Baby It's Cold Outside Baby Shower

Baby It's Cold Outside Baby Shower

Friday, January 20, 2023

My mom, my mother in law and my sister in law hosted my baby shower in early November and went with the theme of "Baby It's Cold Outside". I know having a baby shower for your second kid is taboo, but when I was pregnant with Merloe it was the height of covid so I didn't get a real baby shower with her, we just did a drive by shower (which was also a great experience). But I'm so thankful they were willing to still shower me and baby boy with extra love!

We all met up weeks prior to talk about the shower and what food we should serve, games we should play and what vendors to use. Luckily I had won a contest on Instagram for a free room rental at a local event space called The Grey Room. Their rental included so much like the tables, chairs, white or black linens, balloon arch, bowls, catering items and even some décor. They added a Christmas tree to our room to go along with the theme!

  

Balloon Garland designed by It's Poppin' Events // Shop Outfit Details Here

 

Cake Pops and Cookie Decorating Kits produced by The Sweet Treats Emporium

 

We played a few games including a diaper raffle, which is a must in my opinion! We got so many diapers and wipes which is so helpful to get you through those first few months. We included the Diaper Raffle cards in the invitation but had extras on the table if someone forgot theirs. This 'Letters to Santa' mailbox matched perfectly with the theme and doubled as our raffle drum. The winner received a gift basket with fun holiday baking items from Williams Sonoma. 

Our other game was a "Kisses Guessing Game" where guests had an opportunity to guess how many kisses were in the jar. I made these graphics on Canva and printed business cards for them to write their answers on. The winner received the tall glass jar with all the kisses inside. 

The final game we played was a 'Left Right Story' which we found on Pinterest, found here. Guests were seated at their round tables, we placed one gift on the table and as the story was read out loud, guests had to pass the gift left or right. Whoever ended up with the gift at the end of the game won the prize! Prizes were gift bags filled with holiday themed items like a blanket, hot cocoa kit and mug. 

 

We had to have a Hot Cocoa Bar for the party, we rented the dispenser from RSVP Rentals, a local rental company, and we purchased all of the accessories to go with it. The dispenser was filled with warm milk so we had different packets of Hot Cocoa on the top for the guest to choose their flavor. We also provided all the toppings: mini marshmallows, peppermint marshmallows, gingerbread cookies, sprinkles, whipped cream, flavored syrups, crushed peppermint candies and candy canes.

Baby It's Cold Outside Cocoa Sleeves & Cups purchased on Etsy

 

 

We wanted a cute tablescape but also easy cleanup, we found these plates on Meri Meri, the snowflake felt chargers were from Target, we ordered snowflake napkins and put them through a snowflake cookie cutter that doubled as a napkin ring. The utensils came from Amazon, which matched the theme perfectly! We found the candle wreath centerpieces through Costco, which were faux so we could keep them after. The linens also came from RSVP Rentals, we used the 'Storm Velvet' which was a beautiful blend of blue grey. 

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Hopefully this helps you plan your winter themed baby shower!

What games did you play? Did you do a diaper raffle?

Let me know in the comments!

I have included commissionable links on this post. Thank you for supporting me and my family!

Tips for Taking Your Toddler To The Beach

Tips for Taking Your Toddler To The Beach

Friday, May 13, 2022

We just got back from our summer beach trip to Newport Beach, California. Last year we stayed in Dana Point, which was also an amazing trip but so much further to get to the sand. I'll go through why it was better to stay closer to the beach and what we packed to make life easier.

I mentioned last year we stayed in Dana Point, which we loved the area, but we had to drive to the beach every day. The one thing I really loved was the Baby Beach. 

 

Tip #1 - Put On Sunscreen First

It was easier for us to put the sunscreen on before we went outside, knowing she'd be too excited to stop once we hit the sand. Another tip is to buy a makeup brush to apply face sunscreen, we didn't do this but it might've worked better than the stick.

