Mother in the Mountains

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Best Coffee Shops in Salt Lake City

     motherinthemountains

I’ve been living in this city for 2.5 years now and I feel like I have a pretty good grasp on the coffee scene now. There’s dozens and dozens of coffee shops, I still have a list of places I need to try. However, I have already chosen what I think are the best coffee shops in Salt Lake City.

Ultimately, I’m going to share my three favorite that I go to over and over. I will also share coffee shops that are pretty decent and meet my requirements for good coffee. I will not mention any that I did not like or would not go to again. That means if a coffee shop is not on here it is probably not worth going to.

What makes a good coffee shop?

Flavor

I’m a traditional Italian espresso coffee fan. I’m not sure what those blonde roast lovers are thinking. I’ve ended up at a couple of those innovative places and they do not make it on this list. I like rich, I like bold. I do not like sour or weak.

I also like both cold and hot drinks. Sometimes I prefer one over the other but I like them both equally. That means I love a coffee shop that can make both amazingly well.

Cleanliness

This is second in importance. I don’t need a bright, new clean starbucks but it shouldn’t smell or look like a trash heap. Artistic clutter is nice but garbage is not. A clean bathroom is a necessity as you can tell if they prioritize cleanliness based on their toilet. Overall, a clean sitting area makes me trust that the area they make my coffee in is also clean.

Ambiance

I’m a sucker for good ambiance. I really love places you can just sit around for a while. I love a good white and metal space as well as a grungy (but clean!) interesting art space. I also like a variety of places to sit. A small table, an arm chair, and bar stools are all great and if they’re all available – even better!

Now that you know what I look for in a good coffee shop, let’s get down to the list.

Three Best Coffee Shops in Salt Lake City

Raw Bean

I typically go to the downtown location but I have been to both of the other locations. They are both drive thru so the ambiance doesn’t apply to them. However, the downtown Raw Bean is clean, neat and has an upstairs area with lots of seating.

I tend to order off of their monthly special board because I have not been disappointed. I’ve been pleased with everything I’ve ordered there. I’ve tried hot, cold, and even blended. Some of their specials have multiple syrups so if you like less sweet try something else or ask for half sweet.

Recommendation: Shot in the dark with cream (flavors, optional)

Bad Ass Coffee Salt Lake City

I’ve only gone in twice because I typically go here when I’m driving down State Street headed somewhere. Here’s why I love them:

  • The nicest employees. Once I asked for something with cinnamon and so they just made me something. I don’t know what it was but they were extremely nice and it was extremely delicious.
  • Really great coffee. Hot, iced, or blended.
  • A fun, clean, space, decorated with hawaiian flair.
Recommendation: Jitter juice (hot or iced)

Java Jo’s

This is the only one of my favorites that is not dine in. There are several locations but I like the one by the University. Their menu is not extensive but their specialty drinks are all amazing. The cinnamon dolce is my go to. Their hot drinks are best in my opinion, second is blended, and last is iced. Iced is still good, just not as good as their hot drinks. Their Italian Soda’s are also some of the best I’ve had.

Recommendation: Hot cinnamon dolce or Frozen Mocha

Honorable Mentions

This is a list of places I like. I prefer to go to my top 3 but if I’m running errands and one of these places are near I’ll swing by. These are also places I will take friends (aka my sisters) to. They are somewhat ordered from my favorites to not my favorites. If it didn’t make it on this list chances are I tried it and didn’t like it. I’m pretty sure I’ve tried most places in SLC so if there’s a place you love that’s not on this list, let me know! I would love to check it out and maybe add it to this portion.

The Red Moose

Cute little cafe in a neighborhood, right down the block from a good park to hang out with your drink.

Kafeneio Coffeehouse

Interesting, large interior. An old building but clean. The specials are named after gods which is super fun and I’ve liked all the ones I’ve tried. They also have amazing croissants from a local bakery.

Blue Copper Coffee Room

Super tiny but clean interior. Really nice barista and good drinks.

Bjorns Brews

I’ve not made it inside yet but I’ve been through the drive thru a few times. Drinks are great and they have a delicious croissant sandwich. There’s a few locations.

Coffee Noir

Non-pretentious coffee place with great out door seating. Great customer service and drinks.

The Rose Establishment

The environment is very conducive for group get togethers.

Publik Coffee Roasters

Tried once but I will go back. A huge, minimalist interior with hipster type drink and food options.

