Can you believe it?!?! Summer is right around the corner! You know what that means right!?! It’s fruity adult beverage season!!!! WooHoo!!!

One of my all-time favorite drinks is a mimosa. I know, not that original of me! But you know what? You can totally take that classic mimosa and make it taste like summer with watermelon juice. Just swap that OJ for some watermelon and wa-la!!!! You now have a champagne beverage worthy of sitting poolside with you all summer!

Cheers!

• Champagne
• Watermelon Juice ( Tropicana Tastes like candy. Pressed Watermelon Juice tastes like real watermelon!)
•Watermelon Slice

Take your bottle of champagne and fill your glass 3 quarters of the way full.

Next, you will want to top of your Champagne glass with watermelon juice. I always recommend Tropicana Watermelon Juice since it’s the most fruity. If you aren’t into sweet juices, you can always opt for a pressed watermelon juice. The pressed juice will be more natural tasting.

Slice up that watermelon for your Champagne glass garnish.

Serve & Enjoy!

So happy spring has finally decided to grace us with its presence here in Western New York!!!! All this decent weather has me craving hot sunny days chillen poolside!!! I can’t wait to kick back on a unicorn float and sip away at my favorite cocktails!

One of my favorite summertime drinks is coconut run! Nothing says sunny fabulous weather like sipping on something fruity! That’s why I decided to turn my favorite summertime liquor into a popsicle!!

•Malibu Rum
•Sprite
•Fresh Lime Juice
•Popsicle Mold

The very first thing you are going to want to do is take your popsicle mold apart by removing the popsicle sticks.

Then, fill each section of the mold with a quarter of Malibu Rum. I know it doesn’t sound like much, but the more alcohol you add, the less frozen your popsicle will be. You don’t want a slush puppy! A quarter of Malibu makes the perfect textured popsicle!! Nice and frozen!

Grab your bottle of Sprite and top each section of the mold off.

To make your Malibu Run Popsicles extra tropical, take a like and squeeze a little bit of fresh lime juice into each section.

It’s now time to take those popsicle sticks and place them
back into the mold. Once you have your mold back together, place your popsicles in the freezer for several hours.

Once your popsicles are frozen solid. Rinse your mold off with a little bit of hot water. This will loosen the popsicles just enough to slide right out of the mold without breaking.
​

Serve & Enjo!

Summer is right around the corner folks!!!! Nothing better than sipping on a delicious cocktail poolside. One of my all time favorite liquors is Parrot Bay!! I even had a bottle of Parrot Bay sitting at my Mimosa Bar in the bridal suite at my wedding.

My all time mixer for Parrot Bay happens to be pineapple juice. The combination makes you feel like you’re on a tropical island vacation!! Just because you can’t afford that trip to Fiji this year doesn’t mean you can’t pretend while floating on your Unicorn float at the pool. Cheers!!!

•Parrot Bay
• Pineapple Juice

Take a normal sized shot glass. Fill the shot glass with Parrot Bay and pour that shot into your martini shaker. No shaker? No problem! Just pour that shot into a large glass. You can use a spoon to mix the cocktail by hand later.

Next, that that pineapple juice and fill your martini shaker.

Once you have your shot of Parrot Bay and your pineapple poured into your martini shaker, close up your shaker and shake away!!!!

One your drink is nice and shaken, grab a martini glass and pour your cocktail!

And just like that, you now have the most tropical drink ready to be sipped on. Now grab that unicorn float and head to the pool with your delicious cocktail. Time pretend you’re on that tropical vacation you have been dreaming of!!! Cheers!

It's almost the best booze day of the year my friends!!! International Champagne day, I mean New Years Eve ;-) Obviously it's no secret that I have a love affair with all things boozey. Champagne however just happens to be my favorite! I am such a bubbley contisure that Champagne has become a "person" when I'm out and about with my friends. One of my besties & I can't walk two steps when out together without someone asking us how our bff champagne is doing since champagne is always in our hands.

