Travelling with Twinnies: Mapping out your Travel Plans

Over the river and through the woods to grandmother’s house we go…Sounds magical doesn’t it? If you’re having trouble envisioning the ‘picture perfect’ travel plans with your family, that’s because you ARE a family of multiples! And if there is one thing that anyone with multiples knows, it’s that travelling with twinnies is never THAT simple. However, if you’re travelling near or far; by plane, train or automobile; for the holidays or just to ‘get away;’ having twins, (or more), is no excuse to give up on the dream of a vacation, out of the scene of movies.

Twin Language

Do your multiples have their own language like these two little cuties? I wish we had a baby translator. Anyone wanna take a guess at what they are saying? I think it has something to do with a missing baby sock!

Enjoy your Sunday Folks!

HP Print Holiday Favorites

This week ,Twiniversity’s Natalie Diaz, attended a party hosted by HP to show off some items that you may want to add to your holiday wish list.

The party started with a warm welcome from our HP hosts along with celebrity Robert Verdi. You may know Robert from his awesome shows like Fashion Police and Full Frontal Fashion. Robert has a personality that can light up the room and it was a pleasure meeting him. It was  great way to kick off the night.  Ok, getting right down to business, here are some things I saw tonight that will just blow your mind.

 

#1. Did you know that HP is now making a 3D scanner/printer! Yup. It’s called the HP TopShot. I watched many folks play with this cool new contraption and it was eazy breezy lemon squeezy. (Can you tell I spent too much time with the twins today). The scanner takes ANY item and transforms it into a 3D print/online image. Robert was so intrigued he had to give it a try himself. He decided to scan his shoe! It all happened in one touch. The scanner took three quick photos and transformed his shoe into an outstanding 3D print version of itself. Impressive to say the least. This item should go on the holiday list of any crafter, Etsy store owner, or Ebay’er. You could not possibly get a better image using your standard camera. Retailing at about $400 this scanner should pay for itself in no time flat!

#2. The next item that I saw that you might want to add to your holiday list is the HP Envy 110. This crazily compact printer produced crystal clear images with almost no sound at all. Long gone are the days of the ol’ dot matrix printer which would make that high pitched screeching sound. (Am I dating myself here?). The Envy also features a 1200 x 1200 resolution scanner, 80 page paper tray, and can produce up to 30 copies per minute! This stylish piece of equipment would be a welcome addition into any home or home office. Retails for $249. (currently on sale on the HP website)

#3. Finally the last printer I saw that I think you will LOVE LOVE LOVE is the HP Photosmart 7510. This printer looks more like your tradition all-in-one type systems. However with a touch screen, 125 sheet tray, and print lab-quality photos, this machine takes it to the next level. The outstanding price point of $199 is lower then expected for such a great all-in-one printer. This HP Photosmart 7510 would be perfect for scanning kids art projects, printing scrapbooking items, and making a few extra copies of that cute picture you just took of the kids.

I know what I’m asking Santa for this year (cough…cough…The Envy…cough..cough) which one would you choose?

 

Disclaimer: Natalie attended the party as a guest. She did not receive any products or compensation for this review. Her views are entirely her own. (Did you know that legally she has to include disclaimers when posting reviews. Just in case you were wondering why she did this.)

Twilight Saga Breaking Dawn Part I – A Review

I attended the opening of Breaking Dawn at 12:01 am. The movie was nothing short of fantastic. Like the other movies in the saga, this one is visually stunning. The locations were absolutely beautiful. The long awaited wedding scene was incredibly well done an beautiful. The wedding reception scenes were hilarious and filled the theater with laughter.  The honeymoon provided a mix of passion and more laughter. But what followed, left me sitting on the edge of my seat for the remainder of the movie. I cannot wait to see the next one!

Make sure you stay for the credits so you don’t miss the ‘extra’ scene. If you are looking for an escape from the day to day, this movie definately fits the bill. I would add that if you have been allowing your pre-teens to watch the saga; you may want to watch this one before you take them. This movie was much more graphic than the others.

Muppet Friday

With the release of the Muppets coming up right around the corner, Disney just released these hilarious movie posters that might look a bit like another big move premier!

Hope they bring a smile to your face like they did mine!

 

Happy Friday!

Build-A-Bear Recalls Teddy Bear Swimwear Set Due to Strangulation Hazard

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and Health Canada, in cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer product. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed. It is illegal to resell or attempt to resell a recalled consumer product.

