Monthly Archives: January 2020

The last Degustabox of 2019*

05th January 2020
Box gifted by Degustabox
This is a PR box, this means there will sometimes be additional flavours or products than you’d get as a subscriber, I will highlight this within my post.

The last Degustabox of 2019 was definitely a case of saving the best to last for me. With it’s theme of “Gourmet and Fiesta” there was genuine excitement over a lot of these products and I wasted absolutely no time in getting stuck in (and then wasted a lot of time before getting this post up, oops!)

These jumbo wrapped cashews from Gloriously Grown (£3 from Sainsburys) are delicious. I’ve never had skin-on cashews before but I 100% would again.
I was hesitant to try this Vermouth & Tonic spritz from Pedrino (£1.95 from Ocado/Waitrose/Amazon) as I’m not a massive Vermouth fan, however, I followed a suggestion on the bottle to serve with gin and ice and whilst I wouldn’t go out of my way to buy it, I would certainly drink it if offered.
I’m not a beer fan personally but Lagunitas Daytime Session IPA (£1.80 from Asda/Morrisons/Pub & Bars) was a hit with my brother when he popped round over Christmas.
Both of these products are exclusive to the Alcohol version of the box.
Very Lazy chopped garlic is a long-term staple in our kitchen (£1.50 from major supermarkets) and we are never without a jar. We slather it over roast potatoes with some rosemary. Yum!
We haven’t actually used these Blue Dragon products yet, but can’t wait to do so! The Thai Holy Basil stir-fry sounds delicious (£1.50 from Tesco/Waitrose/Sainsburys/Ocado) and will be the perfect way to use up some leftover chicken in the freezer.
The Teriyaki skewers (£2.70 from Asda/Morrisons/Tesco/Waitrose/Ocado) have been ear-marked for Bob’s lunch box, we bought the Satay version of this kit earlier in December and found it brilliant and delicious so we’re excited to use this one- so good for work lunches with a little steam pot of rice.
I’m already a fan of Indie Bay pretzels and these dark or milk chocolate covered ones are a delicious addition to the range (£1.25 from online store/Amazon/Whole Foods Market/Planet Organic). At fewer than 150 calories per pack these are packed with ancient grains and are a good source of fibre so are a naughty but nice New Year treat.
Yay sweets! My brother and his girlfriend are huge candy kittens fans and had been looking everywhere for this flavour so I kindly gave them this bag to share. It looks like this flavour is currently exclusive to Morrisons so grab it if you can, it got rave reviews from my bro, and I can vouch for every other flavour this brand makes- you’d never know they were vegan.
Smith and Sinclair alcoholic cocktail gummies have featured in Degustabox a few times now. Each gummy contains half a shot of alcohol and are suitable for vegans. I did enjoy the Pineapple Bellini flavour, and whilst at £15 for 8 they are an indulgence for sure, you can get 15% off the full range at smithandsinclair.com with the code DEGUSTA.
These chocolate treats from King Monty are exclusive to the non-alcohol Degustabox this month. I don’t have much information on them, but they are plant based and gluten free so suitable for just about everyone. My favourite was the pop rice flavour as I loved the combination of textures, but the orange flavour is lovely as well.
This is a lovely fruity tea from Oteas (£3.39 from Oteas website/Amazon/Ocado). All the goodness of green tea, with sweet and sour notes from the cherries, cranberries and strawberries. I’d love to try more from this brand.
Bob and I made short work of these Gruyère and Spinach Twists from Ardens. They are so light and airy but pack a seriously strong punch of flavour. I mostly enjoyed them dipped in to soup, whereas Bob ate them mostly straight from the pack (£1.75 from Waitrose). We’ll definitely be getting these again!
I love these granola bars from Made Good (£2.90 from Asda). Subscribers will get one of the three flavours in their box. My favourite was the chocolate banana, but I’ve happily eaten all of these. They are allergy friendly, under 100 calories and make the perfect handbag snack for on the go.

Let me know if you’ve tried any of these products and what you thought in the comments.

If you’re new to Degustabox, it’s a monthly food subscription box that gives you the chance to try new and exciting products on the market whilst providing amazing value for money.
On a month by month basis the box costs £12.99 (with a discount for longer subscriptions) but the contents are generally worth far more than this as you can see if you do the maths.

If you’re persuaded to give Degustabox a go (and really, you should) you can claim a brilliant £5.00 off of your first box (making it just £7.99!) by entering the code XOQGC at the checkout. It’s been a pleasure to work with the brand regularly over the last couple of years and it’s without a doubt something that I will continue to purchase long after our partnership ends. I love the monthly surprise and excitement as well as the chance to discover products I’d otherwise pass up on the supermarket shelves.

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Nightmare Setbacks When Moving Home*

04th January 2020

Moving home should be an enjoyable experience, but for all of you reading this who have moved home before, you know that not always to be true. Whilst it is enjoyable in the sense that you’re finally getting a place to call your own, it’s not enjoyable in that there are just so many things that can go wrong. It seems to be far more complicated to move from one home to the other than it used to be, and it has now become a rather daunting process. It becomes even harder if you’re moving from one home to the other. First time home buyers are lucky in the sense that they only have to buy a home; when you add in selling your own home into the mix, there are far more things that can go wrong. So, I want to run through some of the nightmares that you might be dealing with, and how you can ensure you’re avoiding them where possible.

