Tag: Tuesday

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

Our NEW go to brand for home decor and style for the family is at JCPENNEY

Over the weekend a big thing happened at JC Penney and I’m bringing the good to you!

An exclusive brand for JCPenney has been curated into a collection of classic styles to mix and match for the entire family and the home.

This super exciting brand is called Peyton & Parker!

For me as a one stop shopper and style lover this is game changer especially during the holiday season.

Peyton & Parker is the photo ready collection that is perfect for coordinating a style or home decor with perfect mix and match pieces. It’s NOW possible to even bring the photo studio to your home for the holidays for some real life shots…. just the way we love!

I had the privilege of trying out the new brand in a style challenge and couldn’t find a piece I didn’t love; so much so that I did some boys styling and the whole family. This sweater has actually just made my wish list.

The new lifestyle brand is designed entirely by the in-house design team at JCPenney and sold exclusively at their stores and online. It’s truly a moms dream come true.

Peyton & Parker is now available to make instagramable moments real and simple for you and yours.

This post is sponsored by MOMTRENDS

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.

“Where can you find the latest baby gear and toys”…you asked?

In other breaking news Toys r us and Babies r us are here no more… but when Sweet Suite and Baby Palooza NYC come to town your prayers are answered and there is hope again!

There is always so much anticipation as to what brands will be in attendance at the mornings event of Baby palooza NYC.  The amazing team pulls together great brands, new and old to create a space that showcases all of the goodness the brands have to offer.

This year I attended with Bash in tow (fast asleep) OMG! We worked the floor visiting our favorite brands, while getting to learn about new start up brands and products.

You may have read about Babobotanicals   here before.  However their new skin care, tinted line for moms is one to enjoy.  Where else can you enjoy an online shopping experience for you and your little baby at the same time? Find them at #babolove for awesome promos and product updates via facebook.

Next, B.Box the go to brand for feeding your babes from 6 mos…to 7 Years.  The new double servings container is perfect for kids on the go.  With summer camp well underway we couldn’t have asked for a better find when it comes to packing up snacks and lunch.

DEAR MOM , well what can I say? A four pack of a delectable wine beverage found at your local grocers and here for you to enjoy.

We’re always looking for something to include for mom 🙂 The 3rd mom treasure found at Baby palooza NYC was Armitron ..one watch many faces; it so hard to choose a favorite.

Lets talk about Thule; the company known for urban explorers and outdoor adventures. We love a great adventure and having our little Bash to tag along requires a durable vehicle for him.  With Thule’s luxury line of luggage, ride alongs, and now carriage system the little’s are sure to be anticipating just as much of the adventure as the older siblings and parents.

This fun fueled pack day did not end at baby Palooza!

Yes, there was more to discover in one day. Sweet Suite took place just hours later in a perfect location by the piers in NYC. The anticipation of Suite Sweet is based on the entry way and showcase displays of brands.

This year guests were greeted by a balloon maze watch here !

Upon entering the show floor, V & K were excited to see all of their favorite brands. Yes, the girls attended a toy insider event and were able to work and play!

Their top 5 favorites included

  1. Roblox
  2. Orbeez
  3. Boxy girls
  4. Nickelodeon
  • 5. Cra Z art
  • However the showcase floor is so big, it can be hard to cover the entire event ins few hours, so the amazing team of toy insiders send along a swag box for some at home fun.
  • We found an extensive amount of amazing toys to share for all toy lovers…. starting with Plushee lovers
  • 💕 Jigglydoos – which can now be found at Walmart!
  • 2. Getting creative with these toys for Stem and science play
  • 3. V & K’s kind of science mixed with beauty include tons of this…
  • 💕 Shimmer and sparkle scented bath bombs
  • 4. Kind bag Fun is all the craze and will continue with these fun new toys! Have you heard of the Party pop teenies ?!
  • 5. Outdoor play products just in time for summer vacations. How about floating on a flamingo floatie… I mean that is seriously the life that any 7 year old would want to live ; isnt it?
  • Music and wonder for the imagination thanks to Microphone
  • For those moments when it’s time to unplug; turn to highlights activity books, crayons fun and mini game boards for siblings to learn and play together.
  • We won’t forget the smallest of the bunch. The little learners who enjoy light and sensory based stimulation to grow.

    • 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

    Pop sugar: the new playground event for all pop culture lovers

    I can’t believe that it’s been over a week since we’ve walked the pop sugar playground floors. The 2 full days of pop sugar culture was amazing.

    For me it brought the Pop Sugar brand to life! There was a complete umbrella of amazing talent who make our lives in beauty, fashion, lifestyle and social so much more reachable. The roster of talent included musicians, comedians (women), actresses and boss women in business. Gracing the floors of pop sugar meant that all of this experience was tangible.

    V & K, my twin doll sidekicks attended and were ecstatic. We learned How to properly slide down into a ball pit and spin the wheel of luck sponsored by Kohl’s .

    They were super lucky and made a double win!!

    I walked away from the 2 day event with insights on growth in pop culture, what’s trending as well as a huge amount of inspiration.

    My favorite part about attending empowering events such as this, is the meeting of the awesome new brands, creative people behind them and the take away experience that can be used within my own business and lifestyle.

    Here are a few links to new brands that we’ve come to know and love ❤️

    –

    UR Bath ad Body co

    SkinInc

    100% Pure

    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!

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