Hello 2019 the transition is real

This is our first post for 2019 so Happy New Year to everyone!

This year I did not intend on making any resolutions but if you read our previous post you may know that I do believe in reflection to learn and manifest better for the years to come.

As fun changes are well underway in how we interact on our Site and Social we continue to strive in building this TwinDollicious & co community with products and brands that excite us all.

The new year has brought about a stage of limbo . I say this from a personal standpoint, yet I am sharing 1 takeaway from this moment for any mommas and their babies who may (or may not be for the baby) be ready to stop nursing and move on to the next stage of your bonding experience as a parent.

(Call him Warrior of the mustard seeds)

Trying Almond Milk in the nipple replicated designed bottle: Tommee Tippee

After a complete 7 days of walking around smelling like mustard seed; which I found in our cupboard and decided to put on . I can say that it has been a struggle. This idea of applying something to my little ones supply of comfort and nutrition began to cross my mind a few months ago, but I told myself it wasn’t time. Now as we all know it’s never a perfect time to do anything… well sometimes. However I tried the method of comparing my experience with the twins to mentally compare and prep myself on those terms. You see nursing twins for 2 + years seemed hard , but all children nurse differently. I remember the girls weening easily, then understanding that leche (milk) was going to be done so. However with Bash, the mention of “no more leche” seemed to make him want more. The increase of feedings became harder during the day. There were times when he was so tired and insisted on feeding while I was driving, just to fall asleep which may have led us to this very moment.

(Current Tired mama moment)

At this very moment I believe that I may have slept a total of 18 hours in 7 days. Though he’d rather not have mustard seeds in his mouth, he is having a problem with regulating himself. When tired during the day, he moans or becomes cranky if I am around. When he is with his sitter he is able to catch up on his sleep. Otherwise he is up at all hours of the night, with loads of energy until he knocks himself out because he cannot find the comfort again.

Why do we as humans seek comfort in things? It’s a question I’ve been asking myself as I try to find a way to help this transition become manageable. Does comfort make us complacent? Does it stop us from growing and move out of that stage of limbo?

It’s Q1 of a new year and with the spontaneous decision to be done with nursing I’m open to more spontaneity of crushing goals, & embracing things that I hadn’t plan to tackle yet. – I CHALLENGE you to try it too!

🔑: Though it may be hard try to always smile through those challenges.

As a mom I’m here mentally and physically to help with his transition as well as my own. He is my last little baby and the thought of this change makes it all real. The comfort he seeks I plan to embrace the best way I know….. right now it’s with lots of hugs and kisses

Sharing more beach style and TwinDollicious adventure

Just when school was beginning and we were mentally preparing to settle down a bit for fall we decided to go on one more adventure!

We visited the beautiful Caribbean island of Honduras , then traveled along the Norwegian Getaway ‘s private island in Belize, Costa Maya Mexico and Cozumel for a week full of learning and adventure.

One of the best parts may have been he beautiful weather, beach days and resort wear.

Honduras is such a cultured country of food, wonderful people and growth. The old dirt road were being paved as we drive from one port to another. We visited the beautiful Garifuna village, ate fresh from the trees and ocean, and listened to nostalgic Spanish music. All while our little city kiddies blended without any transition necessary.

Visiting Roatan Animals

Belize tranquility

Serenade s in Costa Maya

La isla /ciudad Cozumel

There’s such a perfect blend of city and island life to Cozumel.

While visiting, they were beginning the festivities of their new year celebration. Shops were lining up for vending , carnival rides were being set up and the aroma of delicious authentic food filled the streets.

You can never forget about the ocean experience. Cruising has been one of our favorite things to do after having the Twins and we can now say that Bash has adjusted to this lifestyle very well. He is our little runner, with lots of energy, but while on the ship we never worried about finding ways to keep him busy. He visited the splash academy for the little guppies, while the girls Played with friends. He also took numerous trips to ice cream stations and enjoyed the water slides.

Back to school preparation and style needs

Are you and your kiddos ready to begin the back to school hustle?

We’re holding on to the last bits of summer but are in no way in denial that school will begin very shortly.

There are so many school supply lists with must haves and trends that begin to surface in retailers starting July that we may get a bit confused. It’s always best to abide by the school supply lists (so that’s an easy task conquered) but how do we prepare and make back to school exciting.

I attended a few events in Mid summer to learn about new trends and products that may excite me and the girls for back to school.

