Now that we are home and can confirm we all remained COVID-19 free, I’m spilling all the details on our recent Napa Valley trip. Despite its association with California, where coronavirus cases have been pretty high, Napa Valley was an excellent, safe, summer travel option. All restaurants and wineries are operating entirely outdoors, and social distancing is strictly enforced. Other than an occasional waiter or waitress in a mask, I don’t think we came within 10 feet of anyone outside our group the entire trip! Keep reading to see which restaurants and wineries were accommodating to our group and which ones you might want to avoid.

Let’s start with the flight. We flew Delta, and it felt very clean and safe. Like many airlines, Delta is limiting the number of people on flights and are leaving the middle seat open. We were given a sanitizing wipe when we got on the plane, and although there were no beverage carts, we were given a plastic bag with a snack, additional wipe, and water bottle. We had to wear our masks the entire time, and it did get old. However, on one of our flights, I saw someone with a full hazmat suit, N90 mask and goggles, so I figured if he could survive the flight, surely I could too!

When we arrived in San Francisco we were all starving, so we made a quick pit stop at the Ferry Building. I had my heart set on some oysters, but we didn’t have time, so we settled on Gott’s Roadside. Great choice! I had the Western Bacon Blue Ring Burger and some of their famous Mexican Street Corn. So, so, so good! We sat outside, and the entire Ferry Building was pretty much a ghost town, so it felt very socially distanced.

We then made the drive into Yountville and stopped at one of my favorite little wineries, Jessup Cellars. They were very gracious to our group of TEN. Yep, you read that right. Despite a ban on groups of more than 6, we rolled into Yountville like the rebels we are. We had to split up the entire trip into groups of 4 and 6 or 5 and 5. We drew names, which was fun at first, but, sadly, I don’t think I ate dinner with my husband the entire trip. Here’s a good time to point out that *I would NOT recommend going to Napa with a group larger than 6.

Okay, back to Jessup Cellars. The Jessup Cellars tasting was one of the group’s favorites. The wine was delicious and the tasting fee very reasonable. We really enjoyed the service here and the more laid-back vibe. It was also walkable from our bed & breakfast, Maison Fluerie.

That night we had an amazing dinner at Bouchon Bistro. They have a small but beautiful patio area, and the service was exceptional. Because of our wait, they even bought us all a round of drinks. A good glass of Rosé can truly fix anything. We celebrated a friend’s birthday that night, and they even rolled out a dessert with a candle. Highly recommend this place!

My husband and I went for a run around Yountville each morning and ended with a coffee and treat from Bouchon Bakery. The line gets crazy when it opens, so we got there about 15 minutes early and had no issues. We also had a fabulous breakfast by the pool at our B&B each morning.

We started our first full day of wine tasting at Frog’s Leap Winery. The grounds were beautiful, and I’m a big fan of this organic wine. This was actually our third time visiting Frog’s Leap. They were pretty strict on us wearing our masks, even asking us to put our masks back on even when we were out in the vineyard trying to take a photo. Given that we were outside and not within 100 feet of another person, it was a little strange.

Next we grabbed lunch at Oakville Grocery. It was absolutely delicious! It’s a casual spot, but the food and wine selection are excellent. I split a pizza with a friend and we bought a smaller, half-bottle of wine to enjoy over lunch. The beer drinkers in our group were glad to grab a beer (or two) on this stop.

After lunch we attempted to visit Mumm Napa. Despite having two separate reservations for 4 and 6, they would not let us in. The host outside the tasting room was extremely rude to us. We joked that it felt like we were getting scolded at the principal’s office. Not okay. No one in our group will be visiting or buying any of their wines in the foreseeable future. Our issue was not with their COVID-19 policies, but more with how they treated us.

Our last winery of the day was at the charming Elizabeth Spencer Winery. This was my first time visiting this winery, and I absolutely loved it. They could not have been nicer and the back outdoor seating area was so nice. They even had special tasting menus printed for our group.

For dinner that night we went to Brix, where I had the best meal of our entire trip. If you make it here, you have to order the Roasted Chicken Carbonara. It almost had a chicken noodle soup vibe, and really hit the spot! Next time we are in Napa, I will be headed back to Brix for this exact meal. The views were also stunning here, and we were lucky enough to be there for the sunset. We did get asked several times to not commingle our group, but they were very nice about it, proving that it’s possible to enforce your business’ COVID-19 policies without being a jerk.

Day two kicked off with a private tasting at Momento Mori. This was my favorite tasting of the trip. The wine is so, so good. We also had the best time chatting with our host, Emily. She was overflowing with knowledge about the valley and winemaking.

We lunched at the gorgeous RH Yountville. Wow! You have to eat here, if only to experience the decor. The outdoor dining space was truly magical. The food was also excellent, and it was nice that we just had a short walk back to Maison Fluerie after lunch.

That afternoon we hit up a couple local tasting rooms. First we made a visit to Priest Ranch. Their outdoor patio was pretty small, and honestly, the service was not very good. I would pass on this place until they are open for indoor tastings.

