Twins
Travel & Vacation: Welcome Home Mom & Dad
I love having some time with my handsome man but coming home is AWESOME too! Jake and I had the opportunity to get away for a few days several months ago. We took a cruise with extended family and the girls stayed with friends. Our plane came in the late to Atlanta and we arrived home in the middle of the night so we were not able to see the girls until the next morning. The girls came walking up the sidewalk carrying this HUGE “Welcome Home Mom & Dad” banner that they had made for us. We were thrilled to see them and loved the cute banner. They had a BLAST with our friends and made a lot of great memories. The girls told me I need to get all Aunt Ashley’s recipes because she made the best food while we were away.
Our friends (and the girls) brought us Dunkin Donuts for breakfast, so sweet! Jake and I were thankful for the chance to get away for a few days and we couldn’t have done it without the help of our friends. They took great care of the girls (actually I am not sure if they were ready to come home yet, ha). We are blessed to have amazing people in our lives. Thanks Mike and Ashley!!!
Our sweet Welcome Home banner the girls made for us! Life has been really busy. As I was going back over some of the pictures from earlier in the year I found ones that I wanted to share. The time away from home with your spouse is important, necessary and refreshing, however, coming home to two sweet girls is a huge blessing!
Deal Chicken: $20 worth of Educational Supplies for $10 at School Spot
Deal Chicken has a great deal in Greenville, South Carolina!
$20 worth of Educational Supplies for $10 at School Spot!
School Spot Deal Details:
- Login and purchase $20 worth of School Supplies for $10
- Redeemable in store at School Spot – 1042-A Woodruff Rd, Greenville, SC 29607, (864) 284-9305
- Store Hours: Monday-Thursday from 10 AM. to 6 PM and Friday-Saturday from 10 AM to 5 PM
- Must be used in one visit.
- Not valid on tax or gratuity.
- Certificate cannot be combined or used in conjunction with any other offer, coupon or promotion, teacher discount or clearance item.
- One certificate per person per day.
- Only valid on regular-priced items.
- Expires 12/31/11
Great deal for teachers, parents of little ones, homeschool families, preschools, daycares, churches, teacher gifts, or anyone else wanting educational material in the Greenville area.
Raising Multiples: First School Day of First Grade!
The girls recently started school, their first day of first grade went really well. After a wonderful summer together of traveling and memories we were getting them ready for school They were excited to go to school to learn and see their friends but also told me that they would miss their time at home, (aw….such sweethearts)! Here’s a few snapshots from their first day of school.
First day of School lunches are packed and ready to go! This year we are packing lunches every day except Fridays, which is pizza or special lunch day. They were very excited about picking out and making food to pack in their lunches. I was impressed at how well they adjusted and how much initiative they took cleaning out their bags every day. The girls received their lunch bags from some great friends, they came in handy last year and again this year.
Brina's lunch Brina is our loves flowers, pink, orange, and anything girly so this is perfect for her. One of the concerns Moms with Twins, Triplets or higher multiples is making sure to develop their individuality. The girls were THRILLED to have different lunch boxes with their names on it.
Karlie's lunch One of Karlie’s favorite colors is black (she has loved space and planets for years)! These thoughtful gifts came from a good friend with triplets who has been a huge encouragement to me since she found out I was pregnant with the girls.
Notes we put into their school lunch on the first day of first grade! The girls see some of the “notes” that I send in Daddy’s lunch and always enjoy it when they get one as well. As a special surprise occasionally I will stick in a note to them. They both thanked us for their first lunch box “love note” of the school year!
Brina and Karlie ready for their first day of 1st grade! You would think that at this age it would be easy to get two kids to smile at the camera, ha! They were so worried that my taking pictures would make them late the first day of school. Don’t worry we made it with plenty of time to spare!
Brina's ready! Brina’s comment on the way to school this year was “”We will make some good friends today and have fun talking to our friends from last year!” Glad she is excited about seeing friends and making new ones.
Karlie's super excited to go to first grade! Karlie’s comment on the way to school this year was “So how many days until Summer break”! We had been counting down until the first day of school. She had such a fun summer together I think she was ready to start counting down until next summer.
