How to Celebrate National Boba Day!

Here’s a unique way to celebrate all things boba and get ready for National Boba Day on April 30! I know that our Boba fans will be ecstatic.

Boba Origin is your one-stop-shop for boba accessories that complement this popular beverage. Why just drink boba when you have your own boba plushie and candle? The brand’s items are oh-so-cute!

How Do You Boba?

The boba phenomenon has reached new levels. Boba (a.k.a. Bubble Tea, Milk Tea) has captured the taste buds of people around the world. So much so that there’s even a National Boba Day on April 30.

No global food craze would be complete without the adorable accessories to go along with it.

Meet Boba Origin, the all things boba brand you’ll love getting to know. The brand makes truly unique boba products with originality and function combined.

The delicious beverage originated in Taiwan but has now found the hearts of millions who simply can’t live without it. It’s as popular lately as your local coffeehouse with so many flavors. Now, enthusiasts can take that love one step further with the following items that are must-haves for any true boba aficionado!

World’s First Reversible Boba Plush
It’s the cutest, softest, and most versatile boba plush with a secret zipper pouch. Flip this boba over to angry mode to let others know to not bother you. Your significant other do something cute? Easily flip it to the happy side. Whether this little guy is used to store items or as a mini cushion pillow, this blushing plushie is the perfect gift for any boba lover. This little boba companion is made with premium plush material for an incredibly soft, cloud-like touch perfect to sleep with.

3:15 Milk Tea
Individual milk tea bags with real tea leaves. Each box contains 5 individually wrapped 20 grams (so total of 100 grams of milk powder and ground tea leaves) of instant brown sugar milk-tea. Add a dash of whole milk to make it creamier.

Boba Candle
4 ounces of brown-sugar milk tea 100% soy wax to make your room smell like boba. Made with 100% premium soy melts, a biodegradable and natural resource that cleans up with just plain old soap and water. Custom mixed and created for the perfect milk tea scent. Mixed, hand-poured, and packaged in Baltimore, Maryland

Available on https://bobaorigin.com, Amazon, and Etsy.

Holiday Showcase: Tween Gift Guide

Not little kids, but not quite teens, tweens can be a difficult group to please when it comes to holiday shopping. From gifts for bibliophiles to mini posh fashionistas, these presents are perfect for your middle schooler, who can’t wait to grow up but still can’t resist a cool toy or two.

#1. Jill Yoga Apparel
“Athleisure” is bigger than ever with adults, why shouldn’t it be for tweens as well? Today’s youth can be comfy — and cute — this holiday with Jill Yoga’s line of yoga-inspired jackets, leggings and tops. We love that Jill Yoga promotes confidence and a healthy active lifestyle for young girls through its fashionable, yet affordable clothing line. Your only problem will getting you tween to wear anything else. 😉

#2. Williams-Sonoma’s American Girl® cookbooks
Written for tweens and designed to inspire, this compilation of cookbooks covers all the meals, desserts and then some. Each recipe have easy-to-follow instructions, helpful tips and color photos. A charming gift for a budding baker, these cookbooks encourages creativity in the kitchen.

#3. S’ip by S’well water bottle
From the posh makers of S’well, S’ip is a chic way for tweens to bring a cool drink to school for lunch or a hot coffee drink for study groups. Its mission to rid the world of single-use plastic water bottles will please your tween, too.

#4. Harry Potter Wall Art
If your tween is making their way through the wizarding world of Harry Potter, then they’ll love to decorate their room with these creative art print or typography.

#5. UrbanEars headphones
You can never go wrong with headphones on Christmas, and UrbanEars come in dozens of seasonally-rotated, on-trend colors. The Plattan ADV and Plattan ADV Wireless are among the best sounding in the line and feature removable cables, washable headbands, and the ability to daisy-chain to another set of headphones, so your tween can share the next hot single with her best friends.

Good luck on your holiday shopping journey! We write about things that we love and are buying for our girls, and we think your girls will like, too. In full disclosure, Jill Yoga sent us their galaxy print jacket and yoga pants to try and see if it would make our holiday wishlist, which it did because my daughter will not take it off. 😉 We were not compensated any other way, and these opinions as mentioned above are our own.

