An Ode To Coffee

I am working really hard to re-train myself in the art of coffee.

I am such a "seasonal mocha" kinda girl, at heart. I love the sugary, milky concoctions like s'mores frappacinos and creme brûlée lattes. However. They are so bad for you. I know this isn't, like, "breaking news", but they are. I try so hard to make better decisions in my eating, and that has to include drinks too, right?

My husband is a black Americano drinker, and I love the simplicity of his order. I decided to try just a plain iced coffee a few months back.

Ok, not bad. It's actually kinda sweet? I can do this!

Oh, what's that? They add classic syrup? Awesome. So, I decided to ask them for no sweetener, with a splash of cream.

Did you guys know that NO ONE understands what "a splash" means? Every single time I ordered, my iced coffee came out white. And with no sweetener, it tastes like flat, bitter coffee. 

So, I switched my order this weekend - espresso, three shots over lots of ice in a venti cup (which will naturally water it down), with a couple pumps of white mocha for some flavor/sweetness.

It's a winner. My next goal is to phase out the white mocha altogether.

Does anyone have any further suggestions for my newest concoction? I'm all for recommendations! As a mama of two, I desperately need/want the caffeine, but I don't want it at the expense of my health.

Sunny Saturdaze

Saturday. My favorite day. And, bonus... it's SUNNY.

We woke up at 8am (thanks, Simon!) and laid around for a few minutes before we got dressed, headed to Starbucks, and then to the mall. We have family pictures on Sunday, so we were on a mission to find some "blue" items for all of us, since that is the color we chose.

I also happened upon some MAC eyeshadow palates that were Nordstrom exclusives, and since I had already warned Paul that I needed to pick up 3 - 4 eyeshadows since I'm out of everything and I literally CANNOT scrape the bottom of the pan anymore, I figured... why not spend an extra $30 and get a palate of 15 neutral shades? I mean, that's just... math, or something.

Oh, and I got a mineralized bronzey skinfinish, because I'm a terrible checkout shopper. You know those cookies you can add to your order at the window of any drive-thru restaurant? That's how they get me at Nordstrom. "Oh! Since you got that amazing collection of all the best neutrals, you should get this pearlescent bronzer that doubles as a highlighter."

Um, ok.

After shopping, we went to lunch at Chick-Fil-A. This is a major deal, because is JUST CAME TO WASHINGTON. It's madness, you guys. I know it's fast food, and what the heck are we thinking sitting in a line that wraps around a neighboring building...

..but it's delicious. I would wait for 40 minutes for the sauce alone. Plus, it was SUNNY and Porter and Simon were snoozing... it was the perfect afternoon.

We got home and Paul had to hurry and get ready for church, so I have spent the last hour cleaning. The GOOD cleaning: all the dishes, scrubbing the whiteboard of permanent marker, sorting rogue toys.. the serious kind of cleaning where no one gets in my way.

I feel so accomplished on Saturdays like this. Don't worry, though... this isn't the norm. 9 times out of 10, my Saturdays are spent in sweats and wandering through the grocery store to avoid the rain, or on the couch watching DVR'd Datelines while Porter destroys everything in site. But, on those sunny days when we're teased with our first glimpses of summer...

...nothing better.

Happy Weekending!