Pizza Scissors

We got these scissors from my mother-in-law after her trip to Norway.  She raved how wonderful they were and bought a set for us for Christmas.  We thought we'd really not use them much but have actually found them to be quite handy. 

They work well on all types of pizza including cutting it into small pieces for young kids.  They are also great for quesadillas!

O Ball Linky Loops

Another tip from the baby pros Kim and Leslie...O Ball Linky Loops! My 6 month old loves the shapes and colors of these rings. Such a great toy to keep in the diaper bag, nursery and various places around the house. They come in a pack of 12 so there are plenty to strategically stash around the house. The baby loves chewing and holding onto them and wearing them on wrists and ankles.

Childproofing

My boys have an obsession with doors. They can't leave them alone. When 8 hands are pushing on one door, someone's fingers are constantly getting smashed.  Plus, French door handles are TOO easy for little toddlers to figure out.

I bought this a few months ago.  This lock didn't work in my old house because the framing around the inside of our door was too small. I intended to return it. But we recently moved, and I tried it on our new doors and it is AMAZING! I can move it wherever I want on the door very easily (I can choose to put it within reach of benny if I want him to be able to open the door, or I can just slide it up and keep all kids from opening the door). It also prevents their fingers from getting smashed on the door side (fingers still can get punched in the hinge side of the door though).

Anyways, it's super easy to put on a door and take off. Perfect for French doors which are hard to find good childproofing locks for. And still easy to open the door from the inside or the outside.

Eyewitness Travel Books

Going on a vacation and need a guidebook? I recommend the Eyewitness Travel Guides.

1.  They are organized in an easy-to-use way. I like how they break down the city by different sections to make it more manageable to plan daily itineraries.

2.  They prioritize the highlights, identify walking routes to see sites nearby and point out what you should make sure to see if you're at locations that might be overwhelming with too much to see.

3.  They have great pictures and it acts as a souvenir for the trip.

I've used these guidebooks on a few vacations, but here is the link to one for London:

DR Trimmer

While I was living away dad invested in what I think is the best purchase yet for their property.  It's called the DR trimmer.  I know many of us live on larger parcels, the type where weed whacking is necessary.  This is one of those "as seen on TV" trimmers, but I am serious, this thing is so awesome.

My main issues with a normal weed whacker are:

Heavy on my arms and shoulders (to lift).
The string is never thick enough to get the willows and serious brush around here.
Reloading the string is a serious pain in the rear end.

Reasons I love the DR trimmer:

It operates on large wheels.  It pushes over most terrain with relative ease.  Meaning, I'm not lifting it's weight constantly.  It's just the back and forth motion like a lawn mower.  But in that it's just 2 large wheels, it swivels pretty easily.

The string is honestly as thick as my pinky finger.  It would cut off your finger.  It cuts down all grasses and brush and tree starts and weeds.  I much prefer this string to the "blade" option dad was using before - that was terrifying.

There is no messy coil for rethreading.  You simply cut a 12-14" strand and feed it into the slot.  It takes a little muscle because the string is so thick, but once it's in, it lasts a long, long time.


Meliss love this baby too.  Because whenever I go to get it out of the garage, she's usually borrowed it for her house!  ;)

Covered Goods Nursing Cover

This is another baby item that may not be useful for most of the Grow Girls, but could definitely be a much appreciated Baby Shower gift. I purchased this nursing cover after the original one I used left me feeling exposed when I was nursing in a restaurant with people on my left and my right. I just felt like way too much of my back side (and probably more) was showing when I just had a cloth draped over my front. While I was in the middle of that pickle, my friend across the table from me was modestly nursing her baby, fully covered around her sides. It looks a little funny when mom dives under the cover to adjust things with the baby, but with a little practice it becomes a little more graceful (ok, maybe not much, but you get used to it). The important thing to me is coverage, so I've found this handy Covered Goods nursing cover does the job better than any of the other covers I've tried. Plus, they regularly come out with new patterns based on the season and trends. Additionally, the covers can be worn as a scarf (kinda funky looking, but on the go it's a nice option) or can be wrapped around the baby or carrier like a blanket.

http://www.coveredgoods.com/

Water Shoes

While on our Lake Powell trip, I was reminded how much I love my water shoes.  (They are made by Astral.)  Scott bought them for me at REI, but they are available other places as well.

I've had a few pairs of water shoes in the past, and these are by far my favorite.  I think the weep holes in the soles are brilliant.  The mesh on the toe area is small so it doesn't allow pebbles in.  The back of the shoe is designed to either be worn as a regular shoe, or you can bend the heal down for a slip on type shoe.

