Feathers in Our Nest

Gift Guide for the Coffee Lover

November 2, 2016 by Aliesha

Over the next few weeks as we count down to Christmas, I’ll be sharing several gift guides to help you shop for the people in your life! Today I’m sharing a gift guide for the coffee lover, whether that be your mom, friend, sister, brother, or husband… hopefully you’ll find an idea or two in this post!

Gift Guide for the Coffee Lover

A French Press

Once you start making coffee in a French press, it’s hard to go back! (I have directions here for hot coffee and here for cold brew in a French press!) This one (pictured above) is beautiful! We also owned this one. We currently have this one. Any of these would be excellent gifts for the coffee lover!

Good Coffee

Good, whole bean coffee is a must, yes? Never settle for pre-ground! Tad loves the Hondoran Whole Bean Fair Trade Organic coffee from Aldi. I love this Happy Belly coffee (pictured above) because it also comes in decaf! It’s hard sometimes to find a good price on whole bean, fair trade decaf! Who wouldn’t want some coffee in their stocking?

Hand Grinder

According to my husband (a bit of a coffee ~~snob~~ aficionado), this hand cranked burr grinder achieves an even grind to make perfect cups of coffee without bitterness. You can adjust the grind setting so you can grind coarse coffee (for the French press), medium (for pour over), and fine (for espresso).

Hand Frother

When making lattes at home, a small hand frother is a must! I have instructions in this post to make a latte at home without an espresso machine! This one is from IKEA, but you can find it here. Perfect stocking stuffer!

A Coffee Table Book (get it?)

I’ve had this title on my wish list for a while now. I love learning more about making coffee! This book goes into a lot of history and cultural stuff related to coffee, which is perfect for the book nerd/coffee lover on your list.

Mugs

I know, I know. All of us coffee lovers have an insane amount of mugs already, but I found some new ones that are gorgeous. Love this floral mug (pictured above), this mug, this one, and this classic favorite.

Mug Rack

Where is your coffee-loving friend going to store all their mugs? On this gorgeous mug rack, of course! Think how cute this rack would be hanging over a little coffee bar! This one is also cute if you want to go with a different style.

Stamped Spoon

These vintage spoons stamped with fun coffee-related sayings are so fun. I have one that Tad gave me several years ago that says, “I love you a latte.” They make great little gifts or stocking stuffers!

Flavor Syrups

I’ll be honest, I have a dream to one day have a shelf of Torani syrups so I can make ALLTHEDRINKS at home. Totally reasonable, yes? Grab the pumps too.

T-Shirt

I keep seeing this t-shirt advertised on Facebook and I think it’s so fun! I can think of several girlfriends who would love it.

Hope you enjoyed this gift guide for the coffee lover!

Click here for even more gift ideas in the archives!

Aliesha Caldwell is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.

You Don’t Have to Know Them to Take Them a Meal

October 28, 2016 by Aliesha

I’ll never forget the meals brought to us after our boys were born. We were surrounded by a loving community of people who generously brought meal after meal to our home, supporting our family and feeding our souls as well as our bodies. It is a debt I’m sure I can never repay.

But one family stands out in my mind and always will. I didn’t know their family yet (just of them). They heard of our need, and in a season of trial themselves, they served us. I’ll never forget the evening they came to our home. One by one the children entered, each carrying a component of the meal. Homemade pizza, warm from the oven. Tossed salad. Soft chocolate chip cookies, homemade with love. They stayed for a few minutes, encouraging us in the Gospel and speaking truth to us in the midst of the bittersweet season of both unemployment and a new baby.

I’ll never forget their kindness to us, that, although they did not know our family before that night, they chose to love us in a very practical way.

I also am reminded of a family at our church this spring who went through a serious trial. As a church, we were told about the needs they had and the ways we as a church family could support them. The email still echos in my mind: Even if you don’t know them, they have served you. This family had served (and continues to serve) our church in myriad ways, so that even those who didn’t know them had been blessed by their ministry and willing service.

I’ve had the privilege of meeting people for the first time when I show up on their doorstep with a meal. In turn I’ve been blessed with meals from strangers, acquaintances, and friends.

Here’s the truth: you don’t have to know them to take them a meal. You can richly bless others through the ministry of hospitality whether you know them well or not at all. You can be Christ to others in their season of sorrow or of joy, and through the meal you take, you can build (or deepen) your relationship with them and show them love through a tangible act of service.

“Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection.
Outdo one another in showing honor. Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord.
Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.
Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.”
Romans 12:9-13

Breakfast Training

October 24, 2016 by Aliesha

Over the past few weeks, we’ve been training the girls in making breakfast in the mornings. They take turns being the breakfast helper, and when it’s their turn, they’re learning to make scrambled eggs and oatmeal. There are a lot of steps involved in the process (cracking eggs, pouring milk, etc.), and since they’re working at the stove, they still need a lot of oversight. But we’re hoping that all this training will pay off eventually and they’ll be able to fix breakfast on their own!

One other thing I’m doing right now is taking my girls through a free mini-course from Kitchen Stewardship. It’s a knife skills course for all ages of children, and it’s fantastic! Obviously, it teaches knife safety to the kids, but as I’ve watched it, I’ve found that even I learned a few things (and learned some really good ways of explaining cutting techniques to the kids)!

I thought some of you might enjoy watching these videos with your kids as well. There is SO much good information packed into these videos! If you’re training your kids in the kitchen at all, this mini course is a must-watch.

The knife skills mini course is available to watch for free now through November 2. And in the interest of full disclosure, this mini course is part of a larger Kids Cook Real Food eCourse available for purchase from Kitchen Stewardship (and for which I’m an affiliate). That course will be available to buy on October 27. Whether you choose to upgrade to the full course or not, you can still watch the knife skills mini course for FREE!

Where are you with your kids & cooking? Are they still too young to be helping? Do they already know how to make some things? Do tell!

Gift Guide for the Coffee Lover

Gift Guide for the Coffee Lover

A French Press

Good Coffee

Hand Grinder

Hand Frother

A Coffee Table Book (get it?)

Mugs

Mug Rack

Stamped Spoon

Flavor Syrups

T-Shirt

Aliesha Caldwell is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.

You Don’t Have to Know Them to Take Them a Meal

Breakfast Training

This post contains affiliate links. Thank you for supporting my family and this blog.

About Feathers in Our Nest

Recent Posts

Gift Guide for the Coffee Lover

A French Press

Good Coffee

Hand Grinder

Hand Frother

A Coffee Table Book (get it?)

Mugs

Mug Rack

Stamped Spoon

Flavor Syrups

T-Shirt

Aliesha Caldwell is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.

This post contains affiliate links. Thank you for supporting my family and this blog.

About Feathers in Our Nest

Recent Posts

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