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Gettin’ Boozy With My Brother

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I recently received a Brother P-touch D210 label maker. I’ve actually used Brother P-touch label makers before when doing electrical work. They come in handy when you need to label wire, pipe or finish plates…and are much neater and more legible than handwriting on tape! However, I never had the opportunity to take one home. So, what’s a guy like me going to do with a 14-font, 600+ symbol P-touch PT-D210 label maker? I started in my kitchen and decided to label my cereal containers and jars that I use for cooking & baking ingredients. Not only does it help make things look neat & organized, it also helps make sure there is no confusion on what you’re grabbing. My son, who loves to help me in the kitchen, is in the process of learning how to read, so putting a label on certain items helps him to familiarize himself with new words. When I ask him to grab something for me he can now see how to spell the ingredient he grabbed! Just like how my son and I usually try a new recipe every few weeks, my wife and I like to mix up a new cocktail every few weeks 🙂 Not sure if it’s just me, but I can’t remember a recipe for the life of me – even an easy one. So, we thought it would be cute (I mean tough) to put the ingredients on the pitcher – and if guests ash what’s in the drink, they can just look on the pitcher and if they like it, snap a pic & save it for themselves. Right now we’re making Strawberry Mint Mojitos (see below for recipe). We also used the P-touch PT-D210 to make flags for the straws so there’s no confusion on whose drink belongs to who. Now here you can have a little fun! My wife’s straw flag said “Lightweight”, mine, “Boozy” and Nate’s, “Virgin”. Almost all the drinks we make taste great – with or without alcohol. So, if you have someone who is not of age, like Nate, (but still likes to feel like he’s part of the party), you can make sure there is no mix up! The P-touch PT-D210 also lets you easily personalize your labels with borders, symbols and different color tapes. We used White On Lime Green and White On Berry Pink TZe tape colors to go with the Strawberry Mint Mojito theme. P-touch TZe tape is laminated, making it water-resistant, and fade resistant if you want to reuse the pitcher for the same recipe! Looking forward to many more recipes, and having fun personalizing with our Brother P-touch! To purchase the P-touch D210, visit Amazon.

STRAWBERRY MINT MOJITO RECIPE

Ingredients (serves one):

3 large strawberries, hulled and sliced
5 fresh mint leaves, plus more for garnish
1.5 ounces (3 tablespoons) white rum
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon simple syrup
1/4 cup club soda

Directions:

1. In a glass, muddle the simple syrup, strawberries, and fresh mint leaves until fragrant.
2. Add a handful of ice to your glass and pour in the white rum, lime juice, and club soda.
3. Gently stir, garnish with a sprig of mint, and enjoy immediately!

Family Home Reviews

Playtime With Our Brother

BlueCollarPrep

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Since my kitchen is now in order, I decided it was finally time for Nate’s playroom! I could not wait to get my hands on the Brother P-Touch D210 label maker and show Nate how much fun organizing can be. I think he may have gotten a little too excited…as you can see by my face (LOL). Anyone who has a kid knows how challenging it can be to keep their toys, art supplies and other knick knacks organized. There’s nothing worse than when you go to play with something and you don’t have all the pieces or the color you need to finish a project is missing. We took his markers, paint brushes, and modeling clay, put them in old kitchen canisters that we were no longer using, and labeled them with “Draw,” “Paint,” “Create.” We then made labels for each one of his toy bins. This was the most helpful because he always forgets where each bin is when it’s time to put away his toys. As I previously mentioned, Nate’s just learning how to read, so it’s good that when we tell him to put his things away, he can now look at the associated words and familiarize himself when doing so. To give him a little motivation to start saving money, we labeled his purple crayon bank “Ice Cream Fund.” That boy loves his ice cream (LOL). It was really fun creating the labels with him. We used the P-touch TZe Red on White and Black on White tapes and added cute symbols that coordinated with our labels (there’s so much to choose from – 14 fonts, 97 frames and more than 600 symbols!). I love teaching my boy any chance I get. He loved helping press the buttons, choosing his symbols & emojis and then of course getting to press the big green button when it was time to cut the label. I can see it already – this Brother P-touch is going to get a lot of use once he’s in school and starting to get homework and art projects! Unfortunately, or fortunately, now he’s obsessed and literally wants me to help him label everything in his playroom. (LOL). To purchase your own P-touch PT-D210 label maker, visit Office Depot.

