl scout cookies (and after the events that I'm about to tell you about), it completed my late night snack perfectly.  Tonight, I'm following a chicken curry dinner, not quite as fitting.  It's not as smooth as I would prefer, but it's still totally drinkable!

Overall rating:  If for no other reason, it gets a thumbs up for the name!

Sarah says:  Speaking of rebellion... I did something last night, which has caused many Mom's to do a little double take.  I've been told I'm crazy for wanting to do this a lot, but I totally stand by my decision, and don't regret a second of it.  Mary decided for her 5th birthday present, she wanted to get her ears pierced. That's not the crazy part, it's where I took her to get the piercing done which is causing people to judge.  

I'll just get straight to the point and say it.  I took her to a tattoo and piercing shop; Liquid Swordz, in Ypsilanti.  There I met Dave, the guy that I allowed to stick a need through my daughter's ears.  Most people's initial reaction is "Why the hell would you do that to sweet Mary?!"

First, have you ever thought about how awful the idea of a piercing gun is?  We live in an age where boys can't even shoot pretend guns with their fingers without getting in trouble, and yet, we'll put a "gun" to our child's ear?  Plus, consider the sharpness of a needle, with that of an earring.  It makes so much more sense to pierce using a needle than it does to force a dull earring through the ear.

Second, think about the cleanliness of the location.  Having been in the tattoo chair once, or twice, or well... a lot, I know how clean these places are.  In order for tattoo & piercing places to remain in business, they have to be spot-on clean.  Their work spaces are pretty much empty except for a chair and a light.  Their tools are sterilized and new ones are used for each individual.  It's like going to the dentist, when they open up all those tools from packages, which is your comfort that they are clean... these tattoo and piercing tools are also pulled out of these sterile, plastic bag... things.  I've been to the mall, and I've seen things there which lead me to believe their standards of clean are different than mine.  Plus, those piercing guns have all those little nooks and small spaces, even if you tried I wouldn't think you could get that as clean as you'd want it.  A needle on the other hand, a pretty simple object and quite simple to get sterile.

Third, think of the individual doing the piercing.  A young something earning close to minimum wage, that may or may not have started on the job yesterday, just doing this for a paycheck until they finish school and can start their career?  Or a professional, who makes a living out of piercing, and has been doing it for years?   In my mind, the guy that pierces all sorts of body parts, is going to be the expert in ear piercing department.   The expert is the one I want working on my little girl.  The people that do this for a living, it's not just another ear to them, it's their reputation, their life, it's an art.  They take this stuff way more seriously than someone at the mall.

Fourth, I remember my own ear piercing experience, with the gun, and it was horrible.  I was terrified, so terrified that I think I actually didn't get it done on my first try.  We left and went back another time.  I was still terrified.  It hurt forever.  It was scary and loud.  I cried, a lot.  I wanted the opposite for Mary.

The one and only downfall... they don't keep kids earrings in stock, so we had to order them and wait 3 weeks for them to be ready for us.  Anyone who knows my Mary knows that when she gets her mind set on doing something, also knows that she isn't keen on waiting.  Longest three weeks of my life!  The upside - the earrings really are quite pretty.  And the have balls on the back, so they won't dig into her neck like traditional earrings can.

When we got the call last night that they were ready, we immediately went!  Well, almost immediately... in typical girl fashion, Mary first wanted to change her clothes!

The official ear piercing outfit

While I filled out the paperwork and got things going, Mary danced around the lobby and made friends with the young adults in the lobby waiting to get tattooed.  Was she scared?  No way.  First of all, it's Mary, she fears nothing.  Second of all, she was too excited to be scared.  Third of all, everyone was totally chatting with her, making her feel comfortable and at ease.  Forth of all, she has no idea that there was any other option.  As far as she is concerned, all people that want their ears pierced go to this place and see this guy.  Does Dave look a little different that the crowd she normally hangs out with?  Sure, he has tattoos, giant ear gauges, some weird head horn things... but he's totally a nice guy, has a family, a home, a life, and feelings just like anyone else.  We go out of our way to teach our kids to accept people, why would this be any different?  What would be the point of saying to her "I know he looks different, but that's no reason to be afraid"... that would be totally backwards right?  I guarantee that suddenly she would think there was reason to be afraid, and would be.  She just thinks he's just some cool guy.  (By the way... a little out of sequence here, but Dave thinks Mary is a cool gal too!  Here's a bit of an email he sent me today "I am glad she is soo excited about  them.   I pierce a lot of children's lobes and your little Mary was awesome.  Coolest kid I have pierced in years.")

