The Daily Chase

Friday, December 28, 2012

Hello.

Hello, sweet friends! We hope you all had a very MERRY CHRISTMAS with your friends + family! We're still recovering from the hustle + bustle of the holidays and I hope to have a post full of wonderful pictures and stories up by this weekend. Until then I'll leave you with a picture of my sweet boy playing with one of his Christmas presents taken with my new Nikon! (Yes, this means much higher quality photos will be appearing on the blog!) XOXO
 
 

Monday, December 17, 2012

A Lesson In Obedience

A few weeks ago I was excited to receive a happy little e-mail from CATHOLIC FAMILY GIFTS asking me to review one of their wonderful products. Even though Brock is just an infant, I love sharing our faith with him. He was recently Baptized and attends weekly Mass with us.
While browsing their website I saw a VeggieTales DVD telling the story of Joshua and the Battle of Jericho. I knew this was the perfect item to tryout on Brocky. He loves colors and cartoons and even though he's not old enough to understand the message, I knew he'd be a fan.
 We gave it a try on Saturday afternoon and just as I expected, Brocky was glued to the TV! He loved the characters and I loved the message they told. We are so pleased to have this in our movie collection and plan to watch it many more times! We think it's a wonderful way to introduce Bible stories to little ones!
If you're looking for sweet last minute gifts, be sure to check out everything CATHOLIC FAMILY GIFTS has to offer. They have a wonderful collection of Baptism, First Communion and Confirmation gifts along with religious medals, Bibles and books. We look forward to giving a few of their items to our family this Christmas and hope you will too!
 
XOXO, Bri
 
 
 
 

Friday, December 7, 2012

A Very Happy 1/2 Birthday

Well, 6 months have come and gone since our little, BIG guy entered this world. It has been the most trying, exhausting and absolutely wonderful 1/2 a year I've ever had! We love this little one SO much!
 


Brock got a great report at his 6 month well visit with Dr. Mitchell. We're moving into stage 2 foods and sippy cups! Big guy measured in the 94th percentile height and 77th percentile weight. In addition to checking out himself in the mirror {just like Dad}, Brock loved ripping the paper on the table to shreds. He squealed with excitement...until he got shots! We're so thankful for our healthy, happy boy! XOXO

Wednesday, December 5, 2012

{Giveaway} 2013: A Year of HEALTH + WEALTH

With the hustle and bustle of Christmas around the corner, you may have not given your New Year's Resolution much thought. However, it's NEVER to early to start! Our goal of getting healthy & finding a product line to enhance our well-being has turned into an amazing career opportunity and has changed the future of our family. Here's our story...we hope it inspires you to start your own!
 
In 2011 Vincent's aunt and uncle approached us about AdvoCare. We both had things about our physique we were looking to change and Vince had taken a few of the products in high school so we decided to become Distributors and enjoy a discount on the products. Fast forward a year and we not only LOVE the amazing results we've seen, but we now have a Plan B income that has made mortgage payments, paid all of Brock's hospital bills, paid credit card debt and is helping us build an extraordinary future for our family.
 
We've found that most people are looking for one of two things...a way to get healthy or a way to make money. For us, AdvoCare was our answer to both.

 
If you're looking for an answer we hope you'll consider joining us. We're looking for 3 people to add to our team that are ready for a chance in 2013! Check out the 4 ways to get involved and visit our website to see if AdvoCare is right for you.
  1. Retail Customer - Click "SHOP" and start enjoying our AMAZING products!
  2. Wholesale Customer - Enjoy a 20-40% discount on all your purchases! Membership is $79 and the discount quickly covers the cost! Click "Become a Distributor" to get started!
  3. Distributor - Ready to make some money? Click "Become a Distributor" and start sharing the AdvoCare advantage with everyone you know! What would you do with an extra $500-$1000 each month?
  4. Business Builder - Start earning income 5 ways with AdvoCare! Enjoy a 40% discount, Wholesale Commission, Override/Residual income, Leadership Bonuses, & Incentive Trips. Click "Become a Distributor" and let us help you place your Advisor order.
 
