Style And Function In Everyday Objects

When you have company over I am guessing that setting a lovely table is important. It's not so much about impressing people, it's about letting them know they are important. I know that's exactly how I feel.

So I got excited when I was able to try out these three products from Minos! I love their products and have been very impressed with not only their looks, but how well they work in my daily life and for using nice serving pieces when company comes over.

The first one is something I didn't think I would use too much, but now that I have been using it, I can see myself using it a lot. It is the 17 OZ. Polished Stainless Steel Teapot. I know, 17 oz is not that much, but is just the right amount for a coffee mug. It is made from stainless steel with a polished mirror finish and has a wonderful micro mesh filter that fits snugly inside for brewing a perfect cup of tea without getting any leaves or pieces in your cup.

The teapot is, I think, just the right size to make just what you need without any waste. It comes with three nifty silicone handles that you can change to suit your style, taste or mood. The silicone also helps keep your hand safe from the heat of the stainless steel. It is so easy to brew the tea. Fill the filter with the tea, pour boiling water over it and place the teapot lid that has built-in pour spouts on. It will brew the perfect cup in no time and keep it warm because of the stainless steel. This little teapot is perfect for use at work or at home.

The second and third products I tried out are very nice stainless steel pieces as well. They compliment the teapot. They are the 8.5 OZ. Stainless Steel Creamer Pitcher and the 8.5 OZ. Stainless Steel Sugar Bowl With Lid. Both are made from food grade stainless steel that is polished to a mirror finish and look fantastic sitting on the table or counter. They really look so nice.

The creamer has tapered sides, making it easy to hold on to. It does not have a handle, which at first I was not to sure about. After using it for a while, I found I like it not having the handle. Holding on to the whole pitcher was easier to control, especially with the arthritis I have in my hands. The size of the creamer is perfect for a whole family. You can fill it knowing that you aren't going to waste any when the meal is over.

The sugar bowl reminds you of the sweet teapot or their Moka Pot Espresso Makers. It matches perfectly and looks so nice on the table or counter next to the creamer. The lid fits nice and snugly on the top keeping the sugar sealed in well when not in use. No worries about it getting too much moisture from the air and hardening up. It also holds plenty of sugar cubes well too. There is a small opening just the right size for a pair of sugar tongs or a spoon.

I can honestly say that the Minos products are very high quality and look fantastic. We've received a lot of compliments on them and I highly recommend them all to you!

You can purchase the Minos 17 OZ. Polished Stainless Steel Teapot HERE!
You can purchase the Minos 8.5 OZ. Stainless Steel Creamer Pitcher HERE!
You can purchase the Minos 8.5 OZ. Stainless Steel Sugar Bowl With Lid HERE!

This reviewer received the product free or at a discounted price in order to bring you an honest review. No other form of compensation was given. All opinions are those of the reviewer.

Tea Council Giveaway

Welcome to the Tea Council of the USA Giveaway.   

Although all true teas come from the same plant, Camellia sinensis, they each have their own unique attributes, including:

• The individual countries and regions where different types of tea are produced (more than 30 countries grow tea!).
• The many types of tea – more 3,000 varieties of tea in the world – and their diverse flavors and characteristics resulting from local geography, climate, elevation and soil.
• The unique tea customs and ceremonies of different cultures.
• The unique health benefits associated with drinking tea. Regular tea consumption has been linked with cardiovascular health, cognitive health, cancer prevention, and weight management, among others.

In honor of the beloved beverage and in celebration of National Hot Tea Month (January!) the Tea Council of the USA is launching the IndividualiTEA Photo Sharing Sweepstakes, to give tea lovers across the nation an opportunity to win $500 and a year’s supply of tea. Simply post a photo, video or explanation of the unique ways, times, and places you like to enjoy your favorite tea – black, green, white or oolong – on Twitter with the hashtag #IndividualiTEA and tag @TeaCouncil to enter. Then, on January 12, 2017 The Tea Council will celebrate with the second annual National Hot Tea Day.

How to enter:

The sweepstakes runs through January 31, 2017. A copy of the official rules can be found here. Enter as many times as you'd like and don't forget to tag and tell your friends!

• Share a photo, video or explanation of the unique ways, times, and places you like to enjoy your favorite tea on Twitter and at http://bit.ly/2e6EMBx with the hashtag #IndividualiTEA and tag @TeaCouncil.