I hope this is a helpful resource for anyone looking for the best coffee shops in Salt Lake City! There are so many good places it’s not worth going to somewhere subpar.

XO

Faith

Healthy Eating Journey: Long Lasting Healthy Habits

     motherinthemountains      Leave a Comment

This is my final update on Always Eat After 7 PM: The Revolutionary Rule-Breaking Diet That Lets You Enjoy Huge Dinners, Desserts, and Indulgent Snacks—While Burning Fat Overnight by Joel Marion. You can read my other posts here, here and here. This post is sponsored by Always Eat After 7 PM but as always, these opinions and thoughts are my own. Today I want to talk about how this plan can encourage you to make long lasting healthy habits.

After I had implemented some of the techniques and eating habits in my life my husband decided he wanted to join in. We started over together and in the first two weeks he lost ten pounds. When we went onto the maintenance phase I was surprised that it was actually easier than I expected to continue make healthy choices. I still eat processed and sugary things every so often, even not on our cheat day. I only do this because I’m confident that I won’t binge on unhealthy foods and I have good eating habits overall.

Long Lasting Healthy Habits

What I loved seeing, though, was my husband had no sugar for the first 14 days. Then, when we were able to start having cheat days I fully expected him to indulge along with me. He didn’t. In fact he has limited his sugar intake longer and better than I have. Personally, I enjoy all vegetables, salads, and just generally healthy foods – whereas he merely tolerates them. Yet, after eating this way for several weeks he actually enjoys the way we eat now.

I didn’t need to lose ten pounds but I still enjoyed following this plan. Even if you don’t have a huge weight loss goal this plan can guide you toward long lasting healthy habits. Joel wrote:

“Fact is, most diets are extremely narrow with regard to food choices and variety, and many even limit entire macronutrients altogether over the course of the entire program (think low-carb and low-fat diets). Three months with no carbs? No thanks. Such practices not only are entirely unnecessary, but make for a miserable, unsustainable experience.”

And he was entirely right. Most diets are difficult and not enjoyable so I hoped Joel was right that his program is different. It didn’t sound like any diets I’d heard of before. And it turns out it really wasn’t, it was surprisingly easy to follow and pretty enjoyable. Not only that it helped our whole family develop long lasting healthy habits. I’m excited to continue meal prepping and using the recipes so I can keep feeling this great.

Always Eat After 7 PM: The Revolutionary Rule-Breaking Diet That Lets You Enjoy Huge Dinners, Desserts, and Indulgent Snacks—While Burning Fat Overnight by Joel Marion is now available to purchase. Learn more about the book and how to purchase here.

xo

Faith

Healthy Eating Journey: Healthy Eating Habits

     motherinthemountains

I’ve been talking about Always Eat After 7 PM: The Revolutionary Rule-Breaking Diet That Lets You Enjoy Huge Dinners, Desserts, and Indulgent Snacks—While Burning Fat Overnight by Joel Marion the last few weeks and it’s time for an update! This post is sponsored by Always Eat After 7 PM but as always, these opinions and thoughts are my own. You can see my previous posts here and here. This week I’m going to about how my healthy eating habits has turned into healthy habits for the whole family.


Last week I talked about how it took a few days to get used to Intermittent Fasting but soon became a habit.

Joel writes:

“Going without breakfast is part of intermittent fasting (IF), also called time-restricted feeding (TRF). IF is a pattern of food consumption that cycles between fasting and eating in specific time periods. There are various ways to do it; one of the most common is the 16/8 protocol, which involves 16 hours of fasting—typically done overnight—with an 8-hour window in which to eat each day.”

What I like about skipping breakfast is that I feel alert and start my day out productive. I have more energy because I’m eating better so when I wake up I am ready to get my work out in. Eating late at night helps me sleep better as well. I feel awake and healthy instead of tired all the time.

Healthy Eating Habits Start Young

After my girls wake up I feed them breakfast and have my coffee or tea with collagen. Later in the day, I make lunch for myself and my girls. I find that because I’m eating better, so are they. I usually give them the same things I eat just in different proportions and sometimes with an added carb. They’re super great eaters and will usually eat whatever I make.

I also notice that as I’m following this diet it is essential that I make good meals for lunch and dinner. It makes such a big difference when you’re eating whole, real foods rather than processed and fast foods. I also notice that when my options are limited and my cupboards aren’t full of unhealthy foods that I typically make or reach for healthier snacks. Overall, we are all eating much healthier.

