Category: Family

When Life Throws You Curve-Balls

This post is sponsored by Urgent Care for Kids.  All thoughts an opinions are my own.

Hello!!!  I hope everyone’s week is going well!  I have a ton of fun stuff to blog about soon.  I’ve been crazy busy and oh yeah…if you haven’t been on my Instagram or Instastories lately you may not have heard that we are without a kitchen right now.  Isn’t home-ownership GREAT!  A pipe leak under the sink has lead to an unintended kitchen remodel.  Needless to say it’s been cray cray and work on the kitchen still hasn’t started.  I never thought I would say this…but I am actually tired of eating out.

That’s the thing about life…it’s constantly throwing you curve balls.

My beautiful family Easter 2018
It’s bluebonnet season/aka spring time here in Texas and my allergies have been crazy!  We all got through the winter season without the flu and only a couple of cases of strep throat.  The flu was outrageous this past year wasn’t it?  That’s the thing about being sick too…nobody PLANS on it!  I’m so thankful we live in DFW and there are such great places to take your kiddos like Urgent Care for Kids.
There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for this kid right here.
Over the years we’ve had to deal with a lot of life’s curve-balls, including urgent medical situations.  I’ll never forget the day the school nurse called and Connor could barely walk, he was so sick and we couldn’t figure out what was wrong with him.  Turns out he had a severe allergic reaction to some medication and it went septic.  We were so scared!  At Urgent Care for Kids they are ready and waiting to help YOU!   They offer after hours pediatric urgent care.  They even offer online telemedicine consults with a Pediatrician via video so you never have to leave your home.
Urgent Care for Kids has 10 locations in Texas & 4 locations in DFW.  When you are ready you can check in online.  To find a location near you go here.
The Pediatricians at Urgent Care for Kids are there to help you as parents and put you at ease.  They offer extended hours, because you never know when you may need to see the Doctor right?  Nobody plans on being sick and it can hit you when you least expect it.

Check out Urgent Care for Kids today, so next time life throws you a curve-ball you’ll know exactly how to handle it.  Follow along on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for the latest news.

Vacation Destination: Arlington, TX

One of my favorite cities to visit is Arlington, TX…not only because it’s right next to me, but because it has some amazing things to do!  I first visited Arlington, TX when I was 18 years old and my parents took me to Six Flags my senior year of high school to see a concert and visit friends.  Never in a million years did that young girl from Arkansas imagine living in Texas, but here I AM!  I married a Texan almost 17 years ago, and for the past 10 years DFW has been my home and I love it!  Arlington has changed so much over the years and grown into a magical place to visit and explore.  

Let’s start out with Downtown Arlington.  There are so many restaurants and cute shops to visit.

One of my favorite local hangouts is Legal Draft Beer Co.  Legal Draft just opened a couple of years ago and it has a great story behind the brewery.  Not to mention they have every type of beer imaginable!

“So how did a trial lawyer and a medical logistics professional wind up founding a craft brewery?  About 15 years ago, Greg (the lawyer) and Curt (the logistics guy) were hanging out with friends, enjoying a cold beer and discussing family, business, and life its own self. With very little introduction, Curt announced that the assembled group of friends should open a brewpub in our hometown, to serve our friends and neighbors along with the many tourists who visit the area. Everyone agreed, then finished their beers and returned to making a living and raising a family. In early 2015, Curt and Greg and their friends were again enjoying a cold beverage together (a theme has now appeared) when Greg let everyone know that he had decided to open a craft brewery in Arlington, so that our hometown could take part in the craft beer revolution and participate in the revitalization of downtown Arlington. Curt, of course, simply couldn’t resist. Thanks to a recovering attorney and a retired logistics guy, here we are.”

A fun atmosphere and a place to gather with friends.

If you are looking for a sweet treat there is nobody better than Sugar Bee Sweets Bakery.  They have amazing cakes, cupcakes, and cake balls.  I’m always in the mood for cake, and they never disappoint my sweet tooth!

 

For the perfect girls day out try the Rose Garden Tea Room.  It’s inside of Decorator’s Warehouse, which has every decoration imaginable for every season and holiday!  The food is delicious and I literally have dreams about that white cheddar soup.

Do you have a bowling fan in your family?  If so, Arlington has just the place with the International Bowling Museum and Hall of Fame.  Everything you ever wanted to know about the history of bowling and exhibits is all right here!

Globe Life Park is another landmark in Arlington, TX.  It’s the home of the beloved Texas Rangers and it’s always packed with fans.  If you haven’t caught a game here…then you MUST come visit!

Let’s not forget about AT&T Stadium– Home of the Dallas Cowboys as well as several great concerts throughout the year.  Even if there is nothing going on at AT&T Stadium it’s still quite a site to see.  You can take a tour of the venue, it’s mind blowing and larger than life!

I love this sculpture in front of Globe Life Park…random but so cool!

Let’s not forget about Six Flags!  I’m a big chicken when it comes to roller coasters, but it sure is fun to watch people scream their heads off!  Six Flags is always coming out with fun events and new rides.  One of my favorite times to visit is at Christmas when everything is lit up and they HONESTLY have the best hot cocoa in Texas 🙂 The swing ride makes me shiver just looking at it.  Have any of you been on this ride before?  It’s SOOOOOOOO high up!!!

A favorite local burger restaurant is The Grease Monkey.  It has a vintage garage type of vibe with indoor and outdoor seating.  Video games and a Juke box for the kiddos too!  There is also a long list of concerts throughout the year performed on stage at The Grease Monkey.  Check it out here.  

I love Ripley’s Believe it or Not!  Not too far from Arlington is one of the best ones I’ve been too.  Well hello there Mr. President, Taylor Swift, Lady Gaga, Jason Statham, and other stars.  Have you ever wanted to mingle with the stars?  Well, here’s your chance….to at least get a selfie! Lol!  Ripley’s also has fun seasonal events and a fun 7D “moving theater”.  

Check out more in my video below and I hope you get the chance to visit the city of Arlington, TX!  Summer is right around the corner and there are so many fun places to visit…I don’t just live here, but I love to visit too.  For more information on the city of Arlington, TX visit HERE.

Connor’s 8th Birthday

My sweet boy turned 8 a couple of weeks ago.  I can’t believe it’s been 8 years since we brought him home from the hospital.  I can’t imagine life without you kiddo.  Connor, you are loving, kind, thoughtful, and curious.  This age is so much fun!  I thank God every day that He gave us you to raise & nurture on this Earth.  We are truly the luckiest parents ever…obviously we are to have a sweet boy like YOU!  The time goes by so quickly and before we know it you’ll be a teenager.  As much as I rush through the day to day I find myself reflecting more recently on the past.  Those days where I was glad I took extra pictures or a little video to capture a memory.  Those are my most treasured things now.

Connor wanted to have a bowling/laser tag party and Main Event was the perfect place to host it.  He’s really into Roblox, but I honestly don’t know much about that game, so we went heavy on the bowling theme and light on the Roblox.  LOL!  We invited 10 of his friends from 2nd grade (if you were not invited, please don’t kill me…but birthday parties are expensive…so we had to dwindle it down to a small list!) I promise if we could have invited 100 we would!

We also had the joy of driving a Toyota Avalon Hybrid for the week!  I love reviewing cars, and I honestly think Connor loves it more than I do.  He thinks it’s so exciting when we get to test out new wheels for the week.  The Toyota Avalon was BLUE, Connor’s favorite color too!  I had an Avalon for 11 years and I absolutely LOVED that car.  I never had a single problem with it and to this very day it’s my favorite car I’ve ever owned.  It was nice to see how the Avalon has changed since I had mine…and boy has it changed.  It was super quiet and much more sporty than the Avalon I remember.  I drove it for the entire week and I didn’t even use half a tank of gas doing all the things I would normally do during the week.

Smooth steering and control A must have for any (and my next) car….I don’t know how I’ve lived so long without a back-up camera! The Avalon was FANCY- Look at that wood grain finish and the mix of tan leathers.
Another cool feature was the cup holders.  At night they lit up so you could see where to place your drink!  It’s the little things people 🙂 It’s already 80 degrees in Texas, so I really enjoyed the air conditioned seating.

All packed up and ready to PARTY! I loved how smooth and easy the Avalon was.  It rained the entire week and this car handled rainy weather like a piece of cake…or cupcakes…like the ones seen here???

These bowling cookies turned out so cute!   Connor and his Dad Connor and me 🙂 The kiddos all had a great time bowling and doing laser tag.  Our party host at Main Event was named Connor too and had curly hair!  He was so good with all the kids and I highly recommend them for a party…they did not pay me to say that either!  We had a great experience and just wanted to say THANK YOU!

I bought a sparkler candle and oh my goodness…I didn’t realize how much that thing was going to SPARKLE!  All the kids starting screaming and yelling.  It was super cute and Connor loved it.

Thank you Toyota for a fun week in this fabulous BLUE Avalon!  Thank you everyone for coming to the party and celebrating Connor with us we are truly blessed by all of you.

xo- The Branch Family

Laundry Made Easier With LG

This post is sponsored by Best Buy.  All thoughts and opinions are my own.

One of our favorite places to go and walk around on the weekends is Best Buy….well, actually I would say it’s more Terence’s, but there are so many things for me to look at as well!

Usually while Terence is looking at the speakers and entertainment systems I’m looking at all the cool appliances Best Buy offers.  A recent favorite is the  LG Twin Wash system which includes LG Front Load laundry paired with LG’s SideKick Pedestal Washer.

With LG’s TwinWash system you get the best of both worlds. For small loads that can’t wait (The sweatpants after hot yoga, the red shirt in a pile of whites, the dirty school uniform on a Sunday night) there is the LG SideKick pedestal washer. You can even use it simultaneously while you do a bigger load up top on your LG Front load washer.  There are so many times I just need to wash one or two items like my favorite pair of jeans or a shirt Connor spilled something on.  I love this tiny little washing machine feature.  Not only do these washers have mega capacity to tackle any size load, they are energy efficient while giving you the best cleaning performance. No wonder more households have chosen LG laundry over any other brand!

Right now Best Buy is offering a great deal from 1/11-4/25 to receive up to $500 off a LG laundry solution for your home.

So what are you waiting for?  It’s time to replace those old appliances for sparkly new ones!

This kid as made SO many messes over the years and I can’t believe he’s going to be 8-years-old in a couple of weeks.

The Toyota Highlander Is Worth The Hype

Hello Everyone!  So, I just got back from the DFW Auto Show this past week and it was AMAZING!  I was super excited to be covering Toyota this year and check out all the new and upcoming models.  Terence and I have talked a lot about what our next car will be and we’ve decided on an SUV or a truck.  Just this weekend he had to pick up some shelves from the home improvement store and he said “Man…if we only had a truck to pick up those shelves I ordered”.  I get so excited when we get to drive new cars and try them out.  It definitely helps narrow down what we like and don’t like.

Late last fall we were able to drive a Toyota Highlander SE model.  I think someone was a little bit excited about this car???  Ya think???

The Toyota Highlander was basically the perfect vehicle….if it were up to ME!  We have gone back and forth between the Toyota Highlander and a Lexus RX.  They both have great qualities, but the Highlander price point fits more in our family budget.
I really enjoy being a bit higher up off the road in an SUV.  For some reason this makes me feel more “large and in charge” while driving.   The automatic trunk opens and closes with a push of a button.  You know those days when it’s raining outside and you have your hands full of 20 things and can’t dig through your purse for the keys?  Just press the button on the trunk and “viola” it opens for you!   Of course Connor’s favorite thing was the TV.  Oh my goodness I’ve never had a more quiet car than when I was driving this Highlander! LOL!  It comes fully equipped with headphones and a remote.  Roadtrips would definitely be much more smooth with these fun extras.

I’m sure a lot of Mom’s have heard this before….“Mommy…Mommy…the sun is in my eyes!!!”  The built in sunscreens are a life saver on those hot, sunny Texas days. The dashboard and command station have everything at the press of a button.  This car was sooooo COMFY y’all!  I didn’t find myself reaching and extending for things or pressing certain buttons because they were all within an arms reach. That third row seating is a definite bonus too.   I could car pool ALL the kiddos in this Highlander!  The third row also folds down for extra storage, so the next time we need to pick up a bulky item…like shelves for the garage…just pop that seat down.
Do you ever find the smallest things to be your favorite as well?  This little shelve that was in the front dash was my FAVORITE thing!  My phone is usually sliding all around my car, but I found it so easy to just pop the things I needed right there on this little shelf.  
The Highlander is definitely one of my most favorite Toyota vehicles. It’s got just about everything you could ever want and need for any adventure.

Until our next adventure…..xo Becky

Kid’s Eat Free at McAlister’s Deli on Valentine’s Day + Enter to WIN!!!

This post is sponsored by McAlister’s Deli.  All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Valentine’s day is next week y’all….NEXT WEEK!  You know Terence and I are pretty low-key on Valentine’s day.  When you have kids in the picture it’s just as important to make them feel loved too!  Not that it’s not nice to go out with just your hubby…but you know what I’m saying.  Sometimes life gets busy and things get put on the back burner.  Especially if Valentine’s day falls in the middle of the week.

