A Heck of a Shopping Haul.....At a Hotel?

Trina Turk Cover-Up I bought at the Ritz Carlton Marina Del Rey

You can score fabulous finds at hotels.  Really.  The Wall Street Journal explores the rise of niche luxury hotel boutiques in Thursday's edition.

"The traditional hotel gift shop is getting an overhaul. Upscale properties hope to turn them into places where guests, and even locals, will want to linger and spend money—day after day."

The thing is, you don't have to spend a ton of cash.  Sure, there are some hotel boutiques that stock items that cost a fortune but many will discount their goods in effort to move them.

Good Juice Doesn't Have to Cost a Fortune

I love great hooch more than the next person.  I will spend triple digits on a quality bottle of wine if it's part of an experience that my friends and I will cherish for years to come.

Praying this has been stored properly!

But even more than great pricey bottle, I love a good wine value.  Eric Asimov has a great feature in Thursday's New York Times profiling what he considers "12 Values in American Wines". 

Included on the list are two of my favorites:

Qupé Santa Barbara County Marsanne 2011, $20

Bob Lindquist is one of the unsung heroes of California wine, and his Qupé label is consistently overlooked, possibly because he makes wines of little-known Rhône grapes like marsanne. This is actually a blend of two Rhône grapes, 79 percent marsanne and 21 percent roussanne. Pleasantly weighty and harmonious with persistent floral, nutlike flavors. 

Heitz Napa Valley Grignolino 2009, $20

Grignolino? From Napa Valley? While other producers have converted their Napa vineyards of esoteric grapes into more lucrative cabernet sauvignon, Heitz has held out and continues to make this ruby-colored red, bone dry with dark, spicy flavors and a refreshing bitterness.

Both wonderful bottles and perfect hostess gifts that will never disappoint.

A 2014 Cowboys Training Camp Travel Guide

Jordan at Training Camp, 2013

On the fence about about visiting the Cowboys in Oxnard for training camp? Get off it and go.

It's a great opportunity to watch the Cowboys practice, something you can't do during the regular season.  You might also be lucky enough to snag autographs as players willingly sign for fans once practice ends.  Fair warning: the afternoon practices are packed and there is a fair amount of jostling for space to get certain signatures.

The Cowboys opening press conference is 5pm on Wednesday. Here is the full training camp schedule. You can still get relatively affordable August airfare to Los Angeles on Virgin, Southwest or American.

Cowboys RB Demarco Murray has looked strong during #TrainingCamp. #Oxnard #NFL pic.twitter.com/iP9eXmW626
— Joe Buttitta (@KEYTNC3Joe) August 12, 2013

Visit Ventura
Here's the thing: Oxnard, as a city itself, isn't that great.  It's like any other American suburb, granted with the Pacific Ocean hugging its edge and strawberry fields rolling along the interstate.   Lodging options are basically limited to the Marriott Courtyard and the Residence Inn where the Cowboys practice.  Getting rooms at the latter are nearly impossible during camp.

If you can, stay in Ventura.  There is a nice Marriott with beach access, a gorgeous running trail along the beach and, of course, the legendary Ventura County Fair.  Downtown Ventura is darling with eclectic shopping and decent dining.   Here are some restaurant where I have spent my hard-earned per diems in the past:

• Fuji Sushi Ventura - great sushi and Japanese food.
• Watermark on Main - upscale dining, great bar.  
• Nature's Grill - wonderful healthy options, my go-to spot.
• Winchester's Grill & Saloon - incredibly popular with the DFW media contingency.

Ventura Pier/Image Via City-Data.com

Try Montecito & Santa Barbara
Again, Ventura is lovely but if you're up for a GREAT side trip, head 35 miles north on the 101 to visit Montecito, perhaps my favorite city in the U.S.  

I have been going to Cowboys camp in Oxnard since the team held it's inaugural camp there in 2001. By some grace of God, and courtesy of well-connected friends, I've been visiting Santa Barbara and Montecito, the area that some call the American Riviera, since I was child.

