Catching Up Over Coffee - April 2016 at Cheshire Coffee in Cheshire

My sister and I decided a while back to meet up once a month at a different coffee shop in Connecticut in order to catch up and see the state. This blog series serves as a review of the coffee shops we visit. 

April, 2016 - This month, my sister and I decided to meet about half way from our homes, which turned out to be Cheshire, CT. There is a coffee shop in this town fittingly called Cheshire Coffee. I had been there a few times before, but not with my sister, so we figured this would be a good time for her to try it. 

This coffee shop is located in a stand alone building and has it's own parking lot, something we don't see too often around here. 

Inside, the place is spacious yet cozy. There are photos hanging on the walls, big comfy chairs scattered around, and some tables for those who want to eat and work. The people are always so nice on both sides of the counter as well. 

For food, I had the turkey wrap with smoked Gouda and asparagus. My sister had a chicken panini. This is the second or third time I had this wrap and I will probably have it again next time I go. I also had the caramel macchiatto while my sister had a flavored iced coffee. I don't remember exactly which one, though. 

Everything was delicious and tasty. Would we go back? I know I would!

We weren't done with our day yet...

As an added bonus, we visited a well known ice cream shop called Sweet Claude's . Boy did it live up to its reputation! Even in the light rain, there was still a line, and we found out why. The ice cream was so smooth, thick, and creamy. Delicious. In a state full of top notch ice cream, it's hard to stand out. Very few are as well known and respected as Sweet Claude's. My only regret is that this was my first time visiting. 

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This post is one in a series of monthly posts. If you are wondering why I am writing this series, head on over to Catching Up Over Coffee to read the explanation. 

Then, check out the other places we have visited so far: 

Catching Up Over Coffee - January 2016 at Landmark Cafe

Catching Up Over Coffee - February 2016 at Focaccia's Cafe
Catching Up Over Coffee - March 2016 at Half Moon and Mr. D's

Catching Up Over Coffee - March 2016 at Half Moon and Mr. D's Bakery Wallingford

My sister and I decided a while back to meet up once a month at a different coffee shop in Connecticut in order to catch up and see the state. This blog series serves as a review of the coffee shops we visit. 

March, 2016 - My sister and I actually have one more sister who lives in Wallingford. We all met at her place and chatted for awhile before the two of us headed out to chat at our March coffee stops. 

We actually decided to go to two places this month - Half Moon Coffee and Grille Cafe and Mr. D's Bakery. These two places are practically next door to each other. First we had dinner at Half Moon, and then went to Mr. D's for cupcakes and coffee. 

We weren't really impressed with Half Moon, though it wasn't bad. The clear winner was Mr. D's Bakery. To be fair, it's not really a competition. Mr. D's offers cupcakes, ice cream, toys, and candy, which are much more exciting than coffee. As we walked into Mr. D's, my sister said something to the effect of wanting to move in and never leave!

One of the first items that draws your eye as you walk into the store is a carousel horse. 

There are actually a couple of these around the store, but the others can be missed, believe it or not, because they are surrounded by bright, fun toys, and cupcakes.

Oh, the cupcakes! I don't know how anyone could have just one. My sister and I each ate one there and brought a box of six home for later (and to share).


We each had another medium coffee while we ate our carefully chosen cupcakes. A few unoccupied tables were tucked out of the way in a corner near the front window, where we were able to enjoy our treats and take a more careful look at our surroundings.

Below are some photos of the rest of the store.

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This post is one in a series of monthly posts. If you are wondering why I am writing this series, head on over to Catching Up Over Coffee to read the explanation. 

Then, check out the post from January, 2016: 

Catching Up Over Coffee - January 2016 at Landmark Cafe

Catching Up Over Coffee - February 2016 at Focaccia's Cafe

Catching Up Over Coffee - February 2016 at Focaccia's Cafe

My sister and I decided a while back to meet up once a month at a different coffee shop in Connecticut in order to catch up and see the state. This blog series serves as a review of the coffee shops we visit. 

