Fall.....tea...coffee...fires....thoughts....

From Pike Place Market - A Must Have

 Just a few weeks ago, I was at Pike Place Market with some friends and I picked up one of my favorite teas.  This really should be a staple in every pantry, especially for fall.

And this week, fall hit hard.  The weather has a bite in it, and so does this tea.  It's all I've been thinking about all day at the office and it's the first thing I made when I got home....

...Shoes kicked off....kettle turned on......and soon I heard the lovely "whistle" the kettle sings when my "heaven in a cup" is ready to be poured.

The orange spice aroma nearly filled the kitchen...mmmmm!

Fall....more warm toasty, tasty drinks.

 The rich, full-bodied italian coffee with an amazing creme.....



....simply divine!



I love roasty toasty things....



.....which makes me miss our real fireplace.


In our old house, (1950's ranch style house)....the fireplace was great.

Not for warming our house - it was really the epitome of form over function.  But the atmosphere it created was warm and inviting.  The smell of real wood burning....the pop and crackle.....the ability to roast a marshmallow in it if you so inclined.  It was great.

But its gone....now we have a beautiful home (2010) with a beautiful fireplace that you can turn on with the flip of the switch.

Its pretty and it actually warms the living room....but its not the same.  And tonight driving up to my family's home and smelling their fireplace burning (their REAL fireplace) made me remember ours and miss it.

I think that's what fall is about actually.  Remembering something that is now gone....you see that concept everywhere.....the leaves changing and falling...reminding you of summer lost....the flowers wilting...reminding you that spring is over......

but its only a season.... and seasons change.....

so in it, enjoy the things this season brings....

like snuggling by the fire....

like going to the pumpkin patch....

And, like Market Spice Tea and yummy Italian coffee....


with love,
Tammy

PS....check out the Blog Fall Festival.  There are some amazing blogs to get linked up with....enjoy!

Has it been this long?`

Has it really been since August since I posted last? It is now just 2 days before Christmas and the time has flown. My baby went from baby to toddler in what seems like overnight! He turned 2 in November. TWO! Can you believe it? We celebrated with all the excitment Chuck E. Cheese can muster up and it was so fun.

But the thing that has caught Jarrett's attention more than anything else is Disney on Ice. Mickey, Donald, the Cars and of course Tinkerbell still are talked about daily. Whenever he sees anything that was in that show, the first word out of his mouth is "Ice!" It was amazing as only Disney can do. Thank you to my husband's work for hooking us up with those tickets - it made my son's day.

And the thing that has caught my attention is something far less glamorous, but far more rewarding to my pocketbook. Coupons! Have they always been around? Did they just get invented? I feel almost ashamed of all of the money that I've waisted over the past years. Today, I saved $61.37 with coupons at the grocery store. And while that is great and probably the best that I've done, my friends are doing better. It's almost like keeping up with the Jones - but in reverse. There is a class that a lady in our community gives that I want to take, but my friends are now at the point that they are spending less than they are saving. Big props to Karina for saving over $97 and spending less than $89. So if you are interested, check out http://www.fistfulofcoupons.com/.

But now its Christmas and with only 2 days left, there is still all the baking, a little shopping and wrapping, and final preparations before Santa can show up at our door. So far only 1 present has been unwrapped from under the tree. Let's hope it stays that way.

Tonight, we go to visit Jeff's Grandma - Jarrett's GG. Hopefully he will perform "Away in a Manger" for her like we practiced. But when a 2 year old is the star of the show - you never know what you will get!

So my New Years Resolution (8 days early) will be to write more and eat less. Exercise? Na! - that can wait 'till 2011.