I’ve teamed up with the guys over at Northern Teas to bring you some great gift ideas, or you might even want to treat yourself. Obviously we all want to feel fresh as we start the New Year and green tea is without a doubt the way to go. You can use green tea instead of detox teas and get plenty of the same benefits.

These green teas are calorie free and are tasty and excellent quality. They are so much better than the ones you get in the supermarket. The ones that I got sent are Ti Quan Yin, Japanese Sencha Fukujyu and Japanese Gyokuro,

Ti Quan Yin

This is a fine quality Chinese Oolong green tea that originates from southern china, and the leaves are rolled tightly into little balls. It takes 3 to 5 minutes for the tea to brew, which is pretty average for green tea. It is a pleasant, aromatic and refined tea. It is one that can be enjoyed at any time of the day.

Sencha Fukujyu

This is also known as Green Spider Leg, because of the look of the tealeaves. It has a sweet, grassy taste but it is a smooth texture. It originates in China but is processed Japanese style. It has a short brew time of 2 to 3 minutes. The leaves are neat, flat green and stalks, flecked with hints of yellow. Indulge in a cup of this at the end of the day, I know I will be.

Japanese Gyokuro

This is a variety of Ryokucha, it is picked during the first round of harvest and shaded from the sun for some time before the harvest. This gives a delightful flavour with a very delicate, pale liquor. This again takes 2 to 3 minutes to brew, and it also has neat, flat green leaves and stalks, flecked with hints of yellow. It has sweet, mild and a very smooth flavour with a pale yellow liquor. This should also be indulged at the end of the day, looks like I’ll be alternating between this and Sencha Fukujyu.

Prices vary from £4.50 to £7.50 for 50g of these teas. This is due to the origin of the teas and the quality, so it’s worth the money! These are a fantastic Christmas present, don’t forget to get your tea strainers as all the teas are loose and I’d also recommend getting a teapot to make it that little bit more special!

PS. Don't forget all views are my own, and we all know how much I love green tea so you know it's the truth!

Christmas Present Ideas

I’ve been a bit hesitant about announcing this but now seems like a better time than any to share this.

I’ve been trying to get a bit more creative (which you know) and I now have an etsy shop, oooooh, which only has a few items but some that will be perfect for Christmas.

First up is for the new students (or old if you fancy it), a "survival kit". It’s perfect as a little start up in case they forget anything and it is completely tailored to the individual.

Second, is the stationary box. If you love stationary as much as I do, then you need this. Again this is tailored to the individual dependent on the needs (if you work in an office or you’re in education etc.) and favourite colours of course.

Lastly, and most definitely my favourite, is the hot chocolate mix gift. It is an unbelievably cute present idea and such a simple but great gift for just about anyone!

That was a shameless plug right there, so here’s a couple of ideas for you to make yourself.

Chocolate:

My idea for this is to melt a load of chocolate over a pan of simmering water with a bit of butter then pour it into a baking tray lined with greaseproof paper. Then you can add basically any decoration you like! I know for mine I’m going to add some mini marshmallows and candy cane and snowflake sprinkles. The great thing about this is that you can use any cocoa percentage chocolate and any decoration. You could add dried fruit for a bit of colour or even some glitter sprinkles!

The second idea I had is made with a lot of love! I’ve decided to do a gift basket for breakfast with various things you need. I haven’t made it yet but here’s a website that has tonnes more ideas you could use!


To win your very own Hot Chocolate Mix, enter here! UK only i'm afraid.


a Rafflecopter giveaway