Winesday Wednesday 6/24/15

Posted on June 24, 2015 by Jen @nutcaseinpoint

YES. My favorite day of the week because I get to chat about drinking. Only thing better would be actually drinking. Maybe later.

I enjoyed a glass of red wine on Friday- it was the 2013 limited edition cabernet shiraz Tyler made last year. Honest to God, if I didn’t tell you Tyler made it, you’d think it was at *least* a $25 bottle of store-bought wine. I’m glad there are still about 24 bottles of it left.

..because I never get out of my pj’s..

Oh, and then this happened:

I know. What the heck, right? I think it’s Bud’s way of getting in on the cider craze because that’s exactly what it tasted like. Personally, I’d prefer an actual cider over this, but it was neat to at least try it! Same goes with an actual margarita over those margarita flavored buds. Does anyone even like those?

Tyler finally bottled our pinot grigio last night. I was able to taste a sip and it’s SO good. MOM: get ready for your visit in August- there are 30 bottles of Pinot Grigio waiting for you! DAD: Don’t worry, we won’t let mom drink all 30.

And by the end of the week, we should have the cabernet sauvignon bottled as well! I might just hog that all to myself.

Speaking of homemade wine, check out Keith’s post here to see what he’s recently bottled! <—YUM

Michael sent me another beer pic (he’s an IPA guy and I am NOT but his descriptions always make me crave whatever he’s writing about!)

He wrote: The beer on the left is On The Wings of Armageddon on nitro tap. It’s their double IPA that I guess came about during that whole crazy period of the predicted end of the world a few years back (Way to go Mayans! We’re still here!) It has the texture of Guinness but the delicious flavor of a hoppy west coast IPA. The sample draft on the right is the maple bourbon barrel aged version of the SAME beer and it. was. INCREDIBLE.

See what I mean? Don’t you want one now? I’d love to try the one on the right FOR SURE.

Our local liquor store hosts various events and I just noticed that on June 26th they’re having a Fruitbier event! The description: An evening devoted to the fermented fruits! We will explore Radlers, Lambics & Fruitbiers and what makes each style a distinct class. You will have the opportunity to team up with friends to create a one of a kind custom made fruit beer to top it off as well! I’d KILL to go, but 1) don’t want to go alone, and 2) we don’t have a babysitter if Tyler and I both go. Because I’m pretty sure it wouldn’t be cool to bring a baby.

But…he would fit right in, right?

Little Misfits

Posted on June 23, 2015 by Jen @nutcaseinpoint

Hi friends! How’s your day going so far? Same old, same old over here. I’m covered in dog slob and baby barf, the house is a mess and I’m sure something in the house will break today…if it hasn’t already. Other than that, I’m great! Wouldn’t trade it for the world. Mostly because of my wonderful little guy.

Speaking of little, have you heard of Little Misfits?

They are a great little company that make rad clothes for babies, toddlers, kids….and adults! (But I’ve found that since having a little one of my own, he gets all the cool stuff and mom’s wardrobe gets put on the back burner. Am I right?)

From their website:

What Makes a misfit?–> Fearless and authentic self expression. Got it. But since my babe is still a wee one, he’ll wear what I want him to express!! Never fear, he’ll be allowed to do what he wants once he gets older.
What’s a little misfit?–> A rad kid raised in the misfit culture. I’m not really *out there* but you bet your bippy that Wes will be able to help us brew wine and get us a beer from the fridge before he’s in school! PS: Child services, please don’t take my kid away for having said that. We’ll be good, I promise

The people at Little Misfits were awesome and allowed me to pick out an item from their website for Mr. Wes to model. I LOVE that with all the options, you also have the ability to add little tattoo sleeves! So cool. I probably would have opted for that if Wes was a bit older just so that he could fill them out a bit more. But as soon as I saw the Guess How Much I Love You onesie, I knew I had to choose that one! It’s something I used to say to Tyler when we were dating “love you to the moon…” (I still love him, I just don’t say it anymore. He’s not offended).

I chose the smallest size (0-6mo) and what do you know, my little chubster fills it out nicely as just 2 months!

