IN PRAISE OF FATHERS

 

 "A father carries pictures where his money used to be."

Poor Dad! He rarely gets the recognition he so richly deserves! Although the United States is credited with establishing Dad's special day, the holiday did not even receive official recognition by our Federal government until 1972 when Richard Nixon signed it into law. Dates for Father's Day celebrations vary around the world and while the majority coincide with our holiday, others take place in August, September and even December. Reliable statistics show that although more phone calls are made on Mother's Day, Father's Day is credited with more collect phone calls than any other day of the year! 

Historians credit Sonora Smart Dodd of Creston, Washington with the establishment of a special day to honor fathers.  Inspired by the first  Mother's Day festivities in 1905, Ms. Dodd sought to pay tribute to her father, William Jackson Smart, a Civil War veteran who single-handedly raised six children on his own.  This year, Father's Day falls on Sunday, June 19th, the same day as the first Father's Day celebration in 1910.

While a new tie might be the first thought for a Father's Day gift, recent trends favor power tools, sporting event tickets and electronics.  At One Cup Connection, we ask why not give Dad his very own Keurig brewer? Our Coupon Code B145 special is sure to bring a smile to Dad's face with all the available great K-Cup flavors to choose from and a superior Keurig brewer that Dad will appreciate almost as much as you appreciate him! 

GETTING IN SHAPE ... COFFEE'S A BIG "ZERO"

Summer is upon us and if you're like the millions of Americans who are fighting the battle of the bulge, you know what a drag it is to count calories. Yet there's no getting away from the fact that portion control and exercise are the key ingredients to any successful diet. But take heart! There are virtually "0" calories and no fat in a cup of coffee, even the flavored K-cups from OCC that you use in your Keurig! You'll also be happy to know that coffee has no carbohydrates, no sodium and no cholesterol.  In fact, coffee is exempt from Federal food label programs precisely because of this plethora of zero's. The only time coffee becomes fattening is when we start adding other "stuff" to it.  For example, one tablespoon of heavy whipping cream adds 52 calories; a tablespoon of table sugar, 49 calories; the same tablespoon of either half-and-half or fat free milk will add 20 or 5 calories, respectively. Some gourmet coffees from specialty chains have so many added calories, just one cup can use up over 700 of your daily calorie allotment!

Newest aids on the diet scene? An ingeniously clever, although not entirely perfect, app for your iphone or ipad called Meal Snap that allows you to take a picture of your meal and get a calorie count before you eat it! The app also allows you to indicate whether your snapshot represents a specific meal or a snack and keeps a running tally of your daily caloric intake.  Next step to calorie control?  How about a robot that eats your food for you and another that energetically performs your exercise routine - sounds perfect to us just as long as those robots keep their paws off our cup of coffee!

ODE TO THE MONTH OF MAY

Unquestionably one of the most beautiful months of the year for those of us living north of the equator, May was named for Maia, the Roman Goddess of Spring and Growth. Originally the first month of the year, May found itself moved back to fifth place in the calendar lineup when the ancient Romans decided to bestow the title of New Year's Day on January 1st.

While May hosts a variety of well-known holidays, including Mother's Day, Armed Forces Day, Memorial Day and the recently celebrated Kentucky Derby Day, the month also owns some less celebrated observances, including Oak Apple Day on May 29th and Arbor Tree Day on the last Sunday in May. Lewis & Clark began their famous expedition to reach the Pacific Ocean on May 14, 1804. Amelia Earhart took off on the first solo flight by a woman across the Atlantic Ocean on May 20, 1932, and the Brooklyn Bridge was opened to traffic on May 24, 1883.

May also has its fair share of superstitions. In early days, young girls would rush out into the garden on the first of the month to begin May Day celebrations by washing their faces with the May dew. This was supposed to guarantee them a beautiful complexion all year round. May was also considered an unlucky month for getting married - "Marry in May and you'll rue the day."

May is also National Hamburger Month; National Barbecue Month; National Peace of Mind Month; National Egg Month; National Strawberry Month; National Asparagus Month; and National Salsa Month. May 1st is National Chocolate Parfait Day; May 3 is National Chocolate Custard Day; and May 12 is National Nutty Fudge Day! And like any other day of the year, it's also a wonderful time to toast the Merry Month of May with your favorite coffee from One Cup Connection! Please feel free to add to our celebration of May by telling us other fun facts or light-hearted trivia you know about this wonderful month. We also invite you to share your favorite Chocolate Parfait or Custard recipes!

MAKING MOM’S DAY SPECIAL ....

What can we say about our Moms that hasn’t already been said a thousand times over?  She’s the one who always calmed our fears, boosted our egos, defended our honor (even when we were wrong), kissed all our boo-boo’s and cheered us on every step of the way.  She’s also the one person we probably take for granted.  Thankfully, there’s Mother’s Day!

The celebration of Mother’s Day dates back to the early 1900’s when Anna Jarvis, an Appalachian homemaker, organized a day to raise awareness of poor health conditions in her community, a cause she believed would be best advocated by mothers. She called it “Mother’s Work Day.” After her death in 1905, her daughter, also named Anna Jarvis, began a campaign to memorialize her mother’s charitable works.  That eventually led to the adoption of a Resolution and the eventual Bill that was signed by President Woodrow Wilson in 1914, officially declaring the second Sunday of May as “Mother’s Day.”

Stumped for a special gift for your mom this year?  Why not take advantage of our special offer on the Keurig Pro brewer?  Mom’s sure to love this one-cup coffee maker that comes with three free boxes of K-cups!  That's 66 FREE K-cups plus free shipping anywhere in the U.S.  This deal is too good to be true ... Just like your incredible Mom!

Coming Soon ....

The Royal Wedding is right around the corner, and we’re just as obsessed with the event as everyone else!  Broadcasts of the ceremonies will begin at  5:30 am EST here in the States on April 29th.  We’re going to be watching, sipping a hot cup of English Breakfast Black Tea and eating a crumpet (not really).  Will you be watching and what will you be drinking?

Meantime, back at onecupconnection, we’re busily working on some new features that we think will make our site and our service even better! Check back frequently for news about the upcoming Flavor of the Month Club, where you can sign on to automatically receive a featured K-cup sampler with every order  you place.  This is a great way to ensure that you get to try seasonal favorites and exciting new flavors.

Welcome, Coffee Lovers!

We get it.  Coffee isn’t very exciting. Sure there are people out there who can tell you about the subtleties of taste, character of the roast and the origin of the bean right down to the name of the farmer who picked it. And maybe those things are important to you. But if you’re like us, they’re probably not. All we really care about is starting our day with a great cup of coffee.

That’s why this blog won’t always be about coffee. Sure, we’ll keep you up to date on our business and the latest industry trends, but we’d much rather get to know you and have some fun along the way. So think of this as more of a place to chat with friends and talk about current events or anything else you might find interesting. And we promise to offer you some great deals with almost every post.

So go ahead, jump right in. Share your stories, tell a joke or ask a question and we promise to do the same.  And check back often to make sure you don’t miss out on any of the great deals, fun contests and interesting content that make onecupconnection a really cool place to buy coffee!