Wine was always a long time interest of mine; growing up my dad and grandfather made wine and it was a real family affair so it was something that I grew up really appreciating. Aside from drinking wine I had never thought much about making it a career goal. After a few years in the corporate retail world working I decided that it was just not what I was suppose to be doing. Like anyone else though, the idea of my own business seemed ridiculous; my plan was to get another "real" job and to hope that it was the right fit.
My husband and I got married around this time and chose Napa Valley as our honey moon destination. Who knows, maybe it was the romance of the beautiful setting, or one too many glasses of vino....but we decided that we wanted to bring a bit of wine country back to our hometown. The idea for Meza Wine Shop was born, and needless to say, here we are almost 4 years later, and Meza is a part of a vibrant community of independently owned retail shops and restaurants in the Uptown Westerville district! I am omitting a lot....trust me, there have been lots of bumps along the way; lots of growing pains. Do I miss the money and the stability of my old career? Sometimes. More importantly though, this has really been an amazing growing experience. In the midst of all this craziness, I also became a mother. Being able to have my daughter with me at work has been probably the most rewarding piece to all of this. We love what the shop has become. We love the community. I love sending people home with a special bottle of wine for that perfect recipe, that special occasion, or just the perfect bottle to enjoy after a long day.
Meza Wine Shop specializes in "unique and affordable" wine selections from all over the world. There is no pretense here. You drink what you enjoy! We love helping people discover a new wine that they love and to expand their palate. We offer wine tasting every Friday evening from 6:30 - 9. For just $10 you can sample five different wines and explore on your own! We offer private wine tastings for birthday parties, book clubs, mom groups, bunko night, pretty much for any occasion you can think of!
Looking for the perfect gift? We offer a selection of affordable wine and locally made wine accessories and gourmet items and do gift baskets for all occasions. Our Meza Wine Club is a great option for anyone wanting to explore and enjoy wine - we offer 3, 4, 6 and 12 month memberships and deliver to anywhere in Westerville! We hope to see many of you for tastings, or just in the shop. Make every day a reason to enjoy good wine.
Tatjana M. Brown
Meza - unique, affordable wines
owner
48 N State St
Westerville OH, 43081
www.vinomeza.com
http://vinomezachat.blogspot.com/
(614) 259-3101
(614) 264-7244
School levies are on ballot this Fall-our cash strapped state has reduced funding to our schools. Westerville and Dublin have announced drastic cuts/elimination of programs if their district levies fail. Dublin has a property tax levy and Westerville has a property/income tax levy on the November 8th ballot this year. People have told me "you have to always vote yes for school levies because that is what you do to continue to have good schools and to maintain property values in your school district." Really? Everytime? Is this the only way?
It is strange to me how school levies are so political. If you are for a school levy, you walk around proudly and say to others "I am pro-teacher, pro-union, pro-kids and pro-schools." If you aren't for the school levy, you have to hide in dark corners and whisper your true feelings to those that share your concerns. Then, you are labeled as "anti-schools, anti-kids, anti-teachers, and anti-union." Both labels are not fair and we should ALL be allowed to express our thoughts about the ISSUES!
Personally, I am on the fence about voting "yes". Of course I want good schools but when will the property taxes stop or slow down? Indiana has put a cap on property taxes for schools. A Pennsylvania school district is now selling ads in schools to make up for the deficit in spending. I read that these ads are subtle ads, content is limited and they cannot directly endorse products. (http://www.allgov.com/Controversies/ViewNews/Pennsylvania_District_Allows_Advertising_in_Public_School_111019s) I think we need to get more creative ideas on "how to do more with less."
Now, I can sit here and go through each of the programs that the school districts are looking to eliminate or reduce but like everyone else, you have to make some hard choices. In the business world, after you have looked at reducing operating expenses, the next place you look to make further cuts is staffing. This is where the business and school administrators thought processes collide. In the business world, even after you reduce staffing, your employees may have to take a pay cut, reduce or increase hours, forgo raises, and increase healthcare out of pocket expenses as a result of a businesses being kept afloat during hard times. No other industry has guaranteed "step" increases or pay increase schedules based on your length of service--it is based on your productivity. (Oh and no pensions, either!)
So now it's your turn to convince me why I should or should not vote for the school levy...I would love to hear your feedback!!!
Recently, a local organic produce and natural grocer called Green B.E.A.N. Delivery contacted us about their new delivery service in the Columbus area. They asked us if we were interested in trying out their new service. Since I am not a regular shopper of organic products, I thought I would give it a try. I went to the website (http://www.greenbeandelivery.com/) and set up my account. After receiving a notice via email that my registration was complete, I then placed my order and ordered one produce bin for $35. After that, another email notified me of the delivery date. The day before your delivery, an email is sent to you listing the products you can expect in box. The box was delivered to my front door on my scheduled date-it was in a big green plastic container with the delivery slip, produce and ice pack. (see pictures) Listed below is what was delivered. I also wanted to compare the pricing of the organic produce bin vs. buying organic at the store. The store I selected to compare it with was Kroger-I believe that they have the largest selection of organic produce among the big grocers in the area. (I know this because my son did a science project comparing organic vs. non-organic food and which one spoils faster!)Green B.E.A.N. Delivery Items Kroger Prices
1 green cabbage (about 2 lbs) $1.74
1 broccoli bunch (about 2 bunches) $4.58
1 lb. celery hearts bag $2.65
1 lb. baby carrots bag $2.99
2 small red onions $1.49 (non-organic)
4 red barlett pears $2.69
4 honeycrisp apples $1.33 (gala-organic)
1 pomegranate $1.99 (non-organic)
1 1lb. red seedless grapes $1.89
1 radish bunch, Shunkyo (about 2 lbs.) $3.38
1 lb. spicy salad mix $3.49
TOTAL GREEN B.E.A.N=$35 TOTAL KROGER=$28.22
As you can see from my price comparision, that the prices at Kroger came slightly under the Green B.E.A.N. prices. But I think for the time, gas, and convenience that Green B.E.A.N. Delivery is a great way for busy moms to get fresh produce without the hassle of taking your kids with you or spending more more money at the grocery store. (I know am guilty of this!)
