Sip on this: Beverages of holiday break

Happy New Year!

I'm not going to write a post about my New Year's resolutions or how I intend to blog more (notice how I still got that information in there, eh?), but I did think it would be fun to write about my holiday break... in the form of beverages.

I used to swear by water and water only. I would smugly sip from my plastic Dasani bottle and tell the world, "You know, I've just never liked soda." Until, that is, I discovered Starbucks, Jamba Juice, and the overall joy of sugary beverages. I still have no desire to incorporate soda in my life (it's too fizzy and harsh for my delicate palette, I suppose. Just kidding), but I do love concocting some nice creations to sip on. Here were my beverages of choice this holiday break. 

Homemade smoothies are my go-to breakfast, snack, and anytime-treat in the summer, and I wasn't about to let the snow and near-zero temperatures stop me from enjoying some tropical fruitiness. The one pictured here (in my plastic to-go cup so I could sneak it into the movies, obvi) is made of banana, raspberries, blackberries, and - as a fun twist - apple! It was delicious and a nice nutritious treat to sip on as I watched Joy (good movie, BTW). Smoothie tip: Ice and yogurt are crucial for texture, but they often water down the taste. Ditch the ice and toss in some frozen fruit instead, which will still keep it cold, and opt for flavored yogurt instead of vanilla to boost the taste. (Peach and strawberry are my faves.)

As stated above, I refuse to let the weather dictate my beverage choices. Although there are few things better than a steaming hot Peppermint Mocha when it's freezing out, I tend to favor iced coffee, even in the winter. As you may be able to deduce from the orange and pink straw, this iced vanilla bean latte came from Dunkin' Donuts. I pop in to DD a lot because my boyfriend works there, but besides having a cute cashier, I really do love their coffee, especially the iced varieties. I sipped on this particular beige stunner while waiting for my mom at the haircut place, but many more iced coffees were consumed by yours truly during the month of December. #NoRegrets

As another throwback to summer (let's be honest, the unofficial season of lemonade) I put together this easy fruity beverage to sip on while chillin' at home. You know those pics of water bottles filled with cucumbers, berries, and probably kale or tofu something? It's usually called something along the lines of "detox water," and I totally get the appeal of throwing some fruit in your glass. This regular pink lemonade soon got a delicious berry taste from the raspberries and blackberries, and when I ran out of the lemonade, I filled up the glass with water. AND I had some nice, albeit moist, (sorry I just said "moist") berries to munch on when finished. Berry-tinted H20? Not a bad way to stay hydrated. 

Don't worry, I didn't spend the whole month of December denying that it was winter. I did indulge in some classic holiday beverages what I assume is probably an embarrassing amount of times. If you don't like hot chocolate, just know that I'm squinting at you profusely and assuming that you're a liar. It's warm, delicious, and microwaveable! I made this particular beauty at my sister's house. Marshmallows are a classic hot chocolate topping, but I also like to drop in a candy cane or two to give it a subtle peppermint taste. See, I can get into the winter spirit! (But I'm still counting down the days until it's 80 degrees again.)