...start 'em young...

Not really.

But once in a while...

its fun

to get a "coffee"

with Mama!

xoxo



...new fav shirt...

***new favorite shirt***
my friend gave me this
she knows me well!!

...see why I need coffee...

I can honestly say

I

LOVE

MY

FAMILY

and my beautiful, crazy life!!

....but days like today remind me why

I

LOVE

COFFEE

Phew.

Fun.

Done.

(...and birthday month is officially over...)

...dear coffee...

Dear coffee,

We gotta talk.

You are no good for  me.  We need to split ways. 

I rely on you.  You get me through the day.  But its not healthy. 

So we gotta break up.

...But know I love you.

I love your aroma.  I love the taste.  I love you black, mixed with chai, with a dash of cream, and especially with steamed breve.

I love your color.  The warm mug in my hand.  Sipping you through a straw.

I love the habit of driving through, ordering, and receiving you as a partner to go with me where ever I am headed.

In my life of little ones, you are my moment of "me me me!!!!"

I love that I know baristas all over town - I consider them great friends.
Hey, they know my drink, my kids' names, and where I am headed.  If you can't find me, pull into the nearest coffee shop....  see how cold my trail is!

Mmmm - I am imagining you right now.

You are wonderful.

So wonderful.

Ok, so maybe this isn't it.  Maybe this isn't The End. 

I don't know if I can let go. 

Maybe we can still be friends??????

(darn you, coffee.  why are you so good to me?)

...#1-drink coffee #2-do good...

That's my "to do" list!

1.  Drink Coffee.
2.  Do good.

Ok, that's not my list.  My list is not written down.
But if it were
I don't know if there's enough pages to hold it.

How discouraging eh?

But dwelling on the list is not what life is about.

Dwelling on what needs to be done that isn't
sucks life
adds stress
is overwhelming

So there's gotta be a balance right??!!

Drink coffee.  Do good.  Enjoy the NOW.  And get some stuff done.

So off to do that... hope you are too!!

...coffee kinda day...

...and I need a transfusion!!!

I have made 2 cups myself,

and my hubby ran to the store and is buying me one on his way back. 

(He knows the way to my heart!!) 

Its a coffee kind of day!! 

Cheers!!!!

...High Five for SATURDAY?!?!...

HIGH FIVE FOR.....errrrrr..... uhhhh.....  SATURDAY!!

Ok, I am a day late!  But what the heck - lets high 5 anyways!!

Here we go - the  5 things I'm thankful for this week:

1.  my favorite gum!

2.  the fact that EVERYTHING LOOKS BETTER TAN!!!

No, I don't lay out on tinfoil with baby oil.  But ya gotta admit, getting some color is a good thing. 

Vitamin D and all too right?!?!

3.  COFFEE!  If you read my earlier post, I am cutting back on caffeine as of tomorrow.  YIKES.  But I will still get my cup in the morning!

4.  Twisted bangs!!  Since I cut mine, I'm loving them.  But I found this tutorial online and boy is it a lifesaver.  Especially for FRIZZY hair like mine!!

(this girl has TONS of great hair tutorials at The Small Things Blog)

5.  My SISTER!  We got to hang severl times, including sitting in her hot tub talking for HOURS.  How blessed am I to have a sister who is my best friend??!!  Love her!

Thats my week!  A day late, but who's keeping track??!!

Also happy to say this is my 40th post!!  If you read my first post, you will know I was going to try this blogging thing for 40 days.  Well, that kind of changed to 40 posts as I missed a day here and there.  The adventure has been fun.  I may just continue!! 

(My favorite part has been being part of High Five for Friday with Laren at From My Grey Desk.  So fun!)

Happy Weekend!!!

...such a thing as too much coffee??...

Too much coffee... is there such a thing??

I would like to think not.  I love the taste.  I love the warmth, the cups, the shops, the drive-thrus, the baristas, the smell, the flavor, the steam, the look of foam, the sound of grinding beans...  shall I go on?????  Coffee is my friend.  It doesn't keep me up.  It doesn't make my tummy hurt.  It is the best breakfast, good with lunch, goes with anything I have for dinner, fun to hang out with late at night.

But sadly, I am reading so much lately that is saying CUT BACK.  Not even stop, but stick to one cup in the morning.

From eating green, to learning about how to get my hormones/thyroid back in line, to finding out I am a low-oxidizer... Every single thing I pursue to learn about and apply, says to cut back caffeine. 

How does that make me feel??  WAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!

But I need to get on board.  Sigh.

So I will go for it!

(I wonder if I'll get headaches??  I've never NOT had coffee enough to know if I will or not!!)

And from now until Monday, me and coffee gonna have some good times!!!

...stovetop coffee...

Nothing like a grande Americano with steamed breve from Starbucks!!

But if I'm making coffee at home, this is my favorite:  stovetop coffee!!

LOVE the taste. 

Love the process. (just fill bottom with hot water, put coffee in filter section, screw top on and put on the burner.  Takes 3-4 minutes.) 

