Tuesday, August 4, 2009

This product doesn't suck -- but should!


Now I do hope I haven't startled you too terribly by using in my heading what in certain instances can be a vulgar word. But today -- and there is no way 'round this -- I am writing about a new (to me) product that I wish I could say sucks. Only, it doesn't. I'm talking about the Hammond's Candies Iced Tea Sippers I found at a T.J. Maxx over the weekend.

These Iced Tea Sippers came to my attention last year, actually, but it would have been too expensive to order them and have them shipped to me. When I saw two flavors at T.J. for just $3.99 each, I had to try them both, the Lemon and the Watermelon, since they would "playfully flavor your tea," the package said. Hey, "playful" is my middle name!

I eagerly plopped a Lemon Iced Tea Sipper into my glass of iced tea (Red Rose), and I tried to sip through this candy "straw." Nothing. I waited a few minutes, thinking perhaps it needed to soften up. Nothing. DH came in from the deck and, since I was standing there sucking air from a piece of rock-hard candy in a glass of tea and felt a need to explain what I was doing, I asked him to give it a try. Nothing. "Maybe it's just supposed to dissolve in the tea?" he said. "But it SAYS 'sip as a straw!'" I said.

Not one to give up easily, I opened the package of Watermelon Iced Tea Sippers. Several of them had broken (which I couldn't tell before opening the package), so I bit off a piece. It tasted slightly strange for watermelon flavor, but it had the consistency of old-fashioned soft peppermint so I thought this one had a chance of working. I placed it into my tea and stirred. I reached for the Iced Tea Sipper, and as I *attempted* to sip through it, the piece I was holding disintegrated into merely a powdery memory. Soon, I watched the underwater ballet in my tea glass as my Iced Tea Sipper splintered into pieces like the Titanic heading to its watery grave.

I can only conclude that T.J. Maxx, in a rare let-down for this shopper, must have acquired a batch of old Iced Tea Sippers, and I am sorry to say they didn't work for me. And that simply sucks! (Please forgive me, gentle readers, but you know I had to say it!)

14 comments:

  1. That was a disappointment - I hate it when products don't live up to their hype. This made me think of the "Cocoa Krispies Cereal Straws" that my grandsons had as a treat. They were fun and as stated they worked great to sip milk and then eat like a cookie.

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  2. Laugh out loud! Sometimes you just have to tell it like it is!

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  3. What a fun review to read! Sorry it didn't work as it should, but still nice to hear your comments. :)

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  4. Sorry for the deleted comment...for some reason it posted my comment twice.

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  5. I think your title is very funny. Did they add any flavor to the tea?

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  6. Next trip to TJMaxx or Marshall's check out the Apricot-Amaretto cookies they are now selling. Not tea, I know, but perfectly delightful with a cuppa.

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  7. Steph, the lemon one never did, but after about an hour (or however long it took for the ice to melt), the watermelon one *did* add a very sweet flavor to the tea, but it still didn't taste very watermelon-y. Live and learn, I guess!

    And Elizabeth, I will be looking for those cookies ASAP. Thanks for the tip!

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  8. Since I often check out the merchandise at TJ Maxx, I thank you for the heads-up on this product. It sounds like something I might have bought, but now won't. Another great Public Service brought to us by Angela!

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  9. Hello to Angela Playful McC...
    How funny! Red Rose and Watermelon Sunk...perhaps there was something spelled wrong...I've hit a "c" instead of an "n"-have you? Just what country manufactured these babies?
    Now with the "Old Fashioned" part on the label...that makes me think of "Just Like Mother Used to Make"...Well, I'm probably the only one around that would have to say that my Mother's cooking sucked! But she WAS a fabulous artist and did wonderful mosaics, as well...Ah! Adventures in Angelaland are ALWAYS a treat! Gentle readers...Imagine that!

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  10. These remind me of a few tea "duds" I have purchased just because the word "tea" is in the title.

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  11. A great sense of humor is vital to life!

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  12. How disappointing. I was hoping you were showing us something good. This is funny.

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  13. LOL! I have a mental, running list of things I love... I call it "Things that don't suck"... sadly, this won't make the list, because it doesn't but should! :0)

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