Sugar Free Toddler Easter Gifts!

Everyone loves a good Reese Egg. Myself included. I pretty much just stare at them all day at work and repeat...do not eat. Do not eat. As a way to distract myself from over indulging this weekend, I picked up some sugar-free presents for the girls on Amazon Prime to stuff their Easter Baskets with.

Color Wonder --> This is the most genius invention ever. We are stocking up!

Stickers --> You can never have too many. For under $8 you can get 500! (As if I need another reason to like Prime!

Melissa and Doug --> This is a great brand and their products have really held up well for us. I picked up some mini yard tools and a broom/mop set for the girls. Ironically they LOVE cleaning and are in a phase where they like to do everything we do. So I figured, why not let them REALLY help! :)

Books --> We are slowly outgrowing the baby books so I picked up some in between ones with some awesome messages. They encourage creative thinking and big dreaming!

Bunnies --> Yes, you have to have a stuffed rabbit. As they would say. He has big ears, a big nose, big toes and a big tummy!

Our visit to the Easter Bunny on the other hand did not go so well. We just like to look from a far and then come home and talk about it. Maybe next year!!

And don't worry, we didn't leave big sister out. She just can handle her sugar a little better! :) 

Two peas in a pod :)

Happy Easter!

Twin Day 2016

Today is twin day in the Haynes household. A day that didn't exist 3 years ago or I didn't think would ever exist. A day that I will forever remember every second. Its the day we went for an 8 week checkup with my OB GYN a nervous wreck and left with our world changed forever. The day that Scott turned a pale white in the Dr's office and I am pretty sure I had a complete panic attack in the car on the way home!

Every time when I feel overwhelmed, stressed or down, I think about how lucky we are that we were blessed with two amazing, healthy babies at one time. I will forever call it our miracle.

We weren't sure if were going to get pregnant and it was a journey to get there. I had no idea twins actually happened naturally AND that they would happen to someone that doesn't have twins in their family. But guess what. It does. And just like that our world changed.

My point of sharing this story is you never know how things are going to work out or what god has in store for you. I am in a big believer in things happen for a reason. I would have never imagined in a million years our life the way it is today but I wouldn't trade it for anything.  Oh yeah, and trust your gut. Because I had a dream we were having twins the night before and talked myself out of believing it was true!

Happy Twin Day :)
p.s. They have a pretty fabulous big sister too!

Spring Toddler Girl Style Picks (on a budget!)

I have a goal this month to NOT eat any girl scout cookies. (Yes, I ordered some to support our little friends but I gave them to the husband and took them to work!) So instead of eating cookies at night, the next best thing is SHOPPING! :) It's calorie free right? I always get questions about how we dress the girls (matching or not matching) and where we get there clothes. So here are my spring toddler picks to transition into warmer weather and a few tips I have learned along the way dressing two at time!

When you have to buy two of everything its really important to try to stick to a budget. My go to stores are Old Navy (sizes run a bit small and a good transition size) and Carters. My close 2nd are Target and Kohls. Here is why.


- I almost always shop online because finding two of the same size with two toddlers in a cart is maddening. They have a lot of options.


- We usually coordinate the girls. Think 1 gray top, 1 white top in a similar style or same dress but one blue and one yellow. Until recently they weren't picky but now they like to be the same, so this helps us let them have their own style but still be similar. (They also have to wear different clothes to preschool so the teachers can tell them apart). Carters and Old Navy almost always have multiple colors of one outfit.


- Lots of sales. Most of these sites have lots of great deals and coupons. 40% off. I am on it. I usually buy at the beginning of each season and in bulk! (They tend to sell out fast). I just ordered 6 pajamas (that gets us through 3 days without doing laundry) on clearance.


- They have the same shoes and accessories. (We write their names on the bottom of their shoes to tell them apart).


- I like to pick out clothes for the girls that look like adult clothes. It is scary sometimes when we all have leggings and tunics on. But to me, its just too much fun! :)

The outfits above are all Old Navy (they are graphic t-shirts turned inside out so you don't see the writing) including the shoes. The hats and leg warmers I ordered on Etsy. :)

My picks!

