It’s time for a recap of my trip to Boulder, Colorado with Celestial Seasonings!
![Celestial Seasonings Sleepytime Bear_thumb[8]](file:///C:/Users/Julie/AppData/Local/Temp/WindowsLiveWriter1286139640/supfiles127DD2B4/Celestial Seasonings Sleepytime Bear[6].png "Celestial Seasonings Sleepytime Bear_thumb[8]")
I’m excited to share all of the fun with you today! And, at the end of this post, you will find a pretty stellar giveaway packed with items I picked out just for you guys (including some of my favorite teas, a super cute Anthropologie-esque mug, a tumbler, tea kettle, adorable potholder and more). Let’s get to it!
Visiting Celestial Seasonings
Thursday of last week was jam-packed with all things tea! Our morning kicked off with breakfast at the hotel before our group of bloggers hopped in a car and headed to Celestial Seasonings’ headquarters, located on Sleepytime Drive. How appropriate, right!?
Those of us from out of town got a kick out of the adorable prairie dogs that greeted us from the fields as we drove onto the property, but even their cute little faces couldn’t top the welcome we received from the Celestial Seasonings team.
All of the employees greeted us on the front lawn with signs and smiles. It made us feel very welcome and we made sure to thank everyone for their enthusiastic greeting! (Just FYI, Celestial Seasonings offers a free factory tour in Boulder every day of the week!)
Of course we all were especially excited to meet the Sleepytime Bear!
![Celestial Seasonings Bear_thumb[2]](file:///C:/Users/Julie/AppData/Local/Temp/WindowsLiveWriter1286139640/supfiles127DD2B4/Celestial Seasonings Bear[4].jpg "Celestial Seasonings Bear_thumb[2]")
The famous Sleepytime Bear has a cat named Chamomile and I did my best to convince him to get a dog, too, even though I’m pretty sure Sadie wouldn’t touch that bear with a ten-foot pole. She’s not exactly the bravest little creature.
After our warm welcome, it was time to warm our bellies with all the tea we could drink. I’m pretty sure I went to the bathroom every 30 minutes when I was there because I did not stop drinking tea. I loved trying so many new-to-me flavors, including Sweet Harvest Pumpkin (sweetened with a little stevia – so good!) and Cinnamon Apple Spice.
![Celestial Seasonings Tea Tour_thumb[6]](file:///C:/Users/Julie/AppData/Local/Temp/WindowsLiveWriter1286139640/supfiles127DD2B4/Celestial Seasonings Tea Tour[6].jpg "Celestial Seasonings Tea Tour_thumb[6]")
During the tasting, I truly did not try one tea I didn’t like, but there were two big standouts that quickly claimed the top prize in my eyes.
First place went to Bengal Spice herbal tea.
This fragrant tea tasted like the holidays in a cup and was incredibly flavorful thanks to cinnamon, ginger, cardamom and cloves. I was shocked to hear it wasn’t sweetened since it definitely has a sweet flavor. I also think it would be fabulous with a splash of almond milk. I made sure to buy two packs of this tea before we left.
Second place went to the Caramel Apple Dream herbal tea that included quintessential autumn flavors such as apple, cinnamon and maple. (I picked up a box of this one, too!)
Following the tea tasting, we were ushered into the main tour room where we learned more about the company’s beginnings and the direction they hope to go in the future. Founded in 1969 by Mo Siegel, Celestial Seasonings came to be when Mo and his friends decided to bring the blended herbal teas they made in the Colorado mountains to health food stores. The company continues Mo’s passion for herbal tea and many of the ingredients used in their teas come from the same farmers Celestial Seasonings has used for upwards of 30 years.
After learning a bit about the company, we were off to the next activity, but not before I quickly snagged a bottle of Celestial Seasonings kombucha.
![Celestial Seasonings Kombucha_thumb[1]](file:///C:/Users/Julie/AppData/Local/Temp/WindowsLiveWriter1286139640/supfiles127DD2B4/Celestial Seasonings Kombucha[3].jpg "Celestial Seasonings Kombucha_thumb[1]")
I drank a bottle of the super green tropical blend and thought it was great. I am rather picky when it comes to kombucha since I’ve tried my fair share of kombucha I have not enjoyed, so I was happy to love this one!
And then it was off to do some more tea tasting, only this time we learned a bit about the brewing process. I clearly had a lot to learn because I always leave my tea bags in my mug when I make myself a cup of tea which is a big no-no.
Here are a few single-cup brewing tips for the most popular kinds of tea:
- Green Tea: To brew a great cup of green tea, place one tea bag in your cup. Pour very hot (just at the brink of boiling) water over the tea bag. Cover and steep 3 minutes. Remove tea bag and add lemon and/or sweetener if desired.
