2018 New Year's Resolutions I Wish My One-Year-Old Twins Will Make

Don't you love the clean slate of a brand new year? It makes you want to examine the things you want to do differently and really try to be a better version of yourself. In that spirit, here are five resolutions I wish my one year old twins will make:

Yaya Problems

Mary Poppins (1964), from Disney Screencaps

Joey and I both work so we hired yayas (nannies) to take care of the twins while we're at the office. They would each be in charge of one baby and share in other baby-related chores like washing bottles, baby laundry and some light housework, which I'm told is the normal job description of a yaya. We also gave them a good package: salary way above minimum wage, paid time off and holidays, SSS contributions, healthcare,  and of course free board and lodging. 

So far, we've gone through 7 yayas. Yup 7!

Tiny Blessings For Bedtime, by Amy Parker

As parents, we all dream of raising selfless and appreciative children. Today is Christmas Eve and as we focus on giving thanks for all the special blessings we have received, let's always remember that while Christmas only comes once a year, we can always choose to adopt the mindset of being grateful for everyday blessings. My current favorite children's book on gratitude is Tiny Blessings for Bedtime, by Amy Parker. 

Christmas Gift List For Babies

Baby's first Christmas is a big deal for parents. Hours are spent shopping for the hottest toy of the season only to find out that babies are more interested in the bright wrapping paper gifts come in. So since Christmas Eve is only one week away and I want you to have a stress-free Christmas, here's a list of 5 traditional toys and the corresponding household items babies prefer*. Yup, that's right, items that are just lying around where you live. So I'm actually saving you money too! Just don't make the mistake of putting them in gift bags or else that's all your baby's going to play with.

Moo, Baa, La La La!, by Sandra Boynton

My mom read to me a lot when I was a kid. I guess it was the shared reading time with her that made me enjoy and love reading. A love for reading is also something I want to pass on to my twin babies, Audrey and Antonino. And so, I read aloud to them even when they were still in my tummy. Then, when we brought them home from the hospital, Joey and I included reading as part of their bedtime routine. There were even nights when we would read the same book to them 5 times straight because they would end up crying when we were done and the only way to calm them down was to read the book over and over. Reading has become a great bonding activity for our family and I can see that the twins have become very interested in books which is why I am always on the lookout for books that will cultivate this interest.

More On Baby Laundry

Baby laundry is a big part of every new parent's life. A few weeks ago, I shared some tips on tackling baby laundry as well as my preferred laundry detergent. We normally buy 3 bottles of it at a time which would last us a little over 3 months. When we opened our last bottle of detergent, I went to the the Human Nature online store to reorder. This was when I found out that they launched a new detergent especially made for babies. Talk about late to the party. So I quickly placed an order to be able to try it.

Twin Tips: How To Answer Silly Twin Questions

It's time to have some fun! Being parents to twins is the most amazing blessing but it also sets you up for some ridiculous and repetitive questions. Here's a list of the ones I keep hearing over and over and how to respond.

2017 Favorite Things

I cannot believe the twins are turning one this month! After all the sleepless nights and tears (the twins' and mine), we're finally near the one year mark! In celebration of this milestone, I wrote a list of my favorite things that I used during my first year of being a twin mommy. I wish I could do an Oprah and tell all of you that I will be giving each one of you all of my favorite things but for now, I'll just share my list and hope you can find something you like too.

10 Faces Of Pregnancy In Emojis

😀The Positive pregnancy test.

😵Morning sickness.

😝Unexplainable food aversions.

😍Hearing baby's heartbeat for the first time.

😭Watching an ad about babies/children/pets (can also apply to seeing the cost of baby gear).

😌First time you slip into maternity leggings: Oh the comfort!

😒When a stranger touches your belly.

😣Constipation.

😖Getting up every 15 minutes to pee.

😳When you water breaks.

Twin Tips: Things We Buy In Bulk For The Twins

Two babies in one go - efficient, right? Having twins has taught us to do things efficiently which is what made us decide to by some things in bulk. For us, buying in bulk means not having to worry about running out of supplies, less trips to the store, and saving money. Being Ilocanos (known for being frugal), Joey and I always compute the price per piece or gram of stuff we buy and buying in bulk always makes that figure go down. This is very important since having twins means double the expenses most of the time.