31st January, 2008: Bigelow Annual Tea Celebrates Hot Tea Month
In honor of January being Hot Tea Month, the 3 Bigelow facilities each host an afternoon tea party for the employees. These annual events are a wonderful way to celebrate the joy of drinking tea and to foster a sense of fellowship and fun amongst co-workers.
At the corporate headquarters in Fairfield, CT, the Customer Service and Call Center staffs host the afternoon tea annually. This year, in addition to a wide variety of Bigelow teas being offered, a selection of delicious food items was served, including cucumber sandwiches, sweet and savory ham sandwiches, and scones with fresh whipped cream and jam. Also, brownies with Bigelow vanilla caramel tea glaze were served, along with sugar cookies drizzled with Bigelow EggNogg’n tea glaze. The tea and the food were presented on tables covered with white linen tablecloths and adorned with several beautiful flower arrangements. While the tea and food were being enjoyed, a raffle was held where every employee had a chance to win items from the Bigelow Direct Marketing catalog.
The annual Bigelow afternoon teas are wonderful events that are eagerly anticipated and are a great way to celebrate January being Hot Tea Month.
J David Silva, Customer Service Manager
Posted by Liesl at 6:00 am | Comment (1)
30th January, 2008: Tea Toons: Humor You Can Share
Now you brighten a tea lover’s day with little tea … in the form of a cartoon! Off the Mark by Mark Parisi offers a host of clever, colorful cartoons with subject matter than includes tea! Best of all, sharing these images with a friend via email is easy and free! Just choose a cartoon, then click “Send to a friend” for email options.
Need an image for project? Parisi sells the cartoons for use in newsletters, flyers, presentations, websites and more! Some images are also available on T-shirt and mugs!
Not finding comics to your liking? Try the Cartoonist Group site. They also offer free email cartoons, from a variety of artists.
Posted by Brenda at 6:00 am | Comment (0)
29th January, 2008: Different Uses for Tea
Tea has proven to have many healthful benefits associated with drinking it, but there are also many benefits that people don’t typically think about. Not only can various kinds of tea be used to help the occasional aches and pains, but it can also be used for some types of beauty treatments. For example, you can use cold teabags as a cold compress to be used on sunburn or even minor cuts and scrapes. You can reduce the itchiness of Mosquito bites and bee stings by placing a wet tea bag over the affected area for 15 to 20 minutes. You can also use some varieties of tea as a facial toner or even an eye compress for tired eyes.
Tea can also be used for various things around the home as well as some craft ideas. You can use tea bags to dye lace or other pieces of fabric so that you can give it that aged and antique look.
For more ways that tea can be used, take a look at the following websites:
http://www.radio86.co.uk/explore-learn/lifestyle-in-china/477/the-many-uses-of-tea-health-and-beauty
http://www.radio86.co.uk/explore-learn/lifestyle-in-china/548/the-many-uses-of-tea-around-the-house
http://www.stashtea.com/beauty.htm
Posted by Elizabeth at 6:00 am | Comment (1)
28th January, 2008: Paul McCartney Invites You to Tea
“Would you care to sit with me … For a cup of English tea?” Former Beatle Paul McCartney delivers this musical invitation to a massive online audience in a YouTube music video that has been viewed over 14,000 times.
This is a slightly larger audience than the song enjoyed in 2005 when Sir Paul performed the number to NASA Space Station Discovery crew, some 220 miles above Earth, in the first-ever live station musical wake-up.
The whimsical tune details the delights of a traditional English tea, including the lovely gardens where these social occasions were typically held, the outdoor games and sweet treats. And now, in the midst of winter, there’s no better time to steep your favorite Bigelow tea and find yourself carried away with the magic of this simple song into the enchanted world of an English tea! To sing along, first make a quick stop to MTV for the lyrics.
Posted by Brenda at 6:00 am | Comment (0)
25th January, 2008: Talking Tea: The Origins of Three Tea Phrases
“Thanks, but that’s not my cup of tea.” You’ve probably heard this phrase before. In fact, you may use it in daily conversation. But where did the expression originate? We recently went in search of the history behind this and other tea expressions.
The phrase “not your cup of tea” means that something is “not to your liking.” According to the Translation Dictionary the expression got its start in the late 1800s when Brits, when referring to the popular drink, began saying that something they liked was their “cup of tea.” But time changes things. Later, probably sometime in the 1920s, the expression took a twist to indicate the opposite.
What about “tempest in a teapot?” Michael Quinion of Worldwide Words, is more familiar with the British version of this colloquialism, “storm in a teacup.” “Either way,” he says “it’s a delightful phrase for a fuss about nothing very much, or a dispute of only minor or local importance.” The American variation seems to be older, at least a century and a half old with the earliest example found in a long-defunct journal called The United States Democratic Review of January 1838 about the Supreme Court.
“Not for all the tea in China” is another well worn expression. The idiom is used to stress that the deed in question would not be performed for any price. Writers at the Human Flower Project say it was first used in Australia in the 1890s and “recalls that tea was initially a rich person’s drink in Europe. When the East India Tea Company first brought tea to Holland, it cost $100 per pound.”