February, 2016 - Since I visited my sister in January, this month she drove down to my hometown for our monthly coffee meetup. We were originally planning on checking out this new place downtown, but she was running late and they were closed by the time we got there around 4 p.m. on a Sunday. I don't know why they close so early on a Sunday, but they are new, so maybe they are short staffed.

Anyway, we ended up going to one of my favorite coffee places, Focaccia's Cafe in Shelton, CT. I visit at least once, but usually more like three, times a week. This visit, however, was special. Instead of just getting a regular coffee, I ordered the Focaccia's Caramel Macchiato. It is a little more pricey than the rest of the coffee offerings, but it is so worth it. Here is a picture (after I had a few sips):

See the layers? See that handmade whipped topping? See those bubbles? Each bit is so good. This is a drink to savored.

I got right to drinking my coffee before I realized that I didn't get a picture of my sister's drink! The pic above is both of our drinks and the cup for the homemade chips that Facaccia's gives out with every meal. Everyone raves about the chips! 

My sister's coffee was very tasty too, but for the life of me, I can't remember what it was. I tried going back and ordering what I thought it was, but it didn't taste the same. I guess I will just have to keep going back!

Once my sister and I finished our drinks and our conversation, we headed to another favorite spot - Peachwave Frozen Yogurt for some dessert. It was a very nice afternoon. If you ever find yourself in Shelton, CT, I highly recommend stopping into Focaccia's Cafe for a coffee and/or a meal.

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This post is one in a series of monthly posts. If you are wondering why I am writing this series, head on over to Catching Up Over Coffee to read the explanation. 

Then, check out the post from January, 2016: 

Catching Up Over Coffee - January 2016 at Landmark Cafe

Catching Up Over Coffee - January 2016 at Landmark Cafe

My sister and I decided a while back to meet up once a month at a different coffee shop in Connecticut in order to catch up and see the state. This blog series serves as a review of the coffee shops we visit. 

January, 2016 - My sister and I met one evening in late January for some dinner and coffee at a small cafe in Manchester, CT. We had decided to meet up once a month at a different coffee shop in Connecticut in order to catch up and see the state.

For our first outing, we met closer to her home. She lives about an hour north of me with our father, so I got a chance to see him as well. Since we were in her area, she got to pick where we would go and chose The Landmark Cafe. 

I got there first and picked a table, which was a bit of a challenge for me because each table was unique and had its own charm. Even each set of salt and pepper shakers were different. I picked one and sat down to wait. 

My sister and I ended up ordering sweet potato fries for an appetizer, which came with a mayo based dipping sauce, which was very tasty. She had a Alfredo pasta dish and I got a veggie wrap. Both were quite tasty. 

After dinner, we finally got to the coffee. We learned that Landmark Cafe has specialty lattes and mochas, which made our night. My sister ordered the Caramello and I had the Banana Fudge (closer mug). Both were very delicious! 

The Caramello tasted just like you would expect a latte version of the candy bar to taste. The thick foam carried the taste of the toasted marshmallow and smooth caramel from mug, over taste buds, and into the stomach. It was a joy to sip. 

Sweet chocolate and creamy banana pair so well, it seems, in any form. Each sip of the Banana Fudge latte was a treat. This is the kind of experience I hope to have each time I order a latte. 

Now for the real test - would I visit this cafe again? The answer is yes. In fact, I already have. I happened to be back in Manchester to go wedding dress shopping and brought my entire party here for lunch. They all enjoyed it as well! 

If you want to learn more about our coffee adventures and why we are doing this, read the first post, Catching Up Over Coffee 

Next - Catching Up Over Coffee - February at Focaccia's Cafe

Catching Up Over Coffee

My youngest sister and I are 9 years apart and live an hour away from each other in the same state. We have just a few things in common. One of them happens to be coffee. 

