Wine Tasting 101

A few weeks ago we headed up to Napa with Kira's parents to do some wine tasting. It was a beautiful Spring-type day! We went to three different wineries, did tastings, and enjoyed each other's company! This was our first time wine tasting together and we definitely learned a lot so we have complied some tips and tricks for those first-time wine tasters!

1. Eat a large breakfast

You will be having so much fun drinking and chatting with friends that you will probably forget to stop to eat! Make sure you fill up beforehand and bring a snake and some water for the drive between wineries.

2. Don't be afraid to ask questions

The people working at the wineries have a lot of great information that they would love to share. They might let you know what flavors you should be smelling/tasting, where you can buy the wine locally, or what's best to pair your wine with.

3. Drink water

While tastings are pretty small, you might be doing up to 5 or 6 tastings per winery which can add up.  Make sure you are drinking water so you don't get dehydrated!

4. Bring your camera

When you are wine tasting it will most likely be in a gorgeous setting, make sure to snap lots of pictures from the day.

5. Let your taste buds wander!

Truly try to taste the different flavors of the wine. Take a nice big whiff of the wine before you taste, then let it sit on your palate for a couple of seconds before swallowing to get the full effect of the flavors. Take your time with it and remember what you like about each one, that way you will learn what you like/don't like about different varieties.

Do you have a favorite type of wine? Let us know in the comments!

Make sure to follow us along on Twitter and Instagram!

-A&K

Interweb Goodies

Happy Wednesday!!!

Loving these ideas for how to create more room for your clothes in a small space

Q&A with one of our faves - Anna Kendrick. (PS, her Twitter is amazing)

Loving these designer's takes on a very magical shoe. 

All of Kim Kardahsian's beauty products, it's a pretty long read!

Some great healthy bites to always keep on hand in your kitchen.

Let us know what you have found this week in the comments below!!

Remember to follow along on Twitter and Instagram as well!

-A&K

Monthly Mood: March

We're Loving

Spring time!!! It has felt like Spring in California pretty much since January but with a more "official" start of the season we are looking forward to all of the fun spring brings. We're loving the softer, sweeter side of Spring pastels and fun spring prints - Ashley is on the hunt for a lavender cross body bag, while Kira loves anything with a leafy or fruity print!

We're Doing

A little of this and a little of that this month! St. Patrick's Day means a big party with Ashley's family, lots of yummy food and drinking! We are looking forward to spending some time outdoors - maybe some hikes will be in our future. Ashley is hoping to take a day trip to the coast to enjoy the nice weather and some delish seafood. As always we are looking forward to some birthdays as well as looking ahead and planning some fun things for summer!

We're Blogging

Ashley will be bringing you some old-school Irish recipes just in time for your St. Patrick's Day party. We recently went wine tasting, so look our for a post about some wine-tasting tips and our fashions from the day! Kira is hoping to do some de-cluttering of some aspects of her life and will walk you through some easy ways to do it too!

-A&K

Interweb Goodies

Happy Wednesday Folks!

We are dying to travel to one of these colorful cities!! 

So... when can we buy tickets to this epic concert?

This tribute to The Sound Of Music at the Academy Awards was so beautiful, we have been wanting to have a movie night ever since!

Such a crazy new fan theory about Ashley's favorite movie!

Ashley is dying for this J Crew Panama Hat for summer - perfect for traveling and BBQs!

Goodbye Parks and Rec!

We are literally the saddest people IN the world.

 

One of our favorite shows, Parks and Recreation is ending. We both were late-bloomers to the show. Binge-watching on Netflix last year when we were working odd-jobs. If you haven't watched it we highly recommend you Treat Yo'Self to a marathon. The show follows a group of hilarious co-workers in Pawnee, Indiana as they run their Parks and Rec department. Every character is perfectly put together and each show I laugh out loud. We are looking forward to watching the final espisode together while eating waffles (Leslie's favorite) and we can hopefully get our hands on some of Tom's Snake Juice. Farewell Parks and Rec!

 

A&K

Bring Your Pins to Life : January Recap

One of my New Years Resolutions is to try out more of my Pinterest projects. I love Pinterest and I think it is a great way to give blogger's ideas and projects a platform! I have challenged myself to do a new project every week and they can't all be food projects. Here is my little January recap.

Tikka Masala 

My first project of the new year! I whipped up a big batch of this on a Saturday to eat during the week for lunches. While this was a great recipe, there are some tweaks I would make to it if I made it again. 1. Not use as many tomatoes 2. Use a mix of cream and a good brand of coconut milk. I think next time I would make sure I didn't cook it as long (I wanted everything to be mixed together) but it make the chicken fall apart. Lastly, I would definitely marinate my chicken for a while before in a yogurt sauce, then do a dry rub of spices.

Hair Mask 

 

I've always loved a good at-home hair mask. Always a great thing to do while watching reality TV on a Sunday afternoon. This was a great mask and one that I would try again. I love using coconut oil in my hair and the addition of the lemon juice made it smell great! My hair and scalp felt smooth and full of life after!

Carmel Apple Cheesecake

I made these for a dinner party that Kira and I had with our friends when we exchanged our Secret Santa gifts. Let me tell you - these were a hit! They were really easy to make, and had so much flavor! While it did take some time to make because there are a lot of different steps, it never felt like it was a hard or that the measurements had to be perfect. I can't wait to try other types!

Bacon Cheddar Ranch Pull Apart Bread  

A delicious 1-time-a-year food! I made this for a family event and it was goooooddddd and obviously super healthy! This is really easy to put together and was a huge hit, however I would highly recommend using bread that is more on the stale as it would be easier to cut and stay "standing". My bread deflated and became more life a flat bread!

Check back in March to see what projects I completed in February!!

-A

Interweb Goodies: Academy Awards Edition

Hump Day! It's here - and so quick! One of Ashley's favorite days of the year is the Academy Awards. She loves seeing what everyone is wearing, predicting who will win, and spending time with friends! Take a look below at some Academy Awards inspired links!

 

Love this Infograpic of what Best Actress winners have won over the years - Ashley's favorites are Audrey Hepburn's 1954 Givenchy dress, Julia Robert's 2001 Valentino, and Jennifer Lawrence's 2013 Dior dress!

 Cheryl Strayed who wrote "Wild" is wearing a dress by a local designer out of her hometown of Portland which we think is awesome!

Some fun Oscar's trivia to impress your friends with while you are watching the show.

A great idea for what to serve at your viewing party 

And finally a list of nominees and predictions! 

Check back tomorrow for some ideas on what to do for your viewing party!

-A&K