Baby its cold outside! However, with these red hot new products, there’s lots to get exctied about. Here are our favourites from the DA crew for winter as we celebrate all things Barbie and Christmas in July. Check out our favs…
The ultimate floor washer Tineco FLOOR ONE S7 PRO
It has just launched in Australia. When our Tineco arrived for the review it was perplexing! Is this a tech empowered car or a vacuum? I have been living with the all new FLOOR ONE S7 PRO for a few weeks – I like to think of it the Tesla of vacuums, with a screen, automated help, propulsion and interactive displays. This is the vacuum you buy for wooden, tiled, concrete floors which washes and dries floors in nano seconds. It’s like the first time you got an iphone – you didnt know your life was missing this insanely brilliant piece of tech. Life changer! Read our review here. $1299
Celebrate Barbie! Turn your kitchen Pink with Wiltshire
Why are our utensil and cookware cupboards so boring? I am staring at drab draws of accessories and feel sad. However, since our new range of Barbie pink Wiltshire goodies arrived our kitchen has had a Barbie makeover. First up replacing our old sticky scisors for StaySharp, spatula (which I love), whisk, rolling pin, Two Tone springform cake tin, silicon loaf and oh so super cute Petite Petal heart shaped bowls which have been perfect for scoops of icecream (strawberry of course!) See more here
Power up your life with new sustainable plastic chargers from Belkin
In our office there are never enough power points, it’s enough to make you arrive earlier to get the tech equivalent of a prize position sunbed at a resort. We have been testing three of Belkin’s newly launched chargers made using 72% post consumer recycled plastic and housed in 100% plastic free packaging, woot! BoostCharge Magnetic Wireless Power Bank 5K + Stand – This works on an iPhone 12 or newer. It has a cute metal fold-out stand built into the back so you can watch Netflix and recharge! It lasts for ages, we tested about 19 hours of video playback for an iPhone 13 Pro. We liked the battery indicator light which lets us know when to recharge. The BoostCharge Pro 4-Port GaN Charger 108W Has four charging sockets -2x USB-C and 2x USB-A ports. So that means its super quick to charge MacBooks, iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Samsung, as well as other USB-C smartphones, tablets, and laptops. BoostCharge Power Bank 10K – Sleek design with around 40 hours of battery life for your iPhone 14/13/12 it charges up to 3 devices at once with 2 USB-A ports and 1 USB-C port. A USB-A to USB-C cable is included so you can start charging right out of the box! See here for more
Jimmy Brings – Justice for Samantha Bundle. Sex in the City’s ‘And Just Like That’ celebrates Samantha’s return!!
Introducing the Love Magic Wand, the new sensation that is taking over! Move aside, ‘The Rabbit,’ and make way for the ultimate pleasure device. With its 13-inch length and flexible neck, this wand vibrator is a force to be reckoned with. It may even be mistaken for a karaoke microphone at first glance!
Preparing for the highly anticipated first episode, we made sure to stock up on essentials. We called Jimmy (well, we actually used the app), and within just 20 minutes, our Justice for Samantha pack arrived. Inside the discreet bag of goodies, we discovered a bottle of Ampersand Vodka and Mr Consistent Cosmo Mix. Mixing up a tantalizing cosmo is a breeze: pour 75ml of the mix, add 45ml of vodka, some ice, give it a good shake, double strain it into a cocktail glass, and voila! A delicious and iconic cosmo is born.
After all the excitement, my shoulders could use a well-deserved rub. Thankfully, my Love Magic wand vibrator is ready for action, fully charged thanks to its convenient USB port. With its silicone massage head and an impressive 30 speed settings, this wand has everything one could desire. However, it’s important to remember the manufacturer’s precaution of not using it for longer than 40 minutes to ensure safety and honor the legacy of Sam Jones, who fought for sexual liberation. Available on the app from 19th June across all delivery areas for the retail price of $69.00. The first 50 orders will receive a FREE massage wand vibrator
Peloton Apparel Australia
Some may know Peloton from the infamous Mr Big moment, However the global fitness sensation is much more than a connected fitness bike. If you don’t have a Bike, Bike+ or Tread, don’t worry, the app gives you access to a world of workouts and it’s quirky, charismatic trainers. So if you don’t know your ‘Cody’ from your ‘Jess King’ fear not. Access the world starting with Peloton Apparel It is some of the best on the market we have tried. Our order of a gorgeous watermelon (looks red to us) Cadent top and tights. Did cause us to throw our 2XU leggins aside; we just love the feel. Super soft, fits our curves n’ bumps in a super slimline, but not tummy tuckin muffin ridge creating way. Angled pockets mean we can run to our fav tunes and take a class outdoors. The top is beautifully designed with a criss cross at the back. For cold nights or outdoor jogs and dog walks the Colourblock hoodie has a soft fluffy inside and is nicely shaped so we dont’ look like an oompa loompa, though the zip can be a bit temperamental to line up. It washes up a treat. Shop at Peloton here
GreenPan – Meet Steamy & Copenhagen Stockpot