- Chai Tea: Place one tea bag in your favorite mug. Fill with 3/4 cup boiling water. Steep for 4 to 6 minutes. For authentic chai taste, remove tea bag and fill mug with 1/4 cup hot milk or dairy substitute. Sweeten to taste with sugar or honey.
- Black Tea: Place one tea bag in your cup and pour boiling water over it, cover and steep 3 to 5 minutes, depending on desired strength. Remove tea bag. We recommend adding honey to sweeten.
- Herbal Tea: Place one tea bag in your favorite cup. Add boiling water and let steep 4 to 6 minutes. Sweeten if you desire – we recommend honey!
Another quick tip: Squeeze the tea bag before removing it from your cup. Why? Tea leaves can absorb up to seven times their weight in water and compressing the bag enhances color and flavor.
Following our tea tasting, we sat down to a lunch that included fresh salads, salmon and sweet treats before it was time to slip into our marshmallow suits and head off on the factory tour.
![Celestial Seasonings Tour_thumb[10]](file:///C:/Users/Julie/AppData/Local/Temp/WindowsLiveWriter1286139640/supfiles127DD2B4/Celestial Seasonings Tour[10].jpg "Celestial Seasonings Tour_thumb[10]")
![Celestial Seasonings Factory Tour_thumb[2]](file:///C:/Users/Julie/AppData/Local/Temp/WindowsLiveWriter1286139640/supfiles127DD2B4/Celestial Seasonings Factory Tour[6].jpg "Celestial Seasonings Factory Tour_thumb[2]")
During the tour, I chatted with our guide about the holiday teas which are some of my all-time favorites. (I’m looking at you Candy Cane Lane!) He told me that the inspiration behind their Nutcracker Sweet tea came from an 11-year-old girl on one of their factory tours. She was a ballerina and said they should make a holiday tea and call it “Nutcracker Sweet.” This eventually led to more favorites like Sugar Plum Spice.
![Celestial Seasonings Holiday Teas_thumb[1]](file:///C:/Users/Julie/AppData/Local/Temp/WindowsLiveWriter1286139640/supfiles127DD2B4/Celestial Seasonings Holiday Teas[3].jpg "Celestial Seasonings Holiday Teas_thumb[1]")
No trip to the Celestial Seasonings factory is complete without a visit to the Mint Room, so we made sure to spend some time in the incredibly aromatic space where all of the mint is stored before we were done.
![Celestial Seasonings Mint Room_thumb[1]](file:///C:/Users/Julie/AppData/Local/Temp/WindowsLiveWriter1286139640/supfiles127DD2B4/Celestial Seasonings Mint Room[3].jpg "Celestial Seasonings Mint Room_thumb[1]")
Our day at Celestial Seasonings concluded with a happy hour that included tea-infused cocktails.
My favorite was the Until Next Time cocktail made with vodka, chamomile simple syrup, lemon juice, egg whites and strawberry puree. It was fantastic!
![strawberry tea infused cocktail_thumb[1]](file:///C:/Users/Julie/AppData/Local/Temp/WindowsLiveWriter1286139640/supfiles127DD2B4/strawberry tea infused cocktail[3].jpg "strawberry tea infused cocktail_thumb[1]")
And now it’s giveaway time!
Before we said goodbye to our friends at Celestial Seasonings, we were each given a gift card to use in the Tea Shop toward a giveaway for our readers. I obviously wanted to include some of my favorite teas, but I also added a few extra things that I hope you love!
![Celestial Seasonings Giveaway_thumb[1]](file:///C:/Users/Julie/AppData/Local/Temp/WindowsLiveWriter1286139640/supfiles127DD2B4/Celestial Seasonings Giveaway[3].jpg "Celestial Seasonings Giveaway_thumb[1]")
This giveaway includes:
- Celestial Seasonings Holiday Tea Sampler Pack (Candy Cane Lane, Gingerbread Spice, Sweet Harvest Pumpkin, Nutcracker Sweet)
- Celestial Seasonings Bengal Spice Herbal Tea
- Celestial Seasonings Sleepytime Extra Tea
- Alba Botannica Hawaiian Body Cream
- Alba Cherry Lip Balm
- WoodWick Candle in Bakery Cupcake (This smells amazing!)
- Festive Mug
![Aroma Gourmet Electric Kettle_thumb[1]](https://www.pbfingers.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/AromaGourmetElectricKettle_thumb11.jpg "Aroma Gourmet Electric Kettle_thumb[1]")
- Aroma Gourmet Electric Digital Kettle
- Celestial Seasonings Tumbler
- Celestial Seasonings Teas with Altitude t-shirt
- Cute Potholder with Embroidered Towel
To enter this giveaway, simply leave a comment below telling me about your favorite Celestial Seasonings tea or the kind of Celestial Seasonings tea you’d love to try!
