Traveling Coffee Girl

  • Revisiting Summertime and Making Your Days Happy

    Revisiting Summertime and Making Your Days Happy

    Marie Magoch

    Did you take a little time last week to slow down?

    Did you sip your coffee outside? 

    Work on a project you’ve been putting off?

    Did you just get that one moment to close your eyes? How did it go?


    It’s summertime and despite the old song lyrics, living isn’t always easy. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I still have the image of the happy summertime fantasy I read about in books, saw in movies, and sometimes think I remember from childhood: long  summer days of reading, playing, swimming, and frozen otter pops.

     Whether you still have children in the house or if you’re an empty nester,this is the year to bring back that lazy summertime feeling.

    Years ago, I read a book by Peter Jones (yes, Peter. I’m recommending it again) called How to Do Everything and Be Happy. It’s a wonderfully cheeky and humorous book that gave me ideas about celebrating Boxing Day once a month, concentrating on three goals at a time, and writing lists and more lists in my daily diary.  Over a decade later, I still occasionally go back to the book and rediscover something new. 

    My children used to see the familiar yellow smiley cover of the book all the time because I checked out the book multiple times from the library before finally buying an ebook copy about three years ago. 

    Inspired by knowing absolutely nothing about the book other than the title and cover design, my two youngest children created their own list on Being Happy. My children are adults now, but their list is timeless. This summer, you can either take a few tips from Matthew and Juniper, ask the children in your life to help with a Summer Happiness List, or dive in and make your own fun list. No matter what you decide, the main goal is all about making summer FUN

    Matthew and Juniper’s Advice on Being Happy

    1. Jump rope
    2. Eat ice cream
    3. Pet your dog
    4. If no dog, buy or borrow one
    5. Get a cat. Make sure the cat doesn’t eat the dog.
    6. Have a root beer float
    7. Eat more ice cream
    8. Learn to play guitar
    9. Eat Oreos
    10. Go camping
    11. Take a nap
    12. Make paper airplanes
    13. Watch birds
    14. Draw
    15. Sit on a comfy bench
    16. Have a water balloon fight
    17. Read a book
    18. Play with friends
    19. Take a walk
    20. Have fun

    Take some time this summer to play and have some fun despite the busy world we live in. Over the next few months Cozy Coffee Notes will be exploring more ways to relax and focus on self care. Subscribe to the newsletter and get Cozy Coffee Notes sent directly to your inbox. Be sure to come back Monday for a little bit of extra Coffee Adventures.

    If this resonated with you, I’d love for you to subscribe so you never miss a Cozy Coffee Notes moment. If you want to support the blog, even a small cup of coffee goes a long way.

  • What Happens When You Slow Down Your Morning Routine and Drink Your Coffee?

    Marie Magoch

    I am currently sitting in one of my favorite coffee shops, slowing down my morning routine slowly sipping on a hot cup of coffee as I look up academic research papers about time management. Don’t judge me. I know it’s nearly summer, but I consider iced coffee a drink for a refreshing afternoon break. Mornings are for hot coffee. Just coffee, creamer, and maybe a little raw sugar or spice when I’m feeling extra frisky.

     The music is upbeat. The company is inspiring.  My mind feels relaxed. Too relaxed. Have I actually been doing something useful or am I just goofing off? Immediately, I think of all the things I should be doing to remain productive and my brain panics for a moment as it searches for that comfortable fight or flight mode and reaches for the soft landing I’ve spent months teaching myself.

     I hesitate, and give myself permission to breathe. Never forget to breathe. Even while I’m fidgeting and my mind is running through the to-do list of tasks that aren’t even scheduled for this week, my mind takes that one last lunge and jumps before settling back to what I am focused on. It’s not something you would notice in passing. Eventually, I hope this part of the process becomes a thing of the past. 

    Although I am writing notes and have a lot of brand new ideas that can expand over the next weeks and months about relaxation, slow living, and saying no to frustrated hustling and busyness, I am so used to that adrenaline rush of productivity and the hurry-it-up society that I immediately feel lazy when I am at my most productive. Once I let my mind and body finally relax and focus I accomplished more in one hour over the cup of coffee and notebook than I would have if I had chained myself to my laptop first thing in the morning. 

    The fact that this is considered some kind of coffee house writer’s fantasy instead of reality tells us a lot about why we have become so stressed and overly stimulated. We feel like we’re on a constant treadmill of life, always moving forward, yet never reaching a worthwhile destination. We have become convinced there will never be enough time. 

