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Re-socializing The Kids During a Pandemic

by Courtney El-Ghoul

Hi Everyone!

This post is something that has been weighing heavily on my mind for a while now. I want to talk about my feelings around and our approach to slowly resocializing the girls while still being as safe as we can during this pandemic.

Those of you who have been around for a while. you know that the girls are social butterflies and we try to keep them incredibly busy… to say the least. That being said, we have been and continue to, take COVID-19 very seriously and have had the girls home since the beginning of March. We are super blessed to be healthy and happy, and I do believe that the girls are handling this whole thing very well. I find myself thinking to myself all the time like…  my goodness, how resilient these kids are, it’s truly amazing. 

Dealing with COVID19 Quarantine

At the same time, while all of that is true,  I do see the negative impact starting to show. Not being around other children has been incredibly hard on them. During the first couple of months of isolating, I wouldn’t have dared to bring this up, but now we are six months in and I am noticing more and more signs that this is not good for them.

For example:  If we are on a neighborhood walk and we run into some kids they know or even just casually wave and say “hi” to a child that they don’t know while we are passing by it’s like they both try to recreate that moment for WEEKS. Every day after they will ask me… “Mommy, will we see that little girl again from last time on the walk? Maybe we should go the exact way we went and leave at the same time?” It’s like they are genuinely scared to miss any opportunity to see other kids. It is so sad to see how much they miss playing and seeing other children.

I know it’s hard for all of us, but for children, they really need the social aspect for cognitive development. It’s what makes being a kid so fun. Being carefree, meeting new children, playing freely together in the park, it’s all so important for their personal development. So as scared as I am of COVID I am also scared to raise children who aren’t developing healthily. So, I have been trying to slowly get them socializing again being as careful as I can. For me, I am acknowledging that COVID isn’t going anywhere, so we just have to make smart decisions, and follow the guidelines the best way we can.

What We Are Doing To Re-Socialize The Girls

First and foremost, playdates are with family/friends that we know are on the same page as us. I just started allowing the girls to play with kiddos whose families I know are being just as careful as we are. Last week we visited a close friend,  and my goodness the girls had the time of their lives. They played NON-STOP and didn’t complain once about being hungry or hot, you would have never guessed it was 100 degrees, ha. Normally, we would be able to share snacks and go indoors! It’s a whole new level of preparation. But, you know what, it’s not that bad.  This way the girls get to have a moderate sense of some normalcy. I mean for the past six months the only faces they’ve seen are mine and Khalil’s!!! It is so crazy when you think about it…

I guess what I’ve come to realize is that this is what is going to work for us as a family. To keep my kids happy and myself sane. We are human beings and we do need that socialization. I am 100% still social distancing and following the guidelines to flatten the curve and stop the spread of COVID. Point is, with a little extra effort, you can have a little quarantine pod so that socializing can be done safely.

We just started lessons. Such a nice distraction from this mess. The girls were obsessed!

What about you guys, how are you feeling? Are you allowing playdates?

I want to talk about going back to school with you guys as well. Working on a post on what we are planning…

XO

Courtney

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LifestyleTwins

Part One: Reducing Household Toxins and Waste

by Courtney El-Ghoul

Hi guys! Okay, so I have been wanting to talk about the topic of eliminating toxins for a while. Making the changes has been a process, for sure. By this point, I feel like I can share with you all what I have done so far to change over my household to make it better for the environment and the health of my family.

Look, I get it, it is super overwhelming when you start thinking about getting into it. You feel like every day you read a new article about how straws are killing the ocean, hear a doctor on TV telling you that aluminum is poison, or see a meme shaming you for using single-use plastic. It can feel like no matter where you look there is someone who is telling you there is one more thing that is bad for you or the earth! You are probably just like… “Can’t I just drink my diet coke and not give up my Ziplock bags!?!” As a recovering die-hard diet coke addict, I feel you girl. I was the same way. Instead of getting overwhelmed, I just started changing things SLOWLY. I am so glad that I did. Now, I am nowhere near perfect. This is a long game, ladies. But I am committed to continuing to do better moving forward, and you can do it too! 

