Birchbox love...

Happy Sunday lovelies! I got my very first Birchbox a few weeks ago, but I haven't been able to blog about it.

The July box was curated by Cynthia Rowley and I really enjoyed it!!!

Here's what my little box looked like!

The KIND bar was absolutely amazing. I want to get some, but it appears that they are super expensive. I'm about to paint my nails with Zoya nail polish. The Purity wash was lovely - I needed a travel size. And Shine Flash is awesome too. Love it!

Are any of you Birchbox subscribers? I totally felt like I got more than my $10 worth this month! And I was excited to try a few new things....

XOXO,
Mrs. Jones

Frugal Friday: A week of deal-hunting...

Happy Friday lovelies!

It's been a good short week over here for the Jones family! Vacation No. 2 ended on Tuesday night, and we had a nice short work week. I still feel fairly rested, so that's always good.

Now, on to the deals for the week!

After last week's Amazon "free magazine" snafu, I was a little more careful this week. I went for the tried and true free offers from freebizmag.com I believe. I've gotten great freebies from them before. Wood magazine will be saved and gifted to my sweet dad. Working Mother will be scoured, not because I want kids anytime soon, but because those tidbits are all still useful! And I'm sure there are great recipes. I'll share them when I find them. I also signed up for Tennis magazine. Score!

I am anxiously awaiting these lovely babies in the mail. 1SaleADay has had some awesome freebies lately. I scored a lovely screwdriver set for Mr. Jones a few weeks ago.

That's all for now! Hope everyone else scored some deals this week.....

XOXO,
Mrs. Jones

It feels like cheating...

You all know what a Starbucks addict I am. Like, big time. My favorite baristas know my hot and cold drinks, that it's ALWAYS a venti, and they even keep up with my family goings-on. I love it.

But in preparation to head out of town last week, I found something new. Gasp. I know. I really did. And part of it is being somewhere with no Starbucks, but the other part is a knowledge of JUST how much money I'm saving. Instead of $5 a day, I can drink two of these and spend about $.50....

So, I feel like I'm cheating on my lovely Starbucks and my favorite mocha light Frappuccino.

But with what, you ask? With Starbucks Iced Via!

It's cheap, easy, and I enjoy it a lot. Maybe now I'll have a little extra money.... but don't think I won't be getting some normal Starbucks as well! (Ahem, husband!!!)

XOXO,

Mrs. Jones

If you give EB a bone...

... Just know she's gotten really spoiled with homemade frozen bone treats lately. So she may or may not be picky.

The latest creation was a peanut butter and mashed banana concoction. She loves it.

Do you make homemade treats for your pets? I'm kind of enjoying it because it's so easy with her Chillin Bones set.

XOXO,

Mrs. Jones

Menu Monday: Chicken Parmigiana Burgers

Simply heavenly - and beyond easy to share! Enjoy!

Chicken Parmigiana Burgers by Skinny Taste

XOXO,
Mrs. Jones

Mini fail...

So, I posted about an Amazon magazine deal yesterday. I thought I got four free magazine subscriptions. Turned out it had used a gift card balance without my knowledge. So I'm trying to get the "order" cancelled through Amazon. I was saving that up for a Christmas present I wanted to purchase.... oops. We will see how that goes. I guess this is one of the few times a deal I wanted was not what I got!

So, sorry for the hopes I got up. It realllly was a blonde moment on my part.

It's just been that kind of day. Nothing went really wrong, but it was just that things didn't click. Nothing really went right. I've still got so much to do tonight. But my husband did make a fabulous pizza with a tomato we grew in our back yard. And we put a nice sweet pepper from a local farmer on it too. That made me happy too.

But ever have one of those days that you are just in a funk? I'm there....

Small victories...

I'll take the small victories, like my biggest word on Words With Friends ever.

Because I always seem to lose. Start a game with me if you want!

XOXO,

Mrs. Jones

A super late Frugal Friday...

What can I say? I'm behind. And I want to show you what I did and got last week!

