Adagio Teas For The Most Discriminating Tea Lover

I want to tell you all a little something about my husband, Dwayne. He is the rough and rugged type who isn't afraid to work hard and get a little dirty. He also loves books, music and business. In recent years, he has become rather passionate about something we wouldn't have expected. He LOVES tea. He loves it to the point where he buys books on tea, researches them online, and drinks lots and lots of the good stuff every day. 

It isn't unusual for us to go out to a restaurant and he asks the server if they have hot tea. He believes in drinking hot tea after each meal to aid in digestion. Needless to say, he drinks quite a bit of hot tea. We were so lucky to get to try out Adagio Teas recently. They offer a wide variety of teas for every taste. Having Dwayne peruse the site was like sending a kid to a candy store. He was in heaven! 

It took him over an hour to place his order because he was overly excited about what to get. He took the smart route and ordered a variety of sample sizes which makes up to 10 cups of tea. This gave him the option of trying smaller batches so he could narrow down what his favorites are to order in a larger size next time. We actually recommend for anyone to do that as well. There's no need in buying a full size of a particular tea that you might not care for. 

We picked out a variety including chai, rooibos, green and Pu-ehr. He was very curious about the rooibios and honeybush, so he tried those first. He chose this small black tea pot and coordinating cups to steep the tea and make his actual tea drinking experience feel more authentic. I told you you loves his hot tea! 

One of his favorite tea tips is to add a small amount of local honey in the bottom of the tea pot before adding the hot water and tea. This way, the honey gets distributed into the tea so you don't have to add any after steeping. With some tea varieties, he doesn't bother with any sweetener at all. We actually reserve the tea leaves when he does not add sweetener after brewing, to add to his worm compost bin. 

The packaging is air tight and when you cut it open, you are hit with the distinct tea fragrance. I have to say, this isn't your ordinary supermarket tea. Those simply can not compare! Each packet of tea comes with brewing instructions on the package. You can adjust the amount according to your personal taste. So far with the ones he has tried, the suggested quantity and brewing times have been spot on. He has even experimented with mixing two types together to make a unique blend.

The taste of Adagio Teas is very robust and very true to what it supposed to taste like - pure and natural. You can tell that their tea comes from excellent crops by the quality you receive.

A few things that I really love about Adagio Teas is the amount of information they have listed with each variety of tea or tea accessory on their website. You can find out where they are sourced and read the reviews of verified buyers. This makes it very helpful when you need a little help selecting just the right tea. They sell most of their tea in loose, bulk packaging, but do offer tea bags/pyramids for those who prefer the convenience. My husband actually has a one cup tea ball so he can have his loose tea while at work. Again, we highly recommend starting off with some sample sizes to find which teas you like best. 

So far it looks like the green chai, decaf chai, rooibos, honeybush, and spearmint are the faves. You have to check out the Adagio Teas website because they carry practically every type of tea you would want. You can even design your own tea blends and containers. They have a lot of gift options, tea collections and brewing accessories. If you are a real tea lover looking for superior tea, you have to give Adagio Teas a try. Once you create your account and start making purchases, you can earn points toward gift certificates to use on the site. There's a dashboard where you can keep track of your orders, points, wishlists and more. They also have a tea of the month club and very affordable flat rate shipping of only $3.75 (you can qualify for FREE shipping on orders over $49).

Learn more about Adagio Teas on their website and stay connected on Facebook & Twitter for product updates and promotions.

Disclosure: I received a gift code to spend on products for review purposes and all opinions are my own as always. 

How to Choose Keywords for SEO (Guest Post)

We all know how important it is to use the right keywords for your website. Identifying the most relevant keywords and key phrases can be essential for the success of your website and therefore business, so it is something you should totally treat seriously. Before doing such a thing, it is advisable to know the SEO process well so that your results could be useful.

Step 1. Have a keyword list

Place yourself in the shoes of your target consumer. If you would like to reach your website, what kind of words would you choose to search on Google? Also keep in mind that many users do not use a proper sentence structure or grammar rules. The order of the words is not necessarily the right one, so be prepared for such exceptions too. Use brainstorming for finding the right keywords and write down anything that comes to your mind. For example, people are more likely to look up “seo Chicago in IL” than write “SEO companies offering service in IL”.

Step 2. Research other keywords

You can use special analytic programs or Google’s suggestions to find alternative keywords. Take the list you have in Excel and start looking up each keyword there. But don’t press enter! Let Google suggest you other words there and write down those too. For example, wordstream.com offers a free keyword research tool which you can use. Also keep an eye for the most popular search terms out there.

