Hello world! I am finally done with finals and ... (drumroll please)... COLLEGE! That's right. I am officially a college graduate who no longer needs to spend any free moment studying, who can finally put back in the time and effort she should into her tea blog.

To celebrate, let's drink a warm, pepperminty, sweet cup of Christmas inspired tea-- Santa's Secret from David's Tea. I turn to this tea every holiday season. It is as delicious as it is adorable-- a black tea with little candy cane sprinkles.

It has a nice, creamy peppermint flavor that is just right. It gives a subtle cooling feeling after the warmth of each sip goes away. The sprinkles give the tea a nice sweetness, so no need for sugar! I like it best in my new Santa Cup from Target.

I know it's been far too long since I last posted. Midterm craziness and being sick for a whole month was not a good combination.

 I'd like to return with a long time favorite-- Neptune by Lupicia. It is a black tea with honey preserved fruits and marigold. Oh man. This stuff is amazing. I am a lover of all things honey, so I naturally had to try this tea, and let me tell you, I am SO happy that I did. As you sip the tea you can smell the floral marigold in perfect harmony with the earthy black tea scent. The honey preserved fruits create such a creamy and naturally sweet flavor that is enhanced by the floral smell that precedes it. Add a splash of milk to complement the creaminess if you so desire, and BAM. Perfect way to start your day. 10/10.

Let me tell you about this incredible tea (here). I put this in my tumbler on those horrid 5:30am mornings as a well deserved treat to wake me up. This tea tastes just as the title promises. You get the slight tang of peaches, and the buttery taste of the cobbler topping. I was so impressed the first time I tried this. It tastes JUST like peach cobbler in tea form! This is definitely a tea I will buy again and again. Good job, Tazo. 10/10.

Happy Tea Drinking,
<3 TTT

Even tea comes in our most beloved fall flavors. I found both of these gems at Trader Joe's. I just couldn't resist trying both. I just recently discovered that I actually do like pumpkin, and have been trying all sorts of it since-- bread, pie, and now tea! (Also, yay!, because I can finally use my camera after ages of it being locked up in storage)

While on my first ever trip to Sprouts, I gravitated to their tea section. It was just beautiful. I'm incredibly shocked that I only walked away with four teas, because I was having such a tough time deciding.

I am so excited to finally be able to have a tea display that I have been craving for years. Now that I'm finally moved into a wonderful apartment, I can get to work on it. My roommate and I plan on having this be a tea and book display combination (that is, until my tea collection gets so large that there is no longer room for books).


Both the bookshelf ($29.99) and jars ($2.99 each) were purchased from Ikea. I also have colorful tea tins from David's Tea that will be making their way into this display shortly.


I am so excited to put this together! I'm debating on decorating the bookshelf itself or just letting the tea shine on its own. We shall see! Stay tuned to see how it all comes out :)

Happy Tea Drinking,
<3 TTT

This summer I wasn't able to go through too many teas because of the multiple moves, but here are the three that I finished.

After trying 20 varieties of their teas a couple months back (sorry this review hasn't come to you sooner), I'm finally collecting all of my thoughts on the Republic of Tea as a whole. Links to my individual tea reviews will be down below.

All in all, the brand is pretty dang good. There were a lot of teas that I adored and will definitely buy again. There were some flavors that had room for improvement and only 2 complete flops.

I was a HUGE fan of the hibiscus line. I gave each a 10/10 rating. Such a great blend of all flavors promised in the title, but none over powered the other. Simply delicious.

The Red Tea line, I was not a huge fan of. The flavors were great, but there was often a strange after taste. Either something I referred to as "salmon roe", "sweet tarts", or something unidentifiable. Luckily, the flavors themselves were good enough to earn this line an average rating of 8.3.

As for their "Get ___" teas, like Get Clean and Get Relaxed, I also gave them a very high rating-- an average of 9.5. Granted, I only tried two from this line, but they were fantastic. Great flavors and I felt some effects of what they had promised to achieve. The true test will be to drink more of these two to see if the effects are legitimate. Challenge accepted.

