New innovation announcement! Britax Click Tight Technology

Ever seen a car seat get interviewed, well you can right now. We got the scoop on the new Britax car seat technology and you can see it here first!

For full details visit Britax’s website.

Wonder Bumpers? What’s Wonderful About These Bumpers?

I’m sure by now you’ve been keeping up to date with our tips and tricks for what you’ll need when you’re expecting and helping your little lovelies sleep, but just in case you haven’t, one thing that always comes up in discussion is crib bumpers. Our friends at GoMamaGo have partnered with us for this week’s #tWinsDay giveaway!

Bumpers are a controversial topic for our members here at Twiniversity. My daughter Anna needed them after her little arms and legs got caught between her crib bars one too many times, and once they were on, she slept like she’d been thrown from a moving vehicle. It was miraculous. Also, pacifier containment! So handy.

We had a discussion on our Facebook page last week about bumpers. Here’s what some of our members had to say:
“We started using the mesh ones because our girls kept rolling around and getting their chubby little legs stuck between the bars.”
“I did! Once removed from my b/g twins crib, my daughter got her leg stuck above the knee…she is skinny weeny but managed to get herself into an awkward position where we couldn’t turn her to get we out….we were forced to saw through the crib!! 😦 it was a nightmare!!”
“I put them in the snuggle nests and they slept on their sides bc that’s what they did at the hospital. When they started rolling around on their own I put up the bumpers.”

Give Your Lunch Box Some Love: 5 Tips to save money and make sure they love what’s in it!

Do you have a struggle in the morning getting the kids out the door let alone worrying about what you are going to throw in their lunchbox? Sure, you want it to be healthy and nourishing, but you need to get it done fast and with a minimal mess for you to clean, no? Well here are some tips to get the job done quicker, spend less money and put a big smile on your kiddos’ faces!

1. Start a new policy! Tell your kids that EVERYTHING comes home after lunch. Even that half eaten sandwich. A lot of our moms were finding that kids were throwing out a good piece of fruit if they didn’t eat it. Also, just like in a restaurant, if the chef doesn’t see what’s coming back to the kitchen, how can he change the recipe? If you know what foods are making the cut and actually getting eaten, then you can figure out how to pack a better lunch for your kid. This will save you LOTS of money. If they are only eating half a sandwich daily, you can start making a half each day and save yourself some dough!

2. Are you overpacking? How long does your child get to eat? Is lunch 30 minutes, 20 minutes, 10 minutes? Schools are cutting lunch hours around the country to keep up with the heavy workloads of their curriculums. Find out how long your kids have and you can judge how much to pack. ALSO, find out the conditions they are eating in. Do they have a big table? Small table? Do they eat with their coat on (don’t laugh, my own kids do it in their school)? Knowing the conditions and length of their lunch hour can help you tailor a meal that will fit the time/space allowance. If they have 10 minutes to chow down, perhaps you should skip the complicated snacks and items that require more then just, “open and eat”. If you are sending a bento box with a bunch of items, they won’t even have time to eat it and they will go for their favorite snacks instead of what’s best for them!

3. Keep em guessing! Kids get into food slumps like adults do. Many of us stick with (fill in your favorite “go to” lunch here) with a side (favorite snack) everyday because it’s easy. When the mood strikes us we might have (fill in favorite treat here). For kids, they can’t decide last minute to be a bit wild or spontaneous. That’s our job. So daily, pack their favorite go to lunch and add in a bit of flare into it. Perhaps throw in a random marshmallow or sticker. It doesn’t even have to be food related. I throw in small toys, notes, silly bands, pencils, or another random thing that you might come across. I’ve even been none to destroy our Sunday Funnies and hide them and give one to the kids each day! Good Bag prizes are great for this. Also, throw in one for a friend! My kids love to be generous, and I love to help em out!

4. You eat with your eyes first! Instead of throwing the sandwich in a ziplock, “fancy it up” as my kids say. Cut it into small circles with a cookie cutter or even buy one of the cutters made just for this purpose. If you are giving them carrots or another veggie, cut it into triangles or some other fun shape. Who says that “sticks” are the only veggie kids like. Think outside the usual, and throw them for a loop one day. Make an inside out sandwich, put the meat and cheese on the outside and the bread in the middle. Why not! Have fun with it.

5. Don’t forget the accessories! Do they need a spoon or fork? Do they need a napkin (consider a cloth napkin)? Do they need a straw? Don’t skimp on the hand wipes/sanitizer either! Make sure EVERYTHING they need is in there. And go back to rule #1. Make sure it all comes home. Think of all the money you’ll save on plastic forks and spoons if you just gave them a real one. Even if they lost it once a month, pick up a few spares at the dollar store! Let them have a “fancy” lunch.

Extra tip! STICK WITH WATER!!! If you get your kids used to drinking water at an early age you won’t get stuck in a juicebox rut! Get a great water bottle that they will be proud to have on the table (and that’s easy to wash!). Need to use filtered water, stick with one that will do the work for you. You’ll save a TON of money on bottles!

Need more lunch ideas? Check out our past articles on:

Eco Friendly Lunchbox

Alternative School Lunch Ideas

Bon Appetit!

National Girl Scout Cookie Day

As I sit here and chow down on an entire row of Thin Mint Cookies with reckless abandon, I’d like to take a moment and wish the Girl Scouts (and everyone else for that matter) a Happy Cookie Day!

For nearly 100 years, Girl Scouts has been teaching girls the meaning of teamwork and sisterhood. As a former Girl Scout myself, some of my fondest childhood memories revolved around those meetings and outings. The memories that stand out above all are my experiences selling cookies. I am proud to say that I received a badge for selling over 100 boxes! What a proud moment that was for me.

