I Heart Boden!!!

Boden (one of my favorites) is having a cool promotion right now -

We're celebrating the arrival of Autumn by giving away

10 FREE ORDERS
EVERY DAY

until 15th August.

Fill your baskets, and you might have your lovely new Autumn clothing fully refunded in credit. Good luck

Here are some of my favorites from the fall collection -

Fun Tank TopNehru Collar Cardigan

Heart Warming Henley

Fun Tank Top

Ruched Waist Shift Dress

Another Great Rue La La Boutique

Tomorrow Rue La La has a great boutique - Puma. There will be both a men's and women's boutique. I've personally bought from Puma boutiques in the past. I have two fabulous pairs of sneakers that I got for under $50 (each). Definitely check it out tomorrow. Sale starts at 11am and all the good stuff will go quickly so make sure you check it out.

Rue La La is a By-Invitation-Only Sample Sale site. Click Here to sign up using my personal invitation link. This link will grant you immediate access to the site after you sign up. (FYI - If you just sign up the regular way you will just be put on the waiting list.)

Favorite Thing #172 - Shopaholic Series

I finally finished Favorite Thing #172 - The Shopaholic Series. There are five books in the series - Confessions of a Shopaholic, Shopaholic Takes Manhattan, Shopaholic Ties the Knot, Shopaholic & Sister, and Shopaholic & Baby. I thoroughly enjoyed all of the books. They are definitely mindless beach reads (which I personally love). The books follow a "shopaholic" through her life and the trials and tribulations she faces with her shopping problem. My favorites of the books are the original (Confessions of a Shopaholic) and Shopaholic & Baby. If you need some beach reads this summer I would definitely recommend picking these up.


Favorite Thing #72 is still one of my favorite Jodi Picoult books. I think I read Change of Heart in two days. Here's a summary from Amazon.com:

"Picoult bangs out another ripped-from-the-zeitgeist winner, this time examining a condemned inmate's desire to be an organ donor. Freelance carpenter Shay Bourne was sentenced to death for killing a little girl, Elizabeth Nealon, and her cop stepfather. Eleven years after the murders, Elizabeth's sister, Claire, needs a heart transplant, and Shay volunteers, which complicates the state's execution plans. Meanwhile, death row has been the scene of some odd events since Shay's arrival—an AIDS victim goes into remission, an inmate's pet bird dies and is brought back to life, wine flows from the water faucets. The author brings other compelling elements to an already complex plot line: the priest who serves as Shay's spiritual adviser was on the jury that sentenced him; Shay's ACLU representative, Maggie Bloom, balances her professional moxie with her negative self-image and difficult relationship with her mother. Picoult moves the story along with lively debates about prisoner rights and religion, while plumbing the depths of mother-daughter relationships and examining the literal and metaphorical meanings of having heart. The point-of-view switches are abrupt, but this is a small flaw in an impressive book."

Looks like Hubby and I will have a new neighbor - Kate Gosselin. Rumors are circulating that she bought a condo in the Rockville Town Square which is right down the street from my house. Click here for the "exclusive."

Weekend Recap

This weekend we stay put (again)! Friday night was low key. Hubby played golf and then all of us met up for a late dinner. Saturday was more low key - pool all day and then met up with friends for drinks in Bethesda. Saturday night turned out to be a LATE night. Didn't get home till almost 3am....we never do that. And then Sunday was more pool but this time we went to Reston to see our friends. The boys golfed and we laid out and then we had a cookout. We are home again this weekend...I really could get used to no traveling.

Menu Monday (a day late)

Sorry I'm a day late with Menu Monday. Yesterday was such a busy day for me.

Monday - Hubby eating at the Orioles game; Me eating turkey sandwich at home
Tuesday - Beef Tenderloin (from Trader Joe's) on the grill with corn and side salad
Wednesday - Tuna Sandwiches and Homemade French Fries
Thursday - Steak Sandwiches and Pierogies
Friday - TBD
Saturday - TBD

Not sure what our weekend plans are so dinner is up in the air.

