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!
![\"Quantcast\"/](\"//pixel.quantserve.com/pixel/p-1e3-7hOJ_U8Bg.gif\")
I would love to try the Gingerbread Spice! They all sound so so good though!
I love Celestial Seasoning’s Sleepytime tea but that Pumpkin Harvest flavor looks like it might be OUTSTANDING!
I would love to try the Bengal one that you liked! Perfect thing to settle down and study with!
I would love to try the pumpkin tea or the Bengal spice!! Both sound delicious:)
The Bengal Spice sounds amazing! Also, anything with pumpkin. Mmm.
red zinger iced, so refreshing
I’m always a sucker for plain and simple, green tea, but I’d love to try some of the flavors that you mentioned on your tour. They sound quite tasty!
My office is FREEZING during the winter so I basic survive on tea during the cold months! My favorite Celestial Seasonings is the Mandarian Orange one. YUM!
We all yelled at my Dad when he bought Sleepytime Tea by mistake, but it ended up being the best mistake ever! It’s now a personal favorite and go-to whenever I need to relax and decompress before bed!
I would love to try the Pumpkin tea or the Nutcracker Sweet!
I really like the sleepytime tea! I have a kind of crazy, hectic life and it helps me to unwind. Also, I love the sleepytime tea for kids… It’s a special moment that I have with my daughter each night– we both have our mugs of sleepytime tea and snuggle up and read a story before bed. It’s the best time of the day!
I love their sleepytime tea, but during the winter I always go for the sugar cookie sleigh ride!
I just bought some of the Sweet Harvest Pumpkin and LOVE it! So yummy with a splash of almond milk, a little cinnamon, and a splash of vanilla!
Sleepytime is so comforting!
I drink sleepy time almost every night, but I’ve never seen the Bengal Spice! I totally have to try that. My Publix needs to get on the ball and carry it.
LOVE all of the Christmas flavors, especially Gingerbread and Sugar Cookie Sleigh Ride!!!!
The Bengal Spice Tea sounds fascinating. Can’t wait to try it…..
I am dying to try the bengal spice one now! It sounds great! I love spice teas
I’d love to try the Caramel Apple Dream Tea- that sounds amazing! Pretty much all the flavors I love in one tea!
I’d love to try the Bengal Spice herbal tea! That sounds delicious, especially with the almond milk that you were talking about. Mmmm 🙂
Right now I’m loving their Pumpkin Harvest and Gingerbread tea!
I didn’t know there was a pumpkin tea! I’ll have to try that right away! Otherwise, I love the minty or spiced teas!
I love their Sleepytime and Nutcracker Sweet – but now I’m interested in the Bengal Spice you mentioned, it sounds delicious!
The Bengal spice tea sounds delicious!
I would LOVE to make the Chai Tea with milk! The Bengal Spice looks delicious as well!
My family and I love sleepytime tea! Pumpkin tea would be interesting to try. I love tea, but hate when you buy a flavor that sounds great and then it ends up tasting like what I imagine a tree would taste like. Blah~!
I want to try every one of those holiday teas! Yum! Looks like a fun trip!
I’m diligently trying to become more of a tea drinker (coffee is my first love), so I would love to try their holiday sampler pack. Perfect for chilly winter afternoons in Minnesota.
There are so many great ones to choose from, but Sleepytime is my ABSOLUTE favorite tea!!!
I love candy cane lane 🙂 thanks for a fun giveaway!!
Candy Cane Lane is always a favorite, although I need to try the new pumpkin flavour to be sure!
I love tea and probably drink too much on any given day. I especially love the sleepytime and just bought a box this morning. Herbal is my favorite!
My favorite is the sugar cookie sleigh ride!!
My favorite is the candy cane lane!!
I drink sleepy time tea every evening. Would like to try the pumpkin!
What a great give away! I have recently started drinking tea and I only drink lipton black tea and would love to expand my tea drinking 🙂
i love the sleepytime vanilla
I would love to try the Sweet Harvest Pumpkin tea…yum!
I would love to try the Gingerbread Spice. Maybe that would help me eating less of the actual gingerbread which I always have at home around winter time 🙂
I would like to try the pumpkin. Nice giveaway.
Sleepytime and pumpkin!!
I’d love to try the pumpkin tea you mentioned. I’ve been sipping on the chair tea lately.
I would love to try Bengal spice!
I love sleepytime and the candy cane lane!
I Love the sleepy time vanilla and apple cinnamon.
Soo excited for this giveaway! I love the holiday flavors and would love to try the sweet harvest pumpkin.
I love the sleepy time tea!
i can’t wait to try to “fall teas”. love that sleepy time. thanks for sharing your trip.
I would love to try the Bengal spice!
The sleepytime tea they seem to have at every hotel I’ve visited since childhood has always been my favorite. Nothing better on a cold night!