    When was the last time you went on a vacation? A real vacation. Not the kind that has a minute by minute agenda. Or, when did you last have a weekend all to yourself? A weekend where you didn’t spend all your time running errands. Think about it. Remember to Breathe. Picture it in your mind. Do you remember that feeling of ease? That time when you ate better, had more exercise in a few days than you had in the last year, or that day when you got so much done, yet still had time to rest? 

    Did you notice how time slowed down? It wasn’t a never ending pattern of time that rushed past without any meaning. There was time to savor the moments throughout the day. You made real connections. Tasted each bite of your food without rushing. Maybe you even saw the sunset for the first time in years. You probably told yourself, “I need to do this again” and yet…

    What happened? You still have the same 24 hours. Yet, you feel like nothing’s getting done. You’re constantly burnt out and even when you sleep you wake up tired. That’s because we were never meant to live in this mindset of hurry. You know it. That’s why you’re reading this. 

    So, what are we going to do about it? Again, Breathe. Don’t rush forward yet. Just Breathe. Next pick a weekend, a day, an hour. Any moment of time to just exist. No rushing. I’m not saying you don’t need to do anything, but be a little more mindful with your pace. Enjoy slower moments. Drink your coffee before starting your work for the day. Try it this weekend. Let me know how much actually gets done when you slow down a little. 

    Slowing down isn’t about doing less. It’s focusing on the right things first. Tiny Tasks helps clear the mental load with appointments, menu prep, event planning, and getting rid of that paperwork pile, so you can get more of your time back for yourself. When you’re ready to make this part of your ritual Cozy Coffee Notes lands in your inbox every Thursday.


  • Gratitude After a Scare: What Really Matters Isn’t on Your To-Do List

    Gratitude After a Scare: What Really Matters Isn’t on Your To-Do List

    Marie Magoch

    A Wednesday Coffee Note

    This morning was the first time I didn’t wake up with a pit of anxiety in my stomach. Not because anything is different. I didn’t suddenly win the lottery or land a $10 million dollar contract that ended all of my financial woes. I woke up just as I have every other day for the last couple of years. Kitten by my side and fluffy blanket kicked halfway to the floor. 

    The difference this morning was the overwhelming feeling of gratitude. When I say gratitude, I am not talking about endless lists written in happiness journals or affirmations breathed into the fog of the bathroom mirror after a hot shower. It’s the realization of what has real value in life. 

    A few days ago, I finished my work for the day and got onto LinkedIn to start reviewing my  connections. Just as I was about to send an email, my daughter-in-law called me –  my son had gotten into an e-bike accident. He was on his way to the store and only a couple of blocks from home. Life360 shows that he took one minute to make the trip. One minute. Sixty seconds. The amount of times it takes to blink 15 times or fix a bed.

    His bike is totaled. His helmet melted from his head skidding across the ground. He has no memory of what happened or what caused the accident.

    Five hours  after he was released from the ER, my daughter-in-law called me. It was that dreaded 1 AM call. One of the calls no one wants to get.  My son had a seizure and was being rushed back to the ER. The good news is he’s going to be okay. His shoulder still hurts today. He’s being taken care of by his wife and friends to make sure he remains okay.

    My daughter-in-law told me my son was initially upset about the bike. It was brand new, and his way to get back and forth to work. He was understandably frustrated. 

    The rest of us? We don’t care about the bike. It’s replaceable. He’s still alive.That’s all that matters.  We know things will work out one way or another. It always does. 

    It’s a fact of life that we need money to live and pay our bills. We know it’s important to work and focus on priorities to take care of our basic needs. We might have frustrations throughout the day about this or that. But, at the end of the day, what actually matters? 

    It’s not a frustrating work day. It’s not the long lines at the grocery store. It’s not getting stuck in traffic on the freeway. It’s not the frustrating people you had to talk to today or even an argument that you’ll forget about tomorrow. 

    It’s that fear of the 1 AM phone call. The accident that happened in a matter of seconds. It’s your worst fear and the sigh of relief when you find out it’s going to be all right. 

    Then there are the boring days where only the little things happen. The days that aren’t filled with amazing adventures and the only priority is cuddling up on the couch with  your favorite person, a cup of coffee and a good movie. 

    If your focus has been locked on the bottom line and grinding through every hour trying to get ahead, it’s worth a moment to pause and ask what you might be missing. Work will always be there. No matter what happens throughout the day, the only things that do matter are our people and gratitude for every memory we get to share with them.

    Things are replaceable. Our loved ones are not. 

    If this resonated with you, I’d love for your to subscribe so you never miss a Cozy Coffee Notes moment. If you want to support the blog, even a small cup of coffee goes a long way.