I ♥ Java

Hello. My name is Jacq. and I love coffee. There. I said it. Java and I are besties. Java is my morning hello and afternoon atagirl. It didn't start out this way. Tea used to be my bestie until I met Java. I went from a light and subtle sip to a slightly bolder one. Even after locking elbows with my new hot drink a few years ago, I still consider myself a newbie. Settling in on a standard brand, flavor, and the perfect ration of coffee to water (based on the strength) is a work in process. There are soooo many choices and I have sipped on some not so tasty brew in my effort to taste and sample a wide variety of coffees.

Typically, I like a medium strength/intensity with cream and sugar. Yesterday, while browsing the supermarket, the coffee aisle beckoned me. Is it just me? Even if I don't need any more coffee I still like to go down that aisle....just to see. Scope out my next experiment. Well, this time, I settled on Starbucks Verona. A dark cocoa, roasty sweet, bold blend. It is quite apparent that I am not a Starbucks fan. At least not at this point. I'm trying to like it. Maybe tomorrow will be that day. Especially since I have quite a bit left. Everybody likes Starbucks, right? Well, in the interim, I found a new site that tickles my coffee fancy, www.roaste.com.

User-generated reviews, and intuitive search and recommendation features offer consumers an unparalleled ease of selection. Fresh coffee is shipped directly from our micro-roasters, making ROASTe the next evolutionary step in the world of gourmet coffee consumption at home.


It's going to take me a minute to sample the grand variety they have in their virtual store. Coffee in the mail. MMmm....

Use coupon code for $5 off your first coffee purchase - BLOGME5 

Let me know which one(s) you try!

A Temporary Setup

Okay. Since I will be in Ohio for a little while longer than expected, looks like I need to start considering a plan to set up a temporary, but comfortable, living situation. My parent’s house has been quite comfortable. Don’t get me wrong. My childhood bedroom has its same charm. Sometimes I don’t have to cook (YAY!). Oh yeah, and it’s free. However, I need some elbow room….translation, personal space. Not to mention, shackin’ with the parents, with the grandkids, is a less than desirable situation for me. I digress.

The last time I searched for a sofa, it took FOREVER. I wanted the perfect one. For this project, I need to keep in mind that this is a temporary situation and I do not want to spend a lot of money. I need this setup to look and feel great AND make my wallet smile. I’m talkin’ a big toothy smile. So, being the online shopper that I am, I’ve started with www.become.com. Why click all over the place when I can go to one place and do the research? There's actually alot of stuff there. But focus I must. I looked up cheap sectional sofas, cheetah bedding for my little tomboy, and a bed desk, for starters. {{{heavy sigh}}} So much to do for something that will be temporary. But what the heck!? It’s a great excuse to shop! And it's all part of the journey.

The Dating Game Begins

It's really October! I've been so absorbed with getting the kids situated with 'regular' school and settling into my new non-homeschooled daily schedule that I am losing track of time. Last month marked year three of being divorced. Whoa! Where did the time go? I am so behind on my journey to 'sample the waters' that I need to get on the Fast Track plan. Let's see, three years divorced and probably as many, if not less, actual dates in that time period. My journey to the Jacqpot in the dating category is barely moving at a walker's pace. Sheesh.

Where do I begin? I haven't the slightest idea. I've been out of the game for quite some time and I'm a bit intimidated at the mere thought of it all. Perhaps I should make some goals for the next few months in order to prepare myself. Maybe not. Jumping right in may be the answer. Hmmm....I need to know where to jump first. So, there begins the journey...scoping out the where. Where are the eligible bachelors(?) Do people still set their friends and family up on blind dates with so and so's cousin's neighbor? I wish I had some of those friends. {{{heavy sigh}}} Social media? Internet dating? Oh my.

Okay. First things first. For the next few weeks, I'm going to make a point of visiting a location, attending an event, or someplace with people just to observe. Slow and steady usually wins the race. Let's see how long before this snail lands a date. This part of the journey will certainly be interesting. :)

Motherhood Is Not for Sissies

Motherhood is a partnership with God.

