Staycation at The Harbor Grand

Disclosure: I was provided a free night’s stay at The Harbor Grand in exchange for this review. All opinions are my own.

Last month, I was honored to attend the Southwest Michigan Sip & Stroll Weekend hosted by Deb at Just Short of Crazy and Renee at What Mama Wants. My bestie, Jen and I decided to have a girl’s weekend and take advantage of the opportunity.

MeandJenselfie

We drove for about three hours and checked into The Harbor Grand, a full-service boutique hotel in New Buffalo, MI. When we arrived, I was surprised by how small the hotel was, which I loved! There are only 54 rooms, which make it the perfect place to stay. Jen and I got a room with an amazing balcony view! I bet this looks even more beautiful once everything has bloomed! The other feature that really stuck out to me was how updated the bathrooms were, they had whirlpool tubs and a stand up shower!

balcony view

After we checked in, we headed out for Part 1 of our wine tour which I will recap in a separate post. We came back to the hotel around 5:30 p.m. for drinks and appetizers in The Terrace Room at the hotel. I had a lot of fun with this because the Terrace Room has a rustic, Italian theme to it, complete with a waterfront view and a fireplace. We gathered around the fireplace for some appetizers, which were delicious!

the terrace room

I had fun trying a few of the drinks including this delightful Lemon Raspberry Fizz, with one of my favorite ingredients…Limoncello!

Lemon Raspberry Fizz

If we would have stayed after dark, you can order a smores kit and take that outside to make them over a real campfire. I thought that was a fun touch! We also had a lovely chat with the owner which I loved because you could tell he had a real passion for hospitality. New Buffalo is a great destination as it is halfway between metro Detroit and Chicago. It makes the perfect getaway with a little something for everyone.

After appetizers and drinks, we headed off to The Four Winds Casino (about a 10 minute shuttle ride away) and recently featured in USA Today’s Leaving Las Vegas: The best casinos outside Sin CityThis was a lot of fun and a HUGE casino, definitely providing some fun nightlife in the area.

Since we didn’t do so well at the casino, Jen and I decided to head back to the hotel and sample the movie and ice cream selection. One of the fun parts about The Harbor Grand is they offer a huge list of movies that you can rent as well as 24-hours of Ben & Jerry’s…yes you heard that correctly. We decided on Mean Girls and Chubby Hubby!benandjerrys

The next morning, we were treated to a lovely breakfast in bed care package outside our door. It came complete with mimosas for the perfect girl’s weekend!

care package

mimosas

We had such a great time at The Harbor Grand and I would love to bring John back with me next time. He would have loved it! Next time I would love to make this a long weekend and spend more time in New Buffalo. This could also be a fun stop on the way to or from Chicago. I am so glad that Deb and Renee tuned me into New Buffalo. I never would have thought to go there, but I can say with certainty that I will definitely be back soon!

Have you ever been to New Buffalo or stayed at The Harbor Grand? What was your experience like?

For the original Sip & Stroll Weekend post, click here.

Friday Favorites: Fourth Anniversary Edition

Our fourth anniversary is coming up on May 7th and it feels like we’ve been married for much longer than that. I love doing something special to celebrate these moments because all of you married people know that you have to celebrate the wins. Life gets crazy and there is nobody I would rather have as my partner in it all then my dear husband.

So every anniversary I try to stick with the traditional gifts. Year one was the paper anniversary and I made a date book with a pre-planned date for each month of that year. The second year was the cotton anniversary and I got John a really cool Michigan recliner. Unfortunately, that got trashed in our sewage flood last August. I am hoping to replace it when we get the new man cave set up. For year three, the leather anniversary, I got John a pair of Johnston & Murphy leather topsiders that he had been eyeing.