Step 3. Careful with the pitfalls

Pay attention to possible pitfalls! These are vanity keywords, most of them formed by one word, which are really generic and descriptive. If you have a political campaign, probably you shouldn’t invest in generic keywords such as “senator”, “politics” or “election”, since they are too broad to bring you useful visitors.

Step 4. Test the SEO keywords

Take the list you made with the useful keywords for your website and test them. Check out the terms that belong to your analytics and which have good test results on WordStream.com. Rank them and see which ones make it to the top of the list. The next step is to buy pay-per-click ads only on the search engines that bring most traffic to the website. Then all you have to do is to sit back and see how do these keywords perform.

Step 5. Do weekly reports

Every week you should do a report and see how your website is going. In this way you can track any changes, whether for good or bad, and you can prevent other future lows. Compare the results to the baseline you had in the beginning in order to see if the SEO tactics are successful.

Homeschool Updates Spring 2017

We are headed into our final two months of third grade with William and thankfully next week is Spring Break. We both desperately need the break. I now understand why school teachers used to act like they were about to blow their top at this time of year. I admit, I am burned out. Some days wear me out to the point of aggravation. I am SO ready to get our last day out of the way so that we can relax for a week. I make sure that I take a power nap in the afternoon if I start getting too crazy. It has come to a point to where William recognizes that I need a little breather.

Don't get me wrong, William is a great student when he's not being lazy or getting distracted. He is doing so well and is currently making all A's with a 96% overall average. Let me tell you though, those good grades don't come easy! We both work hard to make it happen. I am so thankful that I can pinpoint what he struggles with so that we can review for as long as it takes until he gets it. I am grateful I have the gift of patience, because some days are trying.

Some days are hard, but every day is worth it 📓📚📝 . . . . #homeschool #unschooling #life #workhardplayhard #school #learn #believe #family #stem #mathalete

A post shared by Shelly 🇬🇾👑 (@momfiles) on Mar 28, 2017 at 9:45am PDT

William has really been enjoying learning about different cultures in his current unit in Language Arts and seems to really love math. He sometimes stumbles while learning new skills, but once he understands it, he aces through the work. One of the things I love is when he learns something that his dad recently taught him, which is usually about money, spending, or making smart choices. He geeks out and tells me he can't wait to tell his dad what he learned in school that day.

He is enjoying his life as a homeschooler and never complains about being bored or lonely. That was one of my biggest fears, but thankfully he is like an old man who enjoys the most simple things. We break up the day with outdoor play or having lunch on the back patio. I think we are both going to enjoy Spring Break and hope to be back refreshed and ready to tackle the end of year testing and final assignments. I have noticed that my friends with kids in public school have been going nuts with all of the spring festivities and craziness that comes at this time of year. I can definitely say that I do not miss any of that!

Anyway, I wanted to share the latest regarding William's school progress. Have your kids had their Spring Break yet?

I've Finally Joined The Cool Kids With Online Shopping

For those of you who really know me, you more than likely think I'm old school. Yes, I claim that title proudly! I remember around 5 years ago when everyone bragged about getting all of their holiday shopping done online in about an hour. I was so not on board with that and appreciated being able to shop physically since I like to touch and feel things. Well, this year has been big for me.

I tried out ordering groceries online last December using Kroger Clicklist and it really changed my life. I realized that I was spending way too much every time I shopped and by ordering online, I have zero temptation for all of the extra things that would usually land in my cart. I do about two big grocery orders a month and try not to make too many trips in between. So far, I have seen a huge difference in my spending. You can get the details about Clicklist here.

The other thing I did was get Amazon Prime. I usually would use the husband's or daughter's accounts since they had the student discount for the membership. Well, they eventually graduated or decided they didn't want spend the money any more, so I broke down and got it. I have to say, it was the best thing I could have done. Now I can buy all of my fresh food from my local grocery store and get all of my pantry and household staples through Amazon Pantry. I am also obsessed with Prime shipping. Seriously, free and fast shipping is life!

I probably need to watch myself with Amazon though. I seem to find everything that I can't seem to live without. I guess that defeats the purpose with saving money, huh? I realized that most everything is done online these days and I finally accepted it. Of course there will always be things that I prefer to buy in person, so I still get to be hands-on. I do feel badly for stores that have to end up going out of business because of online shopping, but you have to roll with the times. Good thing we have been buying most of our garden supplies locally from the Mom & Pop shops as well as supporting local farmers and roadside vendors. We surely don't want small businesses to suffer.

