This is not a sponsored post.
We used to be very typical coffee consumers. With both my husband and I working from home, we easily consumed a 10-12 cup pot each day.
But my husband’s intense stomach pain put an end to that. He was having episodes of stomach spasms that were so bad he would throw up or not be able to eat. We finally sought help from a gastroenterologist, and it was determined that he’d need a scope so the doctor could see what was going on in my husband’s stomach.
And that’s when he found some serious damage in both the stomach and the esophagus caused by high acidity (and stress). And it was a major wake-up call for us.
Along with a dose of super strength Prilosec, we began to get an education on the types of foods and beverages that were contributing to an acidic diet. And coffee was high on the list.
We began looking into coffees with lower acidity and stumbled upon the concept of shade grown coffee. Coffee was typically a plant that flourished in the shade of other trees until the commercial coffee industry created strains that were able to withstand the heat of direct sunlight. This allowed for coffee to be grown at higher rates in order to keep up with increased consumption. But shade grown coffee has about half the acid compared with conventional coffee.
This led us to Camano Island Coffee Roasters. In addition to being shade grown and therefore having lower acidity, their coffee is also organic, fair-trade, and high quality (top 1%). I am willing to pay a little extra for beans that are fair-trade, putting the focus on sustainable farming and fair wages for growers.
Here is a referral link for this coffee – $20 off your first coffee club order!
We recently made another change, and that was switching to half-caffeinated coffee. While we had already limited our coffee consumption to 2 cups each per day, we realized that we could lower our acid intake yet again by limiting the caffeine. I realize this is not for everyone, but I was also trying to remove the crutch of relying on caffeine to get me moving. I get much more out of a quick power nap that the rush and crash of drinking too much caffeine. I also want to be much more aware of my body’s needs than relying on a coffee to keep me stimulated.
You might ask ‘why not just give up coffee completely?’ Truth be told, we just aren’t ready yet. Coffee, for us, represents a chance to relax in the morning, collecting our thoughts and planning our days. So, maybe, one day we’ll give it up for good, but for now it’s still a really pleasant morning ritual.
Because we work from home, we like to grind and brew fresh coffee every morning. I love our coffee pot because it brews directly into a stainless steel carafe that keeps the coffee hot all day. For a special treat, I use a milk frother to make my favorite coffee drinks.
Coffee consumption is increasingly popular in our culture these days, demonstrated by the regularity of posts on the topic. I am curious to know if you are considering making changes to your coffee habit?
I picked up Tiffany Dufu’s book “Drop the Ball” on a whim during my last trip to the library. With an endorsement on the front from Sheryl Sandberg and a foreword penned by Gloria Steinem, I figured this book was worth a read. And I am very glad I took the chance. This is the first book I’ve read in quite some time where I felt like I was learning something new on every page and it even inspired me to write pages of notes and reactions (like I was back in school all over again!).
“Drop the Ball” is filled with practical advice on how to go about obtaining better balance between career and home life. I love how Dufu addresses the problem here, instead of blaming society or men for this problem, she focuses on how women need to be assertive to push back against these gender norms.
I was devastated. I’ve known people who’ve had placenta previa and I knew that the most likely outcome was a caesarian section. I simply could not get my head around having two vaginal births, only for my final birth to be a c-section. I was frustrated to have the scarring, scar tissue, and delayed recovery time. I had always bounced back so quickly before, and this time I would have not one but two kids under 5 to care for when I got home. Yet, my doctor had made no mention of c-section even being a possibility – in fact, she simply said we were going to “watch and see.” Did this mean it might resolve itself? So, I did what most people would do… I took to the internet (right after I called my mother, of course).
Sometimes our life gets crazy, running from pillar to post. Satisfying family obligations and checking off to-do lists become our top priority. But one of the traditions I’d like to start doing is having a seasonal bucket list for our family. With kids of varying ages – 2 to 14 and one on the way! – it can be tricky to come up with a family activity that everyone can enjoy, especially on short notice. My plan to make it easier is to have a ready-made list of kid approved activities for whenever the perfect opportunity arises.
Visiting VA grandparents – June
And I don’t mean in the sense that you forego makeup and wear pajamas all day. What I mean is do you ever really just let loose, totally engross yourself in the moment, or forget about your stressors or to-do list?
And then at my worst moments, I wonder what is it that I am so stressed about anyways? I lived a pretty charmed life. I am a stay at home mom. We have decent finances so I don’t feel pressured to go back to work. I get help with the kids for several hours per week (hired because we don’t have a support network). Our family life is going well (we get along and the kids are pretty well behaved). So, what’s with all the stress? I keep going back to the idea that it seems to be just my default reaction to all of the tasks I have to do. Even things that are not that big of a deal in the scheme of life (nobody would die if I didn’t do them) just feel stressful.
The answer: It depends.
So, when we decided to have our third child, it occurred to me that a babymoon would be a great way to reconnect as husband and wife. We had already done a ton of groundwork, hence the decision to have another child, but a special vacation would signify our commitment to each other. Especially since we were both fully aware of the strain a new baby can put on a marriage.
wake up naturally (no kids for alarms!)
Life can really throw you off track sometimes. When I started this blog last year, I was making plans and taking steps to explore a potential career in writing. I thought our family life had stabilized and I could begin to work on myself again.
To recap my priorities: running my household and caring for the kids, followed by my investments, followed by my writing. And honestly, I am finally coming to terms with the fact that I don’t have time for much else. That doesn’t mean I won’t be making plans to see my friends or exercise or just relaxing. I just needed to get my head clear on how much time I really have during the day and what is the most important to me. I’ve spent many years since becoming a mother feeling stretched too thin across too many areas, feeling so divided that I wasn’t performing my best at any of them.
As much as it tore at my heartstrings to leave before she was resolved, I felt comfortable that my husband could handle her. I steeled myself against her screaming “You aren’t allowed to leave!” and “You’re not listening to me!”
I am grateful that he took the time when he was supposed to be working to talk about the hard stuff with her. To really find out what was brewing beneath the surface that caused her to explode. Children cannot do this for themselves. They need us as their parents and caregivers to help them identify the thoughts and feelings that are causing them discomfort.
I love reading to my kids every night before bed.