We’re coffee drinkers at our house.
Though sadly, I’m not a very *ahem* grown-up coffee drinker. I need chocolate syrup and whipped cream and a whole lot of dairy to make the coffee beans go down. And since my at-home attempts have thus far fallen short of my fru-fru coffee needs, I’m on a first-name basis with most of the coffee shops in Franklin. They know my order. They know my kids’ names. And it’s no surprise to them if I camp out at a corner table for half a day working, or turn the community table into a homeschool classroom with my two blondes.
We love coffee. But we also love coffee shops.
We love being around people – especially the folks in our town. We love bumping into all of the familiar faces and meeting new friends. Coffee shops are a part of our life – they are part of our community!
But (in case you’re wondering), our kids do not drink coffee (though I’ve heard some interesting arguments for caffeine being a surprising remedy to hyperactivity in some children! True?). So for all the time we spend in coffee shops, we’ve had to learn a few tasty, healthy, cost-effective tricks so we can include our little people in our social beverage consumption habits.
(Hazel’s first time ordering all by herself!)
Our latest discovery? This one is compliments of our friend Patti at Five Points Starbucks in Franklin. It was part-our request, part-her tasty additional suggestion. And pure genius!
THE ORDER:
1 bottle Evolution orange juice
blended with VENTI ice
into TWO GRANDE cups
add: 1 scoop VANILLA BEAN powder
YIELD: 2 healthy drinks that taste like a dreamsicle! (or an Orange Julius!)
COST: 5-ish dollars for TWO drinks.
(Yes, it’s no steal. But it’s delicious and 100% juice, and adding the ice makes it super sharable!)
Now it’s time to share your favorite, secret coffee-shop recipes!
What do your kids like to order when they’re out with you?
Sam and Piper looooove Passion Tea Lemonade. Caffeine free, cheap, and since the lemonade is a bit sweet, we order it unsweetened and they guzzle it down.
I’ve asked for a 8oz cup with a couple squirts of flavor in it and then just put in creamer or milk and stir. So only costs like .50… i thought it was genius. however, magnolia didn’t… well. i take that back. she thought it was fun to make a mess with. :)
My boy is a chocolate junkie. He loves the kids hot chocolate at Starbucks. It’s his “usual”! I’m pretty simple, I love a Grande no-water Chai latte with whip. IF I’m feeling adventurous I have them add a shot of hazelnut or vanilla, depending on my mood. I love the orange idea though and I’m going to try it this summer since my girl has decided she’s tired of being a baby/toddler and wants to be all grown up at 18 months! Thanks for sharing!
I’ve ordered a smoothie and had them put it into two small cups which works well for us. My girls mostly like apple juice and a pastry at Starbucks. When we were there a lot, I got them both Starbucks cards loaded up with money. They had to manage their money on their own by choosing what to order. They also had to order it themselves, say please and thank you, and get their receipt each time. It was a great way for them to learn how to interact with adults in that type of setting, and got them over some shyness.
Yes! We have done this with Oliver for years, but just now started doing it with Hazel. We like having her practice using eye contact, speaking clearly, and being confident. It makes her feel big, too :)
I love this! I work at Starbucks as a second job, and I just love it when the little ones come up and order their own drink. It’s surprisingly rare. Kuddos mama.
My kids love the Starbucks hot chocolate! The kids size is only $1.25 and they feel cool carrying the small Starbucks cup! Sometimes we will add raspberry syrup to them as well:)
Ooh – raspberry syrup is a fun idea!
Wow, yummy! Can I order this for me? haha
I know! I think Ryan and I would split one if we weren’t in the mood for coffee!
The first paragraph totally reminded me of our drink orders at St. Elmo Steak House in Indy. Hahah! Growing up is over rated. Bring on the whipped cream and sprinkles :D xoxo
Oh, what an amazing memory!!!! Haha! I want to go back to that night – so so fun!
I don’t know if this would work at starbucks, but at our local coffee shop, a grilled cheese is like $5….I know! So I order “toast” which is $1 for two, add a slice of cheese 50cents. Boom. Yeah, I don’t get it either…But it always works and no one ever says anything!
Dylan just likes the chocolate milk in the spring/summer and hot chocolate in the winter. Easy peasy!
We do steamers for our girls. The oldest one prefers a caramel steamer – just steamed milk and a squirt of caramel syrup. They always do it at a lower temp so it’s not too hot for them.