Photo by Alexandra Gorn on Unsplash

Your Home Not Selling

If your home isn’t selling the stress really begins to kick in. This is particularly true if you have already put down a deposit on another house on the basis that yours was soon to sell. If your home is not selling then there are a few things you can do to try and boost the chances. You can advertise it through different estate agents for one. We know it costs a fee to do so, but some people prefer to buy through specific estate agents, so only advertising through one is going to seriously limit your choices of buyers. The other obvious alternative is to lower the price of your house. Arguably, it’s going to affect the move of your home in terms of your budget, but it will allow you to get a quicker sale.

The Legal Side Of Things 

The legal side of things is going to be one of the most expensive, especially if the process is carried out far longer than it needs to be. So to avoid the nightmare, you need to find a solicitor that’s going to speed the process up, giving you a professional service. Bannister Preston is just one of the law firms that will do that for you. You need people who know the ins and outs of the processes, as well as how to handle setbacks from the solicitors working with the sellers or buyers on the other side. It’s always good to try and go with solicitors who offer a one time fee, rather than paying for time. You never know how long as sale is going to take, and how much help you’re going to need from them. 

Buyers Pulling Out 

Buyers pulling out is definitely something you need to contend with. When selling your home to move into another, it’s one of the most common things to happen. There’s really nothing you can do about this one, so avoid the nightmare of putting everything into play because you think your home has sold. Hold off until the contracts have been signed, because up until that moment anything at all can happen!


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How Smart Technology Could Change Your Home For The Better*

03rd January 2020

The world is evolving into a technology minefield, with people continually finding ways to make their lives more comfortable with the help of various bits of machinery and equipment. If you don’t jump on board and get technical you may risk being left behind in a sea of new upgrades. The most significant modern and upcoming trend is smart home technology, but what is it, and why should you be jumping on board?

Photo by Priscilla Du Preez on Unsplash

What is smart home technology?

Smart home technology (also known as home automation) is an umbrella term for using internet-powered devices to provide security, comfort and convenience in the home. The tools are endless; with new ways to control aspects of your home being released every day, with a large proportion of being able to be controlled via your smartphone, it’s a quicker and easier way to control things in your home such as:

Heating

Lighting 

Locks

TV and music

Appliances

Although the first smart home firm was founded in 2005 it’s still a relatively new concept especially in domestic homes. Large brands including Amazon, Google and Apple have all since followed the trend and invented products that are commonly used in 2019 and in to 2020.

Why should you be investing in smart home technology?

There’s a lot of speculation about how efficient and overall beneficial smart home technology is, so we’ve compiled a list of the benefits and facts that will make your choice clear. 

You can save money on your heating bills

One of the most substantial bills you have every year is your heating bill, with the average household power/gas bill being £1,254. Your heating bills shouldn’t be that high, and the reason they are could be down to efficiency and usage. Smart thermostats are a recent piece of kit that connects your heating system to the internet. Depending on which device you opt for it can change your temperature, what room you are heating and boiler safety- from anywhere you like as long as you have WIFI. Smart thermostats don’t have any correlation with your energy supplier either, so you can install whenever you want. It could save you £££ on your energy bills each year, but it is a substantial investment- with the average smart thermostat costing £250. Make sure you get a qualified gas engineer if you are making any big changes.

Your home safety

Smart home technology can make your home a safer environment- when you’re there and when you’re not. The most popular way to improve your home safety is via smart doorbell. They’ve taken off fast, with an easy way to watch who’s coming by your house. They include built-in camera’s, microphones and speakers that notify your phone when someone rings your doorbell- and you can even answer them via phone rather than answering your door. Although it’s a hefty investment at an average of £100, it’s an excellent device to put your mind at rest- especially if you are away from home often.

Improved Appliance Functionality

If you decide to go all out with smart devices, you can buy kits that connect to your appliances such as lights, ovens and washing machines. Using these not only makes it easier for you to control from the sofa but can help make your activity more accurate too!

What device?

Now you know just how great having smart home technology can be, it’s time to decide what is most important to invest in- and which brand is best. Here are our top 3 smart home devices of 2019, which will make an excellent investment in 2020: 

Swan wire-free smart video doorbell

At an appealing price of £49.99, this smart doorbell is one of the cheapest on the market- yet it provides an excellent service bound to help you feel safe. It’s features include:

Wireless connect

Day and night vision

Two-way talk

Heat sensor

30 days of free recording

Overall, it’s a handy device to start your smart home adventure and worth every penny!

Google Nest learning thermostat

Possibly one of the popular devices for new homes, this thermostat connects up to your boiler (it is compatible with most boiler types, and comes free with selected boiler purchases at BOXT.) It’s a bit more of a hassle to set up, as you need to have a professional come and fit it, but the result is worth it. You can control everything to do with your heating through Nest, and it programmes itself after only a week to adjust during the day depending on your schedule. It well and truly is smart and in our eyes worth the £219 price tag. 

Amazon Alexa

Over 100 million Alexa devices have already been sold, which is why it’s made our top list. The Alexa is essentially a premium speaker with voice controls, so you don’t have to use a remote. However, it can connect up to other smart home devices to control them too. Look at it as a hub for all your devices to work together! You can buy them off Amazon for £89.99. 

Smart home technology is continuously evolving and confusing. But with the help of this guide, you’ve now got your headstart to begin saving money and increasing home convenience!

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