THE LOWDOWN ON PROBIOTICS

Since I started going to the gym pretty heavily and now that I take P with me most of the time, I knew she needed something to help her immune system work at max potential - THE NATURAL WAY  and also since I've been getting my butt kicked with allergies his year and I can't stand taking any medicine, I pretty much suffer through it because, well, I'm a Taurus and super hard-headed. #lifegoeson ... Anyways - I always take my vitamins but I wanted something more, so after some research and with the help of the lady at Whole Foods, I decided to go with these two probiotics for Penelope and me. Since these probis are refrigerated, the little organisms inside are actually alive thus guaranteeing a better outcome! 

The one I take comes in a pill form and it's easily swallowed, 3x's a day. 

For Penelope's, hers comes in a powder-form and all she needs is 1/4 tsp a day in her coconut milk - easy as pie. It's tasteless within the milk (and in general) so she can't even tell it's there.

 The best news of all? Her probiotic is for 0-5 years old! Literally from the moment they pop out, you can give them this! Serious score and I'm bummed I didn't look into this beforehand! But hey, it's never too late - I'm almost 24 soooo....!

Now, searching on Amazon, I've seen prices significantly lower than what I bought these for at Whole Foods so that's probably your best bet - unless you need it today... You'd probably need to get Amazon prime if you could wait 2 days, ya know. 

So here are the links for the two:

RAW Probiotics for WOMEN $35

Infant's Probiotic by Flora $16

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What we're loving at ONE YEAR!

I can't even BELIEVE that I'm posting this! This past year has been the best and so many things have changed BUT even with all of the changes that come a long with parenthood, I'm still proud to say that these are STILL our top-fave products that we use DAILY! These have actually lasted longer than any of the other baby products that we purchased so if I had to make my baby shower registry over again, these would make the list before anything else - they're all so worth it!

So without any more rambling, here is our list of FAVORITE PRODUCTS AT ONE YEAR!!!! Eeeeek!!!!



4Moms Breeze playard. P has used this since she was BORN! For either diaper changes with the bassinet on the top when she was just a few days old to now playing in it when I have to get some things down around the house. She LOVES IT. And I love it because of the EASY up and down - you can do it with one hand and that is SERIOUSLY necessary!!!! Begging them to come out with a travel one as we've had to use a Greico one on trips and it doesn't compare in the slightest. I always have to get Devon to take it down and put it up because I can never get it right - ugh. 4Moms wins, yet again ;)

Honest soothing bottom wash - this is self-explanatory. Baby skin is sensitive and this stuff gets the job done all while being gentle on the skin. Love

I have been asked SO SO SOOOO many times which Amber necklace we use for Penelope and where we got it from - well here it is! We use the Caramel 12" twist clasp from Hazelaid.com :) I have heard conflicting stories about the darker ones being more potent and of course the other side of it with people saying that the lighter ones are better, so I said screw it and bought the mid-colored one. Figured it would be the best option and so far, it has been. Penelope went almost an entire year without a single tooth - crazy! But now she's trying to cut about 5 all at once. You can imagine how painful this could be for her but I swear, you would NEVER even know she was getting a tooth, let alone almost FIVE! I NEVER take it off and she's worn it since she was 3 months old. Before 3 months, she had the anklet and that was a twist clasp as well and when she started messing with it to take it off, that's when I switched her to the necklace. We also bathe her in it and haven't noticed any issues. I swear by this thing!

We stopped using bottles at around 10 months and have since used this Nuby sippy and we also use the sippy top that goes a long with the original Nuby bottles that we have been using since Penelope was about 5 months old - those work great for bedtime because of the handles when she starts to get a little sleepy ;)

This boon drying rack has been our A1 since day 1. Literally. It gets airflow in the bottles to dry them quick - we also use this now for our cups and mugs - completely universal!

