Mental Health Break

Testing…testing…one…two…three…

Okay so I can officially say I’ve had sort of a “mental health break” from blogging and I’m hoping to hop back on the blog train.  I’ve been in a funk & haven’t felt like writing.  Reading on the other hand…I can go through at LEAST 5 books a month on my beloved Kindle.

It’s awful.  I wish books would tell you outright whether or not this is part of a 2-5 book series.  I get so caught up reading and reach the end only to discover there are a bazillion more books that I have to wait MONTHS for and by that point I’ve completely forgotten anything about the prior books.

Here’s looking at YOU Sylvia Day *wink* *wink*

I got an email today from Connor’s teacher saying we have to make Valentine’s day boxes for his class at home.  The girl in me wants sparkles and glitter galore…but I know I’ll probably just get some Star Wars stickers and let Connor go to town.  You know how long I’ve been waiting to do arts and crafts for SCHOOL!  I’m more excited than he is probably.  Art is my thing y’all.  If I have to live vicariously through my child so be it.

Still house hunting and trying to keep our heads up before our next lease date is up.  I love our apartments and we’ve met so many great friends here.  It will be sad to leave when we finally do find a house.  I may even cry.  I met a wonderful new friend, Kelly, who moved here with her husband from Little Rock.  I feel like God just brought us together and they are the sweetest ever.  Kelly is me in like 20 years and I just love her spirit!  I went over to their house last night to watch The Bachelor.  I just have to say….Olivia…off with your head!  Or kankles…or toes.  Blah…just leave already – you shallow Cameron Diaz with no personality wanna be.

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Get out.

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We started a Biggest Loser competition at work.  We weighed in today and I only lost ONE POUND this past week.  Ugh.  I’ll have to remind myself not to eat or drink anything before weigh in next time.  I’m so not a gym person….sigh.

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These are definitely not helping either.  Genius Dove Chocolate…genius.  Who can resist red velvet and chocolate together???

 

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This has got to be my favorite Starbucks card of all time.  It’s a camera….awwwww.

I saw them at Christmas and grabbed like 5 of them because I went hysterical.

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I looooove doing photography.  It’s my outlet and I loooooove LOVE.  I had the pleasure of photographing the sweetest proposal Friday night.  Are they not the cutest couple???

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Love is in the air…next time let’s talk about Valentine’s Day shall we? <3

xo-Becky

 

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Christmas 2015

We road tripped it to Arkansas this Christmas and I was super excited because we actually got to spend CHRISTMAS EVE AND DAY in Arkansas this year.  We haven’t been able to make that happen in years.

Connor is so good in the car.  He just sits back and watches his movies and barely makes a peep.  Except to go to the bathroom or eat.  I love my baby!

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Connor and I drove in a few days before Terence flew to Arkansas.  We spent most of our time at my sister’s new house (SO PRETTY by the way) and Vinny & Jarrett.  The night we got in Bonnie took us to the new outlet mall in Benton and it had a Lindt candy store.  We were in heaven….sooooo good!  We also found another candy store that carried our beloved Kinder Eggs.  I have no idea how they had them, but I don’t care!  We each bought a case to take home 🙂
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The boys always love seeing each other…most of the time.  They’ll be BFF one minute and fighting over random stuff the next.  Bonnie and I agree that they are payback for how bad we were at that age.  They made ornaments for Nana and decorated cookies.
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Bonnie and I met up with our friends at Ya Ya’s for our annual Christmas dinner.  It’s always good to see my best friends and I look forward to our dinner every single year…that and a filo brownie 🙂

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After a fun stay at Bon’s we headed to the farm to see Nannie!  Here is Nannie’s pretty tree.

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Everyone opening their stockings the next morning 🙂25a121ce-fb4c-44db-9eb4-5033800ac993

My Daddy <3

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The spread…need I say more.  We don’t go hungry at Nannie’s house.  Like Ever.dc57fac3-9db9-4968-92e7-28731bb74209

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Connor got a lot of new presents.  This was a big year for Star Wars and he brought home a ton of new toys to play with.  Thank you Santa!fcb4a407-41cb-4225-986a-1bbdcd361d82

Fun on the farm

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I took some pictures of my sister and her family.

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Isn’t that the most beautiful sunset?

