Category: Family

Tis’ The Season + A Life Update

How many of you got up at the crack of dawn to get the limited edition red cup for the first 50 customers at Starbucks this season?  Or in my case they had 400 cups….so yeah EVERYONE got a cup pretty much 🙂

The only thing is you have to use said cup after 2 pm every day and this Mama needs coffee around 6 am stat.  So I have yet to use my .50 cent discount because I’m a morning coffee kinda person.

Christmas shopping at it’s finest.  I got my 9 year old tween to take a selfie with me….that’s a big deal these days.  Ha!  I just love the malls at Christmas time and all the lights and decorations.

My precious babies 🙂

Amen and amen to Target for bringing in some Kinder chocolate.  Especially the hollow snowmen which are like the original Kinder eggs….yippeeeee!!!!

I got a little tree this year for all my Starbucks ornaments.  They were getting to the point where they deserved their own tree.  I’m sure there will be more to come!  I think the oldest one I have is from 2007 or 2008…so it’s been quite the collection in the making so far.

I ordered Heidi a stocking and now our mantle is complete.  This little girl is such a ray of sunshine in our family.  I love seeing the bond between her and Connor.  Honestly I was worried about the 9 1/2 year age difference, but Connor is so sweet with her and such a big help that it’s worked out perfectly.

Have y’all tried this ice cream yet?  It’s Biscoff ice cream with cookie crumbles on top…and OMG it’s the best thing ever.  I have got to stop eating it….but it’s SO GOOD!  I found these at Target and Tom Thumb if you want to look for them you won’t regret this indulgence.

If you are in the DFW area don’t forget to use my coupon code JAVA for 50% off ICE! tickets this year.  We just went and had the best time ever.  It’s one of our favorite traditions and it’s the best way to ring in the holiday season.

 

I did a side by side comparison of Connor and Heidi at 4 months.  What do you think?  Do they look alike?  I definitely think in some ways they do and in others Connor definitely is more “boy” and Heidi has more “girlie” features.

4 months….a bit late.  She turned 5 months yesterday.  I dropped her off at daycare this morning for her first day and my heart could hardly take it.  It’s such an out of control feeling leaving your precious baby in the hands of someone else.  Especially someone you don’t know, but I know it will be fine.  In the mean time I am trying to distract myself from missing my baby boo.

Christmas mini sessions are now booking!  If you’d like to book shoot me an email at : beckylbranch@gmail.com

Oh and this was a total Mom fail.  I accidentally ordered the wrong size stocking the first time.  It was so big that we could fit Heidi inside of it!  It’s kind of funny looking back…but OOOPS!

Mommy & daughter matching Sunday outfits 🙂

Connor finished lacrosse season this fall and he said he really liked it!  I think we will try it again in the spring.  He did a great job and I’m proud of him for being a good team mate and playing hard.

Well, that’s a little life update for ya!  If you are on Instagram that’s where I post more these days on the daily.  GO CHECK IT OUT HERE!

Thanksgiving 2019 Roadtrip with Toyota Sequoia

I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving!  We had a great time visiting family in Arkansas at the farm.  We had the BEST road trip too in the 2019 Toyota Sequoia!  I felt like a boss riding in this on our trip and let me tell you about all the ROOM this vehicle has.  It’s definitely a dream car and big enough to fit anything you might need for a trip and dare I say you could even camp out in it…ha ha!

Obviously Heidi is enjoying the ride and she did pretty well on a 7 hour road trip. 

Connor definitely enjoyed the extra room to spread out and plug in all his electronics as well.

Most kids have tablets these days so companies have been doing away with built in televisions inside cars.  That’s totally fine with me because you can put whatever kind of device you have and there was a handy dandy holder on the back of this headrest.  

All the room in the back of the truck.  That’s why I said you could camp out in here because look at all that room.

Middle row captain seats

Front seats.  These were so roomy and comfortable.  The middle console is huge too and gives you so much space to put things and not feel crowded and cramped.

We listened to the Holly Channel trying to get into the Christmas spirit!

Navigation dashboard

Front and rear temperature controlThis picture shows you just how much I had loaded into this vehicle.  I even had Heidi’s entire bassinet in there!  I loaded our suitcases, all my camera gear, and everything the baby would need!

Of course we had to stop at Dairy Queen.  A road trip tradition on our way to Arkansas.

