Exquisite Cotton Oxford or T-Shirts

LL Bean oxford shirts

For sure, cotton is a favorite fabric for a shirt. It's soft, fluffy, comfortable, durable and easy to machine wash and dry. Wear solo in summer, layered in winter, and you can't go wrong!

Good news: The cotton plant is plentiful worldwide. It grows in the Americas, Africa, Egypt, India and Australia, where it is picked and spun into yarn. India is the largest producer of cotton today, and the USA has been the largest exporter over the years.

Whether you need a dressy oxford shirt or a casual everyday t-shirt, now is a perfect time to add them to your wardrobe as the summer sales have begun.

Two competitors with equally stellar quality in apparel have fabulous offerings on both shirt styles. Personally, I turn to both merchants year after year:

1. For oxford shirts I'd go with L.L. Bean for a wider selection and a better sale price at this time. The retailer's dressy, classic oxford shirts are of 100% organic cotton that are soft and breathable.

2. Presently Lands' End has a greater selection of colors, plus is running an attractive sale on t-shirts. They are made of supima cotton (meaning extra long fibers) that feel smoother and take dye better than lesser quality cottons. The one thing about LE I dislike is, not all the colors have the same on-sale price. Perhaps I'm quibbling as there are 31 colors to match your wardrobe. I prefer the slightly-fitted, short sleeve, crewneck style, but customers have other choices and choice is always good! Different strokes for different folks.

Of the fabrics available in clothing, natural textiles like cotton, silk and linen last a long time, which make them excellent basics, as well as, investment pieces. Order the sales now and watch for the colors you desire, not yet on sale, lower in price later.

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Dr. Scholl's Ultra Hydrating Foot Mask

At first I thought a foot mask was silly and a waste of money, but my local CVS Pharmacy gave away a sample pack, so I took one. The pack contains one pair of slip-on-booties. So after you figure out how to get the plastic bootie open by pulling hard on the top seam to force it to part and split, producing an opening for you to slide your foot inside, you can decide for yourself. Inside the plastic bootie is a wet mixture of urea, hyaluronic acid, essential oils and a blend of moisturizing (shea butter, macadamia, coconut, olive) oils. Thankfully, there is no perfume, only a slight clean scent. Instructions say to wear the hydrating foot mask for 30 minutes.

Sure, you could blend your own foot mask with essential oils and creams, then slip your feet inside 2 generic plastic bags with the homemade potion -- but isn't it great when you decide not to make something yourself? Once in a while this blend is a lovely treat and not too expensive to soften and repair dry, rough abused feet. It achieves its claims of conditioning and smoothing skin that gets shoved into socks and shoes and sometimes takes a beating. Your toenails and foot cuticles benefit by absorbing some of the soothing formula also.

How are you spending your Friday?

What's more, you can reuse the plastic booties a 2nd time by storing them inside the generic plastic bag you now won't have to use on your foot because you let Dr. Scholl make the foot mask and booties for you. Dr. Scholl's Ultra Hydrating Foot Mask is worth the splurge! I'm not the spa pampering type. Still this very nice!

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Fashion Jewelry I Like

Photo: Maevery

Let's begin this subject with the truth. Nowadays I don't buy fashion jewelry, yet bought it in my 20s. In my 20s I just needed something to wear daily for work and a few social events. Fashion jewelry was what I could afford. I also thought I had to change my jewelry often ... I don't feel that way today.

Photo: Spiritual Gloss

As I got older I decided to curate what I own: Possess fewer yet better pieces of jewelry that I love. So nowadays I don't do quantity. I decide what it is I love and buy only it. So I save up my money for a few more expensive pieces of fine (real gold with real gems) jewelry. In other words, I curate; get it; then stop buying. I still look, but am slow to pull the trigger! 

However, not all my readers are at this point in their lives. Moreover, fine jewelry doesn't make everyone's heart flutter.

Like designer handbags and shoes, jewelry is never an investment. All 3 examples are luxury buys. We never need luxury, we buy luxury because we like material things. Not everybody wishes to spend their money on fine jewelry just like not everybody wants to spend their money on a Hermès handbag. 

Photo: Maevery

So for those readers, I can recommend 3 fashion jewelry retailers I truly like and would wear if I still bought fashion jewelry. For your money, you get substantial gold plated pieces with small, real diamonds and precious stones that are sturdy and pretty. Often I see the brands promoted on YouTube channels by vloggers who are gifted them by the companies, which is a common, acceptable practice on YouTube. None of the 3 merchants sought me out, so my spotlight on their goods is independent and unbiased. Despite my overall bias against fashion jewelry, I love the creations of the following 3 companies: 

1) Ana Luisa - The company is carbon neutral, meaning they give back everything they take from nature to make their stylish, smart, modern and durable jewelry. 

2) Spiritual Gloss - They offer fair pricing for dainty 14k gold and diamond fine jewelry by cutting out the middle man. The heavier cuban chain (above right👆) is 14k gold plated brass. All 14k or 18k gold cuban chains are pricer, costing thousands of dollars. Think: Budget-friendly for an expensive look that won't tarnish!

3) Maevery - Contemporary, chic, classic and wearable designs, the metals are 14k and 18k gold plated. Another place to get rich looks for less. 

Perhaps you travel, ruin things, or don't wear expensive jewelry to certain places. When going the fashion jewelry route in life, what lovely, affordable and solid pieces that won't fall apart anytime soon!

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Diet: Safe, Simple And Sustainable

Photo: New York Times

When it comes to dieting I'm with Dr. Jen Ashton, a doctor on ABC News, who says, "A diet should be safe, simple and sustainable." Such sage advice! In my own life, I find if a meal consists of 30% protein I don't suffer with hunger, and I try to mix up the foods I eat over the course of a week. 

By habit, I eat 3 meals per day and a snack at night. I try very hard not to snack in-between meals, yet haven't be able to give up my nightly snack!

Photo: UNC Lenoir

Ideally, we're supposed to eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a pauper, but that order doesn't work for me. My order is eat breakfast like a pauper, lunch like a prince and dinner like a king. I suffer and starve if I eat dinner like a pauper! If in Europe I think I could adapt to eat lunch like a king and dinner like a prince, but never dinner like a pauper! It's easier for me to eat breakfast like a pauper.

Photo: Beauty on Raw

Another habit of mine is to alternate between different colors of fruits and vegetables each day, so for example, if I eat carrots and a banana one day, I have broccoli and a peach the next, followed by green beans and a pear on the 3rd day and cauliflower and an apple on the 4th. Strawberries, blueberries and raspberries are free food ... I can eat them as many times and days in a row as I desire.

Carbohydrates, such as bread, potatoes, rice, pasta and corn I hold off eating until dinner. The reason I do this is the more carbs (or starches) I eat, the hungrier I get. I hate being hungry in-between meals, as I'm sure everybody is! Younger, I made the mistake of consuming pretzels around 4 pm, which did nothing for me, but increase my appetite. Nowadays I'll have coffee or tea with milk if needed in the afternoon to prevent daytime snacking. This usually stops me from getting hunger until dinner.

Go to Healthline: eat and avoid

Yes, I eat sweets and drink wine, but not daily and not too often. They are treats. The wine I might have twice a month; and sweets (2 bites of chocolate; or an ice cream cone) perhaps twice a week. Luckily I'm more of a salt and/or cheese snacker, which I think is easier to incorporate into a meal. 

My cheat food, French fries, I eat every time I order a burger or fried fish platter regardless of time of day. No French fry gets left behind!🍔🍟🐟

This summer, I'm eating smaller servings of meat than in the fall and winter and more plants. We'll see how it goes. I'm also leaning towards ketogenic foods (i.e., a keto diet) and will see what that does for me. I use the term leaning towards, because I need all my food groups to feel satisfied, but I'll eat the "avoid foods" in smaller amounts like one piece of bread, not two. A 3/4 cup of corn, not 1 1/2 cups; and no banana or rice (triple dipping) on the same day as bread, corn, or potatoes, etc. You get the idea! I select one starchy food per day; and cow's milk stays on the menu. 

