I pride myself on always being on time. Even if it means leaving my house incredibly early and sitting outside a place for half an hour because I arrived too soon, I pride myself on being on time. It’s just something that was instilled in me from a young age, and it’s important to me. But sometimes things don’t go as planned… and that’s when it’s time to just totally forget everything else that’s bringing me down and Crush It.

The other day, I had an appointment first thing in the morning. See, I’m not a morning person… at all. I never set appointments for mornings, but when it comes to my son’s autism care, I’ll set an appointment for any possible time I can get in (autism treatment is notorious for long wait lists, and I was NOT having that!)

I set 3 alarms. This little voice inside of me was panicked that I wouldn’t hear them and I’d miss the appointment somehow, but I managed to wake up on time. Totally crushing it.

I got in my car, ready to go, a little bit early because, as I mentioned, I have to be early. And I turned the ignition, and suddenly… my gas light came on.

You see, in addition to being early, my friends make fun of me for the fact that if my car is at a quarter of a tank, it’s time to fill it up. In the almost 14 years I’ve been driving, I’ve never seen my car’s gas light. Today of all days, a gas light. What the actual heck?

I pulled into the gas station and fueled up. My reason for being low on gas was simple– 4 autism therapy appointments in a week paired with my bank card somehow not working at the pump at the exact time I had a screamy, fussy child in the car? Yeah… not fueling up that day.

I knew I was going to be late. And by late, I mean not 15 minutes early, but still. I drove, and at the first light, it was green. Hallelujah, it was green. Then the next one was, and the next, and all 20 lights I had to drive through to get to the appointment… every single one was green. Except the one yellow I couldn’t stop for, but we won’t count that one.

And that’s when I got lost. I went from knowing I’d make it in time to knowing there was no way I’d make it in time… driving around parking lots of unmarked buildings, and they all looked the same and had the same address (because they’re related buildings?). So I parked in front of one, walked in, and somehow, by some sort of mysterious grace, when I looked at the list of places in the building, I happened to be in the right one. I shot into the elevator, made it up, and walked in.

“Hi, I have an appointment at 8:15.” I looked at my phone… it was 8:14. Somehow, despite the setbacks, I had actually made it to the appointment on time (and without breaking any speeding laws, even!)

Sometimes, it’s the little things in your day that make you know “Yeah, I’m doing okay.” It’s little things like managing to make that appointment time one minute before I had to be there, and sometimes it’s that pair of pants in the back of your closet magically fitting again. Sometimes it’s finding just the right pair of yoga pants that, paired with just the right top, make them look dressy and not like you’re wearing the pants you wore to bed to this appointment (not that I’ve ever… like… done that or anything….)

And sometimes it’s a really, really good cup of cocoa. You see, the one regret I have about that appointment day is that I didn’t have time to stop at the coffee shop. I was dragging. Big time. I couldn’t keep my eyes open hardly. A nice cup of coffee or cocoa would have perked me right up to tackle it, but there was no time.

You know what there is time for, though? Premade pumpkin spice mix. If you mix it up ahead of time, it’s as simple as adding a spoonful to your cocoa or coffee before you head out the door.

To make the perfect pumpkin spice mix, it’s important to do it before you actually need the pumpkin spice mix. It doesn’t take long, but it’s something you want to make before you head out the door in a rush. Start with one cup of pureed pumpkin in a saucepan.

Add in 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1/4 cup granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice, a generous pinch of pepper (about 1/8 of a teaspoon…ish), and an entire bottle of vanilla extract (about 1 ounce). You’ll also want to add 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream after you’ve gotten things all together.

Simmer it on medium-low heat until it starts to really get to bubbling, and then pull it off of the stove. It’ll be a smooth, creamy texture. Set it aside to cool, and then refrigerate the mix for up to two weeks.

When you’re ready to use it, put the typical amount of cocoa mix (1 packet or however many scoops your mix calls for) and two tablespoons full…ish of pumpkin spice mix. You see, you can add a little more or a little less, depending on your own taste preferences. Now, if you want to make this into a coffee drink instead of a cocoa drink, just put a cup of really strongly brewed coffee into your cup in place of the cocoa mix and mix it together.

Fill it up the rest of the way with warm milk and stir until it’s fully combined. If you’d like to, top it with whipped topping… I like to make my own to keep in the fridge, but you can make your own or buy it from the store. Either way will work!

Then, you’re ready to go out and CRUSH IT! Maybe for you that means making it to an appointment on time, or maybe it means a successful play date, or maybe it means tackling that important board meeting.

One thing I love, though, is coffee on the go. I know that it’s not always feasible to stop at a coffee shop, especially on days like that day when I was running late and just sure I’d miss the appointment. Had I stopped somewhere, there’s no way I would have made it with a minute to spare.

That’s where Dixie® To Go cups come in. See, I love hot beverages, whether I’m just taking a cup of coffee from my coffeemaker or I’m making my own drink like this Pumpkin Spice drink… I love hot drinks, and I love them on the go all winter long. 

The thing is, with these Dixie® To Go cups, I can feel confident that I can walk out the door with tight sealed lids that resist leaks and insulated layers.

Plus, I can toss the cup in the trash and not worry about adding one more thing to my day– washing a travel mug. Have you ever tried to wash one of them? They’re almost never dishwasher safe, which means handwashing and ugh… I don’t have time for that.

I like being able to enjoy my Pumpkin Spice Cocoa wherever life takes me in a given week or a given day, so these? They’re perfect for making sure I can do that.

What’s the last thing YOU totally crushed? A work meeting? A rough day? Share your story of how you TOTALLY crushed a day in the comments down below! And don’t forget check out Dixie® To Go cups here, for those times when you have to tackle your day on the go, but still want your coffee or cocoa.

I was selected for this paid opportunity as a member of CLEVER and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.