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The Adventures of a Twin Mom

Motherhood and Travel Blog

January 8, 2020

Selecting the Best Preschool for Your Child

Oh goodness, friends…it was a process picking a preschool for Camden and Ella! I thought I’d share about my experience in case it might help someone.  If you’re local to Charleston, I’m sorry but I will not be naming the schools I toured or the school we selected.  This is for my kids’ own safety and because it’s just my opinion and I don’t want to hurt another schools’ reputation.

First things first, I toured 10 schools and they were all very different! My first tip is to have all your questions printed out ahead of time so that you can make sure all of your questions are answered.  Here is a list of questions or topics to look into:

  • What is the cost?
  • What are the days/hours?
  • Will my kids be in the same class?
  • Are meals or snacks provided?
  • Curriculum
  • Video/security
  • Vaccinations
  • Teacher/child ratio
  • Class size
  • Staff experience, education, background checks
  • What does a normal day look like?
  • Will they be going outside every day to play?
  • Sick child policy
  • Do we have top priority to return the following year or how does re-enrollment works?
  • How is discipline handled?
  • Security (doors locked, open door policy)
  • Are there ever students left alone with teachers or is it always a 2:1 ratio?
  •  Do you use an app to track check in/check out, send messages, post pictures?
  • Is it ok if we miss class occasionally?

I toured 10 schools, yes 10! I am that crazy mom!  While some of them had a lot of similarities, they were all pretty different. I could see my kids at only 3 of them though!  We have ours ranked and I’m hoping we get into our first choice but if not, I know my kids will be in good hands at the next two on our list as well.

Here is a list of things I liked about the preschools:

  • Had large classrooms with a lot of natural light
  • Teachers and staff were friendly
  • 2-3 teachers per classroom!
  • Nice playground
  • Very clean facility
  • I loved the curriculum (all 3 schools we’re down to, have very similar curriculums)
  • Hosts fun events like Grandparents Day or holiday shows
  • Security was top notch

Having toured 7 preschools that I couldn’t even picture my kids at, I have quite a long list of things I didn’t like:

  • Small rooms with not much natural light
  • Parents rotate bringing snacks for the class, I’m sorry but this is not for me! I like knowing for now what is going in my toddler’s bodies.
  • We want part time preschool and while one offered it, they charge the same price for part time and full time. This seemed ridiculous to me!
  • One preschool kept the nap mats in the bathroom- eww!
  • No security cameras in the building
  • Old/small playground
  • Only 1 teacher per class
  • Not every teacher was CPR certified
  • Now the one that made me really angry stated that they would place my twins in separate classrooms. I know in the future we will be separating Camden and Ella, what year that is I’m not sure but it won’t be their first year.   I did not appreciate a preschool telling me what’s best for my children when they haven’t even met them or know anything about them. #endrant 😉

I am so excited for my two kiddos to start preschool next year! I know they are going to love it.

I hope this helps someone in selecting the perfect preschool for their child or children! It’s not always a fun process but it’s so important! Good luck, mamas!!

17 Comments

November 28, 2019

You had me at…”Never Shave My Legs Again!”

I’m not the girl that is obsessed with hair or makeup…what I am obsessed with is soft, clear skin, and anything that makes my life easier!  I recently found the most amazing laser and skin care center in Charleston, Charleston Laser & Aesthetics!

The office is beautiful and super clean inside and the staff is so kind!!  They frequently use the hashtags, #realpeople and #realbeauty! I absolutely love this because I always assumed these places were for people very into cosmetics or appearance but in reality, it’s everyday people going to get these services…it’s mom’s wanting to do some self-care, it’s your neighbor who found her first wrinkle, and it’s even the grandpa who wants to laser the hair in his ears (sorry, to use you as an example, Dad). It’s in a centrally located area in Charleston and has free parking!!

I also always assumed these types of treatments were way out of my budget but after doing some research, I was shocked at how affordable it is!  Definitely check this out, I think you will be amazed!

