I was so excited when Grounds & Hounds Coffee Co reached out to me to try their coffee (ad)! If you’ve been keeping up with me on Instagram, I love to review coffee over there and give my honest feed back. I wasn’t sure what to expect from them, quality wise, but I wanted to reveal my honest opinions here! I’ve heard about Grounds & Hounds for a while, they strive to create coffee with a greater purpose.
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What’s great about Grounds & Hounds is 20% of their profits go to supporting pups! Through their coffee sales, they strive to support dog rescue initiatives and organizations throughout the country.
-but is Grounds & Hounds coffee any good?
well, yes! better than expected for sure. I wasn’t sure what to expect, especially since the coffee came pre-ground (which drastically reduces the freshness of the coffee). So, at first I was a bit worried. Turns out, the coffee is good coffee!
Is it the best coffee I’ve ever had?
-well, no.
Is it coffee I would purchase in the future?
-maybe. So far my favorite coffee of theirs is their “Morning Walk” blend! It’s a nice light/medium roast with unique undertones.
The mission of Grounds & Hounds is what sets them apart from other coffee companies. Knowing that when I purchase from them it goes to such a great cause is what would keep me buying coffee and other goodies from them. I really admire the dedication and money they put towards such a great cause. Who doesn’t love supporting dogs????
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I do have a discount code to save you 15% off (I don’t get anything from it), it’s “CoffeeeNut”
I’m sorry I’ve been neglecting you! It wasn’t intentional I promise.
If you know me, I “love” to keep busy so I’ve been up to a lot. I just got back from a three week vacation in Alaska and those vlogs will all be up soon on my youtube. The first Alaska vlog is actually already up here.
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My first semester of graduate school ended back in mid May and it was a hard one. I don’t even know how to describe it briefly, but it was a lot mentally and emotionally. The Australian time difference was taxing, but even more so, doing it all virtual was so isolating. It was just me in my room on zoom late at night in class all alone. It made me really miss the experience of being surrounded by other people in the same boat as me as well as being able to ask the professor questions in real time (not wait for them to check the chat minutes later).
My second semester starts tomorrow actually (I’m terrified) so that shall be interesting. Since Australian semesters go 1 & 2, instead of spring & fall, I only had about a month off as a “winter break” in semesters. I even took an accelerated course on the statistical program “R” which ended the other day. So that’s been OH so much fun.
I got a new part time job, which if you’ve keeping up with my youtube vlogs, or instagram, that would be no surprise. I hit a breaking point with my job at Lululemon and decided it was my time to move on. For shts and giggles, before leaving Lululemon, I looked into other jobs. I came across this whale watching naturalist position and though it was cool but didn’t think much past that. I briefly mentioned the job listing to family and friends and they strongly encouraged me to apply, so I did. I applied on a Saturday, got reached out for an interview that Tuesday, got hired Thursday and left Lululemon on Friday (a crazy week for sure). So I am a whale watching naturalist on a whale watching boat!
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Oh, wait, did I mention on here I got published finally? I think I did cause that seems like forever ago. But my undergraduate thesis got published alongside a professor I worked with in New Zealand earlier this year. Crazy enough, the first time my article was cited (in May) was by HARVARD!!!!!! super insane.
Anyway, I think that’s enough rambling for now.
Hope you all have been well!
As always, thanks so much for taking the time to read this!
Hello! I’ve been drowning in grad school assignments so I haven’t been posting as often as I would like. I’m hoping to go more in depth with updates in my next post but for now here’s how I like to spend my days off from work and grad school – cafe hopping, what a surprise!
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I hope you have a great week/weekend!
As always thank you SO much for all of your support,
The Upper East Side is not only known for those “Gossip Girl” vibes, but it’s a very expensive, high end area to begin with.
So, naturally, time to explore their coffee shops! What Upper East Side coffee shops are worth your time? Where can you get the best coffee on the Upper East Side of NYC?
but FIRST check out my past New York City Neighborhood coffee guides:
Soho NYC is a neighborhood densely packed with lots of boujee cafes and coffee shops: some are a hit and some are a huge miss in my opinion. To preface…
These are my top spots to get a quality cup of coffee in “The Village” in Manhattan, NYC. If you’ve been keeping up with my Instagram or my youtube, you…
Keep reading to find out if some of the top photographed Instagram cafes in New York City are worth your time. If there’s one thing you take away from this…
first impressions: Not gonna lie, I was worried since this spot is heavily talked about on social media (especially around the holidays for their aesthetic). So i was going into this coffee spot pretty skeptical. BUT! I was pleasantly surprised with how much I enjoyed their coffee!
atmosphere: even being stuck outside in the FREEZING NYC winter weather, they managed to have an amount of outdoor tables and chairs which a decent amount of people were using too! Even inside looked super cute too. They have a very specific aesthetic.
final thoughts: Very impressed. I especially enjoyed their espresso; whatever they used had a really nice undertone. Also their pistachio milk was a really nice treat. Pleasantly surprised with Ralph’s Coffee!! I would definitely come back!!!