How I Started Reducing Toxins and Waste in The Household

For me it all started once I had the girls, so I am just about five and a half years into this journey. Honestly, I just wanted the best for them, and in turn, I realized if I am going all organic for them, why would I not do the same thing for the earth we all share, and for myself? So in the past five+ years, I have tried to do the best I can to eliminate things one at a time. If you try to go overboard and toss everything out at once you will go bananas, and it’s super wasteful! So, live it up with that last box of Ziplocks! Use those little bags like they are the last ones you’ll ever use… and then make them the last ones you ever use, ha. Slow and steady wins the race is my motto with this one. 

Let me break down some of the key things that I started with… 

Recycle. A lot of us are “wish-cycling” by just throwing it all in the blue bin and hoping for the best. Take a few hours on a weeknight or weekend and look up what actually gets recycled in your area. Make sure you’ve got the bins. Then set up an EASY system. The easier it is the more likely you are to do it. Master this… first.

Go organic. I know for a lot of people this sounds super expensive, and yes, some things are a bit more pricey but, I promise you that it’s not that bad. If you are scared of a potential increase to your grocery budget, start with just the “Dirty Dozen.” See how it impacts you and add in more from there. Grocery stores like Aldi and Trader Joes can make this MUCH easier and way more affordable

Cleaning Supplies. This is one area that I would say that if it is in your budget and you can toss your super toxic cleaning products and replace them, you should. Honest products are not super expensive (especially considering how infrequently we really need to buy these things. There are other options but these are really accessible and are a great place to start

Kitchen stuff. We switched to glass or stainless steel straws, reusable grocery bags, bamboo cutlery for packing lunches, and NO plastic bottles for water. I switched to the parchment paper as an alternative for aluminum foil and plastic wrap. Honestly, I think food even cooks better on parchment. Paper bags or the reusable ones for fruits/veggies when grocery shopping. All of these are great things to start with to get you going! 

Laundry detergent. Tru Earth has been awesome! This one was hard for me because I thought there was no way my clothes would feel clean with this tiny little strip? Well, I was wrong, our clothes smell and look clean. We also haven’t had any issues with skin sensitivity so we are super happy with it. They are eco friendly, clean, and so easy to use. Plus. I don’t have to look at those huge bulky plastic detergent bottles that not only have harsh chemicals for us but are terrible for the environment when the wastewater inevitably ends up going into the ground/water

Fast forward to the girls starting preschool…

I knew with daily lunch packing, I wanted to go the most environmentally friendly route. RIP Ziplocks, haha. When I stumbled across the Planet Box I figured we’d give them a try. They are so awesome! We are going into our third year using them and there is no way I am going back. Nontoxic, stainless steel boxes that are easy to clean and dishwasher friendly. Plus they are so freaking cute!! It also encourages eating clean whole foods rather than just throwing in a bag of chips or cookies. 

If I do need to put anything in a bag for them, I officially switched to reusable bags. It does feel like an over the top cost at first but the more I use them the more I realize that in the long run, I am saving by not buying single-use bags so much. Sweet!

More recently I have also been making big changes to clean up my beauty and self-care products… but that’s another post. ha. 

I mean guys, I know that I can do more and I am super excited to. All we can do is keep putting in the effort where we can and continue to be aware of how we can be better. There are still so many things in our household and my routine that are not great, but I will just keep at it!! 

What about you guys, how do you feel about getting rid of the toxins??

XO

Courtney

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LifestyleTwins

Impromptu Home Schooling: New Reality via COVID-19

by Courtney El-Ghoul

Guys, I gotta be honest, I feel like this is all a bad dream! I am trying to remain calm and not panic, but it is so hard to watch as this virus is devastating to other countries. If we don’t think this could happen to us here in the United States, we are truly turning blinders on. As of this week, our local schools and community have shut down for at least a month. I know that this is a harsh reality that feels really drastic, but it is what needs to be done to contain this nightmare of a virus that is even more harsh and drastic. We, like many parents, are looking at this as an opportunity to really connect with our kids. We live in such a fast-paced go, go, go world… the connection really takes a backseat sometimes! Now, we have time to be with our kids uninterrupted and without distractions. That is the positive lens I am trying to look at this through. I am going to try and live in the moment with my family as much as I can. It’s all about that uninterrupted quality time now! 🙂 

So, let’s get into what I really wanted to talk to you guys about today…

Educating The Girls During Quarentine

I am going to go through some of the ways we plan to keep up with educating the girls while preventing them from driving us nuts while we are all staying at home. I will be sharing the plans that I have, the things that I have purchased, and the digital resources that I’ve found. 