Always Eat After 7 PM: The Revolutionary Rule-Breaking Diet That Lets You Enjoy Huge Dinners, Desserts, and Indulgent Snacks—While Burning Fat Overnight by Joel Marion is now available to purchase.

Xo

Faith Owen

Healthy Eating Journey: Intermittent Fasting

     motherinthemountains

Last week I talked about Always Eat After 7 PM: The Revolutionary Rule-Breaking Diet That Lets You Enjoy Huge Dinners, Desserts, and Indulgent Snacks—While Burning Fat Overnight by Joel Marion and how I was excited to use his plan to kick start my healthy eating journey. This post is sponsored by Always Eat After 7 PM but as always, these opinions and thoughts are my own. The first thing I noticed was how he was challenging old views of dieting. I am generally the oddball out in discussions about eating healthy since I don’t subscribe to outdated advice on nutrition. That’s why Always Eat After 7 PM was something that seemed attractive to me. I especially loved that Joel backs up his book with real research and science.

One of my favorite new ways to start my day is with a glass of lemon and water. Joel writes:

“One of the simplest 3-Minute Fat-Burning Morning Rituals, lemon water is a glass of water mixed with the juice of one half of a lemon. This drink provides all the benefits of regular drinking water, which supports weight loss, digestive health, physical performance, and cognitive function.”

It was actually a super easy change and now it is a habit to start my day with water. I notice I enjoy drinking lemon water and it encourages me to drink more water throughout the day. Even if you don’t have this book yet I recommend starting this habit.

Healthy Eating Update

At first it was difficult to get into the habit of skipping breakfast and eating primarily vegetables and protein for meals. It was a surprise that it quickly it became easier. I noticed just by paying attention to what I was eating then I was making better choices. I definitely felt better by week 2 of the first phase.

This week I wanted to share a few Q&A’s with the author that might convince you to get this book and try it out if you’re not convinced already:

Q1: How long did it take for you to develop the diet?
It actually took several years of researching for me to discover the real science of eating late night. After a few years of tweaking and refining, I finally came up with a rapid fat loss solution that overcomes all the pitfalls of traditional diets.
Q2: What was the most surprising discovery when you were researching scientific data for the diet?
That almost everything my college education and certifications taught me was NOT grounded in published scientific research.
Q3: How difficult is the Always Eat After 7 PM plan to follow?
It’s not. And that’s exactly why I wrote the book. While any diet is never truly easy, it can be more enjoyable and much easier to adhere to when you understand how Always Eat After 7pm works because it caters to our bodies natural instincts.

Stay tuned for an update next week!

Always Eat After 7 PM: The Revolutionary Rule-Breaking Diet That Lets You Enjoy Huge Dinners, Desserts, and Indulgent Snacks—While Burning Fat Overnight by Joel Marion is now available to purchase.

XO

Faith Owen

Eating Healthy Journey: Introduction to Always Eat After 7 PM

     motherinthemountains      Leave a Comment

I just read the few chapters of Always Eat After 7 PM: The Revolutionary Rule-Breaking Diet That Lets You Enjoy Huge Dinners, Desserts, and Indulgent Snacks—While Burning Fat Overnight by Joel Marion (This post is sponsored by Always Eat After 7 PM but as always, these opinions and thoughts are my own) and I’m so excited to get started. I’ve been on an eating healthy journey for a while; trying to find a healthy way of eating that’s sustainable and healthy – I think I finally found it!

Overall Program

The plan includes instructions on how to kick-start the program and see rapid results by using the 14-day acceleration phase. Then the Main Phase, which is where you learn which foods to eat and when – to achieve weight-loss goals. Lastly the Lifestyle Phase is where you maintain healthy eating habits and stay healthy! It’s supposed to be completely sustainable and a way of eating you can actually enjoy doing long-term

The author explaining the science of the diet.

The reason I’m so excited about this program is because I actually have the opposite problem – I have a hard time eating enough. I find most diets unsustainable because I simply lack the energy to workout when I can’t eat enough. I love how Joel introduces his plan:

“… stop declaring the kitchen off-limits after 7 pm, and stop feeling guilty about sitting down to a sensible, huge dinner or stressing out if you don’t get around to it until 8 or 9 pm. In this program, I’m going to recommend the following: let’s break the rules about dieting and late-night eating and start transforming your body with new facts, new strategies, and new science.”