We first reviewed Greenpan a few months ago and fell in love with this toxin free cookware. It’s famed for developing a unique coating based on ceramic called Thermolon™. So we had to say YES to reviewing a revolutionary new approach to steaming (minus the bamboo). Say hello to ‘Steamy’ which comes in three colours. The double-walled construction allows steam to elevate, so the food gets steamed evenly. It’s a really pretty design, with a sleek ‘stacking’ system which includes walled steam jet sections and a wavy bottom to stop food sticking. We had a stack of three (green, cream & blue). First we filled a 24cm stockpot half full with water, we used the cream one as a colander to wash our broccoli and popped some ocean trout on the bottom, broccoli on the middle section and dumplings on the top. They fit snugly together with no steam gaps escaping and cooked the food more quickly than our other one level steamer. It’s a game ganger to prepare an entire meal in one go, adding different stacks at different times and pop them all in the dishwasher. We loved the Copenhagen Stock pot with brushed stainless steel handles with etched detailing. Steamy RRP $59.99, Copenhagen Stockpot with lid RRP $99.95
Bibigo Korean Mandu dumplings – TikTok sensation & Celeb Chef Dan Hong’s favourite
“I’ll have what he’s having”…If Chef Dan Hong’s favourite is the super-sized Korean Mandu dumplings, then count us in. They have just landed in Australia. When they say bigger is better we agree. Having now cooked up and smashed all three (prawn, kimchi & vegetable) flavours. The vote is in. These bad boys are the Korean addictive equivalent of a big whopper -twice the size of a normal dumpling, juicier and packed with a great blend of veggies. We cooked our first batch of oh so cute baby prawn dumplings pan fry style from freezer to chopstick in under 10 mins. Completely snackable. Our favourite big dumplings were the Kimchi ones. The Mandu dough is kneaded more than 3,000 times to form a thin but sumptuous wrapper which is strong, but silky smooth. They are chockas with veggies, no air pockets or nifty tricks to short cut on filling or flavour. We felt like a squirrel holding a prized nut with our hands (not chopsticks) and gnawing down the folds till the end. Woolworths nationwide $8.50
Winter Drinks Guide
NON
Whilst non alch beers have come a long way, we are still a way off when it comes to wines. NON challenges the norms of a premium drinking experience without trying to be wine. Instead it’s collection of flavours creates a more innovative range of non-alcoholic wine alternatives. There will never be hangxiety! We tried the trio bundle –NON1 (Salted Raspberry & Chamomile), NON3 (Toasted Cinnamon & Yuzu) and NON7 (Stewed Cherry & Coffee). Our favourite was the Salted Raspberry which undergoes 48hr cold steep of freeze dried raspberries sourced from the Mornington Peninsula. Semillion grapes (Barossa Valley) give it acidity and Murray River Salt delivers a morish taste profile. Buy here $90
Bubly – In bed with Bublé
Bubly is a new sparkling flavoured water – with singer Michael Bublé as its spokesmodel (they didn’t send us a sample of him) – to celebrate the “bubblier” side of life. The drink is certainly very tasty and refreshing, we particularly liked the lime one. It’s zero sugar and zero sweetener and thus zero calories. Perfect for a quick post-gym refresh to keep that healthy halo shining. Given Michael Bublé has sisters called Crystal and Brandee, we eagerly await announcements from Cristal and Courvoisier for future family beverage promotions. bubly is available to Australians nationwide from May 2023 via major retailers including Coles, Woolworths and independent supermarkets.
Heaps Normal – Coffee Run Stout
We just can’t get enough of B Corp brewers Heaps Normal. Whilst the zero alch range of beers and largers thsese days is pretty broad. No one is doing a GREAT dark beer. This one is absolutely brilliant and a doozy to wrap your head around, Beer with your bagel? or beer with your burger? It’s an all-day-breakfast-beer of champions! Brewed in collaboration with Newcastle’s Floozy Coffee Roasters and “bean queen” Kristy “Kmac” Mujana this is a rich stout which forms a frothy head on pouring with lovely roasted malt and a touch of bitterness from the hops then a whack of coffee which hits you over the chops. It’s so much fun. Each can contains about a fifth of the caffeine in a standard espresso shot. It’s on special release so grab a case now. RRP $74.99
They say not to judge a book by its cover, but c’mon – who doesn’t? So, when we came across this gorgeous bottle that holds one of our favourite spirits, we knew we had to learn more (and add it to our bar cart, pronto)! Here’s what we found out. Firstly, it’s been distilled three times, so any trace of methanol (yuck) is completely gone for a cleaner taste without nasties. It’s also got a huge following, and is an eleven-time platinum award winner with the Beverage Testing Institute scoring a 97/100 for taste. No other vodka has matched that score. Smooth and at the same time soft, we’ve been enjoying it as the star ingredient in espresso martinis of late. Simply add 45 ml of elit Vodka, 45 ml of cold espresso, 20 ml of Baileys and 20 ml of sugar syrup. Cheers to that. Available in stores nationwide, $89.99.
Pop on down to gin town! Born on one of the most prestigious estates in Speyside, Scotland, Tulchan Gin is a light style London Dry gin. It is more subtle on juniper than many other gins, which allows other Scottish botanicals to come through. The Tulchan Estate is located in East Scotland in the heart of Speyside, an area famous for bringing us some of the world’s best Scotch whiskies.
Light, fresh, clean on the palette and no lingering aftertaste. A perfect gin for a tonic or even have straight. $94.99