The Bloom Nano highchair - ahhhh! TRUST ME. We JUST purchased this and Penelope is almost a year old. I'm not sure how we made it work before that, but we did! I looked at every single highchair you could IMAGINE.  I struggled with what to get because they all seemed to have pros and cons but I FINALLY decided on this one! I originally wanted the Bloom Fresco but after reading reviews about how much of a pain it was to clean and how it can't just fold up and go away if we have guests or something, The Bloom Nano won for us :) The other plus side? We travel A LOT in the summer and we needed something that could fold up and be able to come with us if need-be so this one takes the cake on all levels AND they come in the cutest colors!
We got ours HERE :)





The Prince Lionheart wipe warmer!!! Such a lifesaver. We stopped using it for awhile and then not to long ago, P started getting so squirmy when we would do a diaper change and that's when it clicked - she hates the room temp wipes! They're too cold for her, so I plugged this baby in and we haven't had a single problem since - hallelujah! We actually have two to transport around the house, that's how much we love it lol

The oh-so-famous sleep sheep!!!!! We have used this every. single. night. for an entire year!!!! We even brought this to the hospital with us when I delivered Penelope! It has lasted this long and I don't even think we've had to change the batteries haha it's a MUST!

This list is really short but it covers all of out essentials that we use every single day! Being a mom is such a joy seriously loving this age and watching her explore & grow :)

Penelope's Room Decor

This is my favorite room in our house and I am SO happy with how it all came out! I'm still working on a couple of things and ordering the pics that go in these frames lol life gets busy but at least the picture frames are placed and hung ;) 

For Penelope's room, I wanted relaxing, chic and girly. For my personal style, I'm very black and white - literally. I Rarely wear anything colorful but I knew anything dark wouldn't seem fitting for a baby girl and if it was too white, it could border as too boring and possibly too bright and active for naps etc so, pink and champagne colors it was! I'll link some of the things at the bottom if you're interested in purchasing for your own littles room :) XO

 

  

Cheetah Knit Swaddle from Lou Lou and Company

Adele Crib from RHbaby

Anywhere Chair from PBKids 

Sleep Sheep (our favorite must-have!)

Cotton Voile Play Canopy in PETAL 

Sheer Curtains from CurtainWorks.com
in Winter White, 108in  

[Paint color on the walls is Melted Ice Cream by Benjamin Moore]

\\ What we use MOST at 6 months //

So here's the deal: Yesterday we OFFICIALLY turned our living room into an infant jungle-gym. I knew the time was coming as Penelope has been crawling/scooting and pulling up on ANYTHING she can get her hands on!

Before I had a baby, I babysat a lot of kids but never remembered that they became mobile this soon - Let the baby-proofing begin and I have to add that I absolutely ADORE this phase!!! She's beyond independent and really takes interest in doing things on her own. I'm not claiming she's a genius baby or anything buuuuuuuut I think she's the smartest of all time sooooooo........

Beyond all of that, going back to a [previous post] on product favorites, we have put away the rock-n-play and don't use the bassinet upper part of our 4Moms Breeze any longer because she was on her way to doing a stunt right from the top of we didn't do it and do it SOON. So here's an updated list for y'all.. And if you're wondering, we still use & love our [4Moms] Play Yard! It really is something that we've used from birth and continue to use every single day. OH! And I always wanted to be able to go into the toy aisle and actually be able to SHOP and pick out fun things for her and that time HAS ARRIVED! Woooo! This age is the fun part because she actually enjoys what you get for her and can entertain herself for hours (or minutes, depending ;)) - pure bliss, for us and her!

1 ANY Play Mat: 

Even though we particularly like these two: [this] & [this].  Any will do! They're all awesome, it's just a matter of personal preference but I will say that the one with sides is the best because when they start rolling, that helps them stay-put in one area.

These things are a awesome because they are used from birth on up.. you can't go wrong with em'. Here are a few more we have and love... They're all great quality and have lasted wash after wash! Click [here] & [here]. All can be bought at BabiesRus.

2 Jumper:

Penelope loved hers from about 4mo to about 2 weeks ago. She would rather be on the floor, pulling herself around but nonetheless, this kept her entertained for a few short months and it also helped strengthen her legs to prepare her for what she's currently doing: pulling up on 

e v e r y t h i n g. Click [here] for the one we use!

3 Aiden + Anais Stroller&Swaddle Blankets:

[These] are perfect for when your little babe is a newborn and perfect for when they're older! I absolutely adore anything made by A+A so it should be no surprise that I'd recommend these as well! They are decently priced and are better than the swaddle blankets for winter time and cooler weather. We use this on the floor, stroller rides, a regular blanket and it's big enough for an adult and true to A+A fashion, these are reeeeally soft and durable... Plus, free shipping through BuyBuyBaby - You can't go wrong. 

4 TOYS

The title speaks for itself and even 6 month olds LOVE em' so I'm just going to list Penelope's favorites:

[here]

[here]

[here]

[here]

[here]

[here]
Anything that hangs and sounds crunchy and we're good to go!

For nighttime:

[Soothe and Glow Seahorse]

[Sleep Sheep]

Honest note: We don't travel ANYWHERE without the sleep sheep^^!!!!!! It is a must-have and has been since P was born! 

For Travel:

[here]

This blog is all over the place but I hope it's easy to navigate and pick through! Don't forget to check out [@babys_best] instagram.. Sometimes I don't blog about things and I update that instead xo

Also, be sure to subscribe and follow me on instagram & twitter x
IG: taylorpilk
Twitter: taylorpilk

Favorite Honest Products

I've been using Honest products for over a year now and I've been nothing but happy with absolutely everything I've got from them. Before Target started carrying their stuff, it was always a guessing game for which items to buy so I ended up getting the Bundle package and trying IT. ALL. So here are my absolute must-haves from Honest.com so you don't have to play the guessing game that I did. 

 I do use other brands for things such as wipes for P and laundry detergent for all of us (which I'll share in the next post) that aren't Honest brand but still organic and natural. 

1) Organic Baby Powder: I posted about the Burt's Bees Baby Powder not long ago and I still love that powder but this is my favorite since I purchased it because it's actually USDA Organic and not just labeled as "Natural" and it's still Talc-free, which is exactly why I bought the Burt's Bees in the first place, so this one is a bonus with the certified organic label.

2) Honest Conditioner: This smells AMAZING. I use this for P when her scalp gets a little dry and it really helps keep it moisturized and it's not irritating to her at all.

3) Honest Shampoo + Body Wash: we use this often, and I even use this for myself because it smells like an orange dreamsicle.... Ughh, I'm obsessed.

4) Honest Diapers: We have used these on Penelope since she was a newborn! I also use Seventh Generation diapers from Target and I have no preference over either diaper, although I personally gravitate towards the Honest brand because they're a lot cuter but more importantly, Neither the SG or Honest diapers ever leak and that's especially important since P is currently sleeping through the night.

5) Honest Cleaning Products: ALL OF THEM ARE AMAZING. I use every single one and they do the job without the strong smell that store-brand household cleaners have. Although I have them all, I personally love the Multi-Surface Cleaner and the Bathroom Cleaner.. I use these two almost daily.

6) Dish Soap: I currently use this dish soap to clean Penelope's bottles.. It lasts a looooong time too so I find that it's worth it and work just the same as other specific bottle cleaners that other companies have.

7) Dryer Sheets: These dryer sheets are somewhat moist, which is unlike any other dryer sheet I've tried in the past.. They make your laundry soft and I love the fact that they are naturally unscented so you can add essential oils to the dryer cloth so you have the option to change the scent from one dry to the next. I love to add lavender oil when I wash our sheets and they always smell soooo amazing.. I stock up on oils from Whole Foods and Amazon!

8) Honest Sunscreen SPF 30: If we're needing sunscreen, I'd rather it be healthy and not filled with unnecessary chemicals and this stuff is great for the health factor, it's not thick and it easily absorbs into the skin.. This wins over other sunscreens I've tried from other natural companies such as Babyganics etc.

The Honest Life ^

 I suggest this book to anyone that wants to know more about the chemicals that lurk in our day-to-day products. It opened my eyes to certain products that claim to be "healthy" and "natural" but are actually FILLED with things that are FAR from good - when you know better, you do better. Xx

twitter: @taylorpilk

instagram: taylorpilk

xo taylor

The Kiwi Co

When something is right, it goes right and that's exactly what started happening - Everything fell into place and The Kiwi Co was formed and now I am an official business owner!!! Someone pinch me! I appreciate every single one of my friends and family that have helped share this journey and the business, I couldn't be more thrilled of the so-far success and I'm certainly feeling beeeeeyond thankful. If you share our page - THANK YOU! You have been an angel to us and I could thank you a million times. Xoxo Here is our official link and be sure to check often and follow our instagram page @thekiwico and our twitter - we love y'all and just know there is so. much. more to come and not just for the kiddies either! ;) Xo

TheKiwiCo.com

 Xx

Lil baba rockin' her Eat Beach Sleep tee!

Get one for your little babe here :)