When it was our turn, we went to the back and Mary immediately jumped onto the big chair.  I forced her to bring Boo in case she needed something to snuggle. First we dotted her ears to make sure we were getting them in the right spot, and even!  Dave was totally patient with Mary wanting to jump down and look in the mirror every 5 seconds.  Dot 1, jump down and look in the mirror.  Dot 2, jump down and look in the mirror.  Re-do dot 1, jump down and look in the mirror... etc.  He was very cool with her.

Finally, it was earring time!  We asked Mary her preference, sitting alone or in my lap.  She choose in my lap.  Dave talked us through the process (which he had already done like 4 times, but it was still nice to hear again) and showed Mary some deep breathing techniques.  10 seconds later, ear one was done!  Mary gasped during the piercing, and whimpered when he pushed the back on, but no tears!  I think she was a little stunned, but as soon as she jumped down and saw that pink sparkly in her ear, she was totally over any sadness that she felt.  She loved it!  She jumped right back up and got ready for the next ear, this time, she sat all by herself.  Again, we breathed as instructed by Dave, and 10 seconds later ear two was done!  I think maybe one to two tears sneaked out that time, but no real crying!  I was shocked, where was the screaming and trauma that I experienced?  

Ever so slightly upset

She quickly jumped down again, looked in the mirror, and approved!  Dave cleaned her up, gave us some instructions on care for the next several weeks.  Off Mary skipped to the lobby to show all of her friends.  She was so happy (and still is)!!  She couldn't wait to go home to show Daddy.  Most of all, she really wants to go back to school to show her teacher and friends there!  

She was thrilled, I was thrilled, best ear piercing experience ever.  I know a lot of the Mom's think I'm crazy, and tell me I would have been just as happy going to the mall.  I will maintain that things went better at Liquid Swordz than they would have at the mall.  Sure, both places she would have left with earrings.  But, leaving with a smile vs. leaving with tears was worth it to me.  I would totally recommend Dave to anyone looking to getting a piercing!

Totally happy with her earrings!  Thanks Dave!

So tonight, as I sit in the Clay House, and drink my Clayhouse wine (I know, I'm totally cheesy!), I lift my glass to being different!  Do what you feel is best in your heart, and ignore those that tell you that you are crazy.  What have you done lately that's a little out of the ordinary?

19 Crimes

Description on the bottle:  Nineteen Crimes turned criminals into colonists.  Upon conviction, British rogues, guilty of at least one of the 19 crimes, were sentenced to live in Australia, rather than death.  This punishment by "transportation" began in 1788, and many of the lawless died at sea.  For the rough-hewn prisoners who made it to shore, a new world awaited.  As pioneers ub a frontier penal colony, they forged a new country and new lives, brick by brick.  This wine celebrates the rules they broke and the culture they built.

Sarah says:  Oh my lord, I love this wine.  First of all, let me give a huge thanks to Heather for recommending it, and to Nancy for donating it my blog!  You both rock.  This wine is outstanding!  It's soooo smooth, with a slightly dark fruity flavor, and not spicy at all... just the way I like it!  It's just awesome... I might go as far as declaring it a new favorite.  Jon and I cracked it open yesterday - Valentines Day - 19 Crimes... somehow that felt appropriate?  Whatever, we were both loving it.  Who cares about the flowers and earrings, just give me more of this wine!

Overall rating, 4 thumbs way up!

Sarah says:  Other things I totally love... cousins.  As I'm typing this, I'm listening to the giggles of my kids and their cousins out in the living room.  It's kind of a running joke that my sister and I pretty much did everything together for a few years... ie, bought houses within a year of each other, got married within 5 months of each other, had 1st kids with 7 months of each other, had 2nd kids within 5 months of each other, abandoned first houses with 1 year of each other... the awesome result of all of that, is we live less than 10 miles apart... and this:

Cousins, super close in age, that love having sleepovers!!

