Kids

  • Book: “Black Beauty” by Anna Sewell

    The girls are super excited to read their new book with Daddy “Black Beauty” by Anna Sewell.  The book is part of the “Treasury of Illustrated Classics”  book set which we are reading to the girls.  They recently started this book and are already hooked.  On one of our recent road trips they watched a mini series DVD on “Black Beauty” so they have been very excited to read the book.  One chapter at night is not enough for them, they keep begging Daddy to read more!  This book is about a spirited horse named “Beauty” who has had a challenging life as a horse.  The book teaches about empathy and kindness towards animals.

     

  • Travel & Vacation: Family Fun – Boston, MA

    Going to church with our cousins!

    The girls had a blast spending time with their cousins in Boston.  They thought it was great getting a chance to go the early service at their church!

    Beach time!

     The girls having a blast at a Boston beach.  Their first exclamation after getting out of the van was “BEACH ROCKS” and  then proceeded to collect all the beach rocks they could carry.  The beaches in the South have seashells but not beach rocks so they were convinced these were amazing commodities and should gather them all. They quickly learned that the New England beaches contained MANY beach rocks.  I think we still managed to collect a few but not nearly as many as they initially intended.

    Jen picked up some fun Red, White and Blue Star Marshmallows for S'mores!

    Both the kids and adults had a blast roasting these cool marshmallows over the fire!  They made awesome S’mores!

    Daddy and Beanie watching the waves on the edge of the water!

    The water was MUCH colder in Boston (compared to South Carolina and Georgia).  Everyone had a grand time swimming in the water.  I was actually surprised how long the kids stayed in the water with it being so chilly!

    Brina concentrating on roasting her marshmallows.

    It’s not every day you get to roast marshmallows on the beach in your swimsuit, life jacket and covered in sand.  What a great day!

    Karlie roasting her stack of Red, White & Blue marshmallows!

    Karlie talking and roasting.  We had to make her go wash off before doing the marshmallows because she was covered in sand from head to toe, she loves playing (digging) on the beach!

    Brina at the beach!

    Brina being festive at the beach.  It was a lot of fun playing at the beach for several hours!

    Karlie hanging out at the beach!

    Karlie stopping only for a moment for me to snap a picture.  She was enjoying her time swimming and playing the in sand!

    The base to a bonfire near us on the beach!

    It was hilarious watching the guys carry out the jungle gym, it was the base to a big bonfire next to us.

    Karlie contemplating her next sand project!

    Karlie was frequently found creating a castle, a big moat, or some other creation in the sand.

    Beach chickies!

    They love the beach so much it is such a chore trying to get them to pause for a picture!  Jen picked up the snazzy head bands and stickers, super cool!

    The jungle gym is now buried under all the other stuff, it's going to be a big bonfire!

    The bonfire is getting bigger!  There were HUGE bonfires up and down the beach.  This was one near us.  From where we were located we could see 12 other ones!

    The jungle gym bonfire is up in flames!

    It was amazing how big the bonfires were on the beach.  You could look down the beach and see rows of them!

    We had a blast spending time with our family up in Boston!  Thanks Matt and Jen for sharing your weekend and family with us.  We had a lot of fun relaxing and seeing the area with the whole family.  Thankful for the opportunity to spend some time with everyone.  It was a lot of fun hanging out and exploring the area.  Many amazing memories were made over the weekend!

    “A Vacation To Remember” series is a reflection on our recent trip and ways we relaxed.  Life is short and we were thrilled to have the opportunity to build memories with family and explore of of the most amazing places during our time away.  Go with a good attitude and looking for fun and it will be an awesome trip jammed packed with positive memories.  It is refreshing having some time away from the regular routine.  Make it a once in a lifetime opportunity to meet new people and learn.  You just might see or try something new that takes your breath away!

  • Travel & Vacation: 40 Plus Hour Road Trip Together

    Our family recently went on a forty plus hour road trip together.  A lot of fun memories were created on our road trip up to New England including time spent with several extended family members.  Here are a few pictures of our journey in the van:

    Sleeping beauties in the van!

    Thankful to have girls who enjoy a long road trip.  I had to smile when I looked back and saw them fast asleep with their toys on their laps.

    Seriously, who needs a pillow when you have your sisters head to sleep against!