I have really long legs so shaving every day has always been a huge inconvenience. I decided to get Laser Hair Reduction in several different areas. How amazing would it be to not have to ever shave again? Though I’ve only done one treatment, I can honestly already tell a difference especially with my legs.  Do not let the price scare you, I was shocked at how affordable it is! Check out their website here for prices or call for any specials!  Also, don’t let the pain factor scare you! Most of the time, I didn’t even feel the laser. Only a couple times did I feel anything and it just felt like a rubber band hitting your skin but it was gone in the matter of a second.

I haven’t done anything else (yet) but they offer so many amazing services:

-Laser Rejuvenation Treatments

-Spider Vein Treatment

-Rosacea Therapy

-Cherry Angioma Treatment

-Celluma Light Treatment

-Electrolysis Treatment

-Microdermabrasion

-Dermaplanning

-Chemical Peel

-Extreme Peel

-Perfect Peel

-Microneedling

-Advanced Microneedling

-Injectables (Botox, Jeuveau, Juvederm)

NOTE: They are having Black Friday specials right now and Cyber Monday specials soon! Check out their website and Facebook page!

Keep following my blog and Instagram as I share updates on my Laser Reduction journey.  AND BE SURE to check out Charleston Laser & Aesthetics, you will LOVE them and won’t regret it!

15 Comments

November 23, 2019

Life is Better in Matching Fuzzy Slippers

If you know me, you know that I’m all about matching and all about Christmas! We have many Christmas traditions that I hope stick around and that my kids pass on to their kids. Some of these include: a new Christmas book, seeing Santa, finding Santa’s sleigh bells, donuts on Christmas morning, opening stockings on Christmas Eve, and going for a walk on the beach on Christmas.  Another fun one is we always get new matching Christmas pajamas. I ordered ours for this year and then I saw that Dearfoams slippers have a matching Holiday Family Collection! Remember how slippers used to be boring? NOT ANYMORE! These are SOO cute! I knew we had to have them and this would be a new tradition that we would start! Who doesn’t love a pair of cozy slippers? We got the Women’s Mama Bear Plaid Clog, Men’s Papa Bear Plaid Clog, and two of the Lil Bear Kids Plaid Scuff Slipper.

Camden and Ella are at a very fun age right now where everything excites them, when I opened this box (which was packaged beautifully by the way, see below), they smiled from ear to ear and said, “Mommy! Look! Shoes for me?”.  We immediately put them on and decided to change outfits so we’d all match.

We’ve been wearing these every day around the house since we got them! Camden and Ella love that they get to wear these inside because we don’t allow shoes in our house minus slippers #germaphobe. They keep saying, “Look, we wear shoes in house!” Oh kids, you’re cute!

It’s getting us excited for the holidays and they are so comfortable!  There is nothing better than sliding your feet into a pair of cozy slippers after a long day!

Dearfoams slogan is “Feels like home” and as soon as I put these on my feet felt right at home! These slippers are literally like clouds sent down from heaven!  They are cozy, warm, and absolutely adorable!!

Our feet are so happy in these matching Dearfoams slippers!  I’m excited for this new tradition we have started!!

This post was sponsored by Dearfoams but all opinions are my own.

14 Comments

October 21, 2019

Top 5 Tips to Prepare Your Kids for a Photoshoot

If you’ve been a reader of my blog for any time at all, you can tell we LOVE photos! We take a ton both professionally and ourselves. I get a lot of questions on how I get good pictures of my kids, so I thought I’d share my tips with you:

