10/26/2024

Maxwell & Williams Teas & C's Dahlia Daze Sky-blue Sugar Bowl

This sugar bowl is part of the Dahlia Daze blue background collection. Although very artistic. it has no designer or artist name attached to it.  It's part of a tea set, but each piece is sold individually.
 
This is a beautiful piece regarding colours, design and shape. The golden accents enhance the watercolour-like floral design. The shape and size of the bowl makes it perfect for either its original purpose as a sugar container or, as I do, as storage bowl to keep small chocolate pieces, cookies and other sweet treats. I see this also as a perfect trinket box. It comes in a gorgeously designed beautiful box, perfect for gifting. 
 
The main downside of the this piece is that, unlike most of Maxwell & Williams porcelain, this one is not dishwasher safe, the latter I guess because of the gilded motifs. On the other hand, the need to use the dishwasher is nothing needed to do often with this sort of container. 

10/13/2024

Elephtree Fish-Shaped Pencil Case

I bought this super-cute fabric pouch heavily discounted on a Prime Day. I just wanted something light to put it several some of my left over markers. The pouch design is playful and original; the colours are muted, close to pastels, and perfectly captured by the product page photos. I was able to store 9 average markers and 2 size-5M Posca markers. There is still room for two or three fine ones, a small eraser or a small sharpener.
 
I would use this for a getaway trip for either some markers/pens/pencils or small items of makeup. Despite the photos showing large items of makeup in the product page, this pouch would not hold anything large and round, mostly linear pencil-like items and small eye-shadow or lipstick containers.
 
Both the outer and the inner lining are made of plain fabric, no canvas or a strong material. That being the case they aren't liquid or spill proof; the material can be easily stained outside and, destroyed if any of the markers leaked inside. Also, the pouch has limited capacity as the fish tail is just decorative and does not hold anything, and the fish mouth has limited storage space.

10/06/2024

Shary Freeze Dried Strawberry Crisps 20 g, Small

This mini bag of strawberry crisps is just a great snack with no artificial ingredients added at all. Just dried frozen crunchy flavoursome whole strawberry pieces with a bit of sugar added. Just a bit, not overly sweet and it's also low calories. I would have loved the product au natural without sugar added to be honest. The description page fails to mention that the product has 3% sugar cane, as per my photo, which is important to know for diabetics or people with high sugar levels in blood. For the rest a natural healthy (or healthier than most) snack. A bit pricey for what it is. 

9/29/2024

Amscan Plastic Rectangular Tablecover, Frosty White

I wanted something simple and inexpensive to protect my work table from paint splashes and stains, so this seemed befitting.The tablecloth is XL size, so I decided to use it double to add an extra layer of protection.
 
I was re-arranging my stuff on the table after placing the cover, and it got damaged by bare friction. I am very conscious about my plastic footprint. I don't have a problem with plastic as long as it's durable and good quality, but this is is neither. The material is paper thin and terrible quality. More like one-use cloth for parties and functions and something temporary on my table until I buy a good quality cover. It got torn and broken on the first day of use. 
 
I guess you get what you pay for.

9/21/2024

EYmann Jar, Bottle and Can Opener

The product I got doesn't look like stainless steel but more like a chrome-like metal product. Definitely not the refined product you see in the product page pictures. It opens beer bottles well.  It also opens jars, but you have to be careful not to put your finger under the black slider. I have tried it with cans, and I find it unnecessary unless you have some problem with your fingers or not enough strength. In all honesty, it takes me less effort open a jar or a can with my own hands. I needed it mostly for beer can opener than anything but the price is low so the other features might come handy in the future.

Higher Living Organic Cinnamon Tea 15 Teabags

This is a healthy organic clean delicate tisane that doesn't taste of any of the particular ingredients listed on the packaging. It does not taste or smell of cinnamon at all, even though the tea is sold as Cinnamon Tea and the packaging says it has 35% of cinnamon in it. So this is a tisane with some cinnamon in it not cinnamon tea. Also, the scent and flavour of this tea are totally lost and the tisane tastes more like a chamomile than of anything else, but there is no chamomile in it.
 
I won't buy this again. I will stick to my Celestial Cinnamon and Apple Tea, which is more expensive but one teabag brews two mugs of tea and tastes and smells of cinnamon. This one of example why tisanes should be called tisanes unless the majority of the ingredient in a tea bag is the product mentioned on the packaging.