If your house is spotless and you can’t go to bed if there’s a dirty dish in the kitchen, this is not for you. The rest of us need to find ways to keep housework from overwhelming us or just getting left undone.

Do Your Housecleaning in Stages

Think about it and make a plan to break housecleaning down into units you can handle easily. Try cleaning one room a day. Not that you have to do one every day, but consider how many rooms you have and schedule accordingly. The job won’t seem so overwhelming if you do a little every day, or every other day.

Another approach is to do one cleaning process a day. Do a “put-away” blitz through the whole house and put everything away one day. Dust everywhere the next day. Vacuum all carpets and/or sweep all floors the next. Do the bathrooms and kitchen. Mop all linoleum or tile floors. Just remember to work from the top down…dirt falls. The secrets of housekeeping will be available with домоуправител под наем софия. Proper information can be gathered from online sites to hiring of the professional manager. The work will be different and unique from ordinary housekeeping person through the experts.

This method works with larger periodic cleaning chores like windows or decorating for Christmas.

A note on the put-away blitz: As you take things from one room to another, gather up things in that room that go to another, in a round robin style. Make it a challenge to avoid leaving a room empty handed.

Distribute extra cleaning equipment and supplies

Keep a broom and dust pan in a distant bathroom or closet for non-carpeted areas. Stock each bathroom as well as the kitchen with appropriate cleaning products, paper towels and/or sponges.

Reduce Dish-washing

Empty the dishwasher soon after use so you can store dirty dishes in it instead of having to leave them on the counter.

When you finish a snack or drink, deal with the dishes and silverware right then. Many will do with just a rinse under hot tap water. Keep a sponge laced with dish washing detergent on the sink to give a swipe as needed. Anything greasy, pop it directly into the dishwasher, (See why you don’t want to leave the clean dishes in there?) unless there’s food stuck to it. Put it in the sink and fill with hot water – dishwasher later. Hot water is your best friend when it comes to reducing dish washing!

This may distress your mother, but consider refrigerating a serving size leftover in the dish you will eat it out of instead of a proper storage container. One less item to wash. Explore your collection of plastic containers for lids that fit your bowls and cups. (The lids from oatmeal cartons fit my soup mugs.)

Organize clothing storage

When spring weather has finally turned really truly permanently warm, move all your winter clothes to the far end of the closet. Pack all gloves/scarves/hats away. Put sweaters and heavy sweat suits behind the shorts and tank tops. When it turns cold in the fall, reverse the process. If this sounds like a big job, move a few things each time you get dressed.

Tame the Laundry

If you have room, set up two tall bins for dirty laundry. Drop whites and light colors in one and darks in the other. Keep a zippered mesh lingerie bag in the whites bin for bras and nylons. Prevents the bra hooks from snagging sweaters and makes it easy to keep all the bras and nylons out of the dryer. They last longer being hung up to dry.

Do one load of laundry at a time, say one each evening.

To make that load easier to handle, spread a shirt on the floor and pile the rest of the laundry on it. Pick it up by the sleeves and the corners of the tails – instant bag!

Collect empty hangers from the closets and take with you to the laundry.

Fold and sort everything as you pull it out of the dryer rather than piling it up to do later – fewer wrinkles, easier to put away, and one less handling. Put everything that gets hung up on hangers right out of the dryer, even those items that need ironing. They will need less, if any, when they’re hung up fresh out of the dryer.

And Five Ounces of Prevention

Put an aluminum foil cookie sheet under your pets’ food and water dishes to catch what they scatter.

Keep a little laundry basket in the kitchen for cloth napkins, kitchen towels and potholders.

If you don’t wear shoes in the house, keep a pair of slip-ons by the back door so you can go outside without having to go find shoes.

Save the plastic bags that produce comes in. Put garbage in one, squeeze out excess air, tie it shut and put in the trash. No more messy stinky trash.

Store the loose parts and accessories to a small kitchen appliance or gadget in a plastic container – from a margarine tub to a plastic shoe box. The thing is supposed to be a labor-saving device, so make it easy to use.

The Right Way to Fire Someone

Through years of hiring and firing it has been my observation that the best way to avoid firing someone, is to hire the right person in the first place. No matter how hard we try, however, there are times when an employee just does not fit.

