FUN BIN || a week away for mom + dad

early in the wee hours tomorrow morning, brandon and I, (along with his brother and his wife- - tyler & angela!), are escaping this true fall/winter weather of RAIN (and SNOW!!) that has recently arrived in washington. we're making our way over to MAUI and CANNOT WAIT!!

oh we are so ready for this getaway. to relax + refresh.

as excited as I am. my mama heart does break over leaving my babies behind. brandon and I need this for just the two of us, but good gracious am i gonna miss harper and tanner! the last time we were away this long was when I was towards the end of pregnancy with tanner and we went to kauai for a babymoon :)  (with tyler & angela again haha!)

...that was about a year and a half ago. I remember it being SO hard to leave harper behind, yet once we got to hawaii I almost felt guilty for not missing her more each day.

this will be our first time ever being away from tanner. and I don't know that I should even put an ounce of makeup on the morning we're leaving cause I'm likely to cry it all off.

my babies. my heart.

I came up with the idea to create a 'FUN BIN' for when we're gone this week!
a small little surprise for each tanner and harper that they get to open from mommy + daddy when then wake each morning. maybe with this they (mainly harper with her age) ;) will still feel that we're close and can feel a touch of our love.

I did a fairly quick run through the store to grab some small, inexpensive items to fill their bags.
..and let me tell ya it wasn't hard to do... haha!
HELLO TARGET DOLLAR SECTION.
on the outside of each paper bag I wrote a little note that nana & grandma she-she can read to them before opening their surprises.

♡  ♡  ♡  ♡  ♡  ♡  ♡  ♡  ♡  ♡  ♡  ♡

...along with this timing of 'being away'... I don't know that there's ever an actual good time, but harper has been going through some tough separation anxiety over the last few weeks. she is very attached to brandon and I as of late and sometimes, but not all the time, her emotions and sadness get so big when one of us leaves. she won't go anywhere without either brandon or I with her. even suddenly no longer wants to go into her dance class.. which up until now she has loved sooo much and has so much fun with her best friend and sweetest teacher!

so hard for me to see her when she gets so worked up because I know her feelings are so real. I do feel like this last week has been really good in that regard, with a turn for the better. it's always a rollercoaster ride though. ...but it's the ride we're on and motherhood brings one heck of a ride. we love this girl with all our might and are showering her with love, consistent discipline, and prayer.
my prayers lately have been so filled with her and for her to feel peace and comfort. and especially so as we're away for the week. these kids are going to be in the best of hands between my mom and brandon's mom. we are all praying it will be a smooth, uneventful week for all.

any mamas out there who have dealt with separation anxiety at this age (3), I would LOVE to hear from you and hear some things that maybe helped you and your family through. cause i know i can't be alone here!

it's a bittersweet thing to leave your babies behind.
I'm already thinking about the moment we return home to them. so excited for those sweet hugs and kisses.

I'm also SOOO much so looking forward to that beautiful hawaiian beach and the fresh salty air. a whole week's worth of time with my husband. though no doubt him and tyler will be hitting up the golf course too.. and angela and I will be at the spa!

Xoxo

-Brittney

follow along on instagram @brittneyhjelseth

A DAY IN THE LIFE

these are one of my favorite kinds of post to look back on (along with kiddo updates)!

it always amazes me just how quick we move from one phase, onto the next.
and it's far too easy to almost 'forget' what life was like in the previous stage.

I had all the intentions to make this same post while we were on a two naps a day schedule with tanner... but here we are... and by the time I've gotten around to it... he's now down to one a day!

it has changed a little bit of how our days run.
the stage we're in right now is one that I just LOVED when harper was tanner's same age... and i've been kindly waiting for it to come. with a one nap a day schedule, our life is so on routine. and I LIVE FOR IT. I'm open to being flexible with these two littles in my life when we need to be. but boy do we run our days best when we're living on our routine!

