Coffee: My New Lifeline

What happens to most in college, medical or law school or after they have had their first child and realize that four hours of sleep a night just doesn't cut it day-in and day-out, only recently happened to me: coffee.  I have always enjoyed coffee on an occasional basis, don't get me wrong.  But, I always was more known as a tea drinker.  When I was looking for that soothing, hot drink to relax or warm me up, I always broke out the PG Tips or Twinings.  Until now. 

Well, let me defend my first love and say that sometimes I still just need to have a good cup of black tea.  Other times I have a craving for a chamomile or another form of herbal tea.  But lately, I have been migrating towards "the other caffeinated drink" and just can't explain what has happened.  It may have something to do with the plethora of yummy flavored creamers out on the market (ummm...have you tried the Caramel Macchiato one yet?) or the Keurig personal coffee brewer I got for Christmas last year or even something called Wawa convenience stores, which has, in my opinion, one of the best cups of coffee out there at convenience store prices.  Quite honestly, I don't know what the impetus for this new love of mine is, but I am coming clean and saying that it can no longer be ignored or denied:  I am a coffee drinker.

To get the facts straight, I am not yet what I would consider an addict.  I'm not shaking when I wake up in the morning, only to be calmed by the beep of my programmable Cuisinart coffee maker indicating that the brew is complete.  I don't have to start every day with a "cup 'o Joe" nor do I even have to have a cup of coffee at all throughout the day to function.  In fact, I typically don't have one every day and my habits are quite sporadic: some days I will have more than one cup and then I may go a few days without this "need" for coffee.  In fact, dare I say, that I may actually have tea some mornings instead (gasp!).  But, what has changed in me is that I do have that feeling of calm come over me now when I sit down and make a cup of coffee.  I also do have that yearning for nothing other than a big mug of coffee some afternoons when my kids nap.  I no longer forget to make coffee at a party I am throwing, even though I have remembered every other detail.  And I must admit that sometimes I'll reach for a K-cup when I am having a bout of tiredness and know that I do not want to be asleep by 8pm.  So add all of this up and I'll be the first to admit that I now consider myself a part of the Latte Club.

It's a joke in my family that in a year, I went from someone who had every appliance out there but was still using an old 10-cup Gevalia coffee brewer that I brought to college with me (and hardly ever used!), to someone who now has a Keurig, a K-cup carousel, a nice Cuisinart brewer, and a Cuisinart coffee grinder on my coutertop.  That's right, only the most frequently used appliances make it to "the big time" of being stored on the countertop instead of in the cabinets or pantry.  I am happy to report that my coffee accoutrements have "made it" and have joined my Kitchen Aid mixer, food processor and my toaster oven on my counter.  They were even purchased in black and stainless to match our decor.  To boot, there are also a handful of flavored creamers in my fridge at all times.  This is getting strange.  Nonetheless, in the short time that I have been a sleep-deprived, coffee drinking, mother of three, I have a few thoughts on coffee that I thought I'd share.  I already gave my disclaimer that I am not a coffee connoisseur but I do know what I have enjoyed in my experimentation, so if it's helpful to anyone out there, then I've done my part in building up the Latte Club.  Enjoy!

1. Myth:  I can't enjoy coffee because nobody else in my house drinks it and I don't like instant coffee.  I'm not going to make a pot for myself.

Well, your answer to this one is either a single-cup coffee brewer, a French press or a Keurig personal coffee maker.  I personally can recommend either a French press such as the one below, that will easily allow you to brew a small amount of coffee for yourself and it will be the freshest you can make, or the Keurig, which offers so much convenience and variety.  There are K-cups for the Keurig available in so many different styles, flavors and brands.  Amazon, Costco or Kohl's are great places to buy your K-cups for a good price (I use my Kohl's cash as a little gift for myself sometimes). My favorites are Timothy's Italian blend and Gloria Jean's Butter Toffee.  Hello?  Did that not just convince you or what?

2. I am looking for a good, reasonably-priced coffee maker.  Which features do you like the best?

The above is the maker I have and really like.  What's irking me is that I bought it last year for about $40 more than the list price now!  So this would be a great deal for you.  It brews a good cup of coffee and I just love the auto-off beep (since I never remember to turn it off) and the programmable feature.  We host our weekly Bible study and also other events so it's nice to set up the coffee and find it already brewing when I finish putting the kids to bed and head downstairs to wait for my guests.

