Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Sandra Magsamen Mother's Day Giveaway WINNER!


  • Name: Ronda Siegler Facebook
  • Option: Vote for Me
  • Extra Info: 
  • Time: Wed Jun 13 2012 00:00:00 GMT-0400 (Eastern Daylight Time)

Congratulations Ronda! Ronda has 48 hours to reply to my email and claim her prize, or I will be forced to choose a different winner. Thanks to all for everyone and following my blog!

Monday, June 25, 2012

Strawberry Cool Whip Graham Cracker Dessert Recipe

My neighbor recently shared an idea she had for a yummy dessert/snack, and I had to try it for myself, and decided to share with all of my lovely readers! :-)


Ingredients you will need:


Graham crackers
Fresh Strawberries
Cool whip


(Yes, it really is as easy as it seems already!)




To begin, cup the leafs off the strawberries and cut the strawberries in half once more afterwards to make them a little smaller. You don't have to do this, but I found it easier to the next step.




After your strawberries are cup up, squish them so they are nearly just juice, with little chunks of strawberry in them. I used a spoon and just pressed down on a couple strawberries at a time to smush them. They should look like this when done:



When the strawberries are ready, pour the cool whip in a large bowl. Again, this isn't a requirement, but it makes the next step much easier.

When the cool whip is in a large bowl, pour the strawberries in with it and mix it all up very well, until the cool whip is a nice pink color.





After the strawberries and cool whip are all done and mixed together, prepare your graham crackers. Simply break them in half as if you were going to make s'mores.



The next step is to spoon some of the cool whip and strawberry mix onto one of the graham cracker pieces. How much you spoon on is up to you. You can do just a little bit, or a lot. I did enough so that it wasn't too much, but it oozed out of the sides a little bit. ;-)


After this step, put the other half of the graham cracker piece on top like a s'more or a sandwich. Repeat this step until you have all the snacks you want, or the graham crackers or mix is all gone.


The final step is to individually wrap each snack in plastic wrap or aluminum foil, OR place a few in freezer bags, OR place them in Tupperware containers, and put them in the freezer to freeze up for several hours.






Here's a shot after the snacks have been frozen:





SO yummy! It tastes like ice cream, only a little better, actually!


This is the perfect summer snack for a hot day. And the best part is they are so very cheap to make, and HEALTHY! It's not that bad for you, which is always a positive!


:-)


I just wanted to share this yummy snack with my readers. Enjoy!

Thursday, June 21, 2012

Tiny Tillia/The Children's Place Review & Giveaway!


I have worked with Tiny Tillia, the new baby and kids line from Avon, in the past and had such a great experience, I worked with them again a couple of months ago! 

From Tiny Tillia's website:

"Originally sparked by a mother's love for her children, Tiny Tillia by Avon is a world of charming baby products designed to turn everyday routines into special moments for mother and child. The softest cotton babywear and Toddlerwear. The smartest developmental toys. The most inspired nursery decor. The highest quality bath and body products. An entire Mommy Tillia line to pamper mom. There's even a cast of lovable characters like Dilly Pig and Duncan Dog who are bound to become baby's new BFFs."

The amount of products at Tiny Tillia is amazing and new products are added so often so the things never get old or boring like some places. There is a large variety ranging from baby items to toddler and even items for mommy.

For my review, I received these adorable floral sandals:


At the time, it was nearing Easter, and I thought these would the perfect Easter shoe for Merasia. She LOVED them! They looked super cute on her pretty little toes, and she still loves wearing them now if she's hanging around the house or playing outside. They are strong and durable too, which is an added bonus in the active life of a toddler!

Another good thing with these sandals is they aren't too formal, so she can wear them with an everyday pair of shorts or pants. They aren't just for a special occasion or dress up event.

For this review, I also received a $25 gift card to The Children's Place!

I had never really shopped there before. I had been in with my sister years ago when she shopped there for her daughter, and I knew they had adorable stuff, but it just wasn't a place I went often so I was excited to get that chance! With the summer months approaching I was really eager to get my kids some cute summery clothing. I got exactly that at The Children's Place!

