Ah Chu!

If anything in this world sucks, it's allergy season.

Yes, spring is beautiful. It starts to warm up again, flowers go into bloom, and summer is just around the corner.

That's all fine and dandy if you (1) don't have allergies and (2) don't have allergies when you live in Northern California's Central Valley. Unfortunately I check both 1 and 2.

Cardio and Coffee

As the climate heats up, the layers of clothing slowly get peeled off... and so does the hibernation fluff! No, I am not really overweight by any means, but I do still have my winter layer of chubbiness that I am currently working on toning up.

Let's be real though, I go to university full time and work full time. Outside of physically being present at both places, I have to do my school work, eat, and sleep.

That doesn't really leave all too much room for anything extracurricular, much less working out.

But where there's a will, there's a way! (Don't mind the cliché) and that way is losing some sleep...

My saving grace: coffee a.k.a. liquid gold.

When I Drank Too Much Espresso

I used to drink copious amounts of espresso when I first started working at Starbucks. And I mean copious. Partially because I didn't really understand just how much espresso really did affect me and also because I did not realize just how much caffeine I was drinking almost every day of the week.

I didn't realize I had a legitimate caffeine addiction until I took a few days off from work in a row and wasn't getting any espresso and really not drinking any form of caffeine. The withdrawal headaches were the giveaway.

I would have a horrible headache that would go away if I drank a soda. Which really isn't a big deal since caffeine helps headaches for those who aren't addicted to caffeine. But I was having a miserable time if I didn't get some form of caffeine into my system.

Going Decaf?

Going decaf has been on my mind a great deal lately really only because I don't like the idea of being dependent on caffeine to function.

I have always thought decaf. was pointless since I was never really the biggest fan of the actual taste of coffee. I usually only got coffee to fill me up and keep me going.

Now that I'm reaching the end of my college career I'm realizing that I will probably (hopefully) not need a jolt nearly as often as I do now.

Maybe the real culprit here is the lack of sleep I regularly get, or is it that I don't get?

I almost never get over six hours of sleep a night unless it's the weekend... then I hibernate for twelve hours and don't feel any more rested than if I only got five hours of sleep.

Getting a solid amount of sleep every night may get rid of the lingering need for caffeine on the daily.

I already don't drink caffeinated soda very often and I almost never drink energy drinks anymore. So really, my source of caffeine is coffee, espresso, and tea.

Tea doesn't have enough caffeine in it to cause real harm (unless you mix it with a refresher).

I've figured out how I handle espresso... half-caf... all day... everyday...

But then there's my holy grail coffee... I have found a love for my dark roast with vanilla cream. I mean I'll always give something a try, but no guarantees that this decaf. idea will stick.

A Lethal Combination

I have found yet another tasty but unfortunately dangerous beverage concoction recently.

I am on the hunt for something cold and refreshing that still has some kick in it now that spring is officially here and summer will be here before we know it.

I avoid any form of milk product when it is too warm outside because it really does not sit well as the day wears on. So I typically end up getting an iced black tea lemonade with a splash of strawberry juice and no sweetner (as mentioned in "My Caffeine Go-Tos!").

This has been falling a little flat for my tastebuds so I figured I would try mixing one of the Starbucks refreshers with the iced black tea. I ordered a strawberry acai refresher with black tea instead of water. I gave it a whirl and will only have it on the rare occasion that I need a next level amount of caffeine.

My Disney Mug Collection So Far!

No real reading in this post, just pictures of the different Disney mugs I have so far and maybe where I purchased them if I can remember–

Travel Tumbler bought at the Market House (Starbucks location) in Disneyland Park.

Who Needs Caffeine in Disneyland?

Amazingly enough, I didn't end up getting coffee from the Starbucks spots in Disneyland and California Adventure. I probably could have used it because I was pretty tired, especially the first day, but the excitement of being back in my favorite place was enough to keep me going!

I almost forced myself to buy a hot chocolate or something from the Starbucks in the park simply because I wanted to get the Disney cup! I didn't actually want the added caffeine, just the cup. So instead of buying an overpriced coffee only to throw it away after I snapped a picture of the cup, I decided against it.

The lack of caffeine also made this trip to Disneyland more enjoyable than it has been in the past. Typically I load up on caffeine for the 6 hour trek straight to the park so I can stay awake. This then makes me wired for a few hours and then crash. Hard.

Midterms = Anxiety Central

It's that time of the semester again... Midterms.

An anxious filled week filled with too much coffee, studying, and just not enough sleep. Thankfully for me, I only have one more day to endure the stress before I am on my way to Disneyland!

(Don't fret, there will be a post or two sprinkled with pixie dust!)

Until then I still have one more exam to study for, a paper to finish, and a paper topic proposal to submit. Needless to say, I am drinking my weight in coffee and hoping these bags under my eyes aren't permanent!

Revamped Soy Latte!

It has officially become too warm outside to comfortably drink a hot soy latte. Yes, the drink is yummy and warm, but I thrive in warmer weather and despise the cold.

So much so that the only good aspect to winter for me are the seasonal espresso/coffee drinks readily available. I guess sweaters and coats are nice too... but I digress.

