Many consider the release of Starbucks red cups as the unofficial launch of the holiday season. Starting Fri. Nov. 6, the coffee chain’s fan-favorite holiday beverages are back. Plus they are giving away a free collectible red holiday cup to customers who order a handcrafted holiday beverage tomorrow.
Head over to Starbucks to enjoy a Peppermint Mocha, Toasted White Chocolate Mocha, Caramel Brulee Latte, Chestnut Praline Latte and Eggnog Latte. The bakery case is also getting a seasonal upgrade with the new Cranberry Orange Scone and returning Sugar Plum Danish, Cranberry Bliss Bar, Snowman Cookie and Snowman Cake Pop.
The chain is releasing four new cup designs this year:
Ribbon: This design brings forward all the joyful elements of the holiday season in ribbons of brand greens and a jolly red like a cozy holiday sweater. Look closely and you’ll see a familiar crown, tail, and scales. The design is repeated on this year’s collectible Starbucks red holiday cup.
Dot: Stripes swirl around a field of Starbucks house green punctuated by playful polka dots, sharing the sentiment to “carry the merry.”
Sparkle: This red cup has vintage vibes, with cutout shapes in green like glittering holiday ornaments. The motif is repeated in a snowy white on Starbucks cold beverage cups.
Brand Wrap: This modern, scaled-up version of the ribbon design features bold bands of holiday color and the Starbucks wordmark, designer street style.
If you are looking to enjoy your favorite seasonal beverages from the comforts of home you can find Christmas Blend whole bean coffee when you pick up your holiday beverage at Starbucks. You can also pick up your favorite Starbucks seasonal flavors like Holiday Blend and Peppermint Mocha in Roast & Ground, K-Cup pods and ready-to-drink formats wherever groceries are sold.
If you can believe it, this Friday officially marks 90 days until Christmas. While our celebrations may look different this year, Starbucks is here to help us plan our holiday lists with a preview of their must-have gifts. From perfectly pink cold cups to dazzling tumblers, this year’s assortment of Holiday merchandise is sure to delight everyone on your shopping list.
Glitter Pink Swirl Cold Cup (24 oz)
This double-walled cup keeps beverages cool. This cup retails for $18.95.
Pink Grid Cold Cup (24 oz)
This new Pink Grid Cold Cup features a grid-like texture in a beautiful pink hue. This cup retails for $19.95.
Iridescent Tumbler (20 oz)
This high gloss stainless steel tumbler reveals a rainbow of colors as the light hits it at different angles. This tumbler is available in company-operated stores only for $27.95.
Pearl Ombre Tumbler (8 oz)
This perfectly sized red and green ombre tumbler is the perfect way to bring holiday cheer. Price: $16.95
Purple Water Bottle (20 oz)
Starbucks new stainless-steel Purple Water Bottle is available in company-operated stores only for $24.95.
Luster Swirl Mug (12 oz)
Cozy up with a hot cup of coffee or tea with this ceramic mug, gleaming with a rainbow luster finish and swirl texture. This fun mug retails for $12.95.
Holiday-inspired Packaged Coffee
This year’s Starbucks Christmas Blend is inspired by the original 1984 recipe and has notes of herbs, baking spices, and a velvety rich chocolate finish that will fill your cup with festivity. Christmas Blend (also available in decaf), Holiday Blend, and Christmas Blend Espresso Roast are available this holiday season for $15.95 for a 1-pound bag.
Gift Cards
Pair Starbucks Christmas Blend or holiday drinkware with a gift card, which come in a variety of festive designs and can be loaded with amounts from $5 – $500. For those looking to exchange gifts virtually, an eGift card is the perfect way to show you’re thinking of them (you can even send a gift card via messaging platforms like iMessage).
Are are looking for that last sip of summer before everything is pumpkin spice flavored/ Starbucks is now offering two new vibrant green drinks, the Kiwi Starfruit Starbucks Refreshers Beverage and the Star Drink. Both are joining the permanent menu at locations across the U. S. after a successful launch in Canada earlier this year.
