coffee – Page 2

Holiday Gift Guide AND Giveaway!

November 28, 2014November 28, 201414 Comments

I am planning to do a revamp of my blog at the beginning of the new year! I want to include giveaways, favorites lists, and more! To kick things off a bit early, I wanted to create a Holiday Gift Guide! Christmas is my absolute favorite holiday! My wish list is quite long, but so is my gift list! I wanted to share some of my favorite things including great gift ideas for your loved ones! The best part of it all is that I am hosting a giveaway featuring some of the items from this post!

You can enter by going to my Instagram account, following me, liking the Holiday Giveaway post, and tagging a friend! I will pick a winner on December 6th, and I will send you 7 of my favorite gifts this holiday season (p.s. everything pictured above)!

P.S. Since you were so nice and visited my blog, if you comment on this post, you will also be entered to win!

FOR HER:

I have always thought Kate Spade gift items were “cute,” but as of late, I have a completely different appreciation for all things Kate Spade. The notebooks are perfect for your sister’s office, the tumblers are perfect for your friend that always has a coffee in hand, and the stationary is perfect for your mom or mother-in-law. I will be giving away the striped ‘live it’ notebook you see above!

I have been obsessed with this bag for so long. It is the first thing on my wish-list this year…in every color. Guys, listen up! Rebecca Minkoff handbags are always a safe gift for the woman in your life, whether that’s a sister, girlfriend, mother, or mother-in-law. You’re welcome.

I’m obsessed with Ashley Brooke Designs! Her mugs are everything! There is a phrase for everyone! My personal favorites are ‘I Woke Up Like This’, ‘Everyday I’m Hustling’, and ‘Hello Sunshine’! The mugs are perfect for your favorite tea or coffee lover and the tumblers are great for the office!

Heartbreak Coffee is the brainchild of two lovely ladies from Long Beach, CA. They are opening their first coffee shop early next year, but have been conquering the coffee world for the past year via Instagram! Their beautiful vision along with their great tasting brews, make their coffee beans the PERFECT stocking stuffer for the coffee fiend in your life! One of their special roasts will be featured in the giveaway!

Are there cuter tote bags in existence? No Way Jose! This tote bag is the perfect hostess gift! Better yet, fill it with your favorite rose for a personal touch! Enter the giveaway for a chance to win this tote!

Do you love crumpets like I love crumpets? The strawberry jam and fig jam from M. Greenwood Jams are the best toppings for toast, crumpets, or an empty spoon! Even better, the mother and daughter duo are local artisans in Los Angeles. Not only are you supporting a wonderful small business, you are getting the freshest, most delicious jams filled with seasonal ingredients! Enter my giveaway for a chance to win a jar of their jam!

Julie Ann Art has a card for every occasion: Birthdays, Christmas, Congratulations, anything you can think of! The one thing they have in common? They are all hilarious, some, even a bit cheeky! You will have a chance to win some Christmas cards in my giveaway!

FOR HIM:

Nixon watches are my go-to gift for the boyfriend. It’s not from Target, and it’s not a Rolex, but just right! The one pictured above is my favorite of all that I have given him, but they have gold, silver, matte black, and much more!

For whatever weather you’re in, this is the best flannel for your dad, uncle, grandpa, boyfriend, best guy friend, anyone! Pendleton flannels are amazing! They come in so many different colors and will last FOREVER!

For the voracious reader in your life, The Tipping Point is an amazing book! My dad read through it in days, and I am about to pass it on to the boyfriend very soon. In addition, the author, Malcolm Gladwell, is a brilliant man who has written several other amazing books. My suggestion? Buy a copy of each of his books and use them as stocking stuffers!

If you know one thing about me, you know I love food. If you know two things about me, you know I love food, but hate jerky. That is, until now. Three Jerks Jerky is filet mignon beef jerky. That’s right, jerky fit for a king! It is my boyfriend’s favorite! I will be giving away 2 flavors!

Forever21 has some awesome stocking stuffers for anyone and everyone on your list! Among them is the gentlemen’s ice tray. Win it in my giveaway!

Sundays at The Starling Diner

August 3, 2014January 5, 2015Leave a comment

BREAKING NEWS: I found my new favorite Sunday brunch joint, and it was right in my backyard. The Starling Diner is in the middle of a neighborhood on 3rd Street in Long Beach, CA and has been around since 2007. Breakfast is definitely my favorite meal and The Starling Diner has plenty of options for everyone. When you walk in, you immediately feel as if you are dining in someone’s home. Between the size, decor, and service, you feel very comfortable right off the bat.
unnamed-4
I love their mimosas. It takes a very good alternative beverage for me to forgo coffee during breakfast, but their mimosas are not only beautiful, but also quite delicious. My favorite so far is the pear mimosa with lavender garnish.
unnamed-3
Their Breakfast Bruschetta is the perfect place to start. It is broiled baguette slices slathered with creamy mascarpone and topped with fresh berries. The first time I ordered it, I was pleasantly surprised to see honey on each slice of baguette which wasn’t in the description on the menu. It was the perfect natural sweetener to an already decadent dish. Similar to the mimosa and every other dish that I have had so far, everything is beautiful and delicious.
unnamed-2
Speaking of sweet, the Broiled San Francisco Stuffed Toast is my favorite ‘dessert for breakfast’ item on the menu. They broil the French toast and stuff it with creamy mascarpone and creme fraiche and top it with various fruits including berries, peaches, caramelized apples, and other seasonal specials.
unnamed-1
For savory, I chose the Blue Crab Cake Scramble upon a recommendation from a friend. He did not lead me astray. The blue crab cakes were the perfect consistency and went very well with the fluffy scrambled eggs. If you are an adventurous bruncher, I would definitely recommend this one.

The story behind The Starling Diner is quite an interesting one. The owner opened her first cafe in San Francisco in 1995 after graduating from Rutgers Law. Reverie Cafe was her first successful venture, and although she has since sold it, I couldn’t be happier that she decided to open her third venture, The Starling Diner, so close to my home. The Starling Diner has been around for 7 years and I hope that it stays open for 70 more! Be sure to check out their sister cafe, La Galette Creperie, if you are ever in San Clemente.
If you ever would like to meet me in person, chances are I am here drinking a mimosa or dirty chai latte on Sunday mornings! Also, they are open for dinner Thursday-Saturday from 5PM-9PM which I can’t wait to check out sometime soon!
For more information, see http://www.starlingdiner.com/index.htm.

Playing at the Packing House

June 25, 2014June 24, 2014Leave a comment

I finally made it to the Anaheim Packing District! I was out of town for the grand opening on May 31, and have been wanting to visit ever since. Luckily, I had a Friday off of work, so I made lunch plans with my dad to visit the new marketplace. I knew I wanted my first time there to be on a weekday, because weekdays would be so crazy since it is so new. Well, the joke was on me because it was still PACKED! To preface, I will be updating this post, once I visit again later this summer, as not everything is open yet. However, I did very much enjoy the merchants that were available.

The layout of the entire Packing District is very interesting. The parking is a bit confusing and there is an entire strip of grass in between the Packing House, where all of the merchants are located, and the Packard Building, which houses the Anaheim Brewery Tasting Room and an Umami Burger. Currently, the grass area offers a Farmer’s Market on Sundays from 10AM-2PM.
Upon walking in to the Packing House, you are greeted with a beautiful contemporary rustic decor complete with light wood and white accents throughout. Each merchant runs into the next with very little seating dedicated exclusively to that merchant, which I liked. I liked that I could grab food from multiple places and sit wherever I wanted without feeling like I was bringing outside food into another establishment’s territory. After a quick walk around, we noticed that at least 5 merchants are not open yet, but there was still enough options to choose from without being disappointed. We ordered food from The Kroft and The Chippy Fish and Grill. I wanted to try everything on The Kroft menu, but settled for the Short Rib Sandwich and Jalapeno coleslaw. The sandwich was a good size for us to share and the meat was perfectly braised and very juicy. Along with the sandwich, the coleslaw tasted fresh and crisp with just the right amount of kick.

After that, we enjoyed the 3 piece and chips special and an order of Calamari Rings from The Chippy. The batter on the fish and calamari was light, but crunchy, and the quality of fish was superb.

Along with our meal, I enjoyed a lovely mocha from Cafecito Organico. It was the perfect balance of bittersweet cacao, whole milk, and light foam.

Next, we enjoyed the Popbar for dessert. This popsicle bar is the best dessert concept I have seen in a while. It is original, fun, and they have something for everyone. With yogurt, sorbet, and gelato based options, you are able to top any flavor with drizzles or chunky toppings. I chose the coffee with small hazelnut chunks and my dad chose the chocolate covered banana. We both enjoyed our popsicles and they tasted exactly what they were supposed to taste like.

Unfortunately, we were too full to try some of the other merchants, but the Black Sheep Grilled Cheese Bar will be my first stop when I come back. The menu looked so unique and delicious!

I can’t pick a favorite part of our visit because everything was enjoyable. I can’t wait to return to try the other merchants that have yet to open. This is a wonderful new addition to Anaheim and won’t be a hidden gem for much longer.
For more information, visit http://anaheimpackingdistrict.com/