happy national drink wine day.

for all you wine lovahs, today is national drink wine day. for those who didn't know (it's ok, i didn't know either...shame on me!), it is always celebrated on February 18th. i couldn't find any true historical meaning behind this day other than to simply rejoice and enjoy your favorite wines. so...go ahead, grab your glass. [virtual] cheers!

in spirit of the day, scroll down for some wine facts, fun gadgets, favorite sayings, and must-haves.

what is your favorite wine?

do you like red or white?

8 health benefits of drinking wine:

1) promotes longevity. 34% lower mortality rate

2) reduces heart-attack risk

3) lowers risk of heart disease

4) reduces risk of type 2 diabetes

5) lowers risk of stroke

6) cuts risk of cataracts

7) cuts risk of colon cancer

8) slows brain decline

source: food&wine

i drink red wine, mostly.

while i prefer a good cabernet, i do not discriminate.

i'll try anything once, but here's what i usually find myself reaching for time and time again:

jordan cabernet, $50

ghost pines cabernet, $20

P|K|N|T. cabernet, pinot noir, merlot, $10

(patty's closet top; sammy dress shorts; lulu's heels; LAQA & Co. on lips)

wine cork usb drive

wine glass holder

wine thermometer

wine wipes

must-haves:

aerator for when you don't have time to let wine breathe.

a great bottle opener - rabbit is by far the easiest.

stemless wine glasses = less accidents.

a wine refrigerator.

[oomph] eats. a first for the last.

i said goodbye to one of my favorite places last week...

brasserie du vin was my go-to place for drinks downtown. it was right across hawaii theater, and we'd always start or end our night there after a show. other times i'd meet up with friends there just because of the cool european vibe of their little outdoor patio.

i was bummed to hear that they were closing their doors for good, and i figured i wasn't going to make it down there with only a few days til closing. but then...

...uh, yes!

cabernet + crab cakes.

of course, it was super crowded as everyone was trying to have their final drinks and bid that little slice of europe goodbye. a bunch of us had to squeeze around a tiny table, but it was worth getting to sit in the cobbled alleyway outside.

they were known for their wide selection of wines and accompanying cheese platters among other yummy things. they sold out of their delicious baked brie, so we filled up on pommes frites, pan-seared scallops, and crab cakes. and while i never had a chance to try one of their cheese or charcuterie platters, i did experience something new that night...escargot.

with visuals of huge african snails in our garden and crawling all over our fence, the thought of eating snails never appealed to me. blech.
but i figured, what the heck.
and you know what?
it wasn't that bad.

it was a great first for the last night.

have you tried escargot?

what's something you hesitated trying?

in the now.

as we come down from the holiday highs, many of us are busy jotting down resolutions, reflecting on the past year, or making goals for the next. i tried to write something thoughtful reflecting on 2013 or what i might expect for 2014, but honestly? i've always kinda lived in the now. yes, i have made "those" resolutions in the past...exercise more, eat healthy, try new things...and i do resolve to do them again. but those have become a given. and, sure, i have dreams. i have milestones that i'd like to reach in the future, but if i focus too much on them, then i lose sight of what's right in front of me. i miss out on what's happening, now.

so for the next year, i plan to just do. whatever. whenever. because my kids want to. because i want to. because it makes us happy, right now. and i can only hope that these experiences will build a better foundation for those [future] dreams and milestones. at least that's what i'm telling myself, right now.

are you a planner? or do you go with the flow...

roll with the punches?

ozoni (mochi soup) eaten on new year's day in celebration and in hope for a good year.

(outfit c/o Patty's Closet; h&m bag (similar on sale!))

mint khakis + leopard loafers.

boyfriend shorts, loose tees, and roomy khakis.

call me lazy, but i'm loving everything relaxed lately.

one thing that's getting too relaxed is my exercising. swimsuit season is around the corner (ok, it's year-round here, but more so during summer months), and i'm hoping to tone up a few trouble areas before then.

another thing i've been loving is pretty little necklaces. i find myself reaching for dainty ones over my long or chunky ones lately, so i was happy to see this one on the SilverSpeck website. i have a couple gold ones, and this one filled my silver void.

what have you been loving lately?

(SilverSpeck sterling silver diamond accent wishbone pendant c/o (buy))

so much to choose from!

final picks...cabs from ghost pines + entwine.

(old navy khakis; sam edelman shoes; sonia rykiel bag)

shop the look:

dill.

just dropping in to say hi.

it's a busy weekend of birthday parties for us...i'm off to run

a few errands and grab some last minute gifts.

what are you doing today?

wine and cheese from the last get together with the moms. this bottle's red label reminds me of valentine's day for some reason...maybe a fun one to crack open for the occasion?

it tasted pretty decent, too.

brie and havarti with dill.

i love dill!

(note to self: get neighbor a cheese board)

welcome 2013.

last year i made a list of goals that i hoped to meet throughout the year and did monthly recaps of those resolutions.

it was a good way for me to keep track of my accomplishments personally and on the blog...so here's a list of things

i hope to stay on top of in 2013:

1) drink water, period.

(most days i'm lucky if i drink one glass of water)

2) try something new every month.

(new recipe, new restaurant/menu item, visit a new attraction, etc...)

3) be on time.

(early to bed, early to rise)

4) eat breakfast with the minis during the week.

(they're usually eating while i get ready for work; goes along with #3)

5) simplify and de-clutter.

(the drawers, the closets, the garage, the file cabinets, you name it!)

6) improve my photography skills.

(learn every function of my camera)

7) timely and organized blog posts.

(plan ahead and schedule posts during busy months)

have you made any goals for the new year?

spent new year's day with the neighborhood mamas...some of us recuperating from the eve, but given a little food and

coffee with kahlua, we were ready to go.

this was my favorite wine of the night...very smooth!

(express sweater (similar); victoria's secret shoes (similar);

carrie cargo pant via oomph (buy))

i'd love and appreciate your vote for [oomph.] on circle of moms'

top 25 fashion & beauty moms of 2013?

you can vote once daily!

don't forget to enter the dobel + perry farrell giveaway here.

twelve down.

december is gone, and in looking back at my resolutions,

here's a quick recap of the month:

sleep early - same as last month...i'm always up later

than usual during the holiday season.

exercise - does shopping count?

girl time - check! a couple of christmas get togethers with the girls, a couple of wine nights with the neighborhood mamas,

and a few drinks with an old high school friend.

 read - eek, no reading AGAIN this month.

one-on-one mini time - both minis were on break from school, so we spent a lot of time together. i did have some one-on-one time with mini-he as we put together all his lego sets.

try something new - check! learned some new crafts,

participated in a christmas card exchange hosted by

sunny days & starry nights, and made homemade salsa!

organize posts - check! caught up on a few reviews for the gea boot and the jola boot from JustFab, shared jane's addiction's latest album, and even got in a giveaway for some cool items that were part of the dobel tequila + perry farrell collaboration.

(you can enter the giveaway here)

how was your december? did you try something new?

christmas card exchange.

mini-he can put together the lego sets by himself now!

homemade salsa...a friend's recipe:

bunches of cilantro, anaheim pepper, onion, garlic, garlic salt, lime & lemon juice, and tomatoes all in a food chopper.

glittered paper rolls made into flowers.

spontaneous wine night with the neighborhood mamas...

this was my favorite of the night.

(f21 sweater; DIY skirt; zara shoes)