prepping for hawaii + jord giveaway

we leave for H A W A I I (eek!) in just 3 days!

to say we are excited is a complete understatement. we booked the trip seven weeks out from going and since the minute we booked it, it's all we've been looking forward to. especially harper. the girl talks about going to hawaii nearly every day. and I'm certain she has no idea what is to come. 

though traveling and vacationing with two littles under the age of three will not be easy, brandon and I are so excited to share this week with our babes and to watch harper's excitement over the week. priceless moments ahead.

packing for four of us for eight days a way, is so.much.work. I've put so much thought into what we do and don't need to take along with us. in preparation for traveling & vacationing with the babes, we're doing our best to bring what we need to make it a little easier on all of us. gosh- there is so much stuff when traveling with kids!!! but I'd rather bring what we need to make vacationing a bit better too. so it's a love-hate as we load our suitcases and pack the car to the brim.
everything and the kitchen sink filling up our bedroom and suitcases as we get closer to leaving.
car seat travel bags. portable DVD player. snacks. travel highchair seat. pack 'n play. monitors. white noise machine. stroller. clothes, shoes, suits, toiletries x4.
...but the most important coming along with us is my mom! we are so happy (and thankful!!) to have her coming with us. the memories of this vacation will stick with us forever.

I'm not too much of an accessories girl. I'm kinda the simple, everyday jewelry wearer. it's always my wedding ring (of course), the diamond earrings brandon got me for my birthday, and my harper + tanner name stamped necklace.

so needless to say, I'm not one to shop much for earrings, bracelets, necklaces, watches, ect. though I do love them when they are gifted to me! ;) haha

well when I was approached by JORD I wasn't quite sure if it were a fit for me. but then I took a look at what they had and I was very impressed by their watches! being on the simple side of accessories, I found one that just spoke to me and I love this watch! it's simple, yet unique so I can wear it with nearly any anything.

they have both men's + women's wood watches so the options are there for all.

what a great mother's day gift one of these watches would make! hint, hint: mother's day is just 17 days away!! ;)

I was very impressed with the presentation of the box my watch came in. that makes it all the better for gift giving. no wrapping necessary! :)


>>>>GIVEAWAY CLOSED<<<<

JORD has been so gracious to be giving one lucky winner $100 towards any watch of their choice!

ENTER THE GIVEAWAY HERE!!

and BONUS anyone who enters will receive $25 towards a watch. so that makes for us all to be winners here :)
**the contest: ends 5/14. so click the link and enter before then!!
 **giveaway $$$ (the winner's $100 code and the $25 for everyone who enters codes) will expire: 7/31.


being just a few days out from leaving, I would love to know anything else you think would be helpful to pack along! as far as travel tips go too cause we need all the help we can get! a five hour flight with a not even three year old and a 9 month old... ahhh please pray for us!!

Xoxo

-Brittney

follow along on instagram @brittneyhjelseth

our table || toddler meal ideas || re-play giveaway

first, I gotta say so far i've been pretty lucky with good eating children.
I know it's not that way for all you mamas. keep trying with those picky eaters and don't give up!
 boy can harper eat! and thankfully it hasn't ever been a real struggle to get her to do so. so far, (and I know this can change-though I don't foresee it happening!) tanner has been a pretty good eater too. I'm already seeing a glimpse into our future of feeding a growing boy and it sounds expensive!

both kids pretty much accept what we give them to eat at meal times. and quite honestly, if they don't like what they're given... well, I'm not one to run and fix something else :) 

ya kinda get what mom makes in this house.

tanner eats some of what we eat and then some simple, whole foods too. like fruit, bread, yogurt, ect. paired with what might be suitable from what the rest of us are eating.

harper 100% eats what brandon and I eat. it's busy enough making meals 3+ times a day, that I'm not about to fix her something separate. that's how it's always been, and that's what has worked for us :)

breakfast and dinner are pretty simple. but lunch can be one meal that I can run short on ideas. it's the meal of the day where we generally aren't all eating together and the only meal I'm making at the moment is for harper. (I've developed a bad habit for myself of just snacking though lunch. with the busyness of the kids and the day, I find it challenging to stop and get myself to stop and eat an actual meal. working on it!!)

***dietitian tip: in general (for all meals), I try to include fruit/veggie, protein, whole grains***

---breakfast items: eggs (scrambled, fried, boiled), whole wheat toast, fruit, oatmeal, yogurt, nut butter toast with strawberries

---dinner: too much variety to list here, but whatever is for dinner, that's what harper has.

so here are some toddler lunch ideas (that you could also carry into some breakfasts and dinners too) that I commonly feed harper!