Name of Product: Swimwear Set With Inflatable Inner Tube

Units: About 19,720 units in the United States and 1,100 units in Canada

Importer: Build-A-Bear Workshop(r), of St. Louis

Hazard: The inner tube accessory can be pulled over a small child’s head, posing a strangulation hazard.

Incidents/Injuries: Build-A-Bear received one report of an incident in which a 3-year-old girl pulled the inner tube over her head and had difficulty removing it.

Description: The inner tube is part of the three-piece Fruit Tutu Bikini swimwear set for teddy bears, which includes a two-piece fruit-print bikini. The inner tube is 9 inches in diameter and pink with white and yellow flowers printed on it. The model number of the swimwear set is 017220 and is located on the price sticker on the “Build-A-Bear” cardboard tag.

Sold at: Build-A-Bear Workshop(r) stores nationwide and online at www.buildabear.com from April 2011 to August 2011 for $12.50.

Manufactured in: China

Remedy: Consumers should immediately stop using the inner tube and return it to any Build-A-Bear Workshop(r) store to receive a $5 store coupon. If it is not possible to return the inner tube to a store, consumers may contact the company for information about how to receive a refund.

Twiniversity Talks: This week’s episode, “Toy Time with Fisher Price”

With what seems like a zillion toys on the market, how can you best choose which toys are best? Which toys will last the longest, ensuring you get the best bang for your buck? Natalie speaks with Juliette Reashor, Senior Manager of Public Relations for Fisher-Price. She will tell us what Fisher Price’s hot holiday items are and which ones are best suited for twins! (excuse the “behind the scenes” chat before the show started, lol. We were having too much fun!)

Some of the items discussed on today’s show:

 

 

Laugh & Learn™ Learning Kitchen™

PSA: Recognizing a Stroke

Remember old fashioned Public Service Announcements? Twiniversity wants to bring them back to inform YOU of some true stories that could make a difference in your life, or the life of someone you know.

True Story: At an ordinary barbecue Kate stumbles and falls. A guest offers to call an ambulance, but Kate convinces everyone that she is fine and that it is her new shoe’s that made her fall. She seems a little pale, so her husband helps to brush off her clothes and pick a new food dish for her.

She then partied all night with the others. Her husband called later to say he had taken her to the hospital and that she died at 11 pm! She had suffered a stroke. A neurologist says a person who suffers a stroke should be treated within 3 hours to be saved . This means that we must all be aware of whether a person has a stroke.

A quick test is:

1) Ask the person to smile. How do they look?

2) Ask the person to speak a complete sentence. How do they sound?

3) Ask the person to raise both arms. Are they able to?

4) Ask the person to stick out their tongue . It should come out straight. If it rolls around or looks crooked call 911 immediately.

A cardiologist (heart doctor) says: IF THESE FACTS OF SCIENCE ARE POSTED BY AS MANY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE, WE MAY SAVE MORE LIVES, AND POSSIBLY OUR OWN.  We daily send all sorts of invitations, but now we can fill the internet with something EXTREMELY IMPORTANT! If you think the same thing, copy this and together we might actually save lives!

Top ten things I wish someone would have told me before I had twins

By: Twiniversity Member Kristin Lehman

10) One plus one does not equal two.

When we found out at 20 weeks that we were expecting not only our 2nd child, but our 3rd as well, my husband’s first reaction was “Crap! We’ll need a bigger car!” While there are some essential “twin” purchases, (i.e. two car seats) many times you’ll be able to get by on less (i.e. clothes). On the other hand, multiples can be more than twice as much work (at least at first), and definitely more than twice the fun.

 

9) Having multiples means learning multiplication.

Double the time it takes you to run errands by each kid taken. Then double that time again to account for all the comments that will come your way. Going anywhere with multiples is like traveling to the moon.  Everything takes ten times the preparation, and you’re still walking in slow motion once you get there.

Over Due Expectant Twin Mama boggies down!

Since 80% of multiples are born early (before 37 weeks), it’s SO NICE to see a mama who is OVERDUE and having a good time. These babies are lucky to have such fun parents like these two. I hope this brings as much as a smile to your face (and a tap to your foot) as it did to us. Thanks Twiniversity Member Charity P. for bringing this video to our attention.