I seem to be struggling figuring out a way to get my cupboard under control. (I know I know stop buying tea – but that’s not really what I mean). Do you drink old tea first, do you sample new teas first, do you drink sipdowns first, how do you fit FAVORITES into the mix? I have a ton of favorite teas, I have a ton I’ve never tried, I have quite a few nearing sipdown and suddenly I’m just overwhelmed with choices and possibilities. How do you choose what to drink?
Anyway – that’s how I was feeling, so I just took the easy way out and let my dashboard inspire me. Seems like this was the “tea of the day” – at least earlier today – so that’s what I’m drinking. (It also helps to have quite a bit on the way).
I don’t have much more to say about this one – it’s fantastic!!!! Tonight it seems more bitter dark chocolate – sometimes it’s sweeter than this, but it’s all good. Toasty, roasty, puffed wheat esque amazing. This is a definite keeper and I’m so happy it came back in stock.
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I can totally relate to this post, & I made my decision today pretty much the same way :)
I’ve given up trying to approach my cupboard with anything like a plan. I vaguely try to get sipdowns in over the weekend. Beyond that it’s just “what flavors/level of caffeine am I in the mood for?”.
….and that is how I ended up with 189 teas.
Well you already know my approach, drink some favourites EVERY DAY!!! :-)
(And “quite a bit” is a semi-shitload, congrats!)
If I got swap or new sample I try it first. It’s like I got your tea and I enjoy it. I need to let ppl know that I care what they send me. Not everything at once of course. I hardly have any sip downs. In the morning and by night I drink only some thing I really want, not because I have to. I want to start and finish the day on a good note.
As much as I LOVE swapping, and totally appreciate the generosity of this amazing community – swapping is a big part of what got me in trouble boychik. I spent a lot of time drinking samples people had sent me – and yes, fun, awesome – but I wasn’t drinking any of MY tea (or at least not much) – suddenly I haven’t even tried half my stash, because of course I didn’t stop buying. I’ve slowed the swapping and really don’t have that many samples here that people have sent me, but suddenly I’m faced with MY out of control stash and don’t know where to start…
LOL Kaylee – I would LOVE to be able to get back to 189…. I keep saying NO NEW TEA until I get under 200 – that never seems to happen.
Oh well I really should just be happy with all the amazing tea that I’m surrounded with – but some days it just seems overwhelming.
I sip through swaps slowly, to savor them and also to gives time to drink whatever I am craving :)
I tend to go through swaps a little faster than my own purchases, only because swaps are more likely to have scent contamination issues.
I agree Stephanie. If not swaps I wouldn’t even know about many wonderful teas I owe. They also prevent me from unnecessary purchases. I don’t swap a lot. Do you put samples in cupboard too? I used to, then stopped. Only if it’s huge sample.
I totally agree, swapping is the best way to get to try new teas, find some gems you would have otherwise missed, avoid buying some misses that you probably would have. Swapping is awesome, but I’ve been through phases where I’ve had 100 samples that people sent me all at once… Moderation is all I’m saying – all good things in moderation. :))
I have not got into swapping, and I’m not sure that I ever will. I think that I would rather continue acquiring small envelopes or samples directly with orders. I might become completely overwhelmed if I got into the swapping thing as well. My Blazing New Rating suite a while back was helpful because it narrowed down my choices (I had vowed only to drink teas about which I had not written any tasting notes), but you are right: I want to drink my favorite teas as well! Maybe I need to have a combination approach, sort of like boychik’s. Ending the day on a chamomile soliflore note, as I did tonight, is always a good idea!
My approach changes from day to day, based on my mood, the amount of time I have, etc. Right now I’m sitting on samples sent by friends, plus samples I ordered, so many samples I haven’t tried yet! I usually start with a black tea I already love, then sample some things for the rest of the day, maybe having something flavored in the afternoon, but for awhile I was trying to drink one tea from each genre each day: black, green, oolong, puerh…etc
Really, my main goal is just to enjoy drinking tea & not put pressure on myself. I’m so excited to try every tea in my cupboard, & I will…eventually :)
I’m in the same boat! I like going through samples because a) I have a lot of old ones from before I got pregnant and couldn’t stand the thought of drinking tea for awhile and then b) a bunch of sweet souls sent me a ton more once I got back into tea….leaving me with a LOT of samples to go through.
So helpful to have those to narrow down what I actually love vs what I thought I’d love but didn’t, so no money wasted!
And sample sipdowns are so satisfying and easy. Makes my number go down and makes me feel better.
I got 99 problems….
