Category: House and Home

School Valentine’s 2017

I wanted to share the cute Valentine’s I got this year for Connor’s class from Tiny Prints.  I made these online in less than 10 minutes and they were under $20 bucks!  SCORE!

Right now everything at Tiny Prints is 40% off! They always have the best deals.  One of my favorite items are these Tiny Prints Custom Photo Notepads.

I got the supplies for the key-chains on Amazon and they were super easy to do as well.

YOU CAN DO THIS CRAFT ANYTIME! NOT JUST FOR VALENTINE’S DAY! I KNOW THE KIDDOS LOVE TO HANG THESE ON THEIR BACKPACKS 🙂

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.

Dinner Delivered by #Chefd + Enter to WIN!

This post is sponsored by Chef’d.  All opinions are my own.

This season has been so busy y’all.  I just finished up all my Christmas sessions for the year and praise the Lord I can finally relax.  I’m a Wife & Mom, I blog, I also work part time for a wonderful Dentist, and I do photography on the weekends.  My days are crazy busy and a lot of the time I’m just trying to hold everything together the best I can.

Chef’d invited me to try a couple of menu options from their website and to say I was a little excited was an understatement.  I absolutely abhor the question “What is for dinner???”  It’s something I constantly struggle with.  I’m not the best cook, I like to cook on occasion…but overall I genuinely struggle with meal planning during the week.

Chef’d comes delivered right to your door step!  Like a magical fairy that answers your prayers and delivers fresh food over night…SURPRISE!  Chef’d is the first and only online meal kit marketplace with no membership or subscription fees; you order the recipes you want, when you want them, and all of the fresh, pre-portioned ingredients will arrive at your door within 48 hours.


All items are carefully packed and organized.

I made the Mediterranean Penne with Sun-Dried Tomatoes & Parmesan Zucchini.  Your kit comes with a step by step instruction sheet for each recipe as well.

There is still some slicing, dicing, and baking to do, but everything is pre-measured and ready to go.  Just like on those cooking shows I watch on TV.

Me and my little helper 🙂

Yummy…and FRESH!  The zucchini and pasta were so good!

We really enjoyed our menu items from Chef’d and will definitely be trying some more dishes.  You can customize meal plans and even shop based on dietary restrictions.

This is a great gift idea for the foodie in your life!  Why not give the gift of a great meal with a Chef’d gift card?

Or you can WIN ONE RIGHT NOW!

Please enter using the Entry Form Below:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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

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:
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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…

Renovation Reality & Pinterest Dreams

As most of you know we moved into our new home about a month ago.  So far we are loving it!  We knew we wanted to stay in a certain area and stuck to our guns when it came to that and I’m so glad we did.  We did look outside of this area, but we kept coming back and hoping and praying something would turn up in our desired location.

Connor got to trick-or-treat in our new neighborhood last night 🙂

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We moved into an apartment during the summer of 2015, only to renew the lease two more times.  It was over a year long process of searching in DFW for the perfect home. To be honest I thought we would never find our home.

I truly believe we found the perfect place thanks to a lot of hard work and a great team!

We have done some renovation projects to our new house, and we still have a lot more we’d like to do.  That’s the thing about houses…it never really ends!  We painted the kitchen and living room a bright white and it made such a difference.  We made changes that included paint, lighting, fireplace, and a few other cosmetic details.

Living room BEFORE:

living-before

Living room AFTER:

living-after

I’ll share more with you on all the changes we made in another blog post.  Today I want to talk to you about home equity.  Although we’ve made some major improvements in our new home we do have a “wish list” that we still want to tackle in the future.  That list includes the bathrooms and maybe a mud room some day.  We’d like to put a barn door where the laundry room is.  It’s so fun to dream up how you envision your home in the years to come.

Capital One has some great home equity tools on their website.  If you are thinking of a remodel, but don’t know where to start I encourage you to take a look.  I’ve never been happier than investing in a home we know we are going to be in years to come.  It’s money well spent and I can’t wait to make all the memories and future visions come true.

Whether you’re remodeling your home or consolidating debt, Capital One is here to help with simply smarter tools that help you choose the right option for your situation. I know by using the right tools and having a plan we can save to make those dreams come to life.

By visiting capitalone.com/home-equity you can get a customized rate offer, an estimated loan amount, and even begin the application process.  There are no fees and no impact to your credit score either.  So when we are ready to replace those sea shell sinks in the bathroom we can start the process right away.13958064_840856172681733_2915495672524413337_o

The DFW area is booming right now, I can tell you that because it took us over a year and almost 30 STRONG offers on homes to figure that out.  It’s a battlefield out there y’all.  Be prepared to bring your A-game.  

Check out these Dallas Fort-Worth Survey Results:

  • The DFW real estate market is thriving. And with higher home prices and smaller supply available on the market, 58 percent of homeowners in DFW anticipate home improvement expenses in the next two years.
  • As DFW residents plan ahead for these projects, only 25 percent have taken out a home equity line of credit previously and nearly seven in ten (68 percent) admit to facing obstacles in obtaining a loan.
  • When asked to identify these specific challenges, 33 percent of respondents cited the amount of paperwork needed and 29 percent indicated not knowing exactly where they stood in the application process.
  • With these obstacles in mind and as residents go through the process for the first time, Capital One is here to help with simply smarter tools that empower DFW residents to take charge with the support they need on their own terms.

If you are in the market right now, or just want to make your Pinterest dreams come true, don’t forget to check Capital One.  You can see how much equity you have to play with right away & make your dreams a reality.

Here’s to many more memories to come…

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I was selected for this opportunity as a member of CLEVER and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.