This is just a quickie. I have to get to bed and I have better tiki tales coming up.
MugCrate June 2017:
A co-worker of mine (Mandy) was telling me about these cool "surprise boxes" that she got in the mail every month from this company called CrateJoy. Although the things she was getting (make-up, bath stuff, etc.) didn't appeal to me, the concept of a monthly surprise in the mail was nifty. Her enthusiasm for the company was enough to get me to take a gander at the site. I wonder what they'd have that would interest me, if anything? I looked and spied a few surprise food boxes (monthly beef jerky orders or general snack boxes). There were men's underwear collections (NO!), comic boxes (blah), etc. Nothing was pushing my buttons. And then I saw something called "MugCrate". Oh my stars! It was a tiki-themed surprise box! Zowie! Who'd have thunk it?
I decided to place an order...in fact, I decided to order TWO MugCrates (as these only came out quarterly--NOT monthly like most of the "crates" do). But instead of just getting the "starter" MugCrate ($40), I decided to go whole hog and get the "deluxe" MugCrate ($55 each). I also decided to go ahead and order my friend Eric in Costa Mesa the "starter" version for his birthday as he is a tikiphile as well. How fun I hoped this would be.
I ordered in March or early April...and waited and waited and waited. When it finally came, whoo-hoo! I was thrilled. I couldn't wait to open it. This is what was in my box:
Next I got a collector card showing the Suaveoita mug along with the alternate male version I did not get called Suaveoito. There was a tiki enamel pin on a card and Suaveoito decal. Whoopie...
There was a cat-shaped swizzle stick and a plastic comb (because you know, nothing says "tiki" like perfectly combed hair).
There was also a card with a cocktail recipe on one side (in case the 200 in the tiki cocktail book wasn't enough, I suppose).
The flip side gave a rundown on what was in the box.
MugCrate September 2017:
My second and final box arrived a few weeks ago. I eagerly opened it as well...
However, I was even more disappointed by this haul than the previous one.
Sure, I liked the mug much better this time. It was very cool and I am happy to add it to my collection. I also received a Polynesian-designed throw pillow cover and a bag to crush ice in (little hammer included).
There were a couple of swizzle sticks, a collector card about the mug, a sticker and a retro book of matches.
The "crates" are put out by a company called Horror in Clay out of Atlanta. The mugs (especially this last one) are of good quality. However, I feel these boxes are better suited for the tiki novice, and not someone who has been soaking up tiki every chance he gets for decades now. And $55 seems a bit much for a bunch of stuff I'll probably never use (one throw pillow cover? Really? Useless.) Oh well. I'm sure others out there are digging these "crates". I still think they are a good idea...but I'd need them to be filled with more interesting stuff (like a puffer fish lamp or two, perhaps? Ha!). I have officially canceled my subscription. (I'm glad I looked into it. Even though I only ordered two MugCrate packages when i initially signed up, the subscriptions apparently automatically renew and I was apparently going to be expecting another "crate" in December.)
And while we are on the subject of miscellaneous tiki, earlier today I needed to go to the 99 Cent Store. I shared that story HERE. While there, I picked up a bottle of Shasta Tiki Punch. I was aware of it for years, but had never tried it before.
It was only 99 cents. I figured I'd risk it and finally try the stuff. Bad call. It was overly sweet and artificial tasting (even though it says it is "naturally" as well as artificially flavored. The "natural" part is completely overwhelmed by the artificial.) I don't recall what Hawaiian Punch tastes like (do they still make it?), but I have a feeling it is better than this stuff. Hmm. I'll have to figure out a cocktail to make to use the rest of this stuff up. Ha!