Now back to the produce itself: all items tasted fresh and delicious. I don't think I have ever had grapes so sweet! My kids asked if we can always get fruit like this delivered to our house! The only issue I had was with the pomegranate-it tasted a little sour. But isn't that the issue that we all have when we buy our produce, right? Sometimes it is sweet and sometimes it's not! (Green B.E.A.N. Delivery does stand by their product and is willing to credit or replace any item if you are not satisfied)
The website itself was fairly easy to navigate and you can order produce weekly or twice a month. So if you want quality organic produce at reasonable prices , go with Green B.E.A.N.Delivery!
SMAC Approved!
http://www.greenbeandelivery.com/
Full disclosure: Social Moms was compensated for a $35 produce bin for review.
Gosh, I know you are wondering what on earth is this post about? Well, about a week ago I caught a preview for Oprah's Lifeclasses and Live Webcasts from her new OWN network channel. I have to admit I love Oprah but I have never been a faithful viewer of her show. I decided to tune into this Lifeclass which was titled,"The False Power of Ego" and I really didn't get it and thought this stuff is not for me. The next night featured another Lifeclass, "The Truth will set you Free". I decided to watch again to see what it was about plus I wanted to check out the Live Webcast after the show on Oprah's Facebook page! So, I watched the Lifeclass and found myself absorbed. I was crying and got chills up and down my spine. That is what I call the "Power of Oprah". As soon as the class concluded I jumped on my laptop and got on Oprah's facebook page and tuned into the webcast. It was Oprah, a guest and a live audience. The webcast was so cool! It was uncut and raw. Audience members could ask questions, people that submitted questions in advance were chosen to Skype in, and then Oprah's staff was fielding news feed from those on the facebook stream. Of course I was on the news feed stream, but was not featured (darn)! How cool to see the power of Social Media!! This Lifeclass was heart wrenching for me. It was time for me to be more truthful with myself and some members of my immediate family. The Lifeclass emphasized that if you are "pretending" in a relationship then you are living a lie. Living with lies is like carrying the heaviest load forever and you can never truly be happy. The tears were flowing and my thoughts were going crazy. I knew what Oprah meant by having an "AHA moment". I was having one and in a big way. The next day, I told the truth in my "pretend" relationship with my mother. And know big surprise, the truth hurts. I however felt a load had been lifted. Then the next day, I unleashed the bigger truth of our pretend relationship. Of course there was crying and screaming and lines being drawn in the sand. I was sad for several hours and felt guilty for expressing the raw truth to my mother, but today I feel like I can hold my head high. It's amazing. The Truth will set you Free. And even bigger than telling my mother the truth, I was truthful with myself. Oprah's Lifeclasses are featured M-F at 8pm eastern on the OWN Network. Live Webcasts are on Fridays at 9pm eastern. Tune in and have you "AHA moment". http://www.oprah.com/oprahs-lifeclass/oprahs-lifeclass.html~Valerie
 Checked out the new Orange Library which is a part of the Delaware County Library System! This library has very modern decor and and is shiny and new! Orange Library is off of Rte 23 just north or Orange Road. There is no direct access off Rte 23, you must turn onto an access road. The library houses a coffee bar, a reading lounge with a fireplace, rows of computers in a Teen Room, sound proof study cubicles and a play area for the toddlers. We browsed the book selections and felt that the inventory was very low. The upside is they can get you any book from the main branch and have it sent to their location for you to check out. I did see several activities offered like story times, teen night, homework help and lego club. One of these days while the kids are at school I'm going and getting coffee and reading a book by the fireplace! www.delawarelibrary.org SMAC APPROVED!
Our family made the annual trek to Freeman's farm. We go there every year to get our pumpkins and gourds. We also like to eat the fresh kettle corn and then take it with us on the hayride! (Hayride cost is $2 per person and kettle corn $1.00 for a small bag)
There is so much to do here-petting farm animals (who did not want to come out), roasting hot dogs over the campfire, watching people making apple butter and going to the country store!
The store is also filled with deli meats, cheeses, local food items and an ice cream parlor!
Finally, my kids enjoy posing with the "cut outs" and me taking pictures of them. When they stand and pose with the "How tall this fall?" it always reminds me of how quickly my kids have grown! It just seems like yesterday when I my husband had to hold my 3 year old up to stand in the photo..
Get your pumpkins fast-Halloween is just around the corner! SMAC Approved!http://freemansfarm.com/
 Yeehaw! Gitty up! My family is very fortunate to have family that live on the parade route for the Delaware All Horse Parade. This parade is for all ages and if you did not go this year then block off the calendar for next year! This parade is fantastic, big horses, little horses, ponies, donkeys, mules, wagons and marching bands. If you go you will see the extraordinary, the strange and the sincere cowboys parading down the street. This year the event was on the 10th anniversary of 9/11. The mounted police force paraded down the street, the firefighters walked and believe me there was a standing ovation and a tear in my eye.
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