Wine Reviews Ratings

posted by admin on Jun 26

Ever notice that when you get into a relationship you seem to put on pounds as things get going? So what makes relationships so fattening? It could be that while you are busy loving your mate, diet and exercise falls to the wayside as mere distractions. The following is a list of tips to keep the pounds off with your love:

1. Never Eat Out When Starving
If you are starving, you may want to fix a quick sandwich, do a bowl of cottage cheese, or any other healthy snack combined with a lot of water. Do this prior to your restaurant visit and cut your portion in half when it’s received to take a doggy bag home. Restaurant portions are way too big for a one-time sitting, do not feel awkward about it, just make it a rule.

2.Slow down on the Wine and Liquor
This is quite possibly one of the hardest sacrifices for folks, especially the non dancing kind because Clubs equal dancing and drinking. How about nursing your drink a bit longer than usual? After-all nobody likes a fish, and you want to have your senses in case something drastic happens.

3. Workout with your mate
Many times your partner will be open to working out with you and will be willing to add it into his/her lifestyle to spend time with you. Everyone who works out knows that an eager partner is the easiest way to stay the course. If you are the unlucky soul to have the girlfriend or boyfriend who says “I don’t see why you have to workout so much”, you may want to consider running for the hills. For everyone else your workouts can be a partnership that is healthy and lasts.

4. Vacations and Romantic Getaways can be painful
Holidays will yield the worst items for dieting in eggnog, chocolates, sweets, etc. Many times when you get this garbage you will make an excuse to eat it. You will say things like “oh I’ll just do an extra lap on Monday”, or “work has been so hard, I deserve this” or the worst excuse of all which is “I’ll just start my diet tomorrow”. Why lie to yourself, the forbidden sweet-stuff is a slippery slope into failure. It is times like these that partners should police each other the hardest rather than enabling destructive consumption. Having an extra voice of reason during your weakest times, really helps things out.

Remember relationships are about acceptance and compromise but it doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice your entire lifestyle in lieu of an unhealthy one. Get in the gym, bring your partner with you and check your eating habits. Keep it healthy and stay in shape!

posted by admin on May 4

Need some cool ideas for an engagement? As usual, I have some great ones! Ha, kidding! If you are asking the woman of your dreams to marry you, you will want to make it special right? Don’t take her out to eat and ask her. Be creative!

My first idea would be my favorite! (only because I am a basketball fan) You will have to find out who to talk to and how to go about this, but here it is. Take your girlfriend to a basketball game. Right when half time starts have it come over the screen saying “Will you marry me, (her name)”? or whatever you want it to say, then the camera will come on the two of you. I would only advise doing this if you all have talked about marriage before, because she will be put on the spot in front of a million people!

My next idea is to take her somewhere out of town. Make it a surprise though! Know what size bathing suit she likes, and a couple days before, lay out a couple new bathing suits on the bed with a suitcase ready and tell her to start packing, because you have a surprise. Have everything figured out for her, like work and her schedule. This will take more planning, but it would be so much fun! When you get there watch the sunset go down on the beach while you sip on wine and ask her. This is so romantic!

Another great idea is to call a radio station and have them plan on playing a certain song then asking her over the radio at a certain time. Take her to dinner at her favorite restaurant or where they serve her favorite food. Have some wine of course. That is always the best, duh! Then, take her home, and put on her favorite love song and start dancing with her to it. After the song plays the announcer will say it over the radio. This is so thoughtful and special. It will mean a lot to her, I promise! All of these things will be a little costly. So if money is tight, here is another idea: Take her to her favorite restaurant, or where you had your first date, or where you first kissed or met, just somewhere special. Write her a letter about how you feel about her, make it all about her! Then ask her. This too is so special!

All I am trying to say is this is a pretty big deal, and you will want to look back on it and be proud of the way you asked her. If she is special, then make the moment special for her! Here are some more sites that may help you.

posted by admin on Apr 18

We’ve reached the time of year when everyone turns their mind to giving – a process that’s both rewarding and stressful, particularly when in need of working within a strict budget. This year, present buying could prove to be a difficult task. Most men find the idea of trawling the high street and online stores a daunting prospect, add to this the financial pressures we’ve fallen victim to and you might as well be walking through a minefield! Here are some tips for buying the perfect Christmas gift for the women in your life. Buying the right gift for a loved one, friend or co-worker may be deemed an awkward task as the tone of the gift must be correct. A gift cannot seem too impersonal (for a loved one) or too familiar if buying for a co-worker (you don’t them to feel embarrassed or uncomfortable).

When purchasing a present for a female friend of loved one, think of her tastes, interests and the type of experiences they enjoy (it’s no good buying a romantic hot balloon ride if she’s scared of heights!) If you know them really well, you might recall a conversation about a book they’d like to read or a film not yet watched.For a co-worker, the gift can be more generic, like a Poinsettia plant or bottle of wine. There are certain presents that transcend the various degrees of relationships, items that can be both highly personal and quite general. Chocolate is a great gift to give at Christmas. For us women, it’s always welcomed! Thorntons, Hotel Chocolate and the Chocolate Trading Company have a great selection of chocolate Christmas gifts available. Flowers are also a great choice – for a personal touch choose your loved ones favourite bloom, you can choose traditional or modern bouquets, simple or complicated designs. Flowers are also a great choice of present for a friend or co-worker. This holiday season Marks and Spencer, Bunches and Eden4Flowers have a great selection.

If you want to choose a more personal gift, why not try perfume? There are some great celebrity scents on the market or choose a classic perfume like Chanel no 5 for a more discerning taste.

posted by admin on Dec 27

Guys, when it comes to being romantic and having excitement in your relationship, do you know what the best ways are to spice up a relationship? You are probably already aware that relationships do take some amount of work and dedication, and that you have to keep adding new ways to spice up your relationship in order to keep both of you happy.

