New Year-New Me?

Here it is New Year's Eve and I can't stop wondering where in the heck 2011 went. The old saying goes, "time flies when you're having fun", so I must be having more fun than I even realize.

Though I'm not usually a fan of the whole New Year's resolution hoop-la, mainly because I have enough time sticking to something for a week much less an entire year so why bother. However, I've decided that perhaps it's time to give a shot. I just had to figure out a way to keep myself acountable-check out my handy little paper chain that not only made a perfectly simple toddler paper craft, but also serves as a visual reminder of what I hope to accomplish.

My list isn't purely resolutions, some is more what I'd call wishes, but nevertheless, this is what I hope 2012 will bring me:

1. Slow down, spend more quality time. (This goes for everyone and everything I enjoy doing. So many times I find myself too preoccupied to really enjoy individual moments. Whether I'm busy taking pictures or just running through my to-do list in my head, I want to learn to slow down and truly savor my time.)

2. Become more involved at church. (This one seems easy enough especially since we're currently discussing revamping the Sunday School program to rotate teachers and I've signed up for that!)

3. Go on a Disney Cruise. (See, I told you some were more wishes :oP I actually did clue DH in on this one tonight and he definitely didn't seem against the idea so *shrugs* we'll see!)

4. Fit comfortably in a size 8 no matter the brand or size. (Sure, I could set myself up a number goal or promise myself to go to the gym X amount of times per week, but that would be setting myself up for failure. An 8 is what a FEW of my jeans are currently but I'm pretty sure they're just "made big". I want to be healthy. I'm a mom of twins. I *think* I have finally faced the music that I'm not getting my teenage body back no matter what I do so I just need to learn to love myself regardless.

5. Get on the road to publishing. (This one is a bit tricky too since I basically know squat about the professional writing world. What I do know is that writing has been something I've enjoyed as far back as I can recall and I've finally realized that no matter what life throws at me, no matter how old or busy I get, I still have a passion for writing. I'm pretty sure it's one of the things I was put here to do.)

6. Get my home, life, and "school" organized. (This totes quite a heavy note too :/ But no matter what, I am and will continue to take steps to get things in true order.)

7. Learn more about photography. (I like learning. I like taking pictures. I figure it just makes sense to study a bit to find out how to maximize my skill.)

There you have it. That's it. These are my grand plans for 2012! Hopefully by this time next year there will be nothing left of my paper chain :o)

Lovable Elf on the Shelf Ideas

We LOVE, LOVE, LOVE our "Elf on the Shelf", Herbie. My sweet MIL bought him last year for the girls and though I sat him out they weren't really old enough to get into or understand the whole thing. But this year?! That's a whole different story! They LOVE Herbie and are so excited to find him in the mornings!

I have browsed several sites, stalked plenty of friends with elves, and came up with ideas of my own to compile a pretty hefty list of great "Elf on the Shelf" ideas.

I love my kids and all the excitement that comes with the elf but I am a far too busy mom to be dishing out major elf messes for me to clean up, nor do I have tons of time to set up/carry out ellaborate schemes, so if you're looking for over the top, look elsewhere. These are simple but cute, down to earth, and doable ideas for your elf.

Before I share my list with you, let me share a little background info about how things generally work around here with the elf.

First off, (in case you don't have the book) our elf comes for the first time the night of Thanksgiving. This year I just sat him out in plain sight for them to see when they got out of their bath. Since they can't read yet it didn't cross my mind to write a note saying how much he missed them and how happy he was to be back or anything, but I saw where a friend of mine did that and it was cute, so I WILL be stealing that for next year and it also inspired me to write notes from our elf here and there-when needed.

Secondly, our elf doesn't do something grand every single night, plus it wouldn't take long to run out of ideas and energy if you did it big every single night. In fact, our elf is a pretty mellow guy at first, and gradually starts getting trickier as it gets closer and closer to the big day. The actual 7 days of Christmas week, he'll go nuts! That's when I'll pull out the big guns (as big as my messaphobia guns get)! And, if I can tie him into our day's planned activities than I'll do that-for instance one day he was lying across the top of my rearview mirror because we would be in the car for the better part of the day just running errands and such. He also is a great avenue for giving small stocking type gifts (see #4).

Thirdly, our elf isn't usually exactly hidden. I tend to leave him in about the same spot, just maybe doing something silly. My reason is that they just can't stand not to touch him if they can, so I've found sitting him on the kitchen counter eliminates this issue. Because he is often in the same vicinity, I've decided that before he comes out next year I'll come up with an "elf door" of some kind to put on the counter to better explain why he is so often there.

Okay, enough suspense already! Here are my favorite Elf on the Shelf ideas (thus far):

