Coffee CubBuster

So I had a great weekend filled with new kinds of breathing.... my first encounter mainted quite a different definition from my second mind you. First, I had an introduction to Bikrim Yoga or "Hot Yoga" as it's affectionately called. I actually think they should call it "sweat yoga" or "sauna yoga," but that's just me. I mean the room that you do this yoga in isn't just "hot," it feels like a sweat shop! My roommate Kacie heard about this place called "Atlanta Hot Yoga," and she thought that with my small amount of experience in Pilates, I might want to join her. So with our combined determination, we shook ourselves out of bed bright and early (on a Saturday thank you very much!) and went to sweat it out. The room temperature is set to about 103 degrees! You begin and end the class the same way-- with some crazy deep and quick breathing exercises. During the other 85 mintues of the class, lots of  strengthening and s...

Since I am not much of a television watcher, I never got one of those coverters after the big cable switch from analog last year (my tv is rather old and small as you can imagine), so I only get channels 2-25 in the TV in my bedroom. Don't worry, our main living room TV is good to go! Now, this wouldn't pose as a problem for me except that I like to watch the news and see what the weather will be like as I get ready for work each morning (it helps finalize my outfit choice for the day). CNN, Fox and Friends, TWC, and any other high numbered channel is out which leaves me with good ole' local news at 6:30am and either Good Morning America or the Today Show at 7:00am. As you well know, local news isn't what I'd call Susie Sunshine. In fact, it's a rather depressing way to start your day. That is precisely why I'm dedicating this post to Happy News! I've seen too many murders, robberys, rapes, and other disturbing acts to leave me with a perpetual sour ...

If you have been to a coffee shop recently, you may have noticed that the baristas aren't automatically sliding a coffee sleeve on your to-go cup. They have taken the "optional" approach method in order to promote the newly popular "green" standards. Because those little cardboard sleeves aid in our ability to hold an extremely hot paper cup without burning our fingertips most people still grab one without thinking twice. Unless you have been a barista and burned your fingers so many times that they have developed an extra strength power against hot surfaces (speaking from experience), you will probably continue to opt for a sleeve no matter how many trees they may kill. Thus, in order to help preserve Ms. Mother Nature whom we have taken for granted in decades past, I introduce to you the new phenomenon--THE REUSABLE SLEEVE. These uniquely decorated cup-huggers come in a variety of materials including, cotton, knitted crochet, silicone, and other recycled mate...

I love me some cumbled feta cheese! In fact I love most cheese in general. Cheese just makes everything better! Have you ever noticed that? Seriously, eat it as a delicacy in the form of baked brie, or just grab a stick of good ole' string cheese--it's all great. With a few exceptions. I'm not that fond of blue cheese or swiss cheese. However, this post is highlighting the wonderful world of feta. Here are a few very EASY, very quick, and very healthy   recipes of my own that co-star the white crumbling goodness. Btw... you can use the low-fat feta and it tastes just as good in these recipes! Also, note that I don't put a serving size because the recipes are so easy you can change the amount based on how many you are cooking for. It's not rocket science people! Pear and Feta salad: Ingredients Red Leaf Lettuce Container of Crumbled Feta cheese One whole ripe Bosc Pear (skin on or off your choice) Plump raisins (as many as you like) Toasted Pine Nuts Po...

 If you know me at all, you know that I have an addiction to Double-Hydrogen mixed with Oxygen. Yes, that's right, I admit it.... Hello, my name is Katie Blair, and I'm a Wateraholic. In fact, a great way to get classified information from me is simply to take away my water bottle. Maybe I should have named this blog Water CubBuster , but there's just not much to say about the clear, wet nutrient is there? Speaking of "my water bottle," I would like to take a minute and thank Matthew Smith for introducing me to the new love of my life--the Klean Kanteen. Before the Klean Kanteen, I had only used a large plastic Nalgene to transport my daily consumption of H2O which to my knowledge was not BPA-free. Now, it is my understanding that the Nalgene brand does in fact make BPA-free products, but I simply was not in possession of one. What's all this talk of BPA you ask. Well, "BPA (bisphenal A) is an industrial chemical that makes plastics hard and...

