Optimized Life

We're optimizing ourselves and taking notes. Come along, eh?

[liveoptimal]

When it's craziest - that's your best opportunity.

Okay, so I have decided this is the day that I will formally start writing my own self-help book.  I'm going to call it help my own self and my intention is that I am going to codify a mechanism for self-improvement, apply it to myself and document it in real time. I will also post what I learn to a Tumbler blog, capture video and write a book.  And I'm going to do it without a lot of  effort.  That's the goal.

So this one is about the idea that maybe when things are the most crazy and the most hectic and the most overwhelming, that is indeed the best time to make changes.  Right now I have a business that is up and down; we provide a good service but there's nota lot of security and I'd like a little more confidence in my future income; I'd like more income, a lot more.  I also have some side projects that are just fledgling that I would like to be prospering.

At the same time, I am taking on better physical health.  I'm doing this through diet and exercise - two months ago I became a vegetarian for long-term health purposes and recently I re-started an exercise program called Insanity. 

I am also thinking that this process of self-help personally can be mirrored as a process that I can apply to my business as well and to a book. I have had good idea for long time to write a book about the parallels between business and personal lives so this will be that as well.  That is all the long wordy narrative.

The take away is that maybe when it is craziest and things seem rough... that is your best opportunity.  That is what I am going with.

[liveoptimal]

Self Improvement? Write Your Own Book!

I am not sure when or where, but I am certain that I have heard people say that it seems every person has written their own self-help book.  Are there gurus everywhere?  So, maybe the thing to do is to not dismiss this as a joke but to take it on literally.  Since everyone's self-help formula is different, who better to write yours… than you? Not a trick question.

So, I think I will do it.  Starting now.  I will create an entry only when I learn something and not only write a post about it, but at its essence to an ongoing body of text.  This way, the blog posts will be the bits and I will be writing myself an owners manual.  For myself. #helpmyownself

[liveoptimal]

Consulting at 8

January 25, 2013

Caden's first day of consulting was today, at the age of 8.  

Last week Caden sat down and asked me about job options - how old did you have to be to work at a gas station and what was the process for getting a job? At 8 Caden has decided that as a teen he will want a job to make extra money, but he also will want something easy to do.  In addition, working in a gas station will help better familiarize himself with different car designs, and as he eventually wants to design cars, he feels that working in a gas station and being around cars will be good work experience for him.  That's Caden.

Do today when he felt the neighbor kid was being too violent and Caden did not want to participate, he came inside and asked Dan if he could help him with work.  And Caden completed his first consulting assignment today.  Dan does many things but his primary business is Internet Marketing.  So Dan gave Caden a practice task.  Caden's assignment was to look at the website of one of Dan's poential clients and evaluate the site - what were they selling, what was the product price, what was their marketing strategy and how effective did it seem or what was his impression of it?  Typically a little much for an 8 year old and Caden certainly didn't submit a complete written report, but his analysis was accurate, if basic.  

Thinking back to when I was 8, I don't think it ever occurred to me to ask my dad if I could help with his work.  Of course my Dad is more of an Option A or B person and had a corporate 9-5 job that he rarely talked about, but still, I was just not that mature or advanced when I was Caden's age.  This was also prior to the whole information age, however I don't believe this accounts for the difference either, I was just a different kid than Caden is.

[liveoptimal]

A Post from the Clouds

January 22, 2013

My first post from the cloud(s?).  My work computer is an iMac, however that computer is located in my office downstairs.  Usually when I write a post, I am upstairs with my family using my laptop - a Dell we bought in 2003 when I first started consulting.  Last night however, after another "blue screen of death" my husband convinced me to try his new Samsung Google Chrome book and with it Google docs.  I have to say I’m not yet a fan of Google docs - I’m a long time Word user and love the formatting features. However, I did love the ease of opening the Chrome book and having my files immediately at my fingertips, no long start-up process.  I also like the prospect of having my files available anytime, on any machine - granted you have an internet connection.   So we are off into the clouds! At least I'm starting on that path. Too much of my work involves detail formatting in Excel or Word to use Google docs as my primary platform for consulting, however, I can easily see it will quickly become the primary platform for blogs, ebooks and quick  correspondence. Onto new technology (and learning curves)!

