Planning a trip to Napa

Stephanie | June 29, 2015

Are you planning a trip to Napa Valley? Hopefully, the itinerary of our trip to Napa will help. If you are looking to go to Napa when they harvest and crush the grapes, September or October are the months to research. Please check with some of your favorite wineries as the timing can vary based on weather conditions that year.

Thursday
We arrived at the San Francisco airport and departed for the Simi Winery. Boxed lunches were waiting for us on the bus. The next time I go, I would like to explore San Fran as I hear it is beautiful!

At Simi Winery we had a tour, tasting and dinner al fresco at the winery. It was a delicious grilled meal with wonderful wine. We even got little muffins to take home.

Then, we departed for our hotel, the River Terrace Inn, which is located in downtown Napa.

Friday
We had a leisurely breakfast at the hotel and departed for the Robert Mondavi Winery.

At the winery we had a tour, tasting and lunch. Ingrid showed us around and was wonderful. She was so knowledgeable and made the tour so fun! The lunch was so delicious.

Our lunch menu is pictured below.

We even got to see Mrs. Mondavi!

After Mondavi, we had free time and explored downtown Napa. We loved going in all the little shops and the marketplace.

For dinner, we walked to Morimoto. This is a delicious restaurant. The sushi was amazing.

Saturday
Early Saturday morning, we departed to Chandon for our balloon ride over Napa Valley.

It was beautiful.

However, after several failed attempts to land, we finally were able to land in a winery just missing the river. The winery wasn’t open yet, so the balloon landing crew that was following our balloon, wasn’t able to reach us to assist with our landing. We aren’t fond of heights and after our landing, I highly doubt we will ever do that again!

After our two-hour balloon ride (which was only supposed to be 45 minutes), was a relaxing afternoon. While the some golfed at Chardonnay Golf Club, the others had spa services at Gloria Curry Day Spa. I was treated to a wonderful massage and facial. I got to meet the owner, who gave me a wonderful facial. She even has her on product line, which I tried and enjoyed.

Sunday
We had breakfast at the hotel and departed for the airport. Napa is such a wonderful place to visit. I only saw a little bit of it, but am in love with their natural and green way of life. Even the airport had a place to do yoga!

#Napa is such a wonderful place to visit. I am in love with their natural and green way of life.

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Have you visited Napa? What was your favorite part? I would love to hear more about it!

Safe, happy and healthy travels,
Stephanie

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Unique Father’s day gift ideas

Stephanie | June 8, 2015

Are you looking for unique Father’s day gift ideas? Did you ever consider having a Father’s Day gift for your Dad 3D printed? Almost anything can be 3D printed from existing part files that can be downloaded from the internet to custom parts scanned or drawn in Computer Aided Design (CAD) software.

Printing 3D Parts, Inc., in Youngstown, Ohio can 3D print the most unique, one of a kind Father’s Day gift you could ever give your Dad!

You are only limited by your imagination. Find out how with printing-3D-parts.com!

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Automotive Trim

If your father is a vintage car enthusiast and can’t find that rare trim piece he needs to complete his project, Printing 3D Parts, Inc. can probably 3D print that part.

All we need is an original trim piece (condition is irrelevant), and we can quickly create a 3D printed piece made from durable plastic that can be painted or chrome plated.

Antique Toys

Does your Father collect antique toys? So many times there is a damaged or missing piece. Printing 3D Parts, Inc. has the scanning and printing technologies to create exact reproductions of missing or damaged parts for collectors. All we need is the original piece (condition is irrelevant), and we can quickly create a 3D printed piece made from durable plastic that can be painted or chrome plated.

You are only limited by your imagination. Visit www.printing-3d-parts.com or call 330-759-9099 to find out how to give your Dad the most unique, one of a kind, Father’s Day gift.

I am not being compensated for this post. I love supporting mom and pop businesses, especially from my hometown.

My favorite sunscreen

Stephanie | June 2, 2015

When summer comes, you know you need sunscreen! However, do you know what is in your sunscreen? Your skin is your largest organ and absorbs what you put on it. My favorite sunblock is Enfuselle SPF 30 for body from Shaklee.

Shaklee’s SPF 30 provides high-level and broad-spectrum UV protection. It does this by protecting and feeding your skin in 2 different ways.

First, it blocks damage caused by both types of UV radiation (UV-A and UV-B). This prevents damage to the collagen and elastin layers of the skin. That’s important because those layers can maintain skin firmness, and prevent premature skin sag and wrinkling.

Second, SPF 30 contains the triple patented Vital-Repair+®, a remarkable combination of vitamins A, C, and E, along with grapeseed extract. It’s also the secret ingredient that made Enfuselle the premiere skin care line.

