Making Memories: Handmade Valentine's

It's the day before Valentine's Day and Brocky and I spent the morning making homemade Valentine's for some of the special ladies in his life (Grandmothers, of course!). They may look slightly tacky but they are straight from the heart. Can't wait to deliver these sweet creations to some very lucky recipients tomorrow!

Happy Valentine's Day, everyone!

Toddler Approved Valentine's Day

Happy February, friends! We're gearing up for baby boy #2's arrival at the Chase house and I've decided to take a break from prepping for baby to focus on a super fun Valentine's Day party for Brock. It's his last Valentine's Day at home before starting pre-school next year and I wanted to make a day full of fun activities for him. I'm excited that Valentine's falls on a Saturday this year so Daddy will get to participate in all of the fun events too!

Here's what's on our agenda so far:

COLOR: No day is complete in Brock's world without trains, so naturally when I saw these I knew they would be a perfect activity. Want to print a set for your little love bug? You can find them here!

MAKE: Brock and I love making homemade Valentines for the grandparents and relatives we don't get to see often. These are on the list for this year. 

More on these cute creations here and here.

BAKE: No holiday is complete without baking something yummy. Heart shaped sugar cookies should do the trick. Don't these look scrumptious?!?!

Do you have any Valentine's traditions you like to share with your family? Ours sure have changed since starting a family, but I can't complain...we always have so much fun!

Life lately...

Hello, dear friends! So much has changed since my last post and to be honest I'm not sure where to start! First and foremost, I am officially a STAY-AT-HOME MOMMY! Thanks to my amazing husband, our Advocare business and a little update to our budget I was able to walk away from a wonderful corporate job to take care of my little man. I have never been happier and finally feel like I'm fulfilling the plan God has for me.

 

Since I've been home our days have been filled with little adventures, creative learning, play-dates and getting involved with our church's Mother's Association. Here's a little peek from this week...

 

 

 

 

 

Don't be fooled! While we try to fill our days with fun, the reality is that laundry, dishes & other  household chores fill our days too!

 

We're looking forward to a wonderful weekend and hopefully a little sunshine! Happy Saturday!

 

 

Weekend Adventures: Labor Day

Happy Tuesday, Friends! This post is coming to you from a relaxed and refreshed Mommy! We had a wonderful holiday weekend at the Chase house with lots of R&R/family time/birthday celebrations, etc. I am one VERY blessed Mommy!

 

My boys surprised me at work on Friday with a bouquet of roses and a sushi lunch date at Blue Fish. I got a super cute purse that I've been eyeing, and I spent the evening at the first Jesuit football game of the season. Getting older definitely has its perks!

 

Since our daily schedules are always so hectic our goal this weekend was to do as little as possible! Besides completely cleaning the house and grocery shopping we only left to take Brock to the park. It was a short visit due to the scorching heat, but he loved it none the less...

 

 

 

Thank you to everyone who took the time to wish me a happy birthday. Hope you all enjoyed your holiday weekend!

 

Lions + Tigers + Camels...oh my!

It's been awhile and we've been so busy soaking up the summer that I've seriously neglected this blog! Time to catch up on one of my favorite Summer Adventures...Brock's first trip to the Dallas Zoo!

 

Vince + I were so excited to have a long holiday weekend with Brock and we filled it with family time and fun in the sun. Our first stop was the Zoo on July 4th. The weather was perfect and we spent 3 happy hours taking in the sights, sounds and smells! We conveniently arrived during Brock's nap time so guess what he did the 1st hour...

 

 

Yup, little man snoozed half-way around the Zoo before waking up completely in awe of his surroundings. It didn't take long before he was focused and ready to explore!

 

 

 

 

After petting goats, watching the zoo keepers feed the elephants and an up close look at a camel it was safe to say Brock's first trip to the zoo was a huge success!

 

 

 

 

Summer Lovin'

I absolutely adore summers here in Texas. Despite the sometimes unbearable heat, I can't get enough sunshine! Lately we've learned that Brock is obsessed with water! He spends every weekend either in our back yard kiddie pool, at Grammy & PopPop's pool, or at the Chase lake house. We've already created so many fun memories this summer and some of my favorites are from our recent trip to the lake to break in PopPop's new pontoon boat. Brock loved taking naps on the boat soaking up the summer sun and we can't wait to go back for the 4th of July!

 

 

 

We hope everyone has a wonderful weekend filled with little adventures!

 

 



Here's to 3 Years!

Vince and I are celebrating our 3 year wedding anniversary today! It has been an amazing journey and we couldn't be happier with our lives/marriage/family/faith/dreams! Thank you to everyone who helped us celebrate our special day and those who have supported us over the past 3 years. We wouldn't be the people/parents we are without our amazing family and friends.

 

Enjoy the highlight video from our wedding. Still feels like yesterday...