You'll be prompted to finalize your entry for a chance to win at http://bit.ly/2e6EMBx.

About the Tea Council of the USA: The Tea Council of the USA is a non-profit association that was formed in 1950 as a joint partnership between tea packers, importers and allied industries within the United States, and the major tea producing countries. It functions as the promotional arm of the tea industry with a primary goal of increasing overall awareness of tea by providing information about its many positive attributes. One of the Council's primary objectives is the dissemination of key scientific findings about tea to the public. The Tea Council does this in several ways including: funding scientific meetings to bring tea researchers from around the world together to share key information and identify next steps for future research projects; and working with health organizations and international scientists to disseminate information about potential positive health effects of tea consumption on a public level

Enter for your chance to win a Tea Council of the USA pack on the rafflecopter below. 

Giveaway Dates:  11/23-12/2

Must be 18 years old or older US residents in order to win. Winners have 24 hours to claim their prize via email. US Tea Council  is responsible for shipment of the prize not the individual blogs helping promote this event.

Enter for your chance to win below!

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Disclosure: We reserve the right to make revisions, to cancel, or suspend this contest for any reason. We are not associated with any of the companies named above. The odds of winning are based on the number of entries received Open to the US 18+ only. Confirmed Winner(s) will be contacted by email. Winner(s) have 24 hours to respond before a new winner is chosen. No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited by law. The sponsor(s) will be responsible for product shipment to winner(s) of this giveaway. Life with Heidi (and any other blog participating) is not responsible for product shipment/delivery. This event is in no way administered, sponsored, or endorsed by, or associated with, Facebook and/or Twitter, Google, Pinterest. This disclosure is done in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission 10 CFR, Part 255 Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements. Entrants must only enter with either one email address, IP address and/or Facebook account, anyone found violating these rules will be disqualified. It is at the sole discretion of the admin of the giveaway if the winner has met the rules or not. Please email me at heidi@lifewithheidi.com with any questions or concerns.

The Minister's Wife did not receive any sample or other form of compensation for taking part in this giveaway promotion.

Simple, Classically Designed Whistling Tea Kettle From Chefs Limited

I think there is one thing that is slowly disappearing from kitchens today...the tea kettle. So many people have other ways of heating water for their tea or other things today. It's kind of sad to me. I have really fond memories from when I was young, of the tea kettle whistling on the stove.

Well this Whistling Tea Kettle from Chefs Limited is a beautiful and practical reminder of those days when I was a kid.

The tea kettle is made from stainless steel. That's perfect, since it will last and hold up for a very long time. The stainless steel makes the tea kettle sturdy and durable. It is still light weight too, even when full of water. It holds 2.75 quarts, which is a good amount. Plus the handle is very comfortable to hold on to. The silicone is thick enough to protect your hand from heat and comfy enough to give you a good grip on the handle. Very easy to pour with.

The lid fits on nice and snug. I really like that. You don't have to hold on to the lid while you pour. It stays put on it's own. I also really like the contrast of the polished stainless steel and the black coated stainless steel. It gives this kettle a really modern look, yet a classic look at the same time. It would work in a lot of kitchens.

The spout cover comes on and off easily. If you don't want to hear the kettle whistle, you can leave it off while you heat  it. I like having the whistle on myself. It's easy for me to get going doing other things and forget about the kettle heating. Just remember to use a pot holder when taking the cover off! It does get very hot! The spout is large and easy to pour with. Since it is so big, it is easy to prevent splash back while pouring.

The kettle is super easy to clean too, either hand wash in hot, soapy water, or just put it in the dishwasher. All in all, this is a really nice tea kettle that will work and look nice for a long time to come.

You can purchase the Chefs Limited Whistling Tea Kettle HERE!

This reviewer received the product free or at a discounted price in order to bring you an honest review. No other form of compensation was given. All opinions are those of the reviewer.

It's Time To Choose The Winner!

Did you notice that there is a lot of political stuff these day? Okay that was a silly question that all of you answered with a resounding "DUH"!

Just when you thought you had seen every kind of political thing out there, one more pops up, and this one is fun!

The TeaBook has introduced two new teas made just for election year, PoliTEAcal Teas! You may remember them from a previous post I did on some of their other teas. One of the PoliTEAcal Teas is Donald TEArump Pure White Tea With Peach and the other is Hillary ClinTEAn Vanilla Essence.