In today’s litigious world, it seems we managers and HR folks spend more time covering our tails than we do managing resources. We must learn everything there is to know about our firm’s legal rights and the rights of our employees and balance that knowledge with a good dose of insight into human nature.

New managers seem to have the same issue when confronted with the tough task of letting someone go…fear. Fear the employee will become volatile, fear the company won’t back them up, fear they will be haunted by the experience, etc. The remedy to all these concerns is preparedness. Have the process in place before you ever need it. It sounds simple, but you would be surprised how few folks are truly prepared when firing time comes. The selection of the payboy official website should be done through the business organizations. The services of the software for human resource management will be reliable for the person.

The process begins from the date of hire. Policies, goals and expectations must be provided in detail and frequent verbal and written evaluations of employee performance are required. Employees must understand what is expected of them and the exact steps the employer will take if those expectations are not met. Employees must also understand the correct process for disputing any of the employer’s actions. Proper documentation and communication are the only ways to avoid disastrous termination issues.

If a manager has practiced due diligence, the actual termination should come as no surprise to the employee. The best way to approach the actual termination conversation, is to calmly and assertively state the obvious. Use a respectful tone and look the employee in the eye. Keep it simple. “John, as you know, we have been working together for months to get your job performance on track. Unfortunately, you have not met your goals and we must terminate you. If you have specific questions about your performance or the need for this action, I would be happy to answer them. I wish you luck in the future.” Don’t get nervous or embellish. If the employee has questions, provide documentation of his job performance. If the employee becomes disrespectful in any way, ask them to leave and call in security of needed. It is advisable to have a second person attend the termination interview, for example a department head or HR representative.

These are just a few ideas to help make the firing process a little less stressful. No manager wants to terminate an employee, but it is sometimes the best option for BOTH employer and employee.

Sheetrock in your house can be easily damaged by water. One of the sources of water can be from ice damming that occurs during the winter months in cold, snowy climates. The ice dam allows water to sit on the roof and slowly leak into the attic and walls.

Fix Water Damage Promptly

If you see water spots starting to form on your ceiling or walls, you will want to take action immediately. I have found that by the time you see the damaged sheetrock there might already be mold and roof damage that you can’t see. The insulation in the attic could be wet and compacted, which makes it less energy efficient.

Remove the Ice Dam

The first step to fixing the water damage will be to get rid of the ice dam. If you do not get rid of the ice dam you will continue to have water dripping in slowly and do more damage to your real estate. Read my article “How to Get Rid of an Ice Dam Without Damaging Your House” for more information on how to remove an ice dam safely.

Remove Water Damaged Sheetrock

You will want to remove the damaged sheetrock to expose the wood studs or rafters that are behind it. By removing the water damaged sheetrock you will be able to see the extent of the damage that the ice dam has caused.

I would not recommend painting over a water stain to hide it. Painting may be a temporary solution if you are not able to fix it right away, but eventually you will want to replace the sheetrock.

Assess the Damage

Now that the water damaged sheetrock is off, you can see what needs to be done. Take the time to look at the roof sheeting and trusses and note any mold or rot. Have a professional contractor fix any roof trusses or rafters that need to be repaired.

In the walls you might find wood studs that are completely rotten and need to be replaced. If the ice dam problem is new, or if it doesn’t happen frequently, you probably won’t have wood that is rotted yet. There is a good chance, however, that you will find mold.

Clean and Treat for Mold

To prevent mold from growing, use an anti-mold cleaning agent. However, if mold has already started growing, clean off all mold that you can access. Use soapy water to help get it off. After all of the visible mold is off, you should then tread the wood with an anti-mold cleaning agent. This will kill the mold spores and hopefully stop mold from coming back. Once you put the sheetrock back on you can no longer see the mold growing, and it could make the air in your home hazardous. Do it right the first time, and you will save time and money.

Once the wood is dry again you can put new sheetrock on. Go ahead and tape and texture like you normally would to match the existing sheetrock.

Prevent a Future Ice Dam

Now that the ice dam is gone and the sheetrock is fixed, you will want to prevent the ice dam from ever forming again. Read my article “How to Prevent an Ice Dam from Forming” to learn methods of preventing future ice dams. The water damage does not have to happen again.

