My Trip to Pearle Vision + Enter to Win!

July 26, 2016

This post is sponsored by Pearle Vision and SheKnows Media

The summer has just flown by y’all! Connor is about to start first grade in a month and I just can’t believe it. Somebody hold me! We took Connor in for his 6-year-old check up a few months ago and one of the things his doctor recommended was to get an eye exam. Did you know that 80% of what children learn is through their eyes?

I knew it was coming….

I’ve had terrible eyesight the majority of my life. So have my parents and my sister, not to mention my husband also wears glasses. So it’s probably inevitable that someday Connor will need glasses. Last week Connor and I headed to Pearle Vision in Southlake for an eye exam. We had the best time looking around and trying on glasses. Connor actually WANTS glasses because he thinks they are “cool”. Ha!

He’s precious, glasses or not!

Everyone at Pearle Vision Southlake was amazing to us! They were super friendly and let us try on all kinds of glasses. They were quick to answer our questions and put Connor at ease.

Everyone knows kids have a ton of questions, and our doctor was so nice in answering all the questions in Connor’s little mind!

We loved Dr. Hannaman. She has children of her own, so she rocked at helping Connor feel at ease and comfortable.

As a kid, Connor had the option to take his eye exam with numbers or pictures. He chose pictures. This helped so much for him to relate what he was seeing.

Thankfully, this year Connor did not require glasses. We were told he probably would need them sometime in the near future. Dr. Hannaman talked with us about blue light and how it affects Connor’s eyesight. He spends a lot of time on the iPad and watching TV…more than I would like.

Blue light is the harmful light given off my electronic devices and now Pearle Vision actually makes blue light lenses your child can wear to help prevent blue light from affecting their eyesight. Even if your child doesn’t wear glasses, they can still use blue lenses while watching TV or the iPad.

Pearle Vision did an awesome job providing comprehensive eye exams for both Connor and me! Pearle Vision will make sure to get the prescription right. Comprehensive eye exams are essential starting at the age of 3 or if your child shows signs of visual impairment.

Right now is the perfect time to take your child into Pearle Vision before school starts! Pearle Vision has a limited time offer for free lenses for kids 18 and under. Can I get a Woohoo for FREE people???

Thank you Dr. Hannaman we will see you next year! xo – The Branch Family

Follow Pearle Vision on Facebook & YouTube for the latest news.

Pearle Vision has close to 600 eye care centers located throughout the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico, Pearle Vision is built around a doctor-centered business model with a primary focus on delivering genuine eye care to patients. It has become a trusted source for all my eye health needs.

Tell me about your child’s vision needs. You could win a $100 Visa gift card!

Entry Instructions:

No duplicate comments.

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

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

2 Tweet (public message) about this promotion; including exactly the following unique term in your tweet message: “#Sweeps” and “#SweepstakesEntry”; and leave the URL to that tweet in a comment on this post

3 Blog about this promotion, including a disclosure that you are receiving a sweepstakes entry in exchange for writing the blog post, and leave the URL to that post in a comment on this post

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

This giveaway is open to US Residents age 18 or older (or nineteen (19) years of age or older in Alabama and Nebraska). Winners will be selected via random draw, and will be notified by e-mail. The notification email will come directly from BlogHer via the sweeps@blogher email address. You will have 2 business days to respond; otherwise a new winner will be selected.

The Official Rules are available here.

This sweepstakes runs from 7/25/2016-8/25/2016

Be sure to visit the brand page on BlogHer.com where you can read other bloggers’ posts!

GMC YUKON- That Week I was a Baller

July 13, 2016

BALLER:

adjective

extremely good or impressive; excellent.

A few weeks ago I got to drive around in a fabulous 2016 Yukon Denali. To say this would be my dream car would be an understatement. I could practically live in this car and be happy! Actually, I could just move into this car instead of buying a house right? LOL!

ab3eee35-bf06-4b31-9f99-c525c7b4462e

Connor and I were the ones that used it the most during the week. Connor just LOVED that he could watch Star Wars while we were driving. The Yukon Denali would be perfect for road trips! We are planning a trip to Branson with my family in a couple weeks and this would be perfect with two 6-year-olds in the back seat.

8d01f56d-0a96-4905-bbe7-3bace8097328

Connor said “Oh my gosh Mom this car is so big we can go camp in it!” The Yukon Denali comes complete with headphones. While your little ones are watching movies in the back you can still listen to your music too! 5bd231d1-da7a-4401-9e8b-af9a1a0ac4f2

This is a MUST for Texas summers. It’s been over 100 degrees this past week. Nothing soothes the summer heat faster than an air conditioned seat. LOVED this!

d37cd86c-d3f7-46ec-85e2-0603362f54ea

There is plenty of room and storage for EVERYTHING! a6a1429b-d998-4bdd-b4c1-8858e4db3c81

We had the best time trying out the Yukon Denali and maybe someday we’ll be able to get one of our own. It’s definitely a dream car. Thank you #GMC for everything! 84645005-281b-4228-8600-cb3ec66120cf

Check out my video below where I talk about all my favorite features 🙂

Summerfest Fun at the Gaylord Texan!