[liveoptimal]

Option C

January 20, 2013

In my last post I wrote that Caden (8) was the son of two "Option C" parents.  That's how Dan and I describe ourselves - Option C people.  Life is often like a choose-your-own adventure book. (Or a box of chocolates.) You go through an experience and at some point you come to a decision-point usually life presents you with two "easy" or "conventional" or "normal" options - A or B.  Dan and I have been known to choose neither and create our own option or take the path least traveled; there is good reason that A and B are the most commonly selected, but sometimes, often, Option C presents unique experiences.

In high school, option A and B for foreign languages were Spanish and French and all but 6 of the 800 students at our school chose one of those languages.  I didn't want to take Spanish - everyone did that (probably with good reason living in Southern California), while 20% or so of the students took French - I didn't see the purpose in that, so as one of 1% of the student body, I chose Option C and my foreign language was Latin.  Yes, Latin.  Ok, not quite as useful on the United States West Coast as Spanish, but a good basic foundation for many languages and sciences - not that I am linguistically talented nor excel at the sciences.  

When Dan and I were dating, he decided he wanted to take a bike trip somewhere.  He saw a flier for the first ever Pallotta Teamworks Alaska Aids Vaccine Ride.  So he filled out the paperwork, set to commit both of us to a 540 mile bike ride through Alaska on our tandem.  I convinced him we at least needed to go to the meeting about the ride and find out a little more information.  

So to downtown Los Angeles we drove.  Twenty minutes into the meeting, Dan asked, “Now can we sign up?”  In the months between signing up and riding, we got married, I quit my job and started a new one, I graduated with my MBA, and we moved into a new house.  Oh, we also practiced biking - we rode a whole 50 miles along the coast in Santa Barbara and had a proper fit kit done on the tandem.  That and a whole lot of packing were our entire prep before flying to Fairbanks and riding from Fairbanks to Alaska on a ride that turned out to be closer to 530 miles.  Did I mention that prior to this ride, our entire tandem mileage was 62 miles? Did I also mention that before that I hadn’t ridden a bike regularly since I was 7?  Most people would consider training and preparation a good precursor to riding 530 miles and sleeping at the base of a glacier.  Not us - Option C.

When we decided to have kids, instead of choosing to either have me (mom) be either a stay-at-home mom or work full time and have a day care option. We chose Option C - I created my own company and worked from home, balancing breastfeeding and conference calls - I was actually in labor with my first while leading a conference call on integrating quality - Option C.

According to the Center for Disease Control, as of 2009, less than 1% (0.72%) of all births in the United States are out-of-hospital; that means that in 2009, out of all of the babies born that year, only 29,650 babies were born at a birthing center (non-hospital birthing center) or at home.  Guess where our kids were born.  Caden was born at a beautiful Victorian-style birthing center in Ventura, CA, Sunrise Birthing Center, while Logan was born at home - Option C.

When Dan was laid off while working in the automotive industry in Southern California, corporate employment was hard to come by, so Dan created his own job, first working for free while learning a new skill, while growing it into a new position and becoming a partner in a new company - Option C.

One year ago we chose to leave beautiful San Diego, an unlikely choice to many, and move somewhere we had neved even visited.  Perhaps not the most brilliant seeming of ideas, but it has worked out brilliantly for our family - Option C.  

When then public school system was not providing our kids with optimal results (a good education), we looked at our options and then dove head first into homeschooling, along with 2.7% of the US population, according to the National Bureau of Education Statistics (2007) - Option C.

While creating an Option C life, sometimes intentionally, sometimes by happenstance, has been interesting for Dan and I, it has also had a interesting effect on our children- like Caden creating outsourcing options at the age of 8 and Login renaming himself (Logan to Login - because we had obviously spelled it wrong, so he informed us) at the age of 6. 

[liveoptimal]

Kid Logic and Our Mini Entreprenuer

January 19, 2013

The front of our house is mostly wooden deck... A cluttered wooden deck.  It is a handy place to store our muddy shoes, the hose is wound up there, and as the deck overlooks a 30 foot drop.  It is also the perfect place for our 6 year old’s rope and pulley system, the bucket he loads over the side and the miscellaneous wonders he lowers down in the bucket and pulls up - leaves, dirt, dump trucks, paper airplanes and crayon shavings (because they make the doorway pretty Mama).   Every week, multiple times a week, we sweep, hose off and dust off the deck; it takes my husband and/or I 10-30 minutes every week to clean it off, time we would really rather be doing something else with.  Coincidentally, my 8 year old is always looking for more chores to do to make money.  (Right now the boys receive a weekly allowance of $3.50 for chores, including cleaning their rooms, the family room, one bathroom each, and helping with prep and clean-up of our meals.)  By Dan's way of thinking, paying Caden (8) to keep the deck clean for an extra $0.75 is the easiest and quickest way to buy back those 10-30 minutes each week - and at $0.75 the cheapest time you can buy.  It also gives Caden the extra money he wants. Win-win.  

However, Caden is his dad's son and has two Option C parents, so the story doesn't end there.  I don’t know what Caden's thought process was, though I would love to know. But Caden noticed that the bulk of the mess was his brother's doing and turned that around in his head.  The next morning at breakfast, Caden talked to his brother about the mess and offered him $0.25 to keep the deck clean.  Dan pays Caden $0.75 to clean the mess up, Caden pays Logan $0.25 to keep the deck clean, and pockets $0.50 for his "management and delegation skills."  

Mostly when Caden makes these deals with his brother, Logan (6) somehow ends up with the short end of the stick, so most of the time I end up intervening, but I couldn't see the fault in Caden's logic, nor could I see that it disadvantaged his brother as he created a win-win-win situation.  Dan laughed at first when I told him, then commented that "the kid’s a genius!"

[liveoptimal]

Forks Over Knives: The No Meat Dilemma

January 3, 2013

It’s late, so this will be short.  Dan and I just finished watching “Forks over Knives”.  The movie lays out the unhealthy habits of the American population and the overwhelming corresponding healthcare expenses.  The bottom line is if you are interested in your own long-term health, this movie is worth your time and attention.  It is dry and not meant to entertain, so don’t expect a “date night” movie, but the facts are astounding and worth the time and consideration.

[liveoptimal]

Green Apple Sauvignon Blanc Sorbet - it is Yummy!

January 4, 2013

Update – I have now made this Green Apple Sorbet two times – my family loves it.  My family seems to like it both with and without the apple peels. It is still not a “typical” sorbet flavor, but it s a nice feel. I think it would pair nicely with tapas dinner or Asian food, but was nice as a celebratory splurge – homemade, festive and not too terrible for you - apples and wine and dessert, how can you go wrong!

[liveoptimal]

Green Apple Sauvignon Blanc Sorbet: A Healthy Yummy Dessert

 December 30, 2012

Sometime in early November I poured over my recipes, searched Epicurious.com and began planning Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve meals for my family.  My efforts at organization and raising enthusiasm for the upcoming holidays turned out to be less than overwhelming – the Thanksgiving dinner menu, while initially planned well, changed three days before Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and Christmas morning meals ended up being planned and shopped for on December 23rd and we changed our New Year’s Eve plans on December 30th and changed in part the next day.  However, aside from the sparkling juice for the kids and the bottle of champaigne for Dan and I, the only menu item that didn’t change was New Year’s Eve desert – Green Apple Sauvignon Blanc Sorbet.  

At first I didn’t think this was a natural pairing, however I was intrigued enough that I thought it was worth a try.  I found the recipe in October 2010 Sunset Magazine and had ripped out the page but had yet to try it. 

Green Apple Sauvignon Blanc Sorbet 

(makes 3 ½ cups, 70 minutes prep)

¾ cup sugar

1 ¼ lbs tart green apples such as Granny Smith, cored and cut in 1-in. chunks (leaves peels on)

¾ chilled Sauvignon Blanc

¼ tsp. kosher salt

1 tsp lemon juice

Heat 1 cup water, the sugar, and apples in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat to a low boil, then reduce heat to low, partially cover pan, and gently simmer until apples are very tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in wine, salt and lemon juice. 

Mash mixture through a fine-mesh strainer or a food mil into a bowl to remove skins. Whisk to blend evenly.  (I made two batches and I have neither a fine mesh strainer or food mill, so the first batch I left the skins on and pureed the whole batch, apples and skins in my food processor and then proceeded to step 3.  The second batch I peeled before cooking and then pureed in the food processor.)

Pour puree into a shallow 9- by 13-in backing dish and put in freezer for 20 minutes.  Freeze in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer’s directions. For a firmer texture, transfer to an airtight container and freeze another 8 hours before serving .  Make ahead: Up to 1 week.

Can’t wait to try it!

[liveoptimal]

Soaking Again... and Again

January 2, 2013, Update

I tried the bath soak for twice since my December 30th post and Dan has tried it once.  I have lost 3 lbs since then and Dan thought it helped his cold.  I don’t honestly attribute the 3 lbs weight loss just to the “Best Ever Detox Soak”, but I do believe it was part of it.  After the bathes I felt much more relaxed and had better energy the next day.  I can’t tell you scientifically that it is working, however I do believe the detox is part of a regular regimen for a healthy lifestyle and will add them in as a regular healthy indulgence.  Besides, it feels great - good down time!

[liveoptimal]

Aaahhh... Soaking it Away: The Detox Bath

December 30, 2012

My discovery for the day!  I don’t subscribe to Natural Solutions magazine on a regular basis, but I do pick a copy up every couple of months out of curiosity.  The Holiday 2012 (issue 148) has a great find – or at least I hope it will be.  It contains the recipe for what toted as “The Best Ever Detox Bath Soak”.  

The ingredients for the bath are:

1 cup hydrogen peroxide

1 cup Epsom salt (I found some that also contained lavender oil  - yum)

1 cup sea salt

1 cup baking soda

The rest is easy – make the bath hot, mix in the solution and soak for 20-40 minutes.   

I have to confess, I think it has been six or seven years since I’ve truly taken a bath.  As a busy mom, teacher, consultant and writer, as well as chef, maid, etc., who has time for a bath, let alone a soak; many days I would settle for a really long shower without interruption.  In addition, neither our current nor our last house had a bathtub in the Master Bath – not just not a Jacuzzi tub, but no tub at all.  And while I could use the tub in my boys’ bathroom – ick.  Between the layers of dirt, grime and traces of pee I’m afraid one of my kids left in the tub, I’ve had trouble viewing their bathtub as a place of refuge. 

Luckily this house has a bathtub in the spare bath, and I’m trying it!  

I have tried the detox foot pads from Gaiam, and I once had a detox foot bath at my chiropractor’s office; Dan has tried detox diets.  However, neither of us had tried a detox bath.   With all of the toxins in our air, water, food, and environment, I believe regular detoxing is probably part of a regular regimen for good health and balance. 

The article in Natural Solutions says, “The ‘Best Ever Detox Bath Soak’ is great for weight loss, to treat muscle soreness, after workouts, for colds/flus, releasing toxins, and treating skin rashes.”  I don’t have a cold, flu or skin rash; I have some general aches and pains, but no true muscle soreness.  I am primarily hoping for a good detox for general well-being and for promoting weight loss. (I have to confess after losing 8 lbs with exercise and Shakeology, I laid off the exercise with the holidays and indulged in some really good munchies.  As a result I have gained back about 6 lbs.  I’m hoping the detox soak will help re-set my bath to where I want to be. )

So – off to my bath I go!

[liveoptimal]

"Don't Put Tofu in your Hair" and Other Likely Parental Instructions

December 18, 2012

Parent quote of the day:  “Don’t put tofu in your hair.”

Another one of those things you say as a parent that you never thought you would say or could even have conceived of as a general statement.  

This afternoon my 6 year old was helping me make Miso Stew - one of my new go-to soup recipes from Epicurious – quick and delicious! -  by cutting the tofu.  The boys often help me make dinner by cutting the vegetables, mixing, etc.; they especially like working my “Alligator” cutter when cutting carrots or celery for soup.  Both boys are much better at the cutting than the pursuing clean-up.

Despite the fact that my 6 year old, is pretty much always dirty (dirty or naked) he doesn’t like to have dirt or moisture on his clothes and has been known to go through 4 or 5 clothes changes in one day.  And despite wanting to keep his clothes clean, he rarely seems to have need for a napkin or towel, despite the abundance of both in our house.  Instead, he has, for years now, had a tendency to wipe his dirty hands on his hair – tofu, beans, fruit juice, all sorts of breakfast, lunch and dinner debris have ended up in his hair.  I’m constantly scrubbing his scalp!

As off as it sounds, I actually prefer my 6 year old's tendency to wipe his hands in his hair to his brother’s hand-wiping tendency!  Eight-year old Caden also doesn’t like to have his clothes or hair dirty.  Caden also seems to have a blind spot in his vision that obscures the presence of napkins sitting on his lap or on the table right at his elbow.  So when Caden has dirty hands he wipes them on the table, the walls, the couch, the rug, or others clothes. He started this new habit out of the blue about 6 months ago.  

I’ve almost erased the habit, though every once in a while he’ll start wiping his hands before thinking about what he’s doing.  Really the habit only lasted a couple of months, but wow that was a gross couple of months when he was doing that – made me want to have someone come in and steam clean ever surface in the house.  