 

Bri + Vincent Wedding Highlights from Elvision Video and Cinema on Vimeo.

 

 

Our First Scare

It's inevitable that we have to experience the sadness of a sick child, and fortunately we had 8 great months before it happened. I took Monday off from work to have a play day with my sweet boy and noticed that his usual smiles and giggles were replaced with tired eyes and crankiness. After his fever escalated to 103 we rushed him to the ER in the middle of the night only to find that he had Strep Throat and a virus...YUCK! Thankfully, he is on the mend and we've even gotten a few smiles today! Can't wait till this little guy is back to his normal spunky self!

In other news...Brock took his first steps on Saturday! Vince and I came home from AdvoCare Success School to witness Brocky tackling another baby milestone! Have a great Wednesday everyone! XOXO

Friday Finds | 2/8

Hello Lovelies! Another work week has come and gone already...woohoo! Today I wanted to share some of the things we've been buzzing about at the Chase house. Hoping to make our "Friday Finds" a weekly posting. Enjoy!

Nate's Seafood - Our favorite cajun/seafood joint in Addison. We're excited to take our cousins Toni & Michael there tonight for a double date (with Brocky)! Who's ready for some crawfish?!?!?

Indoor Safari Park - I just heard of this place thanks to good ole Groupon! We're taking Brocky there next Friday for a family fun day. $4.99 for kids under 1 and $1 for accompanying adult...super fun and easy on the budget!

The Serengeti Resort - We're considering making this our next vacation location! How fun would it be to stay in one of the Outfitter tents? Pretty sure it would be a vacation to remember!

Baby Trend Trenz Fast Back 3-in-1 Car Seat - Brocky has officially outgrown his infant car seat and is moving into a big boy seat! I love the Baby Trend infant seat and jogging stroller so it was the only brand I considered when purchasing a new car seat. Plus, the 3-in-1 model will last until he's 4! We can't wait to try this bad boy out tonight!

On a side note, Brockster has been standing on his own so much lately. He'll walk if we're holding his hand, but hasn't gotten the courage to take a step on his own. I still can't believe this precious boy is 8 months!

 

 

ON THE MENU...

Hello, friends! As we get settled in to the new year, we've made a few changes here at the Chase house. We passionately believe that 2013 is the year we'll reach our goals both personally and professionally. Vince and I have been working hard to transform our physiques and our bank accounts! We're happy to report that in addition to working out everyday (thanks to the AWESOME Can you 24 DVD from AdvoCare), we've manage to only eat out once this month! This is a huge victory for us! I am definitely not known for expertise in the kitchen and our crazy schedules don't give us a lot of time to spend cooking, but we've managed to stick to it and make it work.

With that being said, we're testing out a new system this week. After a trip to Kroger and Sam's Club this weekend I managed to bring home {hopefully} three weeks worth of food. A little menu planning and some preparation/freezing has led to a successful start that we hope to continue! It's more than obvious that the more we go to the store, the more we spend...have you ever left with just what you went in for? If you have, you have way more self control than me...ha! Here's our menu plan for the week...please don't judge, I am not a cook, but am hoping to change that!

 

Sunday : Crockpot Potato Soup

Monday : Leftovers :)

Tuesday : Whole Wheat Spaghetti with Turkey Meat Sauce & Salad

Wednesday : Salmon Patties, Pinto Beans & Salad

Thursday : Pork Chops, Baked Beans & Salad

Friday : Taco Salad

Saturday : Left Overs

 

 

So, there it is! We're 3 days in and so far so good! What are your budgeting/meal planning tips? I'd love to hear some new ideas! XOXO, Bri

A Chase Christmas + A Happy New Year

I know I'm a couple of weeks late, but HAPPY NEW YEAR! This year is off to a crazy, hectic & wonderful start, and a recap of Brock's first Christmas & New Years is long overdue! So, here it is...a simple rundown of our 1st holiday season with the little man!

 

Brocky woke up Christmas morning to a new friend with a very special message from Santa! He loved playing with his "vintage" blocks, train and sock monkey before heading to Mimi Gene's house for a Mexican lunch with Mommy's side of the family.

We loaded up our little SUV and headed to Irving to spend Christmas evening at Uncle Bobby & Aunt Ginny's house! A yummy Italian dinner and a room full of presents made for an exciting evening! Brock got a little fussy being off his sleeping schedule, but still had fun playing with his sweet cousins.

After the hustle + bustle of Christmas, we were pretty excited to have a simple New Years at home. Brock got a new pair of Batman PJs and we were all in bed by 9pm! Props to everyone who managed to ring in the new year at midnight...we started 2013 catching up on some much needed rest!

XOXO, Bri

 

 

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

 

 

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

 

 

 

 

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

{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

 

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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

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

 

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