Monday 25 August 2014

Muesli Hub

Happy Monday Everyone!

I am a self confessed muesli addict, I love the stuff, can't get enough of it for breakfast, lunch or as an after dinner treat.  However... the one thing I can't stand about muesli is the tiny little raisins/sultanas/currants that seem to overwhelm the majority of my fav mixes.  Boy oh boy was I excited when I discovered The Muesli Hub -  An online store dedicated to believing in choice.  At The Meusli Hub they believe that this notion of choice should start in the breakfast bowl.

Bespoke breakfasts?  I couldn't think of anything better, so off I went to find my perfect mix.

SIZE


Working out at around $1.60 per serve for the 500g mix or $1.35 per serve for the 1kg mix this is an extremely cost effective way to start the day.  With most cafes charging around 10 times that amount for a custom blend you can enjoy a tasty and nutritious breakfast in the comfort of your own home for a fraction of the price.



BASE

Here you are given 8 different choices of bases, Bircher, Dry Roasted, Gluten Free, High Fibre, Lightly Honey Roasted, Superfoods, The Classic and Warming Porridge - I went for Dry Roasted, perfect for those chilly Autumn mornings!

For more information on each product you simply click on the image and a little pop up tab opens with a blurb about each base including nutritional information - perfect for those who are trying to meet certain nutritional requirements.

 

NUTS

On the next page you are given a choice of three different nuts to go in your mix, this has be my favourite part of muesli, my mix included raw almonds, macadamia nuts and walnuts.


DRIED FRUIT

Muesli wouldn't be complete without an assortment of dried fruit, here you are given a selection of 16 different types of fruits and berries that you can add to your mix, I went a little tropical here and selected coconut, mango and blueberries for an Vitamin C boost.



SEEDS & GRAINS

Add a little nutrition to your mix with the addition of seeds and/or grains, choose from Chia, Linseeds, LSA, Poppy Seeds, Psyllium Husk, Puffed Amaranth, Pumpkin Seeds, Quinoa, Sesame Seeds and Sunflower Seeds.  My favourites here were Sunflower seeds and Chia Seeds. 


EXTRAS

Indulge your sweet tooth by adding a little extra to your mix.  There are even a couple of freebies such as cinnamon or Himalayan rock salt as well as Black & Greens dark chocolate, Black & Greens milk chocolate, Whittakers Peanut Slab, freeze dried mandarin, freeze dried raspberries, yoghurt covered cranberries and yoghurt covered raisins.  These treats can be added to your mix for an additional charge ranging from $2.00 to $3.00. 


 
And there you have it, enter your details and your done! 
 
I have to add in there that the customer service is amazing!  I received my order confirmation email on Wednesday 20 August at 5.10pm and at 6.30pm I received a follow up email to say that my muesli had been crafted and was with Courier Post, they also supplied a tracking number.  My order arrived Friday morning!
 
 
 
This website and concept is amazing, the site is so easy to navigate and I had a blast creating my mix.  They say that the proof is in the pudding, well, I sneaked in a bowl last night after dinner and let me tell you it was amazing, full of all the flavours and textures that I love.
 
 
 
So if you, like me love muesli but always find yourself wishing there was a way to have a blend perfectly suited to you without the hassle of buying all the ingredients and making it yourself you have to go and check out The Muesli Hub - trust me, you won't be disappointed!
 
 
 
 
 


Thursday 21 August 2014

One For The Boys - Dirty Man Skincare

If you are on the hunt for the perfect gift for a loved one this Fathers Day you have to check out DirtyMan Skincare - created in New Zealand for NZ blokes this skincare smells amazing and best of all it is made from all natural ingredients and is gentle enough for sensitive skin. 


Behind The Brand
Most businesses start at the kitchen table; DirtyMan started in the bathroom... on a building site.The original DirtyMan, Mike Orange noticed himself in the mirror and quickly decided he needed to look after himself a little better.  So began the search for a man's hygiene and skincare products that provided exceptional results (Mike certainly needed it), but also a men's personal care range he could feel comfortable about using.  But... there didn't appear to be any male grooming products out there  that were designed solely for guys, or which wasn't a hand me down from a "corporate monster" brand focussed on women's skincare products...  What's more, the men's skincare lines seemed like afterthoughts of those brands... and most of the men's antiperspirant and shaving cream products were riddled with chemicals.  This had to change... and so DirtyMan skincare was born, and as they say... The rest is history!

My other half put these products to the test and has taken over the blog for the day so check out his review below.  Pssst... There is also a GIVEAWAY at the bottom of the blog post!

DirtyMan Face Wash

 


 

On The Bottle: 
Filthy faces impress no one so use our Aloe infused face wash to sooth and cleanse your skin. DirtyMan Face Wash will gently cleanse your skin and regular use will banish blackheads from your life.  Face wash is best used each day in the shower and before shaving to soften and prepare skin.

The Verdict:
I like this because it is clear, its not full of crap, it leaves you feeling clean without feeling like you have cleaned your face with paint stripper, it smells pretty good without being too feminine, it has a masculine smell which is different to other face washes I have used which generally smell like womens skincare products.

Product size: 150ml
RRP:  $11.99

DirtyMan Shaving Gel

 
On The Bottle:
Big beards are the realm of the old and the weird, don’t let yours get out of control.  Our DirtyMan Shave Gel contains Aloe Vera to soothe as you shave and has a special clear formulation for sculpting if you want to explore your artistic side.  We recommend washing with DirtyMan Face Wash before shaving to remove impurities and following up with a great moisturiser.

The Verdict:
This stuff is great, it goes on as a thick gel and lathers really well, the razor glides well over the skin and I didn't notice any irritation.  I have sensitive skin so I usually always get irritation.  It gets in amongst your beard pretty good and I like that it is a clear formulation so I can see what I am doing.

Product size: 150ml
RRP:  $8.99

DirtyMan Scrub

 
On The Bottle:
Sometimes we Dirty Men need a little extra help when we need to scrub up and that’s where our DirtyMan Scrub comes into play.  Specially formulated with apricot kernels and pumice micro particles to gently deep cleanse your skin and pores with Aloe Vera extract to sooth and restore. 
 
The Verdict:
At first I wasn't quite sure if this would be the product for me, it seemed like an additional step that I could leave out, this product is non foaming so I use it after I have washed my face with the face wash.  Once I tried it I found that it invigorates the skin, it is awesome for removing dead skin and it works great as a follow up after shaving to reduce breakouts and ingrown hairs.  I also found it quite moisturising which surprised me.

Product size: 100ml
RRP:  $11.99

 

DirtyMan Moisturiser

 
On The Bottle:
CRUSTY is never a good word and when it's used to describe your skin it is time to reach for DirtyMan Moisturiser. Our moisturiser quickly restores dry skin and replenishes moisture lost during the the day while the Aloe Vera will help restore skin damage. 

The Verdict:
This has a really light scent which is good as its not overpowering, at first I thought it felt a bit greasy but found that after a few minutes it soaks in really well and leaves your skin feeling fresh and smooth.  One of the biggest benefits I found with this product was that it didn't stick in your beard like other products do, which for me is important as I like to take care of my skin but don't want the evidence stuck in my beard.

Product size: 100ml
RRP:  $11.99


Overall I noticed less breakouts, less skin irritation after shaving and my skin wasn't to dry or too greasy, it felt well balanced.  It's awesome that there is an affordable skincare range out there that is designed in NZ by men for men, not a female skincare brand who thinks they know what men want.

DirtyMan skincare is available to purchase online from www.dirtyman.co.nz and their is a list of stockists online here:  http://www.dirtyman.co.nz/where-to-buy 

DID SOMEBODY SAY GIVEAWAY?

The kind blokes at Dirty Man Central have given me a shave pack to give away to one of you lucky readers!  This is the perfect gift for the man in your life so go on, what are you waiting for...

There are three ways to enter - All you have to do is place a comment on any of the social media sites below saying who you would love to gift this pack to!

1.  Facebook -  Follow The White Room NZ on Facebook and comment on the giveaway post which is pinned to the top of the page
2.  Instagram - Follow thewhiteroomnz on Instagram, and comment on the giveaway post, regram for an extra entry with the hashtag #thewhiteroomnz
3.  Blog - Comment below!

Winner will be drawn on Monday 1 September, the item will be couriered to the winner as soon as we have your details.

Wednesday 20 August 2014

The Aromatherapy Company Car Diffuser Clip

Happy Wednesday Everyone!

During the past week my family and I have spent ALOT of time in the car, any trip with a Pre-schooler can be challenging, add tween in the mix and it can be downright painful.  Perhaps the only thing that has made all this 'quality family time' a little more bearable was the gorgeous Rose & Patchouli scent from this beautiful car diffuser the lovely ladies from The Aromatherapy Company sent me to try out.



The Aromatherapy Company has recently launched their line of Naturals products which includes a gorgeous range of car diffusers to delicately scent your vehicle.


When I first was introduced to this product I thought, finally, a NZ company has made a car diffuser that doesn't look like a tiny perfume bottle or something that should be plugged into a computer or has built in bluetooth! 

Not only does this little beauty smell amazing it looks so chic!  The slimline black design fits in any vehicle and the unique 360 degree fastening clip ensures you can clip it in and move it in any direction you like.
 
I'm sold.  I love supporting NZ Made products and am so pleased that there are other options out there rather than huge multi national brands that tend to get the majority of the market share.

This unique new product comes in four amazing scents and you can pick these up at Farmers stores nationwide or purchase online from any of these great stockists: http://www.thearomatherapycompany.co.nz/buy-online at an RRP of $16.99

Cocoa & Vanilla

Lavender & Neroli 

Orange & Jasmine
Rose & Patchouli