Our Garden is out of Control!

This year Hubby built me a garden. In it we planted tomatoes, lettuce, cucumbers, chives, basil, oregano, and sage. This year we said would be trial and error since we had never planted a garden. In the beginning everything was growing well except for the lettuce. I think we planted it too late. Well we are several months into the garden and everything is going well. We've enjoyed the fresh herbs and have a few tomatoes that need to ripen. The cucumbers hoever have taken over...see below.

We were able to pick our first cucumber this weekend. I'm sure there will be many many more to come...

Gift Idea Friday - Collegiate Kitchen Stuff

Thanks to Jackie at And So It Goes for this fabulous Gift Idea find. It's unique collegiate kitchen wares from Magnolia Lane Collection. There are many schools represented (including WVU) and a variety of styles of serving dishes and other kitchen ware. I've included a few of my favorites from the West Virginia University and Penn State University selections.

Another Great Rue La La Boutique

Tomorrow Rue La La is featuring luluemon athletica. They have some really cute work out clothes. This isn't the first time they have featured this brand. Last time they did I got a super cute workout jacket for really cheap (I think under $30). I'm definitely going to check this one out and so should you. Remember sale begins at 11am so check it out early before all the good stuff is gone.

Rue La La is a By-Invitation-Only Sample Sale site. Click Here to sign up using my personal invitation link. This link will grant you immediate access to the site after you sign up. (FYI - If you just sign up the regular way you will just be put on the waiting list.)

Super Cute Find at One Kings Lane

How cute are these? There a several just like this on sale at One Kings Lane. They napkin holders from Mariposa which are individually handcrafted from recycled aluminum. And they are only $22 (retail for $42). I think I might pick one up. Sale ends Monday at 11am. Here are some of the other options.


One Kings Lane is by invitation (like Rue La La) so either leave me a comment with your email address or email me at christinasfavoritethings@gmail.com and I will send you an invite.

Favorite Thing #171 - Cuisinart DLC-2 Mini Prep Plus Food Processor

This was probably one of the best things that I could have ever registered for. Favorite Thing #171 - Cuisinart Mini Prep is amazing. I swear I use it at least once a week. It's the perfect size to chop vegetables for when I make spaghetti sauce, Portuguese macaroni, etc. Clean up is easy because everything can go in the dishwasher. And since its just me and Hubby, I've never needed anything bigger. Here are some details about this fine appliance -

• 250-watt food processor with 3-cup plastic work bowl
• Chops and grinds with patented reversible stainless-steel blade
• Simple push-button control panel; durable, yet lightweight plastic body
• Dishwasher-safe bowl and lid for quick cleanup; spatula included
• Measures approximately 8 by 5 by 9 inches; 18-month limited warranty

I can't wait for fall to get here so that I can have yummy Favorite Thing #71 - Pumpkin Spice Latte. Oh they are soo yummy. Only a couple months till September.

New Feature on Christina's Favorite Things

On the right hand side of the blog you will see a new addition - Giveaways. I've decided to add a section on the side bar dedicated to the giveaways that my fellow bloggers are having. There are a lot of good ones going on right now and ake sure you keep checking back for new ones. I will try and post reminders when I add new ones to the list.

I'm a V.I.B.

I got an email from Sephora today saying that I'm not a V.I.B. I guess it's the new premium beauty insiders program. It appears that it is very similar to the Beauty Insider program but I get better perks. Here's what's different

• A welcome 10% off coupon - I will be using this next month to order Stilla Illuminating Tinted Moisturizer and Nars Bronzer (thank you readers for your help).
  
• Invite to private holiday party and other exclusive events throughout the year - Apparently there are "amazing" V.I.B. perks at these events.
  
• A special holiday gift card - It says the more you spend the bigger it is.
  
• Exclusive monthly V.I.B. monthly promotions and freebies - LOVE FREEBIES. I have a basket in my linen closet of all the freebies I get.
  

The site says in order to qualify you must spend $350 in a calendar year and you automatically earn this status. Anyone else a V.I.B.???