1. Set up a set of dominos in a simple pattern to be knocked over-the dominos would keep little ones busy for a while and are great to use in homeschool math (think counting dots, matching numbers, addition/subtraction, etc.)
2. In the shower/bathroom with a message written in steam on the mirror for them to discover at bath/shower time
3. Crepe paper barricade on the bedroom door and have elf sitting somewhere noticable on the left over roll
4. On tub with a message written in tub paint/crayon (bath crayons make a GREAT stocking stuffer so if your little one doesn't have them or is in need of new ones this would be a fun way to give them)
5. Toilet paper the Christmas tree (you don't have to waste the whole roll-a little bab will do ya and get the funny point across)
6. In the candy bowl with a couple empty wrappers lying about and chocolate smeared on his face
7. Eating milk and cookies
8. Lay out clothes for the next day (or jammies if they find him at night) mismatched or the wrong size
9. Leave a message on a snow covered car window or with window paint in cases where snow isn't present
10. Make the beginnings of a paper chain-this would be a fun way to lead into a craft for the day
11. Hang family undies on the tree or in place of stockings
12. Hang from a chandelier or ceiling fan (I think being tangled in a parachute (think little plastic toy parachuting man style) would be adorable
13. Draw silly faces/mustaches on framed photos with a dry erase marker
14. Sitting in a toy car and have a small "race track" laid out in masking tape
15. Playing a board/card game with other toy friends
16. Having a tea party with other toy friends
17. Reading a book, newspaper, magazine, digital reader, etc.
18. Listening to music (think on radio or with headphones on)
19. Playing video games
20. Drawing/coloring/painting
21. Spell out a silly message such as "Elves Rule" or "Good Morning" in gold fish crackers, cereal, whatever you have handy
22. Build a block tower (Ours did this already because the girls left them out the night before.They couldn't have them back all day because we CAN'T touch our elf or he will lose his magic. Needless to say they've been more mindful of picking up before bed!)
23. Leave something silly in their shoes (rocks, bouncy balls, toilet paper, etc.) and the elf close by
24. Hide one shoe of every member of the family and find the elf with the pile of missing shoes
25. Plant "magic seeds". Follow water directions your elf leaves you and within a day or two secretly replace them with goodies that "grew" from the seeds! This one buys you a couple of SUPER easy days-just give new directions of what to do to your "plant". Or perhaps this would be good for if you were going out of town-let the kids do the seed planting and you replace them with goodies (think suckers) after everyone is in the car
26.  If you're planning on making cookies find your elf making a "snow angel" in sugar (flour is MUCH more difficult to clean up and get off your elf)
27. Make reindeer food-find the elf with directions and/or a "please do NOT (with the NOT crossed out) feed the animals" sign
28. Add a few drops of food coloring to the potty and tell the kids that is what color elves pee
29. Add a few drops of food coloring to the milk and leave the elf in the fridge close by
30. Take a few silly pictures of the elf, print them out, and leave them with a toy camera
31. Building marshmallow snowmen in the pantry
32. Sitting by coffee pot enjoying elf donuts "aka Cheerios"
33. Sitting atop a paper airplane-another fun craft for the day
34. In the car and let Christmas music BLARE when you start the ignition
35. Playing sick with a thermometer under his arm, medicine (aka candy) scattered about, tissues, etc. and maybe a note saying how he caught the cold the family has
36. Playing doctor for a sick member of the family
37. With a note of all the wonderful things he loves about your darling
38. Play pranks on mom and dad (hide keys, brush, put bows in their hair or maybe even write a silly note on their forehead-think of how hilarious this would be to a child old enough to read! of course the parent(s) would pretend not to know until the child pointed it out had a good laugh about it)
39. Do ANY noticable chore
40. Hiding in the cabinet under a clear glass with a ribbon leading to him and a "naughty gram" reporting soemthing extremely naughty they did the day before
41. Fishing-in toilet, sink, tub, toy fish bowl (I borrowed one where the magnetic fish swim around)
42. Add something silly to the child's homework (okay this with their teacher first)
43. Making a phone call with a toy phone
44. Drinking sryup through a straw-let this lead to pancakes/waffles/french toast for breakfast
45. Paint on red Rudolph noses while sleeping (mom and dad's noses would be fine if you're afraid your little may wake up)
46. On a "date" with Barbie
47. Playing dress up (mom's makeup/jewlery or any doll accessory)
48. Watch movie with popcorn and remote control
49. Napping on a Kleenex box (one folded as a pillow and one for a blanket)
50. Holding tickets to something fun like a movie or bowling
51. Make a small mess with toothpaste
52. Covered in holiday stickers and leave a sheet for each child
53. Decorating with candy canes
54. Wrap gifts and make it appear that your elf did it-leave some safety scissors, tape, and a few shreds of paper around him
55. Cut out pictures from magazines to create the elf's "wish list"
56. Short sheet the beds and leave elf in bedroom
57. Hang from mistletoe and scatter Hershey's kisses on the floor
58. Hang wet undergarments outside or place them in the freezer
59. Roasting marshmallows over a candle/stove burner/near fireplace-make s'mores
60. Leave candy coal for naughty behavior
61. Fly from doorway/ceiling like Super Elf
62. Leave a message in the snow with "snow paint" (colored Koolaid in spray bottles) and leave the paint for the children to play with later
63. Pin a fluffy bunny tail on the bottom of everyone's pj's in the night (cotton balls will work)
64. Scatter some cookie cutters around and leave the recipe for salt dough and make ornaments
65. Make a big Naughty/Nice list with names of people you know, make sure your child's name is movable
66. Make it "snow" inside by hanging lots of paper snowflakes and spraying the window sills with spray snow (another craft!)
67. Put jingle bells on the kids' shoes
68. Find the elf with a bowl of popcorn, needle, and thread and the beginnings of popcorn garland (yet another craft)
69. Hanging out in the freezer with a toy ice cream cone with real ice cream/frozen yogurt for dessert
70. Displaying a "______ more days 'til Christmas!" banner

Christmas at Opryland was Shrektacular!

We made it back from our family winter vacation to Gaylord Opryland Resort in Nashville, TN. We had a fantastic time and will definitely be going back at some point in the future.

Opryland is just gorgeous and there is so much to see and do. It is perfectly family friendly and was just all around a pleasure.

I think the highlight of the trip for all of us was the "Ice!" exhibit featuring the story line from Merry Madagascar. It was not only breathtakingly cold (a bone chilling 9 degrees) but even more so beautiful. We were literally in awe of the sculptures and to put the icing on this already sweet cake, the tour ended with ice slides! Yes, you read that right, SLIDES made out of ICE!

The girls enjoyed seeing all the characters (Shrek, Fiona, Po, Puss in Boots, Alex, and the rest of the gang), from a distance that is. They were terrified if we got too close, but always insisted that they were ready to see them again as soon as they were out of sight.

The culinary highlight was by far lunch on the day of our departure. We met the girls' great grandparents for lunch at a picturesque southern plantation style home turned restaurant called Monell's at the Manor. The service was only topped by the mouthwatering southern fare. We're talking the works here people-fried chicken and catfish, homemade biscuits and cornbread, white beans, turnip greens, corn pudding, German potato salad, chicken salad, fried green tomatoes, and banana pudding for dessert! This meal was seriously heavenly!

For our first real family vacation I'd say it went extremely well! That's a good thing too since DH and I both love to travel and plan on giving the girls experiences like this instead of material things that eventually wear out or get broken.

Another Swing at a Fitness Challenge

I would apologize before hand for the failure that I have become so known for at this kind of thing, but I'm not. This time, I'm on the FOR REAL! I will not only lose the extra poundage, but this time I WILL keep it off!

Morgalina, over on the WTE site, has issued a brand new Fitness Challenge open to anyone who would like to participate. She is posting suggested workout routines and all sorts of helpful hints.

