Top baby buys: 3-6 months

I feel like babies change sooo much so quickly, so I wanted to do a post on my favorite baby purchases for the last three months (that aren't already listed in my previous post). If you haven't checked out my 0-3 month favorite purchases make sure you check it out because almost all of those are still some of my favorite items during these last few months! During month 3 and 4, Luke started to be SO much more independent and has been a lot more okay with having me set him down and play for a while, which is great for the both of us! I am going to include favorites for both him and I and I'll post links to them all at the bottom! Also, let me know if you guys have any requests on blogposts that you want me to write! I would love to hear your feedback. :)


1. Exersaucer: I have this exact one and love it because it folds down to be completely flat (makes it great for travel!). It also converts to be a table for when he gets older and he can run toys across the top! Luke LOVES things with faces and I picked this one because it has big eyes on all of the characters. It doesn't seem too overwhelming either. For whatever reason, his favorite part of this is the bits of crunchy material on the seat that he grabs and chews on. He usually lets me put him in here for 15-20 min, which is awesome because he can play while I do some chores!

2. Boppy Lounger: This is something that I thought I would have used a lot more early on, but we haven't gotten much use until recently. Luke LOVES being on his back and grabbing his toes right now and with this lounger his head is elevated up just enough where he can see what's going on too! I usually throw a cozy blanket over the top of it and bring it everywhere (it's literally just a pillow so it's super light and makes for an easy spot to set baby down when you are doing chores or even taking a shower!). Plus, it's only $30, which is an amazing price point!

3. Lamb Plush: I got one of these as a gift from my friend after Luke was born. I was initially thinking this would be cute for milestone pictures, but I actually use it ALL THE TIME. We have hardwoods in our living room so it's really nice to have a flat, but cushy surface for Luke to do tummy time or just kick his feet around. I also bring this with me when we travel to change diapers on top of tables or harder surfaces (and throw a towel or blanket over the top). It rolls up to be super compact too.

4. Water Wipes: These are seriously the best wipes ever!! They are made of 99.9% water and 0.1% fruit extract, so they are super gentle on your baby. They always feel really "wet" and I only need one or two for all diapers. Luke has never gotten a diaper rash and I credit Water Wipes for that! They also make great wipes to just have around the house or in your car (to wipe off hands after eating or wipe spills around the car up with!)

5. Extra Diaper Bag: So good for overnight trips! I use one as my actual diaper bag and one with just all of his clothes and some extra toys. You really can use any one, but I have this one from Amazon. It's super affordable & fits quite a bit!

https://tinyurl.com/yd6hsero

6. Manual Breast Pump: This is sooo handy for anyone who is breast pumping and travels! I actually bought this because the motor on my pump went out and I was working the following the day, so I needed to buy something ASAP while I waited for my new pump to come. I hated using it at first because it really is quite a bit more work than the electric pump, but I have found several instances where it has come in handy! If you are going out to a wedding or date night without baby and you are planning on "pumping and dumping" (don't have to worry about storing the breast milk or anything). I went to a wedding and was gone for several hours and stored this in my tiny handbag super easily! It breaks down to be pretty compact so that was great. Also, road trips are a great instance where this comes in handy! If you have to pump to keep your supply up (or stop yourself from becoming completely engorged), but don't really want to stop you can use this in the car! Also, I highly recommend this exact one because I tried a cheaper one and it had way more parts and was harder to clean and use.

7. Mirror for Tummy Time: Luke hated tummy time so much until recently (he tolerates it, but it still isn't his favorite) & this really helped keep him happy. My mom got this on Amazon, but any mirror that stands up will do! Honestly, the quality of the actual mirror is pretty dull, but it does the job for them.

https://tinyurl.com/y7bss3h3

8. Nose Frida & Nail Frida: Baby fingernails grow so freakin fast! I clip Luke's once a week and I have (knock on wood) never cut the skin. The Nail Frida has a little extra window where you can see where you are about to clip down and the metal is super sharp so it clips them really easily. The Nose Frida has been a lifesaver too. I always felt like Luke was stuffed up in the morning so I started putting a little drop of saline in his nose and then using the Nose Frida to clear out his nostrils (I have heard you can overdo this, so I am not sure how frequently you can do it...maybe ask a doc!). It's SO easy and oddly satisfying (I know that sounds super gross, but everyone I know that has one says the same thing!). Worst thing ever though is when it's 2am and you are sleep deprived and accidentally suck the wrong end! So gross!

9. Bumbo Seat: I have a different version of this one, but I think the one with the tray is a better bang for your buck. Plus, the gray color is a lot cuter than the teal in my opinion :) This thing is awesome to put on the counter or table while you are cooking or eating (obviously you have to make sure you don't put it on the edge or anything!). I love how it's completely wipeable and compact so you can clean it off easily and bring it with you when traveling. This would be a great gift to get someone expecting a baby and even if you have a highchair this still serves a great purpose! I think Luke started using his at around 4.5-5 months and still uses it now at 6.5 months. We started feeding him solids in this seat too! 

At home teeth whitening system

I just finished whitening my teeth with Smile Brilliant and I wanted to share my experience with you guys! Disclaimer: This product was sent to me to try out in exchange for a blogpost, but like always, I will be honest and share my true thoughts. I am NOT a doctor and you should always check with one if you are ever skeptical with ingredients in a product.

As most of you guys know, I am a new mom, which means VERY little sleep on my end. In turn, I have been upping the coffee and have noticed that my teeth have been taking a hit from this. I haven't whitened my teeth in a while, but I have in the past (I used to use white strips in high school and a few times after). After I had Luke (I didn't want to whiten while I was pregnant) I was super excited to get my teeth looking brighter, but after a round of strips from the grocery store, I just was not happy with the results and feel like I could not tell the difference. Another thing I really don't love about using the strips is that they are a one-size fits all kind of product and I feel like the strips go on my gums and and make them more sensitive PLUS I can feel my mouth getting all of the whitening gel all over it and it just can get really messy. I also felt like I was stuck doing nothing during the time that I was whitening my teeth because I couldn't talk (you pretty much have to keep your teeth clenched in order to get them to stay in place). I was ready for something better. 

I was sent Smile Brilliant whitening system to try out and I am so happy with my results. I had braces as a teenager and Invisalign last year and I have always been confident in my smile until recently. The coffee stains were just making me feel self-conscious and I could tell in pictures that my teeth were definitely not the shade they used to be. I am so happy that after completing this whitening system I can confidently smile again!

The process was super easy. I was first sent the kit, which included materials to take my own impressions and the whitening gel itself. I took my impressions (instructions are perfectly explained in a notecard included in the package) -- if you aren't comfortable another idea would be to Youtube how to take impressions! I took my impressions and then sent them off in the mail in the pre-paid postage envelope the next day. They also send you updates through email when they receive your package and then make the trays super quickly and send them back. I got them a few days later and they material that the custom trays are made of is super flexible and rubbery feeling, but they fit perfectly custom to your teeth! I have done Invisalign and had clear retainers and these are much more soft and flexible. The whitening gel itself comes in syringes, which make it really precise and easy to apply to the trays. Smile Brilliant also provides detailed instructions on how to do the whole process. I was also sent desensitizing gelbecause your teeth can get a little sensitive when whitening. My teeth used to be so sensitive when I used other products, so I was honestly a little nervous. I remember certain noises just made me cringe when after whitening with whitening strips that I used before. I don't know how to explain it, but the sound of zippers or nails scratching against my clothes seriously hurt my teeth so bad! I am sooo happy to report that I have not had any sensitivity after this process (note that my results could obviously be different from yours, but I am just sharing my experience!). 

I wanted to share my results from before and after. You can see that before my teeth were just looking dull and had staining from my coffee habit. I think I started whitening around mid-November and I just finished my last session. I went at a pace that I felt comfortable with and didn't want to overdo it. I am soooo happy with my results and feel so much more confident now with my smile. 

Smile Brilliant is hosting a giveaway for one of you guys to get your own whitening system! Head over to this link to see the details and enter for a chance to win! Make sure you use my code below too to save some money on your kit!

 Giveaway link: www.smilebrilliant.com/g/tiffanymeri

 15% off store wide code: tiffanymeri15

Tooth Whitening Gel

Organic Self Tanner Review: Nkd Skn

Hey guys! As you guys might already know, I have been on the safer beauty train for a while now! One thing that I have been wanting to switch over is my fake tan. Over the last few years I was just getting a tan from a salon, but it can get pricy and also, now that I have a baby it isn't really a priority of mine to go spend the time out and about getting a tan. I went and bought a Jergen's one from Walmart a month or so ago and when I got home I looked at the ingredients and it had parabens in it. Parabens are one of the most well-known toxic ingredients, so I immediately took it back! I wanted something more natural and safe for my body. You cover your entire body with a sunless tanner, so this just made sense to me that you really need to make sure it's safe. I am also breastfeeding, and while I am not a doctor and you should always check with your doctor on this kind of topic, the research that I have done doesn't give me any reason to believe that this organic self-tanner would be unsafe! I have been using the Nkd Skn Tinted Tan Mousse in Dark for over a month now and I wanted to share my thoughts on it with you guys! I will always keep my product recommendations completely transparent! By the way, this post is not sponsored or anything, just wanted to share with you! 

The good: 

This self-tanner has the most amazing, clean ingredients! It has absolutely no questionable ingredients and makes me feel super safe using it. 

It also has no self-tanner smell. I am not sure how they do it, but I have tried soooo many and this is honestly the only one that actually has no scent after you shower. 

There is a color guard. (Meaning: it goes on dark so you can see where you are applying it) For a beginner, this is amazing! I would highly recommend this tan for anyone who has never done one. It shows you where you are applying it so you really cannot miss any spots. I find that with a dark, non-gradual lotion self-tanner, I can miss spots sometimes. 

It is a mousse. I find the mousses to be the easiest of all self-tanners to apply. It also helps with it drying more quickly than lotions in my experience. 

The wear. I feel like this self-tanner really fades nicely. It comes off evenly in my experience. 

The price! Such a good price for an "Organic self tanner". It's only $19.99, which is amazing!

The convenience. You can pick this up at Ulta, which is great if you run out you don't have to wait for it to come in the mail! 


The bad: 

The Dark shade really isn't super dark. This could be good and bad, depending on your skin color. I am super fair skinned and I used the Dark and don't find it to be extremely dark on me. Especially after you wash the color guard off, it looks a lot more natural than some other self-tanners I have used (again, this isn't necessarily a bad thing, just the name might be a little misleading). 

The only true con about this product, in my opinion, was that it is pretty sticky on my skin. This wouldn't be that big of a problem, but since I am up every 2 hours in the middle of the night feeding a baby, I found that it wasn't completely drying down and ended up coming off partially when I would hold Luke or if my arm was bent in my sleep. It just felt a little tacky until after I showered. This may have to do with the fact that it uses natural products to give you the tan. It wasn't a huge con for me, but just something to note. I have white sheets and I found that it transferred onto them and on my baby's pajamas during the night. 

Tips: 

Make sure you exfoliate, shave and moisturize before doing any self-tan. It goes on a lot more evenly and in my experience it also helps with the longevity of the tan! Also, use a self-tanning mitt! I used one I bought off Amazon for just a few dollars! Make sure you moisturize after you use it to help prolong the tan too! I found that this really helped. Last tip: lay down a sheet over you pillow and bedsheets that you don't mind getting some transfer on (especially if you have white sheets, like me!) 

Overall: 

I would definitely repurchase this self-tanner and I am going to add in the gradual tan lotion to my self-tan routine as well. I think this would be a great addition and I will let you guys know if it makes a difference in darkening the color or anything! I love the organic ingredients and the price point on this brand. It gets the job done when I want to have a little color and I feel safe doing it! 

Target Shoe Round-Up: Boot Sale

Hey guys! I wanted to do a quick post on my top picks for Target shoes right now! Currently all boots are buy one get one 50% off in store (no need for the Target app), but they are so affordable anyways that even if you miss the sale these are definitely shoes you want to check out! I have so many shoes right now that I need to hold off on purchasing any, but I thought I would show you the ones that I would buy if I were needing some shoes! I included a couple of flats, but honestly it is so cold in Eastern Washington during the Fall and Winter months that I don't get much use out of flats. If you end up getting any of these let me know!! I have seen a lot of similar styles from expensive designer brands at Nordstrom and Bloomingdales, so these are definitely a good way to get the look for less. I bought a pair of Givenchy boot dupes from Target last Fall and ended up wearing them soooo much and didn't feel bad if they got a little worn in the rainy/snowy weather.

Baby Boy Fall Fashion

I have had a bunch of people ask me where I get Luke's clothes and it inspired me to do a blogpost with a bunch of really cute and affordable baby boy clothes that I either bought for him or want to buy! It is so hard for me to justify spending a lot of money on baby clothes, unless it is something I know he can wear all the time and would last for another baby. I am super picky about baby boy clothes and tend to stick to things that look like a man would wear, but in a miniature size :) I love baby beanies, flannels, hoodies and jeans on little boys. I have a lot of solid colored things too, which is really nice because you can mix and match everything and make tons of different outfits. He definitely wears his jammies the most out of anything, but when we go out of the house I usually dress him in the things that I listed. I have gotten a lot of his clothes from Old Navy, Carter's, Target (mostly Cat & Jack) and also the thrift store. My mom is such a good bargain shopper and she has found so many cute flannels and just basics at the thrift store so make sure you check your local thrift stores out because you can find some gems there! I think I am going to do a post on what to look for at the thrift store when searching for baby clothes. Let me know what you think! I am also going to link his Carhartt beanies (super cute and super inexpensive) and a couple of cute small shops that have really cute baby boy clothes because I do like to support small businesses when I can!


Click here for Carhartt Beanie Carhartt Beanie

Little Bipsy

Minted Method Shop (where I got his Herschel beanie)

Styling $17 pair of jogger pants 5 different ways

Hey guys! I recently found these joggers from Walmart (WHAT!?) for $17 and they are literally the most comfy pants ever. Whenever I buy something I always think in my head how many ways I can wear it just to make sure that it is really worth it to buy. If I can only thing of one way then I put it back. I have another pair of black joggers, but they are made out of a sweatpant material and they always collect every little bit of lint or (dog) hair and just look a little scrubby I think. These ones from the Time & Tru line (which by the way has really cute stuff!) are made out of a more dressy material (think a nice pair of dress pants). I am all about comfort, especially now that I am a mom and am constantly carrying around a baby, sitting nursing for long periods of time, getting up and down off of the ground playing on the playmat, etc. I love that these pants can be dressed up or dressed down and I wanted to show you guys some easy ways for an everyday girl to style them.

•   The first outfit I did a men's crewneck sweatshirt (I think I got this on clearance at Forever 21...why do they always have better sweatshirts in the men's section?!) with some plain heeled black booties! I actually took this photo last and swapped the boots out for some black and white Adidas slides and it looked super cute to run errands in!

• The next outfit I did a "casual cool girl" outfit. I paired the pants with some plain white sneakers, a band tee and a black leather jacket. This outfit would be perfect for going shopping or out to lunch during the day. 

• Next I did a nude body suit, black leather jacket and heeled black booties. This would be good for a date night out to dinner or a concert! 

• The fourth outfit I did was a plain white thermal tucked in to the pants, a long grey jacket and some chunky combat boots. I LOVE the look of joggers with chunky combat boots, it looks so cool I think! 

• The last outfit was super easy and probably my favorite. I just threw on a plain, tight, black turtleneck, black heeled booties and a cute cross body purse. This one could definitely be office-appropriate or you could wear it out at night. 

My top 10 favorite baby buys: 0-3 months

I recently did a post on newborn mommy and baby must-haves, but I wanted to share my favorite baby items that I have purchased (may not be must-haves, but things that I have really come to love!).  Keep in mind that Luke is only about 3 months old, so these are my favorites thus far! I will link the items below and in no particular order :) If I couldn't find a clickable picture-link, I will put a hyperlink after the item, otherwise they are all at the bottom of the post.

1. Angelcare Baby Bath
This isn't technically a bath, but more of a lounger to put in an actual bathtub. I LOVE this thing. It's so cheap, easy to clean, and Luke seems to be really comfortable in it! It has kind of a rubbery mesh bottom so it seems like it would be pretty comfortable to lay in. It has a little hook on it too so you can hang it up to dry. I registered for this and my sister ended up getting it for me and it's honestly one of my most-used items.

2. Comotomo Bottles
These are kind of a luxury bottle when you look at the price compared to a lot of other bottles, but we love these so much. If you keep up on cleaning bottles you really don't need THAT many of them, so I don't think the price is bad at all. These are made of a silicon-feeling material and have more of a natural shape. I am not sure if Luke would have had issues taking any other bottle because these are the only ones we tried, but he took it right away. They are super easy to clean and I love how they have a wide opening at the top so you can easily get a scrubbing brush in without pulling it out and flinging milky water all over you. I think the silicon material will make it easy for him to hold when he gets old enough to hold his own bottle.

