The Twelve Days of Christmas & A Few of My Favorite Things!!

Twelve more days 'til Santa Clause comes to town!!

Of course, the holidays are supposed to be all about being thankful for the many, many blessing we have in our lives. I absolutely do NOT want to disregard how incredibly lucky I am to be able eat amazing food, sleep in the most comfortable bed in the world (no lie) and breathe mostly clean oxygen everyday to keep me moving along.  I have an amazing job that's affording me the opportunity to go graduate school without accruing any more student loan debt.  I have an incredible extended family, a loving brother and fantastic parents who let me call them at atrocious hours of the day everyday just to talk since I can't be near them.  My friends can't be beat and I love them/you all so much, even when I forget to tell you. I have a puppy that is almost completely potty trained (eighteen months later) and will be coming back with me to Oklahoma after 6 months because my mom was nice enough to take him off my plate while I moved to a new city, started a new job, and had the most difficult semester of my graduate school career all at once. And, I'm healthy. I'm not 100% all the time, but I feel better now than I have my entire life mentally and physically.

There.  Now that that's out of the way, I can get onto one of the fun parts of Christmas...the loving of material goods. My mom asked for my official Christmas list a month ago, which I would not be so bold as to put up here because there were a lot of pretty pricey things on there to give her ideas and options, but I wanted to share twelve of "my favorite things."

In the spirit of The Sound of Music favorite things, these are life's little pleasures that one can enjoy any day of year and no matter how much of it you get, it's always delightful!! I did this one on-the-cheap with nothing costing more than $40!

I HOPE YOU'LL DO THE SAME AND POST YOUR FAVORITES!!!

A FEW OF MY FAVORITE THINGS

1. MAC Lustre Lipstick in Politely Pink

I am super picky about my lipsticks, but this one does the trick!! I like very natural-looking shades with a hint of pink.  Usually I top it off with a lipstick sealant (I use Sealed With a Kiss...MAC doesn't make this shade in a long-lasting formula) then a pink gloss, like Victoria's Secret Beauty Rush in Strawberry Fizz!

2. Aveeno Intense Relief Hand Cream

If it were summer, this would probably be left off of the list because I don't need it. However, it is a necessity in the winter-time to prevent my horrible eczema and cracked skin from creeping in and making life miserable.  This is the only lotion I've ever found that gets instantly soaked up and is somehow not even the slightest bit greasy.  I keep this stuff at my desk at work and on my nightstand at home.

3. Arbor Mist Blackberry Merlot

I would almost say this is a little embarrassing, but who am I kidding? I love me some wine. This is one of my all-time favorite wines, even though it's only about $5 and 6% alcohol by volume.  Blackberry is my favorite fruit, so that makes this chilly merlot even more delectable.  Bonus? One  Cougar Town sized glass doesn't make me loopy like the full-power stuff (I'm still a lightweight, ya know!).

4. N.Y.C. New York Color Cheek Glow Single Pan Blush in Park Avenue Plum

Even though this blush comes in a crappy case and the compact breaks easily, I love this color!!! I can't seem to find a match in a better quality, so for now I'll stick with this! It's a great multi-purpose blush that I also use to add some sun-kiss to my face.  When I'm not tan, bronzer is too much and I have to go with something more natural, so this does it without making it look fake or cakey.

5. Caldrea Essentials for Target in Citron Ginger

This is like kitchen perfume!!! It smells so good that it makes it worth it to pay a little extra! The Target essentials are a cheaper version of the Williams-Sonoma Caldrea line, and the concentrated refill bottles make it super affordable. So, on those rare days when I don't feel like cleaning the kitchen, I just remember I get to smell the good stuff!!

6. Lily of France Gel Touch Strapless Bra

I know what you're thinking, but this bra changed my life. Because my ribcage and breast are both small, I used to have a really hard time wearing strapless bras. They wouldn't fit where they should and would fall to my belly button if I took a deep breath. Knowing that going braless isn't okay all the time (sad story), I was thrilled to find a strapless bra that fit WITH pushup...and it's cute!! I love the frilly edge.  I have two of these (one beige, one black) and I wear one or the other at least 3/4 of the times I bother to put a bra on.

7. Arm & Hammer Baking Soda

Yeah, it's just baking soda...but it has so many uses!!! It's chemical properties are simple (neutralize way-ward Ph balances), but I keep this stuff all over the place at work/in car/at home! I use it to polish/whiten my teeth once a week (miracle-worker), as a gentle face scrub, to make my shoes smell better, to clean surfaces like tile/countertops, to make the fridge (and trash) fresh, remove scratches from cds and even remove battery acid. Plus it's suuuuuper cheap.

8. Eggs Benedict

The best breakfast on the planet. I love mine with bacon, a little bit of cream cheese and spinach (to keep me full!!), but everything else is the same.  English muffin, poached egg and Hollandaise sauce....mmmm perfection!! Good thing I learned how to make it on my own!

9. Starbucks Coffee Vanilla Bean Frappucino Ice Cream

YYYYuuuummmmmmmmm.  I love ice cream, I love vanilla bean (at least twice as much as french vanilla).  This is expensive for just a pint, but it tastes better than any other ice cream out there. So, I make it last! Their coffee ice cream comes in second to Haagen-Daaz, though.

10. Aquage SeaExtend Silkening Oil Treatment

By far the most expensive item on the list, costs about $35 at the salon :o/...but one bottle lasts me 4-5 months, so it's not so bad! This will smooth your hair, add shine, take away any fly-aways, make it softer on the second (or third or fourth or fifth) day after a wash and, most importantly, protect against thermal damage.  For those of you who color, it's supposed to resist fading, too. I use this stuff on damp hair before drying (if I dry) and on each section when straightening. Sometimes, I use it for touch-up during the day if things are looking a little dull. Talk about multi-purpose!

11. Papa John's Pizza

Pizza is my absolute favorite food in the whole wide world.  My favorite belongs to this guy. I love NY style, too, but I've never had a bad pizza from PPJ's (as I tend to call it). It must be the garlic butter sauce.

12. Diet Dr. Pepper

I'm still a Diet Coke fan, but I think Diet Dr. has stolen my heart.  If I have a choice, I almost always side with the Dr. It tastes like candy!!!