DIY Cocktail Competition - Part 1

You give my family a competition, and things. get. real.

No room for hurt feelings. No room for laziness. We pull out all the stops. 

Thus. This Christmas season, we created a cocktail competition. Two cocktails per day. Judged on Presentation, Originality and Taste. BRING IT ON. 

This is the perfect competition for a rainy day, a long weekend full of in-laws when you need to be buzzed, or a New Years eve party. 

      

Everyone could set their own time of delivery -- some chose the morning, some chose a time that everyone had already enjoyed a few beverages. 

So, the official rules: 

1. Everyone must participate and they will like it. 

2. Sign up for a time (If you are doing a party, have people sign up for times!) 

3. You are judged on PRESENTATION, TASTE and ORIGINALITY 

4. You must supply the crazy ingredients (Tip: If you're hosting the party, have the normal stuff on hand -- liquor, regular mixers)

Below is the OFFICIAL SCORECARD that you can save and print off for your own Cocktail Competition! 

And thus, the competition begins! Below are a few of the cocktails we tasted over the week. Part 2 will have the WINNERS that you can take to your own competition! 

Christmas Kiss

Big shot of Pomegranate vodka

1 oz. Orange Liqueur 

Splash of Orange Cream soda
Splash of Pom juice

Topped with Seltzer
Handful of Pomegranate seeds

Kentucky Blue Christmas

1 oz. Blue Curacao
2 oz. Tito's Vodka
Topped with Ginger Beer

Southern Bell

Big ol' shot of Titos Vodka
1 oz. St. Germain Elderflower Liqueur
One Fresh squeezed grapefruit

Splash Grapefruit Bitters

Bullshark

Shot of Pinnacle Orange

Shot of Pinnacle Rasberry

Splash of Cranberry Juice

Splash of Orange Juice
Topped with Red Bull

Tailgate TKO

2 Shots of Tito's Vodka

1 Shot of Triple Sec

Splash of Cranberry

Topped with Sierra Mist Zero

Squeezed Lime

Have you ever hosted a Cocktail Competition? Any tips or tricks?

{best} Case of the Mondays: Amber Sagester

 We all know Mondays suck. 

Each week, I will feature a Monday in the life of someone who can provide some comfort/humor/inspiration to the start of your week. 

HOWEVER. This week is different. And it's my mom, so I have to kind of tweak the rules. 1. It's actually Tuesday. And 2. She can do what she wants because she's my mom. 

Meet Amber Sagester! 

Amber is wife, mother, sister, step-daughter, niece, cousin, amazing friend and a child of God (not necessarily in that order). She is a substitute teacher by day (some days), and a closet do-it-yourselfer and repurposer!  She travels as much as she can with her husband and loves to visit her grown children whenever they will have her... Oh yeah. And she's my mom.  

My Monday before Christmas is busy and beautiful and is the culmination of about 6 months in the planning.  Our family goes to the beach for Christmas.  A tradition started in 1997 and absolutely treasured and looked forward to every year.  There have been as many as 18 at our gatherings, and we take lots and lots of pictures. Having said that, this trip takes some planning, coordination and some serious packing strategy. 

8 AM

It's our first full day in the Outer Banks, and we don't dilly dally. My sister-in-law get to work making breakfast for our hungry army. 

Meal planning is a great adventure...we have 1 vegetarian, one gluten free, 1 deathly allergic to chicken turkey and all things poultry!!!  We generally break up the dinner meals assigning a different group to various nights but we always have a low country boil on Christmas Eve and the traditional turkey/ham dinner on Christmas Day.

10 AM

Make list of groceries that we did not purchase during our MARATHON trip to the store. Literally took us 1.5 hours. 

12 PM 

Go on walk to the beach look for shells and driftwood. It's a BEAUTIFUL day -- cannot beat a 70 degree day in December. 

4:30 PM 

Prep for dinner and watch the sunset over the sound. 

5 PM 

This year we have added a cocktail competition! [Editors note: More on that this week].  Don't put any of us in a competition because we take these very seriously.  I had to taste test my concoction several times to make certain I had a winner. Unfortunately the testing was before 9am last Monday-- made for a happy morning followed by a nap around noon.   

