12 Cups of Joy - Grove Place Market : Advent Calendar Review

I was not looking for another Christmas countdown or Advent calendar.  I'd sworn I had all I was going to get.  

Then we popped in to Peavey Mart and I found myself drawn to the festive packaging of the Grove Place Market 12 Cups of Joy coffee assortment.  It was only $18.99 CAD after all.  What could it hurt?

The cashier told me there was also supposed to be a hot chocolate one but it hadn't arrived in stock yet.

Two years ago I'd gotten a similar package from Ecs Coffee and really enjoyed it.  That calendar had a variety of presweetened flavours.  That's where this assortment box really differed.  I really appreciated that these coffees were flavoured but brewed up black.  That allowed me to add sweetener or milk to my liking.  

This box was 12 days of coffee as it says 12 cups of joy.  There weren't windows to open so I had to pull the tray out of the box every day to access the cups.  The Keurig cups weren't numbered so you could just pick and choose.  I'm an orderly person and worked my way from left to right.

There was a very nice assortment of flavours ranging from the obvious minty type ones to unique flavours with coconut or chestnuts.  I found them all nicely balanced...not too strong or weak. If I chose to add milk or sugar some of them could be classed as a dessert coffee.

If you wanted this as your eye opener bold wake up coffee then this wasn't it.

Over all, I did enjoy having a morning cup of coffee with a festive flavour.  While I enjoy tea the rest of the day, there's nothing like a great cup of coffee in the morning to get going especially during the winter months. 

Unfortunately, I didn't make note of the company that produced or distributed this cool little box of java and googling didn't produce great results either.  There's no way of knowing if I or anyone else could find an assortment box like this again next year or ever again.

I do know that sometimes boxes like this aren't flavourful and seem rather cheap but this was none of that.  If I came across it again, I'd certainly purchase it and I'd also consider giving it to someone on my Christmas list who enjoys Keurig style coffees.

Walkers Scottish Shortbread : Advent Calendar Review

My husband is not one for sweets or so he says.  He does love a great shortbread cookie though.  So when I saw an advertisement for the Walkers Shortbread Advent Calendar on the Tea at the White House social media, I knew I had to get this for him.

It had already sold out once.  I signed up for the email to be notified when they'd be in stock again and promptly ordered when they were.  The cost was $40 CAD and I did order a few other bits and bobs since they are a tea company after all!  I was told by friends and acquaintances that this calendar was available at local retailers for less money.

Walkers Shortbread is a Scottish company founded in 1898.  It began as a village bakery.  They boast a traditional proven recipe, the highest of quality of ingredients and some Scottish flair.  Their products are sold world wide and they ship world wide as well.  They also make other festive treats such as mince pies, cakes, Christmas pudding and gluten free items.  If you visit their website I encourage you to check out their recipe page!

The Advent Calendar itself was a stiff cardboard in the trademark Walkers red plaid with a very pretty snowflake pattern.  The inside was a white background with perforated doors to open for each day with little scenes of Walkers history.  There was 24 days of windows to open.  Each cookie was individually wrapped.  There was a variety of 6 shapes of cookies so there were several repeats but if you are a Cookie Monster that won't bother you at all.  According to the back of the box, there were different ingredients, although they seemed mostly the same.  How different can shortbread cookies be? 

There was as follows:

All Butter Shortbread Star

Chocolate Chip Butter Round

All Butter Thistle Round

All Butter Finger

All Butter Heart

Salted Caramel All Butter Square

There really wasn't a bad cookie and Hubby had his mostly as his afternoon snack with a cup of tea.  He made note of the Thistle Round and Salted Caramel flavours which makes me believe he enjoyed those slightly more than the rest.  It appeared to me as though the chocolate chips in the chocolate chip cookie were very small and didn't offer much in the way of flavour or sweetness.

When you narrow it down $40 is a lot to spend on a box of 24 cookies but if you have a shortbread lover in need of a gift then I'd recommend this cookie advent calendar.  Otherwise, purchasing a box of your favourite cookies from the grocery store might be more adequate especially if you lack the will power to open just one window a day on the lead up to Christmas.

Christmas Vacation - Jelly of the Month : Advent Calendar Review

I don't know about you, but one of my favourite all time Christmas movies is National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation.  So when I randomly saw this advent calendar pop up on my Facebook feed I knew I had to look into it.  

The post said it was at Canadian Tire.  Canadian Tire is a store that sells lot's of hardware, plumping, automotive things but also kitchen and holiday items.  They also own other franchises such as Mark's, Party City and Sport Chek.

I quickly perused their online store and found that indeed this advent calendar was available and it showed they were in stock at the location near my home.  So off I went...

I found it in what we have coined "impulse alley".  That's the part near the cashiers where all the bits and bobs are found that you just * have * to pick up.  There were some other advent calendars too which looked neat and affordable but the Jelly of the Month club was what I'd come for.  I purchased two.  One for my husband and one to give to my parents.  They were priced at $24.99 CAD.

The calendar was a 12 day box plus a jelly spreader which I thought was a very nice addition.  There was nothing on the box indicating what brand of jelly or jam was inside and I kind of assumed it would be a no name type of variety.  You can imagine our surprise when the first day was opened and we found Bonne Maman jelly in dainty packets!  

There were repeats as the packaging does give away the spoilers.  It contained 3 strawberry, 4 raspberry, 3 apricot and 2 fig.  Each packet was glued in place by a glue dot which made it easy to remove from each window.  One had to open the entire box to remove the spreader.  The spreader itself was generic but totally useful and will find its place in the cutlery drawer.

The entire calendar box itself was a little flimsy but held up through the month of December which we didn't start opening until the 13th so that each day had a sample.  I enjoyed the following located on the back of the box "Who needs a swimming pool when you can have a jelly of the month club set? Count down to the impending holiday season with this hilarious and delicious jelly-filled treat, inspired by the beloved classic movie!  A dozen individual packets of jelly and a handy spreader knife make this a gift that keeps giving for 12 whole days.  Even better than a holiday bonus if you ask us."

Indeed!

