Because I tend to be a very fidgety, restless person, I'm drawn to the ritual of tea-making, which naturally slows me down and calms my nerves (drinking wine slows me down too, but starting down that road before noon has unwanted repercussions). Knowing that tea has antioxidant properties doesn't hurt, but for me, there's another, more compelling benefit to drinking tea -- it takes my mind off of drinking coffee.

I just discovered something that takes the tea experience to another level, tea balls from FullBloomTea.com, which bloom into a bouquet of flowers when put in boiling water. The balls are made of Silver Needle white tea wrapped around dehydrated flowers (such as Marigold, Amaranth, and Jasmine) to create 13 different bouquets -- see all of them here. These work best in a clear, glass teapot, so you can really see the bouquet come out. It's mesmerizing to watch the ball slowly turn in the water and the tea leaves spread out and expand as the flowers emerge. You leave the bouquet in the pot while you drink, and add more water to it for a second and even a third pot (each ball lasts for 3 pots of tea). Afterwards, they suggest dispaying the bouquet for a few more days in a clear vase with water.

You can buy these by the Bloom ($3 per bloom, $15 for 6 of them) or in gift sets. The FullBloomTea website also carrries teaware that allows you the maximum visual experience. Blooms are also packaged as party favors, which I think is a great idea for wedding showers and other girly events.