WOW!  Really, if you ever get a chance to see "Lord of the Dance," I would certainly recommend it. It wasn't just a little kicking and jumping on a wooden dance floor. This show encompassed so many different Irish elements: 1. Dueling fiddles 2. An opera singer 3. A love story 4. A burlesque-ish moment 5. And down-right amazing Irish Riverdancing! I came to learn that although the performance is still called "Michael Flately's Lord of the Dance," Mr. Flatey is no longer a key dancer. In fact he has been forced, due to the aging process, not be in the show at all. However, I can't imagine him being much better than the amazing dancers that have now taken over. The dance is a mix of ballet, tap, lyrcial, and folk movements. It takes pure talent to make that kind of music with your feet! The audience was even able to particpate in clapping along to the celtic beat. Sadly some people struggled to keep even a simple clap rhythm. Hey, we can't all ...

If you are a "Friends" watcher as I have been known to be, you will appreciate that quote. I am getting to see the Chandler Bing's greatest fear--Michael Flatley and the "Lord of the Dance" performance. I am so excited! I've seen a lot of different types of performances in my lifetime (even the gravely strange or soberly artistic modern dance shows), but I've never seen an Irish Riverdance! My mom got tickets for us back in October for my birthday. She is so astute and thoughtful! In case you aren't familiar with "Lord of the Dance." Here is what Wikipedia has to say about Mr. Flately's Dance: "Lord of the Dance is an Irish musical and dance production that was created, choreographed, and produced by Irish-American dancer Michael Flatley, who also took a starring role. Michael Flatley found his first fame starring in Riverdance, but he left the show in 1995 before its debut in London after a disagreement over creative control. F...

I know many of you are shocked when you find out that I am a hip hop dance instructor. I guess that's because many of you don't really know the real Coffee CubBuster! :o) Seriously, I have spent much of my life dancing, but in the form of ballet, jazz, modern, and competition. Upon graduating from UGA, I began to sincerely miss dancing  so I looked into some adult classes. I found an Introduction to Hip Hop class that I thought would be fun. I'd taken a lot of different intro courses in the past including Folk dance, African stomp, Broadway dance, and Lyrical dance to name a few. So I was pumped to add this genre to my repertoire. I was in the process of looking for a new job at the time, and upon overhearing my discussion with a fellow dancer, my instructor suggested I teach dance! I couldn't believe it! Of course that would be an awesome job, but I wasn't good enough (or so I thought). After organizing a dance resume, getting references, and sweating profusely at ...

If you haven't done so already, you need to stop whatever you are doing, get up, and drive to Roswell square. Well, if you don't live in the metro-Atlanta area, this may be a little tricky, so how about we limit it to those of you who are able to get to Roswell, GA? There is an awesome coffee house called " Land of a Thousand Hills ," and it is just that.... a land far far away from anything seemingly big-city. There slogan is my favorite-- Drink Coffee. Do Good. Each cup of coffee they make is "french pressed" (lesson coming soon on coffee talk page), and every latte and cappuccino has that amazing latte art (a sign made only by the great ones). They also sell some great paraphernalia and have live music every Friday and Saturday night. Trust me, it's SO worth the trip! You'll end up on one of the sofas needing to switch to decaf because you just don't want to leave.

Welcome to the world of online communication. Since I am "one of those" who has resisted multiple forms of mass media communication (i.e. Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, etc.) I've decided to let in the smallest amount of technological light in the form of a blog. Now, let me first clarify that I am not against technology all together. I don't sit in my cave keeping track of time with charcoal drawings or listening to my Juke Box waiting for my rabbit ears to adjust the static on my black and white boob tube. Listen, I love my Mac, my iTouch, and wifi on airplanes! I have just chosen to resist the need to connect with all of America by spending all my time in front of a screen. I would just rather read a book at my local coffee shop then become addicted to seeing how many new friends I have online..... I'm just trying to poke a little fun here (I do see the benefits of Facebook--sometimes). However, because my mid-twenties have proven to be a time of great change, and...