Restaurant Kit

This week I reached out to a friend in a two year old panic. Josh, the girls and I went to a quick, informal supper with Josh's mom who we call Grandma. Kensington was a total nightmare. Both of the girls are usually well behaved when we go out to dinner but this was the second time in a week that we had attitudes, pushing of plates and refusal to eat. I was beyond mortified. I've taught my children better. Sure they are two (and sick) but they know better.

The friend I reached out to is our Multiple Moms professional sleep trainer and she always has great suggestions when I am at the end of my rope- which was likely due to being in the ER until 4 am. 

I digress. 

Back to my friend.

 Her name is Jen and she has similar expectations of her children so I knew she was the one to reach out to. She went over some really valuable things such as giving the girls choice at dinnertime which I don't do as much when we go out to eat. Then she said, "You bring things for them to do right?"

  Umm... Yeah. No. 

Mommy fail. 

I usually rely on the restaurant to have a coloring sheet and crayons which is usually wadded up somewhere on the ground before we ever place our drink orders, if they even have them.

This particular night we ate at a delicious urban bake and chop house called Crushed Red.

I was unprepared and I expected my kids to sit like little ladies and quietly eat their food.

What was I thinking? Was I delirious? Clearly. 

Since we occasionally find ourselves out to supper at a moments notice because our evening plans ran over schedule and we have chanting two year old requesting to, "EAT! EAT! EAT," with an occasional, "peas! (please!)"  in there, I decided to create a restaurant kit.  Guys, you know I have all the heart eyes for being organized and prepared. 

So here it is, my plan to not have another two year old meltdown while out to supper.  

Our Restaurant Kit!!

I started with a cosmetic bag from my favorite place, Target. 

I chose this one because it has the perfect number and shape of pouches that I need. 

Then I filled it. 

Coloring books, Lisa Frank stickers, Color Wonder coloring pad with markers, cut blank paper and crayon pouches.

I also enclose some of the necessities. 

Baby wipes, bibs, spoons & forks, hand sanitizer, and bendy straws. 

I like to have bendy straws on hand for the girls. A straight straw means water in their lap 100% of the time. Adult forks are too big for their little fingers to grip and usually results in them using their fingers. The rest is self explanatory. 

Necessities packed in! 

Fun packed in!

Super thin design that doesn't take up too much room in a booth, under the table or in the car. 

There you have it! I'm thinking I might throw a pack of crackers in there for the long wait times and maybe a couple thin books like the ones you get from Chick-fil-a to give them another option for entertainment. I'm trying my best to refrain from just handing them my phone. I can honestly say that the Zabies do not know how to operate my cell phone other than to press the home button to cancel out a FaceTime chat. Although, I can totally see how it would be way easier to just let them watch a video to have a peaceful dinner.

What do you do to keep your kids occupied when you go out to eat? I'd love to hear your suggestion!

From Changing Table to Toddler Dresser

Along with moving halfway across the country we also transitioned out of using a changing table. This left me scouring Pinterest for ideas of how to do so. Honestly, I wasn't open to many ideas because I couldn't get the idea of adding another oak tree to this nursery out of my head. So this will do for now until I decide I want to add something new to it...

before.

after. 

This basket has been great for holding our bedtime books, sound machine and old iPad that we use for the white noise app. It also keeps their brush out of sight but within reach for me to grab quickly. 

Happy Hump Day!

Organization || Family Binder

There are so many things that need to be done before moving 

or in preparation to move that it has my head spinning. 

The only way I can keep up is to stay organized. 

Since we are being packed up and moved by a professional moving company there are some things that we simply don't want them to move for us. 

Some of those things are all of our personal important documents. 

When we moved from Georgia to New York I created a family binder that held all of those documents. It was easy to keep up when during the move and I didn't have to worry about anything getting lost or misplaced. Honestly, I haven't touched this thing since we moved other than grabbing a document here or there. 

One of the many things on my to do list was to add Kensington and Quinn to the binder. 

Meet our Family Binder

I think I paid $3 for this binder at Target a few years ago. It's just a simple 3-ring binder. 