This Powell trip I wore them kayaking and then wading through the sandy riverbed and lake.  I hiked in them and they gave great traction.  I didn't get a single foot sore.  I've had these a few years, and I've never gotten a blister.  Granted, I'm not wearing them for a regular hike, just when I know there will be water involved.

I find them quite handy out in the river as well, catching the tubers, or moving logs.  I love them.  This is the new and improved version below:

Fisherman’s Friend Cough Drops

Next time you have an awful sore throat that you need to mend, may I recommend a nasty cough drop called Fisherman’s Friend. We were travelling and came down with colds and went to a pharmacy. Looking through all the cough drops we considered buying the ones that taste like candy but don't offer much relief. It was then I saw Fisherman’s Friend and was reminded of a time long, long ago when a friend introduced me to Fisherman’s Friend. I remembered trying it and vowing I would never eat it again, but that the person who introduced it to me swore it was the best working cough drop. So, there it is. These things taste awful, but they really do help relieve sore throats and get you back in tiptop shape faster than candy cough drops will. That’s my opinion at least. Give it a shot next time you have a really bad sore throat and are desperate for a remedy!

PS And if you're like me and enjoy getting some additional Vitamin C on occasion, then these are the best "candy" cough drops! Halls Assorted Citrus is my favorite. They taste great and give you a boost of Vitamin C, but they don't have the same kick that Fisherman's Friend offers.

Transformer

The best tip we received when moving overseas was to buy a few transformers off Amazon and pack a few American extension cords. We are here for 2 years and therefore didn't want to buy all new appliances. We bought a 500 watt and 2000 watt transformer. We leave our 500 watt in our office and the 2000 in our kitchen.

The 500 easily powers all the office items at once with an extension cord including computer, monitor printer and silhouette machine. It is nice to always have these plugged in. We can also move it into the living room to watch American DVDs since we had no desire to upgrade our stock for the European version.

We use the 2000 watt transformer in the kitchen and don't move it as frequently as, dang, it is heavy. This powers everything from our toaster to kitchenaide to crockpot and waffle iron. It sits on our counter taking up some space which isn't ideal but it is so easy to use and we are so grateful for this tip as it has saved us money and allowed us to use many appliances we otherwise wouldn't have invested in for a 2 year stint!

Toddler Scooters

One of our most important possessions here in London are our kid's scooters. We've gone carless so having a way for the kids to get around without us carrying them or pushing a stroller is key. When we came house hunting we noticed all the kids on scooters and found that almost all of them used the Micro brand. We bought this one for our then 3.5 year old daughter.




She quickly mastered it and flew all around London with great ease. She easily could control it and had no issues carrying it herself.  Just after our son turned 2, he started asking to ride her scooter.  By the time he was 2 and 3 months, we had to buy a new scooter to avoid severe conflict at our house.  We upgraded our then 4 and 3 month old daughter to the maxi even though they warned it would be hard for someone under 5 to control.  (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Maxi-Micro-T-Bar-Scooter-Raspberry/dp/B00K0JQ5M8/ref=sr_1_2?s=kids&ie=UTF8&qid=1435959277&sr=1-2&keywords=micro+maxi+scooter)  She had NO issues at all and can continue to carry it over curbs or up a few stairs without issue.  Dad can also easily carry both scooters to and from school twice a day. Both kids are amazing just a few months later...we've had a few falls as they compete to be the fastest but it has been a life saver for us. 

A few needed accessories are the following - not posting helmet and other protection items as that goes without saying!

This bell is easy for them to ring when coming up on folks and isn't as obnoxious as so many other options out there - like the horn!




Our daughter needed this as it is dark when she gets out of school. It really does help but our son's broke just a few weeks in as he isn't the most careful with his scooter and he smashed it and the cover broke making it dangerous.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Light-Designed-major-brands-scooter/dp/B00DUYDHGW/ref=sr_1_1?s=kids&ie=UTF8&qid=1435959581&sr=1-1&keywords=micro+scooter+light




It sounds lame but these pulling strings are really helpful going up the hill as bending over to the height of the scooter isn't the easiest on the back.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Scoot-n-Pull-Blue/dp/B005LGWHEA/ref=pd_sim_21_1?ie=UTF8&refRID=04TVYCBE6H936GPBFG6Y

Happy Scootering....

Mouth Guard

BUYER'S REMORSE!