I got this adorable halter top with rhinestones for Merasia:



I also got her the matching blue skirt with this top. She was wearing it earlier in the day that the photo was taken above, but had a potty accident and had to change before I snapped the pic. 

I got my boys a pair of shorts each. I got these gray ones for Mason...


And I got these dark blue ones for Connor:


I also got each of them a matching tank top to go with their shorts.

So, in total, I got 6 items, 2 items for each child, and spent a little over $25. Not bad for 3 kids!

Personally, I found a lot of items at The Children's Place to be a little too expensive, but that's simply my personal opinion, and I am still happy I had the opportunity to try out their store with a gift card, and am happy with my purchases.

Purchase it: You can purchase the Tiny Tillia sandals seen here at Tiny Tillia's website, and the other clothing items reviewed here at The Children's Place store near you, or online at their website.

WIN IT: ONE lucky reader of Mama 2 Multiples is going to WIN $50 worth of products from Tiny TIllia! To enter, simply follow the instructions in the Rafflecopter form below!

A Father's Day Post

We had a very low key Father's Day, but that was just how my hubby wanted it. He slept in while I got up with the kiddos, and the plan was for him to take Connor fishing while Merasia and Mason stayed home with mommy, and Merasia helped me make cupcakes for daddy. Daddy never eats sweets, but he said he would have a cupcake if the kids made it for him. :-)


Though Frank didn't want to show it, I knew he was really, really excited for this father and son fishing trip. Connor seemed excited too. He was talking about going fishing with daddy and was excited to get changed and get ready to go. Merasia was having a meltdown when Frank and Connor were leaving, because she wanted to go fishing. But she got over it soon after the boys left when I had her help me make cupcakes. 


About a half hour or so after the boys left, Frank called. I could tell by the tone of his voice when he said hi that he wasn't happy. I asked what was wrong and he said Connor was scared and didn't want to go near the water or go fishing at all, and wanted to come home with mommy. I had to laugh! So, I told him to bring him home and take Merasia instead and see if that worked better. After all of that, daddy and Merasia were gone for at least 2 hours or so. Connor and I played outside, ate lunch outside, and just hung out while Mason napped mostly. A little after lunch we took a short walk with our neighbor, and Frank called to tell me they were on their way home and that Merasia had a blast. I heard her yelling in the background that she wanted to talk to mommy. As soon as she got on the phone, she could not stop talking! She was SO excited and kept saying "I caught fishies!" and "Daddy caught big fishies!" "He caught TWO!" and the best one... "Daddy caught RAINBOW fishies!" This, in Merasia language, means rainbow trout. :-)


And then they just had to stop at the store my friend and I were at, because Merasia could not wait to show me the "fishies" they caught. She had actually caught a perch, but it was small and they put it back in the water. But she was super excited for the bigger fishies her daddy caught. 


We met them back at home, and by the time we got back there, Frank was cleaning the fish. Merasia ran out of the house and said "Daddy cut heads off." But she wasn't mortified or scared. She was still so excited! I guess that's a good thing that it wasn't traumatizing for her... ;-)


Daddy fried the fish up for dinner that night, and much to our surprise, Connor couldn't get enough of it...and Merasia wanted NOTHING to do with it! Complete opposites!


All in all, Frank had a great Father's Day and is so happy he found his new fishing buddy in Merasia. When Frank and I finally had a chance to talk without Merasia butting in about the fishing excursion, he told me Merasia tried to make him set all the worms free in the water, and talked him into letting at least one go. She also insisted on putting the fish he caught back in the water, but they had swallowed the hooks and already died. 


I love seeing my children with their daddy, and especially love seeing the tom boy and adventuroues side of Merasia. She definitely breaks the mold of the little princess girl scared of bugs and dirt and isn't afraid to dig right in and get messy and have fun and experience new things. And I love seeing all of the learning that goes on when she does activities like this.


Unfortunately there are no photos from the Father's Day fishing trip, but Merasia wanted to go fishing the next day too, so after dinner that night, we went to a local river that isn't very good fishing, but it was local and easy to get to, and it was good enough for the kids. Connor actually got involved in fishing this time, after he got over being scared. Though we didn't catch anything, we had a lot of bites, and the kids had a lot of fun throwing rocks in the water, playing with the worms, and discovering new things.


