Gifts | Mommies With Style

Make Mom Smile With the California Wine Club and #Giveaway

May 5, 2011 By kate 36 Comments

A box of chocolates – okay.

Flowers – nice.

Two bottles of award-winning California wine – hello! Instead of the usual Mother’s Day fair, mix it up this year with a gift from The California Wine Club. Available in 1 to 12 month gift memberships, get two bottles of hand-selected wine from their Premier Club, Signature Series or try out their International Selections or Aged Cabernet Series. [Keep reading to see two great offers from the California Wine Club!]

A few days ago I received a sample shipment from the Premier Club. Inside was a chilled bottle of 2007 Robledo Lake County Sauvignon Blanc and a 2005 Robledo Los Braceros Sonoma Valley Red Wine. The shipment also included their monthly magazine Uncorked which features interviews, articles and background on the family and winery in the shipment as well as tasting notes, recipes, places to stay or eat by the winery and other wine fun facts. My husband and I tried the Los Braceros Red Wine last night – incredible! The aroma was intoxicating and the wine itself was full of spicy, complex flavors like black currant, ripe plum and a hint of tobacco. I like my wines big and bold and this one fit the bill.

I’ve never belonged to a wine club before but I like the concept of them for four reasons:

- No more buying wine by the label. Come on, you know you do it to. You’re aimlessly wandering through the wine aisle your local grocery store, trying to decide which label you like best. No more! The wine club does the research to select the best vintages and the best varietals.

- The wine comes to you! I usually end up shopping with my three kids in tow which makes it tricky to spend time searching the bottles for a recommendation I heard or deciding which varietal will go best with dinner. Plus, kids + cart + towers of glass bottles always makes me nervous.

- Increase your “wine smarts.” Many times I grab a bottle of wine at the store (often based on a combination of the label, the blurb on the back and the price). I bring it home, drink it with my husband and friends, give it a thumbs up or thumbs down and forget about it. If I lived with a sommelier, he or she might be able to tell them that I should have tried that particular wine with lamb instead of beef, or let it sit open for 30 minutes before I tasted it or tasted it with a certain kind of cheese to bring out the floral notes. The California Wine Club’s magazine Uncorked does just this! Whether you are a novice just starting off or an experienced wine drinker, Uncorked helps you learn about wine while you’re enjoying it.

- Like it? Buy more at a great discount. The California Wine Club offers members up to 60% off on your order of additional bottles of wines you’ve tried and liked. For example, the Robledo Los Braceros red I received retails for $30 (and is available at restaurants for up to $51!), but you can reorder bottles at just $11.99 while they still have them in stock! You can also order half, full and mixed cases of your favorite picks.

Whether it’s for your mother, your mother-in-law or to enjoy yourself, a membership to The California Wine Club makes a great gift for mothers of any age. Plus, it’s the perfect last minute gift for those Saturday night shoppers!

As a special offer for MWS readers, The California Wine Club is offering TWO special deals.

1) GIVEAWAY! A shipment of wine on the house! Simply “like” the California Wine Club’s Facebook page and tell them that MWS sent you. Then come back here and let us know. One winner will received a complimentary shipment of two bottles of wine. Contest only open to those 21 years or older. Comments closed on Wednesday, May 11, 11:59pm. US-residents only and must reside in a state that allows the shipment of wine.

2) DEAL! Sign up for a trial of their Premier Wine Club and receive the the red and the white Robledo (or two of the red or two of the white if you prefer) for only $13 (that’s about 65% off regular membership!). You can stay as a member at the regular rate and choose to have your wines delivered monthly, bi-monthly or quarterly, or if you decide the club isn’t for you, can simply cancel after the first month. Sign up here and use the code “momblog-11″ to get your first order for only $13. If you have questions, you can get in touch with Jon (jonb@cawineclub.com) at The California Wine Club who can answer any of your questions.

Filed Under: Giveaways, Misc Tagged With: Gifts, mother's day, wine

Coffee or Espresso? De’Longhi Lets You Decide

December 19, 2010 By kate Leave a Comment

You like lattes. He likes coffee. He wants an Americano. You just want a cup of joe. De’Longhi to the rescue! With their dual coffee-espresso maker (BCO264B), you both can have your morning beverage – and drink it too!. The De’Longhi BCO264B is a three-in-one machine that includes a drip coffee maker, a pump espresso maker and a frothing wand to make lattes and cappuccinos.