Remember to put the swim diaper on RIGHT before you leave, since it doesn't hold pee. This worked for us since we were steps from the beach, but when we had to drive we wouldn't put the swim diaper on until we got there. Otherwise you'll have a puddle in the car seat when you arrive. 

Disposable Swim Diapers - this brand worked best for us. There's also reusable options if that works better for your lifestyle. For us the disposable is great since it was always full of sand. 

Babyganics Sunscreen - I love that this brand is clean! We used the SPF 50 to rub on her body and we also used their Face Stick (note, this is a little difficult to put on but it works). Another awesome clean brand is ThinkBaby Sunscreen if your store has it in stock!

Sun Bum Lip Balm - we forgot this the first day and quickly ran out to buy some! I haven't found any brand specific for baby lip balm, but this is another good clean brand. 

Tip # 2 - Long-sleeve Sun Protection Swimsuit or Rash Guard

To keep your baby protected from the sun, make sure to bring a sun protection swimsuit. I found a few cute options at Old Navy, Target and Cotton On Kids. If you're putting a cute bikini on your babe, then grab a rash guard to throw on top! I've also listed some coverup options which was nice to protect from the chilly wind. 

Cat & Jack Pink Ruffle Rashguard

Carter's Blue Gingham One Piece Swimsuit - perfect for July 4th!

Old Navy Long-Sleeve Rainbow Stripe Swimsuit

Old Navy Hooded Coverup

Old Navy Bucket Hat

Cotton On Long-Sleeve Floral Swimsuit

 

Tip # 3 - Beach Toys & A Shower Curtain

You heard that right - bring a shower curtain liner! This was probably our best hack. Last year Merloe couldn't walk, but this year she was running into the ocean (which can be quite scary for a first time mom!) But get this, as soon as we (my husband) dug a hole, placed the shower curtain on top and then filled it with water - she didn't want to get out! It became her own mini baby beach. She had water, sand and plenty of toys that kept her busy. 

Shower Curtain Liner - only $3!

Beach Toys - we bought our set from Costco but Merloe loved the water tower, floating boats, shovel and bucket the most! The bucket was perfect for collecting seashells in the morning. 

Pink Beach Toys - cute all pink option!

Tip # 4 - Water & Snacks

Make sure to bring plenty of snacks or pack a lunch if you're going to be out for a while. We used her Bentgo lunchbox and brought water in her insulated water bottle to keep it cool.

Tip # 5 - Beach Chair & Umbrella 

We brought Merloe's white beach chair from our house, which was a bit of a pain since it doesn't fold up easily but she still loved using it. She even used it at the beach house. The week we spent at the beach wasn't too hot, honestly it was more on the chilly side so we didn't need much shade but we did bring an umbrella. Last year we brought the California Beach Co. Tent and it was perfect for a crawling baby, but now I think Merloe is too active to be stuck in a tent so we didn't use it.

Toddler Beach Chair

Collapsible Toddler Beach Chair  - comes with a tray to serve food or snacks, too!

California Beach Co. Tent  - this pop n go play tent is easy to pack and quickly pops up! Again this works great for smaller babies, offers them a safe space to play or nap and even comes with a shade cover. In my opinion you don't need the playpen mattress, but up to you! We put down a beach towel and it worked well.

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Hopefully this helps you plan for your next beach trip with your toddler. Overall, remember to have patience! Going to the beach with a toddler is not easy (or relaxing), just prepare and bring what's needed to have the best experience. We also rented a beach wagon, it didn't work that well in the sand but was still helpful carrying our stuff. You'll create many lasting memories and don't forget to take a family photo of everyone together! 

What other tips or questions do you have? Did I miss your must have beach item?

Let me know in the comments!

I have included commissionable links on this post. Thank you for supporting me and my family!

Disneyland | Baby's First Trip

Disneyland | Baby's First Trip

Saturday, March 12, 2022

I've always dreamed of one day taking my kids to Disneyland for their first time and it finally happened! We planned a Summerhays Family Vacation to Dana Point and spent one of our days at Disneyland. This was a last minute idea so I only had a little time to prepare and research -- "Baby's First Trip to Disneyland" to plan for the best trip ever! 