My family shows Arabian horses.  We have participated in and attended horse shows at Santa Barbara's world famous Earl Warren Showgrounds for more than 30 years.  I try to get there at least once a summer and the experience never disappoints. July 30th-August 4th is Santa Barbara's legendary Old Spanish Days. The celebration is definitely worth visiting if you'll be in the area.

I prefer to stay in Montecito, the cozier, albeit wealthier and more exclusive town just south of Santa Barbara.  Montecito is home to race car legend Andy Granatelli, Oprah Winfrey and a slew of other multi-millionaire celebrities.  Montecito is separated into two villages: the lower, on Coast Village Road, and the labyrinth-like upper. 

Image Via Montecito Inn

The lower village is one long street right off the 101.  There you will find the little hotel I always enjoying visiting, the Montecito Inn, which is quite reasonable.  Once you are there and plan on staying in Montecito, you really don't need a car.  The hotel will give you beach cruisers to explore the area.  It is next door to the town's hottest spot, Lucky's steakhouse, owned by the founder of Lucky Brand jeans. On any given night, you will find Carol Burnett, Kevin Costner, and, during Cowboys camp, members of the Jones family.

Other great spots include Cava, a spanish tapas joint as well as the bar and restaurant scene at the Four Seasons Biltmore, located right across from the beach.  The sunset views are glorious.  If you stay at the Four Seasons or happen to be a member of a reciprocal club, you can gain access to the Coral Casino Beach and Cabana. 

Courtesy Coral Casino

The Coral Casino was a tony exclusive club that opened in 1937 before falling into disrepair.  Beanie Babies founder-turned-hotel-entrepreneur Ty Warner has remodeled and rebranded it as an exclusive beach club for the west coast elite.  It is delicious.  Think beach club, California chic with an outstanding saltwater pool and first-class fitness center.

Montecito estate

The best part of the upper village is the estates.  The mansions and villas are breathtakingly stunning.  Take a drive through the hills and play the guessing game of "who lives there".  There is a great little shopping center which features Pierre LaFond, a market that is a perfect place for a break after driving around Montecito's winding hills.

The upper village is also home to the Rosewood-managed San Ysidro Ranch, one of the most luscious (and expensive) resorts you'll find.  John F. Kennedy spent his honeymoon there with Jackie.  Skip the stay and dine in one of the hotels two restaurants, The Stonehouse or Plow & Angel.  They make outstanding margaritas.  

Montecito coastline

The best part of Montecito is free: just walking along the beach.  So, if you visit Cowboys camp, make the drive to the sleepy, yet luxurious village and simply go for a sunset stroll.  It will make you forget any triple digit temperatures haunting your friends back home.

Save on Summer Hotels
If you're thinking about heading that way, Hotels.com is offering 10% off on select hotels with the code JUL1410NA! Book by 7/27/14, Travel By 9/28/14. Might be worth checking out.

How To Squeeze In Exercise With A Newborn

It was almost fitting that I found this Wall Street Journal article Thursday morning while stretching after a killer Tabata class at Equinox.  Titled "Don't Hate Her for Being Fit" the piece touches on the sentiment I've been preaching for years: exercise will change your life, save your sanity and make your body better.  Simple as that.

"Fit moms spend nearly every free minute working out, cross-training for triathlons and scheduling regular boot camps and yoga," writes author Elizabeth Holmes.

Recipe Review: Cooking Light's Cheesy Chicken Enchiladas

If you know me, you know I can't cook. I can make awesome smoothies, excellent toast, rocking oatmeal, a decent salad with the dressing to boot. Other than that, I'm a failure. I once attempted a lowfat key lime pie that my dog wouldn't even try.

To the point: Cooking Light magazine had an interesting Cheesy Chicken Enchilada recipe that I decided to try.  I posted it on Pinterest as soon as I found it but didn't actually read the ingredient list.  It called for flour tortillas.  As a Tex-Mex purist, I don't do flour tortillas in an enchilada.  I substituted Whole Foods blue corn tortillas for the flour, which lowered the calorie count.

Image via CookingLight.com

These were pretty easy to make.  The mixture itself was a breeze.  I bought grilled chicken breast (I seriously don't know how to cook a chicken breast) and just cut them into little pieces.  I sliced the onions, green onions and garlic and the rest of the ingredients. The most tedious part was warming the tortillas in a pan.

I assembled the enchiladas and while they cooked for 20 minutes, I made the suggested salad with greens topped with fresh pre-sliced jicama and mangoes from Whole Foods (my knife skills suck).

After topping the enchiladas with cheese and green onions and heating them an additional six minutes, I served dinner to the husband and sister with a bottle of Waterbrook chardonnay.  This fruitier chardonnay worked wonderfully to cut the creaminess of the cheese.

The end result was jawdropping.  They loved the enchiladas.  They really loved the dinner, lowfat cheese and all.  No one loves my food. Being so used to wonderful, grease-filled enchiladas I am surprised at how good these were.  The uber-light and fruity salad was a perfect complement and the juice was just right.

Having said that, I would have kicked the spices up a notch.  I don't miss full-fat cheese but these definitely could have used perhaps more garlic and onion.  I would also purchase a can of "hot" green chiles, not mild.  Definitely don't do these with flour tortillas like the recipe suggests.  Go with the corn for more texture and more authentic flavor.

$14,000 a Year + 45-Plus Hours a Week = Your 1st TV Job!

I can always tell when graduation is upon us.  About this time of year, I receive a slew of email from soon-to-be May grads asking for advice and networking suggestions on how to break into the TV news and sports business.

The email typically has an optimistic tone.  I love it.  There is nothing like that naive enthusiasm a 22-year old who is about to "take media world by storm" has.  That enthusiasm usually turns into stone-faced sobriety when I share with said 22-year old (or the relative that is doing the work for him or her) just how brutal this business is.

Here is the advice I had for someone whose uncle emailed me more than two years asking for help breaking into the television news business.  It's disappointing his niece didn't have the initiative to get in touch.  Regardless, the  response I sent then pretty much holds true today.  There are a few things, however, I should update.

START NOW BECAUSE YOU'RE ALREADY TARDY FOR THE PARTY.
If you're a college senior asking about job opportunities in March with a May graduation on the horizon, you're already behind the game.   I feel, you need to have an internship in place by the first semester of your senior year.  If it's not for college credit, that's okay.  Volunteer one day a week somewhere.  You can put it on your resume.

In addition to that, you need to be submitting quality material to hiring managers that Fall.  Even if they are just "feeler submissions",  sending your work, writing the cover letters, working on that all-too-rare phone interview can only help and prepare you.  The more you do, the better you get.

BE READY TO WORK.  REALLY HARD.  AND NOT GET PAID.
I can't tell you how many aspiring TV journalists tell me "I want to be an anchor".  "I want to be a sideline reporter for ESPN."  "I want to be the next {insert network reporter/anchor here}".

You and almost everyone else wants that job.  That is an awesome goal to have and you can absolutely do it and be the best the person who has ever done that job.  I am living proof that you can have goals, reach them, create new ones and be happy doing so.  BUT, you have to work your ass off to get there.  When I tell wannabe network stars that I started out shooting, reporting, editing, producing and anchoring in two small markets, I am met with colorless, blank stares.

"You mean you shot with a camera?" they ask.
"Yes.  It IS television," I respond.
"What if you just got a manicure?" one May grad once queried.
"Girl, I couldn't afford a manicure," I deadpan.
CRICKETS.........

That really happened.

Granted, quality news cameras are much smaller and easier to work with than the 40-pound behemoths I lugged all over Guam and Knoxville in the mid-90's.  The point here is, very few talented individuals start television careers at the network level or in a top 10 market.  Sure it can be done.  I work with an incredibly talented producer who got a job at my current station following his college internship with us but he is in the minority.  You have to be ready and willing to do a variety of jobs you may not like to get the job you want.  All that experience gives you credibility and will help you later on in your career.

