Cath Kidston

Subject: Cath Kidston Tue Mar 04, 2008 3:29 pm

I just got the new Spring catalogue this morning from Cath Kidston, and it's got ironing spray, fabric wash, ironing spray etc in it, which I didn't know she did.

Here's the link.
http://www.cathkidston.co.uk/ProductList.aspx?cid=CleaningLaundry&pcidl=Homeware%2cLaundryDomestic&language=en-GB

I was just wondering if any of you had tried any of these and what you thought of them. I love the rubber gloves.

Donna x

Subject: Re: Cath Kidston Tue Mar 04, 2008 3:33 pm

Meant to say washing up liquid as well, instead of ironing spray twice. Doh!

Donna x

Subject: Re: Cath Kidston Tue Mar 04, 2008 3:41 pm

I think the laundry products are new. I didnt see them in the last catalogue. I do like the CK brand but I find most of it a bit pricey. That doesn't mean I wouldn't like a few pieces of it sometime tho!
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Subject: Re: Cath Kidston Tue Mar 04, 2008 5:14 pm

Pssst!!!

[looks round furtively and whispers]

There's an essential oil called "Rose geranium" which smells of roses and I use it in equal quantities with lavender, and if you take a plastic 1-litre plant-mister and fill it 2/3 full of tap-water, add a teaspoon of clear alcohol to make water and oil mix, and then 5-10 drops of whatever essential oils you like, fill up with tap-water and shake, then you have the ironing-spray for about fourpence....

the washing-up liquid? Buy an unscented one, or very mildly-scented like Ecover, and add 5-10 drops of essential oil. I use rosemary because I fell in love with rosemary-scented washing-up liquid in France where it's as normal as lemon.

The same gives you scented hand-wash, shampoo or shower-gel - add oils to coarse-crystal sea-salt for scented bath-salts. Add oils to organic unscented uncoloured baby-shampoo for bubble-bath...

fabric-wash? As in, to scent your laundry faintly in the washing machine? Drip 3-5 drops of essential oil into the fabric-conditioner compartment of the machine's detergent drawer before starting the wash.
To scent your laundry faintly in the tumble-dryer? Take an old piece of cloth and drop 3-5 drops of essential oils on it and just pop it in with the clothes...

You can do all the above with a few drops of pure perfume or a larger sploosh of toilet-water... I tie ribbon bows round my £1 plant-misters... pretty old-rose pink for the rose-scented ones, lavender or anything designed to relax and make me feel pink and rosy; I use green for anything designed to be a bit medicinal, muscle-ache bath stuff or cleaning products; I use blue for anything designed to uplift my spirits like an underwired bra for the heart!

[scurries off secretively, having wrecked Cath Kidston's massive profit-margins]

laura

Subject: Re: Cath Kidston Tue Mar 04, 2008 5:34 pm

Cheers Laura, those suggestions are brilliant, and just what I'm looking for. I receive a Cath Kidston catalogue every few months, and I look through,and although everything is lovely, I know realistically that I can't justify paying the prices. I'm just a sucker for pretty packaging. Although, I am going to London at the end of the month, so I was going to have a nosy in the store in Covent Garden, just to get a close look at everything.

I'll definitely have a go at some of your suggestions, I can buy essential oils at work, so here goes!

Thanks again,
Donna x

Subject: Re: Cath Kidston Tue Mar 04, 2008 5:37 pm

Thanks, though, for giving me a useful nudge! It's been a long week already (working from 8am til 9pm yesterday and then much of today with friend who's just left abusive husband only to fall accidentally over a chair in her little flat and break her arm and tear a knee ligament so hobbling and one-armed as well as bereft, shocked and coming to terms with realising her "beloved" husband was a using, alcoholic unspeakable, etc!)

I've ended up today with my specs on, instead of contact, unwashed hair shoved into a pigtail, big loose jumper over jeans and boots... so now I'm off to tidy my untidy bedroom, and sort out pretty clothes for tomorrow and clean my lenses ready to wear and put my very favourite old-rose lipstick and pretty moss-green eyeliner ready to remind me to put a little make-up on; completely remake my bed, fluff up the pillows and spray everything with a scented mist of rose-geranium and lavender and bergamot... and then after a bit more work and some supper, I'll put myself into a bath with all my DIY-Cath-Kidston stuff, and wash my hair and then go to my sweetly-scented bed!

Thanks!

laura

Subject: Re: Cath Kidston Tue Mar 04, 2008 5:56 pm

Laura, that sounds like a lovely pampering routine, something I've got out of the habit of lately, what with studying and working extra hours. In fact, you've inspired me to do that tonight. I haven't been out today, working on a poem for my course, (who decides to write a poem about Harper Lee?), so have been at the computer all day, still in PJs, hair like Cruella de Ville, drinking too much coffee, and eating too many biscuits.