I almost always order Sephora stuff online because 1) Free Shipping over $50 (so I just wait till I have a larger order) and 2) 4% cash back from Ebates!

If you haven't signed up for Ebates yet I definitely recommend you do (especially if you do most of your shopping online like me). Check out my post about it and email me (christinasfavoritethings@gmail.com) and I will send you an invite.

Service Review - drugstore.com

Right before we left for Florida (back in May) I needed to pick up a bunch of stuff and didn't have time to go to Target or CVS so I decided to check out drugstore.com because the site was always popping up on my Ebates emails (6% cash back). The prices were very comparable (in fact the razor blades for my Hubby and I were cheaper here), I found everything I wanted and I got free shipping. And not only do you get money back from Ebates (6%), you also get 5% in drugstore.com credit every time you shop. Shipping is free on any order over $25 and this includes purchases on the sister site Beauty.com (like Sephora). The only downside is you can't use your coupons. The site does offer their own coupons and deals as well. I've used this service a few times now and are very pleased. Anyone else used it? Thoughts?

Favorite Thing #170 - Dunkin Dounts Coffee

Lately I just can't get through a morning without a cup of coffee and my favorite coffee (and Favorite Thing #170) is Dunkin Donuts. I brew it almost every morning and bring it to work with me. On days when I want to treat myself I will stop at the Dunkin Donuts by my office and buy a cup there. For some reason it always tastes better at the store (probably because they use fatty cream instead of half/half or skim milk like me). What's your favorite coffee?



Nothing tastes better in the summer time then a bowl of Favorite Thing #70 - Gifford's Cookies & Cream ice cream. Gifford's has been around the DC area FOREVER and have some of the best ice cream. I've been good this year and only had it a couple of times and it was sooo tasty!

The rest of my ebay items are up. I cleaned out my accessories so there are several pairs of cute earrings and necklaces from Banana Republic and White House Black Market. Check out my auctions here. Happy bidding. :)

Product Review - Pantene Pro-V Nature Fusion

As part of my spending less money on beauty products I decided to switch one of my shampoo/conditioners to something I could 1) buy at Target and 2) get coupons for. Those requirements led me to Pantene Pro-V's new Nature Fusion line. I had a great coupon for it so I thought I would try it out. There are a couple of different options to chose from and I went with the moisture balance. I've used it a few times and so far so good. I LOVE the scent. It's hard to describe but according to the website its "formulated with an exclusive Cassia Complex and a botanical blend of calendula, ginger and aloe vera extracts" so that's where the wonderful smell comes from. I usually have to wash my hair every day (which I know is not good) because it gets so greasy but these products let me go that extra day without washing it. I think I've found my new shampoo and conditioner. And what's great is I will never have to buy these products without a coupon because there are always coupons for this in the Sunday paper!

Weekend Recap and Menu Mondays

This weekend we were finally in town. Friday night we met up with our newlywed friends Shannon and David. They got back from their honeymoon in Greece a few weeks ago and we needed to catch up. We went to dinner at Ray's Hell Burger and then went to play some mini-golf. Saturday was low key. We hung out at the pool and then met up with friends for drinks and a movie. I'm never without my camera so here are a few shots from mini golf (and in case you were wondering I'm wearing the J. Crew convertible dress, cardigan and Favorite Thing #50.

Menu Mondays are back! Now that I'm actually home for more than four days I feel like we can actually plan our meals.

Monday - Dinner at Hardtimes for our friend's birthday

Tuesday - Poppyseed Chicken and side salad

Wednesday - Halibut w/ roasted potatoes and corn

Thursday - Turkey Clubs and side salad
Friday - TBD - might be heading to Wolftrap to see the Wizard of Oz with an orchestra playing the entire score.

Saturday - Grilled chicken, corn, and side salad

ABC's of Me

And So It Goes did this on her blog the other day so I thought I would join in.

Here are the ABC's of me...

