June 14, 2016

NAPA: 5 STOPS IN 24 HOURS!

June 14, 2016/ Adrianna Costa

Hautties, you all know I'm a HUGE believer in taking time away...for ourselves, sans kiddies. Be it a quick 24-hour escape or a 7-day retreat to paradise, it's not a luxury but a true necessity. It can be as low-budg but effective as a night camping under the stars with your partner OR a fabulous luxe getaway to say, Wine Country!? We opted for the latter this time and lemme just say, it was EVERYTHING and MORE! If you're looking for an excuse to disappear, here's HML's advice on how to do it: NAPA: 5 Stops In 24-Hours!

1. STAY: CALISTOGA RANCH - Like no other property on the map, Calistoga offers a top-notch, exclusive vibe deep in the forrest while capturing the nostalgic feel of your favorite childhood family camp. Think next-level luxury meets rustic cabin in the woods. Each room is it's own "pod", with a remarkably stunning outdoor living space complete with fireplace and sitting area. If staying is not an option, at the very least walk the grounds, enjoy a glass of wine and drop by the pool terrace for a bite of the sensational fresh shrimp rolls (makes my mouth water) www.calistogaranch.com

2. PLAY: STAGLIN WINERY - Staglin offers some of the most delicious wines in the region but what really gets us is their "great wines for great causes" motto. Since opening, Staglin has donated more than $800 million dollars in charity! Pretty incredible! That includes their own fundraiser The Music Festival For Brain Health which raises awareness for mental health in honor of their family member who was diagnosed with Schizophrenia. Reservations are a must and often hard to land...so get on it asap :) http://www.staglinfamily.com

3. INDULGE: FRENCH LAUNDRY - For some, a trip to Napa means dining first, "wining" second. And for that, they indulge in Thomas Keller's 3-Star Michelin rated, The French Laundry. We're fans here simply because they offer a beautifully executed Vegetarian menu for those who'd rather cabbage than caviar but it'll set ya back a few hundos at minimum. The basic tasting menu (with no add ons or wine) starts at $310 http://www.thomaskeller.com/tfl

4. GRUB: LA LUNA MARKET AND TAQUERIA - An absolute MUST for Mexican-Food worshipers and/or those drinking their way through wine country. This hidden-gem literally at the back of a convenient-style mart will keep your belly full for a day of "tasting" AND a big fat smile across your face. The food is traditional, delectable...try it all http://www.lalunamarket.com

5. SHOP: FOOT /CANDY - Alright I'm totally shooting myself in the foot here (pun intended) because we're about to tell you about the BEST...KEPT...SECRET. If you adore designer shoes, wear a size 7 or 7.5 but can't stomach spending top dollar to line your closet?! Foot Candy Shoes is your new obsession. It started when a local winery owner, Perry counted his wife's shoes...500!!! He realized Carolyn's love for beautiful "foot candy" rivaled his of wine. They'd travel internationally and find their favorite respective flavors and bring them back to Napa. So...how do we benefit?! Well, Carolyn has been incredibly generous by selling some of her lightly-worn or never-before-touched high-end heels to us, the public at a deep discount. Only thing is, all the consignment shoes are a 7 or 7.5 Cha-ching! What do ya know!? Just so happens that's my size. Christian Louboutin, Lanvin, Jimmy Choo...they're all there, and lemme tell ya, it's a sight to see. I scored these Louboutins for $250...new, they'll set you back around $700! Yes GIRL Yes!!! www.footcandyshoes.com

June 03, 2016

Deliver Me...Tasty, Healthy, At My Door!!

June 03, 2016/ Adrianna Costa

I LOVE to cook! Like really, REALLY LOVE to cook! I like searching for healthy, beautifully ripe ingredients, discovering new recipes and executing the hell outta them. I LOVE the finished product and must say I do basque a bit in my own culinary glory when the ol hubz takes a tastes and approvingly states, "Damn baby, that's GOOOOD!!" Sheesh, why so surprised?! Anywhoo... cooking, with kids, and a job and everything else piled high on top, isn't for everyone. And that's quite alright. In fact, these days there's a solution for moms who can't handle the heat...they eagerly let someone else, perhaps someone more equipped, into the kitchen. Enter, First Spoonful meal delivery service! FirstSpoonful.com Maybe not the first of it's kind, but it's certainly one of the best.

