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Why Wine Drinkers are Happiest and Top Places to Drink Wine in Oklahoma City

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Are you a classified wine drinker? Drinking wine is a must for me. Is that bad to say? I don’t think so. On occasion I get poked fun at while my friends are drinking beer in a casual bar and I’m holding a wine glass, but what can I say? Wine is the best. Also, wine drinkers are happiest.

wine drinker

As a young adult, I was allowed small sips of wine from my parents’ and they taught me how to appreciate wine. I remember going to a wine tasting in Europe when I was younger and actually sipping and trying to understand what to taste in each glass. I spit it out after each gargle of course. 😉 My point is, wine is amazing and each wine has a unique complex taste that should be noted. The fun never ends when it comes to wine tasting, and drinking, because there are endless types to try! If I had time for another hobby, I may even consider becoming a sommelier…now that would be a dream!

If you’re in the OKC area, some of my favorite places to get a nice glass of wine are:

Sidecar – While this isn’t just a great place for wine specifically, they have some great wine options and I just love the vibe of this place. They have some inventive bar chairs that are made out of cork! Check out their delicious options.

Peloton – Tucked away in Automobile Alley, some people may miss this great wine stop with over 50 wines to choose from! The wine is delicious and I love their appetizers to snack on while enjoying the main course…the wine 😉 Here is their list.

Waters Edge Winery – Who doesn’t want to support the growing wine community in Oklahoma? This is a great spot to get some locally made wine. Each wine is blended, fermented, oaked, racked, filtered and bottled in their Oklahoma facility.

Whiskey Cake – They always have a great wine list! I love how they change their wines seasonally when their food items change. Interested? Here’s their latest summer wine list.

Bin 73 – A new favorite that I am planning on going to more this summer. They also have fun live entertainment which just makes the experience even better!

 

red wine in oklahoma city

So why are wine drinkers happier?

Evidence 1: Red wine is loaded with antioxidants, which have been shown to help protect the heart. And, if you are feeling like you are benefitting your health by drinking wine… you’ll be happy about it. That’s not a stretch, right?

Evidence 2: These photos of people pre and post wine. Seriously died laughing over these great photos. I’d love to do this experiment on myself and friends!

 

Evidence 3: Quote by Celia Ramsay, I happen to love this quote and her wine.

“Even though I know how to use a Smartphone, I’d still rather go dancing than watch television, and I find nothing more satisfying than singing with my friends next to a fire. We are here so briefly that missing a single opportunity to connect with people seems a crime. That’s why we drink wine – it softens the hardness of the day, and loosens our tongues so that we may confide in a friend, share the day’s events with a spouse, or sparkle with a lover over a romantic dinner. This is why we are alive – to be together.”

Evidence 4: Drinking red wine promotes a longer, healthier life. A 29 year long study showed that red wine drinkers have a 34 percent lower mortality rate than beer or vodka drinkers. Resveratrol could be responsible for its longevity benefits. And who doesn’t want to live a longer, healthier life?

Wine doesn’t have to be expensive, I would prefer a nicer bottle but sometimes you just have to do what you can do. Here’s a list if you’re on a wine budget 😉

So what’s your favorite type of wine?

One Shoulder Tanks and Snow Cones

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One shoulder dresses, shirts and tanks have to be one of my favorite looks for summer. The cut is just so elegant and beautiful on every woman. The one shoulder adds a little sex appeal and fun! Why have two sleeves, when one will do? 😉

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one shoulder

Particularly love this one shoulder top from Bill Blass New York. It is one of those tops that I can always reach for when dressing for a relaxing, perfect summer day. I have dressed it up before with a black tutu and heels, and also dressed it down with simple jean shorts and flats for a baseball game. Each look equally good, but in very different ways. Pieces that transition so easily have to be my favorite because the mixing possibilities never end!

This weekend I paired this cream one shoulder tank with some J Crew boyfriend jeans and some fun red and cream striped wedges for a lovely day date with Colton.

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We enjoyed some delicious snow cones from Katie Bugs – talk about an unforgettable icy sensation! These snow cones are not your typical snow cones! I had stopped getting snow cones for the past few summers because it was not worth the really angry stomach and sugar rush. But these are different. Katie Bugs make their own syrups with organic sugar and real fruit! Revolutionary, right? These snow cones were the perfect amount of sweet without that sickening sweetness. I mean I won’t be getting one every single day.. but they will be a nice summer treat on a hot day every once in awhile!

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What is your favorite snow cone flavor? I’ll let you try mine 😉 I got Strawberry Coconut and it was just superb! I have been on a huge coconut kick lately! I don’t know though, below I appear to be a little possessive and don’t look like I will be sharing with Colton any time soon, ha. 🙂

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It was a beautiful clear summer day. The area had fun games like tic-tac-toe, and small bowling pins for the little ones. I loved to watch them racing around and screaming. Too much fun! There were also way too many cute puppies around the area, major puppy fever over here!

Hope everyone had a great weekend and has a great week!

Sunday Funday Downtown Oklahoma City

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This Sunday Funday in Downtown Oklahoma City had to be one of the best yet! Do you do Sunday Funday, or just relax? I love to relax some Sundays, but every time I end up getting out there and doing something exciting I wonder why I don’t make every Sunday a Sunday Funday!