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I’m sure I’m leaving out a ton of stuff.  We had a great time celebrating Jesus birthday and a wonderful trip home.  We actually came home a day early after we left Nannie’s because our car was packed so full we could barely move!  So, we decided to head home and get settled before all the craziness of life started again.

And last, but not least our annual New Years Eve pic!

We love you all and are so thankful and blessed to have another year to share.

xo- The Branches

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Fa La La La Favorites!

Connor and I went to Christkindl this year and it was so much fun!  We met our local radio gal Kellie Rasberry and she was super nice!  This was our 4th year to attend Christkindl in Arlington, TX and if you are making holiday plans I highly recommend going.  It’s free to get in and it’s so much fun.  They really amped it up this year with rides for the kids, gingerbread house building, and real snow 🙂

Here’s our holiday “catch up” if you will…I’ll update more on Christmas soon!
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German macaroni and cheese aka Spaetzle

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s’mores crepes #yum

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We went to Bridget’s 6th birthday party!  Connor’s first time roller skating….we love this girl <3

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One of my absolute favorite things this year was our new tree skirt from PersonalCreations.  It has our last name on it and it’s great quality.  This is the sort of thing I can pass down to Connor’s family in the future.  They are having a huge end of year sale right now and use code SRCH10OFF to get 10% Off and Free Personalization!

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I got a new camera strap from Foto Strap and absolutely LOVE it!  It has my new logo on it too!  I’m planning on posting some of my favorite shots from the holiday season soon.

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A few weeks ago I got to meet these two awesome folks.  Jillian Harris and Todd Talbot from HGTV’s Love it or List it, Too.  I’ve always been a big fan of the show.  They were in DFW doing a promo event for Capital One Home Loans and it was so much fun to chat with them for a bit.  The nicest hosts you guys…super sweet!  I asked Todd if he could help me find a home…sigh…I can only hope.

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Hope you all had a great Christmas and Happy New Year!!!

Minions Movie Fun! #peepsholiday

PEEPS® and PEEPS & COMPANY® provided me with information, samples, & a discount code in exchange for this post.

Who doesn’t love a Minion?  I do…they are so cute and remind me of a Twinkie.  All they want is to be wanted.  Our family loved the Despicable Me movies and we were so excited to FINALLY get the chance to watch the Minions movie!

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We had Alek, Connor’s BFF over the other day and I popped some popcorn and broke out all things Minions for the boys to enjoy the movie 🙂

The Minions movie was just released on December 8th and it would be a great gift or stocking stuffer if you have kiddos in your family.  Special thank you to PEEPS® – we got to watch the movie in style.

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Are these not the cutest EVER???

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PEEPS® thank you for making this little boy’s day!  He has everything he needs to enjoy a POPPIN & PEEPIN PARTY!
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Want a chance to win everything shown here?  Just comment and I’ll choose a winner on Monday, December 21st!

INCLUDING:

  • PEEPS® Large Banana Crème Flavored Minion: PEEPS® introduces a new banana crème flavored marshmallow in honor of the beloved Minions characters. Three varieties of the individually packed large Minions include the likeness of Kevin, Stuart and Bob – stars of the Minions movie available on DVD this holiday season.
  • PEEPS® Marshmallow Minions: To honor the PEEPS® Minions taste testers, for the first time ever PEEPS® has created a Minion-shaped marshmallow reflecting their fun PEEPSONALITY®. Fans can also enjoy limited edition comics on the back of the packaging made exclusively for PEEPS® by Universal Studios filmmakers.
  • MIKE AND IKE® Minions Mix: In honor of the success of the Despicable Me movie franchise and holiday DVD release, MIKE AND IKE® has debuted a limited time only offering of MIKE AND IKE® MINION MIX.  This fun variety comes with three different designs on pack – making them a collectable item for every Minion lover. Made with real fruit juice, fans will enjoy the sweet and tasty goodness of Blue Raspberry and Banana flavors.
  • PEEPS® Pillow: Add a dash of incredibly comfy color to your movie night with this PEEPS® Chick pillow, featuring vivid blocks designed with your favorite Marshmallow Chick as the star of the show.
  • PEEPS® Blanket: You’ll love cuddling up with your family with this super-soft Peeps® Bunny Fleece Throw Blanket.
  • PEEPS® Tumbler: Bring a PEEPS® clear, single wall, spring tumbler that suits your PEEPSONALITY® and can hold a drink to wash down all that popcorn.

