friday favorites

it's been a week of really busy, and yet really slow moments. and that's just the rollercoaster of our life. we're getting a quick glimpse of good spring weather and it has my spirits high, high, high. I need the sun and I'm so hungry for it lately!!! our hawaii trip is less than a month away now, but it cannot come quick enough!!
as long as the sun sticks around this afternoon, we're planning to hit up the zoo! it's been so long since we've been and I'm so excited to see Harper's new excitement as she's now even a little older than when she was there last :)

HAPPY FRIDAY!!
here are a few favorite things as of late :)

.ONE.
cherry blossom trees. the little puffs of pink these trees bring to our street. we love them. harper is always talking about the 'pink trees' and when we were out walking she looked up at them and said "ohhh they're so beautiful!" and I agree!

.TWO.

smashbox photo finish primer. samples always get me. I had gotten this as a sample a while back and though I never wore primer before, I thought I'd give it a try to see what it's about. and obviously I was sold. and obviously it's time I paint my nails ;)

.THREE.
this dinner. one of the best dinners we've had lately. and I plan to repeat it again next week :) harper devoured her entire plate and asked for seconds.

.FOUR.
Nuby. we love their products and love their brand! for both baby + toddler. (don't miss out on entering the giveaway on my insta ((@brittneyhjelseth)) which doesn't end until tonight!!)
harper is in love with this cup and for weeks has been referring to it as her 'favorite cup'. she's all about favorites lately. already a girl who knows what she likes :) she brings a water bottle along everywhere we go and if this one is clean, it's the one she'll chose. it's cute, doesn't leak, and is fun for her so it also makes it a win for me too! and the fact that the top spout closes to avoid touching germs when we're out and about. yes please. I'm determined to keep us all healthy all spring & summer long.

Xoxo

-Brittney

follow along on instagram @brittneyhjelseth

our table || feeding baby + toddler || nuby giveaway

meal times are quite busy now with having two kids to feed. with toddler snacks in between there, it's like I'm feeding kids allll.day.longgg. which quite literally, I kinda am. cause when you also add in nursing the baby...

BUT hello, I love food too, so I get it ;) and being a dietitian, I try so hard to be giving my kiddos wholesome, healthy food that is nutrient dense.

tanner is now eating three meals a day so when it's time to eat for harper, it's also now time to eat for tanner. so that makes for me spending A LOT of my day in the kitchen. I honestly don't mind much, cause again, I'm a dietitian (I've actually still got that active license even as a stay at home mama now) ;) so food is where it's at for me!

feeding two babes who are at two different stages can seem tough. like there is so much food to prep. I try my best to keep it simple. 

here are a few things that we do & a few food ideas that we've found to work well.

(keep a lookout- I'm planning to do a post on 'meal' ideas for each age here in the near future) :)

---------------------------------------------------

Tanner: (age 8 months):

for my ease, tanner eats when the rest of us eat. I also believe it's important to include everyone at meal time (even the baby). so much can be taught just through them watching us and I try my hardest for all meals to be eaten at the table with the tv turned off.
this guy likes to be able to chew (gum) ;) his food so purees are out. giving him small, bitesized pieces is what he's been liking best.
each time tanner eats I try to have it include either a fruit or veggie paired with either some dairy or a whole grain.
simple foods that have been working well as of late: avocado, raspberries, banana, kiwi, whole wheat bread, whole grain cheerios, string cheese, plain whole milk greek yogurt.

how cute is this 'bear plate'!! nuby is one of my favorite baby brands. I've mentioned their sippy cups before (in our 7+8 month favorites) and how they just DON'T leak!! they have so many other great products too, like this sure grip miracle mat. the fun colors, and the bear shape of the plate will bring more fun for tanner as he gets older too. and I just know the suction holding down the plate will become so wonderful as tanner enters the 'throwing everything on the floor stage' ;)
(we'll likely have to get ourselves another shape of the plate being that the ears of the bear make it a little big to suction tightly to our particular highchair tray). it still does the job for what we need now!
and I can't get over the cuteness of the bear face :) harper loves it too!

----------------------------------

Harper (age 2.5):

harper is a good eater and always has been. I am ever so thankful for that!
there have certainly been exceptions, but she eats all meals at the kitchen table and when it's meal time, that's what we're there to do. we try to limit the playing and distraction around her. of course we still try to make meal time fun and enjoyable, but also keeping it focused. harper eats whatever brandon and I eat. I don't make special food for her.
common foods:
--breakfast items: eggs, toast, fruit, oatmeal, peanut butter toast, greek yogurt
--lunch items: sandwiches (pb&j, turkey&cheese), meat + cheese + whole grain crackers, cucumber + carrots, apples, breast meat chicken nuggets
--dinner: whatever I've made for dinner that night. that's what we all have :) too much variety and things to mention here!

snacking:
harper generally has a snack between breakfast and lunch and then sometimes after nap, before dinner. depending on what time she wakes and when we're eating. I try to limit any snacks after 4:30pm.
--common snacks: string cheese, granola bar, whole grain goldfish, popcorn, cut fruit, carrots or pretzels + hummus, apple sauce pouch (from costco with no added ingredients), 'milk pouches' (from target), chocolate milk (made with carnation instant breakfast)

this nuby snack n' sip cup is fun for harper. she loves her 'owl cup' so much. and it makes it fun for her to drink (even just plain old water) ;) out of it. and to make it extra fun for her, I can fill the top of her cup with her snack. her favorite to fill it with is goldfish :) but it's also just as easy to add in some cut fruit, whole grain cereal, or dried fruit. it's fun for her too, so it makes eating a healthy snack that much easier. and the best win for mama- it does not leak!