We had a wonderful visit with Nannie Sue at the farm and I got some really cute pictures of the kids.  This one is my favorite and I still can’t believe how big Connor is getting and that we have a baby GIRL now!  God is so good!

My Mom and Heidi.  She loves her Nana snuggles.

My almost 10-year-old.

Cousins Ella & Heidi in their matching outfits from Nana.

Nannie Sue (Great Grandma) and Heidi about to chow down on some of Nannie’s yummy home cooked meals!

While visiting we went to the Garvin Gardens Christmas display in Hot Springs and it was a lot of fun and so pretty!  We had a great time walking through it with family and it definitely put me in the holiday spirit.


We also had dinner at one of my favorite restaurants…YaYa’s with all my girlfriends at home.  We always have the best time catching up and reminiscing when we get together.

Pictures of the farm Thanksgiving 2019

Taking the boys out on the Ranger

It’s so hard to say goodbye!  We love you Nannie!

Heidi and Poppy (Heidi 5 months)

Me and my twin sister Bonnie with our girls 🙂

And back home we go….the Toyota Sequoia was really the best ride ever and we are so thankful we got to try it.  I felt so safe and comfortable in this vehicle. 

Dinner stop at Burger King.  Making those memories! We had a wonderful Thanksgiving with friends and family and special thank you to Toyota for getting us all there safely and comfortably.  We can’t wait to make more memories and take more family road trips in the future!  If you want to check out more info on the Toyota Sequioa check out my INSTAGRAM highlights under CARS!

Fa La La La FALL!

 

October recap coming in strong!

I can’t believe this year has already almost passed us by.  It’s been quite a year as well!  I took these two to the pumpkin patch one afternoon thankfully before it got too busy.  Oh what a blessing these kiddos are in my life.  Connor is the best, goofiest, and sweetest big brother ever.  I can tell he’ll always watch over Heidi even when we cannot.  It’s the sweetest thing watching them grow and bond with each other despite the 9 year age gap.  Heidi has been the best surprise ever!

Here’s a little throwback to 2010 and Connor’s first pumpkin patch picture.  I think he was around 8 months here.

Oh no Heidi has sprouted EYEBALLS!  Connor loves messing with her too.  I can tell that is going to be a life long “thing” for these two. Ha ha!

Heidi got the cutest little pumpkin spice romper and it’s just the cutest thing EVER!

And I love my new fall t-shirt from Callie Danielle.  She’s going to be coming out with Christmas designs soon and I can’t wait to see those.

My friend Ellen and I went driving around last weekend and I love looking at fall “porchscapes”.  This one in particular was a favorite with the pink pumpkins and bats.  You can see all of the ones we saw on INSTAGRAM under the “Fall” highlights tab.

I also enjoyed my annual trip to Christmas in Cowtown.  I literally go just for the Toffarazzi booth.  If you have never tried their toffee….YOU MUST!  It’s amazing y’all!  (Pic at my cute friend Micah’s booth)

Earlier this month I had a wonderful girls night out with these three ladies.  The one on the far left some of you probably know as my silly friend Nicole, but it was sure nice to meet two new sweet faces.  I can’t tell you how refreshing it is to get out, especially after having a new baby and stuck in the house for months.

Sprinkles brought back their black velvet cupcakes for October and I went a little cray cray!  I looooove dark chocolate and these are EVERYTHING!  I wish they were a main menu item…so come on Sprinkles….make them come back right now so I can be as big as a house lol!

Halloween shopping around town.  I absolutely DO need these pumpkin glasses I can’t see out of ha!

Connor and his bestie Ben at The Creamistry.  Our favorite ice cream shop.

Can I get a helping hand here???  I need this many hands for sure these days to help out with Heidi.  Anyone want to change a diaper?

Connor started playing lacrosse and he really loves it so far.  Coach Brian is whipping him into shape because it’s a ton of running.  Now that it’s cooled down a bit outside it’s not as horrible to wear all that padding, but for awhile I could tell it was just miserable.  I’m so proud of this kiddo!

Connor and Heidi’s Halloween 2019.  Connor is a barista and Heidi is a cutieFrappuccino.  Some how Starbucks found our photo on social media and shared on their Facebook page with their fans…and let me just say that made this Mama’s ENTIRE LIFE!  My coffee addiction has been validated and stamped with approval.  Amen & Amen.  How cute are they?

This statement is basically…ME. 🙂  I hope y’all had a great October too & happy Halloween! I can’t wait to see everyone’s costumes.

xoxo Becky

Life is full of the greatest ups and down.  Remember to cherish every moment, take extra pictures, and never let a day go by without telling those you love how much they mean to you!