 

Hotel Stay

We started our morning by arriving around 7:00 AM to the Hilton Garden Inn Anaheim Resort. We ended up getting a hotel room to stay in that night so we wouldn't have to drive all the way back to Dana Point. This ended up working out great because it was a warm summer day, so in the afternoon we went back to the hotel to give Merloe a break, shower and refresh before dinner. The hotel was only a 10 minute walk to the main entrance so it's very close and we felt safe the entire time. Definitely recommend if you're looking for a close hotel that's fairly priced and clean. It just opened recently so everything inside is brand new. 

Ticket Reservations 

We purchased our tickets in advance online and scheduled our date for the parks. Now with Covid restrictions, you have to book far out to confirm your park selection and arrival dates. Our original plan was to just do Disneyland, but the single day passes sold out so we purchased a Park Hopper. The current process for Park Hoppers is you chose your first park of the day (we went with Disneyland) and then you're able to enter the second park (California Adventure) after 1:00 p.m. I think this is their way of managing capacity and keeping guests evenly spread out. Make sure to download the Disneyland app before you go. This is very helpful when scanning your tickets into the park, Virtual Queue process (more on this later), PhotoPass, Dining Availability, Mobile Food Orders (this is key!), Park Hours, Park Map and attraction wait times. 

Disneyland App

Like I mentioned above, once you purchase your tickets download the app so your passes are easily accessible when entering the park. Once you enter, they will give you physical tickets that you'll need to hold on to once you activate your Park Hopper. The Virtual Queue process is a new feature for Disneyland's newest ride - Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance and California Adventure's newest ride - Web Slingers: A Spider-Man Adventure. These passes go QUICK. If you're wanting to ride either of these rides, you have to get a pass through the queue. There's no regular line for them and Fast Passes are currently disabled (for all rides). Depending on what park you're entering first is the queue you're allowed to join. Since we started at Disneyland, I planned on joining the Virtual Queue for Star Wars, which opened at 7:00 AM (one hour before gates). These passes go within minutes so you have to be prepared. What worked for me was to be on the Disneyland app 5 minutes before the queue opened. I turned off my Wi-Fi and refreshed the page every minute until 7:00 AM. I was able to secure 4 passes for an afternoon time. Another great feature of the app is Mobile Food Orders. Since our trip was booked last minute, I wasn't able to get dining reservations so we did a lot of Mobile Food Orders. You can order from a variety of restaurants, then you walk up to the pick up window and show them your code and it's prepared right there! They also have the PhotoPass feature. In the app you'll have a PhotoPass QR Code and to make things simple, take a screenshot of it and set it as your iPhone or Apple Watch background.

Baby Care Center 

Mamas - take advantage of this space! All of the bathrooms throughout Disneyland have changing table stations, but the Baby Care Center was much nicer and more private. They have a Changing Table Room, complete with disposable sheets to lay under baby and easily accessible trash cans to toss those dirty diapers! They also have nursing rooms and feeding areas with highchairs. And if you forget anything, they have a vending machine with diapers, wipes, formula, snacks, sunscreen, pacifiers and more! Plus it's a nice break from the heat. Seth was able to go in and out as well which was nice. He felt comfortable going into the changing room, even though it was mostly moms - dad's are welcome too! We also used this space to rinse out her used baby bottles.

What I Packed

I didn't want to forget anything and not have the accessibility to buy baby items so I brought:

• Diaper Backpack - we had two backpacks, one for diaper/baby items and one for personal items. We would leave the baby backpack in the stroller during rides, but kept our personal items on us at all times.
• Stroller - we invested in the Zoe stroller - absolute must have for stroller naps and sunny days. The expandable canopy was so nice to block the sun from Merloe's face. And it reclines almost flat, giving her the best possible stroller naps! Not to mention it only weighs 11 pounds but still has great basket storage space.
• Lunch Bag - Since it was warm I brought ice packs, cooling towels, cool water and yogurt snacks. I was able to keep this in the basket storage with the baby backpack.
• Stroller Fan
• Cooling Towels 
• Insulated Water Bottle
• Sunscreen
• Baby Bottles
• Formula
• Change of Clothes
• Diapers
• Wipes
• Diaper Cream
• Pacifiers & Clips

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Hopefully this helps you plan your first trip to Disneyland with your baby! I didn't know what to expect but overall felt very comfortable in the parks. We'll definitely go again soon, maybe once the weather cools off. 

What other tips or questions do you have?

Let me know in the comments!

I have included commissionable links on this post. Thank you for supporting me and my family!

6 Month Update

6 Month Update

Sunday, May 23, 2021

I can't believe we have a six month old! Time is really flying by. *cue the tears* I feel like just yesterday we were released from the hospital and now we're closer to toddler years than the newborn phase. 

We're really trying to soak in each moment and milestone. I'm excited for her to start crawling, but I'm enjoying this wobble phase. I can't wait to see her chase the dogs, but I love watching her roll around with Poppy. (Side note: Poppy is SO good with Merloe. Poppy will bring her ball over to Merloe waiting for her to throw it. They will be the best of friends pretty soon!)

 

At Merloe's 6 Month checkup she was 27.5" long (94%), 17 lb. 5 oz. (69%), and 17.2" head circumference (84%). At our previous checkup she was measuring tall too, which is so funny since Seth and I are on the shorter side. Our Pediatrician explained how they estimate the height of each baby and said she'll probably slow down soon. But then when we came back she was still measuring tall. Who would've thought! Remember when you're pregnant and you take the Old Wives Tales test to guess the gender? I feel like it's the same with genetics. "So and so said that if you take the average height of the mom's father, that'll be the height..." Only time will tell! She's currently wearing Size 3 diapers and 6-12m clothing.

She is a roly poly and quick! When she first started rolling, she would only roll from back to front. I think she was afraid to fall on her head. But now she's a professional, rolling from one side of the room to the other. We really have to keep an eye on her to make sure she doesn't roll onto the tile. And as soon as we lay her down to change her clothes, she'll immediately flip over. She doesn't mind hanging out on her tummy either! 

 

Lately she's been extra fussy and if you've met Merloe, you would know her personality is really chill. Very calm and happy. So when she starts fussing I know it's unusual. We think it's teething, her bottom two teeth feel like they're getting close to coming in. Our Pediatrician said it will probably start happening soon and not to worry too much about the pain, she'll be able to handle it. Sometimes we'll give her this teething oil or teether pop to help relieve the pain for a little bit. When we squeeze the oil into her mouth, she sucks it up like a little guppy fish!  

She loves to play with toys that light up, play music, and randomly loves chewing on tags. She's really good at entertaining herself while she plays, too. She also loves to "read" her board books. Her favorite toys include her Jellyfish Musical Toy, Banana Teether, Stacking Cups, and of course Sophie the Giraffe. She also loves her pacifiers! We'll give them to her for naps and bedtime. And then occasionally throughout the day if needed, especially lately with the teething. She's really good about putting it back in her mouth all by herself, so we'll leave a few extras in her crib so she can find one in the middle of the night!

When she gets excited, she starts kicking her legs. Her laugh still sounds like "heh" unless you really get her going she'll belly laugh. Her tickle spots include her chest near her shoulders, on her thighs and her belly. When we blow air on her face or her head she gasps, like she's shocked and doesn't know where it's coming from. She giggles at any animal noises. And she recently started tilting her head back and squinting her eyes like she's shy or embarrassed -- so funny! She'll look over if you call her name, you might have to say it a couple of times but she knows. She also loves to look at anything yellow, we think that'll be her favorite color! 

We've started introducing foods. I want to try BLW (baby led weaning) but I'm nervous so we're starting with some purees until I feel more comfortable. We've tried Little Spoon purees, which she didn't love. I think because it was her first food and the texture, not necessarily the puree itself. We started BLW with banana, which she loved holding and playing with but not putting in her mouth. Then we tried avocado by slicing it into a long stick length and she kept bringing it back to her mouth! The first food she actually kept wanting to eat. We did some mashed avocado too, she loved it all. 

