Tag: relaxation

When I think about teatime, I don't immediately think about herbs, steeping times, or all the traditional benefits tucked inside a cup.

I think about me time.

I picture my reading chair. A crocheted blanket. A good book. A warm cup of tea in my hands. And, most importantly, peace and quiet.

As a busy mom and business owner, slowing down isn't exactly my specialty. Most days, I'm running around like a chicken with its head cut off trying to tackle a laundry list that somehow gets longer while I'm working on it.

Tea gives me a reason to stop. Not forever. Sometimes not even for very long.

But long enough to remember that taking care of myself belongs on that laundry list too.

There is something different about making a cup of loose-leaf tea. You choose your blend. Heat the water. Scoop the herbs. Wait while they steep.

Then you actually have to sit down and drink it. At least, that's the idea.

For me, teatime has become a signal that it's time to slow down.

How I Make Myself Stop

When I'm overwhelmed, my instinct is usually to keep going.

Just one more load of laundry.

One more order.

Answer one more email.

One more thing crossed off the list.

Before I know it, I've spent the entire day doing things for everyone except myself. So, I've learned to give myself a stopping point. I prioritize what actually needs to be done. Then I set a timer and complete as many tasks as I can. When that timer goes off, I'm done. My chair starts calling my name.

That's when I make my tea and enjoy a little teatime.

A Simple Trick for Busy Moms

If you struggle to make time for yourself, try my timer trick.

Decide what truly needs your attention.

Set a realistic amount of time.

Work through your list.

Then, when that timer goes off, stop.

The laundry will still be there. Trust me. Laundry is incredibly loyal like that. Make your tea. Sit down for a few minutes. Read a chapter. Stare out the window. Enjoy the silence if you've somehow managed to find some. Teatime doesn't have to be an elaborate self-care ritual.

Sometimes it's simply giving yourself permission to sit down.

I don't always drink the same tea. Instead, I try to listen to what my body—and sometimes my attitude—is telling me.

That's one of the things I love most about having different herbal blends available.

My Personal Teatime Check-In

Before I choose a tea, I mentally check in with myself.

Are my joints achy? I might reach for Inflammation Loose Leaf Tea.

Am I lost in my thoughts and having trouble settling down? That's a Tranquil It Tea kind of day.

Maybe I am perfectly content and just want something enjoyable? Give me a cup of Treat Tea Loose Leaf Tea and my book.

Have I been cheating on my diet and eating foods that I know aren't my best choices? I may choose Detox Herbal Blend Loose Leaf Tea or Lymphatic Health Loose Leaf Tea.

And then there are the days when my hormones have apparently decided they're in charge of the entire operation.

Those days? Hormone Harmony Loose Leaf Tea.

This isn't about expecting one cup of tea to magically fix everything. It's about slowing down long enough to ask yourself:

How am I feeling today?

We don't do that nearly enough.

Every For You Apothecary tea begins with an end result in mind. Before I start choosing herbs, I ask myself what I want the blend to offer the person drinking it.

Maybe it's a busy mom who desperately needs a little extra TLC.

Maybe it's someone trying to create a peaceful nighttime routine.

That's how blends such as Sedation Loose Leaf Tea come to life. Sedation Loose Leaf Tea was created for people looking for herbal support as part of their nighttime routine when falling asleep and staying asleep can be a struggle.

Then there's Tranquil It Tea Loose Leaf Tea.

I created Tranquil It Tea Loose Leaf Tea for those moments when your mind just won't quiet down. You know the ones. Your body is sitting still, but your brain is going over tomorrow's to-do list, replaying conversations, and thinking about 47 things that probably don't need your attention right this second.

Tranquil It Tea is the blend I reach for when I'm lost in my thoughts and need to slow things down. It's less about bedtime and more about creating a quiet moment when life—or my own brain—feels a little too loud.

