The Cozy Gathering Apothecary

Exciting News!

Ok tea drinkers!!! Now it’s your turn!! ☕️🫖

The Cozy Gathering Tea is available at Hilltop Farms!
The Cozy Gathering Teas are hand-crafted teas containing herbs that promote overall health and wellness.

Check out their website https://thecozygathering.com/

12 days?! Not around here…

Brutal 😱😱

Our Relax, girl iced tea has it all for a perfect summer drink. Hibiscus adds a floral fruity flavor while the lemongrass and peppermint add a ka-pow of refreshing crispness! When you add fresh peach when you brew it… it’s next level perfection.

You can order Relax, Girl in pitcher size bagged teas! Great for making sun tea!

Www.thecozygathering.com

What do you like in your iced tea?

Our Relax, Girl is the essence of summer. Fruity & not too sweet. Adding fresh peach… *chefs kisses*

We are excited to announce our new Iced Tea packaging specifically for pitchers! Perfect for summer get togethers or a moment of solitude in the backyard. Whichever you prefer, we’ve got you covered!

www.thecozygathering.com

Come see us on Mother’s Day for the perfect after-brunch shopping trip!

We’ll be a vendor at a wonderful Mother’s Day event at the Cardinal Hollow Winery from 12-5, making it the perfect shopping stroll for mom!

The first 50 moms to arrive get an amazing swag bag that include a free tea & chocolate from yours truly!

www.thecozygathering.com

Come join us at our first vendor event of the year!

Cardinal Hollow Winery is hosting a Mother’s Day vendors event on May 12th from 12-4.

We will be serving up our handmade herbal teas and raw chocolates made special for mom!

Vendors and wine! What more can you ask for?!

https://www.facebook.com/share/yQk6Pv3WwsfgkUE6/?mibextid=9l3rBW

We have gotten such an amazing turn out for our virtual Cozy Book Club! Thank you all that have joined us 💖. Inside the book club, we vote on 1 book per month and meet virtually at the end of every month to discuss.

We talk about all things books and reading across the board. If you love to read, this is the place for you. There are authors who have joined us as well! So much to look forward to!

In the near future, we’ll be creating very special tea & chocolate flavors and blends exclusively for book club members. There may even be some exclusive merch in store!

Join us here: https://www.facebook.com/share/2t27p1SEfRJaT1Hf/?mibextid=K35XfP

www.thecozygathering.com

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Has anyone started The Lost Bookshop? I can’t put it down! Loving these characters so far and can’t wait to see how they intertwine. What do you think?

Looking for that special something to gift to your avid reader? Tea lover? Chocolate expert? We have just the Cozy Box for you.

Our Cozy Boxes are 💯% customizable! You choose your teas, your flavors of chocolate, your cozy gift, AND your cozy crocheted item!

To see a full list of your options, please visit: www.thecozygathering.com

In honor of St. Patrick’s Day and my Irish namesake, I read two really fantastic books that focused on the dynamics of Irish families by the same author:

The Connellys of County Down by Tracey Lange
We Are the Brennans by Tracey Lange

The Connelly’s and the Brennan’s aren’t so different. Family secrets run deep and threaten to destroy both families. In my experience, secrets, stubbornness, and pride are pretty embedded in Irish Family culture. But also, love, loyalty, and passion. Combined they make for some tumultuous family relationships and these two stories paint that picture vividly. The characters are well developed and relatable. Strong parent figures that for better or worse impact who the children become. Relationships that are complicated and tangled show how all of these things can impact our trajectory.

Tara is the primary character in The Connellys of County Down - from her release from prison to her redemption at the end of the story you are in for some unexpected twists and turns. Moments that will make you chuckle and moments that will break your heart. But ultimately, you see that she isn’t alone in her struggles…her siblings each have their own struggles, even her sister who seemed to have it all together to those looking in.

Sunday is the story lead in We Are the Brennans - the story centers around her struggles and her hidden secret of just why she fled her tight knit family years ago. When she is forced to come home, the story takes you through the many facets of what made this family tic, how such a close group of siblings can fall so far apart. This story also reminds us of the secrets that others are keeping, the burdens they are carrying, and the peace that can come from unloading the past you can’t escape.

Two great stories that I highly recommend! So, grab some tea and your book and let me know what you think. Need to borrow the book - let me know! Has anyone read either or both of these?

To join our book club, click the link below:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/278292675312277/?ref=share_group_link

www.thecozygathering.com

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COZY BOOK NEWS!

In the realm of doing new things, we're starting the Virtual Cozy Book Club!

Are you interested in reading with a group of friends? Come join us, read along with us, and get the conversation started! Start by signing up and sharing our invitation with friends. We’ll gather virtually once a month, grab our favorite tea and chocolate, and discuss what we thought of the book. For the first 10 members we’ll be sending you out a special treat! And then, monthly, we will send a few lucky members something to enjoy with our new book.

Next week we'll vote on our first book!

Please click the link below to join our closed group.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/278292675312277/?ref=share_group_link

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Stephanie Land - Maid

So, from beginning to end I loved this story. It is gritty, sarcastic, and heart wrenching. The storytelling puts you right there as a guest on some of her worst days - you feel it like you are living it live action. It is eye opening in a new way to the struggles that are so real in our country, how we have a system in place that was intended to help those struggling, but is so mired in nonsense that what it really does is hold people back from moving up. It opens your eyes and makes you really think about how you look at those dealing with the system...take a good hard look at your perceptions. You just can’t get through this book without questioning just how broken our government assistance programs are.