New Kiwi Starfruit Starbucks Refreshers Beverage
The Kiwi Starfruit Starbucks Refreshers Beverage is a tropical combination of starfruit flavored juice and real kiwi pieces, hand-shaken with ice. With less than 100 calories in a Grande (16 fl. oz. beverage), the Kiwi Starfruit Starbucks Refreshers joins the Starbucks Refreshers platform, alongside customer-favorites Strawberry Açaí Starbucks Refreshers, Very Berry Hibiscus Starbucks Refreshers and Mango Dragonfruit Starbucks Refreshers.
New Star Drink
The Star Drink adds coconutmilk to our new Kiwi Starfruit Starbucks Refreshers Beverage for a creamy and refreshing sip that’s under 200 calories in a Grande (16 fl. oz. beverage). Now on the permanent menu alongside other creamy customer favorites like the Pink Drink, Violet Drink and Dragon Drink.
Customers can use the Starbucks App to find a store nearby, order ahead and have contactless payment. And for those who want their favorite Starbucks drinks and food without leaving home there is always Starbucks Delivers.
Another way to enjoy the final moments of the summer season is with a new, colorful cold cup or tumbler. Now through August 24, customers can enjoy 30% off their purchase of summer-inspired drinkware and merchandise. To learn more about the new Starbucks food and beverage menu items available in U.S. stores, visit www.starbucks.com/menu/featured.
With COVID-19 cases on the rise across the much of the country, many state and local governments are requiring people to wear masks when they leave their homes.The CDC advocates wearing face coverings to help prevent the spread of the virus. Now more and more national retail chains, including Target, Walmart, Costco, Trader Joe’s and more, are requiring face masks in stores for shoppers as well as staff. Typically, these restrictions do not apply to children under two or those with a medical condition that prohibits them from wearing a mask. Looking for a face mask that will fit your kiddo? We’ve rounded up the best ones right here.
Editor’s Note: At the time of publication these are the stores requiring face coverings. We’re doing our best to keep you up to date and will update the list as more stores change their coronavirus protocols.
Here are all the major retailers requiring customers to wear face coverings in locations nationwide:
Walmart
On Jul. 15 it was announced that masks would be required at all Walmart and Sam’s Club outlets starting Jul. 20. To help ensure consistency with this new process, all stores will have a single entrance. Employees will be stationed at store entrances to remind customers of the requirement and supply disposable masks to those who arrive without one.
Amazon
The e-commerce brand instituted a mask requirement on Jul. 20 at Whole Foods supermarkets and Amazon brick-and-mortar stores. They will continue to offer free, disposable masks to customers who do not have their own.
Kroger
Effective Jul. 22, all customers will now be required to wear a mask. “We are taking this extra step now because we recognize additional precautions are needed to protect our country,” the company said in a statement released on Jul. 15.
Costco
Since May 4 the warehouse store has required all customers to wear a face covering.“This is not simply a matter of personal choice; a face covering protects not just the wearer but others, too,” said President and CEO Craig Jelinek.
Walgreens
On Jul. 16, the drugstore announced that they would be requiring all customers to wear a face covering effective Jul. 20. Kevin Ban, Walgreens chief medical officer said, “As cases continue to rise in many parts of the country, it’s critical we, as businesses and members of the community, do everything we can.”
Home Depot
All customers must wear a face mask effective Jul. 22. “Social distancing captains and store associates will be available to provide masks to those shoppers who may not have one,” the company said in an announcement on Jul 17.
CVS
The pharmacy chain will now require all customers wear face coverings effective Jul. 20. In a statement on Jul. 16, Jon Roberts, the company’s chief operating officer said, “We’re not asking our store employees to play the role of enforcer,”What we are asking is that customers help protect themselves and those around them by listening to the experts and heeding the call to wear a face covering.”
Target
The retailer updated their Coronavirus Response Page on Jul 16. Starting Aug. 1 all customers will be required to wear a face covering. Stores will provide disposable masks to shoppers who arrive without one.
Lowe’s
Effective Jul. 20, all customers will be required to wear a face mask. In a statement on Jul. 17, CEO Marvin Ellison said, “For the safety of everyone in our stores, we ask that customers wear masks, and to make this new standard less restrictive, we will make masks available to those who need them.”
Albertsons
Effective Jul. 21, all customers will be required to wear a face coveringthe parent company of Albertsons, Safeway, Vons, Jewel Osco and other grocery chains announced Jul. 16 on its corporate website.