I have been fiddling around with the base drink that I was in love with last week (soy latte); adding ice, adding flavored syrup, changing the size, adding espresso shots, etc.

An iced soy latte is not the business without modifications. It really just tastes like milk with a hint of roastiness... yuck!

My Coffee Pot

I am constantly debating on whether or not I need (more like want) a Keurig or some other fancy coffee brewer.

But then I realize that I literally don't need anything like that. At all.

My house has a Mr. Coffee coffee pot with one on switch and a standard sized coffee pot. There are no timers, no clock, and no form of settings whatsoever.

I'm sure there are brewing devices even simpler than what I have, but one on switch seems pretty basic. And I am not complaining about it.

Latest Drink Obsession!

I have found a (temporary) espresso beverage replacement for my go to "Dirty Chai," that I wish I would have tried sooner!

How I order it:
       Tall soy latte with two shots of espresso
       (half caff. as usual).

No syrups, no packets of sugar, nothing added that really isn't necessary. Just the vanilla flavored soy.

Trying to be a healthier version of myself is 100 percent challenging, especially since I am surrounded by flavored syrups loaded of sugar and pastries stuffed with carbs and useless calories at work.

So finding an espresso beverage that is honestly tasty enough to drink in its entirety without pumping it up with added sugars is a great feat!

When to Grab a Coffee

Knowing when to drink caffeine and when to not can be tricky.

The best time to drink caffeine, and probably the only time you should, in reality is when you legitimately need it.

This could vary on a daily basis and for the person drinking it.

For me personally, that means that I can't drink  anything more than a soda or tea after around six in the evening if I plan on falling asleep easily or at a decent hour.

If it was a rough night and you have a long day ahead of you (like Mondays) then you could use a big ol' cup of joe or something with a little more kick like an espresso drink. Make sure to eat something though if you're prone to getting the shakes.

Barista Date!

Nothing beats a coffee date at your local coffee shop, but what do you drink on such a date?

You really don't want anything that will get you ramped up for the rest of the night (unless you have Friday night plans of course).

I went on a lovely coffee date with my fellow barista today and gave Starbucks' Smoked Butterscotch Latte a try...

Starbucks' Molten Chocolate Trio

Today is technically the last day to get Starbucks' Valentine's Day promotion, the "Molten Chocolate Trio". This provides new ground for the anxious coffee drinker in what they may want to give a try this weekend, whether on a date or just to stop in for a quick pick me up.

The Molten Chocolate Latte is made with mocha steamed in your choice of milk, frappuccino chips added to the bottom of the cup, espresso shot(s) added on top of the frappuccino chips to aid in the melting process, steamed mocha milk poured in the cup, topped with espresso whipped cream and espresso mocha drizzle. 

Some good qualities to the latte are the fact that it has caffeine, it has the right amount of chocolatey goodness that gets toned down by the espresso shot(s), and the frapp. chips don't fully melt at the bottom of the cup, which then makes drinking it through a straw like drinking a candy bar (trust me: it tastes better than it sounds).

The fact that it has caffeine and so much sugar (mocha, frappuccino® chips, milk, espresso whipped cream, and espresso mocha drizzle). However, this can be combatted by the magic of "half-caff" espresso shots (half of the shot(s) are caffeinated while the other half are decaffeinated). Which then lets you enjoy the pick me up without so much of the side effects of causing your heart to race. 

My Caffeine Go-Tos!

My morning fix for caffeine to keep me awake is easily your standard coffee with creamer. I prefer dark roast for the flavor and plus it has less caffeine in comparison to the medium and the light roasts.

I have class early after closing the night before, which means I don't go to bed until well after midnight (by the time I get ready for bed and finish up my school work) but I have to be up and ready to go for class no later than 9 am the next day.

Not being a morning person means that sucks and I need my coffee before I speak.

I grab my favorite coffee thermos and fill her up with liquid gold. I start with my vanilla coffee mate creamer (Hazelnut is good too, but I have to put too much into my coffee before I can taste it personally) then I fill her up with whatever is in my coffee pot that day.

It is also fun to mix up which coffee you get so you don't get stuck drinking the same exact thing every morning. Unless you like a specific flavor, then by all means, stick to it!

Don't Drink the Cold Brew!

While the Cold Brew at Starbucks might sound appealing from it's description, the amount of caffeine it holds is next level.

Being a Starbucks partner means I was super excited for a "new version" of iced coffee, especially since I am not the biggest fan of the original iced coffee.

The difference between regular old iced coffee and cold brew is simple and complex all at once: it's all in the brewing process.

Iced coffee is a specific blend of coffee, brewed with hot water, and later cooled with ice. Taking hardly any time at all.

On the contrary, cold brew is slowly "steeped" with cold water for 20 hours, packing in the flavor and the caffeine. Cold brew is originally made with half cold brew and half water in order to tone down the intensity as well.

(Refer to Starbucks for more information on both)

Now let me tell you my one, and only, war story with the infamous cold brew...

The Skinny

First things first, my name is C.C. and I live with anxiety.  And I have a love for coffee.

As you would assume the two do not mix... ever.

Being a full time college student and working full time means I drink coffee regularly, but most of the time I end up paying the price not too long after.

I have almost gotten my caffeine intake down to a science: