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!