I have blogged about journeys like this before on Twins! A Mother's Joy and Insanity Doubled, and though I do great while actively engaged in the challenge, I tend to fall off the band wagon shortly after. It's terribly disheartening :o(

I just can't seem to get it through my thick head that I no longer have the metabolism or something I had before having the girls. Before pregnancy I was that girl who could eat whatever she wanted and didn't seem to gain weight.

Now, I've always been athletically built, so I've never been a bean pole by any stretch of the imagination, but I was always had a really nice figure-bikini worthy.

My trouble seems to lie in the "stick with it" part, so I've decided that fad diets and extreme measures of any kind are not for me. I need something I can stick with forever and ever amen.

That's where this new little list comes in. I've started compiling a list of small alterations to make into daily habits that I HOPE will solve my problem once and for all.

For starters, this is my plan (I will probably add new things as time rocks on and all of these things are second nature):
1. have a glass of water before eating-every single time
2. No calorie or real sugar drinks-stick to water, splenda tea, diet sodas (no more than 1 per day), and Crystal Light
3. Have milk only for breakfast (I do this 90% of the time any way. I'm just not normally hungry in the mornings anymore.)
4. Exercise REGULARLY (this I'm having to force at the moment and not doing so great at it :/)
5. Only have bread ONCE per day. (I'm a total breadaholic! I could make an entire meal off of bread-SOOO bad for my thighs!)
6. Nothing but water after 6:30pm. (I had gotten in the habit of eating something sweet after the girls went to bed. That can NOT be helping things!)

So, there you have it. I'm committed. I'm starting right now (which kind of actually stinks since we're about to go on a little Christmas mini-vacation and one of my mottos USED to be "calories don't count on vacation, the weekends, or celebrations).

If you're interested in joining just fall right in! The more the merrier :o)

What Carol Burnett and I Have in Common-3FT

Three things I do on December 1st (traditionally or just for today): Hmmm......am I a wierdo? I have no “December 1^st” traditions. Instead today was rather ho-hum. We only left the house to have lunch with DH at a new little cafe a few towns away. The highlight of that was that he won the girls THREE stuffed animals out of one of those quarter toy machines with ONE quarter! LMBO, our exciting life :oP Then he won two more! Yes, we left there with 5 new toys in tow *eye roll*

Three “blessings” I’m grateful I do NOT have: 1. More children.  2. A call to scary ministry like leaving the country or something. 3. I’m drawing a blank now. I had the thought to go cheat off someone else’s paper, like maybe Hanging by a Silver Lining’s (she creates these nifty questionnaires BTW), but the “good girl” in me won’t allow it :oP

Three things I spend waaay too much time doing: 1. I’m a total Pinterest addict. Is there a support group for that?! 2. Making lists. It’s seriously out of control. My lists HAVE lists. No wonder I never feel like I get anything done. 3. Eating. Actually, I don’t think I spend too much time, just way too many calories. Dang sweet tooth! Go swell somebody else up :o(

Three things that Carol Burnett and I have in common: 1. We both know what it’s like to “dripping with little girls”. 2. We both can only half sing, but clearly enjoy it enormously. 3. Both of us dreamed of having a twin sister when we were little. I actually got twins to keep for always, IDT she got that lucky ;)

Three fads I find absolutely 100% ridiculous: 1. Skinny jeans on guys. It’s really not cute. What next? Dudes in bras? Skirts? This whole “equality” thing is really getting out of hand. 2. Big humongous bug-eye glasses. NOBODY’S eyes are THAT big! You look like flies. Take them off! 3. The whole over-the-top green/hug the earth/protect myself and my children to the point of bubble wrapping our bodies..........okay, that was a bit much, but seriously, we’re all gonna go one day or another. Science changes its mind daily. In my opinion the stress of worrying over every little thing is probably more damaging than the faint trace of whatever “they” found on my store bought produce.

First Snow of Winter 2011

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Sparkling Snowflakes Christmas

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Having a Big Family-When is it Time to Stop?

Having a big family is definitely not the norm these days. In fact, having a big family is such an uncommon thing they are filming reality shows about it.

Unless you’ve been living under a rock you’ve probably heard that the Duggars are now expecting their 20^th child. Now that’s a REALLY big family by my standards!

But, when faced with the question of this week’s “Hot Topic Tuesday”, “when is a big family too big”, I can’t say that I have a definite answer for that.

I’ve read Enyo’s post on Motherhood Looms as well as Heather’s post over on Parenting Patch and I must say that I totally agree with both of them. As long as certain criteria are met, then it’s not my place (or anyone else’s) to say what’s too big a family for them.

The main question that comes to mind for me is:

*Can the parents provide for the family without government assistance? This includes of course all the basic needs: food, clothing, and shelter but also “necessities” like health care and love/attention.

If the answer is “yes” to the above then I just can’t see it being any of anyone’s business how many children make up the family.

Is a big family for me? No way! LOL, DH and I had “planned” on having an only child. God however, had other plans for us and for it, we couldn’t be more thrilled. I absolutely could not imagine my life without either one of my girls, but I also simply couldn’t imagine having 20 of them either :oP

Let’s hear it! What do you think? Are big families the way to go? Why or why not? What’s your “perfect” number family and why?

Happy Mommy Journey-The Beginning

Wow. I didn't realize it had been so long since I posted :/ Where have I been?!

Well, I've been quite busy between Halloween, changing out our holiday home decor to reflect the Thanksgiving season, nursing my sick babies back to health (they both had an ear infection and then one also got a UTI), hosting a Pampered Chef party, and just dealing with day to day life in general.

Lame excuses. I know. But, I left out a big occupier of my time the past few days. I'm reading a new book, "The Happiness Project". I'm completely and thoroughly enthralled.

To say that I'm reading a book titled such may make it sound as if I'm not already a happy mommy, but that's not so. I'm very happy, but I'm a believer in "there's always room for improvement".

I'm kind of shocked at myself for even giving this book a shot since I'm pretty anti self-help type books, but something about it caught my eye and reeled me in. Now I'm done; hook, line, and sinker.

