*WINNERS*

Kim Jones- Konga

Lisa H- Season 1

Natalie Connelly- Kiboko

 Blair's bff Charlotte happens to have a pretty cool dad who just started his own coffee roasting business called Torch Coffee. I'm not a coffee snob but in my opinion the coffee he roasts is so good that it doesn't need any cream or sugar. Caffeine with no calories...winning!

D

Blair and Charlotte enjoying their caffeine buzz...kidding

At Torch Coffee Roasters, we're passionate about both coffee and people. We believe that the greatest benefit we can give the world is to bring our passions together and make coffee inclusive. Exceptional coffee, available to all. We take the science of crafting coffee seriously, but we never forget the purpose of coffee: to be enjoyed by people. So brew our coffee and enjoy it. After all, it was made for you. 

Gisenyi - Rwanda

Processing: Wet-Processes

Altitude: 1400-1850m

Cupping Notes

Look for notes of Cabernet, plumb and spice in the dry grounds and the initial brewing.  The aroma will mellow to an orange marmalade as it cools.  This is a great coffee to get a nice, bright cold brew from as well.  

About

The cooperative from which this coffee comes is just north of Lake Kivu in the Bugoyi district of Gisenyi  Rwanda.  The cooperative promotes environmental stewardship as well as biodiversity by distributing shade trees among it's members.  Also, where in many cases the water from wet processing coffee as well as the fermentation byproducts can become pollutants if dumped into local streams, the cooperative in Gisenyi filters the water used for processing and puts the organic matter back into the soil.  The care that they have for the environment is indicative of how much this labor comes across in the cup as well as how they treat the members of the cooperative.  They work with other local initiatives to build healthcare facilities, schools and also promote women and youth initiatives.  The cooperative has been well represented in almost every recent Cup of Excellence competition and it shows in the lots they produce.      

Kiboko - Tanzania Peaberry

Processing: Washed

Cupping Notes

A wonderfully bright coffee balanced out with great sweetness with notes of cranberry and apple.

Our Kiboko from Tanzania is known as a peaberry; a small percentage of all coffees in any crop become peaberries, a name indicating its round shape.  A peaberry differs from a standard bean that is round on one side yet flat on the other.  If you carefully sort through your whole-bean coffee bag of mixed varieties you may find a few.  Coffee beans get their shape (one side being curved and the other flat) from two beans growing packed next to each other in the cherries exocarp where the two beans are pressed against each other and a flat surface results.  In a coffee that becomes a peaberry one of the two beans are ejected early in the growth process.  Without the back pressure from the other bean the coffee grows round.  

To get a bag containing only peaberries, green coffee must be hand-sorted.  Coffees are picked by hand, selecting only the ripest cherries, and then are processed, hand-sorted to separate out the peaberries (a process that takes many workers hours at a sorting table). Finally they are hand-roasted by us at Torch Coffee.   Many hours of labor have gone into this coffee and it shows.   

Season 1 - Espresso Blend

Cultivar: Mixed Caturra and Bourbon

Processing: Wet-Processes/ Natural Process

Altitude: 1400-1600m

The unchanging and constant espresso is a nice thought but something that is truly unrealistic.  What we didn't want is to get stuck in this attempt to bring you the "same" espresso all times of the year; this would require us to keep coffee on hand for a long time while it slowly fades and diminishes in brightness when we could be working with what's out there and bring more interesting and exciting coffees to our line-up.  Our "Season" line of espressos (to be named Season 1, Season 2, etc as the coffees change) allows us the freedom to work with what is available and say 'this coffee won't always be the same but it will be interesting, exciting and one of the highest quality espresso we could get our hands on.'

-- 

Stephen Hasemeyer, Production Manager/Roaster

www.torchcoffee.com / stevie@torchcoffee.com

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I gotta be honest. If I could chose the sex of our next baby I would chose a girl. I'm a girly girl and having Blair has been SO much fun! However, after designing this "great outdoors" nursery for a boy this week I'm excited at the chance of having a boy (see my "girl" nursery here). I know M would like a little dude to take hiking, backpacking, fishing etc. It would be one of his greatest joys to show him God's great creation which is why I would choose a "great outdoors" themed nursery. I do not have the wall space to incorporate all the items below but they are there to give you options. So many cute things I just couldn't decide!

 

crib     fitted sheet     glider     log pillow     bear pillow     stool/nightstand     lantern     animals print

camping print     USA print     arrow     moose head     faux wood letter     mirror  pendant  real wood letters

campfire     USA shelf     wood shelves     rug      greatest adventure print     mocs     night light     lamp

If you were planning a nursery for a little man what "theme" would you go with? There are so many fun options out there...now all I need is a baby. ;)

We've been loving the warm evenings lately especially with the sun staying out a but later too. Sometimes M will come home and B will play in the front yard with me while he does yard work. This was the case last week...

yup. we're rockin' last year's 4th of july attire!

annnd we're still celebrating Easter :/

I always enjoy hanging out outside with B while M gets the yard lookin' spiffy. I used to be his helper but someone's gotta tend to this toddler! :) Here's to some warm summer nights coming soon!

