Category: Family

The Best Dishwasher from Bosch

This post is sponsored by Best Buy. All thoughts are my own.

When we remodeled our kitchen last year due to a pipe leak we had a lot of decisions to make.  One of them being what kind of dishwasher we were going to put in.  If you know my husband you know he researches EVERYTHING!  The one thing we really wanted in a dishwasher was for it to be really quiet.  We looked at several different stores and talked to many different sales people.  In the end we decided to go with the Bosch 800 Series with CrystalDry™

Kitchen Remodel:

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Pregnancy & New Mom Favorites with BabbleBoxx

This post is sponsored by BabbleBoxx.com

Pregnancy & the first year with a baby are one of the sweetest things in life, but also one of the hardest, yet rewarding things as well.  A lot has changed since I had Connor 9 1/2 years ago!  I’m constantly discovering new products and saying to myself “Well they didn’t have this ten years ago!”  

I love being a Mom and the last seven weeks with our new baby Heidi have had many ups and many downs.  Connor started his first day of school today and we are finding our new routine.  The days of lazily laying in bed reading a book are over for now, but I know that this season doesn’t last forever.  I’ve been through it before and looking back it does go by so fast.  Of course in the midst of the sleepless nights and crying it seems to be super slow.

You all know how much I love BabbleBoxx and getting to try all the new products and share with YOU!  There are some fantastic things for expecting Moms & new Mamas. I was recently sent a BabbleBoxx to try out and use with Heidi.

This box included all of these great items:

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Heidi’s Birth

My Dear Sweet Heidi,

I’ve been meaning to write this for well…seven weeks because that’s how old you are!  You were born on July, 1 2019 weighing in at 8 lbs. 3 oz.  Your brother beat you in the weight department, but thank goodness they took you early because I have a feeling you could have beat him.  All thanks due to my “advanced age”, excessive fluid, and you were breech.

Nana, Poppy, Nannie Sue, Granna, Pop, and Aunt Loyce were all at the hospital with Connor while you were delivered.  Your c-section seemed to take SO much longer than your brothers for some reason and it was ROUGH!  I loved your Doctor so much though.  Dr Marshall is an amazing woman and has helped us so much since last year when we lost a baby.

We arrived early to get checked in and it all went pretty quick from there until surgery started.  I was so nauseated before hand I remember having to lay down before they started.  Your Daddy got to be with me the whole time.

I didn’t hear you cry at first and it scared me a little bit.  After a few minutes (or probably seconds in my medicated state) I heard you cry and it was the best sound ever!

First picture with my TWO babies!  I never in a million years thought I would say that because we were always one and done…but in the back of our minds and hearts we would talk about it.  I’m so glad you are here and healthy and God decided to give us YOU!  You truly complete our family and now I can’t even imagine you not being here.

First picture as a family of four.  Your brother is so in love with you!  I know he’ll always be around for you and to protect you.  He’s got the sweetest heart and has waited a long time for you.  Sometimes he gets frustrated when you cry (as we all do) and says you are annoying….but this too shall pass.

He loves to hold you and give you kisses.

Aunt Bonnie took your newborn photos and we are so thankful.  You look like a little angel.  Bonnie, Vinny, & Jarrett came to visit shortly after you were born.  I am so excited for you to have Ella close in age and I hope you two are as close as Connor and Jarrett some day.

Our sweet Pop holding you

We love our Aunt Loyce so much!

Grannalovies 🙂  Thankful Granna came to stay a few days and help out too.  We are so blessed by her.  It takes a village is SO SO TRUE!

Poppy snuggles- we will HAVE to teach you how to squeak one day!

Nana kisses!  My Mom stayed an extra week with us and I truly don’t know what we would have done without her.  She helped us so much!  With everything from meals to laundry your Nana is one awesome lady.  Getting around after a c-section is no joke.  I cried so hard when she had to leave.  We had a week of chats and watching Stranger Things.  She lifted my spirits and blessed us in so many ways…it’s so true there is no other like your Mother.

Now this right here is someone I want you to always remember.  She’s the light of our family and the best person I’ll ever know.  She and Mom are the prayer warriors in our family and they pray for you every single day! Your Nannie Sue is treasured and loved by so many people, but we are so lucky she is OURS.  I have the greatest memories and times with she and Papa and I can’t wait to tell you all the stories I had on the farm growing up one day.  We are so HAPPY she got to be with us.  

