There's one word I hear over and over again from parents of
twins and multiples ... CHAOS! Once those beautiful kids arrive, your house
instantly goes from calm and serene to chaotic and crazy! So, how can you
organize your new life in such a way as to return to a state of (almost) calm?
The first step in this process is to read the amazing book, Chaos 2 Calm: The Moms-of-Multiples' Guide to an Organized Family by Tonia Tomlin, an organization expert and mom of twins. Chaos 2 Calm is chock-full of practical advice, handy worksheets and product recommendations for families with twins and multiples. There's even a CD with the forms, agreements and sample schedules in the book so you can print them out and use them over and over again. You'll learn things like how to set up an efficient nursery, plan a shower, find good daycare, make your house safe for your babies, travel with twins, and even adapt a more eco-friendly lifestyle. Bonuses include a sample letter you can send to companies to receive complimentary products offered to families with multiples, a caregiver agreement form, and a schedule for signing up volunteer helpers!
Visit http://chaos2calmbook.com/ to learn more about Tonia Tomlin and her company, Sorted Out, as well as about her must-read book, Chaos 2 Calm! This book makes a very valuable gift for parents who are expecting or caring for multiple babies.
GIVEAWAY
Author Tonia Tomlin has generously donated three copies of Chaos 2 Calm: The Moms-of-Multiples' Guide to an Organized Family and the accompanying CD for TwinsTalk families to win! To enter, leave a comment on this page with your favorite tip for keeping your family organized!
You can earn optional, additional entries by:
- "Liking" TwinsTalk on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/TwinsTalk/92832936823?ref=ts.
Leave a comment here with your Facebook name.
- Following me (@ParentingAuthor) and Sorted
Out (@SortedOut) http://twitter.com/SortedOut on Twitter and tweeting about
this giveaway. You may tweet this giveaway twice a day. Leave a separate
comment with the URL of each tweet. (It's easy to tweet this giveaway by using
the Bookmark button at the bottom of this post. 1 entry per tweet.)
- Contributing an article or story to TwinsTalk (10 entries upon acceptance; leave 10 comments).
- Putting a button for TwinsTalk on your blog or website. Leave a comment with
your site's URL. (5 entries; leave 5 comments) Here's the code:
<a href="http://www.twinstalk.com" target="_blank"><img border="0" alt="" src="http://profile.ak.fbcdn.net/object3/1726/23/n92832936823_3347.jpg"/></a>
Or you can copy and paste this button and link it to www.twinstalk.com:
- Posting this giveaway on your blog with a link to this page. Leave a comment
with a direct link to the post. (3 entries; leave 3 comments)
Three winners will be randomly selected from the qualified comments received
by Monday, June 7, 2010, at midnight ET. Please leave an email address on
one of your comments. Winners must respond within 72 hours or another winner
will be drawn. Contest is open only to US residents.
CONTEST CLOSED. Congratulations to the winners: christa d marteny, Gianna, and Lisa!
Comments
Write down your shopping
Write down your shopping lists otherwise you'll never remember during the trip due to chaos.
schedule
keeping to a schedule only answer phone when you want to answering machines help
I am for writing everything
I am for writing everything down. I would put everything that needed to be in the room with the multiples and draw a diagram of the room with additions of things in dresser drawers and how many needed for multiples.
Extra entries
I "like" Twins Talk on Facebook
I follow @ParentingAuthor and @SortedOut on Twitter
Tip from TwinParenthood for staying organized
As soon as your babies are big enough, establish a sleep/eat/play schedule and protect it with all you have! At our house, everything revolved around "The Schedule".
Chaos 2 Calm entry
What worked for us in the early days was that if one eats, they both eat. If one sleeps, they both sleep. It took a few months for everyone to figure it out, but once it stuck, having that routine SAVED us! Now that my twins are 18 months old, my saving grace is a good sense of humor. Pick your battles, remember this is just a phase.
Following on Twitter
I'm following "sorted out" on Twitter!
Following on Twitter
I following the "parenting author" on twitter!
Facebook entry
I am a fan of TwinTalk on facebook and I left a comment!
Getting around the house
The biggest problem I have encountered in the 5 months that my babies have been here is simply getting around the house with both of them. Using a sling worked slightly, but it was not useful in cooking, using the bathroom or diaper changes or laundry!
We bought a tandem stroller (Kolcraft contours tandem) and use it in the house. I can take the stroller everywhere in the house except upstairs! I just pack them up and stroll in the bathroom, laundry room for changing, and kitchen while I cook (when I can). this way, the babies are close to me, easy to pick up and their comfy with room to play. Best purchase I made and so much easier than carrying them!