Celebrating National Coffee Day With Melitta Coffee #melita

Melitta Coffee is taking a look back at their century-long commitment to innovation, spurring from founder, Melitta Bentz, the inventor of the pour-over. In fact, every time you take a sip of drip coffee it’s a nod to Melitta Bentz, who revolutionized the process back in 1908 when she invented pour-over coffee. We’ve come a long way since she first punched holes in a brass pot, took a piece of paper from her son’s notebook and created the first two-part filter system.

We’re excited to share some helpful tips on behalf of Melitta Coffee – everything your readers will need to enjoy that delicious coffee shop experience right from the comfort of home. Follow along, and a great cup of coffee (or two or three) is just a mug away.

  

Brewing Tips:

So, what’s the secret to a really great cup of coffee? Melitta’s got a few simple tricks to help perfect your brew-at-home skills:

1.    Buy coffee weekly or bi-monthly. Once opened, ground coffee begins to stale in about 24 hours. To slow this process, store coffee in an airtight container in a cool, dry, dark place.

2.    For the fullest flavor, buy (or grind your own) extra fine grind coffee. When using finer grinds, it’s possible to use less coffee due to higher extraction levels. We recommend 2 level teaspoons per 6 ounces of water.

3.    Use paper filters to effectively trap bitter sediments. Cone shaped filters allow for full saturation of the grounds, but all good, quality paper will ultimately enhance the final cup.

4.    Drink coffee as soon as possible after brewing. If left on a burner, the coffee will continue to cook and starts to degrade in as little as 20 minutes.

5.    For the single-serve coffee drinker, never sacrifice flavor and quality for convenience. Be sure to buy eco-friendly, as well.

The 411:

We are huge Keurig coffee drinkers. We are always in a hurry so we love the convenience of a K-Cup for a cup of coffee that we can run with. All that being said, I was raised on Grandma, peculated  coffee and really miss that sometimes. For those days when I have a ton of time I use my Grandma's old Pecolator.  Honestly, there is nothing like it! It is by far the best. BUT...we can't always do it. Come on who has time for that, plus you need to wait by the stove to make sure it doesn't spill over or burn. The other day I received one of the new Melita Pour Overs. It is perfect for work. They have a Keurig there but I hate using it. It is only good for one cup and I am not sure if they clean it out so I took my Pour Over in with some filter and Melita's Cafe de Europa Classique for a almost as good as percolated coffee. It smelled amazing. My co-workers who came in all commented on the smell.

Boil some water. At home I use a small pan and at work I put a cup in the microwave. While that is happening I place the ceramic pour over on top of your cup, place a filter inside it and fill with coffee I will use. Then pour the boiling water over it and drink! It is easy and I love that I am contributing to making myself a cup of coffee that tastes amazing.

Great Christmas gift idea or hostess gift. You will find this on my upcoming Holiday Gift Guide.

For additional tips to a better cup, visit: https://www.melitta.com/en/The-perfect-Cup-510,5987.html

Recently, the brand released two new vintage-inspired products, the Signature Series Pour-Over and the Heritage Series Pour-Over Set.

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary product for the purpose of this review. No monetary compensation was offered.

Surgery Scheduled Today For My Almost 6 Month Old Cat

On September 18th I wrote that my cat Jinxy a rescue from the shelter I worked had a fracture in the growth plate of the ball joint in his right hip. He probably had this forever. He came into the shelter very sick and was unable to hold up his back end. the volunteers there worked with him and put mats down in his cage to give him traction and he seemed fine when I adopted him. 

At his first vet visit he was only 2 pounds. 2 months later at 7.5 pounds he was limping and the x-rays showed the fracture. It is probably something that never healed and his own weight was the problem. I felt so bad because in retrospect this cat was slower the my other two, climbed, ran and jumped less than the others, when we pet him he would bring his whole body to the floor while still standing and using the litter box would sit in a very strange way with his hip completely open and the leg almost flat to the the litter. I just thought this was his personality. Now that I know it was a hip thing I feel bad that he suffered before we knew.

I brought him to the animal hospital that every doctor suggested and they were amazing. I gave him over to the ER doc who took him and the x-rays telling me she would look it over with the surgeon. An hour later I was told that the only surgery option for the situation was a Femoral Head Osteotomy.  Once the femoral head and neck are removed the muscles and developing scar tissue works to support the area and acts like a false joint. When he moves his limb the force is transferred to the pelvis instead of the leg.  His leg will be slightly shorter but he will do amazing well and resume his normal activity after the surgery. 

