Hello! My name is Allie Bates and I was born and raised in Jefferson City, Missouri. I spent my college years at The University of Central Missouri majoring in Public Relations and cheering on our Mules and Jennies on the sidelines with the UCM Dance Team. I met my husband, Brett, in 2010 and we got married in September of 2013 in Kansas City where we currently live. We got pregnant with our (surprise!) identical twin boys, Brody and Beckham, and they decided they must kick off the new year right by gracing us with their presence on January 1st, 2015.
I currently help multiple businesses as their Social Media Community Manager and love the flexibility of being able to have a creative outlet and still stay at home with my kids! Brody and Beckham are now 5 1/2 and keep us on our toes with their busy and imaginative minds. Being a “Boy Mom” lives up to the hype and we love going on all kinds of adventures! Today I’ll be sharing with you some of our favorite products, dupes and my best mom-hacks for keeping twin boys entertained.
- OSMO: OSMO is an amazing learning and creativity tool using an iPad (without TOO MUCH guilt, ha!) The twins are going to kindergarten in the fall and OSMO has amazing games that can teach them Common Core Standards in creative ways! We especially love Pizza Co. and Genius Numbers!
- Aqua Sphere Vista Jr. Goggles: My kids are big swimmers and we always get asked about the goggles they wear! The Aqua Spheres are nice because they contour along the cheek and forehead bones as opposed to goggles that fit around your eye socket. Much more comfortable and do not leak! They also make these in smaller sizes!
- Jumbo Cardboard Blocks:This might seem like a silly pick for 5-year-olds but this is 100% their most played with toy. We bought these for them on their FIRST Christmas and they are still going strong! The twins love building forts with them, creating obstacle courses, parking garages for their toy cars – the list goes on!
- Tubby Todd All Over Ointment: Both of my kids have severe eczema on the backs of their knees and inside their elbows and it likes to flare up in the summertime! We tried so many ointments and this one cleared it up in just a few days. It’s a great non-greasy lotion for sensitive skin and a staple in our house.
- Simple Modern Kids Water Bottle: A Hydro Flask dupe for half the price! The hard plastic straw is key for kids (like mine) who like to mindlessly chew. Perfectly insulated and super durable.
Sweat Adventures 