Parenting · WakingWitches & WanderingWunderkammer

Stardust: A Pagan Children’s Book From The Beautiful Heart of Ginger Ackley

Hello, Hello! I know it’s been a while since you’ve heard from me, but I wanted to share something very special with you today! Don’t worry, it’s not a course or anything like that! Cue the relieved sighs.

A very, very special lady that is near and dear to my heart is sharing a Pagan children’s book she’s written, and I wanted to tell you about it. It’s pretty difficult to find specifically Pagan kids books so, with a little witchling myself, I was pretty interested in her book, Stardust.

It’s based on a song we sing on Wednesday nights during our Circle, Enchantica (every Wednesday night at 6pm CST on FB) and is a beautiful and wonderful creation story. The illustrations are cute and cartoony, perfect for kids, and were created by rising artist, John Lollar!

As Ginger has written herself: “This is the enchanting story of Creation as the Little Goddess sits in the Time Before Time, in the Dark Before Dark. She holds out her hand and there is only one tiny, sparkling mote of Stardust! With illustrations that are completely enchanting, generations of children will cherish this book and the timeless story it tells! Perfect for parents to read at bedtime – and great for kids to read on their own, too!”

I hope you enjoy Stardust as much as we are going to! I can’t wait to add it to our bookshelf and our rotation of bedtime stories! 🙂

Stardust is available for pre-order now here: Stardust – The Book | Ginger Ackley’s Music

With Peace and Passion,

Ta! ❤

Bliggety Blogs · Coffee ☕

Disney’s 50th Anniversary Blend Coffee: A Review

So with this new review, I’m trying a different format and you guys can let me know which one you prefer. Do you like the more article/paragraph format or do you like this one where the information is split up into categories and more quickly accessible? Let me know in the comments!

A part of the Disney Specialty Coffee Collection and one of the 25 delightful coffees produced by Disney chefs, the 50th Anniversary Blend is a treasure! It was made in collaboration with Joffrey’s, the official coffee of Walt Disney World, Disneyland and the Disney Vacation Club.

Coffee and Disney? A match made in movie magic heaven! How did I not even know these existed until now?! Our small family has been planning for our Disney trip this year since before our last Family vacation. I can’t decide who in our household is more excited for it, Little Maxwell or Daddy Maxwell!

Whichever it may be, we’ve been checking out all of the different things available at the parks online for months (check out the Disney Food Blog on YouTube at DFBGuide! It’s a treasure trove of not just food information but overall Disney life hacks!) and you can believe that Joffrey’s is planning to be my first stop! Call me basic if you want but I’m the stay at home mom of a six year old. What can you do, am I right?

On that tasting note, back to the coffee! Let’s get to talking about my review for this great blend!

Aroma: On opening the bag for the first time, this Arabica blend hit me as chocolatey and sweet. Very much like milk chocolate, but somehow dark and smooth all at once.

Flavour: I found it had a soft, neutral flavor, a mildness but one that left a tingling tang on the tip of your tongue even after the sip had slid down your throat. It was pleasant and enjoyable though nothing outstanding or remarkable taste-wise.

Notes: Disney’s 50th Anniversary Blend had notes of blueberry, black cherry and the subtle hint of lemon that no doubt contributes to that lovely tang on your tongue.

Origins: This dark roast traces is roots from the Cerrado region of Brazil, Santa Barbara in Honduras, and the Costa Rican Central Valley making it a trifecta of South American deliciousness!

Pick up yours at Disney World or at Joffrey’s here!

Overall, I liked this coffee though I think it stood up as anything spectacular. It was pleasant and enjoyable but it didn’t blow my mind. It didn’t stand out as unique like the Birchwood blend coffee I reviewed last but neither was it unpleasant. On a scale of 1 to 10, I think it holds up solidly at a very respectable 6.5-7.

Have you tried this one for yourself? Did you have a different take? Let me know down in the comments because I would love to hear your thoughts! Also, let me know which of the Disney Coffee Collection blends I should try next!

With Peace and Passion,

Ta!