Frankly I wish we didn't have to put so much damn thought into what we eat, but as we move into the different decades of our lives we do! A trifle of pie for the pie hole, less cake to partake!😄 The weight is just too darn hard to get off, so it's better we don't put too many extra pounds on. Despite our more mindful eating habits, we still aren't as skinny as we once were when we could eat whatever the hell we liked! Yet, I refuse to give up and let myself go, and you should too. It's a matter of health and vanity. Yes, both ... I won't lie. Middle age spread begone! Don't come around here no more!!!🎵♩♪

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5 Summer Loose Dresses With Style

Photo: Fancyinn

When summer gets boiling hot, you don't want dresses grabbing you at the waist or wrapping around your legs. Yet every body part that must be covered can still be serenaded in style. The following 5 (under $40) go-anywhere-do-anything dresses -- are designed to keep fashionistas flushed (inexpensive), cool, and cute all summer long: 

1) Fancyinn Shift Dress with Pockets & Bell Sleeves - (See above image👆) - The ruffles and bell sleeves are feminine, girlie and fun. Pair with sandals, sneakers or ballet flats to dress it up or down.

2) Columbia Freezer III Dress - Usually I stay away from polyester in a dress ... unless it's designed by my favorite Japanese brand, Uniqlo (in their Airism tops and dresses); or this Freezer III dress with what is called advanced technology, i.e. a signature wicking fabric that pulls moisture away from the body to keep you dry and cool. In addition, this dress has UPF 30 in its fabric to block UVA and UVB rays.

3) Patagonia Alpine Valley Dress - Did you ever think you could buy a Patagonia dress for under $30? This Fair Trade Certified™  sewn dress is it! Made ultra-comfortable with soft cotton and a built-in bra. The brand is normally much more expensive!

4) FZ Fantastic Zone Summer T-Shirt Dress - Contains 65% cotton with 35% polyester to keep it soft and stretchy and wrinkle-free. With bonus swing pockets, the fit is loose but not baggy! How cute paired with a sunhat! 

5) Uniqlo's Cassie Byrne Camisole Dress - Must order up from your usual size, the retailer's quality is always top-notch and budget-friendly,  but recently their sizes are all over the place. I have dresses and tops that run from medium to extra large -- you never can tell what size to order anymore!

Uniqlo has a Marimekko collaboration dress with a substantial cotton fabric I love, but it's a wide and boxy-cut dress that goes below the knee, so I don't think I'd enjoy walking in it on a hot day. Tried-on, the dress looks shapeless too!  In spite of being 100% rayon, I prefer this Byrne Camisole dress that sits right above the knee.

These 5 versatile and comfortable dresses are all you'll ever need this summer ... with a few dollars left in the pockets for some ice cream!

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Weleda Offers A Century of Skin Care

Photo: Care To Beauty

Weleda is the world's leading maker of holistic, natural, organic and anthroposophical skincare, makeup and pharmaceuticals. The merchant is well-known for its baby and mother care products, as well as, its Weleda Skin Food line and homeopathic preparations. Arnica, birch, calendula, iris, lavender and wild rose are "leading plants" i.e., some of the main raw ingredients the company uses in their beauty treatments for their healing properties and to promote well being.

The vendor's name sounds odd to English-speaking ears. Founded in 1921, Weleda derives from the Germanic prophet and healer, Velda. Its philosophy is based on the principles of social thinker and educator Rudolf Steiner; and its botanical formulas aim to "awaken the skin's natural functions" as well as, balance the mind, body and spirit by only using the plants and components of nature.

The products are never tested on animals and contain no paragons or phthalates, synthetic fragrances or preservatives. The retailer promotes sustainability and respect for nature in its business practices.

In summary: After studying plants for 100 years, Weleda's ingredients are "certified natural per nature."

Sold at Target, Walmart and Costco, the Weleda beauty and skincare line includes a wide range of pure skin washes; rich moisturizers; body butters; lip balm; and antioxidant-rich-anti-aging treatments ... all created to nourish, support and re-balance the skin.

Its rubs remind me of what is commonly found in English and German pharmacies which tend to embrace alternative therapies in beauty potions. Not all the retailer's claims are supported by science, yet the price points are affordable for a garden of pure and rich skincare. Think: Superior moisturizers and body butters containing good clean ingredients for less! 