Each of us has our own folder, even the dogs. 

I really like these folders. They are pocket folders that button and fit into the 3-ring binder.

You don't have to worry about anything falling out with the snap closure. 

Not only do I put important documents in each our folders but I also put things that I would be devastated if they turned up missing.  

What we include:

Marriage Certificate

Birth Certificates

Draft Card

Passports

Social Security Cards

Baby Footprints (I would be heartbroken if these got lost)

Hospital Bracelets (Devastated if lost)

Immunization records (for the people of the house)

Copies of health & dental insurance cards

Other important certificates

Immunization records and tags (for the pups)

I love that everything is in one place for quick access for moving or in case of an emergency {or a zombie apocalypse!}

How do you store your important documents?  Do you have a family binder? What all do you include in it?

Linking up with:

Jess for It's the little things 

Organization for Moving || Tip One: List Making

Moving 1,000 miles away is no easy task. Heck, moving next door isn't easy. 

Luckily, this isn't my first rodeo. 

As we go through this process, I am going to give as many tips as possible to help others make seamless transitions into their new homes as well.

Tip #1:

 Stay Organized! Being organized during the moving process is key to reducing stress and having a seamless transition into your new home. How to stay organized? Lists! For those of you who know me, you know I'm a list maker. Your typically Type A list lover. I currently have 9 lists going. My lists even remind me to make other lists. I have a master list in a notebook that I keep on me at all times. This list has everything on it and refers me to other lists. It is constantly changing as I mark things off and add new tasks. 

What kind of lists to make:

1. A Master List-  Obviously! It has everything on it and refers you to other lists.
2. Food Inventory List- This list take full inventory of all food, especially frozen and refrigerated foods. 
3. Meal Plan List- I use the food inventory list to make a meal plan utilizing all of the food we already have since it is extremely difficult to move perishable items 1,000 miles away. 
4. Prep for Sale List- This list includes all things that needs to be done to the house before your house is listed for sale. 
5. Showing List- Things that need to be done before each showing or each day are included on this list. e.g. turn on lights & lamps, remove dog beds, put toys out of reach of other children, remove dog's bowls, wipe down counters, open all blinds, put away highchairs, double check that beds are made and grab bag of valuables.
6. Collecting Private Records List- I use this list to keep up with what records need to be ordered and when they arrive before leaving the state. We request all medical documents in hard copy to have in case of an emergency during the road trip to our new home. This time around we also will be ordering copies of the Zabies' birth certificates since they are needed for many things in the future and I do not want to use the originals. 
7. Non-movebale Items List- Included on this list are items that are typically not allowed by moving companies. Anything that is flammable, open liquids, house plants, or perishable foods including toiletries, clean supplies, oils and gasoline. Our list is itemized, room by room, so that we are sure to pack up all of those items before the movers arrive. We check them off as we pack each room's non-movable items. 
8. Valuables/Keepsakes/Important Documents List- We list out all of our valuable to be packed separately so that they make the trek with us instead of on the moving truck. I list out the rooms these things are located in so I can check them off as I pack.
9. Do Not Pack List- There are certain items that I don't want a stranger packing for me, they go on this list and we pack them up ourselves. Some of them get put in the moving truck and some in the trailer we pull behind my car. I prefer family photos to stay with us but my undies can go on the truck, I just prefer to pack them myself!
10. Personal Bag List- This list contains all of the items we want/need in our personal luggage for the trip to our new home and the first few days of unpacking. 
11. Immediate Use List- This list contains items that you will need the first day you arrive to your new home. Things that we include are paper plates, paper towels, toilet paper, plastic ware, a knife, scissors, cleaning supplies and small, handheld power tools. 

 List making is like a drug to me, it's addicting and once I start I just cannot stop! List making is just the beginning of the process. The best part is checking each and every item off until you have a completed list. So don't forget the fancy little box next to each item!

Once you have all of your lists made and you can start whittling away at them or add to them as needed. Keep them all in one place: a journal, notebook or binder works best. This is the key to getting everything done and not forgetting anything. Sure, sometimes we forget to put things on the list but if you keep it handy hopefully that won't happen.

