A Tea Review and Special Mail Deliveries

Before I left on vacation, a representative from Amora teas contacted me and asked if I'd like to sample some of their teas and write a review on my blog.  I agreed, and the teas arrived while I was away.  When I returned, my dining room table was filled with mail that needed to be sorted through.  It took a few days for me to get to the Amora teas, but I sampled them yesterday.  The two blends they sent were English Breakfast and Chamomile.

Amora began as a coffee company in 2011 and expanded to include tea in 2015.  Currently they have six organic offerings - 2 black, 2 green, and 2 herbal blends.  Each tin contains 16 loose-leaf sachets.  

They have a subscription plan where you choose a selection [you can mix and match], specify a quantity, and the shipping frequency.  There is no minimum purchase required, and you can stop, pause or adjust shipments at any time as well as change tea selections.  The tea is shipped two-day priority mail from their company in Montgomery, Alabama.

I sampled the English Breakfast first - a black tea blend from India.  Most English Breakfast teas are robust, but I found their's to be mildly brisk and enjoyable.

Next was the Chamomile.  I must confess I have not been a fan of Chamomile tea in times past, but their's may just be the one to win me over.  The organic chamomile blossoms steeped to a bright golden color.  While I liked the taste, I had a hard time determining a flavor profile, so I did some research and discovered the taste of Chamomile is likened to a crisp apple.  The plant comes from the Greek word "chamai melon" which means "ground apple".   For me, the crisp apple taste didn't come forward until the tea had cooled down a bit, and there was also a faint floral taste.

Amora uses full chamomile blossoms so there's no powdery dust.  Chamomile has been used for many years to calm anxiety, help with sleep issues, and settle stomachs and digestion.  It is an herbal tea [not made from the Camellia Sinensis plant] and contains no caffeine.  I highly recommend Amora's Chamomile tea.

*  * *

Also among my mail was a package from Shutterfly - the fruits of many hours of scanning and editing old photos during the COVID-19 quarantine.  I scanned and edited 1,057 photos and then divided them into categories - Birth to 5 years; K-6th grade; Jr. High; High School, etc.  

Shutterfly albums aren't cheap, but neither is Scrapbooking, and Shutterfly albums take up far less space than traditional photo albums and scrapbooks.  Below are the two Shutterfly albums I've received to date, and I've got another one waiting to be sent off soon.  I love, love, love them and cannot say enough good about them.  They are worth every penny!

One of the nicest things about blogging is the people you get to meet virtually and become friends with.  One long-distance friend is Frieda from Texas.  Every so often a package arrives in my mail from her, and the most recent one came just after I got home from my trip.

It's a teaspoon with a little teapot attached at the top.  It's by Raven's Nest and is accompanied by a cute poem titled Life is Like a Cup of Tea:

Here's a little recipe,

I thought I'd share with you.

It will always bring you JOY

In everything you do.

Life is like a "Cup of Tea",

It can cam and soothe your soul.

You can flavor it with many things

To make your spirit whole.

GOD has a special blend

For those who choose to drink.

It's spiced with PEACE for living,

And a spoonful of JOY for giving.

But, the most important flavor

Is a large portion of LOVE.

The only place to get it

Is from our GOD above.

Frieda said she had lunch at a cute tearoom in an antique mall and saw the spoon.  It said to her, "send me to Phyllis."   It was so kind and thoughtful.  Thank you, Frieda!

I'm still organizing my trip photos and will begin blogging about the trip soon.