If you’ve ever browsed my blog you’ll know how much I love a nice cup of tea and I think it’s important to stop work and have a tea break at regular intervals. Can I tempt you to take a break right now? Go on, put the kettle on and have a read of my blog post today, which is all about my favourite mugs, cups and treats – essential for creating the ultimate tea break.
Do you have a favourite mug that you use every day? Or a particular mug that is ideal for hot chocolate, and hot chocolate alone? Perhaps you have a special cup that you save just for weekends? I can’t be the only person who has favourite mugs for different types of tea break, can I? Surely you’ve wept over a broken handle after your favourite mug slipped out of your soapy hands while you were lovingly washing it? Just me then…
It might seem over the top but I honestly have a real passion for these tea-holders and I want to share photos of my top 4 mugs with you today. Not least because I want to record these cups while they’re still with me, so that I can look back at the photos and reminisce if they ever end up chipped, cracked or smashed. I am a clumsy person and I lose cups like other people lose socks in the washing machine. And every loss is devastating. So I took these photos this week and am just going to write a little about why each mug is special to me.
First up is my favourite of favourites, the cream of the crop, the top banana. I picked up this chunky mug in a charity shop and honestly can’t explain why I love it so much. I’m not necessarily a huge fan of the monarchy, so it’s not the royal crest that draws me to it (although I love monogrammed glassware and crockery, but that’s another story…) and I’m sure that it’s not particularly valuable even through it celebrates the Queen’s Silver Jubilee and was produced way back in 1977. I think it’s just the feel of the mug that makes it my favourite – thick, textured, sturdy – like it probably won’t smash if I drop it. And let’s face it, I probably will.
I save this mug for special tea breaks; the kind that come at the end of a long day, when you really need to relax. Or weekends. This mug is definitely my friend on weekends and I love filling (and refilling) it with tea all Sunday long. The chunkiness is ideal for hot chocolate and chai too (imagine wrapping both hands around a steaming hot cup on a cold day and you’ve got the feeling of ths mug) so it probably gets used more than all my other mugs. I really love it can’t help dunking moist sponge Madeleine cakes into my thick hot chocolate.
The next mug in my list is my work mug. I only ever use this ‘C’ cup when I’m sat at my desk and the big black font makes me feel like a ball-busting career woman, a ‘pro’ blogger and a determined, motivated creative. I get work done in half the time with this bold mug pushing me to be the best! It’s for straightforward English breakfast tea only and the mug encourages me keep on writing while I take a quick sip. I recently noticed that the mug, like me, is slightly wonky and not quite the ball-buster that I once thought it was – the handle is on upside down! This endeared the mug to me even more and we became friends rather than just colleagues. There’s nothing better than sitting down to munch on a well-deserved crisp caramel sea salt galette while taking a brief break from the computer screen with my favourite work mug.
This Little Miss Sunshine mug made it into my top four because she is part of a his ‘n’ hers pair. If I am making a cuppa for my husband, this cute twosome will always come out to play. My brother gave us these mugs for our wedding anniversary and I kind of like how sweet it is to have matching cups of tea when we get to take a rare tea break together. The design reminds me that I am a happy person, so it’s a great pick-me-up if I’m having a particularly sulky day. Hubby and I like to enjoy our tea with a petit tartlet and I’ll always go for lemon while he reaches for chocolate and caramel – I like to think that I’m making the healthy choice!
Finally, this is my ‘posh’ mug. Okay, there’s no fooling you – it’s a cup and saucer that I originally bought from Ikea about 10 years ago. That’s a pretty long time for me to own a cup without breaking it but then again I only get it out for special drinks – the kind that deserve your full attention on a sunny weekend. With the saucer right there it would be rude not to serve a poppy and lemon biscuit on the side so I inevitably carry a treat or two out with me when I’m relaxing in the garden. This mug has accompanied me to many homemade afternoon tea parties in the caravan and it’s so big that you can easily fit two standard cups of fruit tea in this one huge gingham cup so you don’t need to go indoors to refill as often – yes, I’m that lazy.
