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6-12 Month Must Haves

Shannon Jenkins of Upbeat Soles talks about 6-12 month baby must haves with best baby push walker, best sleep sack, and best baby sippy cup

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Happy Hump Day babes! We’re almost to the weekend! Sorry I was MIA Monday. We were SO busy prepping for Sawyer’s party and then so busy the day of we didn’t get a chance to shoot any outfit photos but I will be sharing all about his party tomorrow! It was definitely so much fun! Now that Sawyer is 12 months I thought I would do a post on some of our must haves for babies 6-12 months aka some of Sawyer’s favorite things for the past months! Scout has been one of Sawyer’s favorite toys since the beginning! When he was littler he would love to listen to the songs and look at the flashing collar. Now that he is older he loves to push his paws to play the songs over and over again and dance haha! If you all follow me on Instagram you know Sawyer is OBSESSED with his walker. He pushes it all over the house all day long! One of my absolute must haves once your baby is sitting independently is this hook on chair for going out to dinner. I am a bit of a germaphobe so thinking of putting my baby in public high chair kind of freaks me out so this is so handy! I pair it with this silicone mat and you don’t have to worry about them touching the table either. If there were a number one item it would have to be books! Sawyer LOVES looking at books and could do it all day haha! One of his favorites is his First 100 Words book because of all the fun colors and pictures. He loves to point to all the babies! I hope you all have an amazing Wednesday! <3

Strollin’ Around Disney

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of UPPAbaby. All opinions are 100% mine.

Shannon Jenkins of Upbeat Soles talks about the best theme park and travel stroller and does a review on the UPPAbaby MINU stroller

Happy Thursday loves! Thank goodness it is almost the weekend! So you all know how much we love our theme parks and love bringing Sawyer with us to enjoy them! When we started going to the parks a lot I knew I wanted to invest in an awesome compact stroller. I wanted something that was small, easy to fold up, light, and easy to maneuver. You all know how much I love our UPPAbaby VISTA (you can see my review here) so when I saw that UPPAbaby also had a compact foldable stroller, the MINU, I knew it would be just as amazing! We have gone to Disney multiple times and Universal with our MINU and I could not be happier with this stroller! It rides so smooth because of the all wheel suspension just like their larger strollers and Sawyer loves it as well! He naps so good in this stroller because of the muti position incline. It also has the UV pull down shield for extra sun protection! The basket at the bottom is nice and large and fits our baby bag perfectly along with a small cooler. The one foot break is super easy! Also something most people wouldn’t think of on a stroller but it doesn’t have the bar going across the back wheels like most compact strollers have. We had another compact stroller we used before this one that had the break in the middle of the wheels and Griffin being 6’3 kicked it constantly! This stroller he can push very comfortably! Not to mention this stroller is beautiful and has a full grain leather handle and comes in a few different colors! We got the Jake and I love the black frame with the mélange fabric!

As for the fold, it is super easy! I can even do it while holding Sawyer! All you do is lock the brake, push the lever over with your thumb that is in the middle of the handle, squeeze the button and push the handle down. Super simple! Then there is a shoulder strap at the bottom so you can carry the stroller on your shoulder making it so perfect for travel. The MINU folded up will even fit in most overhead compartments on an airplane. Another amazing thing about this stroller is that it is compatible with our MESA carseat and a few other brands as well with the adapters. All you do it take off the fabric and click on the adapters and boom it becomes a travel system on the go! It also has a From Birth Kit where you can attach a Bassinet-like solution. We also have the travel bag that makes it super easy to store and travel with since you can wear it as a backpack! Overall we are super happy with UPPAbaby MINU for a theme park stroller and travel stroller! We love how compatible the stroller is and we can wait to use it on our first trip next month! <3

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Summer Baby Essentials

Shannon Jenkins of Upbeat Soles talks about the must have summer baby essentials like a good infant life jacket, baby SPF swimsuit, and baby beach tent