I love this photo of Connor and Merasia, fishing poles in hand, following daddy down to the water:









Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Sweet Pea Maternity Review & Giveaway


Though we aren't expecting quite yet, a 4th baby is definitely in our very near future, and maternity clothes are a must have. I got rid of almost all of mine after Mason was born, because most weren't anything I wanted to hang on to for the next baby, as they had seen enough use from me. 

I came across Sweet Pea Maternity one day, and was absolutely in love with the selection of trendy maternity clothing and the styles! They have adorable dresses, stylish tops, and chic bottoms to help the preggo mama look and feel her very best while carrying that precious cargo.

This dress is totally on my favorites list:


For my review, I received the pink flower short sleeve maternity shirt. This is no longer available on the website, unfortunately.


This photo just does not do the shirt justice. I LOVE it! I love the design, and I think my favorite part is the back. The back of the shirt is open at the top, and I love that the front kind of dips down. You can't tell in the picture, but when it's on it does. I just like that style, I guess!



It also has a tie in the back to adjust it when needed, with a growing baby bump. This shirt is good quality, too. Where else can you get nice, good quality and cheap maternity clothing? 

This shirt is also nice and light, so it's airy and keeps you cool on those nasty hot days during the summer. I love that it's fairly versatile as well. I can wear it now, and it doesn't hug my body. Ever since having children, I have been much more self conscious about my after baby body, and prefer shirts that don't hug every extra roll or pound on my body, and this shirt is perfect for that. It's loose but not too loose that it looks frumpy. I can't wait to see how it is when I have my 4th baby bump growing in it!

Sweet Pea Maternity is definitely your answer for all of your maternity wardrobe needs!

Purchase It: You can purchase maternity clothes from Sweet Pea Maternity at their website.

WIN IT: ONE lucky reader of Mama 2 Multiples is going to WIN a $25 gift certificate to Sweet Pea Maternity! To enter, simply follow the instructions in the Rafflecopter form below!

Tuesday, June 19, 2012

KD Novelties Personalized Children's Book Review

We read to our children every night before bed, and sometimes multiple times throughout the day. We love reading to them and helping them learn and further their intelligence and just learn more about their surroundings in general and the world we live in. They absolutely LOVE reading too, and every time we read them a book, they try to read it back to us afterwards or make up their own story while turning each page of the book we just read and pointing to different things on the pages. It's so cute!


I was so excited when I was asked to review some personalized children's books by KD Novelties!

I received a book for Connor and a book for Merasia for my review. For Connor's book, I chose Mother Goose. I thought the kids would love the nursery rhymes and it makes for quick but fun reading.




I even got to write a short dedication for each book, which make them even more special. We decided on the same dedication for each, just to keep it fair. (I apologize ahead of time on the quality of the following photos. The pages inside the book wouldn't show up well with my flash on, so I had to turn the flash off and they look blurry without it. Sorry!)



This book is so much fun! It follows Connor as he helps Mother Goose find her way home. Along the way they met the lady that lives in a show and all of her children, Humpy Dumpty, Miss Muffet, Mary Mary (Quite Contrary), a cow jumping over a moon, the fork and the spoon, a cat with a fiddle, and Peter Peter Pumpkin Eater. The book is also personalized with Connor's age, town, and state, and two of his friend's names. We chose Cloey and Violet, since those are the friends he spends most of his time with outside of daycare or family members.




For Merasia's book, I decided to go with the Three Little Pigs. She is really into animals lately and learning the different types and animal sounds and things, so I thought it would be cute for her. This book followed Merasia as she helped each pig build their house and escape the big bad wolf! 




As I mentioned earlier, we had the same dedication for each:




I chose to include Cloey and Violet in Merasia's book too, just to keep it easy and the same as Connor's.





As soon as we received these books, I read them to the kids, and they got such a kick out of hearing their names and their friend's names in a real book with the other characters, and they loved hearing the adventures they each went on in their individual books. The illustrations in these books are so great too! Very colorful, vibrant, and well done! They really help bring the story out and make it "pop!"

All in all, I was very happy with these books, and just love having personalized items for my children. These books are such a special keepsake for them that they can have for the rest of their lives, and cherish forever.

