Friday, November 30, 2012

'Tis The Season!

Have I mentioned how much I LOVE this time of year?! Well, I do! The snow, the cold, the Christmas lights and decorations, Christmas music, baking and yummy food, family time, Christmas trees, and the list goes on and on! I put up a few Christmas decorations on Thanksgiving, and have been meaning to dig out my other ones for a while now, I just need to get down to our basement and dig through to find them! I did buy a few more things this year though. :)

Last weekend I had to take a quick trip to Walmart with Merasia and Mason, and it was snowing the whole time, and it seemed like every other car that passed by me had a Christmas tree. I got SO jealous! ;)

This weekend is a packed one. Tomorrow morning is going to consist of my getting up early (not heard of on the weekends since daddy is home to get up with the kids!), baking cookies and other treats for family Christmas presents, then Thanksgiving dinner and Christmas celebration with my mom, sisters, nieces, and nephew in the afternoon. Sunday we are venturing out sliding for the first time this year with all 3 kiddos, and then getting our Christmas tree, setting it up, and decorating it. The older kids and I are also going to be making some homemade sugar cookies and decorating them. I KNOW they will have fun with that and so will I! Now that Connor and Merasia are older, I love getting them involved in helping with activities and crafts like this, it just makes it that much more fun for all of us. The kids are SO excited, and so am I! It's going to be an amazing, fun filled weekend full of Christmas festivities!

What are some of your favorite things about this time of year? Feel free to share, I'd love to hear!

Monday, November 26, 2012

First Snow!

A few weeks ago, we got surprised with a little snow fall! The kids were WAY excited when they woke up and saw the dusting of snow on the ground! The twins had preschool that day, so I packed their snow pants in their backpacks as I know they go outside everyday, no matter what, so they would get the chance to play in the fresh snow. Mason and I came home after dropping them off and I bundled him up and out we went to play! This is Mason's first year of really being able to see and understand snow, and play and run in it and have fun, so it's very exciting!





Mason had a blast walking through the snow and just discovering what the heck the white stuff was, and what it was all about. His mittens fell off a few times, but he is very good about asking for help, and with little ones, there is truly no way around losing those itty bitty mittens off little hands, so it's just one more job of a mother to keep putting them back on over and over again. I don't mind, as long as he was having fun!


We stayed outside for about an hour or so, and then Mason told me he was ready to come inside. Of course the snow didn't stick and was gone by that afternoon, but it was fun while it lasted. The snow we have now, however, is going to stick around, so that's even more exciting. I can't wait to get out and go sledding with all the kids soon! 



Thanksgiving!

With the bustle of the holidays, entering my second trimester of pregnancy, and school wrapping up in a few weeks, our house has been a busy one!

Hubs had to work on Thanksgiving, which I didn't mind because I don't think of Thanksgiving as a huge holiday. I love the food and time with our little ones and seeing and remembering all I am thankful for, but it's not as big a deal to me as some other holidays, so not having hubs here wasn't a big deal. Now Christmas morning is a whole other story... ;)

We decided to just stay home this year for Thanksgiving. My family is getting together this weekend to celebrate our Christmas and Thanksgiving dinner, and Frank doesn't have much family and as unfortunate as it may be, we aren't super interested in getting together with them anyway. Oh, the joy of in laws.

So, I set out to cook my very first turkey all by myself! I was so excited! Frank gutted it out the night before for me, because there was no way I was touching raw meat and especially not sticking my hands up a turkey's bum and digging around for gunk and guts. The kids daycare was closed for the holiday of course, so they were home with me and enjoyed watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. I popped the turkey in the oven around 11:00, and it was done and beautiful by the time Frank got home around 4 that afternoon. Here was the end result:


Along with the turkey, I made homemade mashed potatoes, yams with marshmallows, corn, green beans, stuffing, gravy, cranberry sauce, and fresh rolls. It was AMAZING! It was a nice Thanksgiving dinner with just the five of us, everyone loved the food, and hubs said it was the best turkey he had ever had and couldn't stop raving about it to me and thanking me. Mission accomplished! ;)

Last year I did a "30 Days of Thankfulness" thing on my blog and Facebook. I decided not to do that this year, and was semi annoyed with seeing everyone doing it day after day on Facebook, as soon as November 1 hit, because I just don't get it. Aren't you thankful every day of the year for these things, or for everything? So why not do it every day of the year, instead of just for November, simply because Thanksgiving happens to be in that month? I know I am thankful for everything every day of the year, not just during one month. What I am thankful for is too much to list here, but here are a few:

My husband and children, for obvious reasons.

Our home.