I haven't made it all the way through yet and I'm taking notes as I go so be prepared to hear plenty more about this as I'm determined to host a "happiness project" of my own. I may not be as dedicated as author Gretchen Rubin was to hers, but I'm sure going to try. Just so much of what she is saying in this books sounds as if I could've very written it myself or perhaps as if she has my brain on wire tap.

With so many things going on and life racing by the way it notoriously does, I think a "Happiness Project" is just what I need!

Three for Thursday

Three things I stole from my kids’ Halloween candy stash: 1. Strawberry Laffy Taffy-I actually had to STEAL this as there was only one and M was dead set she was NOT going to share with me. *insert evil laugh* That’ll teach her to turn her head! 2. Skittles 3. All jaw breakers (to throw in the trash-NOT to eat!)

Three things I buy that have to be name brand: 1. Velveeta cheese if I’m making “Rotel” dip (I will however purchase off brand “Rotel”) 2. Ovaltine (not sure if that as a name brand but I don’t want just any chocolate milk mix) 3. Peter Pan peanut butter (this is a brand new addiction, but I have to side with DH on this one-it’s the best peanut butter out there!)

Three things I spend more than fifteen minutes doing every day: 1. Wasting time on the computer 2. Cooking, especially since I’ve been finding all these BOMB recipes on Pinterest (follow me!) 3. Wiping someone’s butt (with three behinds to tend to, I’m certain it would all add up to more than fifteen minutes)

Three things that put me in a fantastic mood: 1. Singing and dancing like a complete idiot to some upbeat music-today’s jam of choice: “Mean” by Taylor Swift. K changed up the lyrics, “Someday, I’ll be living in the Emerald City and all you’re ever gonna be is ME!” Yes, my girls are a tad obsessed with the Wizard of Oz-see Double the Dorothy ;) 2. Laughing and talking with my favorite girl friends (I miss you!) 3. Traveling. I absolutely don’t care where I’m going, but just “going” gets me all giddy!

Three things I do that a grown woman has no right to be doing anymore: 1. Sliding across the floor in my socks-when I break something (oh, say a hip) I'm going to tell myself "I told you so!" 2. Cracking up at totally inappropriate things. I’m assuming my terribly warped sense of humor will never leave me 3. Sneaking sweets-I buy them for Pete’s sake, there is NO reason to SNEAK them!

Check out what the Parenting Patch had to say for 3 for Thursday!

Wordless Wednesday-Double the Dorothy

Friday Fill-Ins Despite Distraction

It’s Friday again already, you know what that means…..Friday Fill-Ins! I’ve been meaning to do this all day but we’ve been running full steam since breakfast. I hope I’m able to form a complete thought here as I sit watching the final game of the World Series. (Just for the record, I can’t believe I just typed that since I would have never foreseen myself watching baseball, yet here I sit totally engrossed.) Any way……..here we go!

1. Beware of coming between a mama and her babies. Seriously, I’ve been seeing some serious stuff here lately and it’s all stemming from messing with somebody’s babies. *shivers*

2. All I want for Christmas is snow. For real though, I would LOVE to see a “white Christmas” but otherwise, Mother Nature can keep it.

3. And since we will be out trick-or-treating Monday night, I carved a pumpkin to serve as a candy dish. I’m crossing my fingers for the “honor system” to come through for me!

4. Do I believe in spirits? Yup, the good book says “things seen and unseen”.

5. “Where in the World is Carmen San Diego” used to be one of my favorite shows as a child. I would LOVE to see reruns to see if it’s really as cool as I remember!

6. My homemade potato soup is one of my favorite meals when it's cold out.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to a long, hot, uninterrupted shower, tomorrow my plans include picking up the house, a birthday party, and then an adult Halloween party, and Sunday, I want to go to church and relax!

Thankful Thursday-Afternoon Naps

Today was one of those days that I’ve been hanging on by a thread. I woke up, too early, on the wrong side of the bed. Murphy’s Law was in full force and I’m pretty sure there was an actual little black cloud floating over my head just waiting to burst out in showers and lightening.

I was such a bear that I actually apologized to my girls for my obscene grumpiness and their response brought me to tears. Toddlers clearly love like dogs-unconditionally.

M told me, “It’s okay mommy. We forgive you.” I swear those are the sweetest words I’ve heard to date.

I was sitting in the floor and was chocked up so instead of saying anything in return I simply opened my arms and they came running. *melts*
The day went a little smoother from this point on and then when their nap time came along, the clouds opened up, my mind was able to take a break, and I actually caught a nap too!

When we all got up I wish I could say that the evening was filled with grins and giggles, but I can’t. It was the girls’ turn to be crabby :o(
Without my nap I may just have been shipped off to the funny farm. I made it through with all of my hair intact and without a one way ticket to a padded room; success!

As simple as a nap sounds, today, I am beyond thankful!

Wordless Wednesday-Cotton Pics 2011

13 Nights of Halloween-Mummies for Supper

Here’s proof that you don’t have to go over the top to thrill little ones. We had mummies for supper during our 13 Nights of Halloween and my 2 ½ year old identical twin girls gave it rave reviews!

For the meal part, I simply wrapped small cocktail sausages in croissant rolls to make them resemble mummies. To spice it up I added cheese to some. These are totally simple and very versatile. You could put anything you like inside or even brush the top with whatever you like. Mine didn’t turn out gorgeous, but for a 10 minute meal and the reaction it got from my two little goblins, I give it a big “two thumbs up”.

To complement our mummy dinner I wrapped juice boxes in white crepe paper and stuck on googly eyes for “Mummy Juice”. Again, simple is too complicated a word to describe this little project but oh the excitement they caused!

Hot Topic Tuesday-Parenting with Confidence and Sleeping Alone

Parenting with confidence can be tough these days with advice flying in from every which direction and most of them too busy contradicting each other to offer anything I find “sound”. So when it comes to raising my identical twin girls I’ve let my instincts do the guiding for the most part, but in no area so much as our family sleeping arrangements.

To be quite frank, before jumping into the blogosphere I didn’t know the difference between co-sleeping, bedsharing, and all that other stuff. What I did know was what I learned from my own experiences growing up.

As a child my father was out of the home 30 days at a time leaving my mother and me alone. Looking back I would suppose that bedsharing was as much for her comfort as it was for mine, but I was the one having to deal with the excruciatingly difficult separation issues when dad came home and I faced an empty bed.

