Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Countdown to 30: Giveaway 1

This week I'm going to share some of my favorite birthday memories, birthday traditions, birthday treats, and/or birthday photos (regular blogging will resume on June 2) with each giveaway.

A few of my favorite birthday traditions were balloons decorated with faces hung in the kitchen doorway, computer printed birthday banners, and the blue, 'you're the best' plate. It was so exciting to go to bed on your birthday eve and wake-up to the custom-made decorations. My dad often designed them and they made each of us feel so special. My mom would make our favorite meal and dessert and serve it to us on the special birthday plate. I occasionally had cake but more often, I chose pie. :) Being a June birthday, strawberries were (and still are) always a part of the meal.

Anyway...today, I'm giving away a $5 giftcard to Starbucks! It is one of my guilty pleasures :) and I'm always thrilled to have a gift card - makes $3-4 for a drink not quite so painful. My favorites are NF caramel machiato, NF peppermint mocha, skinny vanilla latte or unsweetened passion iced tea. My least favorites are the tea lattes and vivannostm - yuck - tried both once and will never order them again.

To enter, leave a comment with your favorite coffee or tea drink or any other comment (okay, not just "pick me" - something interesting :)).

Three rules for the week:
1) 1 entry per person per giveaway.
2) You can enter all drawings for the week - just leave a comment with the specified guidelines on each giveaway post.
3) Make sure I have a way to contact you if you are the winner (winners will be chosen randomly unless otherwise noted).

I will draw winners for all giveaways next Wednesday, June 3. Thanks for joining in my birthday celebration!

34 comments:

Jodee said...

I love the birthday plate idea! What a fun giveaway too. I love the strawberry and creme drink at Starbucks. Please throw my name in the hat!

SentimentsbyDenise said...

My favorite drink is Chai Tea Latte. Now, Starbucks makes a wonderful blend, but awhile back I decided to come up with my own recipe because I enjoy this almost daily and my Starbucks habit was getting expensive!
I make up a batch of the dry mix and add it to hot water - it's delicous!

Barbara D said...

I'm a mocha,skim milk, extra hot with whipped cream preferably with a friend.

30 is not so bad - I turned 52 yesterday and survived thus far!

Thad and Ann said...

I love the white choc. peppermint Mocha...yummy! :)

I love the birthday plate idea, how fun!

I am trying to get used to 30, it's looming in the future(next year). I have loved my 20's & for some reason I have a hard time with 30. :)

Elizabeth said...

I love the skinny vanilla latte as well. We try to make the whole day about the kid who's birthday it is. For breakfast they get to go out with Daddy and dinner is the meal of their choice. It is also fun for me to make their favorite cakes. Thanks to you, Alaina, for that example as to how fun decorating cakes can be and is for them.

Elizabeth said...

Sorry, that Elizabeth is Elizabeth Faris. :)

kitzkazventure said...

I loved, loved the 30's...my best years so far! 40's have been hard which mostly has to do with becoming a first time parent at 40 but definitely getting better! ;)

I was only a steamer person at starbucks and an occasional apple cider but overall I am a hot tea english or breakfast)with cream and sugar drinker!

The only coffee I drink is a coffee punch that we make around here for parties....so much ice cream in it that the coffee is a minimal taste! Yummy! :)

Jenny said...

I love birthdays and hope this is a fun week of sharing your birthday with everyone else.
I like "candy coffee" -- something with lots of sweetness and terrible for you -- which is why I don't get them very often!!!
(Mark and Adam say when THEY are Daddies, they will drink coffee!)

Holly Trawick said...

In the summer my fav is Iced Caffè Mocha. I also LOVE the Chai Tea Latte. Now that I have cut expensive drinks from my budget, I found a cheaper substitute... and I still only indulge in this on occasion... it is Bolthouse Farms Chai Tea Latte. Here in GA it can be found in the refrigerated produce section at my local Kroger grocery store.

Heather L. said...

WEll, most ordered drink is a decaf misto with whipped cream and nutmeg on top. I'm very limited with the boundaries of no caffeine and no sugar. :( I'm sure I would love some of the fancier drinks you mentioned if they met the criteria. :)

Katrina said...

My Starbucks habit was not only getting expensive but fattening...seeing as my favorite favorite drink is a white chocolate mocha (especially a triple venti..the extra shot balances the sweetness) SO I tried the skinny vanilla latte and liked it and so that's my "regular" drink now and I only get the other when I'm really really down...it's my "pint of ice cream" to drown my sorrows in. ;)

P.S. I too am trying to psyche myself up for 30. It's not that I really have a problem with 30...it's just that I don't quite feel 30 and when you say that you yourself are 30...it's just WEIRD! It feels like I'm talking about a different person. heh ;)

Gretchen said...

Cafe lattes are my favorite.

B.D.Riehl said...

Happy Birthday week! What a fun idea:)
I used to work at Starbucks, so my favortie drink list is endless. I love summertime when their lemonade is back because I get the lemonade iced tea - yum! I also love pumpkin spice lattes, iced soy with 1 pump of hazelnut chai tea...I could actually go on and on, so I will spare you. Hope you have a fun week!

liz nelson said...

java chip frappe... the other thing i love from starbucks is there unsweetened passion ice tea. it's delicious.

Kostaroff said...

Happy Birthday Week! My favorite drinks involve mostly sugar. White chocolate mocha (decaf lately) or any kind of frap! I thought living less than a mile from one would be a problem, but the cheap-o in me hasn't let my desires take over!

Heather said...

How exciting! My drink of choice normally is a FF two pump hazelnut Latte. :-)

Stephanie said...

I usually get unsweetened iced green tea, but on occasion I'll indulge in a peppermint mocha or a pumpkin spice latte.

Jenna said...

During the fall my favorite is pumpkin spice... during the winter it is peppermint mocha. And when the weather is nice and worm I love the green tea frappucino.

Aaron Tague said...

Well, Happy Birthday! I, too, am turning 30. However, my bday is on Sunday. Starbucks is great- I would vote for Starbuck's iced teas. I always tell them not to put water in it (as to get the most for my $3!

Anyway, thanks for the giveaway :)

Brooke
brooketague at yahoo dot com

Leah said...

Ohh...I love Starbucks, too! I like the carmel frappucino the best. Happy birthday!

Amy K said...

I was just thinking about your big birthday coming up!

I usually get a black and white mocha. And any frap is good. :)

Courtney said...

I love a basic mocha!

Unknown said...

I'm not a fan of hot drinks- so my favorites are the frappuccinos. The only ones I have tried are the Double Chocolaty Chip and the Vanilla Bean. LOVE THEM!

Lana Joy said...

I also love the peppermint mocha. It tastes like Christmas in my mouth all year round. I love chai, too. Starbucks rocks, and I'm very excited for your 30th. Alaina, let's not forget, your life can only get better!

Margaret said...

I have many of the same birthday memories. The computer paper birthday banners are probably my favorite. My favorite coffee drink is either straight black coffee, straight espresso, or an americano. MmMmmmm, coffeeeee

Rachel said...

Fun idea. I always get the mocha. I always like it.

Jessy B. said...

Mmm...mocha or mocha frappuccino...I remember your birthday banners from when I used to go to the bday parties for you and margaret =P

Jessy B. said...

Oh...wow, duh! I meant birthday parties for steph and margaret... oops!

Andrew said...

Since your three rules don't exclude family, I'll enter :) My favorite Starbucks drink is a venti white chocolate mocha, non-fat (can't tell the difference), with whip, stirred, ... and I'm gonna start adding "extra-hot," because it often gets cold before I finish.

Smith Family Blog said...

My favorite is the pumpkin spice latte. Too bad it is seasonal! But I just love lattes in general. Since I can't currently have milk, I've thought about steaming some rice milk and adding it to my coffee, but I don't think it would have the same effect. :)

Jen said...

This is hard. In the winter Carmel Machiato. In the summer carmel frap. See a theme? :)

Joshua said...

I have to go with Jen on this one. Caramel Machiato is prolly the best drink at starbucks.

Tammy Froelich said...

Chai Tea Latte, skim milk and iced. YUMMY!!! Pumpkin Pie in a cup! :-)

Tammy Froelich
justscrapbooking@att.net

Charity said...

Happy 30th!!

My favorite Starbucks drink is the Coffee Frappuccino or the Chocolate Banana Vivanno made with withe chocolate. Yummmmmyyyyy!!!