Today, marks Girl Scout Cookie Day and I kinda wish I were selling cookies once again. I’m counting down the days when my Baby A is wearing that iconic uniform going door to door peddling the most delicious treats in the world.

So Happy Cookie Day! Celebrate by supporting your local Girl Scout Troop by purchasing some cookies, or better yet, start volunteering and you can make an even greater impact on the lives of girls everywhere.

For more information about the Girl Scouts visit their website, facebook page, or twitter!

…what are you waiting for…go get some cookies. The calories don’t count today on Cookie Day!!!!

-Nat

Bringing Families BACK to the table

If you are a parent of today, perhaps your not alone in thinking, “How can I manage picking the kids up, taking care of our home, running errands, caring for our pets, being the best spouse in the world, AND THEN still have dinner on the table at 5pm.” Well perhaps you should consider how important that family meal really is.

Today’s families are busier then ever but Welch’s is happy to report in their Kitchen Table Report that many families around the US are still taking time out of their busy days to make quality time a priority.

As a New Year’s Resolution in the Diaz House we have decide to spend more time “unplugged” and spend it as a family. After reading the Kitchen Table Report, I’m even more convinced that this resolution is worth keeping.

Who’s Bob and why do you want to win his stroller?

For those of you who might not be familiar with Bob let me fill ya in. Bob is manufacturer of strollers that has been known for their high quality, innovative family of strollers for over 15 years.

Typically, Bob’s are most well known for their awe inspiring jogging strollers, which could convert any non runners to pick up the sport, but now Bob is going mainstream and has created an incredible lightweight everyday stroller for even us non runners.

With customer driven design this four wheeled SINGLE stroller features:

• Appropriate for children from birth up to 65 pounds
• One-hand, quick-fold with an automatic frame lock
• RITAX Click & Go™ integrated adapter for convenient attachment to the BOB B-SAFE™ in matching BOB fashions or BRITAX^® Infant Car Seat (creating a great travel system)
• Padded, adjustable handlebar for effortless maneuvering
• A five-point harness system and an infinite seat-recline
• Durable pneumatic tires mounted on high-impact polymer wheels (7 inch in the front and 10 inch in the back)
• A rugged independent spring-suspension system absorbs bumps in the road
• An extra-large canopy with a mesh ventilation window provides an added sense of security and convenience
• A big Low Boy cargo basket to hold your daily essentials
• A lightweight frame (23lbs)

Happy Birthday Multiplicity. Read our latest issue and win.

Blow out the candles, Multiplicity Magazine has turned 1 and our latest issue is now available.

Click the cover to read.

In our latest issue you’ll find articles on reading readiness (p.10), bringing some animal appeal to your home (p.40), best winter apps (p.30), the art of efficiency (p. 28) and making your home scream free (p.6) and MUCH more.

But wait…there’s more! For the next 8 weeks, Multiplicity wants to celebrate with YOU! Find out this week’s Birthday Celebration Giveaway and enter today.

Fisher Price Recall: Rock ‘N Play Infant Sleepers

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer product. Consumers should immediately inspect this product and stop using it if mold is found. Units currently in retail stores are not included in this recall to inspect.

Name of Product: Newborn Rock ‘n Play Sleeper™

Units: About 800,000 units

Teaching Your Children The Gift of Giving

Llana writes:

“Hi Natalie, I frequently think back about a post you made a few years ago about what you do with your twins around the holidays. i remember thinking it was amazing, but at the time my twins were too little. Now that they are two and a half i would like to do it. I remember you said you had them pick one of their toys to give a way as well as buy a toy to give away and a toy for each other? is that right? anyways, my question is, where do you give your toys away to? is there a place where the kids can actually see it being given to other kids so they get the concept? Thanks, Llana”

______________

Dear Llana,

Happy Holidays. Yes, my twins still get into the holiday spirit each year. Here is what we do.

• Before the holiday come, they have to clean out ALL (yes all) their old toys. We then make a fairly sizable pile that all goes to the Salvation Army or to a local charity near our apartment for homeless families. The rule is, they can not donate anything damaged, overly used, or just overall bad shape. All the toys must have ALL the pieces and be in great working order.

Celebrate the Season with Twiniversity and Safari Ltd.

The Twiniversity Gang is very excited to announce that on December 1st we will begin our 24 Days of Twinnies Celebration sponsored by Safari Ltd.

After the overwhelming response from our awesome Summer Safari Week, Safari Ltd is back once more with tons of prizes for some of the outstanding sets of twinnies in our group.

From December 1st through December 24th Twiniversity will feature a set of amazing multiples from around the globe. Each day a family will be chosen, featured, and then rewarded with a hand selected prize courtesy of Safari Ltd.

Safari Ltd. has become a staple here in the Diaz house no matter if we are at the beach or just playing around the living room, there is usually a Safari Ltd. replica within arms reach. Just recently their Chimera got a hold of a My Little Pony. Chaos ensued along with a ton of laughter. My twins has really enjoyed their amazing replica’s while I’ve enjoyed the educational value they have brought to my twins play time.

Check out all the amazing creatures, figures, and more on their website where you don’t have to wait on any Black Friday lines. Not only are their creative products “one size fits all” but they will last for generations to come. This year, we are even hanging some on our holiday tree! Check back daily for details on who our twinnies will be and some of the amazing things our Safari Ltd characters are up to!

Think your twinnies would like to be featured and win prizes, email Community@Twiniversity.com for more details.

Happy Holidays!

-Nat and the Diaz Duo