Apple Store
As Apple begins opening its retail stores, they announced that all customers will be required to wear a face mask. “Face coverings will be required for all of our teams and customers, and we will provide them to customers who don’t bring their own,” according to their opening letter.
Best Buy
All customers are required to wear a face covering. The electronics chain will provide a mask for those who do not have one according to a statement released Jul. 14.
Publix
Beginning Jul. 21, all customers will be required to wear a face mask according to a statement posted to their coronavirus updates web page.
ALDI
Effective Jul. 27 face coverings will be required for all ALDI customers as a “an enhanced safety measure intended to help limit the spread of COVID-19.”
Trader Joe’s
On Jul. 15, Trader Joe’s announced that they are now requiring customers to wear a face covering.
All customers will be required to wear a face mask effective Jul 22. According to a statement released Jul. 17, if a customer does not have a mask, the store will provide one.
Verizon
According to a statement on the store’s web page, customers are required to wear cloth face coverings.
Kohl’s
Starting Jul. 20, all customers will be required to wear a face mask. According to a statement released Jul. 15, “Store associates have been trained on the new health and safety measures in place, and we have associate greeters at the entrance of each store to welcome shoppers and remind them to wear masks.”
Starbucks
As of Jul. 15, all customers are required to wear a face covering. According to a statement from the coffee chain, “It is our responsibility to protect our partners and comply with local public health mandates. As such, our partners have the right and responsibility to refuse service to customers who are not wearing facial coverings.”
Meijer
Effective Jul. 20, the supermarket chain is requiring face coverings for all locations throughout Michigan, Ohio, Wisconsin, Indiana, Illinois and Kentucky.
Rite Aid
As of Jul. 21, customers will be required to wear face masks. According to a statement released Jul. 17, a free mask will be provided for those who come without one.
Gap
Masks will be required in all stores including Gap, Banana Republic, Old Navy, Intermix, Athleta, and Janie and Jack, starting Aug. 1 according to a Jul. 20 update to the companies coronavirus response page.
American Eagle
Customers at American Eagle and Aerie stores are now required to wear a face covering. Face masks are available to any customer that may need one.
BJ’s Wholesale
Effective Jul. 21, all customers will be required to wear a face mask. Out of an abundance of caution, they are also temporarily stopping food sampling in their clubs.
Menards
According to the store’s COVID-19 Policy page, all customers are required to wear a mask. Face coverings are required on children unless in arms or seated in shopping carts.
PetSmart
On Jul. 17 the pet supply chain updated its coronavirus information page to require all customers to wear face coverings.
Panera Bread
Beginning Jul. 15, all customers will be required to wear a face mask except while seated and eating or drinking.
If you can’t make it out to Starbucks, you can enjoy a taste of your favorite coffee drinks right in your kitchen. New Starbucks Non-Dairy Creamers are a unique blend of almond milk and oat milk. Use these creamers to recreate your favorite handcrafted beverages.
Caramel Macchiato and Hazelnut Latte Non-Dairy creamers join the original line of creamers featuring popular favors from Starbucks.
Caramel Flavored Non-Dairy Creamer inspired by Starbucks Caramel Macchiato, is crafted with sweet, buttery caramel and hints of vanilla flavor to pair perfectly with your morning cup of coffee.
Hazelnut Flavored Non-Dairy Creamer, inspired by Starbucks Hazelnut Latte, is crafted with flavors of rich hazelnuts to pair perfectly with a cup of your favorite coffee.
Starbucks Non-Dairy Creamers can be found in the refrigerated dairy aisle where groceries are sold nationwide beginning this August.
Now that summer is here, it’s officially iced coffee season. In honor of the warmer weather, Starbucks has rolled out two new cold-coffee beverages. Now customers can enjoy the new Cold Brew with Cinnamon Almondmilk Foam and Cold Brew with Dark Cocoa Almondmilk.
The popular Cold Foam platform is expanding to include new non-dairy Cold Foam beverages, all with less than 50 calories for a grande. Available on the permanent menu nationwide, the Cold Brew with Cinnamon Almondmilk Foam features Starbucks Cold Brew topped with cinnamon, vanilla, and almondmilk cold foam, and the Cold Brew with Dark Cocoa Almondmilk Foam starts with Starbucks Cold Brew topped with mocha sauce, cocoa powder and almondmilk cold foam.
