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Sunday, December 29, 2013

Holidays with Starbucks: Share the Joy! A Review and a Giveaway

Starbucks goodies!
Happy Holidays!  My Christmas hasn't met the expectations that one with a family full of children might anticipate, due to the loss of my father after a battle with cancer.  I know I have to keep the spirit of Christmas alive for my kiddos and while it's been a struggle, I realize what a strong support system I have in my family and friends and without them- and copious amounts of coffee- I'm not sure I'd have left my bed much.  What's Christmas without a tree (at least we got it decorated by Christmas Eve), lights, holiday music and shopping for presents (something I didn't begin until Christmas Eve)?  Without moping any longer, I give you a review of good coffee and the chance to win some of your own. 

Holidays in my home are a bustling time of visiting family, drinking coffee, running to the store for last-minute things, eating cookies, forgetting to by regular groceries, visiting more family, drinking more coffee, going back to the store, ignoring the laundry build-up, avoiding piles of boxes of Christmas decorations until I have no other choice, watching others put up Christmas lights while I stand by being helpful (telling people there's a light out can be helpful)...all while listening to Christmas music, which I diligently avoid until about December 10th.  I get too angry at the world when it reminds me that two of my boys (my hubby Jason and my son Jonas) have to share their birthday with one of the biggest holidays and I don't have enough time or money to focus on all of them at once.  Probably sounds a lot like the holiday for many people.  

Thankfully, Starbucks and Modern Mom sensed my plight and blessed me with the opportunity to try a new holiday blend of Starbucks ground coffee.  I didn't have to run back to the store for coffee after all.  
I made some right away, with my favorite milk (shameless plug for Rutter's right here) in my Keurig.   

How did I make ground coffee in my Keurig, you ask?  With my handy-dandy reusable k-cup!  Close up so you can't see the clutter.


The Starbucks Holiday Blend- available at major grocery stores- is created with "vibrant Latin American and smooth Indonesian coffees.  It's balance of herbal and sweet maple notes pairs pairs beautifully with everything the holiday season has in store for you."  That's what Starbucks has to say about their coffee.  I have to say it's definitely smooth; it's not a strong coffee and does have a holiday flavor.  I prefer strong, smooth coffees and while this one is weaker than my normal choices I can fix that by adding extra when I brew it.  Without reading the description I honestly couldn't have told you what flavors were incorporated into this blend, but it's a relaxing taste (that's the best way to describe it!).  After knowing what's in it, I can smell a light maple scent.  I made sure to use only sugar and milk to be sure I didn't think I was drinking coffee but was actually drinking cigarette ashes (I never had cigarette ash flavored Starbucks but there have been quite a few others that really did taste like cigarette ashes so I wanted to be certain).  It was very good.  Good enough that I wanted to keep drinking beyond my normal two cups in the morning.  

I had it while stringing up the tree lights:
I'm so helpful.


While wrapping Christmas presents at 1am:
This was just the first one...


 And of course, I had lots of it while spending the holidays with my family.
Sorry for the blur.  I blame my camera's inability to work with movement.  So unfortunately you can't see the amazing breakfast that my in-laws make every Christmas morning for their family.
Merry Christmas!



And now for the news you've been waiting for:

Starbucks and Modern Mom also provided me with a bag of Holiday Blend ground coffee to give away to one of my readers.  I decided to keep the coffee because it's good, and sponsor a giveaway for a $15 gift card instead (with permission).  Then you can try the Holiday Blend yourself, or any other coffee or Starbucks product (but if you don't try something new I will think you're boring).  United States entries only.    


a Rafflecopter giveaway




Disclosure: Starbucks & Modern Mom supplied me with Starbucks Coffee Holiday Blend to help facilitate this review and giveaway.  I didn't want to share the giveaway coffee and was given the okay, so I am sponsoring the gift card giveaway myself.  No other compensation was received.  All opinions are expressly my own.

120 comments:

  1. Giveaway question: My favorite Christmas gift this year is my kitchen scale; I no longer have to guess when separating bulk packages of meat/vegetables to freeze!

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  2. My favorite Christmas gift was a wool sweater from Ireland.

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  3. My favorite drink is a Grande Iced Tea, black, unsweetened. I'm a big ice tea drinker. Any my favorite Christmas gift was a new set of tires for my very old car!

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  4. I like the Peppermint Mocha Frappuccino.

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  5. My wife is the only coffee drinker in the house, so she always goes by herself. But I have had a scone and it was very tasty.

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  6. I like hazelnut latte!

    skkorman AT bellsouth DOT net

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  7. I love their double chocolately chip frappachino! My husband actually got me a starbucks gift card in my stocking. :-)

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  8. A Caramel Macchiato for sure! They have a mint mocha one for the holidays too, but I can't remember what it's called. So good though!

    coriwestphal at msn dot com

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  9. I'm stuck between their caramel frappucino and tazo green tea frappucino.. well ok.. and a long list of other favorites too lol

    manifestmiracles@live.com

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  10. i really like t peppermint mocha but its seasonal so i don't drink there much

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  11. I like Starbucks vanilla iced coffee

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  12. my favorite gift was a keurig coffee maker! i would love to go to starbucks and pickup some of their k cups

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  13. I really like their Blonde coffee! So good!

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  14. i got a starbucks alice and olivia tumbler! so cute :) cartwrightgrace@aol.com

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  15. Love the Fraps at starbucks (Caramel) and I got a lot of love this christmas!!

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  16. My favorite gift was amazing--my hubby is taking me to Hawaii in a few months! It was a total surprise that he revealed Christmas morning!

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  17. Love the Starbucks Chai Tea Latte!

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  18. White chocolate mochas are my favorite!

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  19. My favorite starsucks is the double chocolate chip frap!

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  20. My favorite drink is Hot Chocolate!

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  21. My favorite gift was my electric tea kettle!

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  22. My favorite gift was a fun night out with my husband.

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  23. I LOVE their White Hot Chocolate! It is just sooo good. And I'll just answer the other question too :) my favorite gift I got was a monogrammed tote bag filled with DVD's, candy, a monogrammed vest, and some books!

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  24. I just received one gift, but it was a good one. My grown son bought me a game we used to play when he was little. It is a board game from Germany called Labyrinth where you move your player through an ever-changing maze to collect pieces. We played three rounds and, just as he did when he was a kid, he whooped me solid.It is like chess, in the manner that you need to have the "vision" to see a few moves ahead. I may play in secret to get better, then challenge him.

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  25. I love Americanos with a shot of vanilla or hazelnut

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  26. I love Starbucks peppermint hot chocolate!

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  27. my favorite is Iced Green Tea Latte.

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  28. I love a Starbucks Chai Latte! - Eve

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  29. Hot Chocolate with soy milk no whip! :)

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  30. My favorite gift this year was a Project Life kit for scrapbooking.

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  31. Caramel Machiattos! jessicapeeling@yahoo.com

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  32. i like caramel macchiatos at starbucks

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  33. My favorite Starbucks drink is the Salted Caramel Frappicino!

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  34. I just wanted to mention that you guys are making me totally want Starbucks right now. And all the favorite gifts sound AMAZING and I'm jealous!!

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  35. My favorite drink is a French Vanilla cappuccino!

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  36. I love java chip with whip cream

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  37. My favorite gift was my new earrings!

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  38. Lately it has been their peppermint hot chocolate but normally it is their peppermint mocha.

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  39. I got a food basket that I love

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  40. My favorite Starbucks drink is the seasonal Peppermint Mocha Frappuccino!! It is SOOO good!! Thank you for the giveaway!

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  41. My favorite Starbucks drink is the white chocolate mocha.

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  42. I like their Peppermint Hot Chocolate.

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  43. I love the Hot Chocolate, thanks!

    kimberlybreid at hotmail dot com

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  44. My favorite Christmas gift this year was the one I received from my sister. She is not a crafty person at all but this year she made me something she saw on pinterest. I love gifts that people make themselves :)

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  45. I do not drink coffee, but I really like the hot chocolate at Starbucks.

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  46. sugar free vanilla latte

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  47. I love the Caramel Macchiatos! Delicious!

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  48. Hot chocolate.