Road Trip Baby!

Gosh I have the best intentions of blogging every day like I used to, but time just gets away from me.  With a 3 month old in the house and Connor’s school and sports activities it’s been crazy town over here.  Connor started playing Lacrosse and so far he loves it.  Heidi is starting to lift up her head and try to roll over.  I remember when Connor was a baby I would document his every movement and milestone….sorry Heidi I guess what they say about a second child is true! LOL!

Anyway….you can always catch us on the day to day on Instagram, but it sure is nice to write down a bit more than a few sentences and a picture every now and again.  About a month ago I took the kids up to Arkansas to see my family and we had a great time visiting.  Driving by myself with two kiddos in the back was quite the experience, but Connor was the best helper ever.  I don’t know what I would do without this boy.  They are far apart in age (9 1/2 years) but I know he’ll always be there for his little sister throughout her life.  That sure is an advantage of having kids further apart.  As for me….the creaky knees and back pain weren’t there ten years ago I swear!

We also had the opportunity to drive a brand new 2019 Mazda CX-5 and it was one of my favorite cars we’ve ever had the chance to try.  So we took Heidi on her very first road trip to see her family in Arkansas.

Priced in the mid 30’s it’s a smooth ride and I’ve never felt safer.  We are going to need a new car soon and I would definitely recommend this one to anyone looking for a family vehicle that’s not priced out the wazoo, but still has all the bells and whistles.

With a backup camera and even air conditioned seats the Mazda CX-5 made for a comfortable and safe ride.  It also has blind spot monitoring and alerts you of another vehicle around you with a chime and warning light in the side mirror.  

The Mazda CX-5 had USB ports in the backseat for Connor to plug all his tablets into.  That made for a much easier road trip on Mama and kept him occupied.

The display on the dash is another one of my favorite features.  Navigation, bluetooth, music selections, etc.  It’s all at your fingertips so you don’t get distracted looking down and trying to find all those crazy buttons and settings.  It also has Apple CarPlay™ & Android Auto™ integration.

The Bose speaker system sounded great too!

A baby requires a lot of STUFF!  From carseats, breastpumps, playmats, toys, bottles, and all the extras…the Mazda CX-5 fit all our stuff excellently!

Not to mention handling those hills and valleys in Arkansas.  

I even got to take my Nannie and sister for spin and we had a wonderful lunch together and one of our favorite spots in my hometown called Stoby’s.  

These BBQ chicken nachos were soooooooooo good and just looking at this photo is making me drool.  It may be time for another road trip after all!

Me and my twin sister Bonnie getting our donut fix!

I also got to visit one of my favorite restaurants with friends called YaYa’s.  They have the best dessert.  It’s a warm brownie wrapped in filo dough and then covered in chocolate!

Heidi with her Great Grandma, our sweet Nannie Sue.

Lunching with Nannie and Bonnie

Church Sunday with my Mom 🙂

Aunt Bonnie tried to take some pictures of Heidi too!  That went super well as you can tell. Ha!

Thank you Mazda for a wonderful road trip opportunity in the Mazda CX-5.  We absolutely loved it and can’t wait to go visit our family again soon!  And the biggest hugs to my big boy Connor for all your help and being such a wonderful big brother.  Love, Mama

Power Up with Brainiac Kids

This post is sponsored by BabbleBoxx.com on behalf of Brainiac Kids

After school snacks are a must at our house.  Sometimes I refer to Connor as a “black hole” because he is growing so much and constantly wanting to eat ALL.THE.TIME.  Life gets busy and it’s easy to just grab something convenient and unhealthy.  We recently got to try Brainiac Kids yogurts and here’s our story!

Whenever I’m giving Connor a new food to try (especially one that’s healthy) my Mom brain goes off and says “He probably won’t like it, but at least we tried it!”  Well, I didn’t have to do that with Brainiac Kids.  They are the first kid-friendly food that provides meaningful amounts of brain-fueling nutrients like Omega-3 DHA and choline. These are nutrients that most kids don’t consume enough of on a daily basis.

Connor replied with “Mom these are actually really good!”  That’s music to my ears y’all!  And I certainly didn’t expect to hear how much he really did like it!