This year, the fourth anniversary, is the fruits & flowers anniversary. This stumped me for a while, I wasn’t really sure what I could do for a gift, but I came up with a few great ideas. On the flip side, I figured I would do my favorites post on some ideas for what to get your wife for the fruits & flowers anniversary in case my dear husband is reading this, haha! Love you babe! Here’s what I came up with:

1. Kate Spade Julie Sandals

I have been eyeing these adorable Kate Spade flower sandals for about six months. How perfect would they be for summer? These are the particular ones that I want.

kate spade julie

2. Meyer Lemon Tree

John and I loved our honeymoon in Italy and we love limoncello. I thought it would be so much fun to commemorate this anniversary with a Meyer Lemon Tree and we could grow them all year round in our own home.

meyer lemon tree

3. Kate Spade Lemon Tree Len

I wanted to get some of the lemon pieces from Kate Spade’s original collection, but missed out. Now I just want this adorable lemon tote!

kate spade lemon street

4. Steve Madden Varrcity Floral Pumps

These are super cute and trendy right now!

varrcity

5. Wine Cork Holder

Since wine is technically a fruit this still fits in with the theme. I would love to get one of these in our house except I would want mine to change the saying to “Home is Where the Wine Is.”

wine cork holder

I would LOVE to hear your ideas for the fruit & flower anniversary!

If you would like to join the Five on Friday with A Liz AdventuresThe Good Life BlogHello Happiness and Carolina Charm just click the button below for more details.

5 on Friday Logo - Final

You can join the Oh Hey Friday Linkup with The Farmer’s Wife and September Farm just click the button below for more details.

I am also participating in the Friday Favorites Linkup with A Little Bit of Everything Blog, Grace and Love Blog and Momfessionals. You can click the button below for more information and to join the linkup.

Momfessionals

For more Friday Favorites posts, click here.


Spring Cleaning with #MeijerBeauty

Disclosure: I received beauty products from Meijer to help promote the Meijer Beauty Department. All opinions expressed are my own.

Of all the partnerships I have had the opportunity to participate in, my favorite is with the Meijer Beauty Department. They always challenge me to get out of my routine and try new things. When I received a huge box of Meijer goodies, I loved that the theme was stocking up on new beauty finds and they definitely delivered! Some of the items they sent me are definitely on the cutting edge:

Meijer Spring Cleaning

My husband came home to find me squealing over the Curl Secret! I was SO excited to get this.

Curl Secret

I first saw this on my friend Mary’s blog, Raising Dick and Jane. This thing is seriously amazing! I’ve probably shown Mary’s video to five different people already because most people haven’t even heard of the Curl Secret yet. I am planning to do my own separate review, but this is so cool it really deserves a video and I am still getting a spot set up in the new house to do it, but stay tuned. In the meantime, you can get wowed by Mary’s review – the Curl Secret will blow your mind!

Next up is Neutrogena’s Hydro Boost Water Gel. I first saw this on Kerry Washington’s Instagram. Apparently she gave them out to all the girls at Scandal. How fun!

kerry washington

Hydro Boost includes Hyaluronic Acid which is an ingredient naturally found in skin that acts as a sponge for dry skin cells and moisturizes up to 1,000 times its weight in water. it is one of the most hydrophillic (water-loving) molecules in nature…who knew?

Hydro Boost

I have seen a ton of commercials recently for Nivea’s new In-Shower Body Lotion. The thing to remember with this is that you apply it in the shower, then you rinse it off. So it’s a little different then regular lotion.

You just have to be really careful because it might make your tub slippery. They have a few different variations: sea mineral, almond oil and shea butter.

nivea

I had fun trying on this new Cover Girl Lip Lava gloss. Mine was Oh La Lava. Definitely a great color for spring!

Lip Lava

L’Oreal has a new line called Infallible which is made for longevity. This is important for me because I am teaching again and have long days. I need my makeup to stay on all day and night and look just as great as it did when I first put it on. The Infallible Pro-Spray & Set Makeup Extender Setting Spray helps set your look and keeps it in place all day. When you apply it you spray two sprays in an X shape.

infallible

I’m not sure what I did to deserve all these awesome goodies, but I sure had a lot of fun testing them out! What are your favorite new products for spring?

For more Meijer Beauty posts, click here.



Bachelor 19 – Week 4 Recap

Week 4 kicks off with a visit from Chris Harrison where we learn that there are two group dates and a one-on-one date that will be decided by Chris’ three sisters. The first group date card is for Megan, Kaitlyn, Ashley S., Ashley I. Juelia, Samantha, Mackenzie, and Kelsey and reads “Let’s do what feels natural…” Chris takes them to hang out at the lake so he can see how they react to being in nature. Some of the girls get really natural and do some skinny dipping (if you read Chris’ blog post he mentions that they were playing Truth or Dare).

