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Manual Coffee Brewing 101

September 29, 2014

manual coffee brewing methodsAbout a month before our big move from Nebraska to New Jersey, our hardworking Keurig machine sputtered and brewed its last cup of coffee. Although we both relied on the convenience of the Keurig for single servings of coffee throughout the day, JB and I chose not to replace it, as it would end up in storage only a few weeks later.

Instead, we pulled out the old-fashioned drip coffee maker and — blech! — reheated our refills in the microwave. Remembering that I used to use a simple pour-over coffee brewer to make individual servings of coffee in college, I went online to purchase a new one.

In addition to cheap plastic cones, however, I discovered an array of fancier manual coffee brewing methods. I’ve had French Press coffee before and seen the Chemex sold in stores, but other methods, like the Clever and Aeropress, were unfamiliar to me… READ MORE!

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6COMMENTS | Home

The best time of day to drink coffee

January 6, 2014

coffee in bedHow many cups of coffee have you already guzzled this freezing cold Monday morning? If you drank a cup as soon as you rolled out of bed for a jolt of energy on this first day back to work, you may have done yourself a disservice.

For most of us, the peak production of cortisol (the hormone that makes us feel alert and awake) happens three times a day: between 8-9am, 12-1pm, and 5:30-6:30pm. Consuming caffeine when our bodies are “naturally caffeinating” themselves actually diminishes caffeine’s energy-boosting effects and may build a tolerance of the stimulant, according to new research. Yikes!

So when is the best time of day to drink coffee? To reap the maximum benefits of caffeine, try to schedule your coffee breaks after your cortisol levels have dropped, which happens between 9:30-11:30am and 1:30-5:30pm.

However, a note for insomniacs: You may want to curb your caffeine intake after 2pm, says Dr. Michael Breus (aka “The Sleep Doctor”), to help you fall asleep at night.

PS – A new wave of eco-friendly Starbucks stores and how I take my coffee.

(via Forbes, photograph by Heather McCutcheon)

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13COMMENTS | Life

A little extra love on Valentine’s Day

February 14, 2013

may your cup runneth over with love - bunnyanddolly.comToday’s planned post got dropped from the agenda after Levi was sent home from school early yesterday. Apparently, he screamed and cried with his hands in his mouth for an entire hour, prompting his teacher to call me. She thought he was probably teething but didn’t want him to stay there feeling (and acting) miserable for the remaining two hours. I could’ve popped in to give him some Advil, but I was afraid he’d be even more upset seeing me come and go without taking him with me. So, my writing was postponed until later in the day, and an unhappy Levi and I spent the morning together.

My parents are flying into Omaha today to visit for the weekend. I’m so looking forward to the company. JB has been on a “business trip” this week, so I’ve been feeling extra exhausted and lonely. He’s even missing Valentine’s Day — boohoo! I suppose we’ll just have to celebrate Cupid’s holiday by going out for a romantic dinner over the weekend. Oh, darn!

Wishing you all a day of hugs, kisses and chocolate hearts!

xx

{Instagram photo via The Everygirl featuring West Elm mugs}

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0COMMENTS | Family

Tents are the New Teepees & Some Friday Links

November 30, 2012

I found this amazing patterned tent by clicking through Mari’s gift guide on Small for Big. (How she manages to find such amazing toys for babies, toddler and kids is beyond me. I wish I had her talent for discovering the best of the best!) I’ve declared my love for kid-sized teepees here and here, but I think that children’s tents may be my new obsession. Can’t you just see Levi hiding out in one with his beloved xylophone and some books?

I’m calling it right now: Tents are the new teepees.

Such Great Heights Wonder Tent

Here are a few things that captured my attention this week:

Baby’s First Food List (a free DIY printable!)

Any other “Downton Abbey” fans in the house? The creator, Julian Fellows, is working on something new for NBC!

Would you try a DIY gel manicure?

If you drink as many cups of coffee a day as I do, you should probably read this article. (via @honeysucklelife)

Plus, the Compendious Coffee Chart: How to make coffee 17 different ways. (via @simplepretty)

Slightly-kooky productivity habits that I’d actually consider trying.

Twelve things from movies that aren’t true in real life.

Congrats to Lexy on launching her new holiday series, Mission: Merry 2012!

I love this creative use of IKEA’s giant Christmas tree fabric.

A genius idea for storing bracelets

PS: In case you missed it, I had a very dramatic Thanksgiving, plus Levi’s newest milestone!

 

Have a happy weekend! (Oh my gosh, can you believe that tomorrow is December?!)

 

 

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0COMMENTS | Life

Fighting chronic mommy fatigue syndrome

October 18, 2012

Fitful Sleeping

At my annual exam last week, I complained to my doctor that I feel exhausted all the time. At least once or twice a week, while Levi is napping, I end up falling asleep on the couch when I should be writing, doing laundry or washing dishes. And just a couple of days prior to my appointment, I literally thought I was going to pass out from exhaustion while pushing Levi’s stroller through the mall in the middle of the afternoon.

(To fight my chronic fatigue, I’ve developed somewhat of a caffeine addiction and drink 24 oz of coffee on average every day. God bless my Keurig machine.)

Since I’m not necessarily lacking in sleep (I get about 7 hours of sleep each night), my doctor ordered blood work to check my vitamin D levels. Apparently, a growing number of women are suffering from low levels of vitamin D, and some research links a deficiency of vitamin D to chronic fatigue syndrome.

tired young woman on bed

Well, I’m not suffering from chronic fatigue syndrome, but my test results did indicate that I have a mild vitamin D deficiency. My doctor advised me to start taking over-the-counter Vitamin D-3 supplements that would hopefully alleviate some of my fatigue. I’ve been on them for a week, and while I don’t feel any additional pep in my step, I know a couple of people who’ve benefited from taking vitamin D supplements. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that they work for me, too.

I’m not a doctor, nor do I play one on this blog, so I’m not recommending that you should all buy bottles of vitamin D supplements if you’re sleepy. Any healthy adult would find it tiring to take care of a toddler all day long! But if you really struggle to stay awake during the day and feel like you’re constantly dragging, I would suggest you talk to your doctor about checking your vitamin D levels. You never know — you could have a problem that’s super easy to fix.

PS: Speaking of vitamins, did you hear that men may lower their risk of cancer by taking a daily multivitamin?

{sources: top image, bottom image}

 

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1COMMENTS | Family

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