Eco-friendly Light Up Kettle from Stellar

The Stellar SEA31 glass electric kettle can boil up to 1.7 litres, or just one cup, without effecting the heating element. Clever, if you're trying to save the world one tea bag at a time. 

The best part for me however is the novelty that it lights up blue when in action, so I can have a little disco in the kitchen in the morning. 

The Swan Vintage Teasmade- Mine at Last

It's handy that you all know I'm a weirdo already, because I'm about to confide in you a childhood desire that definitely wasn't normal.

When I was about seven, eight and upwards, I was drawn to the white goods section of the Argos catalogue, to the teasmades. I didn't drink a tremendous amount of tea as a preteen or anything, but I was fascinated by the clock, kettle, often picture frame, mash-up gadget and the idea of having one in my own bedroom came with very grown-up aspirations. My parents, being good, non-boiling-water-giving-to-child parents, never ticked the Swan Teasmade off my Santa list, but it's one product that's always tickled my fancy to this day.

Now Teasmades are seen as vintage, and one of their original manufacturers, Swan, know that there are Nesspressos & fancy podded coffee do-dahs out there, but there are folks like me who still want a part alarm clock, part kettle gadget. So they brought back the Teasmade in 2009 after an absence of a number of years, to great success. There are a number of models available though www.JohnLewis.com and www.Swan-Brand.co.uk fulfilled my lifetime dream of Teasmade ownership and sent me their crisp white model.

It's my very own non-weaponised Transformer- half alarm clock, half tea pot. Brew-a-tron!
And it works a treat. Makes enough tea for two cups & is self cleaning as only water goes inside the machine. I have M.E. and often have to sleep part of the early afternoon to have the energy for my son coming home from school, so now when I do I can set my Teasmade to wake me twenty minutes before the school run with a lovely pot of Suki Tea.


Then and Now. Many more vintage photos on the www.Facebook.com/Teasmade page

Beautiful Tea Cosies & 15% Off Suki Tea

Well last night was supposed to be the last post of Tea Week, but www.Suki-Tea.com contacted me with a glorious 15% off code for all World of Kitsch readers, so I simply had to share.
Enter 'Winner' at the checkout.

Here is the blog post about my tea tasting trip to the Suki Tea warehouse last week.
/worldofkitsch/tea-tasting-at-belfasts-suki-tea

These beautiful, handmade tea cosies are from http://www.etsy.com/shop/jarg0n

Popcorn & Chocolate Teas? That'll be teapigs. 15% off orders, Exclusively for World of Kitsch readers.

It's been Tea Week on The World of Kitsch, with tea tastings & unusual teapots aplenty.

I'm rounding off the week by introducing you to teapigs & offering all World of Kitsch readers 15% off at www.teapigs.co.uk

Their tea 'menu' reads like a pick'n'mix of treats and delights. The packaging is deliciously kitsch, with sausage dogs, windmills & stags as blend ambassadors.

Embarrassingly there was also a chocolate tea, which I accidentally forgot to photograph, so keen was I to get stuck into it.

If you're anything like me, you'll be sold on the packaging, never mind the rave reviews the varieties get on the website.
So how about 15% off and a tea treat for yourself? That's off everything on site apart from gifts & existing offers.
Just enter BLOGGERS12 at the checkout for a tea time bargain. I recommend the Creme Caramel by the way.

teapigs are also a social media savvy bunch, so say hello at www.facebook.com/drinkrealtea or chat Olympic tea brewing with them on Twitter @teapigs
They also have a newsletter with discounts, so thrifty drinkers get involved.

Watch out for the big blog birthday giveaway this week, as I will be giving away a selection of teapigs tasters.

Tea Tasting at Belfast's Suki Tea

I'm a standard teabag, two sugars & milk kinda girl, but thanks to today's visit to the Suki Tea HQ in Belfast, I'm ready to open up my larder to all sorts of leaves & herbs.

My son & I along with Twitter friend Rosemary joined our Tea Expert host & company founder Oscar to try out a literal world of tastes.

Oscar explained the correct preparations of the various tea types (all available on Suki Tea packaging so you can brew the leaves the way they are intended) and shared with us the journey Suki tea blends take, from Fair Trade tea farms to the teapot.

We tried liquorice infused tea, which doesn't taste at all as I imagined, you must try some for yourself when you visit www.Suki-Tea.com

Suki is sold all over the world, but one of the top sellers is good, old Belfast Brew. A strong breakfast tea that hallions like me can dunk their sugars into & swig with buttered toast.

Oscar gave me some lovely tea samples to try at home, and a very cool Suki Teapot, perfect for preparing their drinks properly. You can also buy these on www.Suki-Tea.com if you're a tea lover.