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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?!

Aw….Tom, Katie and Suri look like such a happy little family! And we cannot get over Suri’s funky outfit! We think Suri’s hot pink tights/leggings will be a big trend in 2012. Get the look with these leggings at Target for under $10! Thanks to People for the photo!

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®”

Our night at the St. Regis Monarch Beach was relaxing—yet it felt like a real vacation. After a good night sleep, we were greeted by the sun. Our butler dropped off coffee and tea and then we were on our way to the pool. Even in November, the water was warm enough to jump in and enjoy. Afterward, we wrapped up the morning by taking a long walk through the hotel grounds and down to Salt Creek beach. I especially love this beach because I have been coming to it since I was a little girl visiting my relatives in Orange County.

As a babymoon destination, the St. Regis is a fantastic choice based on the grounds alone! The service is outstanding, and the rooms are amazing to just relax in! Also, this part of Orange County has so many things to do. There’s the beach, amazing spas, golf and tennis and great dining! Also, the area is very easy to fly into. We normally fly direct into John Wayne Airport and zip right down to Laguna Niguel and Dana Point. This is much easier than flying into LAX.

I was back in Orange County with Mr. AList last month to continue our reviews of the top Southern California Babymoon destinations! We stayed Thanksgiving night at the gorgeous St. Regis Monarch Beach. The St. Regis is one of California’s only Forbes Five-Star and AAA Five-Diamond awarded resorts. It has a chic Tuscan style that’s very suited to Southern California. Since it was Thanksgiving, we were able to see the hotel decorated for the holidays.  The first thing we saw when we entered the property were large trees decorated with lights. We also saw a beautiful sand sculpture in the lobby; it was truly special! After check in, we headed out to the balcony for cocoa, where we watched the sun set over the Pacific, with Catalina Island in the distance. This is a magnificent experience that everyone should do once in their lifetime. This is one of my top five things to do in Southern California. We were booked into an Executive Suite, and we were truly delighted with our beautiful room. We were greeted with soothing music on the stereo. The first thing I noticed was the VIEW! The balcony was extraordinary–with views of the resort, the golf course, the pool and the ocean. The bathroom was the size of a bedroom! The first thing I did was hop in the tub for bubble bath. {The toiletries here were the best I have ever received at a resort.} We ordered room service and dined while enjoying the early evening glow.  We had sweet dreams in the luxury bed. {There is nothing like a luxury hotel’s sheets–right?!} Find out all about our fun in the sun the day after Thanksgiving in tomorrow’s post!

2011, you are killing me.

2012, let’s be best friends, OK?

Its the most wonderful time of the year! And that means…red Starbucks cups, right?! Well, one lucky reader will get MANY red Starbucks cups and some other delicious Starbucks treats! Just shoot us an e-mail to alistbabyblog (at) yahoo (dot) com by Noon Central on December 1.

The Starbucks Holiday Prize Pack is valued at $50! It includes:

• Cake Pop Kit
• FaLaLa Mug
• Christmas Blend (8 oz.)
• Starbucks Gift Card ($25)

I am enjoying a relaxing Thanksgiving weekend in Orange County, California with Mr. Alist! Today, we went for a stroll at Fashion Island in Newport Beach and spotted this sweet modern table and chairs at Room and Board! This set is for the artsy, trendy baby! We hope you are having a lovely Thanksgiving weekend.