Home Style

Planters or Wall Decor?

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4.5 years ago my wife and I bought out first house. It was bit of a visual fixer upper. The bones of the house were pretty good, but design-wise we knew we were going to have to upgrade almost everything. We were fine with this though! We knew we weren’t going to find a house with the design and style we exactly wanted. So we thought why spend more money on a house that’s decent (but we don’t love), when we would just end up renovating it anyway. So, we went with somewhat of a fixer upper. This year we decided to reno our kitchen. We knocked down a wall between our kitchen and living room and put an island with a quartz counter top. With this new layout it gave the first floor more of that open concept feel. We put new quartz counter tops and white shaker style cabinets in as well. We added matte black hardware, a matte black sink faucet, and a nice big matte black sink. We don’t get a lot of natural sunlight on the first floor so we really wanted to brighten up the space with a lot of white! For some decor, we wanted to add some plants in our kitchen to add a little green and bring in some life. Unfortunately, we have killed every plant we have ever had! Even the new palms we just bought…we’re already on the second plant! We’re really trying hard this time around to keep these little beauties alive! After our recent trip to AZ we decided to get some greens & cacti and hang them in these amazing Umbra planters. They are literally wall art! I love their clean, geometric white shape, with the touch of gold, and how they add another dimension to our kitchen. These might be one of our best home purchases! What are some of your favorite interior design brands? I’m always on the hunt for another cool, unique piece!

Style

#MySENE

BlueCollarPrep for SENEStudio

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I got the opportunity to be part of Suitable’s re-branding to become SENE.  It was a pretty cool experience that ended with me getting an amazing suit and some great shots thanks to Kevin Chungg. Besides getting to meet their amazing crew, I also got to try on and pick a suit to add to my collection. I visited their showroom and tried on a few jackets but when I felt the wool and silk material of the 01 Suit in Speckled Desert I knew it was the one. I have to be honest…out of all the suits I didn’t think I would of went with a brown suit, but sometimes the suit picks you LOL. We paired the suit with their Monk Shirt in Oxford White – it’s a perfect way to still have a classic look but with a little edge. It’s always fun to get the opportunity to shoot with a company or another photographer (not that you don’t do an amazing job babe haha). I also got a chance to style one of their blue and black checkered double breasted suit jackets. And by style, I mean throw it over my outfit that I wore to meet the SENE crew LOL. It just so happened to look great with my outfit so we decided to shoot it as well! I cannot wait to get my custom suit from them! Be sure to check out my feature on their blog as well! #MySENE

Reviews Style

#100PiecesOfPerry | PERRY ELLIS

BlueCollarPrep for Perry Ellis

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I partnered up with the classic menswear brand, Perry Ellis, to take part in their #100PiecesofPerry campaign to showcase their fall collection. Perry Ellis decided to re-imagine the traditional runway show and take the concept to the streets with their fall collection. Follow along as the digital runway unfolds at #100PiecesOfPerry! I got to style and show how I would rock an all blue monochromatic look. This Large Plaid Wool Jacket is a perfect way to rock flannel without it being just another flannel shirt. I mean bomber + flannel = 🙂 right? I wore this blue long-sleeve button down and navy dress pant as well. I added a cuff to the bottom of my pants (as I seem to do more often than not) and added a tan/brown belt to add some texture and to break up the colorblocking just a bit! The hint of tan also compliments the navy and matched the details in the white Vans I wore. You know me, I always seem to sporty up my dressier looks!

Family Reviews Style Travel

G.H. BASS MAINE TRIP (LOOK 2)

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During our GH Bass Vinalhaven, Maine trip, we were by the water a lot. My son loved exploring, climbing and playing on the rocks. He was having a blast so it was pretty easy for my wife to snap some really cute shots of us together. I just love chunky sweaters, especially cardigans. I decided to keep it casual as Nate and I hung outside the cabin and played around on the rocks for a good chunk of the day. The view from here was amazing! I paired this cozy and cool Ralph Lauren Denim & Supply sweater with a pair of ripped jeans and my GH Bass Decker Camp Boater’s in the dark brown color. Slip on shoes are just so easy to take on and off and always feel so comfortable to me. I love the contrast of the dark leather and the light colored sole and they’re a good mix of both dressy and casual – easy to pull off with most looks. The leather on these is stiff enough where it feels like a good leather but not overly stiff where they’re uncomfortable…I just love them. Pair them with some loose-fitting, cuffed up jeans, for that easy-going but clean look! More GH Bass looks to come 🙂

