Hello everyone!

After a 3 week hiatus, we are back and improved (and armed with a Nikon D40)! Huge thank you to Natalie for creating our Alice in Wonderland inspired layout. She is brilliant. (Click here to check out her blog).

We have some exciting new ideas and are thrilled to share our tea collection and obsession with you. First, we are going to start posting Friday Favorites, alternating between Courtney's and Vivian's favorites. These can be teas or just tea related. Second, we are planning on doing Treat Yourself Sunday where we review dessert teas and relaxing teas. We will also start adding college-student recipes that we concoct in our quaint apartment. If there are any kinds of reviews you are wishing for us to do, let us know! We are always looking for another reason to drink/buy more tea.

Let's jump right into the review, shall we? I (Vivian) went to Disneyland between Christmas and New Years and came back with these treasures. At a price of $11.95 for about 3 oz of tea in a tin, and an adorable mug for $9.95, how could I refuse?

First, let's start off with the packaging. Is this not the cutest container on the planet? The silly quotes along all 4 sides bring the tea to life and remind me of my childhood, watching this movie for days on end. Even the instructions are written in the language of the movie. These are tin containers that close tightly, leading me to believe that they will do a great job of containing the flavor of the teas even after opening. Only time will tell!


Now for the teas themselves. Both teas are loose leaf Indian black tea blends with Safflower and Calendula petals that sprinkle the black base with gold and red. Both teas look exactly the same, but vary in taste.The Topsy Turvy Tea has the additions of bergamot oil and orange flavors. The bergamot oil is intense, which you instantly smell upon opening the package, so those of you who do not enjoy Earl Grey should stay away from this. However, if you enjoy that deep, citrusy flavor, you will fall in love. The orange is more subtle here and only enhances the richness of the bergamot.

The Mad Tea Party Blend is a regular member of Disney's Wonderland Tea set of 12 varieties (which I have purchased twice), so I knew I loved this blend from the start. Along with the base described above, it contains ginger and apricot bits, and peach and apricot flavors. This tea is more gentle with its fruity flavors and is very pleasant. You can smell the ginger and apricot in beautiful harmony. The ginger flavor is not too powerful, as is the case with many other ginger teas, so if you are one to lose track of time, don't fear over-brewing! Both of these teas can be double brewed! The black tea base is not the highest quality, but the flavors are so delicious and unique that this is definitely worth the purchase.


Now onto the mug. This black and white mug looks classy, yet modern with the handle and inside being deep black (reminiscent of the rabbit hole that begins the whole movie, no?). The cartoon drawing of the Mad Hatter, my all time favorite character, is inviting and quirky. But that's not all! On the back is the infamous quote "We're all mad here". The font is not too cheesy, as were some of the other mugs I was browsing through. The only downside to this mug is that it must be hand washed. Of course, time is the test in terms of the mug staying in prime condition, but so far, I am ecstatic about my Disneyland purchases.


Unfortunately, I could not find any of these items on the Disney website, so I have Amazon links down below. They are more expensive this way (sorry!), but next time you go to Disneyland (or maybe even Disneyworld?), take a look for these products.

Topsy Turvy Tea Blend
Mad Tea Party Blend
We Are All Mad Here Mug

Come back soon to see what tea related goodies Courtney and Vivian got for the holidays! Reviews on those products will be coming soon after. Thank you for your patience with winter break/holiday craziness. We are back and ready to drink tea with you!

<3 Courtney & Vivian