I recently hosted an afternoon tea party featuring some of the new Lipton tea flavors. I selected my special guests because of their great taste in tea. I know first hand how much they love Lipton tea and I knew they would enjoy the new flavors if they tried them. I was right. I love being right. I served Lipton’s improved black tea iced, and the herbal varieties (real ingredients) and improved green tea, I served hot. That’s not to say that you can’t serve your guest any of the tea iced or hot. They’re versatile like that.

I planned my guest list according to my tea party theme (Lipton) and I came up with a way for everyone to remember the delicious flavors long after my party ended. I made some lip/hand/foot balm using Lipton tea along with some other ingredients. These harsh winter months have been telling on everyone’s sensitive skin and I knew that male and females alike would be able to use the balm.

Lipton tea lip/hand/foot balm recipe and instructions: 💋

I ordered my must haves from Amazon as soon as I knew I would be hosting an afternoon tea party. I’m not a last minute planner and if you want to be an efficient party host, you won’t be either.

You will need:

Shea butter (1 lb)
2 Lipton tea bags (I used cinnamon apple)
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon (because of its ability to be a natural lip plumper)
Cosmetic containers with lids (I bought a box of 25)

Instructions:

Fill a pan about a third of the way with water. Cut up the shea butter. It doesn’t have to be even, it just has to fit in a mason jar. Add the cut up shea butter to your jar and place the jar in the water. Heat the water/jar on medium-high heat until it’s half melted. Add a couple of Lipton tea bags and melt it the rest of the way. When it’s melted, Add in the cinnamon and stir it really well. Add the melted mixture to the cosmetic containers and let them sit overnight. After sitting all night, they are ready to be put away until your party. Easy enough, right?

When I realized just how cold it was going to be on the day of my party, I planned to cook lunch before having my tea party. Being flexible with details is important as I’ve learned from experience. I knew a nice hot meal would warm everyone up before sampling all of the new Lipton tea flavors I planned to introduce them to. I wanted them to concentrate on their unique tea-drinking experience and not so much on the weather. I also knew from experience that all of my attendees love Italian food. Had I not known this, I would have planned a larger variety of dishes such as an American dish as well as an Italian dish. As it was, I served a vegetable lasagna, spaghetti with meatballs and garlic bread. I served Lipton iced tea as my beverage and I made some pastry/cool whip/berry bites to override the garlic. I kept it simple while providing a hot and tasty meal. It was the perfect choice for the season.

TIP: When serving Lipton iced tea, always provide sweet as well as unsweetened tea.

By the time lunch was over, everyone was warm, content and relaxed and that helped make my tea party a hit. Everyone is still raving about it and I’m already planning my next party.

Two years ago I decided to downsize due to health reasons. I’ve not let that stop me from entertaining like I always have. I’m a very social person and I love hosting parties. Sure, I have a lot less room to do it in but I’ve yet to hear any complaints from my guests and as long as they’re happy, I’m happy. If the weather had been pretty like I’d hoped, we’d of partied outdoors where I have a bit more room. It wasn’t. It was dreadful so I had to rearrange things indoors and being flexible helped things run along smoothly. I set up a beverage bar as well as a snack area. We truly enjoyed sampling all of the new black and herbal varieties and improved green teas. I had plenty of snacks to offer with the tea and we had an all out Lipton tea blast. Even the kids enjoyed the bold aromas and unique flavors. I provided everyone with a list of the new teas to take home with them and I made sure that I had the Lipton tea site available on my tablets and laptop for everyone to check out.

Tea Party Tips:

Set a budget. I had a set budget to work from and I made it work for my entire meal from extra tea glasses and cups to my meal, snacks, and even my lip/hand/foot balm. I was a few cents away but I did not allow myself to go over the budget. The whole point of setting a budget is to stick to it.

If you’re going to provide tea party favors, make them in advance. Don’t be stuck with a Pinterest fail on the day of your party.

Make a guest list. Don’t over invite but don’t under invite either. It’s flu season and three of my guests were under the weather so I asked them to stay home. Don’t be afraid to do that, if they are truly your friend, they’ll understand. No one should ever leave your tea party carrying germs with them. Also important is that everyone should feel comfortable with the guests you’ve invited. In other words, don’t use a party or gathering to try to mend fences. If one guest has issues with another guest, don’t invite them both. Just don’t.

Make out a menu. Know your guests food likes, dislikes and food allergies. Something to keep in mind is variety. I never fix just one dish. I provide at least two meal options and sometimes more depending on my guests.

Have a backup plan on the tea party location. If you’re planning to host your tea party in your garden, be prepared to set up indoors as well.

The most important tip I can give you is to have fun at your party. Take some tea time for yourself before your party and let all of your cares slip away. Concentrate only on providing a fun and relaxed party for everyone. If you’re having fun, chances are your guests are too.

I love Lipton tea, and it doesn’t matter how it’s served. I tend to lean more towards hot tea in the afternoon as a pick me up and prefer iced tea with my meals. I grew up on Lipton tea and I’ve passed that love along to my own kids. If you’d like to check out the full line-up of Lipton Green, Black and Herbal tea flavors, you’re only a click away. I think you’re really going to enjoy Lipton’s updated green teas. They have a light, fresh taste, bright clearer color and delightful aroma. And talk about uplifting. Don’t let winter blues get you down. You can turn any day into a great day with the new Lipton uplifting tea flavors which are available nationwide.

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.