It is quite difficult to handle one ice dam so you can imagine the problems that can be caused if one more pops up in its place so therefore it is better to prevent it from happening. Apart from the above article, you can also visit http://roofrestorationperthwa.com.au for some new tips.

Windows 7 offers a new way to repair and fix your computer when the operating system fails. The Windows 7 installation CD has a “Startup Repair” console with several original options such as system repair and new options such as a memory diagnostic tool. Many users are unaware of this Windows repair feature, which can save you from reinstalling the operating system and losing important files and applications.

Where is the Windows Startup Repair Option?

The Startup Repair option is found on the Windows 7 installation CD. Another option for Windows 7 users is to create a system repair disk. A system repair disk is a CD or DVD that contains the necessary boot files, and it can also be used to repair Windows system files. You bring up the system repair disk by inserting it into your drive and booting your machine. The computer detects the boot disk and asks you to press any key to continue booting to the CD.

Fixing Your Computer from the Startup Repair Menu

Several options are available on the Startup Repair menu. Each option repairs or checks a different part of your computer. The following are the list of options and what they can do to repair your computer:

Startup Repair: The Startup Repair menu option fixes your computer if the Windows 7 boot files are corrupt. It’s also a good option if your computer has been infected with a virus, and the virus deleted or corrupted the boot files. The startup repair option replaces the boot files with a clean version from your installation or recovery disk.

System Restore: The system restore is the main option if your registry corrupts or your computer will not boot. It can be used if you installed an update and the computer boots to a blue screen. The system restore uses backup registry files, which are saved each time Windows applies an update or hotfix to your computer.

System Image Recovery: The system image recovery option is similar to the system restore, except it uses an entire image to repair the computer. This means all of your applications and files are restored from the point when you created the image.

Memory Diagnostics: Sometimes, the issue with the computer is just bad memory. The memory diagnostics tool does a full check on the memory to ensure that the issues you experience aren’t bad computer hardware. If the memory diagnostic fails, then replacing the memory will fix your computer issues.

Command Prompt: Choosing the command prompt brings you to the Windows command line utility. From here, you can copy important files from the installation disk to the hard drive in an attempt to fix other issues.

Just follow the above steps in a sequential manner and you will get the results sooner than expected as repairing the system is of utmost importance to have all the functions in order and Laptop and computer repair Didcot is one of the best alternatives for the job.

Cannabidioloil, also known as CBD is a type of substance which is derived from hemp and are rich in therapeutic properties. It has been proven clinically that CBD also contain non-psychoactive properties, which means that it is devoid of THC. The use of CBD goes back to many decades, as it comes with different health benefits like calming anxiety, treating sleeping disorder, healing inflammation and others. It has also been proven that CBD oil can be equally useful and beneficial for your pets. If you own a dog, in that case, treating him/her with CBD oil on a regular basis can certainly yield good results.

Few of the Best CBD Oils for Dogs

Here is a brief insight into the best 5 CBD oils which are available in the market for dogs.

• Fab CBD Dog Treats:

This oil comes in three different flavors and is infused with CBD extracts. It doesn’t contain soy, corn, dairy or wheat

• Medterra CBD Pet Tincture:

It contains more than 99% of pure CBD along with MCT coconut oil. It is GMO free and comes in 3 different flavors.

• NuLeaf Naturals Pet CBD Oil:

This particular product is made of 100% organic ingredients. The extracts of non-GMO plants are primarily used in making of this product. It is believed to be a perfect product for your dog.

• Honest Paws:

It contains 100% pure CBD oil and is made of natural ingredients. Besides, it is also GMO free. It comes in 3 different purity levels.

• CBDistillery Pet Tincture:

This particular product is prepared using different types of organic hemp and non-GMO. It is made using the process of clod-press extraction.

These are the 5 best CBD oil for dogs which are available in the market. Apart from these, you have various other different brands to choose from.