Also joining the menu is the new Impossible Breakfast Sandwich. The sandwich features a savory Impossible Sausage Made from Plants, which is combined with a cage-free fried egg and aged cheddar cheese on an artisanal ciabatta bread. With 22 grams of protein, the breakfast sandwich offers everything customers love about a classic sausage breakfast sandwich but with plant-based sausage. The new breakfast sandwich is available at the majority of Starbucks locations across the U.S.
For those looking for more ways to enjoy Starbucks at home, Ready-to-Drink Starbucks Nitro Cold Brew, Starbucks Bottled Cold Brew, Evolution Fresh Cold-Pressed/High Pressure-Processed Juices and new teas from Teavana: Teavana Wellness Craft Iced Teas and new Teavana Tea Sachet flavors are available. You can find these where you buy groceries nationwide.
The new menu is available at Starbucks stores in the U.S., for order using the Starbucks App and without leaving home with Starbucks Delivers through Uber Eats.
Each season, Starbucks rolls out new menu items. As stores begin reopening, the coffee brand is introducing a new summer-inspired food and drink menu. Along with some new options, they are bringing back the seasonal favorite S’mores Frappuccino Blended Beverage.
New Iced Guava Passionfruit Drink
This past March, Starbucks introduced two new iced coconut milk-based drinks. Joining this collection for summer is the new Iced Guava Passionfruit Drink. This drink combines flavors of guava, passionfruit, pineapple and ginger, hand-shaken with coconut milk and ice for a smooth and creamy beverage to uplift your day. This drink joins the growing number of non-dairy and customizable beverages on the permanent menu.
S’mores Frappuccino Blended Beverage
Back for a limited time, the S’mores Frappuccino layers marshmallow-infused whipped cream, milk chocolate sauce, a creamy blend of vanilla, coffee, milk and ice, even more marshmallow whipped cream and is finished off with a graham cracker crumble.
New Unicorn Cake Pop
Available for a limited time, the Unicorn Cake Pop is a creamy vanilla cake with confetti sprinkles shaped into a unicorn, dipped in a white chocolaty icing, and finished with a magical design.
Lunch is also covered with the new Grilled Chicken & Hummus Protein Box featuring a tender and juicy sous vide grilled chicken breast paired with roasted red pepper hummus and naan bread, baby carrots and snap peas. This item is now a part of the permanent menu alongside a variety of protein options.
Using the Starbucks App, customers can locate a store, order, and pay ahead for their favorite menu items. In most cases, customers who use the App can pick up their order from a barista at the door (without entering the café), at the drive-thru, or (in cases where social distancing can be accommodated) at a counter in a store.
Starbucks has released a brand new line of color changing reusable cups. This time the color is bolder than ever. If you haven’t gotten your hands on one of these yet, as soon as you pour in a cold beverage, the cup reacts and changes color.
There are five cups in the set and according to photos of the label that we’ve seen online, tomato turns fades to aubergine, peach becomes hot pink, marigold turns to tangerine, sea turns ocean, and cobalt turns a deep purple. They are also selling a white cup with speckles that turn into rainbow colors.
If your local Starbucks has sold out of these cute cups you can still get in on the color-changing fad. Michaels also is selling color changing tumblers in four colors. Aqua turns dark blue, pink turns purple, white turns blue and yellow turns green. The 24 ounce tumblers retail for $3.99.
The world has changed. We have changed. Our daily routines have changed. Where does that leave our kids? Many are feeling stressed and anxious about what the world is going to look like and be like for them. As we all navigate new information and new ways of living, now, more than ever, we need to help our kids feel healthy, happy, and confident. To do this, let’s focus on helping them become rooted (in who they are), resilient (to changes and challenges), and ready (for whatever is coming next).
How to help your kids be rooted: Rooted is being grounded, feeling certain and secure, and having an inner knowingness. It’s the “This is who I am, what I can do, and what I want” confidence. When kids are rooted, they feel strong and healthy. Why? This is because they believe they have value and worth and they know their qualities, their talents, and strengths, and they see how they are learning and growing. When kids aren’t rooted, they not only feel insecure but also they are so easily influenced, pressured, or rattled by mistakes, comments, or conflicts. When I am talking to kids about becoming rooted, I explain that when they have two feet firmly placed on the ground, they are standing on a solid foundation, unwavering and unshakeable. Conversely, when they are only standing on one foot, they are not stable, and they feel “wobbly” and as though they may fall over. We need our kids to be rooted. But how do we make that happen?