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5 Walking Sandals With Arch Support + 2 for the Pool

Merrell Women's Sandspur Rose Leather Sandal

No longer do I make the mistake of wearing unsupportive sandals. Sure, I aim for cute and stylish, yet I've become a sensible shoe woman. I've crossed the rubicon, and there's no turning back! All my shoes, including my sandals, must be fit for walking miles on unforgiving concrete and thus support my feet. It's the numero uno quality I look for in footwear and will forgo style if necessary. That said, if I can find both fashion and foot doctor approved sandals, I'd buy them, but the shoes don't go home without function!

Nowadays all my shoes including sandals must have 4 details: 

1) Arch support - I have high aches. They scream for structure!

2) Stable heels - 1 & 2: Like peanut butter and jelly or locks and bagels. 

3) Leather uppers - Any shoes I've owned not made of leather have failed me. They don't conform to my feet, and they  don't let my feet breathe, so they get hot. I'm done with synthetic upper materials in shoes. Finito!

4) A firm yet soft foot bed - Forget rock hard. Finita!!😂 After a certain age, we start to lose the fat that pads the soles of our feet, so the cushioning must be in the footbed of our shoes. 

Now that we know what to look for, the following are 5 sandals to consider if you walk a lot on city pavement:

1) Merrell Women's Sandspur Rose Leather Sandal - Luckily I found these sandals on sale last winter, yet they start at a reasonable price, and many other Merrell styles have the same arch support and stable heels construction. These are super stylish on the feet!

2) Berkenstock Women's Arizona Soft Footbed Fashion Sandal - Super pricy and popular with men and women. For the money look for 100% upper leather with the soft footbed selection. Paying $100+ for synthetic Berkenshock sandals is crazy! Like the other sandals selected by THE SAVVY SHOPPER, this one conforms to the shape of your foot and heels. Comes in women's and unisex sizes.

3) Therafit Eva Women's Leather Adjustable Strap Slip On Sandal - For women who love slides. Offers superior arch support and deep heel cups for stability. 

4) Rockport Women's Briah Perf Sling Wedge Sandal - A garden party sandal, obviously not for hiking miles and miles in, but supportive and stable enough to get you to the party on public transit without the need to carry a change of shoes to the party. Full grain leather with a soft breathable interior including cushioned heels and a supportive outsole. The upper Nubuck leather is made to look new for the life of the shoes. Very affordable shoe, as well as, shoe brand!

5) Vionic Backstrap Sandal -Vionic sandals have built-in orthotic arch support that is especially supportive for plantar fasciitis sufferers. Like the other choices, the shoes are made to ease heel pain.

Bonus sandals for the beach and swimming pool: 

1) Arches Support Flip Flops - They are bonus sandals because they aren't leather; and according to podiatrists, you shouldn't walk long distances on city pavement in flip flops ever ... and yet, sometimes you must go near the water where leather would be ruined! 

To be honest, I wear $3 Old Navy flip flops, or $10 Crocs from T.J. Maxx at the beach or by the pool, as well as, around the house, but Arches have the podiatrist-favored real arch support and are made strong to last. After a season of wear the thongs sometimes break on my Old Navy and Croc flip flops ... once causing me to walk 2 blocks home barefoot in my neighborhood. Arches are reinforced to not have such inconvenient "blowouts."

2) LLSOARSS Plantar Fasciitis Feet Sandal With Arch Support - Customers claim they are as supportive as Vionic sandals for less. At times Amazon lists them as low as $12. LLSOARSS flip flops have superior arch support and are constructed to stop heel pain. They prevent sore and tired feet too. A few customers say they experience foot odor when wearing LLSOAESS, which won't happen if you save them for the pool.

The numero uno element of supportive sandals is met in this list of 5 sandals  plus 2 for the pool ... and with style!  Looks like we don't have to skip fashion this summer!🏖

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Chocolate Mirror Glaze With Berry Mousse

Photo: Renee Robinson - So pretty!

The cake recipes I publish on THE SAVVY SHOPPER are for cakes I tweak and bake myself with the exception of today's cake: Chocolate Mirror Glaze With Berry Mousse. I haven't gotten around to making it yet and therefore, I'll share Renee Robinson's experience as published on Facebook. The top image, ingredients and directions are hers. Renee's finished cake looks amazing! So away we go ... 🎭

Chocolate Mirror Glaze Cake with Cranberry and Blueberry Mousse

 

The Baker: Renee Robinson

Renee says, "I followed the recipe exactly as written [see link below] for the chocolate cakes layer, but have written it out for you, in what I think is easier to understand language." 