I also love the portions.  Just enough for one big cup.  That way, if I want more I make more.  It tastes fresh and great every time, and I don't just drink a whole pot without thinking about it.

Mmmmmm....  if you haven't tried it, you should!!

(I got mine at Ross - I'd suggest any kind of discount store or else they are kinda expensive!)

O - mine it perking!!  Gotta go!!

...o to be a barista....

Ok, my dream job is to be a barista.

I'll modify that.  My dream is to own a coffee shop.  I was going to name it... you guessed it... Thank God For Coffee!  Either a drive through or a little shop...  less pressure with a drive thru. 

Alas, I think my dream was 10 years too late.  When they first came out, coffee stands were the craze!  And hot and happening!  But now, at least in Oregon, its a pretty saturated market.  And a lot of people (sigh, including myself) would rather have Starbucks.

I probably have a crazy view on being a barista.  Seeing people, getting to join in their cheer or cheer them up with coffee.  Who doesn't get a little happiness, no matter their day or life, when they get that cup of what they love?  And knowing customers names, making them feel known by remembering their drinks, getting to be a little spot of joy in their day....  I'm sure there's other, less glamorous parts of this job.  But I think:  people + coffee?  How can it be wrong?????

So to all you baristas out there - thanks for what you do, and know I am little jealous!!

Enjoy!

...high 5 for friday...

High 5 High 5 High 5 High 5 High 5 High 5 High 5 High 5 High 5 High 5 High 5 High 5 High 5 High 5

!!! HAPPY FRIDAY !!!

Its time for High Five for Friday....  following are my top 5 things I'm thankful for from this week.

Check out Lauren's blog at From My Grey Desk to see her High 5s plus over 100 others!!

HERE WE GO........

1.  High 5 for low-carb pancakes - These are protein pancakes from Blogilates.com blog.  Very low carb, taste very carby, lots of protein, yum.  I use ground flax seed instead of her husk stuff, just because that is what I have.  Good stuff!!

protein pancakes from blogilates

2.  CHAOS - I am thankful for this word I found!  Stands for: Can't Have Anyone Over Syndrome. 
I suffer from this!!  Motivating myself (and praying for motivation) to work on that!

3.  Grande Americano with steamed breve!  See previous blog for more info on this.  But YUM.   I just had one.  And yes it is 8:01pm!!!!



<3 my friends!!



4.  FRIENDS.  I am thankful for my funny friends who do all sorts of crazy things with me and love me for me.  How blessed am I to have so many of them??!!   I am RICH because of them!!

5.  Bethel.  This is a church in Redding, CA.  Love their hearts, their wisdom, their LOVE for Jesus and people.  Its all about the LOVE!  I get to listen in at iBethel.tv and I also have friends who are down there going to their ministry school.  Have learned and experienced so much there!!  Freedom, love and wholeness I then get to share!!  Yay!!

High Five for Friday is linked in from Lauren at From My Grey Desk. 

Check it out to see over 100 other High 5s!



...speaking of coffee...

Ok, as COFFEE was the inspiration for this blog, I was thinking I should write something about it.

For 20 years (i-yi-yi, that's a long time) my coffee drink was:  20 oz chai with skim milk and 1 shot of espresso.  As you may have read earlier, now I no can do.  Too much sugar/milk/too much too much.  Still delish.  I still love you, 20 oz chai with a shot, but I have had to move on.

Now its:  Grande Americano with steamed breve. 

A regular Americano is espresso with hot water.  I was ordering that, and adding  my own half and half.  And it was good.  I liked it.  The half and half cooled it down a bit too much, but otherwise, I was content.

But then I heard of "steamed breve!"  And my world was once again complete.  Steamed breve just adds an inch of steamed half and half at the get go.  It is frothy, hot, and just about perfect!!

Thank God for coffee!!!!

A Grande Americano with steamed breve please!!

...but first, coffee...

So today I was thinking of something I'm sure we've all heard...  the definition of insanity.  If you do the exact same thing but expect different results, your insane.  Or something along those lines.

I agree.  Its true.  And I am applying it my life and changes I would like to make.  Because I gotta say I am in a bit of a Season of Slump. 

Low energy, low motivation...  And its not that all the time and love spend with my kiddos is not phenomenal and I know worth more than gold!!  But I am feeling unconnected.

I think I am missing COMMUNITY.  With little ones and a busy schedule and the slump-i-ness I've been feeling, I realize I miss friends and hanging out and community.  Doing life together with others, that include others outside of the 5 of us. 

So what to do what to do?  The thing with little ones and a busy schedule is that days go by fast.  Heck, not just days.  Months go by fast.  Seriously.  Its April??  That in itself is a surprise!!

So taking the advice/motivation from the definition of insanity, what do I do differently?  What change to make that ensures I am seeing my friends, staying connected, doing community? 

I think it starts with a small goal.  Isn't that whats recommended?  Attainable goals!  Baby steps!