  1. Pick the best time of the day for your family! You need to pick a time that works best for your kids, meaning when will they be in a good mood? Mornings are not good for us (besides my husband, the other 3 of us aren’t morning people). My kids like to take their nap in the early afternoon so that is also out.  I try to schedule pictures in late afternoon or early evening!  Find the best time that works for your family!
  2. Eat a snack or meal right before! Make sure your kids are full (but not overly stuffed) because they will most likely be in better moods and will smile!
  3. Wear comfortable clothes! I spend a long time coordinating outfits (I’ll do another post on that in the future) but the most important thing is make sure your kids are comfortable in their outfits! If something is bothering them, they will let you know and the pictures will show!
  4. Go with the flow! I’ll be the first to admit, I’m not always a go with the flow kind of girl. I’m a Type A planner but I’ve learned it’s nearly impossible to get toddlers to do exactly what you want.Some of my favorite pictures are the pictures that weren’t posed or planned, these show my kids true personalities.
  5. Trust your photographer!  You hired your photographer for a reason, she is good at what she does! Follow her lead and trust her, she knows what she’s doing!

We recently had some amazing family photos taken in downtown Charleston by the talented, Olga Chagarov Photography.  Make sure you check out her website!! She’s fabulous!!  She also wrote a post on How to Prepare Your Kids for a PhotoShoot.

Here are a few more of our family pictures! Thanks again,Olga Chagarov Photography for these amazing photos!!

22 Comments

July 31, 2019

Just a Northern Girl Living in a Southern World

A few weeks ago, our kids were playing in the waves and having the time of their lives.  I remember thinking and telling Judd, “This is where we’re supposed to be! This our place!” He said back, “I know!  We actually did it.” #allthetears We have officially lived in Charleston for over a year so, I think it’s time to finally write about how we feel about living in the South…the good and the bad!!  

Just a little back story in case you haven’t been reading my blog for very long. I was born and raised in Ohio where my husband was also raised. We are high school sweethearts but our goal has always been to move south because we wanted to escape the long Ohio winters and be closer to the beach!  In 2018, we finally had the opportunity and we jumped at it!  Were we nervous? YES!  Did we question this decision? YES, a million times! Are there things that were hard for us to adjust to in the South or things we’d change? Absolutely!  But overall, it was worth it…here is everything we’ve learned.

The Good

There are SOOO many reasons why we love the South and it trumps all the reasons we don’t “LOVE”.

The Beaches

Need I say more? We are surrounded by beautiful beaches! Need I say more?  Our plan is actually to move closer to the beach before the kiddos start school.

Weather

Besides July-August, the temperature here is perfect!!

Southern Hospitality

The people in Ohio are great but southern hospitality is huge here and everyone is helpful and very friendly!!

The Food

Oh, the food! Some of the best seafood in the world + southern cooking = perfection

The City

Charleston, I just love you! You have everything we need to be entertained.

Family Friendly

It’s a great place to raise a family!  There is so much to do here and the people are wonderful!!

This is from July 2017, we had just moved to Charleston! Isn’t it crazy how much Camden and Ella have changed?

Job Situation 

Another reason why this town is great for us, is they have an Air Force Base. I spent 10 years working as a civilian for the Air Force in Ohio and when my kids go back to school, I plan to go back! Not every city has a base so I’m very thankful we have one here!

The Bad

The Cost

Overall the cost of living in Ohio (I’m using this because this is where we’re from and what we’re used to) compared to South Carolina is very different. The house prices are a little more, our car insurance is almost 3x what it was, our grocery bill is more than double, and basically everything is a LOT more expensive.  

We Miss Our Family and Friends

We’re pretty blessed to have parents that are retired so we get to see them a lot but we really wish they’d move down here or buy a second place.  It’s hard not having much help with the kids.  My aunt and uncle (JoeJoe and Sassy) also visit once or twice a year which really helps feel connected with family. 

No Help

This goes along with our family not living here. Raising twin toddlers without any help isn’t easy, we definitely miss out on things because of this.

Traffic

Traffic in Charleston is horrendous! We knew this before moving here but it’s part of living in a popular city that people want to live in and vacation to.

The Grass

Ok, I know this sounds crazy but we grew up with green and soft grass in Ohio. South Carolina grass is just crunchy! 