Back at the mansion, Chris’ sisters arrive to meet the remaining ladies and decide who gets to go on the one-on-one date. Not surprisingly, Britt tells them that she feels like the frontrunner. Their time with Jade seems to go well so it isn’t surprising that she ultimately gets selected for the date.

Meanwhile, at the lake, Chris reveals that they are going to camp for the night, which doesn’t excite anyone.

The one-on-one date card arrives for Jade and reads “Your presence is requested at a royal ball tomorrow evening from 8 p.m. until the last stroke of midnight. It’s a secret, the prince doesn’t know you are coming.” The date ends up being a complete promo for the Cinderella movie, but this is the traditional Pretty Woman date.

Kaitlyn gets a lot of alone time with Chris on the date and wears a sold-out H&M leather sleeve shirt. This Bungalow 20 Gray Long Sleeve Sweater With Vegan Leather Detail ($49):

leather sweaterChris also has some time with Ashley S. who is either drunk or looney toons, but that doesn’t stop Chris from letting her kiss him. Ashley I. tries to tell Chris that she’s a virgin, but fails miserably. It’s no wonder that Kaitlyn gets the rose…it was slim pickings on this date.

The girls congregate while Jade gets the royal treatment for her one-on-one princess date. Ashley couldn’t be more upset that she isn’t the one going on this date. She gets her pick of dresses and shoes for this date. She gets a pair of Christian Louboutin Debout Glitter & PVC Red Sole Pumps that she gets to keep! As well as a pair of Neil Lane earrings to take home. Forget the guy…where do I sign up. I found these similar Gianvito Rossi Clear PVC Metallic Foil Suede Pumps ($825) in case you want a pair of your own:

cinderella shoesAshley I. is so distraught over this date that she decides to get dressed up in her own Sherri Hill princess dress ($268).

sherri hillChris and Jade have a lovely date and from a Cinderella perspective it was really romantic, especially the way he kissed her at the end of the dance. Whew! That bachelor is smooth! I feel bad for him when he discovers the truth about Jade, I think he will be really surprised. No surprise, Jade gets the rose on this date and is safe for next week.

The next group date card arrives for Nikki, Jillian, Whitney, Carly, Britt and Becca and says “Let’s get dirty.” There are also some gifts that accompany the date card. They turn out to be six beautiful wedding dresses, but they have no idea what they’re doing yet. Unfortunately for them, Chris takes them to MuckFest MS where they are going to get down and dirty. A twist is thrown in…the winner of the race gets to have a one-one-one date later in the evening with Chris.

Shocker…Jillian wins the race and gets the one-on-one. She then proceeds to have the most awkward date ever with Chris. It is so obvious that they have no chemistry. She has no idea what she wants to do with her life. Chris ends the date and sends her home.

On to the rose ceremony the girls are happy that Jillian was sent home, but it sort of hits home that things are getting serious now. Kaitlyn wears the Stella & Dot Rory Necklace ($59):

stella and dot roryAshley I. ends up wearing her Sherri Hill dress again and finally comes out and tells Chris that she is a virgin. Carly has the best line of the night when she says that Ashley’s mouth isn’t a virgin…I spit out my drink at that one, bahahaha. After Ashley spills her secret she is upset when Chris doesn’t kiss her and thinks that he is freaked out. Mackenzie tries to console her and has the cutest Stella & Dot Pave Spear Earrings ($49):

Stella and dot pave spearBritt decides to confront Chris about her jealousy and is really manipulative about him giving Kaitlyn multiple roses. Wow – she was super insecure here and questioning his decisions is probably not the best way to build their relationship. Chris had a really awkward response and just left the conversation without kissing her. He lets the women know that if anyone is questioning his decisions they can leave immediately. Of course nobody does leave. At the rose ceremony Ashley S. wore Stella & Dot’s Chantilly Lace Chandelier Earrings ($49):

stella and dot chantilly laceThe earrings don’t save her and Chris ends up sending Ashley S., Nikki, and Juelia home. Goodbye to crazy Ashley – we barely knew you and never understood you.

Drama, drama and more drama this week – what did you think about this craziness?

