Neon - Yup, the 80's are back!

I saw a ton of neon in New York City this past week.  It was in all the shop windows and on quite a lot of the passersby.  They had skinny jeans in neon orange and pink and lots of color-block sweaters with bright blues, pinks, greens and oranges in them.

The colors brought me right back to the 80's when neon clothes and accessories where THE thing to wear.  Neon was right up there with one sided shaved heads, jelly shoes (which are also on a comeback), Madonna inspired rubber bracelets and "Relax, don't do it" t-shirts.

I liked how the fun, vibrant colors, looked on the window mannequins and on those passing me by. Although I kept thinking that it might be a trend that was a little to "trendy" for a mom of 3 girls. At my age, I don't really want to try to pull off the full-blown, neon ensemble that I would have worn in the 80's but I thought that it would be fun to see what items I could find out there that were both neon and more sophisticated while also being handmade and totally "over age 35" wearable.  

Here were some of the great finds I saw while checking out Neon items on my go-to site Etsy.com.  I would totally be willing to wear to get this colorful trend into my wardrobe.

neon with chains 

neon jeweled

color-block

neon

red purse

neon with charm

Sephora says It's the color of 2012 - What's your take on PANTONE tangerine?

I bought this new Sephora nail color on Tuesday.  I painted my nails with it today.  Not sure what my take on this color is yet?  
I am not sure I like it as nail and make-up options.  I do Love it in clothes.  What's your take?

This color is Everywhere in NYC along with lots of NEON...Oh yes, the 80's are back!

Mother's Day or Father's Day Gift Idea from ETSY

These stacking rings from Etsy.com can be personalized and are such a great idea for Mother's or Father's day.

Shop name - SomethingAboutSilver

These would be something I would just love to have.
They are modern, totally wearable every day and unique!
I do love mom necklaces but I just think this is a great way to keep those kids of ours close to our minds and hearts throughout the day in a fun, different way!


Here are some other cool personalized items you can find at SomethingAboutSilver

TWINS - 365 Days of Twinipedia: Day #113

Day One-Hundred and thirteen of Twinipedia 

Fact #113

When twin eggs implant close to one another in the mother's womb, the placentas can actually become so close and attached that they fuse together, forming what appears to be one placenta.

This occurrence is one of the reasons why it is tricky for doctors to only look at the placenta as a way to determine if a set of twins are from one egg that split (monozygotic) or from two eggs that were produced separately and then each fertilized (dizygotic).


Twins can end up being mislabeled as monozygotic (from one egg that split) if this method is used since the impression given by the one placenta is that only one egg was ever produced in the beginning, thus the one placenta.  
Too interesting to us!

The Twin-buzz: World News about Multiples | She has 14 kids and will keep trying for Multiples

Mother expecting her 14th child vows: 'I'll keep having babies until I have twins'
By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

The Daily Mail

A pregnant woman silhouetted against a set of blinds

A mother expecting her 14th child has vowed to keep having children until she has twins.

Sara Foss, 39, already picks up £50,000 in benefits every year.

She said: 'All I've ever wanted is twins or triplets. It's my biggest wish, and I'm going to keep trying until I do it...

To Read more, go to: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1230142/Pregnant-mother-13-says-I-having-babies-I-twins.html#ixzz1rNY9QsYu

Twins - 365 Days of Twinipedia: Day 112 | Ever hard of Twin Escalation Syndrome?

Day One-Hundred and twelve of Twinipedia 

Fact #112

Ever hard of Twin Escalation Syndrome?
We hadn't until now but once we knew what it was we knew exactly what they were describing.  

"The term Twin Escalation Syndrome, is defined as the tendency of multiples to intensify and expand their behaviors in reaction to each other."

 
About.com shares some examples of this syndrome...
TES happens when for example, "Twin A cries, Twin B cries louder. In turn, Twin A cries even louder. And so on, and so on... Until the parents are crying the loudest of all."  (LOL - that last part is so true).

   

Older twins may tap their pencil while doing homework to catch mom or dads attention. The second twin may then start to click their tongue louder then the pencil tapping twin in order to divert attention back to them self.  Then the first twin taps louder and this cycle of noise goes on and on.

Twins will always be competing for attention in one way or another.  It is inevitable in most multiples lives since they have to share their parents attention while at the same developmental stages in their lives where needs can be high or low depending on the time frame. 

Consistent discipline and expectations for both twins will be important behavior techniques parents of multiples will need to use. Plus loving them both for who they are as individuals will help reduce twin competitiveness since they will feel secure in who they are as a person.

The Twins-Buzz: World News about Multiples | Twins - Black and White

Twins - Black and White
by Joanna Moorhead  - The Guardian, Friday 23 September 2011 


James and Daniel are twins. What sets them apart is that 
one is white and one is black – and the differences don't 
end there...

James (left) and Daniel Kelly, twin brothers. Photograph: Martin Godwin for the Guardian 

The two teenage boys sitting on the sofa opposite are different in almost every way. On the left is James: he's black, he's gay, he's gregarious, and he's academic. He's taking three A-levels next summer, and wants to go to university. Daniel, sitting beside him, is white. He's straight, he's shy, and he didn't enjoy school at all. He left after taking GCSEs, and hopes that his next move will be an apprenticeship in engineering...

To Read the entire story, go to http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2011/sep/24/twins-black-white

365 Days of Twinipedia - Day 111 | Twins and developmental milestones

Day One-Hundred and eleven of Twinipedia 

Fact #111
Since many twin pairs are born earlier than their Singleton friends, they can end up reaching their developmental milestones a bit slower than those single-born friends. They often speak later than single kids and may even start moving about a little slower than others.

How delayed they are can vary depending on the twins and their birth circumstances but it is typical to see twins about 6 months behind their single friends in speech development.  They often have fewer words in use and they speak in more simplistic language and speak less often.  Most twins will eventually catch up and grow out of this delay.  And although we know that prematurity can cause this, it is not 100% clear why it happens.  What is good to know though is that most twins catch up sooner than later.

The Twin-Buzz: World News about Multiples | Twins in Quarantine

Couple Keeps Twins In Yearlong Quarantine - 

Premature Babies Have Fragile Immune Systems

Vangoethem Family

KANSAS CITY, Mo.-- Most families couldn't imagine spending a year in quarantine, but one Kansas City-area couple is doing it to protect their children.

Laura Vangoethem's twins have had an unusually rocky first nine months of life.

"I think we were given an 85 percent chance that they would survive," she said.

Anna and Reed were due last July, but were born at the end of March. They stayed in the neonatal intensive care unit for most of the summer.

"It was 25 weeks, and we knew they weren't the youngest ones in the NICU, but they were close to the youngest and they were really, really sick for a long time," she said.

To Read more and watch a video, go to: http://www.kmbc.com/health/30391053/detail.html#ixzz1rNQBV6jX

365 Days of Twinipedia - Day 110 | Twin to twin transfusion syndrome - TTTS

Day One-Hundred and nine of Twinipedia 

Fact #110

This is actually something that I had never heard of.  With Becca's background in midwifery though, she was aware that this could happen and could be life threatening to twins.

Twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS)

This syndrome is defined as a serious complication with twin pregnancy but it only happens when the twins are identical. The problem starts with the placenta, where one baby receives all the nutrients and the other receives none. It is often detected by scan where one baby much smaller than the other twin. There may also be no fluid surrounding the smaller baby.

If TTTS is not detected early enough or is left untreated, the smaller baby may die due to lack of nutrients.  Plus, the larger baby may have major complications or even die as well since there will be too much fluid in the sac and this can cause pressure on the heart which can cause subsequent heart failure.

The mother may also notice some signs of TTTS like increased fluid around her bump and a feeling of breathlessness.

Some additional information about TTTS from Wikipedia.  

"As a result of sharing a single placenta, the bloodsupplies of monochorionic twin fetuses can become connected, so that they share blood circulation: although each fetus uses its own portion of the placenta, the connecting blood vessels within the placenta allow blood to pass from one twin to the other. Depending on the number, type and direction of the interconnecting blood vessels (anastomoses), blood can be transferred disproportionately from one twin (the "donor") to the other (the "recipient"). The transfusion causes the donor twin to have decreased blood volume, retarding the donor's development and growth, and also decreased urinary output, leading to a lower than normal level of amniotic fluid (becomingoligohydramnios). The blood volume of the recipient twin is increased, which can strain the fetus's heart and eventually lead to heart failure, and also higher than normal urinary output, which can lead to excess amniotic fluid (becoming polyhydramnios)...
Severe TTTS has a 60–100% mortality rate."...




To Read more, go to 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twin-to-twin_transfusion_syndrome

Twins: 365 Days of Twinipedia - Day 109 | Twins and Astrology

Day One-Hundred and nine of Twinipedia 

Fact #109

We thought this essay would be interesting to share.  It is a twist on the typical books out there about twins, twin parenting, twin bonds and relationships and all things twin related.  This article is titled Astrology and Twins.  It delves into the idea of how even twins who are born at the same time can be very different in many ways.

Go to Twinstuff.com to check out this and other interesting reads about twins at: 

http://www.twinstuff.com/features-mainmenu-27/9-articles/26-twin-facts

Details from twinstuff.com about this article... "Astrology & Twins  Articles/Twin Facts Author:Administrator Astrology and Twins by Ruth Orvis Twins run in Ruth's family and she has always had more than a passing interest in the subject. In an exclusive essay for Twinstuff, she discusses how twins who are basically born at the same time can have different astrological signs and personalities." ...

365 Days of Twinipedia - Day 108 | Does 1 placenta mean Identical Twins?

Day One-Hundred and eight of Twinipedia 

Fact #108

Some people have asked us if identical twins share the same placenta and that is how you Know they are identical?  We have written a little about this before but wanted to touch upon it again since we are curious too.

In the past, this is what doctors and scientists believed to be true; one placenta at birth meant meant 1 egg had split which meant the babies were identical twins.  This is not the belief anymore though.

Some identical twins do end up with one placenta shared, while others do not.  It is now understood that this process depends on when the egg splits to form the identical twins.  It is believed that if the egg splits within the first few days of conception, they will have two separate placentas. If the egg splits after the first week, then the identical twins may share one placenta.

So it is all in the timing of the split, not how many eggs it all started with.

MY TWIN SISTER IS COMING HOME!

I am So Excited today.

My Twin sister just let me know that she will be flying home in a few days and will be here for a little over a week.

I am over the moon happy.  It has been 9 months since I saw her in person.  
Time for me to clear my schedule as best I can so that we can spend some quality time together for the short time that she is here.  
Gotta get my twin-fix before I have to go months again without being able to give her a big hug whenever I want to.
Yeah!!!!!!!!!!!

365 Days of Twinipedia - Day 107 |Twins and Multiples Festivals from Around the World

Day One-Hundred and Seven of Twinipedia 

Fact #107

Twins have the unique opportunity to be able to attend yearly Twin Festivals both in the Continental US as well as all over the world.

Mexico

There are festivals from Ohio to Ireland and Great Britain to Ghana.  Take your pick!

Ghana

There is a great site called Twin Realm that shares a great collection of Twin festival listings including locations, dates, and events at the festival.

Check it out if you are twins and would want to attend a festival in your country or check it out for your twins if you are the parents of twinnies!

Ireland

There are also Super Multiples Festivals noted on the site as well.

Enjoy!