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

We hosted a Beech Nut Naturals baby foodie party

It’s time for holidays and one of our favorites is peeking through the window. That would be Thanksgiving of course !

It’s the holiday where I get to cook all of my favorite meals for the family; from the elders down to the babies.

I learned about Beech-Nut Naturals line of baby food purees inspired by homemade just in time. The line of jar purees was created with input from moms and dads to share how Beech Nut ® Naturals ™ ‘s company from Upstate New York message is real food for babies™!

I wanted to host some of my favorite moms and babies to a casual get together in order to share how feeding your family the best possible food can be introduced at an early stage, as well as using the delicious ingredients made with real fruits and vegetables that we would use at home to create deliciousness for us adults as well.

As a #Beechnutpartner #realfoodforbabies #mommies parties host; I created this delicious purée dip that included real strawberries, fresh blueberries and whipped cream cheese, served with crackers for the moms while the babies feasted on their favorite Beech Nut Naturals fruits and vegetables.

The cutest honey pot jar with the rich green top can be found in your local grocery store for the babies to enjoy, just like these Little’s.

Why we choose Thule as our top recommended stroller

If you’ve ever looked around while driving on a road trip and noticed the top rack of other cars they’re probably loaded with Thule. Yes, the sleek carrier atop filled with all you will probably need on your trips.

Thule has been around since 1942, when created in Sweden. Due to the brand being a top rated product for safely transporting anything you care for safely why not move into the baby sector and transport the number one thing (person) in our lives …. the children.

We chose Thule Brand as the stroller for our little Bash as soon as he began walking. It was time for him to have a little more independence, with safety and comfort being the first priorities.

I was totally impressed by the hardware structure and easy collapsible features. We currently have the http://www.thule.com/en-us/strollers/strollers (Urban glide) which is super lightweight, casual and durable for walks.

The NEW Thule sleek is the first four wheel flexible stroller which allows configuration……. single and doublesssss yes twins can ride in Thule as well! There are so many features for moms and dads to enjoy as well as having their sweet little baby ride in style.

These opinions are of my own experience as a mom of a Thule rider.

See below 🙂

#thulecitytosummit

NYFW hair and fashion street style

NYFW is the highlight of fashion as we all know and LOVE!

In 2018 fashion has gone beyond clothing and is now embracing beauty And wellness as an overall fashion lifestyle. This new turn on fashion lifestyle has opened up many doors for creatives as well as fashion lifestyle lovers.

I used to find it hard to incorporate my work into the big world of fashion, because of the dedication to children and As a mom who considers my daily schedule before planning my style for the day…. I may fall off trend at times. However the excitement of not only having children’s fashion become a small part of fashion week but hair and beauty has taken center stage and I was super excited to attend the Texture on the runway event by Sally Beauty.

#naturallycurly was the movement of the night.

The runway was filled with creatively styled hair up dos, while talented models and ceo’s of hair brands like Cantu, Mane, carols daughter, Mielle, Shea moisture graced the stage to speak all of their goodness into the audience.

This change in the fashion week sparked so much excitement in everyone. It was awesome to interact with the brands, feel the products and learn more about the story behind them .

Another highlight and perfect combination to Fashion week is the event parties that follow. Media outlets are the reasons why we all strive in our businesses.

Which is why an Elle Magazine Fashion week party could not have been missed. They hosted the most elegant soirée to pamper the hard workers that put on these shows, and their guests. The glam squad was in attendance to make you shine, while a showcase of on trend looks were displayed for a first look and feel.

Sorel

I can now say that I’m especially looking forward to a new shoe release by Sorel. Now that Fashion week is done and fall is creeping in I should be prepping fall looks and style but I can’t seem to put our resort wear away just yet.

We will see you back on the blog when we return from the 🏖 beach!

(Visiting The beautiful 5 in the Caribbean … including Honduras)

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.

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. 🌸🌼🌸

Summer Road trip to Twinsburg Part I

The best part of traveling includes family and traditions.

We love to visit new places and discover new things; yet we also love to take our traditional road trips to our favorite places to continue building our family memories.

This years trip to Twins day festival was extra special. There seems to be a pattern of it getting better and better each year.

We took a road trip to Twinsburg Ohio in the coolest and safest Mazda CX-9 . The kiddos enjoyed the music and navigation features which let them know how far we were from our destination…..without them asking the infamous “are we there yet?”

As a driver, I enjoyed the room and luxury of my very own space. The 3 row seater vehicle is my favorite now that we have 3 children. The crystal white CX-9 Mazda has made its way to the top of our list, as we are currently on the hunt for a new vehicle coming October. I am always impressed with the safety features on this vehicle and now that we have had the opportunity to test drive the car for a week to one of our favorite place, it’s time to possibly make her one of the family.

Have you ever fallen in love with a vehicle and gave it a gender?

Amongst all the other excitement happening during our week in Twinsburg, V & K witnessed a royal twins wedding!

There’s more to come…. especially if you’re a fan of the TLC network.

Disclosure: this post was created with my personal opinion.

Summer Fun at Liberty Science Center

When you think of summer activities do you ever think of indoor activities? Well, we have an awesome indoor activity for you to consider.

The Liberty Science Center in Jersey City, NJ is a 300,000 square foot space located in Liberty State Park. There are so many reasons to visit this space and the surrounding areas but we’re going to share with you the reason why we love Liberty Science Center.

We attended the Summer time fun at Liberty science center with our friends at Mom trends to experience the FOUR great, Amazing exhibits and more. We couldn’t wait to share them with you – along with the opportunity to win 2 tickets of your own to experience it for yourselves !

This summer at Liberty Science Center there is a dinosaur experience, a scientific experience based on the human body called “Grossology”, Jennifer Chalsty Planetarium in a giant dome theater, and an Arthurs world interactive exhibit.

With all of that excitement….where do you start?

We began our experience at Jack Horner’s Dino Dig; where all of the kiddos were able to use their imaginations and the tools that paleontologists use to dig through 35 tons of sand to find fossils.

Next, we made our way over to the brand new Grossology exhibit.  LSC takes you on a fun and interactive experience within this exhibit. There is a slide through the tummy that is hard to resist as well as the belly pumping soda can which lets you know how much liquid enters the belly and the process of a belch. Our littles Bash had the best time learning about snot…yes snot.

The second new exhibit that you would not want to miss is “Arthur’s world”, itself.  This exhibit includes an interactive play stage for singing and dancing as well as some of his favorite places such as a camping site, Arthurs home, school setting and library.

We saved the 4th exhibit for last because it is the 4th largest Planetarium in the western hemisphere.

We are so happy that it has made its home at the NYC-NJ Metropolitan area!

The Jennifer Chalsty Planetarium is constructed of a dome shape at about 89 feet. This is where you will be able to experience shows and siting like the Orion Nebula – the night sky.

There are different show experiences throughout the day. However our top showing was Sesame Street! The planetarium is there for all age viewings, even 2 year olds will remain engaged when Big Bird is talking with friends, singing and dancing on the moving dome screen.

General admission is 22.75 for adults, 18.75 for children ages 2-12 and exhibits Arthur’s world and Dino Dig are included.

Enter to win our giveaway by commenting below and linking it HERE

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

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.