Dolce Riviera - Restaurant Review

This post goes out to all my Italian food fans :p I was thinking of you all while writing this one!

As you may have noticed I'm always pretty blunt if not as directly honest as I can be in my blog posts so this one isn't any different. There are many restaurants in the DFW area that are truly exceptional, where others its more about the environment, with others being more about the view or "scenery" whether that be the people or actual scenes surrounding the restaurant. So I dont know about you but for me to thoroughly enjoy a culinary experience I need four specific things to occur/be involved: 1)the atmosphere or environment of the restaurant, 2) the wait staff amiableness and accommodations, 3)the quality of the food that served and the ingredients for what you pay for, and lastly 4)the restrooms sanitation and upkeep. Why is the restroom one important you might ask, well if they dont keep a tidy restroom and up keep that what assures me that they will put more caution and thought into the upkeep of the kitchen where my food is prepped, made, and served! Anyway!

So here we are with Dolce Riviera-a restaurant in the Downtown Dallas area that's had some very well made social media posts and marketing for their location in addition to their plates...with a planned girls night out we decided to try what was raved about online, through reviews, and social media. 

Arriving to their location was easy enough via the GPS but their actual main entrance was a little confusing as for their location, so it's easiest to just literally valet your vehicle. I personally don't like to valet my vehicle if I know there are appropriate parking spots nearby but considering how closed off the visual public view is of this location valet it is! So if it's a ladies night, definitely suggest valet! Arriving into their location you see the lovely designed patio or seating area-not to be confused with where they actual provide service though; it's more their waiting area. That aside, you finally enter through their main entryway and the hostess stand is immediately to the right directly across from the bar. Since we were waiting for the rest of the crew, my sister and I sat in the lounge/bar area. The colors and overall interior design of the place is lovely and seems so fresh, but honestly I think the best part is just their indoor patio/window enclosure seating area, because there rest of the tables and seating area is a little...whats the word I'm looking for-blah! Their bar area is nice and opens to the outdoors but its also smaller than I even anticipated. I would personally suggest if you're on a date to sit in the bar/lounge area and eat there because the other areas (unless you're at a specific table in the indoor patio area, is not worth the seating...

Finally seated the wait staff overall was amiable and cordial but the specific waitress we had, was more concerned about her tip even though she was more MIA than any other waiter or waitress we saw-we hardly ever saw her on the floor and if she was it was just basically in passing so that was pretty frustrating. Then she wasn't knowledgeable of the menu enough to provide suggestions or options and for a first time attendee that's a HUGE put of - so hopefully and anyone else who goes has a better experience in that regard.

Here comes the food part...lordy I had such high hopes for this place seriously and was super excited since the arrival but after eating...it was the most disappointing experience I've had in a LONG time! I'm talking outside of the actual desserts the food was horrible! I had supposedly the pear salad to start with and then the simply Alfredo sauce pasta with a grilled salmon a la carte on top. Everything was salty, and the salad didn't seem to be what was described in the menu - but did have a nice presentation. The pasta dish was so salty that I could literally feel the crunching sensation of too much salt on my teeth when I would chew! Annoying by the way for any of you who've had that happen to you before. The noodles looked so good too but because of how salty it all way, I couldn't really enjoy the plate. If not for the fact that I was starving! I literally would've just had my drink for the bar and dessert only. The salmon was delicious and I was glad at least that was cooked well and super delicious otherwise that would have been a buzz kill also. 

Honestly I think Olive Garden has more flavors and delicious plates now or heck go up to the Legest West area and have the Italian restuarants up there, because at least their quality of food and the experience alone is 95% better than this restaurant...

But hey don't take my word for it, try it out Dolce Riviera for yourself and let me know what you think!

Sincerely,

A Distinct Woman 

Feng Cha - Recommendation

So you know already that my family, both immediate and extended, are big foodie people so it should come to know surprise to you that we've had and tried another drink place. This one we tried out was definitely more North from Dallas but there are other locations than this one so you don't have to travel all the way to Prosper, TX for it. 