 

At her past checkup, her Pediatrician said she still had some cradle cap and suggested using a small amount of Head & Shoulders shampoo to clear it up. I had been trying to get those last little bits off, but they were stubborn! We took his advice and also started applying Tubby Todd's AOO -- this helped tremendously! I wish I would've done it sooner. First use the Head & Shoulders shampoo with this scrub brush, then I use this set to brush her hair before applying the Tubby Todd.

She's a great napper, we usually have to wake her up from her naps. But at night, she's waking up at least once. Our Pediatrician gave us the go ahead on letting her cry it out, but we're not ready quite yet! We have her sleeping in the bathroom (LOL) so she can't see us but is still close by. This has really helped with all of the little wakings throughout the night. She'll put herself back to sleep most of the time. She usually wakes up around 1:00 a.m. - 2:00 a.m. for a bottle, then goes right back down until it's morning. I can always tell she's sleeping hard when she tucks her hands behind her head and doesn't budge. Here's a little look at what her schedule has been like lately:

7:00 a.m. - Wake 

7:20 a.m. - Bottle 

9:10 a.m. - Nap 1 (1.5 hours max.)

10:40 a.m. - Wake

11:00 a.m. - Bottle 

Noon - Nap 2 (1.5 hours max.)

1:30 p.m. - Wake 

2:00 p.m. - Bottle 

4:30 p.m. - Nap 3 (30-45 minutes max.)

5:00 p.m. - Wake 

7:30 p.m. - Bedtime Routine (Bath, Lotion, Pajamas, Sleepsack, Bottle, Book, Pacifier)

8:00 p.m. - Bedtime 

*Disclaimer: She does not nap exactly to this schedule (other than her first nap and bedtime.) We're flexible with her day depending on how long she naps or based on her sleepy cues. 

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Traveling With A Baby

Traveling With A Baby

Monday, May 10, 2021

Traveling with a baby for the first time? Us too! And let me tell you...traveling with a baby is quite the TRIP. I recently heard someone say, "Traveling with a baby is a TRIP, traveling with just your husband is a VACATION" and it couldn't be more true! We traveled to Salt Lake City, UT to visit my grandparents and extended family so it was a quick flight, but wow also very exhausting. For being so little, Merloe needed so many things. I'm sure some of the items we brought weren't a necessity, but I think they also made our trip more enjoyable. Don't get me wrong, we will definitely travel with her again but we might have to extend it longer than 4 days. 

I figured I would write about our experience for other families looking to travel and give you more insight on how it was to travel with a baby during a pandemic. I feel like everything is slowly reopening and getting back to normal, which is good but also made for busy travel days. Since all events were cancelled last year, we actually had flight credit through Southwest so we decided it would be a good time to test flying with Merloe on a quick flight before attempting a longer flight like Hawaii. At the end I'll also link our travel favorites so you can stock up before your next trip.

 

BOOKING TICKETS & AIRPORT

Like I mentioned above, we had credit to fly through Southwest. We love flying Southwest, especially with the free checked bags. I figured we would need to utilize that more with Merloe's bags so it's definitely a perk to consider when booking. We also considered flying around her nap schedule but since she's still so young it changes day to day. We booked a direct flight during the day, we felt like it would be easier to do one flight and we thought during the day other travelers might be more forgiving with a crying baby compared to a red eye. For this trip, my mom actually drove down the day before us so we had her take some of our luggage to lighten the load. When booking tickets, infants under 2 fly free -- as long as they're sitting on your lap. We figured since it would be a quick flight we didn't mind. We looked into buying her a seat, since it is more safe for them to be buckled into their car seat but it cost just as much as our ticket and we weren't willing to make the splurge. (Side note: After flying with her, I would purchase a seat for a longer flight, but if there are empty seats on the flight they will let you use one for free!) When you book your child's ticket they ask for her information, it also mentions calling but when we did they didn't really do anything for us just gave us pricing if we wanted to purchase her seat. When you arrive to the airport you will need to go to the Ticket Counter with a copy of their birth certificate to show the agent. (We brought a real certificate and a copy, but they only needed to see the copy. You still get to keep it.) 

