#My mom's a roasting specialist

[chronicbeans]

My Favorite Quotes of my Mom Roasting my Fictional Crushes

Stanford Pines: "He looks like he could be the ex-husband of one of the Golden Girls."

Bill Cipher: "HE'S LITERALLY A TORTILLA CHIP."

Simon Petrikov: "You're standards are low if you're looking for someone as mentally ill as you."

Maison Talo: "How did you find someone who is some literally a house, a plant, and an old guy at the same time?"

[pettyshippen]

College Frat Boy James and English Foreign Student Sarah au.

“My names Jimmy but you can call me James if you prefer to stay proper.”

Because his house wasn’t burned down as a child, his parents are alive. Dads a fireman and moms a burn specialist.

Sarah: *Delivers the perfect roast* Mrs. Hiller: “Sorry Jimmy, but even I can’t treat that burn”

They’re happy that James picked a career path period.

“So what made you choose journalism, James?” “My parents tell me I ask too many questions. What about you?” “I like reporting and I like being in front of a camera telling people what’s happening.”

“So Sarah, ever been to a rager?” “A what?” “It’s a party at my frat. You should come. Meet more people.” “Sounds tempting but I have a research analysis on Benedict Arnold due in a week and it’s a lot more work than it sounds.”

Henris not even a student. He just showed up at the house one day and the guys took him in because he’s a party animal.

[nyghtingaele]

What's really weird about this (being ASD) is that my mom used to get so frustrated about me not being able to remember instructions or couldn't Find The Thing (eg. The correct pot in the pantry for special roast nights or whatever).

When she encouraged me to get diagnosed and the specialist couldn't narrow down anything OTHER than autism, she asked me how I felt.

Years later when talking about the malfunctioning dysfunction in the autistic brain, mom said she "knew something was off" and "now she gets it"

I asked her what she thought about now that she knows why my brain didn't seem to click with certain things.

Her response: "We both had a lot to learn."

What's with the "we"? It's like she imposed half the "Well here is the lesson, this is why your brain doesn't work properly, you see why you are so slow" AT me, rather than WITH me.

That comment has always stuck with me. No apology for the times she yelled at me, no expressing sympathy for how frustrated and confused I felt at her anger.

I didn't learn anything from the times where she asked me to Find The Thing, except that my brain just wouldn't register it, and she'd get pissed. That's not...learning anything. That's being reactive and feeling like your brain is messed up.

Having lived undiagnosed until adulthood is such a strange experience, because you have people so close to you having hurt you in the most insidious ways because they "knew best" and needed you to "change and wake up" until they realized they were just harming you and there is this thing that happens when you grow to realize you had all the right to be angry at them and you need to vent your rage for their mistakes but now they are grown to reject and change their ways towards you and there is this unconfortable momentum where you can't let it out to them because they're not the same people anymore and you are both glad they finally understood and frustrated because you feel robbed from the chance to fight back.

I could have written this in my diary 💔

[thebachelordiaries]

Clare seeks HIMBO: ‘The Bachelorette’ cast first impressions

The Covid-19 pandemic has been rough for the entire world, but Bachelor Nation faced some dark days too. Going eight months without a single new episode from The Bachelor franchise is something I would really like to not relive.

Fortunately, those dark days are over. Clare’s season has me sucked back in. 

The quality of this image is atrocious.

Most of these men—presuming they followed CDC’s social distancing guidelines— haven’t seen a woman in months, are touch deprived, possibly unemployed and contemplating moving back to their hometown while stalking the housing market on Zillow. Everyone’s desperate. That makes for some pretty good TV.

This season features men ranging from ages 26 to 41. We’ve got a boy band manager, a grooming specialist, several men who look like they masturbate in front of full length mirrors and even more who probably want me to join their MLM pyramid scheme. 

I’ve never been more ready to roast a bunch of men who have nightmares about going bald. It’s all I’ve wanted to do since March.

Let’s go:

AJ, 28, Software sales

AJ is the kind of guy who writes “Looking for the Pam to my Jim <3″ on his Bumble profile. His bio is generic and probably not reflective of who he is as a person. If I were Clare I’d swipe left.

Ben, 29, Army ranger veteran

“Ben's favorite indulgence is an ice bath.“ Well then.

Alexa, play “Run” by AWOLNATION.

Bennett, 36, Wealth management consultant

Bennett’s profile is the biggest red flag I’ve ever seen. This man says he is the total package but hasn’t always been "this successful and good looking.” But wait, there’s more: “According to Bennett, his high school girlfriend is the only girl he's ever had to work for.“

Can someone tell me what NYC neighborhood he lives in so I can blacklist it?

Blake M1, 31, Male grooming specialist

Blake’s just another stereotypical “29th round draft pick who sat on the bench of the practice team before getting cut, but claims he left the sport due to an injury on his own accord.” 

Blake M2, 29, Wildlife manager

This Blake is an outdoorsy Canadian who seems pretty genuine and cool. Unfortunately, he has the face of someone who’d get sent home on night one. I hope I’m wrong.

Brandon, 28, Real Estate Agent

Just another boring hot person. Nothing to see here.

Brendan, 30, Commercial roofer

Brandan, not to be confused for Brandon, “loves some good true crime, working out and hanging out with his friends.” I can’t even make fun of this man. We have the exact same interests. 

Chasen, 31, IT account executive

The Winklevoss twins are actually triplets and Chasen is their long lost brother. But more seriously, have you ever seen someone who looks more like their name than this man?

Chris, 27, Landscape design salesman

“Chris hopes to find a woman who is sharp and witty but also easygoing.” Chris, sweetheart, have you met Clare? Easygoing...? There’s still time back out of this before it’s too late.

Dale, 31, Former pro football wide receiver

Dale aggressively screams “Bachelor material.” I’d say he’s auditioning for that role but Matt James already scooped it up. Better luck next year, Daley.

Demar, 26, Spin cycling instructor

Demar is a “very popular spin instructor in Scottsdale and says he can get on that bike and spin to any beat thrown his way.” Imagine how many trophy wives Demar has f*cked? 

Eazy, 29, Sports marketing agent

Eazy is very similar to Dale on paper. Except his name is Eazy so he automatically loses that battle.

Ed, 33, Health care salesman

“Ed is looking to find a woman who has natural beauty without looking overly fake.” Ed deserves to die alone.

Garin, 34, Professor of Journalism

Garin’s bio is giving me hubby material vibes. And maybe a little bit of a “gets eliminated on night one” vibe too.

Ivan, 28, Aeronautical Engineer

Ivan, what are you doing here? We’re in a recession. Please go back to your normal job before it’s too late. 

Jason, 31, Former pro football linemen

“He is a former NFL offensive lineman who, after suffering too many concussions on the field, decided to prioritize his health and change the direction of his life.” A big, brawny HIMBO with CTE? I feel like he’s Clare’s type.

Jay, 29, Fitness director

There are too many things about Jay that I dislike and I’m trying to keep this brief. Jay says “it's time to take a break from worrying about others and focus on himself instead.” I am willing to bet money that this man has never made a woman c*m.

Jeremy, 40, Banker

Jeremy is the oldest contestant ever to come on "The Bachelorette,” which may seem like a monuments accomplishment but he’s literally only one year older than Clare. 

He also “hates Instagram models, both male and female,” so he should have a lot of fun here.

Joe, 36, Anesthesiologist

Before I even saw his profession and location, I thought Joe looked like a doctor I’d find on a NYC dating app...and...uh...I probably did see him on there now that I think about it.

Anyway, this man has apparently been through seven stages of hell while on the front lines fighting Covid-19 in NYC so I definitely think he deserves to find love. Someone marry him please.

Jordan C, 26, Software account executive

I can already tell Jordan is going to get the “I’m young but mature” edit which means he’s probably not going to be good TV.

Too bad someone a tad younger (like Tayshia) wasn’t the Bachelorette. I feel like they’d make a cute couple.

Jordan M., 30, Cyber security engineer

I was going to say something mean but Jordan’s into cyber security and I don’t want my blog to be deactivated, so never mind. Cast photos are historically bad so I’m sure he looks much better in real life.

Kenny, 39, Boy band manager

I could go for the obvious drags regarding this man’s profession (or his sh*tty chest tattoo, or his suspiciously boyish face relative to his age), but I like to think I’m more clever than that. 

I’d like to take this time to talk about men, who are obviously difficult people, who rant and rave about how they want an “easygoing” woman. Look into the mirror, bud. No, not the one you use to jerk off to your reflection; the mirror that looks into your soul. Out of respect for the rest of humankind, have some self-awareness. Or maybe just see a therapist.

Mike, 38, Digital media advisor

Mike is seemingly a decent catch, but I can’t help but wonder why he’s still single or how he never (accidentally or on purpose) impregnated a woman in his 38 years of life. 

And now that I’m thinking about it, do any of these men have children? I have yet to see any mention of it in their bios. But there are eight men left to review, so there’s still time.

Page, 37, Chef

I spoke too soon. Page is a father! He also hates football! I’m a fan of this man. I was initially going to drag him for his name and say that Page is not a real name. PAIGE is a real name. PAGE is a piece of paper. I’m allowed to say this because we have the same name except mine is spelled the correct way. Based on my (mostly positive) review of his cast bio, I have decided not to hold his name against him.

Riley, 30, Long Island City

Riley, once married with children, would like to go on a family vacation that consists of touring every single MLB stadium in the country. If i were his wife, I would simply never give this man children.

Robby, 30, Insurance broker

No more Robbys on The Bachelorette. Society has evolved past its need for more Robbys.

This Robby described his dream woman as: “Incredibly athletic and able to throw back a few beers with him after a day of hiking. She has a sweet personality and won't mind that he spends his Sundays on the golf course.”

Someone please give this man a sex doll. He just wants a hole.

Tyler C., 27, Lawyer

“Tyler C. is a badass lawyer who says he is a businessman by day and a cowboy by night.” How does that make him a lawyer? Does this mean he’s into cosplay? I’m confused.

Tyler S., 36, Music manager

Tyler makes an honorable living off riding his brother’s dick success as a country singer. “He just LOVES his job!” Uh yeah, I would too if I had a low-show, high-paying job off the merits of nepotism. It’s the American dream.

Yosef, 30, Medical device salesman

Another dad! He’s totally going to pull the “girl dad” narrative. That saying is kind of sexist to me but the masses generally eat it up, so I’m fairly confident Yosef will get the "sweet guy” edit he’s looking for.

Zac C., 36, Addiction specialist

“He loves Philadelphia sports and dreams of sharing a Philly Cheesesteak with his future wife while watching the Eagles win a Super Bowl.” This man is so South Jersey it hurts. 

