Raindrops on roses...

I decided to link up with Nester today for her Favorite Things blog link up! I won't beat a dead horse, but you should go read her post about Favorite Things Parties. It sounds like such a fun idea! I need to pin it to remember for a ladies Christmas party one year. I'd love to do it this year, but it requires 1, money; and 2, time - two things I don't have an abundance of this month. :) BUT - heads up to all my friends - if we ever get together for a Favorite Things party, there's a 99.99% chance you'll receive something on this list (depending on what price range we select).

So, to get started for my favorite things - Food & Drinks.

It's no secret I'm not a coffee drinker. I like my coffee white and sweet, which I think pretty much disqualifies me from ever having my opinions about coffee taken seriously. But something about the cooler months makes me *gasp* brew a pot or two just for me, and these are the things I love with it.

1. Community Coffee Hazelnut. I prefer grinding whole bean, but ground is OK too. It's the best coffee ever.

2. Almond Joy creamer.

3. White Chocolate Caramel Latte Creamer.

But with it being the Christmas season I cannot forget hot chocolate. Behold, the best flavors (ever) of hot chocolate.

1. Ghirardelli White Mocha Hot Chocolate Mix. They sell THE BEST white hot chocolate at PJ's, and I'm always seeing cans of this sitting on the counter, so I think this might be the mix they use.

2. Land O' Lakes French Vanilla hot chocolate. It's especially good when mixed with hot milk.

Next... Entertainment.

I don't get to spend a lot of time indulging in different forms of entertainment, but when I do, these are what I go for.

1. Arrested Development, Season 1. Yeah, yeah, I know no one watches DVDs anymore, that they've gone the way of walking to and from school for eight miles in the snow. But I'm trying to keep these affordable here. AD is, in my opinion, the funniest show ever made. I can sit down to watch it - even after seeing it a zillion times - and still laugh until the point of tears. It's that good.

2. LOST, Season 1. I don't really need an explanation for this one, do I?

3. Mark of the Lion series by Francine Rivers. My favorite book series, one that always brings me to tears each time I read it.

4. Radical by David Platt. I don't think another book, with the exception of the Bible, has had as great an impact on my life as Radical has. It's a must-read.

5. Holy Night by Kevin Max. My favorite Christmas album. Any old-school DC Talk fan will fall madly in love with his amazing vocals to classic Christmas songs and hymns.

Next... Essentials in my bag.

These are the things I carry with me everywhere. I start going into panic mode if one of them is missing.

1. Vera Bradley Zip ID case. Yes, I realize next year I'll have been out of college for a decade, and therefore why would I need a small wallet with a place for an ID? I'll tell you why. BECAUSE I'M A MOM. And sometimes I don't want to have to fool with carrying a purse when I've got a zillion other things to carry. I don't know what I'd do without my wallet that attaches to my keys. And if you shop Vera's sales, you can get one for less than $5.

2. Key wristlet. See #1 for why this is essential. My dear friend mab gave me one of these last year, and it has forever changed my life. I can hardly remember the days where I used to dangle my keys from one finger while managing a child, a purse, several bags, etc.

3. B&BW Pocket Bac in Japanese Cherry Blossom. Use this once and your hands smell awesome the rest of the day.

4. Erin Condren Life Planner. OK, technically this doesn't fall into the under $30 category. BUT if you manage to snag an Erin Condren gift card from One King's Lane (another one of Nester's favorite sites), you can get this amazing-not-sure-what-I-did-before-this planner for a cool $25.

And finally... The Home.

A few items I have in my house that I will treasure forever.

1. Saints sherpa throw blanket. I wrote about this blanket before. It's the best ("The best, Jerry!") blanket I've EVER owned. It's so fluffy!!! (Name that movie.) And just in case the Saints aren't your team (which I don't know why they wouldn't be - that's just crazy talk!), there are other NFL teams available. Just don't buy the Cowboys one. We can't be friends anymore if you get the Cowboys blanket. (I'm kidding... kind of.)

2. Ikea Knappa pendant lamp. I first saw this lamp at my sister-in-law's house and fell in love. Then I called my other sister-in-law who lives in Dallas and begged her to go to their Ikea and get one for me. So she did and sent it down with my in-laws the next time they came to visit. Then my first sister-in-law, the one who originally had the lamp at her house (confused yet?), moved away from NOLA and asked if we'd like to use her lamp since she didn't have a space for it in her new place. So now we have two (!!!) Knappa lamps at our house, one over the computer desk and one in my daughter's room over her play kitchen. And I love them dearly. They are even more beautiful in person.

3. "Bienvenue" fleur-de-lis iron welcome sign. OK, there's a story here. Last Christmas I went to Hob Lob in Baton Rouge with my cousin's then-fiancee (they just got married at Thanksgiving this year!). As we turned to face the front of the store, I saw hanging on the wall this beautiful ring with the fleur-de-lis and "Bienvenue" on it. They also had one that said, "WHO DAT Nation" and, had I been able to purchase it that day, I would have gotten that one without hesitation. I am nothing if not a fan. Anyway, the tag on the sign was $100 and I didn't have a 40% off coupon with me, and I had no way of printing one before the end of the day. The responsible side of me thankfully took over and refused to let the but-it's-so-pretty side of me buy it without consideration of coupons and saving money. I consoled myself by promising myself that we would go home, I'd print my coupon and drive to Slidell to purchase the sign (we don't have a Hobby Lobby in NOLA - I know, first world problem). I did that very thing. When I got to Slidell, there were no signs. The manager at the Slidell store informed me that each store can buy different merchandise so it was probably something the Baton Rouge store bought locally in Baton Rouge. We didn't make it back up to Baton Rouge until March. I pretty much pushed my husband out of the car at his grandparents' house and sped back to College Drive to go to Hob Lob. No more signs. They called the O'Neal store. No signs. The manager came and told me that those signs usually sold out the day they stocked them, and he couldn't tell me when they would get another shipment in. Dejected, I left, vowing to never again delay purchasing something I loved that much. Fast forward to July. I was in my hometown staying with my mom while she recovered from surgery. I met my BFF from high school at this little wholesale boutique we always like to shop at together when I'm home. As we wandered through the shoe section, I just happened to glance up at the different metal decor hanging on the wall. Lo and behold, there was the sign. I asked Anna to get it down for me (she's quite a bit taller than I am) and I checked the price. $37! I ran to the counter and bought it immediately. It now hangs right beside our door. And I know the Amazon price is astronomical, but that's for 6, and it was the only place online I could find them. If you want one, you'll either have to buy six or have to travel to my hometown to get it. :)

So there you have it. My favorite things list. This has been fun! I can't wait to check out what others have chosen.

What are some things on YOUR Favorite Things list?