Wine Down Wednesday: My new toy!

I am excited to finally tell you about my new wine gadget! A neighbor of mine introduced me to this fun item a few months ago and I have not been able to stop thinking about it ever since. I heard you could buy it at Bed Bath & Beyond so off to BBB I went. They haven't had them in stock until NOW. It was perfect timing as I had a 20% off coupon (get on their mailing list if you aren't already. They mail these out like candy...don't shop without it). So I walked away with this baby for a measly $20.00!

So here she is... My new electric wine opener!!!

It sits on the counter (looking sharp as if it were a cordless phone) and includes a foil cutter in the back. When you are ready to open a bottle, you just cut the foil off the top...take the opener off the charging dock and place it on top of the bottle covering the cork and a little bit of the top. Press the "down" arrow, hold the bottle... and wait...............................................After a few seconds, voala!!!! Its open! No pulling no pushing no twisting! To get the cork out, press the "up" arrow and out it comes. Easy as that! Here is a video so you can get the whole idea! ENJOY and go grab a glass! CHEERS!

P.S They advise you to not use this opener on synthetic corks only real cork

I'm a big boy now I'm 6 months!!!!

I have a six month old! What is wrong with this picture? I looked at Colt the other day and said, "Where's my baby?!" I swear I love him more and more everyday even though I never think its possible to love him more. In the past month he has...

... said "Ma" and "Da." Only one time each, but he said it nonetheless!! I got the "Ma" on video tape and he was looking at Blake when he said "Da."

...He sits up like a big boy and plays with his toys.
...He tries to eat his feet, but his belly is too big and he gets mad.

...He sits in the high chair when we go out to eat.

...He turns all the way around in his jumperoo and works all of the toys.

...Blake says Colt hibernates and he really does. He sleeps about 12 hours a night and I even wake up before he does. I stare at the monitor thinking, "ok Colt, mommy wants to play." He always wakes up soooo happy and talks to his hands (for up to an hour) until I come get him.

...He loves to swim!! When I say kick kick kick, he smiles/laughs and kicks very good. When I say 1 2 3 he closes his eyes on the count of 1 to prepare for the dunk.

...This past week he has gone through a phase of crying when we sneeze or talk loudly and he even cried when the fire on the grill flared up at the hibachi restaurant. Blake and I thought it was funny so we'd sneeze on purpose to see if he cried. A few times he did and then he got over it.

...He is a great little shopper and laughs at all the people in the mall as they walk by. His stroller makes a great shopping cart BTW :)
...He's moving into his 9-12 month clothing and I even bought size 3 diapers yesterday :( He weighs around 19lbs and I'm not real sure how long he is yet, but we should have a Dr appt next week).

...He has the cutest little laugh!! If you haven't seen it click HERE.

...He loves his nightly walks and sometimes enjoys a quick snooze if he hasn't had a nap that day.

...He eats 2 size 2 jars of food 3 times a day with 6-8oz bottles in between.

...He takes 2...2-3 hour naps a everday (but they always get cut short because mommy has places to go and people to see)

...Still no teeth and still no crawling

Wine Down Wednesday: The 5 S's to wine tasting

Its only fitting that for Wine Down Wednesday that I crack open a bottle and start the wine-ding down process as I write. Tonight I'm sharing my bottle with Tammy and Joe (my wonderful in-laws). I was going to post about my little somethin' somethin' I bought while in Grapevine, but I'm going to wait until next week so I can post a video. So sit back, wine down with me and learn some basics to enjoying a glass of wine.

If you don't know jack about drinking wine-you're really missing out, but you really don't need to know jack to enjoy it! If you care to drink it the proper way, stick to the five S's of wine tasting...