The vibes inside this spot are both relaxing and "chill" so you can be comfortable while you wait. They even have a nice selection of games to entertain yourself whether you wait for your drinks to be made OR you're just enjoying some time away from your day while sipping your special order drink. The location itself is very clean and tidy, while having both a personal touch to ordering your drinks or using the kiosk. I will admit that if you're in a rush this is NOT the place to go to! So don't assume that because you didn't stay in the line to order and used the kiosk that your order will come out faster-yea you would be sadly mistaken! So keep that in mind when you make a stop and they seem to be busy or full...

Their menu has a nice selection but you know what I didn't like, was that nowhere did they advertise or indicate what was lactose free or lactose made drinks; I know most places have options but their description on beverages didn't provide that much insight so make sure you ask if you have some lactose diet restrictions or special needs. So while being cautious about your lactose tolerance, they have a drink for everyone - whether teas, milks teas, boba, no boba, fruity, slush like texture, frozen, hot, caffeine, caffeine free, sweet, non-sweet, etc. My personal favorites are the Taro Milk Tea, their Coffee Milk Tea, their dragonfruit tea, passion fruit tea, their special Mango Grapefruit Slush, and their Matcha Latte. I mean for the same price of Starbucks I get better quality and definitely more delicious, then again maybe that's just me.

The only thing I REALLY dont like is that unless the owner is there the manager is a bitch and definitely doesn't seem to believe in customer service. Apparently the manager has no respect either for the owner who signs her paychecks since the little altercation I had with her and her response proved that quickly, which is sad...Otherwise a nice "pit stop" than the norm locations for drinks especially this Spring/Summer!

Sincerely,

A Distinct Woman 

Crosskeys Vineyards (VA) - Recommend

For all you wine lovers and adventurers, this ones for you ;)

First of all it's not just California who has the nice vineyards or the delicious blends, granted they have the more commonly known and bigger venues but they aren't the only ones. I've been coming to find (well with also my family of course) that there are some really good ones out there and various areas of the country. Lets just say that I'm determined to explore and enjoy :)

Secondly, just because I'm a mom doesn't mean I dont like to enjoy adult things, for example touring and exploring a vineyard. With that said though, I'm also realistic due to the fact that I am a single mom and may not always (at least until my kids are in their teenage years, or at least twelve and older) be able to do certain within without my kids-in the meantime that means that I will explore family friendly or kid friendly locations, specifically in this case the vineyards.

In Virginia in the Harrisonburg (JMU university city) area past the main city area, along the outskirts of town and through beautiful landscape is the Crosskeys Vineyards. The drive in spring (so from about March through mid-May) is lush and green and breathtaking. Even in the fall season of September to about Mid-October you have a different canvas of colors and landscape to appreciate. I don't think I can do justice by how I'm about to explain things but hopefully it promotes some "man I want to be there" vibes or thoughts. The drive itself leaves you in this odd peaceful mood with its curves and (perhaps for some) some concerning turns. To be honest some nice Harley roads - not going to lie. Regardless, the drive itself is an adventure and a pleasant one. As you make your way closer to this vineyard you'll begin to notice this beautifully manicured property on this ideal hill area that's surrounded by the "mountains" of Virginia. You may assume it's the vineyard because of how the fields are taken care of, then as you get closer to the main entrance your deduction/assumption is correct. You find yourself on a country road off of the main road, leading you through tall trees and little country home properties, until you come to an elegantly made main gate entrance. You pass the main gate to drive on the weaving road that takes you to the main building of the vineyard. The property has you making a massive dip only to then be nicely parked at the top most area of the property. The three-hundred and eighty degree surrounds view on the property is both serene and breath taking. I don't think there's a spot on the property that doesn't have a spell binding view. 

They don't necessarily advertise for a kid friendly environment and premises but they are respectful and courteous should you have kids with you. When we went though, it was too gorgeous a day to stay inside to enjoy some taste testing and food, so we were lucky enough to have the courtyard pavilion or gazebo area that's located across from the main building and away from people. 

