Tea Time!

So, anyone who knows my oldest daughter (Tori), knows she isn't like most 5 year olds. She is very smart, mature, and has a taste for the finer things in life. Since I can remember she has loved things like lobster, mango, and TEA! We are not talking lipton here folks...we are talking expensive, delicious, loose leaf teas. 

Awhile back I found a groupon for Adagio Teas. It was a tea tasting for 2 and you got a "special gift" after the tasting. I quickly scooped this one up once I saw there was an Adagio in downtown Naperville (very close to my sisters house). I have been trying to take Tori to this for weeks now, and every time we had a reservation, something would come up. (Usually Nick was forced to work.)

Anyway, we finally made it to our tasting on Sunday! Daddy stayed home with the baby, we dropped Haleigh off at Aunt Sarah's so she could get her hair cut, and Tori and I headed to our tasting. When we walked in they were finishing the tasting before ours, so we walked around a bit. Tori loved smelling all the dried teas, and had a few ideas of things she wanted to try by the time the tasting started. The tasting was very fun and informative. We were told about the origins of different types of teas and then we were given the opportunity to try 3 teas from the 10 or so that we had learned about. Tori and I chose 3 different types of tea. Our first was a Honey Bush Vanilla, which is an herbal tea that is naturally caffeine free. Then we tried a White Blueberry tea, which has caffeine, but it is also full of antioxidants. Our last tea was "something we would never ordinarily try". We decided on a Spiced Green Tea. I am not normally a fan of green teas, but it smelled so good! We ended up loving both the Honey Bush Vanilla and Spiced Green, and the White Blueberry was just okay. 

When the tasting was over we were told that we each got to pick a tea pot as our special gift. How cool! Not only did Tori get to go to a big grown up tea tasting, but now she has her very own tea pot (infuser and everything built right in!) We also walked through and chose 5 teas to buy (they had a buy 4 bags get the 5th free deal). 

We have learned since our tasting that we are DEFINITELY a Honey Bush/Rooibus family! 

Nick and I have decided that we want to start little traditions with our kids, and this event presented a wonderful and different option. So, we've begun having a tea party every night before bed. This gives us all a little time, with no distractions, to talk and hang out before it is time for bed. We also read a bible story every night before bed. So, often, while the girls are finishing their tea, I am reading to them. I look forward to trying lots of other kinds of tea and experimenting with new things as this tradition grows. 

Until next time my friends...

XOXO ~ Dana