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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!

We are loving Evenflo’s new Bebek collection! This soft, wide-base nipple also provides an easier latch for baby when transitioning from breast to bottle. With a modern, ergonomic design and shape, the bottles (available in 2oz, 5oz and 8oz sizes) are also comfortable for parents and baby to hold. The line is available at Buy Buy Baby!

Check out the $3,500 crib Beyonce bought for baby Blue Ivy. Maybe we just have to see it in person to get the vibe.

We are so over plastic food containers. I truly believe heating up plastic in the microwave inserts hazardous chemicals into our food. Now that cancer has affected our family, I am becoming very weary of chemicals. One resolution we will keep in 2012 is freezing our food in glass containers, like these from Wean Green. They have little, tiny ones perfect for baby food! And we also checked out the sandwich-sized containers, too. We love how the tops snap on easily–and they can be removed before you place the containers in the microwave.

Just a quick post today to give a thumbs-up to our favorite new ultra sensitive skin care line for babies: exederm. These products avoid irritants that trigger eczema—and they feel great on the skin! Find out all of the details on their website. Have a good Monday!

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/.

Hello Ladies! I stopped by Sears today and picked up the cutest new accessories from Kardashian Kollection. I am just loving my new handbag and leopard heels. I feel like leopard is a neutral this winter…it goes with everything. I will be wearing these accessories during our jaunt to Colorado after Christmas.  I got both the shoes and the handbag for under $75, which is a TOTAL STEAL! And I will be completing the look with a red cashmere sweater, which at $215 was a TOTAL SPLURGE. But accessories make the outfit, and I am excited to spice things up with these two new pieces. We think the Kardashian dolls hit it out of the park with this fun, on-trend Kollection. Well done, ladies! {No monetary compensation was provided by Sears or Glam Media for this post. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of Sears.}

There is just something about a Carolle doll that screams Christmas to us. Maybe because our own AListDad bought us a little brunette one 20 years ago. The quality is so great in a Carolle doll—you truly feel like you are gifting your little one something she will keep forever. {I still have mine! And she looks like new. Let me tell you..I took great care of my toys!} Our Carolle crush this year is Ambre. The outfit is so sweet. She looks like she is ready to hit the streets of Vail, Colorado for a chic dinner. Ambre is 14 inches tall, with blue eyes and the cutest little face ever. What is more exciting than a new baby doll for Christmas?!