How I plan to keep the girls busy 🙂

  • Keep them creatively engaged. Crafts, easy baking, and tea parties are all fun things that will help keep the littles occupied. My girls also love to dance so it’s been a perfect opportunity to practice their future recital routines and… try TikTok. Whatever extracurricular activities your kids do that have been postponed, try having them practice them at home for fun! I also plan to add in some Cosmic Kids – Yoga and Mindfulness where it feels like it is most appropriate – seeing where in the schedule it makes sense. It is great for them, and they love it!
  • Talk to your kids about what is going on! The New York Times did this great “How to Talk to Kids About Coronavirus” article which helped me get the conversation moving. We let the girls know that it would be different for a few weeks, but that we will still be running a schedule similar to school. After breakfast we will have a morning lesson, then they will prepare a snack just like at school. After that, I plan to alternate between my version of story time, music, and French lessons. It won’t be the same as their teachers but I will do my best. In the afternoon we will have lunch, they can play together inside, in the yard, or we can go for nature walks. In the evenings we will either watch a movie (Disney Plus is the bomb), bake something, or have them paint. 
  • Get your outdoor areas sorted. It looks like we will be starting the Spring Season at home, just the four of us. This has pushed us to get our backyard in gear ASAP. We don’t have much for the girls to do back there at the moment but outside time is going to be so important as we get into April. This weekend we are placing a big order to stock up on outdoor toys so the girls can be in the backyard playing and not get bored. I know that they are both dying for a swing so we are looking at ordering this Flying Saucer Tree Swing that I know they will both love. I was even thinking about getting them a mud kitchen so they can make mud pies. We started talking to them about gardening, and they seem super into it, so we will grab some kid-friendly gardening stuff as well.
  • FaceTime Play Dates! I have already talked to some of their besties’ mom’s about setting up afternoon FaceTime sessions and it looks like we will get that started next week. This is the best way for them to interact with their friends during this time of temporary social distancing. Plus, it will be a nice change of pace for them after they’ve only seen Khalil and me for so long, haha. I was even thinking of maybe asking some of their teachers if they would be down for this as well… 
  • Lastly, ask your child’s teacher what their favorite lessons are when they are at school. For example, Ava loves preparing daily snacks for her classmates so I am going to make a point of having vegetables/fruits she can help prepare for us all to snack on. Both of their teachers said they are obsessed with making patterns. So we are making sure to have lots of beads for making necklaces. 

Look, I know that all of us are likely still in shock that this is going down. It sucks. I won’t sugarcoat it. But, if we pull together as communities we can get through it. At the end of the day isolating ourselves for a month or however long it takes to contain this virus, is nothing, in the grand scheme of things. We have the rest of our lives! Let’s all be positive, kind, and do what’s best for humanity.

Next post! How do I plan to keep busy!?! And sharing my latest reading list faves:)

What about you guys? How do you plan to entertain your kiddos?

XO

Courtney

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TravelTwins

How to Get the Most Out of Spring Break: Maximizing Family Time

by Courtney El-Ghoul

Can anyone believe that April is right around the corner? How is it that it is already time to think about what we will do for the girls’ spring break? I know I talk about time flying by pretty often, but for real, it is so crazy. My brain is switching from party planning and getting organized right into spring break trip planning. I am not going to sugar coat it – planning these trips gives me anxiety. It’s so much to think about and then once I start going down the rabbit hole I begin analyzing why we should or shouldn’t go. This is where I need Khalil to push me to just do it! He always reminds me by saying… “We only have 18 summers with our kids before they are way too cool for us, and really, that 18 is a stretch” … He is the best at making sure we are maximizing our opportunities for quality time with them. 