Protect Yourself

Shaklee’s sunscreen has Triple-patented Vital-Repair+® Complex, which is a patented blend of nutrients (antioxidants that block free radical damage) for the skin that actually reduce fine lines and protect and repair skin damage.

Designed for all skin types, including the most sensitive skin, this patented, water-resistant, oil-free sunscreen smooths easily into your skin and absorbs quickly, without leaving a sticky residue. Soothing and moisturizing, it does not irritate the skin. Triple-patented Vital-Repair+® Complex contains antioxidant vitamins and botanicals. The formula offers broad spectrum protection and adds an extra defense against premature skin aging.

What’s in your sunblock? @sharingAtoZ

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Protect and prevent premature aging of your skin with the clinically proven and patented Enfuselle® formula.
It provides broad-spectrum protection against both harmful UVA and UVB rays.
Vital Repair+® Complex adds extra protection against prematurely older-looking skin by neutralizing harmful free radicals
Filters out sun’s harsh rays to protect against skin damage
Non-irritating formula designed for sensitive skin
Paraben Free
Contains triple-patented Vital Repair+® Complex
Formulated with witch hazel and chamomile extracts
Alcohol Free
100% dye, oil, and paraben free
pH-balanced
Hypoallergenic
Dermatologist tested
Not tested on animals

Apply 15 minutes prior to sun exposure. Reapply at least every two hours, or after 80 minutes of swimming or sweating, and immediately after towel drying. For children under six months, consult with a Doctor.

To order, please click here. If you have any questions, I am here to help! Please email me at sharingAtoZ@gmail.com.

Happy summer,
Stephanie

You may like these other Favorite Friday posts:

Favorite brush
Favorite pressed powder
Favorite sunscreen
My favorite foundation

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Kon Kuckie marinade

Stephanie | May 26, 2015

Growing up, my parents always made Kon Kuckie. Funny name, but a great marinade. My mom got the recipe from here friend and the original recipe just called for beef. My parents also used chicken, and I use veggies! Whatever you decide to use, it is a great marinade. You can prep it the day before for a quick meal!

Kon Kuckie (marinade)

1 ½ pounds of meat or veggies
3 T sesame seeds (optional)
3 T oil
1/4 cup soy sauce (or soy sauce substitute such as tamari, Bragg Liquid aminos or coconut aminos)
1/2 cup green onions, sliced
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp ginger, fresh (if possible)
2 T brown sugar (depending on taste desired)

Mix all ingredients.
Pour over meat or veggies.
Soak overnight (or as long as possible).
Broil or grill.
Enjoy!

@sharingAtoZ’s Kon Kuckie is a great marinade for beef, chicken or veggies!

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What is your favorite marinade? I would love to hear it in the comments below or on social media!

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Little man’s fruit smoothie

Stephanie | May 14, 2015

Sometimes you have to let your kids (and your kitchen) get a little messy so your children can cook and actually eat (or drink) some good food! Did you know that most children will eat or at least try something they helped make? I am not the best cook (just ask my husband). However, I do try to include my children in making things in the kitchen. Our favorite things to make together are: smoothies (a list of our favorites are below); healthy no-bake cookies and eggs.

Even though this list is small and very easy, every time my children get asked what they like most about mommy (i.e. Mother’s day projects at school), it is always cooking. “I love mommy because she cooks with me” and “mommy is the best cook” were a few of the phrases on my Mother’s Day cards and art projects. I firmly believe it is because they are included in the process-not that it is a difficult one.

Including children in cooking, can help them eat healthier!

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I started drinking smoothies a while ago after stumbling upon several yummy recipes on my favorite blogs. My children started drinking the smoothies, too! They kept drinking them even after they saw me put spinach in them! Then, my little man wanted to try to come up with his own combination. I was a little skeptical at first, but it was so good! Now he proudly proclaims he makes the “best smoothies ever!” He even has a secret ingredient. Don’t worry, he said I could share it with you!

Little man’s fruit smoothie

6 ounces of orange juice (or other juice like apple or 100% cranberry juice)
2 ounces of coconut water
1 handful of spinach (preferably organic)
1 frozen banana*
1 cup frozen strawberries*
1 cup frozen blueberries*
1 dash of cinnamon – This is the secret ingredient. We love Red Ape Cinnamon.

Optional add-ins:

Protein powder (You can add any kind, but our favorite is this one. It’s vegan, too!)
Chia seeds
Flax seeds
Coconut oil

Blend the first 3 ingredients
Add and blend the rest
Enjoy!

*You can use fresh fruit instead of frozen, but you may want to add some ice to thicken it.

Here are some other smoothie recipes your children can help make with you:

Smoothie recipes

Peppermint Mocha

Beginner’s Luck Fruit Smoothie (from Simple Green Smoothies.com)

Healthy Shamrock “Shake”

Carrot Cake

Chocolate Covered Strawberry

Much health and happiness,
Stephanie

To stay connected with Sharing A to Z, please see Facebook or Pinterest. You can also subscribe (on the middle right sidebar) to get our SATZ newsletters.

This post may contain affiliate links. Thank you for supporting my blog and small business! (Please review the disclosure tab at the top for the full disclosure.)

Additionally, the information provided on this website is not intended to diagnose or treat any medical or mental health condition. Please consult your healthcare provider.

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Roasted beets with feta and onion

Stephanie | May 11, 2015

I recently started eating beets and I love them! This recipe is easy, but yet so delicious. The flavors compliment each other so well. It’s so good that my husband and father love this recipe and they don’t eat many veggies (much to my dismay)!

Roasted beets with feta and onion

Beets
Feta
Green onion
Olive oil

Wash and slice beets in approximately ½ inch thick slices
Lightly coat both sides in olive oil
Bake at 400 degrees for approximately 35 minutes, or until tender
Set on a plate and top with crumbled feta cheese and chopped green onions

Enjoy! What is your favorite beet recipe?

To your health,

Stephanie

To stay connected with Sharing A to Z, please see Facebook or Pinterest. You can also subscribe (on the middle right sidebar) to get our SATZ newsletters.

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Be Well; Joy Love Food; Love from the Kitchen; A Bowl Full of Lemons; I should be mopping the floor; Memories by the mile; Epic Mommy Adventures; The Quinntessential Mommy; The Modest Mom blog; Creative Kids; The Stay-at-home-mom Survival guide; Our three peas ; Ivy & Elephants; What’s cooking love?; The Evolution of Mom; The Road to Domestication; Life with Lorelai; An Alli Event; Little Family Adventure ; Blessed Learners; The Road to Domestication; Life with Lorelai; The Evolution of Mom; An Alli Event; Little Family Adventure; and Share your cup

Summer must haves 2015 giveaway

Stephanie | April 26, 2015

Hello! Welcome to our summer “must haves” 2015 giveaway and link party! Can you believe it is almost summer? Well, in Florida, especially south Florida, it is summer! I am so excited to be part of this #SummerMustHaves event! We have all kinds of great summer “must have” items for this giveaway. These items are favorites of many awesome bloggers! We have for our grand prize FOUR huge prize bundles!

We’ve also got some killer co-hosts, a link up for all things mama and summer-centric, and some really awesome sponsors. As if that’s not enough, we are bringing you two weeks of fun across twelve blogs! You read that right folks…for the next two weeks, we’re bringing you summer related product reviews, DIYs, how-tos, freebies, games, chats and more!

Ready to meet the bloggers bringing the party to your corner of the interwebs?

The crew here at The Evolution of Mom (you might know us already…if not, hey there! We look forward to getting to know you!)

And here are the lovely ladies that just couldn’t wait to bring their readers a little bit of summer lovin’ too:

From top left: Anita at One Sleepy Mommy/Elizabeth at Life at Home/Jules at One Ruud Mom

Erin at From Cubicle to Home/Lory at The Robin’s Nest Designs/Kristen at The Road to Domestication

Brandyn from Life, Motherhood, and the Pursuit of Happiness/Stephanie from Sharing A to Z/Erin from My Monkeys and Me

Ida from Second Chances Girl/Penny from Penny’s Passion

Down below, you’ll find a link up, and we want to see all your hard work! Show us any and everything you think moms need to know to be ready for the upcoming summer season. Over the course of the two week event, we’re going to be featuring tons of your work, so be sure to grab a Summer Must Haves button and link back if you want us to show off your work!

The rules: No linkups or giveaways. For this event only, we WILL allow roundups. We reserve the right to remove links that break the rules, and/or links that are not in keeping with The Evolution of Mom’s values…keep it clean, no judging…just be nice, and we’re happy!

And now, because you’ve been so patient, we’re going to really give up the goods…keep reading to find out the deets on this year’s prize bundles!

This year, instead of just tossing some of our faves into a tote, we decided to have a little fun with it. Each bundle is themed this year, based on the type of mama you are, or the type of mama you might want to be. We plan to keep the full details under wraps, because who couldn’t use more happy surprises?– But we’ll share the pics so you have some idea!

For your viewing pleasure:

Natural:

Fit:

Bombshell:

and Relaxed:

Enter using the giveaway app below. Remember to complete all mandatory steps in order to qualify.

