Category: Family

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.

ENTER TO WIN $50 GIFT CARD TO DIAPERS.COM

 

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The Gift of JOY: With Hasbro Joy For All

This post was sponsored by Hasbro’s Joy For All brand  as part of an Influencer Activation for Influence Central. All opinions expressed in my post are my own.

This is truly my favorite time of year.  I remember as a little girl waiting anxiously Christmas Eve night for the next morning to come.  I would eventually nod off from the excitement & thrill of the day.  As I’ve grown older it’s less about the presents and more about being with family & watching the joy in my own child’s eyes.

I want to tell you about a special person in our lives, Terence’s Grandma.  She’s the sweetest person.  I’ve had the joy of knowing her over the past 15 years and now that she’s in an assisted living home, it’s our turn to take care of her.  You see, it doesn’t have to be something big to make someone’s day.  Just a hug, phone call, or a visit makes all the difference.  The truth is that we can’t be there all the time and unfortunately a lot of people are left alone when they get older without any family or visitors at all….this breaks my heart.

Hasbro has come out with a great new “toy” for seniors called Joy For All.  I let Connor babysit the cat (we named her Chloe) & the dog (we named him Max) until he could give them to his Great-Grandma.  He absolutely LOVED them!  They are so realistic it’s CRAZY!  Hasbro has always been a great toy brand, and now they are striving to bring happiness to our beloved Grandmas and grandpa’s.

We went to visit Great-Grandma last weekend and brought her Chloe and Max.  She just adored them.  I can tell they are going to be well-loved at their new home.

HASBRO’S JOY FOR ALL™ Companion Pets have a unique two-way interaction that can help bring fun, joy, and companionship to our aging loved ones.  Joy For All Companion Pets can be powered off, on, and can also be muted at night.  They respond to built in sensors from motion and touch.  Batteries are also included so you can give it to your loved one right away!

The Joy for All Pup was Connor’s favorite because he is really wanting a dog this Christmas.  The Pup barks and turns his head when you talk to him.  He opens and closes his eyes.  Also, when you place your hand on his back you can feel a calming heartbeat.  It’s the most realistic dog…without the maintenance I have ever seen!

The Joy for All Cat is so adorable.  It’s fluffy fur is so soft and cuddly.  The cat purrs and meows.  It will even open and close its eyes too 🙂

We are so thankful for our new furry friends.  Grandma’s nursing home is going to use them for all the residents as a therapy tool.  I’m sure they will all love Max and Chloe just as much as we did.

Head to JoyForAll.com to purchase your very own JOY FOR ALL COMPANION PET today and use JOY2016 for 10% off your purchase!

Here is a sweet video of Great-Grandma and Chloe.  You can see how much she really loved her.  Instead of giving Grandma a robe or a pair of slippers this year….give her the gift of companionship.  Hasbro’s Joy For All is truly the best gift ever if you have someone living in a home.

Follow Joy For All on Instagram & Twitter for the latest!

Here is Grandma a week later…her nurse sent us a wonderful picture of her visiting
with the Joy for All Pup.  Seems like she is enjoying it so very much!

Christmas Gift Picks 2016

I adore this silhouette of Connor from Miss Thistle Shop. It’s a great gift for Grandparents or yourself 🙂 She does an amazing job!

Y’all I adore these Tecova’s boots and they are handmade here in Austin, TX.  For a handmade boot they are AMAZING quality and go with literally everything.  I get so many compliments on them whenever I wear them.

This Michael Kors Moss Convertable Tote is 40% off right now and is everything I love in a bag.  I cannot tell you how long I’ve been looking for this EXACT color!

I got one of these blankets last year at the Nordstrom sale and it’s one of my favorite items.  It’s Mama’s warm fuzzy blanket.  I take it with me EVERYWHERE!

A lot of people ask what kind of camera I use.  I shoot with a Nikon D750 FX-format Digital SLR Camera Body.  If there is one thing I would tell everyone to invest in, it’s a great camera.

I found this confetti pouch from Packed Party last weekend while shopping with my friend Ellen.  I love it and it’s just a really cute travel item to stick in your bag.

These bracelets from Premier Designs are some of my favorite pieces and throughout the day I find myself looking at them as a reminder.  No matter what you need to hear.

This Kikkerland Selfie Light is awesome!  The light is super bright and if you are ever out at night you know how frustrating taking pictures can be.

These 2-in-1 Mini Fan for iPhone/iPad and Android – Pink, Blue & Green – 3-Pack Bundle are the perfect stocking stuffer.  If you are like me and always a hot sweaty mess, this is the perfect item to keep in your purse on a hot day or during a hot flash.

I saw these cuties at Christmas in Cowtown this year.  They are called Warmies, I got Connor the Intelex Cozy Microwaveable Plush, Puppy and are soooooo soft. You warm them in the microwave for a few minutes before bed and they smell soothing and he loves to sleep with it.

 

So that’s my short but sweet list of Christmas picks for 2016.  What have you found that is super cool and fabulous this year?  I’m always down for checking out new stuff!

xo Becky

ICE! at The Gaylord 2016 + 50% Off Coupon!

This was our 4th year to attend ICE! at The Gaylord Texan and we always enjoy it.  It’s become a family tradition and it’s a nice way to start the holidays.  Yes, it’s freezing cold…but totally worth it.  The time and talent that goes into the ICE! exhibit each year is extraordinary.  It’s definitely something you have to see to believe.

I don’t think Connor was excited at all right?dsc_8378

Before you tour the ICE! exhibit you watch a video of how everything is created by the artists.  And then…it starts SNOWING 🙂

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Connor sure has grown into the blue coat over the years…this was his very first time to go to ICE!
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Here he is at 6 years old.

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We walked through this really cool illusion of characters telling stories.dsc_8368 dsc_8372

You can also get your photo taken before you tour the ICE! exhibit.dsc_8373

This year’s theme was “Here Comes Santa Claus”  Follow along and read the stories together as you walk through each room.dsc_8379 dsc_8380 dsc_8381 dsc_8382 dsc_8383 dsc_8385 dsc_8386

ADULTS:  Take a look at this bar made completely out of ice.  Frozen or on the rocks maybe?dsc_8391 dsc_8393 dsc_8396 dsc_8397

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Of course one of our very favorite things to do is the ice slide.  dsc_8401 dsc_8398

I love that at the end of the exhibit every year they recreate the nativity scene.  This is what Christmas is truly about.

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I hope you get a chance to visit the ICE! exhibit at The Gaylord Texan….it truly is a sight to behold.  Until next year…”Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night!”

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Our New Home: Before & After

This is probably going to be a looooong and picture heavy post, but a lot of you have asked questions about our new house and I’m excited to share them 🙂

Of course like any new home we have our hopes and dreams of doing all sorts of things to make it our own…and hopefully some day down the line that will happen.  Most of you know we searched for over a year and put in close to 30 offers before we found our house. Our realtor Courtney was AMAZING…if you would like her info let me know! We love it because we got to stay in Connor’s same Elementary school and we’ve got lots of good friends who live in the same neighborhood.

Okay, so first off let’s start off with the entry way.  The before photos are all the listing pictures.

BEFORE:

The style was nice, but we aren’t really “Tuscan” style people and the faux brick reminded me of the Olive Garden.

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Entry AFTER:

We retextured all the walls and painted them a nice clean white.  We used Sherwin Williams “Westhighland White”.  The new fixture is from Savoy House.

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Eventually I’d like to put an entry table or mirror from like these from Wayfair.

LIVING ROOM:

The living room was all brown and it doesn’t have any natural light or windows except what is coming in from other rooms.  So we really wanted to brighten up the space.  We used “Westhighland White” again and we just love the way it turned out.  We had a great painter and builder for our fireplace remodel.  If you want their information and live in the DFW area, please email me at beckylbranch@gmail.com and I’d be happy to give it to you!

BEFORE:

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AFTER:
living-after

New ceiling fan is from Savoy House. Our fireplace remodel was done by Brian and Melissa Bellows.  Everything turned out great!  We covered up most of the brick and restructured the built-ins to fit the TV.  This is the furniture we had in our last house.  Eventually I’d like to get a sectional or some accent seating for this room.  Also, I’m not sure how to place framed photos because of the panelled wood….so we’ll see.dsc_8561 dsc_8558

I think a couple of these chairs would look great in this room.  They are light and we definitely could use the extra seating.

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The OFFICE:

This room is sort of like our catch-all room right now.  I have a desk and chair and that’s pretty much it.  I’d love to do some sort of chalkboard wall or gallery wall above the desk.  That would look really fun!

