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 am a huge fan of Celestial Seasonings tea! The honey chamomile is my favorite. Wish I could meet the sleepytime bear. 🙂
Sleepytime has been my all time favorite for awhile, the apple cinnamon sounds right up my alley though!
My ultimate favorite is th the Chai tea, but I never knew you were supposed to add that much hot milk to it! I must try that soon!
I love Sugar Cookie Sleigh Ride in the winter and Sweet Wild Berry Zinger Iced Tea in the summer. I am excited to try the Sweet Harvest Pumpkin tea.
I’m a sucker for any kind of sleepytime tea.
My favorite Celestial Tea is one of their holiday teas- “Sugar Cookie Sleigh Ride.” The Sweet Harvest Pumpkin & Bengal Spice are now on my list to try!
Sweet harvest pumpkin sounds fabulous for this time of year.
I saw your post on instagram about the bengal spice and it sounded so good. I was at the grocery store yesterday and I pulled up your instagram just to see what the name of it was again, because I remembered thinking it sounded great but they didn’t have it! I’d love to be able to try it!
My favourite is the Sugar Plum Spice!! So Christmassy.
The Wellness Tea looks so comforting! I’m sure it would make everything warm on the inside for a good nights rest!
I have a cold so the wellness tea would be perfect!
I love Sleepytime tea! I would love to try the special holiday teas too!
I love sleepytime, but now I’m going to try the pumpkin! Yum!
I would love to try the Nutcracker Sweet! Sounds delish.
Can’t beat the classic Sleepytime tea when you need to relax!
Id love to try the Bengal spice 😉
I would love the Bengal Spice tea -sounds like it would be right up my alley!
I love ALL the tea
haha
Huge fan of Sweet Harvest Pumpkin but I need to get my hands on Caramel Apple Dream ASAP!
Also, that might be the cutest gift basket I have ever seen!
I’m obsessed with everything pumpkin so… let’s add one more thing to the list! I haven’t tried pumpkin tea yet but I’d love to!
My favorite is the peppermint. I would love to try the harvest pumpkin!
I love any of their green teas! I’m a simple girl when it comes to tea, but I do love fruitier teas and anything holiday tasting!! I also love the Alba line of skin care projects! Their face products are so gentle!
Oh man… I would love to try every single flavor in the season gift box. How have I not heard of these before?!
I love the Candy Cane Lane. I stock up every holiday season. Now I’m going to be looking for the pumpkin one.
In an attempt to reduce the amount of Benadryl I take to help me fall asleep at night, I would love to try a Sleepytime Tea. And with sicker seasons in the future, I think the Sleepytime Wellness Tea would be a great incorporation into my nightly routine!
I have GOT to get my hands on that Bengal tea! Current favorite is the coconut chai. Chai teas are always my top choice. And anything coconut? I’m sold. It’s a good one!
Sleepytime Extra Tea. I think I need to add sleepy time into my night time routine
Sleepy time!
‘Tis the season. I’d love to try the Pumpkin Spice tea. I feel like I’d really like Bengal Spice too!
I’d love to try the Bengal tea – your description of it sounds delicious
Being an avid tea drinker… I’d love to try them all! 🙂
I LOVE Nutcracker Sweet tea in the winter! It tastes like such a treat and it is guilt-free! Would love to try all of the Holiday Editions as well!
My favorite is lemon zinger. I love all things lemon!
I would love to try the Bengal Spice Tea! I love Herbal tea’s!!!
Love this giveaway, tea is the absolute best!
Definitely between the Pumpkin and the Bengal Spice. I inherited my love of tea from my mom so I’d love to share with her 🙂
By far my favorite is the peppermint!!!
I’d love to try the Gingerbread Spice!
I always go back to the peppermint tea with drizzle of honey! 😀
I am definitely a chai spice black tea fan – the spicier the tea, the better! So, I am super excited to try the Bengal Spice tea. I bet it smells and tastes amazing!
I love the candy land tea!
This post made me remember how much I used to like the Bengal Spice tea. I used to drink it in college and have since forgotten about. Now I am inspired to pick a box up!!
I just bought a box of their Honey Vanilla Chamomile Herbal Tea the other day and it is perfect for an after dinner/before bed “treat”!
Pumpkin tea sounds delicious !
Would love to try caramel apple!
I would looooove to try that pumpkin tea you tried. I love all things pumpkin!!!
Mmmmmm I love the holiday teas! Especially pumpkin! I’d love to try the sleepy time tea too!
All teas are delicious but I’ve been craving green tea lately. Add in a little splenda and I’m happy!
I would love to try the Bengal tea or the Harvest Pumpkin! Yum, I love tea! I always leave my tea bag in the mug also….oops!
Ive always loved Nutcracker Sweet! Now you’re having me want to try Bengal Spice!
Id love to try the sleepy time tea! I have such a hard time falling asleep so this might help do the trick!