I vividly recall the stress I felt lying in bed alone when daddy was home. I remember the embarrassment I felt when I refused sleepovers at friends’ homes because I was too embarrassed to admit that I was afraid to sleep in my own bed. And probably most terrible of all, I still shiver at the horrific nightmares I had when I laid in bed alone and fell asleep completely terrified.

Before you get any wrong ideas, my mom was, and still is, one the best mothers this world has ever seen. She had no idea that bedsharing would cause me all this undue stress, and I’ve never shared it with her for fear of hurting her feelings or causing her guilt.

However, when I finally got a handle on my feelings and a grip on my fear, I promised myself that I would never, under any circumstances risk putting my children through the torture of bedsharing. Don’t get me wrong, lying in bed next to my mom was a feeling of pure bliss and there are days that I still long to snuggle up beside her, but the terror of breaking that bond is not something I would wish on even my worst enemy.

DH knew where I stood on the sleeping situation and was happy to oblige since 4 people won’t comfortably fit in a queen size bed anyway so before I checked into the hospital we had our family sleeping arrangements set up and lined out.

We placed a pack-n-play in our room directly beside our bed so that we could easily monitor our girls, have easy access to them for night feedings, but also so that the bedsharing habit would not form.

For the first 12 weeks they slept snuggly here and it worked like a charm. After that we moved them to their own room and their own separate cribs.

We’ve had no issues to speak of to date and they are 32 months young.
Despite all the hype of the hippie style attachment parenting craze I do not feel guilty for teaching my girls to sleep in their own space. We are happy with our choices and they work for us.

Check out some other mommies' opinions on Motherhood Looms and the Parenting Patch!

13 Nights of Halloween-Glow Bath

Nothing says spooky like an eerie glow! That's why I fell in love with the idea of putting glow sticks in the tub for one of our fun "13 Nights of Halloween".

In just about any "Dollar Aisle" or "Dollar Store" you can find packages of glow sticks, bracelets, and necklaces. Kids go crazy for them, you put forth next to no money or effort, and everyone has fun! What's not to love?!

The picture here doesn't show much, but that was kind of the point, I mean, who wants nekkie pics of their kids on the net?! LOL, you can clearly get the point and I wish I could bottle their excitement and post it here for you to literally feel/see. They thought it was the coolest thing ever!

I think for older children it would be really neat to make some spooky eyes out of neon paper or glow paint and post around the walls to give this idea a little something extra!

13 Nights of Halloween-Masquerade Ball

My girls love to watch Mickey Mouse club house and one of their favorite episodes is "Minnie's Masquerade Ball". I thought our "13 Nights of Halloween" would be the perfect time to host our very own "mask-carade", so we did!

I found these perfectly adorable and free printable masks on FoldingTrees!

It didn't take any time to print these babies, cut 'em out, and loop a couple of rubberbands to each. I printed out four of the five available masks (I thought the vampire was a bit too spooky for us)and we had a ball at our "Masquerade Ball".

I had intended on not donning them until after supper but the girls spotted them on the counter and pleaded to try them out immediately. We had a grand time eating incognito and then dancing ourselves silly afterward!

Help Me Save the Ta-Tas!!!!

A big hello to all who were kind enough to even open this post!

Unless you live under a rock you probably know by now that October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and in light of that, and how close to home it hits for so many lovely ladies I know, I am running this weekend in the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure.

Each participant is asked to raise $150, this is approximately the amount one mammogram costs, and I still haven't reach my goal.

If you are so inclined to donate to this worthy cause please do so in my name by clicking this direct link to the Susan G. Komen site!

Thank you, God bless, and please pass this on!

13 Nights of Halloween-Scarecrow Building

So this evening was round two in our 13 Nights of Halloween celebration and we "built scarecrows". Older children may not get a kick out of this but my two 2 1/2 year olds sure did! They colored all of the scarecrow pieces, I cut them out, and then they put them together using Elmer's Glue Dots.

K worked really hard to get his legs on "just right".......

LOL, hope she doesn't plan on being a chiropractor when she grows up!

M was all into putting her scarecrow together......

And she did a REALLY great job!

When they were through of course they had to go on display! They chose to hang them over their table....on their respective sides of course! (This is a new twin behavior I'll have to share with you later ;)

Remember to check back tomorrow to see what's coming next in the 13 Nights of Halloween!!!!

13 Nights of Halloween-Ogre Eye Soup

To kick off our first annual "13 Nights of Halloween" tradition I made us all what I called "Ogre Eye Soup". I got the idea from Pinterest.com where it was dubbed "Ogre Eyes Hot Cocoa" :o) I'll be honest and say that I used packaged hot cocoa and my two year olds were plenty excited. And because I was a goober and didn't take a picture, here is what it should look like:

Thankful Thursday-All the Little Things

With yesterday being the girls’ first day of preschool and having a whole day to myself, some strange things occurred.

I checked several things off my to-do list. I grocery shopped and managed to not only get out of the store with everything on my list, but also had the courage to use my coupons. I had lunch with a girlfriend complete with adult conversation and laughs. But most importantly, I completed several entire thoughts.

A couple of these thoughts were just how thankful I am for all the little things in life that we more often than not take for granted.

A warm cozy bed, the sound of little girl giggles, food in our mouths, friendships, and the freedom to do as we please.

When I went to pick my girls up I was bombarded with enthusiastic hugs and exclamations of excitement from them to see me too.

A little time alone gave me a chance to appreciate all the little things that either go unnoticed or (I’m ashamed to admit this but feel that I must) just plain annoy me from time to time.

There may be a cold chill on the wind today, but there is warmth in my heart for all the little things!

Wordless Wednesday-First Day of Preschool

Hot Topic Tuesday-Toddler Leash too Taboo?

To leash or not to leash-that is the question. The answer for my family is a huge TO LEASH when it’s necessary.

As a mommy of twins I feel that I have to do whatever it takes to keep my precious baby girls safe and using a toddler harness is in my “bag of tricks”.

I’ve stated my opinion on this topic before and my stance was the same back then as it is now.

