TheJavaMama

Who is Your #MyHeroMom ?

May 6, 2014

“I participated in an Ambassador Activation on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for the Northwestern Mutual Foundation. I received a promotional item to thank me for participating #MC .”

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Meet Jaycee & Mollie. These two little girls have been on my heart for the last couple of years.

We know Jaycee because her Dad & my husband were in the Air Force together. Jaycee has been fighting cancer for the past year and has been through quite a battle. She’s such a sweet little girl and she’s not able to do so many things a lot of kids her age are able to do. Jaycee is not out of the woods yet, & prayers are always appreciated. Read more about Jaycee’s journey HERE.

Mollie is a beautiful girl with a beautiful heart. Mollie is raised by her grandparents who are very special to my family. Her Grandpa is a preacher. He married Terence and I & he also baptized me, my sister, and my Dad. Mollie was diagnosed a few years ago with cancer that stemmed from her leg. She went through a long treatment process that ultimately ended in her leg being amputated. Mollie has the sweetest spirit and is a great artist 🙂 Read more about Mollie HERE.

These two girls are heroes. So are their Moms and families.

From now until May 13 Northwestern Mutual is rallying sons, daughters and those who want to honor their own “heroic” moms or mother figures by uploading images of them to Twitter, Instagram and/or Facebook with the hashtag #myheromom.

For each social action (image upload, Facebook share and like, tweet and retweet) generated by consumers, the Northwestern Mutual Foundation will donate $5 to its nonprofit partner, Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation (ALSF), up to $50,000 for childhood cancer research. This is a great cause you guys!

To learn more about the #MyHeroMom initiatives please check out the video below:

Upload your images today using the #MyHeroMom Facebook App

Please be sure to tag the image with the #MyHeroMom hashtag.

Here’s #MyHeroMom & I can’t wait to see yours!

euphoria Calvin Klein: A Radiant Gift For Mother’s Day #MC

May 5, 2014

“I participated in an Influencer Activation on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for euphoria Calvin Klein. I received product samples to facilitate my review as well as a promotional item to thank me for my participation.”

Mother’s Day is this weekend. We all know how much Mom’s do for us and want to make them feel extra special on Mother’s day. Growing up I didn’t always appreciate my Mom like I do now…but I’m so blessed to have her as my Mom.

My Mom did so much for us. She gave birth to twins (I can’t imagine), cleaned our bottoms, fed us, took us shopping for clothes as teens (the horror!), and so much more I’d have to write a book on everything my Mom has done for us.

Every year I always try to get my Mom flowers or a corsage. Anything to make her feel special on Mother’s day & remind her how much I love her. My hope is every time she looks at it she feels special 🙂

This year Macy’s has a great deal for Mother’s day. If you purchase a euphoria Calvin Klein perfume, you will also receive a beautiful potted Orchid.

You can purchase this deal online or in the store. Your gift will be added automatically at checkout with any qualifying euphoria Calvin Klein item. Available while supplies last. A list of Macy’s stores can be found HERE.
The Orchid is so beautiful! It arrived at my doorstep in perfect condition and I’ve been enjoying it ever since. The perfume is a polished scent with notes of pomegranate, persimmon, lotus blossom, and mahogany. I’ve really enjoyed wearing it. My husband likes it too!

Sometimes as a Mom you don’t always feel “put together”, but spraying on a beautiful scent can automatically make you feel good and change your mood. For some reason when I spray my favorite perfume on in the morning I feel like I’m ready to face the day.

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The euphoria Calvin Klein perfume is perfectly paired with the Orchid for a special Mother’s day gift. As a mom I can tell you that I would love to get this on Mother’s day 🙂

Hurry! This deal ends on May 12.
Connor took this picture of me. He always calls me “his princess”. He’s such a sweet boy 🙂 I love being his Mommy and I’m even more excited because we are going to visit MY mommy next week in Arkansas. I haven’t seen my Mom since Christmas, so it’s going to be an extra special time. I can’t wait to tell her how much I love her and how thankful I am for everything she’s ever done for me.

We hope you all have a blessed Mother’s day and don’t forget to tell your Mom how much you love her!

FIVE on FRIDAY

May 2, 2014

This week has been a doozy! The weather’s getting warmer and I’m trying to enjoy it before I start getting a sunburn from being outside for 5 minutes & pit stains. That’s Texas for ya!

I’m really enjoying doing photo shoots on the weekends. If you are interested in a Mother’s Day “Mommy and Me” email me at beckylbranch@gmail.com

1. I’m kinda obsessed with everything from Click & Blossom right now. If you have a photographer in your family or a friend who is one then you must check out this site!

2. Connor’s been having a hard time adjusting to his new school. He’s been getting in trouble and not listening….so we decided to start a sticker chart. It helps us work with the teachers to implement good behavior and Connor can associate what he is doing with the color of sticker he gets for that day.

If he gets a green sticker: he gets to watch a movie that night.
If he gets a yellow sticker: he goes to his room until his Daddy gets home, eats dinner, then gets to read a book before bed.
If he gets a red sticker: he has to go to his room, eat, then stay in his room for the rest of the night. We talk about his day and how he can work on being better and listening in the classroom.

I’m proud to report yesterday we had a GREEN sticker day!!!

3. Big shout out to Jessica at Diamond Doll Designs for my new fab header. If you need any kind of graphic design or blog design work she’s your gal. Contact her HERE.

4. Summer time is officially here. We had a really fun BBQ last Friday that my work sponsored. This is my co-worker Carolyn’s son and Connor. Connor just loves her boys! We had to literally pry him off that bounce house slide. Bubbles….we’ve been doing bubbles a lot lately too 🙂

5. Now that fresh herbs are in season I’m enjoying making my favorite: Margarita pizza!!!!

HAPPY FRIDAY ALL!

H-E-B: Budget friendly + Quality Diapers #HEBBabyDiapers #ad

May 1, 2014

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of H-E-B Baby Diapers.

I remember when I was pregnant and stocking up on diapers like a crazy hoarder. As we did this I was also calculating in my head the expense of all the diapers. I would ask my friends, “So how many diapers do you use in a day or a month?” I was trying to get a feel for what was to come. It was great to get diapers at showers and things like that. I honestly thought we had enough diapers to last an entire year after all the baby showers we had. Yeah….that lasted maybe a couple months!

Then it hits you like ton of bricks. Diapers ain’t cheap!

Here in Texas we have stores called H-E-B. They offer great, quality products you already use at affordable prices.

So, when I was checking out diapers to buy I tried H-E-B Baby Diapers brand, the quality of the product, and the price were major factors in my decision to purchase.

H-E-B has kiddos covered in both style and substance. H-E-B diapers, sized for newborns to toddlers (newborn-6 years old). We still use them every night because Connor has bed wetting issues. Let me tell you how thankful this Mama is not to change sheets every morning!

Over the last year H-E-B has conducted extensive testing and made notable improvements based on what parents wanted. H-E-B diapers has Soft-Stretch® waist and side panels which allow your child to move freely and comfortably while helping to prevent leaks. The patented stretch tabs are designed to hug your child for a better fit, and now newborn diapers feature a convenient umbilical cord cutout. How cool is that for newborns???

The new diapers boast up to 12 hours of wetness protection, a high-performance, super-absorbent materials to prevent leaks. This allows for a thinner diaper with less bulk that stays consistently strong and provides added protection. Satisfaction is guaranteed, or they will refund your money.

I’m happy parent when I have a happy child who wakes up leak free!

Check out more information on H-E-B diapers and products HERE.

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of H-E-B Baby Diapers.

Finish This Link Up: Week 17

April 30, 2014

Let’s keep this party going y’all! It’s so much fun to link up each week and learn more about all of you. Big hugs to Nicole for starting this chain gang along with Lisa , Jen, and ME!

My last growing pain was…

I don’t really know what “growing pains” are….maybe when I was a teenager? But every time my son grows up in PAINS me!

I grow and nurture…

My baby. He’s my everything. Everything he hears and sees he soaks in like a sponge. I’ve really had to start watching what I say and do because he’s picking it all up now. Even when times get stressful I just like to take a breather and snuggle and tell him how much I love him.

The guilt-free snack I enjoy most…

Godiva extra dark chocolate truffles. My husband says this was his go-to for anniversaries, birthdays, valentines day, mothers day, etc…..