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Happy Hump Day babes! Yay for short weeks if today is your Friday! Since I have had beach on my brain I figured I would do a post on my must have baby summer essentials! We have been loving taking Sawyer to the beach and pool! Sunscreen is so important for little ones and I did so much research on the best and most safe sunscreen for babies and I decided to go with Think Baby and I love it! It doesn’t have all the crap and fragrances in it but it still smells great! It is Zinc based, but still easy to rub in! When being in the sun a good hat and an SPF swimsuit is a must! Sawyer hates the sun in his eyes so I got him these sunnies and he actually keeps them on and they are adorable! If you plan on heading out on the boat this life jacket is a great option and has amazing reviews on Amazon! Lastly, if you plan on being at the beach or somewhere in the sun for a long period of time, this tent in perfect and protects baby from UV rays! I hope you all have an awesome 4th of July! <3

Why I Chose to Give My Baby a Probiotic: A Honest Review of Evivo

This post is sponsored by Evivo, all opinions are 100% my own

Shannon Jenkins of Upbeat Soles does a Evivo probiotic review and talks about the importance of baby's gut health and how B. Infantis reduces bad bacteria

Happy Thursday everyone! We are in the home stretch to the weekend! Today I am talking all about baby gut health and why I chose to give Sawyer a probiotic. If you follow me on stories I have mentioned multiple times Sawyer is a VERY fussy baby! We tried gas drops, putting him to bed earlier, and even little straws you stick up their rear end to relieve gas (that was fun!). I knew he suffered from gas because he had bad toots constantly and my doctor recommend I try him on a probiotic. I found some over the counter ones, but they didn’t seem to be doing much so I did a little research and came across Evivo. Evivo is the ONLY clinically proven probiotic. Once I started doing more research on Evivo I found out that 9 out of 10 babies are lacking B. Infantis which is a good bacteria that helps protect babies gut by helping digest nutrients in breast milk and reduce bad bacteria. In fact, Evivo is clinically proven to reduce 80% of bad bacteria in a baby’s gut which has SO many health benefits! By restoring your baby’s gut in their first 6 months of life it can reduce their risks of colic, eczema, allergies, diabetes, and obesity!

They make it so easy to give to your baby as well! When you get the starter kit it comes with a month supply in individual packets, a small mixing cup, and syringe. Then you mix one of the packets once a day with about 5ml of breast milk (Evivo is only clinically proven for breast milk but has heard success stories with formula) in the cup, and then suck the breast milk mixture into the syringe and then give it to baby. Sawyer actually loves it too and gobbles it right up each time! Just a few tips that I have found  to make the process easier: Use warm breast milk (it dissolves better and Sawyer likes it better warm) and feed baby before giving them Evivo. While feeding use a Haakaa pump (or other breast milk catcher) on opposite breast while feeding to catch extra let down and use that for the mixture after baby is fed. That way there is no pumping involved! Because this mama hates pumping haha!

Now that you know all the amazing benefits of Evivo, how did it benefit Sawyer? Well his toots are finally under control ya’ll haha! His bowel movements have become super regular (almost like clock work) and his dry skin he had before is completely gone! The best part is that he has almost doubled his feeding time! Sawyer is not a very good eater and is less than 10% on the growth chart and my doctor wanted me to start giving him a formula bottle a day to have him gain some weight and he absolutely refuses to take formula. So the fact that it has helped his tummy so much that he is eating more is huge for us! Also not to mention all the benefits it is giving him for his future! I highly recommend Evivo if you are looking to help with your baby’s gut health and overall health! I hope you all have a fabulous weekend! <3

Shannon Jenkins of Upbeat Soles does a Evivo probiotic review and talks about the importance of baby's gut health and how B. Infantis reduces bad bacteria

Shannon Jenkins of Upbeat Soles does a Evivo probiotic review and talks about the importance of baby's gut health and how B. Infantis reduces bad bacteria

Shannon Jenkins of Upbeat Soles does a Evivo probiotic review and talks about the importance of baby's gut health and how B. Infantis reduces bad bacteria

Shannon Jenkins of Upbeat Soles does a Evivo probiotic review and talks about the importance of baby's gut health and how B. Infantis reduces bad bacteria

Currently Craving

Baby Boy

Happy Hump Day babes! We are getting so close to the long weekend! So now that I’m a mom I think I would rather go shopping and spend money on clothes for Sawyer than myself! I mean it doesn’t get much cuter than baby clothes! Now that summer is around the corner all the cute baby summer clothes are out and I cannot get enough! I’m a sucker for a cute printed button down and this palm tree print one is too perfect for summer! I love a good romper because they are easy to throw on and change diapers in and this wave print one is so adorable! I didn’t forget about the baby girls! I am dying over this tropical print romper! I actually just got a tie front top in this same print! I would be in serious trouble if I had a girl haha! I mean cute is this ruffle swimsuit! I hope you all have a fabulous Wednesday! <3

Baby Girl

Halo DreamNest Review

Happy Thursday loves! Can you believe we are almost to the weekend already?! Today I am back with another one of my must have baby product reviews and today I am talking about the new HALO DreamNest! Ya’ll you have no clue how much I love this product! Sawyer has been sleeping in it since day one and it is perfect for room sharing! He can be super close but safe in his own little bed! What I love most about this product is it is completely breathable! The cot is actually mesh so it keeps baby nice and cool at night. You can also get a muslin sheet that fits snuggly over the cot. It also grows with your child! The bottom has a foot pedal to flip up or down to turn it into a rocker or have it be still. When you are done with the bassinet stage you can lower the cot to the bottom to make it into a crib, and then the cot also comes out and has legs for the toddler stage! Another thing that has been amazing for us is it’s completely portable and easy to break down and put it into its carrying case! We go to Griffin and I’s parents’ houses a lot so we have already traveled with it multiple times and it is super easy!

What I love about HALO in general is you always know their products follow the AAP safe sleep guidelines! With all the scary talk lately with the recall of the Rock N’ Play knowing these guidelines and having a safe place for your baby to sleep is more important than ever! Remember to always place baby to sleep on their backs, use a firm mattress with tight fitting sheet, nothing should be in the crib or bassinet, and they recommend room sharing for 6 months.  The founder of HALO actually lost his first born to SIDS so he and his wife founded HALO to make safe sleep easier! We also love the Halo SleepSack swaddle and plan on using the HALO SleepSack wearable blanket once he transitions out of his swaddle. I hope you all have a wonderful weekend! <3

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Ollie Swaddle Review

Shannon Jenkins of Upbeat Soles does a review on the Ollie swaddle and says how it is a must have baby item for 2019 and the best swaddle

Happy Thursday babes! Dang this week flew and I am so ready for the weekend! We are taking Sawyer to the beach for the first time this weekend, so I cannot wait! The next product on my must have baby products series is The Ollie swaddle. If you want a swaddle your little Houdini can’t break out of this is the one! The Ollie swaddle is made from a moisture wicking fabric that is super stretchy and has high quality velcro so it is hard for them to break free. Also the moisture wicking fabric helps your baby from over heating. Since The Ollie is made from a stretchy material it also grows with your baby, so you never need to buy another swaddle!

We started using The Ollie since day one with Sawyer. He slept so well the first night we put him in it but then on day two he decided he absolutely hated being swaddled. Yup we had one of those babies! Once we got home I had two other swaddles that I got at my shower and one he actually tolerated since it was a looser swaddle. The Ollie is super tight let’s remember, which is a good thing, but Sawyer hated it at the time. Then a couple of weeks go by and he started sleeping awful! I decided to try The Ollie again and as soon as I wrapped him up in his swaddle he fell asleep in under a minute! I couldn’t believe it! I guess he just needed to ease into the tightness of The Ollie. Now when he is upset I wrap him in his Ollie and he will settle down instantly. We love this swaddle so much! It is also so easy to use, you just wrap, velcro, and tie below their feet. You don’t even have to take it all the way off for a diaper change since you can untie the bottom. Another great thing about The Ollie is once your baby starts rolling you can transition them to having one arm out or both arms out, making it a smooth transition to them not being swaddled anymore. See Sawyer’s demonstrations below! If you are an expecting mama or a new mama I highly recommend The Ollie, all the amazing reviews speak for themselves! I hope you all have a wonderful weekend! <3

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UPPAbaby VISTA & MESA Review

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of UPPAbaby. The opinions and text are all mine.

Happy Thursday loves! We are in the home stretch to the weekend! The second post of my favorite baby product series is the UPPAbaby VISTA stroller and MESA carseat review! Let me just tell you how much I loveeeeeeee this stroller ya’ll! When it came to strollers I knew I wanted the best of the best and it would be my splurge item since I knew I would be using it every day. After all of my research the UPPAbaby VISTA was the best choice for us and I was very fortunate enough to be able to work with them! The selling point for us was its capability of converting to a double stroller once we decided to have another baby. You just have to get the extra attachments and a RumbleSeat and it becomes a stacked double stroller! Also, if you have a third child they even have a PiggyBack attachment so an older toddler can ride on the back! The options are seriously endless with this stroller! My favorite part is definitely it’s smooth ride though! This thing glides! It also has an awesome brake system that you lock and unlock with a push of the foot pedal. The push unlock is huge for my Florida girl self since I am always in sandals. Scroll down to see more of the VISTA configurations and features along with my review of the MESA! <3

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Owlet Review

Shannon Jenkins of Upbeat Soles does an Owlet Sock and Camera review and how it gives peace of mind, shows live heart rate and oxygen of your baby

Happy Friday Eve babes! Can I get an Amen to the weekend almost being here! This weekend we are going to do our first trip to our parents’ houses so more family can meet Sawyer and go to a Mardi Gras party so I am looking forward to getting away and feeling a bit more human again! So I am excited to start a new series on my blog with some of my favorite baby products! I did soooooo much research when it came to baby products so I am excited to share some reviews of products that I think are must haves!

My first review is a product that once I became pregnant I put on the top of my list, the Owlet. As a first time mom I knew I would be the one to hover over my child to make sure they are still breathing haha. I mean I would do that with my nephew when I babysat him so I knew I would be extra crazy with my own child. Also I was super excited when they came out with the camera that goes hand and hand with the Owlet sock! You download one app and you can view your child along with live readings of their heart rate and oxygen.

Once I received the Owlet sock and Cam in the mail it was super simple to set up. You just link it to your wifi and follow the simple steps from the app and then you are ready to go! What I love about the cam is that is has 1080p HD video and 130 degree wide angle lens, so you can see your baby so clear! The cam is also magnetic so you can twist and turn it to any angle, which is so helpful when setting it up! Also the night vision is amazing and I love that when your baby’s eyes are open in the dark they glow so it is easy to see if their eyes are closed. One thing that was a selling point on the cam is that it has encrypted wifi! So you don’t have to worry about anyone hacking into your wifi and viewing your child. I read so many creepy stories about that and it freaked me out! The app also displays the room temperature and you can turn on background audio so if you want to close the app you can still hear your baby! It also has two way audio so you can talk to your baby as well!

As for the sock, it has given me so much peace of mind! I love seeing Sawyer’s live readings of his heart rate and oxygen and knowing that if his levels do drop out of the normal range it will notify me. You can see how easy everything is to view with the screenshot below. You can also turn your phone for full screen of the camera view and it still keeps his heart rate and oxygen on the top of the screen.

Overall Griffin and I have loved the Owlet sock and cam! Being new parents can be full of anxiety and the Owlet gives you one less thing to have to worry about! I know the sock can be an investment, but Owlet now takes HSA/FSA cards which I think is such a great option! I hope you all have a wonderful weekend! <3

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