Here are a few deleted scenes from this week’s episode:

The first scene is of Chris reuniting with his three sisters:

This scene is more craziness from Ashley S.:

In the next scene Chris and Whitney get some one-on-one time and they reenact a moment from last week’s date:

I enjoy reading Bachelor spoilers and if you are interested in finding out what happens in advance you can check out Reality Steve for more information.

If you missed Episode Four you can purchase it from iTunes.

Chris Soules posted his fourth Bachelor blog on People here.

Chris Harrison posted his Week Four blog here.

Former Bachelor contestant, Sharleen Joynt posted her thoughts here.

Some of you may remember Zak Waddell from Desiree’s season. His sister, Carly is vying for Chris’ heart this season and he is posting his recaps on Desiree’s blog here.

Former Bachelorette, Jillian Harris is blogging this season here.

To catch up on Jason & Molly Mesnick’s podcast, click here.

For more Bachelor/Bachelorette posts, click here.



Friday Favorites: Baseball Edition

I am finally back for a Friday Favorites post! I have been trying to get back on track with these posts and I’m making it happen today. I wanted to do a baseball post in honor of Opening Day. Every year, John and I host our own Opening Day since we can’t go to the official opening day. We are headed out to our first game of the season tomorrow and I couldn’t be more excited! I am a little sad because this is the first year without my favorite player, Derek Jeter. I have been watching him and baseball as long as I can remember. I guess I will have to find a new favorite player this year. In the meantime, I am going to have some fun with these great baseball items:

1. Cause It’s All About That Base Baseball T Shirt ($24.50)

This shirt is so cute! Plus it would give me something to wear to those baseball games where my team isn’t playing.

all about that base

2. MLB Charm Bracelet Watch ($59.95)

This is so darling!

mlb charm bracelet

3. Dooney & Burke MLB Crossbody Bag ($128)

How cute and classy is this crossbody bag? The perfect size for a crowded baseball game.

dooney and burke

4. 47 Brand MLB Maxi Dress ($73.95)

This is so cute! I have one for college football and love it! This would be perfect for those really hot summer baseball games.

mlb maxi

5. MLB 6-Piece Glass Food Container Set ($29.99 each)

Every fan should have one of these for their tailgate!

containers

What are your baseball favorites?

If you would like to join the Five on Friday with A Liz AdventuresThe Good Life BlogHello Happiness and Carolina Charm just click the button below for more details.

5 on Friday Logo - Final

You can join the Oh Hey Friday Linkup with The Farmer’s Wife and September Farm just click the button below for more details.

I am also participating in the Friday Favorites Linkup with A Little Bit of Everything Blog, Grace and Love Blog and Momfessionals. You can click the button below for more information and to join the linkup.

Momfessionals

For more Friday Favorites posts, click here.


Cougar Town “To Find a Friend” Recap

In this week’s episode of Cougar Town, Laurie (Busy Phillips) and Travis (Dan Byrd) adjust to becoming parents. Jules (Courtney Cox) and Ellie (Christa Miller) keep telling them how exhausting the experience is, but they have no idea what they’re in for.

to find a friend cover

While Grayson (Josh Hopkins) is busy helping Andy (Ian Gomez) get over Bobby, the girls jump in to run the bar. At first they think it is easy and have the best time, but they forget to lock up and loose all of the day’s profits after they are robbed.

Laurie and Trav think they have this baby thing on lockdown, until they start getting paranoid that they baby is too quiet and not breathing. Laurie wears a Happy Roses pullover by Wildfox (sold out). I couldn’t find a similar look, but I think I found a great sweatshirt that has the same spirit in this Joker Sweatshirt ($119):

wildfox

Since Grayson knows that they made $3,000 the night before, Jules and Ellie have to work doubly hard to make double the money so Grayson won’t be the wiser.

Grayson is too busy with the Bobby Cobb Replacement Challenge to notice what they are up to. He gets three guys to compete to be Andy’s new best friend. None of those guys were replacement material until Andy realized that Grayson was his friend all along.

Meanwhile Jules and Ellie realize that they need to dress slutty to make money and tease all of the customers. Ellie’s makeup/outfit coverup shroud cracked me up! Grayson final uses Tom to catch them in the act and they have to admit that they messed up.