We showed up to the airport 2 hours before our flight. And good thing, because the airport was so busy. It took almost 30 minutes just to talk to someone at the Ticket Counter. So give yourself that extra time. We checked her pack n play, which counted as one of our two free bags. We didn't buy anything special to protect it and they mentioned they're not liable for any damages. (Note: there was no damage and it was waiting on the side of the luggage carousel when we arrived.) We decided to push her stroller and car seat through the airport and check it at the gate.

At Security they had us unload the stroller, put all bags and electronics through the conveyor belt. They also asked me to remove Merloe from the stroller and carry her through. She was asleep, so that was a bummer having to wake her up. We also used a baby carrier through the airport, which she loved! They scanned her stroller on the side. We only feed her formula now but they didn't check any of it. We brought 3 containers (6 oz. each) worth of formula powder and 3 empty bottles. You do have to get water for the bottles once you're through Security. I've heard if you have breastmilk they will test it, but you can definitely bring it through. 

 

FLIGHT

Once you arrive to the gate, be sure to check in with the agent at the gate window. They will give you a special tag for your checked stroller and car seat. We purchased the travel bags for our UPPAbaby Vista Stroller and UPPAbaby Mesa Car Seat because they cover any damages made by the airline. The bags weren't too expensive and gave me peace of mind knowing they would be safe after we picked them up. While we waited for the plane to arrive, Seth packed up the stroller and car seat in the travel bags so they were ready to quickly drop at the door as we got onto the plane. If you leave them at the gate, they don't count toward your checked bags. Some of the passengers did not cover their strollers and they seemed to come out ok, but I wasn't willing to risk it. There are other travel bags if you're looking for something a bit cheaper.

Before we left, we asked our pediatrician about flying. His advice was to give her a pacifier or bottle during take off and landing. This will help with their ears popping. Our flight leaving Las Vegas was actually delayed and it was during her nap, so she fell asleep as we were boarding the flight. When flying Southwest if you have children you're allowed to board a little early. If you're familiar with their boarding process, A Group goes first, then families, then B Group and so on. We tried to check in early  to get A Group, but it was completely full so we were thankful to at least get on somewhat earlier. Once we got seated, I kept our diaper bag under my chair for easy access. Seth had some of Merloe's items in his backpack too. The only thing I wish we would've packed more of was her bottles. Because the flight was delayed we used her last bottle during take off. I would've liked to have an extra for back up, but we ended up not needing another one. We did purchase and bring this Bottle Brush Travel Kit, but I had packed it so we didn't have it in the airport.

She was sound asleep as we sat down, but then the pilot came on to make an announcement and she woke right up! We used Babyganics Hand Sanitizer Wipes to wipe down anything she might touch: window panel, arm rests, seat belt, tray table, seat back in front of me. We clipped her pacifier to her shirt and any toys we brought out we tried to clip them to her too. I found this Busy Baby Mat with detachable tethers, you can also use this on their high chair. Around the last 15-20 minutes Merloe finally fell asleep -- surprising? We made sure she had a pacifier as we landed and she slept through the entire thing. Getting on and off the plane is a little tricky with a baby, diaper bag and wearing a mask but definitely doable! I wish we could've given her the little Southwest Airlines wing clips, but the agent said they didn't really do them anymore. I did keep her ticket as a keepsake! 

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I hope our experience was helpful for you and eased any anxiousness you might have. I was definitely anxious, but some advice I've heard: the flight is only temporary, you can't control your baby no matter how many tricks you try and the best tip of all -- you'll probably never see anyone on that flight again! So if there are other passengers getting upset, just brush it off and know your doing the best for your baby in that moment!

