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Summer is finally here! This means juicy fruits in season, refreshing drinks, and most of all, beautiful, sunny weather! A great way to celebrate and welcome in the wonderful season is by opening up some rich wine. Here are some ways you can do just that:

1. Make Yourself a Relaxing Wine Cocktail!

Celebrate in the evening alongside a beautiful sunset with some fresh sangria or a delicious cocktail. Enjoy it in a cute, personalized wine glass  or a personalized mason jar! Here’s a delicious recipe from Organic Authority:

Watermelon Red Wine Sangria 

Serves 4-6

• 1 bottle of organic or Fair Trade red wine
• 1 cup of 4 Copas tequila
• 1/2 cup of fresh squeezed orange juice
• 1/4 cup of fresh squeezed organic lime juice
• 1/2 cup of brown organic sugar
• Sliced watermelon to taste

For a cute touch, they recommend serving the sangria in a hollowed-out watermelon! Don’t forget to include some yummy finger foods like cheese and crackers, and what better way to serve it then on a personalized rustic cutting board! 

For some healthy and fresh snacking for you and your guests, enjoy a fun fruit arrangement from our sister company, FruitBouquets!

2. Pair it with a Summery Wine-Infused Meal!

Now that you have your drink in hand, have fun and make a casual summer meal with some leftover wine!  Not only will you use up all your wine in a creative way, but you’ll enjoy a delicious meal using it. Here’s a scrumptious summer pasta dish from Dishing Up the Dirt that uses some white wine!:

White Wine & Burst Tomato Summer Pasta 

Prep time: 15 minutes      Cook time: 20 minutes     Serves: 4

•  1 (8oz) package spaghetti
• 1 medium-sized zucchini, julienned
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1 cup basil, coarsely chopped
• salt + pepper to taste
• freshly grated parmesan cheese for serving (optional)

Preparation 

1. Cook pasta according to package directions.
2. While the pasta cooks use a julienne peeler, or (regular peeler) to peel the zucchini into thin strips (think pasta size strips!)
3. Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and crushed red pepper flakes. Cook, stirring often until the garlic is fragrant and slightly soft, about 3 minutes. Stir in the cherry tomatoes and add the 1/2 cup of wine. Bring to a simmer, cover the pan and cook for about 5-8 minutes, or until the tomatoes burst open and release some of their juices. Season with plenty of salt and pepper.
4. In a large serving bowl toss the cooked spaghetti with the zucchini, tomatoes, basil and top with a few healthy pinches of parmesan cheese and a drizzle of olive oil. Serve warm.

Enjoy!

3. Indulge in some Dessert!

Don’t just stop at using wine for your meal, but include it in your dessert! Instead of just an ordinary popsicle-make wine infused ones to cool off during a hot summer day! Here’s an easy recipe from Endless Simmer for the adults to enjoy:

Blueberry Cabernet Cheesecake Popsicles

Makes eight 2 ¼ oz oz. popsicle

• 1 pint of blueberries (about 2 cups)
• ½ cup Cabernet (https://www.personalizationuniverse.com/personalized-wine-bottles)
• 1/4 cup simple syrup (recipe follows)
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 cup cream cheese, softened
• 4 tablespoons of sugar
• ¼ cup graham cracker crumbs

Instructions:

1. Place blueberries, wine and simple syrup in a blender or food processor and puree. Set aside.
2. Place softened cream cheese into a bowl and beat until light and fluffy; set aside. Place heavy cream into a cold bowl with sugar and, using a hand beater or whisk, beat until soft peaks form. Fold in beaten cream cheese. Portion out ¼ cup of cream cheese mixture into a separate bowl, add in graham cracker crumbs and whisk to combine.  Place each mixture into separate plastic bags and cut off a corner to create a small opening.
3. Assembly: Pour 2 tablespoons of blueberry and wine mixture into each well. Squeeze a tablespoon of cheesecake mixture on top of blueberry layer. Squeeze a small dollop, about a teaspoon, of graham cracker mixture on top of cheesecake mixture. Continue layering and repeating until top of each well is reached.
4. Cover top of popsicle form with foil and cut a tiny hole in the center of each well. Place popsicle stick through the hole.
5. Place in freezer until frozen. To release popsicles, run hot water over outside of mold for 2-3 seconds

Simple Syrup Recipe

• ½ cup water
• ½ cup sugar

Place water and sugar in a saucepan over medium heat. Heat and stir until sugar dissolves. Cool before using.

