Thursday, January 31, 2013

Influenster Holiday VoxBox 2012 Review!


I was SO excited when I received word that I was chosen to receive a Holiday VoxBox for review! I had NO idea what I was going to be receiving for products in the VoxBox, which made the anticipation even more exciting!

When I did receive the VoxBox (which didn't take long at all, but because I was so excited, it felt like it took forever!), I was far from disappointed with the products inside!


In my VoxBox I receieved a coupon to use for Sole Society (online shoe store!), a packet of EBoost Vitamin C drink in pink lemonage flavor, KISS Nails manicure set, Quaker Real Medley's oatmeal in summer berry flavor, a new Goody quikstyle hair brush, and NYC Lip Color lip gloss! So many goodies for any mama would love!

The first product I tried was the Quaker Real Medley's oatmeal. It's made the same way as regular oatmeal, by just adding water and heating it in the microwave.


It was BEYOND delicious!! Though it was small, it filled me up for hours, and with it being healthy, I felt like I was eating a treat because it was so yummy, yet didn't need to feel guilty about it.

I was eager to try out the Goody Quikstyle hair brush because it was like something I had never seen before, being such a new product. It is specially designed to work with wet, or damp hair. 



I found that the brush worked well, though it would probably have worked better if I was actually styling my hair and doing something with it other than simply brushing it out and putting it back. It did seem to soak up more of the wetness than just drying it with a towel did, though, due to the blu sponge-like bristles intertwined in the brush.

I'm a big lip gloss fan as well, so I had to try that out as soon as possible! I liked the shade, that it looks so natural yet you still get a nice shine with it, so it's obvious there is something there. The taste was not impressive, though. I know lip gloss is not for tasting purposes, but it's inevitable that when you wear something on your lips, you are bound to taste it at some point, so it's nice to have a little bit of flavor contained in there somewhere.


I was very interested to try the EBOOST drink. I like Emergen-C, so I assumed it would be similar to that. It was very easy to make as well! Simply use 8 ounces of water, add the packet, and allow to sit for a few minutes. It soon begins to fizz and foam, and then is ready and mixed enough to consume.



The packet I received was pink lemonade flavor, and it was more yummy than I originally expected. I did feel a little more energized after drinking it, which was good, because I decided to try it in the afternoon when I was feeling pretty tired and run down after my busy morning. I will say though, the smell can be a big turn off. I caught a whiff of it a couple of times as I took a sip, and it definitely tastes better than it smells, but I would definitely drink it again and recommend it as well.

I was not able to use the coupon for Sole Society before it expired, and have not had the time to sit down and actually do my nails to try out the KISS Nails manicure set, but I have to say, I might just be most excited to try that one out! I just need to find the time with my busy school, household, and kiddo schedule! ;)

Overall, I am so happy I was chosen to receive and review my very first Holiday VoxBox from Influenster! I had a great time trying out all of these products and was, for the most part, very happy with the results and all would come recommended from this mama blogger. ;)







Thursday, January 17, 2013

The BIG Ultrasound!

This past Monday, we had our BIG 20 week ultrasound! We were so excited to see our baby and how big he/she has gotten, and hubs has only been to one early ultrasound with this pregnancy, so having him be able to make it to this one big special one was so nice and fun. 

The twins had preschool and my best friend watched Mason for us so we could leave that morning, and she picked the twins up from preschool around lunch that day until we got home. Our ultrasound was SO good!

We have a beautiful, healthy, amazing baby! He/she weighed in at a HEFTY 13 ounces!! The average for 19 weeks, 5 days (which is what I was when we had the ultrasound) is 8.5 ounces and 10 ounces at 20 weeks, so even then he/she is very much above average!! Maybe this will be our one chunky baby that I have been hoping for. ;)

We got some great shots of the baby! He/she was laying on his/her side and kept flipping around from each of it's sides to it's stomach, belly, and everywhere! It has always been a very, very active baby from day 1 so that didn't surprise me!

The baby on his/her belly and  a good shot of his/her spine!


The baby was crossing and un crossing his/her little legs and feet, and was putting his/her hand in it's mouth.

Little feet!


At one point, it opened it's mouth really wide like it was singing or yelling! SO sweet!

Baby's head and body (straight on and on it's side):



The tech printed off a profile picture of the baby for us, and one shot each for Connor and Merasia so they can have one and show their friends at school and daycare their new little brother or sister.


We asked the tech if they did 3D/4D ultrasounds, and she did one real quick for us. The baby was being shy and turned away from looking at us but was all curled up and cute in my belly! The print out wasn't in color, but you can definitely tell the difference between the regular ultrasound and the 3D/4D ultrasound.

I LOOOVE this photo! The way the baby is all curled up in my belly and being cute and shit is beyond adorable and beautiful!


We are still going to pay for a 3D/4D ultrasound at a special clinic an hour away from us when the baby gets bigger, probably around 7 or 8 months old, because this was just a quick 3D shot to see how it was because we had never had one done, and it was towards the end of our ultrasound so it was a quick peek.

The tech DID find out the gender for us, but we want to keep it a surprise. ;-) We do have the envelope that tells us the gender though, and they said they could definitely tell whether it was a boy and a girl. SO exciting! Here is hubs with the gender envelope:


I am just so thankful that our baby was so very healthy and beautiful and there is nothing to fear or worry about! It's all downhill from here, the danger zones are all waaay behind us, and as of yesterday, I am officially at the halfway mark to meeting our new little angel! The busy days are behind us, which is good, but hopefully the next few months until June go by a little faster than the last 20 weeks have gone. :-)






Tuesday, January 15, 2013

Guest Post from Michele at Mommy Blogger Directory


Blogging Moms Makes Lots of Cents
Stay-at-home mothers can actually stay home and make money, by blogging. The areas of expertise moms have may be very beneficial for a new mom, young woman or any other individual seeking advice on a specific issue. Giving advice and assistance used to be free, but now, moms around the world are cashing in by uploading the knowledge onto their own blogs.