Off-topic here for a second: Those teenage years are going to be a real doozy with two girls going through puberty at the same time…we are screwed! ha

Planning a Family Trip

When you think about it that way, it’s a no brainer – we really should plan a trip. We get so much quality time on our family adventures. We are all about quality over quantity. When I think back on the memories from Miami, Baha Mar, Mexico, New York, and Dewey Beach… I just melt. Just typing them out I am flooded with memories of all of the special moments we have had. Those trips for sure had their ups and downs but overall they were memories that will last forever. I told you guys in Ava’s bio how she still talks about Mexico, and it is adorable. So it’s pretty clear that the girls cherish these times as well.

Miami

There is something to be said about getting out of the everyday routine. Of course, we see our kids every day and try to spend as much time with them as possible. But, the routine of school, activities, work, and just life in general… it is not the same as that undiluted and uninterrupted time you get when you are away from home. When everyone is in vacation mode; completely relaxed and just living in the moment.

Okay so it looks like I am for sure going to make it happen, just writing this post is making me think this is a 100% yes. There is no reason we can’t squeeze a mini vacay in. I am thinking about Fort Lauderdale or maybe the Florida Keys??? I will be sure to include a follow-up post once we decide.

What about you guys? Are you into vacays to maximize family time? If so, where are your favorite places that hold special memories?

XO

Courtney

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LifestyleTwins

Playroom Organization

by Courtney El-Ghoul
The Unicorn obsession is so real in our house.

Okay, so while I was all gung-ho-let’s-get-this-party-started with my storage room makeover, I also started to look in the girls’ playroom. Instantly I was like… Holy Cow, these girls have way too much stuff. They are twins so they already have two of everything then add in a super over-the-top grandmother who must think our playroom is like 6000 square feet or something, haha. Seriously, my mom buys them way too many toys. Soooo ding ding ding! Another room that Carly from the Evergreen Method could help me tackle. I told Carly I would like to knock out the girls’ playroom right after we finished the storage area- I could not wait any longer. 

I can’t tell you what a great feeling it was to have this all done. Seriously, taking the time to declutter, and let go of things that I knew the girls weren’t playing with or had outgrown was almost therapeutic. At the same time, it was a little sad, more for Khalil… if you can believe it!? I think he had a more difficult time saying goodbye to certain toys than even the girls did! Haha, poor guy, his babies are growing up! I mean it was sad for me too, but that’s life, they do grow up, right!? The way we saw it was that we were not going to throw the toys in the trash. The plan is always to donate. So, to help the girls (and us) feel better about the cleanout we reminded them that the longer we held on to the unused toys the longer it will be before they go into the hands of a child who may not have as much, and who would love and use them. This did the trick and helped speed the process up with the girls. 

Kidkraft Retro Kitchen used DAILY

Here is how we got it done:

I sat with the girls and let them know that Ms. Carly was going to come over in a few days to help mommy organize their playroom. I explained to the girls that we need to go through their toys together and take the ones they don’t play with anymore to some other little boys/girls who don’t have as much. As you can imagine there were some tears, and some sneaky grabbing things back out of the donated pile when I wasn’t looking 😉 Overall it wasn’t that bad, the girls like the idea of donating to other little kids so this helped. We ended up with a pretty decent amount of toys/stuffed animals that we were able to take to Goodwill. I thought maybe they would ask for certain things once they realized they were gone, but nope… they have been fine.

Yes .. there is a whole bin for jewelry and kids tattoos, ha.

Now for the organization part. Carly and I came up with a plan to stay within budget by using the same storage system and bins that I already had but just adding in a few more. We moved their play kitchen into this little playhouse that they never even used before! Genius idea by Carly! It’s amazing how just a little rearranging of the room can make it so much better. Now, it makes more sense, and they have designated spaces for certain activities. Like – here is the arts/crafts area, here is the kitchen, here is an active play area, and so on. You get the idea. She also got these cute little food containers that are perfect for storing all their markers/art materials. All of the bins are clearly labeled and it looks ten times more inviting. I feel like because the girls had so many toys before, it was a little overwhelming for them. Ever since we finished this room I am finding that they are playing together longer and they seem less distracted. Unexpected bonus results, but we couldn’t be happier with the outcome.

We love Green Toys – they only use recycled plastic and they are so cute.

I have said it before and I will say it again… if you are local to the Northern Virginia/DC area, hit up Carly at the Evergreen Method. She will even give TwinLatte followers 10% off your first booking! Drop the code TWINLATTE10 in your message to her to redeem! 

Do your kiddos have too much stuff? How often do you find you need to do a big cleanout?

XO

Courtney

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LifestyleTwins

Local Charities in Northern Virginia You Should Know About

by Courtney El-Ghoul

Today I am totally switching gears from all of the party planning chatter to something a bit more serious, and extremely important in our family. Philanthropy and giving back to the community. In my post about >>> going back to work <<< at Glass House for Khalil, I shared that one of the things I would be focusing on is bringing more awareness to the local charities that we believe in and have/will continue to support. Then I thought, I’ve also got this platform, so why don’t I also share a few of our local favorites here? I believe it is so important to talk about being socially conscious and how we can all give back where we can. 

Let’s dive in:)

Local Charities We Love to Support

  1. Wholehearted Foundation- I can’t say enough about this organization. It is staggering how many children are born with life-threatening heart conditions. We know a few families personally that have children struggling with heart conditions. Hearing the stories about how much they go through is just heartbreaking. I can’t even begin to imagine what I would do if Ava or Nahla had to go through heart surgery, never mind multiple. When I started to think about the long hospital stays, major bills, and all of the rehabilitation that comes with each of these surgeries, I realized that there is NO way any family could ever prepare for that financial burden. I hope that we can bring more awareness to this wonderful organization that is doing incredible work to support these children and their families. Khalil and I will continue our long-standing support of this foundation. 
  2. Wolf Trap Animal Rescue- The El-Ghoul family is full of major animal lovers. So, it is no surprise that we are passionate supporters of this Northern Virginia based non-profit organization. Khalil and I think teaching the girls about how important animals are is an important part of setting them up to be kind-hearted adults in the future. This is why Nahla, Ava, and I try to make it to as many of the “Meet and Greet” events as we can. They love getting to donate and then getting to snuggle all of the puppies. We have considered fostering but, we have a 12-year-old poodle named Sadie who is diabetic and blind, and we are not sure how she would react. Realistically, if we could adopt all of them, we would. There is nothing like the unconditional love of an animal. Imagining any of these special puppies or kitties not having homes just kills me. Anyway, this organization is amazing, and to date has rescued over 5000 dogs and cats from euthanasia! 
  3.  BRAWS- I know that a ton of the readers here are moms, so I’m sure that like me this one will hit close to home. BRAWS works to provide women living in homeless shelters with clean undergarments and menstrual supplies. I can’t even imagine what it must feel like to be homeless. It is so easy, especially in the world we live in today to take for granted how lucky we are to just have a roof over our heads. This organization brings in supplies to help aid in women’s shelters. Things you may not think about, but are super important. Underwear, pads, and tampons to name a few. I know it may not be fun to talk about, but as women, we all need these things. Khalil and I are excited to be attending a fundraiser in March (MardiBras) to help support. I hope to get so much more involved here so we can raise the awareness around this topic.
Puppy love at wolf trap animal event

Those are just a few that are in our local Northern Virginia area. I could go on, and maybe I will soon because there are so many organizations and groups that need help/support. I encourage you to think about what causes and organizations are in line with your family values and then to dig deep and figure out how you can support them. There is always something you can do to help, ALWAYS. Even if it isn’t monetary. Volunteering and spreading the word through fundraisers and social media can be so incredibly valuable. I guess it’s clear this is something I want to be more involved in. 2020 is a new year and there is always time to do more!

What about you guys? Do you have any charitable organizations that hold a special place in your heart?

My locals, have you heard or been involved with any of these? 

XO

Courtney

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LifestyleTwins

Master Party Planning Checklist

by Courtney El-Ghoul

So, party planning has taken over my life, for all of 2020 so far… not even slightly exaggerating that. So, I figured, I might as well share with you guys some of my best party planning tips. Need to plan a Kids Party, Holiday Party, or a Client Appreciation Event. Don’t fret I’ve got you covered 🙂

Party Planning Checklist

1.) Vision Board- The first thing I do when I am starting to brainstorm about an event or party is to hit up Pinterest. I am not by any means Pinterest obsessed, but when it comes to planning parties it is perfect. You can create a board, and just start gathering ideas. Maybe you see an invitation style you love, the cake you want at your kids’ party, or a drink that will be perfect for your Holiday party. PIN IT. 

2.) Secure Your Venue– If it’s not happening at your home, be sure to find, reserve, and visit, of course, the space you want to throw the event or party at least a month or so in advance. There is nothing like being a week out and realizing the space you picked can’t accommodate your guests, or it just won’t work with what you have planned. I am learning this lesson with the girls’ birthday party this year… We invited 40 kids!! Guess it comes with the territory…  twins in two different classrooms. 

3.) Entertainment– If you are planning a kid party or any special event where kids will be attending… You can’t go wrong with a bouncy house, petting zoo, or in our case a local kids magician! Stay tuned for the girl’s bday post to hear all about our guy. Honestly, it may sound like it’s being extra,  but the reality is that it isn’t that expensive for the return you get! Even a face painter or balloon artist will do the trick. 

2nd Birthday crowns via Etsy:)

4.) Decorations- Depending on your theme, a little decor goes a long way with any party. Etsy and Amazon are your best friends, especially for Party Bundles. I could’ve spent hours on Etsy for the girls’ birthday party. You can really find anything, and it’s so affordable. Need table setting ideas? Fresh flowers will always spice up any table setting. If you love the look of flowers but want to save money, Baby’s breath is super inexpensive and looks so nice on its own in a pretty vase.

Christmas Party

5.) Invites– Again if you want to be super into your theme, Etsy has so many cute paper invites. For me, Paperless Post is my go-to. It looks super professional and the platform is so user-friendly. Canva is also a great option.

6.)  Catering – I mentioned this in my Holiday party post, but I think having parties catered is so much easier. Again, so many options.  I mean pretty much anywhere has catering options – from Whole Foods to your Local restaurants… Save yourself the stress! If you are having a fancy party at your home, I love the idea of an in house chef who will whip up some appetizers. I tried to do this for our last Holiday party but I waited too long. So sad. Around the Holidays they will be booked most weekends so you’ve got to plan if you are going that route. With Nahla being GF/DF I can’t just order pizza, so I had to get more creative for their b-day party this year.

OH! And how could I forget, gotta have a good playlist! Music is so important. If it’s an evening party you are hosting make sure the lighting is on point as well!

Galentines Party:)

Okay, I feel like I could go on and on, but I will stop for now. I will follow up with a more specific post about the girls Birthday Party this year! It is going to be such fun, if I do say so myself:) I have been party planning like crazy for their big day!!!

On a side note, for us throwing a party at our house always motivates us to get more things done in regards to home improvement! Whether it’s the organization, furniture placement, or just something you have been putting off doing!

What about you guys, any tips you have for planning the ultimate party??

XO

Courtney

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LifestyleTwins

Introducing the El-Ghoul Twins: Part 2: Meet Ava

by Courtney El-Ghoul

Earlier this week I introduced you to our eldest twin, and now, it’s time for you to meet our feisty little cutie pie, Ava. Aka … Avo, Av, or Avie pooh.  You didn’t think that Nahla was the only one with nicknames… did you?! 

