life lately | hello march

well it was january. for like 75 days. 

and then it was february for about 12.

and now HELLO march!

this post brought on by both kids napping and me feeling like I'm catching my breath from the rampage i've been on trying to kill every little flu bug that may be contaminating my house.

I've never been so worried about a bug/virus as i have been this last week.

brandon came home from work last friday night and it hit him out of no where. we weren't positive if it were the flu or not, well by day 3, he went in and got the official diagnosis.

...my worst fears...

sounds silly, but everyone has been saying how this bug is just SO BAD. and we did not need the kids and I catching it as well.

quarantined him to the bonus room upstairs, while wearing a mask. 

since then i've been disinfecting like a mad woman. all while washing our hands til they're raw. loading up on extra vitamins + fluids + essential oils. and we have for the most part (with exceptions of quick runs for prescriptions and a few groceries) been homebound since.

monday evening harper came down with a fever. it came and went for the next couple of days, never really going higher, and no other symptoms really sticking around long enough to matter too much. and now today she is acting nearly her normal self and NO FEVER all day long.

hesitating to not jump the gun, but i am jumping with joy inside!

tanner and i have yet to show any signs of sickness... so we shall see!

fingers crossed & prayers being said.

MARCH 1ST today and the sun is shinning. although it really won't 'heat up' here in washington for a bit still, i'm eager for some more comfortable temps where we can head outside to play in the afternoons. and i know the kids are too! multiple times a week harper is saying to me "when is summertime coming? it's taking so long!"

into the third month of 2018 and it has felt like a whirlwind. various life things going on, then adding in sickness. i've taken a bit of a 'break' here and there from social media + blogging. and really it has felt nice. and refreshing for my mind too. sometimes it just feels good, right?! and can be so needed. but then again it is so fun too and i get to where i miss my blogging 'hobby' :)

it isn't uncommon for me to request of these two to stop and take a picture quick before we load into the car from leaving the house. well lately both have been running up to the side of the house without a single request from me and standing there for their picture haha!

i turned 29 on february 14th (valentine's day!) and brandon surprised me with a getaway!
lots of time spent at the spay + relaxing + eating.

these little hams. love 'em to death.

SNOW! this was the first of two!

i've still been wanting to share a couple pictures (i'll get there) ;)  probably on insta stories. but we painted a few rooms in our house as well as changed out a handful of light fixtures. things we've wanted to do for quite sometime. it is amazing what paint and fixtures can do to a place!

P H O T O  D U M P:

Xoxo

-Brittney
follow along on instagram @brittneyhjelseth

hjelseth family menu | week 2

k here it is again!

week two :)
(though I meant to post this much sooner - - LIFE hasn't allowed for that to happen) :)

before beginning all this, I always look through our fridge, freezer, and dry foods to get an idea of what groceries we already have. i like to make a list of main food items we have and that need used up and try to work off of that when choosing dinner items. 

this week my list included: broccoli, potatoes, shredded cheddar cheese, frozen spaghetti, chicken breast

:: MONDAY ::

spaghetti + broccoli + garlic bread

:: my favorite spaghetti recipe is HERE. and it makes a TON!!
when I make this, we can actually get F O U R meals out of it! butttt we don't prefer to eat the same spaghetti four nights in a row... so I throw half of it in a freezer ziploc to pull out another week :) which is exactly what happened this week. spaghetti leftovers from two weeks prior X2!
#winning
:: broccoli I steam in the microwave with a little butter + salt
:: garlic bread - i buy the parmesan garlic break from costco,  slice it, put a little butter, garlic powder, parsley, and parmesan cheese on top & broil in the oven for 2 minutes. SO YUM!

:: TUESDAY ::

leftovers!

:: WEDNESDAY ::

out for dinner!

(brandon's dad's birthday)

:: THURSDAY ::

crockpot corn chowder

another favorite I found on pinterest long, long ago!
:: recipe HERE!
so good. especially on these cold winter nights.

:: FRIDAY ::

leftovers!

always counting on leftovers in our house ;)

:: SATURDAY ::

mac + cheese w/ crunchy salad

:: here's my homemade mac + cheese recipe (which is also under the OUR TABLE tab on the blog)

Homemade Mac+Cheese:
ingredients:
 1/2 box of elbow macaroni noodles
1 egg
couple tbsp butter
couple splashes of milk
couple handfuls shredded cheese
1/2 cup bread crumbs
couple tbsp olive oil

directions:
:: cook noodles as directed on package + drain + return to pot on stovetop
:: stir in one whisked egg, the butter, and milk
:: add in shredded cheese. add in what you need to get the amount of cheesy-ness you desire! :)
:: combine + stir until all your cheese is melted (I sometimes will turn the burner on low as I'm doing this)
:: we like ours topped with breadcrumbs, so I combine those with olive oil, and then sprinkle on top after pouring the mac + cheese mixture into a baking dish. crumbled bacon on top would also be sooo good!
:: to brown the top up a little, I put the pan in the oven under broil for just a couple minutes

:: and then the crunchy salad we're repeating again from last week cause it was soooo yummy!

aunt carol's crunchy salad:

SALAD:

2 tbps butter

1 pkg ramen noodles

1/2 cup chopped almonds

handful sunflower seeds

4-6 cups romaine lettuce

2 cups chopped broccoli

some chopped green onions

:: melt the butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. add the uncooked ramen noodles (break them all up), almonds, and sunflower seeds, and saute until toasted light brown (3-4 minutes). let cool.

pour dressing (recipe below) into the bottom of your salad bowl.

add the lettuce, broccoli, green onions, and toasted crunch mix. toss when ready to serve.

