Category: Family

Celebrate Father-Daughter Day with American Greetings

This post is sponsored by American Greetings.  All opinions are my own.

Sunday was Father-Daughter Day y’all!  This day was incredibly special to me because my Dad had a house of only girls and I’m thankful we didn’t drive him in sane!  Actually, I am pretty sure we did drive him in sane at times, but he still kept us around anyway.  My Daddy means so much to me.  He has the biggest heart in the entire world and has loved me and my twin sister through thick and thin.  No matter how many mistakes we’ve made over the years, my Dad has been there to talk to, give a hug, or provide guidance.

This Father Daughter Day American Greetings has created a special ecard with Smokey Robinson’s version of ‘My Girl’.  When you log on to send your ecard you can even personalize it to this classic tune with your special someone’s name built right into the song. It can also be customized for a variety of different occasions.  How Cool is that?

Find the Smokey Robinson ecards and more digital options for staying connected at the American Greetings website.

DID YOU FORGET TO SEND YOUR DAD SOME FATHER-DAUGHTER LOVE???

IT’S NOT TOO LATE!!!

Use this link to receive a FREE 7-day trial subscription to American Greetings, plus save 20% if you join today.

There are two new Smokey Robinson video ecards launching in October.  These cards are the third installment in American Greetings Hollywood SmashUps™ collection of celebrity video ecards and will give fans the opportunity to customize greetings sung by Smokey himself for a variety of holidays and occasions.

My Dad also loves to SING!  He sang to me on my wedding day before he walked me down the isle.  He has always loved to sing and he enjoys music so much!  I can just picture him opening this ecard and singing along with Smokey Robinson 🙂

These days not only he the best Dad around he’s also a pretty darn good Poppy too!

Don’t forget about your Dad, why not send him something special that will put a smile on his face 🙂
You can find these Smokey Robinson ecards and more digital options for staying connected at www.americangreetings.com. A great selection of inspiring cards from American Greetings is also available at participating drug chains, grocery stores and mass retailers nationwide, as well as in American Greetings and Carlton Cards retail stores.

Follow American Greetings on Facebook, Twitter, & Instagram for more.

Win the Ultimate Christmas Vacation: Enchant Christmas 2017

This post is sponsored by Enchant Christmas.  All opinions are my own.

Christmas is my VERY favorite!  Ask anyone in my family and they’ll say I’d give Buddy the Elf a run for his spaghetti.  So, imagine my excitement and surprise when I found out about Enchant Christmas right here in Arlington, Texas!

If you live in DFW and love the holidays like me, you are always looking for something to set you in the Christmas spirit.  Enchanted is JUST the place you are looking for!

This year they have so many fun activities for you and your family.  I’ve talked about how much I love Christkindl in the past, but now check out all the new activities added to the agenda this year!

  • World’s Largest Christmas Light Maze, where families locate nine missing reindeer

  • Texas’ Largest Outdoor Christmas Tree, standing at 100 ft.

  • 300,000 square feet of holiday entertainment

  • More than two million twinkling lights

  • Santa’s Palace

  • Skating Pond – just like you would imagine in Central Park and other northern cities

  • Kids’ Play Area

  • Live Music and Entertainment

  • More than 20 Food Trucks

  • Unique Christmas Market with 85 Vendors, featuring the beloved Christkindl Market Lane

  • Free Parking

You can get your Enchant Christmas early-bird tickets starting on Monday, October 9th at 12:30 pm at www.EnchantChristmas.com

USE CODE: HOHOHO

CONTEST:

PRIZE INCLUDES:

  • 4 flights from anywhere in the U.S. or Canada (or $500 cash if driving)
  • 2 nights stay at our partner hotel
  • 4 passes to Enchant Christmas for our exclusive, sneak peek opening
  • Food & hot chocolate for 4
  • First access to our magical skating pond
  • A copy of the Enchant Christmas storybook, “The Great Search”

Enter one of 3 ways:  website, Facebook, or Instagram.

Location: Globe Life Park – Lot F  1000 Ball Park Way  Arlington, Texas 76011

See Much More with VSP Vision Care: The Story of Connor’s Glasses

This blog post is sponsored by VSP® Vision Care, the nation’s only not-for-profit vision care company. Talk to your employer about getting started with VSP this open enrollment season.