America’s Best Coffee Shops #nationalcoffeeday

Let’s be honest with ourselves. Many of us cannot start our day without the wonderful warm cup of coffee in the morning, so it’s not like we really need a “national holiday” reminding us to celebrate our favorite caffeinated beverage. But, hey, any excuse to make a trip to a coffee shop, or what I call my third home, right? (Note: my second home is at my coworking space, where I work.)

Today is National Coffee Day! And, instead of sharing drink specials at the popular coffee chains, I wanted to share our suggestions for where to go for your espresso needs around the United States. Oh, and yes, I always google “best coffee” when I visit cities for business or pleasure trips because like I said before, there is no better way to start the day then with a GOOD GREAT cup of coffee. Enjoy!

Victrola Cafe and Roastery, Seattle, WA
I remember walking into this magical place when I visited Seattle for a #FoodieChats event, and it did not disappoint. From the characters who drink their coffee hear to the music playing the background to the delicious cup put before me, Victrola is my go-to place when I visit Seattle. All three Victrola locations focus on single-origin coffee, but offer blends as well. Founded in 2000, Victrola hosts free cuppings, or coffee tastings, open to the public every Wednesday at 11 a.m.

Either/Or, Portland, OR
Either/Or is an intelligent coffee shop, located in the city of coffee. Start with any of the signature drink offering, as they change frequently. Try the beverage flight, which includes a shot of espresso, a cappuccino or macchiato and a tiny food pairing. Their spicy Tanglewood chai is fantastic, and coffee sodas are an ideal caffeinated spritzer on warm days.

Wrecking Ball Coffee Roasters, San Francisco, CA
Wrecking Ball is now offering their award-winning coffee in a full-service shop, after operating as a pop-up for several years. The originators of the term “third-wave coffee,” the shop does not disappoint, offering precise and technologically advanced pour-overs and espresso drinks.

The ELK, New York, NY
Located in West Village, the ELK is a destination for a fine cortado and a single-origin pour-over. Enjoy the wall of well-curated artisanal products or get some work done in the bright, cheery space.

Dinosaur Coffee, Los Angeles, CA
An expansive, gorgeously laid out coffee bar with plenty of space for laptop warriors, this shop offers the best of LA: quality Four Barrel espresso, friendly baristas and an airy room perfect for conversation (or mobile work).

Communal Coffee, San Diego, CA
Communal brews the acclaimed Sightglass Coffee with the beautiful monochromatic background. It is a nice place to sip coffee in “America’s Finest City.”

Sawada, Chicago, IL
There’s more to Sawada than just a “military latte,” a posh coffee drink that’s looks like camouflage. It’s roasty from espresso, slightly bitter from the green tea and warmed with gentle notes of white chocolate. Sawada also offers straightforward espresso drinks and iced coffee. Grab a seat at the ping pong table or on a counter seat.

Copper Door Coffee, Denver, CO
Copper Door is the first female-only-owned roasting company in Denver offering beans to-go and some of the best & most creative drinks in town.

Crema Cafe, Cambridge, MA
Located at Harvard Square, Crema stays busy year-round churning out espresso beverages, tea lattes and plenty of iced beverages when it is hot outside.

Colada Shop, Washington, D.C.
Colada Shop offers unusual coffee drinks like its Cafe Cubano (a shot of coffee, sweetened with whipped sugar) or Cafe Bon Bon (espresso and sweetened condensed milk). Don’t stop there! Grab some delicious Cuban food while you enjoy this colorful space in Washington, D.C.

La Colombe, Philadelphia, PA
Of course, there are a number of La Colombe cafes around the US and hundreds more brewing their beans. While I have only been to their Rittenhouse Square coffee shop, I have heard amazing things about the charms of the massive flagship in Fishtown. There’s good food and so much space (no WiFi, though), so not a place to work remotely. Next trip to Philly will definitely include this coffee shop with my girlfriends.

Dogwood Coffee Co., Minneapolis, MN
Dogwood Coffee Co. is a coffee shop focused on roasting quality over quantity. It takes great pride in finding the right farmers to buy beans from, learning about and crafting its roasting process and sharing its delicious cups coffee with everyone. Dogwood offers coffees and espressos by the cup, or whole bags of beans to-go, so you can enjoy the roasts in the comfort of your own home.

Caffé Medici, Austin, TX
This longtime Austin coffee shop has five branches around town, including the Congress walk-up window with sidewalk cafe. I stop here every time that I am in Austin because it has a warm and homey vibe, and the elegant downtown space boasts a massive espresso bar. Like Seattle and Portland, there are a lot of amazing coffee shops in Austin, but this place always feels like home.