– At the mom trends event I discovered this adorable lunch bag and pencil case that would be trendy for the girls… since Unicorns rule their universe right now.

Unicorns for them and Mabel’s Labels for me (kind of) . On my to do list from teachers and to create an easy morning for us Labels are a must on most of their books and supplies.

They loved the Unicorn style and ran with the theme! ✅

Speaking of labels: Epson ecotank printing has an amazing new device that makes it easier to print out your magnificently designed labels. This eliminates the hours of perfect handwriting, with less stress on whether or not you’re running low on ink – let’s just print it!

I couldn’t do a Back to school preparation list without including Vamousse. If you’re not familiar with this brand; you’re welcome for the introduction. Lice is a very scary thing. It’s overwhelming and includes lots of work. We were faced with a scare in Kindergarten. The letter comes home from school that there is a case of love in the class and then the show begins. Before learning about Vamousse, my immediate reaction was to take them to the doctors office.

I couldn’t imagine where I would start. So each year I’ve prepped with rosemary shampoo and peppermint oil, hairspray etc. – I mean have you seen the hair on them x’s 2…. no thank you!

The Vamousse brand not only contains shampoo, conditioner but household products if an outbreak was to occur. They are now our go to for back to school prepping.

Back to school style includes accessories, and necessities! Many teens,tweens or younger children whom parents work late have to use cellphones. It isn’t a must have but if your child does have a device chances are their friends and others will know that they have one. We thought that it would be a great safety feature to collaborate with a company and make finger slider phone holders that are flat and less visible when in their pockets or bags. (One less reason for bullying) Cell phone Finger holders

-The sturdy hold unlike the other distracting holders allows for your other fingers to type or grip the phone better, avoiding chances of falling to the ground.

To piggy back off of the cellphone subject and the many ways that families become busier during he school year; sportsmanship for girls is always a great idea. Now is the time to figure out what extracurricular activities are of interest to them. We love the message thatAthleta girl is spreading and believe whole heartedly that team work will keep the grades up!

Style style and more style!

When choosing a back pack for school durability is first on the list. Yet, once again unicorn🦄 lifestyle has to be in close proximity in order for the girls to get excited about packing those bags with books. We loved the Lands End personalized feature with monogramming and patches. The color Teal won and so did the 🌈 rainbow.

Though their school supply list only includes plain color folders… we couldn’t resist this collaboration with Avery and Amy Tangerine. These special folders were so exciting to them that they’ve decided to use them as their personal journal folders. They plan to carry their lunch books and clean sheets of paper with them to write during lunch… I mean don’t all third graders … ugh 3rd grade 😭

More than likely we will be TwinDollicious-ly twinning in style this year (Shopping haul video to come, you’ll have to watch to see) so thanks to Keds and Rifle Paper co for designing these amazing sneakers. Their new print designs include florals, decor and animals for adults to toddlers just in time for Back to school !

KEDS and RIfle Paper co 💕💕

Disclaimer: This blog post is of personal opinion and review, based on use of products sponsored by the brands.

Summer travels to Twinsburg part II

Do you have that one place that your family visits every year, and no matter what it never gets old? Twinsburg, Ohio is our place.

Twinsburg, Ohio is a historical town dedicated to the lifestyle of twin brothers who married, raised their families and built businesses in this one place. Ironically we may never move here but find it to be the most welcoming town to visit year after year just because V & K are twins and have a twin story to share with other people in town.

Day 1: V & K captured here making their mark on a very special registration to be counted in as one of the set of twins in attendance during the fest

This year, as every other year for over 26 years the Twinsday Festivities took place. Twinsday festival was even more exciting because V & K along with other twins were invited to the wedding of a lifetime. Twin sisters married twin brothers in the towns square, which marks the place where there met.

–

Our 7 hour ride to this quaint little town in Ohio is always worth every second. This year with the help of Mazda the CX 9 safely chaperoned our family and TwinDollicious merchandise to Twinsburg. We had the best surprise ever once arriving at our hotel…. we learned that the future brides and grooms were staying at the same exact location – EXCITiNG!

Day 2

Though it is an early call time to be on he grounds before 9 V & K are never late. They have always made it extra exciting for everyone and now Bash and dad join in with just as much excitement. They line up to watch or walk in the parade.

Once the parade is done the kiddos are ready for some fun! The carnival rides open, contests and performances on stage begin.

