I worked overseas in China for a year. My mother, who had never traveled, came to visit me. I will never forget sitting down to tea with her in a cafe in China. The realization of how her mother’s love compelled her to leave her comfort zone.

Please enjoy a tea moment while you read this touching collection.

At Libre Tea we believe we are all interconnected and so for us doing business is doing good.

This week we are attending the Social Venture Institute Conference in Vancouver and connecting with other like-minded entrepreneurs.

We are learning ‘best practices’ to build our capacity for good and ensure our decision making at Libre is aligned with our values.

We truly are committed to tea moments – a moment to connect with ourselves and the world. Tea moments provide an opportunity to reflect and become aware of our own actions and feelings. And thus we can make choices in our own lives that contribute to our own happiness and ultimately the greater good. 

 As Socrates said, “The unexamined life is not worth living.’

Remember there is an opportunity for stillness in the mayhem of these days – take time to have a tea moment today.

“Another world is not only possible, she is on her way. On a quiet day,

I can hear her breathing.” ― Arundhati Roy

Happy Mother’s Day! 

Make yourself a cup of tea, sit back and take a few moments to read this touching collection.

1. Back in 1998 I was watching live and lets die by james bond with my family and having bread ,poached egg and tea when I attempted a scene where one of the characters fold his legs over his head in a bizarre way not knowing at that time it was yoga… ~ Omogbeme E.
2. A cross-country road-trip with my mom from TN to CO. Upon my arrival in Colorado Springs, we celebrated our journey at the Glen Eyrie Castle afternoon tea. With a beautiful view of the mountains and fresh scones, fruit, and tea, it was a delightful…! ~ Kieley B.
3. I love having tea parties with my daughters and their dolls. ~ Louis
4. My special tea moment is sitting with my mom and grandma at the kitchen table, sharing old memories full of laughter and smiles, over a cup of jasmine green tea. ~ Sheri L. 
5. Childhood Tea Parties w/my Mom, ton of stuffed animals &an avocado green, harvest gold Tupperware tea set….as a Southern child, I grew up drinking sweet tea…since then, my mother & I still enjoy tea together but our tastes have changed… ~ April F.
6. Sharing tea alone with my mom every 7 or so years when my birthday and Mother’s Day fall on the same day. I was born on Mother’s day and am proud to be my mom’s very first Mother’s Day gift! ~ Wanda B.
7. I took my daughter, Annie, to the high tea at the Bridgehouse Restaurant across from the Capilano Suspension Bridge. We were having a mother/daughter day and Annie was about 11 at the time. It was her first cup of tea ever, and we had the fruit scone…~ Laura M.
8. My mom an d I will sit down Skype to Skype and share a tea from BC to Ontario <3 ~ T Chanti
9. Okay so my mother has been off so much coffee for about a year now and is drinking much more tea, I feel that I have influenced her after I started to love tea and then more and more loose leaf tea. I will always remember me growing up and thinking… ~ April R.
10. Sitting on the swing on the porch with my mom! ~ Donna K.
11. I invited my mom over for a tea, and told her I was engaged! ~ Ester G.
12. Growing up tea was always a part of our family life.  For special occasions, tea was served over coffee and every night after the dishes were done and the kitchen was clean, my mom and dad would sit down to a warm cup of tea and a good book… ~ Carolyn S.
13. Relaxing on the back deck with my mom drinking tea ~ Amanda M.
14. Sitting with my grandmother a couple years ago drinking tea and listening to Frank Sinatra. She has since gone downhill with Alzheimers and can’t recognize any of our family members. I miss her. Charlotte R.
15. Every night my Mom would make a cup of tea, she would always use her silver tea pot just because, it is one of those comfort memories I have of my home. Now I have teen age sons, (sorry no daughters) and it warms my heart that they are all tea drinkers. ~ Lori G.
16. I had tea with my grandmother once awhile back. Her house always smells like moth balls but I had a good time. ~ Amy O.
17. When i would get home from school on a cold day! ~ Judy G.
18. At the end of the day, to relax before bed. Jennifer P.
19. I had tea with my grandmother on the lawn close to her flower garden as a little girl. ~ Diana
20. When I visit her in FL we share a special tea moment before everyone gets out of bed and it’s really great to have that special time with my Mom. ~ Minta B.
21. With my grandma in the morning . When I used to sleepover when I was a child!! ~ Brandi R.
22. Drinking green tea with my mother for breakfast every morning during high school. ~ Roxanna J.
23. We went to a Wedding Shower for a friend-it was a Tea Party Shower-My daughter and I loved it-it was just like a tea party with all the sandwiches, teas, that you would see on an old television show. I found Lady Gray Tea there and have added it to my… ~ Judy C.
24. A special tea moment was with my Mom, who has been gone for 5 years.  I would give anything to be able to sit down and enjoy a special tea in a china cup with her again. ~ Inez
25. Grandma was a pretty tough farm woman who stood 6′ tall, even in her 70s and still had mostly red hair. When I was only 6 years old, Dad took me down to visit for a couple of weeks one summer. Grandma had been napping when our car pulled up outside the farmhouse and I had jumped out and gone running inside to greet her. She awoke, saw me, and started crying. Dad came in and asked what had happened. She said, “I’m so happy to see you both. Come, let’s have a cup of tea!” It was the last time I saw her before she died, but that memory is still alive! ~ AC Cargill
26. I worked overseas in China for a year. My mother, who had never traveled, came to visit me. I will never forget sitting down to tea with her in a cafe in China. The realization of how her mother’s love compelled her to leave her comfort zone and trek… ~ Candice (Winner)
27. Grandmother and I always had tea when i went over to her house. Made me act very proper. I learned good table manners from her. ~ Danielle P.

Going out for lunch with my mom to the Calico Cat and having our tea leaves read. The woman said she could see a man carrying 2 little children. Little did she know my husband was on his way home from Haiti with our 2 sons. ~ Cindy (Libre Team)

Love when my grandma would always have tea served to her in bed by my grandpa every morning – tea was always her first beverage of the day and she I enjoyed trying out many varieties together. ~ Wendy Weir (Libre Team)

 What perfect tea moments!

We do want to apologize to those of you who had your tea moments cut short. We have learned from this and will use another contest method for sharing tea moments in the future!

Contest starts Sat., May 5^th to Thurs. May 10^th @ 6pm PST!
Winner will be picked May11th & announced on Facebook & emailed!

Announcing: This weekend Mad Monk Tea and Libre tea will be sharing a booth at the LA Tea Lovers Festival.  Famous San Diego tea expert, Taylor Drye, will be there pouring tea and sharing his knowledge for the whole day!! Be sure to come by and share a tea moment.

Next week 24 new shops will be inspiring tea moments!  Libre Tea glasses are now being carried by 24 Chapters Indigo stores across Canada. Use our Libre store locator to find a Libre retailer near you (please call in advance to confirm stock availability for any retailer on the store locator to save yourself time – right now we’ve had some stocking challenges)!
 
Remember Mom and all that feminine brings to this world, to support our evolution and help us fulfill the loving beings we are.
 
Wishing you all a wonderful, tea moment filled, weekend!

Here is a summary of all Your Earth Day Tips:

• Plant a tree, rose bush, or plant. Let’s make the Earth a little greener!
• Always turn lights off when you leave a room,
• Lower the heat, use blankets and sweaters instead
• Use Cloth Diapers and wipes – saves our landfills from filling up with dirty diapers that take 500 years to break down
• Ride your bike for short trips to run errands and save on gas
• Buy a timer to keep your lights on only when you need them (all year round)
• Replace regular light bulbs with energy saver ones
• Use unpaper towels,
• Don’t use plastic bags or baggies, use cloth bags
• I don’t let water run while washing dishes by hand and  use dishwater when there a lot of dishes
• Adjust your thermostat to save energy while you are gone
• Use leftover water from drinking bottles to water houseplants
• Do a cleanup at a local waterfall
• Use a compost to keep food scraps out of the landfill then use the compost in your own garden to grow new plants and veggies
• Use mama cloth and diva cups
• Use cloth baby wipes for bums and noses too!
• Dry on clothes on a clothesline
• Reduce, reuse, upcycle, and recycle
• Go vegetarian
• Stop using drive-thrus! Park the car and go inside
• Plant a tree (used to do it as a kid on Earth Day)
• Save all your used tea bags and add them to your garden
• Buy used items at thrift stores, garage sales, etc.
• Use glass or stainless steel containers
• Shop local/handmade, grow your own
• Buy products that are environmentally friendly and have as little packaging as possible
• Reduce packaging by making one’s own meals as much from scratch as possible
• Take military showers – wet your body, shut the water off… lather up and then rinse fast and get out.
• Quick showers rather than baths
• Check faucets for leaks regularly
• Turn off water while brushing teeth.
• Keep a separate container for recyclables so you don’t have an excuse not to separate them out
• Re-use take out containers all the time
• Ride a Bicycle to Work
• Choose to repair and repurpose when possible instead of replacing
• Remove light from fridge (Actually made a small difference)
• Use cold water to do your laundry
• Unplug a lot of our electronics when not being used as they still draw power when not “on”
• Use Vinegar in the washing machine instead of fabric softener and in the dishwasher instead of rinse aid. Better for the environment , better for your wallet and better for you!
• Use reusable water bottles instead of plastic. Always pack groceries in reusable bags rather than plastic. If invest in a refillable pen (such as a fountain pen) if you do a lot of hand-writing
• Use homemade household cleaning products (baking soda and vinegar) cheaper, safer, and easier
• Turn off the water while you wash your hands and brush your teeth
• Use travel mugs when buying coffee/tea, better yet, make your own and take it with you

If we all use at least 3 of these tips we’d make a big difference!

Thank you all for sharing such wonderful Earth Day Tips!

What are your Earth Day Tips? Please share with us on our Libre Tea Facebook page and enter our Earth Day Contest for a chance to win a Libre Tea Moment Tote and our Organic Ming Mei Green Tea! The contest starts today and ends Sunday April 22^nd at midnight (pst).

Did you know that only 1% of the water on earth is available for humans? We wanted to share with you tips on saving water.

1. Check all your faucets & toilets for leaks and fix or replace. Replace toilets with a low-flush toilet and faucets with low-flow fixtures
2. Shower instead of bath – A 5 min. shower uses up to 25 gallons where a bath uses approximately 70 gallons
3. Use a timer to ensure showers don’t last longer than 5 minutes
4. Make sure dishwashers and washing machines have a full load before using
5. When purchasing new a news dishwasher/washing machine make sure you choose a water efficient model
6. Insulate you hot water pipes – this will prevent the hot water from cooling before it gets to the faucet
7. Turn off the water while brushing your teeth

Looking for more water saving tips? Check out these articles: 25 ways to conserve water in your home and yard and Earth Day Canada’s Top10 Actions. 

Online Press Kit 2011

If you want to request a hard copy, please contact us at info@libretea.com.

Megan from Tasty Food Gets Reviewed says, ‘This tea glass is amazing because it’s very easy to use and it makes the process of brewing loose leaf tea so much easier.”

A Girl Worth Saving says, “I’m completely digging this mug and it truly makes a perfect gift for the tea lover in your life.”

Simply Stacie says. “It’s such a treat to be able to enjoy our favorite teas outside the house! It would make a nice gift for any tea-lover.”

Breakfast with Tiffany loves her Libre and says, “I can brew and carry fresh tea in an instant anywhere and I get commented on the container constantly because of its beauty.”

