Caffeine Queen Indeed

Tea has always been my thing. And during the Christmas season at Starbucks I always looked forward to their Caramel Brulee Frappuccino. Besides that frap, I barely drank coffee. But as of this year, I am like coffee queen. I have at least one coffee a day. While at work, I would bring black or green tea, hot or cold, and after work I would have coffee.

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Drinks while shopping at the mall!

And while I love pulling up to Starbucks drive through, it is quite costly. No lie, I still go there at least twice a week because I be out and about so I quench my thirst with coffee, but now I try my hardest to always make my caffeine beverages at home. Here are my favorites to make at home.

In the  morning, I enjoy consuming a hot cup of coffee. My favorite ones are of course Starbucks Veranda Blend Light Blond Roast- this is a light coffee, Starbucks Cinnamon Dolce- this one is like a mild roast, and because I am a NOLA girl I love my Cafe Du Monde coffee au lait- so I have the Cafe Du Monde coffee as well- this one is also a medium roast.

Throughout the day, I like to have iced coffee. For this, I love love love Starbucks Unsweetened Blonde Roast Iced Coffee. If you like a light tasting coffee this one is perfect!

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I never drink my coffee black. Tea, that is no problem, but with coffee it is not happening. Rarely do I add light cream, when I do that is at Starbucks, but for the most part I always add heavy whipping cream- at home a lot, and two stevia sugars. When, I am treating myself I will add caramel syrup, sugar free vanilla, or the sugar free cinnamon dolce syrup. At home, I pretty much add the same things to my coffee and tea. But again, when I am treating myself I will add sugar free salted caramel syrup or the sugar free hazelnut syrup by Torani, or Starbucks sugar free vanilla syrup. I do not use these very often, like rarely. I used to though. But now ,I am trying to lay off the chemical sugars and aspartame and all that jazz, so I go with stevia. I also like to add ground cinnamon and 100% cocoa powder to my coffee. This really helps since I am trying to get away from sugar. The goal is sugarless coffee. I have already gone from classic and cane syrup to sugar free syrups to 4 stevia sugars to 2. I am on my way!

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I have several different stevia sugars at home, but my favorite one is the same one that is served at Starbucks, Whole Earth Sugar. I like it because it is grainy like real sugar, not a powder like other stevia sweeteners.

Everything I have shared can be found at your local grocery store.

And for those that are sugar and carb conscious, the heavy whipping cream, coffee, and Whole Earth Sugar are all low-carb, so pour up, Jewels!

Candle Obsessed!

Summer begets the sweetest times for teachers. Oh Summer, how I love thee! It has been half a year since I have blogged, but I have thought about blogging every day. Just so little time to do anything other than be a teacher during the school year. There is a huge difference in being a high school teacher and an elementary school teacher. Will provide those details later. As always there is so much to share, but for now lets get down to it. Candles. Oh, MY, Gosh!!! My latest obsession besides a few others things, including raising the sweetest baby girl on earth. ANYWAYS…

If you are anything like me, you enjoy being welcomed by the pleasant smell of something warm and delightful when you enter your front door. I literally have tried everything out there to make my home smell pleasant: plug-ins, room sprays, Renuzit gel fresheners, Febreeze small spaces, multiple sent sachets from Kirklands, and everything in between. Now, the Renuzit air fresheners and Febreeze small spaces do work. However, after three days the smell is not as strong. And my home just does not smell like the Kirkland’s store.

All of this is not to say that candles are the best answer to your home smelling whimsically. Because they too can become ineffective. Here is how candles are the answer to your home smelling pleasant prayers.

Depending on how large your home is one to three candles can do the trick. A while ago, I discovered the magic of candles. I have not always been on this hype. So one day while preparing breakfast, I burned my new candle from Bath and Body Works. On the way out to run errands, I blew out my candle and went on my way. Upon return, instantly when I opened the door, the warmth and smell of the candle hit me. Pure BLISS! In this moment, I knew I had mastered a way to come home to a wonderful smelling home.

Now, I have been on a buying candles maniac spree since Thanksgiving of last year. My best friend always talks about the candles at Bath and Body Works, and when I go to her home it always smells yummy. So she told me when they had their next sale, and I have been hooked ever since. I have never purchased their candles full price. I always buy them with a coupon or when they have a sale. Because of this,
I buy quite a few each time I go. Moreover, these candles make the perfect gift. Like literally everytime I buy them, I always end up giving one or two to my mom; she too loves candles, just not as crazy as I do.

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By no means am I saying throw away your Yankee candles, but they have nothing on the candles at Bath and Body Works. As I have mentioned, the smell is so loud the aroma of one candle spreads throughout my home. And after blowing them out, if you leave the top off for the wax to cool, when you return home you will still be able to smell them.

I have tons of the Bath and Body Works candles. I have to buy multiples of the ones I love because often times the scents are seasonal, like many of their other well loved items. Such as the yummy scent Blueberry Sugar which came out last Christmas. During the after Christmas sale I bought five more. It smells scrumptious! It is available on Amazon for ridiculously high prices, so hopefully it comes out again this Christmas.

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Found this in the bag. These are great hints that we already know. But #3 is especially helpful!

What I have enjoyed doing is buying the scents for the different seasons, so during Christmas time I had Tis the Season– smells like Christmas, Cinnamon Caramel Swirl– which I still burn now, it goes well when I making pancakes, and Blueberry Sugar– this one I burn all the time. These candles truly brought in the Christmas spirit.

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After Christmas, I fell in love with several scents that I buy frequently so I can have them on hand in case they ever stop selling them: Watermelon Lemonade, which I bought the other day at the end of their Semi-Annual Sale, Georgia Peach, Peach Bellini, and Strawberry Mimosa.

I love the candle Sweet Summer Days, perfect scent reminder of the beach. Smells like summer!

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I enjoy the aroma of burning candles in different rooms of my home. It makes my home feel warm and homely.

Like I said before, the candles work so well for me because I burn them often. But, another home fragrance essential you may want to keep on hand that works well is the Bath and Body Works concentrated room sprays. When the mist comes out it is quite dry; hence, not creating a slippery mess on the floor. PERFECTION! I love these. I spray them when necessary, the candles are good on their own. I use the spray especially for my living room because I do not burn any candles in their due to my little one.

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One of my favorite scents

If you’re just as candle obsessed please share your favorite candles.

To sweet smelling yummy homes Jewels!