Let’s start with the coffee maker. The permanent, gold tone filter eliminates the need to have paper filters on hand, and Delonghi’s patented brewing system creates a rich, flavorful coffee. The 10-cup capacity ensures you won’t run out of joe to help you make it through the morning or will have enough to go around when company is over. A convenient “AccuFlavor Selector” knob on top lets you select the strength of your brew, and you can also select how long the pot stays warm. Plus with the 24-hour, programmable timer, you can always wake up to a hot cup of coffee without your pre-coffee-self having to think before your caffeine. Love this. Waking up to the smell of coffee is like aromatherapy for my mornings.

Onto espresso… the De’Longhi BCO264B has a patented filter holder that lets you use either your own ground coffee or pre-package pods like those from Starbucks, Senseo, illy and others. Turn the knob to preheat for a few minutes and then let 15 bars of pump pressure create dark, rich espresso. If you’ve never owned an espresso machine before, it may take a few tries to pull your perfect shot of espresso. Check YouTube for tips on tamping, grinding and timing.

Finally, the frothing. I’ve had fun experimenting with lattes, cappuccinos and more with the frothing wand. I’m not thrilled about the placement of the frother. I’d prefer it on the outer edge of the machine so it’s easier to access, but it works, creating piles of frothy foam. My kids new favorite thing is to ask for a “bubbly hot chocolate.”

At just under 15″ tall, the De’Longhi BCO264B fits easily under most upper cabinets, and the black and silver color palette looks striking on any countertop. Is it a gift for him? For you? No need to decide. Just unwrap together and enjoy your fresh cup of coffee or cappuccino or latte or espresso…..

Purchase at De’Longhi for $199

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Disclaimer: De’Longhi sent a sample of this product for review. The opinions expressed are my own.

Filed Under: Dads, For the Home, Housewares, Slings & Carriers Tagged With: coffee, De'Longhi, Gifts

Getting it together in style; 10% off Coupon Code for Shopaholics Shop

November 24, 2010 By Jen Leave a Comment

Do you ever feel like you can never find anything in your purse? Are you always searching for your keys, make-up and the little things you like to carry around? It’s frustrating and annoying being disorganized, especially with something you take around with you everywhere, every day!

Recently I was introduced to a few new stylish organizational products from Shopaholics Shop that are designed to de-clutter your life on-the-go, in a hip, fashionable manner. They are amazing! You won’t want to ever be without them!

They include:
Card Cubby a “must have” alphabetized mini-card file to hold all of your gift cards, frequent shopper cards, coupons, etc.
Jewelry Tote love how this keeps my jewelry organized and in perfect condition on the road or at home
Purse Insert amazing purse accessory to help keep my purse (or diaper bag) nice and organized with various compartments for all of my stuff
Luxury Travel Tote tons of space, totally wipeable, awesome organized bag to take with you on trips or for everyday

Mother’s Day Gift Guide: Blendtec Bliss

May 5, 2010 By kate 1 Comment

Close your eyes and picture this Mother’s Day plan: You are awoken in bed by the delivery of a steaming cappuccino made with fresh ground coffee beans and the delicious smells of baked french toast, fresh strawberries and a batch of homemade peach syrup. After eating a hot breakfast in peace and quiet with only the birds and sunshine to keep you company, you enjoy a hot shower where the curtain stays closed the entire time and no one asks you where their socks are or informs you that the baby got into the dog food….again. Once dressed, you are whisked off to a morning of spa treatments and relaxation before returning home to enjoy a light lunch of a salad topped with poppy seed dressing, fresh gazpacho, and toasted whole wheat bread with your choice of hummus, tapenade, or almond butter. Oh, and a midday strawberry daiquiri. After an afternoon nap and sunset walk on the beach with loved ones, you return home to enjoy a collection of fondue appetizers - roasted garlic and leek fondue and smoked cheddar and tomato fondue to be exact – followed by a steaming bowl of pasta with fresh marinara sauce. To end the evening, you are brought a slice of carrot cake with cream cheese frosting and a scoop of caramel cashew ice cream before you drift off to blissful sleep without doing a single dish….

