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.

Orange Blossom White Tea: I drank this tea in the afternoon as a little pick me up, and really enjoyed it! It is refreshing with a florally orange flavor. As a lover of Orange Blossom honey, I expected a great floral flavor, which I got! I do wish, however, that the white tea came across more, but as this tea is only steeped for a minute, it is difficult for the tea to fully develop. I would rate this an 8/10. There is a possibility that I would purchase this tea.

Strawberry Chocolate Tea: Believe it or not, this is only the second chocolate flavored tea I have ever tried. Crazy, I know, but chocolate tea made me imagine watered down hot cocoa, which is just plain weird. But after trying Chocolate Chai from Republic of Tea, which I love, I am no longer afraid. This tea, however, was not one of my favorites. I did not taste the strawberry, which was a disappointment. The chocolate tasted like cocoa powder, and left a drying taste in my mouth. I would give this a 7/10.

Blueberry Green Tea: This tea was fantastic! There was a fresh blueberry taste. It was weird! I could distinctly taste the blueberry! As with many of Republic of Tea fruit flavors I have found, there is a Sweet Tarts type of after taste. Whether or not that is something you like, is up to you! I think it's ok; it doesn't bug me too much. But I really did like this tea, and will probably repurchase it. The green tea flavor was perfectly mixed with fresh blueberry taste. I would give this a 9/10 because of that after taste.

May I suggest for you a chai? This chai is by far my favorite, and believe me, I have tried my fair share at cafes and mixes purchased from stores. David Rio has been my favorite brand for the past year. My parents, knowing about my tea obsession, bought me 4 flavors from David Rio last year, and I instantly fell in love. I would have one cup a day, until I realized that I was running low and decided to drink it more sparingly (silly, I know, but that's how it was). I have since then repurchased David Rio chai blends countless times. I have tried and loved their Tiger Spice Chai, Orca Sugar-Free Chai, and their Flamingo Vanilla Decaf Chai. I am very intrigued to try their Toucan Mango Chai!

It is the perfect blend of creaminess, spice, and tea flavor. The ingredients are very high quality, GMO free, contain no gluten or trans fats. Delicious and not too bad for you! What I look for in a chai is that it is spicy but not so that I can hardly taste anything else. I also desire a moderate amount of sweetness, and creaminess that doesn't over power the spice. Yes, I am quite particular with my chai. David Rio checks off on all of the above.
I generally whisk 2 tablespoons of powder, instead of the recommended 3, into a tea cup of hot water. You can also make this with almond milk or regular milk, but I generally go for water because it is quickest and not so creamy that it takes away from the spice. My roommate and I also sometimes mix this chai mix with hot chocolate mix and put that into hot almond milk.

This chai is the best on those cold winter mornings or evenings (there's a decaffeinated blend!) or for those days when you need to indulge because you deserve it.

Happy Tea Drinking!
<3 TTT

This week's favorite is a whimsical one. It's been a rough couple of weeks and I need a little pick me up in the shape of a duck. Floating in my tea cup.

This duck is a plastic twist cap onto a mesh tea infusing bottom. It comes with a blue "wave" holder where you can place you ducky after infusion. It's a little bit of a task to drink with the duck still floating around, so you can put him in his holder. It does a good job of infusing with very minor leaf leakage (just a few small leaves managed to exit the confines of the mesh infuser). The duck doesn't always stay afloat, but once all of the air escapes, you can pick him back up and he floats nicely.

This was a gift, so I don't know where exactly it was purchased, but the cheapest I have found it is at Cost Plus World Market. 

Happy Tea Drinking!
<3 TTT

Ginger Peach Black Tea: This has the same Peach-O's type of smell as the Ginger Peach White Tea (reviewed here). In this one, though, the peach flavor didn't come across strong enough for me. The ginger is great; not too spicy but just enough to tickle your taste buds. The peach, however, is much too muted for my liking. The tea was also a little drying on the tongue. For these reasons, I rate this tea a 7/10. I will most likely not purchase this tea

Good Hope Vanilla Red Tea: The smell of this tea is fantastic--creamy vanilla, similar to that of Republic of Tea's Caramel Vanilla (reviewed here). The flavor had that same buttery vanilla quality, but unfortunately, had a very strange after-taste. After a few sips, I decided to equate this to salmon roe. It was quite odd. It took me a while to drink this tea because of that weird after-taste, but once the tea cooled down, that it went away completely and I was left with delicious buttery vanilla. I'm not quite sure if the after-taste went away due to the passing of time or because the tea had cooled down. Regardless, as a hot tea this wasn't cutting it for me, but as a cold tea it was quite delicious. I rate this tea a 7.5/10 because of the off-putting taste, but still give it a fairly high rating because it is very good cold.

Chamomile Lemon: I find that it is quite hard to mess up chamomile tea. Most brands that I have tried are very good, with the few exceptions that are extraordinary. This tea is in the middle of those two categories-- the chamomile flavor is great and even has some of herbal qualities that I love, coming from the addition of lavender flower, orange blossom, and passion flower. However, I hardly tasted any lemon. As a chamomile tea this tastes fantastic, but as a chamomile lemon tea, it falls short. I would rate this tea a 7.5/10 because it has a delicious tea base, but is lacking on the flavor.

