No Mas 'Americano'?!

Coffee Around the World, in case you are tired of the 'Americano'

Buzzfeed always provides the best hacks and videos for almost anything. I cannot tell you how happy I get and how many times I wanted to run to the bathroom from laughing so much over the most hilarious videos.....ever! 

So as I woke up this morning, and surprisingly I'm up before 10am, I go to my little kitchen and prepare the Italian Espresso. I look out the window and see all the people driving out of their driveways and off they go to be stuck in traffic and rush against time.

I'm lucky I can work from home at times which lets me concentrate on my projects and ideas and drink as much free coffee as I want, and with great quality. 

I open Facebook, Twitter, Emails, and switch the TV on for any updating news. It seems I have an easy life right? I wish... 

No, I just happen to open those websites to procrastinate on some work emails I need to respond and apartment searching on Craigslist. 

So then I run through Facebook and I see this!

I posted an international guide for those of you who are traveling, lucky, but this video shows you how to prepare just a few of the greatest coffee's around the world!!! 

I'm already eyeing the Irish Coffee! 

Four Barrel Resolution

A New Year's Resolution....

I wonder how people can stick to their resolutions without breaking them at some point within weeks? I always said, "No resolutions...I just can't do it." 

My family sets them with much enthusiasm and each year I hear the same thing over and over again....

            1. Lose Weight

            2. Save Money 

            3. Something.....Something....Something

But does it really matter what resolution you set? Does it have to happen during a day of the year, like Valentines when you show how much you love someone?

              ....................I believe a "resolution" should just be any day of the year and anytime the person desires. Not just the Bandwagon of a New Years Eve principle.

I write this to say that I am someone that would like to set personal goals so that I may improve aspects of my self-being, health and overall happiness.

Yes I practically am writing a New Years Resolution when I just typed that I don't follow them.

But I write it with a personal goal that is both long-term and short-term because it is the becoming of me as a whole person and my well-being in life. 

I am 22 years old, Bachelors Degree in Psychology and Social Work, living with my loved ones (hubby and puppy), living in the most expensive county in California (Bay Area), and trying to make a dollars day working with 2 jobs. 

I started this blog about a year ago when my hubby and I explored Europe, I took numerous photos and realized that I need to keep them somewhere other than Instagram or Facebook. Thanks to Google+ here I am, uploaded the photos from Europe plus other cafes I've gotten to explore locally. 

I wrote small descriptions of random things to practically fill up the blog, but little by little I got more intrigued with this little blog I started to develop. Then came articles from Psychology sites I visited, then Buzzfeed, then Huffington Posts, etc.

So now my blog was beginning to be a hobby, a time consuming activity when I wanted to procrastinate from Senior Year of college. 

I graduated college and I continued to use this blog and was getting more into it like editing the page and trying to add Ads (not a success...so far). 

But here I am, 22, with 2 jobs and a blog that I try to keep up day by day.

So my New Years Resolution, or rather Personal Goals for 2015 are as such.

1. Be happy. 

I struggled with changes and let-downs, disappointments and fears. This year I want to smile more

and laugh at anything because Laughing is one of the best medicines out there. 

2. Be Motivated.

With the changes came a lot of struggles and challenges, I want to be motivated and fearless of

handling 2 jobs and still edging for that last cent in rent. Or be motivated to be healthy physically and mentally, with no let-downs of my negative mind set, but to be positive and strive. 

3. Love Others.  

Most important right. I feel guilty at times for not returning emails or phone calls to those that ask for

my well-being. I have a difficult time keeping up with those who care about me in ways I can never repay them for. Family and Friends supporting me on my journeys of which I should return that love and adoration. I want to show my love and care for those much more than I have this past year and continue to show my appreciation to my loved ones. 

              

 Today, hubby and I went on a little date to the city (San Francisco) and stopped at the nationwide famous cafe, Four Barrel Cafe. Ordered a Cappuccino and Macchiato, we took the time to talk about our personal goals and aspirations for the year. Hence the reason for this post.

We spoke about some upcoming changes that may be for the best of us and some changes we should both take.

So yes we did ourselves a New Years Resolution, but as a team we should hit it hard. 

So Enjoy....

 Sip....

 And Smile....

A Pocket Guide for Your Holiday Travels

I found this article online and I just want to share with you all the great tricks and travel guides if all of you may be traveling this year. Take this Pocket Travel Book with you for all the Coffee Stops and even journaling ideas too. 

Click to read the Full Article. 

Finally, the Ultimate Travel Guide for Coffee Lovers! by  Jordan Valinsky

There's nothing more awkward than going to a cafe in a foreign city and struggling over the menu until you surrender and just keeping pointing at the espresso machines in the hopes of getting something hot, caffeinated and drinkable.

Confused travelers forced to deal with the daunting task of understanding the difference between a cafe au lait and a cafe bombon may finally have their caffeine cravings sated without resorting to pantomime. Cheapflights, a British-based travel website, has compiled a list of 31 popular drinks from two dozen countries. Finally, you can expand your coffee vocabulary beyond murmuring "Americano." 