I think my favorite thing about this design is that it’s a reflective, shiny gold. Makes my kid stand out among all the others in boring puppies (still love them), tractors, and dinosaur outfits. Actually, I think it’s making me bring the saying back. Yep, I think I’ll start saying it to Tyler again. I mean hey, I love him enough to have a kid with him…right? 🙂

See? Still looks cute on a kid with no neck! Disclaimer: He has a neck. It’s just buried. I look for it every few days to make sure it’s still there.

Layla ALWAYS has to be in the photos. I think she was a model in a former life.

Another cool thing about Little Misfits is that they come out with a Misfits For a Cause collection which features a different charity each month and 100% of the proceeds to go that charity! June’s charity is the Tim Horton’s Children’s Foundation which sends children from low-income families to summer camp.

I REALLY love this onesie and I just hope Wes doesn’t grow too quickly so we can get a few more wears out of it. I already have in mind some places where he needs to be seen in it! Call the paparazzi.

Next order for us will definitely include a shirt or onesie with the tattoo sleeves. Because….RAD.

Thanks Little Misfits for the onesie..Wes loves it! (Does barfing on it count as a token of affection? The good news is, it washes well!)

Weekend Recap

Posted on June 22, 2015 by Jen @nutcaseinpoint

And here we are at Monday…again. Seriously, it’s like you blink and the weekend is over! Not fair. Per usual, I forget what I even did on Friday, so I have to scroll through my photos on my phone to see if they trigger anything.

Friday: yup. no clue. I DO remember there was some crappy weather. And I DO remember drinking wine. Tyler made some yummy pork tenderloin for dinner, baby went down at 9:30 and we watched American Sniper.

Saturday: I went to my first post-baby spin class! I was SO excited to test out my new spin shoes too. The last time I went to spin was on Christmas Eve and I noticed the studio had made some changes since. Most of them were decorative changes, but I also found out mid-class that they added a strobe light/disco ball. Umm….MY EYESSSSSS

I mean, it was super cool but holy hell I really needed to focus so I wouldn’t fall off my bike. And you know the music is loud when they offer free earplugs to all participants. Does it make me old that I’m complaining about these things? Yeah, probably. But I did love the music!!!!!

After class, I came home and Tyler said Wes slept until about 10. Hallelujah! I showered, we ate, and then we were off to run a few errands! Well, I’m an idiot and the combination of extreme sweating from spin + breastfeeding + coffee = extreme dehydration and I just about died as we left Costco. It took about 4-5 hours for me to get back to a somewhat normal state.

For dinner we had chicken fajitas then watched a movie (again, Wes went down around 9:30!). I ended up falling asleep during the movie, so I went to bed while Tyler stayed up a bit longer.

Sunday: I was up with Wes at 8:30 and managed to just relax in front of the TV with him while we let Tyler sleep in (10:45..lucky guy!!). Tyler made eggs benedict and then he opened his presents! He wound up cleaning the kitchen afterwards AND making dinner which I felt terrible about considering it was Father’s Day, but he said I had the tougher job of managing the baby so he was happy to do all the kitchen work. Ha!

omg are they cute or what?!

I started week 1 of T25 Beta round as well. It’s now been a year that I’ve used these DVDs and I think I can officially say I’m sick of them. I need to put them away for a while at least. AND AS OF 2 SECONDS AGO- I just bought the 21 day fix EXTREME challenge pack- which includes Shakeology. I have never tried the Shakeology before, but it doesn’t hurt to give it a go. Plus, Tyler reminded me that buying this is way cheaper than a gym membership. Yes yes yes.

Anyhoo, my hip flexors are a bit sore from spinning on Saturday and GOD DAMN my boobs cannot handle the jumping from T25..but I will power through! Plus, the forecast looks great for this week so I’ll be able to log quite a few walks with Wes and the dogs!

Friday Fthings (silent F)

Posted on June 19, 2015 by Jen @nutcaseinpoint

Hey there! Hope everyone is having a great Friday and lots of fun things are on your agenda this weekend! Just popping in to share some stuff with you guys…for your reading pleasure.

