Enjoying the Scents of the Holidays // Sweet Smells + Hot Coffee

Thank you to Dunkin' Donuts® coffee, available wherever you buy groceries, for sponsoring this post. Visit Dunkin' Donuts®  to find a store selling Dunkin' Donuts® seasonal packaged coffee near you. I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective.

The holiday season is officially here you guys.  As much as I gush about loving summertime, this is truly my favorite time of the year.  Over the weekend I started looking through my (admittedly excessive amount of) holiday decorations, jotting down some gift ideas, and I may have even turned on the holiday music station in the car while running errands.  This time of year just feels good. To me, the holidays are about coming together, celebrating peace and unity, and of course, feelings of coziness and celebration.  And one of my favorite parts is the familiar and comforting scents that come along with it: pine, cinnamon, pumpkin, peppermint, vanilla, sweet pies, cookies, and warm drinks.

Scents have the extraordinary ability to trigger memories and feelings (there is scientific proof of this!). With all of the delicious smells that accompany this season, it's no wonder that the slightest whiff of a Christmas tree, pumpkin pie, or hot cup of coffee can so easily evoke the joy of the holidays.  My husband and I are both huge coffee drinkers year round, but there is something about special seasonal coffee flavors and smells that makes it an even more frequent treat for us this time of year. 

One of our absolute favorite places to grab coffee during the holidays is Dunkin' Donuts.  They have so many flavors to choose from: Original Blend, Dunkin’ Decaf® and their special seasonal varieties (which are only available for a limited time) including Mocha Mint, Pumpkin Spice and Gingerbread Cookie. Robbie loves the Original Blend, and my favorite is Gingerbread Cookie.  I was also pretty excited to discover that Dunkin’ Donuts® packaged coffee is available at your local grocery store.  Yay for having a convenient way to purchase and enjoy your favorite coffee, whether or not you live or work near a Dunkin’ Donuts store!  Over the weekend when my sister was in town, I brewed a pot of the Gingerbread Cookie flavor, and our entire house smelled delicious.  She and I looked through decorations and talked about our favorite Christmases of our childhood, and we both got a little emotional.  We agreed that sometimes nothing evokes the joy of the holidays like sharing memories with family and close friends over a cup of delicious coffee. 

Since so many of my friends and family are coffee lovers, I'm  also planning to use some of the new Dunkin' Donuts seasonal varieties as stocking stuffers and fun little gifts.  They even come with cute gift tags!  I plan to stock up, and keep a wide variety on hand to share with guests and bring to last minute holiday parties.

One of the biggest goals I've accomplished this year has been to learn how to take time to relax and enjoy simple pleasures, and I'm looking forward to especially practicing this over the holidays. Whatever your plans over the next few weeks, I hope you can take some time to savor the aromas, decor, music and company of this time of year.  Sit down with a friend, put on your favorite holiday record, brew a pot of coffee, take in your surroundings, and create new memories. That's my plan. 

Thank you to Dunkin’ Donuts® packaged coffee at grocery for being a sponsor. I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective. All opinions expressed here are my own.