I have all of my lists made and I'm feeling a little less overwhelmed since this is all happening so quickly! Staying organized is so important during this process, especially when kids are added to the mix. The next organization for moving post will be tips for moving with professional movers. Stay tuned!

Linking up with:

Beth for Tuesday Talk

Friday Favorites|| A sweet surprise

My Friday Favorites came in the form of a sweet surprise.
I mentioned earlier this week how my guy and I have been cleaning, organizing maniacs. I mean going through every box we have in our storage closet, purging what we don't need, saving sentimental items and preparing for Mom's of Multiples and neighborhood garage sales galore. 

I stumbled upon an old leather suit case that I remembered being in my parents home and wasn't sure what exactly I would find in the old, raggedy jewel. Probably old clothes or pageant dresses...

Boy was I in for a surprise. 

I found my Mom's old China that her mother bought for her and my Dad.
I love every piece of this set. 

I vividly remember her China situated perfectly in her China cabinet in the dining room of my childhood home. 

What I don't remember is when it was taken down. 

This warranted an immediate phone call to my mom for answers. 

{Isn't this plate and bowl just beautiful!}

My Mom quickly updated me on the who, what, when and where of the situation. 

Apparently my Granny gave my Mom her China {which is extremely similar in pattern} when she was downsizing homes a few years back which set off a domino effect. 

Mom packed up her china in an old suit case, put it away and then gave it along with several other containers of my childhood sentiments to me just before we moved to CNY. I must have missed the bit about China being packed away in the old leather suit case when my Mom gave it to me. 

{I love the pink roses and gold rim}

It is probably a good thing I waited so many years to open the suit case. 

A few years back I might not have been so emotionally tied to it. 

Having children does crazy things to you I tell ya

and this Momma is super sentimental!

There you have it, my five favorite photos of the sweetest surprise from this week. 

Josh and I can't get over the beauty of the collection and are feeling very excited to have such a special China set. 

If you give a girl a beautiful set of China, she's going to ask you for a China Cabinet to place it in!

{Hint, Hint Mr. Zabek}

Linking up with:

A Little Bit of Everything, Momfessionals, and Grace and Love.

 September Farm and The Farmer's Wife

 A. Liz Adventrues, Carolina Charm, Hello! Happiness, and The Good Life.

Home Tour || Twin Nursery Edition

When we were expecting our sweet surprises we also moved into our new home.

After getting everything settled in, it was time to tackle the nursery. 

We chose to paint the walls a grey neutral that I absolutely love. 

We chose white furniture but otherwise my plan was to wait until the Zabies arrival to really decorate.  I know. Not like me at all. I was planning to not plan. 

Pregnancy made me a crazy person, crazy as in normal. 

I was a laid back, go with the flow queen. 

Totally not me at all. 

I'm a planner, control freak when it comes to things like this but pregnancy hormones made me a totally different person. 

So maybe I had a little bit of a plan. Decorate what I could with white and grey then accent with blue or pink {or both} when the Zabies were born. 

Once we got home and settled in I did a lot of online shopping for my accents of pink. 

These tutu bed skirts from PBK were one of my first purchases. I originally had white flat crib skirts but instantly fell in love with how feminine these were.
{The old bed skirts are being used on the girl's cribs at my parents in Georgia}
Don't these add the perfect amount of pink to their beds?
The mirrors above their beds were found at Hobby Lobby on their discount isle.
I got them both for $40 before they were born and planned to use them somewhere in the house if they ended up being too girly for boys. 

Lets talk about these curtains! Our local PBK closed their storefront and had this pair on sale. I mean like 75% off! I snatched them and the bedside table {seen between the gliders & also 75% off} up as the perfect additions to our feminine nursery.

They replaced white flat panels that were not black-outs and let's be honest... 

black-out curtains are NECESSARY!!

The blankets on the gliders were made for the Zabies by one of our dearest friends the minute she found out we had girls {we have many of her originals}.