Each of these teas is made with the finest ingredients and each is flavorful and really very good! For me it's very hard to pick which one of the teas I like best. Gee sounds kinda like trying to figure out who to vote for doesn't it.

The PoliTEAcal series combines amazing art, satire and delicious organic tea. This is the perfect gift for someone that loves to talk about politics or collects political memorabilia. The limited run Donald Trump tea is called Donald TEArump, and the drawing contains 11 references to him and his campaign. Hidden references can be found here.

The limited run Hillary Clinton tea is called Hillay ClinTEAn, and the drawing contains 9 references to her and her campaign. Hidden references can be found here.

Now you may think this is just to much, but believe me, it's fun and creative. I loved the first two kinds of tea from Teabook and I was not disappointed by these at all. The flavor is amazing and you can't go wrong with either of these teas. The Hillary tea is best hot with a little cream, kind of chai-like. I like the Donald tea both hot with no sweetening and cold with lots of ice and a few slices of fresh peach. I can't say the same thing about either of the people featured though. Why not have a good cup of organic tea and a good laugh while you drink it.

I love these teas and highly recommend them to you! Get them fast, because both are limited edition teas and won't be around for long.

You can purchase either or both of the PoliTEAcal Teas HERE!

This reviewer received the product free or at a discounted price in order to bring you an honest review. No other form of compensation was given. All opinions are those of the reviewer.

Beautiful and Easy To Use Electric Tea Kettle

As an avid coffee and tea drinker, I love products that help me make a good beverage easier. Nothing like saving time to make something you love.

Willow & Everett has this very nice Stainless Steel 1L Electric Gooseneck Drip Kettle Teapot that does make heating water quicker and easier, so I can have my coffee or tea faster.

The kettle is made from stainless steel and is made really well. The whole thing is light weight, yet sturdy. The handle is very comfortable to hold on to and pour with. The lid is nice and snug and will not fall off when pouring. No need to hang on to it.

What I like is the spout. Although a traditional spout is nice, the gooseneck spout is great for helping to make specialty drinks and for pour over brewing. Pour over brewing is really nice to make excellent single cups of coffee or tea and this kettle really helps that process. You can direct the flow of the water in a more controlled way because of the gooseneck spout.

The base for the kettle is easy to use, and the cord is attached to it so you don't have to worry about a dangling cord while you pour the water. You simply plug it in, set the kettle on it and push down the button on the kettle to heat the water. There is a light indicator on the side of the kettle to let you know it is heating. When the water boils, the kettle will automatically turn off, so no worry about leaving the kettle heating too long like on the stove. It will not boil dry! Also, if you only want to warm up some water quickly, this is a great way to do it. When you pick the kettle up, the water stops heating. It does not turn back on when you set the kettle down.

This is a really nice electric kettle and one that not only works well, but looks really nice on the counter or sitting on the table. Since it is stainless steel, the heat holds in it for a good amount of time, so it is easy to make several cups of tea for yourself from one heating without warming the water again. It would make an awesome gift for a young couple, a college student to use in their dorm, or anyone who loves making pour over coffee and tea.

You can purchase the Willow & Everett Stainless Steel 1L Electric Gooseneck Drip Kettle Teapot HERE!

This reviewer received the product free or at a discounted price in order to bring you an honest review. No other form of compensation was given. All opinions are those of the reviewer.

The Best Tea Kettle I Have Ever Used

There is nothing like a good cup of tea. Although I am a die hard coffee lover, I do love having good tea too. They relax me and comfort me, especially on rainy days.

Although I do have an electric kettle, I still love having a nice tea kettle to have on the stove. I use it a lot for boiling larger quantities of water and it reminds me of my Mom. Those are both good reasons in my book. But there are more reasons. Simply put, this tea kettle I have now is wonderful and I can honestly say, the best one I have ever had or used!

The Willow & Everett Tea Kettle is 2.75 quarts and made of surgical stainless steel, iron and aluminum. The iron and aluminum help with the heat conductivity and the stainless steel helps protect the kettle from rusting and from chemicals leaching into your water. You don't see the iron or aluminum. They are completely covered with the stainless steel. I was surprised at how quickly the kettle boiled water.

The kettle also whistles, which is a fun blast from the past for me and the one my Mom had. I love that it whistles because I have a tendency of turning the heat on under it and getting distracted doing other things. The whistle brings me back quickly to get the kettle before it boils down too far.

