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!

Peppermint Hot Cocoa Bites Recipe

Are you like me and the Christmas treats and snacks are down to the last couple in the cookie jar? Maybe you’ve decided to do away with them because you’ve got to fit in to “real” pants to go to work tomorrow. 

You probably wouldn’t be impressed if I said Valentine’s Day will be here before you know it (it was * just * December the other day after all). This is a recipe I originally found on King Arthur’s Baking LINK but have changed and adapted it for my own liking. 

For Christmas I found peppermint candy cane topped chocolate wafers at Bulk Barn.  They were easily cut in half to fit on the tops of these small one bite cookies.  For a winter treat, a mini marshmallow would work in the middle as would a cinnamon heart for Valentines Day or a Hershey’s kiss, but not the full size, I’d choose the baking ones instead. Or just leave the topping off all together. 

I used Tim Horton’s products and even these could be played around with. After I’d made these they released their Candy Cane Hot Chocolate for the season. Starbucks had a Hot Chocolate mix out as well but I find their products pricier.  So you see, you can almost do as you like. 

The decaf coffee lends an interesting note but isn’t prominent. I used decaf because who wants to have their sleep interrupted because of too much caffeine? Maybe only Santa!

I really enjoyed these cookies with evening tea and now that the dull January days have started you just might enjoy them too. 

 

You Can Change Any Time You Want

There’s a lot of pressure at this time of year to make sweeping and drastic changes to your life because of the ringing in of the new year. 

I’m here to tell you that not only do you not need to do that but also that you can change any time you want to. Just because a New Year is approaching doesn't mean you have to have everything suddenly figured out or accomplish everything on your to-do list for 2023.  

You don’t need to do it January 1st 2024 either. You can do it today. You can do it Jan 15 or July 15 for that matter. 

Here's something else that might blow your mind.  If you do decide to start, you can re-start too.

And you can do that as many times as you want or need.

You can make and re-make the to-do list.  We change and our priorities change and it can all happen in a split second.

In a blog post I wrote last year, called Diet is NOT a Christmas Word, I talked about letting go of diet hang ups and enjoying all the season has to offer, within reason of course.  I'm not going to preach about healthy eating habits or joining gyms instead I think these words sum it up well.  "It's all right letting yourself go as long as you can let yourself back."  Mick Jagger said that.  I have no idea what it's in reference to but I'm fine not knowing because it serves me well just thinking about it.  I even have it as a quote in the sidebar of this blog page.

You have to give yourself permission to let yourself back.

We've all indulged over the holiday.  Sugar cookies, fudge, extra handfuls of M&M's while baking etc etc.....  I made the personal choice to just not worry over the holidays.  Do I want to be the miserable one wishing I could have the Nanaimo bar?  No.  However, just like I made that decision to not worry, I've also given myself the timeline to stop too.  Because in the same way that I don't want to be unhappy by having to decline Christmas goodies, I also don't want the feeling of how snug my pants feel.  The day I'm stopping?  That's the day my Christmas vacation is over and I go back to work.

We know that memories and food are tied together.  I remember one Christmas Eve we had a large family meal at my In-Laws and then went to the Christmas Eve church service.  We were so full!  We had to stand and sing and I recall looking over to my Father in Law because he too was struggling to sing and breath just like I was!  We decided to not do that again - the service not the food. Ha!

I also recall another Christmas where I had gotten pants as a gift and they didn't fit.  I went to the store in January and the size bigger didn't fit either.  Nor did the size bigger than that.  I felt so awful.  I was also unaware of how retailers are sneaky with their sizing.  Since then and working a stint in women's clothing retail I've realized the letters and numbers on the tag don't really mean a lot from store to store or within the same building!

Another friend, no not Mick Jagger, but Denny said to me many times ago, but I paraphrase... Christmas is 1 day out of 365 and not 365 itself.

Trying is the important part.  Will it be easy to have one snack instead of two?  Stop having the cream in my coffee or tea? Making sure I eat a fruit and a vegetable everyday?  You better believe I'm going to try though and try and try again.

In the autumn of 2020 I made the choice to try and be healthier.  T R Y.  I've made a lot of lifestyle changes since then which I'm very pleased with.  Times change and our bodies change and I am deciding to once again make health a priority.  I know that I have to exercise for my mental health as well as bodily health.  I know I need to keep track of my sugar, fat and fibre intake.  These are the things that have gotten me to 2023.

You can bet that I will restart many times.  It's fine if you do too. Starting or re-starting doesn't mean you've failed.  It means that you care enough to keep going.  Remember, failure is how the diet industry wants to make you feel and it's how they make money.  Words like "on track" or

"cheating" are words that fit into that category too.  Don't let them have power over your feelings.  Give yourself the power instead.

Fuel your body and mind. Nourish your soul. Make memories.  

Here's to all of us in 2024 and the changes we want to make or don't want to make.  We are all pretty amazing the way we are but I know, for my own self, that I can be an even better version and that's what I want to strive to be.