Erin Condren at One Kings Lane!

I was very excited to see that Erin Condren has a few of her items up for grabs in today's One Kings Lane boutique. I'm a big fan of her Life Planner but I also love her stationary so I definitely took advantage and order some address labels. Available on the boutique today is:

• Custom Address Labels for $15
• Personalized Lucite Tray for $89
• Personal Contact Cards for $39
• Custom Gift Labels for $12
• Personalized iPad Stickers for $12

Check out it out here.

Maternity Pants

I've found my biggest struggle with clothes during this pregnancy has been finding pants that fit and look cute. After buying, trying on and returning, I've come up with a list of my favorites that I wanted to share with you.

Leggings
I have LIVED in leggings throughout my pregnancy. They are so comfortable and look super cute this time of year. My two favorite pairs of leggings are Old Navy and GAP. The Old Navy ones (listed first below) have a full belly panel which is nice for support but doesn't look good when you are wearing a white shirt. The GAP ones (listed second below) fit under the belly and are super soft. You can't go wrong with either pair.

Maternity Full-Panel Jersey Leggings

Supersoft leggings

Dress Pants

These are a great cropped maternity pant. I originally bought the Rosie Pope Ponte Pant via Gilt Groupe at a great price (can't justify these $168 price tag) and ended up getting a larger second pair for the last part of my pregnancy when Rosie Pope had a ridiculous sale. These are super cute and very comfortable. They remind me of my favorite J.Crew Minnie Pant.

Demi panel perfect trouser pants

These are a must have for any working pregnant woman. I struggled to find nice dress pants that 1) looked like dress pants and not maternity 2) were comfortable and could adapt to my growing belly and 3) didn't break the bank. They are the GAP Demi Panel Perfect Trouser Pants. A GAP customer favorite and one of mine, these are a must buy (and they are on sale right now). They are really flattering, very comfortable and I think you will be able to wear them through your entire pregnancy.

Jeans

Paige Premium Denim Maternity Westbourne in Gavin

I was very lucky to have one of my favorite pairs of jeans loaned to me so I didn't have to break the bank. The Paige jeans have a "normal" waistband that is adjustable from the inside so it can grow with you as your belly grows. I LOVE these jeans and would highly recommend them. I feel like I'm wearing regular jeans since it doesn't have the wide waistband.

Apeainthepod Joe&'s Jeans Provocateur Petite Secret Fit BellyTM Signature Pocket Boot Cut Maternity Jeans

I decided to invest in a pair of nice jeans so I went with my non-pregnancy favorite - Joe's Jeans. The maternity jeans didn't disappoint. They have the wide waistband which normally I haven't like but this one really molds to the belly so it doesn't feel to weird. I had these jeans hemmed for flats and flip flops. It's so hard to judge how big I'm going to get so I went a size bigger. It's a little annoying because the jeans are a little too big but I wasn't about to buy two pairs of these. I'm just going to have to deal.


What are some of your favorites?

Weekend Recap

Had the best weekend spending it with my nieces and nephews. I didn't take any pictures but Hubby did snap this one at the movie theater. We took my oldest niece to see Beauty and the Beast 3D. Its a personal Disney favorite of mine and I was excited to share this experience with her. I was nervous that she wouldn't enjoy the 3D but she did and kept her glasses on the entire time. Isn't she the cutest?!?!!

Super Bowl Recipe Ideas

Here are some of my favorite recipes that are perfect for Super Bowl parties...of course none of them are healthy. What are some of your favorites?

Idiots Delight

Ingredients
1 lb sausage

1 lb beef

1 lb Velveeta cheese (cut into chunks)
butter

garlic salt

onion salt

cocktail ryes

Directions

In a big pan, brown meat and drain. Return meat to pan and melt cheese in with meat. Spread butter on bread and sprinkle with salts. Put meat & cheese mixture on bread. Bake at 350 for 10 or 15 minutes.

Buffalo Chicken Dip

Ingredients

2 cans (10 oz) white chunk chicken

3/4 cup of hot wing sauce

2 pkg. (8 oz) cream cheese

1 cup ranch dressing

1 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Bag of Fritos to serve...or whatever you desire

Directions

Drain the chicken well, mix chicken and hot sauce on stove top until hot. Add cream cheese, ranch dressing and cheddar cheese. Once mix thoroughly. Serve up with Fritos or whatever you want.

Sopapilla Cheesecake Recipe

Ingredients

2 cans of crescent rolls

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon cinnamon

2 (8 oz.) packages cream cheese, softened

1 stick butter

Directions

Preheat oven to 350F. Press 1 can of crescent rolls into bottom of 9 X 13 inch pan. Mix cream cheese, 1 cup sugar and vanilla until creamy. Spread over rolls in pan. Cover with other can of rolls. Melt butter and stir in rest of sugar and cinnamon. Pour over top. Bake for 30 minutes. Can be served warm or room temperature.