And, yes, the money starting out isn't good.  Flat out it's sucks.  I had a friend who was a weekend sports anchor in a small market who lived in a mobile home and qualified for food stamps.  She worked 50 hours a week and made $14,000/year.  This was in 2009.   Competition is stiff and hiring managers will be quick to tell you there is someone out there who will do your job for less money.   The truth is, they're usually right.

NETWORK.  BE NICE TO PEOPLE. 
I started my television career as an assistant sports producer at the great KHOU in Houston.  I was basically a glorified intern but I busted my ass to earn my $7 an hour.  I worked with the most awesome group of pros that I am still friends with and see in a professional capacity today.

I bring this up because television and sports journalism is a very small, big business.  Everyone knows everyone.  Really.  There is so much movement in the industry that the news assignments person that you couldn't stand could be the assistant news director or the network producer at a place where you're applying for your dream job.

I'm sure I've burned countless bridges in my career but I've tried my best to be a professional, treat people with respect and maintain relationships with former colleagues.

I bring this up because I've seen a slew of interns over the years that I wouldn't dare recommend to a hiring manager.  Sure, those interns didn't think they needed to impress me with hard work or diligence but they should have.  You never know who knows whom in this business.  We've had interns at my stations through the years who were awful yet put us as references on their resumes.  Former colleagues I've known have called me about them.  While I didn't say a disparaging word about these particular interns, I did politely suggest another candidate.

On the flip side, I've written graduate school letters of recommendation and given dozens of phone interviews for former interns who were just awesome at what they did.  They went above and beyond the call of typical intern duty at excelled at it.  They were absolute pleasures to recommend and it's thrilling to see them working and succeeding in this industry now.

DO WHAT YOU CAN. NOW. 
You might not have the job you want but that doesn't mean you can't do it in some form or fashion right now.  If you want to be a news or sports reporter/anchor, do it.  Create a blog and develop a voice and some perspective.  Request a credential for a local high school or college basketball game.  Cover the game and create a multimedia feature story on a particular player or something compelling about the squad.  Put it on your blog and offer to link that story to that school's website or paper.

Start a video blog on YouTube.  Get on there and talk about various topics: the Saints bounty controversy, Tiger's comeback, etc.  Offer your unique insight on various topics.  This will help you get used to just "talking" in front of a "camera" while trying to be succinct and coherent.  (It's tougher than it looks).

All of this enhances your body of work and gives you an edge.  If you're a senior reading this and just starting to think about this now, you're a little late.  Get going on this TODAY.  Kick some ass tomorrow.

Rangers Better in 2012? Nolan Ryan Thinks So

He is truly EF Hutton.  When the Rangers president and CEO talks, we all listen.  At least that was the case when he met the spring training media throng in a tiny, hot tent Wednesday afternoon.

"I think we’re a better ball club," Ryan responded when asked to compare the 2012 Rangers to the 2011 unit that went to the World Series for the second straight year.

Ryan didn't need to be prodded to explain his reasoning.

"If you ask me why I think we’re a better ball club going into spring training in 2012?  We’re a stronger club than we’ve ever been because  of our young pitching and the number of innings they’ve logged and the success they’ve had getting a feel for what their durability is."

It's not just the young guys that give him such optimism. 

"We have a nucleus of guys, position players, that play every day and play hard," he continued.  "We have what I call established veterans on the ball club that aren’t at the end of their careers.  Their in the peak of their careers. "

"You can kind of go around the ball club and you look at Josh (Hamilton) and you look at Adrian (Beltre) and you look at Ian (Kinsler) and you look at Michael (Young), Nellie (Cruz).  That’s a nucleus of a ballclub that’s not yet growing old."

"The biggest thing you say, 'what would you like to see?'  Less time on DL.  When you look at what happened with our club last year and we did it key people spending time on the DL.  If we can narrow the amount of time those folks spend on the DL, it increases the opportunity for us to be an even better ball club."

I don't need to remind you how last season ended.  The only way to improve on 2011?  Go to the World Series and win in 2012.  Easier said than done.