Advent

Christmas Eve Box

I can't believe advent is upon us already for another countdown to Christmas. Last christmas doesn't feel all that long ago. However saying that it has been a very busy, eventful and fruitful year for us here at DWS. As our thoughts turn to all things festive I am taken with the idea of something I've seen around quite a lot recently, on Pinterest, in the press etc. This is the idea of Christmas Eve boxes.  In our culture of excess it's only to be expected that one day of gifts, food and excitement would't be enough...enter the Christmas Eve box kicking of the fun twelve hours early. As a child, my sister and I were always allowed to open one present on Christmas Eve, to whet our appetite for the treats to come and in some countries, gifts are traditionally exchanged and opened on Christmas Eve rather than Christmas Day as in the UK.  The Christmas Eve box gives us the best of both worlds. Typically for children, these boxes are filled with goodies to make Christmas Eve an event in itself. They may include items such as 

• a Christmas themed book - I particularly like the idea of 'The Night before Christmas' as I loved this poem as a child.
• slippers/slipper socks
• pyjamas
• a chocolate Santa lolly or chocolate coins
• Christmas movie to watch as a family
• Christmas mug, hot chocolate and mini marshmallows
• Christmas craft or supplies to do some Christmas baking
• Cookie cutter (for activity above)
• Bath bomb/bubble bath
• Christmas crockery to use on Christmas Day
• Cuddly toy
• Christmas themed activity pack
• popcorn
• candycane
• a dated ornament for the tree
• reindeer food
• a door key for Santa (for houses without chimneys)
• a glass milk bottle for Santa's drink
• fruit
• Christmas socks
• gingerbread men

This is just an example of the many items that could be put in to the box, creating a lovely family tradition that children would love.  The items could be put into a cardboard box wrapped in Christmas paper or for a more lasting container, the internet is now awash with personalised wooden Christmas Eve boxes which your child can use year after year.

Don't forget to check out our Pinterest Christmas board which can be found athttps://uk.pinterest.com/discountw/

 

Important dates for your diary

21 November: Last order date for pre Christmas installation 3rd January: New year reopen

*2017 2 week lead time* The 2 Week lead time will be for orders placed from the 22nd December until the 13th February for Production/Fit in January & February.

Hygge Hype

As the weather turns, thoughts of open fires, snug interiors and nights in with friends and family are at the forefront of our minds. The Autumnal chill welcomes warming soups, hot drinks and cosy knits.   All of these pursuits have been encapsulated perfectly by the Danes in a concept called "Hygge". Hygge hype is this Autumn's focus and it couldn't be more appealing!  Pinterest is awash with ideas of how we can rival Denmark in getting our homes and social lives Winter ready and DWS have put together a board that you can access straight from our Home Page on our Pinterest site. 

The definition of Hygge (pronounced hoo-gah)  is summed up nicely by the 'Visit Denmark' website http://www.visitdenmark.co.uk/en-gb/denmark/culture/art-danish-hygge..."In essence, hygge means creating a nice, warm atmosphere and enjoying the good things in life with good people around you. The warm glow of candlelight is hygge. Friends and family – that’s hygge too. And let’s not forget the eating and drinking – preferably sitting around the table for hours on end discussing the big and small things in life.

Although Hygge happens all year round in Denmark, it's particularly suited to Winter, with the country having long, dark winters...not unlike Scotland, which makes the art of hygge something we here could fully embrace and make the most of in the run up and throughout the Winter months to come. The word hygge originated in the Norwegian language meaning 'well-being' and who doesn't want that to be part of their life?

As well as Pinterest there are various books on the subject if you're interested in really buying in to the art of hygge in your home and life.

Corian Installation

The photos below give a small insight into the installation of Corian worktops. This complex procedure, carried out by only Dupont accredited fitters, achieves the seamless look of the Corian worktops. A truly stunning result!  The worktops shown are in Designer White and currently our most popular choice for a contemporary look.

The arrival of the worktops in three pieces

Installation in progress

Finished product - not a joint in sight!

Corian Worktops Laser Templating Procedure - SNAPSHOT!

