Language of the Leaf is a mom-owned business which started after Neeta and her husband traveled to India to visit a relative and master tea blender for Fortnum & Mason and Twinings. During her trip, had the chance to stay in the top three Darjeeling tea-producing gardens, and she became fascinated by the tea crafting process. This family vacation inspired her to start her own company and to bring exclusive tea blends to the North American market. Neeta explains:

“After this incredible experience, tea became an important part of my life, and I was so passionate about what I discovered that I needed to find a way to share it with everyone. I knew that people who strive to live a healthier lifestyle would love these naturally blended teas as much as I did.

At that moment, Language of the Leaf was born. Our goal is to elevate tea from an everyday cup to an affordable luxury. Focusing on flavourful blends and aromatic herbs, we wanted to offer a line of gourmet blends that you could enjoy no matter what the occasion.”

Language of the Leaf’s exclusive tea blends are available in silken tea bags and as loose teas. With over 100 blends available, there’s a delicious tea for all tastes at Language of the Leaf. For many blends, Language of the Leaf is the only supplier in North America to offer them. Many of her teas are organic, and all of them are made with only natural flavorings for a superior taste.  I tried about 20 different teas, and I really enjoyed them all. But here are a few of my favorites:

• Earl Grey: I know Earl Grey sounds boring since you can find Earl Grey tea everywhere. I’ve tried many many brands of Earl Grey. But this exclusive Earl Grey blend is the BEST I’ve ever tried. It has a hint of vanilla. Unbelievably good! (Here’s the official tasting notes: This blend of fine Ceylon Black tea has a fragrant citrus aroma and a hint of vanilla. It gets its well balanced taste from a judicious scenting with natural oil of bergamot.)
• Queen of Siam: Light & elegant blend. I really enjoyed this. (Here’s the official tasting notes: Flavorful Sencha green tea scented with lemon grass, ginger and chamomile with an elegant lemon-ginger finish at once calming and uplifting – a blend worthy of a Queen!)
• South Pacific: Yum. The scent of this tea was amazing. My husband really likes mango and tropical fruits, and he loved this tea. (Here’s the official tasting notes: Green Sencha & Assam teas infused with fragrant mango, passion fruit & pineapple, blended with hibiscus & chamomile. Evocative of the scent of an island paradise.)
• Calm: Really relaxing tea. Perfect to drink before bed or when mommy needs to calm down. (Here’s the official tasting notes: Organic SPA Blend Judiciously composed of Organic Peppermint, Chamomile and Rooibos, this SPA blend is soothing, restful and at once refreshingly calming. It is a harmonious herbal tea blend with mellow honey notes ending with a cool mint finish.)
• Summer Fling (Iced Tea): This is the best iced tea I’ve ever had! I’m not kidding. It was sweet without being too sweet. I served it alongside a light summer salad and chicken salad sandwiches. Everyone loved it. (Here’s the official tasting notes: Wonderful for those hot summer days, we use a high-grown Ceylon tea blended with juniper berries, black currants and cranberries and the result is refreshingly delicious, reminiscent of summer and all its possibilities.)
• Biscotti: When I really want a cookie but know I shouldn’t have one, I reach for this tea. Yummy and perfect if you have a sweet tooth. (Here’s the official tasting notes: Ceylon tea with comforting almond cookie overtones, adorned with cinnamon and almond slivers.)
• Wedding Blend: I make this is a clear glass teapot because it is just so pretty. Then I pour it into teacups using a little silver tea strainer I found at a flea market. If you’re looking for something to impress a guest, this tea is it. (Here’s the official tasting notes: The Wedding Blend is a delicious and beautiful White tea infused with peach nectar and adorned with pink rosebuds, representing new love’s promise. It is a delight to the palate and senses.)
• Chocolate Dream: It tastes like chocolate. That’s good enough for me! (Here’s the official tasting notes: Chocolate and tea? This combination may seem counter-intuitive, but remains a popular choice with chocolate loavers. The smooth chocolate flavour is emphasized nicely by cocoa bits. Perfectly balanced and sinful, but in a nice, delicious sort of way.)
• Spa Sunset: I’m a type-a person, but this tea relaxes me. It’s a nice blend of citrus and chamomile without being too-chamomile.  (Here’s the official tasting notes: A relaxing counterpart to our SPA Sunrise, this ‘after dark’ herbal tea has soothing citrus-chamomile notes. Composed of Chamomile flower heads (calming), nana-mint, refreshing lemon grass and hibiscus among other herbals. The overall effect calms the nerves, alleviates tension and eases you gently into a state of quiet contemplation.)

I’d definitely recommend trying a few different blends to find your favorite. Neeta gave me some free samples, but I’ve since become a paying customer.

Want It:
Get a free gourmet tea sample from Language of the Leaf. (Just sign up for her email list and select the tea you want to try.)

You can order teas in pretty decorative tea tins (perfect for gifts), silken tea bags (for convenience) or in air-tight pouches for the lowest price. If you’re order loose teas, you can either use your own tea strainer or  infuser or buy a Smart Tea Maker or single-use paper filters for a fool-proof cup of tea.

Yup.  That’s right!  Kelly Taylor from 90210 has a new show on iVillage, Garden Party, full of advice for getting your children excited about vegetables. And recently she visited Grand Central for a Love Your Veggies event.

One of our favorite parenting-writers, Brooklyn Mom Blogger Nicole at A Mom Amok, did some digging around in the veggie patch:

In Garden Party, Garth, who I used to revere as Kelly in Beverly Hill 90210, now mother of three daughters, visits farms and gardens to learn about how to grow vegetables and then talks to kids and kid-friendly cooks about how to prepare them in a way that is fun and appealing to little ones. So, things like making salad art, getting creative with dipping (Hidden Valley is the sponsor of the show) and giving veggies a little bit of spin (broccoli can be “little trees” and asparagus can be “beanstalks”) Each month, she focuses on a new vegetable: right now, for example, its all about lettuce.

I went to an event called Veggie Central at Grand Central Station last week, where Garth appeared to do a veggie-related activity with local 3rd graders and to talk about the show.  [...]

The Organic Gardener, Jeanne Pinsof Nolan, was also in attendance, showing kids how to plant all manner of seeds, and answering their questions about gardening.

My favorite question was from a little boy who asked, “If you plant a seed, will it really grow?”

It does seem pretty far-fetched.

Nolan also mentioned to the kids how the President himself had a garden at the White House where he grew all kinds of vegetables. Kids seemed to dig that.

Want to know what vegetable needs a new PR agent? Or what vegetable the kids love? Want to see a Jennie Garth-inspired veggie pizza bagel face? Or an entire fountain of ranch dressing? Then you’ll have to check out Love Your Veggies at A Mom Amok.

Now they have come up with HAPPYMELTS, an organic, freeze-dried, yogurt snack, which is a great for toddlers if you can pry it out of mom’s hands.

I’m serious.  I ate half the bag.

The people at HAPPYBABY assure me that HAPPYMELTS are low in sugar and high in protein and are the only baby food fortified with prebiotics and probiotics.

They are also yummy in a big way.

My kids gobble up yogurt every day but I have never been much of a fan until now.  These little bites are addictive.  My favorite flavor is the banana-mango and my 18 month-old son agrees.  My three year-old daughter is partial to the mixed berry and the strawberry.

They do stick to your teeth a little but an extra session with a toothbrush seems like a small price to pay for a delicious on-the-go treat that delivers so much nutrition.

Toddlers can be finicky eaters, devouring everything on their plates one day and then refusing to sit still for meals for several days straight.  Healthy snacks like HappyMELTS can help end food power struggles and power your baby up for a full day of play.

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WANT IT: Right now your should look for Happy Melts at your local natural food market or at one of the many retailers that carry the brand. Expect to see Happy Melts ($3.20) soon at the Amazon Grocery–buy in bulk and get free shipping!

When life gets hectic, my food choices get increasingly unhealthy. When I have time to plan ahead, I pack baby carrots, apple slices and other healthy snacks to eat in the car or in between errands.  But frequently I find myself grabbing convenience food or heading to the drive-thru.

At the BlogHer conference in Chicago, food companies and restaurants had nutritionists on hand to give suggestions, tips and coupons about healthy eating.

The most popular tip: If you need to grab a convenience product, check the nutritition label.

Eating Right Kid™ and Warner Brothers Looney Tunes have teamed up to offer healthy meals, snacks, cereals and drinks in kid-friendly sizes and packaging.  Similar to Eating Right™, each Eating Right Kids™ package features the color-coded Spot Your Needs System™ on the front—so you can find important nutritional information in seconds!  You can find the products at Safeway stores in the U.S. and Canada.

They offer convenient, healthy snacks like baby carrots with fat-free ranch dressing , grapes and cheese bites, and apples with peanut butter. While you save a lot of  money by packing your own carrots/dip for kids lunches, it’s nice to know that you can grab a pre-packaged fruit or veggie snack for lunch at the last minute. I keep some on hand for those days when I’m in too much of a rush to prepare anything since it’s better to munch on fruit than a bag of chips or a handful of cookies.

Disclosure: Eating Right Kid™  sponsored a dinner at BlogHer and provided a big bag of samples. After returning from many late night (and open bar) BlogHer parties, I rehydrated with Fruit Juices and Vitamin Water.  And I snacked on the Mixed Berry Milk Chocolate Chewy Bars on the plane ride home from the conference. The chewy bars are now one of my favorite lunch on-the-run snacks.

Win A Set of Six Exercise Videos by Lisa Rinna, Skinny Bitch and Buns of Steel:
We’d like your best tips for eating on-the-go or for packing a healthy school lunch. Leave a comment on this post by September 30, 2009 for a chance to win six exercise videos from Lisa Rinna, Skinny Bitch and Buns of Steel (see previous review here). We ran a giveaway for these DVDs in January, which was so popular that the company gave us another set to give to Mamanista readers.  Contest open to U.S. Residents only due to shipping costs.

EarthLust bottles are fantastically chic, manufactured from a slender, tapered custom mold and coated with non-toxic paints.  Each delicately rendered design evokes a love of, or a deeply respectful lust for, nature.  Some of the artwork was created by mom-owner and inventor, Allison.

…The tops don’t leak when close, though they push closed very easily with little pressure.  However, my two year old has had no trouble figuring out how to open the spout when she wants a drink.

When we became aware of the concerns surrounding lined, aluminum bottles, I immediately recalled a conversation with EarthLust owner and mom, Allison, about why she chose to use unlined stainless steel.

So, I thought it fitting that we revisit the EarthLust line to let readers know about this excellent and very chic stainless option for adults and kids.  Allison, in the middle of bringing new life into the world, no less, was happy to offer two readers a chance to win two bottles each–one adult-sized and one kid-sized.

EarthLust has some exciting new designs and has introduced 20 oz insulated mugs (that’s going on my birthday wish-list). I also love the styles that use the non-toxic paint minimally, showing mostly the stainless steel, so that chipping doesn’t interfere with the beauty of the design.

We’re switching over to EarthLust for our reusable metal water bottles for the planet’s health and our own.

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WANT IT: Buy EarthLust ($16-23) direct and at Amazon.

WIN IT: EarthLust is generously offering two (2) readers the opportunity to win two (2) bottles each, one adult-sized (1L or 20 oz) and one child-sized (13 oz).

Mandatory First Entry: Visit EarthLust and tell us which two bottles you would choose if you win.

Additional Entries: Please only one additional entry per day. Leave a separate comment for each additional entry. Unlimited additional entries.

• Become an EarthLust Fan on Facebook
• Share our “Water Bottles of Steel” post (featuring EarthLust and other Stainless Steel options) on any public website (your blog, a forum where the rules permit linking) or social networking (Twitter, facebook, etc.) or bookmarking (delicious, StumbleUpon, etc.) service.  Let us know where we can find the post, tweet, bookmark, etc. in your comment.
• Subscribe to our e-mail digest and never miss another review, giveaway, or discount

Contest ends September 10, 11:59 PM EST. Winner chosen at Random.org. Prize shipping to US + Canadian addresses, only.

Whether or not you are comfortable using a bottle that contains but does not leach BPA, for us the real story here is how a company using BPA that would have been absolutely sidelined by consumers seeking BPA-free alternatives managed to make itself a central player by carefully controlling information about its products, challenging consumer advocacy organizations when they made statements that were unproven but that the company knew to be true, and “coming clean” only when it suited its own purposes.

Well said.

Jeremiah added that “you can call SIGG USA to demand a replacement at liners@mysigg.com, or call them at (203)321-1220.”  I did this for the three that I personally purchased with my own money.

SIGG was one of the first companies with which I worked as a product reviewer and we were one of the first blogs to review and promote their bottles.  I have recommended them countless times on this blog and to friends and relatives, based upon SIGG’s misleading statements and responses.  While I do not doubt that Jeremiah is correct and these bottles are likely safe for use, I, too, am disappointed with the way SIGG has chosen to do business.

There are so many amazing companies making products for parents and children and so we usually try to accentuate the positive.  Given my past recommendations of SIGG, however, I feel obligated to share this new information with you.  I sincerely hope SIGG will be more transparent in the future.

While a trip to an organic farm is a great learning experience, it may not be a practical way to do your weekly or even special occasion grocery shopping. At Greensbury Market, you have quick, convenient access to premium-quality organic meats.

Greensbury Market is a modern-day, online market specializing in bringing you healthy, delicious, certified organic meats. Meat from animals raised on organic, vegetarian feed has more nutrients (including Omega 3s in grass-fed cattle), fewer toxins, and better taste!

Summer is grilling time, and I’ve been enjoying the organic grass-fed beef hotdogs and the organic grass-fed hamburgers from Greensbury Market.

“Organic meat” often means “expensive meat,” but Greensbury Market offers affordable organic meat for everyday cooking as well as premium steaks and pork-chops for special meals. (I’ve tried those too…and yum!)

The organic grass-fed beef hot dogs cost $3.79 for a pack of 4, and the organic grass-fed ground beef patties cost $7.49 for a pack of four quarter-pound burgers. At these prices, I can opt for organic meat and stay within my budget. Pick up some hot dog or hamburger buns, throw together a side salad, and serve fresh watermelon for dessert. You have dinner for four for under $20, and it will take you very little time to prepare. On those nights when I’m too busy to cook, using the pre-made ground beef patties saves time. It’s as good as having dinner out, but much cheaper and healthier too.

* Disclosure: I am now a regular customer, but I received a free sample pack from Greensbury Market after meeting their owner.

I’m a bit clumsy when I’m in a hurry, so I’ve burned my hand and wrist several times taking things out of the oven. The Cool Touch Oven Rack Guard is 18 inches long, and it snaps onto the front of your oven rack. It’s made from the same material (Nomex) used to protect firefighters, and it keeps the edge of your rack cool to the touch. The Rack Guards are machine-washable, so you can throw them in the laundry if you spill food on them.

I snapped them onto my oven rack and tested them the last time I made cookies. Not wanting to hurt myself, I gingerly touched the rack guard with the tip of my finger. I could feel the heat, but I didn’t burn myself. These rack guards are no substitute for pot-holders, but they will help protect you if you accidentally bump against the edge of the oven rack while removing a hot dish from the oven.

You can try them for $19.95 at www.vat19.com or give a set to an accident-prone friend.

Cooking encouraged a love of languages, and I grew up to be an adventurous eater. I’ve traveled around the world, and I’ve tried all sorts of exotic and delicious foods. 

If your child is a picky eater, try preparing meals together.  If your child feels some ownership over a meal, he’s more likely to eat it.  Start by picking an easy-to-make recipe or by using a children’s cookbook.

I received a review sample of the Handstand Kids Chinese Cookbook, the newest book in their cookbook series for children ages 3 to 12. The Handstand Kids Cookbook series introduces children to the language and cuisine of other cultures through fun, easy-t0-make recipes. Ingredients and utensils are listed in both English and Mandarin.

The Handstand Kids Chinese Cookbook comes packaged in a large takeout box with child-friendly plastic chopsticks. Recipes are rated by difficulty from 1 to 4 chopsticks. A 4 chopstick recipe requires more parental help, but an older child should be able to make a 1 or 2 chopstick recipe with minimal assistance from mom.   

With my help, my young product tester made The Great Wall of Chicken Lettuce Wraps while learning about the Great Wall of China. The food was healthy and delicious, and we had fun in the kitchen.

You can buy the Handstand Kids Italian, Mexican or Chinese Cookbooks online for $28 at www.handstandkids.com or at Amazon.