On a more serious note, I don’t think anyone in recent history has spoken openly about their personal struggle with addiction on this show, so I hope Zac gets a chance to tell his story. 

Zach J., 37, Cleaning service owner

Zach is seemingly obsessed with Clare already and hopes to introduce her to his mom as his fiancée. Since Zach watched Clare on Juan Pablo’s season, you’d think he’d know that Clare would first meet his mom during the final four hometown dates. Assuming he makes it that far. My prediction is that he won’t.

Final thoughts

After eight long months Bachelor Mondays are back!!!

Uhh....wait.

Actually, we now have the less-exciting Bachelor Tuesdays. Yeah, it definitely doesn’t have the same ring to it. But I’ll take anything at this point.

Here are my final predictions:

First impression rose: Dale. It just looks like he can turn on the bullsh*t charm

Final rose: Jason. Clare wants a HIMBO I just know it.

Bachelor: nobody (Matt James is The Bachelor)

Most likely to get engaged on Bachelor in Paradise: Blake M2

Most likely to get canceled online: Bennett

Most likely to get sent home night one but deserve better: Chris

Who are your favorite men cast on this season?

[carmintros]

@gushq​     /     ❛   ｡   ✩   ﾟ my eyes are probably playing tricks on me again, but is that really  alberto rosende? oh, wait, it’s just  cristian gustavo “gus” rodríguez. yes, that  twenty-six  year old  electronic engineering technician, who i am pretty sure is a  local. according to the talk of the town, he is incredibly  finicky & uninhibited, yet undeniably  conscientious & innovative. that is precisely why  perfectly soldered joints on a circuit board, button-down shirts with rolled up sleeves, late night lan parties with the boys, laminated datasheets scattered across a desk, a usb drive containing classic sci-fi & horror movies, & dark circles under tired eyes  remind me of them so much, but then again you know what they say about  virgos, we’ll see how that one turns out !   penned by maia  /  ast & she / her

introduction post .

ok so homeboy here has had it pretty good his entire life. his dad works relentlessly as a police sergeant and his mom had worked as a prestigious software engineer; one of the most sought out in california, and later, a software specialist for the same police station his dad works. they were neither in the poorhouse or in a mansion; they just lived humbly and comfortably. because of his mom’s vast computer knowledge, though, gus was privileged (and slightly spoiled) when it came to all the new technology, mostly video games. he started off playing at the tender age of eight with his very first gameboy and pokemon yellow as his first game, and he’s been playing through the generations of video games (both console and computer) ever since. it arguably could be considered when his interest in electronics was first sparked.

as he grew older and curiouser, gus would actually take electronics found in their home apart, investigating all the small pieces inside, and then put them back together; it was like building a puzzle. most of the time the electronics he took apart would still work after putting them back together, but other times they wouldn’t work quite as well as they did before he took them apart, and they later became projects for him to fix, once he got a better understanding of the parts inside and how they worked. youtube videos taught him the basics of what he knows now when it comes to soldering, and he was soon able to fix anything with faulty wiring, from a solar garden light to a hairdryer.

in high school, gus was definitely one of the nerdier students and this, of course, made him a target, though his outrageous sense of humour and rumbustious personality saved him somewhat from getting relentlessly bullied like most of the meek and feeble kids had to suffer through. while he wasn’t the most popular, he wasn’t a complete loser either, and managed to find make friends in the unlikeliest ways / places. anytime anyone needed a phone repaired and didn’t want to pay a small fortune to get it done, they went to gus. he made it his own little side business, fixing phones and other small electronics for his fellow classmates for a reduced fee, but not low enough that it wouldn’t be worth his while.

after graduating high school, he went to college and took a two year program to become an electronic engineering technician. while his studies were most important to him, gus broke free of all other responsibilities and social standards, and partied his ass off whenever the opportunity presented itself. he made countless connections and memories that he wouldn’t trade for the world. with everything he was able to experience, the good and bad, those two years were probably two of the best years of his life. now, gus has been working for well over five years and thoroughly enjoys what he does, but he’s been considering going to university in order to drop the technician title and become a full-fledged electronic engineer.

wanted connections .  

1.  homeboy needs a more athletic / jock-type friend. somebody who would have been more likely to use him as a human punching bag if they’d attended high school together. very unlikely pals, basically polar opposites of each other, but they met at the local gym once gus started getting serious about his physique / working out and they’ve been pretty good friends ever since. possibly also tries to get gus laid because they believe he has no game …. which he doesn’t lmao

2.  a fellow electronics nerd, coding buddy, hacker-partner in crime. someone he can fully nerd-out with who actually understands him / reciprocates his excitement with their own. possibly is also someone he studied the same program with in college?? and they went through all the hardships together bc that would be cute. most likely also has lan parties with this person, maybe even enter gaming tournaments / competitions together and are the ultimate team / dominate online multiplayer games.

3.  to add onto that best nerd bud connection: a couple other pals to make up a squad of four? classic brothers from other mothers; joke together, roast each other, game together, go out to bars occasionally, have wild adventures & make good as heck memories / stories to tell everyone else, be there for each other whenever they go through hard times & whenever they achieve great things. i imagine their personalities differing but also complimenting each other. possibly could have gone to the same high school and/or college together and remained friends?? just a Good wholesome connection.

[allthegodstars]

Sapphire Flames Snippets

Little Snippet:

The Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences occupied a nine-story building on Old Spanish Trail. Its blocky lines, rectangular windows, and orange brick practically screamed that it housed some sort of government agency. 

I maneuvered our Honda Element into the parking lot. It used to be our surveillance vehicle, but last year Grandma Frida decided to rebuild it from wheels up.  Now the Element sported a new engine, a reinforced suspension, and custom dampers for enhanced shock absorption. The windows were bulletproof, and the new glass had both the safety glazing and a polycarbonate layer on the inside, so if someone did shoot at us, the windows would crack but hold together. And most importantly, the Element was now equipped with B5 level armor, which meant it would stop most handguns and shotgun blasts.  It could have been armored enough to withstand a sniper shot; however, Grandma Frida reasoned that our best chance of survival was getting away fast, and armor was heavy, so she stopped at B5 and added a reinforced floor and run-flat tires. 

Unfortunately, even Grandma Frida had her limits, and steering was a bit sluggish.  I was used to it by now and I aimed for a parking spot in the middle row.

“So, what’s with you and Alessandro Sagredo?”  Runa asked.

The steering was sluggish, but the brakes worked perfectly.  I jerked forward, and my seat belt slammed me back.

“Nothing.”

“Aha.”  Runa pulled on her own seat belt.  “That’s why we screeched to a stop halfway into the parking space?”

“My foot slipped.”  I gently eased forward and brought the Element to a smooth stop.

Last night, after Bern carried Rutger into the guest bedroom and Runa settled in on inflatable mattress next to him, I went back to my office, rescued Alessandro’s picture from my desk drawer, and brought it upstairs to my bedroom. He looked so carefree, caught in a magic moment somewhere sunny and warm.  When I looked at the picture, a disquieting, unpleasant feeling squeezed my chest, not pain exactly, but a kind of discomfort. I stood in my bedroom and wished with everything I had that I was there, in the sun, with a backdrop of green mountains and Alessandro and I were going somewhere.  Together.

It was stupid, and childish, and it would never be.  I hid it all inside, put the picture on my nightstand, and went to bed.

“So, you’re just going to go with ‘nothing?’” Runa asked.

“That’s right.”

“Your sister said you met during your trials.”

Sistercide was not a word, but it would be after today. “Yes.”

“Yes what?  Is there a story behind that?”

No. He didn’t follow me on Instagram, and he didn’t take my breath away during the trials.  And he definitely didn’t show up under my window after trying to convince me to go for a drive.  

 “We met during the trials, and my sisters haven’t stopped trolling me about it for the last three years.  There is absolutely nothing between me and Alessandro Sagredo.”

Strictly speaking, there was 5,561 miles between our warehouse and the Sagredo estate near Venice, Italy.  A commercial flight with one stop could get me to Venice in thirteen hours. 

“Your cheeks are turning pink,” Runa said.  “Are you imagining there being nothing between you and Alessandro?”

***

On Rants, Well Deserved Nature Of:

As I’ve pointed out four times now, this entire incident has been recorded by security cameras. The footage will show that Ms. Etterson and I were attacked without provocation and we defended ourselves as is our right under Article 3 paragraph 1 through 4 of the House Protection Act.”

“Is that so?” Sgt. Munoz’s eyebrows crept up a quarter of an inch.

“You have no cause to detain either me or Runa Etterson.  We have cooperated, and we have given our statements.”

“Ms. Baylor.”  He frowned.  “You wouldn’t happen to have an older sister, would you?”

That was just too much. “When Nevada encountered you, she was under a great deal of stress trying to keep us alive and save Houston.  She didn’t have a chance to note that every time there was an incident requiring a law enforcement response, you mysteriously appeared on the scene.  But I did.”

He watched me, impassive.   I kept going.

“You are attached to the House Response Unit of Houston PD, tasked specifically with handling incidents involving Houses.  Every member of this unit is assigned a number of families, in which he becomes expert. So, you know perfectly well that I have an older sister and that she is currently out of the country.  You know the names of every person in our family, their birth dates, and their magic. You probably know the exact nature of my powers, despite the fact that my records are sealed.  You are here because my last name popped up in your system. So please don’t insult my intelligence.”

***

When English Language Is Just Not Enough:

Warning: hilariously odd bad language ahead. Poor Catalina.

Bug served as Rogan’s surveillance specialist. Magically altered, he processed visual information at an astonishing rate. If anybody could find [Redacted], Bug could. He was also fanatically loyal to Rogan.

The moment we involved Bug, Rogan would know every detail of what we asked and why. Then Nevada would know, and, considering the usual colorful way Bug made his reports, there was a strong possibility that she would freak out. Bug found the vast array of curses available to an average English speaker completely inadequate and used every opportunity to add his own, which often amounted to a random collection of expletives that left you befuddled. I could just imagine the way that report would go.

“Hey, so you’ll never believe this dick fart thing: they want me to find [Redacted]. Isn’t that just pork balls? The gnome molester apparently stabbed somebody. Whore dimwit shit brain dungarees!”

