At our house, we believe nothing is more important than our health. A small gesture can lead to big rewards in our health. This is why the “Small Wins, Big Rewards” sweepstakes by Glam Network and Quaker Oatmeal is so exciting! There are two “musts” in my morning routine. The first is a healthy breakfast. I love grabbing a  Quaker Oatmeal in Peaches and Cream, my all-time favorite flavor. I will enjoy it with some sparkling water and an apple or some yogurt. It is a quick way to make breakfast amazing. The second “morning must” is a walk around the neighborhood.

We have been blessed with good weather this winter. I love hearing the birds chirping, and I love the smell of fresh air. With a good breakfast and some exercise, I can tackle anything that comes my way. Please join me for a Twitter Quaker Oatmeal discussion #QuakerRewards on Thursday, February 9 at 4PM PST to talk about:

“Starting the day off right: What small wins can you accomplish as part of your morning routine to help start your day right?”

 Just by participating in a discussion, participants will automatically be entered into the “Small Wins, Big Rewards” Sweepstakes! At the end each discussion, one of the participants will be chosen at random to receive a $50 Amazon Gift Card, to purchase anything from your favorite Quaker Oatmeal products to exercise clothing to help you get off to a perfect start. There will be two other discussions that we will tell you more about later this month—and all participants will also be entered to win the Grand Prize: a $1000 Amazon Gift Card! So the more discussions you participate in, the better chance you have of winning the grand prize! The benefits of a warm, filling bowl of oatmeal can keep you going all morning long. Energy. Fiber. Heart Health. Quaker Oatmeal. A super grain breakfast.

Disclosure: Compensation was provided by Quaker via Glam Media.  The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of Quaker.

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I love a great facial, and I was delighted by the services available at the Island Hotel. The delightful thing about the spa at the Island Hotel was that it was part massage, part facial treatment…and part bliss! After a hard day at the spa, pool and Fashion Island, Mr. Alist and I decided to treat ourselves do a delicious meal at the the Palm Terrace Restaurant, located in the Island Hotel. We just loved the cool, calm and very stylish dining room of the hotel and the wait staff was extremely attentive to our needs. Mr. Alist likes to say the best service is unnoticeable. The Island Hotel and the Palm Terrace definitely have this down, they excelled at anticipating our needs and wants.  We began the meal with some comfort food, we had appetizers of macaroni and cheese and a delicious waffle dish with salmon.  We were both in the mood for a steak. I ordered a petite filet and Mr. Alist had a strip. We shared mashed potatoes and creamed corn. Both steaks were perfect. We definitely saved room for dessert and Mr. Alist and I shared the most delicious Oreo cheesecake ever! We just loved our dinner at the Palm Terrace and were so impressed with the service. This would be a great place for a baby shower, dinner with parents in town or just a romantic dinner for two!

Sophistication, glamour and serenity are all words that come to mind when I think back to the time Mr. Alist and I spent at The Island Hotel in Newport Beach, CA in December. For those of us looking for comfort and leisure, the Island Hotel is the place to spend a few days before the arrival of baby. It is in the heart of Newport Beach and within walking distance to one of America’s great luxury malls, Fashion Island.  We checked into our very luxurious executive suite and settled right in to our accommodations. The room had great views of the Pacific, the marinas and of course, Fashion Island. We loved the separate living room and bedroom. It gave the suite more of an at-home feel. Also, our room had a comfortable balcony, and we loved drinking our morning tea and coffee while perusing the paper…with a view of the ocean and Catalina Island out in the distance. During the day, we walked over to Fashion Island to do our Christmas shopping. In the afternoons, I would lounge by the pool while Mr. Alist swam or worked out. (I also had a great spa treatment which I’ll describe in an upcoming post!) We had a delicious dinner at the Palm Terrace restaurant, which I’ll share tomorrow, as well.  The staff of the hotel was extremely friendly and accommodating–a perfect babymoon destination. We will definitely be back!

You know what’s better than a day at the spa? I can’t think of anything, either. While Mr. Alist and I were at The Broadmoor, we decided to get a couple spa treatments at the Colorado Spa located on the resort grounds. We loved the traditional and luxurious  atmosphere of the Forbes 5 Star Colorado Spa, and Mr. Alist also liked that men were not just an afterthought there! There were a wide selection of treatments for men to enjoy. We both ended up getting skin treatments. I received the basic Facial and Mr. Alist received a gentlemen’s facial. Both of us left feeling relaxed and refreshed. In addition to skin treatments, there’s a full range of options such as hydrotherapy, massage, and beauty treatments. One of the best parts was relaxing in the mountain view room (below) after our treatments!

