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 love so many of those teas but Bengal Spice is one of my favorites!!!! I would love to try some of the holiday teas. They sound like they would be delicious!
I would love to try the caramel apple flavor!!
I would love to try Nutcracker Sweet!
I love the vanilla sleepytime. Celestial Seasonings is my favorite tea brand, good flavors and reasonable prices. I have been drinking it as long as I can remember! PS The holiday-themed Candy Cane Green Tea is great, too!
I often buy some of their berry – flavored teas (I have a few boxes in my pantry as we speak), but would love to try their holiday teas. 🙂
Hi Julie!
My absolute favorite is the peppermint! Such a refreshing yet comforting tea.
The sweet harvest pumpkin sounds really good!
Since it is fall, I’d love to try Sweet Harvest Pumpkin!
I absolutely LOVE the sleepytime tea, after hard days in grad school and working with students this is perfect way to get a great sleep! After reading your post I plan to try the bengal spice which I’ve been debating buying for awhile now, sounds so yummy!
I love all the Celestial Seasonings teas, but especially Red Zinger!
I would love to try the Bengal Spice!!
I actually work about 5 minutes from them 🙂 Love the tour and the tea shop. I love most all of their teas. I adore the peppermint!
That Bengal spice tea sounds amazing! My standby is always black peach tea.
I would love to try their new kombucha tea- I”ve been looking for them and can’t find them here!
I love all of their holiday flavors… It makes me sad when I can’t find them anymore come Spring.
I really love Sleepytime Vanilla, and Sugar Cookie Sleigh Ride – both are delicious!
I would love to try the sweet harvest pumpkin tea! I love anything pumpkin and it looks like fall in a cup!
I love their Sleepytime and Mandarin Orange Spice teas! I’m now wanting to try the Bengal Spice tea after reading your description of it. Sounds yummy.
Bengal spice is my favorite! I have a mug almost every night to curb my sweet tooth.
Bengal Spice got me through pregnancy when I couldn’t stand coffee. Soo good! And Tension Tamer is a must in our house during cold and flu season.
I would love to try the caramel apple dream tea! Yum!
I love the peppermint tea. Like holiday in a mug!
Love the Wild Berry Zinger as an iced tea, but now I’m curious to try the sleepy time tea!
I love making peppermint hot chocolate by making the hot cocoa with candy cane green tea. I highly recommend it. 🙂
Now I have the most intense craving to sample all the holiday teas in the sampler. Then bengal spice tea also sounded pretty fantastic!
I would love to try the Nutcracker Sweet (or any of the other holiday flavours)!
I looove Sleepytime! It reminds me of home:)
I love sugar cookie sleigh ride with a splash of almond milk and a little honey!
I LOVE Sleepytime tea, my husband and I drink a kettle of it every night!
Nutcracker sweet sounds amazing! And what a cute name!
I am a huge fan of Celestial Seasonings tea and I would love to try the Bengal Spice!!!
Carmel Apple Dream Tea for me please:):)
I would love to try the Bengal Spice. I was sold at cinnamon and ginger!
I’ve always loved sleepytime with milk before bed! Sleepytime vanilla is a new favorite 🙂
my grandma just passed away last week, and we always drank sleepy time tea with her, so that would have to be my pick 🙂
I love the cinnamon apple tea but I’d love to try the Bengal spice!
Those holiday teas look delicious!!!!! I love trying new tea flavors and those look super yummy 🙂
I LOVE the candycane lane tea! sooo awesome! and the gingerbread tea is really good for making my oatmeal in, extra gingery flavor!
I love sugar cookie sleigh ride! That’s always been my favorite tea!
I love the sleepy time tea. I had it in the hospital after my babies were born. Now they drink it too!!!
I love sugar cookie sleigh ride! That’s always been my favorite tea!
I’d love to try Bengal spice!!
I love enjoying a cup of the sleepytime brew before bed. It definitely sets the mood!
My favorite is chai spice but I want to try candy cane lane!
Any of the fall/holiday flavors: Candy Cane Lane, Gingerbread Spice, Sweet Harvest Pumpkin, Nutcracker Sweet…….would be fun to try.
i love sugar cookie sleigh ride around winter!!
the pumpkin tea you mentioned sounds perfect for fall – my favorite season!
My favorite Celestial Seasonings Tea is “Sugar Cookie Sleigh Ride”, but I am definitely going to need to try the “Sweet Harvest Pumpkin” – YUM!! 🙂
I really love their mint tea. It’s so good for the cold season!
I love the India Spice Chai