Tea Advent Calendars

Back in 2015, tea Advent calendars were a rarity. But now most tea shops sell their own versions online or at their stores.

Spotted at Winners/HomeSense: The English Tea Shop Advent Calendar was only $12.99 CDN for 24 teas ($0.54 CDN/cup). I was thisclose to buying it until I realized that the calendar only contained 12 unique flavours. So I passed.

Spotted at Denningers: Twinings "Tea for Two" Advent Calendar was $29.99 CDN and offered two teabags per day ($0.62 CDN/cup). London Drugs currently has it on sale for only $19.99 CDN.

Screenshot from Davids Tea website

The 24 Days of Tea by Davids Tea was one of the first Advent Calendars that I've seen ($49 CDN). According to the packaging, each day contains 2 cups worth of (loose leaf) tea ($1.02 CDN/cup).

Citizen Tea's 25 Day Tea Journey is $55 CDN, but makes up to 100 cups of tea ($0.55 CDN/cup). So it's actually reasonably priced for sampling loose leaf teas.

For the last 3 years, I've been making my own tea Advent calendar by filling this huge stocking (a HomeSense find) with teabags.

Do you have an Advent calendar?

What I bought at the RBG Tea Festival

I had so much fun sampling the teas and chatting with the vendors at the RBG Tea Festival. I wanted to support everyone, but I had to limit my purchases.

How cute is this teapot keychain from The Art of Tea and Tasseomancy?

Left: White Gingered Apricot by The Travelling Tea Room

Right: Poached Pear Brulee Black Tea by the Blue Mountain Tea Company

Love The Sugared Teacup's beautifully decorated teaboxes! 

It contains a curated selection of 5 tea pouches from local Toronto tea shops. This box includes green teas.

This box includes fruity herbal teas. 

I almost don't want to open the tea box because it'll destroy Deb's handiwork! I'm happy that I was able to try out these tea boxes before they're phased out at the end of the year.

Freebies (Ceylon tea) from the Sri Lankan Consulate

I couldn't leave the festival without a purchase from one of my favourite tea vendors: The Monarch Tea Co.!

The tasty Biscotti Spice Rooibos Tea was a hit at the pop-up tea at the office!

3rd Annual RBG Tea Festival

At the beginning of November, I went to the 3rd Annual Tea Festival at the Royal Botanical Gardens. 

Some of the teapot trivia

These teapot trivias led us to the 29 vendors, 10 presentations, 5 tea tasting competitions and 4 tea ceremonies! Once again, I spent my time visiting and sampling teas from the local vendors.

 An exhibit of the classic versus contemporary tea vessels.

Pretty tea china were also presented by Tea and Toasts (top) and Lifestyles for Life (bottom).

The Travelling Tea Room always has such an elegant display.

Samples from beTeas: Choco Spice Rooibos, Milky Oolong, Purple Rain Green Tea, Wuyi Oolong. 

The Tea Stylist (not pictured: my white tea sample)

Sample from one of my favourite tea companies, Monarch Tea Co.: Biscotti Spice Rooibos. 

Samples from Tumeric Teas: Tumeric Latte (my favourite), Warming Ginger, Calming Lemongrass, Cooling Peppermint, Energizing Chai.

Left: Sample of Quince Herbal Tea from Tea-ara. 

Right: Sample of Lemon Sencha from My Tea Brew.

 Samples from Blue Mountain Tea Company: Coconut Milk Oolong (voted as the favourite oolong at the festival; left) and Nepali Breakfast Organic (right).

Left: Organic Black, Chai and Organic Green Tea Samples from Relaxing Rocco, a new tea company named after the proprietor's cat!

Right: Infusion Organic Tea (I can't recall what I sampled).

I had a nice chat with the delightful Deb from The Sugared Teacup. Her charming tea sampler boxes are being phased out at the end of the year so that Deb can focus on her new business venture--tea postcards and art prints.

An interesting display of teacups by The Art of Tea and Tasseomancy.

Samples from the Sri Lankan Consulate: Ceylon tea brewed at different elevations (high to low).

The set-up for the Chinese tea ceremony demonstration.

Next week, I'll share what I brought home with me!

Kopper Kettle Bistro & Chocolate Lounge

Last weekend, I visited the Kopper Kettle Bistro & Chocolate Lounge in Milton.

The delightful bistro was the perfect fusion of two of my favourite things: chocolate and tea!

The whimsical decor made me smile. It's hard to see from the photo but the buckets hanging from the ceiling were filled with marshmallows.

Top: one wall had "melting chocolate"; a diamond, club, heart & spade.
Bottom: another wall was decorated with mugs, bowls and plates.

Where all the chocolate goodness is produced.

When you're in a chocolate lounge, you have to try the traditional hot chocolate!

I had the "Kebab Bowl"--beef kobab served in a bread bowl (top right).

My friends had a strawberry milkshake and the "Kettle Salad".

I'll definitely visit the Kopper Kettle Bisto again so that I can try their teas!

October: This and That

How can it be the end of October already?!?

The quintessential autumn tea time: Enjoying T by Daniel's Jack-o-Lantern black tea (in my October teacup) with a Lindor pumpkin spice truffle.

Earl Grey is one of my favourite blends so I drink it year round. I was gifted this Twinings London Strand Earl Grey--the pretty box has major fall vibes.

I have a habit (that I'm trying to break) of saving things for "special occasions". I finally decided to use this cute tea towel. Life is short! Use your pretty linens!

If I were a baker, I would have bought these cookie cutters for cookies that hang on cups and mugs (spotted at Dollarama).

As part of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Mississauga Fire's #PinkTruckTour travelled around the city all month. I was more than happy to purchase a T-shirt to support Trillium Health's cancer program.

Tea-themed Christmas ornament alert! This Hallmark limited edition,"Season's Treatings, 10th Anniversary", can be hard to find. So I'm glad that I brought this adorable ornament home with me instead of waiting for the post-Christmas sales (I'm still stalking the tiny teapot and the Nutcracker tea time ornaments).

Have you started thinking about Christmas decor?

Mug & Matcha

The outside world may be turning red, yellow and orange, but there are still some greens in my little corner of the world!

This charming mug came from Home Sense. I loved the quote: 

"Life is like a cup of tea, it's all about how you make it."

The interior is decorated with cute teabags, teacups and teapots.

Recently, I tried this matcha mint donut by Donut Monster. 

What an interesting, but tasty combo!

I also tried this delicious matcha custard tart.

I must admit that most of the matcha that I consume comes in the form of dessert!

I'm joining Tuesday Cuppa Tea this week. 

Citizen Tea

Most tea companies sell their teas online so I was excited to hear a new tea shop opened up at Mapleview Centre in Burlington.

 Citizen Tea took over the space previously occupied by Teavana.

Modern teawares

Tea sampler packages

Teas, teas, teas!

(Not pictured: the wall where you can order loose teas by weight)

As part of their Grand Opening promotion, all loose teas were 30% off. I did not stand firm on my "no new teas until you use up your existing stash" policy...so 3 teas came home with me!

Creamy Nut Oolong: "An award-winning blend of crisp apple pieces, swirls of creamy caramel and nutty almond." (Description courtesy of Citizen Tea).

 This sweet tea is perfect for sipping in the fall!

I'm joining Tuesday Cuppa Tea this week.