And...since it is the Season of Giving, we're giving away a FREE box of Spark {a.k.a. Happy Mommy Juice} to one of our lucky readers! XOXO

 
 

Wednesday, November 28, 2012

December Photo-A-Day Challenge

Have you seen I Heart Faces Photo-A-Day Challenge for December? I think I'm going take the plunge and challenge myself this month! I'm keeping my fingers crossed that Santa brings me a special gift with a Nikon label, so I better start practicing now!
 
 
 Want to join in the fun? Check out the I HEART FACES page for details. They welcome photographers of all levels and you can even enter photos taken with your phone! Happy Wednesday, everyone and let the holiday photos begin! XOXO

Tuesday, November 27, 2012

A Wonderful Weekend + A Thankful Heart

Oh, boy...where to begin?!?! This weekend was simply AMAZING! I love having long weekends with family and spending extra time with little buddy. We did a little bit of everything this weekend and even with a couple extra days managed to run out of time!
 
Thanksgiving was extra special this year for us. My parents, brother and Mimi spent the day at Vincent's parents house. It was so much fun having both families together and not having to divide our time between the two. Brock got tons of attention and was tuckered out by mid afternoon!
 
Friday & Saturday included lots of Christmas decorating for me and quality bonding time for Vince & Brock. Our house is starting to look pretty festive and I hope to have some fun pics to post this week of all my handmade goodies!
 
We spent Saturday afternoon at Ford Stadium cheering on the Mustangs. They beat Tulsa and are on their way to the Hawaii Bowl...Pony up!
 
Vince and I have made a pact not to "eat out" for the rest of the year. We're paying cash for Christmas thanks to our AdvoCare business and one of our gifts to each other is to start 2013 debt free except for our mortgage. I've had fun planning our meals and cooking this week...yes, I've actually enjoyed cooking...HA! Vince has enjoyed all of the things I've made which only adds to my motivation. I altered a recipe for a Caramel Apple Pie that I clipped from ALL YOU magazine and made it as gluten-free/sugar-free as possible. I assumed it would be a failed attempt, but much to my surprise Vincent loved it! Here's to many more cooking adventures this month! XOXO

 

Monday, November 19, 2012

BROCK'S BAPTISM + WEEKEND ADVENTURES

It's Thanksgiving week! We're so excited to have a long weekend with the family enjoying some yummy eats! Our weekend was FILLED with fun and we're sure more is right around the corner as we enter the holiday season!
 
Let the little children come unto Me, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. {Luke 18:16}
 
Our precious little boy was Baptized Saturday at St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church. It was a sweet little service presided by Deacon Ken Reisor. Brock was an angel {I love having such a calm, sweet little man!} and looked precious in his Baptismal outfit.
 
We celebrated afterwards with brunch and laughs at JJ's Cafe before heading to Irving for my sweet niece's 4th birthday party. My sister-in-law did an awesome job planning a fall themed event {details here} and we had a great time catching up with everyone.
 
 
We spent Sunday watching football with Brock before an evening Mass and a quick run for groceries at Whole Foods. The perfect ending to our fun little weekend was a warm mug of hot chocolate, Boardwalk Empire and laundry!

I'm super excited for Thanksgiving and am keeping my fingers crossed the dishes I'm preparing turn out scrumptious...those of you who know me know that I AM NOT known for my cooking! I'm hoping to change that this year...ha!

Have a great week everyone! XOXO

 

Friday, November 16, 2012

TGIF! We made it!

Thank Goodness It's FRIDAY! It has been one LONG, STRESSFUL week, but we made it through! I'm looking forward to spending the weekend with this little guy...
 
 
We've got a busy, busy weekend ahead filled with fun adventures! {A certain somebody is getting baptised tomorrow!} We hope y'all have a fun weekend! XOXO

Wednesday, November 14, 2012

Handmade Holidays: Joann's Project Ideas

Eeek! It's almost time to start hauling out the holly! I've been busy trying to finish hadmade ornaments, Christmas soft books for Brock, and a nativity scene before Santa's big debut at the Chase house, but I couldn't resist adding a few projects from Joann's to the list!


 
Hoping to have some finished projects to showoff after the weekend! What projects made your holiday to-do list? XOXO-Bri


Monday, November 12, 2012

Mama said there'd be days like this...

Hello, sweet friends! We had a whirlwind of a weekend at the Chase house. It was one of those weekends when we were slammed with one thing after the other leaving Vince and I completely exhausted and Baby Brock completely off-schedule :(

Despite everything that went wrong, I've collected the few wonderful things that went RIGHT to focus on. When days like that happen I just take it as a sign that I need to pray MORE! So concluding an otherwise awful weekend with a sweet Sunday Mass was just the answer this little family needed.

Here are a few of the highlights of our weekend...


FRIDAY: Bryan's last home football game - Eventhough it was a L, it was a great game and an exciting overtime finish.
SATURDAY: AdvoCare Ladies Alive - I LOVE our AdvoCare family and this company has completely chagned our lives and future. Brock attended half of the day with me and did so well. He had fun flirting with all the ladies. Vince worked our AdvoCare booth at the SMU game and we finished the evening with a gluten-free Picasso's pizza and an early bedtime!
SUNDAY: Vince had an amazing tryout for the Plano Revolution. I can't wait to see him play again. Despite not training the past year he ran a 4.68 sec 40 and impressed the coaches. I'm SO proud of him! Brocky and I spent the day playing while a contractor fixed the sheetrock in our Master Bedroom. He cut his 2nd tooth and handled it like a champ! Our afternoon was filled with cheers for a Cowboys victory and we finished the weekend with Mass and a to-go dinner from Fuzzy's Tacos.
We've learned the last few days to always look on the bright side! Here's to a great week ahead! XOXO


Linking up HERE and HERE

Friday, November 9, 2012

Handmade Holidays: Snowmen Ornaments

ADORE the holidays and the happiness and joy they bring. My favorite part of decorating our house is making handmade ornaments and decor that sparkle in the twinkle lights. When I was a little girl, our Christmas tree was always filled with the ornaments my mom made. She's passed them down to our family now and I love adding to the collection.
 
These little guys are 3 of 13 snowman ornaments I'm making from a kit I picked up a JoAnn's a few weeks ago. Now that Brock is here we're putting up a large tree and starting our own traditions as a family. Of course, a larger tree calls for more ornaments and this little elf has quite a bit of work to do!
 
In addition to these little guys I've found some inpiration/tutorials online I can't wait to make for our collection. If DIY DECOR is your thing, you may want to check them out too! Tis' the season!
 

Thursday, November 8, 2012

Looking Back: 4 Months



Little Buddy turned 5 MONTHS on Tuesday! He's changed so much this past month...

 
Started eating solid foods
LIKES: brown rice cereal, green beans, carrots, peas & sweet potatoes
DISLIKES: bananas
 
Sits up on his own
 
Started crawling...he doesn't move very fast or get very far yet :)
 
1st Halloween - Dressed up as Popeye
 
1st tooth cut through
 
We are totally IN LOVE with this little guy and his cute little ways of doing things! Have a great evening, everyone! XOXO-Bri

Tuesday, November 6, 2012

What A Weekend!

It was a pretty exciting weekend at the Chase house filled with football, family and fun! Sunday, Vince and I had the honor of being a vendor and judge at the Miss Plano Frisco Pageant. I'd never been a part of a pageant before, but I loved the wonderful people I met and am secretly crossing my fingers that one of the girls we selected will go on to be the next Miss America and Miss America Oustanding Teen :)

Here's a recap of Brock's weekend...

 
{1} Pop-Pop & Brock cheering on Uncle Bryan at the Irving High football game in Euless.
{2} Brock's 1st tooth cut through on Saturday!
{3} Somebody LOVES his feet!
{4} Woke Daddy up to tell him secrets and laugh.
{5} I have no clue what he was looking at, but I love this expression!
 
Happy ELECTION DAY everyone! Brock is 5 months today and we're hoping our candidate wins so we have twice as much to celebrate tonight! XOXO-Bri

Friday, November 2, 2012

Brock's 1st Halloween

Have your recovered from the Halloween Candy Coma? We fortunately didn't buy/or bring home any candy which made avoiding it much easier! We spent the evening helping Pop-Pop pass out candy to trick-or-treaters before enjoying a feast of sushi at one of our favorite spots. Popeye had a blast before passing out from exhaustion!

 
 
Here's a quick rundown of how I put together Brock's Popeye outfit for anyone who's interested:
 
{1} I cut the sleeves off from a boy's muscle suit I found at Walmart in the Halloween dept. I cut down the length and hand basted them into the shoulder seams of a black t-shirt.
 
{2} I cut the lapel from a scrap piece of sweatshirt material I found at JoAnn's and ironed on white seam binding to the edges. Hand sew the lapel to the t-shirt and sew on three yellow/gold buttons.
 
{3} I took an adult sailor hat I folded the back over till it fit Brock's head and hand sewed a new seam.
 
{4} Using a black permanent marker I drew an anchor tatoo on one forearm and I used dark jeans and white tennis shoes we already had to complete the look.
 
I wish I had pictures of the process, but I was rushed to create it the night before and it was all I could do to get it done! Enjoy! XO-Bri

Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Happy Halloween from The Chase's

Happy Halloween, sweet friends! We hope your day is filled with fun! Popeye visited his Mammy & Pappy this morning & is heading to Irving tonight for tricks & treats at Grammy & Pop-pop's house!
 

 At 4 months, this little man has yet to have any teeth break through and when he rubs his gums together he makes what we call a "Popeye face" so, a Popeye costume just made sense!
 
Since I'm a DIYer at heart (and beacuse an infant Popeye costume can't be found) I gathered my supplies and had a blast making Brocky's costume! I was surprised it was such a quick, easy (& cheap) proccess. I'll be sure to post more pictures tomorrow and possibly a quick tutorial on how I made B-Rock's costume.
 
Have a fun and safe evening Trick-or-Treating! XO-Bri
 
 


Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Current Obssession: The Bulletproof Executive

I love indulging in blogs and books about healthy lifestyles. Thanks to a super fun co-worker I was introduced to The Bulletproof Executive. The past couple of years I've been circling around a gluten-free/Paleo/Caveman Diet and try to gradually make small changes to my daily routine so it's something I'll stick with. I've learned from experience when I make drastic changes they just don't last!

Anyways, I'm fascinated with Dave Asprey's way of thinking...I mean a diet HIGH in fat, doesn't that go against every "diet" on the market? However, his logic makes sense to me and after reading his book and skimming over his blog, I've started adding some of his ideas (the ones I wasn't already trying to do) into my daily routine.

Have you checked out The Bulletproof Executive yet? If so, I'd love to know what you think. If not, check it out!

Monday, October 29, 2012

Weekend with Brock

While Vince was in Austin this weekend for some Halloween partying with friends, Little Buddy and I had a fun, busy weekend here in Dallas.


{1} The fun started Friday with a Halloween party for the kiddos at my office. Brock loved dressing up as Popeye for the afternoon and this mommy had fun making his costume! Can't wait to take him "trick-or-treating" to see the grandparents on Halloween!

{2} Due to the cold weather Brocky and I didn't make it to SMU's Homecoming, so we scheduled a fun brunch with Auntie Liz and Uncle Travis at Buzzbrews on Sunday. We ALWAYS love seeing them and can't wait for them to come in town next weekend.

{3} I finally caught Brock crawling out of his chair. He's mastered the art of turning over and backing out of it. Guess it's time to find another solution!

{4 & 5} Brock starting sitting up on his own this morning! He successfully scooted out of his boppy and started supporting himself! Of course, he had to show off his new talent to his buddy, Tasha girl!

Have a great Monday, sweet friends! To all of our friends and family on the East Coast...stay safe, you're in our thoughts and prayers! XOXO, Bri

Thursday, October 25, 2012

Happy Mommy


I'm one happy Mommy...I get to spend the entire weekend with this sweet face and I don't have to share him with anybody! I may be a walking zombie come Monday morning, but right now I'm focusing on the endless amounts of snuggles and reruns of Dinosaur Train!

Tonight little buddy and I are finishing up his Halloween costume. My company is throwing a Halloween party tomorrow for the kiddos and that means I'm going to be one busy Mommy working on last minute details.

I'll post pictures of him in the finished product tomorrow, but until then we'll leave you with this clue...

"I'm strong to the finish 'cause I eats me spinach..."

Happy Thursday, everyone! -Bri

Monday, October 22, 2012

Monday, Monday

Happy Monday, friends! We hope your week is off to a great start. We had a sweet weekend at home watching football and working on our house. I'm trying rid our house of clutter and any unused items (not an easy task), but I was able to make significant progress on my craft room while Brock napped. I'm hoping to have some after pictures of all my hard work as soon as it's finished! Here's a snapshot of what weekends look like at the Chase house...


{1} I couldn't wait to pick my little stud muffin up after work on Friday. I surprised him with a couple of new toys I snagged on sale at Target. Friday is our date night while Vince is at his little brother's football games. We almost always spend them snuggling and watching Dinosaur Train.

{2} I love waking up to this sweet little face on Saturday mornings. He is my Sunshine!

{3} Brocky was sure to get his exercise in jumping around all day. He LOVES his bouncer!

{4} I usually wake up to Brocky talking in his room. He'll entertain himself for a few minutes and cry when he's ready to eat or change. When he kept talking and talking I peeked in to check on him and noticed he was chit chatting with his little lamb! By far the cutest thing he's ever done! I love how happy he wakes up every morning.

Hope your weekend was just as sweet. Have a great week everyone! XOXO, Bri

Friday, October 19, 2012

Happy Fall Y'all!

The weather is crisp and cool here in Dallas and we're ready for an awesome weekend! Life is starting to settle after returning to work and I'm happy to be blogging again. I feel I have SO much to catch up on! Here's a little recap on our life lately...


BROCK  is growing up so fast! He's 4 months old and just started eating food. So far he loves organic rice cereal and organic peas.

VINCE  has retired from the "real world" and is working AdvoCare full time now. He is also a personal trainer for a few clients and loves working for himself. It's been amazing having him home more and we've enjoyed the extra "family" time at our house!

I'VE  started taking Zumba classes twice a week. I love it! I get some much needed "mommy" time and burn a few calories too! I'm down over 40lbs since June thanks to AdvoCare products and Zumba and I'm well on my way to reaching my goal!

We hope everyone has a wonderful weekend. Ours will be filled with football and fun! XOXO Bri

Thursday, July 19, 2012

6 Weeks

12+ lbs, eats 5-6oz every 2-3hrs, naps & sleeps in his crib, pushes up to a standing position when sitting on your lap, loves to sit in his chair & watch tv, plays in his gym every morning, still hiccups everyday, loves for Mommy to rock him to sleep in our antique rocking chair

We're enjoying our last week at home before I go back to work and Brock starts going to Mammy daycare everyday. Even though I'm seriously going to miss spending all day with my little guy, I am excited to get back on a schedule and I love that my mom will be taking care of Brock.

 {1} Snuggles with Daddy. {2} This little Piggy... {3} Passed out in Mommy's lap. {4} I'm going to miss these afternoon snuggles. {5} All smiles! {6} Watchin' TV in our Boppy.