***

A Simple Menu:

Since it was my turn to cook breakfast anyway, I headed to the kitchen.  Cooking was basically my and Mom’s job.  When Nevada lived with us, she was too busy keeping us fed and clothed. Bern and Leon usually made meat, preferably, steak, and they served it charred on top and raw in the middle. Grandma Frida came from the generation when things weren’t cooked unless they were slightly burned, and my younger sister, who was actually a decent cook, when she had to be, couldn’t be trusted to stay in the kitchen for the duration of the cooking process.  She’d start something and then end up outside texting to her friends or in the media room laughing at some show, while we raced to save the meal. 

I decided on a simple menu. I put two packs of bacon into two baking pans and popped them in the oven, mixed the batter for the blueberry pancakes, and called Nevada while chopping mushrooms for the egg, mushroom, and cheese scramble.

***

Just You Wait:

My cell rang. An unlisted number. Oh good. Ten to one, somebody wanted to sell me super-special medical insurance or inform me that the IRS was about to arrest me unless I dropped everything and bought an armful of gift cards at Wal-Mart.

I answered it. “What is it?”

“You’re tracking me,” Alessandro said.

Runa’s eyes went big.

“I am not tracking you,” I told him. Technically, it wasn’t even a lie.

“You’re having me tracked. I understand that I’m irresistible. It’s a cross I bear. But do try to have some self-control, Catalina. I’m embarrassed for you.”

He… Argh. “As I recall, I never had a problem resisting you.”

“I thought we agreed that you would drop this.”

“I didn’t agree to anything.”

“Catalina, listen to me. This is serious, the people involved are dangerous, and your well-being is important to me.”

Since when? “Why don’t you tell me more about it? Maybe if I fully understand the danger, I’ll stay out of it.”

“No, you won’t. You have no sense.”

“I have all kinds of sense.”

“This is your last warning, Catalina.”

“Or what?”

“Trust me, you don’t want to find out.”

He hung up.

“I have all kinds of sense?” Runa quoted.

“I was too mad to think of a snappy comeback.”

I glared at the phone. Insufferable ass. When I got my hands on him, I would pry his mind open like a tin can.  And then I would make him do a little dance, record it, and play it for him on a loop after I drained my magic off. Irresistible. I’ll show you irresistible. Just you wait.

***

A Pithivier:

Steps sounded behind me. I turned. Runa caught up with us. “Matilda said you would be out here. That child is odd.”

More like unsettling, until you got to know her. “She’s an animal mage. They are unique. Did something bad happen?”

“You mean in addition to everything else?  No.”

We both watched Shadow sniffing at cracks in the asphalt.

 “Whatever is cooking in the kitchen smells amazing.  What are we having?”

“Lemon roasted chicken with rosemary baked potatoes, chive butter, kale and brussels sprout salad with tahini maple dressing, and an apple pithivier.”

Runa gave me a long look.

“I cook when I’m stressed out. It sounds more complicated than it is. In reality, it’s mostly season things, dump them in a baking pan, and stick them in the oven.”

“What’s a P.T.V.A.?”

“It’s a French pie-cake made with puff pastry.  The traditional version uses rum and almonds, but nobody likes rum, so I make mine with apples.”

***

For more check notes.

[lotsofdogs]

Potty Training, Workouts and Swim Lessons… Oh My!

Hey, hey, hey! We’re already halfway through the week! For some reason whenever I arrive back in town after a weekend away, the following week seems to fly by. I’m not sure why – maybe because I feel like I’m playing catch up all week long? – but I’ll take it. Friday is comin’ but for now let’s back up a bit and recap yesterday, shall we?

Morning

My Tuesday morning began with a muffin!

I woke up needing some kind of sweet, bready carb and reheated one of Chase’s beloved whole wheat pumpkin muffins that I pulled out of the freezer to take the edge off my nausea while I read my devotional and eased into the morning. Once I felt a little better, I moved onto breakfast number two which looked like a smoothie bowl that I whipped up with frozen banana, frozen cauliflower, almond butter, light coconut milk (from a can) and a scoop of chocolate protein powder.

I topped everything off with a sprinkle of cacao nibs for some crunch and ate my breakfast as I worked on the computer until Chase was up and it was time to switch into mom mode.

We hung out around the house until 9 a.m. or so, mainly because I didn’t want to leave until Chase pooped in his potty.

Once that happened, we celebrated, danced and high-fived because pooping in the potty is a BIG deal around here right now!

Yes, my friends, we are smack-dab in the middle of potty training in our house! We actually started last week and so far things are going fairly well. (We’re mostly following the advice found in the Oh Crap! Potting Training book with some definite wiggle room since every kid is different. Oh and before you think we had potty training nailed in three days like the internet will have you believe is easy peasy, the first few days were a BEAST and potty training is definitely a work in progress.) One quick question for the potty training pros: At what point did your kiddos begin to actually TELL you they have to go potty? Right now we’re mostly reminding Chase to use the potty and prompting the majority of his trips to the bathroom which I am assuming will last for a while. I’m curious as to when kids transition into regularly telling you they need to go? We’ve had a handful of those moments but right now Chase seems to need quite a bit of prompting and reminding, though accidents are already pretty minimal.

Oh and another challenge? Chase refuses to wear underwear. He’ll wear pants and shorts all day long but he’s commando under his pants right now. Ha! Any advice as to how to make him think underwear is THE COOLEST? We have Thomas the Train and Paw Patrol underwear on hand but they’re getting the side-eye from Chase at the moment and a full-on meltdown occurs if we try to get him to wear underwear. There’s always something, right!?

With two successful potty trips under our belt, I felt confident we could make it to the gym without any issues, so Chase and I piled into my car and headed off to the YMCA for a workout!

Chase hung out in childcare (accident free!) and I completed a biceps/triceps/shoulders workout that looks liked this:

It was a quick but effective one and after more than my fair share of rest days last week, it felt good to get back into the gym.

Afternoon

Once I scooped Chase up from childcare, we drove to his swim lesson. After four months on a wait list for an early afternoon class, we finally got in (our previous early evening time was killer for rush-hour traffic) and Chase and I had a blast splashing and playing in the water. When we were done swimming, we changed into dry clothes and dug into some of the food I packed for us in the lobby.

I threw a banana and a packet of almond butter into my bag for myself but packed a Bento Box filled with Chase’s lunch for him to eat after our swim lesson as well. Chase loves watching the big kids swim and I figured we could have a mini picnic in the lobby while Chase ate lunch and watched the other children.

By the time we made it home, Chase’s naptime was on the horizon, so we played fetch in the backyard with Sadie for a bit before making our way upstairs for a couple of stories.

While Chase slept, I grabbed a shower and actually washed my hair for the first time since Thursday (bless you, dry shampoo) and then assembled a salad for lunch.

My salad came together quickly thanks to leftover salmon and roasted potatoes from Monday night’s dinner.

I ate my lunch and began working at the computer, feeling awfully proud of myself for actually consuming a decent number of vegetables, until I was hit with some serious nausea that had me feeling all kinds of sweaty and sick. Just thinking about my salad less than five minutes after I ate it made me want to puke. (Pregnancy is cah-ray-zee.) Thankfully I never threw up but I ended up sitting on the bathroom floor for a solid 30 minutes as I waited for the feeling to pass. Once it did, I ate a small bowl of cereal which also seemed to help settle my stomach and got back to work.

Since the nausea train is unpredictable around here, I wasn’t sure what to expect over the course of the next few hours but the rest of the day ended up being a good one! I was able to eat an afternoon snack and a sweet treat before Chase woke up and the two of us headed off to a late afternoon prenatal appointment.

Just to clarify since I realize it probably seems like I was just at the doctor’s office, yesterday’s appointment was the standard third trimester bi-weekly OB/GYN visit which is why it occurred so soon after last week’s appointment with a specialist.

My doctor was wonderful and let Chase help squeeze the warm goo on my belly and control the Doppler which he thought was really neat! We were in and out of the doctor’s office in half an hour and left feeling grateful for a positive update!

Before heading home for the night, we swung by a local park to meet up with my friends Carrie and Alexis and their kids so our little ones could run around and enjoy the sunshine. We stayed for just about an hour before driving home where Ryan arrived home from work about 20 minutes later!

Evening

Dinner was a simple one and came together quickly once I cooked some quinoa in vegetable broth with a little taco seasoning. I paired the cooked quinoa with a can of black beans, avocado, green onion, shredded cheese and leftover chopped green beans and topped everything with a bit of Himalayan salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Easy, filling and delicious!

Oh and before you think Chase is an amazing quinoa-eating toddler, I know from past experience there is a zero percent chance he would’ve liked this meal, so his dinner looked more like mac and cheese served with a quinoa-free deconstructed version of our dinner.

Once we were all full, we played around the house for a bit before doing the whole bed time routine. A number of you recommended The Last Mrs. Parrish to me a while ago, so I began reading it last night and so far it’s an easy read that roped me in almost immediately. We’ll see how it ends up!

And that was our Tuesday in a nutshell. Thanks so much for stopping by PBF today!

[Read More ...] https://www.pbfingers.com/potty-training-workouts-and-swim-lessons-oh-my/

[365-of-2019]

Today is August 7, 2020. I am currently on a flight home to Atlanta after spending more than two weeks out West in Colorado and Utah. Though I am coming off a desert adventure, I am sitting on this plane feeling intensely anxious. The last time I remember feeling this way was during my sophomore and junior years of college—the years in which I couldn’t see straight and didn’t sleep properly for weeks at a time. So, I am scared. I would very much prefer not to spiral in the way that I did 3 years ago. I would prefer to prove to myself that I have grown since then, and that I have ways of dealing with my anxiety other than just pretending it doesn’t exist. If it turns out that I am unable to handle my anxiety, then I will need to follow up on my years-long intention of getting professional help. Anyway. I wanted to open up a blank page and write a little bit about the past two weeks, rather than writing about my job and my stress levels.

For context: the world is still in the middle of a pandemic. In the US, COVID-19 cases continue to rise every day as public officials make laws, take back laws, and take back their take backs. In general, flying is frowned upon. When I drove up to the Atlanta airport two weeks ago, I felt enormous tidal waves of guilt. I felt selfish, ignorant, and borderline idiotic. But I still went through with it. So I guess none of those feelings really matter.

This summer, Maddie worked for Jefferson County in Golden, Colorado. She was a trail specialist and spent three days a week performing maintenance on trails all around Jefferson County. At the same time, Nevada was driving around the West Coast, spending time in California, Nevada, Arizona, and Colorado. For the past two weeks, both Maddie and Nevada have been living in the suburbs of Denver.

With both of my sisters in a city that I have always wanted to visit, and with the opportunity to work remotely from any location I choose, I felt like I could not pass up such a special moment in time. Special feels like the wrong word to use. I may look back on this decision and think, “IDIOT!” But, for now, I feel grateful for concentrated time with Maddie, who is growing and evolving so quickly and confidently.

