Me-Time

Tonight, I am happy to say, that I was able to have some "me-time." There is nothing like it. Moms, whether you have only one child, or you are a regular Michelle Duggar, you understand the importance of time to yourself. It is crucial in the preservation of one's sanity after being cooped up in the house all day with a three-year old who refuses to use her potty 100% of the time, and a 7-month old poo-poo machine. :)

Case in Point:
Tonight, I drove to Starbucks. (Ironic, isn't it? Hey, we're not here for ME! Lol. Just kidding. Even recovering addicts are allowed at least one cheat day per week. So there.)
Now, you should know that I don't get out of the house too much anymore. So, my social skills, are a bit, shall we say, lacking? I tend to talk alot more now. It's what happens when the only person you have to talk to during the day is 3, and SHE thinks Barney is a real dinosaur. You can imagine the conversations we have. :) So anyway, I pull through the drivethru to pay and get my caramel apple spice (haha! I wasn't drinking coffee!). And I mean, seriously, it's not like the guy doesn't know me, okay? We see eachother almost every night. Gosh, we're practically best friends. So of course, I go into the whole spiel about how "I'm pregnant again." And "Our youngest is only seven months old! It was such a surprise." Oh and  "Trust me we weren't planning it or anything." (At this point, he's thinking Please spare me the details, Lady.) Of course I end it with "And that's why I'm craving these every day!!"
The look he gave me was between a "I could care less about your life story," and "This woman may be possibly completely nuts after all."

Now ask yourself, is it really ALL about the coffee? I mean, of course, we have all convinced ourselves of the need for that strong brew, which is what has brought us to our coffee addiction today!
But many times, I think we find ourselves at the local coffeehouse just because of our need for me-time. What better excuse than to "get away from it all" for a couple of hours?
How in the world can I save money, but still maintain my sanity? That is the big question that we will be tackling some of our future blog posts. :) Just hang in there, Mom.
You were on my mind when whipping up today's coffee recipe: Mocha. Here's your DIY treat for the day:

The Crunchy Bean Mocha

1. Brew a strong pot of coffee (follow my basic coffee recipe.)
2. While that's brewing, mix a basic chocolate syrup together (my basic hot chocolate syrup recipe.) Just the cocoa powder, sugar and water, and heat it to a slight boil. That's it. No flavoring.
3. Fill your mug about halfway with the brewed coffee. Stir in whatever you normally drink with your coffee, i.e. sugar, creamer, etc. (no flavoring, though)
4. Fill the mug the rest of the way with the chocolate syrup. Stir.
5. That's it! Now, for an added effect, and to make it a peppermint mocha, top it with some of that homemade peppermint whipped cream (because I know you have some left, right?) Sprinkle on some chocolate shavings. Bathe yourself in mocha.