Holiday Coffee Bar With DIY Chocolate Stir Spoons

November 1, 2017 by 21 Comments

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #HolidayFlavorsAreHere #CollectiveBias

It’s no secret that Starbucks® is my go-to coffee brand. Ever since my boys were tiny (when I was lucky to get a few hours of sleep each night) I needed a good (strong) coffee to get me through my day. Nowadays, I get a lot more sleep since my boys are in elementary school, but I still enjoy my daily cup of Starbucks® Coffee.

With the holidays quickly approaching I thought it would be fun to put together a coffee bar. I kept the decorations simple, going with a plaid tablecloth and red and wood accents. I love the “baby it’s cold outside” theme as well so I included a cute sign to encourage my guests to enjoy a warm cup of coffee.

Along with the Starbucks® Holiday Blend 60ct K-Cup® pods, I added a jar full of Lindt Chocolate Assorted Lindor Truffles and some little glass jars of add-ins including nutmeg, sugar and crushed peppermint pieces. I also made stir spoons out of the truffles because what is better than coffee and chocolate? The sweet, rich taste of Lindt Chocolate Lindor Truffles brings out the sweet maple flavor of Starbucks®  Holiday Blend Coffee.

(Hover over the image above to shop directly from it!)

The spoons were simple to make. I used 12 Lindt Chocolate Lindor Truffles (dark and milk chocolate varieties) and melted them over low heat until they were a liquid. I then poured the melted chocolate into a silicone mold and refrigerated them for 2 hours. After the chocolate hardened I gently released the chocolate spoons from the silicone mold and placed them in a wooden tray. (The 12 truffles made about 8 chocolate stir spoons.)

The last things you’ll want to add to your coffee bar are holiday mugs. I love big mugs and this one with the words “choose joy” is one of my favorites! Once your coffee bar is all set up you will *have* to test it out. Let the scent of coffee brewing fill your room as you sneak a truffle!

If you entertain often, I’m sure you know how fabulous buying in bulk is so you’ll be happy to know you can find both the Starbucks® Holiday Blend 60ct K-Cup® pods and the Lindt Chocolate Assorted Lindor Truffle Bag at your local Sam’s Club in the coffee and candy aisles. You can enjoy 50 bonus stars with purchase of any one qualifying Starbucks® packaged coffee or K-Cup® pods at Sam’s Club through 11/1/17-12/26/17.

How are you preparing for the holidays? Will you be discovering a new holiday combination as you set up a coffee bar for your guests to enjoy?

Filed Under: Christmas, Christmas Slider, Coffee Tagged With: , ,

Turn A K-Cup® Pod Into A Flower Pot

October 7, 2016 by 17 Comments

This post has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. This post was sponsored by Starbucks as part of an Influencer Activation. I received compensation and complimentary products to facilitate my review. #StarbucksCaffeLatte #MyStarbucksatHome #CollectiveBias

Everyone who knows me knows that Starbucks® coffee is one of my favorite things. I’d probably list it right under my family, my friends and days spent at the beach. I drink a cup of this heavenly concoction daily and it just puts me in a better mood.

I was really excited to find out that I can now make delicious Starbucks® latte drinks in my own home with their new line of Starbucks® Caffè Latte K-Cup® pods that are available in my local grocery store. These new K-Cup® pods are made from milk, with no artificial flavors, and they come in 3 great Starbucks® signature flavors (Caramel, Mocha, and Vanilla) and 2 Starbucks® seasonal flavors (Pumpkin Spice and Peppermint Mocha, available for a limited time).

It’s easy to do, too! Just pour the flavor packet into your mug and place it on the drip tray of your Keurig brewer. Using the 8-oz. setting, brew the K-Cup® pod into the mug and stir. It’s a delicious treat on a cold day!

When you are done brewing and enjoying your coffee don’t throw out that K-Cup® pod! You can reuse it! There are dozens of ideas online but I want to share one you may not have seen before! I made a mini flower pot from the K-Cup® so I could bring some outdoor beauty into my home. It’s perfect for a table setting at a party or just sitting on your nightstand as you enjoy a morning coffee. Plus, it uses the coffee grounds so you can savor that coffee scent for a bit longer.

Materials needed:

  • Used K-Cup®
  • Burlap
  • Scissors
  • Glue
  • Flowers (I used some mums from a potted plant)

Directions: Take the foil cover off of the K-Cup®.

