Happy new year! If you're one of the 45% of Americans who usually make New Year's resolutions, the year of change ahead may look daunting to you. So, here are some tips on how to make tea your key to success in three of the most common resolutions:

1. Tea for exercising!
   Need an extra boost for your workout? Let tea be your energy drink! As we all know, it's important to stay hydrated when we're exercising, and despite common myths, tea is actually a great choice for hydrating your body. In addition to blends such as our MetaboTea (which is great for helping those with active lifestyles keep their metabolisms running efficiently), you can use tea for anything from motivation to recovery. If inflammation is a problem, the natural anti-inflammatory properties of our ArthriTea or Green Jaguar blend can help you prepare for or recover from a tough workout. Rooibos blends are chock-full of healthy vitamins that can help replenish nutrients and strengthen bone density. Or how about a cup of mate, whose exercise-friendly benefits range from stimulating energy and focus to burning stored fat? With tea on your side, exercising can be easier (and tastier) than ever!

2. Tea as your dieting wingman!
   Sometimes it seems like there are more diets than people! However, almost all diets allow you to drink (all-natural) tea or herbal tisanes, many of which can help you accomplish your diet goals. Our Gentle Cleanse WellTeaing blend helps support your liver and kidneys in clearing the body systems and is a great natural alternative to harsh chemical detoxes that strip your body of nutrients. Many dessert fans can benefit from having a small amount of something naturally sweet after meals in order to curb cravings, such as our Chocolate-Covered Strawberry or Yorktown Patty house blends. If appetite in general is a problem, the appetite-suppressant properties of our Slimming Goddess Oolong may help you feel fuller faster as well. Is soda your trouble point? Make some sparkling tea to help you say goodbye to those cravings and hello to a healthier you!

3. Tea as a de-stressing aid!
   Trying to stress less in the new year? Tea is a great tool for helping to reduce stress in your life. Our AnxieTea blend can help calm racing minds with the neurosedative effects of passionflower and Egyptian chamomile. Making a cup of tea in the morning is also an excellent way to set your intentions for the day. If you want to try meditating to help calm down but can't find the time, use the act of brewing a relaxing cuppa as a meditative moment to nurture yourself and focus on the present. And since the caffeine composition in tea is different from that in coffee, those quitting caffeine for its negative effects on the nervous system may find solace in tea.

Remember, resolutions are supposed to help you be a better you—knowing who you are and loving yourself is the best way to learn how you can improve yourself. Start by treating yourself with a nurturing cup of tea!

In addition to being delicious, sparkling tea, particularly when made with all-natural loose-leaf, is can be surprisingly easy to make. You don't even need to buy a pricey home carbonation machine! It is a simple process that can be done several different ways, depending on what best fits your needs and lifestyle, and all you need is sparkling water (preferably unflavored seltzer), an air-tight steeping solution, and, of course, tea.

If you missed our Sparkling Tea Workshop, don't fret, the steps are simple:
1. Add tea to your steeping solution, such as a tea filter, DIY filter bag, or infuser. Our Urban Tea Tumblers are ideal for this, but you can use any air-tight container that your filter solution fits completely inside!
2. Add sparkling water.
3. Chill, and wait!

For small quantities, the tea should be ready to go within an hour. For larger servings, 3-4 hours is better. If the sparkling water and steeping materials aren't kept cold prior to preparation and after serving, the carbonation may dissipate more quickly—so consume with gusto! Plastic is inherently less airtight than glass, so sparkling tea stored in plastic containers may lose its carbonation faster as well.

Making your own sparkling tea is also easy, efficient, and allows you to play around to create whatever flavors you want. It's a bright, refreshing experience that lets you enjoy the fizziness of a cold drink without the sticky, parched aftertaste of soda. You can do it on your own, or make a fun family affair out of it.

If you enjoy the energy boost from caffeine, there are plenty of black, green, oolong, and white teas to choose from; if you prefer something caffeine-free, you can choose from a whole variety of caffeine-free herbal teas, whole fruit blends, rooibos and honeybush.

These are some of my favorites I highly recommend sparkling up:

• Ontario Icewine
• Watermelon Oolong
• Williamsburg Port
• Summer Mojito
• Strawberry Green
• Le Marche Spice
• Vanilla Cream
• Peach Apricot
• Piña Colada

You can also blend your own bubbly concoctions for extra fun. Why restrict yourself, when there's a whole world of sparkling tea for you to discover?