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 enjoy their Chamomile tea in the afternoons or evenings when I want tea but not the caffeine!
I have tried several of their tea flavors but I have actually never tried their sleepytime flavor! Haha I need to try it asap!
I want to try the Harvest Pumpkin Spice! I don’t drink coffee, so I’ve never gotten to obsess over Starbucks pumpkin spice lattes. But fall is definitely my favorite season and I would love to try a tea to celebrate it! 🙂
Also random question, but how do you curl your hair? Do you have a tutorial somewhere on the blog?
Sleepy Time tea is my go-to when I am not feeling settled yet for bed…I would love to try the Bengal Spice. It sounds so different and yummy!
I always buy Nutcracker Sweet and Candy Cane Lane for Christmas time, but the others sound great, too!
My girls love tea parties and they love trying our different flavors!! 🙂
The pumpkin tea looks yummy! and so festive!!
I would love to try pumpkin. I always get their chamomile…yummy
My daughter and I love celestial seasoning sleepy time tea. We have to have a cup each night!,
I love reading everyone’s recap of the weekend and seeing what each blogger selected for her giveaway! I have noticed the different holiday teas but never actually taken the plunge to buy them. I’m really intrigued by the flavors, especially the sugar plum!
I do rely on the Sinus soother when my sinuses are acting up!
I love the their teas that come out around Christmas time such as the candy cane! I am so excited to try your favorites…they sound absolutely delicious : ) Thank you for this giveaway!
What a great giveaway! I love anything pumpkin so that would have to be my favorite.
I really wan to try the Bengal Spice after your description!
Chai please! Thanks for the giveaway!
What a fun post! I adore Celestial Seasonings tea, but I have never tried their candy cane lane flavor… definitely on my list to try now! Thanks also for the tea brewing tips… I also always leave my bag in the mug, whoops!
‘Tis the season to try the Sweet Harvest Pumpkin!
I love their Sleepytime Vanilla tea!
I love the honey vanilla chamomile (iced especially). but the gingerbread spice sounds so delicious. I’m a huge tea drinker (at least two cups a day of hot tea, plus I always have a pitcher of iced tea in the fridge).
I’d love to try that Bengal spice- never seen that one before!
I love celestial seasonings! A new favorite of mine is the gingerbread- but I have NEVER tried candy cane lane and I think I must do so ASAP!
I love the sweet pumpkin
I love the peppermint tea!
I love the lemon sleepy time tea! It helps me relax after a stressful day.
I love the caramel apple, sleepy time, peppermint, candy cane lane at Christmas, ginger and lemon, and any of the green teas. I haven’t tried the Sleepytime Extra – that is definitely going on my shopping list! What a wonderful review of the tea tour – guess I have a stop to make during my next trip to Colorado!
I love the Bengal Spice!!
I love the pumpkin spice tea!! I’m pregnant and coffee makes me feel yuk so tea is my go to. I’d love to try the Bengal spice tea;) yumm!!
I love Celestial Teas! My favorite is the Gingerbread Spice, especially for fall and winter 🙂
I’d love to try Bengal spice!
Green tea is my favorite.
I love mint tea in the morning! And Green Tea all day long at work!
Candy Cane Lane is my all time favorite!! When I see it in stores, I buy ALL the boxes to stock up so I can have it all year round!!! I would love to try the pumpkin tea, since I am obsessed with all things Fall and pumpkin!!!! 🙂
When I was young I used to make Celestial Seasonings Country Peach (extra packets and super strong!) and drink it with a TON of sugar. Oh those were the days …
I really want to try Sleepytime Vanilla Herbal Tea – there’s nothing like a relaxing cup of tea before bed!
I want to try the Nutcracker!
I’d love to try the Pumpkin one! Yay fall!
oooh the bengal spice sounds amazing!
pumpkin!!!
What an awesome giveaway! I love all things pumpkin, so I would love to try the pumpkin harvest tea!
What a great giveaway! I really love the Apple Spice Cinnamon tea and Sleepytime Throat Tamer Wellness Tea for when I’m sick. Looks like I need to try some new flavors though, the seasonal flavors sound amazing.
Bengal spice is my favorite! I’d like to try the pumpkin
I would love to try the sleepytime tea!
Sweet harvest pumpkin sounds fabulous for this time of year!
Classic Chamomile to relax
I would love to try the sweet harvest pumpkin!!
Bengal Spice sounds so good!
Live the Candy Cane tea!!
The bengal spice sounds so exciting. My daily tea routine includes a cup of black tea with ginger and a splash of skim milk 😉
Candy cane is my fave…..would love to try pumpkin
My all time favorite Celestial Seasonings tea is Sugar Cookie Sleigh Ride! I hate that it’s only available during the winter time!
I grew up drinking Sleepytime tea whenever I had a sleepover with friends as a nice bedtime ‘treat.’ With fall coming in full effect, I’d love to try the Pumpkin and Apple seasonal flavors.