When its hot outside its easy to just toss on a pair of shorts and a t-shirt and call it a day. Dressing up doesn’t have to mean being uncomfortable and I love brands that embody the idea that summer men’s fashion doesn’t have to be stodgy.
When I came across Castaway Clothing I was excited to see how their clothing holds up to the hot Colorado summer and get Drew’s opinion on their gear.
For special events during the summer you can’t go wrong with a nice white button up. White shirts are perfect for helping reflect the sun and keep you cool. Castaway Clothing adds a nice pop of color on the collar and inside the sleeves with bight fun summer plaids. Long pants can be a bear during the summer, but Castaway’s Twill pant is designed to be work in the heat, offering both breathability and a comfortable stretch.
Shop this look:
Castaway Men’s button-down | Wayfarer 5-pocket pant stretch
Shop this look:
Castaway Breakwater Quarter Zip | Wayfarer 5-pocket pant stretch
Colorado is prone to afternoon rainstorms making carrying a light sweater a must have. In neutral grey the Breakwater quarter zip is perfect for matching any outfit and lightweight enough for brisk summer evenings.
Shop this look:
Castaway Breakwater Quarter Zip | Embroidered Shorts
Golfer’s know that a bold pant is a requirement of good game and you can never go wrong with embroidery. Each icon is stitched with care to ensure that even the toughest game won’t ruin your shorts. Available with dozens of fun patterns you are guaranteed to find a short that fits your man’s style.
As an added bonus, the American Flag pattern is perfect for summer barbecues. This is my favorite photo of Drew from Fourth of July!
Disclaimer: Castaway Clothing provided product samples to facilitate this review. No other compensation was received. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
I had Lasik eye surgery a few years ago but before that eye appointments and fittings for eye glasses was a pretty regular occurrence. Since I wore contacts most of the time I never paid much attention to sunglasses aside from quickly picking the cheapest thing that I could lose without feeling regret. Sunglasses never fit as nicely as my prescription eye glasses so it just didn’t seem important to have a proper fit.
Post Lasik sunglasses are a must for me. I don’t think Lasik made my eyes more sensitive, but having a good fit and high quality frame helps keep my eyes protected from the sun and dry air in Colorado. One of the hardest parts of COVID-19 has been not being able to really try things on in stores, but clothing and sunglasses alike.
When I discovered SmartBuyGlasses I was excited to check out a wide variety of sunglass options, all without ever having to venture into a store. One of the hardest things about buying anything online, but especially sunglasses, is understanding how they are going to look once on. The online try-on functionality is a really fun way to check out how each style is going to fit, and uses a real photo right from your computer camera as you are shopping. You can even tile your head around and get an idea of how the glasses look from the side.
For those who do have to wear prescription glasses, you can even meet virtually with an optician who will help interpret the strength of the glasses and give you a personalized experience just like buying glasses from a local retail store. They have really gone the extra mile with all the things that can be done online and can even use their Lens Scanner app to quickly identify your prescription if you happened to break your glasses and can’t get in for another appointment.
For an online shopping experience, SmartBuyGlasses can’t be beat. I just ordered my first pair last week and they arrived in just two days!
Disclaimer: I received a compensation and a product sample to facilitate the development of this article. All thoughts an opinions are my own.
Air fryers have been picking up steam as the best way to eat healthy without sacrificing the experience [and crispiness] of fried food. I’d never used an Air Fryer before so when I was offered the opportunity to test out the TaoTronics Air Fryer I was excited to give it a try!
The TaoTronics Air Fryer was easy to set up and came out of the box without any trouble. Removed the packaging stickers and gave all the internal parts a wash with hot soapy water. All that was left was to plug the fryer in and we were in business.
As an air fryer novice the user manual was a great resource for understanding the settings and getting a good idea of what to try out first. To ensure food gets to temp quickly you need to first pre-heat the air fryer, but I’ve found since my initial test run that pre-heating doesn’t speed up the cooking process.
The temperature adjusts from 150 degrees to 400 degrees, making it easy to quickly heat up precooked foods like French fries or chicken strips, and even fully cook raw items like hot wings. My favorite thing to cook is chicken tenders, giving them the ideal level of crisp before tossing them onto a salad.
The inside is non-stick so cleanup isn’t hard unless you decide to fry something with batter. I did buffalo cauliflower and the raw batter will get into the holes of the basket, but its still fairly easy to clean even with all the little crevasses. The basket separates and both need to be cleaned between uses.