UNTIL….they freaking stopped making them!

Last summer I went in to get my precious extra dark chocolate truffles from Godiva and the dude said they don’t sell them anymore!!!! I nearly had a heart attack right there.

PSA: BRING BACK MY EXTRA DARK CHOCOLATE TRUFFLES GODIVA OR ELSE!!!

The best reason to stay up all night…

Watching a good movie and eating a pint of Ben & Jerry’s. If I’m really into a show or movie I’ll stay up all night watching because I can’t wait to finish the story. We’ve done that with shows like 24 and Homeland. You get so caught up you just keep going to the next one until suddenly it’s 5 am!

24 is coming back to TV in a couple of weeks I can’t wait!!!

If I were stranded on a desert island, I’d…

Try to survive. Hopefully I won’t be alone with a volleyball named Wilson. I’m thinking more Blue Lagoon? Eat lots of coconuts and hopefully have Wi-Fi? That’s probably not going to happen on an island. It would give a great enjoy chance to God’s creation and READ the BIBLE! I’d have no excuse and nothing to distract me 🙂

An InLinkz Link-up

Stonyfield Organic Yogurt for Kids #MC

April 29, 2014

“I participated in a Blogger Activation on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for Stonyfield. I received coupons to facilitate my shopping trip and a promotional item to thank me for participating.”

My child’s nutrition is by far one of the most important things I factor in while grocery shopping. You know how kids are….they pretty much just want a block of cheese or a candy bar. I try to “disguise” certain foods with healthy ingredients and sometimes it actually works. Usually it’s a battle to get Connor to eat anything…he’s always been a tough kiddo.

As a full time working mom it’s really hard to plan our meals because we are on the go all the time. One of my favorite products that I reach for in the morning is Stonyfield yogurt. Connor LOVES yogurt & eats it with a bowl of cereal in the mornings.

These strawberry YoKids tubes are perfect for snacking on the go!

Stonyfield has a great new line of products – YoBaby, YoToddler, and YoKid yogurt pouches. These are first refrigerated organic yogurt pouches available. All of the Stonyfield organic yogurt pouches contain pure organic ingredients and never any high fructose corn syrup or artificial flavors. This makes me feel so good as a Mom knowing I’m feeding Connor something that is good for him without all that artificial junk.

Stonyfield yogurt comes in some yummy flavors such as: Blueberry, Strawberry Banana, and Spinach, Pear, & Mango. Check here to see if Stonyfield organic yogurt pouches are sold near you.

Connect with Stonyfield on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest & tell them why your child loves Stonyfield yogurt SO much!

Reebok Skyscape: The Perfect Summer Shoe

April 28, 2014

“I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting (#MC) for Reebok. I received a product sample to facilitate my review and a promotional item as a thank you for participating. I received a Kohl’s gift card to purchase a pair of #Reebok Skyscape shoes in order to facilitate this review and all opinions are my own.”

Have you ever tried on a pair of shoes and you knew immediately that they were “da bomb”? Okay…that’s how I felt about these new Reebok Skyscape shoes.

I headed to Kohl’s to pick some up, unfortunately they weren’t at my store, so I ordered them on the kiosk in the shoe department. It was super easy and if you order them in store you get free shipping! Within a few days they were at my doorstep.

When I first tried on my new Reebok Skyscape shoes the first thing I noticed was how light they were. They are so light it feels as if you are walking in slippers, but you have the support of a tennis shoe all wrapped up in one.

I’ve been looking for a cute pair of tennis shoes that are easy, casual, and cute too! I do a lot of photo shoots on the weekends and these are great for running around and they are SO comfortable. I kid you not. I am super picky when it comes to finding shoes and these are by far my favorite. I’ve worn them all weekend-just ask my hubby.

I feel like I’m walking on air. This is the perfect shoe for traveling, walking around, running errands. It’s a great light and airy shoe for everyday wear.

I may never take these shoes off. They are really some of the best shoes I’ve owned in a long time. I didn’t know a casual (and good looking) tennis shoe could be so comfortable at the same time. They are also machine washable, which I love!

The Reebok Skyscape comes in several fun colors:

These are, in my opinion, the perfect shoe for summer! I can’t wait to wear these all season long.