And Twins make 5! - Chicago Area Mommy Blogger

New Pampers Soft Care Baby Wipes Design (Giveaway for Year Supply)

2012-02-23T13:46:00.000-06:00

The New Pampers Wipes on display in my kitchen

I'm going to start this post by admitting that the title of it should probably read "Hi, my name is Stephanie and I'm a Pampers Baby Wipe Addict" or perhaps even "If you give a Mommy some Pampers Baby Wipes". I have Pampers Baby Wipes stashed everywhere. They are in my kitchen by the sink, in each bathroom, in the nursery, in my car, in my purse, in my back-up purse, in hubby's car ...

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The Year of the Happy Baby for Disney's Baby Einstein

2012-02-23T08:52:00.001-06:00

Our friends at Disney's Baby Einstein were kind enough to invite us to share our holiday traditions with their audience back in December and now they've let us in on some news about what they are up to this year.

Listerine Family Oral Care Challenge #healthyhabits

2012-02-21T10:39:00.000-06:00

February is National Children’s Dental Health Month, so now's the time to talk about teeth. The other day I participated in a 30-minute live chat with LISTERINE oral care experts before kicking off a mini oral care challenge in our home. Here's a few tidbits I wanted to share:

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A few iPad Cases

2012-02-20T10:32:00.000-06:00

I've shared oodles of favorite iPhone and iPad apps our kids enjoy over the course of the past few months, so it came as no surprise that some of our readers reached out to us find out what iPad cases we've used. iPads are a BIG investment and a case is an essential part of protecting it with kids in the house.
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Twin Talented

2012-02-17T16:58:00.002-06:00

The boys have really come a long way on their artwork since beginning PreSchool this year. While we still get a few random swipe styled pieces, emerging are watercolored creations featuring intentional objects such as a face with eyes and a nose. Such big boys they are becoming.

Valentine's Day of a Mom, An Ordinary Day with Heart-Shaped Sprinkles

2012-02-16T15:43:00.001-06:00

I wonder how many people actually have those idealistic Valentine's Days they paint in movies or portray they had on their Social Media pages such as Facebook. Let's face it, at least part of even the most romantic couple on the planet's day was at least semi mundane. Did you brush your teeth, load the dishwasher, take the trash out?

Big G Cereals Star Wars Promo (Giveaway)

2012-02-14T07:11:00.000-06:00

If your kids are Star Wars fans, you will want to keep your eyes out for this fun promotion by General Mills. This February, General Mills Big G cereals are celebrating the 3D launch of Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace by featuring collectable Star Wars pens in the pack of participating cereals.
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Learning Resources Primary Science Mix & Measure Set (Giveaway)

2012-02-13T11:03:00.003-06:00

PreSchoolers love to experiment and as long as you are able confine those little studies of theirs to "mommy" approved moments, it is all good!

On my approved list is the Primary Science Mix & Measure Set by Learning Resources. The twins love pouring, scooping, and measuring items like cereal with this set. It features a scale, a bowl, 3 self-standing spoons, and 6 unique cup designs that really help children visualize their quantities. I love that this set has enough options for my twins to both share in the fun.
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Random Youth Sports observations from a SportsMom

2012-02-13T10:30:00.001-06:00

I had a lot of time to ponder youth athletes and their parents this weekend, as I spent several hours at a 3 on 3 tournament for our second oldest son.

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All Natural Side Dishes by Alexia Foods

2012-02-10T09:54:00.000-06:00

Alexia Foods recently sent us 3 of their many different natural food product offerings to sample. The selections included Panko Breaded Onion Rings, Sweet Potato Fries, and Focaccia Bread. They made for easy side dishes to a couple diners last week and knowing the ingredients were natural didn't hurt either.

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New DVD and Blu-ray releases for kids from Disney

2012-02-08T11:40:00.001-06:00

On the hunt for a couple new movies to add to the kid's DVD library rotation? Here's two we have recently enjoyed checking out:

Disney's Lady and the Tramp DIAMOND EDITION: Released yesterday, is this DIAMOND EDITION Blu-ray of a beloved film. A classic love story unfolds in the best Disney tradition as a lovely young pedigreed cocker spaniel named Lady, who lives a pampered life, finds herself falling romantically for Tramp, an amorous street-smart pooch without prospects. Although they have fun together on several dates, including a sentimental spaghetti dinner by moonlight at Tony’s restaurant, their relationship is strained not only by Lady’s loyalty to her human family and their newborn baby, but by Tramp’s devil-may-care attitude that eventually gets Lady in trouble and tossed into the dog pound. However, good-hearted Tramp redeems himself by saving the baby from potential harm and thus wins Lady’s love and the affection of her human family.
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Some Digital Magazine Love from Zinio (Giveaway)

2012-02-08T10:30:00.000-06:00

You've no doubt noticed that Valentine’s Day is in just a week and if you haven't come up with that perfect thoughtful something for your sweetheart, perhaps Zino can help.

Thumbs Down to the Common Cold

2012-02-07T20:03:00.003-06:00

We officially rang in cold season. Mild runny noses quickly transitioned to congested chests, wheezing, and lots of coughing. There was a double ear infection for one of the twins too.

I'm no stranger to the this enemy the cold, so I jumped on the phone to snatch up the last appointment available before school was let out and off we headed to a 2pm visit.

Our visit to the doctor yielded not only some quick relief and a few prescriptions, but also a brief but amusing conversation I just had to share. One might almost think that Cormac was unfamiliar with just what kind of a doctor this was. Picture him relaxed in a chair as the doctor begins.

Doctor: So Cormac, what's bothering you the most today?

Cormac: Snacks

Doctor: not enough?

Cormac: Yeah

Glad to know this cold isn't bringing him down the way the state of the snacks around here are.