Reviews Style

LAYERS OF INC INTERNATIONAL CONCEPTS

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This is probably hard to believe or maybe if you know me, not so hard, but I actually don’t own a suit! Well I used to not own a suit. I never really had any where to wear them or a need for one. The only time I wore one is when I had a wedding to attend. The last one I purchased was actually for my own wedding back in 2010. I was a little larger at the time so it no longer fits me and I was definitely in the market for one. When I got the chance to partner up with INC (exclusively sold at Macy’s), I figured it was a great chance to grab some suit pieces. I actually really love dressing up in suits! I feel like there’s so many different ways to style a suit and so many accessories you can add to them to make them unique. I don’t really have any of those accessories just yet, but be sure to be on the look out for some as my suit collection grows! I decided to go with their INC Easton Blazer and their INC Easton Dress Pants…I thought it would be great for summer. What really stood out to me about this one, was the the length of the pants and the hemmed cuff – they fit and fall perfectly. Sometimes it can be hard to find pants that are the right length. I decided to keep it clean and light and paired it with their INC Cason Short-Sleeve Shirt in White. It’s very comfortable and is made with cotton and linen which gives it a little different texture than your normal plain white button down – it’s a tad stiffer, which makes it stay and look cleaner. My wife actually told me she thought it was going to rain today so I brought along their INC Parker Hooded Raincoat…another piece that I didn’t previously own until today. I actually like the idea of using the rain coat as an alternative to wearing the sport coat with it. You’re still able to have a clean look but it gives it more of that casual feel. I kept it clean and sporty with a pair of slip on white Vans. You should already know how much I love my slip on sneakers and shoes! (#ad #INCinternationalconcepts)

Family Reviews Style Travel

SKATEPARK SUNDAY WITH BROOKS HERITAGE

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When it comes to sneakers, I have always been into vintage style running sneakers. When I saw the Brooks Heritage Men’s Beast 1, it immediately took me back to the 90’s…which is a good thing, because I loved that era! I feel like I haven’t been skateboarding since then, so when I put these on, I figured let’s really bring it back and grab Nate and my board and hit the skatepark. I threw on some black comfy joggers and a black oversized jersey shirt, to keep it comfy but cool. I went through a phase were I didn’t wear socks with sneakers at all, and now any chance I get to add socks to my look I’m on it. I figured a plain pair of white socks would really bring out the 90’s vibe with these Brooks Heritage Sneakers. And, since I’m probably going to skate like s***, I might as well look like a boss (lol).  I have to admit, I was pretty stoked and nervous to get back out there. I haven’t been skateboarding since forever, and even back then I wasn’t even that good! 🙂 It was actually pretty fun cruising around and I definitely think it’s something I’ll be doing more often. My son, absolutely loved it! I was able to put him on the board hold his hands and pull him around the park. His balance was so on point, I was even able to pull him up and down the ramps and quarter pipes and he was fearless. Being back at the park definitely brought back some memories. There’s not as many photos of myself actually skating, because lets face it, there were very little that were blog-worthy (lol). Overall, I really dig the vibe the Brooks Heritage Men’s Beast 1 kicks gave my outfit. I’m a big fan of the way they bring out the retro in their line. You can never go wrong with a pair of vintage looking sneakers!

Family Style Travel

G.H. BASS MAINE TRIP (LOOK 1)