Size wise the TaoTronics Air Fryer takes up about 1 square foot of counter space and needs to be pulled away from the wall for use. When not in use I keep mine in a closet with other kitchen gadgets and it’s light enough that moving it to and from the kitchen isn’t a bother.
Total capacity is 6 quarts, which is enough to cook food for 2-3 adults at one time. It’s important not to overfill the basket because air fryers require space for air to circulate to create a perfectly crisp exterior.
I’ve enjoyed getting to play with recipes and come up with new ideas. I definitely could make most of the recipes I’ve tried in the oven, but not having to wait for the oven to come to temp is a huge benefit. Air fryers operate as a convection oven, so if you have that setting on your stove it might make sense to save the counter space but its a fun way to jazz up your cooking either way.
You can find the TaoTronics Air Fryer on Amazon.
Disclaimer: I received a product sample of the Taotronics Air Fryer to facilitate this article. I was not compensated in any other way. All photography and writing are my own.
It’s been a long year and yet flown by at the same time. The best part of it being Fall is we’ve now hit the perfect opportunity for curling up under a blanket, drinking a hot cup of tea, and binging on Netflix with the pretense of its the ideal ‘fall activity’ [not that we haven’t been doing that since March].
In Colorado fall is a weird time of year the waffles between heavy snow and sixty degree weather, often in the same day. No matter what weather it is outside, staying cozy and relaxed is my prime concern.
It doesn’t matter what the weather is like outside, I nearly always have a blanket with me. There’s just something comfortable about that extra layer of warmth, especially if the world is a bit unpredictable.
The Manolia Blanket from Teema Towel’s it’s perfect for enjoying the fall and matches any style of décor. At 94 inches wide two adults can enjoy watching tv with just enough warmth to be comfortable, or even enjoy an impromptu fall picnic under the leaves.
Fall is the best time of year to swap over to a more breathable sheet set, allowing you to better regulate body heat without having to kick up the whole house temperature. I recently discovered bamboo sheets and I really love how easy they are to care for all while staying soft through multiple washes.
Sheets from Simply Organic Bamboo are made from 100% bamboo viscose making them entirely natural and sustainable. Comfort can be good for the environment as well!
Tea is good any time of year but during the fall it just seems that much better. After a long day I like fixing up a hot cup of tea before bed and reading for a bit.
Organic India is tea that’s not just good for the soul, but also the body. Herbs have been used for centuries to promote natural detoxification and lowering stress. With a focus on leading the industry with organic products and healthy living Organic India is the ideal tea for making healthy changes this fall.
Tulsi Sleep | Tulsi Masala Chia | Tulsi Cinnamon Rose
Now that it feels like we are working from home for the long haul jazzing up the workspace is the perfect way to enjoy a fall change of pace for the whole family. Toys don’t have to be just for kids and productive fidget focus tools can help keep you on task during a long day of zoom meetings.
I’m a huge fan of supporting neighborhood toy stores and Beyond the Blackboard is my favorite Colorado toy store. Founded by teachers Beyond the Blackboard has educational toys and games for all ages. You can even ask them to pack up a goody box for all your office mates as a fun fall gift!
With the windows closed and less opportunity to spend time outside, lowering the chemicals you are exposed to on a daily basis is a good goal for the fall months. Deodorant is the one chemical most of us apply on a daily basis, without fully understanding what placing those chemicals against our skin can do on a long term basis.
Pit Liquor is the solution to smelling fresh this fall, all without extra chemical and toxins. High-proof alcohol is less toxic than most other ingredients and it really works! Easy to spray on, you’ll be surprised how clean you’ll smell by the end of day. They even have a hand sanitizer solution, ensuring that you can be healthy and smell good at the same time.
To say it’s been a stressful year is an understatement. I’m a huge fan of aromatherapy to help me relax and when the heater is on its hard to find a diffuser that can really keep up with the dry air being pumped into the house all day. Goddess Garden’s Aromamood bracelets are the perfect solution.
Designed with lavastones each bracelet captures essential oils and To say it’s been a stressful year is an understatement. I’m a huge fan of aromatherapy to help me relax and when the heater is on its hard to find a diffuser that can really keep up with the dry air being pumped into the house all day. Goddess Garden’s Aromamood bracelets are the perfect solution.
Aromamood Bracelets | Essential Oils
Disclosure: I was not compensated for this content but did receive product samples to facilitate the writing of these reviews. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
