An Elegant Christmas Tea

"Be merry all, be merry all,
With holly dress the festive hall;
Prepare the song, the feast, the ball,
To welcome merry Christmas."

~ W. R. Spencer

A tea is a such a nice way to entertain friends, especially during the holidays. You can serve your favorite small sandwiches, muffins, scones, or just keep things simple and serve your homemade Christmas cookies. Here are some ideas...

~ THE TEA ~

I love looking for different teas this time of year, when many companies offer their holiday special blends. Taylors of Harrogate has Spiced Christmas Tea, which it refers to as "a warming blend of tea with lemon, orange and cinnamon", and it's very good! With their attractive, yet simple, packaging, I like to think of this as my "elegant" Christmas tea.

Celestial Seasonings now offers several different holiday teas, and their boxes have the prettiest designs and sayings. Nutcracker Sweet, which was their first holiday tea, is a caffeinated tea flavored with vanilla, nutty flavors, and cinnamon. Sugar Plum Spice became one of my favorites and I quickly bought several boxes when it appeared on the shelves so I'd have it to enjoy during the entire year. This is a fruitier herb tea and is flavored with ingredients such as hibiscus, rosehips, chamomile, plum and cinnamon, ginger and cardamom. I love it with a little brown sugar! Gingerbread Spice, also herbal, is flavored with ginger and cinnamon. In addition to those three, they've added Candy Cane Lane (a decaf green tea), Sugar Cookie Sleigh Ride (an herb tea), and Rudolph's Rockin' Raspberry (a caffeine free kids' tea).

Perhaps my favorite winter tea is one I received in a "tea swap" several years ago when I was on a tea and quilting list. This particular tea was sent by a woman in Germany, and I tried to find it ~ even writing to the company in Germany ~ only to find that they don't offer it in the United States. It's called "Winterzeit" and is from the Teekanne company in Dusseldorf, Germany. I don't know what the exact ingredients are, but it's a fruity, spicy tea with the most wonderful aroma. I was really excited when my friend Heidi in Holland was able to buy some for me on a trip to Germany. I made the boxes last and last so I could enjoy them for a long time :)

Of course, you'll find several other holiday teas from different companies, or you could use one of your regular favorites. And just in case you don't like tea, make a pot of hot cocoa and serve it in a pretty tea pot... and don't forget a dish of freshly made whipped cream and some shaved chocolate.

~ THE DECORATIONS ~

This tea will be an elegant celebration. Use a white tablecloth as your base, and white candles in various sizes and heights as the centerpiece. Sprinkle gold confetti stars or angels on the tablecloth, and use a gold star garland (the "twisty" kind) or a gold wire-edged ribbon to "weave" around the candles for a dramatic effect, including some greenery "here and there". For a token gift, place a small crystal angel ornament at each place setting.

Gently roll the napkins into a scroll effect, and tie loosely with a pretty gold wire-edged ribbon, tied in a bow.

Welcoming the Holiday House Guest

"Gifts of time and love
are surely the basic ingredients of a truly
Merry Christmas."

~ Peg Bracken

I'm really excited because we'll have a house guest for a week before Christmas. My 24-year-old stepdaughter will be here visiting us from December 16th to the 23rd. She lives in Kentucky where her mom and other family live, so it's always special when she gets to visit. She's busy finishing up her college degree, and working as well, so doesn't have a lot of free time.

Our daughter (22) and I always have a lot of fun getting the guest room ready for visitors, and it's especially fun at Christmas time when you can include holiday decorations. No matter what time of year we have guests, we always prepare a basket full of goodies for them to enjoy. When guests come during this season, they'll find a small decorated Christmas tree sitting on the table next to the basket of treats. I'm always looking for new ideas, and here are a few things I've copied down in my notebook over the years...

~ Decorate the guest room door with a wreath.

~ If you have enough space, place a small Christmas tree in the room... even a tabletop tree makes a welcome addition.

~ Set out a basket with some fresh fruit, nuts, candy, and homemade muffins or cookies for a special treat for your guests. Don't forget to add a few bottles of water, or a carafe and glass (and some holiday napkins).

~ If you have a small coffee maker, this can be a nice addition to the guest room for guests who rise early, or who might like an afternoon or late evening beverage. Be sure to include packets of cocoa, apple cider, teas, special coffees, as well as some sugar (or sugar substitute), creamers and spoons. Some special additions would be most welcome, too... cinnamon sticks, candy canes and chocolate spoons all make perfect 'stirrers'.

~ Provide an alarm clock, radio, and some stationery or note cards with envelopes, stamps and pens (and maybe a few holiday stickers). You might want to add a few other items just in case they need to wrap some last-minute gifts... scissors, tape, to-from tags, some pretty paper and ribbons.

~ A pretty journal tied with a ribbon and a pen tucked in would be a perfect gift for your friends who love to write. Place it on a bedside table, or right by the pillow. Write a special message or Bible verse on the front page!

~ If you have an extra CD player, place one of these in the guest room with a few favorite Christmas CDs for your guests to enjoy.

~ A large basket on the floor can be filled with an assortment of books and magazines... make sure to include some holiday editions!!

~ Add a pretty fleece throw, a quilt or an afghan in the room for your guest to cuddle under while they read, write or enjoy some music.

~ There's nothing better than the aromas of the holidays! Use some seasonal potpourri or candles in the room.

~ Place a special basket in the bathroom for your guests. Include small sample sizes of personal care items they might have forgotten to pack... some special soaps, bath oils, and lotions.

~ Provide nice, lush towels ~ and include a bath sheet for them to wrap themselves in (or a robe) after their bath or shower.

~ Don't forget to include an extra blanket or two, and plenty of pillows!!