You can purchase these and other books at KD Novelties website. 

Head on over to KD Novelties Facebook page and "Like" them today! While you are there, post on their wall and let them know you were referred to them from this blog, and you will receive a discount on your order!

Leading Lady Bra Review

Ever since having children, I have struggled with my bra size. I never got properly measured before I had children, and a couple months after having Mason, I got properly measured when I went shopping for nursing bras. At that time, I was a DD. Or so I thought. The nursing bras didn't seem to fit quite right a few weeks later, and would constantly come undone. I thought maybe they were a tad too small and I had been measured wrong?


I came across Leading Lady nursing and full figure bras several months ago, and was honored to be able to work with them on a review of their bras at that time. I was done nursing Mason by then, but I received two new regular bras from them. I used the sizing tool on their website to figure out my real size, and was pleasantly surprised when I received my bras and they fit perfectly and were oh so comfy!


I was so excited to get to work with Leading Lady again a few weeks ago! This time, I received a new product they just came out with: the wire free full figure cami bra/bralette.


I chose the gray and pink for color. At the time I received this bra, I was doing my dance class, and was excited to try this out as a sports bra for class and for our dance show, for extra support that I really needed in the breast area with all that dancing and bouncing!

I LOVE this bra! It's soft and comfy, and very supportive. One cool thing about it is the lace at the top. The first time I wore it was under a pink t shirt. Some of the lace at the top stuck out a little, but it made it look like it was all one shirt, so nobody knows it's actually my bra! And it's actually cute and stylish like that, so I can be comfy and invented a new shirt look without even trying! ;-)

This bra also stood up to my test for dance and gave me all the support that I needed, which was a great help for me! Of course it fits like a glove too!

As always, I am satisfied with Leading Lady's products yet again, and highly recommend them to all of my friends and family! I will definitely be turning to Leading Lady bras for my nursing bras for baby number 4!

Leading Lady is offering my readers a special discount code! Simply enter LLBLOG4326 at checkout to save 15% off your purchase! This code can't be combined with other offers, and expires in 55 days, so hurry in and use it today!



**DISCLAIMER** I received the above product(s) from Leading Lady free of charge in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was received. However, all opinions are strictly my own.

Monday, June 18, 2012

Potty Tots Giveaway WINNERS!


  • Name: angela
  • Option: "Like" Mama2Multiples on Facebook
  • Extra Info: 
  • Time: Mon Jun 04 2012 00:00:00 GMT-0400 (Eastern Daylight Time)

Congratulations Angela! Angela was the FIRST PLACE winner for the Potty Tots Giveaway! Angela has 48 hours to reply to my email and claim her prize or I will be forced to choose a different winner. Thanks to all who entered and for following my blog! :-)



  • Name: Diana Mears Facebook
  • Option: Grab my Button
  • Extra Info: 
  • Time: Sat Jun 09 2012 00:00:00 GMT-0400 (Eastern Daylight Time)
Congratulations Diana! Diana was the SECOND PLACE winner for the Potty Tots Giveaway! Diana has 48 hours to reply to my email and claim her prize or I will be forced to choose a different winner. thanks toa ll who entered and for following my blog! :-)

Thursday, June 14, 2012

Weight Checks and Other Fun

Mason had his 15 month appointment earlier this week. His weight was 23 pounds and height was 31-32 inches long. He's such a tall boy! He also had his 15 month shots which were rather dramatic and traumatizing, but he made it through with Tylenol and lots of mommy snuggles.


Connor and Merasia saw Mason get weighed and they wanted to get weighed too. I was shocked with their results...Connor was 33 pounds and Merasia was.....*drum roll please*....38 POUNDS! This is the MOST they have been apart in weight their entire lives! From the day they were born they have never been more than 2 pounds apart in weight....until now. We are so shocked but you can definitely tell the difference between the two when you pick them up. We have noticed a big difference lately and now we know why! 


Connor and Merasia also started their 3rd of daycare this week. They have been going two days a week, and Mason had a spot for a 3rd day, so Thursdays I had just Connor and Merasia home with me, but their daycare recently had two spots opened for them for their third day, and they started that this week. It's so good for them, they love it there, they love their teachers, their friends, and everything they do at "school" as they call it. It also helps them with their speech (more so Connor than Merasia). 


