Fruits in the form of tea

Some people obsess over fashion. Others like their coffees or shoes. Some people are hooked on crack (okay - those are two polar examples). But me? I love me some tea.  I like hoarding collecting tea so much, that I moved around my cookbooks on the shelf to accommodate my tea containers.  I think what I like so much about them is that there are SO many types, and there are fancy smancy containers.  There are even restaurants dedicated to their cause! There was even a party in the 1700s. I'm sure it was great!

For my birthday, I received an awesome mix of iced teas.  In this gift box, there were 6 types of teas in containers, and a pound of rock sugar.

Berry Mint Cassis and Rasberry Riot Lemon Mate

Pineapple Kona and Wild Orange Blossom 

Not Pictured: Blueberry Bliss and Watermelon Mint Chiller

This rock sugar will last a REALLY long time since I am not trying to use sugar all that much.  

This was after making Blueberry Bliss, as the tea started to settle.  How cool to watch the water change! It was delightfully delicious!  We didn't add additional sugar, but if you wanted it sweeter - you can add the rock sugar when the water's warm.  

*My only concern about the Teavanna teas is the amount of sugar, hidden in the teas.  I have a serious addiction (I kid....only sorta).  Anyone know of the best COMPLETELY sugar free tea? 

Road Trip to VA

We just got back from our road trip to Williamsburg, Virginia. On our way down, my IPhone was an intricate part of our ride down. After NINE long hours of sitting in the car, I wanted to kiss my phone for provided entertainment in many ways.
   

Let's look at the check list:

Waze App: This not only provided our route, but also alerted us when there was traffic, accidents, and road blocks.  The whole app runs off of client participation, so the more you post, the more points you get.  It's updated each time a person posts about the map, and it will reroute you once it recognizes too much traffic. 

Over: LOVE this app! Not only can you take pictures with it, but you can change the picture through this program and write captions on the photo. I spent hours captioning all our family photos on the way home.  For a limited time, you can download free in-house purchases that change the font and add clever phrases.

Untapped: This is the most under-rated app around.  Sometimes it freezes, but with the different and unique beers I drank throughout the week, it was great to log what I had.  Oftentimes, I have something and forget what if I enjoyed it or not, so with this app, I can write down my thoughts! I can even take pictures, make comments, and write down the location of the brew.  So fun!

Gas Buddy: Oh gas buddy. I am old enough to know say I remember when gas was only 80 cents when I first got my license. Now? It's 3.59 on a good day.  Gas Buddy helps me find a deal nearby.

Road Trippers: Though we didn't use this app on our way to Virginia, it was fun to see what crazy sites were on the way to our final destination. This is hands down one of my favorite apps because I can create any list and tailor the destinations.  If we are only driving up the Northeast coast, then I can create a route that hits the places on the way.  So fun! It gives you a little history and links you to any websites or articles about the places.  

Field Trip: This app alerts you of any locations worthy of a field trip - museums, historical sites, battle sites (right up our alley in Wlliamsburg!) You can customize your route based on "thumbs up" or "thumbs down." There's also an option to read the description aloud like as if you were on a guided tour!

All these apps are available for the Iphone, not so sure about other devices.  Thanks Apple for making our journey chalk-full of info!