Bigelow Tea has thoroughly enjoyed sharing Hot Tea Month with all of you! From our remarkable live Facebook chat with Cindi to our sensational Charleston Tea Garden sweepstakes getaway, this month has been full of rockin’ tea-related excitement! Of course, the best part of Hot Tea Month was each and every cup of tea that we sipped, shared and enjoyed during January. So to now close out the month, we leave you with this centuries–old and beautiful tea poem. Enjoy!

A Cup of Tea 

When the world is all at odds
And the mind is all at sea
Then cease the useless tedium
And brew a cup of tea.

There is magic in its fragrance,
There is solace in its taste;
And the laden moments vanish
Somehow into space.

And the world becomes a lovely thing!
There’s beauty as you’ll see;
All because you briefly stopped
To brew a cup of tea.

Tea helps our head and heart.
Tea medicates most every part.
Tea rejuvenates the very old.
Tea warms the hands of those who’re cold.

Can’t you just picture yourself holding a steaming mug of your favorite tea? Whether it’s Constant Comment, Green Tea or an herbal variety, it all warms the heart and soul. So, with those words, we send you off into February, where we know you’ll continue to enjoy your Bigelow Tea. Stay warm, and have a beautiful (and extra-long) February!

Poem by J. Jonker, Amsterdam, c.1670
Image by OhMyGouda, via Flickr.com

During National Hot Tea Month we know you don’t need encouragement to drink Bigelow Tea; it’s January, after all, and there’s no better time of year to slow down and warm up with a steaming cup of hot tea! But for us, National Hot Tea Month is like a month-long holiday, so we thought it might be fun to give some suggestions for teas you may want to try over the next weeks. Here are some thoughts … and we’d love to hear your ideas too!

On Mondays, when we all need a bit of a boost, a traditional black tea may do the trick. Give English Teatime or Darjeeling a try!

On Tuesdays a decaf tea during your mid-morning break sounds just about right. May we recommend our decaf Green Tea? Smooth, delicious and full of antioxidants!

Wednesday is known as “hump day,” and we think a little Lemon Lift in the afternoon will help get you over that hump and headed towards the weekend!

Thursday evenings seem to be a favorite television night, so how about an herbal tea like Chamomile Mint to sip with your favorite shows?

For Friday, why not consider the venerable Constant Comment? Usher in the weekend with the grandmother of all tea blends! Sounds pretty good to us.

Saturdays tend to be full of errands, sports and family time; our Spiced Chai is the perfect tea for this busy day!

And Sunday … brunch day … English Breakfast and Earl Grey are two traditional teas that will make beautiful additions to your Sunday brunch and family gathering!

We hope these daily tea suggestions help out … but with so many Bigelow Tea choices, we predict a busy National Hot Tea Month. We know we’ll do our part!

Oh and while you are celebrating, make note of all of the fun things we are doing in January on Facebook: Win a trip for two to our Charleston Tea Garden via our sweepstakes tab just under our profile picture in Facebook (starts Jan 3^rd so enter tomorrow). Also, chat with Cindi Bigelow, President, live on Facebook on January 18^th from 2:00-3:00pm EST.  Happy Hot Tea Month!

Image by etagwerker, via Flickr.com

If the words “Black Friday” got you excited about holiday shopping, we think that the words “black tea” (and green tea and herbal tea too!) should give you gift-giving inspiration this year! In the spirit of the season, Bigelow Tea has put together a glorious assortment of tea gifts that are not only beautiful, but will also bring joy to their recipients well into the new year!

Whether you’re shopping for teachers, co-workers, cherished friends or relatives, a gift that comes with tea comes with love. Take, for example, our Warm Wishes Tin. This adorable round tin comes with 16 varieties of Bigelow Tea—128 tea bags in all! Whoever receives this assortment will think of you every time they brew a cup of tea!

For the tea-lover who also enjoys a little snack, may we suggest our Let It Snow bundle? It’s abounding with biscotti, truffles, gingerbread cookies, snack mix and chocolate snowman, plus as assortment of Bigelow Holiday Teas … all in an adorable crackle finish metal container! Who wouldn’t enjoy sipping tea and nibbling these goodies in front of a fire this winter?!

And for those who are devoted to spice-infused teas like the classic Constant Comment, we think our Spice Of Life collection is the ideal gift! With 72 tea bags (Constant Comment, Cinnamon Stick and Spiced Chai) plus cookies and David C. Bigelow’s wonderful book, My Mother Loved Tea. A sweet gift for someone who enjoys a great story, and a spicy cup of tea!

With these suggestions your holiday shopping will be a breeze. If you still find yourself stressed, take a minute to make yourself a cup of tea and relax! May this season be filled with love, warmth and Sweet Dreams! Fa la la la la … la la la la!