You can buy tickets in advance for their wine/property tour or purchase on site the day of/as you arrive. The tour itself isn't long and our tour guide was knowledgeable and fun-don't know if that's how everyone is but we enjoyed ourselves. To close the tour, you wind up back at their main lobby/bar area so that you can being your taste testing experience or walk around or just relax and enjoy the sights of the land.

When our tour finished we ordered their platter of finger food items and one of their carrier trays of their wines...deliciously addicting flavors, beautiful views, great weather, adults and children alike content and happy...what more can a person ask for.

So when you're in Virginia or if you want to plan a peaceful and nature appreciation trip with a little bubbly in the mix ;) Crosskeys Vineyards is the place for you.

Sincerely,

A Distinct Woman 

Give Kids Tasks/Chores - General/Family/Relationships

Fair warning to any expectant mothers/mothers in general that read this and get offended. First off its not my intention to offend anyone HOWEVER, I could care less if you are offended with this post or any of my posts for that matter. Everything is not only open to interpretation BUT I literally have no control over someone else's emotions therefore anyone's emotions are valid, but they are only valid to the person who experiences the emotion-this does not mean I have to personally cater to or minimize my beliefs or curtail my own reactions. I've said it many other times before, my blog posts are my opinions and thoughts unless I've specified them to be created from research I've done, otherwise your thoughts/beliefs/convictions are your own. I'm just simply writing mine :) Now moving on! 

So about two weeks ago on Instagram I saw that there was a highlight on an essay or article published in the New York Times. What's the relevancy of the article published you might ask? Well for starters it's what prompted me to write this post. Second, without having even read the article there's a few things that I read that ironically, I already do as a mother towards my kids and not because someone told me to or I read about it, but because my mother raised me a certain way and therefore, I used from that upbringing to mold what I wanted to do with my kids. Why change what isn't broke ya know. I turned out to be just fine and the older generations methods of parenting sure as hell work better than the current techniques in play in society now! We have a bunch of entitled shitheads, scared of the world and getting their feelings hurt individuals, pansies, emotionally immature people who are more coddled than taught to create and manage coping mechanisms when circumstances or moments get difficult. Crap I took a squirrel moment, sorry about that! Anyway, moving on! 

I for one do not believe in paying your kids for doing chores. I think that's the stupidest idea because why am I going to teach my kids that they are going to get paid for doing something that should already be automatic or that chores are what they should be doing and will be doing daily when they grow into adults...chores are what they need to learn to survive and take care of themselves whereas getting paid to work is because of your job or hopefully doing something you love and creating a career out of it. The rewarding system can work on some kids I know, but unless parents actually take the time to observe/understand/really read their kids rewarding kids for chores can go south pretty quick. Yea there are some parents who like using the mantra "oh their just kids" or "oh let them be kids, kids will be kids." Like that's supposed to justify a parent slacking in turn not doing your kids any favors for their future. It's really all about balance I feel because you don't want to create some kid boot camp and always be serious, but you have to give your kids the sense and knowledge to determine which chores/items are serious and where others aren't. 

See in the picture above my oldest is relaxing while "waiting for mommy" to finish picking up the bathroom area, but what happened to lead to this little pose was her waking up, then going poddy, fixing her bed herself, and then helping me to pick out her clothes for the day. Every morning when she would finish tidying her bed, she would always look to me and wait for my approval smile or my big bear hug for her. I tried (and still try) to create joy, smiles, love, and sometimes even fun into the mundane daily chores. My second daughter was and is the same way, though a little more active in her house chores than my oldest ever has been and was. 

The video below is when my oldest and I would have some "art" time outside, so when she selected the chalk colors (when given three options to choose from), I would then tell her to grab her stuff to carry outside. The first few times she would try to get me to do it for her, but I would always make sure I was carrying something myself for us like snacks, drinks, or whatever else that we would be using with whatever she chose to do. Thereafter, she never asked me or tried to get me to carry her stuff, she would happily do it herself and with a huge smug smile that showed "I'm doing this myself." Something so simple as grabbing and carrying the chalk colors for art class, then setting the colors up herself and my only slightly assisting, had her nicely settled content in her own handiwork not only from her artwork but in that she did it all herself. Her picking up and putting everything away was the same. 