I've been meaning to take pictures of my friend Dani's nursery she designed for her little guy, Jackson. Yesterday I finally got around to it and was so thrilled to see how lovely the room turned out. The furniture is to do for...so rustic and handsome. I love the vintage touches in the wire shelves and the awesome glider. I could have stayed there all day. Take a look!

crooked "J" not intentional. daddy's gotta get in there and fix that! ;)

Isn't the furniture gorgeous?! And it should be...it's from Restoration Hardware. Here is a list of the other items:

rug: Joss & Main
bedding: pottery barn
chandelier: RH
elephant rocker: pottery barn
wire rack: home goods
glider: pottery barn

I'm still trying to catch my breath from this weekend...it was jam packed (of fun!). Saturday I threw my sis-in-law a baby shower (I can't wait to show you details this week!) and Sunday we took on Disneyland with Lala.
We had previously bought a pass that allowed us to go two separate days but before the summer crowds hit. We had SO much fun and M was the daddy of the year waiting in the Frozen princess line for 2.5 hours. Which is crazy because we got there at 8:15 and they open at 8:00. What?! It was WELL worth it...

Elsa and Anna were so sweet and spent a lot of time with us. I know she will be talking about this for weeks.

 We met up with a friend and boy were they sweet together!

Merida from Brave had Blair in a trance.

The typical Disneyland shot.

It wouldn't be Disneyland for me without a corn dog. Mmm Mmm good!

Here are some of my recommendations for Disneyland with a 2 year old...

1. Bring a good stroller with storage room (for your souvenirs, jackets, food, water etc) and that reclines so your kid can nap

2. Bring sunscreen, snacks, sunnies, hat. Typical essentials.

3. Bring your own snacks/water bottles and save a few bucks.

4. Tag team lines. I would wait in one while M or Lala rode with Blair and vice versa. Winning.

5. Visit Big Thunder Ranch...I had NO idea this existed! It's a petting zoo and also has an area with TONS of characters. We got pics with the second string Mickey and Minnie for a five minute wait. Do it!

6. Fantasyland is where it's mostly at. Along with Winnie the Pooh and the train that goes around the park. Toon town also has a fun playground to get wiggles out.

7. The parades are worth it. Soundsational is bomb!

8. If your kid knows and loves Frozen then bolt to that line first. It will still be at least 2 hours but you do it once then never again. If your kid has no idea who that is but you still want to see princesses then go to the Enchanted Fair and see the "old classic" princesses in less than 15 minutes! 

9. Get a corn dog. Thank me later.

10. Buy Frozen toys at the Enchanted Boutique and/or the Disney store in Downtown Disney. Target is sold out friends. My mom got B a set of Frozen figurines then I found a doll that is Elsa AND Anna...you just flip the dress upside down! Now that's the best of both worlds!

Remember when I posted about needing a rug in the living room? Well, I moved the entry way rug in there for a while and I LOVE it! The problem is now I have a naked entry way...

The rug looks small in these pictures but in person seems to fit the room well. I may end up putting this back in the entry way and finding a bigger one for this room but I at least like the idea of a rug in here. It anchors the room nicely and gives it more color. Now I'm determined to find some lampshades with more pizazz. Navy maybe?

disregard M's dorky games

Remember it looked like this?

What do you think? Bigger rug? After seeing this pictures I'm thinking yes. And as for lamp shades would you do a solid or something more bold like a stripe? Decisions, decisions.

I got a little stylish yesterday with B's hair. And heck yes you better believe the only way I accomplished this was to sit her in front of that iPad. 

what? your kid doesn't push Easter eggs around in her stroller?

This was a total win as far as hairstyles go for curly haired girls. It stayed put all day...even through her nap! Can't wait to see what kind of 'fro comes out after I take them out...

Oh, and thanks for all your words of encouragement yesterday. Yesterday I decided to quit my boot camp class cold turkey. I REALLY didn't want to but I've had this nagging feeling in the back of my mind for a while now and I just think it's time to try less intensity for a while. Now I'm scared to get "fat" which is stupid since I am trying to get pregnant after all... I just remember when I got pregnant with Blair I wasn't doing high intensity workouts, just jogging. And the week I got pregnant with her I was away at Summer Camp not working out at all. To me it's worth a shot and if we're still not successful after a couple months then I'll  be headed back and walking in the door to that infertility clinic. Praying it doesn't get that far!

Yesterday I checked out our local library's story time for toddlers and was so impressed (thanks for the rec Monica!)! When we arrived there was literally a line out the door of mamas and their littles. We hopped in line then followed the masses upstairs. The children's librarian read three stories, led music, and ended with a parachute activity. When it was all said and done they wheeled out this huge box of toys/puzzles/legos/magnets etc. and the kids had at it. It was awesome! And FREE! Needless to say we will be back next week. :)

{scarf} {star romper: similar} {jellies}

didn't have time to brush that hair...don't judge

pizza for lunch

     It was such a lovely morning with just me and my girl. But I couldn't help but feel jealous of the mama's I saw at the library with their newborns. Which leads to my next topic: not being pregnant. We recently found out we weren't successful again this month and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't disappointed. And worried. And stressed. All of those feelings which are super productive for baby making...NOT.

It's like I know God has a plan for our family. And I know it's better/bigger than my own. But honestly, it still sucks waiting. And I'm tired of hearing "just relax!" As if I can control my type A personality?! Of course the longer it takes the more uptight I get hence furthering this cycle.

What really bugs me is this feeling of discontentment I have. I shouldn't be. I have a great hubby and a sweet little girl. Some people never have either. It should be enough...but I still feel incomplete. I know I should be finding joy and fulfillment in Jesus (and I strive for that!) but it still hurts and sometimes I just get down. My hearts desire is to be a Mama with lots (3) of littles. With that said prayers are always appreciated...here's to month five...