Mulled Wine
Empty a bottle of cheap red wine into a pan.  Add 3 tablespoons of brown sugar (or honey), a cinnamon stick, 3 cloves, ¼ teaspoon of nutmeg, several slices of orange and lemon.  Heat gently for 20 minutes, but do not boil.

Mulled Ale
To 2 pints of ale, add 1 tablespoon of sugar, a pinch of nutmeg, 3 cloves and a pinch of ground ginger.  Heat in a pan but do not boil.  Add a glass of rum or brandy before serving.

Wassail
Core 4 or 5 eating apples, leaving the peel on.  Stick a couple of cloves in each apple.  Place the apples in an ovenproof dish and sprinkle 8oz of brown sugar over the top.  Add 1 pint of medium dry sherry , ½ oz of ground ginger, half a grated nutmeg and a cinnamon stick.  Bake in the oven for about 20 minutes, at 350F, gas mark 4.  When the apples start to soften, put them in a large pan and add 4 pints of mild or brown ale.  Add the rind of a lemon or orange and heat gently.

Sherry & Orange (for 1 person)
Put some crushed ice in a glass and sprinkle some sugar over the top.  Add equal measures of fresh orange juice and medium dry sherry.  Stir, then put a slice of orange on top and pour a tablespoon of port over it.

Hot Spiced Cider or Apple Juice
Place 4 or 5 eating apples in an ovenproof dish with a small amount of water.  Cook at 400F, gas mark 6, for about half an hour.  Whilst the apples are baking, heat 4 pints of cider or apple juice in a pan, but do not boil.  Add spices - 6 cloves, 1 teaspoon of nutmeg, ½ teaspoon of ground ginger, 3 allspice berries, a cinnamon stick and a couple of tablespoons of brown sugar or honey.  Serve with a spoonful of the cooked apple pulp on the top of each glass.

Eggnog
In a pan gently heat 2 pints of milk, 6 eggs, 2 oz of sugar and a split vanilla pod, until the mixture is thick.  Pour a measure of brandy or rum into each glass and pour the eggnog mixture over the top.  Serve sprinkled with nutmeg or cocoa powder.

Bloody Mary
In a big serving jug, mix together 6 fl oz of vodka, ice, 1 ¾ pints of tomato juice, a splash of Worcestershire sauce, 1 teaspoon of creamed horseradish and a splash of dry sherry.  Serve with sticks of celery and Tabasco sauce.

But what I thought was really cool, and why I’m writing about it on here, is what Emma had done with her counter stools.  She’d re-covered each of the seats is different fabrics so they all looked really unique and fitted in really well with her kitchen’s new image.  Apparently she’d found the stools collecting dust in her parents’ garage and loved their retro-style so she’d decided to resurrect them.

They’re the basic kind of backless bar stools with padded seats and a chrome frame.  They’d got damp in the garage and gone a bit rusty in places, so Emma spent a weekend removing the rust, sanding them down and refinishing them with chrome spray.  Whilst the seats were detached she noticed the upholstery was only held on with staples, so it was easy to remove the moldy and faded old fabric.  She got rid of the old cushioning as well, as it had gone flat.  She used some polyester padding instead and covered it with pieces of fabric she’d collected from thrift stores, which she simply stapled in place under the seats.

So, if you’re feeling creative and like to be thrifty, hopefully this story will give you some inspiration for giving your own bar stools a makeover.

Made from parawood, this bar stool comes ready assembled.  All you have to do is complete the finish.  To make this easier, you could buy the finishing kit with the stool.  This includes 1 pint of master finish in your choice of color, plus 1 pint of clear coat master finish, as well as essential equipment such as brushes and sandpaper.

As well as traditional saddleseat style bar stools, there are similar counter height stools, as well as chair-style stools with backrests.  If you like the sound of being able to finish off your new stools with your personal touch, you can see the full range here.  You’ll be pleased to see that shipping’s free too.

I particularly like the elegant look of the Glendale 30" All Metal Swivel Bar Stool, which has 20% off at the moment.  It was priced at $225, but has been reduced to only $179.  The swivel seat is upholstered in faux suede fabric, and the metal frame has a brass finish.  I think this bar stool looks really sophisticated, and the decorative backrest is really pretty.

There are several other metal bar stools in this sale, which is worth checking out if you want to get more for your money.  It’s also worth noting that AllBarStools.com is offering free shipping on nearly all their bar stools.  Ordering online is easy - they even accept payment via Paypal - and they ship to Canada too, not just the US.  For more details click here.

This quick ship service is available for some of their bestselling bar stool styles.  Whether you’re looking for a traditional wooden bar stool for your country kitchen or a contemporary metal counter stool for your new apartment, there’s sure to be something here that fits the bill.

For example, one of the items that has free next day shipping is the Montello Backless Counter Stool, which is currently on sale at $149.99.  This has a classic style, with an attractive brown faux leather seat and "old steel" frame.  It also has the convenience of a 360 degree swivel seat.  This is one of the most popular styles, and if you want more info you can read lots of reviews from other customers giving their feedback on their stools.

Another very different stool available with the "quick ship service" is the Alexander Adjustable Bar Stool.  This has a very sleek modern look, with a chrome frame and black leather seat.  It doesn’t just look the part - it’s comfortable too. It’s ergonomically designed with a contoured seat and footrest, with a lever to adjust the height of the seat.

So, if you can’t wait to get your hands on some new bar stools, you can check out the full range here.

With these happy times in mind, we decided we’d put Simon’s expertise to good use and make a website all about the many and varied bar stools that are available online.  Our website features loads of bar stool reviews, which include what we like and don’t like about each stool and our overall ratings for each one.  We’ve tried to organize everything so it’s easy to find what you’re looking for, with the site divided up into categories such as wood, metal, leather etc.

We chose the name Get Bar Stools as we thought it’d be good to be able to literally "get bar stools" here as well as just reading about our favorite ones.  We’ve teamed up with a couple of the leading bar stool stores online, Barstools.com and AllBarstools.com, to offer our visitors the opportunity to go ahead and purchase any of the stools we feature on our site. 

I thought it’d be a good idea to start this blog as a way of keeping our visitors up-to-date with the latest news from the world of bar stools.  This is where I’ll add details of any promotions or coupon codes I hear about, and any other interesting bar-related stories.

Thanks for reading!