Baby Must Haves: Months One and Two

I have always found these "Must Have" posts so helpful on others blogs, so I knew I wanted to share my personal must-haves when my time came!  These were my absolute must-haves for Baby Girl Emma, during months one and two!

Months 1&2 Must Haves by stresscasey

Bare Baked Boppy Pillow

There is a great debate on which nursing pillow is best between the Boppy, the Breast Friend (hehe), and all the other ones out there nowadays.  I was stuck on getting the Boppy for some reason, and it worked out fine for me.  Near the end of Emma's second month, I stopped using it nearly as much for nursing (we had to try some alternative positions for overactive letdown), but I still use it to prop her up and for tummy time.  I have covers from Etsy shops: The Pink Polka Dot, and Creative Seams.

Lansinoh Disposable Nursing Pads

I go through these like they are bottles of water, but I think I am extra leaky (TMI?).  I have two sets of Bamboobies, and I wanted to like them so much, but I much prefer the disposables.  It feels so wasteful, but I soak right through the Bamboobies pads in the middle of the day, and they show through shirts more easily than the Lansinohs.  The disposable pads do show through some tight shirts (even with a bra, which is irritating), but whatareyougunnado.

Fisher-Price Cradle 'N Swing

We have the Platinum My Little Lamb Edition, but I think the necessity is just this particular swing.  I believe the main difference between the platinum and deluxe editions are the lights above the swing and the ability to plug it in to the wall.  For me, the plug-in is completely worth it, as Emma loves her swing and takes at least one long nap in it daily, let alone the other times throughout the day she spends in it.  She started liking the swing around week six, and has loved it ever since.

Sleepy Sounds iPhone App

Emma sleeps with white noise on all night long, and we play it through the iPad next to her Pack n Play.  We use this app, because you can lock the screen and it still plays, as well as open other apps while it runs.  When she moves to her own room, I think I will invest in a sound machine, but we may continue to just use the iPad and Sleepy Sounds, as it has worked well for her up until now!

Philips AVENT Translucent Pacifiers

Emma does take other pacifiers, but these are her favorites.  We did not offer the pacifier until getting the go-ahead from a Lactation Consultant, and her weight had surpassed her birth weight.  She does not take the pacifier too often, but it does soothe her when she is fussy, and sometimes helps her to fall asleep.

Medela Contact Nipple Shield

This is an item that many won't need, but if you do - it's a lifesaver.  Or for me, a breastfeeding saver.  Had my Lactation Consultant not had me start using one of these, I don't think I would still be nursing my baby girl.  Due to a poor latch at the beginning, and letting it go too far and getting some bad wounds, I used the nipple shield every single time I nursed Emma for over 4 weeks.  Only at the end of her second month did I wean (without pain, and successfully) from it.  The contact nipple shield has a special cutout so baby still gets skin to skin, which is important for letdown and bonding.  I encourage anyone having any pain to seek out a Lactation Consultant immediately, and see if a shield may be an option for you.

aden + anais Classic Muslin Swaddle Blankets

Emma has been swaddled up in one of these blankets almost every night since coming home from the hospital!  At first, Handsome Husband preferred the hospital receiving blankets, but once he realized how stretchy and thin these guys were, we switched without looking back.  These are also wonderful covers for breastfeeding because they are so thin, and the perfect blanket for a warmer day where baby needs a little coverage, but nothing to overheat her.

Boppy Waterproof Changing Pad Liners

I can't tell you how wonderful these things are.  I definitely saw these on someone else's must have baby items lists, and I'm so glad I ordered them before Emma arrived.  We actually ordered another pack a week or so after coming home from the hospital because we were going through them so fast.  Emma loves to pee right after you get that diaper off (especially when her Daddy is changing her), so these save us from having to take the changing pad cover off and wash it multiple times a day!

