Tea Etiquette Gift Giving

Manners and Etiquette for

Gift Giving

     Tea has become the choice of an Iced or Hot beverage over coffee, and it is growing very fast.  Much of this change is due to the many health benefits of Tea over Coffee, so Tea is becoming the perfect gift to give. I'm asked all the time what to give and when received what do you do so here is a brief guide line for both the Giver and Receiver.

The Tea Giver 

•      Always try to find out the favorite tea of the person or family that your buying for likes or prefers, this will make it easier and a more successful gift and less stress on you.  This should be an easy endeavor, since most tea lovers lover to take about the teas that are there favorite, and all you have to do is just listen and remember which ones they were talking about.
• While talking about the tea you can also find out certain tea that they might want to try but they just haven't  and that would also be a great tea or teas to purchase for them. Again you have to listen and remember or a make a mental note what they were talking about.
• When purchasing tea always make sure the brewing instructions come with it and are printed out on a label or in some form so the person your giving it to knows the proper way to make the teas and they are successful and they enjoy there new gift to the fullest.
• Always give a card or encouragement, this makes your gift a very special gift and the receiver will feel that you put a lot of thought into there gift, not a last minute lets throw it together.
• If your looking for a tea to help them feel better, give along with the tea some information about the tea and its benefits, this will have the receiver feel you care and are trying to help them feel better and get healthy, this will be a great comfort the receiver.
• Always make sure when you give a tea you give it in the proper storage container. You want your gift to last as long as possible so that the receiver can enjoy it and think of you every time they have a cup of tea that you have given them. Your gift is to be enjoyed with every sip.

The Receiver

     

•      Always give a thank you card or in this day and age you can do a email, text message, a phone call or the original card in the Snail Mail (postman).  All of the above acknowledgments are great ways to say Thank you and you appreciate the time they spent on choosing the gift and and thinking of you.
•      If you receive a gift that they had spent more than you have spent, their is no need to apologize, except the gift with a smile and thank them for the great gift.
•      Now we have all been in a situation when you have received a gift and you did not buy them a gift. Don't apologize, you can invite them much or have them come over for some lunch and serve them some of the great tea that they had bought for you, now you both get the share an it shows that you like them well enough to share your great gift with them.

Gift giving is not how much you spend on a person, but the thought of trying  to get them something they really enjoy. What makes them happy makes you happy and everyone is happy and everyone wins.

Black Tea Benefits

     Black tea has been brewed and enjoyed by tea lovers for centuries, and it's comforting, familiar taste and aroma are just the tip of the iceberg - this beverage is a smart choice for your emotional, mental health and physical being.

Black Tea provides many health benefits

• Stress Buster
• Bones dense and strong
• may help recovery quickly after workout.
• Protects against dental plaque, cavities and tooth decay
• Freshen your breath

Stress Buster

     No, drinking Black Teas regularly won't reduce stress levels after a stressful time - but it can bring your cortisol ( the stress hormone) levels back to normal quickly.  You will feel better faster - plus, you will be less vulnerable to other chronic illnesses (like Heart disease) that too much stress can potentially lead to.

Dense and strong Bones

   As we age, we lose bone mass and our bones become weaker and thinner.  Regularly drinking Black Tea.  Oolong and/or green tea can increase your bone strength - and reduce risk of a fracture.

     Studies have found that tea drinkers who drink one or more of these tea's regularly for six or more years have a stronger overall BMD (bone, mineral,density) than those don;t drink tea.  A low BDM is linked to an increase of Bone fractures and osteoporosis.  A long term tea drinker - 10 years plus tends to have a greater bone strength.

Muscle Recovery 

     Black Tea's "theaflavins" (which are powerful antioxidants) have been found to significantly reduce DOMS (delayed-onset muscle soreness) after an intense anaerobic workout and shorten your recovery time after exercise, as well.

Protects against Dental Plaque and Freshens Breath

     Black tea (Oolong and green tea, as well) stops the development of cavity producing bacteria in the mouth and prevent the bacteria that is there from producing acid.  The antioxidants in black tea work to prevent plaque buildup on your teeth, keeping your teeth healthier and your breath fresher!  Tea drinkers compared to soda and coffee drinkers have frewer cavities and better overall dental health - whether or not they add a sweeter to their Tea!

Black Tea Caffeine

      Black tea does caffeine but less than many other drinks, such as energy drinks and coffee when you choose black tea, you'll get increased alertness,concentration and energy - will most likely by pass the "Caffeine blues", insomnia, irritability, headaches, etc., that can follow when you have too much caffeine wondering about how much. Wondering about how much caffeine is safe for you?