We have all done it; you know what I’m talking about. It is dark outside, no one is around there it is right there for the taking. You look and look and look. I’m talking of course about taking something from the trash. Dumpster diving, curb crawling, gleaning, scavenging, finding buried treasure, whatever you call it, it is still always the same. People toss out stuff that is completely normal. People toss trash everyday. But once in awhile people toss out perfectly good items that literally could be just about anything. TV’s Microwaves, old sofas, end tables, the remains of their yard sale, whatever it is it will end up poking out of someone’s garbage can down the street and you will want to take a look at it.

Now in today’s society there is a tone of waste. Recent surveys have shown that Americans waste close to 50% of the food, which enters the country or is produced here. On top of that food waste there is a large amount of industrial waste, such as TV’s, scrap metal, old computers, all sorts of stuff that could find the right home without a problem. So if there is so much waste then why is there such a stigma on people picking through trash. It would seem that the logical thing to do would be to look down upon people wasting these items, not upon the people redeeming them to a new life. Perhaps it is a sign of desperation, a man digging through garbage clearly is in need of something correct? Devil’s advocate would say “yes” but I say “no”. Just because a man is looking through trash doesn’t mean he is in need of anything, perhaps he finds it a source of entertainment? Who knows? Also, with the dumpster rental Pomona, ca, it is obvious that trash picking is not a bad thing. It is actually one of the best ways to look for some valuable things. As what they always say, there is  money in the trash.

The fact of the matter is that many American families pitch perfectly good items on a daily basis, and truly one man’s trash can be another man’s treasure. Further more the industrial and retail sectors are constantly looking for the quick buck. Industrial factories will pitch perfectly good equipment and buy new just to get the tax write off for the new equipment. Retail establishments will pitch items, which are not selling well enough or if they have a minor defect such as a scratch or dent. One would like to think that our society is not nearly this wasteful, and one would be right. See when someone picks through the trash when a man sees that TV on the curb and goes and gets it he is stopping the chain. He is recycling, reusing. That person is a member of the same society that discarded the item to begin with. While there seems to be a stigma behind digging through the trash, one thing is for sure, if it was not for the people who do, then we would all be worse off.

So the next time you see that TV go ahead and grab it, take it home and see if it works. If not then put it out on your curb and write “Broken” with a permanent marker on the screen. Then the next guy that comes along won’t waste his time or energy, or perhaps he will take it and scrap it for the copper inside. Most of all don’t look down on the guy who pulls up next to the dumpster with a flashlight and takes a look inside. He may have just tossed something on accident, or maybe his kid lost his retainer, or maybe the guy is trying to save the world from impending environmental disaster due to global warming and over consumption. Who Knows? But you don’t, so don’t assume or judge or scorn him.

Laura Abercrombie is an up-and-coming artist. Here we discuss her involvement with the band North Atlantic Drift, the story behind her paintings, and her plans for the future and how you can start your painting career and get inspiration from paintingkits.net about that.

When did you first start painting? What is the technique you use most often?

I started painting at the age of 14 in school and took every art-related program our high school offered. When continuing my studies at Sheridan College, I learned the techniques applied to many of my paintings today. With the use of “matte medium” translucent layers have now become part of the way I structure a painting.

Are you influenced or inspired by any other artist? What artist is your favorite?

The Canadian landscape artists from the group of seven have inspired my work a lot. Lawren Harris is one of my favorites; I love his use of bright colors and smooth lines in his painting.

Why do you choose physis (nature) as your main medium? Do you go outside to paint such pictures or do you paint from memory (and imagination)?

Nature is such a huge part of who I am because I grew up in the tiny village of Inverhuron, in Ontario, Canada. Situated right on Lake Huron the environment was filled with inspiration for a painter, from the beautiful sand beaches and sunsets on the lake to the woods that surrounded my home. I have painted from memory and with the use of my own photographs.

Do you listen to music while you paint? What bands or musicians are most inspiring to you while you paint?

Music is a must when painting! I enjoy the harmonies of the Fleet Foxes, Daughter, Laura Marling as well as more ambient music like North Atlantic Drift. Sometimes I prefer music without lyrics so it doesn’t distract me from painting.

Can you explain how your painting is involved with the band, North Atlantic Drift?

When my husband, Mike Abercrombie (band member), was putting together imagery for the first album “Canvas” he mentioned how some of his photography would look amazing as paintings. I agreed and completed the large canvas as a gift for him.

