Thursday, July 28

A Little Bit of Joy

It is hard to stay positive with all the badness and sadness in the world. There is always something to be upset about at the micro and macro-levels of life: from a fight with a friend to a frustrating day at work to worrying about the debt ceiling and the economy.

To be honest, I don't always live up to my namesake of Joy, but I am trying. I have "Be Joyful" written on a note in my wallet, but some days I am still more like a little ball of hate (which I like to refer to as LBOH) instead of a little bit of joy (LBOJ).

I have found that the best way to deal with a tough times is to try and focus on the joyful bits and try and forget the rest.

Here are some of my joyful moments from the past couple days:

A perfect cup of coffee


Time left in the parking meter



A beautiful day to go to the library


A beautiful, accessible library


A great quote in my page-a-day calendar



What little bits of joy have made you happy lately?

Wednesday, July 27

Ode to Starbucks

It was a tough morning that required coffee, so Boss and I went to the Starbucks down the street.

I love that there is free 15 minute parking outside of our Starbucks downtown.



Before, I never went anywhere without my Starbucks registered gift card (for more details read Katy's post on the little Starbucks secret.  Now, I never go anywhere without my iPhone with my Starbucks Mobile Card app, which allows me to pay for my coffee with my phone.


It also keeps track of my Starbucks rewards. Only 6 stars (purchases) left to a free coffee!


Our downtown Starbucks makes the best cappuccino.

 

It is like a little cup of happiness.

My boss never fails to make fun of my order.
Me: "I'll have a Venti nonfat cappuccino with sugar-free caramel syrup."
Boss: "Medium coffee. Black."

He doesn't know what he is missing! The only problem is that it is hard to get the same end beverage every time. My order is so......subjective, for lack of a better word. Sometimes there isn't enough milk or syrup, sometimes there is too much. Today, it was perfect and so delicious. I could just mainline it all day, no need for other food or refreshment. I have decided that cappuccino is the perfect food. It has protein, carbohydrate and dairy (although little fat due to non-fat milk and no fiber...I am trying to work that out.)

(Please note that I am not a nutritionist or dietician nor am I serious. Please consume caffeinated beverages responsibly.)

My Starbucks order only clocks in at 110 calories, but not all Starbucks drinks are easy on the waistline.
Even with nonfat milk, a Venti Peppermint White Chocolate Mocha has 530 calories.  Yikes!

The Starbucks menu can be confusing because there are thousands of different options to choose from, some healthier than others, but thankfully they have a great Nutrition page to help you make good choices.

What is your favorite drink from Starbucks?