How do you do it?
It's something I'm asked time to time while being a mom to two babies under two.

The sleepless nights. The staggered or no naps.
The tantrums. The double teethings.
The diapers. The never ending laundry.
The everything in between. The chaos.

Honestly, if I had an answer for how I might do a better job at this.  But hey, we get by.
There are however, a few things I do and a few things I recommend having to make things easier. So here is my unofficial "How to Survive Two Under Two" list.

1. Teamwork.
I don't think I can explain this enough, but teamwork with two kids is so important. Well, teamwork with one kid is important, obviously .
My partner works a lot. My partner is tired after work. My partner works nights. My partner __ fill in the blank with something.
This is a touchy subject for me so this may turn in to a small rant. My husband works full time and goes to school. There are days he doesn't see the babies because he's gone before they get up and home after they go to sleep. But I'll be damned if he doesn't get his tired ass up and help me when I need it. When we are having an extra rough night with the kids and I'm on my last leg, he always takes over. Hell sometimes he even takes the first shift of crazy. If I'm dealing with one baby, he has the other. If he sees I'm completely exhausted the day we are all together he tells me to take a nap, or take a shower, or go relax. And vise versa, if he is exhausted I tell him to go rest. Why? Because neither of our days are easy and because we are a team.
It doesn't matter why you or your partner thinks they can't really help. And honestly it's not even helping, it's parenting..because it's their kid as well. I can not tell you how much this whole subject irritates me and see? I'm ranting.
Back to happy land, Ashley.
Team work is unbelievably important because more times than not- you are going to be overrun. And yes, moms are badass and we can pretty much do it all, but we can always use a little back up. Like when it's 3am and both babies are screaming.

2. Shower.
My aunt swears by this and I know sometimes this seems unrealistic... showering.. like who has time for that? Trust me, I get it and let's be real here - even though this is on my list I only stick to it maybe half of the time. But I can say when I do actually take a shower in the morning I just feel better. Now is this shower by myself and do I wash my hair? 95% of that answer is no. Normally I can bribe my toddler with a TV for a minute or two before she wonders into the shower with me and I have to be mentally prepared to wash my hair - which normally I am not - but there is just something about having a nice washed face and body that gets you going.

3. Prep frozen smoothies / protein shakes.
Moms, you are no good if you don't take care of yourself. We ALL know this from experience - you wake up and you're hungry and then all of a sudden it's 5pm and all you have had is half of your child's chicken nugget from lunch time. It's the worst. And it's even harder when you have TWO babies.
Since it is rare that you will have a time to eat stock up on protein shakes and frozen smoothie mixes. Or you can pre make them yourself. I love making my own smoothies so I will buy fruits, veggies, and yogurt in bulk and then separate them into freezer bags until I'm ready for them. That way all you have to do is throw your frozen smoothie in the blender and add juice. Quick and easy. And you might even get to enjoy a full smoothie if you hide in the closet for a few minutes.

4. Get babies dressed first thing in the morning.
Again, this happens only about 85% of the time, but I try to get my littles dressed and ready first thing in the morning. When I do we are more likely to leave during the day. Because why get dressed if it's 9:30am? There is only 10 hours until bed time so why even bother? Also, I'm not sure why, but I'm pretty positive its 100xs harder to dress a toddler mid day. You got to get them while they are still half asleep so they won't fight.

5. Feed on the go.
Breast or bottle, moms tend to have a spot to do so in the home. Be flexible on where you feed your newborn. Maybe you'll sit in your favorite rocking chair, maybe it will be on the couch so you can watch your toddler in the living room, or maybe its on the floor while you are helping your toddler build a lego tower. It's anyones guess!

6. Make one on one time.
You are going to do your best at incorporating your babies in each others activities, but at some point you'll realize that one kid has gotten the short end of the stick that day. Make some good one on one time with each of your babies. Unless you are a witch, you'll probably have staggered naps so this is a great time to do some solo mommy and whoever time. I know, you have so much to do around the house, but trust me- you and your babies need this. So put the to do list down and go cuddle or play.

7. Binxy Baby shopping cart hammock.
Sweet mother of game changers.
One morning I was scrolling through Instagram and someone posted a cute picture of their babies at Target and one of them was in this cool little hammock thing. I clicked on the shop she tagged and it brought me to the Binxy Baby site... I bought one right then and there. It is seriously just a little hammock that goes on your shopping cart for your baby. I mean... do I need to say more?
Balen has never been a fan of baby carriers (even though he indeed likes to be held) so this has been a complete life saver when I go grocery shopping and unnecessary Target trips. Just kidding, no trip to Target is unnecessary.

8. A small baby tub.
Yeah that bulky baby tub you had for number one.. give it to someone expecting their first child because you won't need that. As hard as it can be sometimes when I bathe them by myself (which is most of the time) I'm not about to do staggered baths. No one has time for that crap. So this cool little tub has been a life save for us. It is adjustable so it fits your baby and it fits in the tub along with your toddler. Click here


9. Backpack diaper bag.
I really don't know why I waited until having number two to have a backpack diaper bag, but this thing is magical. Be hands free with your diaperbag and hands on with your babies. Or some sort of cool catch phrase like that. I don't I've been up since 4am, my brain isn't fully awake yet.
Oh and what do you know? You can find one at Target

10. Breathe.
Maybe this should be up at the top, but it was kind of an afterthought. Which is ironic because I have to remind myself to do this sometimes. Having two in diapers is hard work. There will be days you feel completely defeated and some days over the moon with joy. It's okay to hide in the closet and cry every once in awhile. Breathe, recollect your self, and move on with the day. Just remember it's all going to be okay.