Cousins, they are totally the best kind of family.  They are fun to hang out with, easy to get along with, don't have any of the annoying family qualities that a sibling or parent might have, and no matter how much time passes, you just pick up right where you left off!  I got a txt just this morning that said "Cousins!  Let's get together!"  Some of my best memories involve my cousins.  The reason I love the movies Hook and Ferris Buller's Day Off; my cousins.  Jumping on the bed at Grandma's, waiting for Santa, and white water rafting; my cousins.  Pool parties, bowling, talent shows; my cousins.  Swimming in a hot tub, playing spoons, sneaking chips and pop; my cousins.  Trips out west, trips to Indiana, trips anywhere; my cousins.  Writing notes, sneaking cigarettes, telling secrets; my cousins!  Drinking, mountain climbing, camping; my cousins.  Badminton, laughing, M&M's; my cousins.  Seriously... I have the most fun, most beautiful, most honest, true to themselves, passionate, follow their dreams, type of cousins.  They are the best!  I love them all.

So tonight, as I listen to my kids develop their own bonds with their cousins, I think of my cousins all over the world (seriously, my cousins are all over the world - not only all over the states, MI, WA, CA, MO, OH but also in Korea and France!), and I hope they are all doing great.  I lift this awesome glass of wine in your direction, and I think I'll have another in your honor!  I miss you all!  

Kora Sauvignon Blanc

Description on the bottle:  We produce our wine from ultra-ripe fruit grown on the family estate we established in 1978.  Our sons (Hamish - vineyard manager and Sam - winemaker) grew up amidst the vines and know every block intimately.  Kora, meaning distant place, is light straw in colour with green highlights, reflecting its fresh, typically New Zealand Sauvignon style.  It has mouthwatering aromas of gooseberry and green capsicum, combined with hints of cut grass.  Medium bodied, with vibrant passion fruit and citrus flavours, and a crisp finish, it makes a delicious partner for seafood and the grilled white fish Sam catches in the Marlborough Sound.

Sarah:  I'm thinking ultra-ripe fruit might not be the way to go... just regular ripe might be better.  Plus, anything with hints of cut grass, doesn't sound very appealing to me.  I'm not exactly loving this wine, it's WWAAYYY to sweet for me.  Maybe I need some of that white fish, instead of the tootsie pops and marshmallows I've been stuffing my face with, I'm just not feeling it.  But, none the less, I'm drinking two glasses, because after the day I've had, it's better than nothing!

Sarah says:  What was up with today?  Everyone in this home was grouchy.  Both kids woke up in bad moods... I'm pretty sure it was the combination of staying up late and living up it yesterday (ie. eating more junk food that normal) that got to them, but man oh man, all day long it was one whining fest!  They were breaking rules, fighting with each other, fighting with us, crying, screaming, jumping on things they aren't allowed to jump on, complaining, just being awful.  This quickly forced any good mood that was in me, out.  I tried all sorts of tactics to improve the moods.  Games, jokes, tickles, hugs.. nothing worked!  I took Mary to gymnastics, one of her favorite things, she complained that it was too cold in the gym.  I sent the kids outside to run around and play, the complained that I wouldn't let them have hot chocolate once coming in (no sweets today, we're trying to come down from yesterday's sugar high).  I took them to the library, but they couldn't agree on a movie to rent.   I just kept thinking it would get better, for the most part, it didn't.

Well, until this happened:

What!?  Is that what I think it is??  My Liam is... READING!!  Yes, yes he is!!  WWWHOOOOO HOOOO!!!!

Ok, as awesome as this last minute turn of events was (which totally rocked my world, and restored all hope for my children, as I was beginning to think they were taken over by the devil), we were all still grouchy, and everyone went to bed early.  Including me.  Here's to hoping everyone wakes up in a better mood tomorrow.

How to do you handle a bad mood?

Sweet Bliss Part II

Sarah says:  Still so good!  In my attempt to make this bottle last as long as possible, I'm only drinking it when Jon isn't here! hehe... this way I don't have to share.  Shhh... don't tell him  :-)

I had an afternoon of sweet bliss again today.  I spent quality time with my little lady.  Here's the thing, I often feel that my Mary is neglected, mostly by me.  It's not that she doesn't get any love or attention, in fact, she gets loads of attention.  She LOVES being the center of it all.  People constantly tell her how adorable and beautiful she is, and she just soaks it all in.  But, for the most part, most of that praise doesn't come from me.