I've teamed up with Nuby to give away one of their cute bear character sure grip miracle mats! head over to my instagram (@brittneyhjelseth) to enter! giveaway runs tuesday, march 28th through friday, march 31st. the winner will be announced by monday morning!
open to US residents only.
**I received these items for a review, but all opinions are my own :)

xoxo
-Brittney

follow along on instagram @brittneyhjelseth

Tanner Ross || dedication day

at church on sunday we had our sweet baby boy, tanner ross hjelseth, dedicated to the lord.

it was such a special day for our family.

a handful of pictures here from tanner's big day spent with family :)

passed out for a late morning nap as soon as we got home. big morning for him!

 once he woke, he was ready to enjoy all the company downstairs :)

our sweet tanner boy.

we are blessed to be your parents and are ever so thankful to god for entrusting you to us. we pray that you will grow strong in your faith and always keep close to jesus. may you become a man who knows the lord and never strays. 

thank you, lord for blessing us with our sweet boy.

we love you with all we have baby boy!!

xoxo- mom + dad

xoxo

-Brittney

follow along on instagram @brittneyhjelseth

seven + eight month favorites

two more months. (HOW?)
another handful of changes. (STOP GROWING!)
and another list of new favorite things. (SO MANY THINGS) ;)

babies don't stop growing and changing. not even as hard as we mamas try to make them stay just itty bitty forever. every month brings so much newness and also so much fun! (for the most part. like not the teething part.)

in addition to many things from previous months that we are also still using (ONE, TWO, THREE + FOUR, FIVE + SIX), here are a few of our favorite things over these last couple months:

bibs // with solids comes mess. I've tried a number of bibs and I want something that doesn't stain from food, can withstand the washer + dryer, and is cute of course :) these bumkin bibs are the best.

nosefrida // this one has actually been something we've been using for a few months. since back when tanner had bronchiolitis. it really grossed me out at first, but this thing is AMAZING! SO effective in getting that 'yuck' out ;) all mamas of babies need to have this on hand. Tanner has been hard core teething and this was a lifesaver in cleaning out his little nose :)

sippy cup // tanner is just slowly used to his sippy cup, but nuby sippy cups are the best when it comes to finding one that doesn't leak! having a leaky sippy cup is one annoying thing that I just don't have the patience for. we tried a number of brands when harper was a baby and nuby was and still is where we found success!

exersaucer // we pulled this out from the closet under the stairs and it's been great for keeping tanner entertained (and contained) ;) even though he fairly recently just started truly crawling, he had been army crawling, scooting, and pushing himself allll around prior.

ergo // now this we've been using for quite some time (in addition to our solly wrap), but with how big tanner is, the ergo feels a bit more solid when I'm throwing him in it as we run into a store. unless we're at costco, tanner gets strapped into the ergo while harper gets the shopping cart. maybe once he's a little older and can hold his own better ;) I'll let them both cozy up and ride together in the regular sized shopping carts.

wean green containers // we have these from when harper was a baby (yet another handmedown). they are still in like new condition. i love them! they're small and a good size for tanner who doesn't eat a large amount of foods and the lids are great for storing uneaten foods in the fridge for later. another favorite thing- they don't stain and get dingy looking like their plastic competitors.


happy friday friends!! OH! and it's st. patty's day, so a double happy friday to ya!!

xoxo

-Brittney

follow along on instagram @brittneyhjelseth

Tanner Ross || 8 months

TANNER ROSS.

you're eight whole months old!! i say this nearly every month, but I can't believe we're here already!! you are so fun, so sweet, give the best cuddles, all with a side of feistiness (particularly during meal time). 

already (in your mama's eyes) becoming quite daring. just started full on crawling a little over a week ago, but within a few days' time you were trying to climb and pull up on everything. I just know you're going to give me a about a hundred heart attacks in the future. and I also know you're going to fall and fall and fall again.