Ingredients for the Chocolate Cake:

1 ¼ cups all purpose flour

Photo: recepetineats

2/3 cup cocoa powder (it wasn’t specified, but I {Renee} used dark Valrhona cocoa)
½ teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 1/3 cups sugar
1 egg yolk
1 egg
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla
1 cup milk
2/3 cup hot strong brewed coffee

Directions for the cake: 

Grease and line with parchment paper two 7 inch cake pans. Preheat oven to 325°F.

In a medium bowl mix together flour, cocoa, baking powder, soda and salt.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment beat oil and sugar at medium speed until light and fluffy. 

Add egg, egg yolk and vanilla extract; mix. Gradually add flour mixture to oil mixture alternately with milk, in three batches, beginning and ending with flour mixture, beating just until combined after each addition. 

At the end add the hot brewed coffee and mix together only 30 seconds. Divide the batter evenly between prepared pans. Bake for 25-30 minutes (or longer - until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean). Cool cakes in pans for 15 minutes then transfer to a wire rack.

Cranberry and Blueberry Mousse

The baker says, "The original recipe called for fresh or frozen black currants. I don’t have access to either, so I substituted other berries and changed the amounts of other ingredients, as seen below."

Ingredients for the Mousse:

300 grams blueberries

500 grams cranberries

Juice of half lemon
Scant 1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons powdered gelatin
2 cups whipping cream
10 tablespoons powdered sugar

Directions for the Mousse:

Place blueberries, cranberries, and sugar in a saucepan. Place over medium heat and cook only until sugar dissolves and fruits burst. Let cool for a few minutes. Add lemon juice. Transfer to a blender and blend until smooth. 

Place 1 tablespoon of the gelatin in a small bowl and cover with cold water. Set aside for 5 minutes to swell. Gently heat softened gelatin in a double boiler or microwave and stir to dissolve. Add to half of warm puree and mix together. Whip half of whipping cream with half of powdered sugar until stiff peaks. 

Gradually add prepared half of berry puree and whip together.
Line the bottom of 9 inch spring pan with parchment paper. On the base – in the center of the pan, place the first chocolate cake and pour over black the berry mousse. Place in the fridge for ½ - 1 hour.

After this time make the second half of the berry mousse, repeating steps described above. Remove the pan from the fridge, place in the center the second sponge and pour over the second half of the mousse. Even the surface and place to the fridge overnight.

The next day carefully remove the cake from the pan. Place on a serving plate and decorate with mirror glaze.

Photo: mandarinpie

Here is the link to the original recipe for the cake.

https://sweetstyledhme.com/.../chocolate-cake-in-black...

Here is the link to the recipe used for the mirror glaze. Renee followed the steps exactly as written in the recipe. https://www.recipetineats.com/chocolate-mirror-glaze

And finally, what does THE SAVVY SHOPPER think? This cake requires more steps than a basic cake, since we must cook and cool things as we bake the cakes (the dreaded have jobs before you do a job syndrome!), and yet finished and plated, it should taste amazing. This summer I'll return here for the recipe to challenge myself by making this fancy, fussy, multi-steps cake, and now my dear readers, you can too! 

If looking to bake a less work homemade cake, try this buttermilk layer cake. There's no shame in an easy recipe as long as a cake is delicious!! I prefer them. As Jon Bon Jovi knows, "You do what you can."🎵🎂

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A Natural Fiber Rug That Never Sheds

This Nourison wool rug from Macy's isn't it. Opps, the pink tips of my Croc ballet flats are in the shot!

Ideally I hoped to feature a wonder spray or list ingenious tips to stop wool-and-natural-fiber rugs from shedding. But guess what I surmised? If you can't tolerate shedding, avoid rugs made of wool (sorrel) and jute, 2 popular natural materials. Synthetic rugs shed less, yet are often less desired and less durable. Jute rugs last, add texture to a room and shed. Wool rugs made by hand (hand-knotted or hand-woven) are said to shed less than more affordable wool rugs made by machines (or hand-tufted). 

