The Swan Vintage Teasmade- Mine at Last

/

It's handy that you all know I'm a weirdo already, because I'm about to confide in you a childhood desire that definitely wasn't normal.

When I was about seven, eight and upwards, I was drawn to the white goods section of the Argos catalogue, to the teasmades. I didn't drink a tremendous amount of tea as a preteen or anything, but I was fascinated by the clock, kettle, often picture frame, mash-up gadget and the idea of having one in my own bedroom came with very grown-up aspirations. My parents, being good, non-boiling-water-giving-to-child parents, never ticked the Swan Teasmade off my Santa list, but it's one product that's always tickled my fancy to this day.

Now Teasmades are seen as vintage, and one of their original manufacturers, Swan, know that there are Nesspressos & fancy podded coffee do-dahs out there, but there are folks like me who still want a part alarm clock, part kettle gadget. So they brought back the Teasmade in 2009 after an absence of a number of years, to great success. There are a number of models available though www.JohnLewis.com and www.Swan-Brand.co.uk fulfilled my lifetime dream of Teasmade ownership and sent me their crisp white model.

It's my very own non-weaponised Transformer- half alarm clock, half tea pot. Brew-a-tron!
And it works a treat. Makes enough tea for two cups & is self cleaning as only water goes inside the machine. I have M.E. and often have to sleep part of the early afternoon to have the energy for my son coming home from school, so now when I do I can set my Teasmade to wake me twenty minutes before the school run with a lovely pot of Suki Tea.


Then and Now. Many more vintage photos on the www.Facebook.com/Teasmade page

The Nutribox- Healthy Snacks Delivered

/

Let me get this straight. I am not a healthy eater. I'm a KFC & bag of Galaxy Counters girl. The idea of 'raw food' makes me think of carrots & nuts & misery & despair.

I do get a weekly Graze box, but I've even tweaked the snack choice algorithm there in order to ensure 3 out of the 4 punnets include chocolate. Yeah, that's right.

Anyway, www.TheNutribox.com Team offered to send me a trial of their monthly subscription, healthy eating goodie box, and while raisins & dried slivers of apple don't do it for me USUALLY, I'm also not one to turn down free food.

 

I opened the box to strangely appealing looking bars & bags. Alien looking to my chocolate aisle lusting eyes, but tempting none the less. Also ACTUAL CHOCOLATE, which obviously was my first stop. The Coconut Om Bar was amazing. Didn't taste like a health food at all, in fact I'm going to go out of my way to find Om Bars in my local health food shop.

The apple crisps are under 70 calories a bag and taste tangy & delicious. There was a brownie! A health food brownie! I'm sold, Nutribox. Would you like to try a box of treats out yourself? Claim a huge 35% off with the code KITSCH35 at www.TheNutribox.com

Join the chat on www.facebook.com/TheNutribox and Twitter @TheNutribox

 

Give a Grumpy Horse for Valentine's Day

/

My mother-in-law Audrey is a fabulous artist and in the past year has expanded into clay sculpture giftware of cute animals & pets.

Audrey's latest collection of Grumpy Horses is available via www.Facebook.com/AudreySmythArt & the little guys start at just £10. My son presented me with a heart printed horse yesterday as an early Valentine's Day present. Very sweet.

What Happens When Creepy Breeds with Cute? - The Blood Draw Creature Collection

/

Northern Irish illustrator Claire Miskimmin's work mashes up the stuff of nightmares with something you'd quite like to pet on your lap. Her gothic beasts wouldn't look out of place in Tim Burton's back garden, foraging for grubs for dinner.

Claire's work is available to take home at http://blooddraw.bigcartel.com and at her blog www.blooddraw.tumblr.com the bizarre menagerie is added to often. 

Locally, you can view, buy, or have tattooed onto you these beasties at Skullduggery Tattoo, Belfast, N.Ireland. I'm very tempted to adopt one onto my skin myself in the coming year.

She also plays in the band Girls Names http://girlsnames-deadtome.tumblr.com/ check them out.

Sugar-free Sweetie Feast from The Candy Makers

/

You'll remember a couple of weeks ago we had a big sweet treat testing, with my parents, husband and son. My Mum is diabetic & felt a little bit left out, only being allowed to test a tiny bit of fudge that time around.

Well today I was able to make it up to her with a selection of delights from www.TheCandyMakers.co.uk

Every flavour is sugar-free, made in highest quality copper pans here in the UK to give the finest results.

We tried a myriad of different flavours of fruit chews, chocolate eclairs & classic boiled sweets.


The sherbet lemons are especially tangy & tasty. There is very little noticeable difference in the consistency or taste between The Candy Makers' sugar-free range & regular sweets, which is impressive to me as anything I've tried before sometimes has a strange aftertaste from sweetners. The chews are just like Chewits.

Sugar-free isn't just for diabetics; the range is lower in calories than sweets made from sugar. Handy if you are struggling at this point in January with a 2013 diet, like I am! Don't give up totally, just switch to The Candy Makers if you need a candy fix.

See the complete range at www.TheCandyMakers.co.uk and buy via Amazon or www.SweetiesOnline.co.uk

The Titanic 'Room for Two' Theory, plus Titanic Tuesdays Launch in Belfast

/
Poor Jack. As this experiment shows, there was room for two on the drift wood Rose clambered aboard to survive the sinking of the Titanic.

Perhaps James Cameron should have shaved that prop down a bit.

In related Titanic news, the Belfast experience has launched Titanic Tuesdays. Book your visit online at www.TitanicBelfast.com tour the incredible museum then enjoy a free coffee or tea & shortbread in their cafe for only £10. Bring your own plank, just in case you end up sharing transport with that selfish ol' Rose.