tiny treasures...froth yourself

one of my favorite parts of my morning routine is the cup of coffee i get across the street from my office at amish market. it's definitely not because of the baristas, because they're less than friendly, to say the least. but they steam the milk, and it makes a huge difference in what would otherwise be a somewhat average cup of coffee. yes, it does make the coffee the temperature of the sun without cold milk's cooling qualities, but it's well worth it for the richer taste and the fact that it's more filling too (bonus!). sometimes when i'm really anxious to choke the caffeine down, i throw in an ice cube to make it drinking temperature quickly.

i had considered buying my own milk frother (slightly different than a steamer, but does the trick for me, and isn't as hot!) which are generally found for about $20 or $25, but hadn't taken the plunge yet. and then ikea changed it all - they have one for $1.99. seriously? $1.99? and it works great! it takes two AA batteries and has transformed my morning cup of coffee (the one before i leave the house) into a tiny treasure all its own.

i think we find the tiny treasures in life when we think about the little things we enjoy observing or experiencing and trying to multiply them where we can, especially in our own homes. in addition to our own morning and evening coffees, teas and hot chocolates, this product makes it easy to serve very special hot drinks to guests, and would make a great component of a coffee-themed gift. in fact, with the "i am not a paper cup" cups from last week's post, these would make a very cute "be your own barista" gift idea.

by the way, in the same trip to ikea, i got a salad spinner (another $25 item i'd not yet purchased) for $3.99. just go there now. goodbye.

milk frother photo from www.ikea.com