A Mother's Coffee Conundrum Solved By The Overnight Coffee Challenge.

Like many moms who concurrently have the joy of raising tiny humans and school-age children together under their roof, our weekday mornings can best be described in one word: 
INSANITY.
You'd think that tiny humans would adapt to the same monotonous routine every day that consists of mundane things like brushing teeth, putting clothes on, eating breakfast and donning socks and shoes but for whatever reason, children seem to wake up each morning downright bewildered by the activities that lay before them. 
Brush their teeth? "BUT WHY!" It doesn't matter that you lovingly laid out their school uniform the night before in a place in plain sight where they would have to practically step over it to miss it- they still "HAVE NO IDEA WHERE [THEIR] PANTS ARE" and forget asking them to put their shoes on before walking out the door. You may as well ask them to pluck their eyeballs from their sockets and stuff them in their pockets.  
All the while the baby of the family is busy stuffing whatever isn't nailed down in the bathroom into the un-flushed toilet full of urine. Because, little boys.
Needless to say, our mornings require a lot of coffee and bonus points if that coffee can be consumed while it's still hot (which, let's face it, is a rare commodity when you're a mother of small children). It had hit me the other morning after loading up the car as I had to run back inside the house to grab my coffee from the microwave that it had been a really (really) long time since I was able to enjoy a hot mug of coffee sans three rounds in the microwave and it was just as I was getting back into my car that the mailman ran up my driveway, handing me a box filled with the solution to my coffee conundrum. 

I immediately tucked the box into the passenger seat beside me and hurried off to car line. It would be another full hour before I was back home and able to open it which you'll soon find out, is very important to note. After all, I was aware that this package from Thermos brand was on it's way to me but what I didn't realize was that it was actually a Thermos full of piping hot coffee. 

Yes, you heard that right. As part of their Overnight Coffee Challenge in honor of National Thermos Brand Day on May 19th, Thermos is shipping piping hot coffee overnight to prove that their insulated beverage containers will keep hot liquids hot and cold liquids cold for up to 24 hours.
As soon as I returned home, I couldn't wait to dive into the box. I was under the impression that I was sent a Genuine Thermos Brand Vacuum Insulated Stainless King Beverage Bottle (40oz) as well as a bag of Dark Matter coffee they were encouraging us storytellers to enjoy but what I found inside that box was even better than I imagined.
Much to my surprised as I tore open the box the Thermos was heavier than I anticipated and not only that but the lid was reinforced with packing tape. As soon as I realized what was about to happen, I grabbed my phone to video the un-boxing. Check it out below:

Can you even believe that? Now I'll never have to leave the house without hot coffee or a microwaved (and microwaved again) cup of Joe. Now I brew my Dark Matter Coffee (with subtle hints of dark chocolate and caramel) in the morning as usual, add the most amazing almond milk creamer in the universe and immediately transfer it to my Thermos which gets tossed into the passenger seat alongside me. Whenever my mug or go-cup is running low, I just fill up wherever I am, with my Thermos full of piping hot coffee. 

It has truly changed the way I drink my coffee in the mornings and since the Thermos holds 40oz. of coffee, when I'm feeling particularly generous, I even share the luxury of hot coffee with my mom friends at the local playground. It's no wonder what a nice, hot cup of coffee can do for the soul. In my house, it certainly helps diffuse some of the insanity that so often fills up our mornings. 

I told you pants were a rarity around these parts... but check out how incredibly large that Thermos is. It's half the size of my two-year old!

Head on over to Thermos' Facebook page to enter to win an Overnight Coffee Challenge package and see what all this fuss is about. I'll be back again next month talking about some not-so-secret Coffee Confessions!