So, Connor is officially a second grader!  How is it that I just had this baby and now he’s already knee-deep in grade school?   I got him a backpack this year that has dogs with glasses on them.  He loves dogs and he loves his glasses, so it worked out great!  Speaking of glasses, that’s exactly what I wanted to talk to you about today.  Let’s chat about the importance of vision care and you can also check out www.seemuchmore.com to see if VSP® Vision Care is right for you.

Last year Connor had an eye exam right before Christmas break and his results showed that he for sure needed glasses.  Terence and I both wear glasses and contacts so I knew it was only a matter of time.  We took him to pick out a new pair of glasses and made it a fun experience for him.  He was actually super excited to get glasses and wanted them really bad!  Ha ha!

I think I knew all along he needed them because he was struggling in school.  One in four children in the U.S. has undetected vision problems which could impair learning, according to the American Optometric Association.  Connor kept telling us he was having problems seeing things and he actually passed his first in-school eye exam.  It was after a second eye exam at school that we decided to take him back to the Doctor and get more information and another more comprehensive eye exam.

Get your child excited about wearing glasses!!!  Say things like:

  • “Those glasses look so good on you!”
  • “You look SO SMART in those new glasses”
  • “Are you excited to show your friends your new look?”

Connor in his new glasses 🙂

As soon as we walked out of the eye doctor’s office he turned to me and said “Mom I can see EVERYTHING now!”

That melted my heart that he was basically living in a blur.  I had absolutely no idea.  I didn’t get glasses until I was much older and honestly thought he was too young to need glasses at 6-years-old.  Of course as a parent you will do whatever it takes to help your child. I felt relief and contentment knowing my child could see better.  Did you know a routine eye exam can help detect signs of serious health conditions, like diabetes, a brain tumor and high cholesterol?

Now glasses come in so many options.  I like wearing them myself just to change-up my every day style.  Connor chose a pair of camo printed glasses and he loves to show them to his friends.  It has also taught him responsibility and how to care for a valuable item that he wears every day.  So far he has done a great job at keeping them on his face and putting them in his case at night.

Something our eye Doctor said to him was:

“Remember, if your glasses are not on your face then they should be in your case!”

We repeated that over and over and he caught on really quick!

Select eyeglasses that contrast from your facial contours and bring symmetry and balance to your prominent features.  I love trying on different shapes and styles.  It’s one of the easiest ways to change your look and have fun too!

So, now that we’re full-swing into the school year remember that we are heading into open enrollment season so don’t forget to sign up for vision care benefits. Reminder: while most open enrollment periods are in October and November, if you experience a life change like marriage or childbirth then you may be eligible to change your benefit selections and add dependents, meaning if vision benefits are offered – you could sign up.

Check out more info at seemuchmore.com!

SeaWorld San Antonio 2017

Hey Y’all!  Playing catch up here a bit and wanted to blog some memories of our trip to SeaWorld San Antonio.  We had a fabulous time, minus the crazy gas lines due to hurricane Harvey that particular week.

We took off for a long weekend and brought along our niece Ellie who is 22 hours older than Connor.  They’ve always been really close and Connor was super excited to bring his cousin.  During our trip you would be surprised how many people asked me how old my twins were…lol!  They do look alike with the blonde hair and blue eyes 🙂

We started our day out before the park opened.  We purchased tickets to feed the animals and have a private tour before hand.  I definitely recommend this!  It was so nice to not have to deal with crowds and get up close and personal with the sea life.

We headed to see the dolphins and got to play with them for a a little while.  We also wrote fun messages on the glass wall.  I loved those dolphins they were so friendly!

Our second stop was to feed the sea lions fish.  They were super hungry apparently and barked over and over.  Feisty little fellows!

My husband…the bird whisperer 🙂

Connor & Ellie with the dolphins

This bird shall be named Elvis for obvious reasons.  Elvis and I are great friends now btw.

Ready to see Shamu the killer whale!  We sat in the splash zone…don’t do this unless you want to walk out with soggy bottoms.