I have no idea if this was curated just for this year or if it could ever be found again but I would recommend it if you love Bonne Maman jam and don't want the Bonne Maman calendar.  On the box it says designed and distributed by www.thoughtfully.com aka The Modern Gourmet.

What was my over all impression?

It was a beaut, Clark.

Bird & Blend Tea : Advent Calendar Revew

I don’t think it’s a secret that I whole heartedly love the Bird & Blend brand. 

I love their flavours. I love their commitment to making reusable or recyclable packaging. I love how they market for everyone from the newbie to the experienced tea lover. 

What I don’t love is how they are located on another continent. 

Last fall I began seeing their marketing on Instagram and Facebook about their Halloween countdown but then they starting promoting their Christmas advent boxes and I KNEW I had to order. I got both the Halloween countdown and their special Tea Lovers Advent. 

The shipping was very fast through DHL. The original price of the Christmas advent was $49 USD plus conversion to CAD plus duty and import fees. 😵‍💫 Yikes, I started thinking maybe I shouldn’t have done that. But I did, and there was no turning back and as soon as I’d received them I knew I treated myself well. 

The Halloween countdown was GLORIOUS and if you’d like a review of that on its own let me know. 

What I always feel is important that with a lot of European brands they curate in smaller amounts than what we’ve come to expect in North America.  For instance, one B&B tea bag makes 6-8 ounces of tea so if you use a large mug which is often the case in my house you need at least two tea bags for one cup and then you have to prepare yourself that it still may not be as strong as you are accustomed. There were 2 teabags behind every door of the 24 day Christmas advent calendar. Sometimes I used both and sometimes I only used one, depending on the cup I was using. So…the cup makes all the difference!

It’s a dream to visit the UK so it was very special that the Tea Lovers version of their calendar included blends that are curated especially for their different Bird & Blend locations and what their best sellers are. At first it seemed weird to have a tea from the seaside in something Christmas themed but I soon appreciated it because these boxes are so carefully curated with everything in mind so the holiday flavours soon followed. My favourite may have been the Christmas Cake or Mince Pie flavours.  I don’t know how they do that but they taste EXACTLY like the real thing. 

There was a terrific balance between caffeine and decaf tea blends. That made it easy to decide when or how I was going to drink each day. There were instructions on the box for making regular tea or lattes or whatever they recommended. Each tea tag had clear details of whether it had caffeine and if you should use milk or not and even if it should be enjoyed hot or cold! 

Bird and Blend just does it right. They had a digital advent option for each calendar which took you to a special page which had details on each tea, the ingredients and tips on how it’s best enjoyed. They also had a downloadable tea tasting journal! I admit that I tried to keep up with it but I just lost track…

Would I buy this again? OHMYGOD YES! Sadly, due to the cost of shipping it’s not likely it’s going to be soon though. I’m glad I purchased it and fully enjoyed it. Yes I’d recommend it to everyone but beware there could be extra fees depending on where you live…

…but maybe you live right there and can enjoy Bird & Blend whenever your heart desires. 

Lucky you!

I hugged it…I seriously did!

The Body Shop 2023 : Advent Calendar Review

In 2022 I'd bought the larger version of this advent calendar and loved it.  I used all the products and went back to buy more.  So in late September, when their social media started advertising The Body Shop Christmas countdowns I rushed to get one.

You can read about last years advent here LINK

I had problems purchasing the 2023 Advent calendar when I went to the store.    They had them and I was shown them when I asked however the manager said they weren't allowed to sell them yet.  I expressed how I'd seen it on their Instagram page and he agreed to let me have it.

I purchased the smaller of the three Advent calendars as I found the prices were more than the previous year.  I used my in store loyalty coupons to reduce the price to $95.  This year there were 3 versions to choose from.  I chose the smallest.  Last year's was medium and priced at $99.

There it sat while I anticipated December first.

The packaging is not as nice in the smaller box as the other boxes or the previous box.  The 3D figures inside do not stand up when you open the box.  They are supposed to stand up to present a Christmas diorama but they don't unless you fiddle with it.  That makes it a hard box to display.  Each item inside the box is in its own numbered box.  Each of those had details as to how the ingredients were ethically sourced.  While that's something to think about it's also not necessarily something you need on items themed to Christmas.

The entire box can be reused or recycled.  I recycled each individual box as I don't have a use for little boxes nor a place to keep them until I'd need to reuse them.  At this time, I'm unsure if I will keep the large box or not.  it's currently housing the excess items.  I did keep the 2022 version and use it to store my make up and other beauty items.

I don't find the design or pattern of the box to be particularly festive and neither were the contents.  This entire box was blue, does have a Christmas pattern and themed diorama inside and even though blue is my favourite colour, it doesn't exactly scream Christmas, especially when closed.  This was a flaw I found in the previous calendar as well.  The Body Shop does have "festive" scents but it seems they only have them in store closer to Christmas and they don't use them in the calendars.  Instead, it seems, the calendars are a mixture of what might assume to be their popular products or items they'd like to influence us to buy.

How dirty do they think I am?

If you followed along on my Instagram or Facebook page you'll know that there were several repeats of certain products.  This alone has made me determine to not purchase this again.  There are 6 shower gel/creams, 4 hand cream/balms, and 2 bars of soap.  I don't know about others but that's a lot.  There was only 1 lip product.  I also found there was zero in the form of a facial moisturizer while there was tea tree cleanser and toner there was nothing for the follow up routine.  Was this a marketing ploy?  So I'd have to purchase the remainder if I liked it?  Who knows.  

Another inclusion in this box was what I'd call a shower buff.  The fabric is not very soft and it's quite small.  I don't think it would be easy to use and I'm not even sure if I'd call it a travel item.  I'd say this was the worst item in the box.

My favourite item in this 24 day countdown was a hair clip.  The other favourite items were the Shea shampoo and conditioner as well as the Tea Tree toner and cleanser.

This calendar retails at $95+ CAD but the website touted it was worth far more.  That's approximately $3.95 a product for the 24 day advent calendar.

