Traveling Coffee Girl

  • Scheduling Your Life for Slower Days

    Scheduling Your Life for Slower Days

    Marie Magoch

    The least fun part about being a woman are the times when you wake up feeling like someone ran a truck through your insides and decided to pull some donuts in the parking lot of your guts. But, it’s like any other day and you don’t have the Call in Sick option, because your to-do list still hasn’t gotten any smaller and you don’t want to get behind. It’s time to breathe into a slower day schedule.

    This week I wanted to write about the downside of Busy. But, that sounded like it would take too much brainpower to think about when what I want to do is sit in a bathtub while eating strawberry cheesecake ice cream. So, now, I’m lying on my bed, fully dressed, sitting among my pillows and plushies, all in the name of being productive. I still have bills to pay.


    But, after work, I have big plans. Lazy, summer plans. Because, part of regulating your nervous system is listening to your body. While I am writing about slowing down more and living mindfully, these aren’t just lessons for you, dear reader, they are also for me. Those who are closest to me know I have a habit of pushing myself further than I should. Even when I’m sick I’ll tell myself, “I can’t be sick” and keep going. By the end of the day, I’ve collapsed.

    The days I accomplish the most are the days when I remember to pace myself. Finish a task. Breathe. Finish another task. Breathe. And, so it goes. That way there isn’t a major overwhelm. Some days are not meant for completing everything, yet you want the satisfaction of crossing things off that never ending list.

    On those days (and sometimes weeks) I have an alternative schedule. Now, if I can stick to this schedule, then my life would be so much better. 

    Here is a small sketch of what I have in my planning diary. Just to give you an idea. Create your own based on your own lifestyle and priorities.

    Time to Reset & Routine

    [For Overwhelming/Anxiety Days]

    R-R-R- Relax
    Reset

    Routine

    • Read a cozy book, magazine, or blogs you enjoy for pleasure. It needs to be light and cozy. No extra work, studying, or anything that makes you overthink and add to the 1000 other ideas you already have in your mind queue. 
    • Limit social media. No doom scrolling. (Put your phone away or at least put it in a mode that locks your apps and decreases the temptation)
    • Daily yoga (even if short morning or evening routine)
    • Weekly/Daily routine – Start small
    • Read little red book (this is specifically for me. I have a little red notebook of inspirational notes and lists I have collected since 2011. This could be similar to “Look through Pinterest”)
    • Saturday, Sunday, Monday – Full down time (excluding mandatory work and/or errands), prep and restoration 
    • Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday Creative work
    • Apparently, Wednesday is yours to do whatever you want with it. 

    BREATHE

    Small Cleaning Tasks When Overwhelmed- Because each little task adds up 

    • Declutter one surface
    • Empty one bin/container
    • Fill dishwasher
    • Clean bathroom sink
    • Polish mirrors
    • Sweep hallway or front step
    • Dust tv
    • Organize one set of clothes 
    • Hang up clothing
    • Date check the refrigerator and clean spills

    When your energy battery is running low, the most important thing on your to-do is taking care of yourself. Take extra time – without guilt- to rest your body and mind. Breathe, play your favorite music, focus only on one thing at a time, and be gentle with yourself.

    I hope you’re enjoying these Cozy Coffee Notes. Subscribe to get Cozy Coffee Notes sent directly to your Inbox every Thursday. If you need a little extra help with that to-do list, check out Tiny Tasks.

  • Bohemian Outlaw: How Colton Burris Is Building Prescott’s Americana Scene

    Marie Magoch

    Prescott, Arizona is known for many things: beautiful mountain scenery, a colorful history, and its reputation as “Everybody’s Hometown”. The one thing I didn’t know about Prescott until I moved here was how active and vibrant the local music scene is. Any night of the week you can find live music playing somewhere at one of the dozens of music venues or events around town. This is especially prevalent during Northern Arizona’s summer festival season. 

    Last week, I was welcomed into Granite Mountain Sounds studio where I had the opportunity to talk about music with Prescott’s newest up-and-coming musician, 29 year old Colton Burris. Coltin traces his Arizona family roots back five generations in Yavapai County. His great-great-grandmother arrived in Seligman back in the 1920s where she worked on the railroad as one of the Harvey Girls. His great-grandparents lived at the Diamond A Ranch (formerly the Boquillas) where his great-grandfather was a  wagon boss, and his grandfather manages Deep Well Ranch in Prescott. 

    Colton grew up living the cowboy life. He  worked with his grandfather at Deep Well Ranch  from the age of 15 until about 23 years old when he decided to become a farrier and begin focusing on his music career. Burris sang every chance he got on the ranch. “While I was driving stays, I wished I was on stage.” 

    Colton was 21 years old when he began taking guitar lessons from The Cheektones guitarist, Drew Hall. On the night of his 23rd birthday he played his first gig at the Windsock with Travis Crowe and was hooked. He soon began playing a weekly residency at the Windsock and decided to go solo about 7-8 months ago when he signed with Mike DeSorda of Granite Mountain Studios. 

    His motto Bohemian at Heart, Outlaw in Spirit  says a lot about Colton’s musical style. Influenced largely by the Laurel Canyon scene, he says his main inspirations are Fleetwood Mac, The Eagles, Linda Ronstadt, Turnpike Troubadours, and a little bit of the Gin Blossoms. This influence gives his original songs a fresh and distinctive Americana sound mixed with an upbeat early 1990s vibe. DeSorda describes him as an “old soul of music”.

    A few weeks ago, Colton and his newly formed backup band Granite (Johnny Stonecipher, guitar; James Malek, drums; Cecil Lay, keyboard)  began production on a music video for their new soon-to-be-hit song “Let ‘Em Roll”. Burris says the location of Olsen’s Grain in Chino Valley was part of his vision. “I wanted to have a Footloose kind of vibe,with the silos in the background, a party scene with everyone dancing, and the band playing in a truck bed.”

    The music video, scheduled for release later this year, is only the beginning of Colton’s future plans. He is currently recording his first original songs album scheduled to release in 2027. “My ultimate goal is to play in sold out stadiums,” Burris says  He continues to expand his musical talents by learning to play keyboard, and is also focused on acting in the future by taking lessons from Matt Conde. The only advice he gives to other musicians is that he wishes he had started on his dream sooner.

    Whether you’re local to Northern Arizona or you’re planning your next escape to get out of the summer heat, Colton Burris and Granite are worth making the trip for. Catch them live this summer and be one of those who can say you were there from the beginning. 

    June 13 Flagstaff Folk Festival
    June 26 Main St. Amped Up, Prescott Valley
    June 27 Prescott Valley Summer Concert Festival
    July 4 Fairweather Social Club, Precott
    July 18 DA Ranch Winery in Cornville

    Keep up with upcoming events for Colton Burris and Granite by visiting Granite Mountain Sounds and Following Colton on Facebook and Instagram.

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  • You Are Not Behind: Start From Right Now

    You Are Not Behind: Start From Right Now

    Marie Magoch

    Does this year  feel like it’s going too fast? I swear I was making my 2026 goal list only a week ago and now it’s the start of summer. Where did the time go, and why is it going faster than a peregrine falcon diving for its dinner? 

    On days like this when I look at my list of goals and panic about being behind. Especially when I’ve gotten distracted by work, traveling to visit family, and my cat’s sassy moments when she insists she should be the only thought on my mind. 

    A former version of myself would have frozen up on getting anything done and then rushed to the goalline as fast as possible, while dropping incomplete tasks hither and thither, then bursting into tears knowing I was too far behind to get anything done. 

    This is where we change our thinking. Here and now. You can’t change the past. So, first thing we do is — Breathe. It’s always going to be Breathe. This is the most important thing that I will repeat over and over. Years ago, I took an Improv class from Jef Rawles of Jester’z Improv Comedy.  We were given our roles, I knew what I needed to do, and I froze. It wasn’t stage fright. I just completely forgot what I planned on doing. Every thought was gone and my mouth tried to form words, but I probably looked more like a fish and sounded like a mouse. 

    “Breathe,” Jef told me. I realized I had been holding my breath. It’s what happens when we freeze up. We forget to breathe and since our brain needs oxygen – well, you know the rest. So, again, breathe. You might get distracted and the best solution is starting now.

    Three Things. Because, that’s the Rule of Comedy: Setup. Setup. Twist. That’s all you need right now. Pick out three things you want to focus on. It can be goals for today, the week, or the month. The time frame is up to you.

    A few examples to give you ideas: 

    June Goal List (General) 

    • Drink one gallon of water daily. (Coffee doesn’t count and it’s already Prevening, so it’s a good thing there are 27 more days in the month and I can do better tomorrow)
    • 30% Less Social Media (I say as I notice the responses waiting for me)
    • Read more books (This means more fairy smut, because it’s summer and your brain needs a rest)

    Daily Goal List 

    • Write article about not being behind so I don’t panic about being behind
    • Yoga practice 
    • Catalog books (because I don’t want to misplace the fairy smut)

    Add more as you go along, if you wish, but keep three key goals as your focus, so when that batch is done, you remind yourself that you aren’t behind.

    But, what about those days when you want to get more done, but just don’t have the energy? I have a few ideas in queue for those days that help a lot when my energy battery is low. Come back for next week’s Cozy Coffee Notes or subscribe to get them dropped directly into your Inbox next Thursday.


    Do you need a little extra help on getting through your to-do list? Visit Tiny Tasks and schedule a Free Coffee Chat.