A toast to mom friends

Every mom needs a network of moms she can call for advice, support & fun. With all of the comparison games, mommy wars, and harsh judgement bestowed on us as moms, exacerbated by social media, surrounding ourselves with a circle moms that cheer us on and boost our confidence is essential to our sanity.

This Mother’s Day, give a sparkling toast to the mom friends in your life who inspire you, comfort you, help you, and bring out the best in you!

Say cheers

To the moms that may have a Pinterest-perfect home, but don’t care if yours is a wreck.

To your chef mom friends that can create Instagram-worthy home-cooked meals, but don’t judge when you order take-out most nights in a row.

To the healthy moms that eat all-organic and run more miles in a week than you have in the past decade, but don’t comment about calories when you order dessert.

To the working moms that never challenge your decision to stay at home.

To the stay at home moms who do not question your reasons for going back to work.

To the moms that are better than Google, and you can text with your completely ridiculous questions like”can babies live in their carseat? she likes it best in there.” and not feel judged.

To the patient friend you can call and vent about everything from the volume of laundry that has accumulated after just two days to the co-worker who is driving you bonkers, that listens patiently and let’s you spew out every ridiculous thing that’s irritating you.

To the one(s) that you’ll let see the mess of said laundry pile and know she won’t judge.

To the friend that you can call at the last minute to watch your children because your babysitter has canceled at the last minute, and she’s excited for an impromptu play date instead of being annoyed at the added responsibility.

To the chief organizer friends who love to plan a party and can coordinate the baby shower, directing everyone what to bring, and giving you just one task instead of fifty.

To the friends that love your babies, because anyone that loves your babies is a best friend for life.

And for a Moms Night Out (planned by your chief organizer friend, of course, unless YOU happen to be the organizer), sparkling wine is a must. Y’all know if you read this blog that I LOVE sparkling wine (last week I wrote about how 44 million bubbles get in a bottle of sparkling!) and Gloria Ferrer is one of my favorites. We visited the winery in Sonoma, and sitting out on the porch with sparkling, goat cheese, and spiced almonds is one of the most spectacular afternoons I’ve ever had. Ever.

Gloria Ferrer Sonoma Brut is an excellent party sparkling or to keep chilled in the fridge, ready for an impromptu get together (or Friday night, whichever comes first) – it’s elegant effervescence is easy to drink and it’s affordable price makes this an easy bottle to keep stocked at your house. This sparkling wine is not only social and can be enjoyed without food – it also pairs really well with a variety of foods including lemony chicken dishes, crab cakes, trout almondine, artichoke appetizers, mini cheesy tomato pies, cheese plates and charcuterie, to name a few.

The 2006 Gloria Ferrer Royal Cuvee is a special bottle of sparkling and still extremely affordable at a price point less than $40. Wine & Spirits rated it 94 points and Wine Enthusiast rated it 91 points. In fact, their wines are all highly rated, earning over 400 gold medals and 50 90+ scores in the last five years. According to Wine Spectator, “cuvee” in terms of champagne and sparkling, essentially means it’s the best, created from either the best juice or specially selected barrels. This crisp sparkling wine is perfect for a May afternoon day with your mom friends, outdoors, while snacking on a spread of cheeses, almonds, olives, and charcuterie – my favorite meal!

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.