The spirit of giving

Sometimes you just have to stop everything and...bake cookies!

[caption id="attachment_1822" align="aligncenter" width="700"] Scottish Oatcakes for a friend[/caption]

Do you get asked wherever you go,

"So... are you ready for Christmas?"

A bit like the 'weather' theme, perhaps it's a conversation starter for about 6 weeks of the year here on Prince Edward Island. Ready for Christmas? What comes to mind when you are asked that question? Gifts? dinner guests? travel? tree? decorations? church pageant? cards?

Giving is a priority, but can you practise it without the other 'G' word - GUILT? I love to give something with a little of me in it. I have such a big family with siblings, children and parents, that I would die of guilt if I felt that I had to spend a lot of money on a lot of 'stuff' to show my love.



So what are some gifts you can give from your heart and hands? If you love hospitality, then invite friends over for tea and send them away with a little token, a small box of tea perhaps. If baking is a pleasure for you, package some cookies and deliver them to friends; or, better yet, ask your friends to join you, and spend an afternoon sharing them at an elderly people's home or homeless shelter. I believe that whatever brings you joy or comfort will be transmitted through your giving. The best gifts you can give (and the best ones to receive) are ones that bless both the giver and the receiver, and that are given with a sense of joy! They are the ones that give you peace of mind and body. Allow yourself the space to reflect and energize--it will make your gift giving a joyful process. The recipients will feel it!

As a business woman in a retail setting, I have had to adjust my thinking on being 'ready for Christmas'. As much as possible I try to have my merchandise reflect the spirit of comfort. But I also have to make it work financially. Like the sign above my market booth says: "Keep Calm and Drink Tea." But I have to be ready so that customers are ready! It's a bit of a personal dilemma, but if I take the attitude of embracing the panicky feeling that wants to invade my space, then it is not so threatening.

To repeat my introductory sentence - Sometimes you just have to stop everything and...

If you choose to give Lady Baker's products to your friends and family as gifts this season, please know that it is in the spirit of joy and love that I have them available.

[caption id="attachment_1826" align="aligncenter" width="536"] Kenya Maua Oolong[/caption]

Speaking of the spirit of giving, this year I am doing a special Christmas giveaway to thank all of my loyal blog readers for continuing to read and enjoy my humble tea blog posts! I am giving away one of my 12 Tea of Christmas gift boxes to one lucky reader! The box contains 12 individual cup-size packages of loose leaf tea and 12 tea brewing sachets. Think of it as a tea-drinkers' Advent calendar of sorts!

[caption id="attachment_1838" align="aligncenter" width="640"] 12 Teas of Christmas[/caption]

To enter, leave a comment below this post sharing how you practice the spirit of giving at Christmas or throughout the year in your family, and share this post with your friends on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest or by Email. I will randomly choose one winner on Friday, December 12th!

Good luck! And many blessing from the tea team!

Congratulations Sara Fraser! We have selected your name out of our Christmas hat as the winner of our 12 Teas of Christmas. Please let us know if you can pick this up at the Charlottetown Farmers' Market or if we need to arrange another time for you to pick it up.