I've got several pictures from Brock's first road trip to Louisiana last weekend. I'm hoping to get them posted soon! :)


Thursday, July 12, 2012

5 Weeks

11lbs 15oz, size 3-6 months clothing, sleeps in his crib & only wakes up 1-2 times/night, started drinking formula exclusively, smiles a lot and occasionally giggles, loves to snuggle and started crying just to be held

Yesterday the Brockster was 5 weeks! This past week was flew by getting ready for our getaway to Louisiana this weekend. We're excited to take Brock on his first road trip and visit my family. It will be the first time most of them meet our big boy!

{1} Started sleeping in his big boy bed. {2} I love how his bath robes make him look like a boxer! {3} Mammy bought us a way cool lamp for his room. {4} Love this smile! {5} Daily snuggles with Mommy are a must! {6} One of Brock's many goofy faces


Friday, July 6, 2012

One Month


B-Rock is one month old today! We've enjoyed every minute we've had with this little guy (even the extreme fussy times we've had lately). He's changed so much since we first brought him home and each day he does something new to amaze us. We couldn't be any more thankful for our handsome little man!

{1} All dressed up & ready to meet our Great Uncle Ronnie & Great Aunt Jeanell. {2} All smiles for a day trip to Farmersville to visit Aunt Robyn & her cute little shop. {3} Sad to see Ronnie & Jeanell leave, but excited for our road trip to visit them in Louisiana next weekend! {4} Napping in our big boy bed. {5} Snuggle time with mommy. {6} Somebody didn't want to wake up after a night at the lake house for the 4th of July.

Brock also has a new friend, Peanut the bear. He grabbed on tight and wouldn't let go!


Have a lovely weekend! We're gearing up for the big UFC fight tomorrow night. Brock's ready to wear his new TapouT shoes!


Thursday, July 5, 2012

{Mommy On A Mission} Food Inc.

Hello, friends! Hope you had a wonderful 4th of July. We're back from a short, relaxing trip to the lake house with family. It's always fun to get away, even if just for a night! While browsing for something to watch on Netflix, my hubby came across the documentary Food, Inc. Have you ever seen it? I highly recommend it...it will totally change your outlook on fast food & have you re-thinking where you buy your meat.


The film prompted a trip to a Natural Grocers that recently opened by our house. I was curious to see their selection of all-natural, grass fed meat. I picked up a few things, but I think I'll stick to our local Whole Foods...the overall selection seems to be better.

I did splurge on a couple of magazines that caught my eye. I'm not a chef by any means, but I do like to try out new recipes and I wanted to find a few "healthy" ones to add to my collection. 


 

I haven't read them entirely yet, but I did make the Gluten-Free Potato Chip Crusted Cod recipe for dinner tonight. While the hubby is not a huge fish fan, he seemed pretty pleased.

Both magazines are filled with yummy looking recipes & I hope to try most of them out soon!
 {Our dinner: Gluten-Free Potato Chip Crusted Cod, Baked Potato, Fruit Salad}

Wednesday, July 4, 2012

Happy 4th of July!


We hope everyone has a fun, family filled 4th of July! We're spending the day at our family's lake house and hope to get a little R&R!

Welcome to everyone visiting from the Red, White & You follower-fest. I hope you enjoy our little blog!










Friday, June 29, 2012

{Fashion Friday} A Fashion Filled Fourth

Who says your Fourth of July can't be both festive and fashion filled? Here's a little inspiration on how to look chic while celebrating this year. I've been so excited to get back in shape after having Mr. Brock and ditch my maternity clothes for some fun new frocks. I may have to go hunting for one of these super cute looks to add to my summer closet!

I found all of these looks on Pinterest, but their original sources are below. Follow me on Pinterest to see all of my favorite fashion looks and much more!

Sources {1}{2}{3}{4}