I arrived in Colorado on July 23. That weekend, Maddie and I, along with her roommate Emma, made a drive out to Great Sand Dunes National Park. It was wild. There was sand everywhere. The hills were steep and tough to trek, due to our feet sliding backwards four inches with every step we took. But, we eventually found our own little peak to claim. And then we claimed it by eating peanuts and dancing to Harry Styles and throwing our cowboy hats into the wind. We finished the day by ordering six burritos in the drive thru of La Casita, and eating them in the Colorado wilderness. A hard Saturday to beat.

The next day, we met up with Nev to check out UC Boulder’s campus. We grabbed coffee at a Boulder café, walked around the Quad, found Varsity Bridge, and talked smack about our family members. I am so thankful for those moments—no matter how nasty or silly or irritating we may be when we are all together, we are all together.

Unfortunately (the word “unfortunately” is comical in this context), I was not permitted to take more than two days of PTO while in Colorado. For the last week of July, I worked a four-day week before we set off on our four-day weekend in the desert.

We left Thursday night and drove to an Air BnB in Grand Junction, Colorado. We woke up the next morning and drove straight to Arches National Park—the park I have been dreaming of ever since I went to Zion with Zander last year! It was 105 degrees. The air was dry. There were no trees. It was amazing.

Because I am obnoxious and feel the need to prove points that don’t need to be proven, I suggested that we attempt the longest hike in the park—an 8-mile loop through the most northern tip of Arches. To my surprise, Maddie and Emma agreed. Maybe they shouldn’t have. But they did! So we set off! We made it about halfway through the trail—seeing some beautiful arches along the way—and then spent about 90 minutes trying to locate the correct path to take to lead up through the second half of the loop. It was a little bit fun and a little bit concerning.

I love National Parks and I love the West because they make you feel small. You can look at a canyon or a mountain or the clear night sky and feel like a speck. Which then means that all of your problems and worries are smaller than specks. And that’s nice. However, when you are lost in the middle of a canyon, feeling small is not so reassuring. As we drank the last sips of our water, we decided to turn around and cut our losses. So, we did not complete the 8-mile loop, but we did complete an 8-mile hike. I was so thankful to be with my sister in nature. Not even a powerfully persistent dry mouth could ruin the day.

That night, we camped at a private campsite in Moab. We grabbed fresh corn, broccoli, and vegan sausages from the grocery store and grilled them over charcoal. We slept in Emma’s tent, sleeping on the camping pads that I purchased last November when Kristy and I spent the night on Maddie’s dorm floor. I had not been camping since I was little, and I had not felt so disconnected from technology since my time in Uganda. It was a welcome change.

We woke up to the blazing sun burning through the side of our tent, and set off for another stint at Arches. The second time around, we waltzed around the more touristy parts of the Park, taking ~4 minute walks to reach beautiful viewpoints. It was relaxing. And beautiful. And I think we were all happy to have the car within a half mile.

Arches was everything I thought it would be. I wish I could explore the that place for weeks, rather than days.

The second night in Moab, we drove to a Utah state park called Dead Horse Point. It sits at the northern end of Canyonlands National Park. It was insane. I saw the Grand Canyon last year, so I know what big canyons look like, but this one still took my breath away and had me repeatedly saying, “Wow,” like an idiot. I hope that that feeling never goes away no matter how many feats of nature I come across.

We asked the park ranger if we could stay past closing hours, and he suggested that the answer was yes. We laid on the rocks of the canyon wall for hours, watching the sky turn from neon orange to dark blue. It was the night before a Full Moon, and the light of the moon lit up the canyon walls so brightly that we ran and danced and played music until nearly 11PM. The tiny desert mice made a couple of appearances. We said thank you.

Day three in the desert: we drove to the center of Utah. Along our drive, we saw signs that said, “No Services for 100 Miles.” We thought we were in the desert in Moab. But when we drove farther West, we started to realize that Moab is a bustling city in comparison to the center of the state.

We spent the afternoon at Little Wild Horse Canyon, a slot canyon near Goblin Valley State Park. We had a photoshoot between the canyon walls and soaked up the shade that the narrow slots created. It was a beautiful, totally unique ~4 mile hike that left us in high spirits.

That night, we stayed at a campsite in Goblin Valley. Emma got us some firewood and we roasted corn over a fire. Maddie made me tiki masala with chickpeas. There were signs at the campsite that advised boiling water before consuming. We tried. It was very bad.

After dinner, we drove to the valley of the park to soak up the stars. Goblin Valley is home to one of the darkest night skies in the US, and we could tell how special that darkness was, even in the blinding moonlight. Maddie and Emma stripped and ran around the valley naked. I curled up in the crevice of a boulder and stared up for an hour. Sometimes, I wish I would not be such a square. Sometimes, I appreciate my ability to choose the things that bring me most satisfaction, even when others are telling me that I am choosing incorrectly. But that’s for another time.

We drove home to Golden the night after our rendezvous with the goblins, and we all took showers and curled up on the couch after nearly four full days in the desert heat.

I have already written this so many times, which I hope suggests that it is authentic: I am so thankful for experiences like the one I had last weekend. Particularly in the midst of a world that is stressful for me as an individual, but also stressful for global society, I feel so lucky to have the relationships and resources at my fingertips to experience truly special pieces of life. Never have I ever wanted to buy a van and live off of rice and beans so badly. There is so much that I haven’t seen and so much that I want to see again. I often feel as though I approach life like a race—trying to squeeze in experiences even when doing so is inconvenient or difficult or exhausting. I hope this is a good thing. I am not sure yet.

I spent the last four days working from Maddie’s home in Golden. She finished up her summer job this week, and is driving back to North Carolina this weekend. I am landing in Atlanta tonight and moving into my new apartment tomorrow. Jake and Dad are driving down from Raleigh to help me with the insane one-day moving process. They are kind.

I am stressed about work, stressed about moving, stressed about money, stressed about COVID-19, stressed about the social and political atmosphere of the country. Sometimes, it is so much that I break into tears without any specific triggers. But at the same time, I am feeling such immense gratitude. I have siblings who are so smart and thoughtful and unique. I have spent more time with Mom and Dad in 2020 than I did in the four years previous. Zander is loving and kind and gives me advice when I feel helpless. I have a job that is challenging, but full of some of the brightest people I have ever met. I am moving in with one of my best friends from college tomorrow, making a beautiful apartment on 14th Street into our home. I got to see the desert and soak up the dirt. So, really, life is very very good.

[giftsformomhjrj157-blog]

About First Time Mom Gifts

Life as a brand-new mother can be a bit chaotic, to claim the least. As a brand-new mother gets used to a various routine, transforming top priorities, as well as how to best take care http://edition.cnn.com/search/?text=gifts for mom & new born of her brand-new child, it's very easy to fail to remember to take some time to take care of herself. A thoughtful, valuable gift can make a mom's job easier, give her a beneficial chance for self-care, as well as leave her feeling pampered, as well.

But developing presents for brand-new moms isn't very easy, which's why we have actually located 25 excellent gift suggestions to help you start. The presents in this guide are useful and commonly functional. While every mommy is various, chances are you can find the excellent gift for a brand-new mother in the ideas below.

Considering that you can hold a Kindle with one hand, a new mother can review her favorite publications while nursing or bottle feeding. Mother can likewise easily throw a Kindle right into her bag when avoiding to a physician appointment, making it an optimal gift for busy parents. When running on little sleep as well as trying to take treatment of a brand-new baby, household chores can get pressed to the base of the to-do listing.

Getting The Gift Ideas For Expecting Mothers To Work

Parents will have one less point to stress about and can enjoy a clean home, also. Since the quantity of time that new moms reach sleep is limited, it is necessary that they obtain high quality sleep whenever possible. This heavy covering produces a relaxing, relaxing feeling to assist Mama drop off to sleep rapidly and also easily, whether capturing a fast nap while the child sleeps or kipping down for the evening.

These stemless glass come in handy not only for taking beverages on the go, but additionally for around the house when juggling child and also attempting to finish a cup of tea or coffee. Finding time for a shower, total with cleaning and also styling your hair, can be a difficulty for new mothers.

With the Immediate Pot, dish prep is fast as well as hands-off. The Instantaneous Pot prepares foods 70 percent much faster than traditional food preparation techniques, saving parents time on dish prep. It can operate as a rice maker, yogurt manufacturer, slow stove, and also much more, and is suitable for a busy moms and dad's way of living. A cozy, soft pair of pajamas can aid to keep new mamas comfortable.

The Facts About Pregnancy Gifts Uncovered

They make a great present to welcome brand-new moms home with. Maternity and also inviting a baby can produce several feelings, consisting of anxiety in brand-new mamas. This workbook can assist moms-to-be as well as new moms to browse their transforming lives as well as feelings. Composed by mental health and wellness specialists, the workbook can assist mothers to really feel heard, comprehended, and also not so alone.

Seven handmade grains can aid to soothe teething pain, and also the necklace's style enables it to couple well with almost any kind of clothing. Helpful, comfortable, as well as supplying generous above-the-waist coverage, these leggings supply brand-new moms lots of advantages. Nursing moms can appreciate full belly insurance coverage when nursing, as well as the helpful layout of the tights is ideal for C-section recovery.

With many last-minute needs for a brand-new infant, new mommies make sure to locate lots of means to place an Amazon gift card to utilize. The first years of an infant's life are hectic ones for parents, but this publication offers moms a possibility to believe around and also record a few of the most vital elements of their child's early years.

First Time Mom Gifts Fundamentals Explained

Being a parent contains shocks and also lots of concerns. This book can assist brand-new mommies browse their very first year with a new infant, and also it can develop their confidence at the exact same time. This is a must-have book for any type of expecting parent or new mommy. Ecologically pleasant and washable, these nursing pads make an excellent gift for eco-conscious mommies.

The pads are made from organic bamboo, so they're both soft and also premium. Moms require to be able to make the most of any type of possibility to rest they obtain, and this sleep mask. Its 3D design indicates it does not create stress on Mommy's eyes, however rather efficiently shuts out light as well as lets her go to sleep even when she's trying to snooze in the middle of a bright day.

Incorporating warm with deep working massage, this massager can soothe aching neck muscle mass from holding a baby or can help a mom unwind to prepare to get some much-needed remainder. New mamas usually get lots of gifts for their children, yet this gift is developed with Mommy in mind. An all function salve, recovery body butter, newborn salve, and also lip balms provide Mother lots of ways to treat herself, and also a Postpartum Balancer natural tea features herbs that assist new moms with their postpartum healing.

