Mrs. Muir’s House ~ Teas and Treasures owner Chris Wingren recently took a trip to Birmingham, England to the Spring Fair Gift Show to see what treasures she could bring back to her Port Gamble shop. The Spring Fair Gift show is the largest of its kind in the UK where Wingren found unique suppliers that catered to shops in England. “I wanted to go beyond finding knick-knacks and bring back some of the flavor and culture of England to my shop” Wingren stated. Some of her finds were Harry Potter items that you can’t find in the U.S., which includes amazing reproductions of movie props. She expects to have them in stock in late spring. If you are a fan of Harry Potter, make a stop in the Harry Potter room and feel the magic. Perhaps one of her favorite finds were DIY Tea Party in a box sets. These sets are affordable, look like vintage tea ware, are very colorful, and the best part is they are made of paper. These sets will be perfect to take out for a picnic and are lightweight for hikers who want to have tea in a beautiful natural setting. Wingren is planning on attending the gift shows in Ireland and Scotland next year in search of more treasures.
With the “treasure hunting” mostly done for the year, Wingren is focusing on her amazing tea lines as well. She is currently releasing a line of six new teas she is calling “Mediteations.” “These new teas will look pretty, taste amazing, and will be healthy for you. Tea is like aromatherapy that you can drink and that’s the direction we are going with the new line,” Chris said. One example I viewed was the Phoenix Chai, which is all herbal and includes turmeric root. It was very colorful and smelled amazing. “I’m working on these products to give yourself emotional soul-food in just 5 minutes.” Wingren is set to launch a Podcast soon called Chakra – Khan where she and a coworker will be talking about teas, health and well-being, and how the two can mix. “With the new line of Mediteations and the podcast, we are hoping to give people not only food for thought, but tools to help in their everyday life. We are hoping to help people make time each day to relax with a tea and in a sense, change their energy from stressed to a positive outlook, and it could be as simple as 5 minutes a day,” Wingren said. As we spoke about this concept she is calling “Mindful Commuting,” I found myself realizing that anyone can do this. Making time when you first wake up or maybe when you’re stuck in traffic, we can all find a few minutes to reset our energy.
Follow her website at www.mrsmuirshouse.com for the podcast times and see the amazing dining menu. Mrs. Muir’s House also provides “Deluxe Tea Service” by reservation only that includes everything you want in a traditional tea service, which is great for date night or a birthday party. Stop by and meet Wingren and her wonderful staff, open daily, and get your emotional soul-food right here in Port Gamble.
Colonial Day April 28
Hop in your time machine on April 28 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and spend a Colonial Day with the colonial Columbia Fife & Drum Corps and the re-enactors of the Northwest Colonial Festival for a day of “All Things Colonial.” See the sights and sounds of a militia encampment from 1775 and hear the stirring sounds of 18th century fife and drum. The camp will be located on Forest Ridge (the grassy field behind Butcher & Baker Provisions).