I try my hardest to wake before harper and tanner do. with a goal of 6:30am.
I like to be able to wash my face, put my contacts in, make the bed, and pour myself a cup of iced coffee before I'm needed to tend to one of the littles.

 if time allows before they wake (and depending on what time I woke) I will spend some time in my journal and devotions. I find if i can start my day this way, I'm at least off on the right foot here in this moment and I'm better ready for what comes in our day.

every morning I also write my self a 'to-do' list so I keep focused on what I want to get done that day. if I don't I find that...
1. I feel like I didn't get anything accomplished that day (it helps to be able to cross off what task I did. I often even include little daily things like laundry, dishes, other cleaning, ect.) such satisfaction crossing something off the list!
2. when I'm busy with the kids, I often forget what I'd hoped to do and the day's busyness can sometimes take over
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

 Harper usually wakes around 7am.
either brandon or I will make smoothies for the kids and give harper hers and then tanner's waits for him in the fridge until he wakes.
frozen fruit + whole milk greek yogurt + whole milk + a splash of orange juice

 a show or two for her while she drinks her smoothie.
usually little einsteins or bubble guppies.
throw princess sophia + doc mcstuffins in the mix there too ;)

tanner starts to stir around 7:30am and I'll usually go up to get him around 8 :)
this boy does better if he has a little time to wake on his own before we greet him in his room with his smoothie.

 if we don't have many plans for the day and it's a slower morning home, I will make a hot breakfast for us all around 8:30. if we have somewhere to be sooner, it'll be a quicker breakfast. usually oatmeal or toast or frozen waffles with a side of fruit.

I usually spend a good 30 minutes afterwards doing dishes/cleaning up the kitchen/living room while these two play/help me :)

then we're upstairs to get ready for the day!

this particular day all we really had on our agenda was a stop for some groceries so our morning at home before heading out was slow paced and a bit leisurely.

if we have somewhere to be sooner, breakfast is quicker, clean up isn't done as well ;), and it's a quick 'getting ready' (where I usually skip my hair or makeup, or both!)

we try to get back home by noon as to fit in lunch before naps.

we'll usually watch a little bit of a show before nap and tanner will have some regular whole milk warmed up.

one nap a day for tanner is new for us as of just a couple weeks ago, but his nap time has been falling about 1:00-3:30/4. and it's great!!

if harper is in need of a nap that day, she too will go down at this time. if not, I will let her rest on the couch and watch a movie. while I get some 'me' time! ;) to work on the things on my 'to-do' list that are much more challenging with two kiddos awake and active. and some blogging if I can fit it in too :)

after that, while tanner is still finishing his nap, harper and I will have some one on one time. it may just be some house chores we do together, a craft, a couple pages in her workbook, or baking of some sort :) I love our one on one time together! 

3:30/4 tanner is up!!

...and a well rested, happy boy he always is!

I'll often keep the three of us upstairs and work on folding some laundry or picking up bedrooms until it's time to get dinner going.

dinner around here is generally around 5:30. 

we find it important in our house to all have dinner together at the table. so that's what we do :)

after dinner + kitchen clean up, if it's bath night we'll head upstairs for that (we do baths every other night), and if it's not, we'll get a little extra play/family time!

after all the bath time craziness of washing + drying + lotion + jammies + ear cleaning + hair combing.... we wind down with a show and chocolate milk.

for our chocolate milk we do: whole milk for tanner - - 1% milk for harper & mixed with a little chocolate carnation instant breakfast.

then it's to the bedrooms we head! for some reason they often think this suddenly turns to play time! butttt... after reading a few books together, oil + socks on feet, brushing teeth, washing face + hands, and a camel ride back to their rooms, it's to bed they go :)

I take tanner, who is super easy-peasy these days!! lullaby music on, lights out, cuddle and sing a couple songs, then it's down in his crib he goes.

brandon takes harper, and with a bit of work, her music is on, lights are out, and bedroom door is shut.

we work for 'bed by 8' and usually we're able to hit it, if not just shortly after!!

wash my face, contacts out, sweats on.

once the babes are in bed it's all about husband + wife time for brandon and I.

...and we roll into bed always later than we should around 10:30/11.

this was a 'typical' day at home. but also throw in various appointments, kindermusik, dance class, play dates, ect. in there.

some lazy days. some productive days. and surely everything in between.

ultimately we are happiest at home. with a few fun things sprinkled in throughout our week :)

I always love learning how others run their days + what 'a day in the life' looks like for them. to learn from others how they balance life and to pick up a piece of advice along the way.

it's such a sweet spot in raising babies when you get to a good ol' routine and stay there for just awhile :) 

Xoxo

-Brittney

follow along on instagram @brittneyhjelseth