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...)

Voyageur du Temps

This is what I like to call "My Little Heaven", there are moments that I feel overwhelmed with my To-Do List and several others matters that come into mind. So to think of this as my "Little Heaven" is just too good to be true. My lovely hubby introduced me to the #VoyageurCafe and we indulged in a Croissant and Danish Pastry. The setting was beautiful, it was a sunny Saturday morning, I forgot to take pictures but I at least took a picture of the #LatteArt with the Pastries.
It was really relaxing and sweet to spend the morning with my loved on and my puppy. They allow you to bring your Furry Pets to sit outside in the balcony. It had several tables with shading to enjoy a French Cafe vibe.
On their website they have a Menu, Gallery, Contact Information which is located in Los Altos, CA, and even a Career Page if you want to join them!
So if you are in the area, check them out and taste for yourself because as they say in their website:

"We believe in preserving the timeless values of craftsmanship, so we take We believe in preserving the timeless values of craftsmanship, so we take care when folding a new and playful spirit into methods proven by generations. Where past and present intersect, we see beauty. This is a voyage worth taking. when folding a new and playful spirit into methods proven by generations. Where past and present intersect, we see beauty. This is a voyage worth taking." (voyageur.com) 

Enjoy the French Music too! :) 

Art Art Art!!!

I am not even sure how this process is done but I love it.
The Art is fabulous and brilliant, as a coffee lover, researcher and artists I am amazed by talented baristas that can create meaning in a latte and send out the beauty in foam.
Here are a few Latte Arts I found on Pinterest that I want to share with you all. :)
I even found this video on Youtube of a Barista creating the most common latte arts we see today and honestly they make it sounds easy but takes lots and lots of practice!!