Laurie and Trav have completely hallucinated from lack of sleep, but they managed to keep baby Bobby alive! When Jules arrives, you get to see what a mess they’ve made of the house. Jules wears a Blue Sheer Combo Sleeveless Cocktail Dress (sold out). I found this similar Monrow Women’s Border Tie Dye Sporty Tank Maxi Dress ($135):

tie dye

Grayson and Andy make the girls dance on the bar Coyote Ugly style to pay for messing everything up. I’m not sure how I feel about a Cougar Town without Bobby Cobb, but we’ll have to see what happens to the gang next week.

What did you think of this week’s Cougar Town?

If you missed this episode, you can still watch it here.

For more CougarTown recaps, click here.



Wine Wednesday: Southwest Michigan Sip & Stroll Weekend

Disclosure: I was invited to participate in this hosted tour and will be provided with complimentary lodging. All opinions are my own.

Since it is #WineWednesday, I thought there was no better time to share with you that I’ve been invited to the Southwest Michigan Sip & Stroll wine tour this weekend! I had a big event at work and just started teaching again for the semester, so this couldn’t have come at a better time.

This is the first year for the Southwest Michigan Sip & Stroll weekend being hosted by Deb at Just Short of Crazy and Renee at What Mama Wants and I’m thrilled to help kick it off. Because it starts on Friday, I was able to take the day off of work and recruit one of my besties, Jen, to come along for the ride.

Wine Tour

Our tour is kicking off on Friday, where we check into The Harbor Grand, a full-service boutique hotel in New Buffalo, MI.

Harbor Grand

We’ll be touring four wineries and The Chocolate Garden on Friday and Saturday before heading home. I can’t wait to try the Sticky Bun and Vanilla Rose truffles, which I hear pair perfectly with my favorite, Pinot Noir.

sticky_bun_200

I am familiar with Domaine Berrien Cellars as their wine is featured at Michigan by the Bottle, a favorite hangout of mine, but I am excited to learn more about the others including Lemon Creek Winery, Hickory Creek Winery and Contessa Wine Cellars. I will hopefully have a few new Wine of the Week selections to share with you after this trip. A few fun facts to note:

  • Domaine Berrien Cellars was the first winery in Michigan to release a commercially grown and vinified Syrah.
  • Lemon Creek Winery is home to the oldest Cabernet Sauvignon vines in the State of Michigan.
  • Hickory Creek is known for crafting wine in the Old World style.
  • Contessa Cellar’s tasting room looks like an Italian villa overlooking their beautiful orchards.

SWMISipStroll-Banner

After doing a quick search on our hotel, I am definitely excited to check out The Four Winds Casino (about a 10 minute shuttle ride away) and recently featured in USA Today’s Leaving Las Vegas: The best casinos outside Sin CityWe will also have to make a stop at Oinks Ice Cream Garden, which is a treasure trove of pig paraphernalia! For those of you that don’t know, I love pigs and collect piggy banks.

You can follow our trip throughout the weekend on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram using #SWMISipStroll.

Have you been to New Buffalo before? What are your favorite places to visit? If you’ve been to any of these wineries I would love to get your recommendations!



Bachelor 19 – Week 3 Recap

So I’m not going to lie, I haven’t been very impressed with The Bachelor fashion this season, I may not have a ton to post this week as I’m only going to share what I really liked. What I did like was Jimmy Kimmel on The Bachelor…I hope they do this every season, it was great!

Chris’ genuine reaction to getting woken up by Jimmy was great and then greeting the girls was hilarious. I love when the show pokes fun at itself. Becca is a big fan of Jimmy and can’t wait to see what he comes up with this week. I loved her Stella & Dot Somervell Necklace ($59):

stella and dot somervell

Jimmy had the honor of bringing the first date card for Kaitlyn and reads “You and Chris are about to join an exclusive club, sweeping views, vaulted ceilings and unlimited hors d’oeuvres await.” This turns out to be Costco where Jimmy has provided a list of activities that Kaitlyn and Chris need to complete. They make the most out of it and are gearing up to cook dinner for Jimmy later that evening. The part that gets me again is why Kaitlyn would wear the reddest lipstick on a date where she hopes to kiss someone. I don’t get it. They had a great dinner complete with some awkward conversations about the fantasy suite. In the end Kaitlyn gets the rose and is safe until next week.

Back at the house, the next date card arrives for Britt, Jillian, Becca, Tracy, Mackenzie, Kelsey, Amber, Ashley S., Juelia, Samantha, Nikki and Carly and says “Are you ready to meet some real party animals?” Jillian is pretty pumped for this date and keeping in classy in her Stay Classy Tank Top ($55) and Stella & Dot Cassady Collar Necklace ($79):

stay classy

This date is sort of a farming obstacle course to practice “farm living” to see who could hack it in Iowa with Chris. Part of the challenge involves drinking goat’s milk which Carly is allergic to. They also have to shuck corn, milk a goat and wrestle a pig which should make for interesting television. I hated Samantha’s outfit, but I did love her Stella & Dot Callie Necklace ($98). I don’t know why people are trying to bring overalls back…please stop.

stella and dot callie

It ended up being a pretty entertaining competition and against all odds Carly was the winner. She had some confidence after that and put herself in the game by kissing Chris. He really likes to kiss, which Mackenzie didn’t understand. See when you’re the bachelor it means you get to make out with at least 25 women. I’m not sure what part of that she doesn’t understand. Becca takes a stand and basically tells Chris that he has to earn a kiss from her. I’m sure that only made him like her more. Case in point – he gives Becca the rose. This obviously upset Carly.

Back at the ranch, the next date card comes for Whitney and reads “The date is going to be fun…no whining.” She wore an Urban Outfitters Ecote Patterned Intarsia Open-Front Cardigan (sold out). I found this similar Bar III Long-Sleeve Aztec-Print Cardigan ($44.99):

urban outfittersDuring their date Chris and Whitney head to a winery and really hit it off. They have a great conversation and you can definitely see the chemistry developing between them. They see a wedding happening and Whitney suggests that they crash it. I think he definitely likes how spontaneous she is. They pretend that they are engaged (which I’m sure Whitney was thrilled about) and head off to change into more appropriate wedding attire. I liked Whitney’s black and white leather colorblock dress. I didn’t find anything similar, so I selected this Nicole Miller Sleeveless Cutout Colorblock Sheath Dress ($39.99) to recreate the look:

colorblock leather

You can tell this is the moment where they fell in love, just the way he was talking about her, it is obvious he is smitten. Of course he gave her the rose.

Jimmy Kimmel throws a wrench into the format with a pool party in place of the cocktail party. Juelia uses this time to talk about her husband. This was really uncomfortable to watch and such a sad story. Chris was very respectful though. It sounded like she was still dealing with a lot and I can understand if Chris didn’t want to pursue this further. I’m not sure she would be ready for a long-term relationship at this point.

Britt and Jade take the opportunity to connect with Chris. Jade went in for the kill asking him for a tour of his house. BTW – what was she wearing? Those heels were sort of odd for a pool party and her bathing suit looked more like lingerie (which is probably why they cued the porn star music). Jillian on the other hand moved up the totem pole by waiting for Chris in his hot tub. I can’t believe Ashley, Megan and Mackenzie just left Jillian alone with Chris – their mistake for thinking that any of this was supposed to be fair. Then it was her mistake again to use her alone time with Chris to cry and talk about the other girls.

He made her sweat it out at the rose ceremony but ultimately sent home Trina, Tracy and Amber which made sense because I could barely remember their names.

At this point I would say that Whitney, Britt and Becca might be the front runners, but we will see what happens next week.

Here is a deleted scene that didn’t make it into the episode where Jimmy and Chris dish about Kaitlyn:

I enjoy reading Bachelor spoilers and if you are interested in finding out what happens in advance you can check out Reality Steve for more information.

If you missed Episode Three you can still watch it here.

Chris Soules posted his third Bachelor blog on People here.

Chris Harrison posted his Week Three blog here.

Former Bachelor contestant, Sharleen Joynt posted her thoughts here.

Some of you may remember Zak Waddell from Desiree’s season. His sister, Carly is vying for Chris’ heart this season and he is posting his recaps on Desiree’s blog here.

Former Bachelorette, Jillian Harris is blogging this season here.

To catch up on Jason & Molly Mesnick’s podcast, click here.

For more Bachelor/Bachelorette posts, click here.



For the Love of Chocolate

Disclosure: I received a 2.5 LB chocolate bunny to give away in exchange for a review. All opinions expressed are my own.

