Category: Family

Christmas, Camrys, & the Ultimate Catch Up…Oh My!

Shame…shame…you know your name.  That would be MEEEEEE!!!

I have seriously been slacking on the bloggity blog so let’s catch up again shall we?  I have so much to recap and write about before 2019!  Ha!

Starting with Christmas 2017.  We had a lovely visit back home to Arkansas and to the farm.  We stayed with my twin sister Bonnie and her family.  I finally got to meet my new niece Ella, who seriously is the sweetest, most calm baby in the entire world.  She’s absolutely precious!  My sister and I always have a good time catching up and of course the boys (Connor & Jarrett) are pretty much inseparable.  They are exactly like their Mamas, they love hard…but they fight hard too. Lol!

My poor Mom at the flu.  We finally got to see her on the last day we were in town.  Thanks goodness for technology, we were able to face time during Christmas so she could see the kids open presents.  Still, it wasn’t the same at the farm without her there.  The flu has just run rampant this season and so far we’ve been lucky not to catch it.  Everyone I know that has had it has said it’s THE WORST EVER!

So, if you’ve been following my on Instagram you may have seen some of these pictures, but I like how I can go into more detail here on the blog.

We were super excited to drive a brand NEW 2018 Camry to Arkansas for the holiday and it was sooooooo nice!  It was a hybrid model, so we got great gas mileage and it was so smooth up and down the hill country of Arkansas.

 

The 2018 Camry was super sporty looking and we really enjoyed the drive.

I’m just a little excited to drive this baby!  I had an Avalon for 11 years and I loved that car so much…I still miss it to this very day.  Terence works for Toyota Headquarters and he sent me pictures of the new Avalon design and OH.MY.WORD.  It looks on the sporty side too and just as luxurious as I remember.

I absolutely love the “command center” which included a backup camera, audio, USB ports, and heated seats for the win!

It was a little different driving a hybrid, but overall I really like the gas mileage aspect of it.  Also, you couldn’t even tell the engine was running when the car was turned on.  Talk about STEALTH mode 🙂

I also really liked the clean and metallic looking details of the interior.

It was a comfortable ride indeed.  We were all three able to “plug in” with our phones, iPad, and my Kindle.  

The middle console displays the battery and engine charge.

 

Once we got into Arkansas we headed to my sister’s house and Larry’s Pizza buffet…we officially made it HOME! LOL!

Me and my sweet Ella girl 🙂

The boys were reunited and had a great time at Dave & Busters! They love gaming together and talking about the most RANDOM things…

Bonnie and I had a great time drinking Starbies, watching Hallmark movies, and shopping a bit.

Then we headed up to Nannie’s house on the farm and had so much good food to eat and opened presents.  The boys each got a Nintendo Switch, something they both have been wanting for quite some time!  The farm is beautiful during Christmas, and for some reason we all just take the best naps up there.  It’s like you don’t have a care in the world when you step into Nannie’s house…I guess that’s part of what makes it so special, well, besides Nannie herself that is!

On the road again! We just loved the blue Camry so much! It was the best Christmas sleigh ever!

After Nannie’s house we all headed back to Bonnie & Vinny’s and my Mom was feeling well enough we got to see her and my Daddy for breakfast the morning we left. I love me some Cracker Barrel…


OH! And I got together with my besties from highschool for the best meal EVER at Ya Ya’s! If you saw my Instastories then you saw how they made this dish- in a huge hollowed out bowl of parmesan cheese. They light it on fire so the cheese melts and then add the pasta and some herbs. BEST. EVER. I’m still dreaming about this pasta!

We made it back home to Texas and now I’m homesick to go back again! We had the best Christmas…until next year…it’s been real 2017!

Some of my FAVORITE CHRISTMAS GIFTS!!!

Let’s Cuddle…

Well, when winter finally gets to Texas it comes with a brutal force!  I put away all the Christmas decorations this past weekend and now I’m just chilling out watching all the Hallmark movies I might have missed.  I love the days where you can just sit by the fire and read a good book or watch a movie.  I’m also loving my new ClimateRight by Cuddl Duds from Walmart!  They are suuuuuper soft and for this price I can afford to stay cozy for a good while!

I know a lot of us visit family or friends over the holidays and you can’t just go running around someone else’s house in your skimpies!  That’s why it’s good to have a set of lounge wear that you are comfortable in and stylish too!  I really like how ClimateRight offers the perfect layering and sleepwear separates for warmth and comfort at an affordable price, & they are from the makers of Cuddl Duds®… one of my favorite brands!

The plush velour makes this sleep set extra cozy. I got the black set, which comes with a long sleeve crew-neck pullover top and coordinating velour pant.  There are several different patterns, so you can mix and match if you want to.  After eating all that yummy food over the Christmas season I love putting on a good pair of stretchy pants 🙂

I also really like how they mixed the fabrics to give it a more stylish feel.

ClimateRight by Cuddl Duds are amazing quality, a great deal, and exclusively available at Walmart or Walmart.com.  Choose from the Warm Base-layer collection or the Sleepwear Separates collection.

Celebrating the Holidays at Outback Steakhouse

This post is sponsored by Outback.  All opinions are my own.

I hope you all had a Merry Christmas and I’m excited to start 2018!  I’ll do a Christmas re-cap soon 🙂

Today let’s talk about FOOD!!!  During the holidays food is a subject I like to indulge in myself.  If you ask my husband where his favorite place to eat is he will say Outback Steakhouse every time.  We’ve been married over 16 years now and the one thing that hasn’t change is his love for Outback, specifically the steaks and ranch dressing.

I was super excited to learn that a shiny brand new Outback Steakhouse was opening in Euless, TX so close to us!  We visited for the first time with our Grana and Pop and it was sooooooo good y’all!

The lobby is modern and stylish (I love the hanging light fixtures).  It also offers mates who are waiting a refreshing beverage.

The new Outback Steakhouse® is located at 2601 State Highway 121.

It is part of the huge new development going in near Glade Parks, so you have great shopping and dining all in one place!

We sure did enjoy our time with Grana and Pop!

We got a gift card to an escape room.  I’ve always wanted to do one of those and I’m excited to see if we can ESCAPE!

The Outback has a ton of new menu items right now, as well as some seasonal favorites.  That BIG Chocolate Cake…oh my!

Great cozy atmosphere

I tried the Gingerbread Martini and it was SOOOO good!  I’ll definitely be coming back for that one.

Okay, so I love the Outback Onion Blossom….and now they have the Onion Petals.  They are just as good if you have that craving, but don’t want the entire onion.  We love to dip ours in ranch.  The Outback’s ranch dressing is AMAZING y’all!

Nothing fills you up better than a steak and baked potato.

I took pictures of all of our meals and the veggies on my Mother-in-Law’s plate were delicious.

I ordered a side of the skillet mac n’ cheese.  Anything with cheese and spiral noodles….mmmmkay!!!!

My delicious chicken.  Outback seriously has the BEST chicken ever!

This was really cool.  If you have a big party of people and need extra seating these tables can join together to accommodate a ton of people.  You can basically create your own table size because the entire thing is on rails.  That is GENIUS!  

There is plenty of seating without feeling too crowded.  I loved the low lighting and the rustic atmosphere.  I’m so happy this is now in our home town and we can’t wait to go back for more Outback!  I’ve loved seeing out Outback has evolved over the years, as well as keeping our favorites in mind.

Guests at the new Outback will be able to enjoy signature grilled steaks, chicken and seafood entrees, and the Bloomin’ Onion in a restaurant boasting the chain’s new “Modern Australia” design, with decor that mirrors the indigenous flora and fauna, adventure, geography and leisure of modern-day Australia. 

The bar area.  Great for happy hour or watching a big game.

Being an Army brat and then marrying into the Air Force I was so happy to see this on our table.  The Outback Steakhouse is partnering with Operation Homefront to help our military and veterans.  You can add $1 to your check after your meal or a $5 donation goes to help a military family by providing a meal this holiday season!


For more information on Outback visit them on Facebook, Twitter, & Instagram!

– Earn up to 50% off every fourth visit by joining DineRewards™.

We hope you had a very Merry Christmas & have a Happy New Year!

The Outback Steakhouse would be a great place to ring in 2018!  Another Gingerbread Martini might be in order 😉

Christmas Home Tour

Well, we are officially 4 days until Christmas 2017.  Today has been a doozy…not to mention a child I know *CONNOR BRANCH* spilled chocolate milk in the back seat of my car this morning, so that’s just great.

This holiday season has been so busy I can barely keep my head on straight.  It seems like December always moves at warp speed.  Have y’all heard the song with DMX singing “Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer”?  If you haven’t listened to it yet….YOU MUST!

A long time ago there used to be a link up of everyone’s homes decorated at Christmas time and I loved it!  So, now that we’ve been in this home for a little over a year I thought I would share our Christmas decorations.  Over the past year we’ve worked really hard remodeling and decorating our new home….we still have a ton to do…but Rome wasn’t built in a day, or so they say!

First off…check out our awesome Christmas jammies from Lazy One.  I looooove them and we have so many fun jammies from this company!  They aren’t just for Christmas folks!

Christmas mantle

Living room

I’m not going to show my office, but it was recently painted a pretty gray!  It’s full of photography gear though 🙂

The Dining room

Kitchen

The hutch has all of Connor’s pictures with Santa since he was 10 months old….

This is a quilt I got at Steinmart for our bedroom.  It was $29.99 and I just LOVE it!  It’s supposed to get cold tomorrow (FINALLY) so we can use the extra quilt.

Oh Christmas tree!

Our cousin Adrianne sent this ADORABLE pillow from England and I just LOVE it so much!  I love all things British really….and the Kinder chocolate isn’t too bad either.

Cute little festive soaps from World Market.

This is the extra bedroom.  We also had the walls in here re-textured and painted.  There isn’t much decor except for the “OH DEER” pillow cases, also from World Market.

Connor’s room hasn’t changed much since I posted his before and after pictures.  He does have his little Christmas tree full of Star Wars ornaments.  We are so excited to see the new Star Wars movie on Christmas break!!!!  Who has seen it yet?

And finally y’all go enter my INSTAGRAM FAVORITE THINGS GIVEAWAY!!!

My favorite candle “The Smell of Christmas” from Aromatique.  

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE & HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

I’m giving away a lot of really fun things this Christmas…including….

 

Mama Said There’d Be Days Like This…

This post has been sponsored by Pfizer Consumer Healthcare. All thoughts and reviews are my own.

Oh yes…this week has been a doozy.  Connor was sent home from school with fever a couple of weeks ago & a sore throat.  Last night he woke up at 2 am and threw up all in his bed.  UGH!!!  I can basically do anything but throw up.  I mean let’s get real Moms…even if it’s your own kid it’s hard to take.

Nobody wants that business up in their house and I try to zap it before it reaches all of us. It’s also a good idea to stock up on medicines for your kiddos because the flu and strep throat are among us folks!  The minute I see the symptoms I start to fight them right away.

Also, if you have a health savings account remember to spend that money before the year ends!  You can stock up and fill your medicine cabinet for the winter.  I’m the worst about letting things expire and I definitely don’t want that when it comes to treating sickness in our household.

My medicine cabinet has these go-to meds in there at all times:

  • Children’s Dimetapp® Cold & Cough
  • Children’s Robitussin ® DM Day/Night Pack
  • Children’s Advil® Suspension

This Children’s Robitussin® DM Day/Night Pack is formulated just for kids.  The non-drowsy daytime formula helps break up chest congestion, while the long-acting nighttime formula relieves coughs and runny noses to help kids get the rest they need.

Have you been stricken with sickness yet this season?  If so, go check out the Sick Just Got Real website & Facebook page for more information and tips to keep your home germ free.

Celebrate the Holidays with Little Bites + Enter to WIN!!!

This post is sponsored by Little Bites.  All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Hey Y’all!  How’s the holiday season going for everyone?  It’s been crazy busy around our house.  I was going to do a Christmas tour of our home, does anyone do those anymore?  Still, I love seeing everyone’s Christmas decor!