I don't know if it's an inherited trait or not, but I grind my teeth in my sleep.  Probably as much as I rub my feet together.  :)

I was waking up in the mornings feeling exhausted, I often had a headache, and my jaw just felt tired.  For a few months I tried a mouth guard that I bought at the drug store, because I finally figured out I must be grinding my teeth.  I wore this mouth guard for a few months.

My jaw didn't get better, infact, it got more painful.

Turns out, this stupid guard was making me grind and clench my teeth even more!  It's a rubbery material, so in my sleep, my mouth must've been chomping away on it like I was chewing gum!

Not only that, it must be designed for a person with a really big mouth.  It molds to your teeth, but it was so bulky, even after I trimmed it down it rubbed so much on my inside cheeks that I got cankers back there that were very painful.

I have now since had a custom mouth guard made by a real dentist.  The difference between that and this dang over the counter crap is unreal.  The custom one is a hard plastic material - it doesn't make my mouth naturally want to chew and chomp.  I don't wake up with headaches at all.  It's much slimmer so I'm not drooling.  A major improvement - MAJOR.

The over the counter mouthguard may work for an athletic situation, but from my experience, I would totally fork out the money and have my dentist make me the custom one.

Don't waste the money on this one:

*DO NOT BUY IF YOU GRIND YOUR TEETH OF HAVE TMJ*

Rootbeer

I love rootbeer.  But, I am particular...

I don't like it with spearmint.
I don't like it "fresh brewed" like at the beer brewery restaurants.
If it has a hint of cough syrup flavor I will throw it away after one sip.
          (ie. the bundaberg brand - bluck - I will never buy that again, hated it.)

I like it kinda sweet, but not over powering.
I do like a hint of cream soda in my root beer.

Behold!  My all time favorite:
(And, I think I have tried just about every kind of non alcoholic root beer out there.)

I usually buy it local, and can find it at World Market.  But it is available on Amazon! (surprisingly)

eBags Packing Cubes

Going on vacation? Want to make your packing situation infinitely easier? Try packing cubes! I was reluctant to spend additional money on bags to be used inside a bag, but I tried it on my latest 12-day adventure to London and I’ll never go on another a long trip without them. 

Packing cubes allow you to fold and organize your clothes into separate bags, stack the bags neatly in your suitcase and then you can sort through the bags without unfolding everything as you dig through your suitcase. I kept my tops in one, bottoms in another, and undergarments in a third. Additionally, on our recent trip my son and I shared a suitcase so I used a 2^nd set of packing cubes for him. I used large green cubes for my clothes, and he used medium aqua cubes for his. It was so easy to tell our clothes apart and sort through the cubes to find exactly what I needed in the massive suitcase we were living out of. My husband didn’t have packing cubes in his suitcase. At first he was skeptical of the concept, but a few days into his trip when he had to dig to the bottom of his suitcase in search of an item, he commented that the packing cubes would have made it a lot easier. That’s saying something for a low-maintenance guy!

If I were buying the cubes again, I would get another size medium. The large was a good size for adult size clothing for a 2-week vacation, but most of my travels don’t require as much clothing. But if your clothes are bigger or bulkier and your travels often require more clothes, then I’d recommend the large. Or get multiple sizes and use both!

Travel High Chair

We always seem to run an errand or do an activity during mealtime.  With twins, this makes it even harder!  Well we discovered a convenient way of doing it:

This travel High Chair!  We love it!  We leave it in the car, and when we need it just pull it out.  We have used it so many different places it has been Awesome. (visiting relatives that don't have high chairs, picnic at the park, restaurants, vacations especially camping, etc)
  It comes with a double tray so it is very easy to clean, folds down to a smaller size when not in use, and has a sling so that you can carry it over your shoulder. (Very convenient for us as we are usually carrying a baby in the other arm).  It also can be used as a booster seat when your child is older.

Toddler Language Cards

I have recently been on the look out for Language cards to teach Logan important skills.  I know I could just do Google searches and try to create my own but I just don't have time for that right now.  Plus he gets distracted so easily I needed simple cards that aren't showing a bunch of extra details.  I came across these from amazon:

I love them!  The cards are durable and are a nice size.  I
love that they come with a nice hard plastic case to keep them
protected.  Logan loves them too!  There are tons of ways you can use
them but for now I just lay two cards together and have him point to the
 one I ask for.  They also have varying levels of difficulty so I was
able to pick out the easiest ones first and now since he has masted
those we are working on the harder ones.
 They have other categories as well that I think I will try!

Diaper Bag Wipes Case

I have found my favorite diaper bag wipe case. I used to try and use the packs of wipes that I had at the house that were getting towards the end (so they weren't too bulky to fit), but lets face it I'm just not organized enough...  This wipe case is great.