    This was a popular sight on our 40+ hour road trip.  The girls would be quiet so we would look back and see them sleeping soundly with their heads together.  A sister comes in handy for a pillow in a pinch!

    Look out Boston here we come!!!

    We had a blast staying with family in the Boston area.  Thankful for our time together with extended family!

    Going through the "Big Dig" in Boston

    The girls thought it was neat going through the long tunnel under the city!

    The girls enjoying one of their DVDs with head phones.

    We have a DVD player we can set up in the van which we use for long road trips.  Our policy is if the road trip is longer than 5 hours we will put in the DVD player.  The girls were VERY excited to go on a long road trip because they got to watch a couple movies.

    Beautiful day and amazing scenery.

    We enjoyed the beautiful landscape on our drive up north.  The green trees, puffy white clouds and Vermont Mountains in the distance.  One of these years we need to head up to New England during the Fall, I bet it is breathtaking when all the trees are turning.

    Little goodies and toys kept the girls entertained throughout the trip.

    Karlie watching a video while Brina plays with her remote control car.  They had a blast playing in the car and exploring when we stopped.

    Connecticul Welcomes Us! Yay!

    Even though we went through a lot of different states on our journey I was only able to capture a few state “Welcome” signs.  It was hard to time the pictures and at night none of them turned out well.  We made a brief stop in CT after trying three exits to find gas and a working restroom for the kiddos (I didn’t realize how many Mom/Pop gas stations didn’t have working restrooms).

    Downtown Hartford

    We only spent a few hours in Hartford, CT on our trip.  The girls said next trip they want to explore it more!

    Welcome to Pennsylvania!

    The traffic in Pennsylvania was less but the roads were much rougher.  We saw some beautiful scenery throughout the mountains of Pennsylvania!

    So busy painting they completely ignored my request for a picture!

    These books were a big hit, obviously!   The girls are always game for crafts and had been begging to “paint”.  I found the solution at Big Lots in their clearance section, paint books that use water pens to paint.  Less of a mess for us and more fun for the girls.  All we had to do was fill up their pens a couple times along the way.

    Beautiful river at sunset

     We were blessed to see a lot of wonderful scenery on the way.

    Our girls resting in the van!

    Despite the many hours on the road the girls were such troopers.  They did not complain at all even though they spent a lot of hours in the van.  It was neat to see them have fun, entertain themselves, and get excited about exploring the different areas we stopped.  Thankful for their sweet adventuresome spirit.  They even slept a good 5 to 7 hours as we were driving through the night!  Needless to say they were rested when we got home (Mommy and Daddy were exhausted).  For tips on flying with the kids check out Tips on Flying with Kids.

    “A Vacation To Remember” series is a reflection on our recent trip and ways we relaxed.  Life is short and we were thrilled to have the opportunity to build memories with family and explore of of the most amazing places during our time away.  Go with a good attitude and looking for fun and it will be an awesome trip jammed packed with positive memories.  It is refreshing having some time away from the regular routine.  Make it a once in a lifetime opportunity to meet new people and learn.  You just might see or try something new that takes your breath away!

  • Book: “Journey to the Center of the Earth” by Jules Verne

    Daddy just finished reading “Journey To The Center Of The Earth” by Jules Verne to our girls.  It is part of the “Treasury of Illustrated Classics” book series we have been picking up for the girls.   The story is about Professor Hardwigg and his nephew Harry who discover an ancient parchment and explore the world together.  Professor and Harry encounter many adventures during their travels including a volcano and ocean sea life.  The book encourages the child’s imagination.  Karlie especially thought the book was amazing.  She is into rockets, planets, space and traveling so the title of the book intrigued her from the beginning.  Both girls enjoyed the book and always love it when Daddy reads “chapter” books to them.  If you are looking for an adventure book to read to your kids check this one out.

     

  • Pampers Gifts to Grow – 5 Free Points

    Receive another 5 free points from Pampers with the a new Gifts to Grow code!

    This code is different from the previous codes I have given.

    Use Code:  BABYISDUEANYDAY

    The code didn’t have an expiration date but they usually expire in a few days so be sure to add it to your account soon!

    You can save up the rewards to purchase gifts!

    For more information about the Pampers Gift to Grow Program and how you can start earning Pampers “Gifts to Grow” Rewards for your family go to Pampers Gifts to Grow!

  • Family Outings: Picnic at Legacy Park

    Karlie and Brina finishing their picnic lunch!

    Every once in awhile we have the opportunity to meet Daddy for a quick picnic over his lunch hour.

    Karlie about ready to blow her bubbles on Mommy!

    The girls like to blow bubbles when we go to the park and luckily for them I usually have some  in the van.  Bubbles have  come in handy quite often in our adventures.

    Now it's Brina's turn to blow bubbles my direction!

    Somehow I get plenty of fun bubbles blown in my direction!

    Karlie having fun on the play ground.

    It’s the little things in life that can entertain for hours!

    Brina flying away on a jet plane, always plenty of entertainment on the play ground.

    The girls enjoy exploring and playing at the variety of parks in our area.  Thankful for some time to spend with Jake and allow the girls some play time as well.

  • CVS: Spent $0.85 and Got $9 ECB’s Back!

    CVS Weekly Deals

    CVS has a few good deals this week, several of the deals I went in for were already gone so I stocked up on other items that were available.   I was happy to stock up on some items including lipstick and deodorant this week while utilizing a few of my coupons.  Today I was able to get the items for $0.85 including tax and received $9.00ECB’s to use on my next CVS purchase.  Here is what I purchased this week.

    • 4 – Suave Deodorant “Powder” Scent for $4.00 ($1.00 each)
    • 3 – Suave Deodorant “Tropical” Scent for $3.00 ($1.00 each)
    • 3 – Suave Deodorant “Vanilla” Scent for $3.00 ($1.00 each)
    • 1 – Revlon ColorBurst Raspberry Lipstick for $5.79
    • 1 – Revlon Moon Drop Lipstick for $5.79
    • 1 – Softlips Mint Vanilla for $1.07
    • 1 – Softlips Very Berry for $1.07
    • 1 – Dawn Ultra Dish Soap for$0.99
    • 1 – Dawn Jasmine / Lavender Dish Soap for $0.99
    • 3 – Puffs Plus with Vicks Tissues for $2.64 ($0.88 each)
    • 1 – Potting Soil for $1.00
    • 1 – CVS Lotion for $0.97

    Here are the coupons I used on the items.

    • Used $1.00 Revlon Manufacturer Coupon (PG 7/17)
    • Used $1.00 Revlon Manufacturer Coupon (PG 7/17)
    • Used $0.25 Puffs Manufacturer Coupon (PG 7/31)
    • Used $0.50 Dawn Manufacturer Coupon (PG 7/31)
    • Used $0.50 Dawn Manufacturer Coupon (PG 7/31)
    • Used $3.00 CVS Kiosk Coupon (Revlon)
    • Used $3.00 CVS Kiosk Coupon
    • Used $2.00 CVS Kiosk Coupon
    • Used $17.00 CVS ECB’s

    I received $9.00 ECB’s back today:

    • $6.00 ECB’s for Revlon Products
    • $3.00 ECB’s for Suave Products

    Today I was able to save $70.91 at CVS by purchasing these items and using coupons.

    When you shop the CVS sales regularly and have ECB’s that you can roll over toward future purchases the bonus ECB’s start adding up (Green Bag Tags and Beauty Club).  As you can see from my shopping trip today you don’t have to purchase a lot to save money when shopping at CVS.  Plus you can use the additional ECB’s you receive towards your next purchase.  You can pick and chose what is best for your family.

    I would love to hear your CVS shopping story for this week!  For those of you who shop regularly at CVS please share how you were able to save this week!  Although the weekly ad sales are similar every family and situation is different so you may have found items better suited to your household.  In your comment please feel free to share a link to your blog article showing us how you were able to save shopping at CVS.

  • Giveaway: $10 Staples Gift Card

    I am doing another giveaway on Blessings Multiplied!!!  The winner of this giveaway will receive a $10 Staples Gift Card!  School is approaching and it is time to stock up on school supplies again.  As a Mom of fraternal twin daughters I am always looking for ways to save a little extra when buying school supplies for the family.  Our family uses supplies from Staples for school, crafts and the office.

    1. Sign up to follow my blog (if you haven’t done so already) and leave a comment below telling us how you follow Blessings Multiplied.
    2. You can get a bonus entry into the drawing if you leave a separate comment below sharing one of your favorite school / office supplies you like to get at Staples!