[liveoptimal]

A Balanced Life... Well Sort Of

December 12, 2012

School was a bust today, mostly my fault.  I was up way too late last night, slept in and then had a minor family crisis and needed to check in with my family before I started the day.  At 10am I felt all was ok and the crisis was adverted.  

However, as I had been on the phone for the last hour, I had missed my morning Shakeology and was really hungry, so it was straight to my Breakfast Muesli, tasted great and a hardy way to start the day.  However, as it is now approaching noon, my boys are working on writing Christmas cards to their friends (part of their homeschool writing assignment) and in about 40 minutes the  boys off to the local pool for some exercise with their friends.  Luckily, my dear friend Marianna, along with her two kids, also 6 and 8, has agreed to watch my boys  so I can get some work done.  

Then this afternoon I need to bake holiday sugar cookies for my 6 year-old's homeschool co-op group. Then dinner, clean-up, family time and bed time.  So, no real school today. Its one of the great flexibilities of homeschool – I know we’ll make it up later and so its not terrible.  Though I have to confess that I’m not feeling like I have disadvantaged my kids today, that I failed to educate them.  

Somedays I feel like I achieve that precarious balance between Wife-Mom, Mom-Consultant, Teacher-Household Manager. Today is not one of those days.  Last night I read part of a recent blog entry by Poppy Montgomery on the difficulty of finding balance and her challenges as a single mom and actress.  I have an active, reliable (and wonderful) partner to help with the kids (and with my work) but still balance eludes me.  And honestly, I’m not sure I’ll ever achieve what feels like a peaceful balance, possibly in part due to my upbringing, which included a low-dose of perpetual Catholic guilt, or possibly due to the fact that I just have a lot on my plate – wife, household manager (and laborer), mom, homeschool teacher, and consultant.

Either way, I’ll try again tomorrow.  Though if anyone has any great short-cuts or words of wisdom, I would love to hear how others have achieved a balanced life!

[liveoptimal]

Easy Christmas Balls

December 5, 2012

Christmas shopping done – check.

Christmas cards sent – check.

Presents wrapped – check.

Tree decorated – check (sort of, the kids had a hand in the tree decorating.  Its decorated mostly.)

Exterior lights up – Ok, not yet. Still on the to do list.

House decorated – mostly.  The stockings are hung, the garland strung along the banister. My last project to do is trying a Christmas decoration project I saw on CitrusFlat.com blog, “15 Minute No Clutter, Big Impact Holiday Decoration.”   The blogger Rachel is a full-time mom, new fitness coach and fiscally creative decorator.  

I loved the Christmas decoration project.  Rachel used nylon filament to hand large Christmas ornaments.  I didn’t have any over-sized ornaments, but found a six-pack at Costco for $17.99 and the filament at the local craft store.  Rachel used hers to make her fireplace mantle pop with celebration; my mantle is already decorated, as is my rather small living room, so I think I’m going to use mine to add holiday cheer to the kitchen and entry way.

[liveoptimal]

A Pacific Northwest Thanksgiving Dinner Topped with Pecan Pie

November 20, 2012

Our first Thanksgiving in the Pacific Northwest!  We’re excited, though it honestly feels odd not gathering with our bigger family for the holiday.  We are blessed to have our good friend, and the boys’ Uncle Dave here to celebrate with us.  We were at Dave’s last Thanksgiving so in a way, his being here is providing some consistency for our family and has made this much more of a celebration.  I have been having a hard time getting into the festive mood of Thanksgiving – not one of my favorite holidays anyway, but having a harder time this year than normal.  

With the help of my Bon Appetit and requests from my kiddos, the menu is set – much more limited since I’m the only one cooking, but still yummy.  For this year I decided to make:

Spinach, Grape and Marcona Almond Salad with Shallot and Cucumber dressing

Cranberry, Raspberry Sauce

Herbed Mushroom Stuffing

Brined Turkey

Butter Rolls

Pecan Pie

Tebri Pinot Nior

Sparkling Pomegranate Apple Juice

The Pecan Pie is a tradition Dave introduced us to more than a decade ago.  He made Pecan Pie for Dan and I  - the first I had ever tried.  Dave topped his Pecan Pie with a bit of smoked chipotle, which I didn’t do this year for fear it would be too spicy for the kids, but it added a nice kick to it.  I was finally able to wrestle the Pecan Pie recipe from Dave last year.  