I got some fabulous mail freebies: Downy UnStoppables, VitaFusion gummy vitamins, and coupons for two free Ecotools products!

 

Then I used up a ton of coupons at Target, scoring oodles and oodles of John Frieda Full Repair shampoo (and a conditioner), and other necessities.

This was a $5 total Target trip (yay coupons and gift card deals!) for some serious necessities.

Then this was a $3 coupon-for-fun trip:

I'm going to try to continue to get some more pens and Sharpies and the like to donate to local schools in our tornado areas. I know they'll need a lot, and each pack cost $.02, so why not, ya know?!

Have a fab day lovelies!

XOXO,
Mrs. Jones

The Wine Chronicles: Schmitt Sohne Riesling

Yummmmm.

That is about all I feel like I need to say about Schmitt Sohne Riesling (aka blue bottle Riesling. It is certainly my favorite Riesling, and it got even better when husband brought me this massive bottle of it after a rough week!

I feel like the blue bottle is an amazing marketing tool, because I can never remember the company's name, but everyone knows what I mean when I say blue bottle Riesling!

What is your favorite brand of Riesling?

I am getting back in the habit of exploring some new wines and heading to our local wine tasting on Thursday nights. I went with a friend and enjoyed a few new things this week. Here's what I liked, along with some of the tasting notes...

Adega Condes de Albarei 'Salneval' Albarino 2010

Rias Baixas. Albarino is indigenous to the northwestern region of Rias Baixas that separates Spain from Portugal. This example, 100% Albarino, is straw-yellow in color with pleasant floral aromas and scents of peach and citrus fruit. It is light- to medium-bodied with gentle acid on the palate, good balance and fresh fruit flavors, finishing with great length and an easy-to-drink quality.

Ladera Sagrada 'Papa' Godello 2010

Valdeorras. 100% Godello sourced from estate-grown vines over 25 years-old planted in a vineyard of slate and granite filled with herbs such as rosemary, thyme, and oregano. It fermented with native yeasts and aged in stainless steel without malolactic fermentation. Aromas of melon, spring flowers, mineral, tropical fruits and hints of spice inform the nose that this is a terroir-driven wine. This complex white drinks like a white Burgundy- it is fresh and complex with salty/mineral notes that linger on the balanced, concentrated, and focused finish. 88 Wine Advocate.

Bodegas Enguera 'Flaco' Tempranillo 2010

Madrid. 100% Tempranillo that vinified and aged in a combination of stainless steel and concrete tanks, 10,000 liter capacity each, to emphasize the pure fruit flavors and youth of the grape. It is ruby red in color with a nose of dark, ripe fruits such as plum, black cherry, and strawberry hints, with notes of spice and dried herbs. On the palate it is gentle with good texture, gentle acid, and red berry flavors. The finish is light with bright, ripe fruit flavors. An incredible value. Flaco means "dude" in English.

I'm sharing these in part so I know what I enjoyed, but also in case you like the details. I bought a bottle of the Flaco for $6.99. Perfection!


Happy Sunday!
Mrs. Jones

Menu Monday: Spiced Mocha Cupcakes

Yep. For the third week in a row, I'm featuring a baked good. Bread. Blue Belles. And now.... cupcakes!!! The funny part is, I made all of these within a week of each other. Can you tell I went on a baking kick? It's awesome.

I used this recipe of Tidy Mom's for her Spiced Mocha Cupcakes. Me and my Kitchen Aid mixer and a dear friend totally had a blast. What do you think?

Go check these out! Maybe one day I'll have my own fabulous recipe to share like Tidy Mom does! :-)

XOXO,
Mrs. Jones

Take me back...

Can we go back now? I'm missing my toes in the sand, long walks EVERY morning to coffee, and just that air of relaxation! Hope you enjoyed the last of my beach recap!

Just like heaven...

After a short week, I'm still dreaming of the beach. Can we go back now? Here are the highlights from our fabulous family vacation. :-)

I've got a few more, but I won't overload you today!