Bliggety Blogs · Coffee ☕

Peace Coffee Birchwood Blend: a review

It isn’t a coffee that’s going to smack you in the face with its Aroma as soon as you open the bag. It’s smell is pleasant but more discreet compared to other blends that I’ve had that immediately make you burst into a bush of chest hair as soon as you open the bag. This breakfast blend’s appeal lies in its flavor.

I, personally, use a pour over style of brewing for my coffee. ❤️

Birchwood boasts a unique and woodsy (apropos) taste that brings to mind sitting outside beneath our great oak in the morning sun. It has a mild acidity and a smooth body that you’re sure to enjoy. It’s tasting notes are bittersweet chocolate, honey, and cedar, though oddly enough not birch! Peace Coffee recommends a drip brewer to get the absolute best flavor from this delightful blend.

Birchwood Blend, like their other coffees, is a shade grown, B Certified, and Fair Trade organic coffee. It hails from the countries of Peru and Honduras and the Peace Coffee website for this blend even shows photos of the people who work at the coffee farms that grow the beans for this blend and even where they are on a map! How cool is that? 🙂

Please let me know if you enjoyed the Birchwood blend and if there are any other Peace Coffee types that I should try!

With Peace and Passion,

Ta!

Bliggety Blogs · Coffee ☕

Black Rifle Coffee: A Review.

So as per the yearly tradition in our household, I got my usual giant bag of different coffees and blends to try and this year’s haul certainly didn’t disappoint! I got my usual favorites from Starbucks (basic chick that I am) but one of the new brands I got to try was this one!

The Gunship blend by Black Rifle Coffee Company is definitely getting agreed to that list of favorites of mine. This company is one that I’ve heard about here and there in conversation but never tried. I was pretty intrigued when it just happened to be one of the blends that I got for Christmas. The fact that they support our veterans, troops and first responders was a definite plus. Feel as you may about defunding the police, our veterans and first responders need all the help they can get regardless.

On opening the bag, the smell that hit my nostrils could have sent an angel straight to hell in a hand basket and begging to go further. Buried in the heavenly smell of a light roast was the scent of an almost baked type that reminded me of being back in my Grandma’s kitchen in the morning time while breakfast was cooking and coffee was brewing. I don’t know why, but it reminded me of being in the kitchen with family.

This blend is just as smooth as it claims and goes down easily. It has a practicality to it that makes it a great choice for everyday mornings or, if you’re like me, mornings, noon, afternoon, and for dinner! If you’re in the market for something new that goes with just about anything, I would definitely recommend the Gunship blend for your tasting pleasures. It is currently available in stores and off of the Black Rifle Coffee Company website!

Coffee ☕ · Primary

Coffee and a Happy New Year!

Hello, friends, and welcome to a very merrily met 2022!

Wow, it has been a season, huh? I have so many things that I’m excited to share with you this year! Things I’ve made and experienced and, especially, tasted!

And with that segue, coffee.

Coffee! Where to start?! I have so many to try!

A few of these I’ve had before like the Starbucks Veranda but most are pretty new! One or two are even locally roasted!

Today, I decided to start with one that was brand new: the Intelligentsia Silver Stars!

This seemed to sum up my thoughts on the turning of the year quite nicely. 🙂

Ten out of ten, would recommend! What sorts of new things are you wanting to try in the year to come?

Let us know in the comments!

With Peace and Passion,

Ta!

Bliggety Blogs · Movies, Shows, and Such · Primary · Tech

Minecraft Cliffs and Caves Part 2Gameplay Pt.1

So I didn’t add any commentary over this just because… I really dislike the way that I sound on camera. XD That’s literally the only reason other than it was late and I didn’t want to have to figure out logistics with the mic before bed. I didn’t, however, realize that there was NO SOUNDS AT ALL. Don’t worry, I’m going to figure that out before the next one!

If I get enough likes on this post and you guys actually want it, then I’ll add commentary so let me know down in the comments if that’s what you prefer to have with your gameplay. Little Maxwell loves to watch gameplay before bed and a lot of times it’s just more relaxing to not have the commentary.

I hope you enjoy it though! This blog has always been about doing things that I enjoy and talking about things that I am passionate about and, to Daddy Maxwell’s great regret, Minecraft is one of those things. I was sold on this new cliffs and caves update when I heard the words ‘fireflies, toads, and tadpoles’ so I definitely am excited to find a swamp! Let’s see how it all goes together!

