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  • I’ll take 3 more of her. #happilytrista
  • these first few smiles are literally the best thing ever. when you realize how happy you make a tiny person. when you see their face light up because they love you so much. then you fast forward 2.5 years and they’re demanding brownies and cheetos for lunch. 😬😬😬 #sixweeksold #happilytrista
  • (sponsored) When you become a parent, there are so many new things to learn about and I feel like each person latches on to something they’re passionate about / can’t stop reading and learning about. For me? That’s car seats! Thankfully some states are finally updating their laws to conform to recommendations from the APA. We have tried quite a few different seats and this 3-in-1 Pria seat from @maxicosiusa is the nicest! The chest clip is magnetic, making it easy to clip and unclip with one hand. The straps stay in place thanks to their out-of-the-way spring assist, so no more twisted up straps. And the cushions are both washer AND dryer safe! Yay for no more hang-drying! On top of that, it’s rear-facing up to 40lbs, forward-facing up to 65lbs and then a booster up to 100lbs. #ParentYourWay #PriaMax3in1 #happilytrista
  • 6 weeks of this angel girl ✨ She is still waking up once over night most nights. She just started smiling at us these past few days. She loves tummy time but rolls herself over all of the time so we have to roll her back. She loves to be worn and snuggled. And we have to restrain her brother from kissing her 193739 times per day. 🤪 #happilytrista #newborn #sixweeksold #fourthtrimester
  • We are currently paying the price for last week’s easy bedtimes. I’m trying to get Ben to sleep in his own room. So you can guess how happy he is about that. His yelling has Blaire awake still, she’s been out of her room about 25 times. And Sloane is passed out on the couch. At least someone is asleep. They’re lucky they’re adorable because holy moly I’m tired and just want to veg out on the couch. #gotheftosleep #blairebenandsloane #happilytrista
  • Yesterday was almost 60° and today it “feels like” 21°. We had a handful of fall days and it’s not fair because I’m not ready to skip right to winter. There’s nothing better to get us all out of the house than a walk, especially because wearing Sloane puts her right to sleep. Anywho, trying to squeeze in a nap before we get Blaire from school because once we get home it’ll be a mad dash for me to shower and get everyone ready for Blaire’s first kindergarten parent/teacher conference. AND it’s book fair at her school. Who still gets excited for the book fair? 🤭🙋🏼‍♀️ #happilytrista
  • someone changed out of their pajamas today. it wasn’t me. #happilytrista #rainbowbaby
  • daylight savings vibes... casually pouring coffee in my eyes today. what time were your kiddos awake? #dst #daylightsavingssucks #happilytrista #targetstyle
  • Sorry if this made you yawn. 🤭 I just love that Sloane feels the sleep dust when I’m wearing her, just like Benny did! 💕 Hope you’re having a weekend as great as this girl. She is one month old today! Still waking just at 1:30am most nights to eat... occasionally around 5am, too. When she’s awake she likes to look at lights and stare at mama. Whenever she does tummy time she rolls right over to her back. 🥰 #happilytrista
  • Tried some Pinterest-y nail art while the two older kids were at school this morning... and I’m ready to remove and do something a little less crazy when they’re all in bed tonight. 🤪 Real wild Friday night plans, am I right? • #nailsofinstagram #nailsoftheday #essie #manimonday #happilytrista
  • Sloane’s first Halloween... the one where it snowed 3 inches and was 20° outside. Woody and Jessie lasted about 30 mins trick-or-treating, then they wanted to head home to hand out candy. What was the weather like where you live? And how many pieces of candy do people give out where you trick-or-treat? Here, it’s a tie between “choose two pieces” and “grab a handful.” #blairebenandsloane #halloween #halloween2019 #happilytrista
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November 5, 2019

it’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas

Everstar EZ-Illuminations Super Sparkle lights

One of the most exciting parts of buying a new house is getting to start over with holiday decor! We seriously have so much more space to decorate here than in our old home. In our new neighborhood, everyone decorates their homes to the max, and obviously we can’t be those neighbors with the lame holiday display, so we decided to go with TONS of lights from EZ-Illuminations…

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October 25, 2019

5 ways to prepare for your new baby

Diaper Station

Throughout your pregnancy, you’ll probably go through ebbs and flows of energy. You’ll get some extra energy and with it will come the urge to “nest”. You can take advantage of these times by prepping your home for your new baby! Of course, you’ll want to wash baby’s clothes, get the nursery ready and probably feel the need to clean your house like crazy. But what else? There…