Our notes to our sweet girls at breakfast! On their breakfast plates we wrote each of them a note to read while we were cooking breakfast.
Notes to our girls on the first day of school! They love getting notes and special days should be celebrated!
Hello cutie pies, your note from Mom and Dad on your first day of First Grade! Our first day of school note was M&M’s. The comment I got from them was “Silly Mommy” but they smiled reading the letter we wrote to them.
Love making our girls smile. The first day of first grade is a great day to celebrate! Life is short and my babies are growing up quickly. I want our girls to know how much we love them. These notes only take a few moments to write but can be a tremendous encouragement to them especially as they walk into a new classroom on the first day of school.
On the way to school! All buckled in and ready for school. Yes, I took the picture at a stoplight not while driving.
Beautiful first day of first grade for the girls! I was thankful to see the sun shining, a gorgeous blue sky, white puffy clouds and beautiful leafy trees on the way to school. We truly have much to appreciate in life.
Walking behind their teacher on their way to first grade, my babies are growing up! My big girls walking to their class by themselves, no assistance necessary from their Mommy.
School day is done, they love riding home on the bus. Thankful for their time to learn. Praying that their first grade year is a positive experience packed full of great educational fun.
CVS: Spent $0.32 and Got $1 ECB’s Back
CVS Clearance Deals I have taken a few weeks off from shopping at CVS. Our family stockpile of items from the CVS deals over the last few months was enough for our family so I thought it would be to take a good break. Plus the break allowed me to spend a little extra time with my family prior to the girls going back to school. I did drop into CVS over the weekend since I had some ECBs about ready to expire and found some great clearance items at 90% off. I was able to get the items for $0.32 including tax and received $1.00 ECB’s to use on my next CVS purchase. Here is what I purchased this week.
- 2 – Hot Pink Shoes
- 3 – Women’s Flip Flops
- 2 – Kid’s Flip Flops
- 1 – package Rocket Balloons
- 1 – package FREE Carefree Pads
- 1 – FREE Dove Candy Bar
Here are the coupons I used on the items.
- Used $3.00 CVS Kiosk Coupon
- Used $4.00 CVS ECB’s
I received $1.00 ECB’s back today:
- $1.00 ECB’s for Carefree Products
Today I was able to save $47.22 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.
Yard Sale Deals: Children’s Books
I only had the opportunity to go to a few yard sales this summer with all the traveling, however, a couple of the ones I went to were awesome! Our family LOVES books! I have always encouraged the girls to read both with us and without us. They enjoy reading and we do our best to read to them every day as well.
One Saturday I went to a yard sale that was being given by a retired elementary school teacher. I didn’t get there until about mid-morning and she still had a couple big boxes of books. I picked up 49 children’s books for $3.50, making them 7 cents each. Most of the books were paperback, one was a Veggie Tales Devotional, a few hardbacks, and several beginning readers ones that are perfect for the girls as they continue to improve their reading skills.
The girls were VERY excited about the book on top, “Apple Trouble” because it was a book we read together a couple years ago from the library that they really enjoyed. Of course it was the first book I read to them when we got home from the yard sales. Other than removing the stickers with the teachers name on it and a few disinfectant wipes the books were as good as new. I purchased a couple crafts and some brown paper bags for activities from that yard sale as well which have come in handy over the summer with the girls. What great deals have you found at yard sales recently?
Summer Activities – A Hammock Full of Memories
Swinging and relaxing for a few minutes in the Hammock! A few months ago for Mother’s Day Jake gave me a hammock! It wasn’t until this Summer that I realized how much the gift meant to me. As a family we have spent some wonderful time together talking, laughing, reading, and just relaxing together in the hammock. Jake hung the hammock in the shady part of our yard near the jungle gym, swimming pool, and where I can see the majority of the yard, house and driveway.
Karlie hanging out with us on the hammock! Once Karlie was done swimming she ran inside the house to change so she could have some relaxing time on the hammock with Mom and Dad. I cannot count the number of times she has fallen asleep on the hammock as we enjoy time together.
