Life With 2 Sets of Twins

My second set of twins turned 2 months old today and my older twins turned 21 months old today, and life is…..different. Being a mom of multiples is different right from the beginning. From the time the doctor announces that there are two (or more) tiny lives inside your womb, you and your life are different. The whole pregnancy is unlike any of your friend’s. You will struggle to find information in pregnancy books or online about your growing dynamic duo. One of the most frustrating things to me was trying to find illustrations of the babies in utero at different stages of development. And no one could tell me what fruit or vegetable my babies were comparable too!

          Of course life is different once those multiple babies are born. When you bring them home you go through “sink or swim” trying to figure out how to feed the two hungry humans chirping like baby birds in your nest. Oh, and how to feed yourself. And good luck breastfeeding. You have to eat well, sleep well and drink a lot of water to keep up a good supply. It’s like your breast have never met you. How in the world does a new mother eat, drink and sleep well? Hmmmm?

          Okay, so it has been over a year now and you finally figured out how to bathe yourself and the kids, how to feed 4 people, how to shop with 2 carts, etc. Just for fun let’s throw in 2 more helpless humans and see how it goes. Comedian Jim Gaffigan describes adding a 4^th child like this, “Imagine that you are drowning, and then someone hands you a baby.” I guess in our case someone hands you 2 babies.

          It has only been 2 months, and so far things are going pretty well I think. Strangely, some days I actually feel like I have more time on my hands. Other days go by in such a blur that I am not really sure what happened. Believe it or not, most days I get to lay down for a nap, and all 4 of my kids sleep at the same time. (I will post more about that in the future) When we told people we were having twins 2 years ago some actually said things like, “Oh no”, “I’m sorry”, “glad it’s not me.” When they found out we were having another set of twins 19 months apart, the comments became, “are you crazy!”, “I would kill myself!”, “what were you thinking?!”, “it is going to be so hard,” “are you scared?”

          You know, some days of this 2^nd pregnancy I was scared. I was scared of how hard it would be to have 4 under the age of 2. I was worried about how I would do it all for that many children.  Most of all I was scared that I wouldn’t be a good enough mother to handle this. Thankfully, by the grace of God, (and a helpful husband) I get through each day. I get to nap, I am able to make dinners, laundry gets washed, etc. Turns out that all of those people were wrong. This multiples thing is fun. It is a joy. It is an honor to be entrusted with the lives of 4 children. I do a little crying, but I also do a lot of laughing, rejoicing, and yes, a lot of dancing.

Remember to slow down and enjoy the fruits of your labor and love on a daily basis and you will start to see life as a Mama on the Bright Side.

Pampered Chef Giveaway Winner

Congratulations Manda! You are the Winner!! Thank you so much for your readership!

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Gurin Essential Oil Diffuser Review & Giveaway!

I recently got on a natural kick and have been using a lot of essential oils. I use them directly on my skin and with a carrier oil, but I have been really wanting an essential oil diffuser to use in our bedrooms. I love the idea of a diffuser because they put the oils into the air and can help with many things. I particularly wanted one to help with insomnia and for when we are sick and congested.

I recently received a Mini Gurin Spa Ultrasonic Aromatherapy Essential Oil Diffuser for review. I was psyched! The diffuser itself is white with a cute design on the front. It is very easy to use and user friendly. The package even included a small bottle of lavender essential oil; perfect for relaxation. They include a measuring cup for the water, and an AC adapter. I appreciate this because batteries are expensive!

One of the nice things about this diffuser is that it has a timer with multiple settings so it will automatically shut off (no more accidentally leaving your diffuser on!) I also love that you can make the diffuser light up in 4 different colors, or just leave it its original white. The only drawback I find is that this diffuser is small. But it is great for small to medium sized rooms with the door shut. Overall I would recommend this product for use in said rooms. 

                          

You can purchase yours today at Amazon but one lucky winner will receive their own Mini Gurin Spa Ultrasonic Aromatherapy Essential Oil Diffuser! Enter to win using the Giveaway Tool below! 

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Disclosure: Mama On The Brightside is not responsible for prize fulfillment/shipment. Mama On The Brightside received in exchange for this honest review and for the hosting of this giveaway.  We were not compensated in any way for the promotion of this giveaway. Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and any other social media are not affiliated with this giveaway. If you have any questions please contact the host of this giveaway at mamabrightside@gmail.com

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Braun Digital Ear Thermometer via Influenster

I just received a new Braun digital ear thermometer for free in exchange for a review of my honest opinion from Influenster. So far I am very happy with it! When I had twins at the end of 2012 I wanted to buy one but didn't. So I ended up using the oh so fun rectal thermometer; and no one likes those. But hey, I guess it is better to give than to receive. 

The Braun digital is so easy to use. Thankfully it comes with batteries so all you have to do is turn it on. It even comes with a probe cover already on it. I used it on my sleeping 6 week old and she didn't even stir. This is an easy, non-invasive way to get an accurate temperature read! I recommend it for sure! 

Plum of London: Luxury British Knitwear Review

Alpacas are cute, kind of funny looking animals. Someone near me actually raises alpacas and I love to look at them as I drive by, but I never once thought about wearing their fur…until I came across Plum of London, a luxury British knitwear company. Apparently alpaca fur is woven into a fiber that is as soft as cashmere, extremely durable, hypoallergenic, stain resistant and machine washable! Wow. I was impressed and intrigued when I began to read about all of the amazing qualities of Royal alpaca fiber.

