I have always enjoyed wine- it didn’t matter to me that it was “2 Buck Chuck” or Barefoot Merlot in a magnum size for $5.99 at Target…until I became a bartender at a sassy local wine bar. Then it was time to buckle down, and learn some real facts about wine.

The first couple of nights, I pretty much B.S.’d my way through. A couple came in with a $160 bottle of highly allocated Pinot Noir, and asked me to taste some with them. “When in Rome….”, right? So, I poured myself a glass, swirled it around a little (I didn’t know why I was doing this, I just knew that I’d seen people do it when they taste wine, so I did it to pretend like I knew what I was doing), then I smelled it “It smells like ripe fruit…grapes and plums” I remarked. “Yes! It is a very ripe wine” the wine collector lady said, nodding in approval to my novice opinion. I tasted it, “I taste hints of cardamom…” I said, pretending to know something about wine, when in truth, I knew nothing more than it makes me yell at my kids less, and have sex with the Husband more. “Yes- it IS cardamom…I’ve been wondering what spice I’ve been tasting…you must really know your wines!” the wine collector lady beamed. I just smiled and conitnued to sip my first taste of an expensive bottle of wine.

It was then that I decided that if I was going to sell expensive wine to people, that I should at least know a little more about it. Though, I really have determined that so much about wine is subjective, and what one person might smell as “earthy, woodsy, with slight mineralities”, might smell to someone else like dirty socks forgotten in the corner of the room behind the door.

To help me on my quest to learn more about wine, I bought a book called, “The Sommelier’s Guide to Wine: Everything You Need to Know for Selecting, Serving, and Savoring Wine like the Experts“ by Brian H. Smith. It was basically a Wine 101 type of book, but it really helped to crack the code of wine tasting for me. In the book, Smith goes over the different types of grape varietals, and gives an informational guide to tasting wines. He also defines terms for tasting, such as ripe, woody, light and buttery. Brian goes on to discuss what regions certain wines are produced in all over the world, and what types of wines are most expensive vs. least expensive. There is also a section on etiquette, if you are ordering wine at a restaurant.

If you are just starting to appreciate wine, or you’re like me, and you have always just bought the largest amount of wine available for the cheapest price, then this book will be a great catalyst for you to become a more sophisticated wine consumer. Smith breaks all of the fancy words and regions down into layman’s terms, and tries to make the wine tasting and ordering process as simple as possible. My customers will be very happy to know that I at least have the vocabulary to help me B.S. my way to selling them expensive wines!

So, seriously- this is the easiest haircut I have ever had! I know a lot of Moms like me, who are racing out of the door, 10 minutes late to everything, but still want to look cute, and at least have two days out of the week where your hair isn’t in a ponytail!  This chin-length, slightly a-line bob is the ticket- I swear!

All I do when I get up, after fighting with my daughter, who’s five, about what she is going to wear, or more realistically, what she is not going to wear (i.e.- red lipstick, her bathingsuit top with jeans, plastic princess high heels to the park,etc.), and arguing with my son, who’s three about what he wants to eat for breakfast, is run a brush through it, flat-iron the pieces around my face, and put two large velcro rollers in the back, shoot them with hot air, then cold air from the blowdryer, take them out- and I am literally done in less than 10 minutes!

The other fun thing about this haircut, is it’s very versatile- I’ve worn it curly, straight, flicked up in the back, sleek-straight, and in a ponytail teased just slightly at the crown, with wispy strands pulled around my face to hide my crow’s feet. If you’re looking for a ridiculously easy cut that is still current and fun, I recommend this one!

I’m sure most every woman has had to deal with this issue….the Urinary Tract Infection (UTI). NOT FUN! Thankfully, I haven’t had one in a long time since I have taken several precautionary steps to avoid them (I am trying to find something made of wood to knock on as I write this)! Thankfully, modern science has brought us farther than in our Mother’s years, where the standard advice was “Drink cranberry juice and don’t have sex until you’re married”!

The best place that I have found to get advice today about UTI’s and how to treat or prevent them is from www.cystex.com. There, Dr. Elizabeth Kavaler answers questions, dispells myths, and writes an informational blog about UTI’s and how to prevent them. Thankfully, Cystex
is available over-the-counter, and eliminates the need for the UTI drug of the past that stained your pee (and probably a few favorite pairs of underwear!) a Tang-hued orange. Cystex does not change the color of your urine, and it is a combination of a pain-relieveing analgesic and an antibacterial to help control the bacteria, until you can be seen by the doctor.

 Upon reading the Cystex website, I learned a few things that I have never heard of that can potentially cause UTI’s. One fact that really suprised me was that when you are using a tampon, you should remove it before urinating. In all of my nearly 33 years, I’ve never heard of that! But, hey- if it helps me to prevent the agonizing pain, and dashing to the bathroom every 26 seconds, amongst other less than fab UTI symptoms, I’m all for it! Bravo to a company that is directly addressing the needs of women in a setting that makes it easy to connect and answer questions!