Caffeine all the way, hey!

Hello, hello! I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas (or holiday season, if you don't celebrate it)! 2020 was a shitshow but I didn't stop it from ruining my favorite holiday. Though I miss being with friends and family physically, I'm just glad that we're all still alive and healthy and that's enough reason for me to celebrate Christmas.

One thing I did to cheer my Christmas more: shop online for gifts, from me to me style. I know, it kinda seems selfish but honestly, it was great for my well-being and mental health. Retail therapy is my kind of therapy and buying gifts for me kept me afloat and gave me something to look forward to. (I also bought gifts for my parents so I guess it's not entirely just about me, haha!)

I didn't spend all my Christmas money but I did buy things I've been eyeing for a while now. One of them is coffee. I LOVE coffee! A good mug of freshly brewed coffee is something I look forward to every morning- it just completes my morning routine, especially after my workout. My coffee stash got bigger this Christmas and I can't wait to share them with you!

Let me start with the ones from my sister first. My sister sent us this hugeass balikbayan box full of goodies and gifts- honestly, it was AMAZING (she also included my chili crab seaweed chips!!). For this year, her Christmas gift to me is no other than my very first and very own Bialetti moka pot!! I swear, ever since I started learning Italian, I've been obsessed with anything Italian (I went bonkers when I saw a local supermarket carrying Italian delicacies. I just wanted to grab everything and read the labels haha) and I guess it was just natural for me to want a moka pot. And now I have it ahh!!!

Uuuggghhh, isn't she a beauty?? For a small thing, she's quite a weighted thing which means I won't be able to easily break her (hello, clumsy is my middle name!). This small pot can make three small cups (shots?) of coffee but let's be honest, all three will just be put in my mug and be downed in a jiffy.

My moka pot came with a ground hazelnut coffee which is also from Bialetti (didn't know they also made coffee!). I can't wait to try it!!

These items are also from my sister. She went to Ikea and asked me what I wanted and surprise, surprise, I asked for whole coffee beans. I swear, the (coffee) world is your oyster once you get a coffee grinder, haha! The one she got me is the organic espresso coffee beans. It's 100% Arabica, my favorite kind of bean because they're not as acidic as other varieties. This apparently has a fruity note to it.

The last item is a holiday treat. I'm not a Starbucks kinda gal but this instant toffee nut latte mix excites me. Can't wait to drink this piping hot!

Now let's go to my last minute coffee purchase (and probably my last - for now.)

Since the first week of December, I've been scouting online shops that sell non-local coffee beans. I love local coffee but I guess I just wanted to try other kinds like Ethiopian or Brazilian beans. I've already bookmarked sites that sell foreign beans but my issue is always the freaking shipping option. So after a long search and a dozen Facebook ads later, I finally found a place to purchase my beans!

I'm so glad I saw The Good Cup Coffee's site because for the whole December, they offer free shipping nationwide and I thought that was a sweet deal considering they're based in Cebu. After browsing their site, I finally settled on two kinds of beans: the Brazil Cerrado and the Brazil Minasul. I chose these two mainly because of their notes. I am a sucker for creamy notes like chocolate, toffee, and nuts so I thought these two were the perfect ones to try. 

I placed my order on the 17th and my parcel arrived on the 24th, just in time for Christmas yay!

(PS. If you want to shop and avail for their free shipping until the 31st of December, click here! By clicking the link you get Php200 off on your purchase!)

Looking at this haul, I think I'm pretty much set for the first half of 2021 haha! Seriously can't wait to use my moka pot and taste my Brazilian beans. Sono così eccitato!!

See you in 2021! xx