I don't drink hot tea, but my MIL recently gave up coffee and has started drinking it - she likes the loose leaf kind - and I need to get her a birthday present quickly (her birthday is today, oops!). She is quite wealthy and doesn't need a thing in the world. I have given her so many books and consumable gifts over the years and I am just out of ideas. I was thinking I could get her some nice tea, or one of those tea of the month things. I am looking to spend around $50. But I know absolutely nothing about good tea! Someone please point me in the right direction and tell me what to buy her, and where to look.

Melsb, I know you like tea because I remember reading your post about spilling your tea all over your mom's car. What do you drink? What would you splurge on if you had $50 to spend on tea?

Well i am not Melsb but I have an ideal for ya.

Go to Starbucks and they can fix you up a basket with all kinds of tea and even a cup and you can even throw in a gift certificate!

That was not a proud moment of mine! That is why I can never lie -- it always comes back to bite me.

My mom bought me some stuff from the Grace Tea Company. It was loose leaf and I saved the tin. Grace Tea Company, Ltd: rare traditional loose teas

But it was good quality stuff!

My MIL got me a flowering tea set for Christmas. It comes with a pot and assorted teas that are hand sewn and when put in hot water, they blossom into flowers. It's really kind of neat to watch the tea blossom.

Here's a couple examples:

Numi Tea - Category - Flowering Tea Boxes
Bed Bath & Beyond Product
Bed Bath & Beyond Product

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Marcy
Proud wife of Tim, Mom to Sean (8/87), Ethan (10/98), Sam (9/02)
and angels Nathanial (8/6/97-8/8/97) and Benjamin (8/6/97-8/21/97)

Until they all come home......
Life is a Journey (follow my blog about my journey)

I am a tea drinker and a bit of a tea snob. I agree with the poster about the loose leaf tea. It's the best. See if there is a tea house around you where you can buy fresh loose leaf tea and you can get an assortment as well as some loose leaf tea accessories (tea strainers and such). You could get lots for $50.

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Thanks so much for the help ladies! Great suggestions. Now I can check her off my list for another year. I did find a local place (didn't even know it existed and wouldn't have even thought to look for one, honestly!) and I am going to go there while ds is in school tomorrow morning and pick out something. I am sure they can steer me in the right direction. I am a sucker for pretty packaging and since I don't know what any of it tastes like, I need somebody that likes it to tell me what is good and not just pretty. Those flowering ones look very neat!