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July 20, 2019

affordable home decor you’d never guess is from walmart

So you know I’ve always had a love for Target. Their home decor is always cute, always changing and typically affordable. And I LOVE that other retailers are stepping up their game. Maybe it’s just me, but when I spy something at a friend’s house and say, “I LOVE that! Where’s it from?” I’m never expecting them to say Walmart. But now I find it happening all the…

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April 20, 2019

our pledge to stop drinking bottled water

Brita Longlast Pitcher

2,000 plastic water bottles are used every second in the US. Let that sink in. Drinking water is really the ultimate healthy choice, yet it is one that is trashing our planet. Plastic water bottles take 450 years to decompose and by 2050, there will be more plastic than fish in the ocean. Thinking about the health of our planet can be overwhelming. What can one small person…

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March 13, 2019

safety checklist with First Alert: 8 things to do in your new home

First Alert 10-Year Combination Smoke & Carbon Monoxide Alarm

I can’t believe it… we are finally in our new home! As you know, I am super cautious when it comes to the safety of my family. For me, that meant creating and going through a safety checklist to make sure everything was in order before we spent our first night in our new home. Replace smoke detectors.  There is no way to know when the batteries were…

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January 31, 2019

blaire’s big girl room / blush & gold

Pink Blush and Gold Girls Bedroom

Blaire is SO excited about her new room. She insisted that it be all LOL Dolls, but we settled on LOL Dolls sheets and everything else we picked out together. Except the globe, the globe was all her.  Her current room was coral and white, and then morphed into other brighter colors when she upgraded from the toddler bed to the larger bed. I’m excited to mute the…

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January 23, 2019

a laundry detergent gentle enough for your family

all® free clear and all® mighty pacs

Having children changes the way you look at so many things in life, especially the things that come into contact with their largest organ: their skin. Luckily for me, nothing had to change when it came to laundering their tiny clothes and bedding, since I’ve always had sensitive skin, I have always used a fragrance-free detergent. I am glad all® free clear detergent gets our laundry clean without…

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January 22, 2019

neutral, minimalist living room

Black and White Minimalist Living Room

We have had our house on the market for over 8 months. Which means we have been holding off on updating our home decor. Any it has been SO hard. Jason has had this living room set for over 10 years. We have slowly accumulated things that are ours and reflect our (/my) taste instead of just his and I love how it’s all coming together. And I…

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December 20, 2018

the easiest way to keep your home smelling fresh

Febreeze Plugs Mediterranean Lavender

Who doesn’t love a fresh smelling home? But with kids and pets, there are so many odors to combat in your home before you achieve the fresh smell you’re looking for. For me, the easiest way to keep my home smelling fresh, is using Febreze Plugs. Febreze Plugs have plenty of fresh scents to choose from and they’re affordable. You can find them at Sam’s, where you can…

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December 5, 2018

9 things to consider when buying a family car

2016 GMC Acadia for a family of 4

There are so many nuances to buying a car for your family that I never had to think about when it was just me. I upgraded from my little compact car to my first “mom car” (a Honda Pilot) when Blaire was a month old. All I saw was more trunk space for the stroller. I also loved that it felt safer than my little car. It was…

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December 2, 2018

favorite children’s christmas books

Favorite Christmas Books for Children and Toddlers

Last year I took a survey of my friends and family to find their favorite Christmas books. I really challenged myself to cut back on the number of festive clothing items I’ve let myself buy for each holiday, but I guess I am now channeling that energy into holiday books. I mean, they don’t outgrow books as quickly as they do clothing, right?! ;) Last year Pick a…

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November 26, 2018

12 easy holiday traditions for your family

Family Game Night

When I think about the holidays, I think of spending quality time together with my family. Even though we have only been married five and a half years, Blaire was born only a few days before our first wedding anniversary, so we have had the past four and a half years to build traditions together for our own little family.  And honestly, they all just came about naturally.…

