Do you know that January is National Thank You Month? It is, and Bigelow Tea loves having an entire month to saying “thanks” to those who mean so much to us!

We all know that the words “please” and “thank you” can make all the difference in the world. So this month is a great time to remember to thank everyone who helps us out, from cashiers to wait staff to crossing guards … these are people who deserve and appreciate a heartfelt thank you. The simple words, “thank you,” can truly make someone’s day better!

January is also an excellent time of year to teach children the importance of a good, old-fashioned thank you note. You can explain why these letters are so important by asking your child (or niece/nephew/grandchild) to imagine choosing a special gift for someone, wrapping it and sending it off. Without a note of thanks, the gift-giver might not know that the present was received and appreciated.

Finally, because January marks the beginning of a new year, it’s the ideal time to reflect on the good things in our lives. We all have something to be thankful for, whether it’s health, a good friend, a supportive family or a warm, aromatic cup of tea! Here at Bigelow Tea, we are so fortunate – we haveyou, our steadfast customers to be thankful for! So in the spirit of the month we want to send a huge thank you to all of our loyal tea drinkers. Thank you for choosing Bigelow Tea and for being a part of the Bigelow Tea family!

Image by bluebirdsandteapots, via Flickr.com

We know you love to drink your favorite teas, but how much do you really know about this amazing beverage? What are the differences between Green, Black and Oolong teas … and where does Herbal tea fit in? If these questions have you stumped, Bigelow Tea can help!

So to further your tea edification, we thought you’d enjoy hearing from Bigelow Tea president, Cindi Bigelow. If anyone knows tea, it’s the granddaughter of Ruth Campbell Bigelow, founder of Bigelow Tea! We hope you enjoy this video lesson … and we think that after viewing it that you’ll not only know a lot more about the complexities of tea appreciation, but that you’ll be also dying to brew a cup!

Enjoy!

Here’s to a healthier you in 2012! When it comes to New Year’s resolutions, eating better and exercising more top the list for many of us.  After all, no matter how good we’ve been, there’s always room for improvement, right? And Bigelow Tea is part of the solution to help you further your health and fitness goals!

Reducing sugar consumption is a great place to start. It’s increasingly evident that while Americans were long fixated on reducing fat intake, we may have been unwittingly piling on the sugar – to the detriment of our waistlines and overall health. In one recent study, participants consumed an average of 21.4 teaspoons of added sugars a day. That’s adding 7 teaspoons of sugar at every meal! Yikes!

Health watchers have taken note of this alarming trend. The American Heart Association recommends that women get no more than 6.5 teaspoons of added sugar a day and men no more than 9.5 teaspoons a day. But if you love soda, it’s difficult to reach this goal. Consider that a 20-oz glass of cola contains a whopping 16 teaspoons of sugar in the form of high-fructose corn syrup!

The upside? Whether you’re looking for fat free or less of the sugary drinks, tea is a great alternative, while providing your body an antioxidant boost and enhancing hydration … and it tastes delicious! So go ahead, indulge your taste for tea in 2012. With more than 120 varieties to choose from, Bigelow Tea offers a flavor for every mood. For renewed inspiration, check out Cindi Bigelow’s demonstration of how to brew the perfect cup of tea. You’ll resolve to never squeeze another teabag again!

So to all our tea fans, we wish you a happy and healthy New Year!

Photo by Roxana Gonzalez via Freerange.com

Click here to view the embedded video.

So to further your tea edification, we thought you’d enjoy hearing from Bigelow Tea President, Cindi Bigelow. If anyone knows tea, it’s the granddaughter of Ruth Campbell Bigelow, founder of Bigelow Tea! We hope you enjoy this video lesson … and we think that after viewing it that you’ll not only know a lot more about the complexities of tea appreciation, but that you’ll be also dying to brew a cup!

Enjoy!

So we’ve collected a few more of our favorite tea quotes … and we suggest you enjoy them while sipping your favorite cup of Bigelow Tea!

Remember the tea kettle – it is always up to its neck in water, yet it still sings!
-        Author Unknown

There is no trouble so great or grave that cannot be much diminished by a nice cup of tea.
-        Bernard-Paul Heroux

There are few hours in life more agreeable than the hour dedicated to the ceremony known as afternoon tea.
-        Henry James (The Portrait of a Lady)

If man has no tea in him, he is incapable of understanding truth and beauty.
-        Japanese proverb

You can never get a cup of tea large enough or a book long enough to suit me.
-        C.S. Lewis

There is a great deal of poetry and fine sentiment in a chest of tea.
-        Ralph Waldo Emerson

Tea is drunk to forget the din of the world.
-        T’ien Yiheng

Photo by Tom T, via Flickr.com

Something tea-related is brewing in the city of Boston, and Bigelow Tea wants to share it with you. In June of 2012, the new and exciting Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum will open to the public!