I have included commissionable links on this post. Thank you for supporting me and my family!

First Valentine's Day | Kisses Countdown

First Valentine's Day | Kisses Countdown

Thursday, January 28, 2021

Even though Merloe is only 3 months old, we're still celebrating all the holidays! With Valentine's Day around the corner I thought it'd be fun to create a Valentine's Day countdown. This was a craft my mom did for my class in Elementary School -- I still remember it to this day! I'll have to try and find some photos.

It's a fun an easy craft, plus it includes chocolate! Who doesn't love chocolate?! And let's be real... this is for mom and dad to enjoy.

  

heart balloons / sherpa chair / onesie / tutu / hair bow

Materials Needed:

Plastic Wrap - cut 32" long

Hershey Kisses & Hugs

Yarn

Paper

Heart Printable 

Tape

click the 'kisses 25 cents' photo and print

Instructions:

Cut plastic wrap in half, about 6" wide

Lay plastic flat and gather at the top 

Tie your first string about 2" from the top -- this will leave space for the heart printout

Then place a Hershey's Kiss and wrap the plastic around it

Tie off with another piece of string

Continue until you have 14 days -- be sure to keep the kisses tight in line so you have enough space

Tie off the end with a cute bow

Print heart and place at the top

Hang in your home and enjoy a Hug & a Kiss each day until Valentine's Day!

    

I have included commissionable links on this post. Thank you for supporting me and my family!

0-3 Month Favorites | Merloe's Must Haves

0-3 Month Favorites | Merloe's Must Haves

Tuesday, January 12, 2021

After a lot of trial and error for Merloe's first few months of life, we quickly figured out what items we LOVED and a few others that just didn't work for our family. I thought I'd save you the trouble (and money) and let you know what items are truly worth it!

  
Oatmeal Footie (similar) / Black & White Bow  featuring sleepy eyes

Sleeping

Ollie Swaddle - This worked so well for us, we ended up ordering another one to have on hand for any bedtime accidents. It's easy to use with velcro tabs, soft and stretchy. It's important to swaddle your babe correctly or they could pull the fabric over the mouths while sleeping. This one is currently out of stock, but I've also heard great things about the HALO sleep sack swaddle, another velcro option! Plus it makes midnight diaper changes a breeze.

Hatch Sound Machine - You can control the sound, volume and light color/brightness from your phone. This was especially nice if I needed to increase the volume while I was running around the house. 

VAVA Monitor - After doing a lot of research I decided to go with a monitor without wi-fi. I've heard too many horror stories about hackers watching babies. Plus I'm always on my phone so I wanted to be able to have the monitor propped up next to me while working.

Owlet Sock - I wasn't planning on registering for this because it's a little pricey, but my mom won it for me in a contest and it's the best invention ever! This allows mom and dad to sleep with some peace of mind that baby is ok. Merloe makes so many noises when she sleeps and at first I would get up and check her so often, I was exhausted. Now using the Owlet sock it'll alert us if her oxygen levels or heart rate drops below the normal rate. Users have mentioned false alarms, but so far we haven't had any alarming issues. There have been a few times where the sock comes loose and it alerts us with a loud but calming lullaby so you don't panic right away. MUST HAVE!!

Changing Area 

Wipe Warmer - So many people say this is not worth it, but I really love having it! Those wipes are cold, especially at night. And I'll do anything to keep my babe calm during a middle of the night diaper change. 

Tubby Todd All Over Ointment - Merloe had a little bit of baby acne, which is common, on her nose and cheeks. I had heard so many good things about Tubby Todd's All Over Ointment and it cleared her up within days! Now we use it daily on her face. It's unscented and even works on mommy's skin - double win!

Boogie Wipes - We got these as a baby shower gift and I really thought they were used for older kids but we've used them multiple times! It's easy to just swipe her nose and get her little boogies out. 

Nail Trimmer - I was so nervous to trim Merloe's nails and at first I tried a regular baby nail file/clippers. Until I found this! It makes it so easy to file her nails and doesn't hurt at all if you miss the nail and skim the top of her finger. I even tried it on myself and it's so soft. I try to do it while she's sleeping and she doesn't even notice!