I just don’t get all the negative views of toddler leashing. The dog scenario is just overkill and I stand by my point that if you love a dog enough to leash it why would you NOT a child. But beyond that, I am stumped at this:

It’s perfectly acceptable to literally strap a child to your body completely limiting their ability to explore the world around them, but heaven forbid you instead tether a child to you giving them somewhat free range to experience life for themselves. Bizarre to say the least.

Although I am completely “pro-leash”, I will admit that my personal experience using them with twins has not been exactly pleasant. Actually, to be completely honest, our few go ‘rounds with them have been chaotic and perhaps borderline tragic. Let me explain.

The only times I thought I would ever use the harnesses was when I was completely alone with them out and about. They’ve never been fond of the stroller and have always preferred to walk. Since they started walking around 10 ½ months it feels as if this has been a battle for us since day one.

Anyway, I bought the harnesses with the best of intentions.

However, the couple of times that I have used them out in public, alone with my children I was 99% sure that Child Protection Services would be called on me. I felt like the poster child for “Bad Mom of the Month”. One girl would toddle in one direction, the other in another, and there I was trying my best to blaze a path to my own desired destination. Truly, in my experience it has been nothing but a recipe for disaster!

This pic isn't great but you can see how one in each hand could get ugly fast ;)

Someone would trip and fall, screaming would ensue. Her sister would attempt to make a mad dash away while I was helping up Clumsy and in turn get sling-shotted backwards and we’d all end up in a sweaty thrashing pile of miserableness.

Although I can’t even recall the last time I used my kid leashes, I can tell you exactly where they are in case I ever feel the need to take another swing at them. What do you think? A few of my fellow mommy bloggers are also on the “Leashing” wagon: Enyo @ Motherhood Looms , The Parenting Patch, and more.

Monday Madness-Simple Halloween Craft Keepsakes

Mondays are normally crazy busy around here and today is no exception. The girls both have dentist appointments this morning and it's an hour drive in both directions. Needless to say, they are in the tub and I am taking a moment to share with you a couple of too cute not to do Halloween crafts to help freeze fall memories in time.

You can learn to make both of these adorable crafts simply by clicking this link!

Concert of Inappropriate Dance Moves and Other Weekend Fun

Wow, what a crazy-fun-busy weekend we've had! Friday around noon MIL and I loaded 4 little girls into her vehicle and headed out for the weekend.

Estrogen levels were through the roof running between 3 2 1/2 year olds, a 6 year old (going on 16), and MIL and me (no need to mention our ages). LOL

Our first stop was in Mountain View AR were we walked the square and listened to good ol' "bug-stompin" music. From there we headed to Blanchard Springs Caverns to wade in the creek. I was a little afraid we were going to have go back into town to buy a tent to pitch as the girls fell in love and didn't want to leave.

From Blanchard we drove about an hour over to Mountain Home which is where "the lake" is. Once there, settled, and fed, we got the party started with an out of this world karaoke/dance party. My hoot of a niece wrote the name of the festivities on a wipe board:

(The concert of inappropriate dance moves.)

The next day we went to Mountain Home Berry Farm and had a GREAT time! And finally, today, we came home! Pooped doesn't cut it, but I wouldn't trade these memories for anything in the world!

Mommy2twincesses Gets a Makeover!

That’s right! My blog got prettified thanks to the fantabulous Mrs. Angie Vinez with Angie Vinez Designs.

I met this lovely lady through the Featured Blogger program on What to Expect.com and she just continues to amaze me!

I’m not totally technologically illiterate, but I could have never pulled off something as grand as the layout she created for me!

Between raising her gorgeous brood, blogging like mad on her site Blessed Beyond Words, and doing this design thing, I don’t know how she keeps up. But, nevertheless she does it, and she does it well!

I’m so grateful for your help Angie and I’ll be tooting your horn forever more :oP

For anyone interested I give her a BIG two thumbs up!

Wordless Wednesday-Cotton Patch Kids

Marriage After Twins-How to Manage

Hey guys! I'm SO excited to announce that my very first article has been posted to Twiniversity.com! If you're interested in ways to strengthen your marriage after the birth of multiples, check out Marriage After Multiples: Building a Team fit for Twinnies

Thanks a ton and feel free to share it with your friends :o)

Friday Fill In

Yep, I decided this meme was pretty fun so I'm on board for good. Okay, as on board as I can be while still living up to the wishy washyness I'm known for :oP

1. How can I get my workouts in with two tiny crazy people clinging to my legs?!

2. I’m just trying to keep my eyes open at the moment.

3. That summer, the one that I was able to rock that teeny Hilfiger bikini, I wish I had that body back :/

4. My Mamaw was hateful and we respected that because we were scared of getting whacked with the cane.

5. What was their names?! 11 years has been a LONG time ago. *head slap* Class reunions :/

6. I’m addicted to Facebook because it lets me stay in touch.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to sleeping GOOD (thank you ambien), tomorrow my plans include a 5K first thing in the morning, followed by the girls’ fall pictures, and then two birthday parties, and Sunday, I want to recuperate from Saturday’s craziness!

In the Minds of Munchkins-Kiddy Questionnaire

I saw this adorable questionnaire on iammomtoo and just couldn’t resist seeing what my two munchkins would say! If you compare our lists you’ll find that mine vary slightly because at 2 ½ years old, my identical twin girls didn’t fully understand some of her questions. Oh, and um, I’m missing a few altogether because they got bored with it and ran away.

1. What is something mommy always says to you? “I love you thiiiiiiiiiiis much!” (M)

2. What makes mommy happy? “Her girls!” (K) Boy, these two seem to know me well ;)

3. What makes mommy sad? “Daddy don’t.” (M) and “When I pee pee in the floor like teddy.” (K) This imagery comes from their book about potty training! LOL

4. How does mommy make you laugh? I got a no word answer here as they both started giggling, doing silly faces, and flapping their arms. *shrugs* They’ve got me pegged, we’re always clowning around.

5. How old is mommy? “7!” Thanks M :oP

6. How tall is mommy? “BIG!” M actually said this but they both stretched their arms up high above their heads.

7. What is mommy’s favorite thing to do? “Work.” Not real sure where M got this answer, perhaps she thought I said “least favorite thing to do”.

