Monday Feature: Stylish Chai

Setting the scene - fire roaring in the fireplace; tree twinkling and glistening under the soft glow of lights; stockings hanging, anticipating the joy of being filled; big, fluffy flakes of fresh, white snow float silently through the heavens, coating the world in pure, clean white; the aroma of freshly baked gingerbread, wafting through the house; your favourite Christmas movie playing on the TV; wearing your most comfortable clothes and snuggled next to your spouse, kids, animal, or best friend etc; holding a mug of hot chai tea, whose fragrance and spices tantalize the senses and warm you from the inside out with every sip. This is the setting of possibly the most perfect evening in my books. The sense of warmth inside your home, while the cold whips around outside.

Now let's get back to that glorious, hot beverage you're holding in the above scene. Enter Stylish Chai.
I first had the pleasure of discovering Stylish Chai this past summer, during the summer market season. As a tea lover in general, I enjoyed inhaling the different flavours and blends and couldn't wait to take some home to try. You can imagine my delight, as I am a HUGE fan of Rooibos tea, when I saw that Stylish Chai had a Vanilla Rooibos blend. Jazmyn Derdall spoiled me with a bag of this tea and I've been enjoying it ever since. It's absolutely divine. With the perfect balance of spices and vanilla, this tea doesn't need anything added to make it better. It's perfect just as it is. I'm looking forward to setting the above scene into place and sipping my delightful tea, courtesy of Stylish Chai.

Owner, creator and tea blender of Stylish Chai, is Jazmyn Derdall of Medicine Hat, Alberta.

Jazmyn and her husband, Troy, met about 12 years ago, in a little downtown cafe called "Marseille Cafe" that Jazmyn worked at for 3 years. Jazmyn recalls, "Troy would come in for coffee every day and we got to know each other. We began dating after my boss, a mutual friend, gave us a little push. Besides falling in love with my husband, I definitely found my love for chai tea and any and all coffee products, while working at the cafe. Troy and I were married 5 years later and we have now been married for 7 years."

Though Jazmyn and Troy now live in Medicine Hat, they were both Saskatchewan born and raised. Jazmyn moved to Medicine Hat from Swift Current, SK, when she was 19, to be a roommate for a friend who was going to college. Troy moved to Medicine Hat from Outlook, SK the next year, to take Visual Communications at the college. They both have called Medicine Hat home for almost 20 years.

Jazmyn and Troy have two very busy, young boys, that keep them active and entertained: Cohen who is 6 and Omri who is 4. "Last year, as Cohen was about to begin kindergarten, I realized my boys were growing up without me. Daycare had been taking all my salary and I was missing all those important milestones. We decided that I would leave my full time job and stay at home, to be with my boys. Now, with only one income coming in, we were struggling to make ends meet. Being at home for my boys everyday was so worth the challenges we had to face financially, but I was determined to find something I could do from home to help out."

After leaving the workforce, Jazmyn decided to go online and look for ways to make money from home. After doing a lot of research as to what "sells" and what doesn't sell, Jazmyn decided to combine her love of chai tea into a potentially money-making business. "Initially, I started a website to feature and sell other peoples products that I loved and respected, and make a percentage of profit from those sales. From the endless days and nights of researching everything chai, I had come to be quite knowledgeable in all chai and tea properties. My Sweet Pure Honey friend, Stella, said "Why don't you just make your own chai tea?" Could it be that easy?"

"My love of chai has always been present, as well as pretty much anything that warms me up and provides comfort. Needless to say, I have a large collection of blankets and hoodies as well. A hot water bottle in a cold bed is my best friend!"

Thus is was that this past Spring, Jazmyn decided to bite the bullet and go for it. "After I found a great tea supplier, I set out experimenting with blend after blend, until, according to my taste, they were perfect. With my husband as my only guinea pig (Troy has a great dislike for any chai tea), I wasn't sure if other people would like [my tea]. How would I know if I didn't get out there and see what the public thought." With this in mind, Jazmyn decided to become a vendor at the Medicine Hat Farmers Market. "My goal was to get my name out there and maybe, just maybe, I would get some sales. I had a great Summer, with great response to my teas."

Chai tea is traditionally called "Masala Chai" or "Spiced Tea" in its native India and South Asia. Chai is usually made from strong black tea, combined with milk, sugar and spices, however, not all chai tea is made the same. "There are so many combinations of spices that can be used. I wanted to keep it as natural and traditional as possible, with my own twist on a few blends. Our motto is, 'To provide natural, healthy products that warm your smile!'" This is so fitting as I do usually smile whilst sipping my tea from Stylish Chai. Mmmm, mmmm, mmmm :)

All of Stylish Chai's tea blends are hand packaged and made with full, loose tea leaves and hand ground spices. Each bag is hand stamped to give it that unique look.

"I've always had an artistic, creative eye, that seemed to somewhat diminish after having kids. This venture has helped me to rediscover that side of me again. To be able to help provide for my growing family and enjoy life, with a cup of tea along the way, can't be so bad." I find this can be a common occurrence among us women when we start our families. We can sometimes feel like there's nothing left for us but to be a mommy (which is fantastic, don't get me wrong). But it's so important to find something that YOU love to do, and take time to do it and not lose yourself in being a mom. Whether it's like Jazmyn, making her tea, or me and my writing. Find your niche and thus rediscover that element of life again where joy emanates from your very core.

Stylish Chai - Tea and Products specializes in 4 different chai blends:

Chai Black Tea
Chai Green Tea
Rooibos Chai Tea (natually decaffeinated)
Chocolate Energy Chai

Spiced tea blends:
Hibiscus Spice
Licorice Spice

Green tea blends:
Premium Green Tea
Mint Green Tea
Licorice Green Tea
Berry Green Tea
Candy Cane Tea (new for the holiday season, available until Dec 25/12)

Candy Cane Tea

Decaf blends:
Vanilla Rooibos

All tea is available in three sizes: 4oz, 6oz, and 8oz bags. Prices vary according to blend and size. Price range for tea is: $10 - $25 per bag.

Stylish Chai will do custom orders as well. "If you can think it up, we can blend it up. Just ask!!!"

Stylish Chai also sells something that I'm very curious to try out, Stylish Tub Tea. "These oversized tea bags are filled with herbs, flowers, Epsom salts, powdered milks, citrus peels and many other luxurious scents, to tantalize your senses when dropped into your bath. These natural products are activated by simply placing them under the running bath water. They make an excellent gift or a soothing treat for yourself."

There are ten different varieties of Stylish Tub Tea for all ailments:
-Comfort (soothes muscles and body aches)
-Relax and Revive (cooling and refreshing)
-Tension (to calm the mind and ease anxiety)
-Drowsy (promotes sleepiness)
-Cold and Flu (warms the skin, opens lungs)
-Soft Skin (soften, soothe & revitalize skin)
-Baby Blues (to soothe diaper rash & calm baby's mood)
-Mind and Focus (cool & refreshing)
-Bedtime (restful sleep & mood lifter)
-Chai (warm & relaxing)

Stylish Tub Tea is not currently on Stylish Chai's website yet. Please email for inquiries.
Tub Tea prices: 2 for $5 or 5 for $10

For further information on Stylish Chai teas, blends, etc, please visit Stylish Chai's website at www.stylishchai.com.

Please go to Stylish Chai's facebook page and "like" it here to stay updated on new teas, promos, and markets where you can find Jazmyn and Stylish Chai.

You can also follow Stylish Chai on twitter @stylishchai.

If you have any further questions, inquiries, or to make an order, please email Stylish Chai at stylishchai@gmail.com or phone: 1-403-504-1857

Stylish Chai will be at the Old Tyme Christmas Market, Thursday Dec 6th, 2012 from 4-9pm. Jazmyn is trying to do the occasional market (follow on facebook and twitter to stay updated) and will definitely be returning to the Summer Farmers Market, Summer 2013.

Now, until Dec. 25/12, buy any two bags of Stylish Chai or Stylish loose tea blends and receive another 4oz. bag of your choice FREE!!!

Stylish Chai will deliver orders, free of charge, within Medicine Hat on order over $30. A $5 delivery fee applies to all orders under $30. HOWEVER, if you are a Growing Green reader (you obviously are, because you're reading this right now! :) ), ALL deliveries in town are FREE! Just mention "Growing Green" and that you read about Stylish Chai on here, and there will be no delivery charge on your purchase.

Stylish Chai products are perfect for Christmas and you don't even need to leave your house! Can life get any better?

Enjoy your mug of hot chai and stay warm this season!

next weeks feature hint: silky, sweet and decadent.