Tea and Thee~Time for Tea Giveaway

A few days ago someone asked me why I named by blog Tea and Thee. If you don't me that is a good question and with the diverse content I blog about you may wonder why I choose this name as well. Last year when I was thinking about what I would name my blog I tossed about many names having do do with being frugal of healthy living but I didn't really want to narrow my topic as I just wanted to share the things I love. One night I was cooking dinner and looked up at the picture I have hanging over my stove. It has a picture of a teapot and it says Time for Tea and Thee. I struck me that the perfect name for my blog is Tea and Thee. I love tea. I love to collect tea cups and tea pots. I love to read tea books. More than any of these things I love to share a cup of tea with my friends and family or just anyone who wants to share a cup.


Many years ago I spent time in Scotland and one thing I loved is whenever I went into some one's home they would offer me a cup of tea and a sweet. I may not always have the sweet but I sure do have the tea and I will offer you a cup. I try to offer everyone who comes into my home a cup. To me sharing a cup of tea says I will take time out of my busy day to stop and let you know I care. I drink tea alone but I prefer to have someone to share it with.

Since I have started reading blogs there are many of you that I feel like I have sat down and shared a cup of tea. So I have decided that I would like us to come together on Tuesdays to share a cup of tea. Starting next week Tuesday I will put up a Mr. Linky where you can share your tea post from the past week. I hope you will join me.


To kick off Time for Tea I would like to do a giveaway of one of my favorite teas from my favorite tea company. I have 1 oz of Lichee Congou tea form Simpson & Vail to giveaway. To enter visit Simpson & Vail and come back here and leave a comment telling me which of their teas you would love to try.

For extra entries:

• Follow my blog
• Subscribe to my feed
• Follow me on twitter and tweet about this contest
• Blog about this contest on you blog

Be sure you leave a comment for each extra thing you do. Also make sure you leave a way for me to get in touch with you. This contest will end on Monday April 6th and I will announce the winner in my Time for Tea post next week.

Free Tim Hortons Wrap Snacker April 1~No Joke

Tomorrow from 11:30 am to 2pm you can go to Tim Hortons and get a Free Chicken Wrap Snacker. For all you Tim Hortons coffee lovers that I know, now you have another excuse to swing by Tim Hortons tomorrow. For locations go here.

Thanks to Money Saving Mom for the info.

Redbox

I have been reading about redbox for sometime now on the internet with great interest and being very envious of all the free movies that people were renting. I kept hoping I would find one in my area and I was keeping my eyes peeled. A few weeks ago I was returning bottles at my local Meijer (Jackson Rd. for all you locals) and I noticed that the kids in the cart next to me were holding redbox cases. I quickly asked their father where he got them. He said there was a redbox movie rental machine at the front of the store.

If you are unfamiliar with redbox you can rent movies for $1 a night for as many night as wish to keep them. So you want it 2 nights it is $2 . The best part is redbox will send you a code for a free rental for one night by registering your e-mail with them. You can also sign up for a free weekly code toget a free rental for one night on Mondays. You must scan your credit card on the machine when you rent but there will be no charge unless you keep your movie over a day. If you are looking for cheap entertainment check your local Meijer to see if they have a redbox.

Being that it is Monday the free code for today is 89ZQJ3.

Honey Kix Winners

Congratulations to the winners of the Honey Kix  Prize Pack. 

#24-Kelli
#29-Valerie2350
#57-Nicole

I will be sending these ladies an e-mail today and if I don't hear back by Thursday Morning I will pick a new winner.  Thanks to all that entered.  I am currently giving away a great new Music CD and have others planned for this week so check back soon.

Cornielle CD Review and Giveaway.

I am a music lover and I always love the chance to check out new artists and new Music. As you can imagine I was thrilled when I received the new CD by Cornielle in the mail. It is has a nice soft R&B sound to it. Cornielle sings about love his heart and his own personal experiences. I am enjoying listening to it while I work on my computer in the evening. As a busy mom is it so important for me to have that time to relax to music.