A dream? Perhaps that all those delectable delights would be brought to you, but with the Blendtec Countertop Blender by K-TEC you can make all of the bold items above in addition to hundreds more. People, this is no ordinary blender. I’ve been trying out of Blendtec for the last week and want to share why the Blendtec can blend circles around the competition. And why this post wouldn’t be a bad one to Tweet or share on your Facebook page for passing in-laws and loved ones to happen to see….(just click one of the Share Buttons at the bottom of this post).

1. Clutter-Reducer: It’s springtime and I’m sure you’ve been doing some cleaning (or at least thinking about doing some cleaning which definitely counts as a half-step). If you’re like a lot of mothers I know, your kitchen is full of appliances, gizmos and gadgets. Some you may use all the time while others like that bread maker you put on your wedding registry or that ice cream maker your mother-in-law got you last Christmas may be gathering dust in the back corners of a cabinet. The Blendtec blender can take the place of a hand mixer, coffee grinder, ice cream maker, bread maker, juicer, food processor, grain grinder and of course, your regular blender. That’s 8 appliances in 1! Think of what you could do with all that cabinet space!

2. Versatile: With one appliance you can make just about an entire day’s worth of meals. Smoothies and pancake batter you might expect from a blender. But ice cream in seconds? Grinding wheat berries to make your own fresh-ground whole wheat flour? Or rice flour? Or oat flour? Soups? And not just cold soups. The Blendtec motor goes so fast, you can actually heat the soup in the blender. In the last week I’ve made almond butter, blueberry muffins, smoothies, hummus, applesauce, gazpacho, cookies and cream ice cream, fresh carrot juice, whipped cream, salsa, pesto, shrimp bisque, carrot cake and strawberry jam. Just. With. The. Blender. And the included 200+ page recipe book complete with tons of optional substitutions and nutritional info for each will keep me inspired – and full – for weeks.

3. Easy to Use: K-TEC worked with a collection of chefs and engineers to create specific speed cycles to perfectly blend your food. My last blender had buttons like “Mix”, “Blend” and “Chop” which always baffled me a bit – do I want to mix my smoothie or blend it? The Blendtec has buttons like “Fondue”, “Ice Cream” and “Batter” that independently speed up and slow down during the cycle to make sure all your ingredients are incorporated. For example the “Smoothie” button changes between eight different speeds during the 25 second cycle to ensure that every last frozen strawberry, mango chunk or orange slice has been melded into a uniform consistency. The “Fondue” button uses three speeds during a 90 second cycle. Prefer to make your own cycle? The Blendtec also has a Pulse button as well as Speed Up and Speed Down arrows for you to choose your desired blending speed.

4. Easy to Clean: My previous blender had a four-pronged blade that was sharp and had some prongs pointed up and some down making it difficult to get all the contents out and tricky to clean. Cleaning meant taking the entire blender apart into its four pieces (plus two more for the lid), washing, drying and reassembling. The Blendtec has a dull, two-pronged blade and stays together as one unit. Washing consists of adding warm, soapy water, blending for five seconds and rinsing it clean. Done. Plus it’s top-rack dishwasher safe.

5. Counter-Friendly: The Blendtec comes in white, red, coffee and black allowing you to find the perfect match for your kitchen decor. Plus, at only 15.5 inches tall, it fits under most top cabinets making it convenient – and attractive – to leave out on your counter.

Granted, at $399 the Blendtec isn’t cheap (you can also pay in three installments), but keep in mind that it can take the place of eight different appliances. Plus anything that can puree carrots for baby, make milkshakes for junior, whip up a bisque for the hubby and a pina colada for you – well, the Blendtec is really a gift for the whole family. Pick one up for Mother’s Day, Father’s Day or any other day. Visit www.blendtec.com to purchase, to check out some recipes from the book or to watch a handful of videos that show the blender in action.

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Note: Company sent a sample of the product for this review.

