Beautiful Iced Tea Glasses: Purple, Sage, Blue, Clear, Green, Red…

Purple Iced Tea GlassesI can’t even begin to tell you how in love I am with these gorgeous tea glasses. They’re available in a slew of beautiful colors, but purple’s my favorite so, of course, it’s the one I chose to spotlight.  You can see the other colors below – in all honesty, I want them all.

Seriously, how gorgeous are these?!

Product Features

  • Set of 4 Iris Footed Ice Tea
  • 100-Percent lead-free glass
  • Unique hand blown design
  • Dishwasher safe
  • See the other colors and designs in the Iris Bubble Glass Collection

Product Description

Vivacious bubbles lend a refreshing elegance to these glasses. The simple shape is perfect at meals both casual and formal. Put together a versatile set of glassware with goblets and shorter tumblers from the Glassware Collection (sold separately). Dishwasher safe. Imported.

See Artland Iris Footed Ice Tea, 18-Ounce, Set of 4 for more information.

Other Colors Available:

Inspiring Green Tea: Smooth, Delicious, and Very Aptly Named

Inspiring Green Tea

Buy Delicious Inspiring Green Tea Online

A few days ago I was scouring a few Dollar-Friendly stores in Owensboro, Kentucky: Big Lots, Dollar General Store, Deal$…  You never know what goodies you’ll find at these incredibly underrated stores. I can’t tell you how many times someone will ask me where I came up with something in particular – only to find out that it was all of $2.50. Really, when it comes to fun little party favors, off beat decorations, and even gift bags – these stores are hard to beat.

I also love to see what they have in the way of tea bags. You’d be surprised by the brands they carry that you simply can’t find anywhere else in town.

On a recent excursion, I found the green tea bags you see pictured above, Inspiring Green Tea: A Refreshing Blend of Antioxidant Rich Chinese Green Tea Leaves, 30 Bags (Tea).

I must have looked like a kid in a candy store when I spotted a brand I wasn’t familiar with on the shelf. I quickly threw two boxes into my cart – one for me and one, of course, for my oldest daughter, the Crazy Tea Chick herself. Usually, I just call her Emily. Or if she’s done something remarkably shocking, Emily Erin.

When I gave her a box, I recognized the same excited expression I’d worn while throwing the boxes into the cart. The tea bag didn’t fall far from the tree in this family.

Inspiring Green Tea is a knock out. It’s very refreshing, delicious, and undeniably “green.”

Product Features

  • 100% Natural Tea Leaves
  • 30 Servings Per Box, Net Wt. 1.58 oz (45 g)
  • A Healthful Blend of Antioxidant Rich Chinese Green Tea Leaves
  • Microwaveable

This wonderful, yet surprisingly inexpensive tea is available on Amazon. Click through any of the links (or the picture of my own box) for more information.

Tea With Mother Stretched Canvas Print: I Dare You to Look Away!

Tea with Mother
Tea with Mother
Buy This at Allposters.com

I’m not sure what my great love for the stretched canvas shown here says about me (and less sure that I want to know) but I love it with every ounce of my being!. Look at their eyes as they nurse their little cups of tea.  Absolutely priceless.

Click through for a closer look.  Seriously, this is an absolute treasure.

Green Tea Lovers: Prepare to Drool

Green Tea Ice Cream ConePhoto Credit: The Robot Chef!

I’m showing you the picture above and linking you to a Green Tea Heaven post for a couple of reasons:

  • The pictures and accompanying words are fascinatingly beautiful and beautifully fascinating.
  • This is a tea blog, and since you’re here, you’ll be interested in the subject.
  • I want everyone to drink more green tea – it’s SO good for you!
  • No one wants to suffer alone. If I can’t get my green tea loving hands on all these goodies, at least now I”m not suffering alone!!!

To read Kyoto and the Green Tea Overload, click the link. Then, join me in begging Haagan Daz to bring their Heavenly looking Green Tea Crispy Sandwich to the States. The picture will make you weep with joy (and Joi).

*** I may have told you this before, but it’s worth repeating a couple gazillion times.  Order Starbuck’s Green Tea Frap “Skinny” – without the whipped topping.  It, honestly, tastes like the most amazing Green Tea Smoothie in the world.  The other day, when I first saw The Robot Chef’s beautiful picture of Green Tea Ice Cream, I went to Starbucks for a Skinny Green Tea Frap to nurse my wounds.

Delicious!

Retro Tea Poster: Bright, Colorful Homage to Great Tea Love

Retro Tea
Retro Tea
Buy This at Allposters.com

 

LOVE this bright and colorful retro tea psoter. The beauty is also available as a wall decal (pictured below). Click through either for a closer look.

Retro Tea
Retro Tea
Buy This at Allposters.com

Iced Tea Maker with Silicone Handle: Perfect for Summer Iced Tea or Sun Tea

Iced Tea Maker

I love this time of year! As the weather heats up, I have iced tea with me every step I take.  When I’m walking in the yard surveying flowers, bird feeders, and herb beds, iced tea is in my constant companion. It’s also right there with me if I’m grilling out and it wouldn’t think of missing any baseball games.  Iced tea and summer go together as beautifully as peanut butter and chocolate.