See the wine- Pour the wine into the appropriate glass. Traditionally wine glasses with larger, broader bowls are used for bold red wines with bigger bouquets, and narrower wine glasses are used to concentrate the more delicate aromas of lighter white wines. Red wine needs a bigger bowl so it can have more surface to breath. Hold the glass up to the light. Study the color. You are looking for clarity and brilliance. If the wine in your glass is cloudy or discolored in any way your palate is about to be disappointed, because something is wrong with the blend.

Swirl the wine- Hold the stem of the wine glass lightly, pick up the glass and swirl the wine around and around. By doing this, you are allowing the wine to breathe. As you swirl your wine, notice how the wine hits the sides of the glass, and then falls back down. This is known as the “legs” of the wine. This tells you how full-bodied the wine is. The stronger the "legs" the better. The swirling of the wine allows all of the components to come together and you can fully enjoy the full-bodied taste

Sniff- Raise the glass to your nose, and sniff deeply. Close your eyes taking in the full impact of the bouquet rising up to meet your nose. What you smell will depend on your choice of wine, as well as your memory. Red wines carry an earthy aroma, reminiscent of pencil shavings, or rich, cool woodsy- type smells. You could smell almonds, or vanilla or even cloves. No one person smelling the same wine will come away with the same memories of another person smelling that wine. If the wine is a fruity wine, you might envision a field of strawberries, or an apple orchard, perhaps cloves or anise or another spice. All smells wafting up to your nostrils are open to individual interpretation.

Sip- Now, sip the wine. Your mouth will confirm what your sense of smell has detected. A dry red wine with tannins will leave you with what they call the “pucker factor” completely drying out your mouth at the first sip. A fruity sweetened wine will sit on the tongue and play across the taste buds delighting the palate and leaving the mouth moist.

Savor- As you gently swirl the wine around in your mouth savor the flavor. You are checking for the balance of the blends. Not each one is just one grape, but several types. Some wines don't just contain the juice of the grape, but also the stems and the seeds (They go in red wine, thats what gives it it's color).

After all of that you can now drink it and enjoy!!

The Kreck's take number one!

Yesterday, Blake and his brother (Jake) competed in the ASA State Archy Tournament. I'm proud to say that Jake won Shooter of the year therefore receiving the coveted "belt buckle"...can I get a "oohhh, ahhhh?" Blake won FIRST place in his class and also received the coveted belt buckle as well as $$$. Needless to say, I'm the proud wife of a state champion bow shooter!! The tournament lasted around 6 hours and I'm glad both Kreck boys came home as winners! Good job boys!

Heads up...

Just a quick heads up...

I'm starting a new post called "Wine Down Wednesday." Every Wednesday I will post something wine related. We all know how I love wine so it just seems fitting that I do a post such as this.... and NO, I'm not an alcoholic, lush or whatever else you may be thinking...I just have really grown to love wine, how its made and you wouldn't believe all of the fun accessories you can buy that have to do with it AND it also brings out the flavor of what you are eating. So check on back on Wednesdays for your wine update!!! I did buy a little somethin' somethin' that I'm super excited about (and its not the giant wine glass)...BUT you'll have to wait for Wednesday!

**little known fact...The lip of a red wine glass is sloped inward to capture the aromas of the wine and deliver them to your nose. **

Heard it through the Grapevine...

A few months ago, my mom and dad went for a "staycation" in historic downtown Grapevine, TX. There, they discovered loads of great shopping boutiques and great wineries! Mom knew that this was right up my alley and HAD to take me back there. Low and behold, Colt and I DID NOT go to the lake this weekend...GASP!!! (This is the FIRST weekend we have been home and it feels very weird) so mom, Colt and I ventured out to shop, eat, and drink wine...can we say GREAT DAY?! We arrived around 11 this morning and off we went to check out the shops. Mom was on a mission to find the XL wine glass that holds a WHOLE bottle of wine. I was under the impression that it was a giant wine glass. When we finally found one, I almost didn't believe that a whole bottle fits in there...but it DOES!! She and I both had to have one...super cool!

