PrimaTea Tea Tastings: Time to Relax {and Learn}

Calm. Peace. Enjoyment. Enrichment. These are all things that we need in our lives. Life can be fast. Forgetting ourselves becomes easy. However, taking time for ourselves is essential--to experience things on our own or with friends, to grow and to relax. We are very lucky that we live in an area where there are places to get away from routines and to experience new things and have fun.

Several months ago, we introduced you to the treasure that is PrimaTea in Wheeling. What a place to explore? We could spend hours there, sipping tea and exploring gems and essential oils. Recently, we returned to expand our horizons through an Oolong Tea Class.

Tea culture is really beginning to bloom in the United States. It is wonderful to see  places to buy loose leaf tea popping up all over. However, there are so many types of tea that it is often difficult to navigate choosing a tea. This is where tea classes can really help. While it is fun to just pick and choose, it is also fun to go into discovering tea with a little bit of knowledge. Cue the most wonderful Nina and Rosa of PrimaTea!

Here is a little bit about our experience at PrimaTea:

Mel's Take: First of all, PrimaTea has a really pleasant set up. When you walk into the shop, you will be soothed by the pleasant decor. The shop is well lit, but not too bright. This soft lighting allows for relaxation and the ability to have an enjoyable time. Nina is a fountain of knowledge about tea (and oils and gems). She guided us through several different types of Oolong tea (yes, there are many) and explained each, including how each is produced.

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A Look Inside the Chicago Jewelry and Lapidary Art School

When Kat and I visited PrimaTea and Gems of Nature Boutique in December, we also learned about another treasure in the same adorable building--the Chicago Jewelry and Lapidary Art School. In addition to giving us a relaxing and educational tea tasting, Nina gave us a tour of the school. We could not believe that such a creative space was tucked away in Wheeling, IL.

Creating jewelry can be a way to get away from it all, exercise your creative muscle, and learn a new skill. In fact, Nina herself began working on jewelry in order to relax and develop a new skill. Look at some of the cool tools and equipment that you will get to work with:

The school has a very open design to let creativity flow freely about. The space was well lit and everything was neat and clean. I personally was surprised by the presentation of the school. I thought it would by covered with dust from working with stones. However, as you can see, everything was tidy and inviting:

There are all sorts of classes that you can sign up for---metalsmithing, gemstone carving, wire weaving, beading, chainmaille and more. The class sizes are small, so you get a lot of one-on-one help from instructors. Additionally, there are many, many options for classes--from one day workshops to 10-week classes. This school can provide you with a great escape while learning new schools. Or, maybe a class would be a great gift for someone in your life that loves working with tools. Just look at this wall of tools:

The Chicago Jewelry and Lapidary Art School has so much to offer. Check their website to see their offerings. There is also a special section with current promotions.

The Chicago Jewelry and Lapidary Art School is located at 231 N. Milwaukee Ave in Wheeling, IL.

**Disclosure: We did receive a complimentary tea tasting in order to conduct an accurate review. We did not receive any other compensation. All opinions are 100% our own.

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PrimaTea and Gems of Nature Boutique--Some Serenity for All

Recently, Kat and I went on a child-free adventure. (Yay!) We knew that we had to get in some precious girl time before the kids are set free from school for break. We both love to learn new things--especially about improving our well-being. For our little adventure, we headed to PrimaTea and Gems of Nature Boutique in Wheeling. Neither of us has ever been to this hidden suburban gem, so we were excited to visit.

When we entered PrimaTea, we were graciously greeted by Nina and Rosa. They are sweetest women that you have ever met! They were busy preparing a tea tasting for us and allowed us to peruse their boutique while they put together their treats. As we looked around, we quickly noted that this boutique is much more than a tea shop and a gem store. In fact, the boutique offers so much, we will be discussing our discoveries in a couple of posts!
 

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