A few thoughts that came to me as I read this:

1) Stephanie very clearly was wired to be a good parent - and to me good parent doesn’t always mean you get it all right, it means you get up everyday with the intention of trying to do your best for another human that depends on you. That you show them over and over, that you WILL show up for them, that you are human and you may make mistakes, but you will learn from them and get better and keep trying. This thought was a theme for the book - with each decision she made, even when it did not go right, she always was thinking of the life she was making for her and Mia.

2) “The pain doesn’t like to be ignored. It needed to be loved.” These lines in the book show how despite everything she understood that you needed to feel “it”. You can’t push it down, ignore it, hope it will dissolve. For me it resonated in a way, that maybe it shows the key to how some can make it through the worst situations. Maybe the strongest people are those that feel all of the feelings.

So, I’ll end by answering my own questions from last week’s post:

This was the first book I read AFTER I watched the show.

I liked both, I think I heard her “voice” better in the book, but there were definitely some moments in the show that weren’t in the book that really grabbed a hold of me and stayed with me.

And, I’m more reader than watcher…I’ve got a great imagination, and what I see in my mind is typically better than what I see on any screen.

What do you think? Did you read the book? Did you watch the show? Let us know in the comments below.

www.thecozygathering.com

New moon means new things for The Cozy Gathering….

This year we will be trying new things to inform our business. With that in mind, we’ll be taking a new approach to our Social Media posts. Each Tuesday we will share with you a product summary - details of how it is packaged and sold.

We may ask for some feedback - please take a moment to read, respond, and share with your friends. This is going to help us become the best small business we can be.

Then on Thursday join us as we talk about our latest book…share your thoughts and join the conversation! Got any great ideas for what Karin should read, let us know below! Got any favorite flavors you’d like to see in our chocolates, let us know below! How about a favorite herbal tea you’d like to see us sell, you’ve got it, let us know below!

Join the conversation - help us build The Cozy Gathering!

https://thecozygathering.com/

Next up is Maid by Stephanie Land

“Hard work, low pay, and a mother's will to survive.”

Admittedly, I watched the series first and then read the sequel Class before reading this. Both were amazing, eye-opening, and touching…can't wait to share my journey reading Maid with our cozy followers.

What books have you read after watching the tv/film adaptation?

Which was better?

Do you prefer watching a movie or reading the book?

Let us know in the comments!

www.thecozygathering.com

Evie Woods - The Lost Bookshop - final thoughts

This book will be added to my favorites collection! It took me on a journey and I feel like I made some new friends along the way! I’m guilty of reading fast, so sometimes I get to the end and realize I think I missed some Easter eggs along the way...that was the case with The Lost Bookshop so I will definitely be reading this one again, a little slower.

As promised, no spoilers, just be prepared for some twists and turns! Really, what could be better - a bookstore, some magic, and a little Brontë sisters mystery! I come away with the following thought:

Everyone is searching for something. Something to make them whole, something to make them feel seen, something to make them feel as if they’ve found their story and are living the life meant for them. At times, we all feel a little lost in our stories, while we are searching for ourselves, but ultimately lost can be our place to grow, to find our strength, to learn who we really are and what we are capable of.

A final quote:

“Lost is not a hopeless place to be. It is a place of patience, of waiting. Lost does not mean gone forever. Lost is a bridge between worlds, where the pain of our past can be transformed into power. You have always held the key to this special place, but now you are ready to unlock the door.”

Check back next Friday to see what Karin’s reading next! Any Cozy readers looking to borrow The Lost Bookshop, let us know! Or order your own and let us know what you thought!

Evie Gaughan - thank you for an amazing book, I’ve already pre-ordered The Story Collector!

www.thecozygathering.com

We are The Cozy Gathering & we handcraft herbal teas & raw chocolates that encourage you to take that peaceful moment for yourself. Sip your favorite herbal tea while reading your favorite book, and of course treating yourself to some decedent chocolate.

Our teas and chocolates also promote health & wellness in the body. Every tea is not only delicious but crafted to contain powerful health benefits. Every chocolate is raw so that it maintains its superfood status. Guilt free sip and treat. What could be better?

To order or for more information, visit our website: www.thecozygathering.com

What’s Karin reading now?

Evie Woods - The Lost Bookshop

I was hooked from the prologue! Mystery and magic combine and we are introduced first to Martha in the Prologue and then to Opaline, Henry and Madame Bowden. The characters are instantly likable and relatable. From the beginning, I am getting the sense that each is trying to become the very person they were always meant to be despite the obstacles that life has placed before them. Madame Bowden might be my favorite - her wit, her wisdom, and matter of fact attitude is fantastic. The story is giving me Charles de Lint vibes, effortlessly weaving the magical parts of the story into reality so much so that you believe anything is possible. Please join me as I read and I will do my best to avoid spoilers! Pick up your copy, you will NOT be disappointed!

I’ll wrap up this week’s post with my opening questions and an early quote that, for obvious reasons, made me smile:
What is to become of Martha - will she find her strength, her power, and live the life she deserves?
What about Opaline - how does her story from so long ago weave into the stories of Henry and Opaline?
And sweet Henry - will he find his missing bookshop?
And don’t forget Madame Bowden, how exactly does she fit into the plot?
“A good story always begins with tea.” ~Martha

www.thecozygathering.com