Ahh, Miss Ava, such a special gal. Sometimes I am just looking at her like…  What?! Who are you?! The consensus in our families is that Nahla is a lot like Khalil. Ava, on the other hand, we are still baffled and confused about where she gets her quirks. She is a broken mold kinda gal. There is no one else like her. I am serious, she is truly one of a kind. At three years old she could sit down with you and have a full-blown, real talk, conversation with you. If you ever have the pleasure of meeting her, you will never forget her, that I can be sure of.  Recently we spent an afternoon with some friends of ours, and after they were just like… “She is something else. #Avaforpresident.” haha. I think you get the point… 

Ava’s Likes/Dislikes:

She is the pickiest eater on the planet… thank god she doesn’t have the gluten/dairy allergy. Seriously, I would probably lose my mind. She hates trying new foods. Especially vegetables or really anything with a little color, haha. She also has a major sweet tooth, loves horses, a true mama’s girl at heart. She is so protective of Nahla and is constantly looking out for her. She is not a girly girl, at all. She would much rather be on the soccer field, riding her scooter, or her bike. She is such an athlete, really solid. I picked her up the other day and I looked at her and I was like … “You are ripped girl!” So strong, seriously.

Always cracking up:)
You would never know she secretly is not a fan of ballet haha

She is funny, loud, loyal, and incredibly smart. She thrives on a routine and doesn’t forget anything, ever. Sometimes, out of the blue she will come up to me and say something like – “Mom, do you remember that time when I was a baby and we went to that beach with the dolphins?!” I am like… How does she remember this?!  She was legit a baby when we saw the dolphins in Mexico. But then she goes on to tell me specific things that she remembers from that trip. She is like “Of course I remember mom, I told you like 10 times already!” 

…both of them with the sassiness, already. We are in trouble. 

We butt heads at times, but she keeps me on my toes, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. The way she challenges me is one of the things that I love the most about her. She is so strong. I know that I don’t have to worry about anyone messing with her, or Nahla, for that matter.

Would love to hear your stories about your kiddos quirks?

XO

Courtney

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LifestyleTwins

Introducing the El-Ghoul Twins: Part 1: Nahla

by Courtney El-Ghoul

Okay, so I wouldn’t be “Twin Latte” without our twins. So, this week I want to introduce you to Nahla and Ava – The El-Ghoul girls. Our spirited, fun-loving, and exhausting little ladies who are truly amazing. I thought about introducing them as a pair… But man, are they different. So I think it makes more sense to introduce them individually.  

Since Nahla is the eldest, by one minute, it seems fair that she goes first. Right?? 🙂 

Nahla El-Ghoul

My littlest love, in size, is tiny Nahlie pooh. Nahlie, we love nicknames in our house, in case you were wondering. She is just the sweetest thing. She loves being a care-taker and is just an old soul to her core. She is always looking out for her sister and really anyone she is around. Her teachers tell me she is like the class mom. She has creativity and maturity that is a little outsized for a typical 4-year-old.   Sometimes, when I listen to her, I just can’t believe she is only FOUR?! Her imagination and the stories that she tells are so freaking cute. Lately, her favorite thing to do is to have me tell her a story so that she can act it out while I am telling it. It usually goes a little something like this…  

Nahla:  “Mom, I need you to tell me a story. The one where I am a princess riding my horse in a scary forest because a mean bear is chasing us.”

Me: “What is your horse’s name?”

Nahla: “Mom, I’ve told you like 20 times before. Her name is Bellaaaaa!”  (In her most like … Duh, Mom Voice.)

Me: Oh,  sorry I forgot haha. 

Nahla: “It is ok. Just keep going. Where is the bear?  Is he getting closer?! Nooo!!! He is going to eat us!!!”  This is, of course, accompanied by the most dramatic arm movements you have ever seen. 

The whole time I am just dying trying not to laugh. She will even ask me to pause so that I can modify the story to include a break so that her horse and the mean bear can drink some water. I could seriously go on for hours. She is super imaginative, creative, and tender-hearted.

She loves animals, coloring, singing, dancing, and playing the piano. Perhaps, I have a future performer on my hands??? She hates chocolate (who even is she?!?), is not a fan of outdoor sports, hates bedtime, and doesn’t like to be alone. She is the polar opposite of her sister Ava, but you know, it works out.

