Easy Ice Coffee On the Go

When we bought our Keurig, I kind of made this deal that I'd actually use it to save a little money. As in, not buy coffee from the oh-so-convenient-but-seriously-overpriced coffee shop in the hospital where I work. I've done fairly good, but when it comes to the warmer months, I really want ice coffee and the K-cups for ice coffee are a little limited. So, I've come up with my own little recipe I thought I'd share. If I prepare a little beforehand it goes a long way! 

CHOOSE YOUR CONTAINER

Choose a container that works for you. It could be a mason jar or some type of water bottle, I chose to use these Starbucks frappachino bottles I have saved from about a year and a half ago when SAMS had cases for a really good deal. Yes, I drank them all, washed them, and used them for a baby shower (and several other occasions as well).

CHOOSE YOUR BREW

Choosing your brew is going to be key! I normally drink a medium roast such as a house or breakfast blend, but for this ice coffee I chose a Bold coffee and I'll tell you why. 

My Keurig is the smallest one so the cup size is small - you use the same k-cup to brew a larger cup with a larger machine right? right. So, I decided to brew two medium size cups with the same k-cup. Still with me?

With the bolder flavor and the mixture it works out nicely for a nice creamy ice coffee while maintaining a nice coffee kick! 

CHOOSE YOUR FLAVOR

or choose none. I chose to mix it up. I used my current Coffee Matte creamer in some and just skim milk and Splenda in others. 

MY STEPS

1. Brew one medium sized cup of Bold Coffee. Use a measuring cup for easy pouring. 
2. Divide cup into two containers
3. Brew a second medium sized cup and divided between the same two containers.
4. Add Sugar/Splenda while still warm and let Coffee cool on the counter. I just covered with a paper towel to allow for cooling while I brewed more cups. 
5. Once coffee is cooled to room temperature or cooler, I add my creamer/milk, cover and refrigerate.
6. Let cool overnight or at least a few hours before drinking, when taking out of the fridge shake to mix everything back up and you are ready to go! 
7. If you like it extra cold, leave a little room for ice the morning of... if it's already cold this will prevent more melting/watering down your flavor. 
8. Enjoy! 

+++ I only make about a week's worth at a time (6 bottles or so) due to the milk expiration issue! You could always just add your creamer/milk the morning of! 

I'm thinking of trying some with just a little coconut milk next weekend, forgoing the artificial sugar and dairy. 

What are your favorite ice coffee recipes? Have you tried this with your Keurig? 

my motherhood

You may have noticed that things look a little different around here over the last month, that is, if you visit this blog regularly. I am still working out the tweaks and getting everything set back in place, it takes me forever, but Ashley at Dinosaur Stew made this dreamy design JUST for me. She is so talented and really easy to work with. 

While getting a new design is fun, it also makes me think about what exactly I want this blog to be. I KNOW that I want it to be a place where I gather all my memories and document Jonah, motherhood, and the special bits of our life. I want to showcase my growth in photography and continue to expand my skill set. 
More than that, I want it to be a place where people can come to really get to know me, as a mother, as a friend, a sister, a daughter, a working mom, and as a woman of faith. I want all of that to show in all that I am, all that I write, and in every moment I capture with my camera. 

So, I want to start talking a little more, just getting to know me, why I blog, where I come from, my heart, etc. It's kind of scary because I know some of my real life friends and family read occasionally and I like being able to hide behind this computer because there are things I put out there that I would never just bring up in casual conversation, but I know that really shouldn't hold me back. 

So, tonight since I promised more from Mother's Day, here we go on my motherhood. Where I am as a mom a year and a half after the birth of my first child. 

I can honestly say, everyday, I am happy to be a mother. Not one day or hour really goes by that I think of what life would be like not being a mom. I know that isn't true for everyone, but I was ready. God prepared my heart leading up to becoming pregnant. I've written before that it felt like he was just waiting for me to say "okay, I'm ready".  I truly believe that his timing is perfect. Sometimes I wish I would have started younger but I know without a doubt that things were suppose to happen the way they did. 

Now even with perfect timing,  I'd be lying if I said that I felt totally prepared or knowledgeable about raising a child, because that's a big negative. Even with years of training and practice in behavioral therapy, human development, and stages of growth I am still sometimes clueless. It really is different when it's your own child. I think that's where my confidence in myself and self doubt start to really show. 

I had a conversation with my sister and mom just last week about not knowing what to do about some of Jonah's behaviors and even considering the option of spanking him when time out isn't an option. Now, I know that's a controversial topic and maybe a conversation for a different day, but it just goes to show that you never really know who you will be as a parent until you are put into those challenging situations. 

As much as I adore my child  he can sometimes be a challenge. I like to think that I'm calm and easy going with him and know when to just let something go, but the truth is I'm not. I yell sometimes. Mostly words like "no" and "stop _____" insert whatever he is doing or "owwww no!" like yesterday when he bit me in the back of my leg. 

A couple of months ago I read the book Unglued by Lysa Terkhurst. I can identify a lot with most of it. The feeling of saying or doing something then immediately regretting. I feel like I'm past some of my unglued behaviors, but there are certainly plenty I still need to work on. (note to self: reread and put some of her suggestions into practice) 

On the opposite side of my failures and the pieces of motherhood that I lack, I feel like my baby knows without a shadow of a doubt that I love him. I say it to him about a thousand times a day and that will never stop. Most of the time I am in awe of motherhood. I am thankful that God gave me motherhood. How can a bond be so strong and pulling at you all the time? 

