Celebrate the Holidays with Your Family & #NewEnglandCoffee #YouAreExtraordinary

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of New England Coffee. All opinions are 100% mine.

Driving through our neighborhood on a warm winter's eve, the houses twinkle and shine with freshly hung holiday lights. Jolly, fat St Nicholas waves from someone's lawn and a glittering mailbox opens and shuts revealing an over-sized letter to the North Pole. Evergreen Christmas trees – and very similar-looking plastic ones – shine like beacons through windows as I drive by. From the twinkling lights to the ringing of Salvation Army bells outside stores, Christmas is slowly but surely making it's arrival around the country! I spent last Christmas in New York City, and it was my first "authentic winter experience" as an adult. Now that I am sitting here in Miami in December…I really understand what I am missing.

2016 has been a very long year for me. One filled with a roller coaster of emotions, from a divorce, to health scares, and deaths. As the holidays draw near I can't help but to dwell on them. Recently my grandmother – my "Mamaw," Elaine passed away. I was blessed to grow up with both sets of grandparents alive, and two great-grandmothers as well. Not many can say the same, and  I loved my my paternal grandmother. So much so, that I packed my bags and moved to North Carolina with her the day I turned 18. To say that I learned a lot from her as we sat on the porch beneath the stars that month was an understatement. She was the one who pushed me to make the hard choices in life. At her memorial service Saturday, someone called her feisty. I've been called the same. I never realized how much of an impact she made on my entire life.

I miss her but it also makes me realize that that is what life – and especially the holidays – are all about. They're about spending time with extraordinary people. People who affect your life in small and big ways. People who pick you up when "it" hits the fan. People who show up when it matters. The holidays are a perfect time for getting together with the extraordinary people in our lives, and what better way to connect than over a cup of New England Coffee?

New England Coffee just came out with their winter seasonal flavored coffees – Eggnog, Gingerbread Cookie and Mocha Mint. They're perfect for the festive feelings that have been creeping in.

New England Coffee Shop varieties are available in 11-ounce bags and are made with 100% Arabica coffee beans, from mild light roasts and full-flavored medium roasts to intense dark roasts. You can also get them in K-Cup pods so you can enjoy the consistently smooth, delicious flavor of New England Coffee no matter how you brew.

When I lived with my grandmother we spent a lot of time sitting on her front porch. Every morning I soaked up her wisdom and feisty attitude over a cup of coffee – she's actually the reason I drink it today. I began with those hot cups of joe on the backporch in North Carolina before we went to work each morning, then fell in love with Iced Coffees as an adult.

How do you plan to celebrate the holidays with the extraordinary people in your life?  Let us know and you could win a Keurig Single Cup Coffee Brewer with a selection of New England Coffee Shop products! You'll find the giveaway at the end of this post. Don't forget to visit the #YouAreExtraordinary gallery to see what other extraordinary people are up to! Check out their Facebook page too and follow them on Instagram.

This year, I plan on spending it with other extraordinary people in my life: my family, my daughter, and close friends!

Enter to Win!

One winner will receive a Keurig Coffee Brewer, a selection of New England Coffee bagged and single serve K-Cup products, and a My K-Cup Reusable Coffee Filter.

To enter, simply answer in a comment below:

How are you planning on celebrating the holiday season with the extraordinary people in your life?

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. A PURCHASE OR PAYMENT OF ANY KIND WILL NOT INCREASE YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED. One winner, chosen at random from all eligible entries received, will receive a Keurig Single Cup Coffee Brewer, a selection of New England Coffee bagged and K-Cup products, and a My K-Cup® Reusable Coffee Filter ($178.43 value), and will be announced on or about 10 days after end of entry period.  Entrants may enter within 21 days of this post going live. Must be a resident of one of the 48 contiguous United States (excl. PR, HI, AK) and the age of majority in his or her jurisdiction at time of entry. Odds of winning depend on number of eligible entries received. Sweepstakes is sponsored by New England Coffee.