Fisher-Price Rock 'N Play Sleeper

This little sleeper was the only thing Emma slept in her first week or so home from the hospital, and for the first month the only thing she napped in (other than our arms or on our chests, of course!).  It has an incline which makes baby feel a little more comfortable (I hear it is especially great for babies who suffer from bad reflux), and looks so cozy!  We have the Platinum My Little Lamb Edition, which vibrates, and I think she likes that as well.  She stopped using it as much when she started loving her swing, but still takes a nap in it a few times a week.

Graco Pack 'N Play

We have the Elite Edition Graco Pack 'N Play, in the pattern Cascade.  I chose it to be gender neutral, as I'd like to use it for future babies as well!  It also goes nicely in our bedroom - another plus.  Emma has slept in her Pack 'N Play every night in our room since about her second week home.  She started out in the Newborn Napper, and moved to the regular bassinet mattress inside the Pack 'N Play at about a month old when she started seeming a little uncomfortable in the newborn napper.  I was worried about her sleeping on the bassinet mattress, as it seems so uncomfortable (it is very thin and kind of hard feeling), but she never seems to mind it!  The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends a firm and flat surface for baby to sleep on, so this is a safe alternative to a crib so we can have her in our room at night for now.  We also look forward to taking it with us to family and friends' houses in the future!

Do you have a little one?  What one item would you say was your absolute must have for the first couple months?

Gevalia Makes Friends

This weekend, we had the pleasure of hosting Mother-in-Law Red and her fiance, Mr. Bear, over to our home for some yummy coffee, french toast bake, and a yogurt bar!  Obviously this was paired with fabulous conversation!

We were lucky enough to get to try some yummy Gevalia coffee for the first time, and it was a hit at our house!  Mr. Bear isn't a coffee drinker, but everyone else was raving about the yummy coffee!  HH, who prefers a flavored coffee, drank it black and said it was great!

This was the first time I've put together a yogurt bar, and I guarantee if you're coming to my house for breakfast or brunch in the future, you'll see one there.  I had vanilla and strawberry yogurt; and strawberries, blueberries, bananas and granola as toppings.

I made a new recipe for our breakfast get together, which turned out fantastic!  We were too busy scarfing it down to remember to take a picture, but you can find the recipe HERE.  Take my advice, and make it ASAP!

I love hosting people in my home.  It was one of the things I most looked forward to during our Home Buying journey, and I am happy to say that nearly a year later, we have made a lot of memories here in our home.  I can't wait to continue having friends and family in our home over the years, and continuing to make more memories with them.

After our lovely breakfast and some catching up, we headed to our next fun event of the day - we went to the beach to take some pretty photos of MIL Red and fiance, Mr. Bear!  Their wedding is coming before we know it - less than a year, now!  We took some photos to remember this special time in any couple's life, and they might just get some use of them for wedding stationary!  HH was a lovely helper, holding my camera bag and MIL's purse, and even doing some sand-sketching for some creative photos!  I'll let MIL decide when she wants to share these photos (spoiler alert: they turned out so cute!), but here is a picture of my very helpful and Handsome Husband!

All in all, a very successful and joyful Saturday!  

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

Sprinkles Ice Cream

Sprinkes Ice Cream.

 

Did you even know this was a thing?  I, for one, had no idea until Sister Swimmer enlightened us over our family weekend at the River.  Curiosity, my sweet tooth, and needing a reward for surviving another four-hour-long river roadtrip (each way) led us there last night before we headed home to watch Mad Men and snooze before work on Monday.

 

{via}

 

The entire car ride back from Arizona, I was looking forward to the cupcake sundae Sister Swimmer raved out.  I ended up deciding on a red velvet cupcake with chocolate chip ice cream (though they were almost out of chocolate chip, so I ended up with mostly vanilla).

 

{Yelp}

 

This cupcake sundae idea is genious.  Basically they cut the cupcake in half; put the bottom at the bottom of the ice cream cup; top with a few scoops of ice cream and throw on the top of the cupcake, frosting and all!

