Wait You’re Pregnant?

Yup.  That’s right, I already announced on Facebook and Instagram…but I wanted to write about it here a little bit.

If you know me then you know that I have always been pretty set on the fact that we would probably just have one kiddo.  Well, this summer happened and we had quite the surprise, then a loss, and I was just heartbroken over it.  I feel like God sort of planted that seed in my heart.  Connor has always wanted a sibling, but as time has passed and we’ve gotten older we just figured our time was up.

Well, that’s funny right!  We tried one time to get pregnant after the loss this summer and surprise surprise!  I am extremely nervous to be doing all of this over again almost 10 years later.  My body is feeling it and oh my goodness have I been so tired.  Nauseous and tired.  That pretty much sums up my life the past few months.

It’s slowly getting better and I’m starting to feel a bit more like myself.  I pretty much forgot how hard this whole process is on your body…and 10 years later I’m feeling the burn.  We are incredibly thankful and we are SO excited for a little sister too!

Here are some pictures of the day we told Connor 🙂

I got him a t-shirt that said “Promoted to Big Brother 2019” and a cookie with pink icing in the middle.

Connor has been wanting a little sister so badly, and he was soooo excited.  

Here’s a cute video of his reaction.

Christmas 2018 Recap!

I’m finally getting around to writing about Christmas!  Woohoo!  We had a lovely visit to the farm to visit Nannie Sue, my Mom, Dad, Sister, Vinny, Jarrett, Ella, and other friends and family.  Nothing feels as good as being home for Christmas.  We were super excited to be able to drive a 2019 Toyota Avalon on our road trip to Arkansas.  I mentioned on Instagram that I used to have an Avalon for about 11 years, and oh how I miss that car!  I never had any problems with it and I would totally get one again.  Driving this one during our trip just reminded me of how much I absolutely loved my Avalon all over again.  This new version though had all the bells and whistles.  Avalons have definitely gotten more sporty since I had mine, but they still have a TON of room in them for a 4-door sedan.   Everything is super comfy and luxurious feeling.  I’ll point out some of my favorite features below.

Of course I loved having the navigation and all of the access on the control panel.  Anyone who knows me well can testify I have zero sense of direction.  Also, the heads up display is a feature I love too.  It tells you your speed right on the windshield in front without being obstructive. 

Tons of room in the back seat- I would even compare it to as much room as an SUV.

There was an ENTIRE station for Mannheim Steamroller to get us in the Christmas spirit! Heated and cooled seats.  Even the steering wheel was heated, and that was nice especially during the cold weather.

The safety features were awesome too.  The camera up front showed an overhead and directional view as you back up the car.  That way even if you have bad depth perception (like me) it’s almost impossible to hit something!

We explored a little bit and found this adorable red telephone booth.  It wasn’t in working order, but it sure does make for a fun photo prop.

The hearth at the farm

My Mom made up some fun games to play this year and I loved that.  I hope we can do that next year too!

Look at that spread of food! The boys playing their video games My Mom made each of them a blanket.  We will cherish our Nana blankets forever 🙂

It’s so fun watching your kiddos open their presents.  It’s just the BEST!

I thought this picture was funny because it looks like Ella’s ponytail is a mustache on Nannie lol!

The beautiful farm

We also were able to celebrate my parents 40th anniversary with them.  That was such a joy!  I have the best parents in the world and am so thankful for them.  Dad got Mom a beautiful ruby ring and presented it to her at lunch.

We attended church with them on Sunday and lunch afterwards.
The boys were candy cane greeters at Mom & Dad’s church.

If you’ve never been to the Big Orange in Little Rock you neeeeeeed to go!  It has amazing burgers and shakes.  Bonnie and I enjoying our chocolate malts, we always order the same thing.

Thank you again to Toyota for allowing us to drive my dream Avalon to celebrate with family and make precious memories.  We will always cherish them!  #roadtrippingwithkids

Here’s a little Christmas flashback photo for you….oh how time flies!  Hope you all had a wonderful Merry Christmas and start to 2019!

Christmas Home Tour

 

I love seeing how other people decorate for Christmas.  There used to be a Christmas home tour carousel in the blog world a long time ago and I miss that!  Anyway, I don’t think I ever posted pictures of our kitchen after we had it partially remodeled either.  Sooo….for memories sake and so I can remember where everything goes NEXT year here’s a little Christmas home tour 🙂

“Oh Christmas tree”

Entry way

Living Room

Connor’s Room

(Of course he’s playing Fortnite!  I found the cutest sloth Christmas sheets at HomeGoods)

Dining Room

Kitchen

And last, but not least I love this little pillow that cousin Adrianne sent from England!  It’s in my office.

Hope you enjoyed and we hope everyone has a Merry Christmas!!!

xo The Branches

Check out the new Sugar Cookie Little Bites + Enter to WIN!

This post is sponsored by Entenmann’s® Little Bites®.  All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Christmas time is here y’all and what better way to celebrate than with the sugar cookie goodness of the NEW Entenmann’s® Little Bites® Sugar Cookie Muffins! These seasonal mini muffin feature the classic taste of a holiday sugar cookie, no oven required for you!  I’ve shared on here before how much Connor (and myself) love to snack on Little Bites.  They come in so many different flavors and taste delicious!

I pack them in Connor’s lunch all the time.  They’re also great for a road trip snack or a holiday school treat to share.  Little Bites are so easy to grab-and-go you’ll find yourself reaching for them all the time too!