I really enjoyed your paintings labeled as “Old School” on your blog. Have you considered doing more paintings of people? Do your painting with the naked woman and the skeleton have a name? (It’s one of my favorites). Is there a story behind it?

I did the paintings of people when I was at college in my painting class. It doesn’t have a name or story really, just a life drawing/anatomy study from the use of a model. I haven’t considered doing many paintings of people but it might be something I explore in the future since I’ve received a lot of compliments on that one piece in particular.

What was going through your mind as you painted “Abstract Commission”? It’s beautiful…What about “Trees Through Mist”- is there a story behind any of these paintings as well?

I was trying to do something different by loosening my style when I painted “Abstract Commission”. “Trees through Mist” is one I did from memory after an early morning drive to work through the countryside. I wanted to play up the sense of depth on this one and try to experiment with a technique to paint fog.

What is your favorite painting done so far?

The painting using North Atlantic Drift imagery is my favorite. I like the cold, calming effect it has an eerie silhouette. This was a familiar memory of mine, walking along the icy shores of Lake Huron.

Are you currently working on any new projects?

I’m doing a commission of nature paintings right now. It’s a set of three paintings that hang together and it is very detailed. In the new year, I’m staring into a series of abstract canvases based on a water theme. The goal is to hold a collaborative exhibition with these abstract paintings accompanied by an ambient soundtrack created by my husband.

Imagine checking on your baby and finding that he or she has stopped breathing. What do you do? Who do you call? The obvious solution is to call 911. What if you are alone? How do you administer CPR and call 911 too? What if the ambulance is delayed? Do you know what to do until they arrive? The best way to be assured of your baby’s safety is to plan for each situation. Here’s what to do before your baby stops breathing and how to react when they do. Apart from that there are many other aspects regarding health of baby that should be taken care of and in order to achieve the task there is a need to follow https://www.mypillapp.com/saw-palmetto-and-testosterone/ carefully.

Take a class

Every parent should take first aid and CPR classes before their baby is born. These classes are available through the Red Cross and other organizations. Most are quite inexpensive. Think about the value of these classes compared to your baby’s life if they should stop breathing or you encounter another emergency situation. If you can’t afford classes, check out your public library. There you should find books on first aid, CPR and other emergency situations.

Remain calm

The worst thing you can do if your baby stops breathing is panic. Knowing what to do can help. Sometimes babies who have stopped breathing will respond to a gentle touch, shout or nudge by starting to breathe again. Check for obstructed breathing as well. If you have not taken any first aid or CPR classes, calling 911 puts you in touch with people who do. They can walk you through CPR and show you how to give artificial respiration until help arrives. Never leave your baby alone to run to an available phone. Bring them with you, while performing CPR.

If you’re not alone

Call out to the other person for help first. Try nudging the baby to startle them into breathing again. Always check for obstructed breathing before beginning CPR. This should all be done as rapidly and calmly as possible. Your baby’s life depends on reacting automatically and quickly. Call 911 even if the baby starts breathing in response to initial efforts. One person should call 911 while the other person performs CPR.

If you’re alone

What do you do if you’re alone and your baby stops breathing? You can’t call 911 and administer CPR at the same time. Check to see that the baby is not choking, then start CPR. Remember that CPR for infants is different than CPR for adults. Call 911 after beginning CPR in between breaths. Give your address clearly. Explain to the 911 operator that you are alone with your baby who has stopped breathing. Let them know you are putting them on speaker phone while you continue CPR. The building of the hormones and testosterone in male will be remarkable through the consumption of the pills. The dosage should be there after checking the reaction of the pills with the human body. 

Where to find instructions

For a helpful printable pictorial instruction for infant CPR go here. This pictorial prints on one page that can be taped to the nursery wall or refrigerator for easy reference. This can be a lifesaving strategy when leaving infants with babysitters, or for your own personal reference. When your baby stops breathing, it may be difficult to recall the steps of CPR. The web page also has an instructional video you can click on.

Please Note: The author is not a licensed medical professional. This article is for general information purposes only. Consult your doctor for information on CPR classes and what to do if your baby stops breathing.

