How Do You Support Twin/Multiples Owned Businesses?

Time for our Questions of the Week! This week's question comes from Entwined Community Co-Founder, Anthony.

Business Question of the Week: World News with Diane Sawyer ran a series last week on supporting American made products, stating that if every person spent $3.33 on American made products each year, we could create nearly 10,000 new jobs.

At Entwined Community, we feel the same way about supporting businesses that are owned by adult multiples or the parents of multiples. Supporting businesses owned by twin, triplet, quadruplet or more families helps create jobs and income for families just like yours. As a twin/multiples owned business, how do you support other businesses that are twin/multiples owned? For example, when we were looking for a graphic designer to design our logo for Entwined Community, we specifically wanted to use someone who was a twin or parent of multiples, and selected J4 Design, a twin mom out of San Francisco. The photographer for Alicia's photos on our About page were by twin mom photographer Sweet Shots Photography, while the photographer for our membership cards seen on our home page were by twin mom photographer Worth a Thousand Words Photography. If you have not worked with a twin/multiples owned business, share how you plan to in the future.

General Question of the Week: How do you currently support twin/multiples owned businesses? What is the last purchase that you made from a twin/multiples owned business?

Help spread the word about twin/multiples owned businesses! Find our badges on our Flickr page - if you are a twin/multiples owned business use this code for this badge, and if you are a family that supports twin/multiples owned businesses, use this code for this badge. To find the code, select the badge you like and click on "Share this", then "Grab the HTML/BBB code", then copy the code (you can choose between 75x75, 100x100 or 125x125), then paste the code into your website or blog.

Photo credit: (Star Telegram)

Weekly Wrap Up: February 20-26th

Here is what you have missed at Entwined Community this week.

New Members:

1. Welcome twin parent Creative Memories Independent Consultant Amanda Vaage, with scrapbook albums, supplies and paper.
2. Welcome twin parent owned Nory Candy & Pastry, offering locums made with the finest locally grown ingredients.

Question of the Week:

1. Business Question of the Week: Entrepreneur Magazine recently shared an article about married couples who ran businesses together. Do you work with your spouse/partner? How do you find time to balance needs between your marriage and the business?
2. General Question of the Week: Could you work with your partner/spouse? Why or why not?

In the News:

1. From the Boston Globe: Twin brother owned Moms and Jobs provides jobs and childcare benefits for single mothers to try and help break the cycle of poverty.

Blog Posts:

1. February 20th was National Margarita Day - celebrate at your favorite twin owned restaurants.
2. February is also African American History Month - visit the blog to learn more about African American twin sister owned business Crumbs by Gabrielle.

Photo credit: (Trends in Twos)

Celebrate National Margarita Day at a Twin/Multiples Owned Restaurant!

Today is National Margarita Day! There is some debate about who first created the famous cocktail, but many believe that credit should go to Margaret "Margarita" Sames, a Dallas socialite who created a light drink which could be enjoyed before lunch. Without question, the margarita is wildly popular - in 2008 it was the most ordered cocktail, followed by martinis, rum and coke, and vodka tonics. At its simplest, the drink includes tequila, triple sec, lime juice, salt and ice, but today's margarita consumers have a dizzying variety of flavors to choose from - strawberry, mango, pear, peach - the list goes on. If you feel like celebrating today, visit one of these twin/multiples owned restaurants!

El Chaparral Mexican Restaurant (San Antonio, TX): El Chaparral has been serving up legendary Mexican food in the San Antonio area for 39 years. Fraternal twin brothers Gabe and Carlos Garcia keep things running smoothly in the popular restaurants. Try their San Antonio Margarita - made with your choice of tequila, Grand Marnier and all natural juices.

El Pinto Restaurant and Cantina (Albequerque, NM): El Pinto Restaurant has been serving world famous New Mexican food since 1962. Twin brothers Jim and John must be doing something right - as their El Pinto Salsas and Sauces are available in nationwide retail stores such as Wal-Mart, Costco and Albertsons. Try an El Pinto Premium Margarita - with El Tesoro Anejo Tequila, Citronge and lime juice.