The founder, Jonathan Wolfson, developed the product after learning about key nutrients in infant formula. “When we needed to switch our newborn to formula, my wife and I spent time investigating the options. The focus on brain nutrients made us stop and think. Are our older kids getting what they need? With the help of experts, we realized that while kids’ brains are still growing fast, most are not getting enough of the right brain nutrients from their diets. We brought together pediatricians, neurologists and nutritionists and developed BrainiacTMKids. Real and delicious food to support brain health.”

This is a very valid point.  I have a 9 year old and a new baby in the house and I often think the exact same thing!

We tried the Cherry Vanilla Yogurt Drink found at our local Central Market store.  I tried some too and it was delicious!  They come in a 4-pack, and available in tubes as well.
Each 2oz (8-pack) oz Brainiac Yogurt Tube contains the BrainPack® to ensure kids are getting the Omega-3 DHA, Omega-3 ALA, and choline they need for healthy brain development. With 40% less sugar than the leading kids’ yogurt tubes, 3g of protein, and probiotics.

Each 4 oz (4-pack) of Braniac Yogurt Drinks contains whole milk and are the smoothest way to boost kids’ brain power. Each easy-to-hold 4 oz. bottle includes our BrainPack® — a blend of nutrients their developing brains need including Omega-3s DHA and ALA, and choline. Better yet, they have 50% less sugar than the leading kids’ yogurt drink, plus 4g of protein, and probiotics.

FLAVORS:
Strawberry
Strawberry Banana
Mixed Berry
Cherry Vanilla

Easy, pack-able containers for lunch or snacking.

On average kids only get 69% of the daily recommended choline* intake. With Brainiac Kids products, kids get 100% of their daily choline needs.  Brainiac Yogurts also have 40% less sugar and 50% more protein than the leading kids yogurt.  They are all Pediatrician Approved, NON-GMO, Gluten-free, Kosher and have no artificial colors / preservatives.

Save $1 on any flavor multi-pack
Find your store HERE

GIVEAWAY:

School is back and we want your kids to have their best year ever! So, we’re fueling #backtoschool with this GIVEAWAY! The Brainiac Kids team have put together over $150
worth of fun ideas to help kickoff a year they’ll remember!

TO ENTER:  Follow @BrainiacKids on Instagram and comment on this photo on their page!
(Receive an extra entry for sharing their post in your Instagram stories and tagging them @BrainiacKids so you can receive the extra entry. Account MUST be public and be shared from the Brainiac account)

Three lucky winners will receive:


* 1-month supply of BrainiacTM Kids Whole Milk Yogurt with the BrainPackTM (up to $40 value)
* 1 glow-in-the-dark lightning backpack or mini-backpack (up to $59 value)
* 1 @PlayOsmo Coding Awbie game ($49 value)
* Stickers, a puzzle, a yo-yo and other fun BrainiacTM Kids swag! (priceless!)
BrainiacTM Kids Yogurt will be awarded as coupons to redeem for free product at the winner’s
local retailer. Contest open to US residents only. Must be 18 or older to win. Giveaway closes
Friday, September 27th @ 8 PM PDT. @BrainiacKids will announce 3 lucky winners Monday,
September 30th in their stories. So, don’t forget to watch!

 

Hey Punkin Treat Tags

Every year I love making printables for the holidays. I’ve made some cute ones in the past….so here’s one to share with y’all this year!

Hey Punkin!

TO PRINT:

(You can print directly, or copy and paste in Word to make more than one at once.)  I used Pumpkin Reeses Cups, but you can use whatever Pumpkin goodness you desire 🙂

The Busy Mom Breakfast with Jimmy Dean

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Tyson Foods, Inc. The opinions and text are all mine. #HEBSimpleScrambles​

School is back in session and I’m wondering are your mornings as crazy as mine? Surviving the sleepless nights with a new baby and getting my 9-year-old off to school is craziness! I’m always doing something in the morning and it’s so hard to cram everything in. Especially a good breakfast! Thank goodness for Jimmy Dean Simple Scrambles® Turkey Sausage & Jimmy Dean Simple Scrambles® Three Cheese. These are SO easy and take hardly any time to make at all.

 

In less than 3 minutes you have fluffy egg goodness with cheese, sausage, or bacon mixed in. These are a big hit in our house right now for everyone.

I know so many of you are busy moms too and sometimes there’s just not enough time to do everything you want to. I want to start my day off with a good breakfast and this does the trick. I know everyone in my family is getting a good meal in and it takes hardly any time at all. That just makes me feel so much better and my morning goes much smoother.

Read More