Enjoy your night, and hope your friend gets better soon,

Donna x

Subject: Re: Cath Kidston Wed Mar 05, 2008 11:58 am

I received the same Cath Kidston catalogue Donna, and fell in love with so much of the stuff in there - thought it was better than normal, didn't you? And yes, all the laundry products etc are a new addition and very tempting! And all the new hand creams and stuff too - surely for a little treat to oneself???!! Are you going to enter the Easter competition for all that gorgeous gingham stuff then?! One way of getting a Cath Kidston 'fix' for free - you never know! My little girl entered a competition in one of her magazines and won some PC software (make your own Tracey Beaker stationery on the computer) through the post this week - a lovely surprise!

It doesn't hurt to covet pretty things once in a while. Maybe wait for sale time?! It is very good quality stuff, so I say treat yourself in the shop Donna - go on! A good cheat would be to fork out for something from the laundry range first time, then when it runs out re-fill using Laura's recipes!

Subject: Re: Cath Kidston Wed Mar 05, 2008 12:07 pm

I'm eyeing up the aprons. You lot stop encouraging me!

Apron
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Subject: Re: Cath Kidston Wed Mar 05, 2008 12:14 pm

Sasha - I'll definitely treat myself when I visit the store, probably some toiletries and this:

http://www.cathkidston.co.uk/ProductDetails.aspx?pid=278-199-3-1&cid=HandBags&pcidl=Accessories%2cBagsBaskets%2cHandBags&language=en-GB

Ali - that apron is lovely, go on, you know you want it.

Donna x

Subject: Re: Cath Kidston Wed Mar 05, 2008 12:18 pm

Thats nice Donna. I love their stand up totes. I see they have laptop bags now too. But I think Kevan, my hubby, wouldn't be willing to be seen carrying the laptop around in it though.
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Subject: Re: Cath Kidston Wed Mar 05, 2008 7:17 pm

ooooooh I love......

I'm going to try some of Laura's recipes though...first the bath salts!!
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Subject: Re: Cath Kidston Wed Mar 05, 2008 8:01 pm

Thanks Laura! I was looking for a good recipe for the ironing spray! Can't wait to try the dish detergent idea too. I've been buying matching stuff of Mrs. Meyers but it's so expensive.

My washer doesn't have a fabric softener compartment - would I just add the oil into the water during the rinse cycle?

Subject: Re: Cath Kidston Wed Mar 05, 2008 8:54 pm

Karla, I suppose so - I've never used a machine without a detergent drawer that has a fabric-conditioner section!
My sister at one point experimented very impressively and tells me that if you keep the foot of an old laddered pair of tights then if you pop a squeezed left-over lemon-half into it and tie it, and put it in with your wash them you get lovely lemon-scented clothes without bits of citrus all over them!

Well, ladies, I blame you lot! I spotted half-price Cath Kidston toiletries in Waitrose this evening and treated myself - the weekend travel kit: little clear ziplock bag with pink tiny stars all over it, shampoo and conditioner miniatures, shower gel, body lotion, a white flannel tied up with pink ribbon and two little soaps packaged one in floral and one in pink with tiny white stars glossy paper... Rose & Carnation scent.

This one only in Rose & Carnation, which they don't seem to ahve on the website http://www.cathkidston.co.uk/ProductDetails.aspx?pid=220-166-26-15&pcidl=&language=en-GB

I now smell of rose and carnation, having washed and conditioned my hair, washed my face with the soap, my body with the shower gel and slathered on the body lotion!
It did feel really pretty and VERY treat-ful!

But one thing... if you ahve very short nails like me take some eyebrow tweezers to the bath with you - getting the damn things open was a real pain. The soaps were gummed together and the little bottles were each gummed into place, and then the sticky-tape holding each end of the soap-paper closed was the sort where you get one corner free and pull and only a little strip comes off so you ahve to get another corner and another... then inside the soap is shrink-wrapped and I had to use my teeth to get that opened! finally got all that sorted and got into my bath, opened the little bottles and found each had, under the screw-top, a metal foil cap which was hopeless with no nail so I had to use my teeth again and got that horrible electrical taste you get when metal foil and your fillings interact - NOT very relaxing!!!

Apart from all that, it was worth the half-price and would certainly make a lovely present for any woman who likes feeling pretty!

And yes, I'm keeping it all to re-fill... ;-)

laura

Subject: Re: Cath Kidston Wed Mar 05, 2008 9:06 pm

Laura - you lucky so and so. I don't think there's a Waitrose near here, but I'm going to check. Must remember not to do myself an injury with the packaging LOL. I had a lovely bath last night with my L'Occitane things - green tea bath foam, shower gel and body lotion - and yes, when I'm skint, I refill the L'occitane bottles with cheaper products because the packaging is much nicer.

Donna x