The Takeya 64-Ounce Iced Tea Maker with Silicone Handle, Avocado/Olive knows exactly what I’m talking about. This great looking iced tea maker is ideal for iced tea and even sun brewing (another obsession – seriously, if you haven’t tried sun tea, do it today).

Product Description

Able to hold up to 64 ounces (8 cups), the Takeya Iced Tea Maker is great for brewing hot or cold tea, or for sun brewing. The attractive pitcher features a fresh design with a clear AcraGlass body and avocado-colored twist-top lid, so it’s also great for bringing to the table and serving. The lightweight AcraGlass is BPA-free, as well as stain and odor proof, and it is more durable than glass. The removable rotating lid-infuser fully extracts the tea flavors while steeping, and makes clean-up easy. A soft-grip silicone handle allows for easy pouring or transporting. Dishwasher safe, the unit comes with its own reader-friendly user guide.

Product Features

  • Able to hold up to 64 ounces (8 cups); great for brewing hot or cold tea, or for sun brewing
  • Attractive design with a clear AcraGlass body and avocado-colored twist-top lid; great for bringing to table and serving
  • Lightweight AcraGlass is BPA-free, stain and odor proof, and more durable than glass
  • Removable rotating lid-infuser fully extracts tea flavors while steeping and makes clean-up easy
  • Soft-grip silicone handle for easy pouring or transporting; dishwasher safe; includes a user guide

Click through the link or image for more information. This one’s practically a Summer MUST HAVE!

Our Tea Blog’s Favorite Iced Tea Glasses:

Yet More Reasons to Choose Tea Over Diet Sodas and Soft Drinks

Iced Tea at Pangea Cafe in Owensboro Kentucky

Iced Tea at Pangea Cafe in Owensboro, Kentucky… Spectacular

As I’ve confessed before, I deal with an addiction to diet sodas. Whether one goes by the name diet drink, diet soft drink, diet pop, or diet coke, I have a lot of trouble saying “No” when it asks me out. Diet Cokes and Diet Dr. Peppers are my weaknesses. If all diet sodas tasted like Diet Pepsi, I’d have absolutely no problem whatsoever.

I’ve gotten really, really good at ordering tea when I’m eating out – except for the times when I’m having something like a burger. Somehow, burgers BEG to be enjoyed with a soft drink as opposed to tea. Burger + Tea = I’m Not There Yet. I will say this, though, McDonald’s sweet tea can stand in for diet soft drinks any time at my table. GOOD STUFF.

Honestly, eating out is the only time I’m tempted by diet soft drinks. When I’m at home, the only things I want to drink are iced tea, hot green tea (with honey), Chai Tea Lattes, and coffee. I simply don’t bring my addictions home with me from the store – so they aren’t here to tempt me.

The more I read about the nasty side effects of diet soft drinks, the more inclined I am to skip them all the time – even with burgers. Read on and you may agree.

A new study that appeared in the Journal of General Internal Medicine, shows people who regularly drink diet sodas are 43 percent more likely to suffer a stroke or heart attack than people who don’t even touch diet soda. Interestingly enough, the study showed that people who drink regular soda don’t have these vascular issues. They, of course have the burden of MANY extra calories, however, and we all know the dangers of extra calories and extra weight. They DO lead to heart problems – as well as problems just about everywhere else.

As if diet soft drinks making you 43 percent more likely to suffer a stroke or heart attack weren’t enough (and I personally think it is!), the following have also been associated with Diet Sodas:

  • One study showed that diet soda drinkers who drank just two cans a day actually put on more weight than people who drank two cans of regular soda!  And speaking as a former Diet Soda drinker, our group never stops at just two cans a day.
  • Drinking diet soda daily significantly increases your risk of metabolic syndrome.
  • Drinking diet soda daily significantly increases your risk of diabetes.
  • Yale researchers found that  diet sodas trigger sugar craving and sugar dependence.
  • Sweetness without calories (diet soda’s allure) leads to an increased appetite… defeating the whole purpose.

I’ve read that a lot of people with a diet soda addiction switch to seltzer water with lime or lemon – apparently you still get that bubbly little feeling.

Personally, I’ve found that my secret weapon is canned and bottled tea (Lipton, Steaz, Snapple, Tazo….).  Grabbing one from the refrigerator as I head out the door is even more gratifying as grabbing a diet soft drink.  They taste better and I know they aren’t destroying my health from the inside out.

If you’re trying to kick the soft drink or diet soft drink habit, let tea show you the way. The health benefits of tea and green tea are phenomenal.  Who wouldn’t want to drink something that improves your health instead of something that compromises it?  Try different varieties of tea – flavored and unflavored. If you have a sweet tooth, you’ll find that adding just a little honey (which is good for you, by the way) will float your sweet little boat.

Also, experiment with adding fruit to tea.  I madly LOVE adding frozen peach slices to my glasses of iced tea (black or green).  Frozen strawberries, cranberries, blackberries, blueberries, and raspberries are also out of this world.  You kind of feel like you’re getting an extra little treat.  Think about it this way: Drinking black or green tea lessens your odds of getting many of the same diseases that drinking soft drinks and diet soft drinks try to bring to your doorstep.

