Something rare happened in our household this past month: simultaneously all of our children were 5.  Sure not all 5 years; 5 months and 5 years respectively, but you get what I'm throwing down here right?  Time has always been an interesting thing to track and particularly as you get older and add more things to the mix, you become poignantly aware that the days are long, but the years are short.

Five months and years are interesting ages on both accounts.  For the Elle & Lola, they are the precipice of really big milestones such as being more mobile, more babbling, solid foods...you get the picture. And for Liam, he's on the verge of becoming this little grown up person.  The whole motherhood thing, it's a real head game. You simultaneously love each phase they are currently in while wanting them to advance to the next phase, but heart-breakingly look back at the phases that came before wishing they hadn't passed quite so fast.  Having a kindergartner and babies are acute reminders of that fact and I find myself desperately wanting to hold on to every moment but also know that they will (and should) grow. Curses, this motherhood thing.

With that being said, I get asked frequently about products that we love & are using - some of them pop up in my instastories, some on my feed, and in one swoop, I wanted to consolidate them so you wonderful peeps have a reference.

For the girls:

+ Como Tomo Bottles: Oh the bottles in our house.  Selecting bottles was a saga in and of itself (we were lucky that Liam liked the first and only bottle we offered him - the girls, well, let's just say, it took some time).  And then there's the sheer quantity.  However, I will say that we've been immensely happy with Como Tomo.  One of the bonuses of Como Tomo bottles, outside of the few amount of parts and easy cleaning (because OH the cleaning), are that for you mamas who switch back and forth from breast feeding to bottle, they make for an easier transition.

+ 4Moms Rockaroo: We are coming close to the girls outgrowing the need for this and I am dreading the day that we don't have it in our toolkit to help hold/soothe them.  Many of you are familiar with their upgraded option. Truthfully, I accidentally selected the Rockaroo for our registry and a very generous family member gifted it to us.  I was a little concerned that it wouldn't be enough, but after our experience, I actually believe that it is all you need.  Elle used the other one while she was in the NICU and seemed to like it, but she doesn't seem to have a preference either.  We also borrowed a BounceRoo from a friend because we needed all of the extra places to put them we could get a loved it as well.

+ All of the swaddles: I've mentioned this previously, but these swaddles not only take you through infancy, but even longer.  We use them as everything - from blankets (because the girls aren't swaddled anymore - we do use the sleep sack version) to burp cloths.  And with two of them, we have a TON.

+ Play: We used this playyard for Liam and the girls love it just as much as he did.  This one particularly is a at a great price point and folds up easy for storage.

+ Rolling: When we had Liam, we compromised on getting the Chicco carseat and stroller which fit together.  Honestly, it worked perfectly fine for our stroller needs at the time and is a much more affordable option.  With that being said, we knew that we'd need a different option for twins. Between setting up and breaking down a stroller, coupled with herding a five year old, we needed something that was light, easy, and we could use for awhile with interchangeable parts.

For Liam:

+ Workbooks: Now that Liam is in Kindergarten we are working with him outside of class on enriching his school experience.  The challenge with keeping a 5 year old boy engaged is finding items that he loves but also integrates things he loves as well.  The Star Wars workbooks are our favorite.

+ Bend it like Beckham: (I know, I know. David Beckham hasn't played soccer in years but it's all I've got in the soccer capacity).  Kid loves a good soccer ball.  When he gets home from school, I generally throw him out in the yard because something has got to wear out that energy.

+ Endless Reader: We used their Endless Alphabet app when Liam was younger.  It's a great app that makes you feel a little less guilty about screen time.

+ Game Night: Liam LOVES to play games - kid has a bit of a competitive streak (wonder where he gets that from)? But we really dig DJECO games and Liam's favorite is a Pirate theme.