Tea Time Tuesday: Lemon and Ginger from TeaPigs

For Tea Time today, I thought I'd share what I'm drinking at the moment, which is, "Lemon and Ginger" from TeaPigs. This is my first cup of tea in nearly a week, and it is delicious! I had to go on a bit of a tea hiatus when my doctors adjusted and changed some of the medication recently. (On that note, please excuse the lack of recent posts, I've been quite sick.) 

Onto the tea though! This is a delicious herbal infusion of lemon and ginger. It's not too tart from the lemon, nor is it too spicy from the ginger. The balance of both form the perfect flavor combination. This is a light enough tea to enjoy any time of the day. Since it's herbal and caffeine-free, I'm enjoying this one at 4:00am, hoping it will lull me back to sleep soon. ;) 

I let this steep for approximately 8 minutes before drinking. I like to steep my herbals a bit longer for more kick. The ingredient list includes whole forms of: ginger, lemongrass, lemon peel, and licorice root. 

The little box you see included in the picture is a mini sample. I purchased a sampler set from their website several months ago when I wanted to try out the brand. TeaPigs teas come in tea temples (pyramids) and contain whole leaf vs ground, for more flavor. Although I can see the convince in the tea temples if you don't want to fuss over loose-leaf, I do however wish they would also offer their blends in loose-leaf tins as well for those of us who prefer loose-leaf. (I will dedicate a future Tea Time post to the reasons I prefer loose-leaf, vs bags or temples.) 

If you're looking for a well balanced, flavorful herbal blend though, and enjoy the convince of tea pyramids/temples, then I'd really recommend, "Lemon and Ginger" from TeaPigs. Also, I had a very good experience with both shipping and the company in general, so I find them to be an excellent company! Some, not all of their teas are also available in Fresh Market, if you have one near you. 

Items mentioned in this post:

-Tea is from TeaPigs (I ordered from their US website.)

-Frog mug is from Pier 1 imports 

-Tea bag holder is from DLpottery's Etsy page

Tea Time and 29

Royal Albert (Old Country Roses)

Today was my birthday, so I wanted to share a bit of that in today's post. For my birthday, I received my china dream come true: an Old Country Roses set from Royal Albert! It actually took up residence in our home on the 4th of July when Nick took me to pick out the patten I wanted, but being a more traditional person, I didn't allow myself to use it until my official birthday today! :) To go along with the beautiful china, I broke out the sample of Harney and Son's, "Birthday Tea" blend that I purchased with my last order. I was saving it especially for my birthday to have something to look forward to. 

This is a unique blend to say the least. Upon opening the package I thought I was really going to dislike this tea because it smells a bit reminiscent of children's cough syrup. After brewing it however, everything steeped into a wonderful, fruity tea with a gorgeous red color. So, don't let the initial scent before brewing throw you off to this tea if you are wanting to try it. Once steeped, it's quite lovely. The ingredients are listed as: Hibiscus, rosehips, decaf Ceylon, raspberry flavor, blueberry flavor, pomegranate flavor, vanilla flavor, spearmint, peppermint, marigold petals, cornflowers, natural and artificial flavors. 

Overall, I'm enjoying this tea. I'm currently winding down the day with another cup of it. While it is good, there are others prefer more, so this won't be a repurchase for me right now. This would make a cute addition to a birthday gift for any tea lover though. The full size comes in a fun, colorful tin with 20 sachets and you can order it from the Harney and Sons website. This sample I used is loose-leaf, which I prefer. 

The ride on the way to dinner earlier. One of my favorite things about Summer,  is the lush green trees that line the roads. (I wasn't driving.) 

Birthday shenanigans with Nick.❤️

Annual birthday picture with Ranger and Mykelti. 🐶

Birthday goodies from my love and the furbabies. 

An Ode to Command Hooks

I love Command Hooks *almost* as much as I love tea time! I use them all over our home to organize with; they are such fantastic little ways to organize clutter in a home! I decided to reorganize the inside of the cabinet door tonight and add a few more hooks. (You might be a tea addict if you have a cabinet door devoted to tea accessories.😉)  ☕️💗☕️ 

Tea & Tunes Tuesday: Raspberry Leaf Tea

Raspberry Leaf tea, in my opinion, is one of the best herbal drinks you can consume! (Although herbals are not technically true teas, we are going to call it a tea for the purpose of this review.) 

Raspberry Leaf Tea tastes very similar to a slightly black tea, with a slightly fruity undertone. Because it is an herbal tea, this one contains no caffein, so this is a great tea to switch to if you want to cut back on caffeine. It contains Magnesium (helps with cramping and spasms), potassium, iron (helps with anemia), vitamins B & C. 

Personally, I love this as a replacement for Midol since it alleviates symptoms of PMS and cramping very effectively. When I was younger, I actually had a prescription that was stronger than Midol, to help alleviate some of my problems with PCOS. Since switching to more holistic things, I have no need for it, and find that the tea for me works wonders, so I prefer it as a natural alternative as it is not only delicious, but also safer than taking a pill. A lot of women also use this tea during their pregnancies since it can help prepare your body for a safer, easier delivery. Please though, consult with your midwife or doctor first though, and research for yourself. 

Athletes use raspberry leaf tea to soothe muscle cramps and inflammation. This would also be good if you have any kind of inflammatory problems with your body. This one is also great at treating mouth ulcers, and light dental pain. The high vitamin C in it helps people heal from colds more quickly, and can also be used as a base for homemade "Gator-aids".  If you use it as a paste, the tannins in it can help alleviate sunburns and soothe eczema. Raspberry leaf tea can also help with GI upsets and nausea as well. This is definitely a great blend to use for a multitude of things, and the taste is excellent! This is one blend I always like to keep around in my tea cabinet, because it is so useful.  I highly recommend Raspberry Leaf for both women and men, since the benefits are so wonderful.

 (This particular one pictured is by Traditional Medicionals. I purchased it at a Target, but have seen it in quite a number of other stores as well. If you can find it in whole leaf form, even better!)

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For music this week, I have been loving Amos Lee's songs, "Black River", "Chill in the Air", and "Arms of a Woman". Although I love ALL of his music. His voice is so soulful and soothing to listen to. I love the heart behind his music and how you can feel the intensity and honesty in his voice. Definitely check him out!

Tea & Tunes Tuesday!

For tea time today, I'm sharing the one that I've been enjoying most recently. This blend is, "Paris" from Harney and Sons. It's a delicious black, loose-leaf tea. I drink this one straight without adding anything to it. It is such a delicious, well-rounded tea. It is a black tea with hints of a slightly fruity note. It contains vanilla, caramel, and bergamot, and tastes a bit like a fruity Earl Grey tea. 

I typically steep this for 5 minutes. As you can see, the bag is empty, and this tea was well loved! This was a $2 loose-leaf sample I purchased from their website during an order several months ago. Let's just say it was excellent, and I have already repurchased it! I do find that their loose-leaf teas taste better to me than their tea sachets, so that is my preference when purchasing them. 

This tea is also available in decaf as well, so you can enjoy either the normal caffeinated tea, or decaf if that is what you prefer. I highly recommend this blend! 

For music today, I'm loving, "Bloom" from The Paper Kites.