A note to the babysitter ...

Dear Babysitter,

How sweet of you to go on and on about how well mannered my oldest 3 kids are!  I wish you could have had the chance to baby sit them at 2 as well!  You seemed almost surprised, but I am sure you see all sorts in your line of business.

By the way, I have good news!  You'll be happy to hear that the twins are really starting to use their words a lot more.  I'm certain this comes as welcome news you, as you likely recall how Cormac tends to get a bit frustrated when others don't know exactly what he wants. (Sorry again about him biting you!)

I'm afraid the twins still seem to have a slightly mischievous second language between the two of them, but I think they'll grow out of that quickly now that they are becoming fluent in English.

Like most 2 year olds you may need a few translations on what they mean when they say certain things, so I've put together a list for you to peruse.

I nite nite = I tired
I stinky = I pooped
I wet = I peed
sippy = drink
Hanny = I want to watch Handy Manny
Dec did it = Mac did it
Mac did it = Dec did it
you go room = you are mean
you no no = you are mean
you go nite nite = you are mean
I love you = pick me up and hold me
Lulu = any dog
Nunk = Skunk
Chip = Delan's Build-a-bear
My Chip = Cormac's Build-a-bear who's named Fudge
bankie = I want my sister Cordelia's favorite blanket
Football = any sport with or without a ball
Elmo = I want to go swimming so put on my swim diaper's with Elmo on them
Hello = Telephone
Ice Cream Time = Dessert

This should clear up any confusion you might have.  Thanks for agreeing to come back again!  You are still coming back, right?

Hopefully,

Stephanie

Build-a-Bear Workshop asks would you like Smallfrys with that?

A smallfry arrived on my doorstop today from my friends at Build-a-Bear Workshop and on Sept. 3rd build-a-bear smallfrys will arrive in Build-a-Bear Workshop stores and on buildabear.com.  This limited Edition collection will include eight mini versions of current and past Build-a-bear favorites.

Are you sleeping brother skunk?

We had several skunks in our yard lately.  Like clock work at 7pm 2-5 skunks could be spotted walking around and playing in our yard as well as close neighboring yards.  I can say they were relative cute to watch scampering about, but they became a total nuisance to the dogs.

Our dog, Lulu, was sprayed twice and several other  neighbor were sprayed multiple times as well.  Campbell's must have loved us, soaking the canines in multiple cans of their tomato soup to rid them of the smell.  Ultimately a neighbor hired a trapper to have the skunks relocated.  10 skunks and 1 raccoon moved away.

The twins haven't fully caught on the skunks are really gone yet despite my attempts to tell them the skunks had moved.  In fact, this morning I caught them trying to convince each other that their pets, they affectionately dubbed the "Nunks", were just sleeping.  They were "night night" and would wake up later.

Here's a little video I captured of the moment:

Back to School with Fiskars for Kids & Mom

We had the opportunity to check out a large assortment of Fiskars provided items this back to school season and are thrilled to report that they've all made the cut. We were provided with items for both the kid's and myself.

Back to School with Bugalug hair accessories

When you wear a uniform to school, it's all about the little things.  Showing your unique sense of style and person comes down to choices in notebooks, shoes, backpacks, lunchboxes, and hair accessories. 

With that in mind, my 9 year old daughter, Cordelia, has been expressing herself with some cute Bugalug hair headbands and pony loops.  We first introduced our readers to Bugalug when we reviewed their clips back in March of '09 and were excited to be provided with their adorable pony loops now that Cordelia's hair has gotten much longer.

The pony loops come in over 30 different designs and colors.  Additionally, each loop is mom-made, non-toxic, and lead free. With their unique process, Bugalug is able to add an ouchless elastic inside a fun, colorful, high quality button top, so one can rest assured the elastic will not go missing.  

Bugalug Ribbon Headbands stay put thanks to a fully adjustable toggle.  These headbands will fit any noggin from infant to adult (26").  There are over 50 designs and some headbands are even reversible.

Giveaway News & Reminders:

New on DVD from Nickelodeon

We've been sent some fun & timely Nickelodeon DVDs to watch with the twins lately.  There's one for getting ready for school, one to get you in a birthday party mood, and one to prepare for the spooky holiday coming soon, Halloween.  See below for descriptions.

Fuel for School Lunches, Trudeau food & beverage containers

The Fuel line by the Trudeau Corporation is a collection of functional, on-the-go, and BPA free products.  This line contains over 30 different container options designed to contain the "fuel" needed in school lunches and beyond.  Each bottle, bowl, and box provided for our review was easy to use, easy to clean, and environmentally friendly.  The fuel line available in multiple color options was also officially declared cool for school by my 9 and 11 year old kids.

Back to School with Elmer's

If you and I played one of those word association games and I said "Elmer's", you'd say "glue".  It is what they are.  But in addition to Elmer's being the leader in school glues, they make a lot of other adhesives as well as other crafting related items.

Protect your "Back to School" gear with Oliver's Labels

You've spent the past week shopping for new shoes, new coats, new backpacks, new lunchboxes, new water bottles, new binders, new school tool boxes, new sports equipment, and maybe even a new laptop.  Now it's time to label them all for safe keeping.

Add the deli feel to your sandwiches with Mezzetta brand items

Often times, it's all about food with the teenage boys in our household and on the frontline is their adoration for deli sandwiches.  Much to their dismay, it's not practical or affordable for us to be getting them "to-go" deli lunches every single day.  The poor dears are often forced to survive off of sandwiches mom made at home.  Worse still, they are frequently told to make their own.  However, we've all had a chance to jazz up our sandwiches lately with a selection of peppers and olives provided for review by the brand Mezzetta.

Locker combination anxiety? Try WordLock

According to research conducted by the National Council of Middle Schools, the biggest fear of new students is forgetting their locker combination.  Google “locker combination anxiety” and you will see numerous references to recurring nightmares from high school days on the same.

As a mom of 5 that includes a dyslexic H.S. sophomore, I'm not suprised by these statistics.  My son made more than one trip down to the dean's office those first few days last year to get a locker combination "refresher".  Ultimately, we had to write his combination on his arm in sharpie to get him over the learning phase.

Pentel Back to School Pens & Pencils

A pen or two worth writing about ...  Pentel gave us the chance to check out (via provided samples) an array of pens, pencils, and highlighters that are perfect for the back to school crowd.  I found myself particularly impressed by the efforts they've made to make these items more eco-friendly.

Got Milk? Milk Mustache Mobile Tour {Info & Giveaway}

The National "got milk?®" Milk Mustache Mobile Tour has been crossing the country from this past March to it's last stops in September.  The tour was designed to celebrate those special moments that families share around the dinner table and to remind moms that serving milk at dinnertime is an easy, and affordable, way to help make sure their families get the nutrition they need. 

Dinosaur Train "Under the Sea" TV Special, August 20th on PBS KIDS {Giveaway too!}

What could be better than a new episode of dinosaur train? A new episode of dinosaur train that explores Cretaceous, Jurassic, and Triassic oceans to learn about new aquatic creatures including ancient sharks!

Current Giveaways:

Powermat recharger
Dinosaur Train Backpack, Toys, & Games
$25 Safeway Gift Card
Crayola Prize Pack
Tiny Love Gymini Bouncer
Staples $50 Gift Card
Seventh Generation Back to School Kit
SpinMaster's "Pop on Pals" Toddler Toys
ThinkFun Zingo To Go
Disney.com U Rock Prize Pack
Disney.com Create Mickey Prize Pack
Trix, Penguins of Madagascar DVD, & more

Travel or Back to school? Leave the cords behind with a Powermat {Giveaway}

From the moment it arrived, our Powermat portable charger has been dubbed a travel essential by the entire household.  We are now declaring it a back to school essential now as well.  The travel part is obvious, it's been taken on family vacations, gone on blogging related trips of mine, headed with the kids to after school events, and carted on business trips for hubby.

The Powermat makes our "back to school" list due to it's ability to organize students and parents alike.  What's not to love about something that reduces the devices and cords needed to charge their many devices down to just 1? 

You are Invited: Virtual Baby Shower for TV Anchor Virginia Kerr

Who & What:  Join this Virtual Shower to help support the March of Dimes and show how women can transition into motherhood with the support of friends and family.  The parenting resource site, MyMommyManual.com and television station site, KMOV, are
 co-hosting A Mom Is Born: The Virtual Baby Shower Celebrating a Woman’s Journey into Motherhood.

I had the pleasure of meeting the women behind MyMommyManual.com recently and just had to say yes when they told me about this great event.  As a mommy of 5 children including twins, I know just how important the March of Dimes' mission is to mothers and babies.

New From Arizona Kidz: Arnold Palmer Half & Half

We've added a new drink to our lunchbox beverage rotation, Arizona Kidz Arnold Palmer Half & Half. My oldest 3 are big fans of the popular half lemonade half ice tea drink named for golfing legend Arnold Palmer.

Thermos FUNtainer Products

My kids really love to switch things up at lunchtime when possible.  They'll practically duke it out at times over who gets to bring the left over pasta to school.  This year, they'll be bringing that pasta in a fun looking container with some great design features.

Get Ready for Kindergarten with Dinosaur Train {Info & Giveaway}

The summer vacation train is nearing the end of it's journey and the next stop for it's passengers is school.  The DINOSAUR TRAIN is inviting parents to hop aboard to celebrate “Get Ready for Kindergarten” month in August.

A Back to School Tip from Mom: Restock your Homework Center

In my 15 years as a Mom, I've learned the hard way that "Back to school" supply shopping should include restocking the items you may need duplicates of at home.  There's nothing worse than that last minute rush to the store after dinner to get a piece of poster board or more printer ink.

These needs can vary greatly based on the age and grade of the children.  To help her decide what she needed rather quickly, my mom always just bought duplicates of anything we didn't have at home from each supply list provided by the school.

Don't forget about the computer related supplies as your child gets older.  A printer that doubles as a scanner /copier can be a complete "lifesaver" when your child forgets something at school.  You can copy notes from a missed day of class or even that forgotten workbook page or homework sheet.

My homework center supply suggestions include:

Crayons, markers, colored pencils, glue, tape, glue dots, black pens, #2 pencils, a pencil sharpener, erasers, a compass, a protractor, calculator, highlighter markers, poster board, construction paper, a ruler, scissors, loose leaf paper, graph paper, some report covers, file folders, index cards, a hole punch, paper clips, various sized envelopes, labels, post-its, a printer/scanner/copier, a computer, printer paper, printer ink, & a usb flash drive.

If you have a dedicated space, a white board and/or bulletin board for tracking homework assignments and permission slips can be really helpful too.  (Be sure to get dry erase markers and/or thumb tacks for those.)

Consult our Back to School Guide and Back to School Gear Category for specific product suggestions.

Zillio: My math homework secret revealed

Counting, Addition, Multiplication, Number Lines, Fractions, Algebra, and Ratios ... oh my!

School will be back in session soon.  This means mom and dad will be back to helping the kids with all that homework.  What subjects do you prefer?  My specialties are in helping with English, religion, spelling, and special projects that involve crafting.  Hubby has always handled the math.

Safeway gives Back to Schools {+ $25 Gift Card Giveaway}

The Safeway family of stores (which includes Dominick’s, Tom Thumb, Randalls, Vons, and Genuardi’s) is making it simple to give back with “2 Ways 2 Earn” cash for your schools with Box Tops for Education and the “10% Goes Back to Schools” program.

Our 2010 Back to School Guide

It's here!

Our 2010 Back to School Guide is ready for your viewing.  Enjoy!

Crayola favors green this back to school season {Giveaway}

I'm loving Crayola all the more this year after learning about all their many green initiatives in place.

By using solar power, reducing waste and protecting the rainforest, Crayola is doing its part to ensure that the kids heading back to school today will grow up to inspire a healthier world tomorrow.  Did you know that Crayola is making crayons with solar power, markers from recycled bottle caps, and colored pencils from reforested wood these days?

Tiny Love Gymini Bouncer {Giveaway}

My babies aren't babies anymore.  I couldn't review this item personally since my youngest of 5 kids, the twins, are now well beyond the bouncer stage at age 2.  However, as a Tiny Love fan I just had to pass along a few tidbits about this uniquely designed new baby bouncer seat.

Back to School Shopping at Staples {Review & Giveaway}

In our household back to school shopping for supplies is a big event.  I really try to allow my kids to pick the items themselves based on the provided list from the teacher.  It gets them excited about the new year and it really allows them to express themselves.  Since my kids wear uniforms to school, I think this takes on even more importance to them.

Suggestions? My toddler twins are apparent nudists

Hi Readers!  I'm looking for some suggestions from all of you on how to keep my toddler boys in their clothes and most importantly in their diapers.  They've been driving me a bit crazy lately taking off all their clothes and throwing them down our laundry chute, but the final straw was the last few days when they began also removing their diapers.

This is a new one for this mommy of 5.  Our oldest 3 kids never went beyond removing basic apparel.  Some friends suggested we begin potty training now, but I fear it is a bit too early for the boys to grasp.  They are newly two, so while we may begin potty shopping I'm guessing this may not be the ultimate solution.

The only other suggestion I've been given is using duct tape over the diaper tabs?  Anyone else had this issue?  What did you do?  Any products designed to keep the diapers in place?

The Shred Sled {Review}

A 2010 Holiday Gift Guide Pick from "And Twins make 5!" 

In a household with 5 children, you'd think a skateboard would get a fair amount of use.  However, while they love to snowboard and mess around on their scooter, the skateboard we long owned just sat.  If it wasn't depressed enough before by the fact it was an unloved toy, it certainly has to be feeling dejected now.  My 3 oldest have fallen in severe like with the Shred Sled.

Waterpik Easy Select Showerhead {Review}

The morning shower rush returns in less than two weeks with the big kids all heading back to school.  All 3 of them like to shower before heading off to class at about the same time Hubby is showering before work.  This meant we ideally needed a powerful showerhead that made shampooing, lathering up, and rinsing off an easy process. 

Waterpik provided us with the opportunity to review the Waterpik Easy Select via MomSelect, and the Waterpik Easy Select has proven to be exactly what we needed.  It was an ideal choice for us because the Water Pik showerheads are designed using a patented OptiFLOW technology, to maximize water pressure by increasing water force by up to 30%.  This means that the kids are able to do their thing at the same time the other shower is going without a power struggle over the water flow.  This is a vast improvement over the showerhead we replaced.

Jonas Brothers take the X the TXT pledge

Hubby, 2 of the kids and I had the opportunity to visit Silver Cross Field here in Joliet to see the Jonas Brothers play softball on their Road Dogs team this afternoon.  The Disney Stars were in Chicago for their concert in Tinley Park tomorrow.  While here, the Jonas Brothers played a free softball game for fans and raised awareness for the important "X the TXT" campaign aimed to save lives.  Fans had the opportunity to take the pledge at the ballpark and watch various public service announcements warning everyone in attendance of the dangers of texting while driving.

My daughter was beyond thrilled to get a chance to see the Jonas brothers in person as well as their very cool Road Dog bus.  She's also already pledged not to text and drive even though she has neither a phone or a license yet.  I reinforced my previous pledge and hubby made one as well.  Won't you?







The Road Dogs may have lost their season opener, but they certainly won the hearts of fans and their moms with this thoughtful appearance.

Decoupage Desk Project for tweens and teens

What you'll need:

• a crafty tween age daughter who craves a big girl room
• an ugly old but sturdy desk
• a few flat paint brushes
• A ton of old magazines
• a jar or two of classic mod podge glue
  
• a jar of hardcoat mod podge glue

Back to School with Seventh Generation Products {Giveaway}

I was recently provided with a Seventh Generation “Back-to-School” kit that includes a Seventh Generation backpack along with some of my favorite Seventh Generation products such as two canisters of Seventh Generation disinfecting wipes, disinfecting multi-surface spray cleaner, facial tissue and paper towels.  Much of it will be heading off to school with the kids that first day along with other supplies on their list such as pencils and glue.

Pop on Pals: New Toddler Toys by SpinMaster

A new toy line has popped on the toddler toy market that we think you will want to pop on to your holiday and birthday shopping lists.  The new entry is a unique line by Spinmaster called the Pop on Pals and we were thrilled they provided us with a selection of these toys for our review.  We were sent the Pop on Pals Amusement Park Playset, two of the 2 in 1 Mix & Match Fun Pal Packs (Policeman/ Baseball Player & Handyman/Fireman), and 2 Pet Packs (Barkley the Beagle and Daisy the Dalmatian).

In the event of an emergency: The Ouch Pouch

As a mommy of 5, I can easily state that being prepared for anything is an essential to successful parenthood and I adore products that make that easy.  As awesome a parent as you or I may be, things do go awry sometimes.  Inevitably someone gets a splinter at the park, a scraped knee in the parking lot, or a bug bite at soccer.  However, with a little stocked up first aid kit like this one provided from Etsy Merchant, PillowSewCute anyone can be prepared.

Thomas the Train Wooden Railway Early Engineers line

New from Learning Curve Brands is the Thomas Wooden Railway Early Engineers line that the twins have been busy putting to the test this past few weeks.  Finally, a wooden train system that is simple and secure enough for the 18+ month old crowd!

Giveaway Winners:

The winner of the Kraft Mac & Cheese Pack:  Carole Spring
The winner of the Schleich Toy Dog Figures:  Mary
Learning Resources Rainbow Cones Game:  Kathryn  

Flip & Tumble reusable bags

I have a pair of new bags in my reusable shopping bag collection, Flip & Tumble.  This is exciting because I only shop for food once every 1-2 weeks so when I go, I buy a ton of groceries for my family of 7.

I did my big shop at the local Target this week.  I noticed that when checking out, I was once again the only shopper who brought reusable bags.  Additionally, the checkout person acted a touch like I'd thrown off his game by bringing them.  Perhaps he was fairly new and this was a first for him or is it that I'm the only one actually using them?