First Time Mom Gifts Things To Know Before You Buy

Mother can take it with her as well as use it in the automobile, in a rocking chair, on the sofa, and anywhere else to assist relieve muscular tissue stress and also pain. It's excellent for usage while nursing or shaking a baby. For nursing mothers, this caffeine-free organic tea supports breast milk production as well as promotes lactation.

Treat a brand-new mother to a comforting massage therapy with a Spafinder Health gift card. A brand-new mama can utilize this card at a time when it's practical for her, and also can enjoy a selection of pampering services, consisting of massage, facials, and also much more. This thoughtful gift provides a brand-new mama the ideal reason to take a little much-deserved time for herself.

Whether reading while she rocks her infant to sleep or delighting in some silent time to herself with a good publication, a new mother can enjoy the insights and also observations on the emotional side of mothering from an award-winning writer. Functional and also sure to be put to good usage, this nursing cover and scarf can increase as a coat, shawl, car seat cover and also wrap.

Getting My New Mother Gifts To Work

The cover supplies privacy when nursing in public locations, aids to color a child from the sun, and produces a comfy nap space, too. This top quality pair of sandals will certainly keep a brand-new mama comfy around the home, whether looking at the baby in the evening or making breakfast in the early morning.

These slippers have a rubber sole, so they can increase for outdoor use, also, such as getting the paper or making a fast journey out to the cars and truck. Checklists become a hectic mommy's buddy, and also this recyclable note pad provides a reliable and also environmentally friendly means for moms to maintain every one of their vital notes in one location.

The Rocketbook app sends notes to the cloud for simple accessibility as well as storage, perfect for the mom on the move. With a brand-new child, it can be tough for Mommy to get up as well as change the thermostat temperature, decline the songs, or examine the weather condition. The Amazon.com Mirror Dot can do every one of those things for her as well as much more.

The Facts About Gift Ideas For Expecting Mothers Revealed

This present is certain to see lots of use while the family has a new baby in the house, yet it's also a gift that family members will certainly continue to utilize for many years ahead. For even more great gift-giving suggestions, make sure to examine the added resources listed below.

Inside: If you want to make a brand-new mommy feel special, avoid the flowers and give her one of these significant brand-new mama presents that will certainly stand the test of time. Reward: These gifts for brand-new moms are really for her EXCEPT the child. Newborns need a great deal of stuff.

Unknown Facts About New Baby Gifts

Yet in the thrill to get all the newborn should riches on the infant's windows registry, it's easy to forget something: The mom-to-be is in for the trip of her life. Not just is the new mommy regarding to experience among the most literally painful experiences of her life, however after the baby comes, she'll be stuck on what feels like a neverending emotional roller rollercoaster.

How New Mom Gifts can Save You Time, Stress, and Money.

But if you intend to support a new mommy in your life by unexpected her with the present, what do you obtain a person who's super emotional, sleep-deprived, and has absolutely no downtime? I've had 4 infants, so loved ones frequently ask me for suggestions on what's the most effective gift to obtain for a brand-new mother: flowers, a card, or? Because although an industrial-sized pack of disposable nursing pads would be valuable, a lot of people would like to know the best brand-new mom presents that will in fact make the brand-new mommy feel special and enjoyed.

After each of my babies were birthed, I was to get a couple of thoughtful presents that made my life as a mama easier throughout those very early newborn days. Those gifts weren't the common brand-new mom presents that you become aware of, but they made such an influence on me that I wished to pay it ahead and also share them below.

But I additionally combed checklist after checklist after checklist to find meaningful presents for new mothers, after that hundreds of mamas who subscribe to my newsletter shared their favored new mama gifts, also. If you intend to make a new mama feel unique, avoid the blossoms as well as offer her among these significant brand-new mama presents that will certainly stand the examination of time.

Getting My Baby Boy Gifts To Work

Surprise her with this fun coffee registration box where she can example new roasts as well as find a new favorite. Kind of like a red wine sampling however with coffee as well as delivered straight to her door. To round out this present, you can add a spill-proof shielded coffee cup such as this happy tumbler.

( Side note: Several nursing professionals agree that nursing moms can have coffee in small amounts.) Practically every mother I surveyed claimed they loved this new mama gift: Make your finest supper or soup you can ice up, and also offer it to the mama to utilize on an evening when the family members is also exhausted to make supper.

A couple of points to think about for this gift suggestion: Pasta is generally the top talented meal, so if you have another terrific dish you can gift, the new mother will probably value some variety! Incentive if it's a dish she can consume one-handed while holding the baby, and also incentive if you drop it off in a brand-new baking dish and inform her, "Do not fret about returning the dishit's your own!" To be on the side, you might desire to check in advance of time to learn if there are any type of food allergies or hostilities.

A Biased View of Maternity Gifts

As one mama told me, "I yearned for cheeseburgers for several weeks postpartum!" As another alternative, present cards to Grubhub or Uber Consumes make fantastic brand-new mom gifts since the household can choose out specifically what they desire. A few mommies told me they really valued when friends used to bring a meal the first month or more due to the fact that offers of aid have a tendency to run out by after that, but it's still a tough time for the new parents.

You can partner with the mommy's various other liked ones and also arrange a meal calendar where you all take transforms going down off dishes. "A former colleague organized like 20 days of dinners that were gone down offIt was virtually every evening for two weeks or so, as well as it was unbelievable! Some brought hot meals right at supper, some brought points early that I can freeze or appear the stove, one צעצועים לילדים ordered pizza for us, one asked for our Panera order and also dropped it off ALL of it was remarkable!" Sarah Nothing beats a fresh, home-cooked dish, however the new mom might not have time to search for healthy recipes as well as do the grocery buying to get all the components.

They send you a proven, easy dish and also all the components, as well as you just need to toss everything together. If you want to attempt it out, below's a voucher code to obtain $30 off your initial order from Blue Apron. Initially glance, I thought The Initial Forty Days: The Important Art of Nurturing the New Mom was a publication of postpartum dishes.

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[mommyofmanyhats]

What Does A Coffee Drinker Want?

In the course of human history, there have been two beverages that have shaped societies across the globe. One has been tea. The commerce from the tea trade between the British Commonwealth as it was then in the 17th and 18th centuries sculpted and formed an empire of soldier merchantman that revolutionized what that empire would become. (They should have become a coffee drinker!)

  But then a newcomer arrived in the small bars, hostels and gathering houses of the British Empire – it was coffee. And the coffee drinker was not someone in search of the solace of gin or sour beer. He was a man in search of enlightenment. And so the coffee houses of Britain became the gathering places of the intelligentsia.

What Type of Coffee Drinker Are You?

Today, sadly that is not the case. we get our coffee from chains that span the world. Not that it is a bad thing but it seems that bashing chains that provide a perfectly good cup of coffee has become stylish.

The fact of the matter is that an acceptable cup of coffee is all that most people want. In fact most of those who want that cup of coffee don’t want to go through the entire long, short, skim, non sugar, extra shot nonsense. they simply want a cup of Koa Coffee – with possibly some vanilla – because who doesn’t love vanilla.

But for those who want that little bit extra out of their morning Joe there are now a staggering amount of options that have opened up. And it is not necessary to visit a specialist shop to find that exact coffee blend that will open up new vistas of flavor and enjoyment.

The global coffee market has become so competitive that even the most mundane of chain stores are able to supply the best of the coffee from around the globe.

If you want to enjoy coffee from any continent and you are an avid coffee drinker you will find beans and even refined coffees that come from all over the globe. Given how competitive the market is there are always coffee derivatives and blends from every continent in the world that are always available.

If you find yourself in a bind and that perfect blend is not available from that favorite store then there is always the online option. And if you start to explore the online world of coffee then there is an entire universe that opens up.

This Mom’s Favorite Coffees

In this house coffee is life. I have gone through a lot of bad coffee in my life to get to the good coffee (kind of like men.) Other than the place who shall not be named and their $5 a cup javas, I order a lot of coffee online once I find something I like. I came across them once I saw them on Forbes. This is the coffee Forbes called Best in America!

Here are a few of my favorite coffees.

Kona Natural Medium Roast Whole Bean Coffee

The whole brand is great! Probably on the higher end of the coffees I buy. Since I don’t like drinking the same thing everyday, it works our perfectly. I mix my coffee brands, some days on the high end, some on the lower so it all averages out.

Dunkin Donuts

I feel Dunkin Donuts is often overlooked and overshadowed by the brand who shall not be named. It’s a great brand, and not overpriced for what you get. It is definitely in my top 3. Plus if you buy it on Amazon, you can schedule it out and save a bit.

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Flavor It Up

Don’t judge me! I’m not a coffee purist, please don’t be mad. Yes I like black coffee, but I also like it all dolled up like a good date night. Since I am also cheap, here are a few of my favorite ways to spice up my coffee.

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For those who are in search of coffee that may not be on the shelves of the local supermarket there are many websites that will provide access to both beans and blends that have been recognized as among the best in the world.

For instance, the most expensive coffee in the world which is Kopi luwak. At around $500 per pound (as at 2010) it is a coffee lovers dream. But this is at the far end of the scale. There are coffees from the Caribbean and Africa, as well as other parts of the world which will keep your caffeine content and taste buds satisfied.

Tips For A Coffee Drinker To Save Money

Storing your beans properly is the best way to ensure their fresh roasted flavor lasts as long as possible. Store them in an opaque, airtight container at room temperature. Coffee beans may be decorative and beautiful, but avoid clear canisters which will allow light to compromise the taste of your coffee. Or at least don’t use the ones you use as decorations.

Keep your best beans in a dark and cool location. Remember that cabinets near the oven are often too warm, and so is any spot in the kitchen that gets strong afternoon sun.

Also, know that the urethane foil coffee bags in which you purchased your coffee are generally not appropriate for long-term storage. Ideal coffee storage canisters with an airtight seal are a worthwhile investment if you are a serious gourmet coffee drinker.

Buy the Right Amount of Coffee

Your coffee will begin to lose freshness almost immediately after roasting, so it is far better to purchase it in smaller quantities. Buy freshly roasted coffee frequently, and buy only what you will use in the next one or two weeks. Most places will offer discounts on repeat orders if you ask and have them set to ship regularly.

Freezing Your Coffee

While there are many different views on whether or not coffee should be frozen, the main consideration is that coffee absorbs moisture. And freezers are known to harbor and odors and tastes from the air and food in it. As mentioned above, most home storage containers are not truly airtight, which is why food stored a long time in the freezer can often suffer freezer burn. Therefore, if you do freeze your beans, it is critically important to use a truly airtight container.