A few other tricks of the trade:

  • Find what restaurants have the best iced tea and visit them like it’s your job. In Owensboro, for example, a few of the best places for outstanding iced tea are Ninki’s Japanese restaurant, Olive Garden, Panera Bread (I also LOVE their iced green tea) and Pangea Cafe.
  • If you’re going to grab a sandwich through a drive thru, run by Starbucks first for an iced green tea, iced green tea lemonade, or iced passion tea.
  • Keep Subway in mind for lunch. Their sandwiches and salads are healthy AND their tea is uncommonly good.

I’m not trying to invite diabetes, heart disease, or weight gain into my life, so this is me officially cutting diet soft drinks out of my life.  I love life far too much to take unnecessary chances. Let’s put tea sales through the roof, fellow tea lovers!

Vintage Iced Tea Poster from 1950

Iced Tea, USA, 1950
Iced Tea, USA,…Buy This at Allposters.com

How to Help Him Get Out from Under Pressure…. Priceless!  Click through for a closer look at this vintage tea poster.

Tea Lover’s Guide to Daily Meditation

Hot cup of tea

meditate

  1. to engage in thought or contemplation; reflect.
  2. to engage in transcendental meditation, devout religious contemplation, or quiescent spiritual introspection.

meditation

  1.  the act of meditating.
  2. continued or extended thought; reflection; contemplation.
  3. transcendental meditation.
  4. devout religious contemplation or spiritual introspection.

You, know doubt, have read about the benefits of daily meditation. Due to the relaxation meditation invites into your life and the stress and anxiety it kicks out of your life,  daily meditation can conceivably help keep countless illnesses off of your doorstep.  The crazy thing is, most people hear the word meditation and immediately picture Gandhi sitting in the floor, wrists lying on his thighs as his index fingers kiss his thumbs.  While the image is a peaceful one, you don’t have to go to these extremes to experience daily meditation.

You don’t even have to sit on the floor (though I won’t stand in your way if you choose to).

Green Tea and Meditation

Like meditation, green tea is known to be ridiculously healthy for the body,  mind, and soul. In fact, green tea has a reputation for being a super hero when it comes to keeping weight problems, heart disease, cancer, and countless other monsters at arm’s length.  I couldn’t possibly overstate the health benefits of green tea.  If you aren’t already enjoying green tea on a daily basis, I strongly urge (would it help to beg?) you to buy one, two, or fifty-seven boxes of green tea bags today and never let the sun set on a day that you haven’t enjoyed this very, very special tea.

I drink green tea throughout the day, but I never enjoy it any more than I do in the evening. Last night, as I slowly poured a cup of green tea and stirred in my golden honey, the reason this is my favorite cup of green tea in the day hit me – my evening ritual is, in all actuality, a form of daily meditation.

Meditation, in my view, is simply slowing down and pausing during the day – allowing the world to keep on churning and buzzing while you carve out a few minutes (or however many you need) for yourself. It’s a time when the only thing that exists are you and the moment.  Meditation experts – or those who have greatly mastered the land of zen – will tell you to focus on your breathing.  Concentrate on the breath as it goes into your mouth, down your throat, and to your lungs.  Then, they tell you to feel the breath as it comes back up through your throat, out of your mouth and into the world.

Again, it’s all about pausing and allowing the world to continue it’s thrill ride while you enjoy your chill ride.  It’s as though life’s a dance and you say, “I’m sitting this one out.”

You can use any time during your day to practice your meditation. The most important thing is that you do it so often that it becomes routine. Most people have the most success with this when they choose a particular time, each day, to practice their meditation.   Some people sit while others lie down.  Some keep their eyes open while others close them.  Some people devote up to 30 minutes to daily motivation, while others swear by 2 or 3 minutes.  Totally your call.

As you’d expect, my daily mediation is centered around tea. My evening cup(s) of green tea.

To enjoy “tea meditation,” simply focus your entire attention on the process of brewing and drinking your green tea (or any tea, for that matter). Breathe deeply and don’t allow anything or anyone to distract you. If thoughts, outside of the moment, invade your thoughts, gently push them aside and return to the moment at hand.  Focus on the sights, sounds, and scents of the process of preparing and enjoying your cup of tea.

Naturally, if you prefer your tea iced, the entire process is the same . Same benefits. Same rewards.  The most important thing is that you and your tea, kettle, tea bag, and honey (if you’re so inclined) are the only things in the world at this time.

Believe me, once you begin your daily tea meditation, you’ll never miss a day. Sweet, sweet sereni-tea.

MightyLeaf.com

Wedding Favors for Tea Lovers!

I just wrote about these adorable wedding favors on our wedding blog and knew I had to tell our fellow tea fanatics about them too. These are The Perfect Blend Tea Wedding Favor-Kissing Cups and, wedding or not, I’d love to try them out!

If you or someone you know is planning a wedding, these would be ideal wedding favors.  If no wedding is in sight… well, you could always fake it.

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