The girls walked the grounds with friends, took photos -along with the annual twin photo and when 5 o’clock struck; everyone headed to the square. It was as if Cinderella had arrived. V & K has their adorable tutu style outfits picked before leaving the hotel but somehow became too anxious to change for the wedding (afraid that they were going to miss) . To their surprise they were seated right behind the dad of the brides. What a treat!

You can catch the wedding and more on TLC network.

After all if this years excitement who knows what next year will bring?!

Natasha’s Interview with Beyond Mom

TwinDollicious founder and Beyond Mom interview

I’ve always loved speaking to people and listening to their stories. I have recently found joy in sharing my story as well. It is always rewarding to help others, even if it’s by sharing your experience in life, mom-ing or business. I am always eager to share and work with others.

I hope you enjoy this interview. 🌸🌼🌸

Cool off at these Summer Pop ups

How amazing is the craze of pop up shops?!

Doesn’t it seem like everyone is sharing their photos in these perfectly curated locations? Pop up shops are so popular right now and we are enjoying the amazing talents of designers who create the space as well as the brands they’re dedicated to.

Since summer is the most motivating season to get out and enjoy the weather we visited 2 pop ups that will only be in NYC for the summer.

One is the museum of ice cream’s Pint Shop.

There are walls covered in photo opportunities and skateboards to purchase ( amongst other things) . The girls and Bash couldn’t get enough of the boards; but unfortunately Mr B couldn’t ride so he wasn’t too happy.

However ice cream to the rescue!

Yes there are refrigerators with stacks of frozen one of a kind delectable ice creams for you to purchase. The 7 amazing flavors make it hard to chose but we were strategic and narrowed it down to 2 of our favorites.

Can you guess by this photo ? And the other was chocolate chunk (how can you resist) besides we had to make Bash happy too! “Choco-wit” is his favorite!

After choosing our ice cream, we took advantage of the photo opportunities and went with the Banana setting. Hey ,girls like to chat; even if its with a banana in the ear.

We then headed over to the new pier 17 waterfront location at the south street seaport NYC.

On opening weekend of this pop up music, family fun and food location The amazing artist Geronimo created an installation of colorful balloons along the deck. The ambiance was very close to Ibiza or European waterfront (as close as I’ll be again for the next 8-10years) with music, happy children and adults mingling together on a summer day and night.

– It was an inspiration of color, art, and love! Everyone danced, and enjoyed the opportunity to take photos sharing the new Pier 17 location.

🎼 We highly recommend these locations for an easy summer day in the city !

For More photos and stories

Books Books and more Books at BEA & BookCon

NYC Book Expo and Book Con has become one big playground for literary lovers, publishers and creators during this amazing event.

Over the years these two amazing events have joined in to offer a full display of authors, books, opportunities to connect readers  libraries and literary enthusiast over the course of 5 days. We were so excited to spend the weekend touring the floors at the NYC Javits Center.  V & K were so excited to explore the children’s books section of scholastic as well as checking out the new “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” .  While I was happy to have them lead the way and chaperone.

Walking into the center was very exciting their faces were highlighted when noticing the huge image of our friend (in our minds) Jim Patterson. Whom introduced his new book collaboration with Bill Clinton “The President is missing”.  Which has just been added to my must read pile right after MICHELLE OBAMA’s published story, “Becoming”.

I’m always inspired by the book expo because of my background in publishing and writing.  I love to attend to refresh my visions and connections with all of the great people working the floor.  There is always something new to discover in this creative space.  Quirk Books  a publishing and creative group of leaders in the literary world set a very open and inviting setting to allow you to learn more about what they offer their readers and authors.  The nostalgic animation to the new sense of fun and pops of color was noticed in their array of publishing.

V & K’s highlights included Harry Potter’s portion of the Expo ; I mean don’t we all!

The opportunity to meet a very talented Joker during Book Con was quite frightening and exciting!

The day was made when the girls were able to take a picture with (wink) Harry and Meghan Markle while wearing crowns themselves.

All of the added animation continue to bring everyone’s imagination to life; which is why we love attending each year.

Here’s to more TwinDollicious Adventures – currently going to summer camp

Balancing it all on Spring Break

We had a balancing act of a Spring break.

–

Did you know that Spring break is one of the most traveled breaks in the USA? Most all levels of schools are off at the same time including graduate level. There are also many states that share the same time for break to observe the Easter, Passover and holiday crossing paths.