Since bubbles are what I am known for, I thought I would pass on my knowledge of all things bubbly under $20! Champagne newbies constantly ask me for bottle selection advice past the Asti & Andres. If you're a champagne lover like myself, yes, not all of these bottles are a true champagne, but they all do bubble and will make a fabulous beverage of choice when ringing in the new year if you're on a budget! So this post is for all of you ballers on a budget! You can still ring in the new year drinking something delicious without the cost! They have all passed the CourtneyLynne taste test too since I have tried them all :)

​Cheers!!!

This past Saturday we took a 45 minute trip up to Sheridan, NY to visit Liberty Vineyards & Winery. It’s crazy that I live ridiculously close to the Lake Erie Wine Country and yet never get up to the wineries.

​This is only the second local Winery I have had the pleasure of visiting since my husband is an anti-drinker and I rarely get invited anywhere. Unfortunately my invites either get lost in the mail or I’m just not anyone’s favorite person here in NY -_-

Tastings cost $2 a person & you get to choose the 6 Liberty Vineyards & Winery wines you would like to try. I’m a red wine lover and the weather was reaching 80 degrees Saturday afternoon, so I was all about the sweet reds. It’s not very often we get warm days during the fall here in Western New York, so I was pretending it was summer all day long! Sweet reds to drink and rocking a maxi dress.

One of my favorite wines I had the pleasure of trying Saturday afternoon was Liberty Vineyards & Winery Purple Haze.

This sweet, fruity wine is great with chicken wings, hamburgers, and snack foods & will cost you $9.99.
​
DOUBLE GOLD – 2016 Florida State Fair International Wine Competition

Another favorite was Liberty Vineyards & Winery Cool Cat. I’m all about dessert wines, so I was pretty stoked to get to sip on one.

Made from grapes harvested in December, this wine has strawberry, cranberry and watermelon notes. It is great served with fresh fruit, cheese or dessert. The pest part is it will only cost you around $14.99/ 375ml bottle! If you’re a dessert wine fan, you know this is a bargain.
​
​SILVER – 2017 Florida State Fair International Wine Competition

The main reason we chose this past Saturday to visit Liberty Vineyards & Winery was for their Harvest Carriage Rides they offer weekends in the fall. We got to enjoy a horse-drawn wagon ride through the vineyards. Our guide happened to be the owner of Liberty Vineyards & Winery himself and he showed us several varieties of grapes they had on their farm and told us a bit about how their award-winning wines are made.

This post was sponsored by Cambria Winery as part of an Influencer Activation for Influence Central and all opinions expressed in my post are my own.

Ahhhhh wine!!!!! I don't know how I would survive without it. Wine is definitely this mama's life juice that's for sure. One of my favorite ways to unwind after a stressful day of chasing my kiddo around!

​Today I have partnered with Cambria Wines to share a few Relaxation Tips. We all need to relax after a long day, and I'm here to tell you how Cambria Wines can help you achieve such relaxation. It might just include alittle music too.

I swear music and wine were made to be enjoyed together! After a LONG stressful summer being home with my child 24/7, one of the things I look forward to the most is wine-thirty!!!! That time of night when the kiddo is in bed and I get to kick back, turn on a few of my favorite tunes and pop open that bottle of vino. Nothing says relaxation like that first sip of Cambria Wine while jamming out to your favorite song after one hectic day of listening to "I'm bored" all day long.

Now, what if I told you that music and wine blend together harmoniously!?!?! That's right, harmoniously! I never really gave such things that much thought until I listened to Cambria Wines: Notes of Cambria. Please take a moment and watch the the Four Part Video Series and you will see for yourself how crazy it is that wine and music go together perfectly!!!

In this totally neat 4-part video series, Cambria Wines challenged professional musician Kalei Yamanoha to create musical pieces that would capture the true essence and flavor of their Cambria's Benchbreak Pinot Noir and the Cambria's Benchbreak Chardonnay. Cambria Wines goal was to show how pairing wine and music elevates your senses! I must say after watching the video series, I can't help but say they totally nailed it!!!! These musical pairings were definitely a unique approach to experiencing, learning, and talking about wine!!!!

Did You Know?

That Cambria’s Benchbreak Chardonnay and Cambria's Benchbreak Pinot Noir are estate grown in California’s Santa Maria Valley! These high quality, immensely flavorful wines are the perfect addition to your relaxation plans that's for sure!

"Pinot Noir Waltz"

Pinot Nior is all-time favorite, go to wine, so I was pretty stoked to listen to the “Pinot Noir Waltz”!!! I must say the waltz was pretty dreamy! I could totally invision myself holding my beloved glass of Pinot at the Cambria Winery in total zen!!!! Nothing better than a tune that can take you to your happy place instantly! Instant relaxation is always a good thing, so I really enjoyed the waltz!

"Chardonnay Shanty"

After being at peace with my mind after listening to the very zen-like "Pinot Nior Waltz, I then decided to give the "Chardonnay Shanty" a chance. This tune however was totally different!!! Very upbeat since the tune is played on a banjo!!! Jam band, festival music is my jam & the "Chardonnay Shanty" definitely put a smile on my face. The Shanty had me feeling like I was at a festival since it made me want to hop right off the couch and start to boggie!!!

These unique musical pairings are a great way to experience, learn, and talk about wine with friends and family that's for sure!!! Next time I have a gathering at my house, you best believe I will be playing these jams.

Now, since we are talking about YOU in this post, I thought I would rattle off a few relaxation tips since I'm assuming you had a LONG day!

1. Lavender Oils ~ You may have heard that breathing in the smell of lavender makes you drowsy; turns out, it's totally true! Research shows the scent lowers heart rate and blood pressure, putting you in a relaxed state. So to set yourself up for those zzz's, burn a little Lavender Oil or even rub some lavender lotion on your body. Burning a Lavender candle could work wonders as well!

2. Reading ~ There is no doubt about it, getting lost in a new book or even a magazine is a fantastic way to forget about the stresses of the day! Both take your mind to a different place, which if your days are filled with little people like mine, getting lost in a world of make believe is exactly what I need once in awhile.

3. Meditation ~ Meditation is a simple practice available to all, which can reduce stress, increase calmness and clarity and promote happiness. Learning how to meditate is straightforward, and the benefits can come quickly. So take a deep breath, and get ready to relax! Just a few minutes a day of clearing your mind can completely calm the mind for the day!

4. Music ~ Nothing more relaxing sometimes than listing to a tune that takes us back to a special moment in our lives!!! Maybe you have a childhood favorite song that brings a nostalgic feeling? Maybe you have a happy song you listen to with your friend that reminds you of all the fun you have had in your life? Music is definitely good for the soul, so have that jam session!

5. Wine ~ There is no denying it! As much as I love to dance around my living room or have a total meditation zen session, nothing does the trick like my beloved bottle of Cambria Benchbreak Pinot Noir! Or maybe you are a white wine lover and craving that glass of Cambria Benchbreak Chardonnay? Whatever your fancy may be, pour that glass and enjoy your peace, quiet and relaxation!!!

Don't know where to score that bottle of Cambria? Use the Cambria Wine Store Locator and find that perfect bottle today!

​Cheers!

Let's Chat!

What is your favorite way to relax?!?!

On day two of our Gettysburg Pennsylvania adventure, we had the pleasure of dinning at Appalachian Brewing Company! When I was first in talks with the Gettysburg Travel Board, I had my fingers crossed that Appalachian Brewing Company would be on our itinerary. Law of attraction is real folks because it totally was. Manifestation I tell ya! I thought Appalachian Brewing Company into reality!!! So I was pretty stoked to not only try delicious food, but to knock off one more brewery off my been there brewery check list. Yes, I have one of those. There is a reason I have a "lush" tab on my site after all ;-)

The first thing we did upon arriving at Appalachian Brewing Company was order a beer. I always get so overwhelmed when it comes to the beer decision, but when the waitress finally came around, I went with Mountain Lager. I played it safe.

Honestly, my husband and I both assumed they would be gator tots loaded with toppings. So we were pretty shocked to see a basket of balls in front of us. Not knowing what to think, I took my first bit and omg!!!! I now need to create my own recipe for when I'm home. So yummy!!!