Sounds great as he was in a lot of pain and living on pain killers and in a cage so he didn't hurt himself more. BUT...I had no idea that when I handed him over at 9:00 am yesterday that it would be the last time I see him until I pick him up. I felt so guilty that I just left him. I thought we would be scheduling a surgery not leaving him there for surgery. It is better for him but I had such guilt.

Last night I called the hospital 2 times because when I left at 11 am I was told I would get an update call and I still was unsure as to whether he had surgery yet or not. Finally at 9:45 I was told that he had not had surgery but that he ate and his surgery would be scheduled for today.

Hoping to hear something! It is 11 am now so I left 24 hours ago...I miss him dearly and pray everything will be Okay. I know he is in good hands even if the communication wasn't up to par.

More on Jinx when I know.

Never Miss That Perfect Pet Shot Again!

The 411:

How many times we tried to get our cats to look directly at the camera! We would call their name but they would look at everything except the camera. Now with Woofie, you just put a treat or in our case your cats favorite toy into the clip and wah-lah instant perfect picture.

My kitten Sage loves to nurse on our clothing when she wakes from a nap and nothing will stop her from doing this. She looks up when you call her name but will never leave the nurse! In the above case she was sucking on my daughter's shirt while my daughter did her homework. The moment she looked up and saw her toy, she was out of there looking right at me!

I could imagine with a dog it would be the same as they are way more aware.

This is the perfect stocking stuffer for pet owners and since I am drafting my Christmas Gift Guide you will surely find this on there when it goes live early November.

Just took this! She wants that jiggly fish so bad! Never miss the shot again. Perfect for photographers or families looking to get that family photo with their pets.
 

What Can Your Imagination Create With Craft Block

How many of you save pins to Pinterest telling yourself that you are going to make or bake a certain thing and can't wait to do it immediately!? I save pins daily and have since Pinterests first days. Crafts are some of my favorite pins. I get inspired and wish I could run out and max out my 1 credit card.


Each Craft Block comes in a standard eight-inch by eight-inch square size and is three-inches wide. The blocks are fitted with a one-and-one-half-inch sized access holes and have a reusable rubber seal, making it easy to add items inside the Craft Block.

            "We've seen people fill the blocks with hard candies and then put a bow around them for a gift," says Laura Sikes, marketing and national accounts manager with Hy-Lite, a U.S. Block Windows Company. "You can also add decorative twinkle lights. Or you can make banks out of them. There are endless ways to create crafty fun projects using the Craft Blocks."

            Sikes also suggests that people --- including children --- can make gifts out of the blocks. "It's simple to create a memory box using the blocks," says Sikes. "If you're creating a gift for a collector of small items ... like stamps, coins or puzzles, just fill the block with those items to give as a present.
on whatever I need to do the wanted craft.  Last year I saw a ton of glass box pins that I couldn't wait to do...this year...I have one now to pick the craft. Should it be Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas? My daughter wants to make it a Disney Fund block and my son thinks we should put money in whenever someone curses. What should we make?


“Adding potpourri or scented cinnamon sticks to the blocks creates a fast, easy gift. Or, you can put an assortment of dry dog treats inside the block and add a big paw print and the pet's name on the outside as a gift for an animal lover!"

            Easy to handle and transport, the long-lasting acrylic blocks are sold both individually ($15 each) and by the case (at $225 for 24 blocks) online and are offered with free shipping. The lightweight clear wave acrylic blocks are made in the U.S.A. and offer a safe, break-resistant way to create projects for all ages.           

            Hy-Lite, a U.S. Block Windows Company, is the leading manufacturer of acrylic block, glass block and decorative glass windows. The company's privacy product options include acrylic block shutters, accent panels, radius walls, partition walls and door inserts. Since 1988, the Pensacola, Florida-based company has been committed to providing residential and commercial construction professionals and homeowners with elegant, affordable privacy window designs. For more information, visit www.hy-lite.com.
                                                           
The Craft Block by Hy-Lite has these blocks that are much lighter then the glass ones I was seeing last year.   I have lifted those glass blocks and man were they heavy and felt fragile. Craft Block is at least $6.00 cheaper than the glass kind based on what I have researched so far.

Here are some of my favorite altered blocks:

My friend Dyan created this one last year.

Or this adorable Scarecrow I found on Pinterest

OR this beautiful fall block

These blocks are so pretty I don't even know where to start. Hopefully we can get to a craft store soon. (Car in shop, Cat at hospital, so much going on). Until then we threw some lights in it and called it a day.

Stay tuned for my creation!

Disclaimer: I received no monetary compensation for this post or for talking about Craft Block. All opinions are my own.