What’s in my End of Summer Beach Bag?

We are headed into the final stages of summer and I've stocked my beach bag with my favorites to ensure a truly enjoyable sun-filled weekend. I'm intent on squeezing every bit of summer and sun out of September.

It's been a good summer, but super short, or so it feels, with soem personal stuff go awry but that's life, or the circle of life as my maman says. 

So get some sun this weekend, that Hurricane Harvey better pass us by.

Drink: Nerium Sticks- This dietary supplement powder is formulated with an exclusive Youth Factor™ enzyme blend, antioxidant-rich Complex™ NAA blend, a pH adjuster, and hearty servings of fruits and vegetables.  Together, these ingredients help boost your body into its optimal state of wellbeing – and promote a healthier look and feel from the inside out. Mix with water and shake it up. Perfect on the beach and ice cold in a thermos.

Snack: Frontier Snacks- Founded upon a brotherly bet, the brand was created when brothers, Matt and Nate, challenged each other to make the best and healthiest snack they could out of ingredients they could find in their pantry. No junk, no refined sugars, only real ingredients you can see and taste. Frontier Snacks is a delicious crunchy snack.

Ips Snacks- For young and old Ips Snacks is the ideal snack for anyone. Made with Whey Protein, each 1oz bag of Ips contains as much protein as a serving of an egg. Coming in four different flavors Ips Snacks caters to everyone’s taste buds whether you want a mouth full of barbecue, the kick of peppery, the tanginess of cheddar or the sweet taste of cinnamon, Ips Chips has something for everyone in addition to being a healthy protein filled snack. The brand is dedicated to offering great tasting, but still healthy and satisfying snacks that offer consumers the much needed protein they need to maintain a happy and healthy lifestyle. 

Eye Care: These are no ordinary pair of sunglasses. They are created by a nurse to ‘nurse’ our bad eye days, when puffy tired eyes steal our fun for the day … Freeze Frames are like no other eye care product as they zone in on the areas that cause the inflammation. I recently had a funeral to attend and wanted to hide my eyes, and the freeze frames cooled my puffy eyes and helped my head.

Notes: Smitten on Paper- This notepad is what I need for taking notes for my blog on the run! Love this little notepad- plus..Marie Antionette, yes please!

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Protect: CapHat - Developed and designed in Australia, the UV infused CapHat is a simple protector that fits right over any cycling helmet or baseball cap. It's adjustable for full coverage around the back of the head or the sides of the face. It can even be dipped in water for the ultimate cooling effect! 

Sunglasses: How many times have you lost or sat on your sunglasses or readers? Too many to count, right?! SunBox Shop's unique approach to buying sunglasses will change your life. Subscription based and ​sold in two to 12-pack sets in a customized leather box, each pair of sunglasses or readers fit any style and budget. 

Perfect for the apres-beach Happy Hour. Just The Wine drops adjusts the level of the sulfates in the wine, neutralizing your drink, reduces the chances for a headache. Each drop is tasteless and can reduces sulfites by as much as 80%. Just The Wine travels perfectly in your handbag on a night out or your carry-on. Affordably priced at $5.95 per bottle, you can easily keep several bottles handy just when you need it.

We Have a Winner!

Aaaaand the winner is (by random number drawing): 

Zachery! (and no, the fact that he commented twice had no bearing on his win; lots of folks commented twice)

Zachery, to claim your prize, please send your full name, address, and telephone number to writerstephen@gmail.com. 

You have until this Friday, 9/1/2017, to do so. If you fail to contact me, another winner will be randomly chosen. 

Congratulations and thanks for playing! 
Hopefully we can do this again soon. 

--Stephen Trimble

Glenfiddich Extends Experimental Series With Glenfiddich Project XX

Scotch lovers can now discover Glenfiddich’s Project XX, a top-secret project that brought together 20 whisky experts from around the globe to create one unexpected single malt. This is the second expression released within the Glenfiddich Experimental Series which combines the brand’s passion for pushing Scotch whisky boundaries and collaborating with trailblazers beyond the world of whisky. 

Glenfiddich announces the U.S. launch of the next iteration of the Glenfiddich Experimental Series, a new range that combines the brands passion for pushing Scotch whisky boundaries and collaborating with trailblazers from the whisky world and beyond. Designed to inspire unusual and unexpected variants, the Glenfiddich Experimental Series continues with the unveiling of Project XX (pronounced twenty), the result of one of the most ambitious malt experiments of its 130-year history.  

Glenfiddich Project XX (SRP $79.99) is the result of a collaboration between20 whisky experts and Glenfiddichs Malt Master, Brian Kinsman, who together have developed one unexpected, extraordinary single malt. Going against normal whisky making conventions, Brian invited these experts from 16 countries around the world (the US, Canada, France, Germany, Taiwan, China, South East Asia, Ukraine, Brazil, England, Scotland, Mexico, The Netherlands, South Korea, Russia and South Africa), to explore and each select a cask, 20 in total, from a warehouse at the Glenfiddich Distillery in Dufftown. The experts – many of them the foremost authorities on Glenfiddich in their respective countries – have accumulated a wealth of whisky knowledge between them and spend their lives introducing single malts to whisky connoisseurs, enthusiasts and novices. Brians ambition was to create one remarkable single malt, by combining the curiosity and knowledge of these 20 experts.

This freedom of choice resulted in a 20-strong collection of some of the most unusual whiskies from Glenfiddich's unrivaled stocks. After each expert had chosen a single cask of extraordinary liquid, from aged malts matured in port pipes to ancient sherry butts and first fill bourbon casks, Brian skillfully produced the final variant to reflect their individual tastes and interests. Expertly married together in a small batch vatting, the final flavor profile defied even Brian's expectations. 

The Experimental Series is an example of Glenfiddich's long illustrious history of innovation and having the confidence to try new things in an unconventional way, Brian said. Bucking the tradition of malt whisky being chosen and vatted by only a Malt Master, we set out to create an unpredictable whisky by involving 20 whisky experts in the process. The 20 casks selected include some of our most astonishing whiskies chosen for their taste profile and rarity, and it was an exciting challenge to marry them together in a way that did justice to the original sources.  It has the warm summer fruity character of a classic Glenfiddich but then its multiple personalities are revealed as the flavors of candy floss, cinnamon spice, almonds and rich port tannins kick in with the odd hint of licorice.

TASTING NOTES

Color: Deep gold 

Nose: Classic Glenfiddich fruitiness with hints of apple blossom, summer fruits and ripe pear. A beautiful balance of oak with rich creamy vanilla, barley sugar and a hint of licorice and subtle spice

Taste: A refined and balanced flavor with candy floss sweetness and a rich vanilla oakiness. Deep and mellow, the initial sweetness is complemented by unusual notes of toasted almonds, cinnamon and a hint of crisp tannin

Finish: Long lasting with a lingering sweet oakiness 

ABV: 47% Non-chill filtered 

Recommended Serve: Add a sprinkle of water to the outer lip of the glass, dab the glass lightly into a bowl of sea salt flakes, picking up a few flakes. The salt works well with the fruity notes in the blend for an unforeseen enhancement.