Plum of London was recently launched in 2013 out of a desire to bring the high quality and durability of Royal alpaca fiber to the modern luxury fashion world. Plum carries fashion forward designs in vibrant colors for children and baby, as well as accessories for adults and the home. I received two children’s knit hats, a beautiful child’s cardigan and adorable booties to review. I must say that I was very impressed with the product! The knit is so soft yet strong. And it isn’t itchy like wool.

When I placed the little hats on my children, I realized the alpaca fiber has a good amount of stretch to it. This stretchiness allows the clothing to be very comfortable and to fit as your child grows. The hats fit my newborns and my toddlers (yes you read that correctly; I have two sets of twins). The cardigan was such a beautiful blue and looked great on my daughter. I also really liked how saturated the yarn color was; very vibrant. Because my children are wearing this clothing product, I was very happy to learn that Royal alpaca fiber doesn’t contain lanolin like wool does, which makes it hypoallergenic, and means that harsh chemicals are not necessary to prepare the fiber. Thus making the alpaca fiber great for sensitive skin.

Since alpaca fiber is stain resistant, odor resistant, wrinkle resistant, moisture-wicking, durable, hypoallergenic, anti-bacterial, warm, and machine washable…it seems to be the perfect material for making children and babie's clothing. We all know they do some pretty disgusting things in their clothes! I am thankful to have learned about the benefits of alpaca fiber. I am sure that you will be as happy as I am with your future alpaca fiber clothing purchases. I cannot wait to try out some of Plum’s home accessories!

Be sure to check out Plum’s website for ordering, browsing, and learning more about alpaca fiber. You can also check out their Facebook page to stay current on their latest news, sales, and products.

Pampered Chef Review and Giveaway

It really is no secret that I love food. I mean, really love it. Food is what I spend my money on. Eating is one of the things my husband and I do for fun, so it is no surprise that Pampered Chef is a favorite of mine. They have so many yummy products and recipes as well as cute and helpful kitchen items. But honestly, my favorite thing about Pampered Chef is my local sales rep, Molly Twiford.

          Molly is probably one of the funniest people I have met! She is also straightforward and reliable which make her a great sales representative. She recently gave me some Pampered Chef items to check out and review. I received the Cobalt Blue Color-Coated Tomato Knife, Scoop Loop and The Plant-Based Plate Recipe Cards. I was pretty excited because these items are all perfect for late summer and early fall produce.

          I know this is silly, but I love that the tomato knife is blue. The whole thing is blue. Maybe it is just a girl thing, but I appreciate color in my kitchen. I must say, the tomato knife slices with ease through most things and nothing sticks to the coated blade. Now, I should be honest and say that when I saw the scoop loop, I laughed. I thought, “What in the world is this silly looking thing?” But, I was pleasantly surprised!

The scoop loop is easy to use, convenient, dishwasher safe, and it easily makes healthy alternatives like a cucumber sandwich or a pepper bowl a possibility. I appreciate this because I have a gluten allergy. I am always looking for an alternative to bread for sandwiches. Speaking of healthy alternatives, The Plant-Based Plate Recipe Cards offer tasty and healthy recipes that anyone can prepare. We are entering a great season of late summer/fall produce that is ample with delicious varieties.

You can check out all of these products and so much more at Molly’s Pampered Chef website and her Facebook page. The best part is that Molly is offering some amazing items in our giveaway that one lucky reader will win! Giveaway will run for 2 weeks, from 9/2/14-9/16/14. 

The prize: The Essentials for everyone who has a garden... or wants one!

·         1 Garden Tote: Adorable Limited Edition Cute and Colorful tote, Strong enough to hold the supplies you need to make a gorgeous garden!  Features: 5 exterior pockets, Inside tunnel pocket, Plastic bottom insert for easy cleaning, and it's Water-resistant.

·         1 Cultivator: The 3¼" staggered tines aerate topsoil and break up soil and shallow-rooted weeds. Get through even challenging soil using the angled, beveled, pointed tips. Perfectly sized for upkeep between plants. Includes storage cover for tines.

·         1 Trowel: Cut through hard, dry or packed soil with the beveled tip and sidewalls. Use the deeply curved head and high backstop to keep every scoop full. Set consistent planting depth and space between plants, using the measurement markings up to 5".

·         1 Cobalt Blue Color-Coated Tomato Knife: This versatile knife has a 4½" serrated blade edge to gently pierce tomato skins and a coated stainless steel blade for effortless slicing.

·         1 The Plant-Based Plate Recipe Cards: These plant-based main-dish recipes are so delicious, you’ll never miss the meat. Chickpea and Sweet Potato Cakes with Pineapple Salsa is one of five amazing dishes in this recipe card collection!

·         1 Scoop Loop: With this flexible loop in hand, you’ll easily scoop out seeds! Use the large serrated end on melons, large tomatoes, bell peppers and pumpkins. The small serrated end fits mushrooms, cucumbers and smaller tomatoes. 5" long.

About the Garden Tools:

• Reinforced, full-length stainless steel tang that stands up to heavy use, resisting corrosion and breakage.
• 6" ergonomic handle with finger grooves. You’ll have a long reach for in-ground gardening, and up-close grip for container gardening.
• Hanging hole for easy storage.

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