The release of The Birth of Cornelius doesn't just mark the arrival of a major new artist on Motown Records. The album chronicles the latest chapter for a musician who has already had a remarkable career--and an extraordinary life. Though virtually unknown to an American audience, Corneille sells out arenas in other parts of the world. His albums have reached monumental, Diamond-selling status in France. He has also scored a number of hits in Canada and in Japan. The Birth Of Cornelius is Cornielle's English language debut.

Corneille Nyungura was born in Fribourg, Germany, where his parents were students. At the age of six, his family returned to Rwanda, their country of origin. In Rwanda's President Habyarimana was assassinated, and the largest, most horrific genocide in modern history claimed over 800,000 victims. Corneille's parents and other family members were killed in the massacre. He alone managed to escape--first to Kinshasa, and then to Germany, where he was taken in by some family friends.

When asked how surviving such an incomprehensible tragedy has shaped his outlook, and his music, Corneille is strikingly calm. "For a good ten years after the genocide," he says, "I lived in a great deal of denial. But I managed not to get too bitter because I had parents who always made me feel special. It's a sort of pain that you can have closure with. I know I'm not going to be able to talk to my family ever again, but they left me with memories filled with such love that I don't have that much anger."

The Birth of Cornelius is available at stores now and can also be purchased on line. Amazon also has a great video about Corneille on there site you may want to check out.

To celebrate the launch of Cornielle's new CD I am giving away 2 copies to 2 of my readers. To enter the contest live a comment on this post about what kind of non kid music you enjoy listening to.

To get extra entries:


~Follow my blog

~Post on your blog about this giveaway

~Follow me on Twitter and tweet about this giveaway

Make sure you leave another comment for your extra entries. This giveaway will end April 8th at 11:59 EST. In your comment leave a way to for me to contact you if you are the winner. Good Luck! There will be 2 winners.

Tavalon Tea

Recently I did a great giveaway of Tavalon pure green tea. I thank all of you who took the time to enter. The winner was Nelsby and her tea was send out last week. I hope that she will enjoy her tea. Even if you didn't win you can still enjoy some great tea at a discounted price. You can get 15% of any order if you use the code teathee.

Let me tell you how impressed I am with Tavalon's teas. They are wonderful. I have tried 6 of their teas and they are all delicious. My favorite was a blend called Kama Chai Sutra. It is a flavorful blend of Indian black tea, cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, ginger and vanilla bean. The look of it alone is very impressive. It is pleasing to the eye and you can actually see the pieces of the spices that are in the tea. It is a mild chai and not overpowering. I like my this chai with milk and sugar I think it helps bring out the vanilla taste.

You will not go wrong with Tavalon if you are looking for some great loose tea. This discount will only last until May so go check them out and get yourself some great tea.

Frugal Friday~Cheaper Movies

A few weeks ago a did a post on free movies for kids at Goodrich Quality theaters. Hopefully you can take advantage of seeing these movies. Goodrich Quality theaters also have a great program called the Frequent Moviegoers Card (FMG). You can use it to earn points toward free concession items. My favorite part about the card is that members can show their card at the box office and save up to 40% off a ticket on select movies that have been out for more than 2 weeks. Sign up for their e-newsletter and look for the movies with a FMG next to them for the discounted rate. Only one discount is given per cardholder so you may want separate cards for each family member.


They other great thing is that with their e-newsletter they also have coupons for reel deals which let you get a large popcorn bag and drink for $3.75 which is a great savings. All of this equals great savings for you when you go to the movies.

For more frugal ideas be sure to visit Life As Mom .

Pie for the Cure

Starting tomorrow and running through May 10th anytime you purchase a 9 inch pie at the Grand Traverse Pie Company they will donate 50 cents to Susan G. Koman for the Cure. You can also order online anywhere in the US and they will donate $2 for each pie ordered. They have great pie and you will be helping a great cause.

To kick off the event you can go to any Grand Traverse Pie Company restaurant between 3 and 4 pm on March 20th and get a free slice of pie and coffee.