June 26, 2016

Holy Guacamole y’all summer is here in Texas and it’s so hot the chickens are laying hard-boiled eggs! Just kidding….sort of….

I have a lot of friends from back home in Arkansas that love to come and visit and I always recommend the Gaylord Texan. The service is above and beyond and the rooms are so very nice!

We’ve been to several events at the Gaylord Texan over the years, including my favorite – ICE! If you come back in December, please for the love of all things Merry & Bright go visit ICE! at the Gaylord Texan.

Last week the boys and I attended a spectacular event called Summerfest: Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. We got to visit with the Mad Hatter, Queen of Hearts, and of course Alice herself. The characters were so good with our kiddos. We enjoyed a dessert bar and drinks while watching a 3D visual light show called “Breaking Through the Looking Glass”. It was so cool!

The sweets…oh my! 20160618_195558-2 20160618_195607-2

Connor and Brody enjoying the ice cream 🙂 20160618_200857-2

IMG_20160618_220606-2

The Queen of Hearts paid a visit 20160618_201434-2 20160618_202920-2

That silly Mad Hatter

20160618_203603-2 20160618_203823-2 20160618_210634-2

We also went through the Alice & Wonderland vortex maze with our 3-D glasses. It’s a tricky one let me tell ya! I posted some video of the maze on Instagram if you want to go see.

20160618_210953-2 20160618_211010-2

The show begins….

20160618_213438-2 20160618_213727-2 20160618_214053-2 20160618_214056-2

We had the best time & we never leave the Gaylord unimpressed. It’s our own little piece of magic here in Texas. 20160618_215802-2

The Queen of Hearts “Light Up The Night” Glow Party and 3D visual mapping show “Breaking Through the Looking Glass” are FREE events every Friday and Saturday (Sundays on July 4th and Labor Day weekends) starting at 9pm at the Gaylord Texan!

If you would like to see our past experiences at the Gaylord Texan visit HERE, HERE, HERE, & HERE.

Flashback to our Shrek experience in 2012…my baby!

D7K_4005

Foot In Mouth Syndrome

June 17, 2016

When I went home a few weeks ago to Arkansas I was out shopping with my Mom and our friend. I went to the pajama section and was promptly greeted by a sales lady who began to tell me how they just got a new shipment of maternity wear in and how great “this” and “that” would look on me. She even held up a few tops and said how cute they would look. I then realized the pajama section was right next to the maternity section…

UGH!

Yeah I wanted to run for the hills! I am not freaking pregnant. *SLAP!* I wear blousy shirts to cover my “food baby” and yes I know I have a few to lose, but dang. That sucks and now I want to go throw up.

I know I constantly am putting my foot in my mouth. For goodness sakes my mind is a land of run-on sentences and exclamation points!!! Anyway, such is life.

Dear God give me the right things to say and the right time to say them. Amen.

We’ve been super busy. Connor started summer school/camp or whatever you want to call it. We have put in countless offers on more homes…it’s stressful and yeah I just don’t want to talk about it. I’ve been working and doing a lot of fun blogger programs over the summer- which I mostly post about over on my INSTAGRAM. Let’s be friends!

I had a fun photoshoot with my BFF Sarah over at Wake Me Up Goods the other day! Who doesn’t love glitter? And you are NEVER too old for a tutu 🙂 Shown here is my all time favorite “Choose Your Brew” t-shirt.

It finally quit raining here in Texas. There is something about rain that makes me want to burn a thousand candles and read books. Am I right?

Have y’all tried Diamond Candles? My sister and I are sort of addicted to them. Her husband even proposed to her with a Diamond Candle 🙂 I have never gotten a diamond though….maybe one day! It’s fun and they candles smell lovely.

The apartment by my lil artist Connor:

Pretty darn good if I do say so myself.

AND- Happy Father’s Day to the best Daddy a daughter could have and a man who would never stick his foot in his mouth. He calls me just to tell me how pretty, smart, and amazing I am all the time for no reason at all and that means more to me than anything in the world. I love you Daddy, you are truly the BEST man ever. Thank you for not dropping me and Bon on a street corner and leaving us there, even though there were several times you should have. We weren’t always the best, but you loved us through it all.

5a21b074-8d5e-42d0-9a2e-770979f23a89

Anyway….y’all I hope to be more “with it” on my little corner of the Internets & I love you bunches!

Terence and I are trying to figure out where to go this summer on an affordable vacay? Any suggestions?

xo Becky

Summertime Shades :) + Win a Pair of Your OWN!

