Some Twins are livin' large and takin' names in the process (and takin' everyone to the bank in the process)

The Olsen Twins, fashion moguls, are selling a $39K Backpack - And they can't keep it in stock.

We love supporting and sharing good news about other Twin-tastic peeps in the world but this just seems too crazy to us.  

1st crazy: that these fashionistas would even think to make a bag this expensive.

2nd crazy: that people would actually buy it.  Sheesh, the customers are practically tripping over each other to get one of these bad boys.  

Don't get us wrong, this bag is gorgeous.  But $39,000? Woowzer.  And we're wondering where all the animal rights people are.  We would think they'd be standing naked in front of the Twin's design center by now, insisting that we all boycott the company and then calling for the company to stop killing innocent alligators for their backpack production.  

The pack, which is part of the twins' luxury fashion line, The Row, launched in Paris on September 30 as part of a larger handbag collection.












So we want to know, if you had it, would you be willing to spend $39,000 for an alligator backpack in order to be an ultra-fashionista-goddess?

An Adult Twin's Perpective on being Fraternal vs. Identical Twins, and GeneticTesting.

So I was checking out some of my favorite Twin blogs this morning and came across lots of interesting posts.
One post that I read and found interesting touched upon genetic testing.  The author is a mother of twins and was planning to get her twin boys genetically tested to see how similar their genetic markers are.  She was also planning to test their younger sibling as well to see how his genetics compared to his twin, fraternal siblings.
This got me thinking again about whether Becca and I should ever consider genetic testing in order to see how similar we are genetically.  Plus, it could also confirm or disprove our status as fraternal twins which we sometimes question and often wonder about. 
So here's what I think of all this...

Twitter Party and Giveaway Thursday 10/6/11 @ 8pm. Join us!

TwinsWithTots and InfoBlanket's #KidsVolunteer Twitter Party: 10/6/11

Join @TwinsWithTots and @Infoblanket for a fun, informative #KidsVolunteer twitter party!

 

Let’s talk about fun ways to get kids and families more involved with volunteering in their local and global communities.  We want to know how volunteering has benefited your family and we want you to share your tips and advice on how to get kids and families excited about volunteering and helping others in need.

                                                                                                     

Photo 2010: Kids Volunteer their time at a 3k Wounded
Warrior Walk

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• 
  
• PARTY INFORMATION:
• * Date/Time: October 6, 2011 8-9 PM EST
• * Hashtag: #KidsVolunteer
• * Be sure to also follow along with Hosts: @TwinsWithTots, @Infoblanket
• PRIZES: 
• * 1 winner will receive a free Information Blanket to keep or give as a gift to that special baby in her life. (The Information Blanket : Blanketing Babies with Lifesaving Info)
• * 1 winner will receive a $25 Amazon gift card 
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•                                                                                                                                    

ANYONE CAN ATTEND THIS INTERESTING AND INFORMATIVE CHAT BUT IF YOU RSVP BEFORE NOON on 10/6/11, YOU EARN A CHANCE TO WIN THE PRE-TWITTER PARTY PRIZE.  THIS WINNER WILL BE RANDOMLY CHOSEN AT THE BEGINNING OF THE 8pm CHAT.

*TO RSVP- 
1. FRIEND CATHERINE COLBY COSTANTINO from www.TwinsWithTots.blogspot.com ON FACEBOOK 
2. TWEET: 

#KidsVolunteer Twitter Party,10/6. #Win a $25 Amazon GC #giveaway or @Infoblanket. Party Details @ http://twinswithtots.blogspot.com/ via @twinswithtots

We will then record your tweet, accept your friend request & add your name to the drawing list.

We are excited to talk #KidsVolunteer ideas and advice with you.

TALK TO YOU THURSDAY NIGHT!


Any Questions-
Please contact Cathy Costantino at costantino.catherine@gmail.com


Disclaimer - I am NOT being compensated for this Twitter party...I just think the Information Blanket is a great product and is made by a wonderful, generous company that is helping save babies lives!  And I think getting kids involved with Volunteering and caring for the needs of others is a great topic to discuss.  All opinions, as always, are my own.

*The Low Down on the The INFORMATION BLANKET

Also follow Infoblanket's Blog @ www.blanketdiary.com

THE BIG E AFTERMATH

The image in this picture captures how I feel today after a very fun but VERY LONG day yesterday at the Big E Festival in West Springfield, Massachusetts.  Lots and lots of bad-for-you-but-oh-so-delicious food was consumed and we also did tons of walking and drank far too little water.  All of this debauchery combined with getting home late has left me feeling like a Semi-Truck ran me over, then backed up over me again to finished off the job!

Here is a list of some of the food we all consumed at the Big E...Yes, this amazing feat was accomplished over one day.  Actually, all of this was consumed in ~ a 7 hour window of time.

* Fried cheesecake

* Fried periogies

* Fried, freshly peeled potato chips with cheese and bacon

* Fried dough wrapped around Oreos (like a mini munchkin donut with an Oreo in the middle...(Oh yeah! We went there!)

