The Adventures of a Twin Mom

Motherhood and Travel Blog

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!

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.

White House Tour

I thought it was finally time to share about our tour of the White House!  Let me first say that we were incredibly honored to be invited to tour the White House and it was a once in a lifetime experience.  However, if I’m being completely honest, it was also a crazy experience for us!  For whatever reason, that day Camden and Ella were being a little “extra”.  They are two so they are always a little crazy but they were definitely on an entirely different level this day, haha!  I actually was really sick and they probably had a little bit of my bug too.  Enough about that…here is a little bit about our day visiting the White House and some tips if you were to go!

Our Experience

I honestly expected the staff to be a little stiff and unfriendly just because security is so critical at the White House. I was VERY wrong. The staff was so amazing…they were friendly, nice, and made us feel welcome and safe.  Camden at one point started yelling for no reason and one of the staff got down on his knees to talk to Camden, it was so kind.

We made it through security and then started walking into the White House…talk about goosebumps! It felt so surreal.

It’s a self-guided tour which worked out really well for us since we have young kids that have a short attention span.

One of the first things we walked through was a log hallway that houses portraits of former presidents and their families.

Then we walked past a window and I couldn’t help but notice the soccer net outside for Barron Trump, that was pretty cute to see!

Next, was Family Theater! I remember seeing pictures of Presidents and their families in here!

That’s when things started getting a little insane. Camden and Ella decided they wanted to sit on the floor, play with the White House pamphlet, or scream…

Next was the Vermeil Room.  They use this as a display room specifically for gilded silver or for a formal event as a ladies sitting room.

The China Room was next! This was awesome, this is where they display the White Houses’ collection of state china.

Next up was the East Room.  This room is beautiful and is the largest room in the White House! They use it for receptions, ceremonies, press conferences, and other events. It also displays the famous Portrait of George Washington.

Then we headed towards Cross Hall.  I didn’t see much information on this on the tour but Judd and I both knew it looked very familiar.  Turns out, it’s used a lot.  It’s actually where Obama gave the famous speech about the death of Osama bin Laden.

Next up…the Green Room. This was Thomas Jefferson’s dining room and now is used for receptions and ceremonies.  At this point in our tour, both Camden and Ella wanted to be carried which would have been fine but they both weigh 25 and 30 pounds and only wanted me to carry them.  My arms thought they were going to break by the end of the tour and I was super jealous of my husband (the kids wouldn’t let him hold them) so he got to enjoy it a little more than I did.  He did an amazing job taking pictures even of the crazy moments though! We love you, Judd!

Onto the Blue Room…This is a regularly used room now, the President uses it when he has guests.  The White House Christmas tree is placed here every year.

The kiddos might have been a little extra but they sure looked cute! 😉

The Red Room was next.  This is apparently the favorite room of many First Ladies.

We walked into the State Dining Room next. This looks bigger in pictures compared to in person.  Don’t get me wrong, it’s still big! It can hold 130 guests and is often used for formal dinners and luncheons.

One more family photo inside.

Then we headed outside to the White House lawn and driveway. We took way too many pictures here because I was determined to get a good family picture!  Thanks to all the people who took millions of pictures for us.

Camden and Ella ask to go back to the White House all the time now.  We just laugh every time…that’s not happening anytime soon, kiddos! 😉

Well we survived and won’t ever forget this exciting and crazy day!

I wanted to share some information that I learned that might help you while planning your future trip to the White House…

Getting Tickets/Tour Invitation

Public tour requests must be submitted through one’s Member of Congress.  These self-guided tours are available from 7:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Tuesday through Thursday, 7:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays (excluding federal holidays or unless otherwise noted).  Tour hours will be extended when possible based on the official White House schedule. Tours are scheduled on a first come, first served basis. Requests can be submitted up to three months in advance and no less than 21 days in advance. You are encouraged to submit your request as early as possible as a very limited number of spaces are available. 

Good to Know

• There are no bathrooms! Make sure you go before you enter security.

• No food or drinks allowed!

• No bags are allowed, not even diaper bags or small purses.

• No strollers are allowed.

• Parking can be difficult, it’s hard to find street parking. We paid for valet parking at a hotel close by, The Willard InterContinental Washington, D.C. It wasn’t cheap but made the day less stressful. Make sure you figure this out prior to the day of your tour because DC traffic is CRAZY!

• Make sure you have a government issued ID with you.

• You can take pictures with your phone or small cameras but no video recorders are allowed.

Thank you to The White House Staff for having us (and not kicking us out), this is something we will never forget!  If you want to read more about our trip to D.C. and our stay at the amazing Georgetown Suites, check out this blog post.

The Most Magical Place on Earth…Disney World 2019!

“That’s the real trouble with the world.  Too many people grow up!”-Walt Disney

Well friends, our Disney World trip for 2019 was one for the books.  We had the most magical time!!  I thought I’d share about our day at Disney World, some tips, and also a few helpful links to really great Disney articles that my friend Amber (she’s a Disney blogger) wrote!!