To this day the joy that shines in the little eyes staring back at me have a special twinkle and their whole demeanor itself is illuminating in their sense of accomplishment and success - or shoot even failure because they say out loud themselves "at least we tried so that's good. We will just get better." My kiddos have no self-doubt and their already settled into this level of self-awareness and have conviction already in their statements/belief. You can't teach that to someone no matter their age, it's something that becomes the person...I'm a little proud of that blossoming acceptance and growth they continue to have...

So please! I beg of you do our future and the world a favor and really discern/look at your parenting methods and techniques. I really don't want some of these dumb ass kids to be the ones ruling our nation or worse being the ones taking care of me...hopefully I would have taught and shown my kids all the love they need so that they feel as loving in return when I'm old! :) More importantly do right by your kids and make sure they are prepared in the best ways possible for life. Yes, don't make them grow up too fast but also make sure YOU aren't the ones holding them back from their characters, personality, and learning experiences! No matter our age, humans thrive on experiences especially ones that are both memorable and successful. Then even the failures are great learning curves and the responsibilities of some of the tasks we entrust them to do, will help mold and prepare who they are to become...Give you kids responsibilities and chores and activities that take them outside the norm-besides you'll be with them the whole step of the way, especially if they're underage. 

Sincerely,

A Distinct Woman 

Toilet Paper Holder - Amazon Product Review

Toilet Paper Holder Stand,Bathroom Storage Cabinet Beside Toilet Storage for Small Bathroom with Toilet Roll Holder,Toilet Paper Stand for Small Space,Black by AOJEZOR

I have a 1/2 bath that's nicely and cleanly decorated but with literally only a toilet and sink so putting something adequate to still have what feels to be a large 1/2 bath for anyone using it, I didn't want to clutter it with some standing over the toilet cabinetry nor did I want to risk using the space in front of the toilet knowing that the door would close so I opted for this little piece of work.

The image below is a snapshot from Amazon and the images that follow are from after I built the product and where it stands now.

After submitting the order, I was pleased that shipping and delivery were on time and satisfactorily made with instructions having been followed. I put it altogether myself, so that took about a total of forty minutes. Yes, that's right I said forty minutes, not because I can't read or that I didn't have the tools! It took some mental registering because the manner in which the item was created was pretty awesome to put together, however its a little out of the norm when you piece it together, so I literally had to read the instructions a few times. I'm an educated woman and all but seriously its cool how the product was engineered, just one of those items that makes you do a double take is all. Anyway!

Product finished and I'm pretty happy with the end product! I highly recommend or suggest for someone to buy this one for sure.

So, if you have a small space but need a little tasteful organization without taking away from any decor or items you are using in the restroom/bathroom, this is definitely a product I think is worth the buy, at least for me anyway. Feel free to click on the title to go directly to the product. 

Sincerely,

A Distinct Woman 

Barely Functional Closet to My Organized Version - General

I can admit that the DIY organizational videos with all the cool amazon products or organizational shelving units created can eat up a good amount of my day - if I let it that is. So yes I happen to follow those types of videos on instagram and YouTube BUT you know what I don't like about all those videos and companies that do the organizing for you? It's the fact that they don't provide organizational solutions that either don't impede your life and the functionality of your space but they also dont demonstrate or provide you with solutions to organize that won't go affecting your pocket book in drastic ways!

For example, after moving I'm the type of person that I will leave my closet (every time) as the last thing to sort through/organize or put together the way I need it to be, because I feel that as long as my kiddos spaces and the house overall is set up to run efficiently and smoothly with everything in order, the day will go without a hitch. My space - aka my closet (for example) can easily be shuffled around until I get to organizing it. So after literally six weeks of just functioning in my master bathroom and master bedroom closet, I feel more at home and now have not only a truly functional space but now I have everything in order so that I can now spend the rest of my life organizing this home how I see fit and how I want :)