It fits enough wipes to last a while and what I like most about it is how you load the wipes.  It has an easy opening on the top and you just slip them in. I was tired of trying those plastic cases and trying to guess how many you could fit in them and then pressing hard to get it to click closed! This one closes easily and stays closed to keep the wipes moist.  Plus it has a cute design on it.

Trifle Bowl

Michael and I are the type that when we learn to make something and like it, we tend to take it to every family function haha. :) So for a month or so we were really into making trifles and trying out a bunch of recipes. They are really easy to make and most are REALLY good! Plus, they look like you spent a lot of time on them and they really don't take that much effort. But what makes it even easier is this cool bowl I found on amazon:

 It is the perfect size and shape and it comes with a lid!  I have also used it for fruit or a salad so it can have multiple uses.

Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker

Pretty sure most of you already have this, but if not you are missing out!

 I kept forgetting to use mine until last week and then I was reminded how easy and fun it is! I love homemade icecream and this machine is so easy to use, doesn't take up a ton of space and doesn't require constant watching like the old machines did.  Use it as an FHE treat or a unique dessert for dinner!

Mr. Lid

  Well...Here I go again...another "As Seen on TV' Post.  But even mom was at my house the other day and commented on how much she liked these!  Which reminded me I had another cool thing to post.
   Never again do I have to search my Tupperwar cupboard for a container and lid that match because all of my lids are attached to my containers with Mr. Lid.

  We were wondering if the containers would be cheapo and stain easily.  We actually prefer them over the other brands we have had and they have been very durable for us.  All the lids are still in tact and they are all still very clean looking.
  Here is the amazon link:

1010!

You'll be addicted soon, considering our love of Tetris and Blokus.  :)

It's called 1010!  That's all I need to say.

Strawberry Huller

While looking where I could tell you to buy this gadget, I found out that it is officially a "tomato corer"! Well, I prefer to use it to get the stem off my strawberries! 

So, now I can say that it is small enough to fit in any kitchen drawer and has multipurpose functions. I like the fact that there is very little waste of the ripe strawberry, but those that are a little green on top--well, just dig out the green! You can take off as much or as little as you want. 

 Stacie, who hates even the hint of a tomato stem in her sliced tomatoes, may like using this gadget on tomatoes. 

It's official name is: Norpro Tomato Corer

(link below)

Tangle Teezer

This brush is a must have for those with little girls.  

No more crying or complaining when brushing hair.  

The flexible teeth gently detangle hair.  It really works!

Blendtec

I can't believe no one has mentioned the Blendtec yet.  It is my favorite kitchen appliance.  Hardly a day passes that I don't use it.  From smoothies, to soup, to blending up all those hidden veggies in my spaghetti sauce, to mixing up eggs and milk for scrambled eggs - it gets a lot of use at our house. It blends better than any blender I've ever tried and it is easy to clean.

Sketchers Go Walk Shoes

I bought these shoes on the clearance rack at DSW long before I saw everyone else wearing these...but they are super trendy because they are super comfortable and practical shoes. In fact, writing this post and trying to find the right link to the shoes makes me want to buy another pair right now!  I see women older and younger than me wearing these, so Sketchers must have done something right with this style.

Guard Dog Flashlight

I researched flashlights a few years back because I was tired of the dim lights and huge D batteries I never have on hand.  One year for Christmas I ordered Scott this flashlight, and it didn't come and didn't come, and I was getting nervous so I ordered a duplicate one but in a smaller size.  I wasn't intending it to be a gift for myself, but it turned out to be that way!

It's called the Guard Dog - Halo.

I am telling you, if there is an intruder in your yard, this is the light you want.
It can shine a direct bright beam a very long distance.

If you have to go in the scary crawl space (like I did last week) this puppy will light it up so you can see every creepy crawly you never wanted to see in the first place!

It's hefty.  To some this may be a downside, but to me, I know I could clunk or chuck this baby at a robber and I'd be free to run away.  :)  I know, I'm always terrified of robbers, I always will be.  This gives me a tiny sense of security.

This "Halo" version is small and fits in one hand - it's prefect for me.
The bigger one we own is a bit too hefty for my dang wrist problem.

This "Halo" version is even waterproof and has a strobe setting for emergencies
(in the boat for example.)

It has a rechargable lithium ion battery (you plug it into the wall charging station).

If I need a flashlight, I don't bother with any others.  I grab this one.
And then Scott gets bugged when he can't find a flashlight because I'm always stealing his...haha!