Birthday treats

I drove over to Wooster for my birthday treat...but the Wooster Starbucks was closed.

THIS WAS THE BIG 50!!!

But, it is just a number....still feel like I am in my early 30's.

Since the Wooster Starbucks was closed, I went over to Panera and bought a chai.  They have a great chai.  Sadly, the only thing Panera was giving away for birthdays was pastries.  

I had Monday off, for my birthday.  So, I went to Canton to check out the birthday treats.  I went to Starbucks and explained what happened on my actual birthday, so they were kind enough to give me a free birthday treat....yay!!  I also bought a chai.

Next, I headed to Duncan Donuts for a Matcha Smoothie. Overall, the birthday treats were good this year, lol.  

Check out your area and see what you can get on your birthday.  I also went to Red Robin and got a lettuce wrap burger.

Denny's also has a breakfast that is free.  Menchies Yogurt also gives you $5 on your birthday.

Here is a website I found for freebies... https://www.heyitsfree.net/birthday-freebies/ 

Ohio Tea for my birthday

For my 50th birthday I went to one of my favorite places for Tea, Ohio Tea Company. 

I always love to check out what they have new there and pick up some samples.

https://www.ohioteaco.com/

If you are looking for great tea, you need to check out Ohio Tea in Canton.   They also ship if you are not from the area.

Ohio Tea has excellent loose leaf tea.  The quality of their tea is outstanding.   The staff is super helpful too.

It did end up being a beautiful day!

 

Ohio Tea Company, Heat Miser

https://www.ohioteaco.com/Winter-Variety-Pack-_p_1938.html

This tea can be found in the winter pack.

This tea was a mix of flavors.  I tasted the heat of the chili and the chocolate of the carob pod and then the earthiness of the tea.  It all mixed so well together, yet so different from anything I have ever had.  It was unique, but I have to say I enjoyed it.  I gave it four tea cups.

The aroma was really nice with this tea as well.  It was just a burst of flavors and notes.  It awakens all the senses.

I encourage you to try and explore new teas. This would not necessarily been a tea I would have tried, but it came in a variety set.  I am so glad I tried it.

Ohio Tea Company- coconut oolong and lavender loose leaf tea

I am pampering myself for birthday.   A face mask and my favorite tea with my favorite cat, Earl Grey.

My sister in Washington sent me a care package, I thought it would be a great night to enjoy it.  And then my friend made this lavender shower bomb.  I love lavender.

I made- Ohio Tea Companies- Coconut Oolong and mixed in their lavender tea as well.   

https://www.ohioteaco.com/

It really is okay to play with your tea!!  Mix teas together that you think sound good- you never know what you will come  up with.  What's the worst thing that could happen- you toss it out.  Best thing that could happen- you find a tea you love!!

My favorite tea is oolong and one of my favorite flavor is coconut.  Another favorite flavor is lavender- when you combine them you have a perfect cup of tea.

I made my tea into a latte.  The tea is creamy and delicious on it's own, but when I add oat milk to it it adds a new earthy, nutty dimension that I really love and then I kick the flavor up a bit of lavender syrup. 

I frothered the oat milk with the lavender syrup and added it to my tea.   I found it wonderful.  

Even Earl Grey is interested in checking out my latte.

Yachak Tea, Blackberry

I thought I would try this Yerba Mate.   I like berries, so I thought blackberry would be fun to try.  I also like the caffeine from a Yerba Mate.  It gives me a nice kick.

https://www.yachak.com/

"A species of the holly plant that grows in the central and southern regions of South America, Yerba Mate is a natural source of caffeine and has been consumed as a brewed beverage for centuries."

I am only giving this 2 tea cups because of the sugar. Flavor was really nice, I was able to pick up the blackberry notes.  The price was okay.  But, it has way too much sugar in it.  Tea can stand on it's own, we don't need to keep killing society with sugar.

Empress Taytu, Ethiopian Spiced Tea, Cleveland

https://www.facebook.com/EmpressTaytuCle/

The food was amazing!!!  I love ethnic food and can not get enough of the flavors of other countries.

The tea was okay- it was had a lot of clove flavor.  It was just okay, but I was not a huge fan.

Yes, the droplets on my leg is tea...and yes, it is hot!!!

I have a couple of friends that are as daring as I am when it comes to food.  We are always going for the unique ethnic bite.  In February we decided on Ethiopian in Cleveland.  It was a great little place.

The food was outstanding and I would highly recommend it!!!  If you go with friends and split food that is the way to go...the more food you can try the better.

The tea may have been authentic Ethiopian, but it was not for me.  All I tasted was cloves. 

Lake Norris Ladies trip

My friends and I did a ladies Bible retreat in Tennessee. 

Before we left we stopped at Starbucks for Passion Iced Tea. 

We stayed at this beautiful house!  From the front it doesn't look like much, but when you look at the back of the house you see how huge it really is.

There were 28 of us ladies staying in this house.

We had so much fun being together and digging into God's Word.

I brought my teas and I made all sorts of tea drinks for the ladies all weekend.

I let them know- no matter what was going on, if they wanted tea I would make it for them.

I even did a hike!!  I am amazed how much energy I have now that I have lost the over 60 pounds.  The one after noon it was warm, so we explored a bit outside.

I was going to make bubble tea, but the kit I got had bubbles that had "melted"  UGH!!  I guess making bubble tea was not happening.  What a disappointment for all of us.

But, I made matcha lattes, London Fogs, and all sorts of other teas to make up for the lack of bubble tea.

Latte, Latte, and more lattes....

They also did a hot coco bar, so there were some fun toppings that ladies were adding to their lattes.  One of my favorites was the crushed candy canes.

One of the way home in Kentucky we stopped at a Starbucks. I was so excited to get my Kentucky "Been Here" Kentucky Mug.

These are some of the ladies I love being with.  We studied Psalm 23 - it was a great study.  Being with other woman and opening up and encouraging them is a blessed time.