Brina loving the extra time talking and relaxing with Mom, Dad and Karlie. The girls love getting a chance to swing on the hammock with Mom and Dad. They have a blast talking about anything and everything. It is a great location to have some heart to heart as well as reminisce about all the fun memories we have together as a family.
Skipper, our faithful guard dog while the family enjoys time on the hammock. After Skipper has made a complete loop around the entire property she will settle down at a spot right next to the hammock. She occasionally will look at us but for the most part she is checking out all the activity in the woods and creek area. Although she has never been on the hammock she seems to enjoy it when the entire family is outside nearby.
A moment of rest. Every once in awhile when we are on the hammock the girls will fall asleep. It is such a great place to spend a few moments together. Life has a way of getting so busy that we need some time to stop, focus on each family member, enjoy being outside and relax.
A peaceful view of nature! This is the view looking up from the hammock. You can enjoy the beautiful trees, baby blue sky, and white puffy clouds floating by. Just looking up and watching the leaves rustle in the breeze and the clouds drifting by makes the time relaxing even better.
I have gone out many times over the last few months to relax, read, think, pray, do my devotions, write, brain storm, or hang out with Jake and / or the girls. I am thankful for a thoughtful husband who gave me a gift that not only helps me relax but to slow down and enjoy a few precious moments with him and the girls. Our hammock is so much more then just a hammock it is full of relaxing moments sharing memories together as a family. Sometimes it is the simple things in life that make the most treasured memories for our children. I am already looking forward to watching the leaves change colors as we move closer to the Fall season.
Summer Activities: Cleaning the Pool
The girls have a blast “helping” Jake clean out the pool. I am not sure how they can stand the ice cold water but they enjoy splashing around as the pool is cleaned and refilled. It has been fun having a small pool for the girls to play in at home. Here are some of the pictures from our last pool cleaning process:
Brina getting ready to spray Daddy as he is cleaning the pool while Karlie is jumping over the hose! Karlie thought it was so cool to jump over the hose during the cleaning process while Brina got a kick out of spraying Daddy when he wasn’t looking her way.
Lounging in the pool as it fills up. Aw…..what a great life it is having the opportunity to relax in the pool as it fills. They were laying there like this chatting back and forth about summer, trips, and life in general. I enjoy seeing them relax and have fun together.
You never know what friends you'll find while cleaning out the pool. Karlie spotted this eight legged spider in the pool as we were cleaning it out and filling it up. A black widow spider is not the type of friend I like to swim around with in the pool. Thankful he was discovered right away when we are cleaning out!
I am truly thankful for the time I was able to spend at home with my girls. It is a blessing to have many memories of our summer together. The summer has been packed full of travel, crafts, parks, picnics, and many other great adventures. I am treasuring the last few days we have together before school starts again (only a few days left)!
Delicious Butterfly – White Chocolate Raspberry Pretzels
White Chocolate Raspberry Butterfly Pretzel As a special treat a this summer the girls picked out these White Chocolate Raspberry flavored Pretzels to share when they were on sale. They were delicious! As they were snacking on the goodies the Brina pulled out this one, the butterfly. They were super excited that there was a butterfly in their container of goodies. The butterfly came complete with “beautiful wings”. They told me that they next time with make chocolate pretzels they were going to make a lot of butterflies! Even a butterfly pretzel can be a true source of enjoyment for the kids. It is the little blessings that come in small packages that bring smiles.
Craft Activities: Silly Yard Animals
During the summer I came up with a variety of fun activities for the girls to enjoy. As I was going through the craft cabinet I pulled out google eyes, fuzzy sticks, pom poms, and glue! A lot of fun crafty ideas can happen with all these great items but I had a specific purpose in mind – Rock Animals! Rock Animals are always a huge hit and can occupy the girls for hours. Here is how to much Rock and other Nature Animals!
Step 1
Items for the craft – Google Eyes, Fuzzy Sticks, Pom Poms, Scissors and Glue
We are ready to get creative with Fuzzy Sticks, Glue, Google Eyes, and Pom Poms! Step 2
Have each child gather a pile of rocks, sticks, leaves, sea shells and other items from the yard. The kids are usually so excited to get started this step only takes a few minutes!