* Fried Cool Aid

* Fried mushrooms

* Fried pickles

* Many, many fried corn dogs consumed by my kiddies

(Starting to see a cooking-style pattern here?)

* Beef, Venison, and Elk Jerky

* Corn-on-the-cob dipped directly into a vat of butter

* Mini Apple pie

* 2 Ginormous bags of Kettle Corn that were gone before we left the park

* Kielbasa

* Ice Cream x 2 trips

* Maple Syrup Cream served in Ice Cream cones

* Maple Syrup Cotton Candy

* Italian Ice

* Gyros

* Chicken wraps

* Pizza

* Fresh Raspberries (yeah, healthy)

* Pumpkin Seeds in many flavors

* Cannollis filled with cream and chocolate chips

* Golumpkis (Polish seasoning on ground meat stuffed in cabbage leaves)

* Giant Pickles

* Fresh Bread samples

* Whoopie Pie

* Pickled Eggs (I did not eat one of these bad-boys.  Blah and peeee-u!)

*Soda, water, lemonade, apple cider, frozen lemonade, beer (dad's had 2 yummy types each), slushees...

(Loud, inapprorpiate sound heard on other side of computer screen).....Oooops!  Excuse me!


Tell me, what would you have not been able to say "No" to, food-wise, at the Big E?  Did we get one of your favorites?

Creating a Garden in My Yard of Southern-Germany Quality. Well, Someday!

Today I got a bit of a bug in my butt.  Becca lives in such a picturesque part of Germany and the gardens and yards there are so beautiful and well maintained.  Here are some images from the town she lives in.  Just  gorgeous... 

 

I have seen picture after picture of the area she lives in and today I decided to make some attempt to emulate some of that garden beauty in my own yard.  Now, I can honestly say that it will be awhile and will take lots of hard work before my yard looks anything like the gardens of Southern Germany but I figured I needed to start somewhere.  
My Mia and I went to Lowes and got some pretty tapered stones to place in a circle around our flag pole.  The pole has always had grass around it, and I have always liked how it looks when the base of a flag pole has a polished looking, stoned-off edge to it.  
I did this to ours and I like how this simple change turned out.  
Then I cut back a very unruly tree in our front yard that's chaotic look has been making me crazy for months.  I cut off all the lower branches and then mulched the ground around the tree.  I plan to put a stone edging around this too when I get a chance. 
All of this produced some sweat and a little blood but no tears thank goodness, well at least not from me.  (Mia is actually crying right now because her bathrobe won't stay closed while she plays so I guess that could count as the tears part of that "blood, sweat and tears" saying).  Working on these updates was fun although a bit of work since the stones were pretty heavy and I had to get them from the store on my own and into the yard.  An I also had to manage to  keep a 3 year old occupied and out of the road while doing the work.  Overall though, I think these little changes look great.  I am glad that I set aside the time to do them and I am officially 2 steps closer to having a Southern German, well-maintained and beautiful garden at my own home.
So take that Becca and your picturesque surroundings.  I'll be livin' with a stunning German-esque like garden like you in no time. (twin 2 sticking tongue out at twin 1)

So, what do you think our next yard project should be in order to move us even closer to our South-German Oasis?

Decluttering 101

Decluttering 101: 10 tips for taking the chaos out of the playroom!  #WallTracks  

I have 3 children.  They are all girls and they are definitely girlie-girls. They love their Barbies, American Girl dolls, and baby-dolls and all the accessories that come with them.  They also love dress-up costumes and shoes, shoes, and more shoes. Arts and Crafts are a favorite too.  My girls also really like magnetic toys that come with lots of little, teeny-tiny pieces.  Needless to say there is a lot of STUFF in our playroom.  Therefore, you can imagine that it takes a lot of planning and effort to keep that play space organized, decluttered and usable.  It is something we are always discussing and keeping up on as a family so that all those toys along with all their pieces, accessories, components...stay together, don't get lost and don't cause total chaos on our playroom floor.   
Here is a list of 10 tips that we use to keep our play space "play-able" and organized.

1.  I find that every once in awhile it is good to let the toys, dolls...get a little bit messy in the playroom.  This way, when the clean up finally begins, the kids feel a little bit of the "chaos" that comes with having to organize a space that is very messy and cluttered. This allows me to have a "teachable" moment with them where I can explain to them why we keep things organized and how, if in the future they stay-up on the decluttering process, the clean up time will be a lot quicker and easier.  Then, once they finish that long clean-up, we can look around and talk about how our organizing system works.  This final discussion solidifies the idea in their cute, little brains that organization and decluttering can be a good thing. What I find later is that the next time I have them clean up, it is a lot easier to get them all on-board with the cleaning process since they know that the quick clean-up NOW will save them from a LONG clean up later.

2.  Bins, bins, bins.  Use them for quick clean ups when guests show up unexpectedly (organize later if need be), and then also use them all the time for toys, games,costumes, whatever, as a way to help your kids find a place for everything and so that they know where things go.  Make the bins fun and colorful too in order to add a fun, kid-like feel to the playroom.