June 13, 2016

I was provided a sample of Aces Sunglasses for my post. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

DSC_1465-2
Summer time of officially here and y’all it’s HOT outside! We’ve been visiting the pool several times during the week. This summer Babiators is on a mission to protect kids’ eyes while they’re out vacationing and doing fun activities.

Here are just a few reasons the Aces line for kids ages 7-14 stands out from the crowd:

Accessorized: Each pair comes with an awesome sunglasses silhouette bag and a lens cloth.
Safe: UV400 lenses offer 100% UVA and UVB protection and undergo rigorous testing to ensure they’re safe for your child.
Durable: Flexible rubber frames, and impact and shatter-resistant lenses won’t break when you bend or twist them. Trust us, we’ve tried!
Awesome: Mirrored lenses amp up the cool factor on the classic aviator frame and new navigator frame to help kids express their rad personal styles.
Guaranteed: The best part? Aces are backed by the Lost & Found Guarantee™ – if you lose or break your shades in the first year, Babiators will replace them for free. All you pay is shipping.

When I first showed Connor his new sunglasses he said “Wow those make me look so cool Mom!” Not only was he excited, but I was too! Did you know kids receive 3X more annual UV exposure than adults, yet parents are almost 2X more likely to wear sunglasses than their children! I know this is true….because I do it!

TIP: When choosing sunglasses for your kids, always look for:

100% UVA/UVB protection
high-quality, durable frames
A comfortable fit and a great style your kids will love

Doesn’t Connor look SUPER COOL in his new sunglasses??? 🙂

sunglassesforkids2

WIN (1) PAIR OF BLACK ACES SUNGLASSES!

RETAIL VALUE: $30.00 Ends: June 27, 2016

Leave a comment below on what your favorite thing to do is this summer?

35th Birthday

June 8, 2016

I am a week into being 35. The day after I got pulled over and got a speeding ticket- I hate this city we live in! It’s notorious for cops and the ENTIRE city is 30 mph. UGH. Bye bye birthday money…. $$$ RIP.

For some reason I feel like an old fart. Like, 30 didn’t seem too terrible, but for some reason 35 seems like I’m officially crossing the border of being “old”. 35 is half way to 40 aka a mid life crisis and you are now “high risk” if you ever want any more babies….I keep telling Terence this is IT….the door is closing and if you want more kids you better speak up! I’m not even playing. I think about it a lot and wonder if someday I’ll look back and wish we had more kids- and I probably will. So torn!

It all comes down to finances, lifestyle, and doing what we can for Connor….and we are incredibly indecisive.

I got to spend my 35th with none other than my other half and “womb mate” Bonnie 🙂

twins

Connor and I got to take our trip to Arkansas in this fabulous Mazda CX-5. #drivemazda @mazdausa

I LOVED this car! I’ve never really considered an SUV or a crossover before, but I like to be higher up off the road. This car was perfect– including the in dash navigation system (because Lord knows I get lost finding my own socks), the lane sensors (every time I would get out of line it would buzz me and that was super cool.) The security features were awesome too- like the backup camera and the cruise control speed sensor. I felt incredibly safe while driving this car. I felt like it protected ME!

I really WANT this car now 🙂

Displaying image004.jpg mazda

My Mom, Dad, Nannie, Lindsey, and Aunt Karli came to my sister’s house and we all got to eat cake and visit. I miss my family so much and get to see them way too little…..so these times are extra precious. Of course Jarrett and Connor just adore seeing each other too!

Thank you to my beloved family for the birthday celebration and to Mazda for getting us there safe and sound. We had a great time and I’m counting down the days until our next visit.

Road Trippin with #PeterandtheWolfApp

May 31, 2016

This post is sponsored by MomSelect. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Connor and I just got home from a long road trip (short but sweet) to Arkansas and back! I turned 35 yesterday and my twin sister and I always enjoy spending our birthday together 🙂

I had the opportunity to drive a new Mazda CX-5 for my trip and y’all I am so in love with that car. All the security features and bells and whistles made it so fun to road trip this time! Thank you Drive Shop sooooo very much!

If there is one thing that keeps me sane during a road trip it’s the iPad. I know…I know…but seriously y’all. Connor has such a better trip when he’s entertained and has something to do! We downloaded the new Peter and the Wolf in Hollywood app and it was super cute! Connor really enjoyed it. It was easy to follow along and he was very entertained! I’d much rather him be listening to a book than playing a video game. He’s learning how to read right now and loved following along with this story. This new, immersive storybook is available for iPhone and iPad.

Peter and the Wolf in Hollywood is a revival of the classic Peter and the Wolf tale brought to you by acclaimed production company, Giants Are Small. This version brings Peter to Hollywood to meet his hippie grandfather while bringing classical music elements to life. Peter, along with all of the characters in the movie book, are narrated and brought to life by Rock n’ Roll legend, Alice Cooper.

You can download the app HERE. You can follow along on Facebook and Twitter too!