    Monkey2007

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  49. My son's gave me a beautiful multi-picture frame and actually carefully picked photos they knew I'd love, had them printed AND put them in the frame. It might not seem like much, but I know they put a lot of thought and heart in it, and it meant the world to me :)

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  50. My favorite drink is Iced Chai Tea Latte
    Digicats {at} Sbcglobal {dot} Net

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  51. I love their hazelnut latte!

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  52. My favorite is the seasonal Pumpkin Spice Latte! Yummy and it reminds me that the holidays are starting!

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  53. There is nothing I love more in the summertime, than a caramel frapp with a triple shot of espresso!

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  54. Caramel Macchiatos is my favorite

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  55. My favorite drink is a white chocolate mocha with a hit of raspberry!!

    amandajoyrauch at yahoo.com

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  56. My favorite gift was a pair of leather boots I really wanted and my favorite drink is the Caramel Macchiatos!

    Samantha (samdaleo)
    jamesmadison1974@gmail.com

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  57. My favorite drink is their caramel brûlée frap

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  58. I love their hot cocoa with salted carmel -- YUM!

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  59. I love any and all iced coffee drinks!

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  60. I love their Pumpkin Spice Latte and Gingerbread Latte

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  61. My favorite drink is Chai Tea Latte. my favorite gift was a new pair of shoes

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  62. I like their brewed coffee--breakfast blend. And my favorite gifts this year were pillows for the living room, a kohls gift card, silverware, socks, and a lamp. :)

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  63. I like Starbucks hot chocolate.

    janetfaye (at) gmail (dot) com

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  64. My favorite Starbucks drink is the Caramel Macciato Frappacino

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  65. Hot cocoa is my favorite drink.

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  66. My favorite Starbucks drink is a Venti Caramel Frappe.

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  67. My fave drink is vanilla bean frappucino

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  68. My favorite Starbucks drink is their salted Carmel macchiato. Soooo good. My hubby loves their coffee with double espresso shots. My favorite Xmas gift is a toss up between a pretty charcoal grey (my favorite color) shirt that my step daughter picked out for me and bought with her own money and the iPad my hubby gave me which I'm using right now, the shirt was totally unexpected as she usually doesn't even so much as acknowledge me so it made me cry when she gave me a gift I really like that she bought herself. Thanks for the chance to win. If I win I'm giving it to my step daughter to enjoy as she loves Starbucks as much as I do.

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  69. We got a new granddaughter for Christmas (born Dec 20), and I like white chocolate mocha.

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  70. Skinny peppermint mocha for sure :)

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  71. My favorite drink is the hot chocolate with whipped cream.

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  72. I love the hot chocolate
    hrddiana556@gmail.com

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  73. An iced, quad, Venti, non-fat, no whip White Mocha.

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  74. My favorite Starbucks Coffee is the Breakfast Blend.

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  75. The creme brulee frap is my fav

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  76. I love Starbucks coffee especiall the tallest darkest coffee they have with extra cream

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  77. I always fail when I try and order at starbucks. I have to have someone else order for me so I dont mess it up hahaha. My favorite gift this year is a little magnetic photo book I got from my aunt with pictures of my daughter in it. I cried.

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  78. My favorite Starbucks drink is a Grande No-Foam Soy Latte. I LOVE them! For ground coffee, I like their Sumatra ... delicious!

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  79. My fav gift was a set of essential oils.

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  80. My fave is sugar free hazelnut frap. I got a new toaster so that was one of my fave gifts. Im sorry for your loss. Thank you for the great giveaway :)
    sue-hull64(at)comcast(dot)net

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  81. My fave was the triple caramel crunch but....alas....they took it off the menu.

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  82. My fave Starbucks drink is a 3 pump breve vanilla latte!

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  83. My favorite is their hot chocolate. I love that stuff!

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  84. I had a bunch of awesome cookware & kitchen stuff including a panini press.

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  85. Triple Grande Pumpkin Spice Latte! Mmmmmmm

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  86. I love their Mocha frappacino!!

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  87. My favorite is a vanilla bean frappechino

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  88. I always get a Vanilla Frappucino!

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  89. Love starbucks white hot chocolate

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  90. I lvoe the Caramel macchiato it is my fave..Need one right now:)

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