Wordless Wednesday

End of winter hike.

For more WW go here or here.

Free CFL Light Bulbs at Target.

I noticed in the Target flyer this week that they have the GE Energy Smart CFL light bulbs on sale for $1. That is a great deal but even better you can get them for free. Go here and print out your coupon for $1 off. You should be able to print 2 coupons. If you have been thinking about becoming environmentally friendly this is a great way to start.

Honey Kix "Sweet and Simple" Giveaway

We have had the opportunity recently to try the Honey Kix thanks to General Mills and My Blog Spark. I was never a huge Kix fan as a kid so I wasn't sure if I would like these or if my kids would eat them. I was very wrong. My daughter loves them and I think they are pretty darn good. My daughter is always asking some for a bowl without milk for a snack. This cereal will be added to our cereals to buy list.

Honey Kix is a good source of fiber, calcium and vitamin D, contains 16 grams of whole grain per serving (at least 48 grams recommended daily) and has no artificial flavors or preservatives. As the old saying goes it is kid tested and mother approved.

In conjunction with the new Honey Kix. I am giving away three "sweet and simple" prize packs. The pack includes:

• a coupon for a box of the Honey Kix
• a honey jar
• a set of cereal bowls
• a container to take your cereal and milk on-the-go
• and a great container to keep cereal fresh at home

It is a great prize pack. I personally love the cereal container. It says it is for bagged cereal but you can also just pour your cereal in it. To win just leave me a comment letting be know your favorite cereal.

To get extra entries:

~Follow my blog

~Post on your blog about this giveaway

~Follow me on Twitter and tweet about this giveaway

Make sure you leave another comment for your extra entries. This giveaway will end March 29th at 11:59 EST. In your comment leave a way to for me to contact you if you are the winner. Good Luck! There will be 3 winners.

Free Coffee Mate at Meijer

You can get Coffee Mate for free at Meijer this week. It is on sale for $1.50 and you can get a $1.50 coupon here. You should be able to print this coupon twice.

Dark Chocolate Raspberry Almond True Delights Free Sample

Have you tried the new True Delights granola bars from Quaker. I love to grab a granola bar when I am eating breakfast on the run. I love these True Delights for a breakfast on the run or just an afternoon snack to keep me going until dinner? You will want to try these out and you can now for free. Just go here to sign up for your free sample. Enjoy!

Ecostore USA Giveaway Winner

Congratulations to Tamara B. #13 who is the winner of the Ecostore USA coconut soap. I have e-mailed her. If I don't hear form her by Wednesday night I will pick a new winner. If you were not a winner you can still buy your Ecostore USA products at Meijer and for a limited time you can get $2 of your next shopping trip when you purchase any Ecostore USA products.

I have also picked a new winner in the My Fruit Roll-Ups Giveaway because I never heard from the first winner. The new winner is #18 rooann. I will be contacting her.

Both winners were chosen using Custom Random Number Generator.

My Fruit Roll-Ups Giveaway Winner

Sorry for the delay in getting this out. I have had many Internet issues this week. The winner of the My Fruit Roll-Ups giveaway is #16 shindylahoe. The winner was chosen using Custom Random Number Generator. Shindylahoe has until Saturday night to contact me or I will choose a new winner. Thanks to all who entered. You can still enter to win Coconut Soap or Tavalon Green Tea.

Wordless Wednesday

Tea at the Drake in Chicago~2006

For more WW go here or here.

Time To Go Green~ Tea Giveaway

I recently had the chance to try several different teas from a tea company I just discovered  called Tavalon Tea.  They have some wonderful teas which I will share more about in the future. I will review each one but for now let me tell you  I really am loving their teas.   In honor of St. Patrick's Day Tavalon is giving one of my readers a chance to win their Pure Green tea.  The winner will receive 2.6 oz of tea which make about 31 cups of tea.  What a great way to celebrate the Luck of the Irish  by doing something good for your body.  You don't have to win to share in the luck.  Tavalon  is also offering a 15% discount to  my readers on any order when they use the code teathee.