Guzman Y Gomez (Sydney, Australia): If you are in Sydney, stop in one of Guzman Y Gomez's eight locations. Guzman Y Gomez is Australia's first fast casual Mexican restaurant, and was started by twin brother Steven Mark. Try GYG's very own classic frozen margarita.

Lindo Michoacan (Las Vegas, Nevada): Voted the best of Las Vegas six years in a row, Lindo Michoacan is a family owned restaurant with four locations in the Las Vegas valley. Visit the Desert Inn location - run by twin brother/sister team Javier and Stephanie. Try Javier Sr's Margarita - with El Mante Blanco, Patron Citronge and Sweet & Sour. Bring your Entwined Community membership card - members save 25% off their entire bill!

If you feel like staying in, try a PomeGrita made with twin brother owned Twin Pomegranates wine! What is your favorite twin/multiples margarita spot? Share your favorites below or on Facebook!

Image credit (Recipe Bridge)

Weekly Wrap Up: February 13th-19th

Here is what you have missed at Entwined Community this week.

New Members:

1. Welcome twin parent Thirty One Gifts Independent Consultant Claire Hill, for products with style and convenience at an amazingly affordable price.
2. Welcome twin sister owned Jane Goodrich Photography, a New York based newborn and children's photographer.
3. Welcome twin parent owned Two By Two Creations, a business dedicated to making beautiful and fun things for the young and the young at heart.
4. Welcome twin parent owned Stuff 4 Multiples,with everything for one, two, three babies or more! Twins, Triplets, and multiples clothing, matching bibs, T Shirts, special gifts and more.
5. Welcome quadruplet parent owned Scrapbook Mamma, who has been helping people turn their stored photos into personalized digital photo books and scrapbooks since 2007.

Question of the Week:

1. Business Question of the Week: BBC reports that by summer 2011, UK businesses will allow for contactless payments using mobile devices instead of credit/debit cards - wave your phone over the device and you are on your way. If you operate a physical location such as a store or restaurant, do you believe your customers would be interested in using this technology? Why or why not?
2. General Question of the Week: Would you feel comfortable using your mobile phone as a contactless payment device? Would you worry about security if your phone was lost or stolen - in essence, is it really any different from using your debit or credit card in the same way?

In the News:

1. From Startup Smart: Twin brother Steven Marks discusses how his popular Mexican restaurant Guzman y Gomez is taking over the Australian dining scene.
2. From The Independent: Kate Brown, twin sister and owner of BeU Beauty Clinic in Dublin discusses how economy creates challenges for her as a biz owner and for her customers.
3. From NBC New York: Our friend and Twiniversity founder Natalie Diaz talks about how she started her business on a budget.
4. From St Louis Today: Twin father and online entrepreneur Christopher Deck discusses how his adoption of twin daughters from China was the inspiration behind his business.
5. From The Columbia Tribune: Twin sister entrepreneurs take first prize at the Mid-Missouri Entrepreneurial Summit. Byrnne & Bailey Stansberry, sophomores at Columbia College, have designed and patented stylish rainboots - the idea came to them while brainstorming a marketable product in class one day.

Blog Posts:

1. Happy Valentine's Day from Entwined Community - visit the blog to read how some Entwined Community members met their spouses. How did you meet your spouse/partner?

Photo credit: (Trends in Twos)

Happy Valentine's Day from Entwined Community!

Well this is a belated post because for Valentine's Day, I fell asleep on the couch at 8p! I guess getting a good night's rest is a pretty good Valentine's Day present. So, my apologies for not posting this sooner, but I asked some of our Entwined Community members to share some pictures and stories of their first date with their spouse!

Multiples and More Blog Network, Amanda and Scott Nethero

My husband Scott and I never really had a first date. We met at Disney World on my first day of work, he ended up being my boss for the 8 months that I was there. No no no, we didn't date then, gosh that would have been awesome though, right? One of my favorite memories with him from that time was standing inside Cinderella's Castle at park close waiting for the last family to leave. It was hands down one of the most romantic moments, even though we weren't together at the time. Every time we go to the Magic Kingdom we are always reminded of when we met, we even have one of our wedding photos on Main Street USA.

