And these are a few of my favorite things…

They always tend to have this song on during the holidays, so with the holidays coming up…here goes my list: (I am taking a break from the boxes, tape and newspapers for a minute, can you tell?) 1. Anything made by L’Occitane - I got hooked on these products a few years ago. One of my friends got married in Atlanta and we stayed at the Four Seasons…they had L’Occitane products as their complimentary bathroom products. Some of their products I am addicted to are: the lip balm, the hand and foot lotion, the Olive daily face cleanser, and the entire Immortalle line. Jody loves to the Cade After Shave Balm. The stuff is on the pricey side but will last a long time (the facial products will last me 6 months, so averaged out it is not too bad). I usually stock up on this when we go to Indianapolis to visit one of my brothers and his family…but there is a new store in the Summit (can also buy online at http://www.loccitane.com/)! Make great stocking stuffers!!!

2. Johnson and Johnson Bedtime Bath and Lotion - When I was pregnant with Banks, my Aunt Carol gave me a big tub full of the Johnson and Johnson products and this bedtime bath and lotion was included. The bottle says “makes babies sleep better” and I will swear by it! I still soap and lotion mine down at night with this stuff before I put them to bed and they smell FABULOUS (even still the next morning). I have gotten several of my friends (even ones without kids) addicted as well. Santa always leaves a bottle of this in my children’s stockings!

3. Momagenda - One of my friends gave me one a few months ago for a treat (thanks Steph) and I don’t know how I have ever lived without it! It has monthly views as well as weekly views. The great thing about the weekly one is that I have a row to keep track of my schedule and then the kids have their own rows so I can keep track of them. Another great thing…it comes in 5 wonderful colors! Mine is the green one pictured above. Love it, Love it, Love it. Would make a great gift for any mom!

4. Fontaine Maury Plates - My kids think these are the best thing in my kitchen! They love setting the table because everyone in my family has their own plate with their name on it (the best part is…they are doing a chore and don’t even realize it!). We even have some with The Murphrees on them for our guests! They come in a variety of choices including solids, stripes, plaids, dots and prints with tons of clip art and “monogramming” options…so they are totally unique! I got my mother a set for all the grandkids to eat off of at her house. I get mine at Eloise and Henry (http://www.eloiseandhenry.blogspot.com/) here in Decatur. They have also become my new birthday/wedding/Chirstmas/whatever present…I always get a great response when I give them! FYI – The Pottery Barn Kids silverware goes great with them!

5. Big Sky Granola - One of my all time favorite snacks and breakfast treats made with lightly sweetened oatmeal, whole almonds, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, and sesame seeds! Just yummy! Thank you Stacey for introducing me to this! The bakery is located in Birmingham but the Publix stores down there started carrying their products. Stacey use to keep me supplied until they stared carrying it in our Publix (usually right when you walk in the door). You can also buy it online (http://www.bigskybreadcompany.com/). Great for snacking on during all that holiday shopping! Way off this subject, we got a second offer on our house last night! So we now have a back up contract should for any reason the first one not go through (we don’t foresee any problems but it is nice to have a Plan B)! So say a little prayer that everything with the house selling and buying goes smoothly! As of right now, we will spend our first night in the new house on November 8th!