Starting a blog requires a disciplined and patient person. Raising children – for stay-at-home moms and mothers in general – mandates both discipline and patience. Readers are always searching the internet for advice such as: latest fashion trends, exercise and health tips, types of medication a child should avoid, various methods to help tweens learn to study, how to handle a teenager, or quick meals to cook for the family. Moms give this advice out all the time, and by starting an online blog, a mom can attract traffic, which will lead to advertisers paying for space on the mom’s blog.

Starting an independent is not necessary for a stay-at-home mom to make money. In fact, there are companies that offer moms the opportunity to write for them. This option saves a stay-at-home mom the hassle of paying to upgrade and design her own website. Blogging for a larger company can bring in more revenue and advertisement for the mom’s blog that she could not typically acquire on her own. Working for a blogging company could allow a mom to be read by thousands of viewers, instead of hundreds; the more traffic that comes to a blog site, the more advertisement, which means more money.

Blogging about crafts to make, or suggesting television shows to watch and books to read can all bring in money for a stay-at-home mom. Being a stay-at-home mom is a real job, and the fact that money can be made from describing the duties of a stay-at-home mom proves that point.

Thursday, January 10, 2013

Kivelli Baby Review & Giveaway!


There is nothing cuter than stylish clothing and accessories for babies and toddlers! Kivelli Baby strives to provide the best in high quality accessories such as blankets, bath robes, nap mats, bibs, burp cloths, hooded towels, stroller liners, and several other products that any parent and baby can be comfortable and satisfied with. 

From their website:

"Our eclectic collection of products range to fit the style of all munchkins. Ranging from the innocent tenderness of a sweet smelling newborn, to the charming little socialite princess, to the Sk8tr boy next door. Whether searching for that perfect unique gift or    to add to your very own collection at home, Kivelli Baby has got you covered (with     our plush lux blankets of course!)

Your search for fabulousness stops here!"


For my review, I received the Kivelli bathrobe in white and blue for Mason to try out. I thought it was WAY cute, and looked SO cozy and comfy, which is why I chose it.



How cute is Mason in this amazing bathrobe?! 

He tried it out for the first time after a bath one night. It kept him warm until I could get his diaper and clothes on, and fits him perfectly! He had a blast running around in it and didn't want to take it off!



I was surprised at just how soft it was in real life! I have to admit, I was slightly jealous I didn't have one like it! ;-)

I could tell from the website that all of their products are of the highest quality, so I was prepared for something amazing when I got it, but I think this bathrobe was even more amazing in real life than it was in a photo from the website. 


I would definitely turn to Kivelli Baby in the future for high quality baby clothing and accessories, and would highly, highly recommend them to all of my friends and family.

Purchase it: You can purchase the bathrobe reviewed here, and many other items, at Kivelli Baby's website!

WIN IT: ONE lucky reader of Mama 2 Multiples is going to WIN a Kivelli Bracelet for the princess in your life! To enter, simply follow the instructions in the Rafflecopter form below!


Connor and Merasia Turn 4!!

These little ones....





Turned 4 yesterday!!




I cannot believe my babies are 4 years old! I feel like it was just yesterday that I was in labor and working hard to bring them into this world! They have grown into the most beautiful, smart, funny, amazing, loving little beings we ever could have hoped for, and we feel so blessed to have been chosen to be their parents. They are truly our miracle babies!

Yesterday they went to daycare as usual, and I got some much needed cleaning done at home (winter break from classes = extra time for cleaning!). Hubs met me at their daycare when he got home from work around 4, and we left from there to go to Pizza Putt, about an hour away from where we live. We started this tradition on their birthday last year, and are going to do it every year on their real birthday, just us and them and their siblings. Pizza Putt is a pizza restaurant of course, with a variety of other food, as well as a huge arcade full of rides and games that you can win prizes on, a miniature golf course, bumper cars, batting cage, and a HUGE play structure and ball pit. 

We started with some pizza and breadsticks for dinner. 

Mason was busy loving on his Mickey, as he was very tired by dinner time! :)






After dinner, our waitress brought out a warm chocolate chip cookie ice cream sundae with a candle each for Connor and Merasia, and of course brought one for Mason too, as we knew he would insist on one if he didn't get one! ;) 








The kids looooved their birthday treats! After we were all done eating, it was time for some FUN! I got Mason changed into his pajamas and then all 3 kids were on the loose! They had tons and tons of fun climbing all through the play structure, going down the slides, and jumping in the ball pit!














Our big girl trying out the monkey bars!







We got some tokens from the arcade area, so the kids could ride on some of the rides and play some games they wanted to explore.















The joy on their little faces in these photos just melts my heart! I love that we can give them a good life, for very little money, and help them make memories that will truly last a lifetime, along with special traditions like these.

My phone died at some point while we were here, or I could have taken many more photos but I did get a ton and I'm happy with that! By the time we left, everyone was overly ready to get going! Mason was WAY over tired and not handling it very well at all but was fine by the time we got him bundled up and into his car seat. I got the twins changed into their pajamas and all 3 kids were passed out in the van minutes after leaving Pizza Putt, so getting home and getting them quietly into bed for the night was very easy. 

Now, final party preparations are in full swing! Their party is this Sunday, and I can't wait for them to celebrate their birthday with all of their little friends! It's definitely going to be a memorable day!

I can't believe we are the parents of FOUR year olds.........!