Kick Your Caffeine Habit

What is your morning routine like?  For many people, the first thing they do is make a pot of coffee.  However, are you trying to kick your caffeine habit in the new year.  You do not need to go without your favorite taste of coffee to get rid of the caffeine. Here are four alternatives to try this year.   You can learn more at The Kitchn.

First thing in the morning, I am nothing without my steaming hot mug of coffee. Truth be told, you’d have to pry it out of my hands to get me to give it up! However, I have a one mug-a-day limit — any more caffeine throughout the day starts messing with my mood and sleep, and the acid isn’t so great for my tummy either.

When I want the warm, comforting sensation of a cup of coffee without the acid and caffeine, I reach for one of these four substitutes instead. Here are the brands I’ve tried and enjoyed — they're in regular rotation in my house, perfect for quelling my afternoon coffee cravings.

1. Teeccino

Teeccino is the sweetest of the coffee substitutes I've tried, and in my opinion, the tastiest as well. Carob is the first ingredient, and there are dates and almonds in here too. It's not overly sugary, though, and at just twelve calories per 8-ounce serving, it's an indulgence I'm happy to partake in. They've got many different flavor varieties in both loose and single-serving packaging. Hazelnut is a familiar favorite, while Maya Chocolate has a hint of chile heat.

2. Cafix Crystals

Cafix Crystals look just like freeze-dried coffee crystals, but they're made from a mix of barley, rye, chicory, and sugar beets. The flavor is not particularly sweet, tasting mostly of roasted, toasty grains.

This is the quickest-brewing of any coffee substitute — just pour boiling water in with the crystals, stir, and you've got a piping hot drink in seconds. It's easy to add more or less of the product depending on how concentrated you like your brew.

3. Ayurvedic Roast

Ayurvedic Roast touts its health benefits as well as its coffee-like flavor — it contains Ayurvedic herbs Ashwagandha, Shatavari, and Brahmi. The flavor profile is similar to Cafix, but fresher and more aromatic. This makes sense, as it's a less processed product — the grains and herbs are simply roasted and ground.

It takes a little bit more effort to prepare this coffee substitute — you can steep it like loose tea for a medium-bodied beverage, or boil it in water for a more viscous brew. Either way, it's got a nice, toasty flavor, and I've enjoyed both the French vanilla and unflavored varieties.

4. Art of Tea Chocolate Monkey Rooibos Fusion

Rooibos tea isn't really trying to be like coffee, but this blend is far more robust than a regular cup of herbal tea, so I think it deserves a special mention! Art of Tea's Chocolate Monkey Blend has a complex, intriguing aroma, with additions of dried apple and banana, cacao nibs, and pink peppercorns for a pop of spice.

This brews up more like tea than coffee — it's lighter and more translucent than any of the straight-up coffee substitutes mentioned above. I like it on its own, or with a little honey and almond milk for an extra treat.

Clean Your Apartment in Minutes

Do you ever get the text or phone call that says you will have unexpected company in five minutes? Check out these great tips on how to make your house appear clean even when you do not have time. You can learn more great apartment tips at apartment therapy.

So you get a text message that tells you company is dropping by and they're only 10 blocks away. Don't panic. Take a deep breath, now panic and check out these 5 tips for making your house appear clean in a flash. That's right, I said appear. Who has time to really clean in 10 blocks?

1. Clean the Three T's: Toilets, Tabletops, the Television. What? The television? Yup! Most living rooms are centered around your tv and the amount of dust that hangs on it, your netflix stack and dvd box set pile that's off to one side could be tell tale signs of why the rest of your house isn't exactly spotless. Plus if you sit chatting in the living room, you'll be staring at it wishing you would have moved it. Toilets and tabletops are a bit more self explanatory, but important none the less.

2. Stash with Efficiency: When company drops in we've all been in a situation once or twice where things get tossed in a basket and shoved in the spare bedroom or closet. It's a quick solution, but it can be done with more efficiency so you can find your stuff later on. Add things to your basket according to the room they go in. That way when company leaves, you can remove the items easily without making 100 trips across your house or apartment to put things where they belong.

