Here’s how to make a Grande No Sew Coffee Coat:

• Go to your local coffee shop and snag a cardboard coffee sleeve to use as your pattern.
• On your way home stop by the craft store and pick up some faux fur, felt, or other fabulous fabric.
• Open the cardboard coffee sleeve and trace it on the back side of your chosen fabric.
• Cut the fabric. Then, using craft glue, paste the fabric directly onto the cardboard sleeve or onto a sheet of foam fabric cut to the same shape of the coffee sleeve to give it a little structure.
• Position the sleeve around a disposable coffee cup to gauge sizing, remove, and glue the ends together. You might want to allow the glue to dry by placing your masterpiece under a stack of books for a few hours.
• Optional step: Embellish with decorative ribbon or cord but don’t go overboard, because that’s just tacky.

You might be wondering…

What does this have to do with Fitness and/or Spice? Not much, but I felt this would exercise our creativity. Work with me people.

Would these make good gifts? No, they would make great gifts. Give them to the coffee or tea lover on your shopping list along with a gift card, coffee, tea, or hot chocolate mix.

Coffee Coat? That’s cute, but why didn’t you call them a Coffee Snuggie? Next question please.

How much do they cost to make? Not a latte, in fact, you’ll spend less money making these coffee sleeves than you’d spend on a cup of coffee.

Now I really must go cool down after my workout and cozy up to another cup of coffee.

I spent yesterday complaining, drinking a ton of water, and drinking two tons of tea.

Speaking of tea, have you tried the new full leaf teas by TAZO? If you’re a tea fan, you might really enjoy them, too. Not only is the packaging of the tea itself fabulous, the flavor is like tea on steroids…big and bold! So far I’ve had the Chai Tea and the Vanilla Rooibos. However, according to the tin, rooibos is not technically a tea, it’s the needles of an African Bush. Who knew?

Anyway, I was going to pick up one of the other flavors of these full leaf teas but when I asked the barista for her recommendation she said, “I don’t drink caffeine.” SAY WHAT?

There are two things wrong with this:

1. I think it should be mandatory that all baristas be caffeinated, or at the very least, the entire morning shift.

2. After doing some light reading (right on the package) I learned they do carry some decaffeinated options (like Vanilla Rooibos, for example). My barista must have slept through that meeting.

Now I really must go freshen up and then put a few ideas in the coffee-house suggestion box. Coming up with helpful hints is my special-tea.