The People's Green Tea: This is the light at the end of the tunnel for this week's batch of reviews. All of the teas previous were not as great as I had hoped, but this tea is delicious! The smell is reminiscent of matcha green tea--it has that creamy and earthy smell. And the flavor is a mix between good green tea and matcha. I see why this is among the most popular from Republic of Tea. This is definitely a tea that I will repurchase. I rate this a 9.5/10, only because I am very picky with my green teas and have had amazing quality ones while in China.

Happy Tea Drinking!
TTT <3

(I'm not sure why the background of the images isn't white, so if someone knows how to fix this please help me!)

These are things that I would purchase if my wallet let me and if my tea cabinet had enough space. This set of four very loosely has a theme of health and necessities.

Number 1 is a Cool Touch Tea Strainer from Teavana. It is $16.95, which is quite more expensive than the standard tea mesh ball, which you can buy of $3. What is so appealing about this strainer is that it is large enough for the tea leaves to fully expand and release as much flavor as possible into the tea, it hangs over the tea cup which is handy, and I think it looks pretty cool. I will probably purchase a standard and cheap tea mesh ball instead, but if I could, I would definitely buy one of these guys.

The second item is a Peach Detox tea from Yogi that I have been eyeing for a while now. I have always wanted to try Yogi teas and they are very often on sale on Vita Cost. I will probably purchase a whole bunch once I move out of my small apartment, or if I feel like rewarding myself before finals are over. What attracts me to this tea, aside from the health benefits, is the peach flavor. I haven't before tried peach tea, so I am intrigued! I have also been getting more into trying detox and healthy teas in an attempt to improve my health. I have been dealing with abdominal spasms from stress and hope that detox teas can help at least a little.

Third, I have the Get Clean tea that I reviewed (click here to read more about it) from my Republic of Tea haul. Again, aside from the health claims, this tea tasted very good! I don't have many nutty teas in my arsenal (I can only think of 2 at the moment) and would definitely love to expand that part of my collection. The almond flavor of this tea is phenomenal.

Last, is a Billy Bookcase from Ikea. After doing much research, I think I have my heart set on buying this as a tea cabinet when I move out of my apartment. I hope to devote 1-2 of the shelves to books and the rest to my tea collection and a few decorative tea sets. I am still looking into how I plan to store the teas within this bookcase, but I think it will be perfect. If you have any ideas, please let me know!

Thank you for reading and happy tea drinking
TTT<3

On this lazy Sunday, I wanted to drink a tea that made me feel energized and pampered at the same time. My tea of choice: Earl Grey French Blue by Mariage Freres. My friend bought this while abroad and told me that I had to try it (she ended up giving me half of her loose leaf tin :) ) This tea is not too strongly Early Grey flavored; you taste the subtle pepperiness, but are not overwhelmed by it. The addition of the cornflower add floral tones that add luxury to every sip.
Locally, I have only been able to find this tea sold in certain French bakeries, but I will be on the look out for more! I would love to do a review in the future (and stock up because they are so darn good). You can also buy this tea online at their website here.

To go along with my Lazy Sunday morning, I decided to pair this tea with two slices of toast, one with grape jelly and another with boysenberry preserves, and an episode of Friends. Please excuse my mess of a desk.

Enjoy the rest of your Sunday and happy tea drinking
TTT <3

Blackberry Sage Green Tea: The tea bag smelled sickeningly of blackberry, like that artificial sourness and sweetness, so I was initially afraid of what I was about to try. However, once brewed, the smell transforms to being relaxing as the sage and blackberry blend in perfect harmony. The taste is not artificial at all, which is what the initial smell led me to believe. I could even taste a slight sour flavor from the blackberries. The sage flavor is not apparent at first, but tickles your tastebuds as an afterthought with its fresh qualities. This tea is a little dry tasting, however, and tended to be more smell than flavor. I would rate this tea a 7/10

Hibiscus Coconut (Herbal Tea) : I would not expect a tea to quench my thirst. When I am parched, I reach for water more often than tea. But this tea is so hydrating, you won't believe! It is almost as if you are drinking coconut water with a hint of sour hibiscus. If you don't think that this flavor combination would work, I highly suggest you give it a try. It is enjoyable to drink as it is hydrating, creamy, slightly sour, and relaxing, as well as refreshing. I have nothing else to day, 10/10. Definitely will be purchasing the full size.

Get Clean (Herbal Tea): This is of their detox teas that claims to help you feel less bloated and gross after having eaten an unhealthy meal by stimulating the liver. There is an asterisk on the packet stating that their claims are not FDA approved, meaning that the ingredients are thought of to have these cleansing properties, but their claim has not been tested by the FDA. This tea contains dandelion root, which is great for digestion and is an antioxidant, and chicory root, which helps upset stomachs and curb appetites. Whether or not these ingredients are in high enough quantities in the tea to cause any effect is debatable. Regardless of its claims, this tea is quite delicious! It did take the first sip to get used to it though, as it does have much more of a "healthy" flavor. The best way that I can describe the smell is almonds and healthy supplement. You initially taste the almond flavoring, which almost has an alcoholic type of taste, but that goes away after the first sip. After a few more sips, I likened the flavor to an almond meal based cookie dough. I am definitely going to buy this tea again, not so much for the "clean" claims as I hadn't tried it for long enough to see if there are any results, but more so for the delicious flavor. This is a 10/10 for flavor, not sure about the rating for its claims, yet though, but I do plan on doing a full review once I buy it.