4. Don’t Forget the Corks!

Here’s a fun summer DIY project that will help you use your wine corks that gather up! It’ll result into something very low-maintenance and additionally give you that nice green thumb that everyone is chasing! It also will make for a cozy and cute design for your kitchen space. Here are easy directions from Crafts By Amanda on how to create your very own wine cork succulent magnets:

What You’ll Need:

• wine corks
• drill with size 5/16 bit
• wrench
• craft paint (optional)
• paint brushes (optional)
• blue painters tape (optional)
• hot glue gun
• magnets
• soil
• small succulent pieces

1. Drill cavities in the wine corks first. Choose whichever size drill bit works best with your wine corks. That is the bit that is big enough to drill a cavity, but not so large to crumble the edges of the cork. I used a size 5/16-inch. Hold the wine cork with the wrench and drill a hole in the center of the cork. (Use a wrench so you don’t accidentally drill your fingers. No injuries, please!) You may need to drill two or three times to get a good size cavity. Be sure to only drill about three-quarters of the way down the cork. Shake out any of the cork dust.
2. Next, paint your corks and let the paint dry completely. I blocked off the top of the cork with blue tape to give a dipped-paint look. If you’d like a more natural look, skip this step and don’t paint the corks at all.
3. Use the hot glue gun to glue two to three magnets on the side of the cork. Let set well.
4. Add your soil and succulent and adhere to a magnetic surface.

Take a picture and share your cute, personalized wine cork succulents with your friends and family!

5. Recycle and Refashion Wine Bottles

Don’t just toss away your emptied wine bottles – have fun and rework them into beautiful DIY centerpieces for your home! You can start the DIY process with our wine bottles because they can easily be personalized on our website! Once you get them and finish the wine, just add some extra personal touches with some paint or ribbon and they can easily be turned into vases and candleholders, turning your home from simple to stylish. As suggested by Inspired By This, for a quick transformation, all you need are:

• Empty Wine Bottles
• Spray Paint
• Adhesive Remover
• Chalk

Of course, you can add your own personalization touches like twine for a country-inspired look, or some glitter for a more party vibe! Here are the steps you should follow:

1. First you have to rid the wine bottles of labels by soaking them in water for approximately 30 minutes. This can be the most frustrating part, but with a little adhesive remover and some nails the label should come off easier. Make sure all the gooey-ness is gone from the bottle. Rinse and let dry.
2. Next, you get to spray paint the bottles! With your chosen spray paint, coat the bottle in three even layers of paint, or until the color is solid, letting the bottle dry for a few minutes in between each coat to avoid dripping.
3. Once the bottles are dry you can chalk a table number onto your chalkboard bottle (we actually ended up using a chalkboard marker instead of traditional chalk).
4. Then you have two options: 1. fill your bottles with flowers or 2. fill them with candles.

Now you have gorgeous, homemade centerpieces to spruce up your home for the summer!

With all these ways to welcome in the summer with wine, you’ll surely enjoy whatever the season has to offer this year!

When Spring comes into the picture, flowers are blooming and birds are chirping with the weather so sunny and breezy. This also means you have to do some Spring Cleaning to prepare your house for the bright, new season! We can help ease the chaos of it all with our 5 easy Spring cleaning tips!

TIP #1

Usually, when people think of Spring cleaning, they start with their closets. Out with the heavy, Winter clothes and in with the light, Spring clothes! Sometimes, women may get stuck in a rut when it comes to organizing their accessories. For women, don’t push off on buying something like a personalized jewelry box to have an easy place to store earrings, necklaces, and rings.

TIP #2

Men may have the same problem and want to organize things like their watches and sunglasses. Investing in a sleek, personalized watch and sunglasses box will be helpful. To have a place for miscellaneous items like keys and spare coins, place our stylishly personalized leatherette snap tray on your dresser. This way, even the smallest items in your room have a home!

TIP #3

It can be a hassle to clean up any fragile items like wine glasses and silverware. But did you know that simple home items can make them shine like new? Here are some simple cleaning “recipes” to give them a sparkle:

For glassware, here’s a recipe from Molly Maid:

1. Warm the vinegar and place the wine glasses in the vinegar for one hour.
2. Use the nylon net or plastic scrubber to remove the film.
3. Thoroughly rinse wine glasses in hot water.
4. Dry your wine glasses with a flour sack towel or other lint-free towel.

As for silverware, believe it or not, using a cloth and toothpaste can clean them up in no time! Simply polish them with some toothpaste and rinse off with warm water! If there are more persistent stains in your silverware, use a soft-bristled toothbrush to gently scrub some toothpaste into the spot!

TIP #4

In order to detoxify and cleanse your home’s multiple surfaces, keep the harsh chemicals away and use this easy formula that uses lemons!:

• 3 tablespoons of lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon of dish soap
• Water
• Regular spray bottle

Put the lemon juice and dish soap in the spray bottle. Fill the bottle to how much you desire with water. Spray on kitchen, bathroom, and house surfaces to cleanse and detoxify your home safely. Wipe away with a dampened cloth.

This will soothe any mother’s worries about harmful cleaning chemicals being used near the kids. This recipe will not only clean your home to welcome in the Spring, but it’ll also leave a joyful scent in every room!

TIP #5

If you have kids or you simply have board games lying around for game night, create a simple system to organize them so you won’t get a headache looking at a mess of cards and play pieces! A great way to have everything in order is through a cubby system. Stack all the puzzles and board games that are in boxes and have your child’s toys in plastic boxes that can sit in each cubby. As for loose play cards, organize and tuck them into index card containers and file and label them into the same boxes in the cubbies.

            When it comes to Spring cleaning, it’s all about being thorough throughout your house to welcome in the new season with a fresh start. With our 5 spring cleaning tips, you’ll be doing your Spring cleaning by working smarter and not harder!