Back in the Summer I mentioned that one of our staff members was installing Corian worktops in their new home and today I have the video to give an insight into the tempting procedure involved to get the precise measurements. Corian is a bespoke product, made to measure and fit your kitchen exactly, with all your desired features added. The templating procedure ensures that when it comes to installation, you have a perfect fit.

The above video shows the laser method used by this templater. The other method is to cut an mdf template to the required size and shape.

Autumn Update

So, we're only just into Autumn but DWS are already working on the Christmas rush to get those worktops installed in time for your Christmas dinner! Our lead times are now into November for installation so it won't be long before we'll be looking at December install dates. Please get your order in quickly if you're hoping for a sparkly new worktop for the christmas holidays. You can contact our quote team on 0845 600 5512 or by emailing  .

Dupont Corian Feature

It's been a busy time at DWS with an office move and lots of orders to fulfil so apologies for the lack of blogging! We are back today with a feature on Corian, which remains our bestseller. We love Corian so much that some DWS staff are installing some Designer White Corian worktops in their own house this month so watch this space for that on the blog soon. We'll be focussing on the template and installation process, giving our customers an idea of what to expect throughout their order.

This week a customer from the Glasgow area sent us photos of the results of their kitchen refurbishment. I'm sure you'll agree the results are outstanding. The customer chose a Warm Grey Corian to create a truly contemporary yet homely look.

The first image shows their kitchen before and the rest thereafter.

BEFORE

Dupont Corian Warm Grey 

The spec includes an undermounted stainless steel sink with drainer grooves cut in to the Corian.

The customer was as pleased as us with the results and sent this great feedback..."Top job from start to finish. The worktops look absolutely stunning". It's really satisfying for us to provide a quality product and service to our customers and to see the finished result is an added bonus.

If you'd like to freshen up your kitchen with Corian worktops this summer give us a call on 0845 600 5512 or see our full range at http://www.kitchen-worktops-store.co.uk and get a quote.

Have you said Hello to Fresh? **Offer**

Here at DWS we are delighting in a new way of cooking and eating week by week. Through social media we were made aware of a company called Hello Fresh who deliver weekly boxes of fresh ingredients to their customers. The boxes contain three or five meals for two or four people and you can choose from Classic, Vegetarian or Family Favourites box.

Asian Chicken Skewers

Using the following code CXFNJT you will receive £20 off your first box. 

Each box has recipes and the exact quantities of each ingredient you need to create very tasty meals,. We are already onto our third box here and we love the fact that we can be more adventurous than usual with our cooking, without buying tonnes of obscure ingredients.  I can safely say that we've thoroughly enjoyed 90% of the meals from Hello Fresh's boxes The only thing you need to add to the ingredients from your own larder is olive oil, salt & pepper and occasionally butter.

The ingredients are very high quality, fresh fruit and veg straight from the farm and using best British suppliers. Ingredients are delivered free, direct to your door and are packaged so well in stay cool boxes that the contents are safe for 24 hours, if you cannot accept delivery straight away for any reason.

If like us you would struggle to come up with nutritious, interesting meals week on week, these meals from scratch mean you can avoid processed foods and expensive meals out.  Whether you are a seasoned cook or just starting out you are sure to enjoy creating these delicious meals which I can't imagine getting bored of.  They are definitely not dull but not difficult to make either.

At an average of £4 per meal, convenient and healthy I can't fault this service and will be continuing my Hello Fresh subscription for some time to come. 

Using the following code CXFNJT you will receive £20 off your first box. 

That's not all...once a week you'll be treated to the option of a Jamie Oliver recipe too!

The link below gives full pricing details and menus. 

https://www.hellofresh.co.uk

Why not follow Hello Fresh at their blog to keep up with what's new.

http://blog.hellofresh.co.uk

Happy New Year

Happy New Year to all of our customers and Best Wishes for 2016.

It's that time again when DWS are offering even bigger discounts than usual in our New Year Sale.

Don't miss out on up to 60% off premium brand worktops such as Dupont Corian, Silestone, Apollo Granite, Hardwood and more.

Visit us at http://www.kitchen-worktops-store.co.uk and get a quote today. New kitchen for a new year!