The Quest for the Right Vitamin Water - not all Vitamin Waters are created equal

I am a member of the Collective Bias® Social Fabric® Community. This shop has been compensated as part of a Vitamin Water social shopper amplification for #CollectiveBias and its advertiser.

This is a quest for Vitamin Water.  Like any good treasure hunt, it contains a story, a journey (or two or three) and treasure that was WELL worth it in the end - phew!

So I thought I was clever.  Upon accepting this assignment, I Googled Vitamin Water and discovered that it's currently 2 for 2 pounds at Tesco.  I thought I was quids in.  I ought to have remembered that retail is detail, given that I have spent my WHOLE career pre-redundancy in retail management.  Happy was I with my bargains purchased Saturday 22nd Feb, till I sat down, today, 25th Feb, to do the post, and realised my bottles did not have a Willy Wonka gold envelope an on pack promotion label for winning a trip to Brazil.

So let's go back to the beginning of the story.

Once upon a time...

I went shopping on Saturday, after a laundry day, with Aaron and Daddy to buy bargain Vitamin Water. Daddy offered to keep Aaron in the car, but I knew my threenager would want to shop with Mummy so I ambitiously took him with me, whilst Daddy stayed in Tesco's petrol station.  It was meant to be a seek, buy and exit kind of shop. What could go wrong? But in the shopping aisle before the target aisle, Aaron spotted an abandoned shopping basket with a truck in it and would not be parted with it. When I eventually found the Vitamin water (which the Sales Assistant said that they didn't stock) in the same aisle as the alcohol, alongside other energy drinks, but not actually with the water, Aaron had dragged the basket with him... Errr good luck taking those photos Mummy - mmmmwwwaaa ha ha ha ha!

I tried to ignore him while he "played" with the truck. I tried to be serene and take my #shop photos, but he started trying to take the packaging off and I blew a gasket! My sensible Aaron, who can often be reasoned with, would not be separated from said truck. I should have given in and bought it, but that wasn't part of my frugal plan!

Shopping was abandoned and Daddy was telephoned for back up. Aaron was hiding behind my legs by the time he arrived. Acting all timid, you'd never believe how "colourful" his behaviour was, just minutes before. I seem to have turned, accidentally into one of those "wait till your Father gets home" Mums...

Relieved of Aaron (him and Daddy went up to the mezzanine floor to look for the truck.  Daddy had convinced him the one in the basket belonged to someone else - why couldn't Mummy do that?) I then took some photos whilst a staff member not so subtly peeked around the corner to see what was going on. I noted that the Vitamin Water was opposite the alcohol, which did not at all feel right. The view of Vitamin Water from the other end of the aisle was obscured by TWO hanging racks:

When it came to paying, my 6 bottles of Vitamin Water were placed in a white pedal-bin bag as the store was out of carrier bags, for the second day in a row. On the way home Sunday we went to a different Tesco who was also out of bags. I think there must be a shortage of them in their supply chain/central purchasing depot...

Moving on...

the weekend saw me, Aaron and my two nieces heading for the West End for the cinema.  A top secret film, that we saw a month pre-release! I know, lucky us! We had a VERY early start on Sunday morning. I was up at 06:30 a.m. so that we could pick up the girls between 08:30 and 09:00 to be down the West End at the cinema by 10:00 a.m. for doors open.

It was indeed a very colourful trip to the cinema, as there were face painters and a man blowing balloons in the auditorium while we eagerly awaited the start of the film. We were entertained for a full hour before the film started. I can't tell you what the girls had painted on their arms as it would reveal the film. I will of course let you know in March though.

Not to be beaten by cinema prices I had my Vitamin Water in my bag, but I did splurge on popcorn:

The Power C "get going" Vitamin Water gave me the energy I needed to watch 3 little ones in busy Leicester Square and even meant I had the stamina to run around after them in the M&M Shop :-) The below pic may say 4 levels of FUN, but that actually became 4 levels of torture high-jinks for me when Aaron kept running off in every direction.

