Things are getting warm over here, says the girl who took cold showers as a child and hyperventilated in the sauna once or twice. But in addition to the weather heating up, my winemaker and I did a fun thing last weekend. We kind of unexpectedly released a party in a bag.

Jalapeno Wine Lemonade, my friends! Turns out it’s a real thing and it’s a real delicious thing. We debuted the unlabeled “party pouches” at the farmer’s markets on Saturday and people came, people tasted, people left with pouches of parties. Spicy lemonade is what’s going on these days. It’s super fun to witness. But we need your thoughts, my friends. We’d love to get a label on our fun-bags and our multi-talented graphic designer/idea manufacturer extraordinaire is working on it. So far we’ve got this guy, what do you think?

By now most of you are familiar with Hal. Consider this lemon dude his sour step-sibling. Which brings up another item of business: We need a name! The winemaker likes Lyle. What do you think? I need you and your brains, please comment at the end of this post with your super catchy nominations!

So that’s what’s new on the winery front. Here’s what’s new with my inter-web findings for this installment of The Tuesday Tank. It seems the hidden “tracker-of-all-things-I-read-and-like” knows me pretty dang well. Well played, Big Brother. So I like wine, healthy yummy things, pretending I clean my house, laughing and thinking big thoughts in small doses. Was that really so challenging?

The Tuesday Tank

~ I feel like we need to talk about these asparagus fries with greek yogurt dipping sauce…

Only because I made them for Easter brunch with my family and only because they were GONE. Just gone. Even my bag-o’ chips-meal-replacement-loving brother said they were really good. BAM! I win. Find an excuse to make these. You’re welcome.

~ If I got another tattoo it might be this list, on my forehead, for my lady clients… 6 Things No One Tells Women About Their Weight Loss Journey. “The path to a slimmer you is not a straight line.” Amen. Hey you, water-retaining foxy lady, just hear this please.

~ Why is doing anything for 30 days supposedly easier for us? It’s not. But I’m working on it… I’m taking the Spring Clean in 30 Challenge from Clean Mama, because I can do this. Can’t I? Okay…Spring Clean in 60 doesn’t sound as good but it may end up being my story. I mean…there are windows involved.

~ I’m not a wine snob, but I don’t like cheap wine and I don’t like over-priced wine. Does that just make me “normal?”… The Wine Economist (he’s kind of a big deal) reports that U.S. wine sales below about $9 “are stagnant or falling…with the largest percentage rise in the $20+ segment.” What does this mean for my winemaker and I? “The new normal will focus on wines that tell as good a story as other contemporary market products, such as craft beers and spirits and locally-sourced food products.” Um, not to prematurely celebrate or anything but…have you heard of jalapeno wine?

~ Remember that time you let your Tom Hanks infatuation lead you right to this 6-minute video? It’s your lucky day… Tom Hanks Reenacts All of His Films in Six Minutes. Once upon a time many moons ago, as a 20-year-old in New York City, I was in a group interview for a Victoria’s Secret Associate position and they asked every woman in the room who they’d have lunch with if they could only pick one person in the world. Everyone was choosing Vin Diesel. I chose Tom Hanks. Why? Becaaaaause shimmy shimmy cocoa puff!

~ I learned something about myself very soon after college – I am not a “seeker of resume virtues.” I am also not good at everything. This is my truth. Find yours… The New York Times Moral Bucket List. The sooner you figure it out, the happier you’ll be. Cheers to that.

~Dr. Oz vs. All Other Doctors, on the next Judge Judy… All of the Arguments Dr. Oz Made Against His Critics Were Wrong. Is it just me or is it actually stranger that people are now just realizing Dr. Oz is slightly off? Why is there surprise here? Oh. Because Oprah.

*Special Bonus Section!*

Review: Hyperbiotics PRO-Women with D-Mannose

I was recently selected to review some very high-tech probiotics for women. And by high-tech I mean super-fantastically engineered. This formula is made for women, by women, and specifically addresses women’s health issues (candida, chronic yeast or UTIs, all that non-fun stuff). You might be wondering why in the world I would want to review a probiotic. Let me tell you – I have the stomach of a seagull. The smallest detour from my normal eating habits can make me puff up like an over-Alka-Seltzer’ed beach bird. Is the picture painted? Great. So let’s talk about why I loved Hyperbiotics.

The Pros

• There are 6 Broad Spectrum Probiotic Strains, which basically means in addition to restoring the balance of healthy yeast and improved digestion, there’s some weight loss and reduced bloating benefits as well (especially if you’ve never taken probiotics before – your virgin system will be pushed into Go Mode).
• There’s this D-Mannose thing. What you need to know about D-Mannose is that studies prove it helps 90% of UTIs within 1-2 days. Combine that with unsweetened whole cranberry juice, which is also in these super-power pills, and it’s money well spent.
• Longer shelf life without refrigeration. If you’re like me, you’ve probably purchased probiotics and put them in your refrigerator where maybe they’ve stayed for months or even years. What you don’t realize is that if they need to be refrigerated it means they need to be used up as soon as possible. Woops!
• These magic pills are time-released, so you only take one a day (you can take them more often for “intense repair”).
• More protection. As in for your gastrointestinal tract. Apparently most probiotics we take only retain about 4% of their effectiveness by the time they pass through the wicked stomach environment. Hyperbiotics retain 60% effectiveness.

The Cons

• There was actually only one con for me, and that was outside of anyone’s control. My well-meaning son passed on a small stomach bug while I was just a couple days into trying these probiotics. I had to stop taking them momentarily so my stomach could come up for air and crackers. As soon as the bug was gone however, I started back up taking one a day. The instructions on the label suggest that for daily maintenance you only need to take one a day but for more intense repair you can take 2-3 capsules twice per day. I tried the latter and…no go for me. I’m telling you – it’s a seagull situation over here. If you’re like me start with one/day, it’ll do the trick!

Where to Buy

You can purchase Hyperbiotics PRO-Women with D-Mannose at Hyperbiotics.com or on Amazon.com Hyperbiotics (click this link to see their product page).

*This review was powered by BrandBacker.*