8. What does mommy do when you’re not here? This got another round of giggles followed with K’s exclamation, “Play!”

9. What is mommy really good at? “Singing Dora!” (M) Funny to me, they are always correcting me when I make up my own words ;)

10. What is mommy’s job? “Working.” I swear I thought a big “DUH!” was going to spill out of M’s mouth next, LOL

11. What is mommy’s favorite food? “Celery!” (K) Okay, this made me laugh out loud because we NEVER have celery because I despise it!

12. What is mommy’s favorite color? “Green.” (M) “Because your night shirt is green.” (K) *head slap* That explains it all! Perhaps my breath smelled like celery :/

13. What is mommy’s favorite animal? “A cat.” (M) “No, she likes elephants!” (K)

14. What do we do together? “Talk to each other.” (K) Between 3 females mouths, we do a LOT of talking to each other!

15. What is mommy’s favorite place to go? “Running errands.” (M) I guess it would seem that way since that’s my usual answer to “where are we going”.

16. Who is mommy’s best friend? “ME!” (K) “Nana!” (M)

17. What does mommy say? “Aye, matey!” (M in her best pirate voice) Again, I hooted aloud!

I love getting little glimpses into their minds and will probably do little questionnaires with them more often. If you do something similar feel free to post your link in the comments below so I can check it out!

Thankful Thursday-Within these Four Walls

This morning I’ve been busy chasing girls, paying bills, and picking up messes. I admit to moments of frustration, but right now, at this moment, I’m thankful for the chaos contained with the walls of our home!
Crazy active girls remind me how thankful I am too not only having been blessed with one beautiful healthy child, but two. Hence the title of my blog-Twice Blessed ;)

Paying bills isn’t fun by anyone’s standards I’m sure, but I sure am thankful to have a loving and supportive husband who goes out every day and works hard to make sure those bills can be paid and our material needs are met.

And the messes, SMH, well the messes again are just testimony to how greatly we’ve been blessed. Crumbs on the floor mean that we all have enough in our tummies. Laundry scattered about goes to show that we’ve got clothes on our backs. Tripping over shoes reminds me to be thankful that we’ve got shoes on our feet. And so on, and so on.

God’s blessings are everywhere and I know I’m guilty of not saying “thank you” enough. Small day to day frustrations are living testimonies to all we truly do have to be thankful for. I saw a quote the other day that really made me think. It went like this: “What if you woke up tomorrow with only the things you thanked God for today?”
There isn’t a single thing I would want to wake up without! Thank you Lord for your blessings in abundance!

Wordless Wednesday 10/5-Twins' First Fall

How to Train Your Husband

If they can make a movie about how to train a dragon why on earth has someone not made an instructional guide for husbands?! I mean, really now! As much as I love mine, I really do need some help in the “training” department.

The twinks and I are the luckiest three girls in the world to have DH to call our own, and while he’s absolutely fantastic at some things, like being our provider, making us laugh and feel special, he totally stinks at others like doing the small things that would make my life easier.

For instance, I can’t even begin to imagine how I would react if on a daily basis: he put his dirty dishes INTO the dishwasher instead of just in the sink or on the counter, his dirty clothes made it into the laundry sorter and not just wherever they fell, his shoes were taken off at the door instead of being tromped through the house leaving trails of mud and grain, his closet was kept neat and tidy instead of looking like a bomb went off in there, his towels made it to the laundry basket instead of making damp spots wherever he felt like draping them, phones were returned to the charger so we wouldn’t have to run around like crazy people looking for one every time it rang………this list could continue, but you see what I mean!

God love him, he’s never lived on his own, thank goodness or he may have been eaten alive by rats in his sleep. It has to be that right?! Just that he’s never had to do things of this nature for himself?

Whatever the reason, I’m asking for your help to make it better! I’m not a nagger and he’s not the type to respond to that anyway, so that’s out. I’m just at a loss. Is it too late for him? Does the “you can’t teach an old dog new tricks” rule apply and I should just suck it up and get over it?

If you’ve got a “well trained” husband and feel like you’ve done it yourself instead of him coming to you already with neat and tidy habits, I’d love to pick your brain! How did you do it?

Friday Fill-Ins: My First Time

Here’s the start to another new meme for me, courtesy of Friday Fill-Ins! This should be fun and if you decide to participate, let me know, I’d love to link up :o)

1. I need to figure out why in the heck my back feels so out of whack! (Probably has NOTHING to do with the fact that I have two 30+ pound children who still like to be carted around on my hips both at the same time ;)

2. K pooped in the yard yesterday but had the decency to come tell me about it so no one stepped in it, lucky we were.

3. A great deal of excitement is bubbling up in me and it’s freaking killing me not to be able to shout it from the roof tops…………no need to beg, I can’t tell YET ;)

4. I feel so old admitting that every morning I mix powered fiber in with my “rich chocolate Ovaltine” in a big tall glass.

5. It was announced yesterday to my family that I burned my children with a hot glue gun. My children have clearly hit the “tale tales” stage and my family clearly bumped their heads going from the looks of disgust I got.

6. I’m asking Santa for new steak knives. Mine won’t cut hot butter :/

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I’m looking forward to a whole lot of nothing, tomorrow my plans include entertaining 3 two year olds during the morning and spending the afternoon learning a half time routine with my Cowboy cheerleaders (ages 8-12), and Sunday I want to not only attend church, but actually get to sit out front and hear the sermon instead of staying in the nursery and then do as little as humanly possibly the remainder of the day!

Friends after Kids, a Whole New Ball Game

I never dreamed how much friendships would change, shift, and just too bluntly state it, be different with kiddos in the mix.
Before having our beautiful identical twin girls DH and I had friends from all walks of life, some married with kids, some married without kids, and even some still single. I will admit to sometimes feeling a sting of resentment when our friends with kids didn’t seem to have time for us and often thought, “well, can’t you just get a babysitter”. But now that we’re in the “married with kids boat” I fully understand what was going on back then and feel more than a little bit ashamed of my selfishness.
Now that we are a happy little family of four things have drastically changed, but I make a real effort to maintain my own individual identity and allow DH the same freedoms too.
We both have time, though drastically limited compared to before, to ourselves, to do the things we enjoy, and to have time with our friends. I wouldn’t say that this happens more than once per month, but still, we make a genuine effort and I think it’s one of the things that keep us sane.
Me and my girly companions make time for each other, scheduled as much in advance as possible, to do things like, chat on the phone, catch a movie, have lunch, go shopping, and sometimes we’re even lucky enough to have a dinner date. DH and his buddies like to play cards, cook out, and hunt. It really doesn’t matter what it is that you do, it’s just important that you set aside time and do it!
There are of course a friend or two who falls by the wayside from time to time, especially when you’re not in similar seasons of motherhood, but don’t give up, flowers that wither can spring back to life with a little love and effort.

