The September 2016 Degustabox and Discount

Yep, it’s Degustabox time again! You know you’re getting old when things like this seem to come around faster and faster each month. The September box was for me at least one of the best I can recall for a while and I was excited to get stuck in to trying everything.
I thought I’d start off with the drinks as usually they are my least favourite part of the monthly box as I’m just not a drinks person (unless it’s tea, I want all the tea!) The two cans are from Cape Drinks and are a sparkling blend of rooibos tea and fruit juices with added vitamins. Made from all natural ingredients and with no refined sugar even I couldn’t find reason not to give these a try, both flavours are delicious but the peach and lychee was my favourite purely for being so unique. RRP £1.59 each.
Chia seeds have been trendy for a while now so it was inevitable at some point I was going to end up trying them. I have an aversion to certain textures and I’m afraid to say that despite my best efforts these rendered both sachets inedible to me, I did try, I promise and I wish I loved them because they are packed full of omega 3, protein, fibre, vitamins and minerals, all of which I could do with a boost of! RRP £1.00 each.
Beans, beans good for the heart…I LOVE beans so I was pretty excited to find this three pack of Borlotti beans from Cirio nestled inside this month’s box. I’ve been eating this mixed in with ratatouille and popped on top of a jacket potato for a quick and tasty evening meal and I plan to keep a supply in my cupboard at all times. The tins are the perfect size and I’m going to try and make some beany soups now the weather is turning cooler. RRP £1.89 for a pack of three.
I’m not gluten free but I’m all for a quick and easy meal so this Mrs Crimble’s fusilli was greeted with enthusiasm by me! This is essentially a gluten free version of the student staple pasta ‘n sauce and made for a super speedy and delicious meal one evening. I love anything with mushrooms and this creamy mushroom sachet of goodness is a winner in my books. RRP £1.99.
Jelly, who doesn’t love jelly? These pots of sugar free wibbly wobbly fun from Hartley’s are great for lunch boxes or as a post dinner snack for those watching their weight. Personally I think they are vastly improved with the addition of custard and sprinkles but that’s just me. RRP 50p per pot.
I’m no stranger to Metcalfe’s snacks but I was yet to come across their popcorn thins. These are light, crispy and oh so addictive. A pack of two is perfect for a portable snack…and for portion control if you find them as moor-ish as I did! I also really enjoyed the Get Fruity bar, I’ve tried these before but the pineapple, coconut and lime was a new flavour to me and hands down my favourite to date. Another perfectly portable snack and brilliant for lunch boxes too. RRP £1.00 per product.
Say Yes to No Bread Chips are brand new and exclusive to Waitrose. These are free from artificial nasties, empty promises and fake advertising. They are also addictively delicious in my eyes, a big YES to these little beauties. I have a bit less enthusiasm for the Miso Tasty Miso Soup but that’s personal taste for you, I’m sure fans of Miso will love these! RRP £1.49 for the chips, £3.65 for the Miso.
Finally comes the Teisseire Sirop which reminds me of something I used to drink as a child. My water intake is appalling in general so I’ve been using this to flavour a bottle of the good stuff each morning to try and encourage myself to drink it. It works- cranberry and raspberry are such a winning combination and with zero sugar there’s no need to worry about my teeth being wrecked in the process. RRP £2.99
If you’re persuaded to give Degustabox a go (and really, you should) you can claim a brilliant £7.00 off of your first box by entering the code BLDEG15 at the checkout. It’s been a pleasure to work with the brand one and off over the last couple of years and it’s without a doubt something that I will continue to purchase long after our partnership ends. I love the monthly surprise and excitement as well as the chance to discover products I’d otherwise pass up on the supermarket shelves.

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My Purrfect Giftbox- for the cat lady and her cat

Over the years of blogging I’ve tried a fair few monthly subscription boxes; beauty, food and for the cat but never before have I come across one that caters for more than one person (or creature I suppose). The second I heard about My Purrfect Gift Box I was intrigued- a gift for both pet and owner? It sounded pretty purrfect to me, so when the team kindly offered to send me the September box* I accepted without hesitation.
Before I get in to my review, allow me to explain a bit more about how it works:

Firstly you select which size box you would like, there are four sizes available (standard, lite, lite + gifts for kitty and standard + gifts for kitty) and it was the latter box that I was sent. Price wise the standard box + gifts for kitty costs £29.95 on a month to month basis, £86.95 for a three month subscription and £167.95 for a six month subscription. The standard and lite boxes are obviously lower priced with the same kind of discounts for longer term subscriptions. Now, on paper this might seem like quite a pricey option but I think when you see what is actually inside you’ll see that actually you’re getting a bloomin’ bargain!

The first thing to note is how lovingly packaged everything is, everything looks so endearing and it’s clear that this box was put together with love and care. The September box had a tea theme, perfect for the start of Autumn and what better excuse to kick back and relax? There were two teabags included in the box, shaped as cat heads and in intriguing saffron and honey flavours. These are from an etsy shop called LoJim based in Spain (hence the flavours, the saffron is oddly delicious!) and cost £5.99.

Of course for perfect tea you need the perfect mug and this “you are my cup of tea” cat faced mug fits the bill nicely. These retail at £11.99 and can be bought in the My Purrfect Gift Box online shop.

After a restorative cup of tea it was time for a play with my little feline friend. Mae loved the handmade catnip sweets from Tillypops.co.uk and we keep finding these scattered all of the place, being the perfect size to cart around in her mouth. An equal success was the catnip tea bag from FreakMEOWT (find them on facebook or notonthehighstreet.com) which gets thrown around…mostly landing in the kitchen. Most intriguinging were the Kit-Tea catnip tea bags which you use to brew your own catnip spray. This is such a cute and novel idea! You can get those from pawandgnaw.com.

