Quiet Time.

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Sometimes it feels like my schedule is just too much. Last week, I returned from San Francisco late late at 1am on Wednesday night and jumped into a busy day of meetings and conference calls on Thursday. The rest of the week was a blur: a birthday party that evening, dinner with a friend from out of town the next night which took a turn for the worst with a late night + a bit of personal drama Friday night. And then, I had another friend from out of town staying with me for the rest of the weekend which really just added up to one thing: a very tired Grace. We’ve talked about introversion and extroversion over here before and I’m definitely an introvert… maybe an ambivert. Being an introvert doesn’t mean you are shy necessarily (with my closest friends, I’m the life of the party), it simply means that you recharge your batteries by having alone time.. and at that point I hadn’t had alone time in a very long time.

When this happens, I call an emergency “introvert night.” (Or sometimes an “introvert day,” when things are really bad.) Basically this means a big mug of tea, a good book or whatever TV show I’m binge-watching, and (most importantly) turning off the phone for some much needed me time. And so Monday was my “introvert night,” and it was glorious.

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When it comes to tea, I’ve been drinking Sleepytime tea from Celestial Seasonings ever since I was really young and couldn’t sleep (I’ve always had a restless mind… even in high school, the to-do list making never stopped at bedtime) and still drink it today when I need a little extra help falling asleep.

Sometimes I think it’s just the flavor of the tea that makes me fall asleep… I’ve been drinking it for so long that I’m pretty sure the chamomile/spearmint flavor triggers something inside me that subconsciously makes me relax.

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Recently, Celestial Seasonings gave their brand a fun new look. The new packaging preserves many of the heritage elements for which they are known for (like the Sleepytime Bear, for example), updated with a more contemporary look and feel. The branding nerd in me always loves a good redesign, and I really like the new look + logo!

It’s also worth noting that all of the cartons are made with 100% recycled material and that the tea bag construction omits strings, staples and individual wrappers – saving 3.5 million pounds of material from landfills annually. (I was kinda shocked by that last stat… I recycle everything and always try to support socially conscious brands.)

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Photography by Lydia Hudgens.

Created in partnership with Celestial Seasonings.

Leave a Comment

Leave a Comment

21 Comments

  1. Natali:

    I’m a huge tea drinker and these are really good teas! 🙂

    http://lartoffashion.com

    8.20.15 Reply
  2. Michelle:

    Hi Grace! Where did you get that amazing blanket??

    8.20.15 Reply
    • graceatwood:

      hi! it’s from serena and lily. it’s a couple years old but this one looks similar. http://bit.ly/1PCnwf4

      8.20.15 Reply
  3. Shae:

    My boyfriend makes fun of me because I occasionally drink Sleepy Time Tea in the morning. I just love the taste! Cute post!

    Shae @ Current Habits

    8.20.15 Reply
  4. Sara:

    Where is that blanket from? It looks so cozy!!

    8.20.15 Reply
  5. Lindsay:

    Where is your blanket from? Looks so cozy!

    8.20.15 Reply
    • graceatwood:

      hi! it’s from serena and lily. it’s a couple years old but this one looks similar. http://bit.ly/1PCnwf4

      8.20.15 Reply
  6. Lynn-Holly Fisher Wielenga:

    I do that too! I am also an introvert and I love people, but I definitely need alone time to recharge. My introvert night was Tuesday. I like to curl up on the couch with a mug cranberry pomegranate green tea or a glass of wine. Bliss!

    8.20.15 Reply
  7. Bree:

    Sleepytime is my absolute favorite type of tea!

    xo Bree
    http://bree-west.com

    8.20.15 Reply
  8. Feast on the Cheap:

    Where can I snag that cozy throw?!

    8.20.15 Reply
  9. Cathleen:

    I switched from soda to tea a few months ago. Chamomile is great for relaxing. I’ll have to try this one. I’m glad to hear they reduced some waste.

    8.20.15 Reply
  10. Cy:

    Grace, you said it. As a concierge at the biggest hotel on the west coast my job is fun,but crazy! I have to have a “monk” day or night and be alone! I love sleep time too, really most of their teas. I would appreciate some advice . I’m starting a blog/ design business on the side and wondered. Should I do a do it yourself blog or hire someone to help? What’s your best advice for starting out? I love the mug you are using too. Where is it from? Thank you! Cy

    8.20.15 Reply
    • graceatwood:

      Hi Cy!
      I think you should start it on your own to make sure that you get it exactly how you like it. Then maybe hire someone to help!

      And the mug is from Scargo Pottery! My fave, on Cape Cod 🙂

      8.20.15 Reply
      • Cy:

        Thanks Grace, is there any particular web blog template that is easy for first timers? Also thanks for the mug info 🙂

        8.21.15 Reply
        • graceatwood:

          Hi Cy,

          I’m not really sure. I know they exist but wouldn’t know where to start. I’d look around the internet at your favorite blogs and scroll to the bottom of their sites — you will be able to see who designed their site (or if it’s a template.) I had a custom design from Victoria McGinley (and she doesn’t sell templates) and before that I worked with Cooperhouse. Both of those were expensive… but before that, I’d bought a template from Just Dandy but I don’t think she does blog work anymore! Good luck!

          PS – you can always feel free to email me at grace@thestripe.com for blog related advice… this conversation is getting a bit off-topic! 🙂

          8.21.15 Reply
    • Cy:

      Thank you Grace, that is all great advice. You are so sweet to help me. I really appreciate your thoughtful responses . Thanks again!

      8.22.15 Reply
  11. whitney:

    First of all, your hair looks amazing! Secondly I also love that brand, they have a really delicious Christmas or holiday flavour that comes out during the holidays. So good!

    8.20.15 Reply
  12. Ms. Peony and Grahams:

    I toured the Celestial Seasonings factory in Boulder. What a great company!

    As a fellow introvert I 100% agree on needing to take that quiet time for yourself. I actually started trying to simplify my life and a big part of that is setting myself up for success. For example, if I know I will be in all day meetings 3 days in a row, making sure I can have evening to myself to recharge. I have been trying some other techniques too to simplify life: http://www.peonyandgrahams.com/2015/08/the-simple-chic-life-principle.html

    8.23.15 Reply
  13. Aysha Ahuja:

    Lovely dear 🙂

    10.16.15 Reply