8 Ways to Celebrate National Coffee Day

Happy National Coffee Day my friends. If you hadn’t gathered by the name of my blog, I am a big fan of coffee. I was a barista for 3 years, and to date, it’s one of my absolute favorite things to do. I loved it. I blame my Harry Potter obsession for my adoration of making coffee – being a barista is basically just brewing potions all day. And when it comes to drinking coffee, well, there’s nothing better.

I know I’m not the only one who loves coffee, and National Coffee Day is definitely something to be celebrated! If you needed a few ideas on how to embrace this wonderful day, you’ve come to the right place! Let’s dive in.

8 Ways to Celebrate National Coffee Day (September 29th)

  1. Go to a local sit-down coffee shop, order a butterbeer latte to stay, and spend some time enjoying the vibrant environment a coffee shop has to offer.

  2. Surprise your friend or partner with a coffee, or Venmo them $5 to go get one themselves. Caption it “Happy National Coffee Day. Your coffee’s on me this morning!” and watch how excited they get.

  3. Pick up a pumpkin pie americano from a local drive-up coffee shop, head to the closest park, and stroll around while you sip your hot bevvy.

  4. Head to a main street café or shop, get a brown sugar + oat milk americano, find a window seat, and watch the people and cars go by.

  5. Snag a frosted maple latte from your favorite drive-up, and hit the road for a long scenic drive. Don’t forget to blast your favorite music, turn the heat on, and roll down the windows.

  6. Make a delicious pot of coffee at home by adding cinnamon to your grounds, find a cozy place to snuggle up, and sip your coffee while you read a book, color, do a puzzle, or read a magazine.

  7. Buy FIVE $5 gift cards to your favorite local coffee shop and hand them out to friends, co-workers, or strangers! $5 is just enough to buy a latte or frappe and you’d be surprised how stoked people will be for a free coffee.

  8. Make a to-go mug of coffee with some 100% pure maple syrup, oat milk, and a dash of pumpkin spice, bundle up, and go outside to watch the sunrise.

There you have it, 8 ways to celebrate this holy day. And it was short and sweet, just how I like my coffee! I hope you all have an amazing, delicious, caffeinated National Coffee Day.

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A Coffee Shop Shoot

When Meggan of Meggan Jessat Photography suggested we do a photo shoot, my first thought was “Ohhhhh! Coffee Shop!”. I’ve always wanted to do a photo shoot in a dimly lit coffee shop with great natural light and exposed brick. Que the little gem downtown Kalispell we call Colter Coffee.

We met up, “bright” and early on a Saturday morning. The weather was doing that dreary, depressing thing that I love so much. Meggan needed a little snack because she’s a busy AF, badass momma who has a lot of shit to do, okay? We sat by the window while she munched her delicious looking wrap, and we got to know each other a little better.

Then, all of the sudden, like it was just a natural thing that you do when you’re out with a friend…. She started taking my picture.

It was so easy. So natural. I just hung out, and she took my photo.
And that’s how you know you’ve found a good photographer.

Plus, I mean, come on….. look at these photos.

I seriously recommend Meggan for photos. Click here to check out her website, here to check her out on Facebook and here to see her Instagram!

She edits her photos so naturally, she’s bubbly and sweet, and she will NOT disappoint.

She’s going places, people!

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Why ‘Montana Laura’ Didn’t Feel Right Anymore

Changing the name of your blog is a dicey decision, no matter the popularity of it.
People tend to associate blogs with consistency.. as they should.
If you get into a blog, you get used to their schedule. Bloggers tend to have set days that they post, send out emails, post on social media, and they have certain icons and names that are true to them… And all of that can be blurred when said blogger changes their name.

But sometimes we have a change of heart, or life, that makes the current name of our blog unbearable. And in that instance I think it’s more than fair for followers to at least take the time to stick around and understand why.

If you were ever following me because you thought I’d be posting about hikes,  adventures, and typical things that revolve around Montana… you were in the wrong place anyway.

My content, for the most part wont change. But my heart did.

I came to the realization that Montana is no longer the thing I so definitively revolved my world around. For years after moving away, I yearned for it. I dreamt of it. I played scenarios in my mind over and over again of what life would be like when we finally moved home.. But then I had an epiphany. I came to another painful realization that A) It was being close to family and friends that I was yearning for, not the place itself and B) Montana now is nothing like the Montana I grew up in.
I lost my passion for Montana after two years of daily reminders that it was no longer the place I had painted of it in my mind. And that’s okay..

And please don’t get me wrong… I love Montana, I really do. I will forever stand up for it, speak highly of it, and probably live in it. But when you use a specific thing to revolve your name and “brand” around… it better damn well be something you are extremely passionate about. And for me, it’s just not Montana, anymore.