At the end of 2015, we decided to be more proactive in our relationship. Between the age difference and the miles between us, it was very easy for us to go months without speaking to each other. We were each living our own lives in our own little worlds and not working on our relationship or making it a priority.

I started this post by saying my youngest sister and I... which would rightly imply that I have another sister. In fact, I have another sister and a brother. My other sister just had a baby, which is a naturally good reason for us to see and talk to each other. My brother and I have been in touch regularly and have a common interest in tech.

With so many of us in my family and so much always going on, I decided it was time to focus on my relationship with my youngest sister. One day late last year, she mentioned that she liked coffee. We started talking about coffee and cafes and realized that we finally had something in common. I suggested that we travel all over our home state of Connecticut, and visit a coffee shop once a month. We would get to see the state and catch up with each other while sharing our shared love of coffee. She loved the idea, so we picked a date in January to start.

I decided that I wanted to blog about our experience and the different coffee shops and towns that we will visit, so here it is! This blog will focus on the coffee shops and towns and not so much on our relationship because that is our business.

As we visit more places, I will keep the updated list with links to the individual posts here.

January at The Landmark Cafe in Manchester, CT

February at Focaccia's Cafe in Shelton, CT

March at Half Moon Coffee House and Grille and Cafe in Wallingford, CT (and Mr. D's)

April at Cheshire Coffee in Cheshire, CT

December at Caffe del Mondo in Southington, CT

January at NIX in South Windsor CT

June, 2017 at Two Wrasslin' Cats in East Haddam, CT

October 2017 at J Rene in West Hartford, CT

April 2018 at CBBG Dessert Bar in Watertown, CT 

Budgets Suck - But This Tool Makes It Suck A Little Less

Currently, I am reading a book called "Rich Bitch" by Nicole Lapin. The budget breakdown presented in this book has been the number one best tool that I have found. I can only speak on behalf of myself, but the general percents and the explanations about each one has led me to finally set a decent budget for myself. 

I have tried to do all sorts of budgets - working backwards from what I typically spend, guessing at what my needs will be in the coming week/month/year, and all the other suggestions out there - but this one makes sense and works. 

Once I set up a spreadsheet and input my income, I was able to do simple calculations to figure out how much money I had for each bucket. Then I adjusted to make it work for me. I am fortunate enough to walk to work now, so I did not need 15% for transportation. However, my rent is a little higher than 25%, so I moved the some of the money from transportation to housing. 

I have been using this system for only a couple of months now, but it has really helped me understand my money. I have been able to set real goals and I know what my limits are. I feel empowered! 

Since I love content marketing and designing graphics, I designed the one below for my own reference. By sharing it here, I hope you will be able to use it as well. 

More about the book and the budget on Nicole's website: http://nicolelapin.com/richbitchbook/ 

Dear Future Self - A Letter Series About Lessons I Have Learned

Dear Future Self,

Over the past few months I have started a new job and, well I'm not sure if this is because of the new job or not, but I have been noticing something specific about leadership.

There are those who are leaders and those who are doers. It becomes clear who is who once you learn to see the signs. Something small is all it takes. For example, I have recently heard people ask me if they were correct. They would say something that they felt, like a bottle cap is screwed on really tight, and then say, "Don't you think so?" They ask me to confirm their feelings or opinions. These are not young people either.

On the other hand, there are some people who speak with authority. They say things they mean and if it is an opinion, it is clear that they know that. They would say, "This bottle cap was screwed on very tightly."

Leaders are never concerned with others confirming their opinions. However, if they made a mistake, they are usually the first ones to admit it.

Some people could never be leaders. And that is perfectly fine. Imagine if everyone wanted to lead! Those who are not leaders, I call doers. Tell a doer to do something and it will get done. You might have to explain exactly how and when to do the thing, but it will be completed.

It will be interesting to see if this observation holds true over the years or if I end up expanding on it. Only time will tell on that one!

Written 7/22/2015