As Hanukkah is celebrated at this special time of year by members of the Jewish faith, Bigelow Tea wants to help make it special with tea recommendations and accompaniments for the traditional foods and gifts that are all part of the festivities! Hanukkah, also called the Festival of Lights, commemorates the rededication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem during the second century B.C.

The Talmud, according to History.com, shares that the Jews who took part in the rededication of the temple witnessed a miracle: “Even though there was only enough untainted olive oil to keep the menorah’s candles burning for a single day, the flames continued flickering for eight nights…this wondrous event inspired the Jewish sages to proclaim a yearly eight-day festival.”

Today the holiday is celebrated with gatherings of family and friends, songs, prayers and foods that include potato latkes, roasted chicken, yeast doughnuts and beef brisket. Bigelow Tea selections (many of which are kosher) make wonderful accompaniments to the festive repast. Earl Grey, with its delicate and international flavors, will add a layer of enjoyment to the Hanukkah meal; and the spicy favorite Constant Comment, a favorite of many tea-lovers, is another outstanding selection!

During Hanukkah gifts are exchanged, often with small items (like a box of Cinnamon Stick tea!) for each of the eight nights. In the spirit of giving, we’ve put together a beautiful Happy Hanukkah basket that is wonderful to bring to a gathering or to give to a special person during the Festival of Lights!

The all-kosher collection of Hanukkah treats includes cookies, gelt snack mix, a beautifully-printed tea towel, an etched blue glass candleholder with tea light and 88 individually-wrapped tea bags in assorted flavors!

Happy Hanukkah from Bigelow Tea!

Of course you can always shop for individual items on our Web site, but the catalog offers a fun shopping experience and fantastic gift-giving inspiration. And you can flip the pages online or in print – whichever you prefer. Going with the digital catalog saves paper and time…just click and go! You’ll love being able to bookmark pages and type notes about items of interest (like perhaps, the Pumpkin Spice Tea And Cookie Tin pictured above!).  To virtually flip through the catalog, just click on the lower right corner of each page.

If you’d rather flip through the real thing, fill out and send in this e-form or call us toll-free, 1-888-244-3569, and we’ll be happy to send you a catalog right away. (And please remember to recycle it when you’re finished shopping!) Inside you’ll find beautiful color photographs of unique tea-inspired gifts for any occasion, from handsome tea chests that can be personally engraved, to lovely teapots and treats that pair well with our teas. There’s really something for everyone.

And don’t forget to order something for yourself too! Happy armchair shopping to all!

If you haven’t had a chance to sit down with your family in a while, November provides a great opportunity to get back into the practice! Put on the kettle to brew a pot of Bigelow Tea, and spend some time together during National Family Stories Month!

Fall’s cooler weather and earlier twilight makes for more indoor time, and it’s a wonderful season to pull out old photo albums and to share some of the family’s history with the next generation(s).  It’s also a great time to update—or start!—a scrapbook. Keeping a record of today’s events will make it easier to share those stories with future generations to come. If you’re truly ambitious, you might even consider putting some of your family’s stories into writing … either online in a blog, a family website or on paper!

However you choose to commemorate your family’s stories this month, it’s always best to ensure that there is some steaming Bigelow Tea nearby! Our suggestions? If you’re gathering at night or working on a scrapbook in the wee hours, some Chamomile Mint will do the trick. And if you’re having a daytime event or need a little tea-inspired boost, English Teatime is a great selection!

We hope you’ll enjoy your tea and take the opportunity to reacquaint yourself with your family!

Image by dewittn via Flickr.com

At Bigelow Tea we love getting outside for a brisk walk, and autumn is a favorite time of year to do so. With the cooler air and the changing colors, fall is the ideal season to take a hike!

Whether it’s a short walk through a local park or a longer trek up a mountain, hiking is a fantastic way to get exercise and experience the beauty of nature. If you haven’t had experience hiking, local and national resources are available to help you find trails and to give you advice on what to wear and pack. Hiking’s such a great fall activity that there’s even a day in November devoted to it! We’ve blogged before about National Take A Hike Day, and we hope that you’ll all consider doing just that!

A good hike in autumn provides you with fresh air, beautiful foliage viewing, a great connection with nature, and a feeling of accomplishment. What could be better? And in our opinion there’s just one thing can top off a day of getting back to nature: a good cup of fresh brewed tea!  So when you return from your hike, prop up your feet, reminisce about the day … and sip a cup of Bigelow Tea! Our choice after a hike? Maybe some rich and satisfying Bigelow Tea Pomegranate Black Tea or Darjeeling, grown right in the foothills of some of the best hiking in the world, the Himalayas!