Now, their more common teas are a grab bag of winners and "could be better" teas. Their white teas had a 8.25 average rating, green teas had an average of 8.7 with a high of 9.5 and a low of 7. Black tea had an average of 6.6, but don't let that fool you! This type of tea had a few 10's (Cranberry Blood Orange and Caramel Vanilla) and a couple of 3's (Decaf Ginger Peach and Decaf Apricot). Not sure if this means to stay away from their decaf teas, but these two were not cutting it for me.

I hope this review was helpful! I sure enjoyed it :) If you would like more in depth reviews of the individual teas, click the links below.

Happy Tea Drinking,
<3 TTT

Review Part 1
Review Part 2
Review Part 3
Review Part 4
Review Part 5
Review Part 6

The two things I always order when I go to Starbucks are their Chai Latte or Green Tea Latte. When I saw that Trader Joe's had a green tea latte mix of their own, I had to try it. You know me-- I lack the ability to say "no" when it comes to tea. To rationalize my purchase, I did some math. Each tall cup purchased at Starbucks for this same drink is a little shy of $3. Meanwhile, the whole tin from Trader Joe's, which is about 8 servings, is $3.99. You almost get 8 for the price of one, right? Now let's see if the taste holds up.

I've been trying to refrain from buying new teas until I am employed, but I couldn't help myself. I caved, my friends, which means a new review for you all. Yay!

Hello! It is with sadness that I admit I haven't written anything in 3 months. To say that my life has been hectic would be an understatement. My summer consisted of an amazing internship, struggling to find a place to live, and a few weeks without internet, all of which combined to a very tired Vivian who couldn't even fathom opening up her laptop after work and apartment hunting and whatnot. But I am pleased to say that my life is finally settling down, internet is all hooked up, and exciting things are afoot. But most importantly, I am back in focus for this tea blog :)

While on the topic of my hectic life, I thought I'd briefly explain why I started writing this blog, aside from my love of tea, of course. Starting a few years ago, my life took a dramatic turn and I felt as though I didn't have much to turn to. As if starting college wasn't enough of a struggle, I had other instabilities that made it far worse and much harder to cope. Every night I would grab a cup of tea to de-stress and every morning I would drink a cup of tea to wake up my tired mind. In fact, one tea more than others did the job of calming my nerves-- Honey Bee by David's Tea. No matter what the stress was from, I would brew myself a cup of this tea and my heart rate would slow, my mind would stop running around, and I was able to finally catch my breath.

After about two years of accumulating stress, I developed stress induced pains in my abdomen accompanied with light-headedness and nausea. I felt utterly helpless. This wasn't (and still isn't) something that I was able to cure after a few short weeks taking medicine. I had to make a complete lifestyle change to bring my body back to normal. And trust me, in no way was this an easy task and I still struggle with keeping it all under control. While at the height of it, when the pain was so intense that I had to skip class (which I normally don't do), I couldn't dance to my fullest potential, and I frequently turned down hanging out with my friends because I didn't want to hunch over in pain in the middle of it, I learned that heat was the only way to ease the pain. Heating pads and hot tea became my saviors. I drank 3 to 4 cups a day. But those were all just temporary cures. I needed to teach myself to stress less and no longer had the dance or athletic outlet I used to turn to. In comes the blog.

I wanted to focus my energy on writing about something that I love, something that is stable in my life. As silly as that sounds, tea was the solution. I looked forward to trying new teas, having an excuse to buy teas, have tea parties, and writing about them.

I'm very happy to say that I am getting back on track and will put up new blog posts 2-3 times a week. Thank you for your patience and don't ever underestimate the power of tea!

Happy Tea Drinking,
TTT <3

Happy Wednesday! I am back from my travels and finally have my jet lag under control, I think. It's funny how it creeps up on you when you get back home. The jet lag when you're abroad is easy to deal with because of the excitement, but back home, all I wanted to do was sleep.
Because of this, I have been relying on a certain blend from Teavana that I've talked about before, but believe it deserves a second post. This is a blend that a Teavana staff member recommended to me one day while I was shopping and wanted a drink to boost my energy. She said that this blend reminds her of Thai tea, but also has a chocolate-y taste. I completely agree! It is delicious.
This tea is a blend of Caramel Almond Amaretti herbal tea for flavor, My Morning Mate, and Matevana for it's long-lasting caffeine effects. Mate tea is said to help you focus, help with physical endurance, and help with weight control. Of course, these fun facts should be taken with a grain of salt, but certain components of Mate are associated with these benefits (everything in moderation!). After brewing, add a splash of milk to help all the flavors become one cohesive delicious drink.

Another great thing about this tea is that I don't fear it over brewing. This is the perfect tea to pop into the mesh infuser in your thermos and head out for your day.

Happy Tea Drinking
TTT <3

Hello friends!

I haven't posted in a while due to finals and moving out craziness. I am currently apartment searching, so my tea collection is still in this box. I think this is a great way to transport a whole collection of teas, especially if you have as many as I do. I tried putting Most of my tins on the bottom, because those have to be vertical, and to get a sense of how much height I have left over. Next, I filled the spaces with my boxed teas, combining as many tea packets into a single box as possible to have some more space. Last, Cover the box with either a lid if it fits, or wrap it with plastic wrap. And there ya go! Perfectly packed tea for moving and as storage for those in-between-moments.

I'll be in Europe for the next 2.5 weeks, so no new posts for a while! I'm sorry! I planned to write ahead a bunch of posts, but time didn't allow for that luxury. I'll be back beginning of June with more tea posts!

Have a wonderful end of May and beginning of June
Happy Tea Drinking
TTT <3

Tea takes a while to go through, especially when your collection is as obnoxiously large as mine. But here are the teas that I finished this semester.

Tea Forte Chest Sampler Collection: My roommate and I got this as a gift from a friend, so I wasn't able to try every single of the 40 flavors as we shared this set. However, I fell in love after the first tea I tried from this set and have all intentions of buying this set for myself one day. It is $45, which seems like a lot, but considering that you get 40 teas, it turns out to be a pretty good deal for such a delicious brand. There is a great variety of Green, Black, Oolong, White, and Herbal teas; crazy flavor combinations and more traditional flavors. A+.

Hickory Farms Ceylon Tea Collection (French Vanilla): I also got this set as a gift. So far, I have only finished the French Vanilla one, which is pretty good. It's not the best quality of tea base that I have had, but the flavor is nice and it's one of those tea bags that I can throw into my thermos and forget about without it tasting over brewed. I call this my "lazy day" tea option because it is so quick and simple and quite good. It's also great for entertaining! Having such a wide variety for guests is a good thing.

Lupicia Melon Oolong: This tea is fantastic! My roommate and I would go through this like it was nobody's business. When we had guests over (and we always have a lot because they want to drink some tea with us), they would always ask to try this one. The oolong base is great quality and the melon flavor sweetens it up and makes it taste slightly creamy. Definitely something I will repurchase.

Tazo Apricot Vanilla Creme & Tazo Berryblossom White (not pictured): These two white teas are phenomenal! The white tea is quite strong in both of these, perfect for an afternoon pick-me-up. The flavors are both a perfect blend along with the tea. The Apricot Vanilla Creme is creamy as the name suggests. The Apricot adds a touch of sweetness. The Blueberry Blossom is floral and sweet. I plan on buying both again!

David Rio Elephant Vanilla Chai: This is probably my favorite flavor of the David Rio Chais that I have tried. It is super creamy and rich, but no so much so that you feel stuffed after finishing a cup. I put 2-3 tablespoons of the powder into hot water and voila! A delicious treat for the morning or after a long day of running errands or work. As I said in a previous post, this is my favorite chai blend.

Disney Wonderland Tea (Pomegranate): I was initially attracted to this set of 12 teas not only because I am an Alice in Wonderland fanatic, but also because the price was great for the amount of tea and there are so many different flavors to try! The link is to Amazon, which is more expensive than in stores! This is similar to the Hickory farms set in that this is my "lazy day" tea. Just throw it into your thermos and you're good to go. This flavor in particular definitely had a fruity note, but I wasn't exactly able to associate this flavor with Pomegranate. Nonetheless, it's a pretty good tea and something I would recommend picking up whenever you're in Disneyland.