A-Age: 27
B-Birth date: June 20, 1982 (I was born on Fathers Day)
C-Chore you hate: Vacuuming
D-Dog's name: I don't have a dog but growing up our dog was named P.D. (short for Puppy Dog)
E-Enter or Exit: Enter
F-Favorite color: Green
H-Hair color: Brunette
I-Instrument: I used to play the clarinet in like 5th grade
J-Job Title: Senior Account Executive
K-Kids: No kids right now, but I hope to one day
L-Living arrangements: I live (and own) in a townhouse with my Hubby
M-Monkey or Moose: This one is weird but I guess I would go with Monkey
N-Nicknames: X-Tina, Chris, Johns (my maiden name)
O-Odd thing about you: I'm an obsessive planner
P-Pet Peeve: I have lots of these but the first one that comes to mind is people that don't say Please or Thank You
Q-Quote from a movie: I don't really know any
R-Right/Left Handed: Righty
S-Siblings: A brother (15 months younger) and a sister (6 and a half years younger)
T-Time you wake up? around 6ish
U-Underwear: Uh yes I wear them
V-Veggie you dislike: Tomatoes, Green Beans
W-What makes you run late: Hitting that snooze button 1 too many times!
X-X-Rays: Teeth, knee, chest, back
Y-Yummy food you make: There are so many - Sopapilla Cheesecake. Spaghetti Sauce, Gnoochi, Portuguese Macaroni, Meatballs
Z-Zoo Animal: Pandas

A Fabulous Find

Thank you to Kaitlin over at Life of a Busy Wife because now I am the proud owner of these fabulous shoes.

I've been on the hunt for a year now to find the perfect brown sandal and I finally found them when she posted about her recent shoe purchases at Endless.com. I tracked the shoes down, they had my size, and were very affordable ($30). I love them and they are even cuter in person. And so far pretty comfortable too!!!

Gift Idea Friday - Custom Wood Plaques

This gift idea is another great Etsy find. These custom wood plaques are from A Simple Impression. It is the perfect gift for a bridal shower, wedding, or housewarming. I got one of these for my home and I love it. We have it right above our kitchen table. They come in a variety of styles and colors. The one I ordered looks exactly like the one pictured above. They are very affordable ($25) and unique. Check out the Etsy store for some of their other great offerings.

Clean Closet

I'm still cleaning out my closets and getting rid of "stuff". I've put of few more things up on ebay and will add more over the weekend. Click here to see the listings. What a good feeling to purge all the stuff that just sits in my closet and I'm so proud of myself for keeping my shopping to a minimum and really thinking through my purchases!

Need Your Help!

I need a new bronzer. I wear bronzer almost everyday and have yet to find one that I really love. I've used Bobbi Brown and Laura Mercier (one I'm using now) and I don't have issues with either one but I don't love them either. Please help - what's your favorite bronzer?

A Few Updates...

I was REALLY excited for the Rue La La Final Sale boutique today. I had an adorable Vera Wang shirt in my shopping cart and was looking at a few other items and then this appeared -

We are closing Rue La La for the day.

We’ve heard our Members, and we know how frustrating it is when there are problems. We are closing Rue La La for the rest of the day to work on the site. Rest assured, if you placed an order earlier today, it’s on its way. And, if you weren’t able to place an order, please know that we will notify all of our Members when the Boutiques open again. We’re dedicated to making things better. Thank you so much for your understanding, and for being a Rue La La Member.

I am SO frustrated. I bet all the stuff I wanted will be gone by tomorrow. Oh well, I'm just going to hope for the best.

I was also really excited about the Kitchen Aid boutique at Rue La La but didn't end up getting anything. I wanted the pasta attachment and dutch oven but didn't want to pay shipping then and then pay shipping again for the items I order from the Final Boutique. I told myself if they were still in my shopping cart by the time I ordered from the Final Boutique then I would get them. They weren't - they were gone in less than an hour.

I picked up my free Aveda samples and the Rockville Town Square Aveda. The samples are very small (10 ml) but are perfect for a weekend trip and the best part is they were FREE!