MugCrate June 2017:
A co-worker of mine (Mandy) was telling me about these cool "surprise boxes" that she got in the mail every month from this company called CrateJoy. Although the things she was getting (make-up, bath stuff, etc.) didn't appeal to me, the concept of a monthly surprise in the mail was nifty. Her enthusiasm for the company was enough to get me to take a gander at the site. I wonder what they'd have that would interest me, if anything? I looked and spied a few surprise food boxes (monthly beef jerky orders or general snack boxes). There were men's underwear collections (NO!), comic boxes (blah), etc. Nothing was pushing my buttons. And then I saw something called "MugCrate". Oh my stars! It was a tiki-themed surprise box! Zowie! Who'd have thunk it?
I decided to place an order...in fact, I decided to order TWO MugCrates (as these only came out quarterly--NOT monthly like most of the "crates" do). But instead of just getting the "starter" MugCrate ($40), I decided to go whole hog and get the "deluxe" MugCrate ($55 each). I also decided to go ahead and order my friend Eric in Costa Mesa the "starter" version for his birthday as he is a tikiphile as well. How fun I hoped this would be.
I ordered in March or early April...and waited and waited and waited. When it finally came, whoo-hoo! I was thrilled. I couldn't wait to open it. This is what was in my box:
At first glance, I was excited. Then, as I really looked at my tiki surprises, I wasn't as thrilled. I got a tiki cocktail book, which was cool. I got a bottle of some spicy powder. I'm not sure what I am supposed to do with that. Put it on the rim of a glass? Mix it in a drink? Yeah, I don't know... I'll probably never use it. Next was the tiki mug o' the quarter (it looks like the picture on the box), Suaveoita...a female tiki figure mug. Hmm.
Next I got a collector card showing the Suaveoita mug along with the alternate male version I did not get called Suaveoito. There was a tiki enamel pin on a card and Suaveoito decal. Whoopie...
There was a cat-shaped swizzle stick and a plastic comb (because you know, nothing says "tiki" like perfectly combed hair).
There was a box of tiki - shaped ice pop molds.
There was also a card with a cocktail recipe on one side (in case the 200 in the tiki cocktail book wasn't enough, I suppose).
The flip side gave a rundown on what was in the box.
Astonishingly, I was looking at the site a month or so before this was due and I was surprised to learn that this MugCrate subscription SOLD OUT. No way! I thought I would be the only one buying anything tiki. It sold out? There's hope for tiki yet...
MugCrate September 2017:
My second and final box arrived a few weeks ago. I eagerly opened it as well...
However, I was even more disappointed by this haul than the previous one.
Sure, I liked the mug much better this time. It was very cool and I am happy to add it to my collection. I also received a Polynesian-designed throw pillow cover and a bag to crush ice in (little hammer included).
There were a couple of swizzle sticks, a collector card about the mug, a sticker and a retro book of matches.
The "crates" are put out by a company called Horror in Clay out of Atlanta. The mugs (especially this last one) are of good quality. However, I feel these boxes are better suited for the tiki novice, and not someone who has been soaking up tiki every chance he gets for decades now. And $55 seems a bit much for a bunch of stuff I'll probably never use (one throw pillow cover? Really? Useless.) Oh well. I'm sure others out there are digging these "crates". I still think they are a good idea...but I'd need them to be filled with more interesting stuff (like a puffer fish lamp or two, perhaps? Ha!). I have officially canceled my subscription. (I'm glad I looked into it. Even though I only ordered two MugCrate packages when i initially signed up, the subscriptions apparently automatically renew and I was apparently going to be expecting another "crate" in December.)
And while we are on the subject of miscellaneous tiki, earlier today I needed to go to the 99 Cent Store. I shared that story HERE. While there, I picked up a bottle of Shasta Tiki Punch. I was aware of it for years, but had never tried it before.
It was only 99 cents. I figured I'd risk it and finally try the stuff. Bad call. It was overly sweet and artificial tasting (even though it says it is "naturally" as well as artificially flavored. The "natural" part is completely overwhelmed by the artificial.) I don't recall what Hawaiian Punch tastes like (do they still make it?), but I have a feeling it is better than this stuff. Hmm. I'll have to figure out a cocktail to make to use the rest of this stuff up. Ha!
CHEERS!
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