Summer Mint Cocktail Ideas!

August 3, 2016

I love me some summer cocktails! Sip your way right into the end of summer with these fun, refreshing and minty cocktails from some restaurants around town.  Mint based cocktails have been around since the beginning, but these upgraded recipes make for some innovative sippers.  Whether used as a garnish or muddled inside the drink, these cocktails prove that mint is here to stay!

With the use of fresh raspberries, lemon juice, prosecco and vodka, the mint is the perfect topper to create the Fresca Fizz.  To cure that sweet tooth, mix in some pomegranate juice with fresh raspberries, lemon juice and mint leaves to get the Raspberry Smash.

Bottiglia - Fresca Fizz

Fresca Fizz from Bottiglia

4-6 Raspberries

10-12 Mint Leaves

1.5 oz Grey Goose Vodka or Sapphire East Gin

.75 oz Fresh Lemon Juice

.75 oz Wilks & Wilson Raspberry Gomme Syrpup

1.5 oz Prosecco (add after shake)

Build: Add raspeberries, 6 mint leaves, and raspberry syrup into mixing tin, lighting muddle.  Add the rest of the ingredients, except for the prosecco.  Add ice and shake vigorously.  Now add 1.5 oz prosecco into mixing tin, and strain over crushed ice with 6 mint leaves on the bottom of the glass.

Ice: Crushed

Glass: Collins

Garnish: Raspberry, Mint Sprig

Drunken Sailor 1

The Drunken Sailor from The Hudson

1.75oz Sailor Jerry’s rum

.75oz strawberry puree

.75oz mint simple

1oz fresh lime

mint sprigs

Kin_Tucky_Derby

Kin-Tucky Derby from The Churchill

2 oz Kin White Whiskey

3/4 oz fresh lime juice

1/2 oz simple syrup

Slapped Mint Leaves

Topped with Mixwell Grapefruit Soda

Raspberry Smash

Raspberry Smash from Hearthstone

6-8 Mint Leaves

6 Fresh Raspberries

2 oz. 50 Bleu Vodka

1 oz. Fresh Lemon Juice

1 oz. Pomegranate Juice

½ oz. Simple Syrup

Build: Add mint and raspberries into mixing tin. Lightly muddle, to press berries and to release the oils from mint. Now add the rest of the ingredients. Add ice and shake vigorously. Now strain over crushed ice.

Glass: Rocks

Garnish: Lemon Wheel, Raspberry, Mint Sprig

Refreshing Cold Mint Julep for the Derby

The Mint Julep from Tilted Kilt

1.5 oz. Marker’s Mark

1.0 oz. Simple Syrup

12-14 mint leaves

In a double old fashioned glass muddle the mint leaves with the Simple Syrup just enough to release the oils but not tear the leaves. Fill glass with ice, add Jim Beam Black and stir until glass is frosted. Garnish with a mint sprig.

 

National Watermelon Day! I Lancôme, True Botanicals, Stila, Too Cool For School

it’s national watermelon day and we’ve rounded up a few watermelon inspired and infused goodies!

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True Botanicals Deep Hydrating Body Oil

$95 / TrueBotanicals.com 

A highly absorbent, luxuriously scented body oil that delivers deep hydration on a totally different level. Softens and smooths even the most severe dry skin with a 100% natural formula, packed with essential oils.

Contains Watermelon Seed Oil, rich in EFAs that restore skin’s elasticity and helps the body eliminate toxins.

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Lancôme Juicy Shaker

In Meli Melon & Wonder Melon

$21 / Lancome-usa.com 

Juicy Shaker’s bi-phase technology delivers the first pigmented lip oil with two distinct phases. The first phase features a transparent oil for a comfortable, non-sticky shine. Formulated with a blend of five nourishing oils, it treats your lips like a lip balm.

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Too Cool For School Dinoplatz Lip Balm in Melony Peony

$15 / Sephora 

A moisturizing lip balm with a tender, jelly-cushion texture that hydrates and minimizes the look of fine lines. 

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Stila Lip Glaze in Watermelon

$22 / Stila.com

Add the perfect splash of color to your makeup repertoire. Wear the Lip Glaze “a la carte” for a more subtle color statement or layered over one another for your own unique color creation.

Snack Alert! IPS CHIPS

August 2, 2016

IPS CHIPS!

Don’t let your snacking slow you down. With ips chips and ips pop you get just the right amount of protein to help satisfy your hunger quicker and get the nutrition you need.

ips chips and ips pop satisfy with integrity: great crunchy taste and packed with protein for nutrition that counts.

Just finished an entire bag…not sure if this is a good thing but it’s better than finishing a bag of something else!

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Ips Snacks (www.ipsallnatural.com) recently relaunched its line of light, crunchy chips to now be made with whey protein and offer 6-7g of protein per serving and they are all kinds of yum.

Available in Sea Salt & Black Pepper, White Cheddar, Cinnamon, and Barbeque to satisfy your sweet and salty cravings healthfully.

The brand is launching a brand new product, Ips Pop, now which also provides a delicious, airy snack with the added benefit of whey protein.

Both of these products are great car snacks, beach snacks (my kids love them) additions to lunches, and come in family size portions for family outings and parties.

For us moms on the go, non-perishable snacks get boring fast – Ips Chips and Pop are both convenient, delicious, and satiating. Kid approved!!

PROTEIN COMPARISON
1 oz ips chips = 1 egg*  | 1 oz ips pop = 20 almonds*

*Figures based on 5 (ips pop) 7 (ips chips) grams of protein per serving.

BUY THEM HERE! 

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Aromatherapy Associates

August 1, 2016

Aromatherapy Associates leaders in use of Essential Oils for the last 30 years create skin care using natural products for the best results.  Maintaining an over all radiance for the body and hair! I am totally bananas over the Deep Relaxing Balm, The De-Stress Frankincense Essential Oil and the Miniature Bath and Shower Oil Collection has me really screwing with the water drought. (Can’t. Get. Out. Of. Shower)

HAIR –   Nourishing Enrich Hair: Nourishing, Moisturizing and Conditioning

FACE –  Renewing Rose Cleanser: Gently and effectively removes cosmetics and impurities from the skin,Tones and softens the skin

FACE – Rose Radiance Skin Serum: Massage over the skin to help boost circulation. Aids skin cell renewal and regeneration

FACE –  Orange Flower Moisturizer:  Skin regenerating. Helps regulate sebum in the skin and Conditioning

FACE –  Revitalizing Face Oil: Firming and toning, Improves regeneration, Reduces appearance of fine lines, Supports formation of healthy skin cell membranes and Aids elasticity

BODY – Renewing Rose Hydrating Body Gel: Instantly hydrates and softens dry skin,  Massage over your body to help improve circulation, Suitable for use during pregnancy.

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MDSUN Skincare

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Discovering another skincare line that’s highly effective, gentle, chemical free and designed to meet the needs of every skin type and problem is a Groomed LA wheelhouse.

Let us introducer you you to the phenomenal line called MDSUN that does just that.  With a cult following and favored among celebrities,  MDSUN was developed by Pasadena California based plastic surgeon and biochemist, Dr. George Sun. Dr. Sun specializes in facial plastic surgery and wanted to meet the specific healing needs of his patients as they recovered post-op.  With close to 20 years of clinical research and experience , he’s been on the cutting edge of medical science with the use of a special technology called ultra packs.  Ultra packs are a unique and specified combination of stem cells, peptides, and antioxidants  designed to work together to smooth fine lines, diminish dark circles and deliver the best and most effective results.

 The line treats every skin condition from redness, wrinkles, acne, hyper pigmentation, dryness, pore reduction, to smoothing, resurfacing, and brightening.  What’s so unique about this line is that it’s free of fillers like alcohol and water, the ingredients are sourced from Japan and no cost is spared to get the best results. There are a total of 19 products that are meant to be used alone or combined based on ones specific skin type. The different colored packaging addresses a skin issue. Yellow is anti aging, white  is brightening, and blue is hydrating.  

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Since we’re in the depths of summer, I was immediately drawn to the Super Hydrating B Serum because I wanted something light on my already normal skin type.  This boast of being effective on dry, oily, sensitive and acne prone skin.  

WHAT:: 

  • Spreads easily on the skin, absorbs quickly and is non greasy.
  • Hydrates the skin for a glowing complexion
  • Leaves skin feeling exceptionally smooth

The main ingredients are sodium hyaluronic acid which is a form of skin plumping, pantheonl, aka B5, which keeps skin blemish free, and lactobionic acid which  reduce the appearances wrinkles.

I’ve used this morning and night for the past 2 weeks and definitely have noticed a smoother and firmer complexion.  It’s hydrating enough to use without a moisturizer and I’m loving how great my skin looks and feels.  

I was also excited to try the Repair Moisturizer. This especially appealed to me as part of my nighttime regime. I figured whatever healing needed to take place could be done while I slept.  This revolutionary formula was designed to minimize the visible signs of aging, repair damaged skin cells and brighten skin.  

My skin feels hydrated when I wake up, plump and has a really nice glow.  It absorbs easily, doesn’t irritate my sometimes sensitive skin, is light and has a nice scent.  Once the weather gets cooler I’ll start to use it both morning and night. I feel good knowing that I’m doing something to slow down the early signs of aging that can creep up on you overnight.  This will definitely continue to be a consistent part of my skincare routine.  

There’s so much to discover in this luxury skincare line. The premiere product of the line is the Collagen Lift.  This caviar type gel contains peptides, stem cells, real gold flakes along with 52 other ingredients that are stirred together to repair and penetrate into the deepest layer of the skin and align collagen. So advanced is this development, Dr. Sun even uses this as a key ingredient in his injectables.

There’s so much to discover here.  Overall I would highly recommend this line to anyone who wants a hypoallergenic, fragrance free, paraben free, gentle, extremely effective premium skin care regime.  

Please visit here for more!       mdsun-wrinkle-smoothener-02

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