Keep calm and carry on is a phrase that's sprung back to life in the past couple of years and pretty much everyone, well almost everyone that I know anyway, has a poster or keyring with the phrase on it. The phrase was originally produced by the british government as a quote for propaganda posters during the second world war to help raise the spirits of people living in poverty and fear. I'm not sure why the quote has become so popular in recent years but never the less I love it and it has certinaly become one of the must have in-things amongst my age group (young adults) and even teenagers have posters of it too - my brother who's younger than me has got a brown one, i've got a red one in my bedroom and my mum has also got a mint green one in the kitchen.

My local B&M store recently began selling Keep Calm and Carry On merchandise - chopping boards, aprons and so on, which I thought looked a little tacky, however when I saw this mug just before Christmas I fell in love with it and snapped a couple of them up for a bargain £1.89 each. I decided to purchase six all together, one for myself and the rest as a little gift for some of my friends who I know love the quote. The mugs didn't come in a box (like it is in the picture) but it is identical to the Dooyoo picture. The mug is widely available and can be purchased from gift/card shops or alternatively Amazon. The offficial keep calm and carry on (keepcalmandcarryon.com) website also sells them in a range of different designs. The RRP is £7.95 which I think is ridiculous and I am glad I got mine for so cheap as I defiently wouldn't pay the RRP. I have a feeling the ones in B&M were cheap because they didn't have boxes.

The mug doesn't hold a lot of liquid and it holds 250ml all together which is smaller than a can of coke. It is made of bone china, and is solid but lightweight enough even when full to hold comfortably. The design of the mug is basic, it's white with a red rectangle on the back and front and each reads 'Keep calm and carry on' in white font. Above the quote is a crown - it looks just like the posters. Mine isn't a solid red colour and it has a white background. I would of preferred it to be red all over but for the price I paid i'm not going to complain! It's very eye catching and it's also unisex.

Inside it's white, so with coffee and hot chocolate etc it leaves marks and stains but as the mug is dishwasher safe it's easy to clean and remove any markings. The handle is a decent size and I am able to either hold it with my fingers or wrap my hands around the inside of the handle with my thumb on the outside - it's plenty big enough and the handle feels sturdy. The mug insulates the drinks well and warms up quickly but the handle doesn't get as hot as quickly so it's not awkward to hold. It is microwave safe so I am able to mix together a coffee and just stick it in the microwave to warm up rather than waiting for the kettle to boil.

The mug is eye catching and I really like it. It's good quality but the full RRP is a bit over the top although if you like it and don't mind paying almost £8 for a mug, then i'd reccomend it. It would make a lovely gift too!