Living in Western New York, we have high wing expectations! I can honestly say, Appalachian Brewing Company wings pass the wing test. My hubby had wings for his entree and loved them. They are not dinky and they taste amazing! Just as a buffalo wing should be. Bravo Appalachian Brewing Company.

These short ribs were my entree while dinning at Appalachian Brewing Company and they were delicious. I'm all about cooking with booze, so when I saw a recipe on the menu cooked in booze. I just had to try it!!!! I was pretty satisfied with my entree decision.

This sandwich was definitely on the funky side. It was made with nacho-like cheese. I was scared my daughter wouldn't eat it at first, but she did. She ate every last bite. If you have a picky one, this is your warning that the grilled cheese may be delicious to some, but scary to others. If your kid gets scared of food, try something else.

For dessert, my hubby spotted the peanut butter pie. It is his all time favorite, so we all ordered slices. Definitely a tasty dessert that's for sure. Perfect way to end your meal!

Two thumbs up!!!! Honestly, I have dined at many breweries over the years and every last one of them has had killer food! Menu creators know they are usually dealing with drunk people, so the food is always top notch deliciousness. Appalachian Brewing Co. is no different. So many entree options that every last person in your party will find something they like. Even if you have a picky eater like my daughter. Nothing safer than a sandwich.

If you find yourself in Gettysburg and want a bite to eat, head to one of the two Appalachian Brewing Co. restaurants and fill those stomachs.

The Appalachian Brewing Company we dined at was located right next door to the Gettysburg Heritage Center. So tour that battlefield and head to Appalachian Brewing Company for a bite to eat and a few beers afterwards.

After purchasing the bottle and doing a little bit more Google research before popping the bottle open, I found out that apparently two Ruby Red Rosé wines have made it stateside just in time for summer! This Ruby Red Rosé just happens to be one of the two. But was it going to be any good? Would it live up to all the French foodie hype?!?!

Living in WNY, I'm pretty use to the idea that I'm the first to catch on to these internet trends locally! Social media is what I do for a living after all, but when you live in the middle of what I call Amish Antarctica, it can sometimes be a curse! While all the #instafamous peeps on Instagram were sipping boatloads of Rosés out of a can, I was only able to find ONE canned rosé in this area. That's right, only one!!! So I did the obvious thing and snagged it! But would it be good?

Being weary of this trend, I was expecting House Wine Rosé to taste like hangover wine. Wine in a can just seemed like it would have to be made for those who don't have the slightest clue how a wine should taste! Just buying it because social media told them to. So I'm shocked to say this, but I was WRONG!

• Champagne is only made in France

• Champagne is made from three grapes: Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay

​•Champagne gets fizzy via a labor-intensive process called méthode Champenoise.

​• Only Champagnes can legally use the term méthode Champenoise.

• Before Champagne is corked, each bottle is spiked with the dosage — a mixture of sugar and wine that determines the bottle's final level of sweetness.

​• That sweetness level is indicated on the bottle.

• The term you see on a Champagne bottle, "Brut", means the Champagne is on the dry side.

• Prosecco comes from Italy
​
• Prosecco is made from a grape varietal now known as Glera.

• Unlike Champagne or Cava, Prosecco’s secondary fermentation occurs in tanks rather than individual bottles.

• This process, known as charmat, is cheaper and faster than the méthode Champenoise.

• Prosecco tends to be sweeter than the average Champagne or Cava making it the better option for bubbly newbies or sweet wine lovers.

​• Prosecco now outsells Champagne worldwide.

•Cava is from Spain

• Cava undergoes the exact same production process as Champagne.

• However, the Spanish process is known as traditionelle, instead of méthode Champenoise, as only wine makers in France may legally label their products méthode Champenoise.

• The most common grapes used in Cava production are Macabeu, Parellada and Xarello.

​• Cava's flavors can veer toward earthy.

Are you a baller on a budget? Do you need to buy mom a pink bottle of deliciousness for Mother's Day and have no clue where to start? Or maybe you are after the ultimate pink drink summer drinking guide? Whatever your reason for buying that bottle of rosé may be, I have you covered with my list of budget favorites! In no particular order, my favorites as of April 2017!