It can be a lot easier than you think though, as long as you are willing to put a little bit of time and thought into ways that you can enrich your relationship and impress your lucky lady. If you ask most women what impresses them most and what they look for the most in relationships, their answer is excitement and romance. These words do not have to scare you off; you just need to know how to add them into your relationship to spice up your love life.

First of all, one of the easiest things you can do to add a little romance to your relationship is add some spontaneity into it. Surprise your lady with a dinner at home, candlelight, wine and flowers. Most women would prefer this kind of treatment any day to going out for an expensive dinner. Show her that you think she is truly special and that you want to show her how romantic you can be.

If you really want to spice up your relationship, show up and surprise her with a small gift or a handmade poem or card. Bring her a favorite cup of coffee or bottle of wine when she is having a bad day, run her a bath and add rose petals or other romantic interludes to show her how much you can be the romantic guy she has always dreamed of. Be creative and imaginative, most women appreciate special gestures that they are not expecting.

posted by admin on Dec 25

I’ve written a series of articles on affordable and fun destinations and I’ve got some good news for you today… I’m letting you in on “5 Girlfriend Getaway Vacations You’ll Absolutely Love.”

The first is one of my favorite spots; Key West. Believe me when I tell you, there is something for everyone in Key West. Getting to Key West is fairly easy from just about any city in the USA. From Miami you can take a bus, rent a car and drive or, fly. One of my favorite hotels are the Sunset Key West Cottages. You’ll find yourself on a private island with all the amenities to make your visit relaxing and memorable. There are so many great hotels and bed & breakfast inns to be found, Key West will fit practically every budget. You’ll find an abundance of night life all along Duval Street and while there, you might try the ghost Walk tour. Search for “Key West hotel packages” and you’ll find something to fit every budget.

People say it’s bigger and better in Texas, and judging from the vast variety of Texas destinations, past visitors may have a good point. My three choices for a chic trip to Texas are… San Antonio, Austin, and Galveston. San Antonio has the famed River Walk and of course, the Alamo. Nearby, you’ll find it easy walking or a short cab ride to La Villita; boutiques with fantastic shopping are found in historic 18th century buildings. Hop on board a river cruise along a cool and shaded body of water. Both sides of the river are lined with eateries and shops that offer lots of fun and unique Texas style entertainment. San Antonio is an affordable destination with hotel prices starting around $120.

Austin is the capitol of Texas and along with many hot spots along 6th street, a tour of the Governor’s Mansion is educational and fun. The best view in town remains a secret, even to long time Austin locals, and a great way to resist the Mount Bonnell tourist bottle neck, is to arrange for a two-hour boat ride at Capital Cruises on Town Lake. These small, intimate boats are the easiest way to watch the sun go down, see the famous Austin bats, and enjoy a beautiful glance of Austin’s awesome skyline. If you consider yourself a jazz lover, have dinner at the Elephant Room. Located in a basement on Congress Avenue, the Elephant Room enjoys a well deserved reputation as one of the top-ranked jazz clubs in the nation. The nightly shows at the Elephant Club provide a memorable time, even if you don’t consider yourself a die-hard jazz fan.

Galveston Texas is in the enviable position of an actual economic rise. You may want to book a 3 day cruise on Carnival out of the Port of Galveston and then come back and see what the rest of what Galveston offers for fun and relaxation. Plan your stay at the beautiful San Louis Hotel or if your girlfriends are golfers, try the fantastic Moody Garden’s Public Golf Course. Seventeen million dollars later, this course has just opened to the public in June 2008. Top of the line facilities including the new expansive club house are bringing great comments from all who play there. It’s worth your time!

Moody Garden’s also offer the unusual glass pyramids that house an actual rain forest and aquarium. This huge complex overlooks Offatt’s Bayou where you can enjoy a sunset cruise on a large paddlewheel vessel. If the shopper in you is calling out, then you have to plan a trip to the Strand… Galveston’s historic shopping mecca. You’ll find great antiques shops and wonderful galleries all along this popular slice of Texas history. Shop till you drop and then cool off with some tasty appetizers at Yagas.

So Far, we’ve suggested a fun and let your hair down East Coast destination and three destinations in the central part of the U.S.A. Where’s the third, you’re wondering; it’s easy and sophisticated… Napa Valley, California. For you oenophiles, Napa is paradise. However, when you want a break from wine tasting this area offers many decadent diversions.

Meadowood (Meadowood Resort- 800-458-8080) is a great home base for you and your girlfriends. With Eighty-five cottages, suites and lodges, nestled into the forested hillside of a beautiful valley, you’ll be comfortable and secure. Enjoy your choice of pleasure including hiking, swimming, spa treatments, golf and even croquet. Be sure and visit St. Helena for a grande shopping experience. Stop by the St. Helena Olive Oil Company where you’ll find a vast array of specialty vinegars, oils, jams, salamis and dessert sauces. For a high end experience in children’s clothing and gifts, visit Freckle’s. You’ll find great souvenirs and gifts. For chocolate lovers, you must visit Woodhouse Chocolate where you’ll find everything to satisfy your sweet tooth. You’ll have to be the judge, but Napa locals seem to have a youthful aura around them. Maybe it’s the stress-free living found in this wine country wonderland.

These all girl trips are just what the Doctor ordered to relieve stress and anxiety. Mothers call your daughters, girlfriends call your girlfriends. Start planning a fun and affordable all girl vacation today. These little getaways are exactly what you need to bring focus and reality back into your life. Search the internet for “chic trips” “girlfriend getaways” or, “girlfriend getaway travel” and start planning your fun escape today.