Still Decaffeinated with Tattle Tea

Last post I talked about the coffee I bought from Coffee Bean Direct. Today I am going to share about what I got from Tattle Tea which is, I guess, what you would call a sister company.

I first ordered my loose leaf teas from the coffee company and then the two business were split apart. For convenience you can order from both places and have one bill and one shipment. The combination of coffee ordered and tea ordered together apply to the $50 required for free shipping.

Tattle Tea has some of the best prices I have ever found anywhere for good quality loose leaf teas. You can order in packages from 5 oz. to 5lbs. Of course the larger the package the lower the price is per ounce. In the caffeinated section of the site I have bought Nilgiri black tea, Earl Grey black tea, Sencha green tea and lemon and ginger green tea. I can highly recommend all of them!

Decaf Raspberry Black Tea

Going without caffeine I wanted something a bit special and indulgent. To see if I could make this whole idea work I started small ( 5 oz. ) and got three flavors, apricot black tea, raspberry black tea and orange and spice black tea. I have brewed a pitcher of all three and tried each of them both hot and iced. Picking a favorite was not hard, the raspberry flavor will definitely be ordered again and in a larger size. The orange and spice tea will be perfect for cool winter days. The apricot was good as well. All the teas have real pieces of fruits as well as natural and artificial flavors. Just opening the packages and smelling the scents was a treat. Brewing a pot made the whole kitchen smell good.

I look forward to working my way through all the choices available in green, herbals, more blacks and rooibos teas and will keep you posted. By the way this is a personal, not sponsored, recommendation. Just wanted you all to know about a great company and a great product.

Back with more again soon. Take care and stay cozy!

Going Decaffeinated

One of my goals this year is eliminating caffeine from my system. I discovered as a post menopausal woman that caffeine can stress the bladder and be a part of the reasons old ladies, ahem, leak. I reduced my intake of caffeine to one serving in the morning starting in January. Before this I sipped caffeinated drinks nearly all day, starting with coffee in the morning and changing to tea later in the day. I did notice right away that overwhelming urges to get to a bathroom NOW stopped. I feel more confident and in control. This was even though I was drinking plenty of liquid, meaning water because I like to have something to sip close by throughout the day. I am now into the first week of no caffeine at all and feel great and am pleased with myself for making this decision.

I do love the flavors of coffee and tea however and I have no intention of missing out on those and water only all day is kind of boring. Ordering whole beans from Coffee Bean Direct allow me to have my favorite flavors and even discover some new ones. I am also not limited by time of day and that is a nice plus. I started my decaf coffee trial with a Breakfast Blend described in the following way on the Coffee Bean Direct website.

Some of us just cannot handle the caffeine, no matter what the time of day! This blend offers the delicious flavor of our traditional Breakfast Blend, without the caffeine many of us need to learn to live without. This medium-bodied blend of light and dark beans has just a hint of acidity and tartness. Ideal as a morning cup, it has a smooth and subdued flavor that stands up well to cream and sugar.

The first time around I used our coffee maker and was very pleased. Having a hot cup of coffee is how I like to start my day. I sit and sip while I read blogs and news on Feedly or browse Instagram to see what my family is up to or just finish waking up and before I start exercising. I do want to try this coffee as a cold brew as well. Over the years I have experimented with cold brew coffee, almond milk and sugar free Torani flavorings. Warm summer months are coming soon and I love iced coffee as a treat.

Coffee Bean Direct is a personal favorite of mine. This post is my own uncompensated endorsement. They are a great company with excellent service, carefully roasted coffees from all over the world, pricing that I find reasonable and prompt shipping which is free if you spend $50 dollars or more. They even take the time to educate you with their packaging. Tips you want to take advantage of so that the product they send you is the best it can be when you use it.

To learn more you can start with the About Page on CoffeeBeanDirect.com. Of course these days all companies have a social media presence and here is where you can find my favorite coffee roasters, Instagram, YouTube and Twitter.

I'll be back soon to tell you about the tea I ordered. So good!

Back with more again soon. Take care and stay cozy!

CozyAtoZ on Etsy

When I first opened an account on Etsy in the olden days of 2006 I used the name Cozy and it served me well. It was short and easy to type and remember. It was a generic word that fit my vision and goals and that still works for me today. I really do want to make the world a cozier place.

Over time as new websites and new accounts came along the name Cozy was sometimes not available so I started using CozyAtoZ. That is the user name I use for Twitter and Pinterest. During those days I was on Artfire, Etsy and Zibbet so being Cozy at all places from A to Z fit. So in getting all things matching I changed my Etsy shop name to CozyAtoZ recently and having the same username in more places make me happy.

The shop closed last year for awhile and is reopening this spring. The first items are in the shop with more to come. In the meantime I am seeing how long I can offer free domestic shipping and if it might make a difference in how often my creations get to go to other people to use and get cozy.


Eight of the the headbands in the shop so far have a fabric middle that was hemstitched. This is a process that puts holes on fabric so that an edge can be crocheted. The crocheted trim and ties gives these headbands a soft look that you aren't likely to find anywhere else but in my shop.

There is also a red knit headband in the shop. The design is my own. I just love the red color. This headband will be very comfortable to wear because it is very stretchy. With ties you can personalize your fit.


Back with more again soon. Take care and stay cozy!

Smiling Today

I am. I am smiling today. Looking out my window I see a Palo Verde tree covered in bright yellow blossoms. How could anyone not smile at a sight like that.

I hope you find something to smile about today too.


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Five Fabulous Pieces of Art

I was going through my Etsy favorites this morning to find some things to share. I tweeted and pinned a few items from different shops but I wanted to share more from one shop in particular. I love the watercolor art from the shop Geninne. The one woman art show is based in Santa Fe NM and has been on Etsy for about 10 years. She has had thousands of sales and thousands of wonderful reviews. You only need a quick browse in the shop to see why. If you are in the mood for a new piece of art for your home the hard part will be choosing.

If you want to know more about the artist Geninne Zllatkis she blogs at Geninne's Art Blog and has a beautiful instagram feed too.

Guilty of a silly mistake today. If you know what it is leave me a comment.

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Another Reader's Digest Condensed Book

Just finished another of my gifted books. As I finish these I have been considering what to do with them. One thought is to pass them on to a thrift store. Another idea I have been considering is to offer them for a bit more that postage and packaging on Ebay. I would be an absolute beginner on Ebay but it might be fun. Any thoughts or tips from more experienced Ebay sellers?

This volume has 5 stories in it and they are all nonfiction.

• Public Enemies by John Walsh. This book covered a few of the cases shown in the TV show America's Most Wanted. The behind the scenes look at the crew that makes that show happen was interesting.
• Diana's Boys by Christopher Andersen. I have no way to know how true any of this book is. The author describes the lives of Diana's boys, William and Harry, and how they were effected by two very major events. Those events were the divorce of their parents and the death of their mother. Of course much has happened to these young men since this book was written in 2001.
• No Finish Line by Marla Runyan. Marla was the first legally blind athlete to compete in the Olympic games. Marla's story including some highs and many lows was inspiring.
• An American Insurrection by William Doyle. More that I ever knew about the struggle to integrate the university in Oxford Mississippi by James Meredith and the Kennedy adminstration. 
• Hits Below the Beltway by Dave Barry. First published in 2001 so much of what Mr. Barry pokes fun at in Washington is still happening or not as the case may be. Hilarious read!

Back with more again soon. Take care and stay cozy!