From Mrs. to Mama Wedding Day Link Up

 I missed the last couple of link ups but I wanted to join in on the fun.  Becky always has the best link up ideas and her link ups are pretty much responsible for me being able to learn a lot from the other blogs I follow! So head over to From Mrs. to Mama and link up your wedding story!

1. Are you married? If so when did you get married, and tell us about your special day. If not? How would you describe your dream wedding? 

My hubs and I have been married for almost 7 years come November 11.  We got married November 11th, 2005 in a medium sized ceremony.  We got married in a small chapel and had the reception in a nearby home.  It was perfect for us at the time.  We started planning in July so we didn't have a lot of time to plan some HUGE fancy affair and I wouldn't really have wanted that anyways. 

2. Show us some wedding pictures. Either yours or of some that you love.

3. How about the engagement? Tell us your story. If not engaged, what's your dream proposal?

It was a fairly simple proposal.  I am not into big grand proposals, those in a restaurant are not for me, I would probably crawl under a table and cry.  We went on a picnic for the 4th of July and under a big old tree on the grounds of our state capital he got down on one knee and proposed. It was perfect.

4. Show us your wedding rings or an engagement photo! If not engaged/married ... show us your "dream" ring.

Since I can't find the "official" ring picture, I had to take a cell phone picture, believe it or not our photographer took the pictures on a film camera (digital wasn't as popular yet), which was a pain when I wanted to get them onto my computer, my mom had them all scanned and put onto discs, which I have yet to have time to organize. So here is my ring.

5. Tell us why you think marriage doesn't work out for so many? What can we do to make things last 

I think that in todays society, marriage is just kind of not held as a high priority for a lot of people.  We get busy, we have kids, we have jobs and we seem to forget the vows and promises we made how ever many years ago.  People don't try hard enough, when the going gets tough people seem to just get going.  In order to make things last, we need to learn to listen and actually hear the other person, communication is key and learning how to fight.  I realize that statement sounds completely out of place (WHAT PEOPLE FIGHT WHEN THEY'RE MARRIED), but people don't realize that fighting, when done correctly can help and bring a new understanding of your spouse. 

 

Estrea Body Care Set Giveaway

When I was contacted about reviewing Estrea's Body Care Set I jumped at the chance, I mean what girl doesn't like to try out new and exciting products.  When the set arrived I opened it all up and immediately tried the body lotion.  Summer tends to make my skin feel dry and I really hate lotions that feel thick and have a strong scent and this lotion was neither of those.  The Hydrating Body Lotion was light and the smell was fresh and easy on my nose.  It absorbed quickly as well which is great because I hate feeling like I have something on my legs for a long time after applying it.  The Hydrating Hand Cream was another favorite and also absorbed quickly and didn't leave a greasy residue like many lotions I have tried in the past.  I forced my husband to give me a foot rub with the Refreshing Foot Balm and the minty smell was just that...refreshing.  The Tightening and Replenishing Face and Neck Cream is an anti-aging product which is a perfect thing to start now and stay ahead of wrinkles, the Mediterranean olive oil and Vitamin-E rejuvenates, protects and nourishes your skin. The caffeine increases microcirculation and helps skin that can be stressed by everyday environmental damage.

Here is some general history of Estrea. Before now it has only been exclusively available in Europe and has been the number one choice of European women.  Only recently has their skin care system been available here in the US.  Estrea only has 12 products (face, hands, body and feet) available in their line but but those twelve products have been tried and tested and have proved themselves as a wonderful skin care regimen.  Estrea uses natural ingredients which include aloe vera, collagen, coffee, olive oil, citrus extracts and Vitamins A, C, E and F.  Their most popular product is their hand lotions and creams which have also been proven to promote fingernail growth (YAY for awesome nails). 

Now onto the Giveaway, Estrea is giving you the chance to win your own Body Care Set, it will be the same one that I got to try and love! The giveaway will end on August 31st and the winner will be notified by email.  You will receive a Body Care Set valued at over $65.00. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

***I was provided with an Estrea Body Care set at no charge to review for this giveaway.  All opinions are my own and had I not loved the product you wouldn't be seeing this post** 

Exciting News

Hi everyone! I know I've been a bit MIA, between work and the twinsies blogging seems to be the last thing I get to during the day.