Their mission is to create a healthy solution for busy parents by preparing and delivering only the finest, organic foods in portioned-out meals for kids and adults. They take the thinking out of eating which is such a great luxury for parents on the move. A few other perks: Delivery comes straight to your doorstep, pick up is as easy as placing emptied bags out front...and the meals will cost you less than eating out. So, if you're in the LA area and looking for a quick (healthy) fix for your family, this may be just what the doc ordered!

May 31, 2016

Haute Mom's Life Comes To Life With PodcastOne!

May 31, 2016/ Adrianna Costa

We've been bursting at the seams to share some exciting news with you guys! HML's has teamed up with the ultimate, Podcast One www.podcastone.com to bring HML to life in a brand, spanking new weekly podcast! Starting June 9th, Haute Mom's Life will show you how you can HAVE IT ALL, while you DO IT ALL! We break down stories and headlines that are important to us. Plus, in a totally chaotic world, we teach you how to simply and enhance your life with simple tips, tricks and trends. Each week we interview a fascinating person, be it a celebrity, mommy blogger, designer, musician and more and run through our weekly segment: Haute Mom's Hot 5 - a list designed to share with listeners what celebs in the spotlight are swooning over these days...straight from their lips. Fun, informative, and super candid, Haute Mom's Life Podcast is where it's at ladies! Check out our 1st show June 9th - on PodcastOne.com - or download em at iTunes! We LOVE you guys and THANK YOU for the support!

May 23, 2016

The Truth Behind Saying Thank You

May 23, 2016/ Adrianna Costa

There's been a major debate going on in the mommy world and we're getting to the bottom of it. What's the deal with Thank You's these days?! In a primarily digital world, is it still important to send hand-written Thank You notes after birthdays, weddings, baby births, bar mitzvahs and other milestones?? What's the ettiquite? It seems everyone has their own way of doing it, but what's expected and/or accepted these days?! Do people even care about receiving Thank Yous anymore?! Here at HML, we're creating our own set of standards for how we think you should say Thank You in 2016. So move over Emily Post, here are some of our rules to guide you:

1. Weddings, Bar Mitzvahs, Baby Birth, Quinceaneras require hand-written Thank You's! Why you ask?? Because they're major milestones that don't happen yearly like birthdays.

2. If you send out actual hard copies of invites in the mail, your Thank You cards should arrive the same way. On the other hand, if you send out digital invites, your Thank you's can be sent online.

3. Sending a mass digital Thank You sharing gratitude for guests attending an event and/or bringing gifts is still something, better than nothing, but won't leave friends and family feeling all warm and fuzzy. What we've realized is if you take just a little extra time and personalize each card, your guests will appreciate the gesture so much more especially your parent's friends who are still steadfast on feeling every gift should be recognized with a hand-written Thank You. Mom?? Ya here??? Here's a tip: If you're using an online invite service like my personal fave, www.paperlesspost.com check out their super CUTE Thank You notes that will often times match your invites. You can "clone" the card and then re-write your msg to each guest which shows you've gone the extra mile. #Lifesaver

4. Put you kids to work. A fabulous way to improve your child's penmanship, writing ability AND save you some time is by having them write their own Thank You letters. Everyone will LOVE receiving them and it's a win/win.

5. Are you less of a person for throwing in the towel with Thank You's? Not in our opinion. It's a lot of extra work for moms today who have more than one child, birthdays out the wazoo and not even enough time for a stinking bathroom break. Throw work, cooking and sex on top of that, who the hell wants to put pen to paper?! All that said, be aware that some may judge you for it. Ya gotta have the "Zero F%&ks" attitude with this one.

Hope this helps mommies!

May 16, 2016

Haute Mommy Monday!!

May 16, 2016/ Adrianna Costa

It's hard enough as is to get our asses in gear by the time Monday rolls around...so here's a little #MondayMotivation so generously provided by our uber-hot celeb mommy friends to kick us into overdrive! Our Top 5 Celeb Super-Mom Looks from over the wknd Here goes...