Karlie gathered some rocks, sticks and leaves to make into fun animals! Step 3
Once they have a pile of goodies from the yard help get them started on making their “animals”. I make sure the glue is ready to go, the craft is going smoothly, and answer any last minute questions before giving them the freedom to be creative!
Brina creating her leaf animal. Step 4
Let the kids imaginations go wild creating their own animals! Here are a few of the creations our girls came up with during their craft time!
Karlie made a rock replica of Daddy (love the green glasses)! I was thrilled to see them come up with “glasses” for their animals especially since our entire family (including the kids) wear glasses!
Brina's silly stick animal. Brina found several sticks and had a blast creating animals out of them!
Karlie's "scary" shark animal. She started out making the three eyed alien from “Toy Story” but decided it looked more like a shark, one of her favorite animals (she has been fascinated by sharks since she was 3 years old).
Brina found a brick in the rock garden and made a happy brick animal out of it (with glasses as well). I was excited to see them find and create a variety of different yard objects.
Cute rock with pretty purple hair. They found the various objects and were able to create the animals on their own. Although we went through A LOT of glue, so make sure to have plenty on hand! The rock animal craft kept our girls entertained for hours! It was so much fun checking out all their neat animals and hearing their stories behind each one. They left several of their treasures on the front porch to show their friends, family and neighbors. Skipper decided the pom poms were too irresistible and managed to remove a few from their animals so the girls spent the next day patching a few of their rock animals. The girls had a blast and it only cost me a couple dollars for all the supplies!
Vacation & Travel: Exploring Vermont
After our adventures in Boston we had the opportunity to head up to Vermont and spend a few days with Jake’s grandparents. We had a blast hanging out with them and the girls had a chance to experience Vermont. They thought the river was a neat place to explore!
Exploring Vermont Taking a hike with Daddy!
Down by the river! The girls were excited to see the river near Nana and PopPop’s house. They loved hearing Daddy’s stories of camping and having fun in Vermont.
Wild strawberries growing along the trail in Vermont Brina and Karlie enjoyed seeing the different trees, fruits, flowers and fun items along the hiking trail. They pointed out several wild strawberry patches!
Vermont wildflower boutique made by Brina and Karlie They made a cute little boutique out of the wildflowers they picked along our hike (and a pine cone)!
Karlie being silly at the Cabot store! We went to the Antique Mall and the little shops in the area. The girls had a blast tasting several of the Cabot cheeses!
Exploring Quechee Gorge in Vermont! Quechee Gorge was fun to look at and see with the girls. They thought it was a LONG ways down!
Karlie enjoying a popsicle at Nana and PopPop's Karlie thought it was so cool Nana got “rocket” popsicles!
Brina thinks the popsicles are delicious! Dessert after supper – a colorful popsicle (what a perfect treat)!
Karlie having fun in Vermont! Playing in their new garage!
I followed the girls and Daddy down to the river. While Daddy was cutting a tree that was in the path I startled the girls! They didn’t hear me over the chain saw running, this was Brina’s expression! Guess next time I should announce my arrival.
PopPop and Daddy splitting some wood. Daddy and PopPop got through the stack of would they had to split while we were there that week. The girls found the splitter fascinating to watch and even did one themselves.
Karlie and Brina blowing bubbles. Blowing bubbles, always a fun summer time activity!
Brina and Karlie hanging out with Nana! The girls enjoyed their time hanging out with Nana and PopPop!
Ready for a swim in the river! Who is ready for an ice cold swim in the river!?
Brina found a stick in the river The water was pretty chilly but that didn’t bother Brina! The girls had a blast finding sticks, building a dam and splashing around in the river.
Daddy and Karlie heading to the river On the way to the river. It was so much in Vermont, the river was a favorite!
Sunning themselves on the rock! They were perfectly warm playing in the water but when it was time to come back up to the house they suddenly got cold! This was their solution to sit / lay on the big rock in the yard to warm back up. It only took them a couple minutes (if that) and they were back up playing again!
Having the kids makes every activity an adventure. The girls loved their time with Nana and PopPop in Vermont. We are thankful for the opportunity to spend a few days with them. A lot of great memories that the girls will treasure from that time with Nana and PopPop!
“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!