I made the decision many years ago that I would be a working Mom, and I don't regret that decision.  But, that doesn't mean I don't worry if my kids suffer as a result of it.  I often fear Mary's lack of motherly influence will impact her in the future.  I'm gone most of her day, on good days I'm able to brush her hair before heading out the door, but more often than not she's left with a quick hug and kiss, and won't see me for 8+ hours.  When I get home, it's dinner, baths and reading time... but the most of that reading time is spent going over the many books Liam is sent home with each week (he gets books from his teacher, books from the reading specialist, and books from the library... not that I'm complaining, I love the help we are getting for him!!), very rarely does Mary get a say in the books, and often is not interested in them.  If there's time, I'll quiz Liam on his spelling words that week, or on some math problems.  I'm completely aware that Mary often gets put on the back burner, she's a good sport about it though, bless her heart.  Mary is totally content coloring a picture, or tending to the needs of her many baby dolls, and I take advantage of that.  

I always have intentions of spending more time with Mary on the weekends, but often life gets in the way.  Liam will have extra homework that needs tending to, chores have been pilling up (Jon does do most of the chores, but some, mostly taking care of the litter box, are just mine, and need to get done, really really bad), friends will want to hang out, and to be totally selfish... I try to squeeze in some extra me time too (ie.. a long run, followed by a longer than necessary shower).  My sweet, sassy, Mary gets skipped again.  I almost wish she'd complain about it more, it's harder to avoid something that is pushing in your face.  But again, Mary just lets it roll off her back.

But today, TODAY, I made it happen.  Everything was done, and the afternoon was quiet.  Liam, crazy as he was, played outside for two hours!!  (I did make him come in and thaw out once)  And during that time, Mary and I got our fix of each other.  We played Busy Town, a game that I am convinced was created by someone without kids, but it was Mary's pick, so that's what we did.  By the way, you can only see about half the board in his pic, it's obnoxious.  We snuggled and drank hot chocolate.  We played Barbie, and had a dance party.  

Today, my sweet bliss came in the form of a soon to be 5 year old girl.  She made me feel like a Mommy again, not just an occasional caregiver.  She doesn't hold a grudge against me, she doesn't make me feel guilty, she just takes what she can get and runs like wild with it.  She hugs me and kisses me, and warms my nose with hers.  She "helps" me in the kitchen, and she allows me to take an extra space to two forward when I'm totally loosing the game so I won't be sad.  She accepts me for who I am, she appreciates me, she loves me.  And that is the sweetest bliss of all.

With this wine following as a close second, it's totally awesome. 

What's your bliss?

Sweet Bliss

Description on the bottle:  The best word to describe this wine is YUMMMMMM.  The aromas are a heavenly blend of ripe red fruit and subtle toasted oak with deep cherry flavors and a velvety chocolate mouthfeel.  The wine is outrageous with barbecued ribs and spicy dishes.  For the ultimate indulgence, pair with chocolate cake, cheesecake or cobblers.  Our pour on its own as a divine aperitif.  After all, everyone deserves a little Sweet Bliss.

Sarah says:  I couldn't agree more with this bottle.  YUMMMMMM is the best way to describe this wine.  It's so freaking delicious.  It's smooth, it's sweet, it's chocolaty and fruity, it's so good.  I found this bottle in the 1/2 off bin at Wine Palace and now I want to go back and buy the rest of them!  I can't believe it was in the 1/2 off bin!  Usually grabbing something out of there can be a little risky, but this one is totally working for me.  It's the perfect ending to a Friday night.

Overall rating:  Two thumbs up, I'd give it more if I had more hands!

Sarah says:  This day was just flat out awesome.  This wine really was the perfect ending.  It started with being woken up by my alarm clock, not kids or cats!!!  That is pretty rare for me, and I love it when it happens.  Then I finished my goal for the week at work around 11:00, which means I get to enjoy this weekend without an unfinished workpaper hanging over my head.  Then, I went to Rice Bowl, one of my favorite places to eat, with Wendy, one of my favorite people, for lunch!!  During our Detroit days, we were there at a minimum of once a week, but it's been a good couple of years, and we were needing it.  It was oh so delicious, Rice Bowl never disappoints!  Then I came home to discover our new mattress has been delivered, and Jon had the bed all made up, waiting for me to get in my jammies and crawl in.