Cut a piece of burlap to cover the white part of the K-Cup® and wrap the piece of fabric around the K-Cup®. Use glue to secure the burlap. Then use a piece of burlap string to tie around it to secure the burlap even more.

Once the flower “pot” is made, it’s time to put the flowers in. You can use soil instead of the coffee grounds and plant seeds but I chose to reuse the coffee grounds and use fresh flowers. I cut them from a potted plant of mums I had and pushed them into the K-Cup®, one at a time.

This was such an easy DIY craft and a really affordable way to add some color to my house.

Once you have your coffee in hand what do you enjoy doing? Maybe you like to craft? Or do you have a book you’ve been wanting to read? I encourage you to take time out of your day and do something for yourself. If you are not sure what to do with this magical “me” time, here’s a list of 50 “me time” ideas for moms to get you started :)

Which flavor of Starbucks® Caffè Latte K-Cup® pods will you try first?

2016 Starbucks® Corporation. All rights reserved. Keurig, Keurig HOT, K-Cup and the K logo are trademarks of Keurig Green Mountain, Inc., used with permission.

Filed Under: Crafting, crafts Tagged With: , , ,

Mommy Time With Starbucks Bottled Frappuccinos

December 8, 2011 by Leave a Comment

I love Starbucks and if you’ve followed me for any length of time you are quite aware of just how much. {I even confess my love for them as part of my 160 character Twitter profile.} It might seem funny that I say that Starbucks, my mommy friends, and list making keep me sane but they do. I rely on my to-do lists to remember everything I have to do, I rely on my mommy friends to assure me that I can get through all the craziness, and then I rely on Starbucks for a little piece of “me” time in my busy day.

When I am out and about I stop at a Starbucks coffee shop but occasionally I just don’t feel like getting out of my pajamas and dragging my kids out in the cold {especially if it’s raining or snowing}. It’s days like these when I just have a short walk to get some delicious Starbucks as I get off the couch and head over to my fridge. I also like to drink them as an afternoon nap-time pick me up to give me some relaxation until the second half of my day starts {because as a work at home mom my day is just beginning at naptime}. I love that Starbucks bottles up their coffee and makes enjoying it easy and convenient.

Right now my favorite Frappuccino flavor is Mint Mocha and I really wish the flavor was year round {hint hint if you are reading this Starbucks} but otherwise I drink the regular Mocha flavor. They even have a light flavor for those who are watching their weight. Want to read more? Check out my Google+ story about my Starbucks Frappuccino shopping trip at Walmart.

(Disclosure: This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias. All thoughts are my own, I’m just lucky enough to get paid to share about what I love!)

Filed Under: Collective Bias Tagged With: ,

Tassimo Home Brewing System Review and Giveaway

December 13, 2010 by

I love going out for coffee but it gets to be expensive so I was excited when Tassimo asked me to review their T20 Home Brewing System.

I love that the Tassimo has accessory kits to personalize the brewer. The company sent me red but they have other color options as well.

Isn’t that fun? Adds a shot of color to my otherwise neutral colored kitchen. The Tassimo T20 brews over 40 varities of hot and cold beverages including coffee, chai latte, cappucino, tea and more. It’s compact in size and there is zero cleanup after making something to drink.

I tried the Starbucks® Cappuccino Primo and added some chocolate syrup and Truvia sweetener and it was a yummy afternoon treat. Searching their site I found some other drinks I’d like to try including the Gevalia Caramel Latte Macchiato and the Gevalia Sweet & Creamy Iced Coffee. They also have a recipe page on the website.

GIVEAWAY:

Tassimo is sending one lucky winner a Tassimo T20 Brewer!

HOW TO ENTER (LEAVE A COMMENT FOR EACH):

1. “Like” Making Time For Mommy on Facebook

2. “Like” Tassimo on Facebook

3. Follow me (@aliciamarie112) on Twitter

4. Subscribe to Making Time For Mommy via email or RSS

5. Blog about this giveaway and provide a link back to this post

6. Tweet “Enter to win a #Tassimo brewer from @aliciamarie112 at www.makingtimeformommy.com”

7. Enter another one of my giveaways and tell me which one you entered

Giveaway ends on January 13, 2o11 at 11:59pm.

(Disclosure: I was given this Tassimo brewer to review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.)

Filed Under: Giveaways, Product Reviews Tagged With: , , , ,