toddler Archives | happily trista

August 14, 2019

an honest review of raddish: a cooking box for kids

This post is sponsored by raddish; however, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Some of my favorite memories as a kid are in the kitchen with my mom. Half the time the things I was “cooking” were not edible. But she’d let me measure and mix and create to my heart’s content. Then there were times she cooked and I was able to help her by adding in some of the ingredients and I felt so grown up. When we received…

July 22, 2019

fall clothing for toddler boys

I always thought shopping for boys would never be as much fun as shopping for a little girl. I was so wrong! It may be over 90° here, but I have already seen such cute pieces for fall popping up and the deals are good! I just couldn’t help but round up some of my favorites that I’ve spotted so far. 1 | 2 | 3 | 4…

June 25, 2019

free splash pads in the quad cities

Last year I discovered the convenience of the splash pad. I don’t have to get in the water with my kids like I do when we go to the pool, which makes getting us ready and out the door easier. They still get to run around and work off energy, but I don’t have to commit to spending hours in the water. The best part? There are quite…

April 13, 2019

blaire turns 5 | ben turns 2

This spring both of our babies have celebrated their birthdays, with Blaire turning five and Ben turning two. They both have such strong-willed personalities. They LOVE to play together, but also play well separately because, well, they both want to get their own way. I hope Ben always enjoys having multiple mothers because Blaire is always watching him. She inspects the age for every toy he gets, even…

February 15, 2019

indoor fun at altitude trampoline park

Thank you to Altitude Trampoline Park for sponsoring this post. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

We went to our local Altitude Trampoline Park for the first time and the kids had so much fun! I wasn’t sure how much Ben would like it, since he isn’t quite two yet. And while we wasn’t the best jumper, he LOVED the foam pits. We were there for about 60 seconds before he dove right in to one and climbed all the way over to the…

January 13, 2019

ben: 19 months

Weight/Height: 22.5lbs / 32″ Wearing: 18 months / 18-24 PJS and 12 mo or 18 month clothing. Saying: My favorite things he is saying right now are “K!” and “Ya!” Favorite Things: His sister, anything I’m trying to drink. I love that he is always thinking about his sister. He always gets in the fridge and gets an apple sauce for both of them, then runs the apple sauce over to…

December 31, 2018

easy, healthy snacks for toddlers on the go

This post is sponsored by Keurig Dr. Pepper but the content and opinions expressed here are my own.

I thought it took me forever to get out of the house before becoming a mom. Boy, was I in for a surprise. When you have young kids, packing up to leave the house can be overwhelming. You have an overflowing bag, yet feel like you’re forgetting something. When we’re running out the door, I don’t have time to wash a sippy cup or pack up a bowl of…

December 3, 2018

christmas pjs for babies, toddlers & kids

Holiday pajama time has to be one of my favorite times of the year, especially now that I can find matching styles for two kiddos. To top it off, it seems like 2018 is the year of the matching family pajama! It makes my coordinating heart so, so happy. Where are your favorite places to find cute holiday pajamas at a great price? Pin the image below…

December 3, 2018

the gift guide for toddler boys: want, need, wear, read

Our favorite way to break up the gifts we buy for our kids is into four categories – Want, Need, Wear and Read. They get one from each category. Then the rest of the items on their lists go onto the gift registries we create for them online. It helps to eliminate the random junk we end that ends up in the garbage after a few weeks. Ben…

December 3, 2018

the gift guide for preschool girls: want, need, wear, read

It’s that time of year again… when parents drive themselves crazy over gifts. I love to surprise my kiddos with gifts throughout the year, which means they really don’t need a ton come Christmas time. Our home is already packed full of the latest toys. Over the past few years we have made online lists (basically registries) for the kids for Christmas and their birthdays because I am…

September 17, 2018

blaire: 4.5 years old

Nicknames: Blairsey, Sweetie Pea, Baby Girl Height/Weight: 42.1″ (53 percentile) | 42lbs (78 percentile) Learning: Blaire started school the week before Labor Day and she is loving it! She already is sounding out words while she plays games on her iPad or when we’re reading books. She talks about God more to us and also has started using new words and then telling us what they mean. She loves making new…

August 27, 2018

why you should let your toddler help with chores

This post is sponsored by Bona but the content and opinions expressed here are my own.

Get kids involved in chores and cleaning

Back in June, my brother sent me a link to a story about getting your children to help around the house without resenting it. The title of the article was interesting to me because both of my kids show an interest in helping around the house, Ben loves to clean the kitchen floor with our mop (it’s adjustable so we can make it his size!) and Blaire loves…