3. I have never tried to grind my own coffee.  The coffee from the store is just as fresh.

This, again, is another item that I paid a lot more for last year when it was newly on the market so it would be a great deal for you.  I recently got into grinding my own coffee, especially when we have company over, and it is so yummy.  It's a lot fresher than the pre-ground and is so easy.  I think of it as a special treat when we have guests, especially, or even just for myself sometimes.  This grinder is sleek looking and has an option to automatically grind enough for a certain number of cups in the maker.  Very fast and reliable.

Unique Children's Gifts

Selecting the perfect gift for a family who has just had a new baby or for a child's birthday or holiday gift can become quite a chore.  It seems as if children these days have so many toys and even worse, there are tons more out there for your personal toy-store-shopping confusion.  So how do you know what to pick when you want to give something that the child will love and Mom and Dad will not immediately banish to the garage or the re-gift bin?  I personally know that I love a good useful gift and as innocent as they are, it's often easy to pull the wool over your child's eyes and make him see that gift as something fun at the same time.  So, here are a few suggestions I have, things we have been given or have given to others.  This isn't to say that we don't love toys or other gifts when we recieve them; these are just some unique ideas that I have seen go over well throughout my years of giving and receiving gifts.  Leave a comment if you have any other ideas.  I love hearing new ideas!

A series of name books.  I just can't say enough about this idea.  It was actually one that was given to us by a librarian friend when both of our sons were born.  Select a series of children's books with the child's name either in the title or as the main character of the book.  This is a fun idea because you can certainly select books (style and quantity) based on your budget.  Also, as a baby gift, you can give some books that can be used sooner and some books that may be used later on, when the child is a preschooler.  I know I love having books on hand already as my child matures and is ready for different types of books.  For an older child to have the most fun with this, the books should probably be ones he/she can read now or can easily understand when someone reads them aloud.  You can get ideas by searching online at Amazon or Barnes and Noble for books containing a certain name.  As an example, here are what we received for our sons:

Benjamin:  The Tale of Benjamin Bunny by Beatrix Potter; Benjamin Bigfoot by Mary Serfozo; What's the Time? Benjamin Bear Learns to Tell Time by Anne LeBlanc; and Benjamin Bear Says Please by Claire Freedman.

Nathaniel (Nate): Nate the Great by Marjorie Weinman Sharmat; But Not Nate!: A Book About Opposites by Andrew Gutelle; and Nathaniel Willy, Scared Silly by Judith Mathews.

Goodnight gift set.  This is another fun idea we have received and I have the generous and the more generous variations on this theme.  Basically, what this goodnight set will include is a children's book with a coordinating pair of pajamas in the child's size.  So, combine a fun book in a theme the child loves with a pair of pajamas in a coordinating fun print and you go from the dull gift of clothing to an exciting gift that is also practical.  You could find Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed by Eileen Christelow and combine it with a pair of cute pajamas with monkeys on it.  Go crazy and see if you can find a coordinating pair of slippers or a blanket to give a more elaborate gift.  I'm telling you, if someone gave my son Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel with a pair of pajamas with steam shovels on them, he'd be one happy camper!  And along those lines, I don't see why you couldn't substitute a movie for a book instead.  Just don't tell our librarian friend that I suggested this. :)

Now what I have described is the generous version of this theme.  If you opt to be even more generous (and you want to save some time) visit Books to Bed , where you can find pre-packaged book and pajama combinations with actual characters from the books on the jammies.  These are super cute.  I think I'd have so much fun wearing Corduroy the bear pajamas to bed!  Do these come in adult sizes?? :)

Sheets, blankets, or towels.  No, this is not a typo.  Maybe this is just my children, but I can't even describe how excited they get when they see their fun bed sheets, comforters and throw blankets.  My one son has sheets with trucks on them (our construction worker) and the other son has sheets with sports balls on them (our jock).  They were uber excited to first get their fun printed sheets and immediately starting ripping them out of the packaging to put on their beds!  The same level of excitement is there for comforters with large trucks on them, throw blankets in a Thomas the Tank Engine theme, and bath towels with large monkeys all over them.  Call them strange, but these items have invoked more excitement than many of the toys they have received and nothing could be more useful.