I am first up with my "Felix Navidad" cocktail -- a hearty mix of tequila, cranberry juice, orange liqueur, orange bitters, aromatic bitters, seltzer and lemonade. Erin says more to come on that later this week.   

5:30 PM

Taco Dinner and birthday celebration for my sister-in-law Terri! 

7:00 PM 

Movie in the theater room. Great time to spend together!

9:30 PM 

The family is spread out throughout the house -- watching UNC Basketball, Washington Capitals hockey -- and I'm cozied up reading the new Shonda Rimes book. 

Midnight. 

Lights out and looking forward to the rest of the week -- lots planned. We have a Christmas picture with assigned color coordination--this year black and white and a gift swap we have lovingly named a "Yankee swap".  Hundreds of emails have passed between us, texts have zipped back and forth, dogs have been boarded and we have mostly all gathered together for another blessed week of family togetherness, making memories and driving each other crazy!

The days will be spent eating drinking laughing and enjoying the most important part of my life--family.

Want more {best} Case of the Mondays Series? Click HERE to read all the past entries. 

Last Minute {and cheap} Christmas Gifts for Men

Y'all. It's CHRISTMAS WEEK. 

For some it inspires joy! happiness! days off of work! 

For you procrastinators others... PANIC. DREAD. ROAD RAGE AT THE MALL. 

We continue with a series I like to call "We should all thank Amazon Prime because otherwise our procrastination and lackadaisical Christmas Shopping methods would have us screwed." 

Today, we are discussing the men in your life. Brothers. Boyfriends. Your boss. The hot UPS man. Whoever. 

ALL of these gifts are under $50, perfect for your MEN and available on Amazon Prime to get that free 2-day shipping. Because you waited till the last minute.  

Last Minute {and cheap} Christmas Gifts for THE MEN IN YOUR LIFE: 

Hot Dog Toaster. Listen. We know a lot of men are lazy creative when it comes to dinner. Give this quick, easy and whimsical gift to that brother of yours who reheats ramen every other night. At least he can have toasty buns now! 

Corkscile Beer Cooler. You've been caught in a bind with a warm beer. Give the gift of JOY. A quick way to cool down a warm beer. REJOICE. 

Sunscreen Flasks. Because they are always looking for a way to get arrested. Or sneak in some Fireball. 

The Kramer.  When in doubt, go with something Seinfeld (or this COMPLETE SET). Happy Festivus. 

Chalk Globe.  This is such a great gift for someone who loves to travel or is stuck in a cubicle and needs a way to believe there is something better in this world than corporate misery to daydream. 

Addendum.

I just couldn't leave this one off. 

It's not under $50, but it. is. awesome. 

The Cash Cannon. For the person in your life who likes to make. it. rain. 

Last Minute {and cheap} Christmas Gifts for All the Ladies

HAPPY FRIDAY. 

We continue with a series I like to call "We should all thank Amazon Prime because otherwise our procrastination and lackadaisical Christmas Shopping methods would have us screwed." 

Today, we are discussing YO' LADIESSSS. Or girl tribe. #SquadGoals. The people that tell you that you aren't crazy/you are crazy when you need it. 

ALL of these gifts are under $50, perfect for your besties / girlfrands and available on Amazon Prime to get that free 2-day shipping. Because you waited till the last minute.  

Last Minute {and cheap} Christmas Gifts for The Ladies: 

Teakwood Swell bottle. Swoon. Go ahead and get one for yourself. 

Moscow Mule Mugs.  Ginger beer. Check. Lime. Check. VODKA. Check. While giving these to your friend, you are really giving a gift to yourself every time you go over to her house. #winwin. 

Beautiful wood cutting board. Time to throw out the ikea board that has melted in your dishwasher and upgrade to this beauty. 

Wine glass that fits entire bottle of wine. There's no shame in your game. It saves time and dishes. You are a good friend.  

Pepperspray: Because nothing says Christmas like pepper spray.

Soma Water Carafe. Beautiful, practical and health-concious. Just like your friend!

Volcano Candle. You know the one. Smells like Anthropologie. Without having to go to the mall. SCORE. 

Last Minute Gifts for Dad

Are you in panic-mode yet? Christmas is in 8 days. EIGHT DAYS. 