This “diet” (I use that loosely, as it really is more of a program) gives me the tools to eat enough of the right foods. And more importantly, at the right times so I won’t gain fat when trying to make muscle gains. Usually, when I’m trying to eat enough I reach for high calorie snacks that don’t have a lot of nutrients – like chips or candy. However, with this diet I’m confident I’ll be motivated to reach for the right high-calorie snacks (dark chocolate anyone?).

Personal Reasons

I’m really excited for some of the side-effects of eating healthy, such as better sleep and more energy. It’s hard working out when running after my kids takes everything out of me. Stay tuned for the next few weeks while! I’ll be maintaining my regular workout routine while following Joel’s program. I can’t wait to see my results.

Always Eat After 7 PM: The Revolutionary Rule-Breaking Diet That Lets You Enjoy Huge Dinners, Desserts, and Indulgent Snacks—While Burning Fat Overnight by Joel Marion is now available to purchase.

Let me know if you’ve heard of this diet and how it worked for you! If you haven’t, does it sound like something you could do?

XO

Faith

Ways to Encourage Positive Sibling Relationships

     motherinthemountains      Leave a Comment

I think the way I learned to encourage positive sibling relationships was by watching the way my mom raised myself and my siblings. Even now we get along despite large and small age gaps between all of us. I live in the same city as one brother and one sister and I feel so lucky that I get to. If I ever need help they’re always willing and they know I’m here if they need someone too.

I had my first two girls super close in age on purpose. Though my third was a surprise I actually love having three girls close together. My closest sister was born when I was 6 and I loved having a little sister but I always wished she was closer in age. That’s why when I had my girls I decided that I wanted them to have a really good relationship.

I’m not saying they don’t fight because they do. They steal each others toys, sneak each others snacks, and sometimes even hit each other. But more often than not all three of them will happily play for hours together. I sometimes feel a little sad because I am always their first best friend and I get a little left out but mostly I’m happy to fold the laundry in peace.

So here are some ways to encourage positive sibling relationships

A new sibling is as a positive thing

Early on I talk about how they are going to get a baby and that they get to help take care of the baby. I always act excited about it and never like they’ll be replaced or that it will be hard. When the baby is born I let the older sibling help as much as they can. It’s a little scary letting a toddler hold a baby but it’s important that they feel involved and responsible.

Maintain a good parental relationship

Early on make sure they know a new sibling does not change the dynamic between the two of you. Well, maybe it does but never in a negative way. I always called my eldest my ‘bestie’ and that didn’t change when she got a sister.

I also continue a tradition my mom started that we call “turns”. Basically, whenever she needed to run errands she would take one of us. We started with the eldest and we all took “turns” being the only one to go. Usually we also got a treat but normally it was a treat we got to share with everyone when we got home. I think that was helpful because we felt special because we got to pick the treat. Then we felt special again because we got to be the one to share the treat with our siblings.

One on one time

I know sometimes it is hard to get out the door with the big siblings, especially if childcare is difficult. Sometimes everyone only gets one “turn” a month (or even less!). So in addition I have individual time with each one each day. My 2 year old gets private story time before nap. My 4 year old gets an hour with me while everyone else naps. Usually we practice numbers or letters or do another fun activity. The baby gets snuggles, cuddles, and sometimes nursing before naps.

Encourage their friendship

I know this one seems kind of obvious but it kind of surprised me at how well it worked. My oldest two were going through a patch where they seemed to constantly be fighting. It was getting to where everyone was just ornery all day. I finally started talking about how they’re all besties. I used to say “who’s my bestie?” and they would say each others and their own names. Now I say, “who’s your bestie?” And they’ll say each others name and sometimes my name last. Just talking about how they’re so lucky to have each other and really encouraging their friendship made a huge difference. I didn’t even do anything, I just talked about it.

I have a great relationship with my seven siblings and I really hope my children are lucky enough to have the same.

What are some ways you have found works to encourage sibling relationships?

For some really good tips on how to deal when your kids fight (not if, they will fight it’s guaranteed) check out this post by mommy blogger Amber at Faust Island.

If you’re still in the trenches read this post by mommy blogger Crystal. It does get worse before it gets better – but it does get better.

xo

Faith

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