Personalized books.  I See Me! is a really fun web site that specializes in personalized children's books.  You provide the child's full name and birth date and they make you any one of many personalized books.  We have received one for each of our children - Benjamin has My Very Own Name, which spells his name out with animals beginning with the same letters; Nate has My Very Own ABCs, which is a board book that creates an ABC book written just for him; and Abigail has My Very Own Fairy Tale, which makes our princess the star of her own fairy tale.  My kids love to read these books that are personalized just for them.

Baby gift-wrapping.  One unique way of selecting and packaging new baby gifts is to select several outfits and individually wrap them up in tissue paper and then place them all in a large box together.  Label them, "Something old; something new; something borrowed; something blue" and include sentimental, heirloom and newly purchased items.  Another labeling could be "Something for now; something for later," and you could include a newborn outfit in the first package and a 12 or 18 month outfit in the other one.

A lunchbox or backpack.  Especially if your child is in daycare or school, this could be something incredibly useful that they will also be excited about.  Select one that is very pretty for girls, is rugged and tough for boys and has fun motifs on it in themes such as princesses, trucks or sports.  Make a big deal about your child's new backpack or lunchbox when you take it out to pack it up for school or daycare the next day.  I guarantee she'll be showing her friends her new cool accessories!

Classic Wooden Toys

Some women have a thing for chocolate.  Or shoes.  Or purses. I have a thing for classic wooden toys.  Ok, let's be honest here and say that I have a thing for chocolate, shoes and purses, too :).  But seriously, I find myself drawn to displays or catalogs of adorable wooden toys.  I don't know if watching Little House on the Prairie most days during my childhood or the fact that, in general, I love vintage items, has anything to do with this fettish.  But whatever reason, I just can't get enough of them.  They just seem so classic, so sturdy, and I can picture my own grandchildren using them when they visit in another 30 years. I envision myself selling all of the modern toys we have when my kids outgrow them, but packing our wooden ones away in our attic as a reminder of these sweet innocent years in my babies' lives.  To me, nothing even compares.

With the holidays quickly approaching, I decided that I am going to do some additional posts with product recommendations, things we've used in the Martin household and have been able to compare to other items.  I've only been a mom for 4.5 years, but with the number of toys that have entered and exited this house, I feel that I definitely have some thoughts on some favorites that I would recommend to a friend if she asked me for ideas.

So, for the next few minutes, forget about flashing, talking plastic toys and put yourself back to a simpler time when toys were wooden and children were content to use their imaginations to play with them for hours at a time.  I love that several modern companies apparently share my fettish for wooden toys and market such a vast array of items with this classic feel.  Yes, these items are probably a little more expensive than their counterparts, but trust me, they will last a lot longer and are a lot sturdier.  So, to give my favorite companies some recognition, I have recommended a few favorites from each.  I hope this will touch your heart and help with your holiday shopping this year.

Parents/Battatt
Parents magazine has teamed up with Battatt to offer some really classic toys for kids.  Not all of them are wooden, but I must admit that I even love those since they are really classic and well-made, even if not wooden.  Since this is a post on wooden toys, though, below are a few favorites of ours in this genre.

Around the Block Wagon.  (4 months +)  I'd highly recommend this product.  It works as a very sturdy walker to prop a young baby at when he/she is learning to walk.  It will not topple over or collapse on them when they pull up on their own, as some less sturdy models will.  In addition, the 40 blocks inside the wagon are hours of fun for babies as young as four months old up until 4+ years.  My 4.5 year old still stacks these blocks and knocks them down with his trucks daily!



Busy Zoo Activity Center.  (6 months - 36 months)  Another fun, sturdy toy that has loads for Baby to do.  It's so sturdy that your little one who is not quite stable standing yet, can pull up onto this and it will not go anyplace.  So much to keep Baby occupied!


Raise The Roof Barnyard (3 years +) This barnyard is fun for multiple children to use at once. It has tons of animals and pens, troughs and other barnyard props to play with.  The best part is the working shoot, where they can send food pellets down the silo to the animals to feed them.  There are also working windows and doors. Plus, you can open the roof to allow more than just one or two children to be involved. And there are no batteries required which means the kids are responsible for all sounds and actions!