3. Pet Hair: Even if you have a sparkling clean house, if your sofa is covered with a layer of dog or cat fur, it suddenly looks less tidy. Keep a rubber glove or your favorite pet hair busting product on hand to knock it all down in a few sweeps.

4. Dishes Be Gone in Seconds Flat: Please don't judge me for this tip. Admitting that I've done it more than once is punishment enough alright? So here goes. Put your dishes in your oven. Wait, what? If you pile your dishes in the sink then it looks like you threw them all in there at the last minute as everyone knows you can't really wash dishes in that manner and you'll still look like a slight slob, even though you have clean counters. Instead, grab a baking sheet and stack like items together and slide them in the oven. They'll slide right back out, be prestacked and ready to be washed so you can recover from the guilt you just gave yourself for following through with this tip. Side note: don't preheat your oven... even by accident... until they're removed.

5. Spend 5 Furious Minutes on Your House Everyday: Isn't that cheating? We're talking about last minute company here, not preparing all week long for them to come! True, but think about how much you can clean in those few minutes before they arrive. 10 blocks isn't much. With traffic and parking and walking up your stairs, 5 minutes is a safe estimate. Bring that panic to your life every day and clean with the same intensity for just 5 minutes and your house will always look better for it. Plus, you still have time to watch Raising Hope without telling yourself you'll pick up on commercials.

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

Reduce Stress Around the Holidays Part 2

Are you stressed about the holidays? There is a way you can have a stress free holiday season. In part two of this blog, we will discuss how you can relieve some stress in your meal preparation. Make sure to go back and read last week's blog on decorating if you missed it. You can learn more at moneycrashers.

Food


While turkey is now the most common dish served during Christmas Day dinners around the world (replacing Tiny Tim’s roasted goose), fried chicken, ham, and fish remain popular. Our childhood memories of Christmases past often include aromatic, mouthwatering, belly-filling, belt-busting meals of savory meats, fresh vegetables, and sugary, meringue-topped desserts, but rarely the hours of exhaustive preparation, mounds of dirty pots and pans, and obligatory cleanup by those responsible for our repasts.


Try the following to save time in the kitchen this year:

Bake and Freeze in Advance. Rolls, coffee cakes, muffins, and breads can be made, shaped, placed in pans, and frozen up to six months before serving. Unbaked pies and cookies can be prepared up to two months before a meal. Appetizers and casseroles taste just as delicious even if they have been frozen for months. Spreading your food preparation over several weekends before the crunch of the season can help to keep you sane and rested.

Use Professionals. Many grocery stores and restaurants offer holiday specials where complete meals are delivered or can be picked up the day before Christmas, so your only duty is to pop them in the oven and serve. The ability to choose à la carte allows for a selection of not only different foods, but different caterers.

Share Cooking and Cleaning Duties. To spread the workload around, one member of the family can bring appetizers, another can supply a vegetable dish, and another can provide dessert, already agreed to beforehand to ensure everyone’s favorites will be available. Cleanup is also shared – those who eat but don’t cook must clean.

Reduce Stress Around the Holidays Part 1

Are you stressed about the holidays?  There is a way you can have a stress free holiday season.  In this two part blog, we will discuss how you can relieve some stress in your decorating and cooking. Read this blog with some great decorating tips and next week you can read part two about cooking.  You can learn more at moneycrashers.

Decorations & Cards


Decorations can be as simple as a single wreath on the front door, to rivers of shining, multicolored lights, animated figures, and revolving displays. They can be erected during a single evening, or take months of painstaking deliberation, meticulous preparation, and days of elaborate construction.


If you tend to take the minimalist approach or your time and budget are limited, consider these ideas:

An Artificial Tree. While your initial expense may be greater than a real tree, artificial trees can be stored and reused for years. Available in a variety of heights, flame-proof, and often pre-decorated, the newer artificial trees are almost indistinguishable from a real fir or pine, missing only the aroma. They are easily erected and dismantled without the need to vacuum dry needles from the floor, and they don’t choke landfills.