Happy Tea Drinking!
TTT <3

Since books and tea are naturally best friends, I wanted to share a book that I think everyone should read -- especially since the movie is coming out this Friday! The Fault In Our Stars is a beautifully written story following a few friends that are battling cancer, two of which go on an incredible adventure together. This book is heart-wrenching, comical, and whimsical, all at once. It makes you makes you laugh out loud at the same time that it makes you rethink the way you view the world and others. This book is not for those who wish to stay away from emotional books, as this one definitely made me tear up quite a few times.

Read this book while drinking a nice floral tea to bring to life the falling flowers on their adventure (once you get there, you'll understand, but I don't want to give anything away), or a nice buttery rooibos to comfort you as you follow these kids through their everyday struggles and triumphs.

Follow me on Goodreads to see what I'm currently reading (probably won't be updated until after finals end this Friday)

Happy Tea Drinking and Book Reading
TTT <3

With finals quickly approaching, I've been wanting nothing more than to pamper myself in an attempt to forget the inevitable doom I will face next week with 4 finals over the span of 72 hours. That being said, I have been extremely enjoying Lupicia's Yume tea, which my friend bought me for my birthday this past August with a matching Yume Tea Honey. The honey is absolutely delicious on a piece of a toast, perhaps alongside the Yume tea, but let's not get too crazy.

This tea is like drinking rose petals. It is so luxurious, yet light. You distinctly taste the rosebuds, sweetened by vanilla and strawberry flavors. What is so special about this tea is that there are actual tiny pink rosebuds in the tea, which make you feel like royalty. The flavor is absolutely great, doesn't need any sugar as the strawberry and vanilla add just the right amount of sweetness.  Perfect cup of tea to get your morning started.

Happy Tea Drinking and Good Luck on Finals!
TTT <3

This is the final installment of the Republic of Tea sample set reviews. Next Wednesday I will compile all of my thoughts into one post about the brand! I'm very pleased to say that this last set of four teas have all been delicious and all are decaf. Keep reading for the full reviews!

Pineapple Lychee Hibiscus: Wow! This one right here. Wow. You actually taste each and every single flavor described. You get the subtle tang of the pineapple, the sweetness of the lychee, and the tea flavor from the hibiscus. To me, this tastes exactly as if you brewed hibiscus tea and added in pineapple and lychee juices. Absolutely fantastic. And the smell is just as delicious as it tastes. I love for my fruit teas to still have the tea flavor and not just taste like straight up juice. Such a fan. 10/10. Bravo!

Organic Mint Fields: If you are not a fan of mint, stay away because this tea is super strong! In a good way, though, for you mint lovers. For me, it is just the right ratio of mint to tea flavors. It is decaf, but definitely has the full-bodied flavor of a green or black tea, so this is perfect for those of you affected by caffeine but still want to enjoy those flavors at night without the consequence of staying up late, or for those of you who don't like herbal teas, this is a great one to try. Big fan. 10/10.

Get Relaxed: This tasted just like liquid lavender. It is very relaxing, from the smell to the taste. If you are not a fan of lavender, stay away, because this is very strong. As with the Mint Fields tea above, this tea has the full-bodied flavor of a green of black tea, but is still decaf. I would rate this a 9/10, just because it taste a bit too strong when cold.

Red Velvet Chocolate: I thought I would end this brand review with a drinkable version of one of my favorite desserts, Red Velvet. I wasn't sure what to expect. I also wasn't sure of how a tea could capture the complexities of a red velvet cake without tasting just like chocolate. But, my friends, best believe, this tea does it. It tastes exactly like a red velvet cupcake without the full-carby feeling one feels when eating too much of a good thing. It's hard for me to pin down the difference between red velvet and chocolate, but I guess I would say it tastes like vanilla batter with cocoa powder? If you have a better description, let me know, but this tea is fantastic! 10/10

Click the links below for the first five parts:
Republic of Tea Review Pt. 1
Republic of Tea Review Pt. 2
Republic of Tea Review Pt. 3
Republic of Tea Review Pt. 4
Republic of Tea Review Pt. 5

Happy Tea Drinking!
TTT <3

Acai Green Tea: From the beginning, I had high hopes for this tea. I am usually a fan of acai and the previous tea from Republic of Tea that I tried with this same packaging have tasted quite good. This brews into a bright berry red. It is slightly sour from the acai berries, but not at all over powering. I quite enjoyed this tea because I could also taste the green tea. It is a perfect fusion of the two flavors. I rate this a 9.5/10 because I wish that there was just a touch more acai flavor.

Hibiscus Vanilla Apple: This tea was a pleasant surprise! At first glance, this tea doesn't sound like it would taste good. Those three flavors don't generally blend well in my mind. But once brewed the three flavors mix in perfect harmony. You taste the sweetness of the apple, the creaminess of the vanilla, and the slight sour taste of the hibiscus. This tea almost tastes like an apple cobbler. It is very delicious. Among my favorite dessert teas and I do intend to purchase the full container of this stuff. I rate this a 10/10.

Pomegranate Vanilla Red Tea: I was slightly nervous about this tea, because, unfortunately, I wasn't too impressed by the other Red Teas that I have tried from this selection. I'm happy to say, though, that I was pleasantly surprised. There was no weird, off-putting after taste as with the others. This tea was sweet with a very faint pomegranate taste that developed as the tea cooled a little. It has that same sweet tarts flavor I have mentioned. All in all it was a fairly good tea. I would rate it an 8.5/10 because of the sweet tarts flavor, that I personally don't mind too much.

Decaf Ginger Peach: This tea smells, again, like Peach-O's. This made me very excited to try the tea. I was super disappointed, though, because the tea had this weird soapy flavor that over powered all else. I tried with all of my might to focus on the peach, but couldn't avoid that weird soap flavor. Not a fan. 3/10.

Here are links to the first four parts:
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4

Happy Tea Drinking!
TTT <3

Hello and welcome to my first journey with Crest 3D Professional Effects Whitestrips. I just started this three days ago and will show you all my progress along the way! This is only a 20 day treatment and claims to remove 14 years of stains. I have always wanted to whiten my teeth--with all of the tea that I drink, my teeth have taken quite a yellow turn. After seeing the great results that my boyfriend got from using these whitestrips, I decided to try them. (The lighting in my current apartment isn't great at all, so I apologize about the photos! I am moving soon and hopefully the lighting will be better there. I'll also have my Nikon D40 soon. How exciting!)

I have tried whitening my teeth several times before with a gel that I used to fill trays that were molded to my teeth that I got from my dentist, but my teeth were so darn sensitive that I could never last more than three days. This time, I am pushing through the pain!

I have been putting the strips on at night about 5 minutes after brushing my teeth and keep them on for 30 minutes. This is the morning after 2 treatments and my bottom teeth are quite sensitive--just a constant annoying nagging feeling. Hopefully this sensitivity will pass soon, but I am determined to whiten my teeth.

Tea, especially black tea, can stain your teeth because it contains chromogens, which are also present in pomegranates, coffee, red wine, and cola. A chromogen is a compound or chemical that reacts to create a colored end-result. Double whammy: tea also has more tannins than in coffee, which add to its stain-ability. After years of tea-obsession drinking 2-3 cups a day, I can definitely see the color affects on my teeth.

I have been brushing my teeth with Crest Whitening Toothpaste with Scope for about a year now, which has halted the yellowing process, but hasn't removed any of the stains that have built up.

I am now going to reveal my teeth, which is a big deal because I am so self conscious about their color! I hope that, even in my poor lighting, you can see the change that my teeth will undergo! Here is day 1, up close and personal:

Happy Tea Drinking and Teeth Whitening!
TTT <3

This is easily the only tea I turn to when nothing is going right in my day and I just need some freshly boiled and steeped comfort. This was the first tea I ever purchased form David's Tea and began my love affair with the brand. The tea bases they have are not the highest quality I have tried, but their flavors are what draw me in. They have unique and perfectly blended tea/fruit/herb combinations and there is always something new to try.