Now that the summer months are here and the weather for pool parties and traveling to the beach is upon us, you can never be too prepared when it comes to being able to open your preferred beverage of choice away from home!

How many times have you been in a situation where you have your favorite beer in your hands, the sun is glaring, but unfortunately you have no way of opening that frosty cool beer because you are stuck without an opener?!

Well with both of these handy, portable bottle openers from Uncommon Goods you will never be left with an unopened bottle again!  I love the compact shape of these bottle openers, and how you can take them virtually anywhere without taking up any extra space in your purse or pocket!

I think my favorite is the iphone case bottle opener...how clever is that?!

Do you have a handy way to open bottles when you're not at home?

Happy eating and drinking this weekend!

With the first long weekend of the summer season fast approaching, it is that time of year to start making your summer travel plans, and also start thinking about how you will be thanking your generous hosts for the summer!

Thanks to my good friend Stephanie, I just became aware of this adorable Wine and Tote Bag Gift Set from St. Francis Vineyards and Vineyard Vines!

For just $45, this gift set includes a delicious bottle of St. Francis Chardonnay, and a beautiful wine tote bag from Vineyard Vines!

For under $50 you get great wine and a re-usable adorable tote...who could ask for more?!

I might just have to order one for myself as a treat to look forward to for after I have our baby girl! 

Happy Traveling and Shopping!

Starting today and running through tomorrow, Baccarat is offering a deep discount on their famous crystal and china at the company's warehouse in Edison, NJ.

No matter what your budget is for your next dinner party, whether your main course be lobster or lasagna, anything you serve will look gourmet on Baccarat crystal or china!

Prices at this sale will be reduced up to 80%, so if you have your eye on any of Baccarat's designer glassware and dinnerware, now is the time to stock up!

Sale Details
April 15 and 16
36 Mayfield Avenue, Edison, NJ
Friday: 9:00am to 5:00pm
                                                                          Saturday: 9:00am to 3:00pm

Edison, New Jersey is only about a 30-40 minute trip from New York City, and besides being home to the Baccarat warehouse, this town offers a magnitude of diversity and culture in both its stores and restaurants. 

In article from The New York Times three years ago, Edison was described as possibly being, "America's liveliest little India, with 400 Indian businesses that attract Indian immigrants from across the region."  The mayor at the time, Jun H. Choi, even went on on to say, "If I meet an Indian anywhere, everyone knows Edison, NJ...They know Mumbai, London, and Edison."

Last year I was lucky enough to visit Edison with my in-laws who took me sari shopping, and we also stocked up on a few beautiful kurti tops (tunics) and bangles.

If you plan on going to Edison this weekend for the Baccarat sale, and you would also like to pick up a few tunics while you are there, I suggest stopping by Sheetal.  This store specializes in Indian fashions, and has an incredible selection of women's clothing and accessories!  And you can't go wrong with any of the restaurants...from the dosas and samosas, to the delicious chai tea, eating in Edison is both an exciting and affordable culinary weekend trip from the city!

Happy shopping and eating!

Not only does the spring bring warmer weather and longer sunny days, but now that the temperatures are starting to rise the Hell's Kitchen Flea Market has added an exciting twist: A Gourmet Food Truck Bazaar!

As if antique shopping was not of an incentive enough to head down to Hell's Kitchen, now you can do your shopping with tons of tasty snacks too!

Starting this Sunday, and then every second Sunday of the month through October there will be a variety of gourmet food trucks at this famous outdoor flea market.

According to the Gothamist, this week's line up includes: the Kimchi Taco Truck, Rickshaw Dumpling Truck, Cinnamon Snail, Luke's Lobster, and Little Cupcake Bakeshop.

If you stop by this weekend I'd love to hear if you find something!

Happy shopping, eating, and drinking!

I am happy to help spread the word for the fight against hunger here in America by being a part of the 3rd annual April Food Day.

In 2009 50.2 Americans lived in food insecure households, and households with children reported food insecurity at almost double the rate as those without children.

I may be a day late putting up this post, but I hope it is still relevant!

Please do what you can to help the fight against hunger!  Make a donation to your local food bank or click here to support Feeding America.

I am so proud to announce a new monthly Friday Food and Wine feature here at Living Luxe for Less.  My good friend, Amanda Reade Sturgeon, an incredible sommelier who has the The Martini House, Babbo, and Dovetail on her resume, has generously offered to be LL4L's resident wine expert, and she will be featured in a new monthly column on delicious and affordable wines here at LL4L!

I think all of us who enjoy wine are always looking to try something new from our standard big box store pinot grigio and pinot noir, but it always feels like you are taking such a risk on a new bottle if you don't have a recommendation from an expert.  Who wants to spend $20 on a bottle of wine only to find out that it is the same as a bottle for $8.99?  That is where Amanda will come in!  She will tell you where to splurge, where to save, and help you get out of your Cavit and Kendall Jackson rut!

Here are Amanda's picks for March...if I weren't pregnant I would be out picking up one bottle of each this weekend!  Unfortunately I have to wait for August, but I hope this post inspires you to try one of these new and affordable wines this month!

Thank you Amanda!

Amanda's Picks for March...

I don't know what the weather is like where you are, but here in New York it is chilly one day, warm the next, warnings of snow another!  With spring just around the corner, I want to drink lightly substantial reds, along with crisp, clean whites.  Any of these would be perfect for an evening picnic in our neighborhood community garden!

1. Maranges 1er Cru, Bruno Colin "La Fussiere", Burgundy, France  $29
A gorgeous pinot noir from southern Burgundy.  Bruno Colin is one of the best producers in the region, this wine is my splurge here, but it is worth it. 

