Start a Ritual of Tea Time with Your girls

and big girls do too. Little girls love tea parties... hats, little teacups, beads and bracelets.

It's as if it's just part of being a girl ... Can't you just picture it? Tea time!
There are so many great reasons to join up with our friends
across the Atlantic and begin the tradition of afternoon
tea EVERY day, but realizing that we busy moms aren't
ready for a big step like that, let's start with a once a
week ritual to build a fabulous habit and tradition or our
girls to last a lifetime!
Why have weekly teatime?
peaceful.... You'll see... Provide a once a week respite from the craziness of life around a cup of tea. Even for kids these days between school, homework, extra-curricular activities, sports and more homework, life is anything but peaceful.

For most of us life is just a little nutty. Let's face it ladies. It's peaceful. 1.
2. It's fun! As I said above, girls of all ages LOVE the
ritual of tea. Something about pouring the liquid out of
the pot into lovely cups... it's just a little slice of
heaven.
That translates to graceful, gentle, soft...everything that you think of when you're thinking of tea. I may get some hate mail here but when the woman was created, she was created FEMININE! Tea is an excellent time to focus on gentleness and grace. It's feminine.

3.
4. It's memory building. Think of years from now when your
girls will be recounting the fond memories of your weekly
tea together. Better yet, imagine seeing your girls start
the same tradition with their girls.
Opportunities abound in tea time to show your little ladies how to be kind, quiet and caring, as well as how to use a fork, sip without slurping, etc. There is really no easier way to teach your young ladies manners than at a lovely tea table. It's enriching.

5.
For this reason alone I think tea time should be mandatory for families with teenagers. As your girls get older it will be easier for them to share what's been going on will create a culture of conversation. It encourages conversation. 6.
7. It's memory building. Think of years from now when your
girls will be recounting the fond memories of your weekly
tea together. Better yet, imagine seeing your girls start
the same tradition with their girls.
Maybe it's time for you to think about starting the weekly
tradition of tea in your household this week. It's not a
difficult thing to do and resources and books abound on the
topic. Start simple and you'll see... it will become a habit
in no time.
Annette Yen is a home schooling mom of two beautiful
daughters who enjoy tea with their mom often. Having grown
up with the ritual of tea being passed down throughout the
generations, Annette loves sharing her love of teatime with
other moms. Annette is also the owner of the website

http://www.funevents4girls.com
where you can sign up for
her free "Tips for Tuesday Tea Time" newsletter.

How To Properly Plan And Host A Bridal Shower Tea Party

In case you want an elaborate party, it is best to outsource the entire preparation to the wedding planner who you have chosen for the wedding. To avoid too elaborate planning and arrangements simply plan a bridal shower tea party, which can be a lot of fun with little confusion or headache. But in this day and age people have very little time for too complicated affairs to be arranged.

A bridal shower is meant to pamper your little girl or your best friend before they begin a whole new life. All weddings are special occasions.
The history of Tea Parties
The other is the "high" tea party where the tea is served with heavy snacks or a meal later in the evening. Most people enjoy snacks being served with tea. It soon spread to all classes and all countries around the world as an immensely popular and extravagant affair.

The British working class, who loved to relish their tea in leisure during breaks, originally established tea parties.
Most of the time the best of linen, teapot warmers, silver ware and china are used to add grace to the party. If the bridal shower is over high tea, use fine silver, scented candles and small dim lights along with mellow music. This lends an air of refined and elegant ambience. But if you like a lot of jazz and dance then you should definitely arrange for a groovy DJ who will rock your party with the latest music and shaking bodies.
Add the personal touch with the bride's name on the special cake and decor. Snacks for the afternoon tea party should be fluffy and tasty biscuits, sandwiches, sweets, teacakes, salads and cookies with very light desserts. For an afternoon tea party, serve in a buffet style with appropriate decorations for the various dishes on offer.
Guests can also narrate various stories and anecdotes on love to celebrate the eternal joy of wedding. Bridal shower games are meant to be entertaining and fun. One other thing that most people like to do at bridal showers is to play games.