We definitely enjoyed our time at the Colorado Spa,  and would recommend it to any couple on their babymoon! We wrapped up our trip at The Broadmoor with a delicious room service breakfast the morning of our departure. I ordered pancakes and scrambled eggs, which were delicious, and we enjoyed the mountain views from our room while we ate a relaxing meal. We think room service breakfast is one of the best parts of a romantic weekend. We hope there will be more adventures ahead for us at The Broadmoor!

Mr. Alist and I have a family tradition where we head up to Colorado for a week of snow, skiing and relaxation. This allows us to relax, recharge and reflect upon the past year and get ready for the new year. This year, Mr. Alist and I made a stop at The Broadmoor resort in Colorado Springs for a few days to review a historical hotel for our readers interested in taking BABYMOONS in 2012! This resort is a national jewel, and we believe every single one of our readers should visit in their lifetime. It is that special.

We love a great resort…and The Broadmoor is one of the greatest! Both Forbes and AAA give The Broadmoor their highest rating, 5 Star and 5 Diamond respectively.  In fact, the Broadmoor is the longest-running consecutive winner of both awards.  As you can imagine, Mr. Alist and I were very excited for our 2 night stay at The Broadmoor.  To start with, our room was just lovely, and very comfortable.

It was a suite overlooking the frozen lake–with mountains setting the scene. At night, we could see several trees decorated for Christmas. But the view during the day was even better. We looked out and saw the gorgeous Rocky Mountains covered with snow.  Our room was decorated with traditional décor, and had a huge bath with separate shower and bathtub, along with beautiful marble counter tops and wood trim. We could have locked ourselves away in the room and enjoyed the wonderful room service, but we did decide to venture out.

While there, we dined at three great restaurants on the hotel grounds. The first was Summit,  an American Brasserie with an eclectic, innovative wine and cocktail program. Summit has been honored in the Robb Report for “Best of the Best”, and Esquire’s “Best New Restaurants”, along with “Best New Design”.  For breakfast, we ate at the Lake Terrace dining room.

We both had big hearty breakfasts to prepare for our big day in Colorado Springs and loved how everything tasted so fresh and delicious. (The pancakes were some of the best I ever tasted…fluffy perfection.) The next evening, we dined at Penrose Room, the only 5 Diamond, 5 Star restaurant in Colorado.

The food was divine and the service and views were even better. The restaurant is located on the top floor of the resort’s south tower and it had commanding views of the Rocky Mountains and Colorado Springs. Let me just tell you the chandeliers in the dining room were insanely glamorous. Also, the Penrose Room features live music and Mr. Alist and I enjoyed dancing to L.O.V.E. by Nat King Cole, which was also the first dance at our wedding. This made it an extra special evening for us. We ordered salmon and beef, and both were divine…made even better with delightful first courses and indulgent chocolate desserts. Check out the pictures above of The Broadmoor and take a look at their website too: http://www.broadmoor.com/.

Life is so crazy busy these days…and it seems I am always finding out about something “new” I have to pay for that I was not expecting. Does that ever happen to you? It’s like you do not know what you do not know. That is why it is such a PLEASURE to learn about U.S. Cellular’s rewards program! The company goes out of its way to make life easier. U.S. Cellular values their relationships with their customers. And we love that! Here are two of my favorite reward program perks:

Battery Swap

If your battery is dead or dying and you can’t get to a charger, just bring it in to any U.S. Cellular® store, and we’ll give you a fully charged one.

Online Auto Pay Discount

You can get a monthly discount for signing up for My Account and automatic payments:

• 3% for paying with a credit or debit card

My phone is an extension of who I am….so that is why it is great that I can count on U.S. Cellular for something that is so important to our lifestyle.

I’m a happy U.S. Cellular customer, and I’m not alone. They have the highest satisfaction rating of any national carrier. If you want to know more about why I chose them, visit their website. Or you can like them on Facebook to receive special offers on new phones.

“Disclosure: Compensation was provided by US Cellular via Glam Media.  The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of U.S. Cellular®”