2. Reuilly, Denis Jamain Pinot Gris, Loire, France, 2009  $19
The neat thing about this pinot gris (aka pinot grigio -- it is the same grape but grigio is Italian and gris is French) is that it is pink.  During autumn, the hot weather will turn the grape skins a copper color, which when given a little contact with the pressed juice turns this normally white wine into a rose!  It tastes like any other pinot gris, but with a little more plump fruit tones.  Perfect for a sunny weekend afternoon - or for brunch!

3. Calera Aligoté, Mt. Harlan, California 2009  $19.99
Aligoté is the name of the grape in this wine: it is most often seen in Burgundy, France, where it (along with Chardonnay) is primarily grown.  This example is from the central coast in California, San Benito county to be exact.  The winemaker /owner, Josh Jensen, scoured land in California,
searching for chalky soil that mimicked that of Burgundy, and he found it in Mt. Harlan, around Salinas. A great, full, crisp white.

4. Cheverny, Domaine des Huards 'Le Pressoir' Loire, France  $14
This red is so fruity and easy to drink, I love it!  A blend of pinot noir and gamay (the grape in Beaujolais), it is lightly medium bodied, and is even better I think with a little chill on it - pop it in the fridge for half an hour and it's good to go!

5.  Quattro Mani Franciacorta Brut, Lombardy, Italy  $16
Franciacorta is sparkling wine from the area around Milan.  It differs from Prosecco in many ways, primarily because it is made with chardonnay and pinot blanc, and not the prosecco grape.  Franciacorta is Italy's answer to Champagne.  Clean, crisp, dry, and lean.  This example is a total steal!

Yesterday while reading the Home section of the New York Times, I was intrigued by their feature on traditional whiskey and scotch decanters in honor of St. Patrick's Day.

While I have never been a whiskey or scotch girl myself, there is something so alluring and appealing about the idea of coming home from a long day of work and pouring yourself a cocktail from a cool crystal decanter.

So even though I am more of a wine and margarita girl, I am still in the market for a decanter to add to my bar.  It is a classic vintage touch that adds a bit of elegance to any home bar.

And while you won't see me complaining if I was bestowed with  Waterford or Baccarat decanter, unfortunately this kind of expense is not really in our budget right now, so here is a round up of my favorites decanters for close to $50 or less!

Have a wonderful weekend!

 Owen Decanter, Crate & Barrel, $39.95

A few months ago I wrote about one of my favorite restaurants on the Upper East Side: Cascabel Taqueria.

Well just recently the owners of Cascabel spread the foodie wealth in the neighborhood, and opened up Mahjong Dumplings just around the corner.

Mahjong Dumplings is an eclectic mix of different kinds of dumplings.  They have everything from the Traditional Monkey which has pork, tofu, and ginger, to the Maine Event which has lobster, clam chowder, and oyster crackers!  And an order of three dumplings is just $4.25!  At that price you can sample every dumpling on the menu with a group of friends, and still have room in your budget to try one of their many hard to find, but delicious beers like Lion Imperial from Sri Lanka!

And if you have room left after dinner (or even if you don't) why not try the crispy banana and chocolate dumplings that are only $4?!  Mmmm, mmmm, goood!

Mahjong Dumplings is located at 1542 Second Avenue, between 80th and 81st Street.

The next time you have a craving for dumplings, or you are in the neighborhood I suggest you check it out!

What are you craving for the weekend? 

Happy eating and drinking!

Happy New Year's Eve!  I am sure that many of you have fabulous plans for this evening that include wonderful parties, dinners out on the town, and late cocktails and champagne with friends to ring in the New Year!

This year my husband and I are having a low key New Year's Eve, and we are staying in to celebrate.  This year I have also heard from many of my friends that plan on staying in and having a low key celebration too!  If you plan on staying in, why not celebrate with some bubbly and a salty snack to bring in 2011?  I believe popcorn is the perfect snack for New Year's Eve!

Santa just brought me the new Ina Garten cookbook How Easy Is That? and I can't wait to try Ina's easy recipe for Truffled Popcorn!

The recipe is simple! Just prepare one bag of microwave popcorn, Ina recommends Newman's Own Natural, and melt 2 ounces of white truffle butter.  Then toss popcorn with melted truffle butter and 1 teaspoon of sea salt.  Yum!  What a luxe snack for New Year's Eve!

But if you aren't a fan of truffles, here are a few other delicious recipes that I found on the Food Network, that would also be a delicious addition to any New Year's Eve party....just click on the following links for recipes!

Any cocktail will go great with a salty snack like popcorn, but my personal beverages of choice to enjoy for the New Year are a bubbly glass of Prosecco, a refreshing bitter brew like Nantucket's Whale's Tale Pale Ale, or a tasty glass of white wine like Paco & Lola's Albarino!

If you will be hosting Thanksgiving dinner next Thursday and you just realized that you are low on festive serving and barware, there is no need to worry!

West Elm is currently offering 20% off their stock of Holiday Entertaining pieces, and there are so many chic and affordable items to choose from!

Here are just a few of my favorites...

And if these pieces are a little more than you wanted to spend, or not quite what you were looking for...why not try these beautiful gold embellished glasses from Pier 1?  They are on sale for $4.99 and they would make the perfect addition to your bar for any holiday party!  I saw these over at Starfish and Sundresses yesterday and I think I am definitely going to pick up a set this weekend! 

Thanks for the tip Starfish & Sundresses!

Do you have a favorite and festive piece of servingware that you will be using for the holidays?  I don't think you can go wrong with any of these affordable pieces from West Elm or Pier 1, and they would make great hostess gifts too!

Happy Friday!