Heritage Makers Independent Consultant, LeAnn and Nick Lennon

Nick and I started dating in April 1999, we didn't have a real first date per se. I was nervous and I could tell he was too, but I knew from the beginning that he was the man I was going to marry! We were engaged in September 2000 and got married in September 2001. We had our twins in November 2007. The attached picture is not one from when we first started dating, but taken in September 2004 on a trip to San Francisco for our anniversary.

J4 Design, Julia and Joel Satovsky

Joel and I met via a Craigslist personals ad around Thanksgiving 2001. The first week of our relationship was quite eventful. Our first date was late on a cold Monday night, at a bar, followed by a short walk around the streets of Berkeley. I was not new to the Internet dating, and (honestly) I was not expecting much, because I’ve had so many dates that didn’t lead anywhere. This time it was different. We ended up having 3 more dates that week. For our 4th date, I surprised myself and Joel by inviting him to my company’s holiday party which was on Saturday. Everybody was asking me how long we had been dating because we were getting along so well. Our 5th date was the following Monday – a Bikram yoga class – a first for both of us. We were married about a year and a half later, and 2 and a half years later we were parents of twins.

Entwined Community, Alicia and Anthony Crowther

Anthony and I met on Match.com in February of 2004. Our first date was at an Irish bar in a local casino (we do live in Las Vegas, remember?) and we met for a drink and some food. Anthony was going to be late so he called me and told me he had stepped in some paint at work - I thought he was making up excuses - so I told him to go home and change his shoes and meet me a little later. We spent most of the night talking about things we had in common - Anthony is from England and I loved watching BBC America so we talked about some of our favorites like Father Ted. I think things went pretty well, as we set up our second date at an Indian restaurant before we parted for the night. A year and a half later, we were married. The picture is of us on a trip to Long Beach, CA. This was the first time that I met his parents in December of 2004 - we are on the Queen Mary!

Where was your first date with your spouse/partner? Share your pictures and comments below or on Facebook!

Clean Up Your Act

It is a new year - a great time to get your computer in top shape. January is National Clean Up Your Computer Month, and whether you are running a business, or constantly on Facebook, you probably spend at least part of your day online. Nothing is more frustrating than a computer that does not work properly, and over time your computer will slow down due to unnecessary programs, disorganized files or viruses. Tech expert (and twin dad) Daniel Gauthier offers the following tips to clean up your act:

1. Run Add/Remove programs and uninstall any program you no longer need or use. The less programs you have, the less chances of compatibility issues causing sporadic issues and slowness of the computer.
2. Delete temporary files: In Windows XP delete files in C:\Windows\Temp and C:\Documents and Settings\YOUR-ACCOUNT-NAME\Local Settings\Temp. In Vista and Windows 7 delete files in C:\Windows\Temp and C:\Users\YOUR-ACCOUNT-NAME\App Data\Local\Temp. (If you don’t see those files – you need to make the folders visible). To make the folders visible, open the computer window and go in your C drive: In Windows XP click Tools and Options. Under the “View” tab, click on to show hidden files. In Vista and Windows 7 click Organize folder and search options. Under the view tab, click show hidden files.
3. Disk Defragmentation: After you’ve removed unnecessary programs and deleted temporary files, do a disk defrag. In Vista and Windows 7 it is supposed to be done automatically by default on a schedule. If Windows XP is your Operating System, go through start-Programs-Accessories-System Tools-Disk defragmenter.

Daniel Gauthier is the owner/operator of Twinbytes Inc., a computer service company based in Onatrio, Canada. He is also the author of Tech-Knowledgy, a self-help guide that levels the playing field between techies and non-techies. Find him on Facebook and Twitter.

Photo credit (Elegant Property Services)

Take Some Time for Yourself - National Bubble Bath Day Jan 8th

Did you know that January 8th is National Bubble Bath Day? If one of your New Year's resolutions is to take better care of yourself this year, today is a great time to get started! Taking a bubble bath is a great way to relax by yourself - something families with twins, triplets or more may not get much of.