This was a fast trip for us so we had one day to explore! This is the kids second time to Disney World and my husbands and my fourth time.  I planned everything in advance so we knew exactly where to go/what to do. Tip: This is a great plan if you’re only going for a day, I researched transportation, the park layouts, and all the rides/attractions.

Note: We didn’t ride even close to every single ride, we picked the rides that we wanted to ride ahead of time!

Our first park was Animal Kingdom.  We got there right when the park opened and went straight to Expedition Everest. Judd and I did the parent swap so we each got to ride with only one person having to wait in line once.  Look at how cute they were while waiting for their daddy to come out of the ride.

Then it was off to Africa to ride the Kilimanjaro Safari!  The kids (and us) loved this!!

Our next stop was Avatar World.  We didn’t get to ride Flight of Passage (too long of a line) but that’s ok because we will be back!  Then it was off to catch the bus to Hollywood Studios!

Look at these cute little bus riders!

We had fast passes for Tower of Terror so we rode that and then headed to Disney Juniors Dance Party! This was one of the biggest highlights of the trip for Camden and Ella, they had a BLAST!

When we got out, we realized one of our strollers wasn’t there.  We think someone took ours by accident because there was one in a different color close by.  Note: Make sure you put a tag or something so you can find your stroller easily, we forgot to do this.  No worries though, Disney World made this right for us! They gave us a brand new very similar umbrella stroller to take place of ours!  Thanks Disney World for going over and beyond!!

Then it was time to explore Toy Story World!  Such a fun area!!!

The final stop was to Star Wars World, my husband loved this!! They did an amazing job designing the park.

I did a lot of research before the trip as to how to get to each park the fastest, many suggested walking from Hollywood Studios to Epcot so this is what we did.  It was about a 20-30 minute walk so if you’re not up for walking, don’t do this!  We loved it though because it was so quiet and peaceful and we probably got there faster than other transportation options.  We ate lunch on the way at the boardwalk.

We arrived to my favorite park, Epcot!!  As we entered we saw Mickey Mouse so of course we had to get a picture!  The kids were thrilled to meet Mickey!

Next, we had fast passes to my FAVORITE ride, Soarin! I’m pretty sure I could ride this ride all day long!!

The kids were anxious to see Nemo so The Seas with Nemo was next!

We walked around Epcot a little bit because I love seeing all the different areas! Disney did an amazing job designing this park!

It was time for the kiddos favorite park, Magic Kingdom! We took the monorail this time!

We rode a ton of rides here! I can’t even remember all of them.  One of our favorites was It’s a Small World.

We also ate way too much Dole Whip! Just kidding, can you ever eat too much of that? It’s so darn good!

Overall, we had the best time ever! We hope we get to do this every year because there is nothing better than seeing your kids smile from ear to ear!

My sweet friend Amber is a Disney Blogger and has the most helpful blog! I used this several times while planning our trip.  Here are a few articles that really stood out to me:

–Fast Pass Basics at Disney World

–Walt Disney World: The Basics for Beginners

–Top 5 Places to at Disney World

–Disney with a Large Family

A huge thanks to Disney World for hosting us!

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!!

Ahoy Matey from Orlando!

We just got home from Orlando! It was one of my most favorite trips of the year!  It was filled with fun, adventure, relaxation, yummy food, and lots of time with my family…it was everything we needed!!

We stayed at the Lake Buena Vista Resort Village and Spa.

Our room was perfect for us! It was a condo with 2 large bedrooms, bathroom, living room, full kitchen, and dining room. It even had a washer and dryer so we didn’t have to go home with dirty laundry!

Here is a tour of our room:

 

We also picked this hotel for all of its amenities! They have this amazing Pirates Plunge Themed Pool; the entire family was obsessed as you can tell by our pictures below. It’s a zero-entry pool with a huge pirate ship and a slide in the middle! We spent hours and hours in this pool!

We LOVED the slide!!

The resort has amazing food options as well! You can order food right at the pool from Lani’s Luau Poolside Bar & Grille, sit down to eat at Frankie Farrell’s Irish Pub & Grille, or pick up a pizza from Pizza Hut Café Express!

I had the privilege of getting an amazing massage from their spa, Stay Reflections Spa & Salon. This spa is GORGEOUS! I felt at peace the minute I walked in. From massages to facials to nail and skin care. They have it all!

I did the 50-minute Tropical Island Massage and it was heaven.   They even gave me a list of massage oils to choose from, I chose the Citrus Cilantro and it smelled so lovely!!

Other amazing amenities they offer include: Wi-Fi, 24-hour fitness center, meeting room, Kids Club with activities, shuttle to the major theme parks, and a convenience store and gift shop.

Here are more pictures from our stay:

While we were here, we went to Disney World and SeaWorld (more to come on these two adventures in the next week). It was less than a 15-minute drive to all the Disney parks and to SeaWorld. If you plan to go to parks in Orlando, the location of this hotel cannot be beat! It’s very centrally located, easy to find, and has tons of restaurants close by and shopping. In fact, there is an outlet mall right next door within walking distance!

If you’re coming to Orlando, make sure you check out the Lake Buena Vista Resort Village and Spa! You can thank me later. 😉

Thanks for hosting us, Lake Buena Vista Resort Village and Spa and stayReflections Spa!

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