Solar Roast Coffee is exactly what it sounds like. Back in 2004 brothers Mike and David Harktop built a Solar powered Coffee roaster in their parents' garage from an old satellite dish and a bunch of plastic mirrors. Using that concept, they created a commercial-sized solar-powered coffee roaster called the Helios IV, capable of roasting up to thirty pounds of coffee at a time. They currently roast out of Pablo, CO where they get over 300 days of sunlight in a year. I absolutely loved this unique and eco-friendly roasting idea so I had to try it out. They also use organic coffee beans - read ..read more

*This post contains affiliate links Likely the first thing that will stand out to you about Epicurean Coffee is the lovely bag with gold cursive lettering. That alone makes this coffee perfect to add to a gift basket. What impressed me, even more, is that this is a low-acid coffee made with single-origin, organically and shade grown 100% Arabica beans from Colombia. If you’re a regular reader of the blog, you might remember the post I wrote about the benefits of low-acid coffee. Low-acid coffee is easier on your teeth and stomach and switching to a low-acid coffee can actually improve your sl ..read more

This post contains affiliate links The first thing that caught my eye about Parformer’s Lightweight Silcone-Free Natural Hair Oil Serum was that it claimed to be light enough for fine hair. I have very fine dark blonde hair. It’s rare that a hair oil spray doesn’t weigh my hair down and make it look like I haven’t showered for a week. I decided to test it out and see if it could actually live up to its claims. Best case scenario: I have an easy way to create a lovely sleek pony. Worst case scenario: They have what they call a Divine Shine Guarantee. You have 30 days to ask for a refund if you ..read more

This post contains affiliate links that help support this blog when you make a purchase. Named after the Greek word for working together, Sunergos has always been one of my favorite local coffee houses. It’s a lovely place to do a bit of writing or catch up with a friend. I used to make a point to try to go there on my visits back to Louisville when I lived in New York. You could always count on good coffee and a calm and welcoming atmosphere. If you ever find yourself in Louisville, KY, I highly recommend checking them out. They make a variety of amazing coffee roasts you can either buy onlin ..read more

This is a sponsored post by ,Shoppsie. All reviews and opinions expressed in this post are based on my personal view. Do you constantly seek out the best deals online? Are you often scouring the internet for promo codes and coupons? Do you sometimes stop yourself from buying something in-store because you want to see if it's cheaper online? If you said yes to any of the questions above, you are definitely a savvy shopper. But even if you said no to all of them, Shoppsie can turn you into one just by downloading their simple Chrome extension. Shoppsie notifies you of all the best coupons and de ..read more

We spend each December feasting and celebrating with loved ones.  We cover our homes in cheerful decorations.  We spend time at home cozy and relaxed.   Then comes icy January.  We start this period of winter with New Year's resolutions focused on dieting and exercise.  We make ourselves feel bad about our December joys. So this year I want to do something different.  I don't want to increase how many days I go to the gym.  I'm happy with how consistently I've worked out over the past year.  I'm okay if I go to the gym less often when the roads are ..read more

This post does contain affiliate links - If you purchase from them our blog receives a small portion of sales I'm super excited to announce that I'm hosting a giveaway on my Instagram @TotallyToriLong with one of my favorite brands @ProVitaUSA A grand total of six winners will win one of three gummy vitamin prize packs! First Prize: One winner will receive a bottle each of the Elderberry Gummies with Vitamin C & Zinc, Hair Vitamin Gummies with Biotin, and Apple Cider Vinegar Gummies Second Prize: Two winners will receive a bottle of the Elderberry Gummies with Vitamin C & Zinc and the ..read more

This post does contain affiliate links - If you purchase from them our blog receives a small portion of sales Today I wanted to showcase an awesome local small business. Louisville Vegan Jerky Co was founded in 2012 in Louisville, KY and continues to make amazing non-GMO certified small batch vegan jerky made by hand with locally sourced ingredients. Textured soy protein is the main ingredient in their jerky and it works as a great base for their amazing artisan-crafted flavors. Each serving (1oz or ⅓ of a bag) contains 6 grams of protein which is fairly comparable to a regular beef jerky tha ..read more

There is nothing better than supporting a coffee brand that puts an emphasis at making sure their farmers are fairly paid while focusing on creating an eco-friendly product. This is what initially drew me to Roastiva Coffee Roasters. Not just are they Fair Trade Certified, but they donate back to their farmers as well - making it so that 20% of what you pay for a bag goes directly to the farmer. They use completely compostable bags for their coffee - this is definitely the first time I’ve seen a coffee company do this. Every year 27 million plastic coffee bags hit the landfill. If we consciou ..read more

This post contains affiliate links and our blog earns a small portion of sales I must admit, a part of me shudders at the idea of being asked to give a speech at an event. I don’t have stage fright at all, in fact, I’ve always enjoyed performing on stage whether it’s a play or improv performance. But the idea of writing a personalized speech and then saying it in front of a group of people that know me is for some reason super terrifying to me. I would imagine that nearly everyone has witnessed at least one awful speech. Unfortunately, they are often the most memorable for that reason. I was ..read more