Basically, we love it here and are blessed to call Charleston home!

43 Comments

July 22, 2019

A Day in the Life- July 2019

One of my favorite things to read from bloggers are “Day in the Life” posts.  They give you a snapshot into people’s everyday lives! I wish I had done this while my kiddos were newborns (#absolutecraziness) and then every few months, just so I could look back on it.  I’ve done a lot of Life Lately posts but never a “Day in the Life”, here goes nothing…

The day I’m writing about was a random “work day” last week.  We travel a lot and we do try to keep busy but I should warn you, our normal days are just like everyone else’s…a little boring, we follow a routine, and everything revolves around our two toddlers!

Around 7 am, I woke up (Judd was already at work), I showered, made the bed, let London out, unloaded the dishwasher, started the robot vacuum, and then headed to my office to work for about 30-45 minutes.

IMG_8038

Around 8:15, I heard the kiddos start to wake up!  Good Morning, my favorite twinsies!!

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I changed them and then it was time for breakfast.  They eat the same thing almost every morning: milk, vitamin gummy, whole wheat toast, bananas, and turkey sausage.

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Happy kiddos!!IMG_8034

Last year at this time, we took London to a dog training class and it was one of the best decisions we ever made.  She sat on her “spot” until we released her after breakfast.

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The rest of the morning until lunch was spent playing!  These two LOVE to play!

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We also talked to Lovey (who had just gotten out of the shower, lol)!

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Around 12:00, it was time for lunch!

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After lunch, we read a few books and then it was nap time for Camden and Ella.

While, they were sleeping I worked on some photo shoots.  Part of my job as a blogger is creating content and providing brand awareness for companies.  I try to take my “product” pictures one day a week.  Here I’m doing a photoshoot for a shoe insert.  When Judd isn’t home, I use my tripod to take pictures. 🙂

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Around 3:00, Judd got home and the kiddos woke up!

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Judd, Camden, and Ella ate a snack and played while I finished up my individual shoots and then it was time for dinner!

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After dinner, we went swimming for a couple of hours! IMG_8371IMG_8372IMG_8373

Then it was home to take baths and unwind for the day.

Around 9:00 we put the kiddos to bed.  Every night after we put the kids to bed (and when Judd is home and not working), Judd and I grab a sweet treat like ice cream or cookies and watch TV together before bed.  It’s our time to relax before the day is over.

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Around 10:00, we both headed to bed.  One more “work day” and then it was the weekend for us! We usually spend our weekends at the beach or traveling. 🙂

26 Comments

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Hi! I'm Brianna! I'm a wife, mom of twin toddlers, a blogger, and a world traveler. Welcome to a small piece of our perfect chaos!

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This is 4! We celebrated Camden and Ella’s birth This is 4! We celebrated Camden and Ella’s birthday last week with a FOURever Sweet/Candy Land themed party. Sharing all the details on today’s blog post (link in profile).
Happy 4th Birthday, Camden and Ella!! These past 4 Happy 4th Birthday, Camden and Ella!! These past 4 years have flown by.  I’m so proud of the little humans you are becoming! We love you across the ocean and back!
Water-bugs just like their mama! 👩‍👧‍👦Going through our photos from our trip to @greatwolflodge. I miss it already! #GreatWolfLodge #Hosted #PawPledge
Is there anything cuter than a baby wolf? Yep, twi Is there anything cuter than a baby wolf? Yep, twin baby wolves! 🐺🐺 We had the best couple of days at @GreatWolfLodge! Camden asked if we could move here. #iwish I’ll work on a blog post when I get home with more trip details. #hosted  #GreatWolfLodge #PawPledge
Splashing the day away with my favorites! We’re Splashing the day away with my favorites! We’re having the best time at @GreatWolfLodge! We come here every winter to escape the winter blues for a few days. You can follow along in my stories. #hosted  #GreatWolfLodge #PawPledge
Don't let this picture fool you, renovation with y Don't let this picture fool you, renovation with young kids is no joke! However,  @sharkcleaning has made it so much easier to keep up with the dust and chaos. #SponsoredByShark The new Shark® Wandvac™ System does it all...this powerful vacuum can go from a stick vacuum to extended lightweight wand-to-hand vacuum! Plus, it has an awesome docking station, it doesn’t need to be hidden in a closet. Visit SharkClean.com to purchase the new Shark® Wandvac™ System.