I ended up getting everything that was in my J.Crew shopping cart except the flip flops (see this post for details) and was very happy to take advantage of the extra 20%. I loved everything except the necklace. The cardigans are perfect and work really well with my dresses (use them at work because my office gets sooo cold) and I the dress is sooo cute, a little low cut but I'm making it work. The necklace unfortunately was WAY TOO BIG!! :( I'm a petite girl (5'2" on a good day) and I swear the necklace took up my entire neck and started making its way towards my bust. I was so bummed and thankfully I didn't buy it on final sale so I'm going to return it. When I return it I'm going to head over to Forever 21 and see if I can find anything cute. Many of the blogs I follow always find really cute things so hopefully I will have the same luck. I checked out their site and here are a few things I have my eye on -

Great Giveaway

Chic & Pink has a great giveaway! She's giving away a Techni Mobili - Adjustable Laptop Cart in Espresso. Make sure you head over to her blog and enter!

Need Your Help!

I'm so bummed. I got a stain on my new white J.Crew Bermuda shorts (of course I only wore them once). I didn't realize I had the stain on them till after the beach (stain set in for a week). As soon as I discovered it I treated it with Shout and washed it. I thought I got the stain out so I put the shorts in the dryer...I didn't get the stain out. :( I'm afraid its a lost cause since I dried the shorts already and therefore set the stain. Any advice on how I can try and get the stain out???

Very Exciting News...

One of my favorite Etsy sellers is back! Daisy's Darling Designs is back up and making bibs. These are the bibs that I got for my niece when she was born and I was in desperate search for something similar when my nephew was born but didn't find anything that came close. I'm sooo excited that she's back to making bibs. I'm definitely going to order some for my nephew for Christmas. These make the perfect baby gift so so check out her Etsy site.

Favorite Thing #169 - Villa Cerrina Chardonnay-Pinot Grigio

This is one of my favorite wines to drink in the spring/summer. Favorite Thing #169 is Villa Cerrina's Chardonnay-Pinot Grigio. I'm not very good at describing wines so the best way I can describe this is that its light and crisp. I don't get this wine very much because I can only find it at Trader Joe's (since I live in Maryland we can only buy wine at a wine store). Thank you to my friend Lisa for being my supplier and getting it for me! I can't remember what it costs but I do know that it is super affordable. I have a bottle chilling in my fridge right now and plan on drinking this weekend. :)




I've decided not to revisit Favorite Thing #69 - Jon and Kate Plus Eight because of everything that has been going on with them. I have my own opinions on the situation and I'm just going to keep them to myself. All I will say is that the whole situation makes me sad for their kids.

Final Sale Boutique at Rue La La!!!!

This only happens a few times a year - Rue La La's Final Sale boutique! It's happening tomorrow starting at 11am! This boutique usually contains what's left (and been return) from the boutiques of the past few months. The items usually are reduced even further which is awesome. The only problem is that its a FINAL sale so you can't return the items. Be sure to check everything out at 11am because the stuff is sure to go fast.

Rue La La is a By-Invitation-Only Sample Sale site. Click Here to sign up using my personal invitation link. This link will grant you immediate access to the site after you sign up. (FYI - If you just sign up the regular way you will just be put on the waiting list.)

Another Great Rue La La Boutique

Another kitchen boutique at Rue La La. Tomorrow, Kitchen Aid will be featured. I'm really hoping they have some of the gadgets for my Kitchen Aid Mixer. I really want the ice cream one. Sale starts at 11 EST so check it out right away before its all gone.

Rue La La is a By-Invitation-Only Sample Sale site. Click Here to sign up using my personal invitation link. This link will grant you immediate access to the site after you sign up. (FYI - If you just sign up the regular way you will just be put on the waiting list.)

Great Giveaway from My Blond Reality

You must head over to My Blonde Reality and enter her giveaway. For hitting 300 followers she is giving away the following: Sun Laboratories sunless tanning foam (retail value $48.00), Obagi Elastiderm Eye Gel ($80.00 value), and the truly fab I. S. Clinical Youth Complex ($125.00 value).