May Tea

I attended a May Day Tea Friday. Everyone brought a May Day basket filled with flowers, candy, etc. Then we drew numbers for the baskets, and each one of us received a basket to take home. Mine was filled with fresh flowers,tea, decorated sugar cubes, and note cards.
The hostess decorated the table by making a May Pole with ribbons as the centerpiece. A chocolate basket filled with MandM's was the favor at each place setting.
A Spring tea is a wonderful way to welcome Spring. Are you hosting one?

Spring Teas

Spring is on its way and I've noticed an increase in tea party events.
Our local Christian Womens Club in hosting a tea for the month of March.
There is also a big tea party event "Tea on the Sea and Fashion Show" put on by a very active Senior Center. It's being held as a fund raiser.
The Victorian Tea Society that I belong to is having their annual Spring Tea in April. They are also having a Fashion Show put on by Coldwater Creek. It is being held at a beautiful Country Club. There will be vendors, and a wonderful tea luncheon.
Several churches in this area are also hosting Spring Teas. So many to attend, so little time!
Why not welcome Spring and beat the winter doldrums by hosting a tea yourself? Choose any of the fun mystery tea parties and receive a free
7 page party planning guide. Just click on www.mysteryteaparties.com.
Too busy? Host a pot-luck mystery theme tea party. Ask each guest to provide a particular item for the party, and save yourself alot of work.
Pot-lucks are always fun.

Tea Drinking

Are you a dunker or a twirler?
Do you dunk your teabag up and down in a cup of hot water or do you twirl it around in a circle? I hope you don't just let it sit there because more anti-oxidents are released when the water moves through the tea leaves. In fact, researchers say you get up to five times more!

Also, to get the most health benefits from drinking tea, avoid putting milk in your tea. The protein in milk seems to negate some of the health benefits.

A healthier choice is a slice of lemon or bit of honey.

Ideas for Tea Parties

There are so many fun and unique themes for a tea party! Of course, the Mystery tea party plans are great and offer many different themes, from Hawaiian to Western. Now there's even a a mystery tea party plan for children and one that is suitable for a wedding shower.
Several have roles that can be adapted to a part for a man. "The Bodacious Babes of Buzzard Bend" and "Murder at the Earl of Grey's Hound Manor" are two that come to mind.
One customer did "The Decadent Housewives of Hysteria Lane" for her office party. She added a few roles, one was the handsome plumber. His main role was to look handsome and flirt!
Another customer just wrote in to say she did one of the mystery party plans for a wine tasting.
Another clever gal invited guests to come to her mystery tea party and "tie one on." She gave each guest an apron as their favor. They, indeed, tied one on.

Spring Teas

It may seem hard to believe, especially in some parts of the country, but Spring is just around the corner. Oh, alright, maybe down a few blocks and around the corner, but it surely will come.

I'm already seeing advertisments for Spring teas in May and June, and I want to encourage everyone to take advantage of these fun outings. So many tea rooms have had to close their doors due to the economy, so let's support these tea venues whenever we can.

Do your best to encourage and support any tearooms in your area, and let us know about your favorites. Truffles and Lace in Temecula, Ca has closed, and there is none in our local area.

A Victorian Tea and Fashion show will be held at the Fullerton Arboretum in Fullerton, CA June 5. For information call 657-278-4010. That's a long way from where I live, but I plan on attending.

New Mystery theme tea party

January has been a busy month for hosting teas! I have attended two, and hosted two myself. I did a trial tea party for my newest mystery tea party, "Who Stole the Wedding Bells?" I discovered a few things I needed to change, and then it's off to the web-master to put it up on the website. I personally think it's a very funny plan.
I originally wrote it to be given at wedding showers, but after hosting it myself, I saw that any group could do it, just like the other mystery tea party plans.
So watch for it on the website, www.mysteryteaparties.com or give me a call at 951-301-7218.

Tea Party Theme a Success

I hosted a "Reach for the Stars" tea party yesterday. I invited 7 ladies of mature years. I printed out the affirmations, and carried a little more. I added a scripture to go with each one, and then because I didn't want the whole party to get too serious, I added a humorous one liner.

The invitations I sent out encouraged the ladies to be prepared to share a goal with everyone, and what they planned on doing to achieve it. I was surprised how open everyone was in thier sharing. The ladies discovered they had alot in common; problems they were dealing with, hopes for the future, etc. There were deep thoughts but laughter, too.

I made the finger sandwiches ahead of time, as I like to do. As we ate lunch, I bit into my egg salad sandwich, and thought it was rather bland. I removed the top layer of bread, and voila! No egg salad! Apparently I buttered the bread, to keep the sandwich from getting soggy, and then absent minded me, neglected to spread the egg salad before storing them in the refrigerator, tightly sealed in a container.

The funny thing is, they all ate the sandwich, and never said a word, until I brought it up. Then they remarked that they, too, thought it was rather bland. One gal was sure hers had egg salad in it. The power of suggestion!

All in all, the party was a great success. Everyone went away with thier spirits lifted and a smile on thier face. Maybe I'll do it again in the summer to see how they are doing on reaching thier goals. I could make egg salad sanwiches....