Given that it was Aaron who ran us all ragged it was ironic when the guess your mood thingy in the store guessed his colour-mood as BLACK! How apt! Sorry Aaron ;-)

A very early start and a long journey to and from the West End did not seem to tire them out, so they did some colourful outdoor exercise on the way home, while Mummy stood getting blown around in the wind, and saying repeatedly "are you ready to go yet?" "let's go home and have lunch"!

I'm sure these outdoor gyms are built with adults in mind, but the kids were in their element. Even when it was time to go Aaron just wouldn't leave.

Back to my #shop...

Not to be outdone, by my Tesco Vitamin Water not containing the Brazil competition on pack promotion, I today ran out in the rain, and went to FIVE local newsagents. Clearly my local area is not posh enough for Vitamin Water as none of them stock it.

I then found myself soaked and wet in The Co-operative. Perhaps my #shop should have begun there, given that it is my "local supermarket". My eyes were distracted by what I perceived to be a bargain. 1 pound in Tesco (currently) versus what turned out to be 1.65 in Co-Op.

But there is a twist in this shopping tale! Don't judge a book by its cover.

I THOUGHT I was merely shopping today for the on-pack promotion label (photographed above) so that I could get the unique code needed to enter the Trip to Brazil colourful competition but what I in fact got was a better bargain than that found in Tesco.

I got Vitamin Water AND a snack AND a large deep filled pack of sandwiches for 3 wee Great British Pounds!!! So what did I do, whenever I find a bargain I always buy TWO! So lunch for me AND Daddy:

The bonus result was that Tesco only stocked 3 flavours, and I had my eye on the orange-orange one, from having spent time on the website. So when Daddy and I divided up the above just now,  I nabbed the orange one, and it did not at all disappoint. It made me feel refreshed, hydrated, and totally restored the frazzled me, that walked a 2 mile round trip in the rain on my quest!

I have included a picture of the receipt so that you can see that is a SPECTACULAR saving of 3.92 GBP!!!!

Cue a very happy (but wet) me! My smile below does not look radiant, sorry, as although I am very happy with my purchases I have just done it all in the rain, but this tasty lunch (above) will more than make up for it. The breakfast pot has got my name on it, hubby can have the crisps! I have selfies down to a fine art now and can always pull them off in just one exposure. How appropriate I have my head scarf on given this is a post of a colourful nature :-)

So all in all, I got the following flavours:

• Defence - it's amaze-zinc - which contains vitamin C and zinc! It's raspberry apple flavour!
• Power-C - get going - which contains vitamin C and iron! It's dragonfruit flavour!
• Revive - good night, great morning - which contains folic acid and magnesium! It's fruit punch flavour! (I actually had this on Monday morning to beat the Monday morning blues and it worked)!
• Essential - wake up on the bright side - which contains vitamin D and calcium! It's orange-orange flavour and I have to say it is my favourite!

If you like cordials but find them too sweet, want a drink when out and about, but can't stand fizz... if you have a discerning healthy palate then THESE drinks are for you!

Don't forgot to enter the competition. You can see other entries here in the gallery.  

This, below, is the 

everyday colourful moment

that I entered in the competition:

My entry was rejected, so perhaps read the terms and conditions before you submit your photo.

If you want to TWEET about Vitamin Water, why not use the excellent hashtag #MakeBoringBrilliant.  See what others have tweeted here.

I've really enjoyed this #shop, the products and the treasure hunt :-)

I know I have technically used my quota of #Shop photos but I can't go without saying, Vitamin Water tastes better chilled, and can be drunk immediately from the Co-Operative as that is how it is stored/displayed.  Also, it is not opposite alcohol, which helps with the healthy vibe:

I felt very virtuous when it came to putting the empties from the weekend into the recycling ;-) Look: