The London Tea Company || My Favourite Tea And A Fabulous Giveaway!*

Hello Lovelies,

Now you all know that I am addicted to tea.  My love of the stuff definitely started when I was at school, 'Tea at Ten' was an hour in the evening devoted to drinking tea, eating toast and nattering about the latest episode of Sex and the City! 

Since then my tastes have evolved a little, so I was super excited when this big box of tea from The London Tea Company landed on my doorstep.  After squealing like a kid at Christmas, I ripped open the box, popped on the kettle and began my tea tasting experience. 

The London Tea Company is an award winning tea company that is determined to spread the word on how great ethical tea can be.  They have a large range of herbal and fruit infusions, which are packed with flavour and also kind to the growers. 

Over the last two weeks I have tasted every tea in that big black box, and can honestly tell you there wasn't one that I disliked, even the Lemongrass, Ginger & Citrus Fruit was a hit, and I detest ginger. 

After having tasted every tea I managed to pick three firm favourites:

Raspberry Inferno: "Fairtrade Hibiscus gives this infusion its bright red colour and a light acidity which complements the naturally sweet flavour of raspberry; to this we have added a touch of fiery chilli."  Raspberry Inferno is probably my favourite tea, we have a big raspberry patch at home and drinking a mug full of raspberry tea and a handful of fresh raspberries was the perfect teatime treat.

Pure Peppermint: "The finest Fairtrade peppermint leaves have been selected to make this refreshing pure infusion which is an excellent after dinner digestif" The peppermint is amazing, all I can say is I love a good mint tea.

Sencha Green Tea: "Sencha is a steamed pure green tea, renowned for its clean fresh flavour. Perfect with a slice of lemon to add a zingy citrus twist to the classic Sencha taste."  I find green tea can be a bit gritty, but this one was so smooth and didnt have that overly bitter taste that some do. 

I couldn't photograph every single tea, so I picked the prettiest, you can't beat this red nectar in a good old mason jar, definitely Pinterest worthy.


You can follow 'The London Tea Company' on Facebook (here) or on Twitter (here).  As well as following their fab social media you can also get a 20% discount off of your first order by using the voucher code londontea .

As well as a 20% discount I have two giveaways running to win a set of tea from The London Tea Company.  

You can enter the first giveaway through the Rafflecopter widget below and the second giveaway on my Instagram account SOPHIE_THORNE (link at the top of the page).

a Rafflecopter giveaway



The winner of this giveaway will be chosen randomly via Rafflecopter. The winner will then be notified by an email from 'sophiejanethorne@gmail.com' then with your consent your details will be forwarded to 'The London Tea Company' who will send out the prize. This giveaway is open to UK residents only. Good luck Lovelies!

This post was created in collaboration with The London Tea Company. All views are honest and entirely my own!

Freshers Survival Guide 2014

Hello Lovelies,

It's that time of year again, when freshers start fretting about starting Uni.  Well fear ye not, I'm going to give you lovelies a freshers survival guide that will make your first weeks (year) at Uni a breeze!

Now first of all 'What to take to Uni':

Essentials:

Passport Photos
ID
Uni Documents + UCAS Info in a file
National Insurance Number
Rail Card
School Notes that may be relevant 

Kitchen:

Mugs &glasses
Cutlery
Plates & bowls (two of everything - your flatmates will use your stuff!
Frying pan
Saucepans
Can opener
Scissors
Mixing bowl
Baking tray
Wooden Spoon
Msher
Chopping Board
Cling Film
Sieve
Tea Towel
Scrubbing Brush
Washing up liquid
FOOD!!!
Loo roll

Your Room: (Check what is provided)

Lamp
Bed Linen
Pillow + Duvet
Cushions
Stationary (hole puncher, stapler are very handy)
Folders
Paper
Stamps & envelopes
White tac
Printer (if you have one)
Memory stick
Chargers
iPod 
Camera


Clothes:

Everyday clothes
Glad rags (pretty dress for Freshers Ball)
Gym Clothes 
Heels
Trainers
Flats
Jewellery
Sunglasses

The Useful Bits:

Towels & flannels
Toiletries (don't forget the dry shampoo!!!) 
Make up
Hair dryer
Door wedge
Clothes hangers

Extras:

Pack of cards
Travel/weekend bag
Sewing kit
Hot water bootle
Blanket
DVD's
A few good books (to wind down)

After you have unpacked your bags and settled into your room you will want to go and introduce yourself to your shiny new flatmates.  I took some Chewy Raisin Cookies with me which was a great ice breaker.  As well as befriending your flatmates (the people who will probably become your besties) find friends on your course, its always great to have a study/revision partner.

Freshers week will have lots of mandatory lectures and meetings but will also be jam packed full of lots of fun taster sessions for clubs and societies, get a wiggle on and give them a try!  