Today marks a pivotal moment in time. Eighteen years ago today, the cutest baby boy entered my life. Fast forward to today, I'm just thankful that I haven't been committed to a place with stark white walls and, subsequently, outfitted in an unfashionable "hugging" jacket. It's his birthday and, for me, a day that shows that the motherhood journey that started out with a question mark, in 1993, has now culminated in an exclamation point.


Happy Birthday to my first born. Now, get out! :D

motherhood is not for sissies

Mom's Crazy

Guest post written by my buddy Royce Heath

My mother had been cleaning my house for the longest time which just totally didn’t work for us. For one thing, she was always snooping through my clothes and borrowing stuff and I didn’t like her being up close and personal with my house! For another, she didn’t do the best job cleaning so last month my husband and I made the decision to hire a professional housekeeper. My mother had all these concerns, of course, like the http://WWW.SecurityChoice.COM alarm and what if the dog got out but so far the new arrangement has been amazing. I don’t have to worry as much about what’s going to get clean enough for my liking and I certainly don’t have to worry that someone’s going through my things! I guess it goes to show that everyone’s right when they tell you not to mix business with pleasure because there are some things better left to someone else. I don’t like to clean but I sure don’t like my mother cleaning, either, as it turns out!

Glasses Were Not Made to Do That

My teenaged son decided to stretch his eyeglasses for some unknown reason. Can you guess what happened? Anyone who doesn't fall into the teenaged boy category probably knows that stretching eyeglass frames isn't the best thing to do UNLESS you are trying to break them. Well, school starts in a matter of days so I reckon I have to go buy him some more. Oh! I failed to mention that he chose to break them months ago. His punishment was to have him wear them, just short of tape-in-the-middle fashion, until I decided to replace them. Now, let's see if he wants to stretch another pair.

The whole process of deciding where to get the eye exam and purchase his new pair of spectacles is a chore. Back in the day, my parents took us to an eye doctor in Michigan where we had the eye exam and chose our frames at the same location. These days, we have so many options. I used to go to Lens Crafters and some other standard brick and mortar store to purchase frames (and get the exam). This time, I am going to venture outside the box and try one of the online options for his eyeglass frames....and probably mine as well.

In my Spectacle Investigations, I've checked out sites ad nauseum. Here's the deal:
There are two ways to try on eyeglasses online. One way is to use your webcam by clicking on the webcam icon on the upper left side of the virtual mirror. This works just like a traditional mirror. Once you see yourself in the frame, simply select the eyewear you want to try on and move it over your face in the mirror. If you don’t use a webcam on your computer, you can upload a photo to the virtual mirror instead. This works the same way you would upload a photo to Facebook. Once your photo appears in the frame, you can adjust the focal point and size of the picture and then start trying on glasses.

You can also find the frame size you need by visiting your local optical store and try on some frames. Jot down the size of the frame that fits you and then search for a frame online that is close to that size. Lastly, you can check the inside of your current frame for the size info.

So, once you have your prescription from the Optometrist ($30 max), find a frame from the online vendor of choice, click-click and ta-da! Sounds simple enough. We'll see about that.

After much consideration, I will make a choice between GlassesUSA.com, 39dollarglasses.com, and GlobalEyeglasses.com.

Buckle up! Here we go!

School Uniforms and the Stepford Syndrome

More and more school districts are switching over to school uniforms. Navy blue or khaki pants, skirts, jumpers, or shorts and solid colored polos or white button up tops. Although I am a fan of uniforms, I sympathize with the kids who aren't diggin' it. My 7 year old daughter being one of them. She groaned when she found out that her new school has a uniform policy. I feel her pain.

Who wants to look like everybody else? How are kids supposed to embrace and proclaim their individuality? You've seen them. The uniformed students, looking like Stepford offspring, all lined up. Just try to quickly pick out your own child in a sea of Stepford children.

What's a Mom to do? Identify the loopholes, of course! There are a few options. Girls can kick it up a notch and show their personality with their hair accessories and their socks. Many uniform policies do not have a sock or hair accessory stipulation. It may be a bit more challenging for a boy.

I think the sock and hair flexibility has satisfied my little one.....for now. I'm looking forward to catching a glimpse of her fabulous socks and tights in the sea of Stepfords.

 


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*Note: Since writing this post, it looks as if I will be homeschooling my daughter again. Stay tuned!