Image by ForestGladesiWander via Flickr.com

The crisp weather and turning leaves that arrive in time for Columbus Day put us all in the mood for fall flavors here at Bigelow Tea! We just can’t get enough pumpkin, cinnamon, apple and spice at this time of year, and in the true spirit of Christopher Columbus, we’re exploring them all in a delicious variety of Bigelow Teas!

After all, Columbus is commemorated for his arrival in the New World on October 12, 1492 – opening the Americas to greater European exploration. He would cross the Atlantic several more times, and by his third voyage he realized that he had not discovered Asia as he had initially intended but instead had come upon land previously unknown to most Europeans. And while Columbus later became a controversial historical figure, his sense of adventurous discovery is still entrenched in American culture.

It would be more than another century after Columbus’ first journey for tea to arrive in Europe – and then in to Colonial America via Dutch traders. Thank goodness for this important addition to the New World! So, to commemorate Columbus and early autumn, may we suggest these flavorful Bigelow Teas to celebrate and enjoy the season:

Bigelow Cinnamon Stick Tea – a hearty black tea with pure, natural cinnamon.

Bigelow Spiced Chai Tea – black tea with exotic premium spices.

Bigelow Pumpkin Spice Tea – black tea with natural pumpkin flavor, cinnamon, licorice root, clove and ginger.

Bigelow Apple Cider Herbal Tea – apple, hibiscus, cinnamon, spices and other natural flavors.

Of course, you can enjoy these wonderful teas anytime, but now just seems like a great time to spice things up!

Photo by muffinman71xx via Flickr.com

 

The Emmy Awards seem to always generate constant comment, both before and after the show, so Bigelow Tea began thinking about our own Constant Comment tea and how tea may have been part of the Emmys this year!

One thing we noticed is that on the red carpet a few stylish ladies were wearing tea-length dresses! The dress getting the most post-Emmy buzz was worn by Kaley Cuoco, who stars on The Big Bang Theory. Red carpet watchers praised her chick black tulle Romona Keveza dress and her simple makeup. We thought all the ladies looked fabulous that night!

Actress Amy Teegarden

In addition, one of our favorite young actresses – whose name makes us smile – was on the red carpet: Amy Teegarden(don’t you just love that?!) from Friday Night Lights; she attended the Emmys wearing a giant smile, gorgeous earrings and a dress that also received rave reviews!

And while we think champagne may have been the beverage of choice for many of those in Hollywood, we’d venture to guess that many Bigelow Tea lovers enjoyed the Emmy telecast from their comfy sofas…with a cup of tea! Constant Comment Green Tea, perhaps?

All that, plus a joke from the show’s host Jane Lynch about her daughter attending a “tea party,” made the Emmy Awards a beau-TEA-ful evening!

Now that’s entertainment!

Image 1 by WEBN-TV via Flickr.com
Image 2 of Amy Teegarden by david_shankbone via Flickr.com

It’s family golf month, and Bigelow Tea knows it can get pretty steamy out there on the back nine! To stay hydrated and to make the after-golf party special, we offer you two easy recipes for icy cold tea on a hot summer day!

The first, created by Tyna from California (the first place winner of our 2007 Iced Tea Recipe Contest) is a simple blend of two of our most traditional teas: Constant Comment and Plantation Mint. The second is a creative suggestion for freezing tea in an ice cube tray, and can incorporate any flavor or type of tea you desire! Who knows?  Maybe the incentive of having these tea-licious treats after a round of golf will help encourage even your non-golfing family members to get out there and swing a club! Good luck, and hit ‘em straight!

Constant Comment® and Plantation Mint® Iced Tea

Ingredients:

1 quart of cold water
2 Bigelow Constant Comment® Tea Bags
1 Bigelow Plantation Mint® Tea Bag
Sugar, to taste

Instructions:

Bring 1 quart of water to a boil, add 2 “Constant Comment”® tea bags and 1 Plantation Mint® tea bag and steep for 10 minutes. Pour into pitcher and refrigerate until chilled. Serve in a tall glass with ice. Sweeten to taste.

Iced Tea Cubed

Instructions:

The next time you make iced tea… try freezing some in an ice cube tray. Then use iced tea cubes in place of regular ice cubes to keep iced tea cool, fresh and flavorful!

And when you’re feeling truly inspired, remember mixing flavored iced tea cubes are a great way to add subtle flavor to any iced tea. Follow these suggestions or create your own flavor sensation!

• For a hint of mint try Iced Tea Cubes made with Bigelow Mint Medley or Plantation Mint.
• For a splash of fruit try Bigelow Red Raspberry, Perfect Peach, Orange & Spice, Pomegranate Pizzazz or Raspberry Royale.
• For a citrus sensation try cubes made with Bigelow I Love Lemon or Lemon Lift.

Image (top) by Kellyv, via Flickr