 But I did want to let you all in on a fun bit of information that is new to my life! I have officially joined Thirty-One. After hearing about Thirty-One for awhile I decided to take the plunge and sign up.  I love the products and the versatility of their products, I love that you can choose fabrics that fit your personality instead of just getting a box item.  I also love that you can personalize them which makes great gifts for anyone of any age! I decided that it would be a great fit for my family since I need some fun time away from the kids and I believe that Thirty-One will provide that opportunity for me!

I would love for you to check out my page HERE! I'm hoping I can kick off my first month with a bang! It would make my day and I hope that you love the products as much as I do.  Also if you are interested in hosting a Online party please let me know and I can let you know how being a hostess can benefit you.  Just email me at brittanyechols@hotmail.com!

For the month of August the special is for their new Spirit Line! This line is great for anyone who love sports or has a favorite team! For every $31 you spend you get an item for 50% off! That is a great deal! W

Happy Shopping ;)

Surviving traveling with twin toddlers

At the end of June we traveled to Utah for a family reunion.  Now while I was excited for the twins to get to ride on a plane and see  family that hadn't seen them since they were 2 months old! So here are some of my tips for traveling with toddlers!

Tip #1: Packing

 I spent a lot of time trying to figure out how to effectively pack for all
4 of us while maintaining some sense of organized as well as not have a ton of luggage to pack around along with the toddlers. I ran across this idea on Amanda's blog, I thought this was genius, I could make sure I have clothes for each toddler each day plus a couple of extra (just in case) outfits and it would all be orderly. This worked wonderfully for us.  I packed the twins in one carry on size suitcase, including shoes, diapers and wipes.  I packed my hubs and I in one regular size suitcase which I have become really good at doing, I kind of like to think of myself and the packing master!  We did check both of our bags so that we would have our hands free to be able to handle both kids without having to worry about bags too. I had also made sure all important documents were within easy reach in my purse so when going through all check points I didn't have to mess around to find them including boarding passes/id's/birth certificates.

Source (all things simple)

Tip #2: Carseats & Traveling

I had to decide if we wanted to lug our Britax Marathon 70's along for the ride, at first we thought it could be a lot of work to take 2 full size heavy carseats with us but after reading stories like this, I decided it was well worth the time and effort to bring our own carseats, my children's safety is not something I want to take a chance on. I purchased these to protect them on the flight and I loved them, they were easy to carry/roll or to put on your back like a backpack.  They also had extra space to put a few more things in there like a stuffed animal or doll or extra diapers, plus since carseats are free to check on most airlines you should take advantage of the extra space.  By checking the carseats we had our hands free to handle the twins going through security and to the gate.  The carseats were treated well during flight and I had no complaints. Our family had rented minivans for the ride and of course with the Britax easy latch system they were a breeze to install (even at 11 pm in 102 degree weather). 

Source

Tip #3: Entertaining your toddler

I had asked on twitter what were some good ideas for entertaining a toddler on the plane.  One of my favorite twin mama Erin suggested I get a new toy or something for them to play with.  I ran over to Target and picked up travel sized magnadoodle pads! They loved these, I didn't let them see them until after we took off and it occupied them for quite a while.  Also I fit everything into the Pottery Barn Kids Preschool size backpack, I first got these and wasn't sure how often I would use them, but we use them A LOT! I actual think that Ava and Landon love that they have a bag of their own to use.  We had an iPad and a portable DVD player so that they could watch a movie or a show and snacks for the ride! All in all they did such a great job on the plane ride and I was pleasantly surprised!  

 Tip #4: Maintaining your sanity

Luckily for us we had family along on the trip to help but I now can safely say I would travel with them on our own for an extended period of time.  We maintained their normal schedule as much as we could including we would try to time any car ride that was longer to nap time so they would sleep.  We kept bedtime as close as we could to normal and did our normal bath, brush your teeth and pj routine to keep them in check.  I'm sure it helped that they were playing hard most of the day and were exhausted by the time bedtime rolled around. 


Well I hope maybe some of my tips will help some of you who might be getting ready to travel with small ones this summer, if you have any great tips or something that has worked for you please let me know! I am always looking for better and more efficient ways to travel with toddlers!

Check back for my story about the time I was "that mom" in Vegas with her kids awake at 12:30 am in the lobby of the Palms Hotel...yeah that happened!

Happy Tuesday!