Best Gifts for Tea Lovers

Let's review some of the best gifts for tea lovers, I've been given a few of these gifts myself as one of my aunts affectionately calls me 'an old tea bag'!

I've been drinking and enjoying tea for many decades and even though I enjoy my coffee if I have to make a choice tea is still hands down my favorite.

What to give a tea lover?   Well there's lots of great options available from a selection of teas to strainers, mugs, tea pots and much, much more.

Let's have a look at a few things that I'd like to see gift wrapped for me!

Cute, Fun, Unique, Retro & Anything BUT Boring Tea Infusers!

There are so many different tea infusers available to purchase from cute tea infusers, to fun ones, cool retro tea infusers and more - one thing these tea infusers have in common is that they're unique and are perfect gift ideas.

I have been in love with the Sloth tea infuser for a while, but that didn't stop me absolutely falling head over heels in love with the manatee inspired infuser I received one year.  Check out my fun tea infuser reviews below -

• The Manatea Infuser
• Rubber Ducky Tea Infuser

These tea infusers are a couple of my favorite tea inspired gifts that I've received and they put a smile on my face every time I use them.

I may only have a couple at the moment, but that doesn't stop me looking at others all of the time - here are some of my favorite ones -

Click the image to be taken to a great range of fun tea infusers that you'll love

Tea Pots & Tea Pot Gift Sets

Of course you can't go past a tea pot as a gift idea for a tea drinker and there's an awesome selection available.  The great thing about a tea pot is that you can use it with tea bags or loose tea so it doesn't matter what their preference is.

I love the stackable tea pot sets that you can get that combine a tea pot and cup (some of them even have a saucer as well) .  If you're buying for a cat loving couple who enjoy tea then this set is sure to bring a smile to their faces -

 Tea For Two Porcelain Teapot and 2 Tea Cups Set - Cat by Shinzi Katoh

Isn't it adorable?  Even a dog owner like myself would still fall in love with the black cat's face!

In my household both my hubby and I enjoy drinking tea, but I do like to experiment with different teas whereas he sticks with his standard cuppa.

In cases where people are single, or the sole tea drinker in the house, or likes to try different teas then a stackable tea for one tea set is an awesome gift idea.

 Grace Teaware Porcelain 4-Piece Tea For One (Pastel Purple Daffodil)

If you're not a fan of the pastel purple daffodil design you can check out a whole range by clicking on the image below -

Click the image to go to Lou16's gorgeous collection of tea for one gift sets

You may just want to get a straight tea pot, after all lots of people prefer to drink from mugs instead of cups these days and I do have a few for you to look at right here -

 Blue Floral Cast Iron Teapot, 34-Ounce, Blue Floral Certified International 22457 Tunisian Sunset Teapot, 40 oz, Multicolor Porcelain Butterfly & Dragonfly Teapot Trimmed In Gold

As you can see teapots can be found in a range of different styles, personally I like what I think of as a traditional teapot (The Pioneer Woman one featured below), but I know that a lot of people associate teapots and tea parties with the style of the porcelain butterfly & dragonfly teapot style above.

With more and more people being inspired by different teas and infusions the blue floral teapot featured makes me think of an Asian influence, perfect for a Japanese tea ceremony.

I deliberately haven't included any clear, glass teapots in this selection even though they do appear to be quite a popular choice these days.   If you're a tea drinker you'll be aware of how much the tannin in tea can stain your cup/mug/pot which is why I'm not sure how long the glass ones will stay looking as nice as they do.  

Despite this I was given a clear tea pot as a gift so I will be trying it out for myself and will report back with a review at a later date.  If the clear pots can be kept looking nice then there are a couple of different gifts that feature them including teapots that dispense the tea from the bottom and 'flowering' tea pots.   Stay tuned for more on these after I've investigated more! 

 The Pioneer Woman Country Garden Teapot Gracie China Shabby Rose Porcelain 4-1/2-Cup Teapot, Shabby Rose Teal FORLIFE Stump 18-Ounce Teapot with SLS Lid and Infuser, Turquoise

Tea Inspired Jewelry

Along with tea I do love jewelry and combining the two makes a unique gift idea for a tea drinker in your life.  Just check out some of these favorite pieces of mine -

Click the image to go to a selection of tea jewelry & find the perfect gift for your tea lover

As I've said other options can include a selection of teas or a mug.  When it comes to mugs there are some great personalized mugs available.  An alternative to a personalized mug is the mugs that come complete with a strainer that sits inside them and a lid - I received one of these from a work colleague a few years ago and it's fantastic!

I hope I've given you a few gift ideas for the tea lover in your life & maybe even a few things you'd like for yourself.

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

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The Age Of Adaline Movie Review

Like the fantasy romance movie genre? I didn't know that I did until I recently watched The Age Of Adaline. And then I watched it again. I was mesmerized by the characters and totally spellbound by the story. The movie grabbed my attention from the first frame and didn't let go. But that's what a fantasy movie, or any good movie, should do, right?