We ate at this great winery/restaurant on the downtown strip where we had wonderful pizza, salad, wine and kahlua cake! (don't hate on my braid...as I confessed in a previous post, if I don't have my hair in a hat or headband... I will twist it. So far, I haven't touched my hair if its in this braid...progress people)

In one of our last shops I found this great brand called "boymom." I'm always finding lots and lots and lots and lots and lots of girl mom and girlie things, but never boyish boy mom type things. This brand is so precious. I got out with a hat, tank and shirt! I even wore my "stay@ home. mom" shirt out of the store.

I'm definitely going back sometime soon. Our first "to do" was to buy fudge and we forgot! I felt like we were on vacation, but we were only 20 minutes away from home. Thanks mom for spending the day out there with me!! You are the best shopping buddy. Lets do it again!

Pool Day with Kali and Ayden

I'm probably the only one that is loving the Texas heat these days! The lake and pools are about 90 degrees and feel wonderful! It doesn't scare me...Once again we made our way to the pool for another 3.5 hour play date, but this time it was my cousin Kali and her 4 month old baby Ayden. It was great catchinig up with her and spending time with Ayden. He and Colt are chunky monkeys!

Just another summer day...

Let me start out by telling you a funny story...Last night, I was in the other room talking on the phone. While I was doing that, apparently Blake was giving Colt a bath and getting him ready for bed. I finished my phone call and made my way into the kitchen. There I see Blake making Colt a bottle. Totally normal, no big deal. Then I look at Colt and he has a long sleeve onesie on. Seeing as it gets over 100 degrees in Texas during the summer I felt that long sleeves might be a tad hot. I asked Blake, "babe, why did you put Colt in long sleeves?" He replies with, "I'm not sure, get me the scissors." At that point, he reaches for the scissors and cuts Colt's sleeves off. He's always been resourceful! We did have more onesies, but I guess he didn't want to walk to Colt's room to get it? Here is Colt's new homemade short sleeve shirt...

Today we met Lanna, Blake's mom (Tammy), grandmother (Mamaw), Mamaw's sister (Sandra), and Sandra's granddaughter (Heather) and her baby Marlee for lunch. Marlee and Colt are only 3 weeks apart and they hadn't even met yet!!! Today was there first meeting and it was so great to catch up with family. The first 15 minutes felt like a big photo op. Everybody had their camera and took lots and lots of pictures. A sweet waitress came up and offered to take a picture of all of us together. What a fun start to our day.Then Colt, Lanna and I were off to cousin Codie's house to swim and plan Esmeralda's baby shower!! Codie has an amazing pool complete with waterfall and all. Colt enjoyed swimming as usual and we got all of our planning completed and even finished making the invitations! Go figure!

This was our first attempt at getting a picture of all of us! I turned the timer on my camera, set it up on the table and RAN to beat it before it took a picture without me. As I was running into the pool, Codie's dog chased me and got in Colt's way...Silly Jaelyn!

After 4 hours we decided it was time to call it a day. We are now home, Colt has finished his TWO size 2 jars of food! Gosh he's a big boy...and now we are fixing to go on our evening walk! Another fun day planned for tomorrow...stay tuned :)

Play Date

Today Erin and Brylee joined Colt and I at the club for a nice/HOT day by the pool. I always love play dates and am so happy Erin was off work so we could hang out with our kiddos. Colt and Brylee took swimming lessons together and both love the water! We found these baby tubes with shades that are perfect for days like today. We opted for the Big pool over the Baby pool due to the temperature of the water. We had a big day swimming and ordered a wonderful lunch by the pool. Colt's favorite thing to do is kick, laugh and try to jump out of his float...When he's not doing that, he leans forward and drinks the water...chlorine is healthy for the digestive system right? HA! Brylee on the other hand is more of a watcher. She just soaks it all in and I bet she thinks we are all a bunch of weirdos. She loves to play with her rubber ducky as well. Both kiddos did the usual "dunking" as we were taught in swim lessons. Count 1,2, 3, blow in their face and under they go. Both babies are so used to it now, its no big deal. We now let them stand on the side of the pool, hold their hands and let them "jump" in and go under. What a fun day we had!
This might be our busiest week of the whole summer. We have had more than 2 places to be everyday this week. Tomorrow we have lunch plans, then its off to cousin Codie's house to meet she and Aunt Lanna for swimming and planning Esmeralda's baby shower! Did I mention I love summer?!