--and how about these re-play plates! I loooveee them!--

1 //  grilled turkey + cheese sandwich made on whole wheat bread + watermelon

2 //  hard boiled egg + whole wheat crackers + strawberry & banana slices

3 //  ham + cheese sandwich made on whole wheat bread with lettuce, tomato, and mayo + apple slices

4 //  pb+j made with natural peanut butter on whole wheat bread with apple slices

5 //  veggie bites (I buy these at costco and harper loves them!! as does tanner) :) with whole wheat crackers + cucumber slices

chicken nuggets (made with breast meat) and annie's mac+cheese also make their way into the rotation :)

curious on any other things we might eat/feed our children-- just as me! I am more than willing to share!


I've been so happy with these re-play products! great quality, the dishes are deep enough to keep food on the plate rather than sliding over the edge ;), and there are so many fun colors!
Re-Play is graciously giving away a feeding set in any color to one lucky winner! just head over to my instagram (@brittneyhjelseth) to enter! giveaway runs thrusday, april 20th through thursday, april 27th. the winner will be announced by the following friday morning!

and BONUS in the meantime for all my readers/followers, use code: JustUsHjelseth2017 for 15% off of $20!!
www.re-play.com
I will most certainly be using my own coupon code for myself! :)
code expires 4.27.17

Xoxo

-Brittney

follow along on instagram @brittneyhjelseth

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

30 weeks | pink blush giveaway

three quarters of the way (+/- a little) to meeting our baby boy!

if I've said time has flown by before, I know I will be saying it in a couple of months when we have our little one in our arms! just two months left! say what?! gets me a little (ok a lot) sentimental thinking of allll the changes to come for my little family!

he has been all over the place today. left. right. high. low. using up allll of his space and making me oh so aware of it :) 

with a 30 week bump + one that is not little, finding clothes to wear can be a challenge!

Angela and I went shopping this weekend to look for some good Hawaii clothes for our vacay (next week!) and boy was it frustrating! with a dressing room full of tops + dresses + skirts- I would call it a fail... our 'usual' go-to clothes do not fit well over these baby bumps! 

it's all about the fit and the style. I like to go the more fitted route. tops and dresses that don't hang loosely from the ta-tas to the hips where there's question to where one may begin and the other end. ya know what I'm sayin here?? a little bit of shape still please!

I love this dress from Pink Blush!

it's fitted enough up top. the waist line is in just the right place. it's cute. lightweight enough for hot days. and it is comfortable! because comfort is just as important as the fit!

it will most certainly be packed up in my suitcase for Hawaii!

details at the bottom of this post for how to enter to win a $75 gift card to Pink Blush!

they aren't only maternity wear! they have everything. the cutest women's (non-maternity clothes), jewelry, shoes, bags, tons of baby gear/accessories, and goodness so much more!

this giveaway is for everyone + could be used for some great gifts too!

(scroll to the bottom on how to enter)

banner // hooray everyday
dress c/o pink blush

How far along? 30 weeks

Total weight gain: 30 pounds (and my app says baby will triple his weight over these last few weeks!) hopefully I don't do the same ;)

Maternity clothes? most certainly. a combo of maternity and non maternity that happen to be stretchy and longer fits. whatever is most comfortable (and clean) ;) at the time.

Sleep: give me all that I can get. I'm still able to sleep well at night and napping when able. I was talking to Brandon this week and gave myself permission to stop feeling the guilt of napping. it's been a struggle! I feel that I ought to be more productive rather than sleeping... b u t reminded myself to take advantage of it now because I certainly won't be catching up on sleep when the baby is born! so, sleep? yes. it's a big part of my life lately.

Best moment this week: oh little one has been so active! it's my favorite thing feeling him all throughout the day. I love to try imagining how he's placed in there and picturing him moving his little long arms + legs. most certainly long! thanks 6'6" hubby ;)

Current symptoms: really just that third trimester uncomfortableness kicking in. nothing in particular to complain about though. for quite a few weeks now, I've been noticing some braxton hicks here and there throughout the days. it isn't anything that causes me great discomfort, but I notice some lower back ache when having them. that's exactly how they were with Harper too.

Looking forward to: HAWAII!! only one week away! so darn excited for this, but it will be my first time being away from Harper over night and I know that part of it is going to be very tough on me... at least I'll be in paradise :)

Love this dress as much as I do?? Pink Blush has been so kind as to offer up a $75 gift card! Head on over to my Instagram (@brittneyhjelseth) to enter the giveaway! 

giveaway ends Friday (5/6) at 10pm MST and the winner will be announced on Saturday.

Xoxo

-Brittney