As stated above, I won't purchase this again. I will use the items but, yes, I am disappointed. I would recommend the larger box but again beware of the repeat products and don't expect fun festive scents because they aren't in there.

Did you get the Body Shop Advent Calendar?  What did you think of it?  Do you have any recommendations of other beauty calendars to try?  I'd like to hear what they are to plan for next year!

A Recipe & Midnight Madness

In what feels like another lifetime, I worked for one year as Assistant Manager of Warehouse One, which is a Canadian clothing retailer.  The shopping mall was a destination back than and big box retailers weren't yet where we all demanded to shop and we definitely weren't choosing online shopping either.  It was the mid 2000's and at Christmas time the mall was a fun and festive place even though I'd not wish working retail at that time of year or any really on anyone.  One big event leading up to Christmas was Midnight Madness.

Midnight Madness happened on a few weekend evenings in the month of December leading up to Christmas.  Each store would stay open well passed the regular 9pm...until 1am instead and many would have special deals for that time period.  It was nowhere near as hectic as Boxing Day was but still a stressful time for anyone having to work in a store.

At the far end of the mall was a Starbucks.  Myself and a coworker were working this late night shift and we were both concerned for staying awake and alert.  For some oddball reason we both thought it would be a good idea to buy chocolate covered coffee beans.

You probably see where I'm going with this.

Starbucks used to have little boxes of these coffee beans right by the cash register along with mints and biscotti.  I don't think they have this anymore and if they do I haven't noticed.  These were obviously nice little add ons if you were purchasing a latte or cranberry bliss bar.

The chocolate covered coffee beans did indeed keep us awake and alert...not only for the Midnight Madness but for the entire night.  We both vowed to never do THAT again and told the legend to all our others coworkers.  It's a story I found myself telling a few students last week which they all found highly amusing.

Even though I will likely never have chocolate covered coffee beans again, I did love those cranberry bliss bars and still do.  Starbucks has changed the recipe so a few years ago I scoured the interweb for a copycat recipe.  What you'll find below has become a staple in my holiday baking every year.  I've tweaked it several times but decided to finally write it out instead of deciphering my cryptic notes in my home made family cookbook binder.

I'm sharing it all with you.  Feel free to click on the recipe photo and save it to your devices.  Let me know if you make it as well!

* If * you do try it make certain to not skip 2 important steps.

1) Make absolutely sure you coat the baking pan with cooking spray and coat with flour.  If you don't you wont ever get it out of the pan.

2) You most definitely will need to coat your hands with cooking spray to pat it down and stretch it into the pan.  The batter is EXTREMELY sticky so if you don't you'll be covered in it.

The original recipe was in an 11X17 baking pan but I don't have one that size and I'm pretty sure it's not a standard size either.  My recipe is 9X13 which is a size we all own.  This makes the bars a little thicker and the Starbucks version.

My oven runs hot so regardless of what I think they get removed at 20 minutes.  I'm going to caution you as well...they may not look cooked but trust that they are.  If they are over baked they become very crumbly.

Enjoy and happy baking!

Kick Off Weekend

We always made sure to decorate our home for Christmas the last weekend in November.  That weekend also just usually happened to be CFL Grey Cup weekend.  It became a tradition that we still hold fast to.

For several years in a row we'd host my husband's parents for the first weekend of December, the weekend following Grey Cup and what we eventually coined "Kick Off Weekend".  

It had nothing to do with football.

What it was, was a festive filled weekend of shopping, sight seeing and other festivities to rev us up for the month of December.  

D & D would arrive Friday evening for visiting and catching up.  Sometimes they'd arrive early as to beat the rush to the city.  I remember one time they did that exact thing and we'd decided to go to the mall downtown.  All was fine until I remembered that school was out that day for an in-service and we came to a fast realization that going to the mall was not going to be for us.  The above ground parking was filled and so was the underground parking.  Folks were driving in and turning around and driving out.  We didn't really need to go to the mall anyway...  

Our meals during the weekend would include a mixture of homemade, Starbucks coffee, Venice House pizza or Montana's for ribs but it was breakfast we enjoyed most.  We'd get up early on the Saturday and hit up the breakfast buffet at the the Flying J.  They had the best breakfast buffet.  There was anything you'd ever want, but my favourite was the strawberry stuffed French toast.  Sadly, this buffet is no longer offered and it's now a Denny's.  I still remember how special those morning meals were.

After we were adequately nourished and caffeinated, we'd go to the Sundog Craft Faire.  This was a juried craft sale on two levels of an entertainment complex.  One level would be all the wares that people made and the second level was all the food stuffs complete with many free samples.  My Father In Law loved a free sample.

Conveniently, next door, was Costco.  That was always another stop on Kick Off Weekend.  Costco always puts out the best things at Christmastime and has unique goodies in their bakery as well as gift items.  It's a huge bonus if they hand out Lindt truffles!

Sometimes we were lucky enough that The Festival of Trees landed during that same weekend and we'd get to take that in as well.  Hubby and I went last year and wandered the streets of historical Boomtown gazing at the trees and the historical memorabilia.  The Christmas trees are so different from how we decorate our own.  They all have themes.  Some would make us ooh and ahh while we'd agree others were not for us.  There were gingerbread houses on display too that had been in a contest and we'd marvel at how intricate they were.  

One thing that we always made sure to do was drive through the Enchanted Forest.  This is an event at the Forestry Farm aka Zoo.  Different sponsors decorate a meandering drive through trees and displays of everything Christmas.  Every couple of years a new attraction is added which keeps it all fresh.  Sometimes, we'd have hot cocoa from Tim Hortons as we drove and sometimes they'd hand out candy canes.  The radio would be tuned in to a special station to narrate the tour.  One memorable time was when my Father In Law decided he wanted to see more (one trip through was all they'd allow) but he swerved/drove around a barricade in determination to see it all again!

Things have changed a lot in the last few years.  The Sundog Faire was cancelled last year and isn't offered anymore.  A local greenhouse did a similar event one year but so far I haven't seen anything advertised.  My Father in Law passed last year and my Mother in Law has moved.  The kick off weekend is a thing of the past but the first weekend of December will always hold wonderful fond memories and no matter what our house will be ready for company on Grey Cup weekend.