The most specific-sounding coffee drink is the ca phe sua da from Vietnam It takes a very carefully measured amount of boiling water, just two tablespoons of condenses milk and an exact 15 grams of ground coffee to get right. 

Italy is home to the largest number of coffee bars per capita in Europe, so it's smart to brush up on the lingo if you're heading there. In the north, espressos are served with more milk, while the south serves a less creamy, more pungent version. The most exotic espresso is the Espresso Romano, which is served with a slice of lime. Yum?

The tastiest option comes from Spain, which is home to the Cafe con Miel. It's a mixture of espresso, honey, steamed milk and drizzling of cinnamon. That'll wake you up if the plate of churros didn't do it.

All of these countries have their own spin on coffee, but were most interested in the Turkish king. A tablespoon of coffee and a cup of water is topped with a cardamom pod, a type of Indian spice that's loaded with health benefits. Maybe they've figure out the way to have the best of both worlds.

In Hong Kong, the yuanyang mixes both black tea and coffee for the ultimate caffeine boost. That sounds like a bit too much, but Mexico's cafe de olla sounds delicious with its mix of cinnamon, water and coffee. 

It's all About Moderation

THE RED CUP IS HERE!
Seasons are changing and the Winter Breeze has commenced!
We are all eager to get that cup in our hands and taste all the Holiday Specials!
So as we all know, holidays are cold and we are looking for all the warmth at home and as we go about our days!
This is either Starbucks worse nightmare for all the crazy customers pushing and shoving in lines, or in a small sense a very "merry" good 'ol season to be "joyful".
Whatever the reason may be, Starbucks, McDonalds, Dunkin' Donuts and other cafes are serving the holiday drinks in large servings to "fill" you up with joy and a bit of guilt.
Our most common drinks, brought to you by Starbucks, are:

1. Chestnut Praline Latte
2. Peppermint Mocha (my favorite)
3. Caramel Brulée Latte
4. Eggnog Latte 
5. Gingerbread Latte 

Buzzfeed, my good 'ol source, has created this video to set you all in your rush to grab your holiday drinks but with some tiny precautions to watch your servings. It's all about Moderation. 

That's It, I will not Longer Believe It Is Bad For ME!

So you read the news and see numerous articles of that really happens when a person drinks Coffee. I know that I grow irritated to see and read facts thrown here and there about what really is going on in my cup. So I turn to my trusty website Huffington Post , and begin to research what the Mystery is and if I should continue to feel guilt with every sip, although it does give a bit more spice to drink the guilt. 

And even more now during this season with the images on Instagram of selfies with Fall Leaves and Coffee is so popular, it's inevitable to try and figure out this case. I skimmed the articles found one with interesting health facts that I am trusting to say it is all legit. I read an article titled

Whether Decaf Or Regular, Coffee Seems To Be Good For Your Liver and I was convinced... Case Closed. With the beginning headline stating, "People in the study who drank large quantities of coffee on a daily basis had lower levels of abnormal liver enzymes, the researchers found. This suggests that a chemical in coffee other than caffeine may help the liver, the researchers said." Which means to me that Yes I will continue to drink this delicious beverage and sip it with no guilt whatsoever. Coffee, according to the article, is showing studies of people having lower risks of diabetes, cardiovascular disease and liver cancer. Enough to convince you? 

From this article it states: 

"The researchers looked at about 27,800 people age 20 or older who reported how much coffee they had consumed over the past 24 hours. The team also looked at their blood samples for several markers of liver health, including alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and gamma-glutamyl transaminase (GGT). Elevated levels of liver enzymes may be a sign of liver damage or inflammation."

"The results showed that people who said they drank three or more cups of coffee a day had lower levels of all four of these enzymes, compared with people who did not drink any coffee. Surprisingly, it didn't matter whether a person drank regular or decaf coffee: the effect on liver enzyme levels was almost identical."

If you would like to know more about this amazing news, click here for the Full Article! 

Here is the revolution!

For those who love yoga, here is your morning workout to start the day right. 

Easy and soooothing. Follow me on Instagram @avilesmariia 

http://instagram.com/p/vHECQxgrnv/

Cancer Awareness

As you all know, the awareness for breast cancer was last month and many women took pledges to see a doctor and even run those hefty miles for fundraising. The pink was everywhere and everyone was excited and thrilled to stand together and fight for the disease that sweeps the nation.
Every woman has their story of how they fought it, are fighting it and even stories from loved ones who lost the battle. It's a scary thing to keep in mind that something is wrong inside and is slowly killing you cell by cell. Cancer is one of the leading causes of death and we are striving to find a cure and end this battle once and for all. I have heard numerous stories about women's struggles and we all see it on social media with celebrities undergoing the same struggles. So I wrote an article for GLAM about my family members struggle and her brave decision behind the doors. She is a beautiful and strong women, for she exercises her body to perfection and is a loving mother and wife.
But Cancer still lurks without any warning, she was diagnosed with a lethal disease but quickly took action as a woman and fought back. I wrote this article in Spanish for my Latin Community and in hopes of raising an awareness for all the beautiful sexy Latina women.
(Article...)