Here are my picks for the spring. Graphic tshirts are our go to outfit. You can never have too many. Then there are jeggings.  I mean how can you not like these? I wish I had some! The jean jacket is pretty versatile (they need a new one!) and can be worn with almost everything. My other picks are just fun cute little outfits that you can mix and match. I hope to pick up the polka dot dresses for Easter (which would be very cute with the jacket!) Swimsuits are my weakness. I just LOVE baby swimsuits....


So there you have it! Check them out below.



- Graphic Tshirts

- Fashion Jeggings

- Graphic Pullover

- Swimsuit

- Jean Jacket

- Flower pants

- Spring dress


Happy Shopping! (and enjoy those thin mints!!)

Holiday Gift Guide for Toddlers!

Its the week of gift guides and I am back with my toddler favorites. If you didn't catch my fitness friendly guide, check it out here. These two are into EVERYTHING these days. Sometimes dish towels are their favorite toys, other days they actually sit for 30 minutes and play legos. Here are some of my favorites that are on their wish list :)

I would recommend these items for ages 1-3. Most are not gender specific but a few are just a little girly! I could honestly make a list 100 items long for these two!

Mega Blocks --> We actually already have these and the girls have had them since they were 1. They still play with them all the time and they are the one toy we take everywhere with us. They even went in our suitcase when we traveled to Florida this summer. Everyone loves Legos!

Winnie The Pooh --> Pooh is our current obsession and so are stickers. This combines the best of both worlds. And yes we will be purchasing two because sharing is not something we have mastered!

Puzzles --> Melissa and Doug are my go to favorite puzzles. They are large enough the girls can do themselves, and guide them with learning their shapes and colors.

Tea for Two --> We love Minnie Mouse and a good tea party. I hope Santa brings this for the girls because our current plastic cups have seen better days. Plus it all packs away nicely! (Something this mom appreciates!)

Outfits --> I LOVE buying the girls clothes that look like adult clothes. Old Navy has some amazing deals this year including fur vests, boots and some awesome winter outfits.

Fleece Jams --> You can never have too many "comfy cozy" jams as Savannah says. We live in these. Even in the summer!

Knit Hats --> I just love these. Period. Sometimes a custom Etsy accessory is just what a gal needs!

Mommy and Me Scarfs --> Continuing on my Etsy kick, the girls and I sported these this fall. (Ok so maybe there is one gift on here for me! lol).

Art Easel --> We love crafts. We use a lot of paper and this is a great way to save paper and space. Plus the mess is much more contained.

Happy Shopping!
XO,
Holly

The Friday 5! (Fall Fun Edition!)

Hi friends. I am back with the Friday 5. Which I actually started writing on Friday but never made it around to publishing. So here it is, a few days late! This a snapshot of all of our favorite things of the week, this week focused on fall fun!

#1 Giant Salted Pumpkin Cookies
I have been dreaming of these all week. Don't they look amazing? I think I have to eat something pumpkin at least 2-3 times a day!

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#2 Five Ways to be a Pro Mom. 
I have reference Ivanka Trump several times on this blog and while I am confident our lives are nothing the same (I am pretty sure she didn't scrub the kitchen floor while her kids napped today, but you never know!), she is is oddly relatable. I love her positivity and it makes me feel like I can go out and accomplish anything!

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#3 What to Wear this Fall and Winter

This season just makes me obsessed with outfits. More than normal :) I LOVE boots, infinity scarves, rich colors etc. I could spend HOURS on Pinterest just looking at outfits. I have been trying really hard to focus on some key pieces. This guide is awesome. 

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#4 French Bread Mummies
This time of year, candy is everywhere. I thought these were a fun and kid friendly alternative to the typical Halloween treat!

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#5 Fall Family Fun

And last but certainly not least, we have had quite a few adventures lately in our household from Homecoming to the twins 2nd birthday to pumpkin picking to hay rides and finally our family picture sessions which we did as OSU's Mirror Lake this year. It was the anniversary of my husband and I's first date which was an OSU football game. It was pretty cool to go back 13 years later with the family. I can't wait to see how they turn out!

I'm working on a full October recap! Coming soon :) (If you can't tell its my FAVORITE month of the year!)

Have a great week!

XO,

Holly

The Friday 5! (September 25 Edition)

I'm back with the Friday 5! A snapshot of the week and some of my favorite things lately.

1) First lets start with last Thursday, aka Taylor Swift Day! :) I'm still listening to her music on repeat in the mornings when I workout. Who doesn't love a little Taylor in the AM! She was SO good!

2) Next on the list was the girls 2nd day (2nd week) at preschool (aka Mom's Day Out (or Dad) Program). Its not perfect but we are working through it. The teachers seem great and the girls are really loving their backpacks (i.e. don't want to take them off!)

The park is still their favorite activity to do followed by play dough! The weather has been so nice!

 3) On a foodie front I made these pumpkin cookies this week. I skipped the cranberries and added about 1/4 cup more pumpkin. They are good crunchy and have a nice sweet taste to them!

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4) If I had unlimited free time and an unlimited budget I would go on a re-decorating spree! My favorite DIY bloggers came out with a new book this week which I pre-ordered so it was a nice mid-week surprise! For some reason reading decorating blogs is relaxing at 10pm at night!

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5) Last but not least, I did a 3 day cleanse this week (Monday through Wednesday) where I restricted myself to protein shakes, fruits and veggies (no sugar, dairy or carbs). It was the perfect reset to remind my body what its like to run on clean energy. (And I get to head into the weekend a good 5lbs lighter!)

I am super excited to meal plan this week (if you don't eat much for 3 days its very exciting). This is one of our dinners we are planning. I can't wait to try it...BBQ Meatloaf cups. Perfect for the little people and big people in the family!

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I am also pretty excited for the weekend! Its Scott's birthday, lots of football and the weather is going to be amazing. I get bordline giddy about breaking out the pumpkin and boots! 

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I hope everyone has a great weekend! TGIF!

XO,

Holly

The Friday 5! - Playdough, Capes, Lattes and Fashion!

I have been thinking about starting a new blogging tradition called "The Friday 5". Its essentially a recap of the week including my favorite things, events and really anything interesting and fun! So here goes...

The Friday 5!

#1 The little people discovered capes, playdough and "dolls" appropriately named "Susie" and "Sally" this week. Lesson learned...all toys should be EXACTLY the same. If one doll is pink and the other is purple its is WW2. We have also mastered the word "zoom" and fly around in our capes most nights after dinner.

(Hair bows, hair style and all things "hair" is another topic! aka, AH!)

#2 The pumpkin spice latte (or chai tea which is what I LOVE) is back. I just want to go put on my fall boots and jump in the leaves.  There has been quite a focus on the fact that Starbucks is now using "real" pumpkin. I can't taste the difference, but it does make me feel a little better knowing I am not completely falling of the "clean" eating wagon when drinking it. 

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/does-real-pumpkin-make-any-difference-in-starbuckss-pumpkin-spice-latte-2015-09-08

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#3 I am pretty much OBSESSED with fall clothing right now. I may have found matching infinity scarfs for the girls and I :) This goes along with #2. One of my biggest inspirations for working moms and transition clothing is here. New fall lines are popping up everywhere and NYC Fashion week is this week. (aka, my dream world!) 

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#4 We are making this for dinner next week and I am SO excited. Anything crockpot and BBQ pretty much gets an A+ in my book. 

http://www.skinnytaste.com/2014/09/bbq-chicken-chili.html

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#5 I am starting to carve out more time to read more at night (well I have thought about doing this and implementing it this weekend! I used to be really good at it...) I have been wanting to read this for a long time. I am about 1/2 way through and its super motivating. #girlboss

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So there you go! Essentially my moments of the week and hot topics all wrapped up into one :) Have a great weekend!

Summer Recap!

Wow! I can't believe its already Labor Day (well almost) and summer is officially over! Since time has FLOWN by I thought I would do a quick recap of the summer in pictures! (Because if you know me well, its what I do best!)

First up, our trip to Florida in June!

Celebrating the 4th of July!

Spending time with Heather! (Including those amazing senior pictures!) And some more college visits!

Working out with the girls!

 

Overall silliness!

Fall is our favorite time of year. So excited to see what the season brings!

Have a great weekend! And GO BUCKS!