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Oslo Coffee Roasters
I first heard of Oslo years ago when I was searching for good coffee shops to try. At first I added it to my list solely due to the name “Oslo Coffee” because my FAVORITE coffee shop in Berlin also has the same name!! You can find the full Berlin, Germany Coffee guide here.
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first impressions: THEY HAD A FLAT WHITE ON THE MENU!!! so I was immediately impressed. Super chill vibe (although everything was outside and I ordered through a small window).
atmosphere: I could tell it was super popular with the locals which is always a meaningful point. A bummer because with ordering outside I could’t get a vibe of the inside but I’m sure it’s up my alley.
final thoughts: Oslo Coffee Roasters is a bit out of the main strip of shops and such but I did really enjoy the flat white (ESPECIALLY the micro foam)!
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787 Coffee
Overall, 787 was definitely my favorite spot!
first impressions: WOW, JUST WOW. The CUTEST little coffee shop with SO much character. Stairs lead you down to a warm & cozy little cafe. The menu was heavily inspired by Puerto Rican coffee and traditions which I LOVED!
atmosphere: It was such a nice treat to have a break from the NYC Winter and get to sit inside. Recently NYC did start allowing limited indoor dining again. I found my way to the cutest little window spot surrounded by lots of plants with the light peaking in through the window. I enjoyed this little moment so so much. I really miss getting cozy at window seats at cafes.
final thoughts: I was so impressed. I’m so happy I made the trip. I loved how everything was heavily inspired by Puerto Rican culture. I definitely want to visit their other locations too!!!
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Honorable Mentions
Joe Coffee Company: Actually a chain around NYC but my first time here was in the Upper East Side. I was pleasantly surprised how good it was. Sometimes with chains their is a huge inconsistency factor but that barista who made my oat milk cortado was very talented!
Variety Coffee Roasters: I sadly haven’t been here yet, but based on reviews of people I trust I do think I’d enjoy it here. I figured I should still mention this one!
(photo taken from google)
And there you have it! Another New York City coffee shop guide in the books.
If you liked this guide, or found it helpful please let me know! I’d really love feedback.
I filmed an updated full Masters Journey. I tried to make the video more cohesive than my original one. I go more into detail on some of the more recent updates. Thanks so much for sticking with me through this journey!
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As always thank you SO much for all of your support,
Lots of love,
ALSO
What kind of content would you like more of from me?
If you’ve been keeping up with my masters degree journey of the ups and downs, the questions & the unknowns…
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BUT if not, here’s a quick rundown: I applied to get into a masters program in Australia last year that I was dreaming of, got rejected, was told I didn’t quality for the degree but I reapplied, got accepted, was told I could do some courses online as I’m still very much stuck in states, tried to enroll in courses, was told last week that it might actually not be possible to start online with all of the lab and field work, and FINALLY last night was told that I could officially take courses online (at least part time to start) and I WILL be able to start my masters degree while stuck here in the states with the Australian borders being closed.
Here is an update to my post yesterday so check that out here first! My call with my professor last night went more somber than i ever thought was possible. I’m feeling much better today than I was yesterday. Basically, it’s up in the air if i can even start my masters online since the degree is a lot of lab and field…
I guess you could call this part two of “road to my masters”. Just me being honest here. I got another update on the graduate program I’ve been trying to apply to for very close to two years now. Here’s the next update: Thanks, as always, for all the support, Ashleigh
I decided to finally sit down and lay my entire masters journey out. Check out the video below (it’s a long one) while maybe sipping on a nice cup of coffee. I really wanted to create a cohesive bit with everything from how I got into marine science, how I chose my masters program and hopefully where I’ll be going from here. *spoiler…
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okay, that was a lot, but yeah, that’s what’s going on.
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So, I get to start at least two courses this month (the start of the Australian semester) and they sound incredible i’m so excited! and then if I’m still unable to get into Australia by July (fingers crossed I’ll be able to), there are some courses lined up for me that I would be able to take second semester this year. so it’s been a rollercoaster of yes and no’s, ups and downs, and LOTS of anxiety.