VINAIGRETTE:

4 tbsp brown sugar

1 tsp salt

6 tbsp rice wine vinegar

2-3 drops tabasco sauce

1/2 cup olive oil

:: mix all the vinaigrette ingredients with a wire wisk (or just shake all together in a mason jar).

:: SUNDAY ::

leftovers!

enjoy friends!!
hjelseth family menu | week 1

Xoxo
-Brittney

follow along on instagram @brittneyhjelseth

Tanner Ross || 18 months

baby boy! you're not-so baby anymore!
18 months feels so big.
and your personality is just so big right along with your age.
you are growing, shining, exploring, learning, loving, and laughing. all bigger than ever.
we love our tanner boy and kiss your squishy cheeks around the clock.

stats:

weight: 28lbs 15oz (95th percentile)

(birth: 8lbs 2 oz)

height: 36.25 inches (>97th percentile - like wayyy greater haha!)

(birth: 21 inches)

you were commented to being "the most cooperative 18 month old i've ever seen" at your check up :)

you've got two mamas in this house :) as your sister cares for you and refers to you as "my baby". and what's even sweeter, is that a majority of the time you go right along with it. as if you know it's your big sis' job to care for her baby boy.
holding your hand to walk you to where you need to be. oiling your feet & putting your socks on before bed. singing to you and rocking before you go down for sleep. kissing you on the head. and the list goes on, and on. she does it all.
now there's no question you don't always go along with it. there are certainly times where your independence is strong and you're sure you can do it by.your.self.
and that you do.

your independence is bigger than ever. just as we'd expect out of our one and a half year-old :)
feed yourself. sit yourself at the dinner table. unwrap your snacks yourself. put chapstick on by yourself. climb up to the kitchen counter on your stool by yourself. teeth brushing- all you boy.
you are confident in your skills. and I love that about you.
you are also the most responsible little one i've ever met.

cleaning is your thing! so much so that two of your most recent gifts have been a broom/mop/dusting set and a vacuum! all of the "uh-ohhhh" that comes out of your mouth if there's any sort of mess or crumb on the kitchen floor. you point right at it and cannot let it go until it is cleaned up. along with the cleaning, comes shutting cupboard doors, fixing the rug, and putting things back in their place where they belong.
you fit right in in this house and mama and daddy are so proud ;)

E A T
this boy eats! as much as (and sometimes more than) his older sister. who is also a good eater herself!
with some exceptions of course, this boy honestly eats nearly everything we put on his plate. if he's hungry, he eats it. and he eats all the foods we eat as a family.
I would do a favorite foods/least favorite foods list... but I wouldn't have much to go on the 'not as liked" list. but just a 'favorites' will do :)

tanner's favorite foods: raspberries, ham + turkey deli meat, scrambled eggs, spaghetti, cucumber, apples, cheddar cheese, wheat thins, oatmeal, raisins, strawberries, steamed broccoli, mama's homemade caramels, goldfish, popcorn, bacon, bananas, pineapple

S L E E P
recently, as i'm writing this... it's been the absolute best ever, also accompanied by the worst night ever! and when I say worst ever, I have to hold myself from speaking too much cause we have been blessed with a great sleeper over here. though one absolutely random night about a week or so ago- - tanner was up all the live long night. down at 8pm, woke at 11pm, and not back to sleep again until 5:30am(!!)
brandon & I were losing our minds in the night. we tried EVERYTHING.
we've never had that bad of a night with either child, EVER. not even in the newborn days.
but am I ever thankful it was just one fluke night.
his 'regular' is to go to bed by 8pm, and wakes about 7:30am. sleeping all night through.
and it's been that way for months.
as of late, the last few weeks have looked like this:
bed by 8pm, sleep allll night long, wake around 9:30-10:30am.
SAY WHAT!??
a mother's dream right there.
I know he's going through a growth spurt, and it seems his two year molars and trying to make their way here and there. so he has been WIPED!
all of this is accompanied by an afternoon nap from 1-4pm.
(even when he sleeps til 10:30 in the morning!)
I was looking back on harper's post of when she was about this age and she did a very similar sleeping pattern. so interesting to see those similarities.

this last week we have had some struggle with him going to sleep at night where he just does not want to go to bed. it seems he would rather be awake and be with us. but with work (and it has much improved the last few nights. thankfully!) he eventually tires himself out and gives up :)
we've noticed its more so when he didn't get to see daddy much that day cause he calls "da-da, da-da" over and over from his room.

P L A Y
this boy is just running along to keep up with his big sister!
so he is literally into anything and everything. and I've actually started to see a little bit of imaginative play which is so cute. making car + airplane noises is my favorite that he does :)
nonstop until the moment it's naptime.
favorite movie - - MOANA.
turn moana on, and this boy is straight hooked!

F I R S T S
:: first hair cut
:: first play in the snow
:: first walking holiday season

16-18 MONTH  P H O T O  D U M P!

happy 18 months sweet boy!
we love you and your calm spirit.
you are so loved, loved, loved!!

15 months   12 months   11 months   10 months     9 months  8 months    7 months
 6 months    5 months    4 months    3 months    2 months    1 month      birth

Xoxo

-Brittney

follow along on instagram @brittneyhjelseth