When I was near the end of my pregnancy with the triplets, taking a bath was one of the few ways that I could relax and feel comfortable in my now much-larger frame. I gained 60 pounds and after being on modified at-home bed rest for two months, I was pretty achy. I would get into the bath and stay there until the water cooled, enjoying the relief from the (both literal and figurative!) pressure of growing three babies. When I was done, I would have to shout for my husband to come and help me get out of the tub. I was kind of like a giant, naked, wet turtle - once I was laying on my back, it was pretty much impossible for me to get up! We still laugh about that today.

You can create a bubble bath by either using foams or fizz. Bath foams create bubbles on top of the water, while bath fizzes create bubbles in the water. Check out these luxurious bath bombs which look just like ice cream by twin parent owned ME! Bath. The above picture is the Choco-holic Mini Bath Ice Cream, which sells for $16. Now you can enjoy chocolate without feeling guilty!

What are your favorite bubble bath memories? Do you have a funny story like mine - relaxing in the tub while you were pregnant? Or maybe you and your twin used to take baths together? Share your bubble bath stories below or on Facebook - and set a date for your own bubble bath tonight - it is a national holiday after all!

About ME! Bath: Twin mom Lisa Nissanoff loved taking baths at home, but was tired of the same routine every night. She envisioned a decadent bath and body line that could transform a mundane bath at home into a lavish spa-like experience. Together with co-founder and husband Benjamin, Lisa created scents that invoked their favorite childhood memories - Birthday Cake, Lavender Lullaby, Cucumber Melon. Find ME! Bath products online or in select apothecaries and high-end hotels and spas.

Twins, Triplets and Commercials

The countdown is on for the holidays! I hope everyone is keeping busy, and staying safe.

General Question of the Week: Twins and multiples are frequently seen in television commercials - check out this Ikea commercial from 2009 featuring identical twin girls. What is your favorite commercial featuring twins or multiples - add a link if you can find it.

Business Question of the Week: Have you created any commercials for your business? Since twins/multiples are so popular in commercials, would you consider using your twin or children (if you are a parent of multiples) in your commercial? Share a link to your commercial if you have one!

Remember for Entwined Community members, each comment that is posted on BigTent will give you one entry for a $25 gift certificate to Trends in Twos! This contest closes on December 31st at midnight PST and comments must be entered on BigTent to count as entries.

Snowed In

Let's jump right in with our questions of the week!

Business Question of the Week: Donald Trump, Warren Buffet, Bill Gates, Oprah Winfrey - they all approach business in a different way. If you could choose one business tycoon (alive or historical) to have lunch with - pick their brain - get some advice - who would it be?

General Question of the Week: My husband Anthony is from England and he shared this news article - a couple got trapped in a pub in the North of England for eight days due to a snowstorm. Twenty feet of snow drifted against the door and prevented anyone from leaving - luckily for them the pub was also a bed and breakfast so the couple and staff ate food, had drinks and tried to entertain themselves the best they could until they were rescued by a snow plow that cleared the road on Saturday. So, this week's question is - what would you do if you were trapped in a pub/bed and breakfast for eight days?

Remember for Entwined Community members, each comment that is posted on BigTent will give you one entry for a $25 gift certificate to Trends in Twos! This contest closes on December 31st at midnight PST and comments must be entered on BigTent to count as entries.

Photo credit (BBC News)

Five Gift Ideas for Twin/Multiples Entrepreneurs

With everyone busy thinking about gift shopping, have you put together your small business gift wishlist yet? Here are some ideas to get you started!

