December 2023 Newsletter

Hello all! I hope all is well and you're enjoying the start of the holiday season :)

All of the holiday teas are available, as well as our holiday tea samplers! See the list below in the New at the Shop section. Lots of freshly blended teas are available for your holiday gifts or to assist you in getting through the stress and busyness of the season. Also just arrived is Peach Wulong, which is finally back in stock. For those of you who were regular imbibers of this popular blend, it is important to note that I had to resource this tea. I look forward to hearing your thoughts on the new blend :)

Our holiday schedule is finalized and posted below for your reference. The shop will be open additional days and longer hours as we get closer to Christmas for your holiday shopping needs. Please note the dates of the annual post-holiday break, so be sure to check your stash and stock up beforehand. And our annual Holiday Raffle is just about here! See below for details :)

For those of you visiting the shop - as always, pre-ordering your teas is helpful to reduce the amount of time you need to wait for us to prepare your custom orders for you. This is especially helpful during the holiday season when the traffic increases tremendously in my small shop. If needed, pre-order details are below.

Please note that December 14th is a target date to submit any shipped orders that need to be delivered by Christmas. As always, I strive to ship orders within a day or two, but it can be challenging at this time of year due to the volume of work in the shop. If you will be placing orders in the onilne shop to ship to the recipient, you have the option to include a personalized message on the packing slip. Be sure to include your message in the Comments section in the Cart and I will be sure to include it! There are now two shipping options, in addition to the Pick Up at Shop option. The Post Office has come out with a new, lower-cost shipping option, which is a ground service and the orders will take a little extra time to get to you. The other option is Priority Mail, a more expensive and quicker option. The expected shipping times for each service are indicated at checkout; however, please note that there may be delays with these times due to the amount of volume the Post Office receives at this time of year. Place your orders as soon as possible to avoid any delays! :)

Lastly, I am looking for a few more volunteers to get some free coaching sessions from me. I have not been taking on new clients in my other business, Vitality Holistic Wellness, due to the amount of time I spend on each client's case and the extreme workload with my tea business over the next few months. However, I am currently working on board certification in Health and Wellness Coaching and need to have a certain number of logged coaching hours in order to meet requirements to sit for the board exam. These 20- to 30-minute sessions need to be recorded and I will be evaluated on each one. All sessions are anonymous when presented to the board for evaluation and you will need to be comfortable with being recorded and the session(s) being kept on file for training purposes. Ideal candidates will have a current obstacle or barrier that they are having difficulty overcoming in order to pursue or achieve a goal. The obstacle does not need to be exclusively a health or diet related issue. If you are interested in being a volunteer please apply by emailing me at kristine@vitalityholisticwellness.net (DO NOT reply to this email or send to my infuse email - these applications will not be considered) and include the following information:

1. Why should I select you to receive these coaching sessions?
2. What would this opportunity mean to you?
3. What is your obstacle or reason for wanting a coaching experience?
4. What are you looking to learn about yourself as a result of our working together?
5. In general, how will you use the knowledge and skills you learn to help you put a plan in place to overcome your obstacle?
6. High-level availability - days and times you would be available to meet virtually in January and February - you do not need to live here in NY. Please indicate your time zone.

I will be reviewing each application and will be selecting a few of them. Please note that this opportunity will not involve any health discussions or consultations, recommendations, or functional lab testing.

I wish you and your family the best of the holiday season and a happy, healthy 2024!

-- Kristine, FDN-P

Blended up fresh batches of Chocolate Peppermint Black Tea, White Chocolate Peppermint White Tea, Rooibos Chocolate Peppermint Organic Herbal Tisane, Rooibos Tranquility Organic Herbal Tisane, and Holiday Punch Fruit Tisane! :)

Holiday Schedule

The shop will be open on several additional days and for extended hours during the holiday season for your shopping needs! Basically, the shop will be open every day from Thursday 12/14 through Sunday 12/31, except for Christmas Day 12/25 and Tuesday 12/26. Please also note the days the shop will be closed for the annual post-holiday break for some much needed recuperation. This schedule is in place of our usual hours beginning Thursday 12/14.

Additional Days & Extended Hours

Thursday 12/14 through Saturday 12/16 11:00 to 5:00

Sunday 12/17 11:00 to 4:00

Monday 12/18 through Friday 12/22 11:00 to 7:00

Saturday 12/23 11:00 to 6:00

Christmas Eve Sunday 12/24 11:00 to 3:00

Wednesday 12/27 through Saturday 12/30 11:00 to 5:00

New Year's Eve Sunday 12/31 11:00 to 3:00

Closures

Christmas Day Monday 12/25 & Tuesday 12/26

Monday 1/1 through Wednesday 1/10

Be sure to check your stash and stock up before the extended break ;)

*Please note that, due to the workload and time necessary to assist those shopping for holiday gifts, bar service (teas prepared to drink) is always discontinued during the holiday season. Please note that from Saturday 12/16 through Sunday 12/24 the shop will be in retail mode and I will not be able to accommodate any transactions that only include teas to be consumed and/or purchases from our small bites menu. I am planning to still offer the teas hot or iced and most of the items on our small bites menu during this time for holiday shoppers to take to-go, but this may be discontinued if it has too much of a negative impact on our ability to service everyone in the shop. Bar service will resume on Wednesday 12/27 through the remainder of the year. Thank you for your patience and understanding.

As a reminder, current hours, along with future schedule changes and policies, can always be found on our shop website infuseteabarny.com.

Pre-order Reminder

As a reminder, pre-orders of loose leaf teas are encouraged in order to streamline the preparation of your custom orders and reduce your wait time, especially if the shop is busy when you arrive and there is somewhere you need to be. Orders also continue to be shipped nationwide and all (pre)orders can be placed in our online shop pleasuresoftea.com.

