This month’s YumeTwins has a pretty cool theme for summer, Brunch Date!
There’s the Yumezine menu booklet on top.
Ooooh, Totoro! (By the way, if you haven’t seen then movie My Neighbor Totoro yet, do so at once. It’s wonderful.)
You’ve got a full contents list with details of all the items.
Oh, and guess what? Another of my Instagram pics of Little C is in the Yumezine! So cool, that’s three times now. OK, time to stop bragging and look at the cute stuff in this month’s box.
After the plushie extravaganza of the last three months, this month’s major item is something completely different.
A Kawaii Food Container and Hand Towel Set! There were two other possible designs, Kiki’s Delivery Service and Rilakkuma. but lucky me, I got the My Neighbor Totoro version!
You can see two boxes, large and small, plus the hand towel. The containers are microwaveable too.
Hand towels like this are called Tenugui, and are very common in Japan. They have a multitude of uses but it’s a very appropriate thing to be included in a food container set, as one would be used for wiping the hands before and after eating.
Here’s something to go with the lunch set: a pair of Studio Ghibli Chopsticks. This is one of four designs, and features Jiji from Kiki’s Delivery Service.
For your drink, a Rilakkuma Coaster. Again, there are several possible designs, and this one is Rilakkuma looking rather sleepy! This would go rather nicely with the cup from the February box.
You can carry your lunch boxes in this Pet Lunch Cloth! There are five possible designs, but I really like this cat pattern.
Here’s some more Japanese trivia for you. Using cloths like this to wrap and carry lunch boxes (and lots of other things) is called Furoshiki and is something else which is very traditional in Japan. Not only can you use carry your lunch in it, you can then use it as a table mat! It is also, incidentally, very eco-friendly, as it can be used again and again with no waste.
This Angel Panda Kawaii Plushie is the only soft thing in this month’s box. It’s pretty cute though, one of eight possible designs, each with shiny wings and carrying a little gemstone.
Finally, something featuring my favorite kawaii character: Gudetama Washi Tape!
Conclusions
I’m very impressed with this month’s thoughtful selection. The idea of a set of kawaii lunch items is charming, and they are also a wonderful addition to other eating-related items in the May and February boxes. There’s a rather nice collection of kawaii picnic-type things being built up!
Unusually, YumeTwins doesn’t include a big plushie this month. I don’t miss having one at all. Don’t get me wrong, I love plushies (though not as much as Little C!) but I’m really happy to have more practical kawaii things. And I don’t miss the usual squishy either, as they’re always the thing I’m least interested in.
The little panda plush is a nice nod to having something soft and furry, without taking up most of the room in the box!
I think the lunch set is lovely, and I also really like the cat cloth. The coaster is fun, perhaps not the most high-value item, but it’s actually pretty good quality, real cork and nice and thick. The chopsticks are very cute, but I must admit I’m crap with chopsticks! Perhaps they’ll encourage me to get better at using them.
And hey, I love Gudetama so the washi tape is absolutely perfect.
An extra bonus of this month’s box is that I’ve learnt a little more about Japanese culture. Reusable cloths are so common there, it’s a great way to provide extra motivation to minimize waste. Carrying your own personal piece of multi-use fabric is something we should all be doing more.
All in all, a very pleasing selection of items. I’m ready for a really kawaii meal!
************************************************************************
Click here to read more YumeTwins reviews!
************************************************************************
A different version of this review was first published on allsubscriptionboxes.co.uk.