We ventured off to our home away from home during the break to enjoy some fun in the sun. We enjoy any excuse to visit beautiful Florida and the April weather was amazing; especially after being bombarded by snow storm after snow storm in NYC. Seriously Mother Nature- let’s get it together “It’s SPRING!”

–

We visited 2 of the many places that we blogged about prior to our trip and even made an excursion to a new favorite place; the Brevard Zoo– where we discovered that Dinosaurs are still alive and living amongst us in Florida!

I am convinced that V & K are planning a trip to London to attend school with Harry Potter after their evening at Universal Studios in Harry Potter’s corner of the world. If you haven’t visited yet, you must…….just for the Butter Beer alone… in my opinion.

April 1st happened to be Easter Sunday this year, which was quite a treat for V & K. They renamed the entire day Easter fools day and continuously played tricks on us, some including hiding our cell phones for approximately 10 minutes until we figured out that they were hidden.

Our Easter Sunday included a fun egg hunt at an Orlando resort followed by a perfect day of sun at LEGO Land!

We managed to visit some of our favorite beaches and places for work and play during this trip.

Balance during vacation is possible!

There’s something about our family that doesn’t fully turn off even during vacation. Work is fun for us; it’s a lifestyle. So, we continued down south to Palm Beach. Here is where my husband finds his time to do his morning work routine, and visit properties.

My mom balance however isn’t as easy; but I’m sure many of you can relate. However I do find a way to balance my writing and staying connected while the kiddos are by the pool, at the beach at times simultaneously while Bash is napping.

During this trip I actually connected with a fellow hey mama at Luxury Garage Sale in Miami, and scored an awesome top at the same time.

Every time we find ourselves in the city of Miami we make time to lounge poolside with an adult beverage which happens close to never during our daily routines… at times it’s as if two ships are passing each other by. When we are in need of a anchor we regroup with time away; it’s how we strive in this lifestyle that we’ve created.

During our Spring break vacation we took a minute to look around and discover that 12 years prior to having children we dreamed of including these little people to the late night beach runs, sunsets, dancing, music, adventure and fun.

We learn from our experiences and remain focused to enjoy life!

–

3 HOT NEW products we love from the NY Baby show

This is our 3rd year attending the NY baby show and every year it gets better and better!

This year V & K were well equipped with knowledge on what Bash enjoys, what our audience loves and where to find things that would interest them as well. There is something for everyone to enjoy at this show.

We entered the venue and immediately checked in with our friends from Mom trends at the blogger lounge. We got our map, ate a little lunch; catered by Boston Market and headed out to the floor.

There’s always so much to see and amazing informative panelists speaking about parenthood, secret hacks and new products. We were sure to take a listen in while Twiniversity expert Natalie Diaz took the stage.

We mapped out our day from panelist speaking to the media lounge with the first of our favorite companies Babo Botanicals .

They are creating products that are reef safe. From amazing tinted spf sunscreen to skin cream with ingredients to help you get a handle on your eczema; all with natural delicious scents.

Note: we weren’t the only ones with our day strategically mapped out. There were some 3rd trimester mamas with checklists in their hands. It’s very important to be prepared, when you’re walking a venue this big and fun.

After visiting a few brands in the search of essentials for babies, toddlers and above we were so pleased with Stuck on you ! Our second favorite brand in attendance at the NY Baby Show was an easy selection. With V & K getting ready for summer camp; we needed to a few labeling accessories and boxes for snack. The durable bento box made by Stuck on You is so trendy with his cover designs “unicorns” and more, along with its compartments will make lunch packing easier than ever!

Third on our Lovers list includes something special for nursing moms. The yummy secret behind the recommendation to eat oatmeal and ingredients found in Beer have come together in a delicious cookie recipe by Mommy Knows Best Lactation Cookie Mix ! We ALL tested a cookie and approved the yummy-ness; but validation was approved when milk was present for Bash. Many nursing moms may have tried the two foods or drinks separate for assisting with milk production but a yummy cookie treat can do the quick trick.

–

After a fun day at the NY Baby show we couldn’t wait to share our favorite top 3 hot brands and products we’ve discovered along with the many reasons why the event is for everyone learning and experiencing the joys of parent hood including the kiddos. The top 3 selections were choices and opinions of my own and we hope you’ll consider trying for yourselves.

They know how to make this mom smile

Being a mom means learning patience, finding humor , teaching others as well as being taught at times.

I love listening to other children and experiencing their imagination during our book readings

New video here

Wishing everyone a relaxed and