Cozy Brews and Winter Wellness: Tea Picks and Self-Care for January 2025

Happy 2025! The holiday season has come to an end and we are all feeling the cold winter weather that has settled in. I see a lot of folks, usually the day after Christmas, dive into gardening and planning. Antsy to plant seeds and for warm weather. I’m never ready for that. Maybe it is the general busy-ness that comes with the years end, but I like the slow(er) time between the holidays and spring. Time to rest and vision. Staying cozy, making soup, reading tons of books. It is nice to rest and reflect. To feed the birds and critters in the woods, make sure the crows and chickadees have fresh water. Simple acts. It is such a rare thing to have a slower pace of life these days. I find it necessary to recharge and be rested for the busy months of spring and summer. I hope that you all find solace this winter and enjoy whatever brings you joy and rest. Even if it is heading to a tropical climate to avoid the cold.

As many of you know, the coop has a huge selection of teas, in bulk herbs as well as grocery. I thought I would share a few of my top picks:

We are also expecting some Mountain Rose Herbs tea tins. They have some lovely blends that are mostly herb based, for those of you wanting a non caffeine option. I love Mountain Roses’ quality and sustainability efforts and am excited to include them in our tea line up. Whether you love green teas, rooibos, herbal or all of them….try a new tea (or five) this winter. The ritual of tea is such a lovely way to warm and nourish during the cold weather.

We are excited for some new products coming in for the new year! As many of you know, so many companies are being bought by large corporations or just closing up shop. It has been a challenge over the last decade to source quality products not owned by the behemoths. I always mourn when a small business closes. Luckily, we have tried to replace these lines with local, organic, and women owned companies when possible. A new herb line that we have in house is Heilbron out of Marshall. Her line up of herbal tinctures includes:

Big Hug- includes mimosa and motherwort for grounding emotional support

Brain Wave- a blend containing ginkgo and jiogulan for focus and clarity

Resilence- “fortitude for stressful times” including tulsi and ashwagandha

Digestive Bitters- with burdock and dandelion for healthy digestion

Sadly, we just found that John Masters Hair care is no longer. They were one of the only salon quality hair and skin care lines that were organic. The past few years have been hard on natural hair care. We lost the long term health food staple brand, Nature’s Gate. Several other lines went mainstream or also folded. I am working on bringing in a few new lines including a Georgia based line- Kerotin. Their line includes collagen based shampoos and conditioners, Hair growth vitamins, and volumizers. Another hair care line that is on the way is Under Luna, a California based hair care line that is super clean and in glass pump jars. Keep an eye out for that. I have expanded Sow the Magic’s line, a local (Fairview based) line of bath luxuries. They have a wonderful selection of fun products geared towards valentines day, including heart shaped bath clay pops and a rose quartz elixir. These are great gift ideas for not only your sweetheart, but for yourself. Winter luxury baths are so soothing this time of year. Winter time skin care is so important. Our skin can really show the effects of cold, harsh winds and drying heat sources.

Evan Healy’s Sanctuary Butter- one of my favorites mixed with a good serum (pomegranate elixir, blue cactus serum, or a great oil like sea buckthorn or argan oil)

Weleda’s Skin Food- In regular or light, a wonderfully nourishing cream for face and body. This one is good to keep in your purse for dry hands or face.

Whipped Shea Butter

1 cup raw shea butter

3-4 Tbsp oil of choice (I love sea buckthorn, argan, chamomile infused olive oil, or st. johns wort oil)

4-7 drops essential oil (frankincense, blue chamomile, rose, sandalwood)

In a stand mixer, or with a hand mixer, begin whipping the shea butter until light and fluffy. Slowly add your oil of choice until you get the consistency that you like and add in essential oils. You can also add vitamin e oil if you would like.

Anima mundi new releases-

Root Revival Hair Oil with Nettle, vetiver, and rosemary. A wonderful scalp elixir to support hair growth

Moringa Oil

Immortelle Face Cream

Aqua De La Madre- a special collaboration with Anima Mundi and Rising Appalachia. It is a tribute to wild lands and sacred waters. A love letter to land, water, and the enduring spirit of community. A portion of proceeds go to the Appalachian Herb Collective to support communities impacted by Helene.

Maggie’s Organic Socks are back for the cold weather. Both cotton and wool.

I hope you all keep warm and safe this winter, with a storm on the horizon, I am wishing you endless cups of tea, warm slippers, and a good book or two.

Happy winter,

Melissa