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23rd January, 2008: Black Tea Need Not Take a Backseat to Green Tea
That’s right. Black tea contains antioxidants too. Granted there has been a lot in the press about the health benefits of green tea. However, the reality is that the antioxidant EGCg found in green tea is also found in black tea, just not as much of it. On the other hand, black tea is higher in theaflavins and thearubigens, compounds which have been found to be equally as effective antioxidants as EGCg. Recent studies performed specifically on black tea have linked it to reducing LDL, the “bad” cholesterol, as well as reducing coronary heart disease by 50%. Black tea has also been shown to reverse abnormal functioning of blood vessels, which contributes to stroke and heart attack, in as soon as one hour.
Bottom line…drink whatever you like…whether it’s black tea or green tea…
Posted by Julie at 6:00 am | Comment (1)
22nd January, 2008: New Year’s Reflections
Now that it is a new year, it is time to take inventory. Take inventory in all parts of my life which of course includes my role here at Bigelow. I was thinking about what is the most important (or at least one of the most important things) I need to bring to the table and I believe it is the role of a driver. I have to be driving this organization forward in all areas at all times. Sometimes that is not fun and certainly doesn’t always make me that popular but it is critical.
For this wonderful and warm family company to position itself for the future, we need to make sure all areas are driving forward. How can we do it better, where should we be going, what else can we be doing to get close to our customers? The list is endless but to me, that push is what will ensure this lovely company is relevant to the consumer in 5-10 years and longer.
Sometimes it is easy to get caught up in the million details that I get exposed to, but I need to make sure I am taking the time to effectively communicate to all of my fellow teammates so we are driving together and moving forward.
It is important to sit back and take an inventory of ourselves. Reflection allows us to ensure our lives have some clarity and that we are on a path which allows us to ignore the noise and stay focused. Yes, it is that time of year….time to sit back, have a cup of tea and reflect….cheers to a beautiful 2008 for all of us.
Cindi Bigelow, President
Posted by Cindi at 6:00 am | Comment (0)
21st January, 2008: Green Tea in Demand for Mandy Moore
Performer Mandy Moore is on a roll. On the heels of two large movie releases – “Because I Said So” and “License to Wed” – she’s recently launched a new album and concert tour. But when MTV caught up with her in August, they wanted the scoop on any diva-like behavior. Did she have any quirks, like her recent co-star Billy Crudup?
An obliging Moore admitted just one, her love for green tea. “Before I go onstage to sing, I like a mug of green tea with honey,” she stated. “I’m very particular about it though,” Mandy continued. “I have to have it. I have to have my green tea and honey or else I’m just not going to sing. There you have it.”
After a quick listen to her vocals you might forgive this indulgence! This young lady may be smart to insist on green tea. Just check out the streaming audio at her official website and see if you agree.
Posted by Brenda at 6:00 am | Comment (0)
18th January, 2008: For All You ”Sweet Tooths” Out There - Bigelow Tea’s Top Three Desserts
Bigelow Tea has chosen three winners for its Bigelow Tea Dessert Recipe Contest. Yum…How does Caramel Apple Coffee Cake sound? So good it took First Prize. The delightful flavor of Bigelow Cinnamon Apple Herbal Tea made this cake a winner. The Caramel Apple Coffee Cake was submitted by Laurel of Lake Mills, Iowa. First prize was The Classic Tea Chest. Autumn Tea Cake, which incorporated the heavenly flavor of Bigelow Cinnamon Stick Tea, won second place. Another Iowan, Nita, received the Rose Garden Plate with Server Set for her cake recipe. Third prize, the Four Flavored Tea Chest, went to Annie of Binghamton, NY for her Pineapple Upside-Down Cake. Annie used Bigelow’s infamous Constant Comment Tea to give her cake its unique flavor. Congratulations Laurel, Nita and Anna! Thanks to ALL who entered those wonderful tea dessert recipes.
It’s time to get baking! And while you’re at it, brew up a cup of your favorite Bigelow Tea.
Posted by Julie at 6:00 am | Comment (0)
16th January, 2008: Nutrition: How Tea Helps You Meet RDAs
Are you getting all the nutrition you need? The beginning of a new year is a good time to re-evaluate your dietary needs and to learn how green tea can add supplementary nutrition.
Start by re-acquainting yourself with the USDA’s food pyramid or by developing a customized plan at the MyPyramid Web site. Additional dietary guidance is also available on the site, such as detailed nutrient information. This Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) information (now called RDIs) contains recommendations for optimum consumption of vitamins, minerals and micronutrients.
Next, rediscover how tea can provide an extra boost to a healthy diet with health-promoting phytonutrients “that are very similar to those that you find in fruits and vegetables.”
Your last step is a quick visit to the Afternoon Tea Party blog for a breakdown of 18 healthy compounds found in tea, including antioxidants and Vitamin D. The information is formatted for easy comparison to RDA or RDI guidelines and even includes provides an estimate of nutrients received in subsequent steepings of a single tea bag!
Now, when planning healthful pyramid-based meals, don’t forget to include the nutritional benefits of tea, because this seemingly simple beverage really does go a long way in helping you meet your RDAs!
Posted by Brenda at 6:00 am | Comments (2)