1. Facebook Advertising budget: With over 500 million on Facebook, a Facebook ad may be just what your small business needs to take it to the next level. In a few simple steps you can design your ad to reach your target demographic and choose whether you would like pay per click or per impression, budgeting as little as $1 per day. If you add this to your wishlist, ask family or friends to give you cash - although retailers such as Target and Walmart sell Facebook credits gift cards, currently these are for use with Facebook games only.
2. Gift card for office supply store: The need for office supplies is endless, whether you run a local cafe or an online Etsy store. A gift card to a local office supply store can go a long way towards keeping your small business running!
3. Software programs: If you have a small business, you need a website. Software programs such as Adobe's Dreamweaver and Photoshop can help you create professional websites and images. You may want to add a how-to book to your list, as these programs require some knowledge to operate.
4. Wireless desktop: In our digital age, no one wants to be tethered to a desk with a wire. Improve your desktop or tower/LCD television combo with a wireless keyboard and mouse.
5. Portable printer or scanner: If you regularly are on the go when doing business, a portable printer and/or scanner can help you stay on task. Portable printers/scanners are perfect if you attend trade or craft shows on a regular basis, or meet with clients at the local coffee shop and need to print invoices, receipts or more.

What is on your business wishlist?

Photo credits (Wired)

November Winner and December Giveaway!

We have a winner for our November Giveaway! Congrats to Helen R., winner of a $25 gift certificate to an Entwined Community business of her choice.

December's Giveaway is sponsored by our friend, twin mom Kellie at Trends in Twos! Kellie has donated a $25 gift certificate to Trends in Twos for an Entwined Community member to win. Trends in Twos is a proud Entwined Community business member and offers 10% off purchases with your Entwined Community member number.

Simply login to our BigTent community - each comment on our forums during the month of December is worth one entry to win. Not a member yet? Read here about our membership benefits - the first 100 businesses are still just $5 to join and the first 100 individuals are only $1. Read here for more fine print on giveaways.

Happy December from Entwined Community!

December is here! Although winter does not officially begin until December 21st, it seems that festive moods abound. Whether Christmas, Hannukah, Kwanza or Winter Solstice, there are lots of ways to celebrate with food, family and friends this month. What holiday traditions do you share with your family? If you have young multiples, this may be the first of many new traditions to celebrate together. This month is also the birthday of D'Lila Star and Jessie James - the twin daughters of Sean Combs will turn 4 on December 21st.

December's Business of the Month is Thirty-One Gifts Independent Consultant Carey Welden. Carey is from Arkansas and starting selling Thirty One Gifts after she was so impressed with their products. Take a look at the matching adult and child aprons on page 6 of Thirty One Gift's Holiday Gift Guide - what a fun way to encourage kids to spend some time in the kitchen. Carey offers free embroidery for purchases over $50 to Entwined Community members, a great way to make the aprons an extra special gift.

This December is also special as her girls will turn three! Carey loves this time of year because she spends time with her family who live far away. She loves to catch up and play cards, a past time that she has enjoyed since high school - her granny has always been tough to beat! She also loves driving around and looking at all of the houses and stores with Christmas lights and decorations. She is eager to share this tradition with her girls as she thinks they will really get it. The girls already know about Jesus and Santa, and she looks forward to starting new traditions with her girls.

Our Member of the Month for December is Stefanie C. from the Las Vegas, NV area and mom to 23 month old boy/girl twins. Stefanie is a member of the East Las Vegas/Henderson Mothers of Multiples Club and enjoys spending time with her family.

Lots of exciting things happening around here, stay tuned for more information!

Photo credits (Julian Colton) Christmas lights

Taking Care of Business

Where did the weekend go? It is hard to believe that Thanksgiving is over and it is back to the grind. Time to buckle down and get back to work - for many of you (both buyers and sellers!) this will be a very busy few weeks with the holiday shopping season in full swing!

Business Question of the Week: Desktop, laptop, smart phone, notebook computer - most of us are connected nearly all of the time. What technology do you find yourself working on? Do you use different things for different tasks - for example you use your laptop to update inventory but your iPhone to update Facebook while you are at the park with the twins?

General Question of the Week: What is your favorite twins, triplets or more inspired song? As a triplet mom, mine is "Three Little Birds, " by Bob Marley. What can be more appropriate for a mom of multiples - " don't worry, about a thing, 'cuz every little thing is gonna be alright!" Is yours "It Takes Two" by Marvin Gaye and Kim Weston, "Double Vision" by Foreigner, or something else? Post a link to the song so we can all get moving on a Monday!