We can have numerous discussions on health with interesting twists and turns but there will be no end to the topic. On the contrary, there is so much to talk that the conversation keeps getting more and more interesting as new theories pop up all the time.

When we look up for remedy for everyday problems like joint and muscle pain, CBD oil is one of the most ingredients that come in handy but very few people are aware that it can be used as a substitute for cooking oil as well.

In fact, it has been found to have far greater results by making the food tastier when compared to the cooking oil of various reputed brands in the supermarket, which is only to be expected seeing that the latter has artificial flavor and chemicals in large quantities.

Eat Healthy Live Well

It goes without saying that you must eat healthy and nutritious food in order for your body to remain fit, fine and devoid of diseases and ailments. As a bonus, you can also avail the benefits of CBD oil as it has different medicinal properties to its name.

It would be an interesting combination of a healthy body and nutritious diet that satisfies the taste buds when generally the latter means that the other body parts are in jeopardy.

Tips for cooking CBD oil:

1. The aroma of CBD oil is so great that you would be tempted to overuse to make the food tastier but don’t fall for it as it has the opposite effect
2. Any reputed CBD oil company would want its product to be of the highest quality but when you use it to cook food never use ingredients that are subpar but only meat and avocado
3. Keep the temperature normal as the oil is sensitive to excessive heat and light and keep it away from direct flame and don’t let it exceed more than 100 degree fahrenheit

When I recently discovered that, due to a sudden, unpleasant health condition, I had to give up coffee (even decaf) for an indeterminate amount of time, I did what any other addict would do, and went on a quest; a quest for some sort of substitute to calm my cravings until I could have the “real stuff” back. 

(I have yet to admit that the day may never come).

The result of my long and frustrating endeavor yielded one (and only one) acceptable product; a “Caffeine-free herbal” coffee; Teeccino. Moreover, I also came across the best coffee shop coffee supplier in my region as well. 

Pronounced “Tee-chino” (a fusion of tea and cappuccino I suppose, although there isn’t any tea in it), Teeccino is an herbal “coffee-free coffee”, conceived as an alternative for folks who enjoy and crave coffee but either cannot have it or wish to start eliminating caffeine from their diet.

In lieu of roasted coffee, the product contains a mixture of roasted barley, carob, chicory, dates, and figs as its base, with additional grains and fruits added into different blends to create a variety of flavors.

It’s also worth noting that despite containing grains, the end result is gluten-free and thus safe for people with gluten allergies. It also contains no soy (which is the other alternative for creating a coffee-substitute product), and so won’t affect soy-sensitive folks.

According to the product website, there is a whole slew of reasons for why people want to eliminate not just caffeine, but coffee entirely from their diet. I won’t go into all of it here, especially since I’m not entirely convinced the “scientific evidence” isn’t biased, but it does provide for an interesting read. I’ve provided the company website at the end of this review if you’re so inclined to investigate on your own.

While I’m always a bit skeptical with regards to “herbal substitutes” of foods and flavors, what caught my attention the most was the founder, Caroline MacDougall. Prior to her invention of Teeccino, MacDougall was part of the product development team for the ‘Republic of Tea’ brand. For many years, the Republic of Tea has been one of my favored tea brands; consistently delivering very high-quality tea products with amazing flavors. So, given this knowledge, I had a bit more faith in this strange herbal-coffee concoction and decided to take the plunge.

I was happy to discover that while it’s not greatly available retail wise, my local Whole Foods did indeed carry this product.

I wanted to try the Mediterranean “mocha” flavor, as that is said to be easier for people transitioning in terms of flavor and I didn’t have the option of slowly introducing it along with regular coffee. So, of course, it figures that Wholefoods didn’t have the Mediterranean mocha. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to try the straight “original” flavor though and opted to settle on the flavored “Almond Amaretto”. I’m a fan of flavored coffee, and almond in particular, so I figured this would go over well, with the idea that the almonds may hide otherwise potential unpleasantness in the taste.

On my way home I couldn’t help myself and opened it just a bit for a preliminary sniff. Anyone who enjoys coffee knows the smell is just as intoxicating, and important as the taste. Immediately I was assaulted with an almost alcoholic aroma of almonds. No coffee smell at all, but a rich, amaretto smell.