Our financial stability.

Food.

Warmth.

A vehicle/transportation.

Friends and family.

Happiness.

Laughter.

Love.

LIFE.

I'm not a Black Friday shopper, so the next day was another relaxing one at home with the kiddos as daycare was closed then too. I had a burst of energy though, and changed the twins' bed sheets, went through their toys and got rid of some and organized the rest, went through their books, got rid of some and organized the rest, and cleaned the bathroom big time. It was a nice change from the first trimester exhaustion and no energy! That afternoon I had a doctor's appointment and we heard the baby's heartbeat for the first time! Nothing beats hearing that beautiful heart beating. No matter how many children you have, hearing that sound for the first time just never gets old. <3

The weekend was spent running a few errands, getting a few Christmas decorations, making out some Christmas cards, and relaxing at home. I got all of the kiddos Christmas shopping done with the exception of a few stocking stuffers, and now the wrapping madness shall begin soon. It snowed the day after Thanksgiving here, and has snowed all weekend, so it's a beautiful winter wonderlands and this coming weekend, we are venturing out to get our Christmas tree! I can't wait to have the kids go out and walk through the snow and pick the perfect tree, and then come home and get it all decorated and ready for Christmas. 

I hope your holiday was wonderful, too! Feel free to share what you are thankful for, or how your family celebrated. I'd love to hear it!

Tuesday, November 20, 2012

Plus Size Lingerie Boutique Review


I have worked with costume reviewers many times in the past, and have always been extremely satisfied with all of the products I have received. So I was SO excited to get to work with a new online shop, Plus Size Lingerie Boutique on a new review!

The Plus Size Lingerie Boutique caters to bustier, plus size women. Since having children myself, of course my breasts are larger than they used to be and I have gained some weight in other areas as well, so it's not easy to find sexy or even casual clothes anymore. But Plus Size Lingerie Boutique offers sexy costumes, baby dolls, cami and bra sets, chemises, corsets and bustiers, panties, bridal products, sleepwear and robes, and other accessories. 

For my review I chose the black slip dress in a size that would accommodate my bust size and all around size as well. 

Unfortunately I can't find a good photo to use to show what the dress looks like, but it can be found on the website. I chose to not include photos of myself wearing the dress just yet, because I was not comfortable putting myself out there like that quite yet. 

At the time I chose this dress for review, I was thinking in terms of going out dancing with my girls. I didn't know I was pregnant with this baby yet, and it looked like a great party dress! I have never had a "little black dress" so I was excited to get this! 

The thing I really like about this dress aside from that it's super sexy and cute, is that it has the option of going strapless or using straps with it, and as any other bustier woman can attest to, sometimes straps are extremely important in sexy dresses like this! ;)

The quality is excellent, and I was eager to try the dress on as soon as I got it, and loved it just the same, if not more, than before I got it and had it in my hands!

I was very, very happy with this product, and will be recommending Plus Size Lingerie Boutique to all of my friends and family, as well as returning as a repeat customer myself in the future.

Be sure to check out the array of products on their website and follow PSL Boutique on Facebook!

Weight Watchers Smart Ones Review

Ever since having my twins a few years ago, eating healthy has always been on my mind. I like to set good examples for my children as much as possible when it comes to eating habits, but certainly slack off in that area here or there. 

I was excited when I was asked to review a Weight Watcher's Smart Ones meal, because it would give me a chance to try something new, and feel good about eating healthy. 

I received a coupon for one free Smart Ones meal, and went to the store right away to check out the selection. I chose the Sweet and Sour Chicken meal for my review. I have tried other brands of sweet and sour chicken and always loved them so I figured I had nothing to lose with this one either! It looks good, right?!



Unfortunately, it looked much better than it really was. :-(

I'm not quite sure what it was, but it just didn't taste good to me. Perhaps I made a bad choice in choosing the meal that I did, and if I had chosen a different meal, I may have been more satisfied but this was not the meal for me. 

I do love that they are so healthy, and low in calories and fat.

Even though I was not satisfied with the meal I chose, I do believe in the Weight Watchers program strongly and believe it can be a helpful and powerful tool to help us women get healthier, feel better about ourselves, and get plenty of nutrients as well. I would still recommend these meals, and just because I was not satisfied with one of them, does not mean others will not be satisfied, and everyone's tastes are so different. Besides, there are MANY, MANY choices of other meals, snacks, and even desserts to choose from, so you are surely to be satisfied with something!



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

Monday, November 19, 2012

Cover Your Hair Review & Giveaway!