My absolute FAVORITE thing about the whole trip was being able to swim with the dolphins.  It was AMAZING!  They are so precious and interactive with everyone.  I now want to turn our pool into a saltwater paradise so I can have a pet dolphin.

Getting in and out of that wet suit was another story….but let’s move on shall we….

Terence’s recruiter from his Air Force days happened to be in San Antonio the same time we were helping with Hurricane relief.  We hadn’t seen him in YEARS and it was so nice to catch up with him and reconnect.  We enjoyed an authentic Mexican dinner and wonderful company.

We stayed at the Courtyard San Antonio SeaWorld and I cannot say enough about how wonderful our stay was here!  The rooms were nicely furnished and clean.  We had a sitting area, desk, and coffee nook.  If you are planning a visit to SeaWorld San Antonio I highly recommend this hotel.  It was the perfect location, minutes away from SeaWorld and right off the freeway.

We let the kiddos each pick out a souvenir of their visit and Ellie chose a pink dolphin and Connor chose an eel.  We made some great memories that I hope they will cherish forever and we can’t wait for our next adventure!

xoxo- Becky

Back to School Snacks with #LoveLittleBites & ENTER TO WIN!!!

Entenmann’s® Little Bites® provided me with coupons & a gift card so I could share my thoughts about Entenmann’s® Little Bites®.  All opinions are my own.

It’s back to school season!  That means school, and sports, and after school activities….which also means HUNGRY CHILDREN!   I’ve written about one of our favorite snacks before, Entenmann’s® Little Bites®.

Entenmann’s® Little Bites® are so good, they are just for the kiddos.  They are soft baked mini-muffins and come in convenient pre-portioned pouches that make for the perfect lunchbox staple or easy after school snack.

Offering the great taste kids love and providing the good choice parents want, Entenmann’s Little Bites:

  • Contain no high fructose corn syrup
  • Use real ingredients like blueberries, bananas, strawberries and chocolate chips
  • Are certified Kosher
  • Most varieties are less than 200 calories per pouch
  • Contain zero grams of trans fat per serving

Entenmann’s Little Bites® offer more than 10 varieties of snacks that are perfect for a busy family:

And for a limited time they have a new Pumpkin flavor for fall!  Yippeeeeeeee!!!

These are a big hit in our household and it seems like we are buying them for snack time every time we are at the grocery store.

This guy’s favorite are the Chocolate Party Cakes with confetti.

They are the perfect school snack and so easy to pack in the mornings 🙂

As part of its continued partnership with TerraCycle, an international recycling company that turns waste into plastic that can be used for other products, Entenmann’s® Little Bites® will run a contest that encourages participants to send in their pouches in celebration of the back to school season.  Contest will run from August 15 – October 31

There are two ways to participate:

  1. Collection contest to send in the most Entenmann’s® Little Bites® pouches
  2. Schools can design and build a creative collection receptacle for the Entenmann’s® Little Bites® pouches
Entenmann’s® & TerraCycle will provide tiered prizing for winners

The Entenmann’s Little Bites ® Pouch Recycling Program is open to any individual, school or organization interested in reducing local landfill waste. To learn more about the Entenmann’s® Little Bites ® Pouch Recycling Program, please visit: HERE

Entenmann’s® Little Bites® on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, & Pinterest.

ENTER TO WIN BELOW!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Life Update

Here we are already turning the corner into fall 2017.

Connor James just started 2nd grade and so far he is loving it.  I also can’t believe we have been in this house for almost a year!  After so much time looking for a home we love it here.  We have great friends, family, and community nearby.  I’m so thankful God taught us patience through that process and to know that HIS timing is always perfect timing.

Coincidentally the first day of school was also the day of the solar eclipse.  I found out Sprinkles cupcakes was doing a “black velvet” cupcake with dark chocolate ganache frosting and oh my—- best thing ever!  I LOVE dark chocolate!

We’ve done yet some more remodeling to our house.  We had the office, the extra bedroom, and Connor’s room re-plastered, textured, and painted.

So far we’ve only finished Connors room and I hope to get curtains up in the office and a new bed for the guest room soon!  We are having shutters installed tomorrow and I’m super excited to see how those turn out.

We went with Sherwin Williams Gossamer Veil in Connor’s room and painted the woodwork white.

