Energy.... I wish I had some!

I really wish I had the energy of these two! If you can imagine two of those jumping beans inside of a small box-- that's pretty much a good depiction of our house on any given day. It takes me 20 minutes to clean the living room. Usually picking up every single toy they have pulled out, and then finishing out by doing something I question every-single-time... Vacuuming. Why I take my time to do such a pointless task, I have yet to figure out! You see-- it takes approximately 30 seconds for Logan to come down the stairs and knock over all the blocks I stacked against the wall. In that same 30 second time span his brother has all the stuffed animals pulled back out of the big laundry basket... And my favorite--- it's snack time. This means my nice clean carpet is just moments away from cracker/cookie crumbs being embedded once again into it. 

The energy that can come from 50 pounds of toddlers is incredible! Climbing on top of all the furniture, spinning circles, chasing his brother across the dining room to tackle him... (Most of the time it's for the sippy cup he has in his hands) It is all on the everyday agenda for the boys. They take great naps, and sleep most nights--- but if you can imagine, they need every ounce of energy they've got to keep up with each other. What one doesn't think of, the other will! 

Saving Money With Twins. Tips and Tricks!

I can't believe I am about to reveal my secrets here, but I've decided to write tonight about some massively good discounts and deals I have found since becoming a Mom. Who doesn't love a good deal, I mean I did get BOGO when having the boys, right? Wrong-o! Let me first tell everyone when you carry two babies at once, those doctor appointments and ultrasounds get charged PER FETUS! Anyhow, end rant... this is how I save money -- and get some great deals for the boys.


I entitled this blog "Saving Money With Twins" here goes!


Let's start off with the basics. We took a class before the boys were born, all about multiples. They gave us a list of costs of items broke down to the penny. Where we would find the cheapest diapers, wipes, and formula. This is what we have found---


Diapers. Huggies AND Pampers are cheapest at Sams Club. Buy them in bulk, you'll use them eventually. *fun fact, we went through 500 diapers/month the first few months with twins. Sams averages .30 cents a diaper. Not to bad. Side note: the off brands are cheaper elsewhere, unfortunately for us, the boys couldn't wear those. Sensitive skin was to blame for that. Recently I discovered that Amazon now offers AmazonMom. This program allows you to use coupons that are available instantly on baby items. They also are a few pennies cheaper than Sams Club! Free 2 Day Shipping is included.


Wipes. The same thing goes for baby wipes. Amazon is the cheapest, and they get delivered to my door! They also have a system where you can have a deliver pre-order. So, I could technically get them at an even cheaper price if I set for diapers and wipes to be delivered say once a month. Something for new moms to look into!


Formula. The boys were on two separate formulas. Once again Sams Club is the cheapest IF they carry the brand you need. Amazon is a good resource for the more expensive exclusive formulas. We were able to get $60 a can formula for about $33 a can online at Amazon! Also, ask your child's doctor. Most companies provide doctor offices with samples, so be sure to ask when you visit your child's doctor.


Clothing. Okay, this is where I've gotten very good! I have gotten tired of buying a certain brand of clothing that just instantly shrinks every single time I wash them... so, I bit the bullet and started getting more expensive brands. At least this way I know they won't shrink on me after a few washings. Here's my trick. If there is a certain brand you are looking for... say Columbia for instance -- I have always loved there coats... Go to the brands direct website. A lot of the big companies now offer a "outlet" or "final sale" tab on their websites. I got the boys Columbia hooded fleece jackets for spring AND for fall. Paying just $13 a jacket. Compared to about $40 and up originally -- I'd consider that a STEAL! So, check the direct company's website FIRST!
Secondly -- Online is your best friend! Once again I turn to amazon! On the left side of the screen you can choose "clothing" then choose the size and gender. If you continue to scroll down the page, they have a spot you can put in a price range you are wanting to spend. You'd be completely shocked to see how many hundreds of items pop up when you put in a price range of just $0-$10! Name brand clothing, nice stuff.
Thirdly -- Go shopping. A secret new spot I love to shop at is Burlington Coat Factory. They have lots and lots of nice NEW clothing for very reasonable prices. It does take some time to look through, but worth all the money you will save.
Lastly -- Set up an email address that you have coupons sent to. Sign up for coupons to all your favorite stores! If you have a smart phone, always look on your emails before check out. Most the time, I will end up with an extra percentage off. Also, if you go to a search engine such as google, and type in "coupons for Children's Place" any possible coupons available will pop up.


Okay, that's all I've got for now! Money Saving Tips that don't take much effort. Happy Shopping.

"Mommy down..."

Short and sweet blog tonight.

The flu has hit.

Logan - check check check 

Landon - check

Mommy - check check

Daddy - check!

Jax (the dog) - check

Please pray for my household tonight! That's all I've got time for........

I smile.

This weekend we took the boys to the beef expo junior show at the state fair grounds. Got them all bundled up, and put them in our marvelous stroller. While walking around, I got a lot of questions by people... Mostly the same old "oh are they twins..." But some encouraging, and some just wow-- you really just asked me that haha... One particular person asked me something I've been asked before, "how do you do it"... But for some reason this time it struck me a bit different. She went on to tell me that she really never felt she was 'cut out' to be a mom. 

Now, to me that seems a little hard to understand. I always knew I wanted to be a mom someday. I think everyone around me knew I'd be a mom someday. In that moment for some reason I didn't give my usual, oh it's a lot of fun response. I felt like she truly was asking me a question. "How do you do it?!" I didn't know exactly what I wanted to say but I've thought about it, and here's my thought:

 Everyone has a dream. For instance my husband has such a passion for our family, the land, and the cattle he feeds everyday. He wakes up every morning and it doesn't seem like he's even going to work. He is living his dream. I'd say in a sense, the same is true for me. I wake up every morning and love going in to see my 'bosses' all 22 pounds of them (Each that is) there they stand hooting and hollering at me, not at all upset-- and on real good days, they even jump up and down to see me. I'm not saying this has come without struggles. In fact, I can tell you I'd rather have a tooth pulled than do some of those long nights again... But all those little moments---Those smiles I see when they realize I'm standing at the door in the mornings, the snuggles on my lap as we read a book, or the scream of excitement when I let them play in the bath tub... Those little moments outweigh all the struggles in the world. How do I do it... most of all, I smile. 

That's it. That's how I do it!

I smile.

Because when I see them smile back, I won't ever forget that this was my dream. 

Most eligible bachelors

My name's Landon. I'm an 18 month old looking for any woman that will give me lots of love. I live at home with my parents, and am a stay at home son. I enjoy long baths with bubbles, and giggle when mom washes my hair. My ideal date would be riding my 4-wheeler, with your assistance at turning me around when I run into the wall. After a few sippy cups of milk, I've got enough fuel for a whole night of fun. The animal that bests discribes me would be a lion. I'm fierce, handsome, and very courageous! Not to mention, my favorite stuffed animal is my lion. Ladies, I kiss on the first date, and am guaranteed to give you a few "surprises" throughout the night. 

Hi, I'm Logan. I'm also an 18 month old-- with a 2 year old attitude. My cribs a nice rich dark wood, and unlike my brothers--- has no teeth marks. I also enjoy baths, and especially love wearing nothing but my robe after. My ideal date is anywhere with my mom. Dad says I'm a momma's boy--- but heck, with a mom like her, you would be too! I enjoy dinner time, and you can win me over with putting steak or roast on my high chair tray. After supper, I'll let you read me stories non-stop... But you must be a fast reader because I'm in charge of turning the pages. If I were an animal... I'd be monkey. I can get into and on everything I want. I'm more into hugs, and also give surprises.

Our bedtime is at 8:00 sharp. You can't wake up and stay up all night if you don't go to bed early. We come as a packaged deal, that's right--- every holiday dream: buy 1 get 1 free. But, one thing's for sure... We are full of love!

Happy Valentines Day!

Twice the trouble!

Twice the trouble!

Who would have ever guessed 10 little toes could hurt so much?! The boys are into climbing onto any and everything they can... How you might ask? Well, those wonderful 4wheelers they got for Christmas turns out make the best "sidekicks". When it comes to getting into trouble, they both assist each other pretty well, but nothing compares to the support they get from their 4wheelers. They will drive those things over to any object they feel they need a closer look at. Then those 10 little toes find there way to objects such as: on top of the kitchen table, in front of the fish tank... (Terrorizing the poor fish on the other side of the glass) on top of the back of the couch, and the list goes on and on. However, my personal favorite is daddy! As soon as he comes in at night--- he becomes the boys' jungle gym. It's all fun and games until daddy takes a few little toes to ribs! (In the boys' defense--- I'm

Sure they do make a great step :)) If ever there were a time the boys will see daddy cry, it'll happen at this point. Somehow those 10 little toes sure can hurt!!!

They've also learned how to get behind the couch... It's a real fun place to hide/play, and it honestly doesn't hurt anything. The only problem is they have yet to figure out how to get out from behind there. I've got strong arms! Strong enough to lift two little boys over the back of the couch, and to the floor where they instantly go running & giggling. It's only about 5 minutes before they seem to forget about being stuck behind the couch, and what do ya know... I'm missing 2 little boys again! 

Another trademark of mom in them--- so darn proud! 

Gibberish decoder needed!

I think it's fair to say I may have my hands full in the years to come. It's my own fault really... I answer "yep" & "okay" numerous times a day to the boys, and when I stop to think about it... That might not be a good thing. I've probably agreed to half the trouble they get into. I need a jibberish translator. Someone besides the twins. They sure do understand what they are saying, but Mom can only make out a few things. "Landon" & "Logy" are getting easy to decode... And "mom" and "dad" too--- but the only thing scarier than full sentences is when the boys come up to me and talk non-stop. Correction--- it's the scariest when Logan points his finger and gets louder and louder.... No idea buddy, but I answer with "okay"! Then they turn around and take off, sometimes giggling with each other. Whoops! Not sure what I agreed to but, how much trouble can they really get into?! 

The next think I know, they're on top of the table... Shredding the paper. Of course I can't compose myself long enough to tell them "no" so instead, I sit at the table and supervise, making sure it's not important stuff. Seeing those little smiles, and hearing those laughs--- that's all it takes, heart melted. They love newspapers, pretending to read them and shredding them! Oh well, in my book that's no big deal.