As a bonus: All of our co-hosts have agreed to offer new subscribers a bonus entry. What does that mean for you? Simply visit any or all of our co-hosts. Using the method they’ve outlined, subscribe to their blog. It’s that simple. They will track all new subscribers for the duration of the event, and at the end, we will manually add all of the bonus entries. That means, on top of your basic entries, you could get up to TWELVE bonus entries! Twelve additional chances to win one of those four bundles, and a chance to keep tabs on your new favorite bloggers. What could be better?!

Prizes, giveaways, link parties of Summer Must Haves for Mom! #SummerMustHaves

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Oh wait…it gets better. Want to win additional prizes? Want to win them instantly? Then be sure to join us for one of our additional mini events during this two week party. On Thursday April 30th, at 8pm MST (10pm EST, 7pm Pacific) we’re hosting a Twitter party called Summer Beauty, where we will discuss…you guessed it…all facets of mom’s summer beauty routine. We’ll chat tips, budget, brands, and more! During that event, we will have two great prizes up for grabs.

And on Wednesday, May 6th at 8pn MST, we’ll have a second chat, titled Just for Mom. We’re going to discuss things like staying fit while your kids are home for the summer, making time for yourself, sanity savers, and more. Again, we’ll be offering two prizes! To find either party, simply search for the hashtag #SummerMustHaves.

And if Twitter chatting isn’t your thing, stay tuned on your co-hosts’ Facebook pages for the duration of the event. We’ll be offering ‘blink and you’ll miss them’ flash giveaways of TONS of great product samples for the whole two weeks! We may even have a couple of full-sized goodies to go along with product reviews…because what fun are freebies if you can’t share?!

To keep up on all the latest action from the link party AND from our co-hosts, we invite you to follow our board Summer Must Haves for Mom on Pinterest!

Special thanks to our sponsors Michele and Russell Ford for some fabulous Miche and Seacret goodies to offer our readers. If you’d like to know more about either brand, you can find Russell and Michele here and here. If you’re Colorado Springs local, stay tuned for some exciting news from them later this week!

Whew! You made it through! Now comes the fun part. Drop your links in the party below, hit up the giveaway app to enter to win one of those killer prizes, and then join us on Facebook or Twitter for tons of mom friendly summer fun! Thanks for joining us, we sure do love having you all around!

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What are your favorite summer-must-haves? I’d love to hear them in the comments below or on social media!

If you enjoyed these tips and would like to hear more, please subscribe (on the middle right sidebar) to get our SATZ newsletters. To stay connected with Sharing A to Z, please see Facebook or Pinterest.

Tips to get rid of lice

Stephanie | April 21, 2015

Are you frantically looking for tips to get rid of lice? Unfortunately, I was too. A few months ago, most of the people in this house had lice. For some reason, I am ashamed to admit that fact. Sure, my children have brought home the “someone-in-this-class-has-lice” school letters, but I used to think, “my son’s hair is too short for lice” or “I let my daughter’s hair get dirty and lice don’t like dirty hair.”

However, one morning while trying to do a workout DVD, I couldn’t stop itching my head. I went and got the lice comb I purchased last year when one of our neighbor’s and their house had lice. (I hugged my friend right before she told me they all had lice and was convinced that I had it too.) I started combing my hair and much to my dismay, large black bugs appeared. I have never had lice before, and I thought these bugs were too big to be lice. However, when my son got up and I combed through his hair, I found smaller bugs and tiny eggs like I had heard so much about. I frantically brushed through both of our heads throwing anything I found in the sink. I was so disgusted (still am) and couldn’t shake the fact that there were bugs crawling on our heads.

I was frantically scouring the internet at the time my daughter awoke. I parted her head and saw one large bug. That is when I knew we all had the dreaded “L” word. I remembered my friend saying they treated their lice at home and it ended up coming back a few days later (or perhaps they didn’t get it all). I didn’t want that to happen to us, so I started googling lice removal services in my area. Low and behold, I found one that even used natural products! They could even be there in a few hours!

As my lice removal person was combing my head, she explained many interesting things about lice. This might not be something I enjoy talking about, but in the spirit of “Sharing A to Z” and because I was totally clueless, I thought I would share the tips I learned with you. Hopefully, with these tips, if you or someone you love has lice, you can catch it early and will be better prepared than I was! I also hope this helps it from spreading again and again in the classroom!