Remember for Entwined Community members, each comment that is posted on BigTent will give you one entry for a $25 gift card to an Entwined Community member business of your choice! This contest closes on November 30th at midnight PST - just a few days left to enter to win. Comments must be entered on BigTent to count as entries.

Photo credit: Geeky Gadgets

Thanksgiving Week!

Happy Monday - today was busy, as I am sure will be an indication for the rest of this week! We'll dive right in with our two questions, one about business and one general question. Remember for Entwined Community members only, for each comment that you post on BigTent, you will be entered into a random drawing that month for a fun prize! Not a member yet? Read here about our membership benefits - the first 100 businesses are still just $5 to join and the first 100 individuals are only $1. The prize for November will be a $25 gift certificate to use at your choice of Entwined Community member businesses.

General Question: With Thanksgiving this week, it is easy to get carried away with planning events, trying to find the perfect recipes, etc. Thanksgiving and similar fall festivals originated to demonstrate gratitude for a bountiful harvest - although not many of us harvest these days, we all have a lot to be thankful for. What are you especially thankful for this year?

Business Question of the Week: I have shared with you the history behind Entwined Community - what inspired you to start your business?

Photo from Dr X's Free Association.

Support Twin/Multiples Owned Businesses on Small Business Saturday November 27th

Black Friday is arguably the busiest shopping day of the year, but this year, American Express is asking you to support small businesses on the first ever Small Business Saturday, November 27th. In a news conference at City Hall, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg encourages shoppers to "make it a point to visit local small businesses - it can really make an enormous difference for merchants trying to succeed".

Entwined Community, the web's first network dedicated to supporting businesses owned by twins or the parents of multiples, urges you to not only visit small businesses on this day, but seek out those businesses that are owned by multiple birth families. Visit the Entwined Community website for a growing directory of twin/multiples owned businesses. With over 138,000 sets of twins born in the United States each year, adult multiples and parents of multiples are in your community and may be the people behind your favorite local cafe, shoe store or childcare center - the next time you stop in, ask if they are a twin/multiples family. You've heard of "buy green" and "buy local" - on Small Business Saturday it is time to "buy multiples"! To encourage cardmembers, American Express will give a $25 statement credit to 100,000 users who register their card and use it on Small Business Saturday. Combine this with the discount that Entwined Community businesses offer to Entwined Community members, and you can save money while supporting twin/multiples businesses! For additional information on becoming an Entwined Community member, visit our website.

Double Blessings Celebrates 16 Years and a New Product!

Entwined Community member Double Blessings is celebrating 16 years in business! Double Blessings has provided nursing pillows and other products for twins since 1995. Twin mom and founder Sandy Clark launched a new product - the San Diego Bebe Twin Eco-Nursing Pillow - earlier this week at the All Baby & Child (ABC) Kid's Expo held in Las Vegas.

San Diego Bebe was designed after Clark witnessed a young mother unsuccessfully attempting to nurse her baby at a San Diego beach. The mother attempted to get some privacy by using a blanket but this was not working - the blanket was slipping, the baby was too hot and not getting milk while the mother struggled. Clark decided there had to be a better way, and set out to design a nursing pillow with a built-in mesh Privacy Cover, offering discretion while providing baby with continuous air. Clark says her "primary goal over the years has been to promote the womanly art of breastfeeding. Having privacy during the intimate, God-given act of nursing would further encourage this special bonding time between a mother and her child." San Diego Bebe is also designed green - made of 100% virgin polyfiber that is hypo-allergenic, non-toxic, non-flammable, and recyclable. San Diego Bebe offers both singleton and twin nursing options - order yours today!

Double Blessings is a proud Entwined Community member, and offers a free "TWINS ON BOARD" magnet with your order or $60; buy a onesie, get one free plus a free 60-minute nursery CD with your onesies purchase.

Congrats to Entwined Community member Gemini Greetings - Winner in StartupNation's Top 200 Leading Moms in Business

Congrats to Angelice Tyson, the twin mom behind Gemini Greetings! Angelice is being honored in StartupNation's Top 200 Leading Moms in Business for 2010, coming in at number 171! Businesses are ranked by the combination of popular vote and the special recognition of our judges for certain outstanding contestants.