Nahla’s Favorite Things To Do

As soon as Nahla gets home from school, it is no brainer that the first thing she is doing is changing into a dress with heels. She doesn’t skip a beat. I seriously die of laughter. We will have been home for two minutes, and I hear the clip-clopping coming down the hall. What can I say, I guess she gets that trait from her momma? Who doesn’t love a bit of glam and a hot pair of stilettos?! Her sister Ava is who doesn’t. HAHA. More on her in the next post…

For such a tiny girl who is so positive mentally, the past few years have been an uphill batter for her, physically. (Read more ☞ HERE) Her little digestive system wasn’t working properly, and we had to try everything,  just to figure out why. She was so patient through the trial and (so many) errors. Eventually, we discovered that by eliminating Gluten and Dairy, we could solve all of her tummy troubles. We are so blessed that she has taken on this change like a total champ. I mean this diet change has been a lot of work and super hard and really, she never complains. Just one more thing that makes her so special.

Anyway, she is a super cool little chick, and I can’t wait to see what the future holds for her.

Would love to hear differences in my fellow twin parents kiddos? Do you have one that seems to be more of an old soul?

XO

Courtney

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LifestyleTwins

Valentines Day With The Kiddos

by Courtney El-Ghoul

This week it seems that the only things I can think about are Valentine’s Day and Nahla and Ava’s Birthday Party… Aghhhh ( post on this is in the works)…

I am sure by now that it is pretty obvious… that, I love the Holidays. If you are new… “Hello, I’m Courtney, and I LOVE the Holidays!” HaHa. So, back on track… Since Valentine’s Day is first… That’s where I am “trying” to focus my efforts. When it comes to celebrating this day of LOVE, we inevitably have to go all out. I have already been all over Target, Home Goods, and Amazon…  gathering decorations for my house, and little gifts for the girls, of course 😉 

I already shared (what I think) is a pretty great gift-guide for the adult women in your lives. But, I thought it would also be fun to share with you guys how I incorporate the little girls in our house, into this special day. 

Around the time they turned one I started explaining to them what Valentine’s day is about. This is also around the time  I started getting a little “extra” with decorating the house. On Valentine’s morning when they would wake up I would have a pretty over-the-top display of all things hearts and candy for them to enjoy. It was sort of like someone threw up pink and red all over our home. Haha. For me, it’s so fun, and they loved it. This went one for the next few years. 

Last year I decided they were old enough to have a little party. If we are being real, it is such a pain to get a sitter on this day.  Again like New Year’s, even if you can get a babysitter and actually go out you are dealing with overpriced pre-fixed menus, crowded restaurants, and it just feels a little corny. ( I know, the irony here… after I just divulged my extravagant decorating ways, ha)  So, I thought – Hey, why don’t we host a Valentines’ Day party? We can invite a couple of close friends, and their kids. Everybody wins! 

It worked out perfectly! I got a mommy helper to hang with the kiddos in the basement. (Finding one for-hire adult, for four families, is a lot easier than finding one for each.) The basement was decked out in Valentines’ Day decor.  It was all set up with their heart plates, napkins, balloons, etc.. You get the idea, pink/red explosion, and it was sooo cute! Upstairs, for the adults, I had a nice dinner set up. We all got fancy. Like we would have if we had gone out to dinner just the two of us. It was actually a full sit down dinner. The kids were having so much fun, they never even came upstairs until it was time for bed. They talked about it for weeks! Kids love the littlest gestures. Just having their friends over, and feeling like it was their very own v-day party meant the world to them. Now, it is one of their favorite holidays. 

I just think this is great. You don’t have to leave your house, and the whole family can enjoy the celebration! I don’t know If I will be able to pull it off this year, as it’s so close to our anniversary trip, and I have a “Galentine’s” Day party that I am hosting for all the mom’s at the girls’ school (stay tuned for that post as well) but I will of course still do something special for the girls.

If you are racking your brain for what to do, and you have the time this is such a fun way for your whole family to enjoy.

What about you guys, thoughts on celebrating Valentines Day? Do you include the kids?

XO

Courtney

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