Coffee Bean Coffee

Shopping online from the comfort of your home and having things delivered to your front door is a great way to make life easier. If you’re a serious coffee drinker who’s tired of the limited choices of coffee beans at your local grocery store or…

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Visit my new blog The Amazing Benefits of Coffee. It talks about the social and health benefits of coffee as well as the performance enhancement aspects of caffeine.

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In researching possible topics for this coffee blog, I discovered that there’s quite a bit of interest in “coffee date tips”. There’s also been quite a bit written on the subject of coffee date tips. In preparing this blog post, I decided not to read any of those coffee date tips because I didn’t want my thoughts to be influenced by what others have written. That being said, these coffee date tips are not original. They’re based on common sense, basic human psychology, and established principles of interpersonal communication.

While you may have already heard some of this stuff, unless you’re reminded of it before the coffee date, there’s a good chance you’ll get nervous and just blather on about yourself instead of acting interested in the other person. Don’t do it! The person you’re going to meet on your coffee date could potentially be your next long-term relationship or even a lifetime partner! Does that create too much pressure? Okay, forget I said that! Just remember these four basic coffee date tips, and things should go well!

1. To be interesting, act interested. That’s one of the odd paradoxes of human interaction, but it seems to be true. If it’s done with sincerity, it can be one of the best ways to make a good impression on a potential girlfriend or boyfriend.
2. Do not dominate the conversation. A mutually satisfying conversation should involve an equal amount of give and take. It’s impossible to measure whether the conversation is a balanced exchange, but the best approach is to allow it to flow naturally. Don’t try to fill every little moment of silence with witty repartee  because it creates too much pressure and will make your coffee date feel strained and artificial.
3. Resist the temptation to interrupt. When you interrupt someone, it sends out a negative vibe. It makes the other person feel like you’re not really listening to them, and that you’re more interested in expressing your own opinions than hearing what they have to say. Whether they consciously realize it or not, people do not like to be interrupted, and if you’re trying to make a good impression, you don’t want to rub the other person the wrong way.
4. Smile! As you focus your energy on being interested in your date’s opinions, points of view, and life story, do not make the mistake of gazing at them with an intensely serious expression throughout your coffee date. That approach is more likely to cause the other person to build walls rather than bridges. Assuming you don’t have poppy seeds or spinach lodged between your teeth, a warm and sincere smile, along with an appropriate amount of eye contact, can help you make a meaningful connection with that attractive person sitting across the table.

The old cliche (and mouthwash commercial) about not getting a second chance to make a first impression is pretty much true. If there’s a natural chemistry between you and your coffee date, it will probably come to the surface, however— you don’t want to put a damper on that by rambling on about yourself, interrupting your date’s comments, or coming across as too intensely serious or egotistical. All of those things can be major turnoffs.

I hope those coffee date tips help you avoid common first-date blunders that could easily derail an otherwise promising relationship.

If the only thing that went wrong with your coffee date was the quality of the coffee, make sure to have some good-quality coffee on hand when you invite your date over to your apartment. Order coffee online from The Daily Grind, a cafe and online coffee store that’s been importing and roasting coffee beans at its Albany, NY, cafe since it first opened in 1976.

The origin of National Coffee Day is a little uncertain and it appears to have been around for less than ten years. One thing’s for sure though: It’s a great idea! I don’t know if it’s the caffeine talking, but coffee’s got to be one of the best-tasting drinks in existence. I know that not everyone agrees with me—as a matter of fact, some people won’t touch the stuff—but everyone comes into the world with different taste buds and a different take on life. To borrow a song lyric from George Thorogood—and adapt it somewhat— “That don’t confront me!” …as long as I get my coffee first thing in the morning—and several times thereafter.

But getting back to my theme of National Coffee Day, which incidentally is going to be here before you know it, I think it’s a great idea that coffee has an entire day dedicated to it. What’s even better is that many coffee shops, coffee retailers, and cafes offer either free coffee, discounted coffee, or other National Coffee Day Deals. 

If you’re a coffee enthusiast, mark your calendar for National Coffee Day 2013: It’s September 29th. Is it too soon too begin anticipating a relatively minor holiday that banks, schools, and government agencies don’t close for? Well at this point National Coffee Day is just worth a passing acknowledgement, but in six months make sure it’s on your radar! When it comes to an excuse to celebrate the world’s best hot (and sometimes iced) beverage, there’s nothing that beats National Coffee Day.

How do you find out about National Coffee Day FREE COFFEE offers? At the risk of stating the obvious, here’s a list of suggestions:

1. Inquire at your local coffee shop. Remind your favorite barista or cafe proprietor that National Coffee Day is coming up, and ask them if they’re offering any National Coffee Day freebies, discounts, or specials. In the unlikely case that they weren’t aware of it, it might be helpful to plant the idea in their head. Who knows—your simple suggestion might result in dozens or more of your fellow coffee lovers receiving a coffee discount or freebie.
2. Ask the search engines. Google “national coffee day free coffee” or “national coffee day deals” or “national coffee day freebies”. You’ll probably get local search results when you do that, but you can always add your locality to the search engine query.
3. Social media channels: Ask your social media contacts whether they know of any National Coffee Day deals and remind them to be on the lookout for them Post a reminder or question about National Coffee Day the Facebook page of your favorite independently owned coffee shop. We need to support local coffee shops because the mega-coffee shops already have plenty of business.
4. Monitor other local media: Look for ads, coupons, and feature stores in newspapers, TV, and radio.