I have to tell you that Connor said this new sugar cookie flavor is his favorite YET!  If you don’t have time to bake a batch of cookies, well ya’ll this is the next best thing!

This kiddo…I could eat him with a spoon….no not really…but I’ll happily feed him the sweetest treats this holiday season!  Head to your nearest grocery and check out the new Entenmann’s® Little Bites® Sugar Cookie Muffins- they are LIMITED so go get them NOW!!!

 

ENTER TO WIN!!!

(Contest valid for (3) $5.00 off the purchase of Entenmann’s® Little Bites®, and a $25 gift card)

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Enchant Christmas Family 4-Pack GIVEAWAY!

I’m so excited to be attending Enchant Christmas this year.  We went last year and I was blown away by the lights, ice rink, and reindeer games.  This year Enchant has changed things up a bit and instead of an ice rink there is an ice skating trail and several other new attractions.

There will also be a Christmas market for shopping and food as well!  It’s a Christmas experience you don’t want to miss!

Here are some pictures from last year, and I’m sure this year is going to be just as sparkly, if not better.

ENTER TO WIN HERE!

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One 4-pack giveaway (Good for any combination of adults and kids ages 4-13. Kids 3 and under are free.)

Tickets are limited to November 27 – December 16 and December 26-30 excluding Saturdays and Nov 28 / Dec 27.

Tickets cannot be exchanged for another day once tickets are pulled.

Merry Christmas Baby + Win a $50 Gift Card!

Hey Y’all!  It’s shop small Saturday and I wanted to share one of my favorite boutiques with you and do a giveaway too!

I didn’t really do much Black Friday shopping in stores this year.  I stayed in my jammies and browsed online.  I also watched countless Hallmark Christmas movies….so you know it was FABULOUS!  I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving & now we can officially say “Merry Christmas” to everyone!

Our tree this year:

 

So, I have the hardest time finding gifts for family and friends.  Especially for those who have pretty much everything!  I’m going to link some of my favorite gift ideas below & I’d love it if you share some ideas with me too!  Also, don’t forget to enter to win a $50 gift card to Picket Fence at the end of this post!

  1.  My sister had a baby a year ago and I’m so excited to purchase gifts for Ella this year.  She’s at such a fun age & this Christmas is going to be soooo much fun!  I also love being able to shop for a girl too.  This little double decker bus onesie is EVERYTHING!!!  I think you all know my love for all things British…ha ha!

2.  I love me some Packed Party.  Their confetti business card holders are one of my favorite gifts to give.

3.  For a good gag gift this “People of Walmart” coloring book is hilarious.  Pair it with some markers and wrap it up for some coloring fun.

4.  I think everyone needs a great light up mirror in their life.  This one is on sale right now & don’t you want to make sure you don’t have anything hanging out your nose or check your contouring in a 3X magnifying mirror…ha ha!

5.  One of my favorite bags is this Barrington tote, it now has a zipper on top.  It’s incredibly light weight too so it won’t weigh down your shoulder.  I highly recommend this bag for everyday use or travel.  It’s so cute and AMAZING!

ENTER TO WIN HERE!!!

 

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It’s Almost Christmas…Things I love + Gift Guide

As I look back on this year I can’t figure out where the time has gone?  Seriously, 2018 has been one of the fastest years ever!  There’s been so many fun things going on and I’m determined to amp up my blog game next year.  If you don’t follow me on Instagram…I update there several times a day…but I do miss writing out things on the blog as well.

So, I wanted to share a few things I’ve been loving this year and thought YOU might love them too!

  1.  This fabulous light up Christmas sweater from UglyChristmasSweater.com

I just love how this sweater lights up and features on of my FAVORITE Christmas movies…A Christmas Story.  This exact sweater can be found HERE.

2.  These are one of Connor’s favorite things on planet Earth and would make a great stocking stuffer!  SMASHERS!!!

3.  This wallet is my new favorite.  I had a Hobo Lauren wallet for awhile, but was looking for something a bit smaller.  This Hobo Glory wallet fit the bill quite nicely 🙂  It’s the same style as the Lauren, only smaller in size.

4.  I talk about this little phone stand a lot, but it is THAT GOOD.  I have two at the house and one at work.  It’s great for multi-tasking, talking on speaker, or video.

5.  Don’t forget to enter this giveaway HERE from Studio Movie Grill for a gift card to take your family to see a holiday movie this season!  Somebody’s going to win, it might as well be you!  Also, they have a special menu featuring The Nutracker And The Four Realms & it looks delicious!

6.  If you follow me on Instagram keep your EYES OPEN! I post Starbucks giveaways all the time and you never know when one is going to pop up!

7.  Connor’s Halloween costume this year was on point.  He wants to be a dolphin trainer when he grows up….right now anyway…so here we go!

8.  Check out this fab discount for ICE! at the Gaylord Texan!  Get tickets for 40% off using code “JAVA“ (dates for coupon code vary)

9.  This sweater from last Christmas is also one of my favorite finds.  For the price you can’t beat the cozy and soft feel of it.

10.  Here’s another Christmas discount code for you this season.  It’s for Enchant in Arlington.  It’s good THIS WEEK ONLY!!!  So run and get your tickets y’all!

Okay…I’m off to go finish Christmas decorating and relax!  Who has their tree up already???  I can’t be the only one itching to put mine up early…