Advent Adventures 2023

Every company seems to have an Advent Christmas Countdown Calendar of some kind these days. I really enjoy finding out what little present lies behind each window leading up to the big day. So what calendars did I purchase for this years holidays? Read on!

The first calendar I purchased was from The Body Shop. I had gotten one last year and it helped me to relearn how to relax and take care of myself. As with everything the prices have gone up and this year I purchased the smaller version. It’s called The Advent of Change and comes in lovely blue packaging. The display isn’t as stunning as the larger version but the smaller rings in at $95 CAD. I purchased it back at the end of September and used my birthday rewards coupon for it. It says it’s a value of $181 so we will see when I get to start opening on December 1st. 

The second countdown calendar I got was from Bird and Blend. I TOTALLY splurged on this and for those reasons I’m not going to include all the extra fees I paid. As well I had ordered the Halloween countdown at the same time so charges were a bit more. I LOVED this one from a few years ago. The packaging is 100% recyclable and very festive. The main Tea Advent Calendar is priced at $49 USD. However, the one I purchased was specially curated for the tea lover and Bird and Blend customer. It’s called the Ultimate Tea Lover’s Advent Calendar and lucky comes in at the same price of $49 USD. They also have a Matcha calendar!

That was going to be it, but just this afternoon I found a coffee 12 Days of Christmas. I purchased the Grove Place Market keurig cup coffee countdown at Peavey Mart for $18.99 CAD. It does not appear on the Peavey Mart website but similar boxes seem to be available elsewhere. The cashier said they were also waiting on a hot chocolate one. 

Okay, but what about your husband? You can’t forget your husband! 

Right you are. I have found 2 calendars for him this year. The first is the Walkers Shortbread calendar which is a 24 day countdown. I originally ordered from Tea At The White House but they sold out twice. Since I’ve been informed it can be found at London Drugs and a few other retailers. I spent $40 but apparently they can range in price. 

The other countdown I got for my husband I stumbled upon. I bought it at Canadian Tire for $24.99 CAD.  It’s the National Lampoons 12 Days of Jelly Advent Calendar.  We had the Bonne Maman calendar last year and really enjoyed it. This quirky calendar has repeats, comes with a knife and I’d say the packaging is a real “beaut”. 

There you have it. My countdown extravaganza. 

Only 6 days to go!

T.Kettle Tea : Advent Calendar Review

I know what you're saying...

It's not Christmas.

True!  While I'm sitting here anxiously awaiting to open the first door on my Bird & Blend Halloween calendar I thought I should offer an update for the future holiday season!  I've pretty much been mute on this blog page for several months and really enjoy sharing in a new/old way what I've been up to.  I really loved catching up with everyone in this format last Christmas so maybe this is a hint as to what's to come... 

T.Kettle is a Canadian "born and owned" tea company.  Their website states their priority is wellness combined with flavour and great tea.

T.Kettle opened in several of the abandoned David's Tea locations and I was pleased to have another Canadian tea retailer easily accessible.  That was until September when I discovered the location I often visited had closed up shop and the only location still open in my city is in a shopping mall I rarely visit.

I've never found their website very current or easily navigable.  I think this company could be more popular if this was updated and had a more user friendly layout.  I don't have a background in this.  I'm just a girl who likes tea and occasionally shops online.  

This Advent Calendar was the 2022 version.  I don't see one available for this year but like I said above, their website isn't 'great'.  It originally retailed for $49.99 but I purchased it in March of 2023 on clearance for $29.99.  The design is very similar to other calendars.  It has 24 days of tea in each drawer.  Each day consists of a small metal container which has a portion of loose tea for about 2 cups.  What I liked most was that each drawer had not only the name of the tea, but the ingredients as well as brewing instructions and caffeine level.

I was very pleased that there was a large amount of caffeine free options in this Advent Calendar.

My favourite flavour was the Fruit Cake because to me those are the flavours which sum up the holiday season.  In September which is when I decided to indulge in this calendar I was sad to find out that a lot...and I mean, A LOT of flavours in this sampler were discontinued so I couldn't find them again even if I wanted to.  That's not terribly unusual but if this was your first connection to the T.Kettle company it would be nice to be able to stock up on your favourites.  How long before I drank them had they been discontinued?  There's no way to tell.

Previous to this, their Gingerbread Cookie tea is the BEST, hands down, that I've ever tasted.

The over all appearance and design of the T.Kettle Advent was very nice and it sat in my kitchen easily and didn't take up a lot of space.  The construction was cardboard or thick paper with a magnetic door.  I'm sure my first David's Tea calendar was similar.  I recycled the whole thing including the small metal cups which held the tea.

Would I buy this again?  Yes I would.  If it were available.  At this time in October when many of the companies have posted their upcoming Advent Calendars you'd think if it was available for this season it would be out there too, but I don't see a mention of it anywhere.  Maybe keep your eyes peeled on their social media for such an announcement.

Ilchester Cheese : Advent Calendar Review

I bought my husband an Ilchester Cheese Advent Calendar for the 2022 Christmas season.  He likes cheese.  I like cheese.  I'd heard a lot about this calendar in 2021 but when I'd found it then it was too late.  This time I found it at our local Co-Op grocery store and it was on sale.

The calendar featured 24 days of cheese but there was only a variety of 9 flavours.  That meant there were several repeats.  The calendar was of cereal box cardboard grade and was apparently designed to fit in the door of a refrigerator even though I didn't store it that way.  The individual doors were perforated for easy removal and each package of single serve cheese was nestled in a light plastic tray.

The calendar price ranged from $36.99 to $29.99.  That breaks down to approximately $1.54 a piece of cheese.  However, when you consider that over half of the pieces were double flavours the cost is more.

What we enjoyed.  Well, Hubby really enjoyed getting a piece of cheese every day with his lunch.  We both enjoyed the information on the different flavours and it allowed us to explore different flavours which we'd never heard of or never had the courage to try before.  We discovered one flavour is aged, one is smoked, one is part of an annual festival where it's rolled down a hill.  We really liked the red Leicester flavour of cheese while the majority were very good.  The only one which didn't go over well was the one infused with cranberries and sage.  I liked it but it was a bit strong.  I realize it's a seasonal flavour so that's why it was included.

What we didn't enjoy as much was the repeat flavours.  So this calendar is all one brand manufactured by Ilchester Cheese.  Bravo for them creating a calendar!  However, when you end up having the same flavour a couple days in a row it becomes a bit "meh".  The other thing, which is not their fault at all, is that the brand isn't stocked here.  The only flavour that the grocery store tends to have is the Applewood smoked cheddar and in my opinion, there are other brands that supply that which we'd buy first in larger quantities.  Ilchester is a British cheese company and it seems that Cathedral is a more widely supplied brand.  So when I did want to purchase some of the flavours we'd tested - we couldn't.

It's worthy to note that while the advent calendar is adequately constructed, that by the time Christmas Eve arrived, the box had not stood up to the test of time.  The doors were torn and falling apart.  It went straight into the recycle bin.  If you are one to enjoy packaging then this probably isn't for you.

Do you have a cheese lover in your family or group of friends?  This does make a great gift for the holidays.  We did thoroughly enjoy it and I hope it continues to gain interest and that they include more flavours to make the calendar even more interesting.

President's Choice : Advent Calendar Review

I picked up the President's Choice Advent Calendar on a whim.  I did not need another calendar in the slightest because I had three for the 2022 Christmas season.  It was on sale and was only $12.  There's no way I could leave the store without it.

I tucked it away until after the holidays were all over.

It was January when I decided to take it out and open it up.

The President's Choice Calendar was a light cardboard which unfolded to reveal all the numbered days.  It included a string so that it could be hung in the kitchen for easy access and to decorate for the holidays.  The calendar was 24 days but there were some duplicate flavours.  Each day was a single teabag in it's own package.  Behind the tea package was a quote for the day.  What really impressed me was that each tea package included a list of ingredients, whether it was caffeine free or not and brewing instructions.  This impressed me because tea advent calendars which I've spent far more money on didn't include these things. Bravo!

As I stated, the calendar was 24 days and I spent $12 on it (which is actually rounded up).  That breaks down to 50 cents per cup.  That's an excellent value!

My favourite flavours included Ginger Peach, Feeling Soothed, Dreamland, Lemon Ginger, Spiced Apple, Chocolatey Chai and Feeling Calm.  Honestly, I found something to like and enjoy in each flavour.  I even purchased a box of Ginger Peach and Feeling Calm.  I can see myself purchasing some of these other flavours as well.  A box of President's Choice tea is very affordable and you won't feel guilty for having them in your tea cupboard.

Would I buy this President's Choice Tea Advent Calendar again?  You bet!  Next time, I'd even enjoy it during the holidays instead of after the New Year.

Bonne Maman : Advent Calendar Review

We be Jammin'.  That's the lettering I had on my music classroom wall a few years ago but it's also a fitting phrase for this blog post about Bonne Maman jam or preserve and this review of the Advent Calendar I purchased this Christmas season.

This first came onto my radar in 2021 when I viewed Tea With Jann on YouTube.  She had videos of all her calendar openings and Bonne Maman was one of them.  It looked so nice and different and I knew I had to try it out as well.  I do love jam.

I purchased this Advent Calendar from Papa Jack Popcorn which is a Canadian candy company and distributer from Ontario.  The calendar itself was $48.99 and the cheapest shipping was an additional $24.26 so the total was $73.15.  The communication with Papa Jack was terrific and it arrived well protected which I was a tad bit worried about since its all glass jars.  Now, had I known that I would start seeing this calendar at different retailers I could have saved the shipping cost.  I didn't find them locally until December though so if you are impatient like me then ordering from Papa Jack Popcorn comes well recommended.

This Bonne Maman Advent Calendar was 24 days and included 23 preserves and 1 honey.  That breaks down to $2.04 a jar.  The jars are approximately 6 tablespoons of jam which was plenty for Hubby and myself to spread enough on our English muffins which is how we preferred to sample each flavour.  This was our breakfast for all of December.

The great part of this calendar was that I was exposed to many different flavours which I would have never picked out in the grocery store.  I tend to buy strawberry or orange marmalade but I got to enjoy a wide range of flavours and even found some new fruits! My favourite flavours included fig and cherry and even though I'm not a big fan of honey I thought their honey was terrific spread over peanut butter.  So if you desire to try some flavours which you wouldn't ordinarily then next holiday season you should give this countdown a try.

What I didn't like about this calendar is actually a very small detail.  The jars are incredibly hard to pry out of their windows.  I appreciate that the jars have to be secure for shipping but I would have to struggle to get the jars out of their holding spots.  The cardboard calendar itself was sturdy and was easy to recycle.  I've kept the jars but so far am at a loss as to what to do with them.  They would be handy for storing small amounts of crafting items like tacks or buttons and likely even for small amounts of loose leaf tea.  I'd like to know what other people have done with their mini jars or if they got thrown away.

The only store near me which I know has a wide variety of Bonne Maman jam is Walmart.  There are a few flavours which I am sure I am going to check out.  If you love their strawberry then it's always available at Costco for a very reasonable price and it's the one I always gravitate to first.

If you are curious about specific flavours then click on the Advent Photo tab on this blog.  You will find every photo I took of each calendar and item while more detail is found on my Instagram account.

Did you purchase this Advent Calendar?  Are you likely to repurchase, purchase or look for this one come the holidays?  Let me know!  While it was highly enjoyable, I feel like I've now experienced it so there's not a big reason to buy it again but as previously stated, I will continue to buy their brand.

Tea at the White House : Advent Calendar Review

Anyone else sad that we no longer have Advent Calendars to open and share?  There's such excitement over it all and the big build up to Christmas and then - Boom - it's over.  Done.

I do have some other items to share including this review of an Advent Calendar I was really looking forward to opening from Tea at the White House. 

Tea at the White House is a Canadian Tea House and Online Retailer.  They are located in Waterdown, Ontario and boast "A Tea Shop for the Tea Lover, A Tea Room for the Tea Drinker".  They have unique flavours of tea and other items including scones with the fixings and items from the Royal Family.  I have been making a big effort to support Canadian made items and companies so was really looking forward to trying a large variety of their tea flavours through the Advent Calendar.

The Calendar was available for order in October and I snapped one up for $40 CAD.  It arrived promptly in November.  It was 24 days of tea.  Each day was one single pyramid style tea bag.  It breaks down to $1.67 a day/cup.  The box itself was very well made and really nice in a light blue magnetic box.  Each day had a perforated window to peel back to reveal the tea bag individually wrapped in a clear plastic bag.  The box was easily displayed in my kitchen and was a lovely size.

There was an adequate variety of flavours of tea however it seemed to me that many of the first flavours included mint.  The majority of the tea was caffeinated.  While I do enjoy tea in the afternoon, I also use it as a wind down at the end of the day so it was disappointing that there were so few decaf teas in this box.  I don't think I'm really alone in this because we are so busy during the holidays and all need some relaxing moments with a cup in the evening.  I had to adjust my ritual to accommodate drinking this tea at another time of day.

My favourite flavour hands down was German Christmas Cake.  This flavour was so good and totally a Christmas flavour for those of us who enjoy fruitcake and mincemeat pies.  For me the worst flavour was the Ontario Ice Wine which I'm convinced was a poor batch because it was totally floral.  I don't think I was able to finish the cup.

Okay, I'm going to spill the tea here, beyond the name of the tea on the label there was absolutely nothing included to tell you what the ingredients were or how to brew or enjoy the tea.  After opening the tea, I would head to the website and look up the flavour to see if it was caffeinated or not but that's all the website tells me as well.  Instructions like, use water at this temperature and brew for these many minutes would be HUGELY appreciated.  It's possible that Ice Wine tea was so terrible for me because I let it steep too long, but how would I know otherwise?  Another super helpful detail is to tell us consumers whether it's appropriate to add sweetener or a creamer or make it into a latte or it's terrific iced.  These things definitely add to the overall enjoyment and likelihood that I'd not only come back to buy that flavour again but recommend it to others as well.  I'm also going to mention that it sure would be nice to receive some other little perk on the final day.  Back when I first started with the David's Tea calendar, there were mini ornaments included on the last day and I think there were coupons in some as well.

I'm going to admit this.  I really felt like I was missing out on two other Advent Calendars.  I've really enjoyed the Bird & Blend calendar previously but because of shipping costs I decided to not get that one this year.  I felt like there was a whole portion of the tea community enjoying that one and interacting with their social media.  Of course the David's Tea calendar is super popular but another one which I've put on my wish list for next Christmas season is the T.Kettle Tea Advent Calendar.  It was a similar design to David's Tea and the flavours looked intriguing.  I think the folks at Tea at the White House have missed out on interacting with their fans.

I'm definitely not saying to not try this company out for yourself because there are very worthy products.  For the price, it's a nice little calendar but just be wary that there are others out there which I feel are much better.  I really wanted to like this one but I feel rather underwhelmed and likely will not purchase another calendar from them.

The Body Shop : Advent Calendar Review

The Body Shop Advent Calendar was the first countdown calendar I purchased for Christmas 2022.  I bought it in September when I was feeling really sad and rather beaten down.  I decided then and there that during the Christmas season I deserved to reward myself by putting my care first.

It was the debut of The Body Shop Calendar and they actually had two varieties.  I chose the cheaper version which was on sale for $99.  I had my birthday discount as well as another coupon available in my Body Shop profile.  I really recommend signing up for this even if you don't shop there often.  I didn't save my receipt so I don't know exactly how much I ended up paying but I think I ended up with $5-10 off the original price.

Then I took it home where it sat in the bag for a while before being displayed in the guest room on the dresser.  This is a large Advent Calendar.  This particular one had a top which lifted to reveal a 3D diorama as well as two drawers which pulled out.  Each day was an individual box.  This was a 25 day calendar.  Most calendars stop on Christmas Eve.  Each box which varied in size had a thought or wish for the day for you to think about or take action on in some way.  Lot's of them I had already done and others encouraged me to reach out in a way I hadn't thought of before.  I put the boxes into our recycle collection but they would also be useful to reuse for small gifts if you have such a place to keep them for repurpose.  I'm planning on keeping and reusing the calendar container in my ensuite bathroom for storage of cosmetics because it is so well made and really nice to look at.  

The cost.  As I said, it was on sale for $99 and consisted of 25 days.  Not taking the size variation into account, that breaks down to $3.96 an item.  There were no doubles and at least 5 were full size products while most were what I'd call "travel size".

My least favourite item in this calendar were the bath bubbles.  This is a likely unique to me situation.  A few years ago when we renovated, we removed our bathtub.  That may sound weird to some, but we found we enjoyed a really great shower more than sitting in a tub of water.  Luckily, there were only 2 bath bubbles.  A friend suggested to use them in a foot soak and that's likely how I will use them but they are also appropriate for regifting as well.

My most favourite item was the Chamomile Cleansing Butter.  This is amazing.  It's the texture of coconut butter and is effortless to use to remove makeup.  Just massage it on to your face and rinse off with a damp cloth.  It removed all my mascara and eye make up.  It didn't sting at all or bother my eyes.  When this little tub is used this is an item I will definitely purchase.

So what disappointed me the most?  Not a lot really except for the 4 body washes.  As I said, there were no repeats and I say that because these were all difference scents as were the hand lotions.  The Body Shop has a huge variety of products so why didn't they include some different things?  There was only 1 lip item.  I surely could have used a couple more lip butters or something similar.  Also, according to the Body Shop Instagram, their most popular item is Hemp Lotion which I am a huge fan of myself.  There were zero Hemp items in the calendar.  So the variety of items could stand a bit of tweaking.  

Come to think of it, there were zero body sprays which I've also purchased in the passed.  They also have things like combs and brushes and hair ties but only a hair band was included which looked to provide help for holding hair back for mask use.  Like I said, it needs tweaking.