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

Ingredients
1 1/2 sticks (6 ounces) unsalted butter, 1 stick melted, 1/2 stick softened
1 cup packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature, lightly beaten
1 cup canned pure pumpkin puree
1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon plus 2 pinches salt
1 2/3 cups flour
4 ounces cream cheese, chilled
1 cup confectioners' sugar

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350°. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, whisk together the melted butter and brown sugar until smooth. Whisk in the eggs, pumpkin puree, pumpkin pie spice, 1 teaspoon vanilla, the baking powder, the baking soda and 3/4 teaspoon salt. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the flour.
Using an ice cream scoop or tablespoon, drop 12 generous mounds of batter, spaced evenly, onto each baking sheet. Bake until springy to the touch, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool completely.

Meanwhile, using an electric mixer, cream the softened butter with the cream cheese. Add the confectioners' sugar and the remaining 2 pinches salt and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla; mix on low speed until blended, then beat on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Spread the flat side of 12 cakes with cream cheese frosting. Top each with another cake.

Anyone tried this?

I'm a big fan of Boscia products, especially the "black" line, I'm especially obsessed with the Black Luminizing Mask. I was excited to see that they've come out with an eye cream. I have yet to find an eye cream that I love so I'm tempted to try this when my other Boscia eye cream runs out. The reviews on Sephora are very favorable but I'm curious if any of you have tried it. What did you think?

Giveaway Time!

In trying to keep a balance of my usual blog posts and baby blog posts I've decided to do a giveaway! One of my favorite Christmas presents this year is something I want one of my lucky readers to have - Vinturi Wine Aerator



For those of you not familiar with a wine aerator, here's a description from Amazon:

Easily and conveniently enhance the flavor, bouquet, and finish of any wine with Vinturi's Essential Wine Aerator. Wine needs to breathe to allow it to open up, release its intended aromas, and of course, make it taste better. Vinturi's patent-pending design speeds up this process by instantly aerating with ease and convenience in the time it takes to pour a glass of wine. Hold the aerator over a glass and pour wine through for instant aeration. It mixes the proper amount of air in the right amount of time.

Now for the good stuff...how to win:

Entries will be accepted till midnight ET on Jan 27. Winner will be announced the following week. You have a few different ways to enter are below.

Must follow my blog through friend connect and leave a comment letting me know you are a follower and what your favorite wine is.

Extra Entries
Friend Christina's Favorite Things on Facebook

Tweet about this giveaway and be sure to include me (@xtinafavthings)

Please leave a comment for each entry

Gift Idea Friday - Citrus Lane

It's been a LONG time since I've done gift idea Friday and I have a great gift idea for you. I came across Citrus Lane right around when I found out I was pregnant. For those of you familiar with Birch Box it's like that but for baby stuff. When you sign up, Citrus Lane sends a monthly box filled with products for your child. You fill out a form that has details about your children, age, sex, etc. and they will send products that are age appropriate. The boxes are good for newborns through age 3. I was given a monthly subscription and it's such a great gift. You can buy just one box, a three month subscription or a year subscription. The boxes are filled with lots of great stuff! Makes a great baby shower or new parent gift. Check it out here.

What are some of your favorite gifts to give expectant or new moms?

Decorating Dilemma

We've started getting the nursery together for the little one and I need help deciding on a mobile for the nursery. Above is what the bedding looks like and we are painting the walls yellow. The furniture is an espresso color. For those of you following me on Pinterest I've started a board that has all the nursery stuff.

One of the decisions I'm having a hard time making is the mobile. I have narrowed it down to two. First up is this adorable one from Pottery Barn Kids.

Source: potterybarnkids.com via Christina on Pinterest

I absolutely love this one. I think it will go great with the bedding and look super cute in her room but I've heard that the cutesy mobiles are just only for looks and don't help soothe or entertain.

The other one is a more "practical" one I guess. It's from Tiny Love. It's gotten great reviews on Amazon and my SIL has it up in my niece's nursery. It's cute but definitely doesn't go as well with the bedding.


I need your advice. Which one should I go with?

With a new baby comes...

...a new car for me. This new car was a long time coming for us. I have been driving the same Toyota Corolla since I graduated college so I was well overdue for something with more space and handled better in bad weather. We looked at a bunch of different crossovers and decided on the 2012 Toyota Highlander Limited. It had everything we wanted - leather seats, GPS, third row, great safety ratings, Bluetooth, spacious and comfortable. And the best part was we got a great trade in offer for my Corolla and we don't have a car payment.


I absolutely LOVE the interior with no wires...everything is right there at my finger tips. I've definitely had to get used to driving a MUCH bigger car but so far so good.

Back to blogging with exciting news...

As I mentioned in a post a few weeks ago, Hubby and I are expecting our first baby. It's been hard to keep it a secret which is why I just stopped blogging all together. Most of the things I would normally blog about now had a baby aspect to it. Well I'm happy to say that now that it's public I can get back to blogging and share some exciting news with all of you. Last week Hubby and I found out that we are...It's very exciting news. The shopping has already begun. There are so many cute things out there for little girls, I need to start having some control. We both can't wait to meet her at the end of May. Since Spring is a crazy time at work for me, Hubby and I are busy getting the house and nursery ready these next couple of months. We started out by picking the bedding.

I love the simplicity of this and it's not too overwhelmingly pink. The plan is too paint the walls a light yellow. What do you think? Any other ideas on how to make this an absolutely adorable nursery?