What kinds of things do you like to do with your mommy friends? Is it as difficult for everyone to find time outside of family life?

Thankful Thursday-My Savior

As I’m just getting my feet wet in the personal blogosphere river of posts, I thought it would be nice to participate in memes to not only get my own ball rolling, but also to give you a glimpse into the mommy behind the blog.

Being a Christian is the center of my life, it’s why I am who I am (though I’ve got an awfully long way to get to where I want to be). Therefore, when I came across the Thankful Thursday theme I couldn’t pass it up.

Being my first entry of thanks, I have to give props to the Father who makes it all possible: today I am thankful for salvation.

I was fortunate enough to be raised in church. My mother and grandmother made sure we were there every time the doors were open and at the tender age of 8 years old I personally accepted Christ as my Lord and Savior.  I wish I could claim to have grown spiritually by leaps and bounds since then, but it would just not be so. I’m a work in progress.

Though all my faults, my sins, and my short comings, I rest assured that my feet are on the solid rock and my heart securely in the hands of the One who created the universe. Today and every day, I am thankful for eternal life through Jesus Christ.

“For God so loved the world that He gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have ever lasting life.” John 3:16

Money Saving Tips from My Home to Yours

Check out this post on my blog on the WTE site for awesome money saving tips!!!!!

Your clicking through could help me possibly win an iPad2...............PLEASE check it out! And, who knows, you may just learn something too :o)

Homemade Spirit Gloves-Crafty Mom Copy Cat

I have a little confession to make. If you know me, IRL or perhaps from following my mommy blog on WTE, you already know this so it won't be a big surprise. If not-here goes: I'm a tight wad! I do NOT enjoy spending money and almost refuse to do so if the item I'm purchasing is not on sale or what I consider to be reasonably priced. To add to that, I also refuse to buy something I "think" (quotations signify my assumptions-sometimes I'm right, sometimes I'm wrong) I can make myself.

My tight streak along with my inner toddler (I can do it MYSELF) is what brought me to make the nifty little craft I'm about to share with you.

We were waiting to be seated in a Cracker Barrel restaurant when I spotted the cutest gloves ever mixed in with the Razorback merchandise. They were either $20 or $25 and that is a price I simply refused to pay when I knew without a shadow of a doubt I could make them myself! They were called Spirit Fingerz if you care to look them up yourself, and they come in a variety of colors to compliment whoever it is that you cheer for. Super cute idea and kudos to the original creator, but times are tough and I've got the crafty gene so I just had to make some of my own.

To make Homemade Spirit Gloves all you need is a pair of cheap stretchy gloves (I bought mine at Wal-Mart, $1.50 for two pair), colored yarn, a needle and thread, and a pair of scissors.

I simply cut 10 short pieces of yarn in two colors, for a total of 20 pieces, for each finger. Then I tied the individual bundles in the middle to create the "pom pom" for each finger. Lastly, I stitched one pom on the tip of each finger. And wa-la! You have yourself an absolutely adorable set of spirit gloves! (The next pair I do I will create bigger and slightly shorter bundles for a fuller look.)

I posted a picture of this on my Facebook page and have people offering to pay me to make them some :o)

Testing Triberr and Praying to the Techy "Gods"

Since joining a "Tribe" my numbers went up tremendously and I can't express my gratitude enough! However, I'm pretty darned technology challenged, therefore I feel like a little lost child wandering aimlessly around in a crowd of geniouses while I'm trying to get my feed to drive my new personal blog. All I can do is cross my fingers right?! Here goes nothing...............

Testing, testing, 1-2. Testing, testing, 1-2-3.

Mike Check. Mike Check.

*squeezes eyes closed and crosses fingers* I REALLY hope this works because I've got some amazing crafts to share with you guys!!!! Pom Pom Gloves, Recycled T to Necklace, and Recycled T to Scarf.......and I'm working on more! PLEASE WORK!!!!!

And the Mystery Incidents Begin

I’ve always heard about mysterious things occurring in homes and no one willing to step up and claim responsibility. Until today I so foolishly thought that we were somehow going to skirt around this problem. After all, I’m teaching my girls that “honesty is the best policy”.

LOL! Yeah right! It seems that they’ve learned the value of a good fib. *head slap*At only 2 ½ years?!

Well, I suppose to be fair I should still hold the hubs in question, but surely even with his “being male” and all other “disabilities” of the brain, he couldn’t be this dense.

So what was today’s disaster? Read on for the full effect.

I get up, get going, and hit the floor running full force thinking that if I finish everything soon enough I wouldn’t feel guilty for goofing off the rest of the day just enjoying life. I pick up the girls’ hamper and dump all of the contents into the washer, as is my routine.

When the washer goes off I of course go in and begin to unload it into the dryer. With the first handful I pull out I feel something falling around me, but between my hubby’s candy wrappers and random papers the girls may have hidden in their things I didn’t think much of it. So out came the second handful.

This time, a huge blob of something lands on my bare foot and lots of little somethings fall around me.

I’m standing there like a deer in the headlights and M&K are at the door looking in on the action. One of them asks me, “Is that ice mommy?”

No. This is definitely NOT ice. It takes a few beats for my brain to catch on to what’s going on. It’s the contents of a disposable diaper. *head slap* You’ve GOT to be kidding me!

I pull out the clothes piece by piece and shake all of the clear clumps I can into the floor. It looked like someone spilled a giant snow cone-with no flavoring.

I had NO clue what to do! This stuff felt like it would melt if I put in the dryer so I ran them through the wash one more time.

After the second wash they were significantly better and I had no better ideas, so I threw them in the dryer with a wish and a prayer.

Thankfully, after emptying the lint catcher thing a couple of times all was well. The goo didn’t melt, it was somehow sucked to the lint trap. Woo hoo! I’ve never been more thankful for that little contraption.

All is well with the exception of “who done it”!