And please don’t make your Valentine COOK…give them a night off….soooooo…..

Next week Kids eat FREE on Valentine’s Day at McAlister’s Deli!!!  I love a free meal and a good deal y’all!  (Adult entrée purchase is required. Up to two free kids meals with the purchase of an adult entrée. Dine-in only.)

Now let me just say McAlister’s has always been near and dear to my heart.  My very first job 20 years ago was at McAlister’s Deli and I worked there for 2 years with my twin sister.  It’s nice to see how much it’s changed, but I’m also glad my favorite things have remained the same over the years- like the chocolate spoon cake, the TEA, and the potato salad.

Let’s throw it back for a minute…

Oh the days of working at McAlister’s and eating spooncake and not gaining any weight!  I remember them fondly! LOL!

Tea…tea…tea…or ME…ME…ME!!! Everyone loves McAlister’s tea.  It’s always been so good and it still is…I can testify to that because I made it for many years.  I love how you can now add flavors like peach or mango to your tea as well.  I’m a mango girl myself.

The cookies are the best too!  They have these premade treat bags ready to go.

I think someone is hinting at something….

Nothing can come between me and my mango tea!!!

Ter-Bear eating his sandwich and mac n’ cheese.  My forever Valentine….oh how I love this guy!

Connor is our little joker.  Is that a cookie or a mustache?

McAlister’s has something for everyone, whether it’s the enormous spuds, a sandwich creation, or a yummy bread bowl full of soup…you won’t leave until your tummy is happy!

Oh and you better believe I brought home a chocolate spoon cake!  Happy Valentine’s Day everyone!

I have a great giveaway for you and your family from McAlister’s Deli! 

Enter to win a $25 gift card, just enter using the form below.

VALENTINES DAY DETAILS: 

Where: McAlister’s Deli

When: Wednesday, February 14th 10:30 AM – 10 PM

Kids Menu Entrées:

INCLUDES CHOICE OF SIDE

Turkey & Cheese • Ham & Cheese • PB&J • Toasted Cheese • Mac & Cheese

ENTRÉE ONLY

Kids Spud • Kids Garden Salad • Kids Nacho Basket • Cheese Pita Pizza

Promotion Details: Up to two free kid’s meals per adult entrée purchase. Dine-in only. Kids 12 and under. Drink not included.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

My Lil LoveBug!

This post is sponsored by LoveBug Probiotics.  All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Keeping your little ones and YOURSELF well during this season is sometimes hard to do…or even think about.  I have been taking a probiotic for years now and it’s the easiest part of my morning routine.  Probiotics promote a healthy balance of gut bacteria and can help promote weight loss, digestive health, immune function.  If you haven’t been adding a probiotic to your daily diet, then maybe it’s time to start!  What have you got to lose besides feeling your best right?

Here’s my little love bug…gosh I would do anything for this kiddo!

I take LoveBug Probiotics and here’s why:

  • LoveBug® Probiotics is a premium line of award-winning probiotics for the whole family
  • With a patented delivery technology, LoveBug® Probiotics are 15x more effective in delivering the microorganisms to the digestive tract than other leading probiotics
  • LoveBug® Probiotics were developed by a mom for moms
  • Rooted in science, LoveBug Probiotics were developed in partnership with internationally recognized doctors and scientists
  • LoveBug® created the first staged probiotic for babies specifically designed to support their developing microbiomes

I’ve been adding The Skinny probiotic to my breakfast every day. It has a proprietary blend of eight probiotic strains, Here’s the Skinny repopulates your microbiome to streamline digestive function, quell sensitive stomachs, improve energy levels and elevate mood.

I also give Connor the Little Ones probiotic and it’s super easy for him to take.  This kid has a gag reflex like something terrible…and he has NO problems swallowing these!  Amen!  Little Ones probiotic is formulated to populate kids’ guts with beneficial bacteria which is critical for their lifelong physical health and mental well-being.

So, I’m curious…do you take a probiotic?  What benefits have you seen while taking one?  I’ve been taking LoveBug probiotics for the last couple of weeks, I always try to really TRY products out before I recommend them to y’all and I can honestly say I’ve felt good and my gut is doing great!

For more information on LoveBug visit their website,  Facebook, Instagram, & Pinterest

I’m so excited for Valentine’s day coming up!  It’s one of my favorite holidays 🙂  This “Be Mine” sweater from Target is a favorite find this season.  Muah!

xo – Becky with the good coffee