    All comments must be made by August 31st at 10:00 PM EST to be entered into the drawing.  On August 31st  I will randomly draw a winner from those who have entered the giveaway.

  • Living on a Budget: Creative Cash (July Update)

    July is my sixth month tracking my Creative Cash.  What is Creative Cash?  Creative Cash is finding ways to come up with extra cash to share with others as well as work on our current goal.  I am working part time, a stay at home Mom, and wear many other hats from day to day, however, I feel that it is important to save money for our family by using coupons and buying items on sale but to earn a little money to help with the extra expenses and to share with others.  The extra amount I bring in on top of the work is what I call “Creative Cash” which means finding ways to make money creatively or with items and talents I have already.  I have tested this goal over the last couple months as I am challenging myself to make my life more simplified.   I plan to continue this goal for the remaining months of the year.  Despite the many financial obstacles that we have faced as a family we have been blessed with so much.  We believe it is important to be accountable with our finances and give to others.

    Explanation: The creative cash will be made throughout the entire month through various endeavors.  As it comes in the money is placed into our savings account and withdrawn at the end of the month so it can be split.  It is my goal to make at least $100 extra a month to help with our goals as well as share with others.  At the end of the month the money will be split 50 / 50 with half going towards our current goal we are working on (which at the moment is paying down debt) and the other half going to charity.

    To be honest July was not a great month, our family was extremely active in many other areas.  I have only been home one weekend the past couple of months so it has been difficult squeezing in the extra activities to generate the creative cash.  I am thankful that we have had the opportunity to travel together as a family and create many great new memories, however, the creative cash has been effected by it.  I anticipate August being another busy month but hopefully once the girls get back in school life will once again return our new “normal” and I can come closer to meeting this goal.  Thankfully I was able to save some extra cash even though I did not reach my my goal of $100.  I want to share with you the ways we did it so if you are looking for ways to make a little extra creative cash for your family hopefully we can be an inspiration in getting your creative juices flowing:

    • $18.98 – Other miscellaneous amounts earned  (rebates, returns, cash back,  extra money, etc…) that was added to my stash for the month.  Most of the cash this month was from rebate checks I received from prior purchases.

    It was a harder month to set the extra aside because it was very busy and I was not able to participate in as many extra creative cash activities.  The good news is despite the crazy schedule I was able to get a few dollars of creative cash.   July’s “Creative Cash” total was $18.98 which means $9.49 extra that goes towards our current goal (paying down debt) and $9.49 goes towards charity.  I didn’t hit my $100 goal this month.  It has been really busy with school being out and traveling with the family.  I am happy that I was able to something this month and every little bit helps us get a little closer to our goals as well as helps others along the way.  I have plan of action on ways to earn creative cash in August so stayed tuned, hopefully, it will be another month where we can get closer to our goal and share with others.  Each month I do a variety activities to accomplish this goal, the items above are just the ones I did specifically in July.  I look forward to sharing more of the things that work well for our family as I do them in the upcoming months.

    I will share with you the challenges, successes, and updates as I go through this journey so you can keep me accountable or even go through it with me by participating  and sharing your story. Taking the extra time to find ways to help our family as well as invest in the lives of others is important to us.  I hope that we have been able to encourage you to find ways to come up with some creative cash for your household as well.  Obviously, each situation and family is unique so decide what works for you and go for it!  Do you know of another way to earn creative cash?   I would love to hear your idea!

    Living on a Budget is a series of ways our family uses a budget to help keep us accountable with our finances.  Life doesn’t always go as planned.  We have used some of the ideas I will be sharing for years while others are ones we are just starting to implement as we continue finding ways to be creative and have fun with what we have been given.  Having a plan in place allows us the freedom to be smart with what we have been given, get more creative when it is a tight (week, month, year or a season) and when necessary live a much more simplified life.  A budget helps us stay on track so we have more opportunities to enjoy the many blessings we have been given as well as share what we have with others.  There is so much more to life than having all the stuff.  We may not have the newest or greatest items in our house, we drive used cars, and wear hand-me-down clothing…..however, if our family is taken care of and have love for each other and others we have more than all the riches in the world.

    Photo by StopNLook