If you freeze your coffee, quickly remove as much as you need for one serving. Then return the rest to the freezer before any condensation forms on the frozen coffee. Or do not return the canister after removing your coffee.

The post What Does A Coffee Drinker Want? appeared first on Mommy Of Many Hats.

from Mommy Of Many Hats http://mommyofmanyhats.com/what-does-coffee-drinker-want/

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20 Random Facts About Me

So, I promised all you lovely people that you would get to know me a little better beyond the scissor slinging, hair artist that I mostly present online. To best start this out, I thought I would bring back an internet oldie but goodie: “20 Random Facts About Me.”

I’ve scoured the world wide interwebz to find some fun facts to present with and here are my favorites. I hope you enjoy!

1. My Zodiac Sign As an avid studying witchy person, I am sort of a believer in zodiac signs. I am a virgo and quite proud of it. I am a perfectionist, hate being disorganized, and I am extremely sensitive when someone points out the flaws I am working on. Everyone loves me in a work environment because of the organized part, but sometimes my critical attitudes of myself and other makes making friends tough.

2. So if I’m a Virgo, when is my birthday? My birthday is September 20th. (Mark your calendars)

3. Favorite Band I love music and have currently been getting back into it. My favorite band changes from time to time depending on my mood and what is going on in my life. My all time favorite band is My Chemical Romance, but currently I am super partial to William Control and Lay Your Ghost.

4. Favorite Incense I love burning sage, scented candles, and incense. I rarely like to be without something scented burning, especially when I am outside. My favorite incense is “Fire” by Elemense. It is Philippine mango, clove, and benzoin.

5. Where I am From I grew up in the Bay Area of California, about an hour (without traffic) from San Francisco everywhere I have lived.

6. Favorite Movie Hands down SLC PUNK!

7. Shoe Size I’m the average 7.5

8. Personal Aesthetic I work at a pretty Goth salon, go to goth clubs, listen to goth music, and wear a lot of goth clothes. However, I will always be an Emo Kid at heart and emo music is where I always turn when I need the comfort of something familiar. I love wearing skinny jeans, band shirts that I cut up, studded belts, and dark makeup. I am definitely more “boyish” but if you are lucky you have seen me in my rare dresses and skirts.

9. Relationship Status I have the most wonderful partner that I have been with for almost 3 years. I do not post a lot about him as he is not keen on being on social media, but he’s here, supportive, adorable, and pretty awesome.

10. Body Modification I do plan on making a post dedicated to this, but I am a huge fan of body modification. I have a collection of tattoos, piercings, my tongue split, and have participated in human flesh suspension.

11. A Childhood Memory When I was in middle school, I wanted short hair very badly. However, my hair was down to my waist, thick, and wavy. My mom, for whatever reason, would not let me cut it. So, when she was gone one night, I pulled it all back into a pony tail and cut my hair. My mom was less than thrilled when she came home, and I think she still has the ponytail somewhere. However, I have had short hair since then.

12. Favorite Place to Travel My favorite vacation would have to be when I went to New York with my aunt. I have not been back since, but it was so magical to me. I love cities and New York really took me by storm. I loved seeing Time Square, Broadway (because I love theater), and all of the architecture in the neighborhood. One day I will go back for sure.

13. Favorite Social Media I LOVE INSTAGRAM. So you can usually find me there -> @crystaljanescissorhands 14. Story Behind my Blog Title I chose “Scissor Fetish” because I felt it covered some of my bases. I am a cutting specialist, I am very kink and subculture friendly, and also fetishes can make you feel alive which is what I want to do for my clients. The snip of scissors is so satisfying to me sometimes it sends a delightful shiver down my spine. Also I thought it sounded kind of spooky. Feedback is welcome. 15. Something that Scares Me Instability.

16. Men or Female Haircuts? So, I do believe gender is a construct. I believe it is kind of dying too. I prefer doing more traditionally “masculine” haircuts because of the fine details, the ability to help care for male identifying individuals who are told caring for themselves is too sissy, and I see short-haired clients more so I get to bond more. Also I am a nerd for working with head shapes and hair growth. I love my ladies and long-haired individuals too of course. I just find short hair more inspiring most days. 17. Favorite Goth Club Currently it is the Cat Club on Folsom Street in San Francisco. I like going to Dark Shadows there. The DNA Lounge will also always have a special place in my heart. A lot of milestones and life events have happened there. 18. Coffee I love my morning coffee. However, I cannot drink it black. I always buy Trader Joe’s Vanilla Roast, add some sugar, and more vanilla creamer.

19. Do I Like Scary Movies? Honestly, I do, however I do get nightmares easily because of an over active imagination. I honestly much prefer a thriller or a romcom believe it or not. 20. What would I be if I was not a hairstylist? I considered a career in theater lighting and design for awhile. I also dabbled in photography and still enjoy it very much. But nothing quite made my heart sing like cutting peoples’ hair and making them feel their best.

[healthbolt-blog]

New Post has been published on Health bolt

New Post has been published on http://www.healthbolt.net/cooking/healthy-cooking-blogs-for-moms/

Healthy Cooking Blogs For Moms

Contents

Simply combine chicken

Including gluten free

Healthy forms … “goat meat

Healthy mexican stuffed peppers

Check out our picks for the best food blogs for moms and dads. … Family Fresh Cooking From travel to crafts, lifestyle to healthy foods, Marla Meridith is all about enjoying natural foods and getting that positive energy from the inside out. … Content property of Red Tricycle Inc. unless otherwise specified. Duplication, distribution or …

Our moms might have told us that … “These foods we think are healthy can quickly go into a junk-food status.” The Mercy Health …

Healthy Mom blogs list ranked by popularity based on social metrics, google search ranking, quality & consistency of blog posts & Feedspot editorial teams review. … Illinois About Blog The Healthy Moms Magazine, founded by Cascia Talbert, is the Number One Health Blog for Moms everything from parenting, health, fitness, nutrition, faith to …

How To Cook Pork Cutlets Healthy How To Cook Healthy Indian Food Thousands of tried and tested recipes, the latest food news, the buzz on lifestyle health, articles by top specialists who write about good, nutritious food, NDTV is a one stop shop for everything to do with Good Food. We have Indian food recipes as well as recipes from around the world along with recipe video demonstrations from India’s top restaurant chefs. How To Cook Healthy Chicken Breast In A pan jan 22, 2018  · Key Steps for Golden, Juicy Chicken Breast. Start with a wide, deep pan and add oil. We’re going to cook the chicken over medium-high heat, and we want to … Why Chicken’s a Healthy Choice Before you unwrap or defrost a package of boneless chicken breasts from your refrigerator … outdoor grill or place the skewers in a pan on the stove, turned to medium- … Mar 29, 2018  · simply combine chicken breasts, capers, shallots, salt, and pepper in a food processor, shape into patties, and cook in a grill pan. If you need to speed up your weeknight cooking, make these patties in advance. Healthy Cooking Recipes Blog On my blog, I share weekly meal prep recipes and food inspiration to help people get better nutrition in their everyday lives … A food blog dedicated to delicious healthy recipes. My healthy recipes are low carb and gluten free. Many are paleo, and all of them are made with real food! … A very tasty ground beef casserole that is also healthy, keto and low carb. A super easy recipe, perfect for a weeknight dinner. … Welcome to Healthy Recipes! Forget the processed … A healthy food blog with hundreds of easy wholesome recipes including gluten free, dairy free, paleo, low carb, vegetarian and vegan options. … I have a passion for cooking and a huge desire to show that living a healthy lifestyle can actually be easy and fun! Feel free to use the meal guide above to find your new favorite meal ideas or the … Easy Red Velvet Trifle Recipe – holiday dessert party Recipes and tips holiday dessert Party with My Easy Red Velvet Trifle Recipe My Easy Red Velvet Trifle recipe makes the perfect dessert for a … Healthy Cooking On A Budget Recipes Though nothing can beat cuddling up with a warm bowlful on a chilly night, soups aren’t only game for the winter months. These healthy recipes will become staples all year long. Buying food in season is often cheaper, and winter has its own fair share of powerhouses like cabbage, Brussels sprouts, and … find quick menus and fast recipes for healthy weeknight meals your family will love. Most Healthy Oil To Cook With How To Cook Meat healthy jan 05, 2017  · What Is the Healthiest Way to Cook Meat? Written by Franziska Spritzler, RD, … Generally speaking, roasting and baking are healthy forms … “goat meat is a healthy alternative to beef and chicken because it contains … “It does have a

So this year, I asked my nutritionist pals for some last-minute ideas that are healthy. Hey, if I want my mom to live forever, the least I can do is buy her a gift that might help. Here’s what they ha…

Healthy Cooking Oil: Why Virgin Coconut Oil Is the Best . Healthy cooking oil expert Mary G. Enig, of the Weston Price Foundation has to say this about coconut oil: For the first three weeks of the year, Mom, Dad and Junior follow a strict, healthy diet while they huff … When faced with …