1. Fitness: This week, I finished week 5 of T25 Alpha which means next week I start the Beta round! Can’t say enough good things about these workouts- they’re quick and interesting and effective! I’ve also booked a spin class for tomorrow morning and am super excited! I get to test out my new spin shoes AND the instructor for this class has GREAT music. And it’s LOUD. I LOVE loud music. Haven’t been able to do that since before Wes was born! I need to take a hot yoga class soon as well- my hips are TOAST and I just feel all scrunchy and tight from all the awkward positions I’ve put myself in when holding/rocking Wes.

2. Can someone tell me to stop buying goldfish crackers? They’re addicting.

3. Starbucks cold brew. HOLY SHIT is it strong and I’m pretty sure there is speed in it or something. Took me about 3 hours to finish.

4. I’ve been hitting anywhere from 10k-15k steps this week (According to my fitbit) Pretty great for a stay-at-home mom AMIRIGHT?

5. I’m obsessed with fizzy water. I think I drink about 3 liters of it a day.

6. I brought Wes in to my office yesterday. It was nice to see the people on my team. They were catching me up on some of the office stuff and a lot of people have left since I went on leave..makes me nervous that it’s going to be an entirely different office by the time I get back. Ugh, I can’t think about it. I need to enjoy this time off!

7. I booked flights home to New York! I was pretty nervous about travelling alone with Wes for the first time. Not only is the trip international, but there’s a layover. Woof. SO…..my mom is flying out in August to stay with us a bit and then go back to New York with us! Tyler will stay here in Calgary since A) he has to work, and B) it would cost a billionty dollars to board the dogs.

8. Last week, we ate the first zucchini from our garden and it was delicious! Yesterday, we split our first strawberry from a hanging basket we have on the patio. I can’t wait to enjoy more.

9. Wes had his first round of shots on Tuesday and took them like a champ! He didn’t even cry and wound up sleeping for about 4 hours afterward. I also ended up getting a couple of vaccines myself and my arm has been a bit sore. Well, it’s either from that or carrying a 15 lb baby around all the time. The nurse was telling me a bunch of potential side effects Wes might experience and barfing ended up being THE ONE. In fact, I got a bra full of it yesterday. Layla got a shower of it too. Yuck

10. I am not spell checking or rereading this post so it’s most likely a mess. That’s because I have a now screaming baby to attend to. BYE FELICIA.

Winesday Wednesday 6/17/15

Posted on June 17, 2015 by Jen @nutcaseinpoint

We’ve approached the hump, my friends. Which means it’s time to share this week’s wine! Usually this time of year I’m into beers, but for some reason red wine has been the ticket! Might be because it’s the easiest for me to slowly sip in between feeding for the little guy. (WAIT. I promised no baby talk today!)

After my hair appointment on Saturday, I swung by the liquor store to pick up a couple of bottles. I knew I had to be quick because I needed to get home (again, for he who will not be discussed today!) and it was hailing/raining like crazy. And I think I had to pee. I think. I wound up selecting an old favorite and a new blend from an existing favorite!

First, I picked up Wayne Gretzky Okanagan The Great Red

(source)

I couldn’t find this particular wine on their website (weird), but the bottle reads: The Great Red showcases the best of British Colombia by blending Merlot, Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Syrah, Petit Verdot, Mouvedre, and Gamay Noir. The grapes underwent traditional red wine making techniques and were partially aged for 10 months in American and French oak. The result is a smooth blend with flavors of jammy fruit, vanilla and cedar with a hint of floral and a nice even texture.

I usually don’t buy blends like this because it feels to me more like a table wine and I don’t want to pay $$ for something that could be so generic. BUT- this one was good! It tasted both complex and smooth and was nice to enjoy with a snack plate…and on its own about 5 hours later when I finally got around to it. I recommend!

The second wine I purchased was Sterling Vintner’s Collection Pinot Noir

(source)

This one is an oldie but a goodie. I love that this wine has somewhat of a sweet finish without being overly sweet. I prefer to drink this wine alone (but let’s be honest, I’m always eating, so it’s inevitably paired with something). I definitely recommend this wine- especially if you want to bring a bottle to a gathering. It’s a people pleaser!

Hope you all have a fantastic Winesday Wednesday and don’t forget to tag me in social media so I can see what you’re drinking!!