Colt thinks "da da" is funny!

Tag...You're it...again

I have been tagged by the my friend Meredith to post a few honest truths. Lets see if I can come up with ten that you don't already know...

The Rules:
1. Tell your readers 10 things that are true that they might not know

2. Tag 10 other bloggers to do the same.

1. I developed a TERRIBLE habit 11 years ago of twisting my hair. This sounds pretty innocent, yet you don't know the half of it! It is a nervous habit that I STILL to this very day do. I only twist with my left hand and on the left side of my head. My bangs as well as the under part of my hair gets the brunt of it. It gets so knotted that I always have to rip or cut the knot out! Its not trichotillomania and I don't take medicine for it, but I have tried so many things to stop doing it. If you have ever played a sport or cheered with me, there has probably been many of times you just came up and slapped my hand down to get me to stop. Sometimes, I don't even know I'm doing it. I'm weird, its true.

2. I absolutely HATE baby paraphernalia. This sounds harsh seeing as I have a baby, but I'm OCD and very clean and neat. All things have a special spot in my house and even my hangers are all plastic. If one is empty, that means there is a shirt missing. I don't even have the toaster or coffee pot sitting on my kitchen counter. It took all I had to go out and buy Colt his jumperoo, but it was by far the best purchase. I like to have one thing out at a time and after he's done we go put it in its place. Whether it be the closet or even in the garage. I just don't like looking at it and in my eyes its just clutter. Laugh all you want mommies, but I promise you I won't change. Colt can have and play with as many toys as he wants, but when he's through it...it will be back in its hiding spot.

3. My lifelong dream is to invent something. I swear I come up with at least 3 things a day....after I google it, somebody already thought of it...dangit! But I'm getting close :)

4. Foods I do not like that most people do: watermelon, peaches, jello, jelly(it has to be jam or else I won't eat it), tea, cantelope, carrots, broccoli...

5. I always fear of loved ones dying. I'm not able to watch sad movies or even listen to sad music because I will put myself in a characters position and seriously have a break down and probably pull out the whole left side of my hair :) I have not watched and never will watch The Notebook.

6. I've never been much of a car fanatic, but I really love corvettes.

7. One of the weirdest things about me is my love for the smell of skunks. When I was little, my dad hunted (and still does) alot. I missed him and would go sit in his hunting closet to feel close to him. I never knew until I was in highschool that what I was smelling in his closet was skunk. People would cringe at the smell of a skunk and I would just say, "I like it, it smells like my dad." I later found out that he would spray skunk smell on his hunting clothes so the deer wouldn't catch his scent.

8. I can curl my tongue into three folds.

9. I can burp louder than a man without drinking anything. I would perform during talent shows at cheer camp. One year I almost won, but one of the judges was a coach of a cheer squad who "didn't believe in burping." Boooooooooo

10. Get ready to gasp...I have never spent the night alone. You heard it right...When Blake goes out of town, Colt and I pack up and go stay at my parent's house. Its not that I'm scared, because I feel very safe where we live, but I don't like to be by myself, nor have I ever. I just like to think I'm as intelligent as Colt and have to be included in social interaction at all times.

I tag...

1. Kelsey
2. Corrie
3. Holly
4. Carrie Jo (Welcome back by the way)
5. Arrie
6. Lanna
7. Jamie
8. Ashlie
9. Michelle
10. Katie

Now that you are all aware of how much of a weirdo I am...lets see how many odd things you can come up with. Dig deep :)