Filed Under: For the Home, Housewares Tagged With: blender, Blendtec, cooking, For Mom, Gifts, kitchen, mother's day

Nothing short of awesome: Customizeable Sigg water bottles

June 13, 2009 By Whitney 1 Comment

mommieswithstylesigg For $27.99, you can customize your own Sigg water bottle on Cafe Press. What a great gift this is – choose from several different designs, put in your own text and voila, instant personalized Sigg water bottle.

Each bottle is one liter – which is a nice size. It’s great for stashing in the car or taking it with you to the gym. And best of all, you’re of course cutting back on your use of plastic and waste in the environment.

The tagline for this product, “Make your mark on a Sigg bottle, not on the environment.” Love it.

As a bonus, we have 3 Sigg water bottles to give away – with the Mommies with Style logo! Thanks to Cafe Press for making up these great bottles for us to use. Three Mommies with Style winners will each win one bottle (retail value $27.99 each) – to enter to win, subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Three winners will be selected at random from our newsletter subscriber base after June 22st.

Filed Under: Eco-friendly, Fitness, Housewares Tagged With: Gifts, personalize, sigg, water bottle

Make your child a King or Queen of your family tree with Kidlandia; 15% off coupon code

June 10, 2009 By Whitney Leave a Comment

kidlandia Warning: I’m going to gush over this product. The following has to be one of the best gifts I’ve seen for a child in a long time.

Kidlandia makes personalized maps for kids. I’m not talking about a run of the mill map. Make a map that outlines a world of fantasy with silly monsters and towns and forests named after your relatives. The entire thing is personalized and includes names and places of the people in your child’s life.

For example, we personalized one for my oldest son Nate. He is the King of Nateland, which includes “Mom-Mom Town,” “Auntie Abbie’s Forest,” “Alli Bay,” and much more. We’ve named rivers for school friends, towns after grandparents, forest and mountains after cousins and more. We even went so far as to give things funny, silly names like “Cheese Stick Bay.”

I’ve never seen a more unique and fun way to include expanded family in an usual piece of artwork your kids will adore making and displaying on their wall. Both of my kids adore it – and Nate has been excited to share his new map with anyone who walks through the door. Plus, as most of the folks who do walk through our door have their own plot of “land” on his map, they have been flattered and excited to share it as well.

We had a blast just personalizing it on the interactive tool on Kidlandia. Go ahead and check it out for yourself – sit down with your child and make one for your child – it’s free to make one. And if you find you want to go ahead and order one, use coupon code mommieswithstyle and receive 15% off your total purchase. Buy it and frame it yourself or have them stretch it over canvas.

We’re in the process of creating another one for Nate’s little brother. Because it’s that cool, we have to have another one.

Filed Under: Coupon Codes & Sales, Misc, Toys Tagged With: Gifts, wall art

Linda & Harriett: Beautiful Stationery

May 22, 2009 By debbie Leave a Comment

I’m always in a panic when I need to write a note to my daughter’s teacher. It’s always in the morning, last minute when I’m trying to get her out the door! In a panic, I have to scramble around my house for some sort of paper to write the note on and can never find one! I do usually find something lying around in the kitchen but the paper is either too small or not appropriate to give the teacher (don’t want her portraying me as Little Miss Chatterbox)! Thanks to my new notepad from Linda & Harriett, I don’t stress anymore. Each 100 page notepad has a beautiful, subtle design and is just the right size for my notes at 5.5” x 8.5”. Not only do I use my new notepad for notes to the teacher but for my endless lists!

Linda & Harriett carries a full line of letterpress note cards, oversized flats, calendars and custom-designed letterpress invitations. They offer high quality products with good taste and simple design. Their patterns are so classy and unique, with just the right amount of color and print.

I love the Redesigned Dress Card which is part of their Redesigned Line. The dress cards are reconstructed by hand from letterpress misprints. Each card is different and comes with a light gray envelope. They are adorable! I also think their Save the Date invitations from their Custom Collection are so distinctive and beautiful, especially the Seaside Sundae Save the Date invite. It mimics the lid of a pint of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream – which is so delectable in of itself!

Keep Linda & Harriett in mind the next time you are scrambling around your house for something to write on. They also make great gifts! Use code STYLE 10 to save 10% off of your purchase until June 15, 2009.