I wound up brewing this in my Senseo the way I might any other coffee – creating a “pod” with the same amount of grind I normally use: 1tblspn for 8 oz of water.

The grind listed as “medium” and was of the same color and fineness as coffee of the same grind; a dark almost black brown of sand-sized grains. However, while coffee is uniform (because it’s just…coffee), this, being a herbal product of mixed ingredients, showed flicks of equally sized tan and light brown pieces. Presumably, these were the almond and maybe barley, or fig/date pieces.

The color of the brew itself was also pleasingly uniform, and the same color of coffee, also producing surprisingly the same lovely foam/froth that coffee gathers on the top when made with the Senseo’s “forced water” method.

Unfortunately, it did lack the signature, enticing aroma of freshly brewed coffee as it emerges. Once brewed, the liquid itself does have a nice rich odor, again more reminiscent of almonds than coffee, which doesn’t waft about much, but is present when holding the cup near your face.

A tentative sip of the initial black brew gave a first impression which didn’t exactly make me think I was drinking the real thing but didn’t make me spit it out directly either. It was bold, slightly bitter, and amaretto more than anything else, in the impression. It lacked the subtleness, and bouquet quality of fine coffee, which may be a hard thing for connoisseurs to swallow.

Both the package and the website, however, mention that due to some natural sugar in the dates and figs you may not need to add any. I decided to just add flavored creamer until it turned the color I liked. With the cream in, it had a pleasant ‘creamy-almond’ sweet smell that hinted of coffee, which never fully emerged.

So far, I was pleasantly surprised at how well it did emulate coffee. No, it’s definitely not the real thing, but it comes pretty close at the same time. Again, it’s no match for very fine, high-quality coffees, but comparatively, isn’t any less “coffee tasting” then some convenience store/gas station coffee I’ve had. (Actually, I think this was better).I should also note, that while some coffee drinks contain “coffee flavoring”, this does not. The fact that the creators of this managed to capture so many coffee-like qualities, in terms of flavor and aroma, without using artificial coffee flavor, gives tribute to their method and quality of the product.

In any case, the end result is still pleasing. It could definitely be worse

The “weight” and “mouth feel” of the drink was also pleasantly on target. When I initially discovered and read about this “herbal coffee”, I couldn’t help but tell myself that it would be too difficult to recreate the “heft” of coffee and that this would be little more than coffee-flavored tea, at best.

I was really, really pleased then to find that this was not just flavored water, but did carry that heaviness of coffee, even without creamer. I think I’m more impressed by this recreation than anything else.

There is a slight bitterness there that some coffee lovers may embrace as one of the signatures of coffee, but I found it to be a bit distracting. It is somewhat faint sour bitterness in the back of the mouth, which hits a second or two after drinking it. It’s not terrible, but a bit distracting from the overall flavor.

At almost $10 for an 11oz bag, I’m not going to rush out and buy another flavor before I finish this one, but I definitely think I will try a few other flavors to see how they compare. (Mocha, if I can find it, is next, followed by Hazelnut)

Finally, the Teeccino website mentions that, while there is absolutely zero caffeine, the drink has been reported to give a slight “energy boost” after drinking. Technically, this may be true. Caffeine isn’t the only chemical that can boost energy, and this does contain a bit of natural fruit sugar, which may be enough for a minor boost, although I really doubt there’s enough sugar on its own to do much. On the other hand, if you like your coffee very sweet, additional sugar along with the natural sugar may give you a bit of the boost. There may also be something to be said for qualities of the inulin, and chicory components that have been known to help the body naturally increase its energy. (These ingredients, therefore, don’t give direct energy, but help enhance normal metabolic processes.)

I can’t really say I felt like I was given an energy boost after drinking it, although prior to drinking I was feeling quite sleepy and ready for a nap, and after drinking about half a mug, I no longer felt the need for a nap at least. Whether or not this is linked to the drink itself, I couldn’t say.

Overall, I have to give this product a 4 out of 5 ratings.

While it really doesn’t taste or smell “just” like coffee, it has a strong enough taste and feel of coffee to be acceptable as a substitute. This would fool only the most inexperienced coffee drinkers, but at the same, it should be acceptable and pleasing for experienced drinkers.