making the most out of my morning

Coffee...is there anything it can't do?

As of late I've spoiled myself by getting a coffee grinder and purchasing my beans from local roasters (Conscious Coffee and Boxcar Roasters in Boulder are almost, if not equal to, my all time favorite Stumptown Coffee from Portland,OR). I'm willing to splurge a few extra dollars because, like I said, I'm now spoiled and the regular grocery brands just aren't as appealing anymore. So in an attempt to not let any of my little luxury go to waste, I've been thinking up ways to savor even the coffee grounds.

Back when I lived in a house, I had a wonderful compost pile in which I would deposit coffee grounds, food scraps, and yard clippings. I miss that little pile, especially when I note the weekly amount of garbage that accumulates in our apartment. I've read in a lot of places that coffee grounds make a great exfoliant, so I thought to give it a try this morning. I made my coffee and breakfast, did some reading, then decided to use my buzz to go to the gym. Ok, ok, drag myself to the gym. When I came back home to shower off, I snagged the used coffee filter and grounds from the Mr. Coffee and was pleased to note that the bundle was still nice and warm. If any of you want to try this, I'd recommend placing your filter and grounds in a dish of some sort so you don't drip all over the place. Once in the shower I scrubbed and scrubbed, and it was delightfully tingly. I've heard the caffeine can even make your skin feel buzzed. Followed by my Dr. Bronner's magic soap, to which I like to add some coconut essential oils, I felt smooth and delicious. The only drawback is your shower might be covered in grounds and look icky, but I don't think it's hurting anything.

I don't think I'll be doing this every day, but I'd definitely recommend trying it now and then! I have a list of other ways to use your coffee grounds that maybe I'll be trying soon:

-Massage grounds into your scalp to soften and add shine. This is especially great for brunettes, it really brings out your highlights!

-Fertilize plants.

-Rub coffee grounds on hands after chopping pungent foods to get rid of odors.

-dye fabric or paper with old coffee grounds for an antique look.

-for scratches in wooden furniture, rub some moist coffee grounds to fill in the scratch marks.

Fellow coffee lovers, savor away!