CONNOR’S NEW ROOM:

A few weeks ago I went BACK to Arkansas for my twin sister’s shower.  You might remember our first shower HERE when we were both pregnant with the boys together.  This time around it’s just her and she’s having a baby girl!  I’m so excited and we can’t wait to welcome Ella Cate into our lives.  Bon’s friend Stephanie and her Mom did a fabulous job with the shower, everything was so beautiful!

I received the coolest CiPU Baby Diaper Bag for my sister and I was so excited to gift it to her for baby Ella!  It’s literally the lightest bag you’ve ever carried and there’s so much storage room.

  • LIGHT WEIGHT: Our diaper bags are one of the lightest on the market, weighing from just 1.1 lbs.: 13 compartments & 8 Bag accessories including changing pad, pouch, mini-purse, stroller clips. Now that’s another load off your shoulder.
  • SMART STORAGE: With 13 wide compartments, 9 interior pockets, 4 exterior pockets, include two insulated bottle pockets to keep essentials handy. It’s also equipped with bottom compartment, perfect place to put baby’s dirty clothes and diapers.
  • BEST DESIGN FOR STYLISH MOMS EVER: CiPU diaper bag Tote collection is as fashionable as it is functional. Stylish, beautiful, perfect size, wonderful design and details.
  • WATER REPELLENT MATERIAL & PERSONAL BELONGINGS POUCH: Both Inner and out Layer are water repellent, keeping your bag dry, fresh and stylish, yet easy to cleaning. Plus, CiPU diaper bags have all your items and belongings in one bag, and more convenient than having a separate handbag.
  • REMOVABLE CHANGING PAD: Portable changing pad makes it easy to keep baby dry and happy. Made from an easy-to-clean material, you can simply wipe it down to make sure it’s always ready for baby.

Nana & her boys

I got all crafty and made this flowery “E” for Ella Cate…I think it turned out pretty good!

I’m so ready for fall and I couldn’t resist decorating the mantle 🙂  Bring on all the pumpkin spice baby!!!

Well, that’s about it for now!  I’ve been enjoying some great reads on my Kindle lately and we just got back from a fabulous trip to San Antonio and Sea World – I will write about soon!  Don’t forget to follow us on the DAILY ON INSTAGRAM!!

Put Some YUM in Your Summer FUN With Yoplait Mix-Ins

This post is sponsored by Acorn Influence, all opinions are my own.

This summer has been CRAZY busy y’all!  Terence and I have been working non-stop and Connor is having fun at camp with his friends.  As much as I really didn’t want a pool when we bought this house, I’m finding that I actually love it!  When you live in Texas (which is basically next to the equator…a pool is a great thing to have!)

I get in these “modes” if you will where I’ll clean constantly, edit pictures for hours, or even work through lunch or dinner.  I know that’s not a good thing, I need to take care of myself too.  So, a lot of times I’ll bring a snack to work or eat something before dinner to tide me over.  

Okay, so I have to share one of my favorite snacks…they are Yoplait Mix-Ins.  They come in a bunch of different flavors too…so you’ll never get bored!

Yoplait Mix-Ins FLAVORS at Walmart:

  • Very Berry Crisp
  • Salted Caramel Pretzel
  • Mint Chocolate Delight
  • Key Lime Crunch
  • Coconut Chocolate Almond
  • Cherry Chocolate Almond

I’ve tried four flavors so far and they are ALL so good!  Yoplait Mix-In’s are the only mix-in product that are original yogurt, and not Greek.  These snacks are the perfect solution if you are an on the go Mom like me.  

I have to say my favorite was the Coconut Chocolate flavor because I am a “chocoholic”.

Honestly, now yogurt seems pretty boring without something in it!  I love knowing that when I’m in a jam I don’t reach for a candy bar, instead I have a delicious healthy option with Yoplait Mix-In’s.

I’m not the only one who loves Yoplait Mix-In’s…Connor thinks they are pretty awesome too.  

The mix between the creamy and crunchy makes it a decadent indulgence. I found Yoplait Mix-In’s at my local Walmart.  I have a feeling these will be making a lot of school lunch appearances this year.  Don’t forget to put some YUM in your summer FUN too with Yoplait Mix-In’s!