Here's what you really want to know - Would I purchase this Advent Calendar from The Body Shop again?  Yes.  I've ended up with some items like body wash which I will use for a few months before having to restock.  I get to pamper myself with some masks for the next while which I feel like we all need more after the holidays than before.  The biggest advantage was that it reminded me how important self care is.

Did you purchase this Christmas Calendar?  What did you think of it?  What were your favourite items or what would you have liked to see included?  If you are curious as to each of the individual items I got in this Advent Calendar click on the Advent Photo Gallery 2022 from the page menu top of this blog.

Thanks for following along as I opened and enjoyed this calendar!

Merry Christmas

Before we all get super busy with our Christmas celebrations, I wanted to take a moment and thank everyone who has followed and read along with my posts over the last month or more. I’ve received some very nice comments and appreciate the conversations. 

I had wanted to share a few more things, but our schedules get so jam packed this time of year so those memories and stories will have to wait for another time. I will do some follow up posts about my advent calendars, which I loved and which I thought were the best for my money so stay tuned for those.

I plan on keeping up this blog now that I’ve attracted you all here but if you’ve found yourself here from ABC Football and wonder where that talk is, don’t fret, I fully intend on getting back to that site as the CFL season ramps up for 2023. 

I hope you have a fantastic Christmas shared with those you love and you get a moment to rejoice and marvel in the glow of the lights, bask in the sounds and immerse yourself in the delicious smells of the season. 

Let It In

I had wanted to write a blog about our 30th anniversary and the Christmas that followed our wedding.  Truth be told I don't remember lot's about the Christmas at Fredlund's house and feel like I should because most people in Hubby's family recall that as THE Christmas.  Maybe it was because I was so new to the family and it was just all overwhelming.  I'm not sure but when I think about it I also think about all the family members who aren't with us anymore and that reminds me that even though I've been trying to share all kinds of heartfelt things on this blog, the holidays are not full of happy memories for everyone and some people are living with celebrating a first Christmas without their loved ones.  We are also that family.

It's been a year.  That's all I can say.  2020 was a cakewalk compared to 2022.  Stay at home and bake brownies all the time while working from home?  Sign me up because back then everyone was well in my family and safe.  2022 was a year where I didn't dare ask 'what next' and kept saying over and over God will not give us more than we can bare.  

It's been a test of Faith.  When the pandemic hit, we stopped attending church like most people.  We keep saying we need to go back but haven't.  We've watched like many do on YouTube.  I know attending church is important but I also think praying in the quiet stillness of home is what's helped me endure.  I'm reminded that no matter how messy our life is, God is there to help us pick up the pieces.  And man, 2022 has been messy.

I've had to lean on a lot of people.  Of course my family and friends were there for us but it was my coworkers who probably should get an award for the amount of venting they've endured!  At the same time, wow, what special people they are.  They listened without judgement and it really meant a lot.  The ice cream cake for my 50th birthday, which should have been a fun day, was amazing but happened during a time of grief and misunderstanding.  The Moderators on ABC Rider Fans just took over when things got really tough and they listened and listened and listened some more.  It's because of all of these people that when the holiday sparkle was slightly ignited back in November, I decided to let it all in.

Mocha Sugar Cookie Latte Bites (Recipe Included)

This is not my recipe although the adaptation is 100% mine.  I can't tell you where the actual recipe originated but I did have it printed out and tucked into my Tried & True Recipe Binder.  The trouble is, the original name "Cappuccino Love Bites" doesn't exactly scream Christmas baking, now does it.

No.

Nor does it sound festive for Hubby or anyone else for that matter to take to their work potluck or cookie swap.  It also doesn't help one cook use up not one bag of Hershey's kisses, but two which she bought on sale at Costco.

Cookies cooling

The original recipe uses shortening but I use butter or margarine with the same results.  I can't remember the last time I bought actual shortening.  It also says to use coffee liqueur or milk but I think Kahlua would be great.  What I thought was a small bottle in our refrigerator door turned out to be Irish Cream and I don't think that would work with my flavour combination.  It uses instant coffee but be aware if you are sensitive to caffeine that may be an issue.  I didn't want a whole container of instant coffee so I bought a tin of Maxwell House Café Suisse Mocha.  I'd also think it would be interesting to play around with tea flavours in this recipe but I'll save that for another season.  You don't have to fret over what flavour of Hershey's Kisses to pick up.  I used the Sugar Cookie flavour and I think the Candy Cane flavour would be excellent as well.  Just stay away from the ones that have the soft centers.

I won't regale you with how I baked these while the snow was gently falling and the Christmas tree was twinkling away.  Instead, it was a regular Saturday evening two weeks before Christmas and my back was sore from a rather hectic shopping trip to Costco.

Double Dog Dare (A Cookie Review)

On Saturday night I poised a question over my social media pages.  I simply said, which do you prefer - Dare Viva Puffs Candy Cane Holiday Edition or Dare Whippet Mint Holiday Edition cookies?  Is there a difference?

I just stood in my walk in pantry examining the ingredient lists on both boxes of cookies.  The ingredients are nearly identical although some are not in the same order which would usually mean its a lesser ingredient since they are listed from biggest to smallest.  The Viva Puffs say "Chocolatey Coating" and the Whippets say "Sweet Chocolate".  Both cookies are peanut free although it's only the Viva Puffs that have it boldly printed on the box while the Whippets only have it on the side so it's not very noticeable.  The same can be said for being Canadian. Both are probably manufactured in the same plant and say they may contain wheat, soya and milk.  

Yes, Sandra, but what do they taste like?

This is my opinion remember and you have to decide for yourself.  I personally enjoyed the Viva Puffs more.  The coating is more of a milk chocolate flavour and the cookie base is more tender.  The candy cane flavour is minty but reminds me more of the more expensive candy canes which have a lighter more candy flavour rather than in your face cool mint.  The Whippet Mint cookies have a firm base and the sweet chocolate coating is a darker and harder chocolate.  The mint flavour is really minty.  The Whippet cookies also have bolder coloured marshmallows.  They are nice as well and unless comparing them side by side you'd likely not realize a difference although the difference of coloured chocolate is apparent.