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I started this morning with some delicious, not guilt-free, lemon poppyseed pancakes. So worth it! They were perfectly zesty, sweet, and exactly how a Sunday Funday should start – delicious! After relaxing with Colton and enjoying a lazy morning, it was finally time for Wine and Workout at the Myriad Gardens in Downtown Oklahoma City with my besties. The day was beautiful and the sun was out! At the time, we happily welcomed the sun, later that evening we were swapping photos of our burned backs. Oops, time to start wearing that high SPF sunscreen.

Wine and Workout was so much fun! The twenty minute workout was super challenging and the yoga after the work was the perfect way to unwind and relax. We also participated in an equally enjoyable way to relax – drinking wine.  Water’s Edge Winery provided the wine tasting and we tried 5 different wines. My favorite was their Chardonnay and Merlot, typical. My friend Samantha won a facial and I won the Instagram challenge! The winner of the challenge got to choose their favorite charity to donate 10% of the profit. I chose my friends over at Oklahoma Humane Society, oh and 3 bottles of wine! YES!

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Was so happy to meet Tara Nelson, the creator of Wine and Workout Live, she was so sweet and great to workout with. I am completely on the same page with her in the importance of living a healthy life but also living a balanced life. If you don’t allow yourself any of life’s indulgences, you’re missing out! Why not have your workout, and your wine?!

We continued the fun and enjoyed some delicious lattes over at Kitchen 324. I always get my latte with skim or 1 percent milk, sweetened with a drizzle of honey. I love the days where you can just spend time with your sweet friends and appreciate all that you have been blessed with. Today was one of those much needed days and the perfect way to end the weekend and prepare for the week. So thankful for my sweet friends and the support that they give me! Laughing is seriously the best medicine!

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Have a great week everyone! Thanks so much for reading! <3

Wine + Workout at Myriad Gardens in OKC

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wine workout

There are only few things in life that I like more then working out and drinking wine. Combine the two and I am there 110 percent. I couldn’t think of a better combination if I had years to come up with a bigger, better idea. So why am I telling you this? Because Wine + Workout.

On April 10, Wine + Workout is coming to OKC and will be hosted at the Myriad Gardens. Wine+Workout is all about finding balance and being a healthy, strong, fulfilled woman. Women who have just worked out and have had a glass of wine, now that’s an unstoppable combination!

Buy your ticket for Wine+Workout.

wine workout

wine workout

So what do we do? We will be doing a 20 minute body weight workout (yes you can do it – it won’t be too killer!), finished off with some relaxing yoga to de-stress from our hectic lives and find our inner peace. I don’t know about you, but my inner peace has really good hiding spots, so yoga is a must for me. To add even more fun to the event, there will be a DJ spinning to keep up the excitement.

After the workout, it’s on to the good stuff, like wine. There are 5 different varieties of wine to taste and food pairings for each, so basically you’re in for a treat.

While we “sip” (who are we kidding?!) our delicious wines we’ll play games to win awesome prizes like bottles of wine, free yoga sessions, and more! All thanks to the awesome sponsors like Barre3, Waters Edge Winery, Hidden Dragon Yoga, Moxie Ride, etc.

The event is 11:30 am to 1:30 pm on Sunday, April 10. A perfect opportunity to grab a group of girlfriends, leave the kiddos (or dogs, or fish,… dependent on your current life situation) at home and take some time for you. Because you deserve it. It will be the ultimate #SundayFunday.

Join in on the fun and Buy your ticket for Wine+Workout. Be a sweetie and tell your friends about it too!

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Grab your yoga mat, water bottle, (and ID!- no need to print ticket!) and I’ll see you there! 🙂

 

 

 

Eating Right in OKC, Tree to Table Benefit

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tree to table benefit

This Monday was the mouth watering Tree to Table benefit at the OKC Public Farmer’s Market. This event asks OKC chefs and catering companies to compete and make either savory or sweet dishes, highlighting ingredients that come from trees (think apples, almonds, chocolate,etc.)

As event-goers we were tasked with eating scrumptious foods and socializing. A challenge we were up for! Many delicious restaurants and catering services from OKC participated, like Museum Cafe, Kam’s Kookery, Vast, The Wedge, Stella, Rococo and many more.

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kam's cookery

It’s so crazy to think about the people who don’t get fresh food and how far we have gone to popularize unhealthy overly processed foods. This is a great event that reminds you to get back to the basics with healthy, fresh ingredients.

After tasting all the delicacies, we voted for our favorite. My favorite had to be from Kam’s Kookery, it was a mix of deliciousness – pecan smoked pork, maple infused sweet potatoes, apple slaw and apricot mole. Makes me tired just thinking of preparing it!

tree to table benefit

Rick Bayless was the head judge. Bayless specializes in tasty Mexican dishes and may sound familiar to you through his PBS series, Mexico, or his numerous famous restaurants, like Frontera.  He also happens to be from OKC, where he graduated high school with my mother and aunt! #famous It was great to get to greet him and celebrate his super healthy, stylish mother on her 89th birthday! It’s amazing what good food can do for you!

tree to table benefit

The proceeds benefitted Oklahoma Orchards and Tornado Re-Leaf programs of the Tree Bank Foundation. It is their goal to get more trees planted in tornado damaged communities. Since 2013, they have successfully planted more than 12,000 trees and would like to continue and push that goal in the upcoming years. If you missed out on the event and would still like to donate to this important cause, you can still do so!

Best part of the event was definitely watching my cousin struggling to get down the stairs and out the door without harming her large maple tree she purchased at the event.

Have a great Wednesday!