The handle of the kettle is coated and has a comfortable grip. I love that the spout lever is easy to operate. Your hand does not tire holding the spout open. I will say though, that the kettle is substantial. It is not light weight, which to me is a good thing. It's going to hold up for years to come. It also looks so pretty sitting on my stove. The stainless steel is easy to clean and keep polished, so it always looks good with a mirror finish. it works on electric, gas and induction stove tops.

This kettle would make a wonderful gift for someone and it comes with a stainless steel tea infuser for the tea lover in your life!

You can purchase the Willow & Everett Tea Kettle HERE!

This reviewer received the product free or at a discounted price in order to bring you an honest review. No other form of compensation was given. All opinions are those of the reviewer.

Combining My Love For Tea and My Love For Books ~ Collect Teables!

Tea has always been a big part of my life. I have some really fond memories spending time with dear friends over a cup of tea. I also have very fond memories of time spent reading wonderful books and getting lost in the pages while drinking a good cup of tea.

That's why I love this new tea from The TeaBook. They are a part of their Collect Teables line. (Little aside here, I love the play on words they do!)

The two teas I tried out are themed after two of my favorite authors, William Shakespeare and Agitha Christie. They are ShakeSpearmint, which is a lovely spearmint tea, and Agatha ChrisTea, which is a smart Earl Grey tea. The line they are creating is such a fun idea. They are incorporating their wonderful teas with the names of well known authors that many of us had read over and over while drinking a cup of tea. it's such a fun idea and I applaud them for it!

The artwork on the front of the tea bag wrappers is very entertaining and well done. They make me smile. Each one has small tidbit of things you would remember from reading their work and it makes me smile. But as good as the art work is, the tea is even better. The TeaBook tea is 100% organic and Kosher. It also tastes fabulous! The spearmint has a bright flavor that smells amazing! It is relaxing and so enjoyable. The Earl Grey is a really good black tea with just a hint of oil of bergamot. That small extra in the tea just makes this a cup of tea you won't forget. It is so refreshing and stimulating. I can highly recommend both teas to you, and if this is their kickstarter introduction, I can hardly wait for what is coming next.

One the back of both tea wrappers are fun quotes:

"To tea or not to tea..." ShakeSpearmint
"Tea is a marvelous thing. it can neither be explained nor ignored." Agitha ChrisTea

Just a little more fun to the whole special edition teas!

I am sure if you love tea, this would be some of your favorites. The tea is fabulous and the packaging makes it all the better!

You can learn more about The TeaBook and their Collect Teables HERE!
Connect with them on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram.

This reviewer received the product free or at a discounted price in order to bring you an honest review. No other form of compensation was given. All opinions are those of the reviewer.

So Easy To Blew Tea With The Willow & Everett Teapot

When I get stressed out or don't feel good physically one thing I turn to, to help me feel better is a good cup of hot tea. Tea has a way of calming you down and helping you relax and many can be very good for you as well.

Willow & Everett has a Glass Teapot Tea Infuser with Warmer and Built-in Strainer that makes the process of brewing tea really nice.

The teapot is made of glass, including the handle, and it loos so nice sitting on my counter. It is not large, holding only 5 cups, but that's a good thing. Tea should not be brewed in large batches anyway and it does not take long to brew a pot of tea.

The teapot comes with everything you need to brew a nice cup of tea except the tea. Because this tea kettle is all glass, brewing up a custom cup of tea has never been easier. Simply fill with water, remove the lid and stainless steel infuser and pop it in the microwave to boil your water. This teapot eliminates the need to boil water separately and lets you do everything right in one teapot!

Once the water has boiled simply replace the infuser filled with the right amount of tea and place the cover back on. You can also place the really nifty warmer over the pot to keep the tea warm while and after it brews. The warmer has a zipper on it, making it easy to get on and off the teapot.

I have really enjoyed using this teapot. The handle does get a little warm but not so much that you can't hold it to pour. The infuser has an amazing fine mesh that helps keep even the tiniest bits of loose tea from getting into the pot and into your cup.

This really is a nice teapot and I highly recommend it to you for yourself and it would make a wonderful gift for any tea lover!

You can purchase the Willow & Everett has a Glass Teapot Tea Infuser with Warmer and Built-in Strainer HERE!

This reviewer received the product free or at a discounted price in order to bring you an honest review. No other form of compensation was given. All opinions are those of the reviewer.