There's a time for everything...

Tonight was a night to be commemorated: Kate enjoyed her first beverage from Starbucks! Starbucks is one of the two places she always comments on when she sees the signs out the car window. She usually shouts, "Momma, there's the coffee store! Do we need coffee today?" (In case you're wondering, the other place Kate can't resist shouting about is CVS... I know that's odd, but she's already a budding bargain shopper like her momma - and she has GREAT eyes for spotting CVSes that I don't even know exist!) She's never had the joy of tasting anything from Starbucks other than water in a regular cup with a straw or a cookie here and there, so to be able to have her own drink in a special coffee-type cup with a cool lid like Momma's was sure to be a treat for her.

Tonight is going to be the coldest night of the season so far for us. When we walked outside to head to dinner, the north wind was so strong and cold Kate pulled her own hood up and said her ears were cold. So after dinner I decided it was time to indoctrinate my sweet two year old daughter into one of America's finest and most costly past times - the Starbuckles warm and tasty beverage selection.

I'd been eying those kid sized hot chocolates on their menu for quite a while, and because I wanted to find a way to make tonight special for all of us I decided her first hot chocolate would be a great way to make a special memory with her BeeBee. It's hard to beat the satisfaction that comes from combining the warmth of a tasty beverage with the special warmth of being with people you love! So as we pulled through the drive thru, I ordered each of us a kid's menu hot chocolate to try. They came in the sweetest little cups and were a perfect after dinner treat for only about a dollar a piece.

As you can see from the pictures, Kate thoroughly enjoyed her new treat. If Starbucks ever needed to advertise, I know a little girl who could make people stand in line based on how good she made that hot chocolate look like it tasted to her! I wish I'd taken video of her giggling, laughing, and dancing as she drank - she was as impressed with the warm, liquidy chocolate as I'd hoped she would be.

Though Starbucks can be as expensive as CVS can be bargain filled, I think teaching my daughter to find ways to incorporate both joys into her life helps her to strike a good balance. There are definitely lots of opportunities when it is wise to be frugal, but every once in a while there come times when a girl needs to be able to feel free to bask in the glory of a breathtaking cup of hot chocolate!