So I’d like to introduce you to A Cup of Lo.
Yes, it’s a play on words in which I replace the word Joe with my childhood nickname Lo. Yes it’s cheesy & punny and if you know anything about me, you know just how well that aligns with my sense of humor (thanks Dad). And yes, it’s a coffee reference, because again, if you know me you know how much I love coffee. Drinking it. Making it. Hooking my arm up to an IV of it. Talking about it. Owning books about it. Taking pictures of it. Dreaming about opening a coffee shop.

Coffee is one of those things that I just don’t shut up about… On a daily basis.
Which made me feel really really right about choosing this blog name.

Thanks for understanding my change of name, and most of all my change of heart. I hope you’ll grab a coffee & stick around.

 

A few of my social media handles have changed, such as the following!

21

Facebook is still in the works because Facebook likes to makes everything difficult.

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5 of the Best Coffee Shops in the Flathead Valley

If you don’t already know, coffee is really really important to me. No, not just because it keeps me awake when I’m forced to get up in the mornings but because I LOVE making coffee.

Ever since I got my first coffee job at Green Beans Coffee Co. in Hawaii, I’ve been obsessed with making coffee. It’s truly something you have to work hard at to learn, and I thoroughly appreciate the process. And seeing as 50% of Americans (equivalent to 150 million peeps) drink espresso, cappuccinos, lattes, or iced/cold coffees, I’d say it’s pretty important to most of you, too.

So let’s talk favorites. I’ll take a sit down shop over the alternative any day. There’s nothing more comforting to me than sitting down in a coffee shop, sipping some fine ass bean juice, and reading or blogging. That is my happy place. But I don’t get to do that nearly as much as I’d like, so I frequently visit some of our lovely drive up shops. The following is a list of MY top 5 favorite shops in the Kalispell area.

5) Copper Mountain  – Kalispell + More (drive up)
Copper Mountain is an awesome little “chain” in Montana. They have NINE locations in Northwest Montana, which is pretty dang awesome if you ask me. These small drive up “huts” are not so small when it comes to what they offer. Breakfast, bagels, copper mountain moonshine, and awesome coffee. Fair warning, if you don’t like super sweet drinks, ask for ANY drink you order to be made “half-sweet”.

4) Sable Coffee – Kalispell (sit down + drive up)
Sable Coffee is a gorgeous new shop in North Kalispell. It has a beautiful and cozy interior, delicious coffee, and the perk of also having a drive through. Other than Starbucks and 1 tiny drive up shop that I don’t even know the name of, Sable is really the only coffee shop in North Kalispell. They have awesome themed drinks and are absolutely worth a stop!

3) Colter Coffee Roasting – Kalispell (sit down)
Forever my favorite. Forever and ever and ever. This place is what lovely coffee shop dreams are made of. Brick walls, rustic wood tables & seating, back-room couches & a downstairs “living room”.. This place is where it’s at. Not to mention, it’s open until 8 p.m. which is UNHEARD OF in the valley for a coffee. Imagine; Sitting in a cozy and dimly lit cafe, the strong smell of coffee and cinnamon fill the air, you’re looking out tall clean windows observing the quiet sleepy main street of downtown Kalispell. Time stands still while you listen to soothing indie folk music and the light chatter of people who like to take their time and escape the worries of real life.. While you take in the subtle beauty happening in front of your very eyes, you take a nibble of your freshly baked scone and a sip of your hot caramel apple cider, and you realize that no place has ever felt more like home. Sounds nice, right? It is.

2) CoPilot – Kalispell (drive up)
Oh CoPilot.. My second favorite drive up shop in the valley. This is a place that you go because it hits your top three needs for drive up coffees; 1) Speed 2) Amazing Beverages and 3) Awesome Baristas. Located in South Kalspell, this gorgeous little shop is slightly off the beaten path, on Airport Road. Here’s the kicker – they’re positioned directly in line with the Kalispell City Airport, so while you’re getting your morning coffee, you’ll most likely see small planes and helicopters landing and taking off, it’s quite a treat. Head to CoPilot for amazing coffee, made quickly and for a great price.


1) Flathead Flavor – Kalispell (drive up)
This wonderful drive up owned by the sweetest human on earth (Vanesha!) makes the best coffee in town. Hands down. Located in an amazingly convenient spot in Evergreen right off highway 35, her shop makes for the perfect pitstop on of your Flathead adventures. She also operates a coffee food truck that you can find at all kinds of events in Kalispell and the surrounding areas. Go see Vanesha for your perfect cup of Montana coffee.

This list was updated on 10/16/2021. I hope more and more places like this open up in the future, you can never have too many incredible coffee shops. There’s nothing more satisfying than seeing local businesses thrive… and hey, maybe one day I’ll own a coffee shop of my own. I guess we’ll have to wait and see. (;
So who did I miss? What’s YOUR favorite coffee shop in the Flathead? Let me know in the comments!

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