 #SharkWandVac #SharkCordlesssVacuum
Twinning Tuesday with my best girl! The adorable a Twinning Tuesday with my best girl! The adorable and comfortable outfits we're wearing are from @moodytigerofficial You can use: Mom15 to get an extra 15% off!  #moodytiger #moodytigeractivewear #kidsactivewear  #moodytigerleggings
Mermaid hair don't care. 🧜🏼‍♀️💁🏻 Mermaid hair don't care. 🧜🏼‍♀️💁🏻‍♀️ I am loving my new beach waves that I get from using @bondiboost Wave Wand.  I'm hair challenged and it's 3x large barrels are SO easy to create these beach waves and their Heat Protect Spray helps reduce future damage from heat.  Head to my stories to see how this works! I promise, if I can do this to my hair then you can! #BoostYourRoots #BondiBoost
They picked out their outfits and are quite proud. They picked out their outfits and are quite proud. 🥰

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This is 4! We celebrated Camden and Ella’s birth This is 4! We celebrated Camden and Ella’s birthday last week with a FOURever Sweet/Candy Land themed party. Sharing all the details on today’s blog post (link in profile).
Happy 4th Birthday, Camden and Ella!! These past 4 Happy 4th Birthday, Camden and Ella!! These past 4 years have flown by.  I’m so proud of the little humans you are becoming! We love you across the ocean and back!
Water-bugs just like their mama! 👩‍👧‍👦Going through our photos from our trip to @greatwolflodge. I miss it already! #GreatWolfLodge #Hosted #PawPledge
Is there anything cuter than a baby wolf? Yep, twi Is there anything cuter than a baby wolf? Yep, twin baby wolves! 🐺🐺 We had the best couple of days at @GreatWolfLodge! Camden asked if we could move here. #iwish I’ll work on a blog post when I get home with more trip details. #hosted  #GreatWolfLodge #PawPledge
Splashing the day away with my favorites! We’re Splashing the day away with my favorites! We’re having the best time at @GreatWolfLodge! We come here every winter to escape the winter blues for a few days. You can follow along in my stories. #hosted  #GreatWolfLodge #PawPledge
Don't let this picture fool you, renovation with y Don't let this picture fool you, renovation with young kids is no joke! However,  @sharkcleaning has made it so much easier to keep up with the dust and chaos. #SponsoredByShark The new Shark® Wandvac™ System does it all...this powerful vacuum can go from a stick vacuum to extended lightweight wand-to-hand vacuum! Plus, it has an awesome docking station, it doesn’t need to be hidden in a closet. Visit SharkClean.com to purchase the new Shark® Wandvac™ System.

 #SharkWandVac #SharkCordlesssVacuum
Twinning Tuesday with my best girl! The adorable a Twinning Tuesday with my best girl! The adorable and comfortable outfits we're wearing are from @moodytigerofficial You can use: Mom15 to get an extra 15% off!  #moodytiger #moodytigeractivewear #kidsactivewear  #moodytigerleggings
Mermaid hair don't care. 🧜🏼‍♀️💁🏻 Mermaid hair don't care. 🧜🏼‍♀️💁🏻‍♀️ I am loving my new beach waves that I get from using @bondiboost Wave Wand.  I'm hair challenged and it's 3x large barrels are SO easy to create these beach waves and their Heat Protect Spray helps reduce future damage from heat.  Head to my stories to see how this works! I promise, if I can do this to my hair then you can! #BoostYourRoots #BondiBoost

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