Author: Sarah Marshall

Bringing Family Together with Starbucks Holiday Blend {Giveaway}

I was provided a bag of Starbucks Holiday Blend ground coffee and a mug in return for my participation in this campaign with Modern Moms and Starbucks. Any and all opinions shared are my own.

During our holiday trip last week, we bounced from house to house spending a night or two here and then a night or two there. Some mornings there were big family breakfasts and some mornings every one fended for themselves depending on their plans for the day.

But the one constant at every house – there was always coffee brewing.  And it was more than just a jolt of caffeine or something to warm to drink on a cold Michigan morning.

It’s a common thread among households, families, people at all ages and stages of life.

It breeds togetherness as folks gather by the coffee maker waiting for the last drip to fall so they can fill their mug.

It’s an excuse to slow down from the hustle of holiday plans and chores and check in with each other.

For the holiday season, Starbucks offers its Holiday Blend.

The holidays are full of surprises—especially this reimagined Starbucks® Holiday Blend. Our newest creation is crafted with vibrant Latin American and smooth Indonesian coffees. The result is complex yet approachable, elegant yet versatile, hearty yet smooth. It’s a balance of herbal and sweet maple notes that pairs beautifully with everything your holiday season has in store for you.

Before I even brewed the coffee, I thought the aroma was amazing. The flavor is quite mild so I might experiment with an extra scoop or two next time. I’m typically a flavored creamer or milk kind of girl but I enjoyed the Holiday Blend black as well.

Starbucks was gracious enough to provide another bag of Holiday Blend ground coffee and mug to one of my readers! To enter, leave a comment below telling me what activities bring your family together at the holidays – cookie decorating, movies, driving around looking for lights????

I will pick a winner on Monday, January 6th.

Friday Nights

I love Friday nights…

Bottles can stay in the drying rack…don’t need them til Monday.
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No lunches to pack…we’ll eat at home tomorrow.
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Don’t have to race to have diapers washed, dried and stuffed before bed…they can wait until morning.
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Instead, I’ll get comfy on the couch with the Hubs and enjoy a night off.

Our Angel Baby

Last fall, on September 8th, I saw two lines on a home pregnancy test. Faint but they were there.

On September 17th, we gave up hope that the pregnancy would last.

In my gut, I knew there was a reason the lines on the many pregnancy tests I took were not getting any darker. It didn’t stop me from looking for reassurance on the Internet that it was possible that it meant nothing, a full term pregnancy could still happen. But deep down, I knew.

Blood was drawn and each time, I had to tell the nurse why.

“I think I’m losing my baby”

Pregnancy & Infant Loss Rememberance Day

Today is recognized as Infant & Pregnancy Loss Rememberance Day. Unfortunately, this affects more families than I think most people are aware.

In the grand scheme, I believe I was fortunate that my experience wasn’t as bad as it could have been. It happened very early on. I sensed something wasn’t right from the beginning. I didn’t suffer physically. We got pregnant again only a few weeks later. So many have it much worse.

My heart aches for those whose circumstances are more trying. Even when you know you didn’t do anything wrong or that there was a reason your baby didn’t survive, there is a hole in your heart that won’t ever be filled.

The hardest part for me is the wondering. Was that baby a boy or a girl? Would there be as much resemblance to Brooke? What milestone would be reached today or tomorrow?

There are times I feel like its wrong to have those thoughts. After all, if that baby had survived, Leah wouldn’t be in our lives and its hard to imagine life without her.

But its only natural to wonder about what could have been and it doesn’t mean I don’t treasure Leah with every ounce of my being.

Tonight, folks around the world will light a candle at 7pm their local time, participating in the International Wave of Light to honor and remember those babies lost in pregnancy or early in their short lives. I will be doing so and invite you to as well.

Have you or someone close to you experience the loss of a pregnancy or infant? Feel free to share your story in the comments.