The Story

The movie tells the story of Adaline Bowman (played by actress Blake Lively), born in 1908, who at the age of 29 suffers an accident that renders her "immune to the ravaging of time. She will never age another day." While the thought of never growing older may be appealing, the realities of the situation create circumstances that require Adaline to make major adjustments in her life as the decades pass.

Keeping her secret isn't easy. During her lifetime, Adaline must pass up many close relationships, including the opportunity for true love.

The most important relationship of her life, though, is with her daughter, Flemming (played by Ellen Burstyn). I loved the interaction between the two where the younger actress took on the mothering role to the older actress. The relationship was absolutely convincing and very touching.

Without giving away too much of the story (the trailer gives away much more), I'll just say that during the course of this amazing movie lightning strikes and love prevails.

Who Should Watch This Movie?

If you like romance movies, choose The Age Of Adaline. I wouldn't call it a chick flick, though. In fact, while my husband didn't start out watching with me, he was drawn in by the drama (and Harrison Ford's voice) and enjoyed what he saw.

If you like good drama, a fascinating story, and beautiful actors who bring complex characters to life, give this movie a try. If you're not sure about the fantasy element, give it a chance anyway. Like me, you might be surprised.

The Age Of Adaline is rated PG-13. Nearly 25,000 Amazon reviewers rate the movie 4.4 out of 5 stars. It gets five from me.

~Susan

Read more of my reviews.

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Posted by Susan Deppner

About the Author

Susan Deppner is a baby boomer, a cancer survivor, and a Southerner who believes in the Golden Rule. She enjoys writing about food, faith, and fitness; health, home, and holidays; people, places, pets, and patriotism, and more. Follow Susan on Twitter, Facebook, and Pinterest.

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

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Happiness is Staying Dry & Warm in the Rain

Spring Rains Make Me Happy

I don’t know about you, but I know that I love a great rainstorm in the spring. As long as I have a way of staying dry and warm, while the pitter patter is happening, I am a happy camper. So, let’s review the ways that we can do just that and have some fun at the same time.

  Photo: Pixabay.com

                                       

Little Kids and Rain are a Great Combination

Little kids are wonderful when the spring rains begin.  They are in awe that it’s no longer snowy, cold and bitter outside.  If you are a big kid like me, playing in the rain was something I looked forward to sharing with my youngsters.  I can remember getting my kids dressed in their rainboots, raincoats and heading out the door with umbrellas clenched firmly in our hands.  Dancing in the puddles was the best part of any trip outside when the spring rains came.  Laughter and giddiness seemed to come over all of us and a good dose of Hot Chocolate when we came home was the best treat ever.

Now that I'm a Grammie I get to enjoy the fun all over again.

Now that my children are old enough to have children of their own, I make sure that Grammie outfits the Grandchildren in a way that will keep them dry and warm too.  The colorfulness of raincoats has changed a lot since my children were young.  Today’s styles are so bright that even a downpour of humongous proportions can’t keep them invisible to the eye.  That is a good thing for sure.  Not only do I enjoy watching them play in the rain, but I also enjoy seeing their surprise when Grammie decks them out with the latest and greatest rain gear ever.

Amazon has pages and pages of raincoats, umbrellas, and boots for the children.  My problem is that I can't decide which ones I like the best and which ones they will enjoy the most.  So just to show you a small sampling of the rain gear available I have picked out a few of my favorites.  

For the younger crowd (ages 3 to 6), there are Paw Patrol matching sets of rain slickers and umbrellas for the boys and Disney Princesses for the girls. These sets are both really cute, and the matching umbrella just finishes the outfit. If either of these styles or characters are not to your liking or your Grandchildren's liking, there are other characters available like Firemen, Frogs, Butterflies and so many more. The Ladybug ones happen to be a favorite of mine too. If your Grandchildren already have raincoats, then add a pirate umbrella for some added fun.

So Many Styles

Let’s just say that in reviewing all the possibilities, of keep youngsters dry in the rain, there has to be at least a few hundred different choices and possibilities.  You can spend a lot of time trying to find the right one to match your child’s or grandchild's needs or wants.  Or you can ask the parents what their children really like and narrow down your search that way.

Playing in the rain never looked so good or was so much fun.  Add a pair of rainboots and even the deepest puddles will be a temptation for them to jump into.  That’s part of the fun of playing in the rain.  Finding the puddles that you just know you need to see, with your feet,  just how deep they are.  Slowly moving into the middle making sure that your rainboots are tall enough to keep the water out.  But, if they happen to fill up with water, it’s usually a quick trip home to dry out. 

I bet you will have a hard time getting the Grandchildren to come indoors, but maybe a great mug of Hot Chocolate will entice them to come in out of the rain.

Pixabay.com

                                         

What about the Big Kids?

Now for the grown-ups, there might be some other requirements to staying dry.  One of the tricks  I learned early on, is not to stay too close to those little ones jumping in the puddles.  Depending on how deep the puddle is, the resulting splash might be more than expected. 