In the fall, Connor and Merasia will be attending preschool on Mondays and Tuesdays from 8 until 11:30, and then will be at their daycare for Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. Mason will have some mommy alone time Mondays and Tuesdays, and mommy will get some quiet time and homework time the rest of the week, so that will be so very nice! :-)


Another important event in our life recently is Connor and Merasia will be getting tubes in their ears on July 13th. They have been working with a speech therapist since the beginning of the year, and one of the things they suggested we get done was another hearing screening, just to rule out the ears as being an issue. We had that done a few months ago and it showed that there was some fluid in their ears, so the ear specialist wanted a follow up hearing screening a few weeks later. We went in for that screening, and there was no change. In fact, it was almost worse. When they put the ear buds in Connor's ears to test how well their ear drums were working, Connor's was completely flat lined, and they like to see "mountains." Merasia's weren't flat lined, but they were small mountains. So, the doctor suggested getting tubes put in. I am nervous about them getting put under for the surgery, but I know it will be quick, and it will be well worth it later on. I am excited to see how Connor's speech develops after the tubes are in place though, and how much better he can hear afterwards. I will be updating as the surgery nears and how things seem to be progressing after the tubes are in place. 


So, for now, we are enjoying the sun, summer, and the beach. Life is good this year! 

Tuesday, June 12, 2012

Sandra Magsamen Mother's Day Products Review & Giveaway!

I have reviewed Sandra Magsamen products several times in the past, and it never gets old!


In honor of Mother's Day, I was yet again asked to review Sandra's new line of Mother's Day products. I was so excited to work with Sandra's company again and to see what other goodies she had to offer this time around.


For this review, I received a key chain, an angel hanging decoration, and a coffee travel mug. 





I LOVE the key chain! The flower has gotten slightly chipped here and there and the small diamond ball has lost a few gems, but that is to be expected and is general wear and tear on a key chain. They get played with by the kids, flung around, dropped, etc. so it's sure to get some abuse here or there. I still love it, regardless!

The coffee mug seen here is not the exact same one I received for review. It's the same style and color, but the one I received had a mother's day message on it, and I used it as a Mother's Day gift for my birth mother. She works at a convenience store and drinks a lot of coffee or soft drinks on the go (she gets them for free, after all), and I knew she would get a lot of use out of this cup, and love it. I was right! Her face lit up when I gave it to her. :-)

The blue angel wall hanging is SO pretty! The message on it says "You are an angel without any wings, blessing our lives with the most precious thing." So beautiful! I used this as a Mother's day gift for my adopted mother. Unfortunately, we didn't see each other on Mother's Day and our lives have both been busy since then, so she hasn't gotten it yet, but I am sure she will love it. She loves decorations and I know will appreciate this item.

I was so very happy with Sandra's Mother's Day Collection! Everything is so creative and beautiful, and as always, I was far from disappointed!

Buy It: You can buy these and any of Sandra's other products at her website or a Walmart store near you!

WIN IT: ONE lucky reader of Mama 2 Multiples is going to WIN their choice of 2 prizes! Choices include a mug and a plaque, OR a plaque and key chain or necklace. To enter, simply follow the instructions in the Rafflecopter form below!

Twisted Orchid WINNER!


  • Name: Harmony Burmeister Facebook
  • Option: Vote for Me
  • Extra Info: 
  • Time: Sat Jun 09 2012 00:00:00 GMT-0400 (Eastern Daylight Time)

Congratulations Harmony! Harmony has 48 hours to reply to my email and claim her prize or I will be forced to choose a different winner. Thanks to everyone for entering and following my blog!

Hulabye Happy Changer Giveaway WINNER!


  • Name: Diana Mears Facebook
  • Option: Follow @Mama2Multiples on Twitter
  • Extra Info: %40
  • Time: Sat Jun 09 2012 00:00:00 GMT-0400 (Eastern Daylight Time)

Congratulations Diana! Diana has 48 hours to reply to my email before I will be forced to choose a different winner. Thanks to all who entered and for following my blog!