With Peace and Passion,

Ta!

Movies, Shows, and Such · Parenting

A New Game That’s Brought Us Together: A PKXD Review

So Little Maxwell is always asking if she can download this new game or that new app. I’m pretty particular about what kinds of games I won’t let her play. For example, I don’t let her play the “match-three” style of games like Bejeweled or Candy Crush. Is Bejeweled even still a thing?

She got an ad for another game in one of the apps she was playing one day and begged me to download it. I checked it out and agreed but under one stipulation: she only played with me. I wasn’t entirely comfortable with the fact that it’s a sort of social game that doesn’t have the option of offline play. The game is called PK XD.

Hopping in to the game, I was blasted with the neon and sheer… Well. Childishness. It definitely is made with it’s target audience in mind. It’s bright and accentuated with catchy music and sound effects. There are regular community events and an arcade of mini games that allows each player the opportunity to collect in-game currencies without having to spend real money. In fact there are quite a few opportunities to do so which I was rather pleased with. The game has admins that regularly run my paces through the two floating islands that the PKXD universe consists of.

As for communicating with other players, there are predetermined, pre-selected scripts and responses, even Emojis with sound effects like laughing or crying, that the player can select but speaking freely with players one-on-one outside of that doesn’t seem like an option that is commonly used if even available. I found myself put at ease a little more by this realization. Little Maxwell isn’t really reading fluently yet but I doubt it will be a long. I like knowing that anyone she might become friendly with in-game is relegated to the many, though very PG, communications.

We took the opportunity to catch a photo op at one of the murals during Pet Week! Both of us are supporting pets from the Halloween update. Little Maxwell has an Alibrije spirit cat and I have a spooky Ghost Horse! 👻

The more I played with her, the more I’ve come to really enjoy the game itself. What I love the most though is the fun and engaging quality time that I get to spend with my daughter now, doing something that we both really enjoy together! As a gaming family, we are all often enjoying the latest video game, table top or board game. But, though they may enter set with other family members like when I play Diablo with my sisters and Dad and Minecraft with my brother and bestie hetero life partner, those don’t always necessarily include little Maxwell or her dad. So it’s always nice when we have a game that we can play together especially when it’s one that she so adamantly enjoys.

It’s very easy to add each other 2 your friends list and once you are linked as friends, the game gives you the opportunity to jump in to the servers that your online friend is playing from so you can literally play together. We have had a very big time helping each other decorate our houses and bouncing around the parkour Pet Week course. Visiting other people’s homes to see how they’ve decorated as well. The game boasts a sort of trophy/achievement system by way of stickers that can be collected from literally anywhere and anything. Today, I unlocked a hidden sticker no I received by drinking milk 10 separate days. Another I got from adding items to my house or even finding hidden pets throughout the world.

While it isn’t the most graphically complex game I’ve ever played, I can definitely recommend PK XD or anyone looking for something to do with their kids that don’t be mind-numbingly dull. There is no end to different events, achievements, and fun things to do when you’re spending time with the people you love.

What do you think? Are you going to give PK XD a try with your little ones anytime soon? Let me know what you think in the comments!

With Peace and Passion,

Ta!

Bliggety Blogs · Coffee ☕

Grinding Gourmet! Starbucks Costa Rica Blend

Hello, hello, hello, and welcome back to another over-caffeinated edition of Grinding Gourmet! Today, I’m going to be talking about Starbucks’ Costa Rica Latin America Blend!

The Costa Rican blend is a part of Starbucks’ stunning Premium Select Collection, boasting a cooperative of beans from both the coffee’s titular homeland and Latin America. It pairs well with lemony pastries and milk chocolate according to Starbucks’ blog spot for it. Costa Rican is a medium roast with beans that boast a lovely mild aroma, sweetly delicate, piquant, and nippy.

I found the taste to be enjoyable, not too dark and not too light. A perfect blend for a balanced day. I can picture having it on a quiet morning with a delightful lemon-glazed biscotti. That said, I did enjoy the Costa Rica, yet unlike its cousin, the Christmas Blend, it did not amaze me. It was good, faithful, and true, but nothing exceptional, in my humble opinion. It is a blend I would be happy to enjoy again but find it easily overlooked for more bold flavors and exciting brews.

