PrimaTea and Gems of Nature Boutique--Some Serenity for All

Recently, Kat and I went on a child-free adventure. (Yay!) We knew that we had to get in some precious girl time before the kids are set free from school for break. We both love to learn new things--especially about improving our well-being. For our little adventure, we headed to PrimaTea and Gems of Nature Boutique in Wheeling. Neither of us has ever been to this hidden suburban gem, so we were excited to visit.

When we entered PrimaTea, we were graciously greeted by Nina and Rosa. They are sweetest women that you have ever met! They were busy preparing a tea tasting for us and allowed us to peruse their boutique while they put together their treats. As we looked around, we quickly noted that this boutique is much more than a tea shop and a gem store. In fact, the boutique offers so much, we will be discussing our discoveries in a couple of posts!
 

Here is a snapshot of the treasure trove we found:

A lot to look at! What girl wouldn't love this!

During the tea tasting, Nina introduced us to a range of teas. Her knowledge about tea is amazing. She gave us details about the origin of the tea, comparable teas, how it tastes, how to taste it, how to smell it, and more. PrimaTea has tea classes! Given Nina's knowledge, I am sure that the classes are very informative as well as enjoyable. (Check the schedule class options.) After the tea tasting, we delved into aromatherapy. We had noticed that Nina had quite a collection of herbal essences. Being moms in need of relaxation and sometimes repair (boo!), we had to ask about the essential oils. Nina was also very knowledgeable in this area and guided us to essences that may be useful for us.

Look at part of the tea setup that welcomed us:

Mel's take: I have driven by PrimaTea and Gems of Nature Boutique many times. The building itself is a cute building, tucked away--just north of Milwaukee and Dundee. The inside is light and airy with displays that inspire exploration. It is definitely a place that you can look around for awhile. Nina and Rosa made me feel like "one of the girls." Nina taught us a lot during our "tea time." I learned about each type of tea and how the tea leaves are processed. The tea tasting truly let me drift away from the rush of the day. If you are looking for a place that lets your relax while feeding your mind, this is it. Plus, you can reap health benefits from the tea. Win,win and win! Nina also has a wall dedicated to essential oils. With her guidance, we were able to choose some that were perfect for us.

This is made with pu-erh tea.

Kat's take: What impressed me was how knowledgeable Nina was about different types of teas.  As she conducted the tasting for Mel and me, Nina talked about the geographical origins of varied teas, pointed out the differences in taste, and how they are ideally brewed.  It was clear Nina had taken a number of classes on the subject of tea, and I learned a few new facts from our conversation with her. The setting itself was incredibly charming and laid back; it was a perfect setting to chat over tea with friends.

I also picked up a couple of aromatherapy samples - an immunity blend, and a sinus relief blend.  I have been applying them periodically via the roller ball (mostly around facial sinus areas and pulse points. I cannot swear my life-long chronic sinusitis is cured (as, indeed, it never will be).  However, inhaling the scents does provide some relief and it is a very welcome alternative therapy to the prescription meds doctors usually dole out.


PrimaTea and Gems of Nature Boutique is located at 231 N. Milwaukee Ave in Wheeling, IL. Their hours are M 4:00PM-8:00PM, T-Sat 10:00AM-5:00PM, and closed on Sunday. Nina has great online stores set up for both PrimaTea and Gems of Nature Boutique, so take a look! Don't forget to check out the tea classes!

**Disclosure: We did receive a complimentary tea tasting in order to conduct an accurate review. We did not receive any other compensation. All opinions are 100% our own.