Bourbon Pecan Pie

(makes 2 pies)

6 eggs, slightly beaten

1 cup honey

½ cup dark corn syrup

1 1/3  cup granulated sugar

1/3  cup brown sugar

½ cup butter (1 stick), melted

1 tsp. vanilla

3-4 Tbsp good quality bourbon

3 ½ cups pecans (pieces or whole) 

2 (9-inch deep dish pie shells, unbaked

Preheat oven 350 degrees.

Take pie shells and place in pie pans

In a large bowl, mix all ingredients, except pecans, until well blended.  

Stir in pecans.

Pour ½ mixture in each pie shell.

Bake 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes.

Allow 20-30 minutes to cool.

Best served with home made which Amaretto Whip Cream (cream, sugar, amaretto).

(Complicated) Credits: As I understand it, this recipe is a  modified (by Ami Sullivan) version of a recipe modified by Dave Lehmann mashed up by Jeff Wiegand  from a recipe modified by Sharon Copeland who modified a version of a recipe by Missouri State Beekeepers Association Honey Cookbook recipe and Paula Dean’s Bourbon Pecan Pie recipe. (I think that was everyone who deserves credit for it! – whew.)

[liveoptimal]

The Best Breakfast: Homemade Muesli

December 11, 2012

I made Breakfast Muesli tonight – enough for breakfast for the whole week.  Well, my second breakfast, I always have my Shakelogy first thing in the morning.  So around 11:00am I’m starting to get really hungry.  But I’m usually in mid-swing of the day and not ready to stop for lunch.  Grabbing a quick bowl of muesli works great for me – it is enough to feel full, but light enough to and clean enough to feel good. 

In my breakfast muesli I mix:

2 large Honeycrisp or Pink Lady apples shredded  (Pink Lady are my favorite but only available for a short time during the year)

2 cups oats

16 oz plain non-fat Greek yogurt

2 cups pineapple juice

3 cups mixed nuts,  fresh and dried fruit (I used fresh frozen local  blueberries, died cranberries, grapes, almond sliver. I have also used bananas, pears and dried blueberries.)

2 Tablespoons Honey

1 tsp almond extract (or Vanilla or Banana – whichever you prefer)

*You can alter the proportions in this recipe easily to better fit your tastes. When I make this recipe for me, I like more of the oats/yogurt with fewer fruits so it is less “chewy”.  When I make this for my dad, I use a lot more fruit and less oats/yogurt as he really loves fruit.  Play with the recipe to fit your taste!

Mix and let sit overnight. It’s ready the next morning and for the rest of the week.  It also makes a good late night snack.  The yogurt, nuts and oats lend protein while the berries and fruit are full of antioxidents and nutrients.  After I scope the muesli into my breakfast bowl, I sprinkle flax seed or sometimes chia seeds over it for extra omega-3.

I can’t wait to eat it tomorrow – though I have to confess I did try a spoonful as I was mixing it tonight(yum!).

[liveoptimal]

A Willamette Winery for the Whole Family

November 11, 2012 This past weekend the Willamette Valley wineries had an open-house. Dan had the great insight to call a couple of the wineries ahead of our visit to see if the wine tasting was “family friendly.”  One of the wineries laughed at the question but said they did have a nice grassy spot for the kids to run around.  Maybe we’re the only couple that thinks to bring our kids wine tasting, but frankly, if we hadn’t of brought them with us, it wouldn’t have happened.  

So, with the two boys in tow, we managed to hit three wineries on a damp and sprinkling Saturday afternoon. Our favorite by far, and our boys favorite for a family-oriented host, was TeBri.  TeBri, located in the Monroe Hills, is a newer winery in their second year of offerings  with three Pinot Niors. TeBri is also home to what a large lavender harvest, including a lavender labyrinth and maze with a gazebo at the center – I can’t wait to see it in spring and summer!

Winery owners Therese and Brian were wonderful welcoming and happy to share their  winery (and their three dogs) with our family.  For new wine students, it was very easy to talk to Therese and Brian about the wine and their qualities without feeling like we needed to reference our “Wines for Dummies” handbook. (OK, we haven’t actually bought the Wines for Dummies book, though we have discussed it as we would like to learn more about the subtle tastes and nuances of different wines and grapes, still might get it.)  

While Dan and Ami had different favorites, we can’t wait to return to the winery in the spring and through the summer to sample more wines, restock our cellar and watch their lavender harvest grow.  www.tebri.com