I feel like I'm suppose to be a mother to more than just this one little boy, but that's where it ends. I don't know beyond that, I'm not there yet. For now, I'm doing the best I can with this one little treasure and just waiting to see what comes next.

linking with Thankful Thursday & Mommy Memoirs 

What's so great about breakfast in bed?

I hope everyone had a great Mother's Day. I really do. It's a big deal. Mom should be celebrated. She's the most awesome human in your life. So please celebrate her! 

I wasn't hoping or really expecting much of a hooplah because that's really not my husband's style, I'm usually in charge of all the hooplah around here. So, occasions meant for me are usually pretty low key. That's fine with me. I did get to sleep in but had a terrible sinus headache - my allergies are the worst. Also, Sunday, mother's day or not is the best and the worst day of the week. I really hate that it means I have no more days until Monday and then here comes Monday with all it's manicness and cliche conversations with co-workers that I'm perfectly happy to engage in but really  the day after a holiday I just want to lock myself in my office or better yet stay home! 

never fails husband looks great ONLY in this picture. I look like a crazy person. Happy Mother's Day. 

I have a tendency to feel for the less fortunate, so I'd rather really talk about the sadness and hurt that comes along with a day like mothers day than make small talk over what kind of flowers you got or your breakfast in bed. 

What is it about mother's day and eating in your bed? I can't count how many times I read/heard that over the past few days. What's so great about breakfast in bed? If I do it, then the kid thinks he can do it. Also, I really like cinnamon rolls and pancakes for special breakfasts. I do NOT want syrup or sticky sugar on my sheets. Who is going to clean that up? Me. That's who. So no thank you mother's day. I will eat my breakfast at the kitchen table like a normal human being. If you want to do something special - do the dishes, sweep the floor, OR wash the sheets that you are proposing I wipe my syrupy hands on. 

Just make sure there's water in the Kerug so I can just push the button. That'll be good enough for me! 

In all seriousness I had a great mother's day. I got the sweetest cards and a literal running hug when I got out of bed. Best part of my day is when that baby boy of mine is happy to see me! 

I also got to hang out in the country with my family. Just throwin' rocks and playing hide-n-seek in the monkey grass. More later with beautifully posed Mother's Day photos to follow. 

Have a happy week! 

on the weekend.

 on the weekend I try hard to take a little time to just be. Just be with my family, my son, myself. Honestly though, that's really hard for me. To just be means something isn't getting done. The house is a mess, we have about 50 million projects to complete, I still haven't hung up my clean laundry, I could be editing, uploading, taking pictures of clothes, the list goes on and on. That doesn't even scratch the surface of the never ending list in my head.

I feel like there is never enough time and that makes me anxious, moody, and disappointed in myself. I am a yes person, always. It really is a problem. When people ask me to do something, I say yes, because I genuinely WANT to do and have every experience I could possibly have. I want to be the one that helps others and spends time doing and not just dreaming about doing. I also realize that sometimes I just need to not do anything.



I wrote in jonah's 18 month update that he has started telling us to "sit down!" and that's just what happened in the picture above with the blocks. Otherwise, I would have still be in the other room DOING something that I felt needed to get done, but instead I sat with my little one and stacked blocks. thank you God for the reminder.

 Then, as Sunday evening rolls around and the list starts ticking again with the things to do and the time starts dwindling down, I have to remind myself, again, to be in the moment. Just enjoy this night, don't rush off too quickly, stay, play, watch and just be.

Finding my balance is hard in this season of my life. Just doing, getting done and just enjoying my life are in a constant battle. Time moves too fast, but at least I have this moment and that one burned into my brain. When all my time has passed, I won't regret not cleaning my room or hanging up my clothes, I'll regret not using my time in the most important ways.

A little of the past.

Ever feel like you were born in the wrong decade? I do. I may very well have been born in the wrong century. Well, probably not because well iPhones and such.

I certainly have an overly active draw to the past though when it comes to clothing style and home décor. I love a good mix of classic, vintage, even a little boho mixed with just enough modern that I don’t actually look like I’m in the mid-20^th century when I capture a photo.  

a year and a half

I'm about a week and half late, but time has just not been on my side lately. Writing this post has been on my mind so much this week but I just couldn't get to it. I've been going over and over in my mind the things I would write to describe Jonah at 18 months and so many things come to mind that I will probably not get to list all of them here, but I'm going to try. Also, how gorgeous is this light? I photographed Jonah on his "half birthday" April 19th in our neighborhood after work and found this beautiful but just ordinary spot. Wesley helped me and capturing back light isn't easy when you're new at it, but I think he captured the memories of me and my boy beautifully! 

oh spring

Oh spring, I know you are here but you play the worst tricks on me. Just when the weather is beautiful and life is returning, I wake up to dark skies and rumbles of thunder. In the twenty minutes it takes for me to get from one morning stop to the next those warm summer breezes that leave me so filled with hope are exchanged for soaking wet feet and prickly goose bumps covering my body.