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.    


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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.