review

Local Review: Mornin’ Glory Coffee

/ Jo Redd / Leave a comment

If you are a food and coffee lover, you have to read this review.

Delivery is starting back up.

In the small town of Webster City, Iowa, you will find a gem of a coffee house: Mornin’ Glory Coffee. I discovered this small shop back in June when I switched clinic locations, and it has quickly become my favorite place to stop when I’m hungry or looking for a caffeine buzz.

They’ve got the menu posted on the wall, and it is clear that their specialty is coffee, that does not mean that their food is substandard. There are always protein bars and sweet treats like cinnamon twists and rolls near the register. When you visit for the first time, it is required that you try one of the local favorites. If it is breakfast time, the recommended item is the Hatch.

Breakfast is served until 2pm!

One of the half or whole sandwiches will hit the spot if you’re stopping for lunch. They come either cold or toasted and are tagged with chips or a really excellent soup. I recommend the roast beef because it comes with this horseradish mayo paired with aroma tomatoes and provolone cheese nestled on rye bread. A genuinely scrumptious item that never loses its appeal.

I always get the toasted roast beef sandwich for lunch.

The prices at Mornin’ Glory are reasonable, given every restaurant’s hit due to recent inflation. They certainly stand up well compared to the costs of the nearby Scooters. They have a variety of special flavors that will suit any mood and season. You’ll never find the atmosphere of this coffee shop in some franchise stop. They decorate for the seasons, they’ve got a beautifully decorated interior, and their fluorescent open sign is a welcomed sight to all. The employees working there are always cheerful, even when they are busy. It is nice to be able to stop in and chat with someone for a few minutes before heading off to work. It can be a quiet place at times, but it can also be full of people having quiet conversations or listening to music on their earbuds.

Large enough for a crowd, small enough to still feel intimate.

Kindle is great for an avid reader.

/ Jo Redd / Leave a comment

The older I get, the harder it is for me to find time to sit down and read a physical book. I don’t know if it’s because I feel like I have so many other things I need to be doing, but it had really started to bother me. I love to read. Reading was my main hobby behind watching baseball and playing softball as a kid. I have always loved to get lost in a story, and a good fiction book always left me wanting a sequel. When I was growing up, the Harry Potter series was being released, and I always had to have the book the second it was on the shelves. I was inspired to start writing because of some of my novels as a child.

I bought a membership to Kindle and initially didn’t use it very much. Now though, I love to open the app and scroll through the endless number of books at my disposal. You can find literally any genre you’re interested in. If you’re not looking to invest in a membership, the prices for books on Kindle are very reasonable. Almost every title you find has a deal applied, so you’re never paying the total cost, and frequently there is the added perk of being able to get the audible version at another heavy discount.

I have been on a non-fiction kick the last few years, and it is always interesting to dive into memoirs or other recountings of current events. Recently I decided to travel back in time and give the federalist papers another try. I highly suggest anyone wanting to better understand the founding of this country <a href="http://<iframe style="width:120px;height:240px;" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&OneJS=1&Operation=GetAdHtml&MarketPlace=US&source=ac&ref=tf_til&ad_type=product_link&tracking_id=joredd311-20&marketplace=amazon&region=US&placement=B075173F15&asins=B075173F15&linkId=e923534a08aa197730f28af910d59d8a&show_border=false&link_opens_in_new_window=false&price_color=333333&title_color=0066c0&bg_color=ffffff"> reads this book.

Planning for the Future.

/ Jo Redd / Leave a comment

Roughly three days before the end of 2021, I got an idea in my head that I needed to buy a planner for the new year. I am trying to become a freelance worker, and I don’t think I can keep everything in order if I don’t have something to write in. I love making lists and keeping track of my schedule, but sometimes it can be challenging for me to continue using planners. Normally I would consider using a regular notebook, but there’s something so blah about using just another writing book.

After checking out a couple different sites that recommend which planner to use, this is the post that sold me on getting a Clever Fox planner. I’ve only had the planner for a few days, but already I have fallen in love with it. The cover is soft, and the color green is a dark hue that makes the planner look super sleek. Its got three different bookmarks, which come in handy for marking the monthly, weekly, and daily pages.

Inside the planner, you’ve got beautifully thick pages that can hold up to the medium-point fountain pen I use, and there is no bleeding through to the backside of the page. All pages are left black for the date, which is excellent for people like me who can be sporadic with their planner usage. Initially, the planner asks for affirmations, things that give you joy, and a spot for habits that you would like to adopt over the next year. Next is a vision board, and then there are two total pages dedicated to goals for all aspects of your life.

The most important part comes next: this is where you can do some serious preparation, down to the hour if that’s what you need. The month calendars give you an area for monthly goals, as well as a place to reflect on what was successful and what you’ll work on the following month. Each month’s side is an area of specific plans of action.

For the week portion of the planner, you can set different habits you want to work on, goals and priorities for that specific week, as well as a work and personal to-do list. At the end of seven days, there is a weekly reflection to discuss what was successful and what areas of life need improvement.

Each day has a schedule you can use and areas to list daily goals, a to-do list, and a small room at the bottom to reflect on how productive your day was.

I’m already so impressed with this planner that I’m getting ready to purchase the budget planner that is also made by Clever Fox. I think I’ve finally found a product that I will continue to use and can genuinely help hone my time management skills.

If you’re interested in buying one, I suggest you look at this one!

Edit: I still love this planner, but my critiques all remain the same as of 6/4/2022