Anti-consumerism aficionados beware: Starbucks, that beacon of light in an otherwise mind-blowing, mind-boggling, or mind-numbing day (all pertinent to being an entrepreneur and mother), has made my life better.

Take a look at the clientele next time you enter its warm, welcoming, rust-toned environment midday. Yes, there are those who run in and out, rushing back to their European-made cars parked illegally across the street. But who are the ones lounging happily in the plush chairs, sipping their grande, half-caf, no foam, extra hot, soy cinnamon dolce lattes? Mothers. Most often breastfeeding with $1000 strollers in tow. And the self-employed: realtors, entrepreneurs, a certain loud-mouth rental property owner (who happens to be my uncle). Who else can sit for 3 hours at a time, reading trashy magazines, flipping the newspaper to the bikini girl at back, and blackberrying the office admin staff?

Now, I am not one of the above. For one thing, I wanted one of those $1000 strollers, but my husband is too cheap. And two, my cell phone is 6 years old. But I do love trashy magazines?

Seriously though, I recently moved back to my hometown from a much more metropolitan city, and it actually occurred to me that I would not have been able to make that move if Starbucks hadn't infiltrated the city since I left a few years ago. Never mind the great lure of grandparents for my children, it was simply unfathomable to consider returning to a place void of the forest green circle.

There is nothing I love more than whiling away the afternoon at my computer hard at work, playing with child, or trekking around town, with that cream-colored cardboard cup of love at my side. I don't even order a fancy drink. Tall Bold, thank you very much.

In fact, I think my newfound biceps are not due to lugging my baby around, but rather to holding that caffeine-filled cup in my hand for the duration of my 5-mile walk every morning. It just isn't exercise if Cafe Verona doesn't cross my lips every half-minute, while I discuss with my sister the merits of low-fat versus no-fat.

Sometimes, I even save said coffee cup after the walk, once emptied. I'll actually refill it with my bland grocery store blend at home, so I can have some degree of imitation until my next fix. Honestly, just getting through a conference call requires my caffeine friend on most days.

Really though, at the end of the day, it's whatever makes you happy. And if that little cup of joe ? and perhaps a butter-filled treat - gets me through it, so be it.

Now if only my toddler would stop screaming ?num num? every time we drive by said establishment?