Even though National Coffee Day is still more than six months, there are always good values to be found at local coffee shops and online coffee stores. If you typically buy Columbian coffee beans, you might consider trying something different like Ethiopian Yirgacheffe, Sumatra Mandheling, Guatemalan coffee beans, or Coffee from El Salvador. A coffee bean varietal that’s said to be ideal for espresso blending is Indian Monsooned Malabar

Most coffee drinkers have barely scratched the surface when it comes to experiencing the rich diversity that exists in coffee flavors, varietals, and aromas. Take Ethiopian Yirgacheffe, for example. Some people consider it the most flavorful coffee on the planet, but that of course depends on your personal tastes and the conditions under which the coffee was grown. According to the Daily Grind, a well-established cafe and coffee roastery in Albany, NY, Ethiopian Yirgacheffe has a lot of enticing qualities—not the least of which are floral and citrus notes, as well as sweetness and appealing aromatics.

If you’re looking for freshly roasted Ethiopian Yirgacheffe coffee beans, the Daily Grind is one of the best online coffee stores to do business with. Here are the top five reasons to buy Ethiopian Yirgacheffe from the Daily Grind!

1. Experience: They’ve been importing, roasting, and shipping coffee for well over 30 years.
2. Customer Service: They have an 800-number you can use to ask questions, check on the status of an order, or inquire about their selection of coffee beans, loose teas, coffee makers, coffee bean grinders, and cappuccino machines.
3. Money-back Guarantee: If you’re not 100% satisfied with the Ethiopian Yirgacheffe or any other bag of coffee beans you buy from them, they will take it back and refund your money. When you buy coffee beans from the Daily Grind, you risk nothing because your satisfaction is guaranteed.
4. Competitive Prices: Online customers order coffee beans from the Daily Grind month after month because they know they’ll get optimal value from their online coffee bean purchases.
5. Free Shipping on coffee orders exceeding $50.

In addition to its online coffee store, this family-owned business runs two popular cafes in Albany and Troy, NY. The one in Albany opened in 1976 and about eight years later, The Daily Grind in Troy came into existence. In addition to the friendly atmosphere and the diverse cafe menu, it’s the quality of the coffee that keeps customers coming back time after time. Check out their website to peruse their full selection.

When the Dairy Grind first starting importing and roasting international favorites like Ethiopian Yirgacheffe, the Internet was not a fixture in our everyday lives as it is today. Thanks to the convenience of online shopping, you can order a freshly roasted bag of Ethiopian Yirgacheffee coffee beans from the Daily Grind, and have it arrive at your front door a couple days later.

Visit the Daily Grind’s redesigned website and e-commerce store today to shop online for some of the best coffee beans in the world! Whether you’re interested in trying Ethiopian Yirgacheffe, Sumatra Mandheling, Guatemalan Antigua coffee, Costa Rican Tarrazu, or coffee from El Salvador or India, The Daily Grind has all that and much more! When you’re searching for the best coffee in the world, all roads lead to http://dailygrind.com

 NY Coffee Lover

Coffee drinkers rejoice! September 29th is National Coffee Day, I know it’s still 8 months away, but I just found out that the “holiday” existed a few minutes ago. It’s probably not recognized by most (any) employers or school districts yet, but one can always hope! I haven’t researched National Coffee Day so I don’t know how it originated—or who originated it—but whoever it is, I take my hat off to you! As a coffee enthusiast, religious coffee drinker, and coffee blogger, I’m personally excited by learning of the existence of National Coffee Day. As a matter of fact, it’s the most exciting news I’ve heard all day (although the day is young—unlike me).

One of the reasons I like the idea of National Coffee Day is that it gives us one more reason—or “excuse”— to celebrate life. With all the troubling news in the media and the inevitable ups and downs of life, it’s way too easy to start taking life too seriously. I catch myself doing it all the time. However, awareness is the first step to rising above self-limiting beliefs and frames of mind. Live up to your responsibilities when you need to and deal with your problems as you’re able, but never forget to stop and spell the coffee along the way. (Roses are fine, too.)

Coffee is worth celebrating because it’s such a central part our lives. Close to half of the American population depends on a cup of coffee to start their day and gear up for their jobs, and I wonder how many social opportunities would be lost if we weren’t able to say, “Would you like to meet for a cup of coffee this week?” Meeting for a beer or cocktail in the middle of the day isn’t always a great idea, and inviting someone to meet you for a soda, a tomato juice, or glass of sparkling spring water—well, it’s just not the same as good coffee.

Well, I have to go refill my cup of coffee and start planning for National Coffee Day—I don’t think it’s too soon—so I’m going to wrap up today’s post. In closing, I’d like to invite you to check out a few websites I’m affiliated with. Also consider following me on Twitter! @CoffeeL90593622

• http://wheretobuycoffee.wordpress.com/
• http://www.squidoo.com/coffee-bean-shop
• The Daily Grind online coffee shop