 

The red velvet cupcake was moist and yummy, and the cream cheese frosting was delightful.  The vanilla ice cream was seriously some of the best I've ever had, and I actually preferred it to the chocolate chip, so I was glad I ended up with it!

 

All in all, a fun novely treat every once in a while!  Note that these sundaes are so sweet with the combo of cupcake, frosting and ice cream.  Definitely not an everyday type thing, but a must-try if there is a Sprinkles Ice Cream near you!

 

Have you ever had Sprinkles Ice Cream?





Fresh & Easy Date Night In

I was so excited to head to Fresh & Easy to plan my date night in with mu Handsome Husband!  I had actually never shopped at the good old Fresh & Easy, and it far surpassed my expectations!  I actually headed to an express store, which I don't think they all are.  I was a little dissapointed at first thinking I wouldn't get the full neighborhood market experience, but if this is just the express?  I can't imagine how awesome the full stores must be!  There was such a wide selection, and it was so fun to pick what to make our date night in menu consist of!     

 

I had to pick up with darling I love California wine.  1. Because I do love CA, and 2...

 

...how cute is the little heart on the top of the bottle?  Adorbs.

Had to whip up one of my "signature" salads to serve with the fresh&easy organic balsamic vinaigrette.  My signature salad consists of: chopped lettuce, hard-boiled eggs, tomatoes, cucumbers, Mexican cheese blend, and whatever else happens to be in my fridge/pantry at the time!

 

Gotta be honest, we don't usually have such elaborate dinners (unless you count eating on the couch while watching Mad Men elaborate), but it was so fun to get a little fancy with our Fresh & Easy meal!  Totally makes me want to put together a nice meal for the two of us more often!

 

The above vegetables were the most impressive thing I picked up at Fresh&Easy.  They came all seasoned and prepped and in little foil pouches that you could put directly on the grill!  The coolest, right?!  I see these no-prep veggies coming to my house quite often in the future.

 

I am so glad I got the chance to try out Fresh & Easy, and even more thrilled with the fact that is inspired me to put on a little romance at the Stress Case household.  We will definitely be having more date nights in, and we will be heading to Fresh & Easy to supply the goodies for them, too!



I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

Man Jewelry: A Qalo Ring Review by HH

Hello, again, Stress Case readers, Handsome Husband here!

My friend started a company called QALO (pronounced “Kay-low”) not too long ago and the idea behind it is pretty great. The company sells wedding bands for people with an active lifestyle. The wedding bands they sell are made of a thick silicon material that makes it soft, flexible, and very comfortable to wear. They come in three different colors (so far!) including black, slate grey, and cobalt blue (my favorite). I also like the slate grey color because it is quite similar in color to my actual wedding band.

Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not suggesting that this silicon wedding band has completely replaced my tungsten wedding band that Casey put on my finger on our wedding day (she’d kill me if that were that case). The QALO ring is, however, perfect for a lot of activities that I personally would typically not wear my wedding band while doing. My wife and friends can tell you all firsthand that I do not wear my wedding ring into the gym when I would work out, which used to be almost everyday (I need to get back to that routine but I digress). The reason for this is that tungsten cannot be polished so I don’t want to scratch my wedding band from the metal on metal contact with the weights. Also, I tend to take it off when I go for long runs, take showers, and even when I sleep. Now, I wear the QALO ring when I do all these things because it is ultra light weight and very comfortable; so comfortable I seriously forget I’m wearing it sometimes.

Plus, how many of you women reading this would prefer that your hubby is wearing at least some sort of ring on his finger when he’s doing activities where he might normally take his ring off? This would include any sports, any activities like swimming or surfing, or anything else predominantly involving the use of your hands and the potential for damage to your hubs’ wedding band. Some of you might say that your husband never takes his ring off under any circumstances, and that’s great! More power to him! But, if he happens to have a tungsten ring that cannot be cleaned or polished, does it still look like it did when it was brand new? Or, if he has a very expensive ring, it would suck to lose it while swimming or something like that. With the QALO ring, you can take the wedding band off sometimes and keep it safe and in great condition while still having a band on that ring finger.

My cousin just told me a story a few weeks ago about how he broke his tungsten ring at work recently. He was reaching for a box on shelf up high in the warehouse and his ring got caught on the edge, came off his finger, and fell to the ground breaking in two upon impact. If he were wearing a QALO ring, that would not have happened and he’d still have his original wedding band that he got from his wife on his wedding day (of course, his tungsten band was looking a bit dirty after having worked out with it on and not a QALO ring. To his defense, they weren’t around yet then).

Additionally, for you ladies who are thinking “hey this sounds great and all but my husband doesn’t need it as much as I need it so I can keep this big rock safe,” worry no more! They just released a line of women’s bands. The pros of you beautiful ladies wearing a QALO ring instead of your huge engagement and/or wedding rings during some activities are obvious. No one wants to lose a diamond. Ever.

Finally, these rings are only $20 each and the company donates 10% of its annual profits to Lupus research. Who doesn’t love a company that provides a great product and gives back?

Anyways, enough of my raving about these guys. To learn more about QALO rings and about who the company is, check out their website at www.qaloring.com, and you can check out their Facebook page for updates HERE.

I want to thank my old buddy over at QALO for providing me with this awesome ring (he actually went above and beyond and gave me all the colors!), and introducing me to his very cool new venture.

HH was given this Qalo wedding ring from QALO for review.  All words and opinions are his alone.

The Best Customer Service

I am a stickler about Customer Service.  It comes from working 2 years in the Retail industry and another 3 in the Food Service.  You're taught that the customer is always right, even when you know they're wrong.  And most importantly?  Respect.  So when I don't get that from business establishments where I am the customer, I don't take kindly to it.  And let's just say I've given my fair share of complaints to managers, supervisors, and Customer Service phone lines.

But, I also give credit where it's due!  And today?  There is a certain fast food chain that deserves some kudos from this girl.

{Source}

 

A month or so ago, Handome Hubs picked up some In N Out on his way home from class, and I was giddy at the thought of their super yummy cheeseburgers and animal fries (don't judge).

 

HH got home with the grub and we had a super fancy family dinner on the couch watching something from the DVR.  Being the compartment eater (shoutout the Cousin Study Buddy for that term!) that I am, I scarfed my burger before moving onto the fries.  The burger was great, but that is where the excellence ended during this meal.

 

The fries were the worst fries I have ever had in my entire life.  They were like potato chips they were so crunchy.  Anyone who knows me knows I hate crunchy food, so I thought maybe I was being oversensitive but even my garbage disposal husband was disgusted.

 

I was pissed.  I mean, In N Out is not cheap, and I had been so excited about it!  My aggravation lead me to call the number on the bag and bitch it out let them know my concerns.

 

And that is where the bad experience ended, and In N Out gave some pretty ballin' customer service.  First of all, they wanted all sorts of detailed information, and let me know they were going to call the store as soon as we hung up to make sure they remedied the sitch ASAP.  Awesome already.

 

The best part?  To make up for the nasty fries we ended up with, they mailed me not only two coupons for two more orders of animal fries, but two more coupons for full meals!  This was way above and beyond what I could have expected, and it truly seemed like they were just sincerely sorry for their error and wanted to make it up to me.  I have never felt so valued as a customer.

 

I was so surprised and impressed when the vouchers they told me they were mailing out showed up at my house two days later. 

 

It's official: In N Out has the best customer service!

 

Have you ever received over the top amazing Customer Service before?  I wanna hear your story!

Happy Nurses Week to Me: Dansko Nursing Shoes Review and GIVEAWAY!