How To Cook Healthy Indian Food Thousands of tried and tested recipes, the latest food news, the buzz on lifestyle health, articles by top specialists who write about good, nutritious food, NDTV is a one stop shop for everything to do with Good Food. We have Indian food recipes as well as recipes from around the world along with recipe video demonstrations from India’s top restaurant chefs. How To Cook Healthy Chicken Breast In A Pan Jan 22, 2018  · Key Steps for Golden, Juicy Chicken Breast. Start with a wide, deep pan and add oil. We’re going to cook the chicken over medium-high heat, and we want to … Why Chicken’s a Healthy Choice Before you unwrap or defrost a package of boneless chicken breasts from your refrigerator … outdoor grill or place the skewers in a pan on the stove, turned to medium- … Mar 29, 2018  · Simply combine chicken breasts, capers, shallots, salt, and pepper in a food processor, shape into patties, and cook in a grill pan. If you need to speed up your weeknight cooking, make these patties in advance. Healthy Cooking Recipes Blog On my blog, I share weekly meal prep recipes and food inspiration to help people get better nutrition in their everyday lives … A food blog dedicated to delicious healthy recipes. My healthy recipes are low carb and gluten free. Many are paleo, and all of them are made with real food! … A very tasty ground beef casserole that is also healthy, keto and low carb. A super easy recipe, perfect for a weeknight dinner. … Welcome to Healthy Recipes! Forget the processed … A healthy food blog with hundreds of easy wholesome recipes including gluten free, dairy free, paleo, low carb, vegetarian and vegan options. … I have a passion for cooking and a huge desire to show that living a healthy lifestyle can actually be easy and fun! Feel free to use the meal guide above to find your new favorite meal ideas or the … Easy Red Velvet Trifle Recipe – holiday dessert party Recipes and Tips Holiday Dessert Party with My Easy Red Velvet Trifle Recipe My Easy Red Velvet Trifle recipe makes the perfect dessert for a … Healthy Cooking On A Budget Recipes Though nothing can beat cuddling up with a warm bowlful on a chilly night, soups aren’t only game for the winter months. These healthy recipes will become staples all year long. Buying food in season is often cheaper, and winter has its own fair share of powerhouses like cabbage, Brussels sprouts, and … find quick menus and fast recipes for healthy weeknight meals your family will love. Most Healthy Oil To Cook With How To Cook Meat healthy jan 05, 2017  · What Is the Healthiest Way to Cook Meat? Written by Franziska Spritzler, RD, … Generally speaking, roasting and baking are healthy forms … “Goat meat is a healthy alternative to beef and chicken because it contains … “It does have a strong flavour and aroma when cooking,” Most Healthy Cooking Oil To Use healthy cooking Classes Mn From cooking classes to new gardens and orchards, American Indian communities are growing new healthy food initiatives across Minnesota. This summer, the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe in northern Minnesot… Customer Review. Abby Randall has a way to make delicious, healthy, locally sourced ready to serve meals arrive at your doorstep. I’ve sent meals to some foodie friends who said "Our refrigerator never looked so good.." How To Cook healthy chicken breast In A Pan Jan 22, 2018  · Key Steps for Golden, Juicy Chicken Breast. Start with a wide, deep pan and add oil. We’re going to cook the chicken over medium-high heat, and we want to … Why Chicken’s a Healthy Choice Before you unwrap or defrost a package of boneless chicken breasts from your refrigerator … outdoor grill or place the skewers in a pan on the stove, turned to medium- … Mar 29, 2018  · Simply combine chicken breasts, capers, shallots, salt, and pepper in a food processor, shape into patties, and cook in a grill pan. If you need to speed up your weeknight cooking, make these patties in advance. Healthy Cooking Recipes Blog On my blog, I share weekly meal prep recipes and food inspiration to help people get better nutrition in their everyday lives … A food blog dedicated to delicious healthy recipes. My healthy recipes are low carb and gluten free. Many are paleo, and all of them are made with real food! … A very tasty ground beef casserole that is also healthy, keto and low carb. A super easy recipe, perfect for a weeknight dinner. … Welcome to Healthy Recipes! Forget the processed … A healthy food blog with hundreds of easy wholesome recipes including gluten free, dairy free, paleo, low carb, vegetarian and vegan options. … I have a passion for cooking and a huge desire to show that living a healthy lifestyle can actually be easy and fun! Feel free to use the meal guide above to find your new favorite meal ideas or the … Easy Red Velvet Trifle Recipe – holiday dessert party Recipes and Tips Holiday Dessert Party with My Easy Red Velvet Trifle Recipe My Easy Red Velvet Trifle recipe makes the perfect dessert for a … Healthy Cooking On A Budget Recipes Though nothing can beat cuddling up with a warm bowlful on a chilly night, soups aren’t only game for the winter months. These healthy recipes will become staples all year long. Buying food in season is often cheaper, and winter has its own fair share of powerhouses like cabbage, Brussels sprouts, and … find quick menus and fast recipes for healthy weeknight meals your family will love. Most Healthy Oil To Cook With How To Cook Meat healthy jan 05, 2017  · What Is the Healthiest Way to Cook Meat? Written by Franziska Spritzler, RD, … Generally speaking, roasting and baking are healthy forms … “goat meat is a healthy alternative to beef and chicken because it contains … “It

Our 50 Favorite Mom Food Bloggers. by mom.me Staff. Jun 24, 2014. 1 / 51. start. … We all love to cook (and eat) and we all have our favorite mom food bloggers we go to for inspiration. We know from experience cooking for a family can get old really fast – picky eaters, not enough time to cook, let alone shop for food and then there’s the …

Healthy Cooking Classes Mn From cooking classes to new gardens and orchards, American Indian communities are growing new healthy food initiatives across Minnesota. This summer, the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe in northern Minnesot… Customer Review. Abby Randall has a way to make delicious, healthy, locally sourced ready to serve meals arrive at your doorstep. I’ve sent meals to some foodie friends who said "Our refrigerator never looked so good.." How To Cook Healthy Chicken Breast In A Pan Jan 22, 2018  · Key Steps for Golden, Juicy Chicken Breast. Start with a wide, deep pan and add oil. We’re going to cook the chicken over medium-high heat, and we want to … Why Chicken’s a Healthy Choice Before you unwrap or defrost a package of boneless chicken breasts from your refrigerator … outdoor grill or place the skewers in a pan on the stove, turned to medium- … Mar 29, 2018  · Simply combine chicken breasts, capers, shallots, salt, and pepper in a food processor, shape into patties, and cook in a grill pan. If you need to speed up your weeknight cooking, make these patties in advance. Healthy Cooking Recipes Blog On my blog, I share weekly meal prep recipes and food inspiration to help people get better nutrition in their everyday lives … A food blog dedicated to delicious healthy recipes. My healthy recipes are low carb and gluten free. Many are paleo, and all of them are made with real food! … A very tasty ground beef casserole that is also healthy, keto and low carb. A super easy recipe, perfect for a weeknight dinner. … Welcome to Healthy Recipes! Forget the processed … A healthy food blog with hundreds of easy wholesome recipes including gluten free, dairy free, paleo, low carb, vegetarian and vegan options. … I have a passion for cooking and a huge desire to show that living a healthy lifestyle can actually be easy and fun! Feel free to use the meal guide above to find your new favorite meal ideas or the … Easy Red Velvet Trifle Recipe – holiday dessert party Recipes and Tips Holiday Dessert Party with My Easy Red Velvet Trifle Recipe My Easy Red Velvet Trifle recipe makes the perfect dessert for a … Healthy Cooking On A Budget Recipes Though nothing can beat cuddling up with a warm bowlful on a chilly night, soups aren’t only game for the winter months. These healthy recipes will become staples all year long. Buying food in season is often cheaper, and winter has its own fair share of powerhouses like cabbage, Brussels sprouts, and … find quick menus and fast recipes for healthy weeknight meals your family will love. Most Healthy Oil To Cook With How To Cook Meat healthy jan 05, 2017  · What Is the Healthiest Way to Cook Meat? Written by Franziska Spritzler, RD, … Generally speaking, roasting and baking are healthy forms … “goat meat is a healthy alternative to beef and chicken because it contains … “It does have a strong

On Instagram at least, Kaling seems like the type of mom who couldn’t possibly have anything to feel guilty over. The Ocean’s 8 …

healthy mexican stuffed peppers Sometimes, dinners don’t turn out the way you plan. This recipe started out as one of pure necessity, but ended up being a totally delicious and easy weeknight meal!

From Atkins diet to Mediterranean to “Eat everything in moderation“ seems that the notion of healthy eating changes … during the process of cooking. Leave sarmas to simmer for at least 4–5 hours, an…

This purchase then earns a $5 Target gift card and brings the price to $2.99 each. Not all areas receive the same inserts. Read more from Esther Martin’s Coupon Cutting Mom blog at bit.ly/LNPCouponMom …

[taylahstubbs219-blog]

Trump Aims to Pass Controversies, States He Is Keeping Promises.

Once in awhile, you'll locate a woman that you hit with, yet you aren't wanting to devote to. So you remain pals along with, while also remaining informal. The best preferred wide array from catfish is actually phoned Blue Stations Catfish, called mainly for their chosen flows (networks) as well as waterways they reside, throughout the southeastern U.S. and also most various other portion of the USA. A simple error to create is actually reducing your oral cavity in the direction of the cutlery, but this is really the upside-down to perform factors. Every dinner I create I make double, as well as the doubled amount is my lunch remaining the upcoming day. The bride and groom delighted in a supper at Nobu bistro in the Tribeca area and also were protected by several burly guard and a little entourage. The wedding rehearsal supper is usually thrown due to the bridegroom's moms and dads, as well as the new bride is actually only a guest of honor. The Knowledge Method assists you in seeing how you can easily transform one thing making a mistake lucky going right. In other words, there really isn't a supper alarm rung to indicate the time of an accident or spike - sometimes there is a conspicuous stimulant and also often there is not. In numerous component of the world, especially former English colonies, the dish discusses some relationship with the English Christmas supper including roasted meats and pudding from some description. McKim made all new mantels for the Condition Dining Room, as well as reused among the 1817 mantels at a loss Room. Business supper etiquette should match your specialist abilities, which includes having dining table good manners. Lots of people possess a pretty good tip from what a starfish seems like, but handful of individuals can easily think of the elegance of the blue starfish. This denotes that you have to decide on the proper dinner theatres that provide suited supper shows for you as well as your household, after that. You likewise locate that along with after supper speeches people are actually even more prepared to become entertained, they are even more loosened up consequently they additionally tend to open up additional as well as be actually a lot more responsive.

This will have behaved possessed the food items temperature level been actually a little bit of warmer, but you would certainly not complain when you attack in to the reddish beast. Yet by painting it, including varnish, new components as well as perhaps a brand-new leading including granite or even marble, this is actually currently a spectacular buffer dining table for those dinner events. Red Whisker claimed he can create a salad (which I don't strongly believe), and obtruded herself on public notice. If you are actually appearing for one thing a little bit of other from the normal, this's surely a new and revitalizing dinner idea for many people.

Sims Failed functions strange problems off the addictive computer game, switching digital suburb right into a surreal web art ordeal. For example, if you desire to have your meat Pittsburgh-Rare, you could possibly char the outdoors, and also the in would be reddish in the middle off side to side. If your are actually a full novice www.ariane-sport.info in the kitchen, making your very own natural honey baked ham is actually easy as well as a food this is actually tough to go wrong along with also. If you are actually having a formal supper, after that using a cream colored, bed linen table linen along with matching fabric paper napkins is actually wonderful for this kind of dinner. It seems that the final improve polished off my sort off your lenses so I am actually blessed enough to obtain to like your terrific blue paw crabs once more. There are also small wood racks that are just structures developed for holding a little choice from basic supper materials which a small family might usage daily.

[thirdgradebear]

Remember Pennsylvania

I’m planning to write a retrospective of my ten years in Portland, because a lot has happened since I moved to Portland, both to me and to the city. So it makes a good bit of sense that as I’m just beginning to write out this look back, I come home to see my family, and remember from where I come.

