I might have a problem...

Today I went to my usual tea spot, Teavana and the guy working says "Back again, we need to get you a frequent customer card!"... does this mean I might go there too much? But really my first though was, omg do they have those cards? I'm all for discounts. I settled for signing up for the e-mail list to receive a 10$ off coupon. 

Tea has become my treat lately it brightens my day (and my mind) when I'm overwhelmed or just relaxing, any occasion calls for tea. I've come a long way from buying the poorly stored loose leaf I found at Bulk Barn! I've got 5 cute little glass jars (hello Dollorama!) that I keep my tea in, they hold 50 grams perfectly. I've got a constant rotation going, so whenever I empty on I can go buy more! It's like a little gift to myself. Being as obsessed as I am with tea, so much so as to put it in my blog title I wanted to share the teas I'm drinking right now...  

 This tea is great with a little honey if you like things sweet, Jeff loves this tea without the honey so it's really up to you! You get the kick of a green tea and the sweet flavour of the cherry. To tell you how much I love this tea, I can say it's the first one I bought 100g of, that's commitment. I officially recommend it to anyone looking for a new tea to try and am officially calling it my favourite! Did I mention it smells like a fruit roll-up? YUM. 

I only just bought this tea yesterday and I've had one cup and I'm already sold! I picked this tea by name I figured, hey I like peach and I could use some tranquility in my life... I was right! The first thing I noticed was, wait, fuzzy peaches? Yep, it smells like one of my favorite candies! I usually drink white/green/herbal teas with honey but the first time I try something I like to get the natural flavour and it turns out this tea is sweet enough without any honey. This one is going to be great to wind down with at the end of the night

Well, now I really need a cup of tea. Hopefully you're craving one too, next time you're out try one of these teas! I doubt you'll be disappointed. 

My Christmas & winter must haves

Halloween is over, Remembrance day has passed, so that means the next holiday is... exams! Okay, that's true, but I'm not excited for that. Tis the season, to prepare for the most wonderful time of the year, CHRISTMAS!!

Hands down, Christmas is my favorite time of the year. All year I look forward to the snow, the evergreens, hot apple cider and meals among family. Oh, and my birthday of course on the 24th! In preparation for the Christmas season I've put together a little list of things that I need to get through the winter season.

1. Christmas smells 

I'm absolutely obsessed with Bath & Body Works! I'm like a kid in a candy store when I go there. I've even had to enlist the help of friends (thanks Katie!) to stop me from going in and buying half the store every time I'm at the mall. In light of the season, and because I finished both my fall 3 wick candles, I allowed myself a trip to the mall specifically to hit up BBW. I am being completely honest when I tell you that I smelled every candle in that store before picking two of my all time favourite smells, one that is only available at Christmas. My first favourite smell is Frosted Cupcake. I bought a large 3 wick candle AND a wallflower refill in this scent, I told you I loved it. It isn't a Christmas smell, but I love the smell of vanilla and from what I hear guys like food smells best... So I hope Jeff notices my whole room smells delicious. The second smell is Holiday Wreath/Tis the Season. Last year, and in the online US store the scent is called Tis the Season, but when I bought it yesterday it was called Holiday wreath, but as we know a rose by any other name would still smell as sweet... and it does. The other christmas smells I chose was a new PocketBac for my car in Winter Candy Apple. Fun Fact: Did you know that gas pumps are the dirtiest things we touch? That's why I always have sanitizer in my car... Well, and because I eat in my car a lot. Because my car can never smell sweet enough I got a Frosted Cranberry Scent portable refill, I have a sea turtle one. You'll also find some Frosted Cranberry soap in mine and Katie's bathroom.

2. A good pair of mittens 

I bought some TNA mittens last winter on a trip to Ottawa to take part in Contact Ontarois (a french music festival, if you're in the area check it out: http://www.reseauontario.ca/fr/contact-ontarois/). I don't have an Aritizia store near me so I went a little TNA crazy on this trip, but I don't regret it one bit because these mittens have lasted me and are my favourite! They're warm and cute, what more could you ask for? I go for mittens over gloves because I enjoy the style and because they keep your hands warmer. How's that? Well in mittens, your 4 fingers are in the same "pouch" which means more body heat can be kept together. Not as practical as gloves, mittens are great for walking to class or driving with a cold steering wheel. 

3. Chapstick

Okay people, the worst part about winter has to be the chapped lips. They're painful, they look funny, and no one wants to kiss chapped lips. Over the years I've tried tons of different kinds of lip moisturizers and sticks but none of them compare to my all time favorite, Tahitian Noni Chapstick in Original. When the snows falling you can pucker your lips and take a wiff and feel like you're on the beach, because the scent is oh so tropical. Not only that but it works after the first application! I've found that most chapstick's require you to constantly reapply, and of course they would... then you buy more! 

4. Hand Moisturizer

This whole dry skin (hands) thing is new to me. At first I thought the cats were just getting more vicious, but it turns out my skin was just dry in general thanks to the cool winter air. Having no idea how to deal with this new joy in my life I asked my mom if she knew of any good moisturizers, she suggested Hemp Hand Protecter for the Body Shop and I loove it! It's super smooth and nourishes your hands within minutes. Be warned though, don't use too much or you won't be able to open doorknobs or deal with anything plastic for a while! 

4. A Taste of Christmas  

I'm a huge tea lover, I get really excited when it's loose leaf. I went into Teavana and found a delicious, and somewhat festive tea... ON SALE! So obviously I had to get it and make it my winter flavour. It's called White Ayurvedic Chai Tea, as described by the Teavana website, 

 Journey to India and take in all its exotic pleasures with this modern twist on a sweet and spicy classic. High quality white tea combines with cinnamon, coconut, pineapple, ginger, cardamom and cloves giving this tea a complex, sweet, full-bodied flavor. This proud chai's aroma and spicy flavors deliver a melange of deliciousness sip after heavenly sip. Naturally sweet cinnamon with spicy pepper and robust clove.

I like to add a little vanilla soy milk and some honey and call it a day. 

If you've got some variation of all these items I'd say you're ready for a holly jolly Christmas, Frightful weather, and to rock around the Christmas tree!