Category Archives: tea gadgets

Can your mug do this?

(photos courtesy of Amazon.com)

No? I didn’t think so. Mine can…because I have this one! In pink. It’s my new favorite. My sister-in-law gave it to me for my new job. Toss it in your bag, carry it in the crook of your arm, and no spills! I just tossed an old mug that leaked on me this weekend, I HATE a leaky mug. Good thing I have such a great replacement.

Do you have a favorite mug?

Abby’s recent post about the teacup collection gave me a craving for some more teacups! Then today I got an email from Daily Candy’s Swirl (an online shopping site like Rue La La & Haute Look) with some adorable tea cups & pots. They’re priced $15 -$30…not a bad deal!

If you prefer vintage for your tea time, take a look at ebay! Ebay, antique stores & flea markets are great places for vintage tea finds. All of the ones I’ve chosen to show from ebay are under $15.

A teapot can be so important to the enjoyment of a cup of tea, at least for me anyway. Now, keep in mind, I’m a busy girl and don’t always have the time to steep my tea in a teapot.  In fact, sometimes I count myself lucky if I can just get the water boiling and into my travel mug before the door hits me on my way out (five minutes before I’m due at work).  But, lets not talk about that nonsense right now. Instead, think about a more relaxed experience.  Often after a long day a hot cup of tea is just what I need.  These are the times when my teapot love shines!  I have several in my collection and believe me, I love them all.  But, most of all, I love my dragonfly teapot!  This was a gift from my husband.  He is a smart guy, so he learned the quickest way to my heart early on!

Who wants a pretty cup of tea from an ugly teapot?  No one, that’s who.  My dragonfly pot is so beautiful and elegant that it’s a true pleasure to use.  It’s a wonderful cast iron and dark blue, with a dragonfly on either end.  Supposedly, these dragonflies are meant to symbolize about 4 million things, like new beginnings and marriage and such, but I don’t worry about that part all that much.  They make the teapot look great; like a piece of art.

It is just the right size for making full cups of tea for me.  Obviously, one cup is never enough!  It has a basket for steeping loose tea. No trying to deal with infusers and what have you.  Also, the cast iron will keep my tea warm for a looooog time!  I’m not the fastest drinker on record, so this is important.  I do not enjoy pouring my second cup of tea from a pretty pot then having to nuke it in the microwave to heat it up.  All appeal is gone after that.  For those of you who need hot tea for a long period, this one has a stand under which a tea light a go.

Another wonderful thing is that maintenance is quick, easy, and straight forward.  No leaving steeped tea in the pot or basket for too long and that’s really it.  Other than rising it out after use.

Basically, I’m saying I love, love, love this! What is your favorite teapot?  Where did you get it and how long have you had it?  As an enthusiast, it is great to hear how other people drink their tea and what tea-things make people happy!

Have you ever tried a tea timing app?

They are quite handy. The tea app, $3.99, will give reccomendations for brew times for each type of tea but adjust the timers based inn your prefrenes. It will also keep an inventory of the tea you have and your tasting notes.

Teavana also has a free tea app. If all you’re looking for is a timer than this is a great way to go. They also suggest some nice blending options for their teas.

So dear tea drinking fans, do you time your tea? Do you keep tasting notes? Please let us know if you’ve used these apps, we would love to hear your thoughts!

Also, pleases excuse any formatting issues, as is appropriate for a post about apps I’m blogging from my iPad. Cheers!

Hello world! Stay tuned for our posts about all things tea! We’re working on our first real post now and can’t wait to share it with you!

In the meantime you can find more info on the “about us” and “our favorite things” pages.

What’s my VERY favorite tea thing? This amazing travel mug! Inside at the top is a little basket. You put your teabag or loose tea in the basket, lower the lever on the side, steep tea, and left when it’s reached the desired strength. No more tea getting too strong in the to-go mug! And it’s got a good top that doesn’t leak. Since I like to just toss things in my purse, this is important!

-Katie

*We’ll always tell you if we received free product or are featuring paid advertising. I actually bought this product, and love it. No one paid us to put it here on the blog. We did, however, set up our own delectable amazon store so you can get one for yourself. Enjoy!