Emily from Emily Reviews says, “The Original glass ‘n poly is beautiful; I love that it allows you to see the loose leaf tea steeping and the warmth from the tea to warm your hands.”

Sue from SJB – My Photopage says this about the Libre Tea glass, “The Tea on the go is a good idea. It works; It’s fast!”

Check out our newest Libre Tea video – Libre Extreme Tea!

Here is an email we have received from a customer:

I just have to tell you how wonderfully strong your products are!!  My 24 year old daughter left the house, does a u-turn in the middle of the street and drives up the hill!  When she went to the car, her hands were full, so she put the Libre tea canister on top of her car! YUP!!  You guessed it!!  It did fall off, but not until she had driven to the top of the hill!!!  Amazing!!  It did NOT break!!  The lid is dented and the tea bag, hadn’t used loose leaf today, exploded! 
 
Sincerely,
Ellen K., Portage, WI 
 

Do you have a Libre Extreme story? Please share with us on our Libre Tea Facebook page!

 
We are at the Toronto Yoga Show this weekend so don’t forget to stop by and say hello! If you haven’t already purchased your ticket here is a $5 OFF PASS! Yoga Show participants will enjoy a special sale price and a 1 month FREE subscription to My Yoga Online with every purchase.

Have a wonderful weekend! 

Starting March 17th  to 22nd (World Water Day)

Use coupon code ‘World Water Day’ to receive 10% off your order

Plus an Additional 10% will be donated to the Global Women’s Water Initiative!

The Global Women’s Water Initiative provides training for grassroots women to be able build simple water and sanitation technologies so they can become self-reliant and improve their communities’ health.  GWWI provides women with the tools and skills to build water and sanitation technologies with the potential to start micro-businesses offering much needed services to their communities.

To date, GWWI has trained women from 9 countries in Africa. GWWI women who had never picked up a shovel before in their lives have challenged traditional gender roles, building toilets, rainwater harvesting systems with water tanks and various water treatments to clean water. Because of their efforts over 6000 people have improved access to water and sanitation and 1/3 of the GWWI women’s projects are generating income.

Water Facts:

- 3-5 million people die every year from water related diseases, most are children

- In Africa alone, it’s estimated that women and children spend over 40 billion hours fetching water

- Nearly 40% of the world’s population live without access to adequate sanitation

-1 out of 10 girls drop out of school by the 8^th grade when they start menstruating because there are no toilets in school

- 783 million people in the world do not have access to safe water, approximately 11% of the world’s population

- 2.5 billion people in the world do not have access to adequate sanitation, approximately 35% of the world’s population.  

- Poor water quality  increases the risk of such diarrhoeal diseases as cholera, typhoid fever and dysentery, and other water-borne infections.

- 10+% of people worldwide consume foods irrigated by wastewater that can contain chemicals or disease-causing organisms.

Thank you for helping us spread the awareness of  World Water Day and support the Global Women’s Water Initiative!

The Libre Large makes a great water bottle!

The above facts were found at Global Women’s Water Initiative, Water Aid America and World Health Organization.

There are several ways to give to the Shanti Uganda Society: by Donation, Gifts of Action, Purchase their handmade products (retail & wholesale), attend fundraising events or donate needed supplies! For more info about the Shanti Uganda Society please see here!

We want to celebrate International Women’s Day with you!  So….starting midnight tonight ’til midnight PST March 8th …
 

Women’s Day 30% Sale!
When you use coupon code ‘Womens Day 2012’
on March 8th, 2012 you will receive 30% off your order!
 

To continue the celebration we’d love if you would post a photo of a ‘real’ women in your life, (maybe you!) supporting a woman’s cause on our Libre Facebook page. Please share with us which women’s cause you/they work with or support. This is a day to celebrate women’s achievements throughout history and across nations.
 
We look forward to seeing you on Facebook!