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://i2.wp.com/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’ve visited Celestial Seasonings a few times since moving to Colorado. My favorite tea is the Madagascar Vanilla Rooibos. It has a variety of flavors in every sip and has a low caffeine content.
I would love to try the Bengal Spice!
I’d love to try the Nutcracker Sweet tea!
My favorite is the Peach Blossom Green Tea. I used to use two teabags – one for Green Tea and one for the Peach; then I realized that they have a Peach Green Tea. Best of both worlds!
Candy Cane is my favorite!
I love sleepytime tea! I need to try the seasonal flavors too!
Sweet Harvest Pumpkin sounds delicious!!!
Candy Cane Lane tea is my favorite tea also!! I stock up whenever it is on sale! I would love to try the Bengal Spice 🙂
I love all their green teas, but I’m going to have to try the Sweet Harvest Pumpkin!
Caramel apple dream would be so fitting for fall! I can’t wait to find it in stores.
I’d love to try the Bengal spice. Sounds delicious!
Love seasonal flavors
I like Sleepytime,and would love to try the harvest pumpkin!!
I would LOVE the sweet harvest pumpkin! So typical, right? 😉
I love the Sugar Plum Spice in the wintertime but one of my all time favourites is the Honey Vanilla White Chai! So delicious!
i’d love to try Sweet Harvest Pumpkin!!
Sweet Harvest Pumpkin – yum!
I would love to try the Candy Cane Lane! That sounds amazing!! 🙂
Sweet harvest pumpkin FOR SURE!!!!
I love their seasonal teas! I don’t drink tea all the time, so when fun new flavors come out, it’s exciting to try a new one and rekindle my love for tea and how relaxing it can be!
The Country Peach Passion is one of my favorites – so good!
I would love to try the sweet harvest pumpkin! It sounds amazing!
SUGAR COOKIE SLEIGH RIDE!!! All time favorite! But I would love to try the Bengal Spice after your recommendation – they all sound delicious!
When I visited Denver a few years ago, my favorite part of the trip was the tour of Celestial Seasonings! It was so fun and I learned a lot! They have so many good flavors of tea, but it’s not over priced or uppity 🙂 I love the Fast Track black tea that you can only get at some places, but also Nutcracker Sweet. That is about to make a big comeback in my life as the holidays approach! Glad you had fun 🙂
Cinnamon Apple Spice! Can’t wait to try it
I like the candy cane lane tea but would love to try the Bengal spice!
I always keep my pantry stocked with the berry sampler that has a variety of berry teas in one box, so I can mix up the flavors throughout the week! My mom’s roommates from college threw me a tea time bridal shower with teas, it was so fun to get dressed up and act fancy since tea with finger foods. The electronic tea pot would be perfect for a tea tasting with girlfriends!
I definitely will be trying the Bengal space tea soon (esp since I went to Clemson, go tigers!)
I love the good ole Sleepytime tea, but that Caramel Apple Dream tea sounds amazing! I’m going to need to go on a hunt for it soon. Seems like an cup full of everything awesome about of fall 🙂
I’d love to try the pumpkin flavors!
Sweet Harvest Pumpkin of coures! Tis the season. 🙂
My favorite is sleepytime tea – great for getting back into a normal sleep schedule after long overseas work trips!
You’ve got me itching to try the Bengal Spice – sounds delicious! I love black tea, green tea, chai tea… honestly pretty much any tea!
I love the gingerbread and sugar cookie teas!
I need to get my hands on that holiday sample pack!
I’m a green tea person all the way. I love the mint green tea and the pomegranate green tea.
I’d love to try the Holiday Green Tea or any of the Candy Cane Lane teas! Yum!
I only drink Celestial Seasonings at my parents house because my boyfriend is a tea snob and won’t buy anything in teabags. But I love the Candy Cane Lane!
My favorite is candy cane lane! Its the best!
I’d love to try the Bengal Spice-yum!
Ahh I love this giveaway! I’m a big fan of Sleepy Time. It was the first tea I ever drank and now I enjoy many herbal teas. I also love trying the holiday varieties. Crossing my fingers for this one! 🙂
I love candy cane lane!
I am a huge tea lover! So where do i start, i would love to try the Bengal Spice, ALL of the Greens and I am currently a lover of the Sleepytime and Chai!
Have a great day!
It isn’t bedtime without Sleepytime tea!
Bengal spice is one of my favorites, but I’d love to try the holiday flavors. I live in denver & have been wanting to take the celestial seasonings tour. I’m going to make it happen this year!
Bengal tea is my favorite year-round! I can only find it by Celestial
I really want to try the pumpkin tea!
I love all of the seasonal teas but I especially love nutcracker sweet!
my favorite is their india chai tea!
I would love to try the Sweet Harvest Pumpkin tea! I am a lover of all things pumpkin and have not tried this tea yet!
Sleepytime Tea!