Back to the human treats and something sweet! You can’t have tea without a biscuit (it’s the law) and these were almost too pretty to eat! Made by Nila Holden and available on notonthehighstreet.com these retail between £6.00 and £10.00 and are truly scrumptious.

I’m all for a bit of relaxing and jasmine is one of my favourite scents so the wax melt from Paw Melts was probably my top rated item! Available at pawmelts.com these cost £18.50 for a box of 9 (one included in standard box) and I’m saving some pennies to stock myself up!

Last but by no means least was this genius idea- a cat shaped tea bag holder (or you can clip it to your laptop screen which I’ve also been doing). I was really touched that the kitty I received bore more than a passing resemblance to Mae, whether it was by accident or design it was a lovely surprise. These cost £9.50 each and are available on Etsy from MiniHandsCrafts.

Still think My Purrfect Gift Box is expensive? Once you add up the value of all of the gifts included, not to metnion the time and care involved I think you’ll agree it’s a real bargain. A one off box would make an incredible gift for any cat lady- I can’t wait to see future themes.

If you’ve seen anything that’s really caught your eye there is the added bonus of the My Purrfect Gift Box online shop where you can purchase items from past boxes so there is no fear of FOMO.

I know I was sent this box for the purpose of review and all but this is hands down one of the loveliest ideas I have come across in a long time and 100% my favourite subscription box out of all of the ones I have tried. Do let me know if you decide to treat yourself to a My Purrfect Gift box and what you thought. I’m going to make sure I set aside enough money for future purchases, it’s the purrfect pick me up after an especially tough time lately and every girl (and her cat) deserves a treat sometimes!

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An Autumn Wish List*

It’s October, how the heck did that happen? There’s no denying now that we’re in the grips of Autumn, hopes of a belated Summer shattered (although remember that year when we DID get an October heatwave?) and the knitwear ready to be unleashed ready for snuggling with the cat and a mug of tea. I don’t think I’ve actually done an Autumnal wish list yet- at least not on the blog, there are plenty in my head and stored in my bookmarks so here are just a few of the things I am coveting right now.

Boots: from a selection of Women’s Boots at Brantano (both pairs) | Rust Skirt: Matalan (and only £14!) | Mixed Material Skirt: Dorothy Perkins | Velour Bomber: Story of Lola at ASOS | Grey Bag: Marc B | Velvet Dress: New Look | Cat Beanie: ASOS

This season I am apparently all about the textures, if it’s velvet/fluffy/even vaguely stroke-able I want it and I can’t remember the last fashion season where there was SO MUCH good stuff on the high street. Everywhere I turn there is temptation in the way and I am seriously in need of getting back to work and earning some money ASAP!

Oh and the cat beanie? Technically it’s a Halloween thing. If I get my paws on it you can bet it’ll be worn all winter long…once a cat lady, always a cat lady!

What’s on your current wish list?

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A gift with a twist- Personalized Flowers

Flowers always make for a lovely gift in my eyes, perfect for saying “well done”, “get well soon”, “thank you” or simply just because. I was recently contacted by Personalized Flowers about their twist on the traditional gift, they offer the option of sending a stunning rose to someone complete with a personal message printed directly on to the flower itself. Intrigued by how this could work I found myself taking up the offer of a rose*, choosing to have it printed with a simple thank you to my parents because lately, more than ever they have gone above and beyond with their love and support.
The rose arrived in sturdy cardboard packaging meaning it survived the postal journey- always a plus when sending a gift! It was housed in a self contained pod of water and made for an attractive offering. I wasn’t sure how printing on to a fresh flower would actually translate but the effect was nice and lasted for as long as the rose did (about a week for the record). Both myself and my parents were really taken with this, it could be seen as a bit of a gimmick by some but it was nice for them to be able to display this token of appreciation and for me to find something to give them that isn’t yet another bundle of chocolate.

The ordering process is simple, you can select from one of four colours for the rose (orange, white, yellow or pink) and then customise with either no message (£5.99), a pre-set message (£7.99), a custom message (£8.99) or for a gift that will truly last you can select a silk rose for (£9.99) with a message of your choice. You can add in a card at no extra cost and select a delivery date to suit you.

It’s not something I’ll be sending all of the time- it’s not the cheapest gift around but as a unique concept and the chance to send something a little bit different I think it’s a great idea and a well executed one.

Who would you most like to send a rose to right now?

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Gift Ideas for the fashion loving men in your life*

Sorry guys, it’s October and I am dipping my toes in to the world of thinking about Christmas. I’ve started my shopping thanks to needing to be ultra careful with money this year and I figured there will be people out there in the same boat, or who just like to be organised and so I’m starting my content earlier than ever. Please don’t worry though- I’m not going to be all “yay Christmas” about it and shove festive posts down your throat every day…it’s going to be gentle.

Today I’m kicking off with some gift ideas for the men in your life. I might be (not so) young, free and single these days but I still have a brother and a father to buy for both of whom love to shop and take an interest in clothes and I’m sure I won’t be alone in that. I’ve popped together a few picks from men’s fashion store stand-out.net that should cater for all tastes and budgets.

Coat: Tommy Hilfiger | Backpack: Hype | Scarf: Vivienne Westwood | Shoes: Religion | Duffel Bag: Hype | Hoodie: Superdry

With a wide range of brands including Levis, Happy Socks, Ray-ban and Eastpak (barely scratching the surface here) this is pretty much a one stop shop for the fashionable blokes in your life.

Let me know what gift guides and features you’d find most useful this year, I’ll do my best to cover it all!

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