How do I steep loose leaf tea?

1. Put one teaspoon of tea into your tea bag or infuser for every 6-8oz of water (if you're brewing a "fluffier" herbal tea or white tea, go ahead and make that a heaping teaspoon rather than a level one).

2. Remember the "3 T's of Tea" rule: Type, Time, and Temperature.  These make all the difference!  The type of tea you're brewing determines how much time, and at what temperature, you should steep:

• Black Tea: 4-5 Minutes at about 207 Degrees Fahrenheit (just off the boiling point)

• Oolong or Pu Erh Tea: 4 Minutes at 195 Degrees Fahrenheit

• Green Tea: 2-3 Minutes at 175-180 Degrees Fahrenheit

• White Tea: 3-4 Minutes at 175-180 Degrees Fahrenheit

• Herbal Tisanes: 7-10 Minutes (or more, if for medicinal use) at the boiling point.

3. Remove/strain tea from water, and, voila!  These instructions are also on the back of our business cards.

OK, that's cool, but - I'm new to this.  How do I know what tea I'm drinking?

• Black Teas on our site: Witch of the Woods, Love Spell, Chocolate Mint, Bellydancer Chai, Earl Grey Cream, Dangerous Beauty Chai, Massachusetts Maple, Professor Earl-a-mental, etc.

• Oolongs: Ti Kuan Yin, Lady of the Lake

• Pu Erh: Eye of the Storm

• Green Teas: Summer Breeze, Jasmine Dragon, Oberon King of the Faeries, Newgrange, Beltane

• White Teas: Sacred Garden, Queen of Sheba

• Herbal Tisanes: Avalon Tea, Red Tent, Anne Boleyn, Creamsicle, Selene's Blend, Siren's Song, Golden Leo Chai, Dark Goddess, Practical Magic, Divination, Rooted in Healing, etc.

Black teas have the most caffeine, followed by Pu-Erh, Oolong, and Green (about 40% of the caffeine of black tea).  White tea has trace amounts of caffeine, and Herbal tisanes have no caffeine.

I'm allergic to a bunch of stuff - anything I need to worry about?

If you have any severe allergies, the best thing to do is shoot me an email so we can double check on everything.  

Most of my herbs are sourced from Mountain Rose Herbs in Oregon, which is a trusted source for USDA organic herbs, roots, fruits, etc. that are ethically sourced, non-GMO.  Occasionally I need to source something elsewhere though, so if this is a concern, again, please check with me.

My teas are obtained through a wholesale resource which ethically partners with tea farmers from around the world (China, India, Sri Lanka, Kenya, etc.).  Sometimes they are able to certify organic, but in many cases, the farmers are following the practices but are unable to afford USDA certification.  

Some teas (such as Belle Epoque Chai) occasionally contain candied items like candied violets or white chocolate chips, so small amounts of sugar, soy lecithin, dairy, nut oil, etc. may be present.  In addition, a few teas have almonds blended in to enhance vanilla-type flavor profiles - Creamsicle or Oberon for example. Again, if this is a concern for you, please email me or message me on Facebook with any questions!

When should I expect my order to arrive?

Currently, we ship all orders via USPS Priority Mail, so you can expect 2-3 days shipping from the time it leaves here.  We will email you when your order has shipped.  If you are outside the US, please email me, and I'll be happy to calculate international shipping charges!

This tea I ordered is "not my cup of tea" - can I return it?

Because of the nature of these products, we are unable to accept returns and issue refunds.  However, I want you to be happy with your order!  If you're unsure about how something will taste or smell, I highly recommend ordering samples first.  Please speak to me if this is not possible.