Multiples and More – an interview with Amanda Nethero

Do you have twins and need advice? Amanda Nethero has the anwsers.

Tell me about your family and your blog?

My husband Scott and I met in 2003 at Walt Disney World and were married in 2006.  In May of 2008 we welcomed our twins, Aaron and Jillian, into the world. It has definitely been a whirlwind since they arrived! Since they were born I’ve become a stay-at-home mom and run a website for parents with multiples called Multiples and More.

My blog started as a way to keep in touch with our family, plus I had friends that blogged and I was really interested in it.  In the beginning it was definitely just a site for my family, but it has grown over the years and I am forever grateful for all of the connections and amazing people I have met through this experience. I usually spend most of my time talking about the kiddos on the blog, but I like to add my favorite recipes and every Thursday I take a moment to reflect on the week and find things to be thankful for (Join me every Thursday for Thanksgiving Thursday!).

What is one thing about your family that not many people know?

My husband and I are total foodies. I mean that may not be super surprising to most people, but to some it may be.  Before we got married we were not that adventurous with food, but now we try just about everything because you never know until you try it.

What was your biggest challenge being a mom?

Finding time for everything. It never seems like there are enough hours, or minutes, in the day to get everything done that needs to be done.  Plus, it seems the older the kids get the faster weekends go by, I can only imagine how it’s going to be when they go to school.

What do you use coupons and special offers when you shop?

I use a few websites like Freebies4Mom and Southern Savers  when I shop. I can find a ton of deals on these sites, especially coupons and freebies for products that I want to try. I also use Ebates which is a site that gives you rebates for online shopping.

What  are your top 10 tips for moms?

These are in no particular order…

1. Take photos at every opportunity because the time will literally fly by and you will want those photos.

2. Be silly with your kids. Dance around and sing songs, they will love this and it will make you feel like a kid again. Plus it’s a decent aerobic activity

3. Go with your gut at all times, chances are you are right. 

4. Don’t forget about your husband. It’s so easy for us to lose ourselves in our kids, but you need to spend time with your hubby too. The best advice I got when we got married was, don’t forget to date each other. We’ve made it a priority to have a date night every other week, even if it’s just going for frozen yogurt.

5. Take care of you.  Sometimes we feel like we are being selfish for taking a few minutes to ourselves, but it’s necessary. I know for me if I need a break I hit up Starbucks and get my favorite drink (right now it’s the salted caramel mocha frappucino) and drive by the lake. It’s so peaceful and calming.  The littlest thing that you do for yourself makes such a big difference and it’s important that you take at least 15 minutes for yourself every day.

6. Have a pajama day once a week. It’s something my kids and I do every week, usually on rainy or extremely hot days. We just hang out in jammies all day and it’s nice to have a casual day where you can just spend time together.

7.  Write down the big moments on a calendar. I know how hard it is to keep up a baby book so I started writing things on the calendar and then added them later to the baby books.

8. Find the positive in every situation. I know it’s hard to do and trust me there are some days that I really have to search for the positive. For example, this week one of our toilets overflowed, the other toilet wouldn’t flush and sewage started coming up both bathtubs. Oh, did I mention it was after 8pm meaning we would need the late night plumber (say it with me…cha-ching).  It took me some time, but I am glad that it happened while I was home. Can you imagine the damage if we weren’t home?

9. Don’t feel like you need to compete with other moms.  Chances are when the mom on the playground says her sweet little what’s-his-name never watches more than 30 minutes of television a day, she’s lying. Do what works for you, it’s less stressful.

10. Do things as a family. Even if it’s just a walk through your neighborhood, spending time together as a family is so important and will create long lasting memories.

What are your favorite brands and where do you buy them?

There really are only a few products that I have brand loyalty to. Usually I just buy whatever is on sale, but some things I will not budge on.

I love Seventh Generation cleaning products! They smell amazing and really work, plus they’re all natural. You can find them at Target and most grocery stores. I also really love HINT water, you can get it at some Starbucks and Whole Foods. It’s super yummy and there’s no added sugar. My hands down favorite flavor is Blackberry. For my kids I love Step2 products. The toys are really durable and hold up in the hot Florida sun really well. I usually order them from the Step2 website, but you can find them almost anywhere you buy toys.  Also, we buy our kids shoes at the Stride Rite outlet. I’m a firm believer in buying good shoes, after all they are your foundation.

What are your contact details (this is optional, email, blog, facebook, myspace, forums etc) ?

My email is twicetheloveblog@hotmail.com, my blog is Twice the Love…Half the Sleep I also blog on Multiples and More.

I have a Facebook fan page for my blog and you can find me on Twitter, my handle is @amandanethero

Who would you recommend and why?

Elizabeth Lyons- She’s one of my favorite parenting/sanity saving authors. If you ever need a moment of zen or you need to know that you are not the only one who has to buckle in a stuffed animal, you should read her blog.

Weelicious- I have found so many delicious recipes on this site! They are all really easy to make and very nutritious.

Create-Celebrate-Explore- I love this blog and I love Tonya! She has so many creative ideas and I wish I had an ounce of her creativity.
Southern Savers- I have saved so much money making my shopping list on this site, it’s not even funny!

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