Toys 

Kick & Play Piano Gym - We originally bought a different one, but this one allows her to kick the piano with her toes. She loves it! This allows me to finish a few things while she's playing. Not the cutest toy but totally worth it! 

Black & White Flash Cards - Black & white images help develop baby's eyes! This pack comes with cards for each age range -- 0-3 months, 3-6 months, 6-12 months and 12-36 month cards. 

Bouncer - We recently picked this up and it's a game changer! Merloe loves to look at the dangling toys and is completely entertained. It's nice to have on hand while I'm trying to get ready and lightweight so it's easy to move around the house. 

Diapers & Wipes

Huggies Little Snugglers Diapers  - We tried a few other brands including The Honest Company, Seventh Generation and Pampers but we ended up loving Huggies! She's barely had any diaper rash and they seem to keep everything inside...minus a few big blowouts!

Huggies Natural Care Sensitive Wipes 

Water Wipes - I haven't personally tried these but have heard great things if your babe is extra sensitive!

Those are our top items for 0-3 months. I hope that helps you with your registry or
if you know a new mama to be, these are great gift options! 

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Did I miss any of your favorites? What toys or gadgets did your babe like?

Let me know in the comments!

I have included commissionable links on this post. Thank you for supporting me and my family!

Nordstrom Anniversary Sale

Nordstrom Anniversary Sale

Monday, August 3, 2020

It's finally here! The Nordstrom Anniversary Sale has always been one of my favorite sales of the year. A perfect time for Nordstrom Cardmembers to grab Fall items at a discounted rate. Typically I would stock up on work wear BUT times have changed and that's no longer needed right now. So I'm going to focus on items for baby and potentially add a few early Christmas gifts for family. There are thousands of items on sale, so I've gathered my favorites from each category so it's easy for you to add to your cart! 

Just a reminder, here are the shopping dates depending on which tier you are with Nordstrom (if you don't have a card, you can start shopping August 19, prices go up on August 31):

ICONS | August 4-18

AMBASSADORS | August 7-18

INFLUENCERS | August 10-18 

INSIDERS | August 13-18 *This is me! Anyone with a card can automatically shop at this time.

EVERYONE | August 19-30

As always, the links below are commission. Thank you for supporting me and my family!

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It's a GIRL!

It's a GIRL!

Thursday, July 16, 2020

We are so excited to announce that baby Turner is a GIRL!

We ended up doing a little "Gender Reveal" party with our closest family and friends about a month ago at my parent's home. We also had many others on ZOOM for a virtual party so they could join in, too! With everything going on in the world, I was still a little nervous to surround myself with a large group of people so we kept it small and simple.

I decided to go with a 'Twinkle Twinkle Little Star' theme and ordered invites and signage through Etsy. It was so easy to print at my local print shop and curbside pick up once it was complete. I also ordered a lot of decorations through Amazon! We ordered pizza and of course had to have a Nothing Bundt Cake, I just added a gold moon cake topper and glitter stars to the bundtinis for a more custom look.

Seth and I were both surprised it was a girl. I think we just thought the odds of having a boy were greater so we had that in the back of our minds the entire time! Now that I can buy all the cute baby girl clothes it's starting to feel more "real" and Seth has come around to the idea of raising a little girl. He's nervous since he's only been around boys growing up, but I'm nervous too! As first time parents I know it'll be a journey regardless and we are just over the moon about raising a little girl.

I wish we would have been able to have everyone join us in person for this milestone celebration, but all of our friends and family have made us feel so loved and comforted during this time. We've already started receiving many cute gifts for baby girl! Now it's time to work on the nursery!

PS. I ordered this dress for our reveal party, it's not maternity but I just wore a Large and had plenty of room so I can continue to wear it for the next few months. They have so many cute options if you're looking for a Gender Reveal dress or even something for a Baby/Bridal Shower.