I was recently invited to an evening of wine and chocolate tasting at Gayle’s Chocolates in Royal Oak. I had heard about Gayle’s and even passed the stores multiple times in Royal Oak and in the airport, but I never stopped in. I had no idea what I was missing.

I am a huge fan of successful women and Gayle’s story is no different. Gayle Harte started Gayle’s Chocolates in 1979 with one saucepan on a stove in Huntington Woods. Gayle started the business because she couldn’t find an intense enough piece of chocolate to satisfy her sweet tooth and decided to make one herself.

gayle

This is the real Gayle!

At this event, Gayle’s organized a chocolate and wine tasting led by Elie Boudt from the Elie Wine Company. I wasn’t familiar with Elie’s before the event, but was excited to hear that they have a store close by in Birmingham that I can visit to purchase wine and get personal recommendations. I have a feeling that I will be hitting them up for some future Wine of the Week recommendations!

Gayle's Collage

The chocolate and wine tasting were very well thought out with different concentrations of chocolate paired with a variety of dry and sweet wines. I learned a few things to share with you:

  • Smell, true taste and taste sensation are the three important parts of wine tasting
  • We can only taste sour, sweet, bitter and salt
  • Smell the wine & chocolate before you taste to take in full flavor
  • If the wine and chocolate are too cold or warm you aren’t going to get an accurate scent
  • Don’t keep your chocolate in the refrigerator

After the tasting I got to check out all of the fun different in-store chocolates. I was literally a kid in the candy store! Gayle’s makes all sorts of fun chocolate items like chocolate pizzas, chocolate shoes, chocolate Eiffel Towers and more!

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Gayle’s also has a little coffee cafe where you can get macaroons (my favorite)!

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Since we are quickly approaching Easter, Gayle’s has a plethora of Easter treats to choose from and is giving you the chance to win your very own giant chocolate Easter bunny!

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To enter please fill out the Rafflecopter below and Gayle’s will ship one of these chocolate beauties right to your home. This giveaway is ending on 3/25 at 5:30 p.m. and the winner will be announced that evening:

a Rafflecopter giveaway



Cougar Town “Full Grown Boy” Recap

This week on Cougar Town, Chick (Ken Jenkins) is finally moved in and Jules is so focused on taking care of him she doesn’t care if Grayson (Josh Hopkins) dresses like a 90s hip hop rapper. Jules wore a Ted Baker ‘Jineen’ Texture Panel Sheath Dress ($295). This Felicity & Coco Seamed Pencil Dress ($98) is similar:

Ted Baker

Full Grown boy intro

Travis (Dan Byrd) and Laurie (Busy Phillips) share that they have come up with their perfect baby names but they aren’t sharing. Meanwhile Andy (Ian Gomez) is excitedly waiting for Bobby’s (Brian Van Holt) return. Chick is gearing up for a Civil War reenactment but Jules puts her foot down because she doesn’t want him out in the heat. Too bad he ignores her and sneaks out anyways.

Bobby reveals that the club in Georgia made him a big offer to be a golf pro which throws Andy for a loop. Travis reveals Laurie’s baby names to Ellie and they are not good. He reveals that the girl name is Fancy and the boy name is Macho. Travis has to enlist Ellie’s help to convince Laurie that these aren’t good choices.

Bobby shares more details of his offer with Andy including the fact that they offered him a free apartment to go with the job. He turned them down because he couldn’t leave his friends. Grayson tries to appeal to Andy that Bobby should take the job and do what’s best for him, even though it breaks poor Andy’s heart.

Jules shows up at the reenactment and I know that this is a comedy, but her lack of knowledge of the Civil War is a little shocking and not as funny as I think they were going for. She stays to take care of Chick by making him hydrate and wear sunscreen.

Laurie figures out that Trav and Ellie tried to kill her baby names and leaves to complain to Jules. When she gets to the reenactment her water breaks and it’s time to have the baby!

Did anyone else get teary eyed when they named the baby Bobby? Such a sweet moment and a great send off for Bobby as he leaves the show.

full grown boy

What did you think of this week’s Cougar Town? How do you feel about Bobby leaving the show?

If you missed this episode, you can still watch it here.

For more CougarTown recaps, click here.



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