Decaf Apricot Black Tea: I had such high expectations because of the smell; like apricots and cream. I was a little disappointed, though, that the flavor didn't come across all that much. It basically tastes like warm water with a hint of apricot. I even put the tea bag in for longer than recommended in hopes of deepening the flavor. which did not happen. I really wish that this tea had a stronger apricot flavor, because right now I have to search for it. I would rate this a 3/10. Not very impressed.


Check out these teas here:
Blackberry Sage Green Tea
Hibiscus Coconut
Get Clean
Decaf Apricot Black Tea

Happy tea drinking!
TTT <3

This post is coming to you Tuesday night instead of Monday because of midterms :( My apologies!

This tea is my favorite to drink when running errands, which usually starts at the mall. You know how it is. The first store I always walk into is Teavana. I walk straight to the cash register and order the same tea; the chai mix they have on display with light sugar. It is a mix of Mahara Chai Oolong, which gives just enough energy for an extended period of time, as opposed to black tea, which tends to give a spurt of energy that dies down. This is mixed with Samurai Mate, which is rich in caffeine. This combination not only tastes absolutely delicious, it gets the job done of making my errands feel relaxing while giving me enough energy to keep going.

The best way that I can describe the flavor is a muted chai. You taste the spice, but it is not as strong as in most chai teas. This might be due to the creaminess from the pineapple and papaya tropical notes. This chai is perfect for those of you that are new to chai, would like to try it, but are afraid of the spice. This was actually the first chai that I ever tried, and it truly made me fall in love. The only reason I have yet to purchase this tea blend is that not having it at home helps me justify buying it as a hot beverage every time I go into a Teavana.

I longed for this candle ever since I saw it on the Bath and Body Works website about a year ago. I kept telling myself that $22.50 for a candle is really not worth it, so I put it out of my mind until last month when B&BW was having a huge sale: 2 for $20 candles plus 25% off! I almost had to.
And I am so happy I bought it! It smells just like a nice black tea with lemon in it, like Lipton Iced Tea. It is not a strong smell, but pleasantly fills the room with the refreshing and comforting smell of tea and lemon. If you are a lover of tea, like I am, you will very much enjoy Bath and Body Works' take on its deliciousness. I would highly recommend this scent to everyone! But, definitely wait for a tempting sale to come around.

Cranberry Blood Orange Black: As I was licking the spoon after taking out the tea bag, I tasted Sweet Tarts candy. Yum! And when I went to take a sip, it tastes like just that--Sweet Tarts candy in tea form: meaning that you get all of the delicious taste without feeling sick to your stomach from all of the sugar. Because of this quality, I feel that this tea does not need any sugar, unless you would like to cut the bitterness as both fruits are quite bitter. But they are rich in antioxidants! Despite its inherent bitterness, this tea goes smoothly on the tongue. I really enjoy this! I would rate it a 10/10. I am greatly debating buying a full canister of this…

Ginger Peach White Tea: Upon brewing, this smells like Peach-Os with hint of ginger. I was slightly disappointed because I was expecting a flavor as powerful as the smell, but only got subtle flavor. However, after a few more sips, I began to better understand this tea, for lack of better words. It is quite soothing, although you would expect ginger to be spicy. The packet's instructions say to steep for 30-60 seconds, which is a short amount of time for the rest of the flavors to develop but is necessary for the ginger to not be overpowering. I do wish that the peach flavor came across more, but you can definitely taste it. The peach nor the ginger flavors overpower one another. Perhaps the water was not hot enough and therefore did not extract as much flavor as it could have, but overall I think this tea is quite good. I would rate this an 8.5/10 because I do wish that the peach flavor was stronger, but I do enjoy this tea. Besides, I have two more chances with a green and black tea version of the same flavor to see if I can brew them correctly.

Pomegranate Green Tea: Once brewed, this tea is a pomegranate juice berry red color, which is very unlike the Disney Tea Brand or Hickory Farms pomegranate green tees that I have tried. This let me know that the pomegranate flavor was going to be real and intense. I was worried, though, that this would taste more like a juice than tea, which although could be delicious, is not what I was hoping for from a green tea. However, I am pleased to say that this tea is fantastic. The best description I can give, and I mean this in the best way possible, is that of watered-down pomegranate juice mixed with green tea. You get the slight tang from the pomegranate, and yet still have the taste of green tea in the background. If you are not one for bitter flavors, try adding just a touch of turbinado sugar. I really enjoyed this tea and would rate it a 8.5/10 because I did feel that there could have been more of a pomegranate flavor and that the green tea flavor was a tad too much.