For the past decade, in the wake of a fire, Boston has had no tourist spot to mark the events of the Boston Tea Party. Now, however, a new museum is being built to commemorate the historic time that those bold patriots carried out their ingenious plan to protest taxation without representation. In fact, the new museum will allow visitors to relive it – the museum’s creators are making movie-studio quality exhibits, featuring a virtual Samuel Adams and King George III. They’re said to be so “state-of-the-art” that visitors won’t know if they’re seeing real people or illusions.

In addition to a museum, the site will feature replicas of three merchant vessels boarded by patriots back in 1773: the Beaver, the Eleanor and the Dartmouth. According to Boston.com, “Other plans include the installation of new docks and boat ramps, floating art displays, and barges to host musical and other performances. Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino has likened the effort to creating a Boston Common on the water.”

As ardent tea lovers, here at Bigelow Tea we know that the history of our United States is awash in the history of tea. We can’t wait to see this new museum devoted to the Boston Tea Party, one of the events that helped spark the American Revolution, and we’re impressed with the plans for the finished museum and ships.  But in the meantime, we can just wait while we sip our English Teatime!

Image via Bostonteapartyship.com

November is that special month when we at Bigelow Tea, and people all across the country, honor the brave men and women who serve and have served in our armed forces. We truly appreciate the sacrifices made by our military families (which is why we created Tea for the Troops), and Military Family Appreciation Month is an opportunity to give thanks to them all for helping to protect our cherished freedoms.

The men and women who fight for our liberty are heroes, and their families are making sacrifices too. Tearful farewells, joyous reunions, daily worries and the pain of grief: these are what our military families endure in service to our country.  Their sacrifices, made each day, are no less heroic than those of their husbands, wives, sons and daughters on active duty. Bigelow Tea appreciates these brave military families.

Today on November 11, we also celebrate Veteran’s Day—to honor the American men and women who have served in the military. The day began on November 11, 1918, when an armistice agreementwas signed signaling the temporary ending of hostilities between the Allied nations and Germanyduring World War I. Legislation was passed in 1938 to officially recognize November 11 as Armistice Day. After World War II and the Korean War, the word “Armistice” was replaced with “Veterans,”to honor American veterans of all wars.

The red poppy, which bloomed across some of the bloodiest battlefields during World War I, became a symbol of remembrance of the blood that was shed by the brave soldiers who died for our freedoms.  At Bigelow Tea, we take this moment to lift our hands to our hearts and bow our heads in silent remembrance and gratitude.

Image (top) via Blissfullydomestic.com,
Image (middle) via Newresource.com,
Image (bottom) via Ambergrisdaily.com.

Americans’ taste for tea continues to grow in the 21^st Century according to the latest published industry reports!

At Bigelow Tea we know that one reason for tea’s ever-increasing popularity is that research repeatedly touts tea’s health benefits. One recent report stated the following: “Bolstered by consumers’ thirst for tea’s variety of flavors and healthy qualities, tea has shown resilience in the economic downturn. The category has experienced solid growth in the last year, with double digit gains from refrigerated tea.” That’s great news!

In addition, the 2011 State of the U.S. Tea Industry Report cited the explosion of tea options as a big factor in piquing consumer interest in tea, driving the wholesale numbers in the U.S. tea market from under $2 billion in 1990 to closing in on $8 billion in 2010. “Given the … intrinsic qualities of tea, and the lifestyle and consumption trends that appear to have become firmly established … only one logical conclusion seems possible; the future for tea in the United States looks very hot indeed!”

We certainly concur! But sales numbers and market fluctuations aside, Bigelow Tea stays focused on the basics – providing our devoted tea fans with the finest teas, and packaged for maximum flavor and freshness. Whether classic teas like Earl Grey and Constant Comment, or innovative blends like Green Tea with Blueberry and Lemon Ginger Herb Plus with Probiotics, you can count on pouring a delicious cup every time!

We love to see new reports on tea’s healthy profile and watch its growth in popularity. But for us tea has a timeless appeal and versatility. We’re in it for the long haul!

Photo by Naama via Flickr.com

As Bigelow Tea President Cindi Bigelow says, “Do the right thing, and good things will follow.” We’re confident that this philosophy – as much as our masterfully blended teas – is responsible for Bigelow Tea’s place as America’snumber one specialty tea maker! Bigelow Tea’s history is rich with this value. So let’s start with David C. Bigelow, Ruth’s son and Cindi’s father, as he tells the story of how his parents founded Bigelow Tea in 1945.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Since then, Bigelow Tea’s extended family has grown to include more than 300 employees, as well as many wonderful suppliers and partners, including the amazing Charleston Tea Plantation!

Click here to view the embedded video.

And many people around the country know that several sports legends, including Phil Simms and Joe Torre (featured in this video), are big fans of Bigelow Tea. We’re proud to call them friends.

Click here to view the embedded video.

 Plenty of young people enjoy tea, so Cindi went back to her alma mater – Boston College – to talk to some of them in person.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Of course, Bigelow Tea’s most important connection is to you, our loyal customers. So Cindi hit the streets ofNew York to talk tea with some of you!

Click here to view the embedded video.

We sincerely look forward to keeping the conversation going for years to come. Chat with us on Twitter or Facebook – anytime!

Photo features Ruth C. Bigelow at work

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