Happy #NationalCoffeeDay @Starbucks Love @mommylisa #Coffee

I live less than a mile from a coffee chain's World Headquarters.

It is literally on the exit I get onto the highway from my house. I can zip in and zip out - it is super convenient.

But, I don't go there anymore.

I used to go there so much that I gave a baby gift to a pregnant barista.  They knew my name, that I always got a large latte, Boo Boo La La's name and what she liked too!

Then one Christmas my boss gave me a Starbucks gift card.

I thought it was odd because that company was in a building with that "other" coffee chain at the skyway level and nearly every meeting you had with someone mid-morning or late afternoon eventually ended up there.  He and I had my semi-annual review in this coffee house, yet, here was a Starbucks card in my Christmas card. Weird, right?

Where is there even a +Starbucks Coffee?

I found out there was one the next exit up from my house and decided one day to check it out.

Here is what I discovered.

I like Starbuck's coffee better.

There, I said it. It is nearly blasphemous in Minnesota to say you like it better than our home brand, but I DO! I love you +Starbucks Coffee and then, you invented the Flat White.

Can I say that made me fall in love again? Just like when you sent me a "Gold Card" for being a loyal cardholder.  And again when you had Barista Colin - who +erica steffenson and I would fight over who loved him more?  We even +Twitter message each other when we found him at a new Starbucks location.  Is that weird?  Don't answer.

But this week.  This week you outdid yourself +Starbucks Coffee - you launched in-app purchases to pick up my Starbuck's coffee on the run.  No time. No Line. Or so Starbuck's says.

They launched Mobile Order & Pay and now if they take it away from me I will cry.  It is the MOST AWESOME THING EVER IN THE UNIVERSE OF STARBUCKS!!!

You open your Starbucks app, you pick what you want, you pay in the app, you drive to Starbucks, park, walk in and go to the pickup window, Voila!  Hot and ready Starbucks...well, unless you got a Frapuccino, then cold and ready.

The first time I tried it I walked in and the barista said to me "Are you Lisa?" I nodded and he said, "I just finished. Here you go!" I was hooked.

I am not getting paid to tell you about this by anyone.  I am just telling you to hurry up and download the Starbucks app and start using this feature.

I don't want it to go away.

Happy #NationalCoffeeDay

Couldn't sleep at all last night...

Well, partially true.

I went to bed about 10 o'clock last night.  Yes, I am old thankyouverymuch.

I woke up just before 4 am and the stupid hamster in the wheel of my cranial cavity started thinking about all the things that I need to do.  None of it bad at all.  Just "BUSY" you know?

I had to sort the Fall leaflets for my Sunday School class - each week in it's very own ziplock bag - marked with the date we will use that story.

I needed to finish planning what we would actually DO this Sunday for our lesson on Adam & Eve.  Thank you PINTEREST!  We are making Cheerio Bird Feeders this week to talk about how God put Adam & Eve here to take care of all the living creatures.  Cool, huh?

Now I have to figure out when I will shop for the Cheerios, floral wire and pipe cleaners.

Probably sometime AFTER soccer this morning and BEFORE we get cash and go to the Street Fair on Lowery today.  Did I mention T-bone is abandoning me to golf with my friend Julie's husband Jeff?

Did I figure out what I was making for dinner?  Oh yeah - tortellini, don't let me forget that.

Crap. Got to get that post up on Facebook about still needing volunteers for Thursday's Spaghetti Dinner at school.  PTO has to figure out to spend my time somehow, right?  Oh - didn't I tell you I still am doing PTO and Girl Scouts.

OMG - I still have not put Boo Boo's patches on her new Brownie Sash.  This week, one night, I promise to dust off my iron and ironing board.  HONEST.  I will do it.  And I will pull out her BRAND NEW BROWNIE book and have her think of one or two badges SHE wants to earn, that was our Brownie homework!

I am scheduled for training at work Monday and Wednesday - I have three contracts I am working on and more sure to come.

And then - when am I shopping for Mai Tai ingredients for Miss Palmquist's Birthday Luau?  I got two weeks.  It will happen.  And if you have a tried and true Mai Tai recipe, do share.

So there you have it.  A data dump from my brain and the reason why I am up and blogging this early.

I need coffee.

DON'T EVER GET THIS BEVERAGE!!! I MEANT IT!!! I am WARNING you!!

Every once in a while I want cocoa - it doesn't even have to be winter its just one of those things. 

I used to crave one about 2-3 times a year...and then...



Caribou Coffee began melting "real Guittard® chocolate of your choice (dark, milk or white) with steamed milk and then top with whipped cream and chocolate chips to create our decadent hot chocolate."

Decadent.hot.cocoa.  Allow that to sink into your brain...mmmmmmmmmm.

Now let me describe this beverage form of chocoalte for you.

The barista hands you the steaming cup and declares,
"Medium hot chocolate with milk chocolate, skim milk, light whip and no chocolate chips?" 
Yes please! (And yes I do have to be that picky in ordering my cocoa.)
"Enjoy!"
Yes, yes I will.  I will bring the cup to my nose and breathe in the intoxicating smell of steamy hot cocoa...and I must! take a sip before all the whip cream melts away!  Ahhhhhhhh.  The chocolatey goodness and creamy whip cream are ALMOST too much for me and my knees get weak.  I need to get to the car...stat!

I take my time with my cocoa...I sip and savor every last tiny drop. 

Sometimes I even tease it with a piece of peanut butter toast. 

I pray they did remember to leave off those chocolate chips because they sink to the bottom and make for an unappetizing grainy last gulp that ruins the whole thing....

Ahhh yes, smooth delicious steamy cocoa down to the very last drippity drop. 

I highly recommend you avoid this cocoa - milk and dark are both TERRIBLE!  ;) 

p.s. I have not tried white...that just ain't cocoa!
p.p.s. I seriously avoid Caribou Coffee as much as possible now because it is TOO tempting!
p.p.s.s. Lucky Starbucks!

I wonder what is in the coffee cup?

So first she pardons ONE of them.



Then while she blithely yammers on with her hand wrapped around a Starbucks KTUU Alaskan Television gets a WIDE angle view of what is really going on at the turkey farm...and make no mistake, Sarah is "in charge" of the turkey.



Do you think they were frantically draining one for her to take home? YUCK