Next week is Nurses Week 2013, and it's always a fun week for us nurses.  It's one week where we tend to get a few extra thank you's and depending on how generous our employers are (mine is very!), sometimes we even get a little gift or treat!

Speaking of treats, Dansko surprised me for Nurses Week this year!  I was delighted to receive an email from them asking if I'd like to participate in their Nurse Week celebration, and of course I was glad to!

First things first, a little announcement for all you nurses out there who love Dansko product! Dansko is sponsoring an enter-to-win contest for anyone who visits a Dansko retailer during Nurses Week (5/6-5/12) and tries on Dansko apparel or footwear. Five lucky nurses will win a Dansko prize pack! To find a Dansko retailer near you, check out their find-a-retailer page.

Dansko didn't stop there, though!  They also offered my some brand new shoes to replace my very loved pair that I've been wearing every single day for nearly two years. 

Dansko gave me a few options and I settled on the Sedona Elise in White Smooth Leather.  The shoes arrived pearly white on my doorstep and I couldn't wait to try them out at work!

But first, a photo shoot:

I've been wearing the Elise shoes at work for a few weeks now, and they are great!  They have a little bit of a heel on them, so it's been great to give my dragging scrub pants a break from hanging out under my shoes!  I was a little nervous wearing the shoes to work for the first time, afraid they might hurt as they got broken in.  I was very happy to find out that there was no pinching, no hurting, no nothing!  The shoes felt as if I had been wearing them for months, except for that they were sparkling white!

Dansko couldn't forget all my nurse readers, too!  They were kind enough to offer a pair of the Sedona Elise shoes to one lucky Stress Case reader!  Enter via Rafflecopter below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I was given 1 pair of Dansko shoes by Dansko for review, and offered one to giveaway to one of my readers.  All opinions are my own.

Tandem Stills and Motion Phone Cases

Last month, my Handsome Husband surprised the heck out of me with a new iPhone 5 for my birthday!  It was an especially sweet surprise because we had vowed not to get each other presents as we went on a big vacation just weeks before both of our birthdays!

 

After the man surprised me, I spent a few days stalking Etsy in hopes of finding the cutest new phone case, but my tendency to overthink had me carrying around a naked phone for a few weeks. 

 

And then, the blogging/social media angels stepped in and I got an email regarding Tandem Stills and Motion Phone Cases, asking if I would like to try one out and possibly host a giveaway for one lucky reader to win a new case also!

 

After checking out their online shop, I was overwhelmed again, but for good reason!  They had so many gorgeous phone cases to choose from!

 

      

    

 

I mean, seriously?!  I die over the puppy underwater - Cute Apartment needs to get an iPhone so I can get her that case!

 

In the end, I decided on one that was very me:

{The Road Ahead}

 

I like to think of this case as representing looking ahead and I love that message.  It was fun to pick something a bit out of the ordinary for me - normally my phone would be covered in hot pink, chevron, glitter or rhinestones (or all four at once), so it's been nice to go for a completely different look!

 

The colors in the case are gorgeous, and it has held up quite well for the few weeks since I covered up my naked phone with it.  I've managed to drop it a few times, and there are no scuffs or scratches on the case, and my phone has been very resilient!  The image does not seem to be printed in a way that it is peeling or will begin to peel in time on this case - a problem I have had with other similar cases from other brands.



 

HH, my permanent hand model

 

This is by no means a "tough" case, and if you are very rough with your phone or have small children who you let use it, this is probably not the right case for you.  But for those of you who are relatively gentle with your iPhone, this will work just perfectly to protect the back of your phone and give you something gorg to look at, too!

 

Tandem Stills Motion, Inc was kind enough to offer one lucky Stress Case reader a phone case of their choosing as well!  Enter via Rafflecopter below!

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway



 

I was given an iPhone 5 phone case from Tandem Stills Motion, Inc. for review, and offered a credit for one case for a Stress Case reader.  All words and opinions are my own.

