Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Other options besides drinking coffee...


 Last week, Karen gave me the idea of talking about other methods of staying awake, besides drinking coffee. Instant Gratification ;) I’m still missing some other topics that have been suggested.. I promise they’re still in my list :)
Well, the first method for staying awake that comes to my mind is the use of energy drinks (Red Bull, Boost, Rockstar, Monster, …)  which may be very popular due to its effectiveness, but in my opinion, I rather not take the risk that comes with this. I’ve heard cases in which the consumption of these substances gives the person symptoms like tachycardia. The level of caffeine this drinks contain is more or less the same as a normal cup of coffee, but the addition of substances like taurine (among others) may cause health problems when drinking in excess. Personally, it is my least favorite method.
Another method for staying awake, (I’ve tried it myself, after listening to several people saying it works) is drinking water. Pure water, preferably cold. This one is really one of the best methods because it doesn’t involve the consumption of substances that in excess might cause damage to your body. (Well, water in excess might make you choke or drown in it, but besides that…)  If drinking cool water still doesn’t work, try taking a shower with it.
My third and final recommendation is drinking soda. The sugar it contains is also a good source of energy. I haven’t really tried this one, but I’ve heard it works for some people. Just remember everything in excess is bad for your health, and that maybe, after this temporary energy boost any of these methods might give you, you will return to feeling sleepy and tired.
If none of these methods work… just give up, you need to sleep.






P.S. I still prefer coffee .
lol.


P.S.2. A friend made me realize I missed mentioning chocolate. So I've decided I'll take this one as a topic for my next entry. Coffee vs. Chocolate ..sounds good? Stay tuned for more information next week.  :)

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Bad things about coffee ¬¬



     This topic wasn’t on my list, but my friends here are telling me to stop talking about the good aspects of coffee and for once write about the negative things. Honestly, I think these will be the hardest entry to write. 250 words of things I rather ignore… but I've got an idea, let’s make this as fun as possible.

     3 negative aspects about coffee:

1. CAUTION: HOT CONTENT. Whenever you read this, or whenever you know it’s true, BE CAREFUL. Believe me, you don’t want to burn yourself with it and spend the rest of the day with a scalded tongue or a burned hand.

2. Watch out were you place it. If you’re not careful enough (and considering how sleepy you usually are in the mornings or late at night) you may spill it over your work or laptop. And that’s the last thing we would want to happen.

3. Avoid excess. Coffee might sometimes be useful, but too much coffee can cause you problems: for example, not being able to sleep at night (insomnia) or being hyperactive (jumping and fooling around, doing or saying things you might later regret).

     And those are some of the things I could come up with. I hope you are satisfied with the results of forcing me to write about the negative aspects of coffee. Maybe someday I’ll retake this topic and write what the recent studies and investigations done show about coffee and its effects. I’m so sorry if you were expecting something else, I know I promised I would try to be objective in this blog, but coffee saved me today so I’m not saying anything really bad about it for now. :)

     XO.

P.S. Make sure your head doesn't get stuck in your cup of coffee. That's also an undesirable situation. :)

Thursday, October 13, 2011

Empty coffee bag... transformed into.. a wallet ! :P


Well, after the partial exams break, let’s continue with the next topic for this blog :). In the past entries I’ve shown some types of art involving coffee, which to me are really impressive. However, this time I’d like to share with you some ideas that you may consider whenever you’re bored or feeling really creative.

First, I found this article on Lifehacker on how to make a wallet out of an empty coffee bag. It gives you the link to the actual page where you can find the steps for making one: Instructables.com. Can you imagine that? First, it’s actually a useful thing, since that way you are not spending on buying a new wallet that will eventually wore out or you might lose and have to replace. This is an easy way to have a cool wallet, different to everyone else’s and I bet it would be even prettier than your actual one. It’s also something you can brag about (if you did it on your own) or give as a gift to someone. It’s especially great for coffee lovers to show their addiction and to receive a subtle scent of coffee smell every time you open your wallet. Isn’t that nice? :)

Here’s a picture of the final product, though you are entitle to try out your own ideas:









Summing up, the steps are basically:

1. Open the empty bag of coffee.

2. Remove the vacuum belly button.

3. Practice folding to make sure you like how it'll look.

4. Sew (or duct tape) the hem.

5. Measure and sew the middle separator.

6. Measure and sew (or duct tape) the ends.

7. Attach Velcro closure (optional).

8. Fill it with money, cards, etc.

9. Make friends with the curious admirers of your wallet!

(instructables.com)

So whenever you feel like doing something with your own hands, this is a really good option that will entertain you for a while. This is perhaps a great example of reusing material and how to be creative with things you may find at home, like an empty coffee bag.

Works cited:

Rogers, Matthew. "Make a Delicious-Smelling Wallet Out of an Empty Coffee Bag." Lifehacker, tips and downloads for getting things done. N.p., 19 May 2011. Web. 12 Oct. 2011. .<http://lifehacker.com/5803454/make-a-delicious+smelling-wallet-out-of-an-empty-coffee-bag?tag=coffee>


katmckee. "Make a Coffee Bag Wallet & Friends for free." Instructables - Make, How To, and DIY. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Oct. 2011. <http://www.instructables.com/id/Make-a-Real-Wallet-out-of-a-Coffee-Bag-a-few-New/ >