Merasia is one of the biggest divas and princesses around! And that's why she LOVES anything girly, whether it be clothes, shoes, or hair accessories. When I was asked to do a review and giveaway for Cover Your Hair, I knew Merasia would just LOVE getting to try out some fun, new hair clips!

For my review I chose the tiny polka dot jaw clips, the cool zebra pattern daisy in light pink, polka dot daisy hair clip (black with pink dots), and the sparkle snap clips.




Just as I suspected, Merasia was PSYCHED when she saw all of her cool new hair accessories and hair clips! She loves choosing what she wants to wear in her hair every day, because now she has SO many different choices!

The flower clips have nice, long alligator-like clips attached, so they don't snag her hair if they slip out or when we have to take them out.


I managed to get some photos of Merasia with the flower clips in her air, but she was definitely not in the picture taking mood that day! 



The jaw like polka dot clips are cute, too. Both me and Merasia love polka dots! They don't stay in for longer periods of time or stay tight too well, but she loves them anyway and they look cute on her!

I think her favorites are the sparkly hair clips. There are so many for her to choose from and she loves anything sparkly and pretty! These aren't the greatest pictures, but on this particular day she wanted to wear the gold sparkly hair clips along with her braid. :)



All in all, Merasia and mama are very happy and satisfied with all of these products and I would definitely recommend Cover Your Hair for all of your hair accessory needs! They truly have products for all ages, from babies to adult women! 

Purchase It: You can purchase the products reviewed here and many, many other products at Cover Your Hair's website!

WIN IT: ONE lucky reader of Mama 2 Multiples is going to WIN a SURPRISE box of hair accessories valued at $25! To enter, simply follow the instructions in the Rafflecopter form below!

Tuesday, November 13, 2012

Prefense Alcohol Free Hand Sanitizer WINNERS!


  • Name: Jennifer Camley Facebook
  • Option: Follow @Mama2Multiples on Twitter
  • Extra Info: @Jennmotherof2
  • Time: Mon Nov 05 2012 00:00:00 GMT-0500 (Eastern Standard Time)


  • Name: Eliza Thornton Facebook
  • Option: Follow My Blog
  • Extra Info: 
  • Time: Mon Oct 29 2012 00:00:00 GMT-0400 (Eastern Daylight Time)

Congratulations Jenn and Eliza!

Both winners have 48 hours to reply to my email and claim their prize or I will be forced to choose a different winner. Thanks to everyone for entering and following my blog! :)

Saturday, November 10, 2012

Purex Plus Oxi Review


As  Purex Insider, I get so many cool opportunities for reviews and giveaways. I was SO excited to be able to try out the new Purex Plus Oxi laundry detergent! Laundry is a big deal in our house, and I am always on the lookout for great detergents that work well, make our clothes smell good, and most of all, take out tough stains from the kids' clothing.

Purex Plus Oxi does all of that! Up until now, I always used Arm and Hammer that also has Oxi in it, and a nice scent. I SWORE by it. Until I tried this!


The first thing I noticed when I tried this detergent was the scent. The aroma hit my nose as soon as I opened the bottle, and I was in love! But the next test was how well it tackled stains.

I had a particularly stained up, nice and dirty pajama top Mason had worn a few days earlier, and I had purposefully not pre treated it because I wanted to fully put this detergent to the test. Here is what it looked like before it got washed:


Super messy, huh?! I treated it with the Purex plus Oxi and loaded up the washers. Another thing I noticed quickly was how little detergent it really takes to wash with this stuff. Usually I put a cap full in to the washer, but end up having to add a little more to really make it lather and make me feel like things are getting washed and smelling good. I didn't even have to add a full cap full of Purex Plus Oxi! Look how great this stuff lathered up!



I was eager to see how the shirt turned out after the first wash. Here is the result:



Pretty good, huh?! Of course you can still see a tiny bit of the stain, but in the detergent's defense, that was a TOUGH freakin' stain! I washed it again though in the same detergent and it looks as good as new! I was SOLD!!

The clothes smelled AH-MAZING after being completely washed and dried as well, and there are some items of clothing we have that can't be dried in a dryer, so we need to hang them up to dry in the house, and the aroma of the detergent when we do that fills up the house and smells delicious! 

I have to say, I was SO happy with this detergent and the results of the first wash, that when this sample bottle ran out, I actually purchased a huge  bottle of it at my local grocery store, instead of the Arm and Hammer I previously bought. It's only a dollar more than the other stuff, and the results and how happy I am with it are worth that extra dollar! I will not be going back to my previous detergent, I am officially a Purex Plus Oxi full time user! :)

I wish I could say I am offering you all a giveaway to try this amazing stuff, but unfortunately I was not sent any paperwork or coupons to do a giveaway! I am going to try and score some soon though, and if I can, I will post a giveaway separately for it!



