Wordless Wednesday

Drummer Boy

This Cupcake Is Yummy!

Yoplait Get Active Winners

Congratulations to the Yoplait Get Active Giveaway Winners!!

Jennifer M

Florence B

Heather G

Eleven Shoes Winner

Congratulations to Melissa O, the winner of the Eleven Shoes Giveaway!!!

Smitten by David Gordon

The boys have an absolute love for reading books as one of our nightly routines.  There is a stack of books by the bed and they both love being able to chose what will be read for the evening.  They simply adore the books with bright illustrations and they love a good story.  They are huge fans of the Trucktown series of books by Jon Scieszka and they love all fun characters.

We recently had the opportunity to review a couple of books by David Gordon. He is one of the illustrators for the Trucktown books, so naturally I was really excited to read these books to the boys. David Gordon has done conceptual work for the Pixar/Disney blockbusters Toy Story, Toy Story II, and A Bug’s Life.

Smitten is an adorable tale of an unlikely meet up of a sock and a mitten.  Both of them are missing their other half.  They set off in a big city to find their other halves and wind up getting in some predicaments and discover along the way that they were meant for each other.  What a terrific way to introduce to your children friendship through diversity.  I won’t give away the whole story but it is such a great book and my boys love it.  They already know what is happening on each page and like to sit and read the book to my husband and I (in their own words, of course).  I made them their own sock and mitten and drew faces on them and they like to act out the book.

Hansel and Diesel are sibling trucks that wonder from their home in search of fuel after overhearing their parents that they were low for the Winter. Trailing bolts behind them so they can find their way back home  they find themselves faced with the Wicked Winch.  The story ends happily ever after.  I don’t think the boys understand the modern take on Hansel and Gretel but they love the story because it is about trucks and understand that it wasn’t safe for the two trucks to leave without mommy and daddy.  It is a great book with a little lesson thrown in.

We are always in search of new reads for the boys and these particular books are ones that they will cherish for a very long time.  If you are looking for something new and different for the bookshelf, I highly recommend these books not just because we like them but because they are great for young minds.

Evenflo Comfort Select Performance Breast Pump Review And Giveaway

After having the boys, I was so overwhelmed to say the least.  After 16 weeks of bedrest and 8 of those weeks in the hospital, and the fact that I was a first time mother and pregnant with twins, was a pretty big deal.  As a new mother you have so many questions about how to do things and what you should be doing, but I had always known that I wanted to breastfeed the boys.  I had not realized the importance of breastfeeding until they were born 6 weeks early and spent close to three weeks in the NICU.

For preemies, providing them with breast milk as soon as possible was something my nurses encouraged because they say that the milk you produce then is different and would provide my babies with a lot of things they needed.  I can remember the first few days at home, and crying because I wanted to give up pumping, but my two tiny little men in the NICU, made me keep on going.  I would pump all through the night and visit them sometimes 2-3 times a day and bring them all my pumped breast milk.

I never quite got the hang of breastfeeding them together, and one of my little guys has a tongue tie that prevented him from feeding properly so I would pump for him and for both of them when I needed a break. Pumps can be a lifesaver, and are great when you need the break or if you have two babies and one doesn’t do well at the breast, you can still give them pumped milk in a bottle.

I was excited to review Evenflo Comfort Select Performance Breast Pump because since I am a breastfeeding mother, I like to see what is out there on the market currently and for in the future when we decide to have another child. The pump itself is very easy to use, and easy to hold, and comfortable and this is important.  It is not overly noisy which was a pet peeve of mine with one of the pumps that I own.  At three in the morning the last thing I want to be hearing is a loud squeaking noise, and especially with sleeping babies nearby.  I had no trouble using this and all parts are easy to clean and better yet BPA free.

About Evenflo Breast Pump

• NEW! All components, including milk storage bottles are without BPA and contain less than 0.01% phthalates. Bottles can be purchased separately.
• NEW! Improved cycle time for more effective milk expression.
• NEW! Improved vacuum performance at all settings between min and max
• NEW! Regulated power adapter ensures consistency in performance.
• NEW! Dual motors for better production allowing individual settings
• NEW! Includes 2 additional overflow valves for additional convenience! Valve color has changed to lavender.
• NEW! More stable bottle stands to prevent possible spillage.
• 4pk sample of breast pads with redeemable coupon.

Another thing I like about this particular pump is, it isn’t overly heavy and is fairly compact, which makes it easy to take with you.  This is great for all the road trips that we take as a family as well.  The price is reasonable and definitely a worthwhile investment if you are breastfeeding or intend on breastfeeding your child. The Evenflo site offers some good resources that you can check out for breastfeeding and Mom Central  Mom Central has a  page dedicated to the Evenflo Comfort Select Performance Breast Pump.  This page  features a special section where moms can share breast pumping tips.  Every mom that shares a tip will be entered in a giveaway to win one of three Evenflo Comfort Select Performance Breast Pumps and boxes of nursing pads!

Also, here at DoubleBugs, we will be giving away an Evenflo Comfort Select Performance Breast Pump and 2 Boxes of Breast Pads to one lucky reader!

This Contest Is Now Closed!

Here’s What You Gotta Do

Mandatory Entry Requirement

Visit the Evenflo site and check out some of their valuable breastfeeding information and come back here and leave me a comment on something you learned from one of their resources.  In addition please tell me why you would like to win this pump.

For Additional Entries

• Blog about this contest and leave me the link
• Grab my button and post it in your sidebar
• Tweet about this contest using #evenflocomfort and a link to my contest
• Add me to Twitter

Contest Starts April 20, 2009 and Ends Monday May 11, 2009

Thank you to Mom Central and Evenflo for this wonderful opportunity!

Sprig Toys

It wasn’t until I became a parent that toys became something of interest for me.   I never really paid attention to what was out on the market until all the recent scares and recalls of toys that contained lead.   After that, I started to pay closer attention to the choices I made for the boys.  I am a huge fan of wooden toys, and  eco-friendly toys.  Not only are these particular toys safer for your child but they are environmentally friendly.

I was recently introduced to Sprig Toys. At Sprig Toys, they have a collective desire to keep kids active and the planet healthy. Team Sprig is dedicated to infusing creativity, smart design, quality manufacturing, earth-friendly materials, product satisfaction and responsible business practices into a superior line of fun, kid-powered toys.

We got the chance to try out the Sprig Hollow set of toys. Dunebug, Dragonfly, and Bee and Butterfly’s farm. Each toy in the set can double as a tool of some kind or whatever your child can dream up. And the best thing about these toys is the fact that I don’t have to plunk batteries in them to make them go. It is so refreshing to have toys around that don’t talk when you bump into them, or sing and shout at you in the morning hours. We took ours out to the sandbox and the boys simply loved them so much that, I couldn’t get them out of the box for a good hour. The toys are simple, but have so much function and encourage your child’s imagination. I wasn’t sure if the boys would figure out what to do with them, so I was curious to see how their little minds worked. As soon as they hit the sandbox, it was as if they knew what to do, and they were scooping, driving, playing, and digging in a matter of seconds.I t was almost as if they couldn’t get enough, and they were so excited. All of the pieces can be interchangeable so the possibilities are endless.

Sprig Toys definitely get this mommy’s seal of approval and are perfect for endless hours of childhood imaginative play. Although these toys don’t make fancy noises, they are probably superior to those that do, simply because they allow your child to be creative. There is so little today in the way of toys that do just that. Check out Sprig Toys and put the imagination back into play.

10-10-10 By Suzy Welch: A Must Read

There are so many instances in my life where hind sight is always better than when you are in the actual moment and making a decision about your life or something of importance.  I think if my life had a rewind button, I could make my outcomes much more appealing in certain situations.

I know with being a busy mom to twins, that things can get hectic and I tend to let my impulses get the best of me.  It is so hard just to slow down, take a deep breath and evaluate things in that moment.  Sometimes when you have a kid screaming in your ear, it is almost impossible to think straight.

But what if you had had a tool to help you think through the choices and determine how the decision would impact your life immediately, in the short term, and over a long period of time?

The book 10-10-10 by best-selling author Suzy Welch, who herself is a mother of four and a columnist for BusinessWeek and O, The Oprah Magazine, provides moms with a decision-making practice that is as simple as it is profound. Suzy shows readers the ways in which using the 10-10-10 method can remove the emotion and uncertainty from decision-making and dramatically change how you make choices in your life.  If there is anything that I can relate to is how emotional I get, especially in situations where I am stressed, tired, and frustrated.  With every decision, all you need to do is consider your options and their consequences in ten minutes, ten months, and ten years, and then compare them to your own set of values. The goal of this practice is an authentic life through which consistency replaces chaos and guilt replaces joy.

Suzy Welch uses actual life experience to demonstrate the 10-10-10 principle, so you can get an actual feel for how to apply this in your own life. The idea is simple and and clear and engages you in a thought process that can positively impact your life.  The part I like that best, is that she is a wife and mother and has been there.  There is nothing worse than someone trying to explain how to live your life when they have no actual life experience to present the information.  I feel like this book has given me some tools to approach situations differently to end up with a more favorable outcome.  Thank you to Suzy Welch and Mom Central for such a wonderful opportunity. This is a book worth reading!

All In A Days Work

Well, I have impressed myself yet again with my fix-it abilities.  I have never been one to sit and look at something for very long until I try and remedy the problem.  Last week the door to my dishwasher went crashing to the floor.  I guess there is this string or what looks like laundry cord weaved through these pulleys and attached to a spring that holds the door.

Thanks to the ever so wonderful internet and all it’s knowledge I went on a search to find out what part I would need to get this fixed.  I cannot be without my dishwasher! So after about and hour I ran across the part I would need and it was only $15!  Now I know if I had called a repair guy, it would have cost me about ten times more.

So fixer me, rolled up my sleeves, turned off the power to the dishwasher, unhooked the water hose, pulled that puppy out and fixed it.  In the meantime the dear husband watched from afar  lol!  In record time 30 min to be exact I had everything back in it’s place and my door works again.  I just had to share as I impressed myself with my dishwasher fixing prowess! Ha! fixer repair man…Take that!  Not bad for a girl as my husband would say.

Wordless Wednesday

Easter Eggs Everywhere

Deadliest Catch

Ok I know what you all may be thinking but I am literally addicted to watching this show.  I know it seems like a guy show or something but I guess I just like watching.  So today begins the new season of Deadliest Catch and since I have no more ER to watch at least I have something.  I have always hated the summer because of the lack of good shows.

There is something exciting about watching people work hard and seeing their triumphs and living their lives with them.  The news isn’t always good, but you find yourself routing along with them.  I never have many fingernails anyway, but after this show I definitely won’t have any!  I hate fish but love this show  lol.

« Previous Page — Next Page »