My New Favorite Drink

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Where has iced caramel macchiato been all of my life?  Since the summer it has been at the top of my purchased drink list. An iced caramel macchiato is made with vanilla syrup, frothed milk, milk foam, a shot of espresso and of course caramel and ice.  I have tried it pretty much anywhere, Dunkin Donuts, McDonalds and of course at Starbucks.  While I am no drink connoisseur, I can break down the best and the… well I wont say worse but not the best.

  1. Dunkin Donuts is my favorite, which shocks me because I am not really a huge fan of their coffee.  Depending on the location, they can go overboard with the caramel, but for the most part I like theirs the best.
  2. Starbucks would be my second choice.  I do not consider myself a real coffee drinker, so I think Starbucks has a bit stronger coffee than Dunkin Donuts.  It is still good.  I have had a regular hot caramel macchiato at Starbucks but didn’t like it too much.  For hot drinks I will stick to the White Chocolate Mocha
  3. McDonalds would be the least favorite.  Their version is too sweet.  They always put more caramel into the drink than anything else and essentially that is all you taste.  This version will send you to the dentist in a hurry.

I am not sure what drink you are enjoying.  This is the holiday season and there are plenty holiday versions of drinks available, and I don’t get caught up in that.  I am sticking to what I know and what I have come to love which is the Iced Caramel Macchiato.  If you have never tried this drink then give it a try the next time you find yourself in one of these locations or even your local coffee shop.   I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

Be Blessed!  Be Fabulous!

pink-lips

 

Holiday Gifts Under $15

Under 15

So we have looked at gifts under $5, and then gifts under $10, but if you want to spend a little more money, here is a list of gifts under $15.  I am still showing you how to shop for everyone on your list, as well as those that may be unexpected, without breaking the bank.  Here are today’s selections

  1.  Love Cork Screw Wine $14.99 (Love Cork Screw)touch-the-sky LCS14.99Made by an African American female from Chicago, this would make a great gift for your wine lover or for the person who has the stocked bar in their house.  Pick up one for yourself as well.
  2. Chocolate Nostalgic Board Games $9.99 each (Target)

    While these look like the classic board games, these are actually filled with chocolate.  This could be an excellent gag gift or a gift for the person you know who loves chocolate.

  3. Umbra Scarf Organizers $12.99 (Various retailers)

    A great way to help the fashionable friend with all the scarves (like me) stay organized.  Compact and decorative, the organizers can each hold at least 10 scarves as well as other accessories (shown above).

  4. Bath and Body Shake It Up Mini Gift Set (Bath and Body Works)       bathand body 12.99

Comes in various scents.  If you have a friend who loves Bath and Body Works and their scents this is the perfect gift for them.

5.  Triangle Cold Weather Scarf $12.99 (JCPenney)scarf jcp 12.99If you live in a climate where the weather can get cold, this is a great gift option.  Also comes in other prints.  Help keep someone warm and fashionable this holiday season.

6.  White Marble Cheese Slicer $12.99 (World Market)

For the fancy hostess friend (try saying that fast 3 times), a cheese slicer.  Or a great gift for someone who likes cheese (ME).  What a great gift for the person who frequently hosts dinner parties or girls night out.

7.  Spinster Sisters Shea Butter $12.00 (Spinster Sisters)Spinstersisters shea butter14.50 scentsI choose this item mainly for the name.  I have never used this product however I have been called a spinster quite a few times in my life.  Who couldn’t use some shea butter anyway.  This is a season where protecting your skin is important, so along with drinking plenty of water, body butters to keep skin soft and smooth make great gifts as well.

8.  Stemless Wine Glasses $9.98 (New York and Company)2-Piece-Stemless-Wine-Glass-Set-Pink-_12.47What Wine drinker wouldn’t love to have these glasses on their bar?  Grab these glasses and a bottle of wine and you have the perfect gift for the wine lover in you.

9.  NUBWO Speaker with MIC $12.99 (Amazon)Nubwu speaker 12.99If you have a friend that is an entrepreneur or budding entrepreneur, this is a great gift option for them.  This compact speaker with built in mic is perfect for conference calls, webinars and background music.

10.  The Body Shop Gift Set $15 (The Body Shop)strawberry-beauty-bag-3-640x640 1500The Body Shop is one of my favorite places to shop during the holiday season. They have a variety of items for all skin types as well as a variety of scents.  One of the reasons I love the Body Shop is because their scents are long last and not overpowering, just a subtle hint of fragrance that last all day.

So far you have 30 options for budget friendly holiday shopping.  I am not done yet there is still more to come.  Tomorrow stay tuned for gifts under $20.  I hope you have found some holiday shopping inspiration as well as some ways to save a little coin during this holiday season.  You can have a phenomenal holiday without going broke in the process.  Happy Shopping and Happy Holidays!

 

Be Blessed and Be Fabulous!

pink-lips