Ornaments. The appearance of an ornament is less important than its meaning or the memories associated with it. My favorite is a bedraggled, yellowed angel with a missing halo for the top of our tree which I inherited and still reminds me of my earliest Christmases. Children are exceptionally creative and, given the opportunity, will envelop a tree with homemade decorations and chains, each more treasured as the years fly by.

Greeting Cards and Annual Letters. The practice of sending tens or hundreds of seasonal greeting cards is observed less and less each year, particularly those which are mass printed and signed. Few recipients do more than glance at a card, note the identity of the sender, and mentally add another name to their own list of cards to be given in return. Sending non-personal, generic cards to a group of near strangers is not worth the effort or expense. Mass-mailing eCards is even more inane and may be viewed negatively by the receiver. On the other hand, a personal note and a signature on a unique card or a letter chronicling family/personal events of the previous year mailed to family and friends is a custom that will never go out of style. It is also a chore that can be done prior to the beginning of the multiple duties required during the Christmas season.

A Gift For Yourself or A Friend

We love making our own gifts for the holidays. This is the perfect gift for the loved one that needs a little pampering. Did you know you can make your own salt scrub. The recipe is very easy. Also, the salt scrub in a great packaging makes a very creative gift. You can learn more at The Kitchn.

Which Salt to Use?

For this particular scrub, I used coarse sea salt. Sea salt is simply just evaporated seawater, which means it's not processed and doesn't contain any additives. Sea salt exfoliates by sloughing off dead skin cells, allowing smoother (and healthier!) skin cells to take their place.

If you have particularly sensitive skin, you can sub brown sugar for the salt. Brown sugar is a soft and gentle exfoliant, which makes it a milder alternative to the coarse sea salt.

Which Oil to Use?

Since there are about 101 uses for coconut oil, I always have some of this miracle-in-a-jar on hand. Coconut oil is deeply moisturizing, as it contains medium-chain fatty acids, which provide hydrating and anti-inflammatory properties. As a bonus, coconut oil quickly absorbs into skin, so it won't leave your hands with a greasy residue.

If your pantry isn't stocked with coconut oil, olive oil also works as a great natural moisturizer!

Which Essential Oil to Use?

I chose grapefruit essential oil for this scrub simply because it's my favorite. Grapefruit essential oil brings a fresh, citrusy note to the scrub and leaves my skin feeling energized and bright. It also has antibacterial and antiseptic properties, which are bound to come in handy during the winter months. Lemon or orange essential oils would also do the trick.

If you're looking for something more calming, go with lavender, bergamot, or chamomile essential oils.

Grab your supplies: You'll need 1 cup coarse sea salt, 1/2 cup liquid coconut oil, 5 to 7 drops of grapefruit essential oil, and a 10-ounce glass container.


How To Make Sea Salt Hand Scrub

What You Need

Supplies
1 cup coarse sea salt
1/2 cup liquid coconut oil
5 to 7 drops grapefruit essential oil

Equipment
Dry measuring cups
10-ounce glass container (I used a Weck canning jar)
Fork

Instructions

Grab your supplies. You'll need 1 cup coarse sea salt, 1/2 cup liquid coconut oil, 5 to 7 drops of grapefruit essential oil, and a 10-ounce glass container.

Add the salt. Pour 1 cup of salt into the empty glass container.

Add the oil. Pour 1/2 cup of coconut oil over the salt.

Add essential oil. Add 5 to 7 drops of grapefruit essential oil to mixture.

Stir the mixture. Stir all ingredients until well combined.


Seal and gift. Seal the jar and affix a label or gift tag to the top.

Recipe Notes

Use scrub sparingly — about once or twice a week — by spooning a small amount into your hands, gently rubbing it in, rinsing it off with warm water, and drying your hands thoroughly.

I tried (and failed) to wrap both ribbon and twine around this jar. (It was so slippery!) To save your sanity, just affix a label, tag, or bow to the top of the jar.