"Me Time" Monday - Time for Tea

It's true that Monday isn’t the first day that comes to mind when I think of having some time for myself. I’m more likely to spend this particular day tackling mountains of laundry, piles of dishes and otherwise catching up from a busy weekend. So each week, I’ll be making a point to try out a new idea for “me time” and reporting back every Monday, when we all need inspiration the most.

For as long as I can remember, I've been a coffee girl. For me, it was never an energy thing - I always drank decaf - but more of a treat, just decaf with some soy or almond milk. And for some reason, I pretty much quit drinking it a few months ago. It started as a conscious effort to reduce the number of cups I was buying out each week (which somehow had escalated to almost one a day!), but somehow it ended in almost no coffee whatsoever. I can't remember the last time I made it at home, and I probably have one cup out a month - usually with a Sunday morning brunch at Ethos or during a Starbucks run after dance practice.

Of course, when one habit goes, another is usually there to take its place - and for me, this has been tea. I've always liked tea, but I've never been tea crazy. Until, that is, I discovered Teavana, a high-end tea shop that just opened a store at a nearby mall. In my mind, it's no coincidence that its name is a blend of the words "tea" and "nirvana". Loaded with delicious samples and eager salespeople happy to share a whiff of any of their many amazing teas, it's my new happy place. The week after I found the one here in town, I came across another in Raleigh on our trip, and it's literally been all I can think about ever since. Ask anyone who knows me - I've become a walking Teavana commercial.

Along with the tea, Teavana sells every imaginable tool for brewing the perfect cup. While I'm coveting a cast iron teapot from afar, I couldn't resist bringing home their Perfect Tea Maker and a glass mug with the inscription, "Each cup of team represents an imaginary journey" . . . along with some tea of course.

For my tea, I chose a blend they had as a sample, Jasmine Pearls (green) and Strawberry Lemonade (herbal), although the chai was also calling my name. I guess this would be good time to mention that the tea is definitely pricey, which is why I didn't cave and get both. However, this past weekend, I priced tea at a local tea store / cafe, and I was surprised to find that their bulk tea cost at least as much - if not more - than Teavana, which made me feel better about my new Teavana habit.

So each day during the kids quiet time, my new reading and tea habits come together to make a lovely break in my day - until my littlest tea lover sneaks out to beg me for a sip!