You can also make it memorable with jazzy songs and performances for entertainment. Create fantastic favors for the bridal shower with innovative flower and gift arrangement.
The sky is the limit! You can pick from any colors and play any type of games that you think would be something the bride would enjoy. You do not have to stick with the usual bridal shower. There are numerous different styles of bridal showers you can throw.
Find more about this as well as Gregg Hall is an author living in Navarre Florida.
gourmet party appetizers
at
http://www.gourmetpartyappetizers.com

Come to Tea: An Elegant Garden Gathering

Outdoor spaces of all kinds, including balconies, can be successfully adapted to a tea party. It's a charming reminder of bygone days and childhood make-believe. Perhaps nothing says "garden party" like having afternoon tea outdoors.
Tea parties span generations and will be enjoyed by your most sophisticated women friends or all the giggling little girls of your acquaintance.
What makes an elegant tea party? Look at these factors.
Flowers
Plan to hold your tea party when your garden is in its fullest bloom -- perhaps it's lilac time, June roses, or peony season. Be sure to cut some of the blooms for the tea table vases. If you don't have a garden, buy an armful of flowers at a farmers' market or stop by a country ditch and pick bunches of wild daisies and Queen Anne's lace.
Invitations
Include an invitation for the little ones to bring along a doll or teddy friend. -- perfect for day-blooming flowers. Typically, tea is held around 4 p.m. Your guests will recognize your party as an elegant affair and dress accordingly!

Send handwritten notes by snail mail.
Table Setting
If it's a little girls' party, you might want to invest in two or three miniature tea sets. Instead, use a crisp linen tablecloth, pressed cloth napkins and your best bone china cups and saucers. Stash the paper table covering and the plastic glasses just for today. The more elegant, the better.
They can add an elegant touch, whether left unadorned or covered with flowered chintz. Consider setting your straight-back indoor dining chairs outdoors. Try to have adequate seating for everyone.
Hats
Tea time is a fun way to introduce young ones to "elegant party" manners. Include "grown-up" shoes and old jewellery -- anything that will make the little ones feel elegant. You can also include a box of flowery cast-offs for dressing up. Make decorating the hats a fun activity at the party.

If the party is for little girls, collect old hats, scarves and silk flowers at a thrift shop, yard sale or discount store. Encourage all of your guests to wear hats -- big-brimmed, floppy and flowered.
Food
You can substitute mini-cupcakes or tiny tarts. Sugar cookies and petit fours are traditional sweets. Try sandwiches of watercress, cucumber, or egg with the crusts removed and cut in quarters. All sandwiches and sweets should be dainty finger-food.

Other than teaspoons, no cutlery should be required at tea.
Tea
One of the first things that I learned in seventh grade home economics class was how to brew a proper pot of hot tea, but that was many years ago. I suspect that tea-making is becoming a lost art.
Tea is actually the common name of one plant: Camillia sinesis. The three basic types of tea -- black, green and oolong -- are distinguished by the amount of oxidization that the tea leaves have undergone. The more than 3,000 varieties of tea in the world are all derived from those three basic types.
Herbal teas -- more properly, tisane or infusion -- are made from a wide variety of flowers, herbs, barks, berries, fruits and spices.
Have milk (not cream!), sugar and fresh lemon wedges available. At a minimum, offer your guests a traditional tea and a caffeine-free herbal choice.
So, dust off your teacups and your manners and sit down with your girlfriends for a proper tea party. It's a lovely summer interlude!
About The Author
Visit her at Her latest how-to guide "Attracting Butterflies to Your Home and Garden" is now available on her web site. Debbie Rodgers, the haven maven, owns and operates Paradise Porch, and is dedicated to helping people create outdoor living spaces that nurture and enrich them.
www.paradiseporch.com
Mail to and get a free report on "Eight easy ways to create privacy in your outdoor space".
debbie@paradiseporch.com
.