Dexter – I’m in the same boat as well! I’m trying not to get crazy with swaps because I don’t want to open tea I buy until I’ve had sip-downed the tiny little samples bags that are taking up so much room and inflating my numbers! :P So I try to rotate between sipping down those samples, (highest priority), drinking opened teas that I enjoy, and drinking brand new teas. (lowest priority)
I always fill my two timolinos with what I’m craving out of my own stash in the morning. I then pick the swap teas and samples I want to go through throughout the day and bring a few with me to work, choosing a variety according to what I think I may feel like having. When I come home, I drink whatever I want. That way I am going through my own stash, and trying new things throughout the day as well. That’s the only way I’ve been able to keep everything under control so far.
I can totally relate to this post, & I made my decision today pretty much the same way :)
I’ve given up trying to approach my cupboard with anything like a plan. I vaguely try to get sipdowns in over the weekend. Beyond that it’s just “what flavors/level of caffeine am I in the mood for?”.
….and that is how I ended up with 189 teas.
Well you already know my approach, drink some favourites EVERY DAY!!! :-)
(And “quite a bit” is a semi-shitload, congrats!)
If I got swap or new sample I try it first. It’s like I got your tea and I enjoy it. I need to let ppl know that I care what they send me. Not everything at once of course. I hardly have any sip downs. In the morning and by night I drink only some thing I really want, not because I have to. I want to start and finish the day on a good note.
As much as I LOVE swapping, and totally appreciate the generosity of this amazing community – swapping is a big part of what got me in trouble boychik. I spent a lot of time drinking samples people had sent me – and yes, fun, awesome – but I wasn’t drinking any of MY tea (or at least not much) – suddenly I haven’t even tried half my stash, because of course I didn’t stop buying. I’ve slowed the swapping and really don’t have that many samples here that people have sent me, but suddenly I’m faced with MY out of control stash and don’t know where to start…
LOL Kaylee – I would LOVE to be able to get back to 189…. I keep saying NO NEW TEA until I get under 200 – that never seems to happen.
Oh well I really should just be happy with all the amazing tea that I’m surrounded with – but some days it just seems overwhelming.
I sip through swaps slowly, to savor them and also to gives time to drink whatever I am craving :)
I tend to go through swaps a little faster than my own purchases, only because swaps are more likely to have scent contamination issues.
I agree Stephanie. If not swaps I wouldn’t even know about many wonderful teas I owe. They also prevent me from unnecessary purchases. I don’t swap a lot. Do you put samples in cupboard too? I used to, then stopped. Only if it’s huge sample.
I totally agree, swapping is the best way to get to try new teas, find some gems you would have otherwise missed, avoid buying some misses that you probably would have. Swapping is awesome, but I’ve been through phases where I’ve had 100 samples that people sent me all at once… Moderation is all I’m saying – all good things in moderation. :))
I have not got into swapping, and I’m not sure that I ever will. I think that I would rather continue acquiring small envelopes or samples directly with orders. I might become completely overwhelmed if I got into the swapping thing as well. My Blazing New Rating suite a while back was helpful because it narrowed down my choices (I had vowed only to drink teas about which I had not written any tasting notes), but you are right: I want to drink my favorite teas as well! Maybe I need to have a combination approach, sort of like boychik’s. Ending the day on a chamomile soliflore note, as I did tonight, is always a good idea!
My approach changes from day to day, based on my mood, the amount of time I have, etc. Right now I’m sitting on samples sent by friends, plus samples I ordered, so many samples I haven’t tried yet! I usually start with a black tea I already love, then sample some things for the rest of the day, maybe having something flavored in the afternoon, but for awhile I was trying to drink one tea from each genre each day: black, green, oolong, puerh…etc
Really, my main goal is just to enjoy drinking tea & not put pressure on myself. I’m so excited to try every tea in my cupboard, & I will…eventually :)
I’m in the same boat! I like going through samples because a) I have a lot of old ones from before I got pregnant and couldn’t stand the thought of drinking tea for awhile and then b) a bunch of sweet souls sent me a ton more once I got back into tea….leaving me with a LOT of samples to go through.
So helpful to have those to narrow down what I actually love vs what I thought I’d love but didn’t, so no money wasted!
But in the meantime, I didn’t stop buying tea, and my relatives just brought me massive amounts of tea I had shipped to them in the states, so I really need to work on those, while they’re still fresh. And get rid of some older ones, that are not so fresh.And sample sipdowns are so satisfying and easy. Makes my number go down and makes me feel better.
I got 99 problems….
Dexter – I’m in the same boat as well! I’m trying not to get crazy with swaps because I don’t want to open tea I buy until I’ve had sip-downed the tiny little samples bags that are taking up so much room and inflating my numbers! :P So I try to rotate between sipping down those samples, (highest priority), drinking opened teas that I enjoy, and drinking brand new teas. (lowest priority)
I always fill my two timolinos with what I’m craving out of my own stash in the morning. I then pick the swap teas and samples I want to go through throughout the day and bring a few with me to work, choosing a variety according to what I think I may feel like having. When I come home, I drink whatever I want. That way I am going through my own stash, and trying new things throughout the day as well. That’s the only way I’ve been able to keep everything under control so far.