Organic Tea Anyone?

I’m not a tea aficionado, by any means, but I do go through tea jags, and when I do, I drink tea from my dragonfly tea mug and my dragonfly tea mug alone.

Why? Because I love my dragonfly tea mug with a deep and irrational passion. I love the color. The weight of it. The little dragonfly on the side. And just so you don’t think I’m being flighty, the ceramic basket is perfect for drinking bulk teas and is much easier to deal with than a tea ball or a tea spoon, the lid (with dragonfly on it!) keeps the water hot during the duration of my tea’s steeping, and I can place the basket holding the wet tea on that upturned dragonfly lid when I’m ready to drink.

Yes, as a matter of fact, I really have thought about this.

My love of this mug has taught me a bit about tea, in our time together, so I thought I would share the teas best sipped from your own dragonfly tea mug:

* Organic White Peony Tea - White tea is perfect for that mellow lift at the end of the day, when the kids are still whipping along at light speed and I’m dragging behind in the groggy slow motion of adulthood. For me, anything stronger than white tea, and my brain is scurrying around all night like a hamster on amphetamines, so this one is perfect. Plus, I really love the clean, rosy aftertaste of this blend (I’m also a fan of the organic silver needle).

* Organic Jasmine Pearl Green Tea - I break out this very special tea when special guests and good friends come over (but no one drinks from the dragonfly tea mug but me!). Jasmine tea puts a nice bounce in everyone’s step after a big feast, and the pearls are just plain pretty.

* Organic Jamaican Red Bush Rooibos - I’m not a fan of herbal tea. I don’t dislike it, but, as a caffeine-freak, it’s just not my first choice. Seriously, though, just look at this blend pictured to the left. It’s a pleasure to have this tea in the house. Earthy, tobacco-like rooibos offset by fruitier, giddier flavors like hibiscus and tangerine. Very nice.

I suppose I should balance this off with a discussion of coffee, but frankly, the dragonfly tea mug and I cannot serve two masters…

It's In The Bag- One Of Many Available On Wedge Worldwide

How Do Smart Shoppers Shop?

They shop with a sturdy basket, that’s what they do, especially if they’re so smart that they shop farmers markets for fresh produce. Remember: Farmers rarely package or wrap their products, so baskets like these Fair Trade Market Baskets and Handle Baskets work best.Why? The flat bottom spreads the impact across the bottom of the basket so you can carry more local eggplants per square inch in it. Also? Sturdy handles. You could put big, fat muskmelons in that basket and it wouldn’t break on you.

And you thought this blog was just another pretty face. ;)

Speaking of pretty faces, I once dated a woman in college who stole a bag like this one from me.

It was black, I kept a journal and my favorite pen in the pen compartment, and the bag hung always on my shoulder like a great, loyal friend – unlike a certain, thieving ex I could mention. But I digress. Anyway, I think the above courier bag is the one that will replace my long lost bag of yore. Why? It has all the cool little zippered pockets and compartments I adore, it’s hemp, it comes in good, bold colors like “faded rose” and “oasis” AND it comes from Transylvania. I mean, are you kidding me? Transylvania? A black, eco-cool, sustainably-hip, hemp bag from the bleeding heart of Goth Country? Oh, yeah. That’s even better than the one I lost. May my ex burn with jealousy...

All right. One last bag for you, and, also, a bit of travel advice: When abroad, always have your passport in a cool carrier like this one. Not only does it keep a vital document neat and accessible, but it also distracts the person who’s checking it. While they should be examining your bags for the expensive goods that you somehow “forgot” to declare, instead, they’ll be thoroughly enticed by your passport bag, thinking to themselves, “Wow. Is that button made of real bone?” Want to go one step further? Combine the Crane passport carrier with the Crane jacket and you'll be a symphony of distractability.