A Few of My Favorite Things ~ {Teeccino Tea}

I'm not the best at changing old habits, and trying new things.  I like what I like.  Like coffee, I LIKE COFFEE.  Black Coffee.  Straight up, nothing in it, full of caffeine and all the other goodness, that my stomach doesn't quite approve of anymore.  So these four boxes of tea that's said to taste like coffee have been sitting around for a wee bit, serving me in no way what so ever.  (Yes every post for the next 400 days will focus on living on purpose, you'll get used to it I promise).

So the story with Teeccino, is that it's tea made with Chicory and other herbs, that it's caffeine free, and tastes just like coffee.  And other IBS, IBD, Fibro, Thyroid ladies with a need for daily coffee swear by it.  I ran off to Amazon and found this 4 pack pretty cheap to try it out.  I snapped a shot of the vanilla nut flavor so everyone can see the ingredient list...

I have a problem when I make it though.  The process gets my mind set on tea... I grab my shiny teapot, fill it up, wait for the whistle (yes I have and use a real tea pot, who can just drink one wee little cup of tea?), pour, wait for it to steep and do it's thing (I really need one of those tea holder dipper things.  Technical term of course).. and then I sip...

And it tastes like coffee.  But my mind thinks it should taste like tea.  And my taste buds are all sorts of confused.  So I suppose that's a win for the company, their tea really does taste like coffee, although maybe a bit weaker than my normal brew.  And so far, I haven't had any noticeable stomach issues either, all though I think it's too early to call a true success there.  There's defiantly no coffee jitters since it's caffeine free, and it's defiantly not sweet like many flavored coffees, which I prefer it not sweet, so there's a win for me.

Now to get myself in the habit of filling my favorite mug with Teechino in the morning instead of coffee to see if it helps make a difference with my health...  It's definitely a worthy product of the morning mug.

How about you?  What's your go-to for your favorite mug?

~Emily


(legal notice: I was not paid, asked for, or any of that stuff for this review, I just like reviewing things.  I also was not given any product in hopes for a review.  Thanks!)

That Kind of Night

It's one of those kind of nights, you know the ones.  I'm itching to get all the things done, yet none of them inspire me.  I start one project, five minutes in, I'm staring off in space thinking about what I should do next.  Because I have to be doing something, but I really don't want to be doing anything, but not doing anything will drive me insane.

I've worked on my secret project, worked on a website, edited photos, deleted photos, tried to type a paper or 2... None of it is sitting right.  None of it is hitting the spot.  Kind of like coming home from the grocery store, and not being able to find anything to eat.  That kind of night.

There's tons on my plate.  Some of those things might be really good things.  Some are eh.  Some are stupid adult things, like bills, and things I'm positive God never intended on us having to deal with.  ( I kid).  And maybe that's where I'm going a wee bit nuts.  I might have gotten some pretty good news.  I might be working on something really great for me.  I might possibly be doing something right.  Maybe.  Possibly.  But I don't know yet.

Then again I might have been too busy over the past few months, and I might have hit ultimate burnout.

I always wonder if successful people (you know the ones you love to hate, and hate to love, but have to stalk on the inter webs) are as indecisive as I am?  Surely they can't be, but have they always known what was the right path?  Or did they write attention deficit rich blog posts late at night about how they have no clue what to do like me?

One of my goals for my year of living with purpose is going to have to deal with my busy factor.  I need to learn to stop doing at night, and to relax without working on something.  If you were to see my chair in the living room you'd see a pile of yarn with 2 unfinished afghans, a pile of DMC floss with even more unfinished bracelets, a sketch pad, a notebook, a pile of books, my laptop, my phone, my tablet...  Doing is what I find relaxing, but one can't be doing while spending quality time with the family.  And living with purpose includes making every moment count for your family as well.

Living with purpose, while your mind is buzzing around like a bumble bee... I'll get there.  One goofy sort of night at a time.

~Emily

{Be Still}

I'm amazed at how quickly the seasons of our lives can change.  Lately I've found my seasons are changing faster than the weather out here, or at least that's how things seem.  I wanna compare the past decade to playing musical chairs on a merry-go-round.  I've been lost, excited, depressed, content, searching, changing, lonely, crowded... all the feelings.  I'm ready to get off of that ride.  Yesterday.  I'm ready to slow down, and take life in while I'm drifting down the lazy river, but I don't want an aimless ride, I want to get somewhere with purpose, but enjoying the ride and the scenery.  

I want to get somewhere.

I want to make memories.

I want an Intentional life.

There's a list of demands I have been composing for myself, decluttering, working on health, finding more beauty in the world, smiling more often, get more sleep...  I can jump around from goals to goals, and from one list to another in an instant.  If there were Olympics for starting projects, I'd win gold, no contest.  I'm truly not happy unless I'm creating something.  I'm defiantly blessed with a talent of creating and making, but when your mind is spinning at warp speed thinking of all the things that need to be made RIGHT NOW, progress rarely happens.  You'll see that thought process' handy work throughout this blog for sure.  So when I decided to start planning ahead for my new year, the words I picked to be my motto made perfect sense to be in so many ways...

BE STILL

The phrase is commonly used in the bible in the context of calming fear, doubt, and anxiety.  Psalm 46:10 to be exact, "Be still and know that I am God."  When you read the entire passage, the author is telling us in short, "Knock it off, chill out, stop running around with your head cut off, breathe!"  God has this all covered... if we can slow down long enough to allow Him to do His thing.  I can not think of a more fitting verse on the planet than this for me.  For living my days with more intention, more purpose.  If I ever were to disappoint my mom and get a visible tattoo on my arm it would be this woven into a cross.  Sorry mom.  <3

I'm determined.  My life is way too busy, and has far too little direction.  I'm ready.  With new growth we must first shed some old skin, pull some old weeds, and toss the clutter.  I'm still working on this list, shedding things isn't as easy as I wish it were.  My intention is to share my journey here, I miss my years of writing online, and the relief it brought my mind to empty all those spinning thoughts.  More intention, less quick status updates without depth or true purpose throughout the webs.  And hopefully some better flow, and planning will develop in my writing skills as we go.  :p  

Want to join me?

I'm following the lead of Lara Casey and her book {Make it Happen} along with Emily Ley's book {Grace not Perfection}, and I highly recommend both books, and everything else the authors have listed on their sites.  I'll be sharing more on those later.  You'll still be able to join my journey without the books, if I plan this all out right.  :)  

How about you?  Do you pick a word to define your new year?  If you do what words are you thinking about for 2018?

~ Emily