The Freshers Fair, GO!!!  Everyone wants you to be part of their society/club, so they will all be there trying to lure you in with pens, mugs, sweets and key rings, (I was even given a rape alarm) free stuff is always good.  Being part of a club will broaden your social scene sooooo much, so find something you love, and get social.  


The next bit is a little serious, but something I feel I should include, so straight faces people!

1. Keep Campus security's number in your phone.
2. Stick to main roads especially at night.
3. Put spare money down your bra when you go out, just in case of emergencies
4. Always use a well known taxi firm, and avoid going home alone.
5. Be confident (very important).
6. Don't consult maps on the street at night - try and know where you are going before you set out.
7. Keep your phone with you.

Last but by no means least, having a rape alarm within reach is a really good idea.  I know some people think they don't work but a friend and I were in a tricky situation one night and we are both convinced that things could have been very different if we hadn't used hers.

Now lets get back to the fun stuff, as well as finding new chums, you want to use freshers week to get organised and sort your room out, it will be your space for the next year so get creative and start decorating

(Source)

Some string, clothes pegs and photos of your nearest and dearest are a great way to decorate on a pinch, pop to Poundland for your pegs and string and get onto Snapfish for 20 free 6x4 prints when you upload your first photos, a cheap as chips way to decorate your room. 

(Source)

I love a good collage, I used a heart photo collage in my dorm room, but I love the way this one is in the corner, a perfect way to brighten things up.  Either use photos or postcards, as a History of Art student I had millions of postcards from galleries so my heart was full of famous paintings and sculptures.

As well as photos, stringing fairy lights and bunting can make your room nice and homely.  My last tip is cushions cushion cushions, it's a great way to turn your bed into a sofa, and having a comfy place to sit and chat will make you very popular. 

After freshers week comes the start of uni and lectures, I'm a complete geek and loved all my different lectures and lecturers.  But if it doesn't click straight away just keep going, the best advice I can give is do the reading and talk to your tutors if you get stuck, that's what they are there for. 

You will obviously be spending every waking minute in the library!!!  Let's get real here, procrastination will be the story of your life.  So here's a few ideas, some are semi useful while others are just plain indulgent.

1. Cook, everyone needs a proper meal now and then 
2. Social Media
3. Gossip with your friends
4. Tidy your room
5. Do your laundry 
6. Watch Netflix

Productive Procrastination:

1. Make a nest on your bed and do your reading
2. Arrange your files 
3. Highlight your notes in rainbow colours (my favourite form of procrastination)

Next is the dreaded freshers fifteen, it's something you really want to avoid, lots of booze, fast food and eating at silly hours won't be good for your waistline.  So grab those running shoes and pound the pavements, not only will it keep you slim and healthy but it's also a great way to stop the stress.

Last but by know means least HAVE FUN and lots of it.  You'll meet some amazing people, experience new things, make great friends and if you work hard finish with a killer degree.   

Be very silly!!!

So good luck and have fun my lovelies.

The Perfect Iced Coffee For An Indian Summer

Hello Lovelies,

I have to admit to not really being a massive coffee fan, I don't need an espresso to wake me up in the morning, and don't have set coffee times during the day.  Although I'm not a coffee fiend I love a good iced coffee, especially If I'm lagging mid morning and have a busy day ahead of my.

This is the perfect drink for our supposed Indian Summer, if our Autumn is going to be warm then we are going to want to ditch the Starbucks PSL and grab the closest Iced Coffee we can get our little mitts on.  Although I do love the chance to grab an iced coffee, I don't like the price, actually I hate it, £2:50 makes my eyes water.  So making my own is a must!


Ingredients: 12-14 Servings 

1/2 lb Ground Coffee
8   Cups Boiling Water
8   Cups Ice Cold Water
1/2 Can of Condensed Milk
1   Cup of Milk

This recipe (if you can call it that) is great, you can make it in big batches or just scale it down to a mug for a naughty treat.  The first thing you want to do is put your coffee in a cafetiere, depending on the size of it you may need to do it in batches.  After you have strained your coffee you want to leave it to cool.  

After you have cooled your coffee, you want to fill your mug or jug of choice with ice then pour your coffee over the top (Tip: to stop your coffee from diluting fill an ice tray with coffee instead).  

Next comes the naughty bit, the milk & condensed milk.  If your making a jug full for friends then use half a tin of condensed milk (you need to give it a good stir) with a top up of milk depending on how strong you like your coffee.  If you just want a cheeky treat all to yourself then add a spoonful of condensed mill to your mug and top up with milk.  

It might not be the prettiest of Iced Coffees but it is definitely the tastiest, you will definitely need to exert some self control!

Hope everyone is having a lovely warm Autumn.