We then headed just outside of town to check out Hill Family Estate. They have a tasting room in Yountville, but with very little outdoor space, they suggested we head to their winery just outside of town. It was so beautiful, and the perfect spot to relax. They were very friendly here, and this place was definitely worth the 5 minute Uber ride.

We had dinner that night at Bottega. They have a very large outdoor area, so I would think this would be an easy one to get a reservation. Unfortunately, the service was very poor here, and I kid you not, we saw a very large rat crawling down the wall near our table. When we told our waiter about it, he acted like we were making it up. The entire dinner all I could think about was that dang rat! Unfortunately the food did not make up for the poor service.

Before heading out of town that next morning we stopped at Mini Model to try their famous English muffins. Let me tell you: worth the hype! So delicious.

All around it was a great trip, and it was really nice to get out of town for a few days. We loved our stay at Maison Fluerie. It was our third time staying there, and it was great as usual. They always go above and beyond. If you are thinking about a trip to Napa Valley in the near future, go for it! Just don’t go in a big group. Other than that, enjoy your trip!

Over the weekend we had a pretty epic birthday party to celebrate Brooklyn’s 7th birthday! All the credit goes to Brooklyn for coming up with the concept for this party. She specifically requested an L.O.L. Surprise! Makeover party, where she and her friends would be made over to look like their favorite LOL doll. I thought it was genius!

All the decor is linked below, and I made the balloon tassels after watching a few YouTube videos. They were SO easy, and it only cost around $15 to make all of them. Brooklyn even helped! Because the balloons were all so big, we had to take them to Party City to be inflated. I purchased a helium tank, but the first balloon pretty much used up the entire tank!

She found a cake she liked on Pinterest, and Midwest Cookie Co. recreated it perfectly. The top half was funfetti flavored, and the bottom was triple chocolate. It tasted as good as it looked! She was also very specific on snacks. We had fruit cups and a mix of gold fish, marshmallows, pretzels and cheddar popcorn. The party was at 1pm, so we didn’t have to feed everyone, which was nice.

Each girl was given a bag of goodies, including their own lip gloss, nail file , hair brush, etc. They decorated their bags with stickers right from the start. They were also given a water bottle. (If you don’t know, each LOL doll comes with it’s own water bottle.) I tried my best to find these that looked the most like the LOL water bottles, and I used paint markers to write their names on them and ribbon to spruce them up a bit. I found these LOL waterproof vinyl stickers, and the girls also decorated their water bottles.

I set up three stations: hair, makeup and nails. I recruited a couple of our neighbor girls to help with hair and bought a bunch of temporary hair color and hair chalk. I also ordered bows and some LOL hair ties. Each girl was given their own brush to use. I found these at Target for $3 a piece.

For the makeup station, I used Brooklyn’s pottery barn vanity and let them do their own makeup. These girls love to do their own makeup! I found some inexpensive makeup brushes from Target and a great neon eyeshadow pallet. The LOL press on earrings were also a big hit!

I did everyone’s nails, since that’s my jam. I already had a bunch of nail polish, but I ordered a couple pink fans to make it seem a little more like an actual nail salon. I also bought some cute nail decals and each girl got their own LOL nail file.

After the makeovers, they all sat in a circle and we gave each girl her very own LOL ball to open. I found the Winter Disco series on clearance at Best Buy for $6 and put them in a cute LOL bag. They watched each other open them up one by one, which took quite a while.

We sang happy birthday, ate cake, opened presents, and then everyone went home full of sugar, with multicolored hair and their new L.O.L. Suprise! swag. Brooklyn had the time of her life, and I was so happy I could help make this happen for her.

You may have heard of Bumble, which is traditionally known as a popular dating app but after a recent Instagram poll, I realized not as many of you are familiar with Bumble Bizz. In fact, several of you simply responded to my poll by asking, “What is Bumble Bizz?” Well, this post is for you!

1. What is Bumble Bizz? It’s a way for business professionals to network and connect with each other. The app works in a similar way to those who may be interested in e looking for love (Bumble Date) or friendship (Bumble BFF). Bumble Bizz is the first to bring the “swiping” and “women first” experience to professional connecting. Users can instantly find others who are looking to network, connect professionally and mentor.

2. How does it work? I recently set up my own Bumble Bizz profile, and it only took a few minutes. You’ll input a lot of the same information as you do in Bumble Date, such as name, location, etc. Once set up, you’re faced with the decision to swipe right (yes) or left (no) on potential networking opportunities. If you and another Bumble Bizz user both swipe right, you can start a conversation with them.

3. Why it’s for you! Since jumping out and becoming an entrepreneur, I have come to understand how important networking can be for your business. I also really, really enjoy connecting with like-minded people. If you are in the same boat, and are interested in making business connections in your area, Bumble Bizz is a great place to start.

4. Favorite features: There were a couple of Bumble Bizz features that I thought were worth noting. First, you can identify what you are looking for on Bumble Bizz, such as an internship, investor, part-time job, mentor, and more. I am personally looking for a business mentor, and this is the first thing I’ve found that will directly connect me to someone. Second, I love the option to only connect with other women, if that’s what you prefer. If venturing into a new online space makes you a little uneasy, I think this option is a good place to start.