Tea for Two (Or More) Party

Do you share gardening tips? Do you discuss a book? Do you play cards during tea? Find shapes of tea cups and saucers, cookies, tea pots, flowers.

Use all of the things you do during tea time as inspiration or decorating supplies. A Tea Party may have the reputation of being a calm and quiet gathering, but that doesn't mean it can't be a good time.
Use a teapot shaped invitation, or a plain paper one and include a tea bag in it. Invite the guests to a comfortable setting such as your home and prepare for a lovely visit. Mother/ daughter gatherings, garden clubs or ladies luncheons are all perfect for a tea party. The great part about Tea Parties is they can be a party for any age group.
Decorations can be as little or as much as you like. Party supply stores will have every color of balloon or paper goods you need for the kitchen.
Getting a little messy is a great ice breaker. Whether it is cheese dip to go with crackers, fruit flavored muffins, or even cookies, the time in the kitchen will be fun interaction. Instead of games, have the guests prepare their own snacks.
You could decorate the pots, or if you gather for tea say once a month, you could watch the seeds sprout and grow every time you visit. Another idea would be to plant seeds or transplant flowers. A wreath could be made with a wire or foam base. This could be done easily with ribbon, floral wire and a hot glue gun.

Everyone could make a bouquet, a tussy mussy, or a straw hat with whatever flowers are on hand. Have a wide variety of fresh flowers on hand to decorate personalized projects. After food preparation is done and goodies are baking, start an activity.
The end result will be a day of fun conversation and good food. You want the activities to be fun, but not overpowering. No matter what activities you do, keep it simple and light- hearted.

Guests can continue to be crafty while sipping on tea and eating the fruits of their own labor when the snacks are ready. If activities aren't your bag, play card games or just visit.
Gail Leino is the internet's leading authority on selecting the best possible Party... Mrs.
party supplies
More ideas, games and , using proper etiquette and manners while also teaching organizational skills and fun facts.
Tea Party Supplies
at the Party Supplies Hut.

Old Tea Traditions

Tea has been consumed in China for centuries, but other cultures are rich in history of this popular beverage as well. Two of those countries, Russia and England have developed decidedly different traditions over the years.
It is said that drinking tea began in China where over 5000 years ago, leaves from the plant accidentally fell into water being boiled for drinking. Needless to say, it was found to be very refreshing and it's use became widespread. Tea was introduced to Europe through the Portuguese in the early 1500's and it didn't take long for this beverage to become popular in many countries and traditions for English tea parties and Russian tea were formed.
This drink became so popular in both countries the each developed certain traditions as well as pots, vessels and cups to drink it from. Although the introduction of tea is centuries old, the popularity of it and the traditions associated with it remain in these cultures to this day.
In the early 1600's, tea made it's way to Russia. Of course, it was only the wealthy that could afford tea at first but by the end of the 1700's the price was dropping and it's popularity was spreading throughout the country.
In Russia, tea is never taken with meals. Traditionally it is taken after the meal or as a mid afternoon snack. For centuries, Russians have used a device called a Samovar to make tea. The samovar is usually put in the center of the table after dinner and everyone gathers round and takes tea which they can dilute or sweeten as they like. Russians traditionally sip tea in glasses set in silver holders and favor their tea as strong and highly sweetened - some recipes even call for tang or lemonade added to tea!
In the late 1700's to well known tradition of afternoon tea was started by the Duchess of Bedford. Tea was introducted to England in the mid 1600's and it's popularity spread so quickly that it was soon as popular a drink as ale!
Prior to that, the English enjoyed only 2 meals - a breakfast and a dinner. The dinner was served at the end of the day and by mid afternoon you can imagine how hungry and energy depleted many felt. So, the tradition of afternoon tea was begun where tea would be served along with little cakes and sandwiches. Of course, this proved to be immensely popular and still is today!
These pieces are still made and used today, and the antiques are highly collectible. Of course the tradition included fancy porcelain tea cups to drink from as well. In addition, small porcelain tea pots were used to pour at the table and they were refreshed with the hot water from the silver pot when needed.