Tip: Try asking them to describe themselves. They may come up with: “I am kind”, “I am creative”, or “I am athletic.” Then, ask them for examples. “How do you show this quality?” Let’s have them gather evidence as a way to prove to themselves, they own these qualities. You can try the same for their skills. “What do you know how to do?” Kids underestimate what they view as “easy” like posting on social media or baking a cake. Let’s help them see their skill set as unique and important. Finally, talk to them often about what they want. “Let’s set a goal for this month—what would you like to learn about or accomplish?” They may suggest reading a book or creating a playlist. Let them choose and help them break goals into smaller steps, reminding them that, yes, they can do anything, if they are willing to put in both the time and effort.
How to help your kids be resilient: Resilient is all about bouncing back: from mistakes, disappointments, and setbacks. Life can be tough such as the shutting down of playgrounds, community centers, schools, events, and socializing. Yet, life also presents kids with opportunities for triumphant comebacks. Resiliency is essential because when young people learn to not give up, they also gain confidence. Working through challenges builds up their resiliency muscles. How do we nurture and then champion resilience?
Tip: We let them struggle and we let them fail which is one of the most difficult parts of parenting and caregiving and yet, one of the best ways for kids to learn. Try not to be the “snowplow parent” aka clearing the path to make your child’s journey easy or the “lawnmower parent” where you pave the way for them. Instead, try to be the periphery parent. This means empowering them to stand in the center of their own circle, rooted, as you take a few steps back to assure them you are there for them but you are doing the tough stuff like asking a teacher for help or ordering at a restaurant, for them. Your role is still active, as you learn to observe, ask questions, and provide guidance and support, but you give them the necessary room to try, to make mistakes, to try again (or try differently), and to cheer them on as they work their way through problems. Kids feel much better about themselves when they are supported at a distance and not micro-managed up close.
How to help you kids be ready: Ready is about preparation and action for what is to come. Feeling ready comes with expectation and hope that life will change and that we can be part of designing our dreams. Yes, “readiness” is a tricky word these days; it’s hard to think about next week, let alone next year. Yet, here is what I have been teaching kids: Steps they take today towards creating their future can bring them a sense of energy and optimism. There is no greater time to get ready than now, since many kids are not as busy with extra-curricular activities and school, and they have extra time. Where to start?
Tip: Have conversations about future goals in a playful and curious way. You discover a lot about kids when you ask big and open questions such as: “Where do you see yourself working when you are older?” Be the “dream booster” not the “dream buster.” In other words, as silly or unrealistic his or her ideas may be, follow their ideas. Interested in science? Start experimenting. Want to be a Starbucks barista? Start brewing coffee at home. Invest the time into listening to them and then take action to support their ideas. This could mean discussion, researching online, talking to people in the community, and actually developing a skillset (whether this is technology, drawing, coding, or cooking; the possibilities are endless). Remind them, as well, that you believe in them!
Yes, we are living in an extraordinary world; let’s use this as an opportunity to help our kids be extraordinarily rooted, resilient, and ready.
For more, check out Growing Strong Girls: Practical Tools to Cultivate Connection in the Preteen Years andRooted, Resilient, and Ready now available on Amazon and Audible and the website Bold New Girls.
I am a girl advocate and girls champion; the founder of Bold New Girls, teaching and coaching for girls and their parents. As well, I am the author Growing Strong Girls and Rooted, Resilient, and Ready (available on Amazon and Audible). I am an international speaker and an instructor with Udemy.
I was born a city girl. I don’t mean that I just happened to be born in the city; no, I was without a doubt, a city girl at heart. Born in Calgary and raised north of Toronto, my childhood memories consist of playing with my friends in our paved driveways and manicured lawns, riding my bike to the corner store to buy penny candy and slushies and hanging out with my friends at the mall. Sleepovers were a weekend occurrence and summers consisted of vacationing at a cottage or spending a few months abroad. The hustle and bustle of city life was not just normal, it was ingrained in me.