I can barely express my excitement for this mattress.  It's a little odd, since I don't do a lot of sleeping, but I'm hoping this new mattress might change some of that.  The mattress we've been sleeping on was... well... old.  I got it in high school.  Total side note here, and I love my Dad, so don't take this the wrong way... my parents separated and divorced while I was in high school.  Somewhere in the midst of that drama, I went shopping with my Dad, and somehow upgraded from an old twin bed to a brand new fancy queen bed.  I'm pretty sure it was some sort of "I know the life as you know it is over, but I still love you, let me prove it to you" type purchase, but I'm not complaining, I totally took advantage of it.  I loved that bed.  But, it had a good run, and it was way overdue for a new mattress.  So off Jon and I went, to the mattress stores.

Let me tell you a thing or two about mattress shopping.  Sales people are annoying.  We did the Art Van thing, where they put you on a bed machine to find the perfect bed.  The guy looked at Jon and mines report and was like "Uh, you guys have really different bodies".  Really, guy?  We sort of already knew that.  I'm pretty sure there is no mattress that meets both our needs, so he was just aimlessly walking around with us, not being very helpful, but pressuring us to purchase something quickly.  We got out of there.  We tried some other places too, Sears, ABC Warehouse... nothing bad to say there, nothing great either.  We ended up at Value City Furniture... not my first choice, but the selection was good, the prices were right, and the saleslady was awesome.  

So, the new bed is ready and waiting, Havanah has tested it out, and it's calling my name.  Wish me luck for a good night of sleep!  To celebrate, I will drink another glass of this amazing delicious wine! 

What has you excited these days?

Chardonnay Part II

Sarah says:  Here we are again, dieting means I only drink one glass of wine a night, which means it takes 6 nights to finish one bottle of wine (sometimes 5, depends on how generous I am with my servings), which means I'm still working on this bottle of Chardonnay that I don't really love, but don't dislike enough to dump it out.  I've heard about a clever little trick (which I have not tried, but am interested in), to add Sprite or 7 Up to wines that you don't love to make them a bit easier to drink and thus empty the bottle.  I apologize for the lack of variety lately.

I did something recently that I don't generally do.  I read a book (that's not the part that I'm referring to, I love to read!), and then got the great idea to immediately rent the movie.  I read The Firm, such an awesome book!!  It's a 500 page book, and somehow I managed to read it in less than a week!  WHAT?!  It usually takes me weeks, if not months, to read a book.  Not because I don't want to finish them, simply because I can't find the time.  By the time I get the time, I'm usually so sleepy, that I read a few pages and zonk out.  This book however was different, it was such a page turner that I couldn't possibly fall asleep.  It was exciting and intense, but wasn't too confusing or overwhelming.  I found time to read this book.  I stayed up into the wee hours of the night reading this book.  I specifically let the kids watch extra TV (mother of the year, right here!) just so I could read an extra chapter.  I liked it, a lot more than I liked this wine.  (as a side note, this book was also very different than the normal romance that I usually read.  It's possible that I liked it so much simply because it was something different).

So, once finished, I was so excited, I rushed to the library and rented it!  (Another side note:  I completely don't understand why anyone would ever pay to rent a movie, the library is full of free ones!)  Jon warned me that the movie wasn't good.  I ignored him.  Tom Cruise wouldn't disappoint, plus the book was just so good!  Oh wow, was I wrong.  The movie was dull, and didn't have any of the exciting intensity that the book had.  Tom didn't capture the enthusiasm that Mitch, the young lawyer had for his new job and being the best.  They totally ruined the story between him and his wife, making it seem like they actually broke up instead of that just being a planned distraction.  The private investigator died wwaaayyyyy too quickly.  They didn't include the big hideout/hunt at the end.  It was boring, I found myself reaching for the tablet to play Candy Crush less than halfway through.  

In all fairness, I'm not sure how to properly turn a 500 page book into a 2 hour movie, but they needed to keep trying with this one.  Don't waste your time on it.  Just like this wine, sadly it's not worth it.

What's your favorite book turned movie?