East Coast Vacation Recap: Virgin America aka Hip Hop Airlines Review

Last month, we headed across the country for our East Coast vacay where we spent time in quite a few cities: Wilmington, Delaware; New York City; Washington DC; and even a few hours in Philadelphia!

In our journey to get there, we got to try out an airline that neither Handsome Husband or myself had ever flown on: Virgin America Airlines.

If I was the CEO of Virgin, my first order of business?  Renaming the airline Hip Hop Airlines.  The entire experience felt sort of surreal. 

Take checking in at the airport, for example.  HH and I accidentally had Mother-in-Law Red (thanks for the ride, MIL!) drop us off outside Virgin Atlantic, instead of Virgin America (because of course things wouldn't go perfectly smooth), so we had to hoof it through the terminal down to our intended check-in counter.  We passed lots of white flourescent lit counters for American Airlines, United, and so on and so forth.  As we passed into the Virgin America airlines area, it was like we were immediately transported into a downtown LA lounge.  There were glowing red and purple lights, huge displays of beautiful white flowers, and I shit you not - slow R&B jams played in the background.  It was all at the same time bizarre and intruguing.

Our check-in was pretty seamless (except for our 59 pound suitcase, which needed to be rearragned to get under the 50 pound limit), and we were off to wait for our boarding.  I couldn't help but be excited to see what the plane would look like if this was just the check-in!

After a lackluster dinner with some necessary glasses of wine, we parked it at a charging station while we waited for our boarding time to approach. 

With about 30 minutes of waiting time still to go to board our flight, we decided to leave the charging station behind and head to our gate so we could board as soon as it was our turn.  Imagine our surprise when the seating surrounding our gate was empty because surprise!  They boarded early!  I've actually never seen this done, so I was excited at the prospect of leaving early, but alas we left right on time.  Oh well, better than late, right?

The next surprise on Hip Hop Airlines was the mood lighting on board the aircraft.  This was the view as we approached down the catwalk (is there an official name for this?) towards to door to board:

I squeeled with delight to HH, but once you actually got onto the plane, the lighting was not quite as intense as it seemed from a looksie in.  However, still cool.

I mean, right??

 

The seats were a tight squeeze as always, and actually on our flight home my seat did not recline which was a bummer and a half.  The flight itself was as good as a long flight can be (the flight time from LAX to Philadelphia is a little over five hours), but there was one stand out awesome thing and one stand out shitty thing:

 

Awesome: Live TV on the flight.  Before I took a little snooze, I laughed up a storm in my tiny little seat as I watched a Katt Williams comedy special live on Comedy Central.

 

Shitty: There was not a single bit of food offered without purchasing.  Not a packet and peanuts or pretzels, nada.  And the real kicker?  Even the items you could purchase were unappealing.  I don't want a five cheese tray on a 5 hour flight...give me a break.

 

All in all it was an average flight experience, but with the R&B music and the lighting?  I felt like a little Hip Hop princess flying my ass into Philadelphia.

 

Next up in recaps?  Our first few family fun days in Delaware, and our train trip to NYC!  

The One Where I Get My Own Razor

I have been sharing a razor with my husband for as long as I can remember.  Is that gross?  Never weirded me out, but who knows. 

 

Anyways, I have always thought that mens' razors must give a closer, smoother shave and that I would never switch to a razor made specifically for women again.  It worked for me, it was less clutter in the shower, and it didn't gross HH out.

 

That is, until BzzAgent offered up a free Shick Hydro Silk razor.  I don't turn down free stuff, okay - it's not in my DNA.  So I accepted and eagerly awaited my new lady razor.  I'll be honest, I was expecting it to suck, and figured I'd use it once and then toss it.

 

Well I was wrong, this lady razor was not only super cute (something only a lady would care about), but the handle was so much easier for me to hold on to.  I can't tell you how many times I've almost cut a toe open by dropping HH's razor THISclose to my foot in the shower.  The chunky rubbery blue handle was easy to grip, and I didn't drop it once.