     Watching your caffeine intake.  Healthy adults should aim to have no more than 200 - 400 mg of caffeine daily, in order to avoid unpleasant caffeine side effects. If this shows to be to much always check with your doctor before consuming large doses of caffeine. There are many teas with lower caffeine to no caffeine if you become caffeine sensitive, just ask for lower caffeine teas at your favorite tea house or shoppe.

Remember these are fact that we have found, it is always good for your to do your reasrch too.

Our next article will be about the disadvantages of Black Tea.....Enjoy and have your friends join or just stop by and take a peak here at Tearifficthyme.com 

Quote of the Day

I'm an afternoon tea type of girl. I come from a Russian background where we love our teas.  So between lunch and dinner after training I come home and I love a nice cup of tea with jam in it, as we drink it there.  Black English Breakfast tea with raspberry jam is my favorite.

-Maria Sharapova-

"Professional Tennis Player"

Tea Quote of the Day

Enjoy life sip by sip, 

not gulp by gulp.

-The Minister of Leaves,

The republic of Tea-

Tea Quote of the Day

All true tea lovers not only like their tea strong, but like it a little stronger with each year that passes.

-George Orwell-

author of "A Nice Cup of Tea"

Herbal Tea

Here is a puzzle for you to print out and have fun with!
To print out highlight the puzzle then print and have fun!

C P R A E T I R W C I M B C S S H M 
P O O H G I H A A I W I J L M T O O 
E P C Q A I T S O T I N F L A R N S 
A A K O T Q H H R R K T B B E A E S 
C N S R A E G P O U Y M A Q R W Y O 
H O U A R C P B F S R A E B D B B L 
T K G B R U A E H L R J P W L E U B 
R E A D A J T R W A E E V F I R S E 
A L R W B V R R M V B S C Q U R H G 
N P O K L D R Y H E B T Q J Q Y V N 
Q P C O X L E B L N L Y A F N L A A 
U A V X V H G A X D D S R L A E N R 
I N J T G X R L Y A J R E O R M I O 
L I I S Q X N S L R I G R A T O L D 
T P T L D Q G O D S Y V Z G S N L L 
Y X E O Z J E M Q A P G P K O A A I 
X L E M O N G I N G E R Z M Z D L W 
B Q F X E X X C L E U O P R M E O T 

BERRYKIWI
CITRUSLAVENDARSAGE
COCOACARMELSEASALT
HERBAL
HONEYBUSHVANILLA
LEMONGINGER
MINTMAJESTY
PEACHTRANQUILTY
PINAPPLEKONAPOP
RASHPBERRYBALSOMIC
ROCKSUGAR
STRAWBERRYLEMONADE
TEA
TRANQUILDREAMS
WILDORANGEBLOSSOM

Honey as a Ointment for MSRA

This article has some good information and thought I should share it with you all, I have a friend who has MSRA and hopefully this will give her some comfort to her issue, it won't hurt to try and if it works or helps then it would be worth trying.

This survival-medicine website provides general information, not individual advice. Most scenarios assume the victim cannot get expert medical help. Please see the disclaimer.

Honey As an Antibiotic Ointment: Sweet Treatment for Wounds

by James Hubbard, M.D., M.P.H.

If you don’t have antibiotic ointment, honey’s a great antibacterial for wounds. It kills bacteria and helps cuts, scrapes, burns and even ulcerated wounds heal, and there have been plenty of clinical studies to prove it.

How Honey Works as an Antibiotic

• The high sugar concentration dehydrates bacteria.
• It’s acidic and most bacteria hate that.
• When mixed with a little fluid—say from the wound—it has an enzyme that produces a small amount of hydrogen peroxide. Unlike the commercial kind, this peroxide is dilute enough to not irritate or inflame the skin. But it’s strong enough to kill bacteria.
• Researchers are finding other ways honey works as an antibiotic. For example, it may stimulate the body’s natural bacteria-fighting white blood cells to get to work.

Some honeys are more antibacterial than others. The New Zealand manuka honey is particularly popular in medical circles.

Caveat: Babies have died from eating honey because it may contain a few Botulism spores. The spores are not nearly enough to hurt an adult and have never been known to cause harm by applying to wounds. Still, to be safe, don’t use honey on children under two years old unless it’s sterilized. Sterilized honeys such as Medihoney have been zapped clean of bacteria and can be found at pharmacies.

How to Use Honey as an Antibiotic Ointment

• Apply liberally. If the wound is deep, pour it in. For scrapes and abrasions, paste it on. Then cover the wound and seal with tape.

• Another way is apply the runny honey to gauze or clean cloth first, pop the material on the wound, and seal it with tape. If the bandage remains clean and dry, only change it every day or two. You may have to change it sooner if the wound is oozing a lot of fluid on its own.

If you don’t have honey, sugar’s next best.  Surround the wound with petroleum jelly and sprinkle the sugar in the middle. Apply a bandage and replace at least every 24 hours.