What I learned about lice:

Most recommend doing some kind of treatment (store bought, purchased from a natural lice vendor, or your own).
After my initial treatment, I used coconut oil in my hair and left it on overnight. It is supposed to help get rid of everything. If nothing else, it leaves your hair very soft, which makes it easier to brush with the lice comb.
The act of brushing (with a lice comb) is what really gets the lice out of your head.
When brushing, divide hair into small sections and pay close attention to the back of the neck and around the ears.
It is helpful to brush through one time and wipe with a paper towel (Viva are the best for this). Another method is to brush/comb your hair forward or down towards the sink.
You need to comb all of the lice out and once you have done that, be sure to keep combing at least three times for the next 7-10 days.
Between days 7-10, you may need to do another treatment to ensure you got everything (especially if you still find eggs or lice).
Wash everything you can in hot water and put in the dryer.
If you can’t wash something either put it in a plastic bag for at least 2 days (preferably a week) or use a lint brush.
When there is a case of lice at school, make sure you bring home and wash your childs’ sheets, blankets, jackets, ect.
There are some hair sprays designed to repel lice. They actually smell decent as they use mint as an ingredient.

Good luck,
Stephanie

*Please note, I am not a lice removal expert. I am just sharing my experience in hopes of preventing the prolonged spread of lice.

Earth day 2015

Stephanie | April 20, 2015

Earth day is coming up! How are you going to celebrate Earth Day? Are you going to focus on being “green”?

Even before Earth Day, there was Shaklee. And at Shaklee, every day is Earth Day.

Earth Day is celebrated each year on April 22, and it’s the perfect opportunity to share the importance of going “green”. Shaklee has been leading the way in doing the right thing for the planet; and our safe, powerful, green and smart products. This is my Shaklee story.

It’s been nearly 60 years since Dr. Forrest C. Shaklee founded a company based on Living in Harmony with Nature® that is committed to developing products to improve the health of people and the planet. Since Shaklee’s inception, they have introduced some groundbreaking environmental initiatives. In the 1960s, Shaklee introduced Basic-H® Concentrated Organic Cleaner, one of the first nontoxic biodegradable cleaners. They became the first Climate Neutral™ certified company in the U.S. They also lead in environmental achievements, embracing climate change initiatives, and eco-alliances. Plus, they offer everyone the chance to make a healthier income while making the planet healthier.

For the Shaklee Family, every day is Earth Day. But this is a great time of year to tell Shaklee’s environmental story, and to tell how easy – and economical – it can be to make a difference for yourself, for your family, and for the planet.

One easy way to go green in your home is by switching from using toxic cleaners to nontoxic cleaners!

You can replace your current household cleaners for natural, non-toxic ones that work!

I love and been using Shaklee’s Get Clean Line for over a year now. They are totally cost effective, natural and they actually WORK! Here are a few pictures that show how well they work!

I also recommend Scour Off, which works great for stove tops and sinks and Basic G for all your germs!

Earth Day Reading

Tips to go green (part 1)

Go green (part 2)

Go green (part 3)

Go green (part 4)

Shaklee’s environmental heritage

Non-toxic cleaners

*Photos courtesy of BonnieDonahue.com.

For more information, please contact me at sharingAtoZ@gmail.com with the subject line SHAKLEE or click HERE to get started as a member.

This post contains affiliate links, which means I receive compensation if you make a purchase through my link. Thank you for supporting my blog and small business! (Please review the disclosure tab at the top for the full disclosure.)

My Why (Shaklee Story)

Stephanie | April 20, 2015

Do you love learning more about people, especially about their passion? I do. Incase you do, too, I wanted to share my Shaklee story.

Ever since I had my two children (who are “my why”-my reason for everything), I have been trying to live a more healthy and green lifestyle. I want to be a good example for my children of healthy living. I also want to ensure my home is as safe as it can be for my little ones.

For years now, I have read and researched different ways to accomplish this. We have using green products for a while, but weren’t always happy with their results (or cost). After seeing a few of the blog’s I follow and trust mention how much they loved Shaklee’s products, I decided to give them a try. With Shaklee’s money-back guarantee, there was no reason not to try them! So, I started with the Get Clean kit, which includes most of their cleaning products and we loved it! These products were safe, effective and highly concentrated (which means they are better for your wallet and the environment)! Not only are there no harmful chemicals for my children or pets, there is less packaging and waste, which is better for the earth.

The more I learned about the company and its unsurpassed quality and ingredient testing, the more products I tried and loved! Then, I decided that it was probably a good idea to get paid for using the products I love. I can’t help but share the message and them with others! Which leads me to where I am today…sharing my passion with you! I hope you learn something helpful through my blog! If you do, it would really mean a lot to me if you shared it with others. Thank you for helping me make the world a better place!

For more information, please contact me at sharingAtoZ@gmail.com with the subject line SHAKLEE or click HERE to get started as a member.