 

Let's talk about the important stuff: the shaving.  I.  Was.  Shocked.  Currently (about 12 hours post shave) I have the smoothest legs (and other areas, ifyouknowwhatImean) that I've had in years.  I think the moisturizing serum built in to the razor really makes a difference - I didn't even feel like I had to use lotion after the shower!

 

I am so happy to have gotten this razor from BzzAgent, I may never go back to HH's razor again! 

 

 

I was given a Shick Hydro Silk razor through BzzAgent for review.  All words and opinions are my own.

Girls Weekend 2013, A Santa Ynez Valley Wine Tour Review

Last month, we headed to Solvang for our Annual Girls' Weekend.  Best Friend Swagger's Daddy-o was kind enough to take care of our accomodations for us, and we stayed in the largest wonderful room.  It was so much fun, and we're already looking forward to next year!  Currently, the possible location list is up to: Palm Springs (round deux), and Big Bear.  Do we want to escape the winter to sunny PS or settle into it in snowy BB?  Only time will tell!

The first view of our room.  Amazeballs.

Our kitchen, larger that the one I have at home.

Fold out couch that somehow managed to fit myself, Cute Apartment, Dimples and Swagger while we watched a movie Saturday night.  Fashionista kept her sickly germs to herself over on the chair.

Well that's not too bad for five girls for a weekend away, right?  Oh wait, this is just mine and Cute Apartment's stuff...

Cute Apartment and I shared the room with two little beds.

Just a glamour shot of some fake flowers to start the weekend off right.

Cute Apartment sewing my dress together so I didn't end up with a wine tour wardrobe malfunction.

Friday night was spent (before the LA ladies' arrival) with some major girl talk and wine drinking being done by Cute Apartment and myself.  After Dimples, Swaggs and Fashion showed up, we tried to peer pressure them into getting drunk with us, but alas they just sipped.

Saturday morning was met with some sad news before we even popped champage: Fashionista was sick!  It was the worst timing, and poor girl was feeling rough.  She was a tropper and tried to join us for the wine tour, but just couldn't make it and unfortunately had to head home early.  Such a bummer.  For her, because she missed out on super yummy wine and fun times.  And for us, because we missed out on her company.  

Starting off Saturday morning with some mimosas.

Note the Advil bottle in the background.  Necessary.

After some mimosas and some ineffective Pepto Bismol (for Fashion), we were picked up for our wine tour.  I cannot say enough good things about The Grapeline Wine Country Shuttle.  Our tour guide's name was Kris, and she was fanstastic.  Truly, the entire day was wonderful - and incredibly reasonably priced in my opinion!  Our total was $109/person, but it included tastings at four different wineries (at least 6 tastings at each one, more at some), lunch, and transportation with a pick-up and drop-off at your hotel.  If you are looking to do a wine tour in the Paso Robles, Santa Barbara (this is where Solvang is considered), San Luis Obispo or Temecula area, do yourself a favor and book with The Grapeline.  Cute Apartment and I are even considering a sequel wine tour in March, but this time in Temecula! 

Our favorite wine tour guide ever, Billy, showing us all about how wine is made at the Curtis Winery.  My one suggestion for this fantastic winery? Start with the tour first, because CA and I were drunk and obnoxious the whole time after eight tastings...lightweights.

True.

Not the best photo, though I do think you can tell who the two drunk ones are.  Had to include it though since we got a quick shot with sicky Fashionista before she headed back to the hotel.

Dimples and Cute Apartment before starting our tasting at our second winery.

We were so lucky with the weather over our weekend away.  It had been really cold (for Southern California, at least) the weeks prior, but we lucked out and had temperatures in the mid seventies all weekend.  See that sunny sky in the background on the above photo?  Gorgeous.

All of us getting our drank on at Brander Winery.

