This machine is changing me...

Been a while since I posted about coffee ;) It just occured to me that this machine is changing me.

So I have had a pretty-good-for-the-cheap-end coffee machine since Sweet-pea was born. It was the only way I could afford good coffee back then. But honestly it was a lot of work! I would go through peaks and troughs with it. With children running around my feet it would take a good 5-10 mins of standing there while it pumped the milk. The children and I had a little dance we did while I held the milk jug. I actually have an emotional attachment to that machine (which is why it is hidden in a cupboard right now and not in the bin!).

A few years of visiting my in-laws and enjoying the ease of their nespresso-fantastico machine and my eyes were opened to the beauty of good tasting coffee from an automatic machine. I found this year's return home from holidaying at their house particularly hard so I splashed out on the above machine from Aldi and I have not looked back. It is cheap, the capsules are cheap but it is good, well I think so anyway, and I am usually pretty particular about my coffee.

I wake up, turn the machine on and within minutes I have yummy, good, strong coffee. It's great. But that is not why I am writing this. Do you want to know how it is changing me?

...I am totally curving my store bought coffee addiction. It is amazing. I have a coffee or two before I go out and when I enter the shops, walking past Gloria Jeans is a breeze. A BREEZE! No cravings to step inside. So suddenly a trip to the supermarket is really quick. Yipee!! So now I have more time. Before, almost every weekend I would crave to head out on my own for a couple of hours and I would just sit and drink coffee. Seriously, it was very often. But now, no cravings. I now have more time, and I have it at home with our family. I don't feel like I need to be out of home to have time to myself as often as I used to. I am sure I still will get out on my own and from time-to-time have a coffee but I don't feel like I need to like I did before. ...and I like that!

Friday fun

A new favourite ritual for us on Fridays is to head to Gloria Jeans coffee shop with my 4 darlings and read a Beatrix Potter classic to them. I did it mostly for me to begin with, to feel like we were being productive whilst doing something I loved (drinking coffee). I didn't think my darlings liked the story time all that much until one week recently they said something like, "where is the book mum? I want a story", that I discovered they actually enjoyed hearing a story. It is hard sometimes. Sometimes I have to talk loud and quickly and sometimes Sunshine has to hold the book up for Sweet-pea and Harrison to look at while I'm feeding Flopsy and reading it out. But it is fun, and it is something I now look forward to each week we are free... Coffee with my darlings (and a Beatrix Potter classic).

And upon leaving we usually end up with some lovely comments about what a good job I'm doing and really, we can all do with hearing more of that when we are working so hard as mums!

I love...

Going to Gloria Jeans for a cup of coffee.

Our last visit together, we read the first 5 pages of the Nutcracker

I first started to appreciate this ritual when Westley thought going out for a coffee was a good way for us to facilitate communication in our marriage. Then I got hooked on the great coffee and started going alone as well. I used to go and read pregnancy magazines, dreaming about when I would have a baby of my own. Then I would go to study for exams or write assignments. Then I would go with my manager at work for meetings. Now I go with my children, or when Westley is home, I go to pray and read the bible. I like it when I the people that work there remember me by name. On my last visit, feeling particularly poor and cashing in my freeby (10th cup is free), they gave me an extra minicino for the girls (who were going to share), so they could each have their own. I like that :) About a year ago I was even recognised by a visiting barista from one of the city stores who remembered me from when I was frequenting her usual store about a year before that. It is a combination of the atmosphere, the coffee (and therefore caffine) and the good times I spend there. Even a bad visit is a good visit because I enjoy the time out either alone or with my children, and I always remember previous visits or look forward to the next. When I take the children, I often take a book and read to them while we are there. Good, good memories. I just love it!

COFFEE!! oh why I love thee...

Coffee is amazing. God made the coffee beans and like all of His creation, there is so much love in coffee beans. I love coffee. God made me to love coffee too. Here are 10 of the reasons why I-love-me-coffee:

1. It creates atmospheres, which I like to revisit over and over.
2. It stimulates good conversation between friends and loved ones.
3. It creates common ground between strangers.
4. The strong bitter flavour makes me sit up and pay attention.
5. It is hot and when I hold it, smell it and drink it, I feel warm.
6. It is comforting.
7. The creaminess makes me feel full.
8. It gives me drive to get through boring work and it makes the boring work fun!
9. It makes hard tasks feel easier; pretty much anything is achievable with a strong coffee under your belt!
10. It gives me something to do, when I don't know what to do.

Coffee is great. Thankyou Lord for the coffee bean!