If you are like me, procrastination is your middle name. And you need something FAST. And AFFORDABLE for yo' dad for Christmas. 

WELL, you are in luck! ALL of these gifts are under $50, perfect for pops and available on Amazon Prime to get that free 2-day shipping. Because you waited till the last minute.  

Last Minute {and cheap} Christmas Gifts for DAD: 

KINDLE. Ok, this one is $59.99, but you waited till the last minute. You can afford to spend that extra $9.99. 

Bourbon Ice Ball Mold.  You are the reason your dad drinks. Might as well provide him a nice slow melting ice ball for his bourbon. (See: Mom) 

YETI Koozie. And then get that man a YETI Koozie. Because no one likes warm beer or cold hands. 

All-In-One Docking Station. Your dad is probably hip and has a million electronics. Help him clean up the clutter of a million cords and get him this docking station. Your mom will thank you. 

Meat. When all else fails, buy him beef and cheese. x 

What other last minute / affordable gifts do you suggest for DAD? Did you wait till the last minute? 

Last Minute {and cheap} Christmas Gifts for Mom

Because Procrastination is your middle name. And you need something FAST. And AFFORDABLE for Mom for Christmas. 

WELL, you are in luck! ALL of these gifts are under $50, perfect for mom and available on Amazon Prime to get that free 2-day shipping. Because you waited till the last minute.  

Last Minute {and cheap} Christmas Gifts for Mom: 

CHIC Gloves. Lined. Leather. Lots of colors. It may be 70 degrees and beautiful now in the South (why live anywhere else?!) but Old Man Winter is coming and mom wants to look good. 

Blanket scarf. When in doubt, blanket scarf. 

Electric Wine Opener. Because you are the reason your mother drinks. 

Essential Oil Diffuser.  These are all the rage right now, and frankly, mom deserves to be in on the rage. 

Vertical Garden Kit.  A great, thoughtful gift that is easy to take care of! 

A MASSAGE. Because Let's be honest. You still, to this day, stress your mom out. 

What other last minute / affordable gifts do you suggest for MOM? Did you wait till the last minute? 

Hump Day Happenings: 12.9

It's another edition of Hump Day Happenings. 

Happy things around the web to get you through that middle day of the week!

Looking for a gift for your weird/awesome cousin? Is this even real? 

Stylin'. This is the dress I'll be wearing to all my Christmas cocktail parties. Don't judge if you see it in every insta pic. 

Got some extra cash? Hand it over, or purchase one of these lovely Southern homes. 

Currently Reading. Obsessed with "Scandal"? Into "How to Get Away with Murder"? Loved "Grey's Anatomy" before it went all weird and they resuscitated a deer? That's all Shonda Rimes. And she's awesome. Literally laughing out loud at her book "Year of Yes" - you should read it here! 

{best} Case of the Mondays: Madeleine Forbes

So. It's been a while. 

Life is busy. Blah blah blah. 

No excuses. Let's get back with it. 

 We all know Mondays suck. 

Each week, I will feature a Monday in the life of someone who can provide some comfort/humor/inspiration to the start of your week. 

Meet Madeleine Forbes! 

Madeleine is a writer who helps ambitious, creative entrepreneurs create compelling website copy and client communications. 

8:00AM 

I grew up in London, but in 2014 my husband and I relocated to a tiny off-grid farm in Central Portugal. Now I’m sinking into a really seasonal rhythm. So these days, I wake up late, just as sunlight starts to stream into the bedroom. I often wake up thinking about the work I have to do that day so snuggling with my husband and our sleepy, furry kitties first thing is a good reminder that really all I need is right here.

8:30AM

I get up and put a pot of coffee on the stove for both of us. Then I open the door and let our two dogs in – their beds are in the workshop outside and they greet me as though we haven’t seen each other for YEARS – all licking tongues and wagging tails. I step outside and take in the amazing view and the fresh air. Then I wander down into the garden and let our chickens out, checking to see if there are any eggs in the nest box. The valley’s beautiful in the mornings, mist rising up from the river and buzzards circling in the sky with their distinctive mewing call.

9:30(ish)AM

Bundle up in socks and warm clothes and step into my office. I start by checking my paper diary and noting priorities for the day. Then I check email and get stuck in. I’m most creative early in the morning so I try to start the day with writing first drafts of blog posts or website copy.