• Please place orders at least 24-hours ahead of desired pick up time, if possible, to ensure that it will be seen in the portal and there is enough time to pull it together in time for your arrival.
• Indicating the approximate date and time of pick up in the Comments section in the Cart helps ensure that your order will be ready for you upon arrival. Pick-ups can only be done during shop hours.
• If you plan to browse at the shop or grab a cup of tea, then please do not pay online - select the Pay at pick-up option. You will receive an emailed notification once your order is ready for pick-up.
• DO NOT send orders to my email or leave on voicemail - they will be lost and most likely will not be seen until weeks after you are looking for them.

Thank you for your continued assistance in helping to serve you in the most efficient and expeditious manner possible! :)

12th Annual Holiday Raffle

I am extremely appreciative for your support of my small business! To once again show my appreciation and thanks for your support during the year, I am having the 12th Annual Holiday Raffle. This year, I am giving away two $40 store gift certificates, which may be used to purchase anything in the shop or in the online shop. In order to be entered, please like us on Facebook, Infuse Tea Bar by The Pleasures of Tea, and like the raffle post on Monday, December 11th by the deadline at 7:00 PM on Tuesday, December 19th. If you do not utilize Facebook, then please reply to this email mentioning the raffle and be sure to include your name. The winners will be announced on our Facebook page on Thursday, December 21st and in January's newsletter.



Good luck!!

Do you or someone you know need a personal health detective to address chronic wellness issues that can't seem to be resolved? If you haven't tried the FDN approach, then you haven't tried everything.

As a Certified Functional Diagnostic Nutrition (FDN) Practitioner, I help clients get to the root of their health and wellness issues and reclaim the vitality that they very much deserve. I offer fully customized, programs that are unique to each client and that incorporate holistic protocols addressing body, mind, spirit and senses. This is an extension of my work in tea and herbalism for the past fifteen years, but I will now be able to help those of you who need it at a much deeper and personalized level than I can offer in the shop. In addition to the new tools in my toolbox, I will continue to draw from my experience in using tea for health, along with my herbalism training, during the development of the comprehensive protocols that will be specific to the bio-individualized needs of each client. I will educate and empower you to make the choices that are best for YOUR health so that you can be your own health advocate moving forward. I look forward to showing you what I can do to help you achieve your wellness goals and enjoy continued vitality well into the future!

To learn more, please visit https://vitalityholisticwellness.net. If you are ready to make the investment in your wellness, then I would be happy to discuss the potential opportunity with you. You may book a complimentary discovery call directly through the website so I can learn about your issues and you can learn more about how I work and how my approach is different from the conventional medicine and/or alternative approaches that you have already experienced. I also have an email address specific for Vitality Holistic Wellness business and I ask that all inquiries regarding these services be directed to kristine@vitalityholisticwellness.net.

The website also shares My Why - the reasons why I am so passionate about this approach to health and wellness. This is a very personal experience for me and I share my 32-year journey toward finding health and wellness and dealing with autoimmunity and a compromised immune system, among many other issues that you or someone you know may also be experiencing. I hear from so many of you about your own chronic wellness issues and I share my story as a way to connect and open the door and show that there is hope…even after 32 years! If you would like to read my health story, please click here. It is long, so make sure you have a big mug of tea :)

I also email out a newsletter with health and wellness tips that do not fit within the scope of this newsletter. If you are interested in receiving the Vitality Newsletter, then feel free to sign up while you're at the website!

New at the Shop

Holiday teas, holiday tea samplers, and goodies are available in the shop and online shop! We're a little behind in assembling the holiday mug sets, but are working on them in time for this weekend. Your returning favorites include: Christmas Blend Black Tea, Chocolate Peppermint Black Tea, White Chocolate Peppermint White Tea, Rooibos Christmas Cookie Herbal Tisane, Rooibos Orange Gingerbread Herbal Tisane, Candied Pomegranate Herbal Tisane, and Holiday Punch Fruit Tisane. New this year for all of you looking for a caffeine-free option to our most popular holiday blends is Rooibos Chocolate Peppermint Herbal Tisane!

Gingerbread and White Chocolate Peppermint macarons are also now available, along with lots of other delicious flavors :)

And don't forget that our autumn blends are also great for the holidays! Apple Molasses Black Tea, Gingered Vanilla Toddy Black Tea, Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Black Tea, Pumpkin Pie Black Tea, Roasted Chestnut Black & Green Tea with Yerba Maté Blend, Maple Walnut Green Tea, Rooibos Maple Walnut Herbal Tisane, Rooibos Pumpkin Crème Herbal Tisane, and Rooibos Pumpkin Spice Herbal Tisane.

And looking for a tasty stocking stuffer? We got you covered! We are fully restocked on Chocolate-Covered Fruits from Spain and all 8 delicious flavors of Effie's Biscuits! These not-too-sweet shortbread-like biscuits make a perfect accompaniment to your tea or holiday table. Scone mixes and Double Devon Cream are also great for your holiday gatherings :)

Infuse Tea Bar & The Pleasures of Tea

106 Main Street

West Sayville, NY 11796

www.infuseteabarny.com - shop

www.pleasuresoftea.com - online shop

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500+ Loose Leaf Teas, Herbal Tisanes & Functional/Medicinal Herbs

Certified - Tea Professional, Tea Sommelier & Tea Health Expert

Forever Student of the Art & Science of Herbalism

Certified Functional Diagnostic Nutrition Practitioner, MRC Certified Healthy Gut Practitioner & Certified Terrain Advocate - Vitality Holistic Wellness