To enter to win the Pure Green tea go and visit Tavalon and then come back here and tell me which of their other teas you would like to try. 

To get extra entries

• Follow my blog
• Post on your blog about this giveaway
• Follow me on Twitter and tweet about this giveaway

Make sure you leave another comment for your extra entries.  This giveaway will end March 10th at 11:59 EST.  In your comment leave a way to for me to contact you if you are the winner. Good Luck!

The World Of Bella Sara

My daughter has been a big fan of Bella Sara for sometime now. As a girl she loves having trading cards for herself and she loves that she can enter the codes online. When I told her that I had new card for her thanks to Team Mom, she could not wait to open them. She Loved the new Bella Sara Treasures and was over the moon when she saw the tattoos. Treasures are a new element at Bella Sara with more printable activities including bonus codes, coloring pages, wallpapers, a poster and jigsaw puzzles.

She also received the new Bella Sara Miniatures. She loved her new miniature velvet horse. She is saving up her money so she can buy more. Each horse comes with a bonus code that will reveal an animated horse statue for your cottage.

If you visit Bella Sara now until April 30th you can have the chance to win a Treasure Hunt Party for you and your friends.

Starting this month you can buy the Miniature Series 1 for $1.99 and $2.99 for Bella Sara Treasures. You can find them at Target, Wal-Mart, Meijer and other toy stores and bookstores.

Happy Birthday Dr. Suess

On Monday the kids at my daughter's school celebrated Dr. Suess's Birthday. Some wonderful Mom made this cake. The top had already been cut up when I got there but I was still took the picture because I was very impressed. Every year for this school has a theme for March is reading month and this year they are doing Dr. Suess. The school looks great and the kids are loving it.

So if you don't have enough Dr. Suess books in your home you can go to Meijer and buy a few at 50% off through March 7th. Enjoy March is Reading Month and don't forget to read to your kids.

Free Tea Club.

As a tea lover I can never turn down free tea. I recently came across a tea company called Tropical Tea Company. They have some teas that sound great. Even better they are have a Free Tea Club which gives you a chance to sample their teas. All you have to do is register and every 2 weeks they will send you a free sample to make a cup of tea. The next sample they are sending out is called Buckingham Palace Garden Tea Party. I can't wait to try it . According to the company this tea has intriguing hints of high-grown pure Ceylon Earl Grey blend effortlessly with the soft jasmine from Fujian Province. Couple this with malty Assam (from the estate of Borengajuli) flavory Dimbula Ceylon (from Hatton), brisk and golden cup East of Rift Kenya (from Kambaa and Kagwe) and you have one of the most flavorful teas to come from the British Isles.

Last week I received their Niagra Peach Sencha Green tea. I am not a huge green tea fan but I loved this tea. My only complaint was that even after straining I still ended up with fine leaves in my tea cup. It had a great peach taste and was sweet enough that I did not need to add sugar. I would highly recommend it if you are looking for a light and refreshing tea. I am sure it would make a great iced tea as well. If you are looking for some good new teas you will want to check out the Free Tea Club for the Tropical tea Company.

Sunday Night Pancakes

We have started a new tradition at our house on Sunday nights. It is pancake night. After we get home from church on Sunday night I just whip up a batch. We usually go out for a big meal on Sunday afternoon so all we need is a small meal. This works great and the kids love it. We don't just make any pancakes we make "cottage cheese pancakes" they sound nasty but they are absolutely wonderful. The actual name of them is Golden Delight Pancakes. My mom made them for us growing up and they were our favorites and now they are my kids favorite.

Golden Delight Pancakes

1 c. cottage cheese

6 eggs

1/2 c. flour

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 c. oil

1/4 c. milk

1/2 tsp. vanilla

Mix all ingredients in the blender for 1 minute. Cook on a greased griddle.

You will want to give these a try they are very light and oh so yummy. Don't tell your family they are made with cottage cheese and they will soon become on of their favorites as well.