Breakfast with The Twins

2012-02-06T14:31:00.000-06:00

A week or two ago I snapped some photos of the twins at breakfast and you'll they note they remain quite the friendly pair. Their bedhead was doubled, their grogginess was duplicated on each of their faces, and their affection for one another was clearly twofold. One might think this duo hadn't seen each other in days, but in actuality they've just awoken together in their shared room.

Something to Nibble on, KRAFT MILKBITE Milk & Granola Bars

2012-02-06T11:55:00.002-06:00

This week our family was able to get a "Sneak Taste" of the KRAFT MILKBITE Bars. This new snack is officially coming to stores February 13th, but we were able to snack on two of the flavors, strawberry and chocolate, ahead of time.

What sets these apart from other bars? For starters, these bars aren't in the snack isle. Kraft Milkbite bars need to be stored in the fridge, so you'll find Kraft Milkbite bars in the dairy aisle or close by refrigerated food cases.

My Twins Top 5 Toys List (AndTwinsMake5's 5 Lists)

2012-02-06T11:12:00.000-06:00

Our first list of 5 includes the twins current top five toy favorites in no particular order. The boys are currently about 3 1/2 and while some items go in and out of popularity for them, these seem to be their current favorites:
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Fire Sense 60255 Infrared Patio Heater

2012-02-03T10:43:00.001-06:00

I'm all for enjoying the outdoors but I'm also a fan of keeping warm.

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2012 Super Bowl Party Game Questions

2012-02-03T08:32:00.000-06:00

The 2012 Super Bowl is this weekend! We''ll be watching the Super Bowl game with family over here at AndTwinsMake5 HQ (my house), how about you? Whether you are having a party or just watching the game with family, I thought some of you might find my little list of Super Bowl questions a fun addition to your Super Bowl Sunday. We usually print off one for each person watching with us. It really helps keep everyone's interest.

Top iPod & IPad Kid Game Apps (February 2012 Edition)

2012-02-02T10:55:00.001-06:00

Our kid's iPhone and iPad app round-up lists are back and this February compilation is a big one. This month we bring you 16 great kid apps that cover a bit of everything. There are learning apps perfect for those educational fun moments you've set aside for your kids, there are book apps perfect for quiet time, and there is even a few apps best described as silly fun!
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Little Tikes celebrates Leap Year with a Giveaway

2012-02-01T15:36:00.002-06:00

Quick note to readers, LittleTikes.com is giving away 29 wagons in the month of February. One for each day of the month including the 29th since it's a leap year. This LeapSweeps is free to enter at LittleTikes.com and people can enter as often as they’d like. The Sweepstakes starts today on LittleTikes.com.

Master Bedroom Makeover in the works

2012-02-01T10:43:00.002-06:00

Longtime readers know I try to tackle making over a room or two each year. I'm a big fan of trying to keep our home decor current (within our budget of course). A peeve for me are those homes that you can tell were impeccably decorated at one time, but have been never been refreshed since the day the home was declared complete.

Last year we tackled a huge project, our kitchen. A leak from our old dishwasher warped the flooring prompting us to finally nearly gut this room. We tore out layers and layers of flooring, removed walls, moved cabinets around reusing our existing cabinets in different locations, and added a craigslist find, and adding new finishings. A year later, we still love LOVE the results. It's more open set-up and updated surfaces work really well for our large family

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Play Food by Learning Resources (Giveaway)

2012-01-26T15:06:00.000-06:00

I've in all odds mentioned numerous times how much my twin boys adore roleplaying games. They spend hours together playing "house, restaurant, kitchen, vacation, and jobs". Some of their very favorite toys are items that enhance their roleplaying fun. Learning Resources has proven to offer a huge selection of just such items.

One of our latest favorites is a new set of play food known as the New Sprouts™ Munch It! My very own play food set. The Much It! set includes: 2 Slices of Bread, 3-piece Blueberry Muffin, Glass of Milk, 2 Slices of Cheese, Carrot, Juice Box, Mini Bagel, Bowl of Cereal, Bowl of Mac & Cheese, Yogurt Cup, Hot Dog in Bun, Banana, Cookie, Clementine Orange, Apple, and a couple spoons.

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Ocean Spray Fruit Snacks (Giveaway)

2012-01-24T10:11:00.000-06:00

We have a lot of fruit snack fans in our home. Most people would likely assume it's the twin 3 year olds that consume the most followed in order by the 10 year old and 13 year old, but they would be wrong. While all 4 of the youngest love fruit snacks, it's pur 17 year old that is considered the household aficionado of fruit snacks. In fact, his girlfriends family even tested his vast knowledge of the different brands and their flavors by blindfolding him and feeding him various brands. Let's just say, the kids knows his fruit snacks.
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One-Track Minds (Who won't my kids keep their rooms clean?)

2012-01-20T10:08:00.001-06:00

If my 3 oldest kids formed a band it would be called "one-track minds" or something to that effect. They will spend countless hours of their lives working themselves beyond the point of total exhaustion for their sport. If anything, I find myself having to beg them to layoff a bit. In fact, they'd eat and drink almost anything I told would make them faster, stronger, better. They give up attending parties and gatherings with zero complaints to be well rested for their events. However, 5 minutes spent picking up their rooms is an IMPOSSIBLE feat.

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Kids cutting their own hair and others (The Gray Area)

2012-01-13T10:40:00.000-06:00

I've heard the stories of kids getting a hold of the scissors and cutting their own hair. My girlfriends have posted these nightmare tales as their facebook statuses. Worse yet, I've heard the stories about kids getting hold of the scissors and cutting another child's hair. It's a terrible parenting moment either way. They did something you've in all odds told them specifically NOT do. They've knowingly disobeyed you and your left wondering why?

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