They. Are. So. Soft. 

Nothing is better than rocking a baby wrapped in a super soft snuggly blanket!

The K & Q embroidered burp cloths are prefect to have handy, just in case. 

The changing pad was another opportunity to add a punch of color to the room with a light pink minky pad cover. 

The wall decal is very meaningful to Josh and myself. 

When we were married we said our vows under beautiful moss covered oak trees in South Georgia on Jekyll Island. 

We chose an oak tree for the Zabies' room to represent our growing family and deepening roots as a family. I just love it!

I just added this basket to their room this week to keep some of their stuffed animals in. 

My gosh do these kids have so many stuffed animals!!

These are only the ones in their room. 

They got 14 for Christmas alone.... No joke!

Funny story: 

These stuffed animals did have a home in each glider and now every night Quinn puts them back in the gliders. I think she shares Mommy's moto: Everything has a place and everything should be in its place. 

The letters are from Hobby Lobby and are painted antique white. 

Do you recognize that headband? 

It's from their 6 month photo shoot. 

The piggy banks were for their first birthday. 

Thanks for sharing a tour of my favorite room in our home. 

It's so quiet, peaceful and calming. 

Before Zabies were born:

Cribs

Dresser/changing table

1st Glider {similar}

PBK sheets

Mirrors 

Letters {4- one in each name we had picked out for boys or girls}

Wall Decal {in white}

PBK XL Basket on top of dresser 

After Zabies were born:

PBK curtains

PBK crib skirts

PBK bedside table

Changing pad cover

PBK Ruffle Bumpers {around 8 months when they were getting legs stuck and could roll easily}

2nd Glider {similar}

Piggy Banks

Linking up with Beth over at Our Pretty Little Girls

Home Organization || Toddler Closet Before & After

When we were prepping for the arrival of our surprise twins we had only the necessities, you know... Beds, diapers, wipes, changing table, diaper bag, monitor, etc.
We had very little in the clothes and blankets department and what we did have was very gender neutral... lots of yellow and green.
When Kensington Rose & Quinn Harper were born we almost instantly started receiving clothes in every shade of pink you can imagine.
With the layout of our house and me having a c-section, most everything of the girls was in cubes on a built in shelf, in an office turned baby staging room, on our main floor.
At some point we phased most of their stuff into their bedroom closet and I never really organized it. I just didn't have the time, honestly.
So it all just kind of got thrown in their closet with no rhyme or reason.
Well this weekend my guy and I have been cleaning, organizing, putting everything in it's place freak-a-zoids!
This is what the Zabies' closet looked like before I got a hold of it.
It was a disaster and it hurt my eyes to look at the mess!

This is the after. 

So. Much. Better {for my eyes}. 

Cubes: Target Similar

Everything has a place and it is well organized.

Clothes are organized by color and type {much like their Momma's closet}

On the left are they dresses, top right are this season size up items 

and bottom are current size tops.  

{All jeans, leggings and skinny pants currently being worn are in their dresser/changing table along with pajamas, socks, bloomers, and onesies. 

Cubes are awesome for storage of awkwardly shaped items. 

Left Top shelf: Extra crib sheets and mattress pads

Left Middle Shelf: left cube has size up Freshly Picked Moccs and Toms; 

right cube has tights galore. 

Left Bottom Shelf: left cube has size up boots; middle basket has clip bows; 

right cube has head bows, turbans and hats.

This is the easiest way to store size up shoes since they are so awkward. 

I took all size up/ next season clothes out of the closet since 

we aren't working with much space {for two} 

 and put them in under the bed storage containers and placed them under one of the cribs.

{why have I not thought of this before???}

Genius!

Under the other crib I put all of our swaddles, sleep sacks, cloth diaper burp cloths and play mats,
in the same kind of container, that we are saving for baby #3. Not Pregnant. Just saving!

It feels so good to have their closet organized, finally!
It only took me a year and a half to do so.
Shame on me... I've been enjoying my sweet girls too much to worry about it.
How do you organized your toddler's closet? Any tips that I'm missing here?