Travel

Contigo - Travel Mugs

laras tuesday

Given that we live in a time where everything is fast and on-the-go, even the most practical items were bound to jump on board. Currently, you may not pay much attention to your coffee mug, but we at The Amazing Blog have found a company that makes simple yet elegant hassle-free mugs to keep your drinks hot or cold during the busiest days.  Contigo has taken the art of mug making and has formed it into a business, a business that is steadily booming here in the UK as well as other countries around the world. Contigo offers a wide array of products ranging from travel mugs, water bottles, kids cups and coffee mugs. We were lucky enough to try two of their travel mugs, the Morgan and their best-seller West Loop, both of which were a big-hit here in the office.

The Morgan AUTOSEAL Thermo Cup is stylish and easyt to carry throughout your busy day. The cup is made of soft-touch plastic and comes in four bright colours. Their design was praised by Red Dot, especially the AUTOSEAL feature that allows you to open the mug with the press of a button and seals upon release, making it 100% spill proof. I have been using this mug and have no problem with leaks considering I just throw it into my handbag on the way to work. I also enjoy the reservoir feature that keeps some of your drink a bit cooler for your next sip, eliminating those ever annoying scalds of the tongue. Though it helps protect you from burning your mouth, this cup keeps drinks hot for an hour and drinks cold for up to four.

If you are a bit more adventurous and need more from your thermo cup, you may need to try the West Loop. West Loop is a Stainless Steel Vacuum Insulated Mug which also features the AUTOSEAL making it 100% spill proof. The double insulated walls will keep your drinks hot for up to 4 hours or cold for up to 12, making it ideal for those long business trips or weekend hikes. West Loop comes available in 9 colours and is top-rack dishwasher safe (just like the Morgan), making the clean up as easy as the sip.

To get your hands on these lovely, hassle-free mugs visit the Contigo online shop here!  Next time you are trying to enjoy your drink while lugging your groceries, handbag, your child or all three at once, know that your drink is safe in your hands and only a press of a button away.

The Amazing Blog's Bank Holiday Essentials!

It is with heavy hearts that we note Autumn is now looming and Summer now drawing to a close.  This weekend we're all preparing for the bank holiday which is only a week away! This is the perfect break away for us all to get some ‘me-time’ and take in the last bursts of sunshine (we hope) getting away for a long  weekend with friends and family.  In anticipation, here at The Amazing Blog we have compiled a special collection of products that we think are absolute essentials for your bank holiday travel adventures.  Enjoy... Oh-lief is one of our greatest  discoveries - it hails  all the way from  South African. Thecompany was born ‘out of the desire to use products that would not harm the skin or the environment. Their products are made from locally sourced, 100% natural, organic and raw ingredients. We've all been blown-away by what we can only describe as their 'miracle cream' it's the Oh-lief's Natural Aqueous Cream. Originallyformulated for babies’ skin (but perfectly fine for adults too).  It is a brilliant multi-tasker - i.e.  as a  great cleansing wash or a highly moisturising body and face butter. Basically it's fantastic 'all-in-one'.  The product is a very thick, soft, hydrating cream and as we mentioned, 100% natural . The Natural Aqueous Cream retails at £6.83 and can be purchased from the Savant Health websitefrom the 1st September. It's perfect for everyone from baby to granny and will be ideal for any family who travel.

Natural-Olive-Aqueuos-Cream-250ml
Natural-Olive-Aqueuos-Cream-250ml

Vegesentials is another one of our new finds. With no  pre-packaged or GMI ingredients their new range of combined fruit and vegetable drinks are not only unusual but delicious and good for you too.  Absolutely perfect for the whole family to enjoy, they come in five different blended flavours. Our favourites were the Carrot, Mango, and Parsnip and the Celery, Apple, and Kale varieties. They are cleverly blended, and do not taste like a salad as some of you might think. They're great way to get part of your five-a-day and  for also putting into your rucksack or the car for the long journey ahead. They are available for £1.59 from the Vegesentials website as well as Whole Foods stores and Waitrose.

