• food

    Great Wine for A Fun Home Staying Memorial Day Weekend

    Drinking a bottle of delicious wine at your own balcony, I don’t think I miss bars at all. Home drinking can still be fun and enjoyable. The Clambake wines are delicious and perfect for upcoming warm weather.
    Mary McAuley (Credit: Ripe Life Wines)
    Founder, Mary McAuley’s inspiration was simple – she was a beach obsessed sommelier (and French Culinary Institute grad) tasked with picking the wines for her friends annual clambake on the Jersey shore.  When she couldn’t find exactly what she was looking for, she rolled up her sleeves and made them herself for the next year with premium Mendocino grapes.
    The result?  A bright, unoaked Chardonnay that is light, clean and smooth, and a delicate, fruit-forward floral rose. While they conjure up images of shoreside seafood feast, they are perfect to sip wherever you are, as an aperitif or with a wide variety of warm weather dishes Mary can suggest.
    Now let me introduce these two amazing wines for your summer 2020. They are great for a stay-home Memorial Day weekend, drinking good wines and eating seafoods. That sounds a fun and lovely long weekend should be.
    The Clambake
    Un-Oaked Chardonnay
    This unoaked Chardonnay isn’t your typical big, buttery Chardonnay. This single-vineyard Mendocino Chardonnay is picked slightly under-ripe, and aged in stainless steel tanks, resulting in an atypically light, clean and smooth expression of California Chardonnay. Letting the grapes from this amazing region speak for themselves.
    RIPE LIFE WINES winemaking techniques result in a Chardonnay that is curiously delicate with notes of lemon verbena, green apple citrus zest and crisp minerality that will make your clambake food sing a little louder… and cut through that delicious better, too. But Chardonnay is still king so there’s still enough richness and boy to stand up to all those potatoes and lobsters staring ‘atcha.
    The Clambake
    Limited Edition Rosé
    For Clambake Limited Edition Rosé 2015 and 2016, RIPE LIFE WINES have selected some of the very best old-vine carignan from Mendocino they every seen. Picked in its youth and crushed ever so lightly, RIPE LIFE WINES have created a Rosé with both delicate, flawless and acid-driven structure, but also only extracting the best juice out of the grapes for the best flavor.
    Refreshingly crisp, this Rosé backbone if the perfect match for a seafood feast, notes of wild strawberry, bing cherry candied citrus, and light florals dazzle on the palate in a wine that is light, dry, and wonderfully smooth. The flavor profile will bring out the very best in claw meat, steamers, sweet corn, and everything in between, but perfect on it’s own as well.
    For more information, you can check out The Clambake wines at  www.ripelifewines.com.
  • New York

    Dad deserves a treat too

    Whether isolating together or apart, all fathers and father figures deserve a treat on Father’s Day.

    For the family man

    While travel is on hold for the moment, there’s no better time to start planning for the future. Dromoland Castle, a 16th century castle-turned-hotel, is set in the countryside of County Clare, Ireland with an 18-hole, par 72 parkland golf course that weaves around the grounds. With the new genealogy package, the in-house genealogist will host a private 45-minute Zoom call with the family to give a genealogy review, followed by a meeting with the findings, either also over Zoom or ideally at the Castle over tea and scones.  

    For the perfect shave

    This moisturizing and soothing after-shave balm is a go-to gift for dad to make the everyday a little more special – Guinot’s Baume Hydratant instantly calms skin and alleviates razor burn using witch hazel, vitamin E, and menthol for that clean, after-shave look. Sold here for $46

    For the sweet tooth

    La Maison du Chocolat celebrates Father’s Day with a cadre of premium truffles to delight every chocolate-loving dad out there. One of the greatest classics from the Paris-based chocolatier are the Champagne and Cognac-infused truffles made from an airy, whipped chocolate ganache covered with a thin layer of dark chocolate and a dust of chocolate powder. The truffles are presented in a gold embossed box. Sold online at www.lamaisonduchocolat.us for $64 (30 pieces)-$94 (48 pieces)

    For the coffee aficionado

    Give dad something to dream about over his morning cup of joe. The coffee expert at Costa Rica’s Nayara Resorts’ espresso bar, Mi Cafecito, is now available to teach private coffee classes over Zoom as part of the new Coffee and Chocolate Lovers package. The package includes a stay at Nayara Gardens or Nayara Springs (set in a lush rainforest on the edge of the Arenal Volcano), a spa treatment, a coffee experience at Mi Cafecito (with a bag of Nayara coffee to bring home) plus the pre-travel one-on-one class on how to make the perfect cup of coffee at home.  

    For the whisky lover

    To wow Dad, plan a trip to the birthplace of Scotch for a five-day, four-night train journey on the Belmond Royal Scotsman. In partnership with the Scotch Malt Whisky Society, fathers will enjoy a private tour of one of the oldest distilleries in Scotland, Glen Ord; a specialist single cask whisky tasting with the dedicated Whisky ambassador; and a tasting at the Scotch Malt Whisky Society headquarters. Back on board, guests can choose from over 50 whiskies to enjoy while gazing out over the countryside in the Observation Car before taking home a year-long membership to Scotch Malt Whisky Society. Travelers can now add on bespoke excursions to their journeys including, clay pigeon shooting at Rothiemurchus Estate, guided running tours, or a round of golf. Journeys start at £5,500 or $6,665 per passenger all inclusive.

    For the adventure junkie

    Book now and celebrate during Father’s Day 2021 onboard the world’s first luxury electric hybrid ship. PONANT, the leader in luxury expedition cruising, will launch Le Commandant Charcot. Operating off a mix of battery (no emissions) and Liquified Natural Gas (the cleanest fuel on the market), venture to the true geographic North Pole in style with just 135 cabins onboard and amenities from Veuve Clicquot, Laduree and Sothy’s. A team of 16 specialists will also be aboard each expedition to help guests participate in environmental research and experiments during sailings, and travelers will be able to book new excursions including hovercrafts, hot air balloon rides and polar diving. Rates start at $13,160 per passenger based on double occupancy.

  • Baby

    Moso for every room in your home!

    Moso Bags are a very simple andeffective solution for a smelly refrigerator, providing odorless and chemical-free resultswithin hours of placement! These bags might be small but they are mighty: All-natural bamboo charcoal contains millions of tiny pores that can attract and absorb odors, bacteria, chemicals and moisture from the fridge like a magnetic sponge (including spoiled produce or foods with strong scents like fish). They also keep your produce fresh by absorbing ethylene gas, a naturally occurring gas from fruits and vegetables that causes them to ripen quickly.Moso Bags are also reusable for up to 2 years, ensuring the fridge is fresh year-round.

    There are so many places you can put the MOSO bag! Here are some ideas for around our home.

    1. Car – It absorbs any food, smoke or random forgotten diapers, dog smells!

    2. Nursery – Keeping one in and by the diaper genie is one of the best ways to keep smells at bay

    3. Kitchen – In the fridge! My mom use to put open boxes of baking soda but these cute little Moso bags work well too.  Under the sink by the wet trash can too

    4. Bathroom – What about just absorbing moisture and mildew type smells? Yes!

    5. Bedroom – In the closets to keep clothes smelling – In Vegas, the casinos all have smoke so if you go out, your clothes might smell of smoke when you get back so this is a life saver.

    All bags are fragrance-freenatural annon-toxic. For space saving convenience, a suction cup is also included to hang the bag out of the way of groceries. MSRP $8.95 and available online at mosonatural.com.

  • My dog Cami

    Supplements for Pets – Carbon-based antioxidant Vitalitrol

    RestoraPet (www.restorapet.com), a highly effective line of pet supplements that includes the proprietary “super antioxidant” Vitalitrol, is currently offering both the RestoraPet Hemp PM & RestoraPet AM formula for $69.95 (normally $119 when sold separately) and is even including a free bottle of their Rejuvien Hand Sanitizer, which they started manufacturing recently to help keep up with demand. The offer is only available online at www.restorapet.com.

    RestoraPet, which works by restoring and rejuvenating aging cells to give pets a longer, healthier, life, has recently been featured in a number of national publications due to the great work CEO and founder Brian Larsen is doing for pets and in the community.

  • New York

    Beauty Products: Memorial Day Sales

    Awesome deals from CHROM Toothpolish, Nomad Cosmetics, and Waksē….
    Have you always wanted a gold grill, wondered what you would look like with a tooth gap, or just need to cover those wine stains? CHRŌM Toothpolish can give you just that in a matter of minutes. Makeup is not just for the face anymore, now you can liven up your smile and the options are endless.
    SALE: 10% off CHRŌM’s already discounted products
    DATES: May 25 – June 1
    CODE: SUMMERSMILE
    BONUS: US orders over $50 qualify for free shipping
    Being stuck at home has got us all itching to travel, but while we currently are unable, NOMAD has got us covered. Each one of their oil infused palettes and highlighters will transport you to far away destinations. In just one swipe of your brush you can escape to the coast of the Atlantic in Antilles!!
    SALE: Receive 25% off NOMAD Cosmetics Antilles palette
    DATES: May 21 – May 25
    CODE: Antilles25
    BONUS: 20% of all Studio 54 sales will be donated to provide PPE equipment to Mount Sinai.
    Just because salons and spas are closed doesn’t mean you can’t bring the experience home. Waksē’s brings spa quality hard wax straight to your door. You can choose from crave worthy flavors like banana slip, pineapple, and mint chocolate just to name a few.
    SALE: Receive 20% off your entire order
    DATES: May 21 – May 25
    CODE: No code necessary