I can’t believe we have already reached the end of 2017!  We just celebrated Thanksgiving right?  Maybe it’s me, or the 80 degree weather we’ve been having in Texas, but I’m all messed up for the holidays!  I can’t decide to bust out my sweaters or keep my t-shirts out.

Okay, so now that we’ve gotten through Thanksgiving & the Christmas festivities have begun….let’s talk CHRISTMAS FOOD!

I am so glad it’s officially eggnog latte season, and you know what goes great with an eggnog latte???  A warm Limited Edition Entenmann’s® Little Bites® Butter Cookie Muffin! I did say I warm them up, because they are really good that way, but I also pack them in Connor’s lunch or for an after school snack.

These little muffins are so easy to pack and grab on the go!

Little Bites are pretty much a staple in our house.  Every time we go to the grocery store we pick up a few boxes.  Connor’s school also collects Little Bites wrappers for cash donations to his school.  They will also donate to a non-profit or charitable organization of your choice.

Little Bites have less than 200 calories per pouch, Little Bites® Butter Cookie Muffins never contain high fructose corn syrup or trans-fat.  That’s a win/win snack in my opinion!  They aren’t just for your kiddos either, they are great for holiday gatherings and Moms who enjoy an eggnog latte...just saying.

For more information about Entenmann’s® Little Bites® Butter Cookie Muffins, please visit www.littlebites.com.

Follow Entenmann’s® Little Bites® all throughout the year for the latest news and NEW FLAVORS on Facebook, Instagram, & YouTube.

Win a $25 Visa Gift Card & (3) coupons for $5.00 off the purchase of any Entenmann’s® Little Bites®

Making Memories at The Gaylord Texan ICE!

Christmas festivities are in full swing and every year for the past five years we’ve made it a family tradition to visit ICE! at the Gaylord Texan.  It’s one of our favorite things to as a family.  Every year they have a new theme and this year it was “Twas the Night Before Christmas”.  It’s so neat to see all the ice sculpted into these beautiful figures and colors.  It’s been a rather warm fall here in Texas…so walking into a 9 degree atmosphere is quite shocking!

The atrium at the Gaylord is gorgeous in itself, even if you don’t do anything else there.  Just walking around will put you in the Christmas spirit!

There is so much to see…I’ll give you a little sneak peek of what we saw this year!

The Ice Bar

Connor looooooves the ice slide!  

There is snow tubing too.  Where else can you do these things in Texas?

I live for these family moments and as everyone knows time is fleeting.  Your kids grow up before you know it and in the blink of an eye everything changes.  Experiences like this don’t always happen…it takes planning, money, and time.  I’m thankful for companies Vanguard who help families invest in their future.  Investing doesn’t have to be a sacrifice now so you can live later, you can have it both ways – the security of planning ahead and the gratification of living a fuller life today. Make those special moments count, because you can’t get them back.

With Vanguard clients experience things that truly matter – whether that’s date night, spending time with your kids, or enjoying your passions.  Clients think long-term, tune out the noise, and keep investment costs low, but that’s not all. They laugh and make time for date nights with their partners. They spend time with their kids, and they believe they can achieve whatever they set their minds to.

Thanks to market research firm Kelton Global, we know for a fact (with statistical significance) that Vanguard clients experience these things more often than clients of other investment firms.

Did you know Vanguard clients spend 6 more hours per week, on average, with their kids compared with clients of other investment firms?

WHAT FUN HOLIDAY ADVENTURES ARE YOU PLANNING WITH YOUR FAMILY???

Learn more about Vanguard here & check out this fun video of our day at ICE!

 

The Where Investors Belong survey was conducted by market research firm Kelton Global in 2016. It polled 1,000 Vanguard clients and compared them with 1,000 clients of other investment firms. All differences between Vanguard clients and clients of other investment firms are statistically significant at the 95% confidence level. The parental stat refers to clients with children of any age who provided the number of hours per week they typically spend with their children or who, compared to other people they may know, believe to be more involved in their child’s life. . The experiences of these Vanguard clients may not be representative of the experience of other Vanguard clients and aren’t a guarantee of future investment performance or success.