Swagger and myself.

Right around this time, at Brander, is where I broke a wine glass.  I'll admit that I was a little tipsy, but truly it was an accident.  The one complaint about Brander?  The attitude little miss wine pourer had about it.  You work at an effing winery, am I really to believe I'm the first drunk asshole to knock over a wine glass?  Moving on.

Brander is also where we had our amazing lunch.  The lunch was included in the cost of our tour, and it was incredible.  It was provided by Pannino, where we happened to go back to the next day before we left town.  Because that's how good their sandwiches are.

Stopping for a group shot before we left Brander.

After Brander, we headed to Blackjack Ranch, and if I'm being honest?  They were awful.  Our host was so incredibly rude, she sort of ruined it for us at that stop.  However, we did make friends with some fun and gorgeous female attorneys from our area when we bonded over the bitch rude lady pouring. 

When we left Blackjack, we sadly headed to our last winery of the day.  At Koehler Winery, we were greeted by some a pretty arch (perfect for a photo opp, what what!) and some gorgeous vineyards we got to prance around in before our tasting began. 

Lovin' Life out in the vines

After our mini photoshoot, we headed to the outdoor tasting area and had Dan as our host, who was a total treat - especially after the nasty ladies at Blackjack Ranch.  Dan was funny, kind, and relaxed, it was a great place to end the day.  We got our last few sips in, bought a few bottles of the good stuff, and got on the bus to head back to our hotel.

Before we made it all the way to our hotel though, our new friend (who just so happens to be a news anchor for Fox in the Bakersfield area - Rob Finnerty, what what) wanted to stop in front of The Hitching Post restaurant, which is featured in the movie Sideways.  We made our way back to The Hitching Post later that night for dinner, but I think that is another story for another day.

We made our way back to the hotel, checked on our little Fashionista (who was still feel yucky, poor thing!), and ate way too much Mexican layer dip (like way too much).  We also noticed the sweetest little note on our box full of goodies from Kris, our Grapeline Wine Shuttle tour guide.

After some impromptu naps (and a little True Life: I'm a Surrogate watching done by Cute Apartment and myself), we scurried to get ready for dinner.  In our rush to get ready on time for our reservations (for the oh-so-exclusive Hitching Post), we managed to forgot the following:

1. To take a single photo of us all dressed up and cute (though, to be honest, I looked a little haggard due to the whole drinking wine for 5 hours and unplanned nap time).

2. That we were not even hungry, and most of us actually didn't feel too hot (also probably due to the whole drinking wine for 5 hours).

3. We weren't drunk, so we didn't need to call a cab.

But alas, we did not remember the aforementioned, and we rushed to get dressed, call a cab, and head to the restaurant.  I don't think we quite realized how hungover we were until we were at the restaurant, and when we did?  There was no way we were going eat our $40 steaks that we ordered seconds after sitting down.  This whole shebang was one of the dumber things I've done as of late, but it made for some really good laughs at the dinner table as we tried (and failed) to choke down our food.

After hightailing it out of The HP with a bag full of quite expensive steaks (and salmon for red-meat-avoider Swagger), we rented Sideways to truly experience Solvang from the comfort of our own couch.  Except for the fact that there were four of us on the couch, and it was not so comfortable.  The movie was...interesting.  And if we're being honest, I didn't make it all the way through, and headed to bed before seeing the end. 

The next morning we awoke feeling refreshed, and hangover free!, and after cleaning up our room a bit, we checked out of our lovely hotel and headed into town (a whopping mile or so from our hotel) to do a little sight-seeing, grab some lunch, snap a photo, and hit the road. 

Swagger is always on the lookout for a new pair of shoes.

All in all, it was a wondeful weekend with wonderful ladies.  I wish BF Fashionista had been feeling better, as I know she would have had so much fun on Saturday with us.  Now time to brainstorm for next year!

Have you ever gone on a Girls' Trip?