I hope this information was helpful and will take some of the mystery out of Bumble Bizz. To get started using Bumble Bizz, just download the Bumble app. For those who are in a relationship, you can also remove Bumble Date from your app — and it is time stamped for accountability! — so you can use Bumble Bizz (or Bumble BFF) without any concerns about being “on a dating app”. Bumble Bizz is  really easy to use, I promise. Swipe right if you want to connect!

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As improvements in technology make it easier for people to work remotely, I find that more and more of my friends are working from home. I, myself, started my journey working from home at the end of 2018, and have absolutely loved it.

Here are my top 5 reasons why working from home is where it’s at:

If you think you can swing the discipline it takes to work from home, I highly recommend it. I find that I am much more happy, motivated and successful in my new work-from-home position.

As a kid, I never liked reading. It’s not like I wasn’t good at it. I just thought it was boring. I would rather be playing sports or hanging out with friends. The older I get, the more I absolutely love reading. It has truly become a part of my life.

The books I read each year always seem to leave a little impression on me. Thanks to my beloved book club and a friend who dropped a bag of books on my doorstep over the summer, I read a few books this year that I may not have otherwise–particularly fiction books.

I am not a person with a lot of free time, so I really don’t buy the excuse that “you don’t have time to read.” Once reading becomes a part of your life, you find ways to sneak it in here and there.  I read most of these on vacations or by just reading a few pages at bedtime.

Almost every single one of these books came from the recommendation of a friend, so I thought I would pass along the favor and share my 2019 reading list with you. Those with an asterisk were my favorites, but each and every one of these is worth reading.

Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert T. Kiyosaki

The Last Mrs. Parrish by Liv Constantine

I’ve Been Thinking by Maria Shriver

Originals by Adam Grant

*Girl Stop Apologizing by Rachel Hollis

Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng

Everybody Always by Bob Goff

*You are a Badass by Jin Sincero

You are a Badass at Making Money by Jen Sincero

Love Lives Here by Maria Goff

Educated by Tara Westover

*Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens

*Everything is Figureoutable by Marie Forleo

*The Rent Collector by Camron Wright

Here are a few of my favorites from Evereve right now, all of which would make excellent gifts for a friend, wife, mom, sister, etc.! You can count on Evereve for high quality pieces and fantastic customer service. You can just feel the love when you walk in that store!

One of my favorite time and money savers is doing my own gel polish at home. It’s incredibly easy, and the cost of a starter set is about the same as one gel manicure at a salon. Below are a few of my favorite designs. You can check out my IGTV tutorials for most of these and stay up-to-date on my latest nail designs by following me on Instagram @overanalyzedthat.

Below are the products I use, including my exact light. I recently came across the Beetles Gel Nail Polish brand on Amazon, and its quickly becoming my favorite. I love that they sell the polish in 6-pack sets. They also have a great starter kit, which is linked below.

Every year I put a lot of effort into our family photos. I can’t lie, I love them. I love everything about them. From planning the outfits to spending hours deciding on which photo will make our annual Christmas card. Unfortunately, I am the only one in my family that actually likes participating in said family photos–lol!

This year I put together (what I thought was) a really chic combination of fall outfits. I’ll share those here below. I started with my daughter to see what she thought, and she immediately, without hesitation, nixed my whole vision. From there, I let her scroll online to find something that would work for her, and then I built the rest of the outfits from there.

My son is super sporty and wears a Kansas City Chiefs jersey to school most days. I found this great Nike jersey, the colors of which matched Brooklyn’s dress. My husband loves Travis Matthews gear, so I found a top that I knew he would wear beyond family picture day. Lastly, I had to have this red jumpsuit from Anthropologie to give a little pop of holiday color to our look.

Oh, and did I mention I also let the kids talk me into bringing our dogs to family pictures this year?!? It was complete chaos, but the photos turned out great.

If you are local to Kansas City, Monica Erdmann from MEPhotography shoots our family photos each year, and I cannot say enough great things about her. She has the patience of a saint and a true gifting for getting kids to smile in photos.

This pumpkin craft my daughter and I did together was super easy, and I love that the end result could actually be used with our Halloween decor. Here’s a step-by-step guide to creating your own painted pumpkins:

WHAT YOU NEED:

• Small White Pumpkin
• Acrylic Paint
• Paint Brush
• Modge Podge
• Glitter

HOW TO:

1. Make sure your pumpkin is clean and dry.

2. Using a small paint brush, paint the entire stem with Modge Podge.

3. Dip the stem into the glitter.

4. Shake off the glitter and use your hands to sprinkle more glitter on any spots you missed.

5. Use a clean paint brush to paint the acrylic paint onto the pumpkin, using the natural lines of the pumpkin as your guide.

6. Let everything dry, and that’s it!

*You can use any variation from this, so use your imagination. My daughter just painted the whole pumpkin black and then added glitter. Have fun!!