I mean I was doing laundry but I was continuing to wash the items I was consecutively wearing or putting on to save me time BECAUSE I hadn't unpacked or organized my closet. So after I decided to downsize my kids things and mine, I wanted my closet to be more functional for what I knew I didn't get at my previous home. So I put all my fall and winter clothes to the left side of my closet as you enter, whereas to the right you will find the spring and summer clothes. Then so the space didn't look crowded I put basically "laundry central" underneath the right side of the coset because all of the spring and summer clothes being short, wouldn't crowd or have me forgetting to my my laundry. The top most shelf on the left hand side serves as literally just a storage area for things I wont ever use but keep in addition to items that serve as memories and I'm going to eventually share them with my kids when they're older. The top right side of the closet is where things I use not daily but frequently are placed for my ease of access. Items in the center of the closet, from bottom to top, are items that are necessary and items that I know I'm always using as some point and time, whether that be daily or monthly. I've stored specific backpacks behind the closet door and they are not affecting my space nor are they being forgotten items to not be used. 

With the whole mishap of the amazon chair purchased, well I need somewhere to sit where I'm comfortable and lathering up after a shower and getting dressed, so it was repurposed into my closet...now to purchase my large floor mirror for the bedroom!...

So what are some cheap or creative ways that you organize your spaces without costing an arm and a leg?

Sincerely,

A Distinct Woman 

Swivel Accent Chair - Amazon Product Review

The Amazon "Neylory Swivel Accent Chair, 360"

Get ready for the first of many upcoming Amazon reviews and this so happens to be one my most recent purchases (purchased in March 2024). Well technically second of many since I did already write about those LED lights. Apologies moving on! I know that many individuals like to post specific content with just videos so bear with me if you find that I only posted up pictures and not videos, but please let me know if you would like a video of my purchased Amazon products as well.  

I'll admit that I didn't do my due diligence before purchasing this item, but I was able to repurpose it, so you'll get to see where I'm using it now instead of where I had originally purchased it for. See I was browsing for new office desk chairs and this is where I didn't do my due diligence because I didn't take the time to measure the full height of my desk to be able to pick the "perfect" selection in my new chair-so what I ended up doing was just thinking "oh that's a good height for where the top of the cushion needs to be because that's the measurement of one of my couches so that should work and with my big ass I can sit comfortably." A severely miscalculation on my part BECAUSE, well you'll see as I keep writing :)

(image directly from Amazon product site)

Once clicking "purchase" the timeframe for delivery was a little disconcerting not going to lie, I don't quite enjoy using one of my kitchen table chairs as my desk chair, but I figured, "eh I can hold out and keep moving the chair to the kitchen table when I need more seats." So, I was pleased to find it arrived literally forty-eight hours after purchasing, so that's after Amazon has notified me that it shipped!

The product came in one box, although the box it was packaged in was slightly damaged thankfully none of the product items were damaged. It was heavier than expected it to be, so I assembled it in my hallway/corridor at the entryway of my house. I'm usually pretty good or I almost always feel pretty good about what my expectations are to be when I've purchased a product from Amazon, but I have to say that I was slightly disappointed with this item - literally halfway through assembling I was like "shit".

The assembly itself was easy and took me (by myself) all of thirty-eight minutes to complete. The instructions were self-explanatory which is also why I didn't feel the need to record a video of how to put it together because you would have to be an idiot to not be able to follow the instruction for assembly, I mean it wasn't just plain instructions they have pictures! The cushion for the seat was vacuumed sealed but inflated nicely and quickly. Since I assembled it around 1:16pm by 8am the next morning it looked to be completely to the size the cushion needed to be. I then sat on it and sunk down to the base of the seat...I moved the chair immediately to its new location so I could still use it...I mean it would be a pain in the ass to try to put that thing back in the box! So thankfully I was able to repurpose it for another need. Still sits lower to the floor than I would like but still I can definitely use it now!

So, all in all, NOT a purchase I would recommend for a desk chair as it may be advertised as (unless you're super short and your desk is also super short) but more for a kid's playroom or game room. If you want to purchase for yourself, click on the title above. 

Sincerely,

A Distinct Woman