10:00AM

Late breakfast and more coffee. I like to eat something warm at this time of year – toast, cooked on the griddle pan, with butter and homemade jam, or porridge with local honey. Then back to work, with a tall mug of hot water and lemon to keep me war and hydrated.

11:00AM

I take a break to head outside and stretch. If the sun is out then this is when it lands on our terrace, looking out over the valley. Since moving here I don’t have regular yoga classes to attend like I did in the city, and at first I really struggled to motivate myself to keep up a practice. Then I took an e-course by one of my amazing clients, Ellie Coats. It really helped shift my mindset around my personal practice and understand that my body knows what’s right to do. With the pressure off, it’s something I manage more often than not these days.

12:00PM

I often have a Skype call around this time, either catching up with an existing client or exploring a new business story to share. I have a handful of long term partnerships plus copywriting for one off webpages or e-courses. I try to keep Skype calls to one a day if I can, to give me the space I need to be creative and truly present when I connect.

1:00PM

I love cooking so making a proper lunch is one of the main things I love about being self-employed. Almost invariably it involves cheese and carbs. Lately I’ve been really into bread, local sheep’s cheese, homemade chutney and some leaves from the garden (and an edible nasturtium flower or two!). Nick joins me if he’s not out running errands.

2:00PM

I try to keep my afternoons for editing, admin and scheduling. I’ll do any final checks needed on writing that has to be done by a deadline. 

3:00PM

I work alone so social media is my “office” – a place to unwind, connect with colleagues and like minded people. I aim to hang out on Facebook and Twitter for half an hour or so daily – share things I find interesting, or my own blog posts; support others in the various writing and business groups I’m in.

4:00PM

My final email check, just in case anything urgent has come up that a client needs help with. I draw up a list of what I want to do tomorrow and make a mental note of when I need to wake up, in case I have an early start.

5:00PM

Hopefully I’m finished for the day. I don’t have a smart phone, so when my laptop’s closed I’m offline completely. It’s one of the biggest contributing factors to my sanity J Time to walk the dogs; it’s a nice way to end the day by getting back into nature. I wander down to the river and watch them snuffling about in the woods, keeping my eyes peeled for mushrooms to forage…

6:00PM

As evening falls, there are night-time chores: Closing up the chickens, feeding the dogs and cats, lighting the wood stove. We might walk over to our friends’ farm for dinner; they’re a twenty-minute walk down the dirt track we live on. Otherwise we’ll settle in for a cozy evening.

7:00PM

A glass of wine (or two) finishes the day. Either our own wine with grapes from the farm, or red from our local co-operative, which is cheap, fruity and drinkable. Nick and I chat while we make dinner. He gives me business advice, or we’ll talk through current projects on the farm or share dreams about the future. We take it in turns to cook, unless one of us has a particular urge. We never ate much meat, and now I’m vegetarian it’s rare even for Nick. We’ll eat what’s fresh from the garden, or seasonal produce – right now cabbage, beans, root veg (beetroot is my favourite) and the last of the tomatoes, plus lots of beans and pulses. Nick has a sweet tooth and we usually finish with a few squares of chocolate, or a pudding if one of us has been baking…

8:00PM

We like to watch series online; we’ve been catching up on Sense8. And we love podcasts – lately it’s Dan Carlin’s Hardcore History for gruesome historical events and battles which I find weirdly relaxing. If the internet connection’s not great or we don’t have enough electricity stored in the batteries, we’ll read, play scrabble or talk.

10:00PM

Now the nights are getting longer we’re usually in bed by 10pm, like old folk, with the cats. I like to take a mug of Rooibos tea or lemon and honey to sip as I read. We snuggle up and read with our solar lights before drifting off around 11 or 12. Going to bed that early means I usually have to get up and pee at least once, which means pulling on shoes and heading out into the cool night air (our bathroom’s outside). I look up at the amazing stars through the pine trees and listen to the owls hooting and the rustles of the creatures who live around us. How lucky we are.

For more information on Madeleine Forbes, check out her website and more information on her farm. 

Want more {best} Case of the Mondays Series? Click HERE to read all the past entries.