So my first goal - to plan something once a week with someone outside of my family. 

That is so do-able.  And if I set it up in advance, the week won't fly by.  And if its one thing, it won't be overwhelming.

Yay.  So I am off to set up my first plan, for next week.

But first, coffee! 

(That is ALWAYS a good first step!  Coffee = sanity!!)

...I like to move it, move it...

This is what I need in the mornings!!!  A coffee IV!!  Brilliant!!

Coffee is motivation!  We do a workout class called TABATA three mornings a week, and when its over we always stop at Starbucks on the way home.  Seriously, often its only the thought of that coffee stop that gets me through the workout!!

I have a couple other motivators... I am done have kiddos, I am learning more about natural health and how to cook/eat that way, and I want to be healthy and moving my whole life - not limited by being out of shape or unable to do things.

So for working out, I would say the top 2 things that get me "moving it" are:

1.  Work out with somebody!  If someone is waiting for me, I will go.  Even if I didn't get any sleep, I will drag myself there and do a workout.  If I am on my own, I will procrastinate and delay and often skip!

2.  Have a goal! Weddings at the end of the summer are a partial goal. Not that I am too worried about looking perfect or anything - they are my dear dear friends and love me for me.  But it is nice to fit in a dress and not have too many lumps and bumps to worry about!!

I should add #3, which is a new motivator I have found, that I mentioned in an earlier blog.  Its myfitnesspal.com!  You track your calories and exercise and the the more you work out, the more calories you get to eat!!

I am typing this as I am sitting here thinking about how I should be asleep! Meeting my friend bright and early, and I won't stand her up!  But I will feel so much better tomorrow afternoon if I get some shut eye!

Good night!!

...coffee is my love language...

Coffee.  I love it.  I know the baristas all over town.  Nine out of 10 times if I pull up, they make my drink without me asking.  Its so nice - like I have friends everywhere.  My hubby and I even drove up to a coffee shop about an hour away, and yep - they knew me!  (That was kind of a set up, because I have a friend up there and I always stop by that drive-thru DB on the way home, but it caused a good laugh for my hubby!)

For 18 years I have drank a 20 oz chai with skim milk and a shot of espresso.  Delish.  Oregon Chai.  Not Starbucks.  I love Starbucks, but not their chai.  I just get a latte when I go there.  But anywhere else, its a 20 oz chai with skim milk and a shot of espresso. 

About 5 years ago, Dutch Bros started calling this a Dirty Chai.  Apparently other people like this drink too, as it has a name!  But my sweet hubby would often bring one home for me (he knows that coffee is my love language!) and when he would order a 20 oz chai with skim milk and a shot of espresso, the barista would usually say, "O, a Dirty Chai!"  So one day he got brave.  He pulled up, ordered me a Dirty Chai.  As soon as he said it, he knew he'd made a terrible mistake.  The barista was a cute young girl, and she looked shocked and then mad.  If you knew my poor husband, you would be cracking up!  He is the kindest man, who never offends anyone.  Well, she was offended!!  Of course he explained and it probably wasn't that bad, but it mortified that poor guy.  He's staying away from saying "Dirty Chais" from now on!

But that was my drink.  And I still love it.  But then all this adrenal/thyroid crud kicked in and so I have stopped.  Sigh.  I still drink coffee!  But either make it at home or have an Americano. I just can't do the sugar anymore.  But I still drive by and look wistfully at all my friends, remembering the decades of coffee love.  And I wonder if they miss me?  I miss them!  (I also wonder if their budget misses me, as I am sure I paid their electric bills for many years!)

And even though I have changed drinks, and honestly I have a goal of only cutting back so much that coffee is only a treat now and then, I will always have a love affair with coffee.  The warmth, the smell, the color, the taste, the effect, the environment of a coffee shop, the friendships strengthened over coffee...   the list goes on!!

Thank God for Coffee!!!

...40 Days...

A blog! 

Intimidating?  Exciting?  Fun?  

All this is going through my mind... as I think that yes, I will do this.  For so many reasons.  And for no reason!  For 40 days.  And then we'll see.

Forty days?  Yep.  Forty days is a good time frame.  If life is crazy, if you want to change something, if you're thinking of trying something out, if you have to get through something... give yourself 40 days.  It works! 

Its worked for lots of people.  Take a look in the Bible - 40 day chunks of time were a big deal!  Noah, Moses, Jesus - they all had 40 day experiences that were life changing!  And its a time frame God gave me once, during a super hard season... Just hang in there for 40 days.  Hang on for 40 days, and then see...  see whats happening.  See where you are, see whats going on, see how circumstances have changed.  Forty days.  Its long enough to create a new habit, to get a new perspective, to get hope! 

Forty days.  Its also long enough to see what its like to blog.

So... let the blogging journey begin.  Blog #1.  Here it is!  Thirty-nine more days to go...!

Lotsa love,
Pam

(So, what's up with the picture?  I love coffee and my boys love angry birds!  What a good combo!)