But, and here’s the big BUT, grown-ups like playing in the rain too.  At least I do and I’m sure that I’m not alone.  Tell me that feeling rain on your face in the spring isn’t one of the nicest feelings ever!

And there are some pretty neat and beautiful umbrellas out there for us bigger kids too!

If you need some encouragement to get outdoors on a rainy day, just remember how much fun it was when you were young!  It isn't too hard to muster up those feelings all over again.  

Spring is here and the spring rains are needed to make everything grow, don't waste the opportunity to have some fun and relive some memories.

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Crochet Baby Blanket Pattern Reviewed

Modern Baby Blanket To Crochet

Napping baby image from Pixabay.com

I recently crocheted a project using a crochet baby blanket pattern from Yarnspirations. It was so much fun that I thought reviewing it for you here today would also be a great idea. 

What I loved about this pattern was that it had a more contemporary look to it and a little whimsy, too. You see the blanket is mostly a solid color with the words #NAPS centered in the middle of the blanket. These types of blankets are often referred to as "graphghans". 

I think most will appreciate that the pattern is so versatile and you have the option of doing it in any color combination that you choose to. As you will see in the video tutorial the pattern is shown in black and white which could be used for either gender of baby. I opted for a pretty princess pink yarn and did the wording in a lime green. Unfortunately, I forgot to take pictures of the completed blanket before I gave it to a new Mom as a gift. 

The video gives good instructions for making the blanket and was quite helpful to watch before I began my little project. You might find it helpful to visit the Crochet Crowd page that shows both the tutorial for the blanket and a very good tutorial on doing graph work with the tapestry technique. You can find that page here.

Not only did I think this crochet baby blanket pattern was cute but I also had never used the tapestry technique before. So, this was a learning process for me. It was really simple to do and honestly did not take much time. I found it useful to sit at a table when I came to the area where I needed to work the graph for the letters. I could put the graph on the table and mark off the rows as I crocheted.

It turned out so adorable and it inspired me to create my own graph for a blanket for the holidays. I will show you the completed project when I am finished. Instead of the #NAPS for a baby, I created a graph with the words #SANTA. I will be doing it in a pretty Christmas Red with white lettering.

Even though I have been crocheting for many years, it is always fun to try something new. I think if you love to crochet that you will enjoy working with this pattern. If you do not know how to crochet and really do not want to learn, you could probably find a friend who could make the blanket for you. 

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

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Crow Lake Book Review

Crow Lake is Mary Lawson's debut novel. It immediately went to the top of Canada's best sellers lists just days after it's release. Crow Lake is described as a "deceptively simple masterpiece" and I agree with that description. The survival story of the Morrison children, Luke, Matt, Kate, and little baby Bo, is a story that will stick with me for awhile.

Crow Lake by Mary Lawson

In a remote farming community, in Ontario, families remain for generations making a living on the land. The farms pass down from generation to generation. The dating pool is slim, and the future dreams typically consist of marrying someone within the community and raising their own children.  

However, the Morrison family is celebrating - in their subdued Presbyterian farmer way - their eldest son's acceptance into teacher's college. Mr. and Mrs. Morrison drive into town in order to buy a suitcase for their eldest son's pending trip to university. Except, Luke never goes to university.

Mr. and Mrs. Morrison are killed in a tragic traffic accident, leaving distant relatives and local community members to care for Luke, Matt, Kate, and baby Bo. This story brings new meaning to the familiar phrase, "it takes a village".  Just how exactly will these four children either remain together to fend for themselves or be separated and raised by family members who have plenty of their own struggles? There are hard decisions to be made.

This is not a fast-paced dramatic thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat. Instead, it is a deep, and rich tapestry of sibling rivalry, family dynamics, the working out of how things should be. Survival is not always easy, but it is easier when surrounded by people who love you. From little Bo banging on the pots and pans, to the violent and volatile Pye family nearby, to Kate's summertime weeding of the neighbor's garden, we watch and wonder how things are going to turn out.

Kate Morrison

The story is told through Kate's perception - as reported in her childhood letters and her memories. As well as played out in her adult relationship with her boyfriend, Daniel. Kate idolizes her brother Matt. During the portions that Kate, the child, is relaying the story of the children's survival, it is clear how much she idolizes him and yet there are things she does not understand. Adult things. Adult things that make our idols do things we don't understand. 

As an adult, there are still things that she doesn't yet fully understand. Kate does not understand the decisions that were made and why. Kate has gone to college and has become a zoologist. She lives far from that remote farm home. She is sure about the things she examines under the microscope but she is not fully sure why she does not easily invite her boyfriend home. But Daniel has made her aware that she is a barrier to their full relationship. Kate is also not sure why it is so hard to go home. 

This story of siblings, tragedy, family, community, and redemption is a slow-building tale that comes to a satisfactory and meaningful end. Or perhaps, it is just the beginning.

Crow Lake by Mary Lawson

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

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