If someone had told me that I’d marry a farmer and raise my kids in the country I probably would have assumed they were crazy! I mean, I didn’t know much about country life other than you owned a plaid ensemble and baked a lot of pies! You can imagine my surprise (and that of my parents) when I became engaged to a born and raised, dyed-in-the-wool farmer and traded in my high heels for some muck boots and yes, even a few plaid shirts!
The first glimpse of what motherhood was going to look like quickly surfaced in the first year of marriage. I gained nine nieces and nephews overnight, all living within a few miles of our home. Family get-togethers included everything from birthday parties, Sunday afternoon visits, holiday celebrations to butchering one’s own meat. Before this, I probably hadn’t thought twice about where our meat was coming from other than the freezer section of our local grocery store. But, here I was, dressed in my favorite Bench jacket and Lulu Lemons, watching a scene unfold that seemed only fitting for a western horror film (if those exist). My nieces, both under the age of 10, were sitting next to a small fire they built themselves, roasting pieces of bull meat on a stick. Their dad and his brothers, a few feet away, preparing the bull for the butcher. If this was what motherhood was going to look like, I was shocked…perhaps even horrified. Gone were the days of roasting marshmallows, or so it seemed.
Images of toddlers in overalls, barefoot, chasing puddle ducks formed in my mind. My dreams of strolling my babies down the sidewalk with my bestie, sipping my Starbucks latte, sporting my favorite pair of Tieks, no longer seemed realistic. I mean, there were certainly no sidewalks here and the nearest Starbucks was half an hour away. I traded in the pavement for gravel (or mud depending on the season) and coffee came from my percolator. Anything, other than rain boots or runners, was certainly not going to fare well on our dirt roads. I felt like I needed to re-read my Little House on the Prairie books from my childhood to gain a better understanding of what this life was starting to look like, and where it was heading.
When our first child was born, I told my husband that it was essential to have a fenced-in backyard. I couldn’t fathom why parents would let their kids run rampant in the vast open space with no barriers! I wanted the safety of fences to secure my little country boy while he played in our yard. The fields stretched for miles in every direction. Bears, and what I can only imagine, lurked in the forest beyond. When my son turned a year old, my husband fenced in a yard, or as my father-in-law calls it, “the pen”. We have spent countless hours in the safety of our “pen”, blowing bubbles, playing in the sandbox or on the playset. Usually, the distant echo of friendly gunshots can be heard, and the low rumble of tractors and farm equipment serenade against the otherwise silent background.
Gone are the days where I spent summers on a beach or traveled abroad. Farm life is the busiest during the summer months (and spring and fall for that matter). Instead, my children and I spend most of our time in our garden (that has more square footage than our house) or in the tractor, visiting with their dad. Though I still find myself adjusting to the demands and differences of farm life, it is second nature to my children. They were born into a lifestyle that I had previously only read about.
My son is only three and yet he is a true-blue farmer at heart. He would rather be out in the tractor or checking the cows with his dad than playing with his toys or catching up on an episode of Paw Patrol. He loves his red plaid jacket, muck boots, and ball cap. If he had the choice, he would be outside every day, all day, doing something with the boys. My two-year-old daughter is also showing a preference for tractors and trucks over barbie dolls and stuffed animals. Maybe she will still inherit my love for pretty shoes and sparkly accessories, but for the time being her favorite activities usually include something with wheels.
While I think I’ve adjusted well to country living, I still retain some of my city upbringing. Baby gates are a common sight on our property. Our door is double-locked, day and night, to keep out unwanted intruders (both the animal and people kind), and sippy cups accompany all our visits (the smell is NOT an indicator of good drinking water!). But that aside, I wouldn’t trade this life for the world! Raising my two littles in the country has provided me with a new perspective and appreciation for even just the simple things. Seeing the excitement on my son’s face when he gets to go out in the tractor or my little girl’s squeals of delight when she sees the cows out the kitchen window, fill my mama heart with love. This is their normal, their way of life, and for that I am grateful.
I am a stay at home mama to two beatiful children! I love writing about every day parenting, reading the latest financial guru book and eating anything chocolate! I live in the far northern corners of British Columbia with my husband, team of huskies and a lot of cows!