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  • How many kids do you have? Which transition was the hardest? It may not be the traditional answer, but for me, becoming a mama to one was the hardest. I had NO CLUE what I was in for. The mom guilt. How long it would take to leave the house. The sleepless nights. Breastfeeding. Losing myself in motherhood — feeling like I had to be with Blaire 24/7. Adding Ben and now Sloane to our crew has been so much easier for me. It’s like they just fall in line with the crazy. 🤪 And I think being so much more confident in myself as a mom doesn’t hurt either. 💁🏼‍♀️ #motherhoodishard • #motherhood #momofthree #momof3 #clickinmoms #momtog #thelovelysquares #happilytrista #blaireandben #blairebenandsloane
  • ice cream outside with two of my favorite people. when it’s only 70° outside you can actually eat your ice cream without it melting all over us... and by us I mean them. 👆🏻👆🏻 #blaireandben • #2yearsold #5yearsold #momof3 #motherhoodintheraw #lifegivingsquares #petitejoy #motherhoodrising #ourcandidlife #uniteinmotherhood #mymamahood #seekthesimplicity #sharegood #joyfulmamas #documentlife #dailyparenting #momblogger #honestlymothering #therealparenthood  #thehappycapture #momsofinstagram #mytinymoments #thecreativecollective #realmotherhood #lifestyleblogger #stopdropandmom
  • Prepping for our third baby has been pretty easy so far. I guess when you have an older sister and brother, plus a mama who likes to hold on to everything from her babies, there isn’t a ton of shopping to do. The kids are having fun picking out little gifts to give baby sister in the hospital (something Blaire still talks about from when Ben was born), little toys here and there, PJs, and this @babyeinstein 4-in-1 Kickin Tunes Music & Language Discovery Gym at @target. I wasn’t joking when I said they wanted to test it out! #babyeinstein #ignitecuriosity #socialspotters #blaireandben #happilytrista
  • #ad I can’t believe this girl is heading off to kindergarten! With afternoon pre-k last year, we were lucky to not have to worry about the morning rush. So this year, our go-to is a waffle and a chocolate milk for the ride to school. Horizon® Shelf Stable Chocolate Milk is our favorite since we can easily grab it and go! Spoiler alert: she takes one in her lunch, too. Blaire is so excited, but little brother and I are sad to see her spend so much time away from us. But I am excited to be able to walk her to school and avoid the CRAZY drop-off and pick-up lines while the weather’s still nice, anyways. You can find @HorizonOrganic Chocolate Milk at @KrogerCo and you can even save $1 with this digital coupon (7/24/19 – 8/6/19). And you can stock up because Horizon Organic milk boxes are shelf-stable, meaning you can safely store them in the pantry. Shop now through the link in my bio. #blaireandben
  • Well we don’t have a Nordstrom near us, but we do have an Aldi. Most of their summer items are on clearance and we scored this sweet pool for $7. Winner, winner. 🦄☀️ #blaireandben • #summer #momentsiwanttoremember #aldifinds #motherhood
  • This summer hasn’t really felt like summer yet. 🤨 So when we have an 85° day we make the most out of it with a trip to the pool! How’d you spend your Sunday Funday? #blaireandben
  • another day, another doctors appointment for someone in our crew. today it’s Ben. he was up overnight saying his ear hurt — a double ear infection for him. luckily the kid loves taking medicine and hasn’t let his ears get him down! as long as he’s up moving around they’re fine, but the second he lays down... 😭😭😭. hoping our poor buddy is feeling better tomorrow. do you feel like you need a frequent flier card for your pediatrician? just me? okay. #blaireandben #itsfinewerefine • #uniteinmotherhood #motherhoodintheraw #momentsiwanttoremember #mybabies
  • When your brother is getting big but you still want to hold him... you gotta pinch his butt because he’s so wiggly. 😂😬😍 #blaireandben • #petitejoys  #childhoodunplugged #letthembelittle #ohheymama #tagtheqc #mybeautifulmess #thehappynow  #thepursuitofjoyproject #thatsdarling #livethelittlethings #momentsiwanttoremember #everydaymoments #nothingisordinary #motherhoodrising
  • It is definitely bittersweet to leave the house where we brought both of these babies home. But we are excited for our next chapter as a family of five! #rainbowbaby #blaireandben • #pregnancyannouncement #rainbowbabyannouncement #firsttrimester
  • Last night was our first night in the new house. 👏🏻 We still have lots of stuff to bring from the old house and then lots of cleaning over there before the final walk through and closing next Monday. Then we can focus on getting this house unpacked and organized. But first, I would like a nap. 😴 #blaireandben #happilytristahome
  • The snow that never ends. 🙄🥶 Walked out into the snow this afternoon and one kid loved it, the other not so much. “Wowwww! It’s like a wizard out here.” —Blaire 😂 “Yuck!” —Ben #blaireandben • #bestofmom #momlifestyle #momlifeisthebestlife #motherhoodunplugged #mymotherhood #honestmotherhood #slowmotherhood #mymamahood #midwestblogger #eternalmotherhood #motherhoodintheraw #unitedinmotherhood #motherhoodrising #polarvortex