📷: Frank Gruber

PublicUs, Las Vegas, NV
PublicUs features coffee selections and pastries. Thanks, Frank Gruber of Tech.co, for introducing us to this delicious cup of coffee. What a great gift to bring to Spark.Me! While you are PublicUs, try their farm-to-table sandwiches & pastries. Also, consider trying the Green Panda matcha latte.

The Wired Goat Cafe, Columbia, SC
Highly recommended by Spa Travel Gal Ava Roxanne Stritt, the Wired Goat Cafe has a funky interior with vintage furniture and local art. Their freshly baked bread and lattes are always a hit and their staff is extremely friendly.

What do you think? Is this list missing any coffee shop that you love?

Please comment below and share where!

Provost, Y’all! Chamberlain POPS UP at Addison Oktoberfest

One of the most authentic parts of Addison Oktoberfest is the amazing Chamberlain’s Brauhaus, which allows guests to enjoy the same type of VIP seating one might have in the brewery tents at the famed Munich festival. Richard Chamberlain has created a DELECTABLE menu – buy your tickets for the limited seating TODAY!Chamberlain’s Brauhaus is really an exceptional bargain – for only $55, guests get complimentary admission to the event, three-course meal paired with pairing, reserved seating with a view of the dance floor, a commemorative Paulaner stein, PLUS a $25 promotional gift card to either Chamberlain’s restaurant!

Starters
* Locally-made Pretzel with Reisling Honey Mustard Sauce
* House Made Bavarian Ham, Leek, Potato and Vegetable Soup

Entrées (Guests will receive both)
* Paulaner Hefeweizen Beer Braised Pork with Horseradish Mustard and Roasted Onion Potatoes
* Bratwurst, Grobe and Weisswurst Sausages and Local Kobe Bacon-Braised Red Cabbage

Dessert
Warm Bavarian Cherry Strudel with Port Wine Cherry Compote

Seatings are limited and are available the following times:
* Thursday, September 14 – 7 p.m.
* Friday, September 15 – 6:30 & 8:30 p.m.
* Saturday, September 16 – 5:00 & 7:30 p.m.

Make your reservations for Chamberlain’s Brauhaus here: www.chamberlainssteakhouse.com/ticketsAddison Oktoberfest information and other packages are available at AddisonOktoberfest.com.

Cannot wait for Oktoberfest to come mid-September?! Then, we have the recipe for you from Richard Chamberlain. This comfort food will get you ready and sustain you throughout the fall season. 🙂

Chamberlain’s Brauhaus Roasted Onion Mashed Potatoes

Ingredients
3 Tbsp olive oil
2 large yellow onions, thinly sliced
12 Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and quartered
1/2 cup butter, soft
1/2 cup sour cream
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/3 cup heavy cream
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

Instructions
1. In a large skillet over medium-low heat, sauté the onions in 3 tablespoons of olive oil, stirring occasionally, for 25-30 minutes, or until golden brown.
2. Transfer to a blender and process until blended; set aside.
3. Place potatoes in a large pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil over high heat. Once at a rapid boil, reduce heat to medium-low and cook for 15 minutes, or until tender enough to pierce with a fork. Drain the potatoes well.
4. Place potatoes in a mixer and add in the roasted garlic cloves, butter, sour cream, cheese, heavy cream, salt, pepper and onion mix. Beat potatoes until light and fluffy. Taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed. Serve warm.

Get Ready to LEAP + Summit Packing List

get ready to leap + summit packing listOne week from today, we will all be together in Zagreb, Croatia. Jump head first. Stepping out of your comfort zone. YES, I am ready to LEAP into action as an official LEAP Summit blogger and life learner! Are you ready?

Get Ready to LEAP!

LEAP is an action verb. The main focus of the conference is on themes connected to innovation, IT and modern technologies, entrepreneurship, career development and life-changing stories. LEAP stands for Learn, Engage, Act, and Progress. Of course we all LEAP in our own ways and in our own time, every day, through our stories, our pursuits, our endeavors. We have different backgrounds, goals, and passions, but we all LEAP together, and that is when we are at our best. And we will be all together on Thursday to hear keynotes and attend many sessions. Get ready to LEAP into action!

Packing List

Can you believe LEAP Summit is just one week away? 1 week, guys! Thinking about that got me in the mood to par-tay. You in? Here’s a suggested packing list as you mingle with other changemakers.