Here you are at one month old.  The first month was not the easiest.  You would cry and cry and we couldn’t figure out what was wrong.  I’ve tried every kind of gas and soothing concoction out there!  This week has been so much better and you seem to be able to poo a lot better too!  Praise the Lord for poots and poo!  Ha ha!  I also had some really bad depression the first few weeks.  Hormones are crazy and I know it’s common to have baby blues…but man that was hard.

We’ve had a lot of visitors come to see you and we have cherished every visit.  It sure does lift my spirit to have adult conversations these days. Lol!

Here you are at 6 weeks and I just LOVE this picture.  It shows your sweet smile and personality.  You really are a good baby when you are fed, diapered, and loved on.  I’m so glad we are figuring each other out.  Your Daddy and I love you so so much Heidi and we pray God’s hand over your life and that He would guide you down the right path.  Always know that you are eternally loved and we are so in love with you!

Back to School with Box Tops for Education

This post is sponsored by General Mills and Nestle™, but all opinions are my own.

This summer has been flying by, and it has been a very busy summer indeed! School will be starting back before we know it…much to Connor’s dismay. Ha ha! He’s super excited to start the 4th grade though. We love our school and try to help out any way we can, which includes implementing the Box Top program in our home. What is the Box Tops for Education program? Well, by purchasing products our family uses every day, we also earn 10¢ per box top for our school to help get the things they need.

Box Tops for Education now has tons of eligible General Mills and Nestle™ products at Sam’s Club using the new digital app. Sam’s Club is offering an exclusive offer, Buy 1 qualifying product Get 12 Box Tops when you scan your receipt using the Box Tops app!

You may be familiar with the traditional Box Tops program where you had to clip and save like we did. You don’t have to do that anymore! The app will find automatically identify participating products purchased at Sam’s Club when you upload your receipt and instantly add cash to your school’s earnings online. Just look for the new Box Tops icon on several products your family uses every day too!

My Mom has been a teacher for over 30 years, and my sister and I grew up helping in the classroom all the time. Teachers spend so much of their own money funding things for their classrooms. So ten cents may not seem like a lot, but trust me when I say that it adds up and every cent helps out.

The Box Top program will stay the same, but the only difference is that instead of clipping, all Box Tops will be earned digitally via receipt scan.

All you have to do is download the new and improved, user-friendly Box Tops app, register and select a school, and then scan an eligible receipt containing Box Tops products. The app will automatically add Box Tops to your school’s earnings online, giving visibility to see how you are supporting your school in real-time.

Packaging with the new Box Tops branding (removing physical clips) to be on store shelves beginning in June. You also can ‘double dip’ during the packaging transition by clipping the physical Box Tops AND scanning your receipt with those participating General Mills and Nestle™ items.

So, you’ve got some time left this summer to do some digital clipping and head Sam’s Club for their exclusive offer, Buy 1 Get 12. And BONUS: As a Box Tops member you’ll get coupons, free samples, bonus Box Tops offers, and more details about your school earnings. Sam’s Club already has great every day deals, and I’m super excited about the new Box Top program because it will be super easy and you all know how I love a great deal!

Toyota Rav4 Adventure

Life throws you new adventures sometimes.  These adventures bring excitement, anticipation, and thrills.  For us, this meant a new baby girl arriving nine years after the birth of our son.  Over the last week, I had the opportunity to drive the brand new 2019 Toyota RAV 4 Adventure.  Let me tell you something — this vehicle is edgy, tough, and true pleasure to drive.  As an added bonus, it doesn’t skimp on safety and comes with plenty of features that made me feel comfortable driving our new baby angel home from the hospital.

(Last preggo pic before baby comes!)

Go on an adventure of your own by getting a 2019 RAV 4 Adventure.  Whether its sporting, camping, hiking, skiing, or simply driving through the city — make sure you protect your special cargo!

The Rav4 features tons of safety features:

The backup camera in the new RAV 4 is amazing.  Not only does it provide a straight view (blue line), but will also show where you are going based on how your wheels are turned (yellow line).  Whenever you get too close to an object, the backup sensors will beep to alert you.  Did I mention the cross traffic alert?!?  This model also alerts you of cross traffic while in reverse.  For example, when backing out of your driveway, or a parking spot at the store, it will beep and tell you the direction of the vehicle or person coming toward you — giving you that comfort and security to avoid a potential accident. We all know it’s easy to become distracted while driving and the lane departure system is a true a blessing.  Not only does it alert you when you start to accidentally cross into another lane, but it can gently guide you back into your lane (Safety Note: technology is never a replacement for being alert and attentive while driving).