Haba
The Kringlering.  (3-18 months)This baby toy may look too simple to be enjoyable, but in actuality, I think that is why it's my baby's favorite.  Ever notice how babies will become attached to the simplest objects and leave their more "exciting" toys cast aside?  Well, babies like to hold, chew and shake things and this does all three without overstimulating the baby by singing, dancing or lighting up (imagine that).  It's hard, but pliable since it's made up of beads on a single sturdy string.  It shakes like a rattle without being overstimulating and it's bright and easy to hold.  Love the Kringlering!  Come on, I know you want to get one yourself just for it's uber cool name :).



Pushing Car.  (9 months+) I cannot say enough good things about this car.  It's expensive, yes, but is sturdier than most outdoor wagons.  This would be a great item to look for on Craig's List since it is lasting and that will help to bring the cost down.  It is a walker, a push car, a wagon, and is sturdy enough to carry a child in the front ( we know from much experience!).  Baby can use it for support as he makes his first steps, can be pushed in it himself, can tote his friend or his belongings in it, and more.  My 4.5 year old still has loads of fun filling this up with the help of his 2.5 year old brother.


Melissa and Doug
I don't even know where to start with Melissa and Doug, we have so many of their toys and just adore all of them.  All of their classic wooden puzzles are high on our list.  I would highly recommend them and remember that AC Moore and Michael's sell many Melissa and Doug products that you could buy with the 40%-50% off coupons in their weekly circulars.  Below are a few other, more unique Melissa and Doug toys that we love around here.  And from experience, I know that if you do ever have a problem with a Melissa and Doug toy, they will mail you a new one without even having to send the broken one back, no questions asked.  I actually called and complained about two products that were less than perfect, just because I had paid money for them so why shouldn't they be perfect?  They sent a new one right away and told me they didn't need the damaged one.  So, I did a patch job on the damaged one and have it at the grandparents' house for the kids to use there.  It has its flaws, but it's still mostly useable so it was a shame to throw it out. 

Geometric Stacker.  (9 months +) This is one of those toys that all kids who enter our house are drawn to.  I feel like I have just finished finding all of the pieces to it when - bam - it's taken apart again.  It's a great fine motor skill activity and I love that there are three different poles on which to stack the blocks, with the squares being more challenging than the other two. 



Froggie Face Rattle.  (3 months - 18 months)  baby will love this adorable froggie rattle and it also comes in a cute monkey version, too.  The eyes shake back and forth and the big handle make it easy to grasp and chew.  And come on, isn't this just the cutest?


Unit Block Sets. (2 years +).  Melissa and Doug has a full line of unit block sets that are as basic as you can get, but in my opinion, this makes them better.  They really encourage independent play and imagination, for even the youngest children.  They comes in big sturdy wooden containers with handles, for easy storage.  We have the Basic Unit Blocks, the Architectural Unit Blocks and the Deluxe Wooden Town Blocks.  They come out practically everyday at our house.Melissa and Doug Unit Block Sets


Radio Flyer
Town and Country Wagon. (ages 9 months +)  We love this wagon so much that we have not one, but two of them!  Yup, one for each boy in our family.  Actually, our original one was my husband's from the early 1980's, so yes, that makes it 30 years old and still alive and kicking.  It was in perfect condition structurally, just in need of a paint pick-me-up, so a few years ago I did this and - voila! - a "new" wagon for our first son.  When our second son came along, we saw how much our first son used this and knew that this wagon would last for years to come, so we asked for a second one for a birthday gift from his grandparents.  Now, each boy has his own, to use now and save for their own children later down the road. 

I must say that we prefer this wagon over others because of its rustic appeal.  Sure, it doesn't have individual seats and seatbelts like some of the others, but we love this about it.  We can fit three kids in this easily for a ride and it is also perfect for the boys to tote their belongings around in when they play outside.  The side panels come up for easy access and it's so sturdy.  I love watching each boy wheel his toys around to the other side of our property when they are playing together outside.  We even give our 10 month old baby a ride in the wagon by just placing a towel or blanket underneath her for some added comfort.