Follow PEEPS & COMPANY® on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter for more fun!

You can also use this discount coad for 20% off your next purchase, no minimum required, from now through Thursday, December 31.

Discount code: SWEETINGS15

MERRY MINION CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!!!

 

Bring on the Bubbly! #SparklingHolidays

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

Hip Hip Hooray!!!  Y’all we are SEVEN days until Christmas!  Let the festivities begin sistas!  I have been to a couple ugly Christmas sweater parties this year, and I have to say those are my favorite.  What’s better than getting together with friends and dressing up acting a fool?  Ha ha!

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I love to have parties and entertain.  Baking and making fun beverages is at the top of my list.  This year I made a few fabulous drinks with DASANI Sparkling Water & I’m sooooo excited to share this deliciousness with you!

The first drink is a white wine spritzer.

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Who doesn’t love a little bubbly wine?  Just choose a bottle of your favorite white wine and add in DASANI sparkling water.  It comes in several different flavors available at Walmart.  I chose the lime and berry flavors for my drinks.

I filled party glasses with 1/2 white wine & topped off with DASANI sparkling water in Berry and Lime flavors.

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Top it with a yummy candy cane and you are all set!

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Aren’t they so cute and festive!  The candy canes turn the drinks red and green 🙂BBP_2631 BBP_2635

Okay…now for you serious folks I have a little something else for you.

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I added a little kick to some of the drinks with some cranberry and lemon vodka.  I added the cranberry in with the DASANI Berry sparkling water & the lemon with the DASANI Lime sparkling water.  These turned out delicious!

Top with a candy cane and you have TWO yummy drinks for the holiday season.

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Gulp.

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These were so easy to make and DASANI sparkling water is the perfect mixer because it has ZERO calories, no added colors, is caffeine-free and naturally flavored.

DASANI sparkling water comes in Lime, Berry, Lemon, & Black Cherry flavors.

CHECK OUT THE PINTEREST BOARD BELOW FOR SOME HOLIDAY DRINK INSPIRATION!

You must be 21 to consume alcoholic beverages. When doing so, please drink responsibly. No drinking and driving, and no drinking and texting!

Start Your Morning with NEW McCafé packaged coffee! #McCafeAtHome #IC

I participated in an Influencer Activation on behalf of Influence Central for McCafé packaged coffee. I received product samples as well as a monetary promotional incentive to thank me for my participation.
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Exciting news people!!!  Coffee lovers you can now enjoy McCafé coffee (just like you get from McDonald’s) at HOME!

McCafé packaged coffee is made from 100% Arabica coffee.  It’s delish…I tried the espresso roast and it was so yummy.  I prefer a dark roast, but they also have a great breakfast blend.  Terence likes the Breakfast Blend…different strokes for different folks.  That’s what flavor choices are all about right?

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During the holidays everything is go, go, go!!!  I know I need a boost during the day…maybe a few times a day.  You all know my favorite way to amp up my day is with a cup of coffee 🙂  Growing up my Mom took us to McDonald’s as a treat, it’s always been a special place for us & so many families.  I was excited when they started making coffee in the restaurants, and now I am even MORE excited I can find it in the stores.

Connor knows his Mama starts off each day with a cup of coffee.  He loves the smell of coffee…wake up your kiddos people.  Ha ha! On our way to school listening to Christmas music 🙂 “Fa…la…la…la…la..la…”

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McCafé packaged coffee can be enjoyed by using K-Cup McCafé coffee, ground coffee, or whole bean varieties. McCafé packaged coffee comes in seven varieties at your local grocery store, such as Premium Roast, French Roast, Breakfast Blend and Colombian, and different flavors, such as French Vanilla and Hazelnut.

It’s the perfect way to start the day or unwind in front of the fire and watch a movie.  I’m so excited I can now find my favorite McDonald’s coffee in the store.  Yippeeeee!!!!

What flavor of coffee do you like?  Are you excited to get McCafé packaged coffee in the grocery store too?

We have a long trip home this weekend for the holidays & you better believe there will be coffee all the way home.

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Follow along for the latest and greatest on McDonald’s website & Twitter.