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I was lucky enough to get invited to one of my favorite shoe brands’ fall photoshoot in Maine (G.H. Bass). I couldn’t have been more excited to take on a road trip like this. We opted in to drive rather than fly so we could make some stops in Maine to explore on the way home. The shoot took place on an island off the coast of Maine, called Vinalhaven (ferry required). The night before the shoot we drove to Rockland, Maine, where the ferry departs from, and stayed at a quaint little Bed and Breakfast, with a cute little room and delicious food – it was my first time eating stuffed french toast and it was YUMMY! The next morning we caught the ferry, which was pretty exciting since it was my son Nate’s first time on a boat – he was in awe! I have to admit I was pretty excited myself, as I had never been on a ferry before, especially one I could drive my car onto. We sat on the top deck the whole way – we couldn’t believe how gorgeous the views all around were on the way to the island. Once we reached the island we met up with the crew, who had already been there shooting the day before. We followed along to one of their shoot locations – a beautiful rock quarry that has a cool story with it’s ties to Brooklyn – the granite mined there was actually used for the Brooklyn Bridge! It’s a huge hangout in the summer – where you can actually go swimming – it was way too cold when we were there but I would’ve loved to have done some cliff diving and rope swinging if I had the chance! It was super fun exploring around with my wife and son….I’m a little jealous of my wife’s boots – I really dig the G.H. Bass Kerry Boot (she’s rocking them in one of the pics). I’m a firm believer that boot season is all year round – if you can get creative with your outfit! I’m also a huge fan of monochromatic looks. I paired the Combat GH Bass Ranger MOC II Lyndon High Boot with a pair of hiker style shorts, an olive t-shirt, an olive parka and an olive 5 panel hat. To throw in a splash of color, I picked up a pair of pink tube socks with you guessed right, olive stripes…lol. The Ranger MOC is probably one of the most comfortable boots or dare I say shoes I have ever worn. The saw tooth sole helps with that and also gives the boot that little bit of edge that I like. The height of the boot is perfect and I like to wrap my laces around the top of the boot before tying. It’s definitely a boot that looks great but you also don’t feel like you have to pamper them and can take them off the pavement! And we did – with a tons of exploring. Stay tuned for look #2!

Reviews

BAXTER OF CALIFORNIA

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I got an early fathers day gift this year from Baxter of California. My son loves getting things in the mail, so my wife told him it was a Father’s Day gift for me and that he could help her wrap it. I received their Pomade Mixer Kit, Under Eye Complex, Herbal Mint Toner, and the Flammable – White Wood 2 Candle.

I love gift sets, I think its the best way to try out different products without having to buy the full sized version at full price without knowing if it’s exactly what you’re looking for. I also get to share the different Pomades with my son (who, by the way, has much better hair than me..lol). I also like that now I have different pomades to achieve different looks depending on how I want my hair that day. Every so often it feels good to change it up a little. My personal favorite so far is the the clay, I like my hair to look dry-ish but still have a good hold.

I love burning candles at the house but am not really into fruity smells. My favorite scent to burn is the evergreen that you normally burn during Christmas. We usually start burning it in fall untill the end of winter. The Flammable – White Wood 2 Candle doesn’t smell anything like that..lol but it does give me the same kind of feeling when the scent is in the house. It smells like fresh wood mixed with a subtle scent of a tobacco pipe. It’s NOT like a cigar or gross smelling tobacco but that nice smooth, maybe with a hint of vanilla, type smell. This candle smells AWESOME!

Being that I’m an electrician and 35 years old, turning 36 this year, I’m finding it more important to take care of my skin, especially my face. At work it can get pretty dirty, and all the elements of being on the job can take a toll on your skin. The herbal mint toner is a perfect astringent to keep my face clean. It smells great…actually exactly the way its described in the name, like herbs with mint. It’s alcohol free so it doesnt have that harsh smell and it doesn’t burn when you use it. Man oh man how I hate seeing new wrinkles on my face..lol. Growing up I was always told I had a baby face and was told that I looked young for my age. I still hear it, but when I look in the mirror I don’t see that baby face anymore. To help get that baby face back I’m using the under eye complex. My wife showed me her application technique to apply…lol first dab, dab, dab under and around the eyes and then gently rub it in (just in case you couldn’t figure it out, like me the first time). It doesn’t really have a smell…just similar to regular lotion. It feels the same as lotion when you apply it and when it dries it just leaves you with a subtle tighter feeling…hoping it’s already working!

TODAY IS THE LAST DAY TO GET 20% OFF, FREE SHIPPING & GUARANTEED DELIVERY BY FATHER’S DAY WITH CODE BAXTERDADS.

Stay active on my Instagram as I’m going to be doing a Baxter of California give away coming very soon! All opinions expressed in this review are of my own in this collaboration with Baxter of California.