The Father’s Day Gift Guide

Father’s Day is Sunday! Peep the Pretty Domestic Father’s Day Gift Guide for the special Dad in your life.

The Grooming Guy. Dad’s these days are into their appearance just as much as their better halves. No old shaving cream and after-shave lotion will do. Barber shops are seeing a resurgence and men are receiving more of a pampering experience, than an in the chair and out the door. Indulge your Daddy’s pinchance for looking good by treating him to a day at the Barber Spa.  Be sure to throw in some luxury grooming products from his favorite line, or pick some up from The Art of Shaving.

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The Fit Father. Maybe your Dad is obsessed with working out, like mine; or maybe he needs a jump-start getting in shape. Help him track his activities and fitness goals by gifting him a Nike+ FuelBand.

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The Music Man.  Most gentlemen I know, including my Mr. and my Daddy love to unwind after a long day. Whether it’s working out or listening to music in the quiet of his man cave, help him tune out the world for a few with Beats by Dre. He’ll love them even more because they are wireless. And make sure you select his favorite color.

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The Smooth Sipper.  Maybe your Dad enjoys nothing more than to kick back and put his feet up while sipping on a smooth single malt. Gift him a bottle of his favorite Single Malt Scotch and tickets to a local whiskey tasting.

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There you have it; the 2014 Father’s Day Gift Guide. Happy Father’s Day to your Dad, Mr. or special father in your life.

Until Then,

L.

The Pretty Domestic

You Are Cordially Invited to Champagne Sunday!!!

Summer is days away Dolls, and if you’re like me you are feverishly working on a beach ready body. The challenge, great food from graduation parties and cookouts can curtail the best laid workout regimes. We all know that burgers and adult beverages equals calories; but what’s a Doll to do? I stumbled upon these low-cal cocktail suggestion from Town & Country, added the recipes and thought they could be perfect for Champagne Sunday! Peep mixology!

Classic Bloody Mary. At 125 calories, this is a cocktail that doesn’t need to be tweaked since it’s already fairly healthy. “The tomato juice offers a lot of vitamins and minerals, and the celery stick gives you some fiber.”

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Ingredients.

  • Celery salt
  • 1 Lemon wedge
  • 1 Lime wedge
  • 2 oz Premium Vodka
  • 4 oz Tomato juice
  • 2 dashes Tabasco Sauce
  • 2 tsp Prepared horseradish
  • 2 dashes Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 pinch Celery salt
  • 1 pinch Ground black pepper
  • 1 pinch Smoked paprika

Garnish: Celery stalk and lime wedge

The Mixology. Pour some celery salt onto a small plate. Rub the juicy side of the lemon or lime wedge along the lip of a pint glass. Roll the outer edge of the glass in celery salt until fully coated. Fill with ice and set aside. Squeeze the lemon and lime wedges into a shaker and drop them in. Add the remaining ingredients and fill with ice. Shake gently and strain into the prepared glass. Garnish with a celery stalk and a lime wedge.

Gimlet. “This is really just gin or vodka on the rocks with tons of fresh lime juice and sometimes fresh mint, too. Bartenders occasionally put simple syrup in it but you don’t need it. The drink doesn’t require the sugar if you have lots of fresh lime juice.”

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Ingredients.

  • 2.5 oz Gin
  • .5 oz Lime juice

Garnish: Lime wheel

The Mixology. Add all the ingredients to a shaker and fill with ice. Shake, and strain into a chilled cocktail glass or an Old Fashioned glass filled with fresh ice. Garnish with a lime wheel.

Margarita. “Tequila on the rocks with fresh lime juice, Cointreau, and a splash of soda. Skip the sugary mixers.”

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Ingredients.

  • .75 oz Fresh lime juice
  • 1 oz  Cointreau or triple sec
  • 1.5 oz Blanco tequila

Garnish: Lime wheel

The Mixology. Add the ingredients to a shaker and fill with ice. Shake well and strain into a chilled cocktail glass or rocks glass filled with fresh ice. Garnish with a lime wheel. (For a slightly sweeter drink, add a dash of agave syrup—one part water, two parts agave nectar—before shaking.)