I don't think the usual tips given to reduce the shedding are very insightful: 1) Lay the rug in a low foot traffic area (oh, c'mon!); 2) Lightly vacuum (tell me how?); 3) Vacuum against the grain (which end is it?); and 4) Use a high-quality rug pad under the rug (well, it's a given and doesn't much reduce shedding, although it extends the life of a rug).

My Safavieh seagrass rug from Overstock

So where does this leave us?: 1) Still looking for a miracle liquid or sure-fire practices; 2) Acceptance of the shedding; 3) Never vacuuming with a beater-bar setting; and 4) Buying rugs made of natural seagrass. Oh, that's the ticket ... for some areas!

In my home, my big area rug is wool, which I bought at Macy's. Neither cheap, nor expensive, somewhere in the middle price-range; 100% wool; and made in India. I vacuum it once a week and must accept some shedding. Always, if I walk around my apartment in socks, I pick up little fibers on the bottoms (like owning a short-haired dog).

For accent rugs such as a doorway; or an enclosed patio room; or perhaps a dining room, I highly recommend natural seagrass over some other natural fiber rugs. Seagrass doesn't shed ... luckily discovered after I bought the rug! It's water-resistant, durable, and feels smooth underfoot, but I don't think I'd want it in a living room. There's no shedding, and yet you'd give up the cozy softness of a wool rug.

Readers, I've researched this topic to death on a number of occasions, and this is the best remedy I can come up with. Perhaps one day somebody will invent the miracle product I keep searching for that will stop wool rugs from shedding. Watch this space! 

Meanwhile feel free to share any tips you have to reduce the shedding of wool or other natural-fiber rugs. For sure, inquiring minds and homeowners want to know!

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A Better Aperol Spritz, The Drink Of The Summer

Photo: New York Times

Everywhere there is outside dining in Manhattan I see this sunset-colored orange drink. Yesterday as I passed the Mark Hotel's fancy outside linen tables I pulled the waiter aside to ask, "What's everybody drinking?" His answer: Aperol Spritz!" 

He asked if I'd like to have one. "Thanks," said I, "I never sit and drink alone, not even at home. I'll return with a friend." The gracious man understood. 

Meanwhile out of intellectual curiosity (isn't it why you're interested too?😋), I had to google the cocktail. According to the New York Times, it's become the drink of the summer, as well as, an instagram hit after Campari, the maker of Aperol, launched a successful marketing campaign. Yet according to the publication, Aperol is too sweet, not a bitter enough aperitif (a before dinner beverage to stimulate appetite) and therefore, not the ingredient to use for the best version of this popular Italian spritzer. Instead use any of the following superior bitters ...

Photo: New York Times - click to go there or enlarge

Another necessity is to use good champagne or sparkling wine. Never mix cocktails with inferior ingredients that taste less than great if you were to consume them straight. Advise I hear often even in cooking!

For this in favor Italian Spritz you can use a delicious Prosecco. I've never tried the NYT's high brow quality sparkling wine suggestion - pétillant naturel. But hey, if you have it at home or wish to hop to the wine store, opt for it!

This is an ultra easy cocktail to make at home. For the most delicious spritz I've consulted several sources to learn you always use a 3:2:1 ratio of: 3 parts dry, tasty Champagne or sparkling wine: 2 parts aperitif (bitters): and 1 part carbonated (soda) water. 

So let's turn this ratio into a refreshing recipe, shall we? - per serving: 

Best Italian Aperol Spitz

Ingredients:

3 ounces brut Champagne or dry sparkling wine

2 ounces aperitif (go with bitter, not sweet)

1 ounce club soda or plain sparkling water

Directions: 

1) Start with ice cold ingredients and have ice on the side. Heck, ice the glass before you start too!

2) Pour the ingredients in the order and ounces into a glass (or pitcher). Give it a stir and pour over ice in a glass.

You can garnish with an orange slice (or olive) if you wish.

So readers, here's your chance to sip a better Aperol Spitz, the drink of the summer, by following this simple recipe, as well as, saving the $30 bucks charged by the Mark Hotel. You're welcome! I love you too!!😍

Thank you, New York Times for the nitty-gritty tips (article linked)!

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