Favorites Friday

I’m excited to launch a new series with you today – Favorites Friday! There’s always something really neat that I come across in my daily life that I just need to share with the blogging world. Sometimes my Favorites will be related to books or wine, sometimes they won’t. But they will always be awesome things that have made me happy. I think they’ll make you happy too!

Vinoair Wine Aerator

Ever since we joined the Cooper’s Hawk wine club, I’ve been pining after these cool aerators they sell. I never used an aerator before but these cool pewter animals were just too hard to resist. My husband found this Vinoair wine aerator and gave it to me for Christmas and I have been LOVING it (even though it’s not an adorable animal). It’s amazing how much better my red wines taste after running through this fun little gadget. The best part about this aerator is that it fits right down into the bottle and you pour directly into your glass. And, it doesn’t even slow down the pouring process! You can see the bubbles but most importantly – you can taste the difference!

Lodge enameled cast iron skillet

My husband and I love cooking and we do a lot of it. We love finding and trying out new recipes all the time. A couple of years ago, we got our first enameled cast iron dutch oven. We became obsessed with it and started using it ALL the time. We also watch a lot of Food Network and something that I always see the chefs using was a shallow enameled cast iron casserole pot. I got this super pretty Lodge one for Christmas and was so excited to use it. It didn’t disappoint! It’s perfect for literally every dish from chicken to pasta to steak. You can sauté or sear and then throw the entire thing in the oven to finish cooking. If you like to cook, get one of these in your life immediately.

Crocheted ponytail hat

Unless you’ve been living under a social media rock, then you know the hottest trend on the internet right now is the “messy bun” hat. I’m not sure how this hasn’t caught on before now because it is a GENIUS idea. I knew I needed one the second I saw it. Luckily, I have a super talented Mom who can crochet. When I asked her to make me one – she happily obliged! With the super cold weather that we’ve been getting lately, this hat has been the perfect addition to my wardrobe. You can find patterns online to make one yourself if you are crafty. Or, you can buy one already completed. My good friend over at Jess Runs ATL is fundraising for cancer research in order to run the NYC marathon and is taking orders. Get yours here. It’s for a great cause so go check it out and get your beanie on!