3.  "Everything has a place, and Everything in it's place". Ah, my older sister's favorite saying.  And it is a good statement to live by when it comes to organizing a playroom. Having labelled storage bins, or baskets helps make this statement come to fruition.  Labels let all your kids know what goes into where at clean up time.  

4. For non-reading children, labeling bins and baskets with words is not going to be much help since they will not be able to read what item goes in that bin.  I draw a picture of the item on the label for my youngest so that she knows where toys go without having to read any words.  I have seen people take photos of the toy that goes into a specific bin too and then they attach that photo to the bin.  I save myself time by just drawing the image but both ways are effective.  

5.  Don't let it slide.  Check the play room daily and have the kids do a "Quick-sweep", as we like to call it, every time they finish playing so that no clutter even starts to build up.  We reward them sometimes too with an ice cream or a "Family Game-Night" if they do the clean up without being asked.  (Gotta love and reward the independent cleaner!)

6.  We do the "do you play with this toy anymore?" question and answer session every  few months.  We tend to do it in our house just after a birthday or a holiday like Christmas where more toys (which equals more clutter) come into the home. We use this decluttering time as a way to get rid of what is not being used anymore n order to make room for new things.  We also use it as a way to teach the kids about giving back in their community.  We talk about how their unused toys can now get donated to a facility that will give them to other children who don't have the means to buy these toys.  The kids love the idea that their toy will make another kid happy and they love that the toy will be loved again.  This way everyone is happy about getting rid of the toys and mom and dad are especially happy that the toyroom's clutter is reduced.

7.  Get a great wall unit.  We have this Ikea unit that we place all the bins in that the kids place their toys in.  It makes the playroom look neat and organized.  Plus it creates a place for the bins to go, and it clears the playroom's floor space which allows for more playing space.  

8.  Arts and Crafts are my worst nightmare.  These kinds of toys/activities are the- messiest- of- the-messiest for sure.  These items have their own place in our house.  They are kept in a closet, high on the top shelf so that they can only be used with permission.  I learned the hard way to keep these toys "under surveillance" at all times.  Let's just say that my playroom walls will never be the same.  Some toys just need more monitoring than others so I suggest that these don't make it to the playroom without your knowledge.  

9. We use a rotating, weekly chart system too.  The chart lists what each child is in charge of keeping neat and organized for that week in the playroom.  This way, the kids know they have that task to complete all week and it lets me just do quick reminders to get them going. It is especially great to refer to when I hear the infamous "I'm bored" statement.  Now I can always point to the chart and say, "I know what you can do..." The chaos and clutter does not get out of control this way and the rotating system allows for each kid to do different jobs each week so that no, one person feels like they got the "worst job of all". 

10.  Lastly, I think it is important to talk to your kids about why we declutter and keep a room neat.  We want to be able to use the room efficiently and in a fun way.  Plus, we want our kids to be respectful of the things we work hard for.  Them taking care of the playroom space shows us as parents that they appreciate the toys they have and the home we all live in.  Our home reflects on all of us and we want to show each other that we care about the quality of the environment that we live in and that we share as a family.  


So there you have it, a listing of some of the things we do to keep our playroom in some semblance of order.  We loose control once and awhile but often friendly reminders a good, focused cleaning fixes that.  Using these tips though can make for a more enjoyable and fun-filled play space for all.


The makers of Hotwheels know how precious your floor space is and they have created a great system called Hot Wheels® Wall Tracks™ to let your kids zip their cars along the wall instead of on the floor! You can get more info on Hot Wheels® at  http://www.hotwheels.com.


Disclaimer:  I wrote this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms and Hot Wheels® blogging program, for a gift card worth $40. For more information on how you can participate, click here

FUN, ORIGINAL and CREATIVE Halloween Costumes from Etsy!

Looking for Fun, Original, Creative Halloween costumes for your twins, multiples, or siblings?  
Well, ETSY.com has done it again, offering up the cutest Halloween costume options for those little babes of yours or for those favorite kiddies in your life.


These costumes are often handmade or made to order and they are so original and creative.  We especially love the Sushi Sets, the Thing 1 and Thing 2 older-girl's tutu ensemble and the knit, baby-size skull caps...


Go to http://www.etsy.com and find your little ones awesome, adorable costumes today!   Some Etsy store Direct-Links are listed below as well.

3 above costumes by http://www.etsy.com/people/NotTheKitchenSink?ref=ls_profile

Above costume by http://www.etsy.com/people/FoxyLittleThing?ref=ls_profile

3 above costumes by http://www.etsy.com/people/HTHRGRC3HEATHER?ref=ls_profile

Above costume by http://www.etsy.com/people/PettiskirtCouture?ref=ls_profile

Above costume by http://www.etsy.com/people/ChicCoutureBoutique?ref=ls_profile

Above costume capes by http://www.etsy.com/people/ClaireBearBaby?ref=ls_profile

AND HERE ARE SOME OTHER REALLY CUTE HALLOWEEN ACCESSORIES YOU CAN FIND ON ETSY.COM TOO FOR YOUR TWINS, MULTIPLES, SIBLINGS: