Category: Family

LazyDog Grand Opening

A few weeks ago I got to attend a grand opening lunch right here in my hometown (Grapevine, Euless, Colleyville, TX)  at Lazy Dog Restaurant and Bar.  Verdict:  I will definitely be going BACK!  I loved the atmosphere and the cozy cabin style feel.  Also, I neeeeeed that huge deer on the fireplace back there.

Lazy Dog is a dog-friendly restaurant with a HUGE patio so you can bring your fur babies. We have been looking for Connor a dog for his birthday coming up and as soon as we get one I’m sure we’ll be taking it to Lazy Dog to eat this summer.  The staff and Chef were all amazing people and just because of their kindness- I want to go back to see their sweet faces!

We lunched on some yummy foods including:

Beverages:

Whisky Berry Bang

A variety of beer (Hop Head Sampler)

Lunch:

The Dirty Dog

Hatch Chili & Bacon Mac N’ Cheese (My personal favorite!)

Turkey Meatballs

Hawaiian Sticky Ribs

BBQ Bison Meatloaf

Bone-in Pork Schnitzel

Dessert:

Butter Cake (LOVED THIS!)

Simms Family S’more

I like a lighter brew, so I chose #3 obviously…but it was nice to sample all three and get a feel for what I like for next time 🙂

The Dirty Dog

My favorite – Hatch Chili & Bacon Mac N’ Cheese.

The sauce on these fries y’all…I could have eaten a boat load of them.  I think it was called “umami sauce” sooooo good!

This was divine (Anything with “s’mores” in it I usually can’t deny).

The BUTTAH cake!!!! OMG….the.best.ever.  Light, fluffy, buttery goodness!

To cap it all off from our food comas a delicious iced mocha.  I know my coffee and this was super DELISH!

Thank you so much Lazy Dog Restaurants and Bar for hosting us and I’ll definitely be back to see you soon- aka when I can get a babysitter because I want to go with my hubby!    ALONE.

Love your Little Ones with Little Bites + Enter to WIN! #LoveLittleBites

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

This is my life every day after school…“Mom I’m so hungry!!!”  If this is YOU then honey let me tell you about these new delicious snacks from Entenmann’s® Little Bites®.  We got three different kinds to try and of course being my child Connor favors the chocolate and chocolate chip.

Not only are these Little Bites delicious but they also contain no high fructose corn syrup, no trans fat, and REAL chocolate cocoa!

The little packages are perfect for snack time or an after school pick me up.  Now days it’s so hard to send things to school because everything is monitored.  I know at Connor’s school you can’t bring anything that isn’t pre-packaged with the ingredients on each item to hand out to students.  His birthday is next month and I think the Chocolate & Vanilla Party Cakes will make a great classroom treat!

Available nationwide for a limited time only from 1/14/17 to 5/20/17

Perfect little bite sized cakes.  And they have sprinkles!!!

As you can see they are Connor approved!

His school is also collecting the wrappers after the kids are done and they are worth money for his school.  You can find more out about that program HERE.  We’ve back to the store and have got at least 10 more boxes – I really hope they keep this on the market!

You can also download some very cute Valentine’s to go with your Entenmann’s® Little Bites® HERE.

ENTER TO WIN SOME GOODIES FROM Entenmann’s® Little Bites® BELOW (US Only)

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

 

I’ve got 25 Family Packs to give away to see ROCKDOG! HURRY!!!

I’m so excited about a new movie called ROCKDOG that is hitting the theaters on February 24th.  Connor and I are getting a sneak peek of the movie on February 18th in Dallas and would love for you to join us.  You can view the trailer HERE.

Location:

AMC NorthPark 15
8687 N. Central Expressway
Dallas, TX 75225
888-262-4386

Date & Time:

2/18/2017
11:00 AM

This link is limited to 25 admit-four “family pack” passes. These passes are first-come, first-served and do not guarantee seating. Please arrive early, especially since there will be special airbrush artists at the theater before the movie!

GET YOUR FREE MOVIE PASSES HERE!

Game Day Ready With Angie’s BOOMCHICKAPOP®

This post is sponsored by ShopHer Media.  All opinions are my own.

Y’all this week has literally been POPPIN‘!  I’m talking about popcorn, one of my greatest loves.  I snack on it all the time and it’s a staple in our household.  One of my favorite companies called Angie’s BOOMCHICKAPOP makes the most delicious popcorn.  My personal favorite is the White Cheddar flavor.  I’ve literally had two bags this week….and do I feel bad about that?  No, not really because at 60 calories per cup I don’t feel as guilty for indulging in one of my favorite foods!

Angie’s BOOMCHICKAPOP comes in so many different flavors there is a popcorn for everyone in your family.  With flavors like Real Butter, Cheddar Cheese, Sea Salt, Lightly Sweet, Sweet & Salty Kettle, White Cheddar, Caramel Cheddar Mix, Salted Caramel, Sweet Barbeque, & Sweet & Spicy you can have a different snack for every day of the week!

The Superbowl is right around the corner, and Angie’s BOOMCHICKAPOP is the perfect Game Day snack!  No cooking required.  Just POP the bag and serve your guests.  Angie’s BOOMCHICKAPOP popcorn and kettle corn is made with real, simple ingredients—nothing fake and is packed with 100% whole grain. Many of their products are non-gmo and gluten-free.

I have a special money-saving offer below for all of YOU to stock up on Angie’s BOOMCHICKAPOP! 

(while supplies last)


Angie’s BOOMCHICKAPOP is running the “Game On! Bring the Boom” sweepstakes to help you throw an amazing big game party. Now through May 15, 2017 you can enter for a chance to win at www.boomchickapop.com , and on the Angie’s BOOMCHICKAPOP facebook page

Prizes include Game Day party supplies, tailgate sets, a TV & sound system, Angie’s BOOMCHICKAPOP popcorn and kettle corn and more!

NO PURCHASE OR PAYMENT OF ANY KIND IS NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. A PURCHASE WILL NOT INCREASE THE CHANCES OF WINNING. Open only to legal residents of the 50 United States and the District of Columbia who are the age of majority in their state of residence or older at the time of entry. Void where prohibited. Begins at 12:00:01 a.m. CST on 12/20/2016, and ends at 11:59:59 p.m. CDT on 5/15/2017. Multiple entry deadlines apply. Total ARV of all prizes is $18,750.69. Odds of winning depend on the number of eligible entries received for a corresponding drawing. Subject to full Official Rules available at www.boomchickapop.com with complete details including entry deadlines. Sponsor: Angie’s Artisan Treats, LLC, 1918 Lookout Dr., North Mankato, MN 56003.

Let’s Rewind Now Shall WE???….Christmas 2016

You know how they say time get’s away from you?  Well, it truly does.  I have yet to recap Christmas and I would normally be way past that point.  All I have to say for myself is this has been a busy season in life.  You know…you think once those kiddos get in school you’ll get a “break”, nope, not really.  It’s actually a lot more to do!

Anyway, I’m glad to hop back on the blog bandwagon and let’s play catch up shall we?  I won’t go into anything political on my blog because y’all I just can’t handle it anymore and the one thing I DO KNOW is God’s got this!

Queue lots of pictures ahead and a bunch of fun recaps over the last month that I’ve been lagging on.  We are loving our new home and being in it for Christmas was wonderful!  Terence likes newer homes, but I have to say I am really enjoying all the “quirks” this house has to offer, we love our neighborhood, and we are right where we want to be.

Christmas Family Photo 2016

The Branch Family 2016- Yes those are all our nieces and nephews and they are the sweetest and cutest evah!

Connor and I headed to Arkansas for Christmas break just the two of us.  Terence stayed behind due to work and we missed him, but we were back in time to celebrate Christmas day together.  We had fun visiting with my family in Arkansas and my twin sister Bonnie.  Jarrett and Connor always have the best time.  We drove a Mazda CX-9 to Arkansas and the trip in that car was AMAZING!  That’s my next car y’all…I have already decided this.

Here we are jammed in the car with all our Christmas aftermath.  I found some great deals on furniture at Restoration Hardware, and thanks to the extra room in the Mazda CX-9 I was able to bring a beautiful bench and some bar stools home 🙂

Isn’t she pretty?  We literally went home to Razorback nation in a Razorback red SUV and we loved it!

Plenty of storage in the back for all the presents.  This car was such a dream for our trip home for the holidays.

Connor is always complaining about the sun being in his eyes.  There were built-in sun visors in the back seat and they were literally a lifesaver for him and myself because there was less whining! LOL!

One thing I know I can’t live without in my next car is a backup camera.  I don’t have one in my car now…but I feel so much safer having that feature in a car.  Also, the heads up display is one of my favorite features.  It shows the speed limit on your windshield.  

Thank you Mazda for a wonderful RED Merry Christmas in this beautiful CX-9 it truly was a dream to drive and a great family car!

We celebrated Christmas Eve and Christmas Day on the farm.  It wouldn’t be Christmas in my heart unless I was here to celebrate with all the people I love.  Isn’t it so pretty?

My Mom and Nannie outdid themselves and now I’m currently trying to work off all the food I ate over the holidays.  I miiiiigggghhhtttt have had one too many eggnog lattes as well…oops!

Nannie’s tree

The stockings were all hung with care…

The boys are reunited at last.  These two are Minecraft crazy right now.  I don’t really understand Minecraft, but they sure are into it! 

Bonnie and I had the great pleasure of meeting Tracy, she’s one of the very first friends I made blogging and we’ve been friends ever since.  It’s so funny because she was in Texas and now she’s back in Arkansas and lives close to my sister.  This lady is a JOY JOY JOY down in my heart and it was so wonderful to finally get to visit with her.

Me and Bon getting our Starbucks fix 🙂

Connor and Nannie Sue enjoying lunch

Downtown Conway at the Christmas tree

The boys playing….what else….MINECRAFT!!!

The boys just love their POPPY.  I wonder if they are related to Santa???

Nannie got us all matching shirts that said “I really really like love ______”  And filled them in with something we all loved.  Mine was blogging.

The boys opening their stockings on Christmas day

Road tripping with my best buddy.  He’s a great kiddo to take a trip with 🙂

Prancer and Dancer…ahem…I mean Becky & Bonnie

Our Christmas Mantle

Our Christmas tree…can you spot all the coffee ornaments???

BRANCH FAMILY CHRISTMAS

We also had a great family Christmas with Terence’s family.  We celebrated the birth of Jesus with a birthday cake and told the story of how Jesus came into the world.  We had a yummy dinner and a delicious ham courtesy of Petit Jean Meats.  MY ALL TIME FAVORITE PLACE TO GET HOLIDAY MEAT!!!  It’s sooooo good!

Petit Jean Meats also has some great Dallas Cowboys Party Packs if you are planning on watching the Super Bowl!

CHEERS TO A HAPPY NEW YEAR AND MAY GOD BLESS YOU AND YOURS IN 2017!!!

XO- Becky

Staying Well in the Season of Sickness #SickJustGotReal

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

Nothing is worse than when you have a sick child.  Am I right?  Especially when that child has the dreaded “stomach bug“.  I can just about handle anything but throw up!  Right before we went on Christmas vacation Connor had a bad stomach bug and he woke Terence and I up in the middle of the night screaming.  He tried to make it to the bathroom, but unfortunately didn’t get there in time…and wouldn’t you know it the ONE TIME that the toilet lid isn’t up is when he threw up all over it!  Boys….seriously???

We try to get through it the best we can as parents.  I’m so thankful for modern-day medicine and that we can give our children the best treatment possible. Pfizer pediatric products are my go to when we have a sick kiddo in the house.  They are my tried and true remedies for colds and fevers.

The pediatric brands of Pfizer Consumer Healthcare are there with three solutions – Children’s Advil®, Children’s Robitussin® and Children’s Dimetapp® – to tackle the ickiest of symptoms.

Flavor is everything too to Connor.  If it doesn’t taste good, he isn’t swallowing it. My child has the worst gag reflex and will spit up just about everything.

FEVER:  Children’s Advil® comes in several great-tasting flavors, including: Sugar-free Dye-free Berry, Bubble Gum, Grape, Blue Raspberry, Fruit and Dye-Free White Grape flavors.  Connor actually enjoys taking the medicine because it tastes so good!  Ha ha!

Other great products:

COUGH:  Children’s Robitussin® Extended-Release 12 Hour Cough Relief to control and relieve symptoms all-day or all- night. Available in grape or orange flavor, for children ages 4 and up. Please note, certain Children’s Robitussin® products are only suitable for children ages 6 and up.

COLD & COUGH:Children’s Dimetapp® Multi-Symptom Cold Relief Dye-Free eases your child’s stuffy and runny nose, while quieting a bothersome cough. All in a great-tasting grape flavor that’s dye-free, for children ages 6 and up.

*It is important to remember to always read and keep the cartons for complete warnings and dosing information on Pfizer Pediatric products and to use as directed.

If you have a friend who has a sick child send over a care package.  I found this cute little Valentine’s mailbox at Target for $3.  Pack it with your favorite cold remedies, some tissues, and a stuffed animal 🙂  Also, make sure you wash your hands frequently.  Connor puts his hands on everything and rolls around the floor…I have no idea why, but kids are kids and they do some nasty stuff!   I know as a Mom when your child is sick at times you feel helpless, especially when EVERYONE in the house gets sick too.  A care package is a great way to show someone you care about them.

Check out the Sick just got real.™ website & Facebook page for some great tips on how to stay well this season.

Finding the Best Breast Pump + Enter to WIN!

This giveaway is a partnership with Nakturnal, with a prize of a gift certificate

Memory lane…time is a thief.  I love reminiscing about when Connor was a baby and I sometimes think about another baby.  I dunno…think is the key word.  I’m no spring chicken anymore!

I was working full time when Connor was a baby and only had a couple of months maternity leave.  I enjoyed every second!  I remember coming home from the hospital and trying to breastfeed and it was one of the hardest thing I’ve been through.

I decided early on to strictly pump…and I kept that up for the next 14 months.  I absolutely loved breastfeeding and pumping was a lifesaver to me, especially as a full-time working mom.  It’s so important to find the best breastfeeding pump.

I honestly don’t know what I would have done without my breast pump.

This was what I carried with me every day:

By the time I went back to work I had a good amount of milk built up.  It took a couple of months for it to fully come in, but if you can just stick with it for the first month I PROMISE you’ll get over the hump!

It was worth every single second and I am so thankful I was able to give Connor the best I could. 🙂  I’m not here to knock you if you can’t breastfeed, because I know a lot of Mom’s can’t.  This is my personal experience and one that I treasure.  I also miss the calorie burn that breastfeeding gave me too! LOL!

You can read more about my story HERE.

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