So what about you? Do you have a favourite mug that never fails to cheer you up? Do you have posh cups that you use for special occasions? Have you been devastated by a broken handle yourself? Leave me a comment below and tell me all about your faves!
And while you’re at it, why not enter my giveaway for the chance to win this hamper of sweet treats from Bonne Maman. It’s packed full of galettes, petit tartlets and madeleines and will be delivered to your door, so you can enjoy a tasty afternoon tea yourself at home and get out your special cups! The giveaway ends on Monday 16th March, so enter now via the Rafflecopter widget below – there’s plenty of ways to enter and you can tweet me each day for even more entries!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
125 responses
awwww the This Little Miss Sunshine mug is sooo cute <3 <3
my favorite little cute mug is this here: http://www.mugs.coffee/coffee-mugs/i-like-you-a-lottle-cute-coffee-mug/
xoxo
Adria
Aw so lovely Sarah! 🙂
Haha I’m the same with my favourite mugs Lisa, I never share! 🙂
Ahh your favourite mug sounds lovely Patricia 🙂
Great choice Sarah! 🙂
Haha, I have an overflowing mug cupboard too but they all have memories attached so I can’t have a clear out! 🙂
You mustn’t be as clumsy as me then Kirsty, it wouldn’t last a year in my hands! 😉
Omg I forgot how much I love hobnobs, I am craving biscuits now Emma! 🙂
Sounds great Katherine 🙂
a digestive biscuit-sized mug is hard to find Emma! 🙂
Very cool Kim 🙂
Those Cath Kidston mugs are the best size for a massive cuppa 🙂
No matching mugs but would just love one!
My ‘best mummy’ mug, my sons brought me for mothers day 🙂
I bought one when I lived in Hamburg with the Town Hall on which I loved. No one is allowed to use it. I don’t want tea stains on it!
My favourite mugs have pics of my gorgeous grandchildren on them. I get to see them every time I have a cuppa. In reality I sadly only see them a few times a year as they live so far away 🙂
minnie mouse mug
My favourite mug is the first one I bought from the Disney Store (my favourite place to buy mugs!), it is tall, lilac and has a picture of Lumpy and Roo from Winnie the Pooh playing in autumn leaves. I am not allowed to buy mugs from the Disney Store any more as I have been told I have far too many mugs to fit in the cupboard!
My favourite mug is a K from Disney Land Paris – it’s 11 years old this year and still my favourite
My favorite mug is my hobnob mug
A large polka dotted mug ideal for dunkin biccies. It takes ages to find a decent mug !
My favourite mug has Miss Piggy on it dressed as a fairy.
I have just been using my son’s Angry Birds mug 🙂
My Cath Kidston mug, it’s nice and big so you get a good long cup of tea
Aw I’d love to have a mug with photos my nieces and nephew on it!
My favourite mug is one with various pictures of my niece of nephew x
Aw that’s so lovely Leanne 😀
my fave mug has a pic of my kids on
Ooh your favourite mug sounds lovely Katie 🙂
Awesome, I love a bargain! These sound great 🙂
Bone China with lots of Jane Austen quotes, perfect for a cuppa!!
My favourite mug is any of a set of 4 …they all have balloons on but each one a different colour one they are quite delicate and got them in the sale !
Sounds like a campaign for longer coffee breaks is in order Linda, haha!
big bucket of a mug……never take to work as the coffee break is not long enough
Haha I do that too Mynellie! 😀
My favourite mug is a posh one that was bought for me and it is grey with a black inside which is great as it doesn’t show up the stains as I am terrible and drink from the same mug all day only washing it up at the end of the day
Aw that’s sounds so tiny and cute! Thanks Debbie 🙂
i have the tiniest teacup as i like my tea strong its a little cupcake patterned one ! great giveaway ! x
Both sound great Stephanie, I love a bit of floral print for Spring!
