Month: April 2012

Whatcha Up to Wednesday + Cool Finds

Hi Friends!
I hope your week is going well.  I’ve been busy with work and home stuff.  It’s all I can do some days to get the dishwasher unloaded and loaded again after a long day at work.  Thank God I have a wonderful job with great people…and friends.  It makes life a lot easier.  I’ve worked at jobs I’ve hated before and it can make life miserable….so I’m happy I’m in a place I love 🙂
Among other things Terence and I are thinking of making some improvements to our house.  Like installing outdoor landscape lighting.  If you have it would you mind telling me if you think it was worth the cost and effort? 
We are also thinking of having our home painted with some COLOR.  If you’ve seen pictures of our house everything in it is builder beige.  Does anyone know someone that does color consultations? 
AND-I’m also thinking of doing a MAJOR blog revamp…..changing it all up.  Name and everything.
We shall see…..
Thanks for all your Instagram love and names 🙂 woohoo!
Okay now to fun finds of the week:
Behold my mess of scarves from the closet
I found this scarf organizer at Container Store for $5 bucks

Much better…You pull them through the loops and they don’t get tangled!  Cool eh?

These are pics are from a few weekends before Easter we went out for Mexican food with our buds Adam and Christa.  They spoil our child to pieces and we love them 🙂
These are some Texas sized nachos:
They also gave our child a HUGE chocolate egg with a duck inside.  Thanks Auntie Christa and Uncle Adam!  I had a sugar high all week and I now love you forever!
Another thing I am loving right now are Macbeth Collections notepads.  They are so fun and colorful.  I’m a bit obsessed with them and you can find them all HERE
Have a great hump day lovelies…I need coffee….
I am going to revamp the Starbucks wall as well.  I am thinking of doing a feature on each person on the Starbucks wall every week.  So if you want to be included just email me your mug with a cup o crack!
email: beckylbranch@gmail.com
xoxo Becky





Instagram for Android

Droid users have finally arrived and I’m kinda addicted to this Instagram thing….if you want to follow me I’m under the name “beckylbranch” & if you leave me your username in the comments I’ll follow you too 🙂

 Edward Twilight Barbie doll!
It’s so much fun to see how everyone documents their lives through their cell phones…what did we ever do without them???

Win $50 from Olay & BlogHer!!!

As most of you know I turned the dreaded 30 last year, and in a few months I’ll take one more step towards “middle age”.  Ugh….did I just say that? 

Like most women I have concerns about my skin.  When I look in the mirror I see tiny lines starting to appear. Sun spots have started to make their appearance known.  I’m more self-conscious about my skin now than I ever have been.  I always try and take steps to protect my skin from the sun and environment. 

I want to tell you all about a great product I started using.  It’s called Olay Total Effects Tone Correcting Moisturizer.  I have very sensitive skin and freckle from the sun easily.  The first thing I noticed was that the moisturizer minimized the appearance of my freckles and sun spots. 

Unlike most moisturizers I’ve used, my skin felt refreshed and maintained moisture for an extended amount of time throughout the day.  I’ve used products in the past and my skin just absorbs it, sucks it up, and gets dry all over again!  Not with Olay Total Effects Tone Correcting Moisturizer.  I felt a refreshing glow throughout the day. 

Whenever I am looking for facial moisturizer I look for two key things: prevents signs of aging & protection from the sun.  Olay Total Effects Tone Correcting Moisturizer provides both of these, plus it’s tinted.  There are days I don’t feel like putting on a full face of makeup, but I still want to look decent if I need to get out of the house.  With one pump I get the perfect amount of glowing moisturizer. It goes on light and non-greasy, which is also a plus in my book!  I feel at ease knowing I’ve done something good for my skin and I look great too!  I hope you’ll give it a try and remember it’s never too early to start protecting your skin.

 

Enter for a chance to win a $50 gift card!

Answer this question:

What are some of the ways you carve out time to take care of your skin?

Rules:

No duplicate comments.

You may receive (2) total entries by selecting from the following entry methods:

a) Leave a comment in response to the sweepstakes prompt on this post

b) Tweet about this promotion and leave the URL to that tweet in a comment on this post

c) Blog about this promotion and leave the URL to that post in a comment on this post

d) For those with no Twitter or blog, read the official rules to learn about an alternate form of entry.

This giveaway is open to U.S. Residents age 18 or older. Winners will be selected via random draw, and will be notified by email. You have 72 hours to get back to me, otherwise a new winner will be selected.

The Official Rules are available here.

This sweepstakes runs from 4/9 – 5/16

Be sure to visit the Olay TE page on BlogHer.com where you can read other bloggers’ reviews and find more chances to win! While we’re on the subject of looking good, you might want to check out the “Looking Your Best” posts in the Life Well Lived section of BlogHer.com. There are some great tips and expert posts!

I was compensated and provided free product for this post.  The opinions expressed herein are my own.

Abundantly Blessed : Easter 2012

I hope you all had a very blessed Easter!  We had a great weekend.  Time spent with family, good food, and memories made. 

My kind of weekend 🙂

We had a great service at church.  It was very crowded!  It’s nice to see that many people in church, but it’s also sad that the seats aren’t filled like that every Sunday.  Then it thunder stormed the rest of the day.  I made cajun pasta for lunch, Connor & I napped, and Terence went to Home Depot.

I’m feeling so blessed this year.  I have a loving husband, a sweet little boy, and a beloved family.  We both have jobs, a home, and cars.  We are blessed beyond measure, yet I am so undeserving of any of this….I’m so not worthy.  Thanks be to God that he gave us Jesus, for without Him and his risen life we would not be here.  Thank you! Thank you Lord!

Here is my family 2012 :

 Before church and the rain this morning
(I got my hair done chopped off this weekend.  It’s a lot shorter, I’m getting used to it and I love it!  My friend Jenne does a great job, if you live in DFW email me at beckylbranch@gmail.com if you want her info)
 My boys

On Saturday with got together for dinner and an Easter egg hunt at Granna & Pop’s house.  We let Connor open his Easter basket a little bit early so he could use it for the hunt

 All the EGGS 🙂
 Getting ready to let the kiddos take off!

 Cousin Lesley is so much fun!
 Great Granddaddy & Nell
 Abundantly blessed….

Hope you had a great weekend!  I’m so blessed to know you all and pray that God will continually bless your lives as well.  xoxo – Becky

Good Friday

May we all remember what today is truly about. Jesus was crucified on Good Friday and rose from the dead on Easter Sunday. I hope you all get a chance to truly reflect on the sacrifice Jesus Christ made for all of us.  Without Him we would not be here today.  He gave His life for us so that we might live! 
Praise God!!!
John 11:25-26

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die.

Matthew 27:50-53
And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit. At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook and the rocks split. The tombs broke open and the bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. They came out of the tombs, and after Jesus’ resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many people.

That you Lord for giving us life.  Thank you Lord for my family, friendships, my country, a home, employment, food on our table, and love that abounds.  Praise be to God!

I know a lot of us celebrate Easter with family and friends by eating a good meal or having an Easter egg hunt.  Just remember when you do those things to remember what Easter is really about.  I’ve always looked forward to Easter and it’s one of my favorite holidays.  We are having and Easter egg hunt….maybe when your kids crack open the eggs in their baskets they can remember the tomb being opened and Jesus resurrection?  And while you’re eating that delicious meal with family you can reflect on the last supper Jesus had and how good that meal must have been!
I’m going to miss my family this year :
Easter 2002
…..But I know they will have a blessed Easter too 🙂
  Easter 2000
12 years ago??? Wow.
Easter last year….with my baby boy!
I want to cherish every year and create wonderful memories for this child!
Time passes so quickly….he looks so little!
I look forward to making more great memories this year too!
May you all have a blessed Easter!
Much love,
Becky

Girls Night Out!

With kiddos that is…..
Last night Amber and our boys met up at the Olive Garden for dinner.  They boys ate their weight in bread sticks and alfredo & the Moms got some fab drinks! I wanted to get together and check on my gal.  She’s doing so well and staying so strong after everything that’s happened in the last week. 
The blogging community has been so wonderful & I know Amber was so thankful for all the donations received for her and the boys 🙂  You all are so amazing, the way God works through this community is even MORE amazing!  Such a blessing.  THANK YOU WITH ALL MY HEART.
Amber and baby Kaydon.  He’s getting so big already!
Connor & Kylon coloring and throwing silverware all over the restaurant

Look at that alfredo sauce dripping down their faces??? 

It was so precious.  Kylon was wearing a Thomas the Train shirt.  It had clouds on it and he turned to Connor and pointed to the clouds and said “That’s Heaven and that’s where my Daddy’s at”

Melt.my.heart.

Bless that child.  That made my day.

I had a great time Amber.  Know I am praying for you and thinking of you constantly and we are always here for you!  You have been such a blessing in my life and thank you for being such a wonderful friend!

Becky