I will randomly select a winner on Friday morning. Good luck!
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I drink Sleepytime Peach every single night before bed! Definitely a favorite.
I’d love to try Gingerbread Spice!
Candy Cane Lane all the way!! I love this tea and always buy extra before they take it away for the season so i don’t have to wait a year to enjoy the sweet peppermint and vanilla delight in a mug!
I am a huge fan of the Gingerbread Spice seasoning!
Caramel Apple Dream sounds phenomenal! I would love to try that! 🙂 Sleepytime is my absolute favorite. It’s a staple in my house!
Sleepytime will always be my favorite
I want to try the Bengal Spice now that you’ve mentioned it and I know it’s caffeine free!
Sugarplum Spice is my longtime favorite!
I would love to try the Bengal Spice tea… it’s sounds wonderful with the cinnamon and ginger in it!!!
Definitely Sleepytime. A classic!
I have never tried Celestial tea but I would love to!
I’d love to try the sweet harvest pumpkin tea! Sounds so yummy!
I would love that candy cane lane one!!!! 🙂
I Love love love Sleepy time tea, but just recently discovered sweet harvest pumpkin and adore that.
I am a HUGE tea lover! I get it from my mama…she drinks like six cups a day, out of the FRIENDS style, “Central Perk” size- cups. I’ve never seen the Nutcracker Sweet flavor, I can’t wait to find it over the holidays!
I love the Sugar Cookie Sleigh Ride flavor!
I love the pumpkin flavored tea they have out now! I’d love to try to Bengal Spice–sounds delicious!!
i would really like to try the bengal spice.
I would love to try the Bengal Spice tea and the Sweet Harvest Pumpkin! They sound fantastic:)
All of the teas sound wonderful! But I’d have to say that the gingerbread spice is the one that is really calling to me!!
I would love to try the Bengal Spice!! Oh my!!
I love Celestial Seasonings tea! I remember having the sleepytime tea when I was growing up! I have tried the Country Peach Passion and it was so good! I haven’t tried the Cinnamon Apple Spice or the Black Cherry Berry yet, both of which sound fantastic!
The Sleepytime vanilla sounds good too!
I’d love to try the gingerbread flavor!!
I’d love to try the Caramel Apple and Pumpkin flavors— especially now that the fall chill has kicked in!
I’ve only had sugar cookie sleigh ride and candy cane lane…both of which i loved! The sweet harvest pumpkin tea looks so good though.
my favorite flavor is sleepytime vanilla!
I love green tea – so I’d love to try that one.
Bengal spice sounds great! My favorite tea is Candy Cane Lane- for sure 🙂
i love their sleepy time teas! I drink it almost every night while watching Netflix! It helps me relax after a crazy day!
The whole holiday sampler pack looks amazing!
I’d love to try the Chai tea!
I would love to try the Bengal spice! That sounds like the perfect combination of spices and would be a nice and cozy drink for fall!
Bengal Spice has been my favourite tea for years!!
I’d love to try Bengal Spice!
Oh my gosh, I love this post! I have visited on a trip to CO to bring my Gma back some tea and she raved about it. She was the one who got me hooked on sipping tea 🙂
I would LOVE to try Candy Cane Lane this holiday season! Sounds festive and delicious!
I’d love to try the pumpkin harvest, sounds like the perfect fall tea!
I look forward to Fall because I love their sugar cookie sleigh ride w/ almond milk! I use my aero latte to froth it up!
it’s definitely a toss up between sugar cookie sleigh ride and gingerbread spice. i hoard them around the holidays and drink them all year!
I love the sugar cookie holiday tea!
I’ve always been a big fan of the sleepy time tea! Helps put you to sleep after night shift 🙂
Bengal spice is my fav! But would love to try the Sweet Pumpkin flavor!
I love sleepy time tea! It reminds me of being at my grandma’s house with my cousins!
I always use sleepy time tea before I go to bed! But I’d love to try the Bengal tiger or pumpkin spice teas!
I would love to get more into teas. I am a big coffee drinker, which I know it not great for me. I am always nervous to buy teas in the store. If I hate it then I have this whole box of tea I am never going to drink. These flavors sound so good! I love seasonal flavors!
The Caramel Apple Dream tea sounds amazing, especially this time of year! I would also love to try the Bengal Spice tea!
Sweet Harvest Pumpkin!!!!
Ooh, that candle looks divine! I’d love to try the Bengal spice, you had me at “holiday”!
I’d love to try the pumpkin spice tea! I’m ready to embrace all things fall.
I love the sleepy time tea but that pumpkin harvest is definitely calling my name!
SleepyTime Tea is absolutely the best!