The Adventure trim also comes in All Wheel Drive (AWD).  I’ve never driven an AWD vehicle and I have to say that it’s a big improvement — you can really feel the traction to the road.  It gives you an extra peace of mind on rainy days.

As part of the drive display, the RAV 4 Adventure trim will also read speed limit signs and will provide a visual indicator of the current speed limit.  When you start going a little too fast, it show an alert by giving a red border to the speed limit sign.

You can set the visual indicator to provide alerts at the interval you choose.

No one ever wants to be fumbling around at night trying to determine if your bright headlights are on or off.  With traffic, it also gets annoying flipping them on and off and on and off again.  Why not just use the automatic brights feature?!?

The 2019 RAV 4 Adventure also comes with Toyota Safety Connect.  It provides an additional level of safety and security by providing automatic collision notification, the ability to call roadside assistance, an SOS button that can be used to dispatch emergency services, and a stolen vehicle locator.

Okay, people.  One of my biggest annoyances in driving into the bright Texas sun and moving my head around and squinting to see the traffic in front of me.  This tiny feature is HUGE.  The sun visors have a nifty pull-out section to provide additional coverage — GENIUS!!!

Need to charge your phone?  No need to plug it in — just set it on this nifty pad for a charge.

The middle console has tons of room in addition to two 2.1A USB plugins.  These are powerful and will quickly recharge your devices.  We use these a lot when traveling to charge our kids tablets and handheld game systems.We all want to feel safe.  Just like a newborn girl in the arms of her great grandmother, Toyota delivers this comfort on the road.Precious cargo Dirt, Gravel, Construction Zones, Offroad Trails, City Streets — the new 2019 Toyota RAV 4 Adventure can conquer it all.

The Adventure trim has several drive modes:  Eco, Normal, and Sport.   With the push of a button, it can cater to your Adventure level of the day.  Feeling a little sporty, hit Sport Mode for a more aggressive feel.  Want to save gas, push the Eco mode.  With the Adventure model, you also have the added ability to fine tune the vehicle’s setting for various Adventure situations.  If you’re off-road on sandy or gravel surfaces, move the knob to Mud & Sand to provide some extra traction.  If you’re in the mountains or off-road, move the knob to Rock & Dirt to beef up the suspension and ride.  It also has a Snow and Downhill feature that assists the wheels and transmission in these situations.

The interior is full of compartment for easy storagePlenty of interior room!

Life is certainly an adventure…and I’m happy to say we enjoyed our great week of adventure in the RAV4!  We’re a little sleep deprived, but our hearts are full!  Here’s to the next great adventure raising this baby girl.  Heidi’s birth story coming soon 🙂

Pregnancy Update + Heidi’s Nursery

Well, to say this pregnancy has gone quickly would be an understatement.  Although a lot of people say it has!  I feel like I’ve been pregnant for 100 years…lol!  Probably because I was pregnant for a few months, lost a baby, then got pregnant two months after that.  It feels like forever.  BUT- I’m not complaining I’m just excited to meet our girl and welcome her into the world.  It’s something I never thought I would experience again in my lifetime, but God obviously knew we were missing a piece of our family and hearts.

I am not a glowy goddess when it comes to pregnancy unfortunately.  I soooooo wish I was.  I apparently have big babies and retain a TON of fluid so it makes for a great time indeed.  I am so big that they’ve tested me for gestational diabetes THREE TIMES and I passed….but if I ever have to do that test again blech.

I’ve sort of taken a break from blogging.  I’ve been reading a few books here and there.  We are getting Heidi’s nursery ready and it looks so cute!  I’m super excited for a little girl and all things pink and sparkly 🙂  I’ve been trying to take it easy, because let’s face it I’m no spring chicken anymore.  The last few weeks of your pregnancy are the worst!  Between the rib pain, hip pain, and overall discomfort I haven’t been getting much sleep.  I guess that’s God’s way of preparing you for the sleepless nights to come.  I am looking forward to having Starbucks fully leaded again and my body back.

Large and in charge 🙂

We had a good Father’s Day.  We didn’t really do anything, but had a nice dinner at Shake Shack.  My handsome boys.  So thankful for them!

Here’s a little sneak peek of Heidi.  She’s got some chunky cheeks.  I remember her brother was quite the chunk too….so it’ll be interesting to see if they look alike.

Here is a sneak peek of Heidi’s nursery.  I wanted to keep things really simple and bright.  We painted the room a white-ish color and then started on pink accents.  It’s not a huge room, but I’m so happy with how it turned out.  I was thinking of putting the rocking chair in there….but I like it in the living room right now because I spend a lot of time there ha ha!

My friend Jenn made this beautiful painting and we just love it and will cherish it always!

 

I love how the changing table turned out.  Changing the knobs makes ALL the difference.

I also bought this mirror to go over the changing table (I know it needs to be hung).

Baby girl clothes!  Most of these were from my sister or friends, so we’ve already got a good amount of outfits for this baby.

I love this bow holder I found on Etsy.  Again, a lot of bows were given to us too.  I don’t know if she’ll have hair for awhile, but that’s what tape is for…lol!  Just kidding!

Anyway, just a couple of more weeks and I can’t wait to meet our girl!  We are all getting pretty excited!

Trying to think of some ways to get Connor prepared and make him feel special as well.  He’s been an only child for over 9 years so I think it’s going to be an adjustment, but I also know he’s going to rock this big brother role.  Any tips to help him prepare???

Heidi’s Baby Shower + Enter to Win!

My family came to visit last weekend for my baby shower and I tell you I could NOT have picked a worse day weather wise.  It rained so hard and started to sleet, ten people texted last minute and cancelled.  BUT- Overall everything went wonderful and we had a great time!  Of course on Sunday it was sunny and gorgeous outside….lol!

It was so nice having my Mom, Dad, Nannie, Sister + kids here!  I also had a few precious friends who came from Arkansas for the shower as well and that meant so much!  My sweet friend Courtney got the most delicious cake ever….

Bonnie brought some adorable cookies from a friend in Arkansas. She did a great job and some of them were even coffee cups with Heidi’s name on them 🙂

Me and my twinkie!

Nannie, Bonnie, Me, and Mom

I haven’t seen my family back home since Christmas and oh my how Ella has grown!  She’s getting so big and is adorable.  She makes the funniest faces and says “Hiiiiiiii” to everyone she meets.  It’s super nice having a sister who just had a girl because I get hand-me-downs!  Anyone who knows my sister also knows she LOVES to shop for girlie stuff!  

Friends from Arkansas- Stephanie (who everyone thinks is our other sister…someone even asked if she was at the party!)  Bonnie, Ellen (Who lives in Texas now), and Sara.  I’ve been friends with these girls for years and they mean so much to me.

We took a similar picture at Bonnie’s shower.  I just adored my dress from Pink Blush.  It’s so hard to find anything flattering while pregnant, but I felt pretty darn good in this!

Other sweet friends – Nicole, Courtney (Who did an amazing job hosting this shower for me…it meant the world), Kim, Chastity, and Julie

Other friends not in the group pics 🙂  Aimi

Sue Ellen, my Texas Granny 

My friend Kindra and her adorable daughter Sophie

Opening all the presents and PINK stuff!  I have to say it is so fun to shop for a girl.  There are also so many new things since I had Connor it’s mind blowing.  She is going to be one well dressed and styling little princess.

Coffee teether 

It’s a Hemi dog blankie….I love it!The weekend was WAY too short, but the moments will be cherished always.  The next day family left and I met my sister and friends for one last brunch at The Cheesecake Factory.  Thank you to everyone who made it out in the crazy weather and for all the gifts….I’ve got a lot of thank you notes to write and only six weeks left to write them!

I never thought I would honestly have any more kids, so this whole year has been crazy, a blessing, tiring, and hopeful.  I thank God for all my blessings- for this baby, my family, and friends.

Oh here are some cute pics of all the kids swimming.  We had to get ALL our trees in the backyard chopped down so it looks totally different now.  They were dying and we were so tired of all the leaves falling every single day.  Hopefully we’ll find something to shade the backyard again.

Jarrett + Connor

Ella loved the water 🙂

Aaaaaaand….now because my child loves me and we’ll be wearing this during the holiday season this year….

I actually took this to Easter celebrations, but it’s Ralphie from A Christmas Story’s Bunny outfit.  LOL!  I love working with UglyChristmasSweater.com and they have the funniest and cutest items.  It’s not too far away y’all!

Connor has actually been wearing this every night and says it’s really comfortable.  He’s a goofy kid!

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