I think my coworkers are rubbing off on me. I seem to be becoming British by osmosis or something… I drink tea instead of coffee lately! *giggle*

No but really, I love tea. There’s a tea for every occasion. Having a hard time waking up in the morning? Earl Grey or other black teas to the rescue (and, on a hot day, they make fantastic iced tea). Craving something sweet before bed but don’t want to actually eat something? Herbal teas are perfect for this, as are most white teas if you’re not as mega-caffeine sensitive as I am (white tea has a little caffeine in it, but herbal does not).

Not a fan of black tea or flowery? Between oolong (good for the metabolism), green (boosts your immune system, soothes the tummy, and helps lower cholesterol), red/rooibos (also caffeine-free, high in antioxidants, aids digestion) and maté (has a stimulant similar to caffeine without the jitters), you’re sure to find something you like.

I think I’ve graduated from tea bags. Until my wallet yells at me, in which case I might have a regression. Seriously though, loose leaf tea is where it’s at! I have my little tea kettle (I love the whistling sound it makes!), and a nifty thing to brew my tea in, and I think I have an actual teapot around here somewhere, but I’m moving, so Lord knows where it actually is right now.

I remember when I was a kid, my nanny grew all kinds of herbs in her yard, and when I was sick, she’d go pick various leaves and make me tea from them.. she had it down to a science! I miss her mint tea. That’s what started it for me.

Lately I’ve been drinking a blend that I just got from Teavana. It’s a blend of White Ayurvedic Chai (flavors include cinnamon, cloves, black and red pepper, coconut and lemongrass) and Samurai Chai Maté. It is delicious! I brew it with a little bit of german rock cane sugar, to lightly sweeten it. It is mmm-mm good! I’ve replaced my daily cup of coffee with it. The tea tastes better, doesn’t give me a headache later in the day, and smells nicer.

I went a little overboard and bought so much of that blend that I ran out of money for different teas, oops! But, my boyfriend brought up a good point - I can probably find delicious, high quality teas without paying “mall prices” like I do at Teavana.. mall retail space is expensive and the price of my tea reflects that. So I am turning to my blogosphere!

Tell me, dear readers, where is a good place for awesome loose leaf teas? What are your favorite tea flavors? If you don’t drink tea… I’m curious, why not?