Giving Back

Happy Monday - once again, it is time for our Questions of the Week!

Business Question of the Week: Next Monday, January 17th, 2011 is Martin Luther King Day. But did you know that it is also a Day of Service? Dr. Martin Luther King once said "Life's most persistent and urgent question is: What are you doing for others?"

MLK Day of Service is a way for you to give back to your community and connect with people and causes in your local area. How do you give back as a business owner? Do you donate your products or services to the less fortunate in your community? Do you participate in a community service project, such as repainting a community center? How will your business give back this MLK Day of Service?

General Question of the Week: Have you taught your children about volunteering? What activities do you do as a family to give back?

Photo credits (Young Mayor of Newham)

Weekly Wrap Up: January 2-8th

Here is what you have missed at Entwined Community this week. Don't forget that individual membership to Entwined Community is now FREE - sign up for your membership card today to get exclusive discounts and benefits from twin/multiples owned businesses.

New Members:

1. Welcome Multiple Birth Parents, a nonprofit Australian based online community for parents or caregiver of twins or more.
2. Welcome twin parent owned Think Twins, an Australian based online store for families of twins or more.
3. Welcome Life with Twins and Multiples, our newest advertiser!

Question of the Week:

1. Business Question of the Week: Entrepreneur Magazine recently asked its readers - what do you drive and why? How is your car a reflection of you and your business?
2. General Question of the Week: What do you drive? Does your car reflect your family or just get you from Point A to Point B?

In the News:

1. From NPR: Composer Allen Shaw shares memories of his institutionalized twin sister in his new book, Twin.
2. From Winnipeg Free Press: Twin brothers Jonathan and Drew Scott's new show Property Brothers debuted on Canada's W Network.
3. From AnnArbor.com: Twin sister Samantha Elias opens The Vintage Twin, offering vintage clothing, accessories, art and home goods, in Ann Arbor on Friday

Blog Posts:

1. January 8th was National Bubble Bath Day! Share your favorite bathtime memories and learn more about twin parent owned ME! Bath.

Photo credit: (Trends in Twos)

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.

What Drives Your Business?

Happy New Year! Time for our questions of the week.

Business Question of the Week: Entrepreneur Magazine recently asked its readers: what do you drive and why? How is your car a reflection of you and your business? The slideshow included a highlight of Ron Kaplan, twin dad and Founder/CEO of Surf Ohio. Surf Ohio has brought surf clothing and music to the Midwest for over 30 years. Ron drives a 2005 Honda Element, which gets the job done whether he is carrying inventory or a surfboard.

Here at Entwined Community, we drive a 2010 Dodge Caravan. It gives us the space we need for the triplets while being less expensive than an SUV. (Have you tried fitting 3 car seats in a vehicle before?) We also like the green benefits - as a flex vehicle we can use gasoline or E85 ethanol to reduce emissions. We have added the business tagline to help advertise while we are on the go!

General Question of the Week: What do you drive? Does your car reflect your family, or just something to get from point A to point B?

Photo credits (Entrepreneur Magazine; Entwined Community)

Happy New Year from Entwined Community!

Happy New Year from Entwined Community!

The economic outlook for 2011 is promising, with growth expected in business spending, GDP and retail sales, while unemployment is projected to decline. We hope this year is productive and prosperous for all multiple birth families!

Things have been very busy around here, with some exciting changes coming to the website in the next few weeks. One exciting change that we have already implemented is that all individual memberships are now FREE! Keep watching as we unfold additional updates in the weeks to come. We love to hear from you, so if you have any comments, suggestions or would like to contribute to an article in 2011, contact us at info@entwinedcommunity.com.

Photo credit (MyrtleBeach.com)