Last night, I landed Pittsburgh and caught a cab ride at 8:30pm. My driver didn’t think I knew what I was doing, and rode me in some circles to get the fare above $50. I told him I knew he was lost and made him knock $5 off, which was most of what he extracted doing doughnuts around Bones’ apartment. “I just want one thing to be clear,” he told me as he took $5 off the total. “I wasn’t lost.”

For any tech bros thinking of moving to Portland and finding “cheap” housing: Bones rents a spacious one-bedroom apartment on the South Side of Pittsburgh, a lesser-developed part of town called “the slopes.” He pays $450 a month.

Because I fucked up and checked my bag with my wallet inside, I didn’t eat anything the whole day I was travelling. I texted Bones from a dying phone that I needed to eat or I’d be no fun to be around. He ordered me a sandwich from his neighborhood spot, a gigantic roast beef hoagie that I ate fast. Without asking if I needed either, Bones gave me a 22oz can of Pabst and some Tums. I graciously took down both.

After a few beers and some weed, we walked down an icy hill to the neighborhood dive bar. You can still smoke inside here, and it smells like it. The back door is the only door, because someone threw a brick through the front door and it’s boarded up, and shut. Bones and I play Run the Jewels on the jukebox and I very dramatically win two games of pool. We meet up with a friend of Bones who is a fashion photographer - Keith. Bones and I rap along with RTJ2 songs, and once we’re really lit we head back up to his apartment.

Keith comes with us and makes us some noodles with chicken. We smoke and drink and rap in Bones’ living room. We were recording a demo Bones and I have been planning for two years. There’s some fire, there’s some bile. We were up until 5am. That’s only 2am Portland time, but I dunno what the fuck Bones was on to be up that late. I’m an old man now, I don’t do that shit.

My uncle came to pick me up, waited for me to wake my lazy ass. 12:30pm, I left Pittsburgh for the hour and a half drive north, to my hometown.

My uncle and I are the most political, adventurous, and rebellious people in the family. We share old drug stories, stories of near-death experiences, and perspectives on the NoDAPL movement (he spent a little under a week at Standing Rock - his recognition of his privilege to drive there and create oil demand led him to having a deep spiritual awakening, which has him questioning some of his longest-held notions. It’s inspiring, if difficult, conversation the whole way home.)

The landscape in Western PA is so different than Portland - it’s been a long, long time since I saw a hill covered in barren trees. There aren’t nearly the number of evergreens here. The sky is a certain color of blue. As we drive, my uncle points out the window - he used to always point out hawks nests, or great birds flying, so I look to the sky and don’t see what he’s pointing to. “Trump sign,” he says. I look down a bit and see a large red barn, facing the interstate highway with a “Make America Great Again” banner. Uncle mutters about how people in Western PA supported Trump. “Makes sense to me,” I tell him.

My mom and grandma have marinara with chicken and spaghetti noodles ready for us. It’s much needed - my second meal in about 36 hours, unless you count the hundred-ish ounces of beer I drank as a meal.

Mom and I visit the convenience store to pick up a prescription. She’s been without medicine she needs since October because she’s in the Medicare “doughnut hole” - the position many folks are in when they get a certain dollar allotment per year for drugs, and take more drugs than the allotment. The pharmacist lets her know that her insurance won’t cover one of the pills she needs. She’s visibly upset about it. I stay calm and apologize to her (we haven’t won full communism yet, so I guess I owe her that apology). She’s been dealing with this shit for months. “That’s why I don’t see the doctor,” I tell her.

We leave without the drugs she needs, and she takes me on a drive across the “new bridge.” The Spring Street bridge was rebuilt last year. It’s a major development in a town where there aren’t many major developments. The old bridge was dilapidated metal, and was closed for years. The new one is stone and looks very nice. 

Meadville is a funny, beat up old steel town struggling to find itself in a new economy. We drove over the bridge into Meadville on 322. About 15 years ago, the city built a sewage treatment plant about 5 city blocks from my grandma’s house, the family house. The bridge into Meadville runs right alongside the plant, and there were concerns back when it was built that people would see (and smell) a sewage treatment plant when they drove into town for the first time. You literally saw the plant right before seeing the “Welcome to Meadville” sign. So to solve this problem, the city erected plastic barriers on the median part of the bridge, which mostly-obstructed a visitor’s view of open sewage pits. They also sprayed pine scent into the air - my grandmother would often say it smelled like “someone shit a pine tree.” Well, now the plastic barriers on the bridge are gone - the city seems to have accepted that this plant is a feature of the landscape. I don’t think they’ve sprayed pine scent in some time.

The police station moved from its old building to an old armory building, closer to the center of town - Diamond Park. Diamond Park is shaped like a diamond, the surrounding the park are two streets, lined with churches, and City Hall, and now the police station. Kids in Meadville on Friday and Saturday night used to go on “cruise night,” which basically meant driving in circles around the Diamond. Back when my dad was a young buttrock enthusiast, this was where young people would blare their rock-n-roll and drink cheap beer. The city cracked down on this practice when I was young, as hip-hop culture started taking over the cruise night scene and rattling bass became more common that squealing guitar solos, in case you want to conjecture about the intersection of culture and race in small-town western PA.

The old police station is now a small pet food manufacturer, not the major one in town. Dad’s Dog Food was the big local employer; my grandmother worked there for a time. Walmart bought up the factory years back, so now it manufactures dog food for Walmart. My uncle, an artisan employee of a metal fabrication shop, has been retired for a year - for years prior, they would sometimes have enough work for him, and often not. My mom, a specialist in printing technologies at a plastics manufacturing shop, has been unemployed for four years following a health scare that nearly killed her and left her disabled. Last I knew of him, my dad was still working at a large tool-and-die manufacturer, Channelock. They make tools and stamp other brand names on them - Mac tools, Craftsman, etc. You can hear a banging most hours of the day and night, as the giant metal press pops out individual pieces. It kills someone every couple years, but nobody would ever dare question whether the jobs are worth the risk.

One of my childhood best friends sent me his resume to give him some advice. His position at a retail store was eliminated. He has a Master’s degree, a wife and three kids, a house. He’s brewing beer in his spare time and I’ll help him drink some of it this week. Sometime this week we will eat at The Whole Darn Thing, my favorite sandwich shop in Meadville. As I typed that sentence, I had to ask my family whether it was still open. It is, thank god. You never know.

Grandma is watching Leave it to Beaver. Mom is looking up recipes on the internet - she’s had more time to focus on eating healthy since retiring. I’m going to get a sandwich at Arby’s - roast beef, plus curly fries and a Jamocha Shake. We don’t have these delicacies so close at hand in Portland.

[rafaelthompson]

10 Minutes With Zoey Thorson: Part Two

We close our interview with Royal NY’s Zoey Thorson by chatting about her day-to-day activities with the coffee and tea importer.

Feature photo courtesy of Zoey Thorson with permission by the SCA

BY JIYOON HAN SPECIAL TO BARISTA MAGAZINE ONLINE

Note from the editor: Last week we published an in-depth interview with Zoey Thorson about her extensive work in Hawaii and New York, and the complex cultural differences between the two. Today we learn about her duties as the director of education at The Lab by Royal NY.

Zoey is the self-proclaimed stage mom of The Lab, wanting to make everyone the best versions of themselves. Photo courtesy of Zoey Thorson.

What are you prioritizing for yourself at The Lab? 

To fulfill and sustain myself in goals, I discovered a while ago that my ideal job is stage mom. I want to give everyone the tools and platform to allow people to be the best version of themselves as coffee professionals. Doing this for anyone that passes my path at the Lab—in whatever light that is. 

My other goal is to be a Q Instructor. I love the Q. I love what CQI does. I agree the SCA form needs some upgrades, but this is standardized language that we can all use for coffee. I love it! Being a Q Instructor melds all of this together: helping to further CQI’s mission as well as giving other people a platform to grow professionally. 

What are you prioritizing for The Lab, as director? 

The current situation has allowed me to get my game together with virtual classes. Making education more accessible. Another goal I have is surrounding communication, from producers to roasters, baristas, consumers. I am working on streamlining the process in which information on quality is transferred easily up and down the supply stream. Importers are historically considered the gatekeepers of information and I can’t stand this idea. We’re not the gatekeepers, we’re the gateway. I want us to be a conduit for information.

What is your day-to-day at The Lab?

Two to four days worth of classes or consulting/custom education work or events in a given week. Courses totally range. I deal with people from all across the industry. Home roasters, baristas, flavor scientists, the whole gamut, teaching different and new things and hosting events bringing all of these people together. It is amazing. 

I also have to keep our curriculum relevant and up to date by gathering information and finding the most up-to-date resources. Patrick (education and research specialist) and I spend a lot of time validating information, sorting through mess on the interweb. We need actual, valid information surrounding coffee and tea. Then our work is to incorporate this into coursework or onto the blog. 

We write blog posts with a wide range. Both Patrick and I are the backup sample roasters and part of the QC team, ensuring coffee quality. 

Royal is a big importer. Can you talk more about the importer/education-centered model within Royal? Is this common? What’s the vision behind this? 

Royal NY has three wings: Royal NY Coffee, Royal NY Tea, and The Lab. The Lab’s role is supporting coffee and tea. I work closely with all of the traders. Even with the logistics people. This is not that uncommon for importers. 

In the U.S. there aren’t too many independent coffee schools. Many have disappeared. Usually you find large coffee businesses that have coffee schools. Education itself, although it is high value, is often not that accessible for a coffee professional living off an hourly wage, and it is hard to lower the cost of this education, unless the demand for coffee knowledge increases. Although we are seeing more value and demand for professional certifications such as SCA certifications and the Q. That’s the reason Royal NY decided to do this—to create a space for resources (current clients, people starting out in coffee wanting extra support), and general support for the coffee community. When we hosted the prelims this [past] summer, it wasn’t to gain clients or make money or anything. It was purely to create a space for people in the industry to come together, as well as to help make competitions as accessible to everyone as possible.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR A native New Yorker, Jiyoon Han is a Q Arabica Grader, Q Processing Generalist, and was a judge for the U.S. Coffee Championships 2019 Brewers Cup Prelims. As Chief Daughter at Bean & Bean Coffee in NYC, Jiyoon sources, roasts, and cups coffee. She’s a student at the Harvard Business School, where she is co-president of the Coffee & Tea Club.

The post 10 Minutes With Zoey Thorson: Part Two appeared first on Barista Magazine Online.

10 Minutes With Zoey Thorson: Part Two published first on https://espressoexpertsite.tumblr.com/