3. Nuna Pipa Carseat
One of our priciest baby purchases, but the most important in my opinion. I did a lot of research on carseats and also the difference between an infant carseat vs. convertible. We went with an infant carseat because I figured that babies are always sleeping in the car and if you go in a store or somewhere and have the convertible carseat, you have to take the baby out and put them in the stroller or carrier and potentially wake them up. I was debating between the Nuna Pipa and Nuna Pipa Lite and ended up just getting the original because we found a good deal with a stroller included for only $100 extra. I love how padded and luxurious the carseat is, you can tell a lot of attention to detail was put into it for sure. Another feature of the Nuna Pipa (but not the Lite) is that it has a Dream Drape, which is basically a carseat cover that is built in and just unzips out of the shade portion. It's really cool! If you look on YouTube I am sure you can find a demonstration!

4. Bouncy seat
My mom bought this for us from Walmart for super cheap. They have all different levels of fancy-ness, but I think the cheap ones work just fine. This one is super light and I have it on our kitchen table and put Luke in it when I am doing dishes or stuff around the kitchen. It has a bar across the top with some toys and you can buy links to put other things on it too, which is what we did. It also vibrates and has a music setting you can use. We just use the vibrating feature and he seems to really love it!

5. Play Gym/Mat
I was gifted this by a coworker and absolutely LOVE it! This and his bouncy seat are his favorite toys at the moment. Its nice too to have somewhere to lay him down in his bedroom so I can put away his laundry and clean up his nursery. This one is so inexpensive and does the trick. Luke loves grabbing all of the little attachments on it and its really light so we can bring it anywhere.

6. Bottle Sterilizer
I surprisingly use this a lot. I sterilize pacifiers too because they are always dropping on the floor and my pump parts! This is a really good thing to put on your registry because who wants to spend $70 on a bottle sterilizer!?

7. Copper Pearl Swaddle Blanket
I think just having one of these nice swaddle blankets is great. I bought so many muslin swaddle blankets and honestly never used them other than as a cover for breastfeeding. I don't think they are very easy to swaddle a baby with either because they don't have any stretch. I personally love these Copper Pearl ones (I have the camel one and love how it goes with everything). They are super stretchy and light. This was my favorite one to swaddle Luke with when he was a brand new baby because I could get it super tight. I always have this one in my diaper bag and use it as a cover too because it is huge. Would be a great gift idea! (my friend, Jill, got me mine!)

Copper Pearl Swaddle

8. The Ollie Swaddle
This is the kind of swaddle that I was recommended to have baby sleep with. To each their own, but to me this kind of swaddle (either velcro or zips closed so baby can't get get out and move the blanket over its' face) seems the safest. I had originally bought a Halo sleep sack and liked it a lot, but the problem is that the bottom is sewn shut so you have to buy a new one every time baby outgrows it! There were also a lot more steps to getting baby in that swaddle. I heard about the Ollie Swaddle from Taking Cara Babies (which you also NEED to check out! I talk more about it on my newborn must haves post, but you can look on Instagram @takingcarababies). I was a little skeptical to buy one because they are $59, but if you think about how many times you have to buy a $20-35 swaddle every time they grow, it really is such a better investment. You only have to buy one because the bottom is open and it just ties wherever baby's feet are. The material is super nice and stretchy plus made out of a breathable material so you don't have to worry about overheating. This would be an amazing gift for someone and the packaging is adorable (I have an unboxing on my Baby Stuff Highlight on Instagram @tiffanyxmeri)

The Ollie Swaddle

9. Portable Noise Machine
My mom found this one on Amazon and I wanted to include this specific one because it is chargeable and has a hook on its' tail that you can literally hook anywhere! We like to hook it on his carseat or on the Rock and Play. It plays songs or white noise (I think it has a few other "soothing" noises as well) and has a little night-light built in. I love that you can charge it too so you don't have to worry about batteries.

Portable Monkey Sound Machine

10. Rock and Play
This was in my Newborn Must-haves as well and I wanted to include it on here because it is so great. I first love how slim and compact it folds down to. Our baby sleeps in it so I can move it around the house really easily and pack it in the trunk of my car. It's really cost-effective and I have heard a lot of people say that they prefer this to a lot of the fancier swings and stuff they have out there. Luke doesn't like this for just hanging out, as a baby would do in a swing (because it's fairly flat you can't really see out like you could in a swing) so I am not sure if they are that comparable. However, it is awesome as like a little mini bassinet. Side note -- I am not sure it is approved for sleeping, it is just what we use so do your own research!