That's the difference between simply blending herbs and intentionally formulating a tea. Each blend has its own purpose and its own place in someone's day. But choosing herbs for their traditional uses is only part of creating a good tea.

Because It Still Has to Taste Good

I can formulate the most beautiful herbal blend in the world on paper.

But if it tastes awful, who's going to drink it?

I know I won't. Taste matters. Aroma matters too. And so does appearance.

Humans naturally gravitate toward food and drinks that look appealing. That's especially true with loose-leaf tea because you can actually see what you're about to drink.

Flowers, leaves, roots, and other botanicals become part of the experience.

The First Inflammation Tea Was...Not Good

My original version of Inflammation Loose Leaf Tea taught me this lesson very quickly.

The first batch was awful. The clove was far too overpowering. The finished tea was also very dark.

Did the ingredients make sense?

Yes.

Did I want to sit down and enjoy a cup of it?

Absolutely not.

So, I went back to the blend. I reduced the clove. Then I added calendula and rose petals. That changed it. The flavors became more balanced, and the flowers made the loose-leaf blend much more visually appealing.

That's part of herbal formulation that people don't always see. Creating a tea isn't simply throwing a bunch of herbs with traditional uses into a bag. I want the blend to have a purpose. But I also want you to want to drink it.

One of my favorite teatime stories doesn't even belong to me. It belongs to a beloved friend who is very active in Medieval reenactment. She attends events held all over the United States and happens to love my Treat Tea Loose Leaf Tea. At one event called The Rose Tournament, she brought samples of Treat Tea with her. She handed them out to everyone who was on court. And they were tickled pink.

Why?

They were drinking tea that actually contained roses at The Rose Tournament. How perfect is that?

The Cup Was Only Part of the Experience

My friend has purchased Treat Tea many times and recommends it to others. Of course, as the person who created the blend, that means a lot to me. But I also love what that story represents. That tea wasn't just something they drank.

It became part of the experience.

It matched the setting. It created conversation. It gave everyone something to enjoy together. Years later, there's still a story to tell about that cup of tea.

That's what I mean when I say tea can be more than just a cup. 

One misconception I'd love to get rid of is that tea is only for "tea people." Or that you have to choose between being a coffee drinker and a tea drinker.

You don't.

I certainly don't. Coffee has its place in my life, and so does herbal tea. They don't have to compete.

There's a Teatime for Almost Everyone

Herbal tea can fit into different parts of your day.

Maybe it's part of your morning meditation before everyone else wakes up.

Often, it's your afternoon pick-me-up when your energy starts fading.

Sometimes it's the cup you make after the kids are finally settled for the night.

Or maybe it's part of your nighttime routine when you're trying to convince your brain that 47 unfinished thoughts can, in fact, wait until tomorrow.

There isn't one correct "teatime."

Your teatime is whenever you need it.

Tea certainly has a long history of traditional herbal use. As an herbalist, that matters to me. It's one of the reasons I put so much thought into the herbs I choose when creating For You Apothecary blends. But I don't think we should overlook the simple part.

Sometimes you need to sit down. Other times you need something warm in your hands. Sometimes you need ten minutes when nobody is asking you where their shoes are, what's for dinner, or whether you've seen the thing that's sitting directly in front of them. Sometimes you need your chair. Your blanket. Your book.

And your cup of tea.

Your Teatime Doesn't Have to Fix Everything

Self-care doesn't always have to accomplish something. Your tea doesn't have to transform your entire day. You don't have to meditate for an hour or create some Pinterest-perfect nighttime ritual.

Make the tea.

Sit in the chair.

Give yourself a few quiet minutes.

Listen to what your body is telling you.

And remember that herbal tea isn't just for people who don't drink coffee. It isn't reserved for herbalists or people with perfectly organized self-care routines.

Herbal tea is for everyone.

Morning, afternoon, or night. For a purpose or simply because it tastes good. Alone with a book or shared with friends at a Rose Tournament. Because sometimes teatime really is about so much more than what's inside the cup.

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