Five on Friday

1.  I’ve been doing a few photography sessions lately on the weekends…..oh how I enjoy it so much!D7K_4747

I don’t do newborns a lot, but my friend Jenne just had a baby so I asked if I could “practice”.  Isn’t she just a doll?D7K_4854

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2.  I can’t believe in a couple of weeks my baby will be FOUR!   My Mama heart is aching at how fast the time is flying…..Screenshot 2014-02-21 03.45.18

3.  It’s been in the mid 70’s here all week.  Which makes me think of spring time….which makes me think of summer.  I think it’s been at LEAST 5 years since I’ve been in a swimsuit.  Barf.  No thank you!

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4.  Kendra Scott came out with a new SHAPE.  I kinda have an addiction….what do y’all think of it???

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5.  And finally….speaking of diets.  These stupid things are the devil…WHY????  Every year they are on every corner I turn!

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HAPPY WEEKEND

 

Connor’s Last Day

It’s been super busy lately…I say that A LOT don’t I?  I’ve started a new position (with the same company) and it’s closer to home which is very nice 🙂  Connor started a new school to be closer to my new job and we miss his friends at ELC so much.  He seems to like his new school, they just aren’t as hands on as ELC was with us.  I miss them already!  But it’s part of change and growing up and Connor’s getting adjusted to a more “big boy” routine.

Did y’all try the heart shaped donuts from Dunkin Donuts over Valentine’s day???  OMG….soooooo good!
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Me and my baby on a #selfieaday photo shoot before school 🙂

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The pictures below are of Connor’s goodbye party at school.  All his friends wrote him sweet letters and they had snacks.  Lots of hugs and kisses were given….we’ll be back soon to visit the ELC!!!  We love you all and you’ll always be a special part of our lives 🙂  20140207_143311 20140207_144059 20140207_144313 20140207_144641 20140207_144732 20140207_151937

Growing & Learning with Pull-Ups #MC

I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting (#MC) for Pull-Ups. I received product samples to facilitate my review and a promotional item as a thank you for participating. #CelebrateFirstFlush #sponsored and #MC

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I’m excited to share with all of you I’m a Pull-Ups® First Flush Ambassador.  Over the next few weeks I’ll be sharing posts about our journey through potty training.  I know everyone has a different potty training story to tell.  I didn’t know what to expect with a boy because all we have in my family are girls!  Something very important with boys is obviously having them aim right into the toilet and not make a HUGE mess in the bathroom.

Connor is a super deep sleeper, so he still sleeps in Pull-Ups every night.  It helps his self esteem because he gets so upset with himself when he wets the bed.  It hurts my heart, and I know that he’s protected and will get a better night’s sleep as we continue to potty train.  Pull-Ups® training pants are for toddlers that are ready to begin potty training. They are designed to look and fit more like underwear and work with each individual child’s potty training learning style.  I want my child to feel good about this whole potty training thing and I’m so glad I can trust Pull-Ups to help us through that process.

What milestones and challenges have you faced during potty training?

I’ll be sharing more about our potty training journey so stay tuned!

Check out some great tools and resources, available on the Big Kid Academy via the Pull-Ups website, Facebook page, and Twitter page, that make it easy to start potty training and celebrate milestones, such as the printable chart that encourages moms to track their First Flusher’s potty training accomplishments.

Finish This Link Up: Week 7

1. I plan on buying lots of stuff?  It seems like you have to buy stuff to live right?  Groceries, gas, and maybe something fun if the budget permits 🙂


2. I give ____ five stars because
  I’m super late on this train…but I started watching Downton Abbey.  OMG.  It’s great!  I am so wrapped up in all the characters now I can’t stop watching.  If you haven’t watched yet it takes a few episodes to get going but it is just as good as every said.  FIVE STARS!


3. I felt courageous when I tell someone how I really feel.  That is hard for me because I’m a natural people pleaser, but when I get things off my chest and tell people “WHAT UP?” then I feel a whole lot better.

4. I feel about swimsuit shopping like I do sitting on a pile of fire ants.  I hate it.  I don’t want to see my lovely lady lumps 360 in the dressing room.  I heard Spanx makes swimsuits…hmmmm… regardless it’s only if I absolutely have NO other choice.  Boo…I need to lose like 30 lbs. 

My twinks is getting married in June…yet another reason to lose some poundage.  I’ll see her in a month 🙂  Yippee!!!!!

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Please tell me you know what a bootydoo is???


King of the Potty #CtnlCareRoutine

This shop is part of a social shopper marketing insight campaign with Pollinate Media Group™ and Cottonelle but all my opinions are my own. #pmedia #CtnlCareRoutine  http://cmp.ly/3/8vNxcO

Potty training is a messy business.  I’m sure we all have some funny potty stories we could share.  Connor is almost 4 and he’s doing really well at using the potty.   He has the occasional accident and is a hard sleeper so he’s not in undies 100% of the time yet…but we are hoping to get there soon!  One of the most challenging things after your child gets the hang of using the potty is learning how to wipe themselves.  We are trying to teach Connor how to use the potty and stay clean without spreading germs afterwards.  Tips like washing your hands, not touching the toilet, and of course cleaning himself properly have been on that list.

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He hasn’t quite mastered wiping yet, but it’s been a lot easier with Cottonelle Clean Care toilet paper and moist Cleansing Cloths.  I absolutely love the cleansing cloths!  They are flushable and have a clean fresh scent.  I know that after wiping he’ll be clean and his sensitive bum won’t be chapped.

Right now when you purchase BOTH the toilet paper & cleansing cloths from Walmart in the month of February you will receive a $5 Vudu offer. Vudu is like RedBox and offers HD movies.

To receive the offer you you need to do as followed:

  • Take a picture of the receipt showing that you purchased both items
  • Text or email your picture to clean@drvsusa.com
  • You will receive a text or email back with a code valid for a $5 movie credit
  • Get more information by going to www.DRVSusa.com/cottonellemovies

Sometimes when Connor isn’t looking I sneak a little treat in the bathroom. It’s a little reward for when he remembers to use the toilet paper by himself 🙂

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I’ll be honest, when we were done with diapers and wipes I was a little scared.  It’s hard to change your routine from diapers and wipes to toilet paper and big boy undies.  Part of me thought that he wouldn’t stay as clean because I wasn’t constantly wiping him anymore….but now I know he’s not walking around with a smelly bum because we use Cottonelle Cleansing Cloths and toilet paper.  Connor actually prefers this routine even better now!  That makes me one happy Mom and he’s a happy independent kid because he can do it himself now….and he feels like the king of the POTTY!

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Valentine’s Day 2014

We’ve had a busy couple of weeks around here.  It seems like Valentine’s day just whizzed by us!  I know a lot of people feel like it’s a sappy holiday and yes you SHOULD tell those you love that you love them every day…but it’s nice to have a day of remembrance for love.  Terence got me some pretty earrings and brought me home a slice of heaven also known as Godiva cheesecake from The Cheesecake Factory.  Only later did he tell me he waited 45 minutes in line for a slice of cheesecake.  I split it with him <3  Now that’s love….

Nana & Poppy sent Connor a Valentine and the expression on his face was priceless.  I was cracking up because he was so overwhelmed he got a Valentine and TOY money!!!  Such a silly boy!

20140212_172059 I finished Connor’s classroom Valentine’s earlier in the week.  Looking back that was a blessing because I ate a blueberry muffin and got food poisoning.  I was SO sick that night.  Ugh….it was from Starbucks for realz….I mean come on???  20140214_075128 Our Valentine #selfieaday on Instagram20140214_080045We took Connor to Build-A-Bear on Saturday to pick out his Valentine gift.  He’s never been before so it was really sweet.  Super crowded on a Saturday….note to self go on a week night!  He picked a Spiderman bear and is obsessed with it.20140215_135717

Putting a heart inside of his bear20140215_140142 His bear got all stuffed and a new Spiderman outfit and was ready to be LOVED!  Connor got a haircut today….it’s so short.  He looks a lot older when his hair is short….it’s hard for me to cut it every.single.time.

20140215_141310We hope you all had a great Valentine’s day!!!! xoxo the Branches

Mom Corps YOU

I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting (#MC) for Mom Corps YOU. I received a free trial to facilitate my review and a promotional item as a thank you for participating.

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Most of you that read my blog know that I am a working Mom.  I went back to work when Connor was around 8 weeks and it was seriously one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do.  I cried all the way to work that morning saying to myself “What kind of mother leaves her infant baby alone???”  I continued to pump and breastfeed for 14 months.  That was a huge challenge, but over time it became a part of my everyday routine.   Finding your own routine is part of life and I struggle a lot with work and life balance.

Now that Connor is almost 4 I love seeing the little guy he’s become.  He’s very social and he LOVES going to school and seeing his friends.There are some day I WISH I could be at home with him every single day.  I honestly would love it.  But….I’m trying to provide the best future for us and our child.  I know in my heart this is my calling.  It’s different for everyone.  In the beginning there was a lot of guilt, but over time you find a normal routine for you and your family.  I look forward to picking him up every day and spending the evenings together.  No matter what choice you make your child will be just fine.  Connor is a great, well-rounded kid.  I’m so thankful for our fun spirited boy 🙂

I was asked a couple of weeks ago to try out a new site called Mom Corps YOU.  Mom Corps  is an online resource for Moms interested in finding a more flexible job, re-joining the work force or simply achieving greater work-life satisfaction, offers weekly informational sessions, industry insights, tips from recruiters, and more. With direct access to Mom Corps’ team of recruiting professionals, Mom Corps YOU offers resources in career, health and wellness, personal finance and business ownership. Mom Corps YOU’s weekly programming and frequently added content equips you with a variety of tools to help you achieve your professional and personal goals. Mom Corps believes that work-life satisfaction is best achieved when you can take ownership of several areas of your life:

  • career
  • finances
  • health & wellness

This subscription-based community provides education, resources and tools to help you do just that!  There are several forums you can visit and ask questions and connect with other moms out there.  You can also attend informative webinars on all sorts of topics.  I enjoyed Jean Chatzky’s tips on getting organized.  Whether you are currently a full-time working mother, plan to be someday, are struggling with work/life balance, or a mom looking to get back into the workforce I’d highly recommend checking Mom Corps YOU.

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Mom Corps YOU is available via an online subscription for an introductory annual price of $99.99 or $19.99 a month. #sponsored #MC