Haha the cauldron sounds like it must be big enough for a couple of cups-worth of tea at once! 🙂
It depends on how I’m feeling. Often it’s my pint tea mug, but I also like my pretty floral bone china one
My favourite mug is a BIG chunky one from the Disney Store, my hubby calls it a cauldron 🙂
My husband’s favourite mug is covered in Beatle lyrics too! Good choice 🙂
Ooh I’d love a personalised mug! Sounds great Rachael 🙂
Sounds great Jayne, thanks for entering! 🙂
Sounds super-cute Becca! 🙂
my fav mug has “all you need is love” on it
anthony harrington
My personalised Emma Bridgewater one.
Mine is a big purple one with flowers all over it. Thanks for the lovely giveaway.
My favourite mug is my ‘Pug mug’ from Emma Bridgewater! 🙂 Makes me smile everytime I used it.
Haha I actually lol’d Louise! good choice 🙂
Aw thanks Rhi, lovely to meet a fellow mug fan! Haha good thinking about buying multiples, I definitely need to start doing that!! 🙂
Ooh lovely! It’s good to have the right mug for each type of drink! 🙂
That’ll be my fabulous husband – oh, you meant the other type 😀 It’s my Chelsea mug, with my name on it. XXX
I can’t believe I’ve only just found this blog- your post about mugs makes me so glad to know I’m not alone!!!
I do love a good mug, I swear it makes the tea taste better?
My absolute favourites, I have a few 1930’s tea cup and saucer sets…sadly, the boyfriend is even clumsier than me so they don’t get used except on very special occasions. If I find a ‘normal’ modern mug I really love, I have been known to go out and buy spares just in case a terrible accident should ever befall them….too far?!
So glad I found you! Following on twitter and, as I’m here now I’ve entered the lovely giveaway. Coz it would be rude not to 😉 happy tea break everyone x
NICE ONE
My favourite tea mug is a boofle worlds best mummy mug because it’s off the kids but also it’s nice and round and my hands cup around it lovely to warm them. My favourite hot chocolate mug is my other halfs worlds best 30 year old one because it’s just the perfect size that the hot chocolate mixes really well!
Ooh I love squirrels – I was just given squirrel earrings from my friend! Very jealous of your mug Natasha! X
Haha, that’s so funny! Sounds like a fun mug Margaret 🙂
Love a chunky mug! I think I might start taking mugs out with me too!
Classy! 😀
Very cool Pamela!
Isn’t it interesting what a difference a mug makes to the taste of your drink?! 🙂
Lovely!
Old and trusty mugs are the best! 🙂
Aw how cute! 🙂
Good thinking Kellyjo! I use glass when in having fruit tea too 🙂
Ah ha – a very important attribute for any mug! 🙂
I have a lovely creature cup with a squirrel in 🙂
A VW camper mug!
My favourite mug is one in the shape of a VW campervan that my colleagues bought for me. The funny thing is that we all worked for another motor manufacturer, so I’d always have to hide my mug during meetings with the client!
I have two mugs that I call my dossers mugs, they are fat and chunky with red flowers on them and I only drink out of them and I take them with me wherever I go.
Its a small plain white contempary mug, nice and simple x
It is a Liquorice allsorts mug
My favourite mug is a clear glass mug & my drink always taste amazing from that mug, i brought another to take to my mother in laws to use when i pop round there for a drink because i could not drink out of her cups my coffee always tasted funny. But know it feels like im drinking one from home making me very happy.
photo mug of my children
have a large mug that is getting a bit old but i love it!
My favourite mug is very old – a present from my mum with a picture of a Koala on. I loveit
I use a glass mug from bodem .. I only drink fruit tea so I can see the grouts in the bottom and leave that bit lol
I have a set of blue mugs with a nice wide top – bought specifically as they are the right size for dunking digestives whole!
That’s so lovely Leanne 🙂
Wow that’s an achievement, not sure I could stand the height! Great that you have a mug to remember the day 🙂
Well the perfect cuppa is all that matters eh Linsay!
Ooh my favourite bowl is blue from Whittards! Good choice 🙂
Aw what a lovely memory Elizabeth, I’m so pleased you could find a mug to match your granddad’s one 🙂
Very cool fan mug Jessica!
Yaaay I love Disney! 😀
Ah ha maybe that’s the trick – my tea always gets cold before I’m done, so perhaps I need a smaller cup!
Aww that’s so sweet Ashleigh!
Thanks James, can’t beat a good mummy or daddy mug!
Ahh that’s so lovely!
I love cats so that sounds like a really fab mug! 🙂
Mines a large mug my husband got me for valentines day x
My favourite mug is the one bought for me when I climbed the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Well worth doing, should you ever find yourselves in Sydney.
Mine is actually a Christmas mug but it makes the perfect size cup of tea. x
A lovely big Whittards one it Royal blue and turquoise which my mum gave me one Easter with an Easter egg in it.
One of my memories of my beloved grandad was that he had a beautiful china mug with ‘His Lordship’ on. Summed up his personality perfectly! He died when I was 13 but that mug always stayed in my head for some reason. A few years ago I came across a beautiful fine bone china mug with ‘Her Ladyship’ written on it, and it’s been my favourite cup ever since.
Its a Harry potter Mug, with Gryffindor on! I LOVE it so much.
My favourite mug is a mickey mouse one from the disney store
I have a gorgeous china mug, bought for mothers day a few years ago, which I use above all others… it’s small enough that I can drink my tea scaldingly hot, just how I like it, without it going old before I reach the bottom 🙂
Mine is a best mummy one 🙂
Love my Daddy Mug
One my husband got me with my name on it and a heart beneath it.
it has a cat on it with pink glasses, it tickles me everytime I have a drink out of it (sad I know!)
Oh I love all things strawberry! Those huge mugs are fantastic!
Oh noooo 🙁 I dropped one of my previous faves & the handle broke off but I planted it with daffodil bulbs so it lives on!
I have a large Cath Kidson mug that I love to enjoy my lattes in! It has strawberry on x
Unfortunately I broke my favourite mug, it was white with little pink hearts all over it. I miss that mug!
Sounds lovely Clair, real China is great! 🙂
its a china one with a bird on
Ooh yes, I love the size of those Cath Kidston mugs! X
Of course!! 😉 I loooove biscuits too! X
I completely agree a favourite mug is an important thing! It’s got to feel exactly right when you hold it, and being pretty brings bonus points too! I’ve got a couple of really big mugs from Cath Kidston which I love!
Jennie x
Oh my goodness. I don’t have a favourite mug. Can I still enter? I love biscuits. 😉
It has a pic of my son it dressed as a pirate!
Sounds epic! And saves time on refills 😉
my mug i got from the grand canyon and its huge and fits in two normal cups of coffee
Ooh great choices Amanda! And I love the idea of alternating between two favourites
That’s so lovely that you have a favourite mug that reminds you of a special occasion Sarah! X
Definitely agree with you Jennifer, it’s interesting how people ‘take to’ one mug over another! 🙂
Haha, I’ve actually got a few enamel mugs for particularly clumsy days too, I can drop them as much as I like! Ooh erm I never tried rafflecopter on my phone, sure it would work if u can click on it at all? X
What a lovely mug collection you have! And don’t worry, I have a favourite mug too, it’s an all rounder for tea and coffee. It has cats all over it! My second favourite mug (one on and one in the wash!) has the scene from Cinderella where she has just got her dress from her fairy god mother 🙂 x
Amanda Winchester ♥ | AmandaSays
I have so many mugs but my favourite is one I received for my 16th Birthday 🙂
Sarah
https://everydayconcepts.wordpress.com/
Living in a shared flat, we don’t really have any matching mugs and everyone seems to have adopted their favourites! I’ve got a beautiful Bombay Duck one that I save in a box in my bedroom so that no one else can accidentally break it, chip it or leave it to go mouldy. I like a nice medium-sized mug which is great because everyone else wants the huge mugs so it all works out nicely 🙂 We all brought different mugs to the flat, but we all seem to favour each others rather than our own – aren’t mugs so interesting when you get thinking about them?!
Jennifer x
Ginevrella | Lifestyle Blog
I love that your C mug empowers you to attack the day! I am also in the clumsy category and can’t stand losing another tea-drinking-vessel to the floor… Lovely post Miss Cassie!
Also, how does the rafflecopter digitraption work? I’m on my phone so that could be the problemo…