BEFORE:

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AFTER:

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Inspiration pic:

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KITCHEN:

The kitchen was a dark brown and the walls were heavily textured.  We re-finished the walls and painted them “Natural Choice” by Sherwin Williams.  The cabinets are “Westhighland White” by Sherwin Williams.  Painting the kitchen white opened it up so much!

BEFORE:

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wall-texture-before

AFTER:

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I love this kitchen fixture from Savoy House.  Someday we would LOVE to put a barn door where the kitchen enters into the laundry room to cancel out the noise that comes when you wash clothing.
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I absolutely LOVE this hutch.  It used to be black and I finally opened up my china that was in the original boxes from our wedding 15 years ago to put in there.  LOL!

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DINING ROOM:

BEFORE:

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The colors weren’t really us.  We removed the doors going into the kitchen to create a better flow and replaced the chandelier to something more modern from Savoy House.  I wanted to go really bold in here because the rest of the house is white.  We chose Sherwin Williams “Peppercorn” for the walls and painted the entire wall, trim and all.

I love the look of this room now.  We don’t have anything in it yet, but hopefully some day and I’ll share with you how everything turns out.  I know we want light furniture in here because the walls are so dark.

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GUEST BATH:

BEFORE:

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We just cleaned up the walls, retextured them, and painted the cabinets white.  It really freshened up the space.

AFTER:

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Mantle makeover:

fireplace-after fireplace-before

The bedrooms all stayed pretty much the same.  We still have a lot we hope and dream to do, but unfortunately money doesn’t grow on trees.  We are taking it one small project at a time.

We are also pool owners now.  Neither one of us have ever had a pool, so this is new and we are learning how to take care of it.  I think we are going to really enjoy it in the summer time 🙂  Especially since summer in Texas lasts FOREVER!is2rxmhmeg7rtm0000000000

We are so happy here and thankful for our new home after a long journey.  We know God had the perfect timing and the perfect home for us.  I look forward to sharing with you all my design and decor ideas in the future.

Stay tuned…

Who Wants to Win Some Christmas CASH???

Me and some of my favorite little elves (I mean friends) have teamed up this Christmas so you can WIN SOME CASH!

What’s more exciting than a pocket full of cash for the holidays? Winning it of course! A group of bloggers got together to create this $200 PayPal Holiday Giveaway to give away to one of our special readers for the holidays. That’s right, one lucky winner will win all the cash, but first, let me introduce you to the bloggers who helped make this giveaway possible.

$200 PayPal Holiday Giveaway

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Bloggers that helped this $200 PayPal Holiday Giveaway become possible are from the Dallas/Fort Worth area. We decided to give a little back this year to show our appreciation to all of our readers. We appreciate you all so much…and we all hope you have a wonderful holiday season and a sparkling New Year!

Michele, owner of Modern Mom Life – she’s crazy busy as she prepares for a new addition to her family.

Becky, owner of The Java Mama – she’s even crazier busy with a new house, her photography business, and all her son’s activities.

Kim, owner of Forever Green Mom she’s just hoping to relax during the Thanksgiving holiday – that’s all!

Gena, owner of Ginger Casa – always has her hands full with her 3 boys.

Shannon, owner of Everyday Best – Shannon just rebranded her blog and you ought to see how pretty it looks!!

Keriann, owner of Toy Queen – she’s got some great things happening over at her blog for this holiday season.

Julie, owner of Julie is Coco and Cocoa – if you haven’t seen Julie’s craft projects you are missing out. She’s the best at crocheting!!

Amy, owner of Mainly Homemade – she’s always cooking up something special.

When you get the chance, check us out!!!

$200 PayPal Holiday Giveaway

Giveaway starts 11/17 and ends Dec. 5, 2016, at 11:59pm CST. One lucky winner will win the full $200 PayPal. US only and entrants must be 18 years or older to participate. The winner will be contacted by Kim at Forever Green Mom (email rememberKim@verizon.net) via email, so please make sure Rafflecopter has your current email address. The winner will have 24 hours to claim their prize or another winner may be chosen. Once I have the winner’s information, payment will immediate be sent via PayPal. Good luck!! Remember, the more options you do, the higher your odds of winning. We kindly ask that you not unfollow us after the giveaway has ended. You never know…we may have another giveaway or two up our sleeves and you wouldn’t want to miss it out. Thank you!!

 

ENTER HERE!!!