The main pot that heated the water was usually made of silver (still a very popular item today) and this was kept over a flame so that it would be hot at all times. One of the great benefits of the afternoon tea was that it necessitated fancy pieces to for service and drinking.
Lee Dobbins is a writer for
Online Gourmet Foods
where you can
find out more about gourmet foods and
tea
.

How to Cater Tea Parties and Add To Your Bottom Line

Are you interested in a rapidly growing
business
opportunity
Are you looking for that is an ideal addition to your catering business?
creative, fun and exciting
ways to expand your business? If so, consider
adding specialty tea parties to your list of services.
Tea parties are a unique and fun way to reach a large
market that includes children's parties. Many parents
are seeking alternative options to traditional parties.
Tea parties
easily fill this need
.
Tea parties are festive, can be adapted to any theme,
are safe, healthy and are different. All these factors
provide you, as a caterer, with an
instant market and
marketing angles
.
Tea parties can be a great way to expand your business and are a
wonderful option for caterers
, as
you already have much of the equipment.
As a caterer, you can provide a full service of food and fun because you
already have experience
From here, all you have to do is learn the art of tea and you're on your way. in the industry!
A small investment in bulk teas (which have a big mark-up), and possibly some props, and you're ready to
expand your business
to afternoon tea or even children's tea parties.
Children love theme-based parties
and tea parties can be
as creative as your imagination allows. The idea
that a tea party has to replicate an English Tea is
simply not accurate (although some may love this type
of party).
Examples of themed children's tea parties include
favorite books or characters (such as Harry Potter),
dress-up parties or
birthday parties
with a tea twist,
incorporating fun and fruity teas.
As a business owner, you're already
familiar with
methods to promote your business
Use these same tools to promote the tea party aspect of your services and watch your business grow! .
Word of mouth is a great way to start, as you already
have a customer base. People are always interested in

new and unique services
, so this will be one way to
get the word out quickly about your business. And
because this business is unique, many people will be
naturally curious about what you do.
Create targeted marketing materials to hand out to Add the tea party option to all of your existing marketing materials as well.
parent groups
, the local library, childcare providers and other places that target families.
Also run ads in
local publications
that are distributed
to families. When it comes time to renew your yellow
pages ad, include information about afternoon tea and
your children's tea parties. Be sure to add cross-
references in the yellow pages that will target children
in addition to your regular catering clientele.
Running a tea party business is
affordable
As your business grows, you can expand your offerings. You don't need a huge amount of startup cash to purchase teas. and when running the business through your existing catering company, the overhead is very low.
For example, you could begin by stocking some
traditional favorites and as you expand,
add unusual
teas for specialty parties
But don't skimp on the quality of the tea or your tea education. .
You will be surprised to find that many customers
know their teas just like coffee lovers know their
espresso.
Knowledge is power
with tea just like any other gourmet food.
The tea business is a growing one, with sales in the
billions of dollars each year and expanding, with sales
expected to reach
ten billion
by 2010. For those
looking for a unique way to expand a catering
business, tea can provide the creativity and flexibility
to make it happen.
(C) Dawnya Sasse
Dawnya Sasse is the creator of the ultimate tea business training school allowing students to discover the secrets of the tea industry, "quickly and easily" without ever leaving home.
Why do some people succeed in the tea business?
Discover how to "Unlock the Secrets of the Billion Dollar
Tea Industry from the Comfort of Your Own Computer"
and make your tea dream a reality. Free audio mini
course
www.StartATeaBusiness.com
This article may be distributed freely on your website, as
long as this entire article, including links and this
resource box are unchanged.
Copyright 2006 Dawnya Sasse All Rights Reserved.
Tea Events
www.TeaEvents.com