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


Friday, November 9, 2012

The Jay Peak Pump House Indoor Water Park!

Last weekend, we packed everyone up with bathing suits and towels, and headed up the mountain (a different mountain that hubs works at) to the Jay Peak Pump House Indoor Water Park!

There was a TON of snow up there which made the kids (and myself, I have to say!) very excited! We drove for about an hour to get there, and it was WAY worth it! The kids were all free, and it only cost $60 for me and Frank to get in, which is very cheap for a family of 5 to have a day full of fun like this!

The kids talked about this all weekend until Sunday, when it was finally time to go! They kept calling it the beach! So cute!


Of course the first thing to do when we got to the water park was go get changed! Daddy and Connor went first and got in their swim suits while I waited with the other two and with all of our stuff, then I went and got myself, Mason, and Merasia changed and put our coats and clothes, etc. away in a locker. It was SO warm inside the water park so even though it was below zero and snowing outside, it was toasty and hot inside just like a real beach. Of course the place we stayed all day was the kiddie pool area, but that was BEYOND FUN! 

There were slides, sprinklers, a wading pool that was a few inches deep, and a big bucket at the very top that dumped water every 10 minutes or so. The kids LOOOOVED the yellow slide! It has water that comes out the sides to wet the slide area down and make it nice and slippery, a little crawling tunnel underneath it, and a soft, cushion-y pad at the bottom that was also very slick and slippery for the little ones to land on and not get hurt. Mason took plenty of head first tumbles on it and never once cried or cared. He got right back up and went up the stairs for more slide fun!









The kids went down this slide over and over and over and over again! Frank started off with trying to catch them at the bottom, but the lifeguard said it was actually better to not do that, because if they slip backwards they can hit their head on the bottom of the slide and actually get hurt, where if we just let them go, they won't get hurt on the cushion pad at the bottom, and we saw that was very much true and the better way to just let them go and not catch them or stop them. 

There is a ton of different sprinklers there too, and the kids loved running in and out of them and experimenting with them.







Adults are not allowed to go down the kiddie slides with their children on their laps, but we could ride down one of the green slides while one of the kids slid down the one next to us at the same time, so I did that a few times with Merasia to show her there was nothing to be afraid of. After me doing that 2 or 3 times with her, she started going up and sliding down all by herself!



She had SO MUCH FUN!! Connor has never been one for water slides, so it wasn't surprising he didn't want to try it, even with me next to him, but he still had fun doing the other stuff and watching his sister. There was another bigger tunnel slide in the kiddie area, and because I couldn't go down it with her, Merasia didn't want to do it at first. But I kept telling her it was just as fun and she was a big girl and could do it on her own like the other kids were, and she finally decided she was going to try it. I think she was very happy she did because she went down that thing at LEAST 10 times, but maybe more than that!




Once the kids discovered the tunnel underneath the yellow slide, they loved playing and hiding in there too!




The rest of the time the kids just loved walking in the water, splashing in the water, and "swimming." Mason loved crawling around in the water and pretending to be a dog.









The rest of the water park was WAY cool too! There are 4 other much larger slides for kids and adults to go on. A couple of them are for much older kids and adults, but our kids are tall enough to go on a couple of the bigger ones. 



There's also a hot tub and a separate activity pool to play in, but we didn't go in either of those. Another cool thing they have is a surf and boogie board simulator, and even though our kids were tall enough to try to boogie board part, they don't really know what it is, so we didn't do that. But it is pretty cool!!



There is also a larger swimming area/lazy river. You can walk it by yourself or with your children, float down it on a single or double tube by yourself or with your children, or swim it. I went on with Merasia in a tube, and it was lots of fun! It's only about 3 or 4 feet deep, and younger children have to wear life jackets in it anyway, so they are nice and safe. There are some parts where there are sprinklers shooting water over your hear and down on to you, which is fun too. Connor was scared so he didn't want to go on it, but he liked watching everyone else do it!



We got there around 9:30 in the morning, and stopped for lunch around 11:00. There's a yummy little snack bar area so we got some hot dogs, chicken strips, and french fries and then went back for more fun! We finally left around 3 or 4 in the afternoon, and all 3 kiddos passed out seconds after we left the park. It was an amazing day, and so much fun for all of us. We definitely will be going again very soon, it was well worth the money and even when the twins turn 4 and we have to pay for them, it will still be worth it because of how much fun they had and how much stuff there is for them to do there. I am so thankful for these family moments and memories and can't wait to make many, many more!