That is until you are in the grocery store gazing and drooling over the cookie aisle.  A 300g box of Viva Puffs are $4.19 and the Whippets are $4.79 for a 285g box.  The Whippets cost more!  Each box contains 15 cookies but the Viva Puffs are a slightly larger cookie.  

A serving of each is 2 cookies so each box contains 7.5 servings. Who gets that 1/2 cookie?  Viva  Puffs (40g) are 170 calories and Whippets (39g) 160 calories, but remember Whippets are a smaller cookie.  So you are paying more for a smaller cookie.

If you are concerned about your pocketbook then the Viva Puffs are the better product to buy.  A box of Viva Puffs are 60 cents cheaper and a slightly larger cookie.

Which do you like best?  Which would you purchase?

I'm going to throw one more kink into the review.  If you want a more decadent treat, then look for a product by Tunnock's called Tea Cakes or Snowballs.  They are delicious and have real fresh marshmallow and no flavouring mint or otherwise.  The Snowballs do have coconut.  They are imported from Europe so harder to find and will be more costly however, one wrapped serving (6 in a box) comes in at 100 calories but a great way to enjoy a seasonal special favourite.  I found mine at a local store called Churchills British Café.

No matter what you decide, have fun with your own taste test and enjoy all with your favourite seasonal tea or coffee as you watch the Christmas lights twinkle this holiday season.

Christmas Beans to Eat (Swedish Brown Beans Recipe)

At Christmastime 1999, I got the Hanson Snowed In CD.  It's still one of my very favourites to listen to for getting into the holiday spirit.  There's one song titled "Christmas Means to Me (My Love) but my husband has changed the words to be Christmas Beans to Eat.  We had just moved into our new house and had Brother In Law and family as our first house guests.  I remember how hectic it was to get the house finished for their arrival.  When we moved in the kitchen wasn't even finished!  The best memory though, is our Nieces singing and making up dance routines to that Hanson CD.

Sunday Roast Supper

I am not Scandinavian.  Well, unless you count my Grandfathers sister (I think it was) married a 

Norwegian man...but that doesn't have an actual impact on me.  What does have an impact is that apparently when you marry someone who is Norwegian and Swedish you yourself adopt lot's of their traditions.

One of us!  One of us!

My favourite Christmas item on the big festive meal is Swedish Brown Beans.  The odd thing is that those who grew up in the family prefer other items, but for those of us who married in we love and look forward to the brown beans.

My Mother In Law grows Swedish beans in her garden.  She has a fantastic garden and even when she says things haven't turned out you can guarantee they're more prolific there than anywhere else.  A good number of years ago she gave me a cool whip container of beans.  I'm going to say it was at least 5 years ago.  I put them in the back of the pantry with the intention of one day cooking them.

One day finally came last Saturday morning where I awoke with the idea to cook them in the instant pot.  I got out the "Cooking Favorites of Covenant Women" cookbook from my treasure trove of cookbooks and quickly searched for the recipe.  It had been submitted by Mrs. Doris Anderson.  See all good recipes worth making come from this cookbook and I have one which was passed down to us.  The inscription in perfect handwriting says "To Aunt Emma From Evelyn" with my name and Hubby's added below.

The photos and instructions below are my account of cooking these Swedish Brown Beans in my Instant Pot in about an hour.  The original recipe states 4 hours.  You should be able to 'right click and save' if you're so inclined to try it out and please let me know if you do!

 

Ye Olde Photo Camera

I was watching the Hallmark movie Haul Out the Holly last week and there was a part of the story where the main character had a Polaroid camera.  It was a flashback to when she was young and took photos of the Christmas celebrations in her town.  It got me to thinking that I also have a Polaroid camera.

It was very late and possibly midnight, but in a fit of nostalgia I dug through the cabinet doors of the hallway built in, to find my Polaroid camera.  There it was in its carrying case as pristine as ever.  I knew there was film left in it because a number of years ago I took it to work with me as part of my tourist Halloween costume.  I stood in the corner in my pajamas and lined up my camera in hopes it might still work and snapped a photo of our Christmas tree.

Nope.  It didn't work.  Well, it did take a photo but because the film cartridge has its own battery power it was likely so old that it just didn't want to work to its potential.  So, the two photos which were left didn't want to pop out nor were pictures visible.

Bummer.

A quick perusal of Amazon, London Drugs, and the Polaroid website told me that yes, indeed you can still buy Polaroid film in a vast array...for $29.99 which I suppose isn't that bad for some thing so retro.  But hold the train, that only buys 8, yes, EIGHT, photos.

Yikes.

I have 1000 photos saved on my iPad alone.

The difference is that besides sharing them on Facebook or Instagram, no one really sees them.  Gone are the days we'd take a roll of film to be developed only to find out weeks later how the pictures turned out.  We'd save them into photo albums and haul them out to show family members and guests.  One of the favorite activities at my In-Laws is to look through old photos and hear the stories connected to them.  I don't remember a Christmas as a little kid at my Grandparents where there wasn't at least one or two pictures resting on the coffee table waiting for the images to appear.  Now we post, share, like and maybe comment before moving on and it's all forgotten.

It's not all bad.  If it weren't for social media helping us to see what is going on in each other's lives I wouldn't get to see my friend who lives in Edmonton on the beach in Mexico.  I wouldn't get to see my Nieces share photos of their little one's meeting Santa.  This last year, when we wanted to gather photos of loved one's remembrance, I dove into the photo albums though.

The last time I had photos printed was in 2019 and at Costco.  Now they don't even have a photo department.  I made my Husband a collage shadow box of our trip to Utah and Nevada for Christmas that year.  It now hangs in our living room.

At work, I take photos of my students and print them myself to post on my classroom wall.  They love to see themselves and others who have completed the same music books they have.

Some of you still take special Christmas family photos for the annual Christmas card.  Are you planning on taking pictures this year?  How will you share them?  Maybe this is the year to set them out on the coffee table for the family to enjoy.