Tea Parties for Grown Ups

Tea Parties for Grown Ups
by Dawnya Sasse
Adults, just as much as children,
enjoy a tea party
that
celebrates any sort of occasion. Serving loose leaf tea
is a healthy alternative to any party option and with
the wide range of teas available, you can incorporate
any theme or celebrate any occasion.
From birthdays to anniversaries or other events, tea is
a fun, unique and
easy way to create a party
.
Use the event (is it a birthday or anniversary?) to
determine the best types of tea to serve or, consider
hosting a themed party. A
theme
can be based on
anything from a book character to the time of year.
Your party can be as
simple
or elaborate as you like.
Just use your imagination, because you are sure to find
a tea that is perfect for the occasion!
Activities
Depending on the celebration, activities may range
from traditional to unusual or even none at all! In the
fast-paced world we live in, many adults will welcome
the chance to sit and enjoy a hot cup of tea and good
conversation. Sometimes people need a reason to

relax
, and a tea party can be just that.
However, if you want to incorporate activities, these
can easily be based on the reason for the gathering.
Consult with your local
party
supply store or do a quick search online.
You can incorporate a
"tea twist"
on many common
games, for example. Bridal and baby shower games
can include a tea theme (such as word scrambles or
searches), and tea gifts make wonderful party favors
for your attendees.
Package loose teas in festive netting and tie it with a
beautiful ribbon.
Love bingo? Try
Teago
and let your guests learn about
tea and its customs while competing in a familiar game.
(
www.teago.com
)
Decorations
Decorations will depend on the activity, such as a

birthday
, anniversary, or baby shower. Create a theme
for the party, such as a vacation getaway for an
anniversary.
Decorate the room with beach balls, beach towels and
have guests sit in outdoor lounge chairs (or if the
weather is nice, take the party outside!). A "famous
babies" theme for a
baby shower
is much more
interesting than decorations that are all green and
yellow.
Try filling the room with photos of actors who got their
start in "pampers." The key is to
put a twist on your
party
, and then, of course, offer a twist on the tea you
serve such as a fruity tea for the beach party or bubble
tea for a baby shower.
Music
Music selections for your parties can vary greatly. To
make it
easy on yourself
, look for compilation CDs that
incorporate the theme.
A CD of soft love songs is a great choice for an

anniversary
, for example, or an orchestrated mix of
lullabies for a baby shower.
Visit your local music retailer for specific suggestions or do an online search for CDs that pertain to your theme.
Invitation Ideas
Use your theme to determine the types of invitations
you will use.
Get creative
and make your own using specialty papers, or throw in a few loose tea leaves for a scented and enticing invitation (although some people may not appreciate tea leaves falling out, so consider some type of mesh envelope!).
Because you'll be centering your
party
on tea, think of
using naturally colored invitations and alternative
papers.
A traditional birthday invitation may not be quite
what you're looking for, so look into blank cards as well,
as you can then add your own words.
Foods
What should you serve at a tea party? Again, your
theme will have a lot to do with the food selections.
If your theme is an anniversary beach party, for example,
serve
exotic fruits
and finger sandwiches.
If you are hosting a famous baby tea try collecting and
serving favorite
recipes of the stars
then let your
guests vote on the best appetizer.
Teas
Many parties lend themselves well to lighthearted and

fruity
teas and tisanes. Consider offering teas that your
guests may not encounter otherwise.
This is a fun way to introduce new teas and enjoy
the
festive atmosphere
.
Creativity is a fountain of youth
. Now grab a pencil,
jot down your ideas and get started.
(C) Dawnya Sasse
Dawnya Sasse is the creator of the ultimate tea business
training school allowing students to discover the secrets
of the tea industry, "quickly and easily" without ever leaving
home.
Why do some people succeed in the tea business?
Discover how to "Unlock the Secrets of the Billion Dollar
Tea Industry from the Comfort of Your Own Computer"
and make your tea dream a reality. Free audio mini
course
www.StartATeaBusiness.com
This article may be distributed freely on your website, as
long as this entire article, including links and this
resource box are unchanged.
Copyright 2006 Dawnya Sasse All Rights Reserved.
Tea Events
www.TeaEvents.com