Vegesentials Full Range 2
Vegesentials Full Range 2

Another interesting product that we found is the healing Cardiospermum Gel. It is a clear to green-ish gel created from the Cardiospermum Plant (as name suggests). This is a wonderful remedy for people with sensitive skin as this plant extract and aloe extract in the formula are very soothing for sensitive and dry skin. We think that this would be good for anyone who over-suns themselves and needs some instant skin-cooling relief. The only thing you might want to be a little careful about is not to use this gel on broken skin - it stings! Again,  it's perfect for people who are travelling and who are spending time outdoors where we know skin irritations often happen. The Cardiospermum Gel is available from The Skin Shop website for £9.95.

CardioGel_enhanced_media
CardioGel_enhanced_media

For those of you heading off to the beach for the bank holiday weekend, you might like to think about a very special sunscreen. We stumbled upon a unique formula called Safe Sea by Lifesystems and Nidaria Technology which has an amazing Jellyfish Sting Protection. We have the 15, 30 and 50 SPF and are looking forward to taking this with us to the seaside as this is the year for record breaking shoals of Jellyfish on our UK shores -  therefore we think it most appropriate!  Safe Sea Sunscreen with Jellyfish Sting Protection was developed to help protect against the stinging mechansim of most Jellyfish, Sea Nettle, Sea Lice and Coral. It contains unique, patented ingredients that deactivate the stinging mechanism, leaving you safe and sound. Jellyfish and the like are becoming increasingly common both at home and abroad, but Safe Sea will help to take the sting out of any chance encounter. A truly amazing formula that you can purchase the sunscreen on the Purple Turtlewebsite for £9.95.

SafeSeaKids-150w
SafeSeaKids-150w

Packing snacks for weekends away is a must, as we all know there's always someone who will be moaning about being hungry on the journey. Pre-made granola is a perfect snack to bring along on these occasions, and we have found one that is sure to please everyone - even those  with dietary restriction. Nature’s Path Organic Gluten Free Nice & Nobbly Granola this is delicious and gluten-free, so it is perfect for those who cannot have the usual cracker type snacks. We tried their Pumpkin Seeds, Almond & Raisins with a Dash of Cinnamon  and their Blueberries, Raspberries, Strawberries & Yoghurt Chunks varieties.  Both of which we highly recommend, they were extremely moreish on the taste buds and we found ourselves continually nibbling straight from the packets - so also perfect for in between phone calls in the office! Plus, this granola will be brilliant to help fill any hunger pangs and keep you and your companions bolstered up for the trip. Visit the Nature's Path website for information on their stockists.

pumpkin seeds image
pumpkin seeds image

And finally for all those chatter-boxes on your journey, we've  found something to help you compete (after all you'll need something to keep your lips moist to respond to all their banter); its the wonderful Kukui & Shea Butter Natural Lip balm fromPure Thoughts This lip balm helps to soothe and protect with its unusual Kukui nut oil (well-known for its ability to heal dry skin). It's unscented and can also be used anywhere on the body to treat dry skin.  Pure Thoughts is a 100% natural skincare company that we have recently discovered. They do lots of other products too (watch out for our review on their Whipped Shea Body Butter). But we think that this lip balm is a real winner it smells lovely, the feel is just perfect - silky instead of sticky. It retails for £3.95 on the Pure Thoughts website.

Kukui Shea Butter Balm Group 2
Kukui Shea Butter Balm Group 2

A Novel Idea...

When imagining my future house it tends to go a little something like this: sprawling country mansion, acres of land, Range Rover in the drive way, shabby chic interiors, Farrow and Ball neutrals on the walls and lots of quirky little pieces dotted around the house from Moroccan bazaars, Parisian antiques houses and family-run shops in little Netherlands villages. Not too much to ask, right?

And while the country estate and Range Rover may have to wait a decade or two, having come across the fabulous Jasmine Way website, I can already start building my collection of unusual home accessories.

Founded in 2008, the team at Jasmine Way have spent the last three years travelling through continental Europe and the Middle East, in search of unique and distinctive pieces from small suppliers, thus ensuring an element of exclusivity in each and every one of their products.

As the resident bookworm at Amazing PR HQ, one of my favourite finds on offer from Jasmine Way has got to be this Cardboard Stool Bookworm. Created by Stefanie Keppler and Ingo Fremmer, founders of a German design studio, this unusual stool certainable won’t be able to buy from Ikea. And never having excelled in DIY, it’s thankfully very easy to assemble, can be used as either a stool or a side table, and can be dismantled after use if lacking in space. And at just £23, it’s an absolute steal, so check out their website and snap yourself up a unique treat for that future dream home of your own.