However, I do implore you to try out the Costa Rica Blend for yourself and come to your own conclusions! Let us know here in the comments what your own thoughts were. We would love to hear them!

With Peace and Passion.

Ta!

Bliggety Blogs · Coffee ☕

Grinding Gourmet! Starbucks Kenya Blend

Hey hey! Today is the day we talk Grinding Gourmet! What’s on the menu this morning? The barista has brewed up a piping pot of what could reasonably called “an oldie, but a goodie”. That’s right, today we’re talking a Starbucks classic!

The Starbucks Kenya brew is a blend of Kenyan and other African coffees that hit shelves in 1971. That’s right, 1971! I didn’t even know Starbucks as a company was that old, let alone this blend in particular. It hails from their premium select collection and is a warm and well-rounded medium roast.

Also can we talk for a minute about Starbucks new artwork on their premium collection blends? They are absolutely gorgeous and I love them. The designs still have that classic Starbucks feel but with all the beauty, color, and wonder of each blends home country. I haven’t seen a single one that I didn’t think was stunning, so hats off to Starbucks in this case!

Upon first opening this gorgeous bag, the smell is just a delight. There’s a slightly peppery bite to the aroma, a spiciness that tantalizes. Each sip features notes of sweet tropical fruits and brown sugar and pairs well with grapefruit of all things!

To be honest, I found this blend to be a lot like the Kona Blend by Archer Farms: tasty but nothing remarkable. It makes for a good morning coffee, a decent substitute for your average wake up coffee. I’m enjoying the Kenya Blend but it isn’t blowing my mind like Starbucks’ Christmas and Holiday Blends did.

However, as with anything, give it a try yourself and see what you think! Let me know in the comments below!

With Peace and Passion.

Ta! ☕

Primary · WakingWitches & WanderingWunderkammer

Everyday Witch Tarot Deck: My Tarot Take-Away!

I knew from the moment that I picked this deck up that I was in complete love with it. That’s right, my peeps! Today, I bring you my feels on the Everyday Witch Tarot! At long last. Yes, I know that you’re probably wondering what the hell took me so long and that, dear Journeyers…is a very good question.

It’s been a slow few weeks, okay?

The Everyday Witch Tarot was the fourth deck that I’d bought or been gifted so I wasn’t exactly new to the cards at that point. It was a gift from Daddy Maxwell for my birthday last year after I discovered it at a local metaphysical shop.

I love using the Everyday Witch Tarot in conjunction with the Everyday Witch Oracle. It’s been reading well for me and I remember, when opening it for the first time, there was this feeling of…rightness. If you’ve ever bonded with a deck, you’ll know exactly what I mean. That’s not to say that everyone will mesh well with the Everyday Witch tarot. Every person is different, every deck is different, every witch is different. For me, though, this one is golden!

The scenes and characters have both a medieval fantasy yet somehow modern feel to them, the colors bright and images beautifully illustrated. Another creation of the talented Elizabeth Alba and written by Deborah Blake, this deck is a point of pride for any tarot collector’s hoard. I love the motorcycle riding Chariot card!

My only point of contention would be the lack of diversity in the characters and art. I love the quirkiness of it all and the cats that feature somewhere in almost every card. However, there’s a certain repetition in it. It’s very…white. Given the wide breadth of witches from cultures worldwide (is there any culture that doesn’t have the witch in one form or another?), it would have been so cool to see the hoodoo queens of the south and the bokor of Haiti.

I do think it’s fascinating that each suit tells a story. This was something I knew was true of the Rider-Waite tarot but the Everyday Witch deck makes it far easier to suss out that narrative for the average reader.

Needless to say, the Everyday Witch decks have quickly become my go-to decks, pushing my standard Rider-Waite to the side with little trouble at all. It’s, without a doubt, the one I reach for time and time again. The light, fun illustrations are simply magical and I hope to enjoy the Everyday Witch Tarot and Oracle decks, as well as Deborah Blake and Elizabeth Alba’s other products, for many years to come!

With Peace and Passion.

Ta!