Coffee is My New Best Friend- A Rant

Ok so really it has been my best friend since right after Little J was born in February, although I hated it when I was pregnant, but I have found a new love for it this weekend. Allergies are terrible and I have felt horrible since Friday night and my husband also happens to be sick (worse then me) so I have been watching the girls all weekend. Little J is not the best sleeper during the day although she is very good at night, of course she added an extra feeding the past few days at night so Mommy has not been getting much sleep. (and when I am able I have trouble falling asleep) Should I also mention that the cat loves to sit in the blinds at all hours and hit them with her tail? And that she also has been trying to get the clock that is on the wall and making a racket? Needless to say I am not enjoying my day off although I am trying because it is not fair to Big J.. Oh hold on I hear the cries of Little J......

Ok the binky has been replaced and Mommy has a new cup of coffee. Rant over...

I have been thinking lately, which is usually not a good thing, and decided that I do not have enough dreams so I have decided to start a list of all the things I would like to do before I die. This is a living breathing list (this is something they say at my office all the time!) so I will continue to add on when I come up with new ideas. Please share your dreams with me!

1. Travel to every state in the US at least once in my life. I would love to stay in every state but will be happy with touching my feet on the ground of every state.
2. Take a cruise with my family, hopefully this one happens soon!
3. Have a honeymoon (without the kids)
4. Host my 1st giveaway on my blog
5. Win a new blog makeover from Simply Stacie and Kelly's Lucky You Build a Beautiful Blog Week.

Mailbox Monday (May 31st)

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The Js

So Big J decided that when I was taking pictures of the items for my review for Equal Exchange that I needed to stop and take pictures of her. So of course I did, who could refuse a face like that?
Or this?

Then of course there is this one.

Or my favorite

Then the "Ham" pose.

Well then I decided that Little J needed some photo action, but neither J was having it.




I could not imagine life without my Js!

Review - Equal Exchange - Great School Fundraiser!

After the last fundraiser from my daycare, which by the way I never knew day cares even did fundraisers, I decided that I needed to research some options on my own, things that I would be able and willing to sell to others. What I found was Equal Exchange. They sell Fair Trade, organic coffee, hot chocolate, tea, chocolate, nuts, berries and their new line of items such as tablecloths, bowls and wrapping paper. Items I would be glad to sell for my daycare, of course you can also visit the retail store.


First up was the Medium and Vienna roast organic coffee. It was wonderful! It was a little darker then I was expecting for a medium but since I love dark coffee I was thrilled. Second up was the sweetened dried cranberries, which even my 4 year old decided to try with me. She liked them, which was surprising to me since she has been against anything good for her. The cranberries had just the right amount of sweetness and I found myself carrying them into staff meeting at work one morning to stave off hunger. They were also great for ending my sugar craving and are much better then the Twix I was thinking of.

Next I went for a morning cup of English Breakfast tea. Now if you know me my mornings consist of coffee, tea and then more coffee. So this fit right into my day and I even shared with a couple coworkers. Another hit and I liked that I was helping people in another country as well as consuming organic items. Lastly, which I broke into tonight was the hot chocolate. There is nothing like Hot Cocoa on a rainy day, even if it is 80 degrees. As soon as I opened the can I could smell the chocolate and it was a deep, rich scent. Once I took the first sip I was hooked, this is adult chocolate, tasting more like dark then milk chocolate. My husband took a sip and agreed that it tasted like dark chocolate which is our favorite.

Equal Exchange has created Big Change for over 20 years. It all started with an idea: what if food could be traded in a way that is honest and fair, a way that empowers both farmers and consumers? What if trade supported family farms that use organic methods, rather than industrialized agribusinesses that rely on harmful chemicals?

The founders – Rink Dickinson, Jonathan Rosenthal and Michael Rozyne – asked these questions as they envisioned a trade model that values the farmers, consumers and the earth. So they took a big risk and plunged full-force into changing a broken food system. In 1986, they started with fairly traded coffee from Nicaragua and didn’t look back.

Today, Equal Exchange continues to find new and powerful ways to build a better food system. Their products now include fairly traded and organic coffee, tea, chocolate and snacks from farmers all over the world, including here in the United States.

*I was not financially compensated for this review. I received full sizes of the product for review purposes. The opinions are my own and completely based on my experience.*

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