♡♡ but I pray you will always get up and try again ♡♡

as much as my heart misses those dear newborn days and each previous month that has passed, you are just becoming so darn fun and we all love it so much! your personality is growing + growing and your daddy, sister, and I are just falling deeper in love with you.

age: 8 months

stats:

8 months: 23 lbs  --  (from the scale at home)

birth: 8lbs 2oz  --  21 inches

2 days: 7lbs 11oz

12 days: 9lbs 1oz

1 month: 12lbs 4oz  --  23 1/2 inches

2 months: 15lbs  --  24 inches

3 months: 17.4 lbs  --  (from the scale at home)

4 months: 18lbs 13oz  --  27 inches

5 months:  20.4 lbs  --  (from the scale at home)

6 months: 21lbs 2oz  --  28 inches
7 months: 22.8 lbs  --  (from the scale at home)

clothes: 12 month

diapers: 3

Tanner name sign // Quincyjeanart

banner // hooray everyday

newness/milestones:

-- teeth 3 + 4! (3/2 & 3/3). so thankful once these finally came through, because teething is not easy with this guy! though we now think number 5 + 6 are trying to make their way.. teething nonstop!

-- boy is C R A W L I N G!! (3/5) and though it makes for him being even busier, we are loving it. he's so happy to be able to get himself where he wants to go, and playing is now even that much more fun :)

-- clapping! if he likes it, he claps about it. another new way for him to express himself and let me just say it's cuter than CUTE.

8 month things:

-- take anything out of this boy's hands and he will be sure to let out quite the protest.

-- with the new changes that come each month and the little changes in our day's schedule, we're finding ourselves a new rhythm and new 'normal' each month. we're almost completely transitioned to two naps a day.

-- little guy was getting so upset at meal time with vegetable purees and rice cereal. I really want to keep a positive relationship for him with food and meal time so we've expanded what tanner is eating and opened the door to more options for him. like he's had LOTS of new foods this month! still trying to keep it to simple, whole foods. veggies. fruit. cheese. whole wheat bread + pasta. he is SO much happier with this!!

P H O T O  D U M P:

tanner boy!! we all love you so, so much!! how we've had eight months of you already, I'll never know. but i'd never change it. you bring us all so much joy and the way you and your sister love each other... I just can't get enough of it!
LOVE YOU, SWEET BOY!!!

7 months

6 months

5 months

4 months

3 months

2 months

1 month

birth

xoxo

-Brittney

follow along on instagram @brittneyhjelseth

OUR TABLE || trader joe's

I know I'm SO far behind the game when it comes to trader joe's.

like everyone and their dog seem to know all about the wonderfullness they have to offer and all the right things to buy and look for. except me. well with the exception of cookie butter. which is ah-maze-ing. but that's all I've known to equate trader joes to!

I've always been a fred meyer + costco gal and that's where we've done (and still do) all our major grocery shopping. and of course the couple things we pick up at target when we're there. 

I've never felt a need to shop at 'specialty' grocery stores when the others meet all our needs in what we're looking for. however, I have a few friends who shop trader joe's and I'm always intrigued at what they buy. so I gave it a whirl and have some good finds! (half of which were recommended by friends) :)  I'd still say they're 'extra' things that we don't really need, but it's fun to try new things and find new options.

here are a handful of things that I'd call a 'win' at trader joe's!

*disclaimer: my dietitian self is not proud of a single one of these items. BUT. I AM HUMAN, TOO ;)

pictures help, so there's your visual!

mini croissants // take out the night before to let rise, bake in the morning. 

turkey corn dogs // for the times when i'm just 'stuck' on what to feed my toddler/feeling lazy about it

mini ice cream cones // a small little after-dinner sweet treat

cookie butter // enough said

cookie butter cookies // well if you like cookie butter, what are you waiting for. these are double the good!

refrigerated pizza dough // for making "homemade" pizza, this dough was so good. made for a super quick + easy dinner too

--I have also been very impressed with their produce! this time of year there's just not much you can do about good, fresh produce. the strawberries this winter have been so horrible! their's however have been the best we've had in awhile.

let me know what it is you love from trader joe's so I can add it to my list for next time! I love finding new things, so please share!

xoxo

-Brittney

follow along on instagram @brittneyhjelseth

new blog name! {for the love of july}

it's about time.
it's actually past time!
like seven months past time!!

our family hasn't truly been "TWO Bows and ONE Beau" for over half a year now.
since mid July when our sweet baby tanner joined our family.
...well sweet baby tanner has made life busier than ever and here we are :) just now updating the blog name when before we know it we'll have to be changing it again due to another baby!
(certainly no pregnancy announcement here!) ;)

so here we have it... we are now...

for the love of july

the blog URL is still (and always will be)...  justushjelseths.blogspot.com
that won't change (ever!)
but when our family + life grows and changes, it calls for a new chapter.

---to quickly + simply say where this new blog name comes from---
     July 23, 2011  ---  our wedding anniversary
July 13, 2014  ---   harper girl's birthday
July 13, 2016  ---   tanner boy's birthday

*side little fun fact: tanner and harper's times of birth were also only 30 minutes apart!
harper: 2:49pm
tanner: 3:19pm

so no question, right!? there's a whole lotta love for us in the month of july. especially on july 13th, because YES our two sweet babes share a birthday making it double the sweet on july 13!!

it's a sweet, meaningful name for us and I hope you enjoy too!

xoxo

-Brittney

follow along on instagram @brittneyhjelseth