I love Advent calendars. Sometimes I think counting down to Christmas is more fun than Christmas itself. So when I first saw the DavidsTea 24 Days of Tea Advent calendar two years ago, I knew I had to purchase it. I was not disappointed—it was a great way to try new teas and it is a cute decoration to display. I decided not to purchase the calendar last year (though the less expensive ones made of just tea bags were tempting), but as soon as I started Tea&Things I knew I would be getting one this year. Here I my thoughts on this year’s tea 24 Days of Tea.

The Teas

One thing that I really appreciate about this year’s Advent calendar is that it explicitly states there are two cups of tea for each day. Last time, I felt like many of the teas had more than enough for one cup but not quite enough for two. I do feel conflicted, however, on the packaging. I hate creating more waste with the plastic bags, especially when the tiny tins were perfect for reusing to hold herbs and spices in my small dorm kitchen. But I do appreciate that the bags have more information about the tea, such as how much caffeine is in them.

The flavors of tea included are listed on the website and the back of the box, but I have decided to break them down into four categories.

Tried & Loved

• Alpine Punch

• Candy Cane Crush

• Cream of Earl Grey

• Let it Snow

• Santa’s Secret

• Sleigh Ride (my brother’s all-time favorite)

• White Cranberry Bark

Tried & Don’t Remember

• Caramel Shortbread

• David’s Breakfast Blend

• Silk Dragon Jasmine

• Tulsi Tranquility

• Valerian Nights

Excited to Try

• Apple Cider

• Forever Frosty

• Gingerbread Blondie

• Green Passionfruit

• Maple Syrup Oolong

• Pomegrateful

• Satsuma Spice Cake

• Sunny C

• Sweet Tart

Not as Excited For

• Hot Chocolate- My family bought 2 ounces of this a few years ago, then decided they didn’t like it. I’m planning on trying it as a latte this year, so hopefully it tastes less like chocolate water and more like hot chocolate.

• S’mores Chai- I’m pretty sure I’m allergic to chai, especially from DavidsTea, so I’m probably going to skip this tea altogether.

• Super Ginger- I don’t really like the flavor of ginger, but I am willing to try this tea.

I will be sharing my thoughts about each day’s tea on the Tea&Things Instagram, so be sure to follow along there if you want to know how I like each one.

The Exclusive Offers

The website description says that the 24 Days of Tea comes with three exclusive offers. I’m pretty sure DavidsTea wants to keep them a surprise, but I’m ruining it so that you know if the calendar is worth it for you. The offers are

• $5 off with $25 purchase (valid in stores only, December 1-25, 2019)

• Free tea of the day (valid December 10-31, 2019)

• 20% off next loose leaf tea purchase (valid in stores and online, January 6-31, 2020, on 4 oz or more of tea from tea wall)

The Cost

The Advent calendar is $40. Personally, I think that 48 cups of tea and the three discounts are worth that much, but you might disagree (especially if you don’t like the teas). I will note that I thought every online order comes with three free samples, which would have made it more worthwhile, but it seems that DavidsTea no longer offers free samples.

Personally, I hate paying for shipping, but DavidsTea almost always has free shipping on orders over $50. I bought a 100 pack of tea filters for $10 to get up to that total (isn’t the holiday packaging so cute?).

Additionally, you may be able to save money if there is a sale or discount code available. I was also able to get cash back through the Rakuten browser plug in. You can even use my referral link for $10 cash back once you spend $25. This works at many different websites, but the Advent calendar meets the threshold. (I do receive $25 for each person who uses my link. You can also sign-up on your own, though niether of us will receive the bonus.) I also noticed after I placed my order that my credit card company was offering cash back at DavidsTea. So basically, there are ways to save money if you look around.

I hope this article helped you decided if you should purchase the DavidsTea 24 Days of Tea Advent calendar. But hurry, Advent starts soon and you don’t want to get behind on your tea. Remember to follow along on Instagram as I review the teas every day in December.