Necessity is often the mother of invention, and Angelice's story is no different. She was frustrated that she could not find greeting cards to or from twins, triplets or more. Thinking that she was onto something, Gemini Greetings was created! Angelice must be on the right track as this is the second year in a row that her company has been awarded a Top 200 Leading Moms in Business distinction! Congrats to Angelice on this honor!

Gemini Greetings is a proud Entwined Community member and offers a free card with your purchase of $10 or more.

TWINdustry of the Week - Restaurant/Food

This week's TWINdustry of the week - restaurant/food related businesses! Everyone loves going out to eat, and what a better to connect with local twin/multiples families then at a meal. The next time you go out to dinner with the kids or for date night, find one that is owned by a twin/multiples family! Connect with entwined community members on BigTent and discuss how they got started with their restaurant or food related business. Don't forget we will close each week on Friday with a guest post by an Entwined Community business member in the TWINdustry of the week.

An additional bonus for businesses is savings on signups when your industry is selected as the TWINdustry of the week. This week, from October 11th to 17th, restaurant or food related businesses that are owned by twins/multiples or the parents of multiples can join as a business member of Entwined Community for just $5 - part of our introductory special offer that is open to all businesses!

I love to cook. I have to admit it was very difficult when the babies were very young to find the time (or energy) to cook. We were very fortunate to have friends and family who knew we were overwhelmed and they sent gift certificates for local restaurants in our area that delivered so we could order food and have one less thing to worry about. Check the directory to see if there are any restaurants in your local area - what a great gift for a new mother of multiples - a gift certificate to a twin/multiples owned restaurant -or a gift membership to Entwined Community! If there are not any restaurant/food businesses near you - your challenge this week is to reach out to foodie businesses in your local area who are twin/multiples or the parents of multiples and ask them to join our growing community!

Save the Date - Nov 7th Entwined Community Quarterly Business Mixer: Southern California

Save the date - join Entwined Community on Sunday, November 7th from 10a-1p for our first Quarterly Business Mixer at the Sheraton Carlsbad Resort and Spa in Carlsbad, California. Admission to the event is free and you can RSVP on our Facebook page.

Stop by to meet fellow Entwined Community members and hear more about the products and services that they offer! Just started your business or looking to take it to the next level? Chat with experts in blogging, Etsy, photography and more on how to keep your business lucrative and moving forward. Appointments will be available for one-on-one consultations. If you are a twin/multiples business owner and interested in offering one-on-one mentoring sessions at the event on a variety of topics, contact us now.

If you are an Entwined Community business member and interested in FREE table space at this event, please contact us at info@entwinedcommunity.com - limited vendor table space will be available on a first come, first served basis. Business mixers will be scheduled on a quarterly basis in a variety of locations - upcoming destinations are Las Vegas (Winter 2011) - contact us for additional information on these upcoming events.

TWINdustry of the Week - Education/Classes

This week's TWINdustry of the week - education/classes. As a part time instructor at my local university, I too love sharing things that I am passionate about. If you are considering taking a class in your community, find one that is taught by a twin or multiple! Connect with entwined community members on BigTent and discuss how they got started with their teaching career. Don't forget we will close each week on Friday with a guest post by an Entwined Community business member in the TWINdustry of the week.

An additional bonus for businesses is savings on signups when your industry is selected as the TWINdustry of the week. This week, from October 4th to 10th, educators who are twins/multiples or the parents of multiples can join as a business member of Entwined Community for just $5 - part of our introductory special offer that is open to all businesses!

Learning is a lifelong love of mine, and as my children get older, I can't wait to see where their interests will lie and what they will love to learn about. I hope that you will be able to connect with a twin/multiple educator in your area for your next educational pursuit. Check the directory to see what teachers are in your local area. Not any listed near you? Your challenge this week is to reach out to educators in your area who are twin/multiples or the parents of multiples and ask them to join our growing community!