Chambray top: A classic chambray button down is great for layering–as a base layer or second layer, and it’s basically a neutral.

Cardigan sweater: You want to pack at least one cardigan sweater, again, because you want as many layering options as possible. Weather in spring anywhere is unpredictable. I prefer cardigans in either grey, or black, as they go with anything you layer over them.

Black v-neck sweater: The v-neck sweater is slightly more versatile than the crew neck. Why? Crew necks can look dowdy if you layer certain things over them–such as a blazer, for example. They’re also harder to dress up. But a v-neck shows a bit more skin, and can be dressed up for a night out to dinner, and also looks great layered under a blazer, cardigan or any other type of jacket.

Striped long-sleeved tee: You’re not going to believe me, but this is going to be the one top you’ll reach for over and over again. Stripes just make your entire outfit cuter–it’s that simple! I love the long sleeved tees for travel, because they keep you warmer, but you can always roll the sleeves if you get hot.

Classic blazer: No-brainer, obviously. Layers. LAYERS. You get it, right? A blazer is an ultra-polished outer layer that works great if your weather is warmer than planned, and also is a great under layer below a coat if necessary. It also looks extra sharp for conferences like LEAP.

Black v-neck tee: Again, a black v-neck is about the most versatile item you can pack. You can get away with wearing a black v-neck with your statement earrings and chic ballet flats for dinner. Another color, however, is much harder to dress up. (For example, pink? No way.)

Dark skinny jeans: Dark skinnies are a must, because they show the least amount of dirt, and are also great for going out at night. You can easily get away with one pair of jeans the whole time.

Boyfriend jeans: I like the extra “oomph” that boyfriend jeans lend to an outfit. I think they have a lot more personality than regular skinny jeans, and at times, are certainly more comfortable.

Ponte pants: They feel like leggings, but are significantly more durable and polished looking. They’ll keep you much warmer than leggings, and again, can look significantly more dressy when you don’t want to wear jeans.

Striped shift dress: A nice alternative to jeans, I’d recommend throwing at least one shift dress in your bag–they’re perfect for LEAP Summit. Make sure to choose a style that looks great with all three of your footwear options, and throw in a pair of opaque tights in case it gets chilly.

Black ankle booties: Booties look cute, provide great support, and are durable no matter what the weather. I prefer ankle booties to riding boots personally because I think they’re a bit more versatile. You can wear them with dresses and boyfriend jeans, for example–something you probably wouldn’t be able to do with standard riding boots.

Converse sneakers: Being on your feet all day, you’ll often want to trade off the type of shoe you’re wearing each day. Converse provide a great alternative to boots, and look cute with jeans, dresses, whatever.

Ballet flats: I love the lace-up flats! If ballet flats aren’t your thing, chic loafers are another excellent option!

Backpack OR Crossbody: Something else you probably think I’m crazy for saying, but you only need one purse. REALLY. I promise. I prefer (wait for it) black, but as long as you ensure it goes with everything you’re bringing, choose whatever color you’d prefer! I would strongly recommend either a cross-body bag or a mini backpack which you can put your LEAP Summit schedule, business // contact cards and notebook for note-taking.

Simple statement studs: Bring one pair of statement studs that are still relatively simple in case you’d like to dress up your black v-neck sweater for dinner, but you’ll likely need little else.

Silk Scarf: Silk scarves are the easiest way to dress up a simple outfit. Your packing list is not complete without one! Plus, they add some extra warmth! Choose a color that compliments the rest of your items, but is enough to look pretty!

Red lipstick: Aside from a silk scarf, the best way to look polished is with a classic, red lip. Lips always have the tendency to get extra chapped and dry during travel, so you’ll want something that still provides some moisture while looking great at the same time.

PACKING TIPS: When packing, roll your clothing! You can fit significantly more clothing in your bag than with folding. Plus, it minimizes wrinkles. Don’t wait until the last minute! Last minute scrambling always results in stuffing extra items in that you don’t need! If you forget something, you can always buy it there. 🙂

Tomorrow = Last Day to secure your ticket at LEAP!

Tomorrow is the final day to buy your tickets to LEAP Summit, so don’t forget to make one the SMARTEST decision of your life, if you haven’t already. See you there! Make sure to say HOWDY, too. Don’t be shy, as I never meet a stranger. 😉