Dark and Stormy. “Use just a splash of ginger beer (consider using the diet version of Gosling’s if you’re mixing this up at home) with dark rum, a splash of lime juice, fresh lime, and fresh ginger, which has good anti-inflammatory benefits.

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Ingredients.

  • 1.5 oz Gosling’s Black Seal Rum
  • Stormy Ginger Beer or other ginger beer
  • 1 splash of lime juice

Garnish: Lime wedge

The Mixology. Fill a tall glass with ice and add the rum. Top with ginger beer. Garnish with a lime wedge.

Moscow Mule. “This is a good equivalent to the Skinnygirl Margarita for guys. Just use vodka, fresh lime juice, and mint leaves with lots of ice and a splash of ginger beer (I don’t think you need sugar or simple syrup).”

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Ingredients.

  • 2 oz Vodka
  • 3 oz Ginger beer
  • Juice of half a lime

Garnish: Lime wheel.

The Mixology. Add all the ingredients to a Moscow Mule mug or highball glass filled with ice and garnish with a lime wheel.

There you have it; cocktail recipes that will keep your beach body goals in tact! Happy Champagne Sunday! Chin! Chin!

Until Then,

L.

The Pretty Domestic

 

 

 

Perfume Perfection

A while ago, one of favorite Dolls, Dr. Rachel, asked me to post on some of my favorite fragrances. It’s been on my “blog log” for a while now, but I simply hadn’t gotten to it. However, a series of recent compliments on a particular fragrance led me to get to it. Peep the deets.

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Jo Malone Lime, Basil and Mandarin Cologne

701-10020-PROD01111_LIMEBASILMANDARIN_MJo Malone Lime, Basil and Mandarin Cologne entered my life when a Doll gifted me a cute little goodie bag full of samples. The Jo Malone was one of the last I sampled, and it was love at first, well … smell. I am typically drawn to citrus scents during the warmer months, so I knew JM would be in my Spring/Summer rotation.  The Notes: Top notes are lime, mandarin orange and bergamot; middle notes are basil, lilac, iris and thyme; base notes are patchouli and vetiver.

Dipytque 34 Boulevard Saint Germain Solid Perfume

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I’m not exactly sure how I became aware of Diptyque 34 Boulevard Saint Germain Solid Perfume, but it is the fragrance that, when I wear it, grabs the most attention. The name originates from the street of the first Diptyque boutique. I am probably drawn to 34 Boulevard Saint Germain because of the currant notes. J’adore red and black currant. What even better is that it’s a solid perfume, making it perfect for travel and those pesky TSA stops. The Notes: Top notes: blackcurrant, green leaves, fir leaf, citruses, pink pepper, cardamom, cloves and cinnamon. Heart: rose, geranium, tuberose, iris and violet. Base: woods, resins, balsams and eucalyptus.

David Yurman Eau de Parfum

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While hard to find, this really is one of my favorites. I would say that its my daily ”go to” fragrance. Not too heavy or light, David Yurman Eau de Parfum can be worn all year long.  I love that the sculpted gold cap is reminiscent of the Yurman Cable Collection of jewelry; and the bottle neck is created in a form of Yurman’s wedding band. The Notes: Wafts of mandarin, and fresh green notes of black currant leaf and petals, followed by floral notes of peony, water lily, rose otto, patchouli, exotic woods and musk.

Tom Ford Black Orchid

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I always reach for Black Orchid for date night with my Mr. It’s simply sexy. But would you expect anything less from Mr. Ford. I wouldn’t necessarily consider it a heavy fragrance; but other than date night, I tend to wear this during the day in the cooler months. The Notes: The top notes are French jasmine, black truffle, ylang-ylang, black currant and effervescent citrus. In the floral-spicy heart, dwells the Tom Ford’s black orchid, imaginary more than real, and the base combines woodsy notes (patchouli and sandalwood), dark chocolate, incense, amber, vetiver, vanilla and balsam.

Chanel No. 5

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Need I say more … A classic!

Voila, my list of perfume perfection. What’s on your list?

Until Then,

L.

The Pretty Domestic

Source: The Notes: Frangratanica