What are your shopping habits like? Are you a big online shopper or do you stick to the old school, traditional in-store shopping?

The Fresh Market Grand Opening in Columbia, SC on April 26th

This is exciting news for Northeast Columbia residents ––

The Fresh Market invites the community to celebrate the grand opening of the specialty grocer’s second Columbia location on Wednesday, April 26. The new 24,000 square-foot store will be located at 10286 Two Notch Road and will be the grocer’s ninth store in the state of South Carolina and 179th store nationwide. The Fresh Market is pleased to bring approximately 80 new jobs to the Columbia area.

The Fresh Market’s grand opening activities will begin Wednesday, April 26 at 7:30 a.m. and run through Sunday, April 30 with chef demonstrations, in-store sampling, live entertainment, special deals and giveaways.

Beginning at 7:30 a.m. on Wednesday, April 26, guests can enjoy:

• Ribbon cutting with the Greater Columbia Chamber of Commerce
• FREE meal for four from The Fresh Market’s signature Little Big Meal program for the first 50 guests in line
• FREE reusable shopping bags first 1,000 guests
• Live entertainment featuring the Lonesome Ryde Bluegrass Band
• Chef demonstrations featuring crab cakes and Mama Mancini’s meatballs
• Grilling demonstrations featuring The Fresh Market’s gourmet beef burgers and a variety of sausages
• Food sampling throughout the store, including favorites from Stonewall Kitchen, Earth & Vine Provisions, World of Chia and Republic of Tea
• “Cracking of the Parmesan” and tasting, featuring a 75 pound wheel of Parmigiano Reggiano, which is known worldwide as the “King of Italian Cheeses”

At The Fresh Market’s new Columbia location, guests will discover a new look that stays true to the company’s roots in offering a curated selection of fresh, delicious food with friendly service – but re-imagines the neighborhood market as a weekly destination where guests can now find an increased selection of inspiring meal solutions, health-conscious items – and now, everyday grocery classics alongside the specialty grocer’s quality, signature items.

The Fresh Market has successfully launched this concept in three markets in its home state of North Carolina, in addition to a new location in Boca Raton earlier this year, and will continue rolling out refreshed stores across the country through 2018.

“The Fresh Market provides a unique grocery shopping experience featuring delicious fresh food in an inviting atmosphere. Every item in our store has been carefully curated, and we stock our shelves with a combination of produce from local farmers, specialty items found from around the world and everyday grocery essentials,” said Matt Carson, store manager. “We know from our existing presence in Columbia that this community has always offered a warm welcome to The Fresh Market, and we look forward to delivering extraordinary eating experiences to even more of our Columbia neighbors.”

Beginning April 26, the new Columbia location will offer guests more of what they love from The Fresh Market with a concentrated focus on several key areas:

Delicious, Fresh Food – Fresh is top priority, with a bountiful selection of seasonally fresh produce, and exceptional quality meat and seafood sourced from the best providers across the globe. The new location will provide a large variety of delectable offerings throughout the store, including produce sourced from local South Carolina farms such as blueberries from Cossaw Farms in St. Helena Island.  The Fresh Market is committed to bringing its guests extraordinary and effortlessly delicious ingredients every day.

Meal Solutions – A dedicated sampling station will offer guests the chance to taste flavors from across the store, including the weekly dish from the signature Little Big Meal program. Additionally, on-the-go guests can conveniently pick up that week’s featured ingredients at the station to easily serve a delicious meal at home.  Signage will also be located throughout the store to clearly designate departments, as well as inspire guests to explore new tastes.

Grocery Essentials – Expanded product offerings include an increased selection of grocery and household items. Guests will find over 800 everyday grocery essentials including baby and pet products to supplement the premium, gourmet and specialty items guests have come to love.

Health & Wellness – A comprehensive destination for health and wellness products, The Fresh Market now offers even more items to help guests live a healthy lifestyle with its new Mind & Body department – featuring a selection of over 2,000 vitamins, minerals and supplements, as well as an in-store specialist to answer guest questions and offer recommendations. In-store signage will guide those shopping with dietary restrictions or food allergies to a robust selection of health-conscious products across the store including several organic items, certified gluten-free items and certified non-GMO items.

The Fresh Market is also committed to the neighborhoods it calls home and has been proud to support local organizations within those communities. The new store will proudly partner with Harvest Hope Food Bank by providing regular food donations. In addition, The Fresh Market is a national partner of No Kid Hungry® to help raise funds and awareness for the organization, which is dedicated to ending childhood hunger in America by surrounding children with healthy food where they live, learn and play.