Sadly the rollercoaster is far from over but I am so thrilled to say that I will FINALLY be able to start my masters this month. WOW.
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I ALSO filmed a full video update going more in detail into all of this and I will be posting that later this week!
As always thank you SO much for all of your support,
Here is an update to my post yesterday so check that out here first!
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My call with my professor last night went more somber than i ever thought was possible. I’m feeling much better today than I was yesterday.
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Basically, it’s up in the air if i can even start my masters online since the degree is a lot of lab and field work (which i knew but I was under the impression that it was still possible to start online). I was recommended to think if i even still wanted to continue with the degree I’ve been fighting for THREE years now. I was asked to think about if i was to defer my enrollment, pushing this mess back even more time + can i just say I am so sick of all of this “pushing back”?? I know i’m very much not alone but seriously. all our lives have been on pause for a year now.
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So as I already felt so anxious and like the biggest turd for it taking three years for me to even get into a masters program, now no one know if I’ll even be able to start it. so my mind is beyond in the gutter. I’m questioning everything and anything about my life. I’ll be okay, just an update there.
I emailed my professor back and mentioned that I still want to continue on with my degree the best I can online.
I’m most active over on my Instagram so check that out!
Long time no real talk. I apologize for that! I guess I haven’t really felt I had anything interesting to really post about. After everything with the holidays and my family my mind has been overall great, but still all over. More than anything, my first graduate school semester is creeping up.
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With Australian International borders still being very much closed, my graduate school degree will be starting online. I’ve thankfully come to terms with although this isn’t an ideal situation, I understand it’s out of my control. Thankfully this newish degree (not the one I originally applied for back in June 2020, but both degrees are within the same department) is able to start some courses online. The Australian semester starts end of February so I still have some time to mentally prepare for that.
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Actually this week’s graduate school saga has mainly been focused on enrolling in my courses. I attempted to earlier in the week but when I went to actually enroll it said the courses were only available in person… soooo….
I reached out to the professor I’ve been in contact with over there and we are thankfully chatting tonight. I’m hoping the chat will really sort out the jumbled mess that is my brain right now haha. I’m like will my classes be live? will I need to become a night owl to take them with the time difference? do I need any textbooks? are academic advisors a thing in Australia? I have so many questions.
I also have been struggling to come up with helpful, worthwhile content on here. Last year it was a bit easier as I could post about a bunch of past trips and such that I’ve been on. With the pandemic still being full force, I barely have left the 20 mile radius around me.
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I’ve been really enjoying slower mornings. The pandemic really opened myself up to them. I’ve been still loving my pour over coffee at home and of course my cat. I hope all of you have been well!
I’ve been a bit behind the Christmas content because of some family things. Everyone is safe! We are all quarantining for two weeks. Here is a vlog where I go into everything.
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ALSO DON’T FORGET I have a giveaway going on in this post
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As always, thanks so much for taking the time to read this!
Happy Sunday! I haven’t done one of these in a while so I thought this post would be a nice treat for all of you (gifted, not an ad).
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I do currently have a giveaway going on with them over on my Instagram here!
I’m here to chat a bit about Bean & Bean Coffee Roasters out of New York City. Family owned and women-led specialty coffee roaster out of NYC for over 10 years! They stand for gender equity – focusing on partnering with female coffee producers and over half of their coffee is sourced from female led farms!!!
It’s so nice to hear even in the coffee roasting community, there are companies striving for gender equity in the field!
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WOWWW! I love the morals and values that they are bringing to the coffee community!
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Let’s Talk Coffee
So lately I’ve been sipping on their Indonesia Sumatra. It’s a nice smooth dark roast with heavy, tart cherry undertones. It’s a nice roast to have first thing in the morning as a pick me up!
The mother-daughter team that runs Bean & Bean Coffee ACTUALLY are professionally trained to cup coffee. This means that they reallyyyy know what their doing.
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Fun Fact: a dream of mine has always been to go to a coffee cupping and be taught how to professionally taste coffee undertones.
The Bean and Bean Coffee Partnership with the Sloth Institute
Bean and Bean Coffee Roasters also focuses on working with small coffee farms who work alongside the environment RATHER THAN deforesting it. They partner with the Sloth Institute (hint hint their adorable packaging) where % of online coffee sales goes directly to care for the sloths in need.
When they mentioned this to me I was so happy to hear as I personally didn’t even think about the deforestation aspect of coffee farming.
