Taking Indoor Pictures

Taking Indoor Pictures

Hi friends it has been a while since I posted here on my blog.  I will try my best to post more often.  🙂 As many of you know Naila is a Small Shop brand rep on Instagram which means that I have to take pictures of her almost every day to showcase outfits and bows.

The weather here is Texas changes a lot, on the days that it is cold or rainy I do indoor pictures.  I had decided that we were going to quit brand repping for the winter because the lighting inside of our home is terrible for pictures and outside would be too cold to even attempt to take pictures.

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Lighting Kit Picture

Luckily another Brand Rep mom recommended a lighting kit on Amazon that is inexpensive and guess what?!  It works! 🙂  This lighting kit has made me one happy mom because I can continue to do what I enjoy doing which is dressing up my doll and taking pictures of her year round.  I will link the lighting kit here Photography Photo Portrait Studio lighting kit, it comes with a carrying/ storing bag to make it easier to store or even take along with you.

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This photo was taken with the lighting kit this morning.

By the way if you are wondering if the lighting kit is difficult to put together, it isn’t at all.  Follow my little’s account on Instagram @nailamaritim.

This concludes my blog post for today!  If you have any questions at all please ask. 🙂

Thank you so much for supporting my blog.  Don’t forget to make a commitment to yourself to grow daily! 🙂 

Teething Toddler? I am here to help.

Teething Toddler? I am here to help.

Hi friends and happy Monday!

As a first time mom I sometimes need a little guidance when it comes to new stages in Naila’s life.  I always do a lot of research and I love to share what I learn with other moms because who doesn’t need a little guidance in their life?!!

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Today I am going to share with you all the items that have helped us make teething easier as we go because the journey is not over yet. 🙂

First item- is probably our favorite so far, it is the Baltic Amber Teething Necklace. This necklace helps to reduce fussiness  and drooling.

Second item- is the Nuby Pop Tray.  This frozen pop tray helps by making it possible to make frozen popsicles out of anything for baby.  You can use fruit, breast milk and much more.  Anything frozen helps soothe you baby’s gums.

Third item- are the Happy Baby Organic Teethers these have to be Naila’s favorite.  🙂  She loves these crunchy snacks.

Lastly our fourth item- is the Baby Banana Bendable Toothbrush.  This one started off as a training tooth brush but can also be used as a teething toy.  So any teething toy of your preference should work just fine to help with teething.  One thing that I have noticed though is that babie’s get tired of anything easily so keep a few options on hand. 🙂

This concludes my blog post for today!  If you have any questions at all please ask. 🙂

Thank you so much for supporting my blog.  Don’t forget to make a commitment to yourself to grow daily! 🙂 

 

I am back!

I am back!

It has been a while since I posted here on my blog!  Luckily I have people around me that encouraged me to return to blogging. 🙂  Thank you to the people that were taking time out of their day to read my blog, I hope that you continue to read now that I am back.  🙂

To start off, Naila is now 16 months old, she is all over the place and she has such an amazing little personality.  She keeps me busy!  Check out her Instagram @nailamaritim she is a small shop representative and in her highlights we offer lots of discount codes for amazing clothing, and accessories for family and friends.

 

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No major changes in the past few months, I am still a SAHM.  I take pictures of Naila almost every day as the weather allows for our small shop repping.  If you follow her Instagram you will understand what it all cosists of.  Always remember to support small shops.  It is important because you are what will keep them in business.

I am currently brainstorming on amazing topics to talk about here.  I wanted to ask you fellow readers to provide input on what you would like to read about next.  I would love the feedback because I want to keep my readers engaged as much as possible.  Leave a comment here letting me know or message me on Instagram or Facebook if that is easier for you, please and thank you!

This concludes my blog post for today!

Thank you so much for supporting my blog.  Don’t forget to make a commitment to yourself to grow daily! 🙂 

 

Maricela Monday’s: My Weekend

Maricela Monday’s: My Weekend

Happy Monday wonderful people!  If you are new here, Welcome!  If you’ve been keeping up with my Blog Welcome back!  Today I am going to talk about my weekend and mention a couple of favorites that I re-discovered this weekend.

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Sometimes self-care is exercise and eating right.  Sometimes it’s as simple as taking a nap.  Whatever it might be that allows you to relax and recharge, do it.  We moms get so caught up in always taking care of others that we forget about ourselves.  Just remember that you only live once and you deserve to focus on yourself sometimes, be a little selfish but not too selfish. 🙂

This weekend I fully relaxed.  Saturday morning I woke up early and went to the gym.  Working out makes me feel so good!  Saturday night we went on a date along with Naila. 🙂  Had some delicious steak and yesterday I got a massage for the first time ever.  Let’s just say it is life changing for sure.  I feel like a complete new woman!  So relaxed and enjoyed just being about myself.  My weekend was just amazing and  will definitely be getting full body massages regularly.

The 2 items that I re-discovered this weekend are:

  1. Marc Jacobs Daisy Dream Perfume– this is considered to be a fruity floral scent.  It is light and airy and it smells so good.  🙂  I’ve owned this perfume for a while and I have not gotten tired of it.  🙂
  2. Glamglow Thirstymud Treatment Mask– GlamGlow is an amazing brand overall.  This mask specifically is a non-drying hydration mask that delivers instant and extreme moisture to your skin that leaves it glowing and looking healthier than ever.  Anything GlamGlow I love! 🙂

This concludes my blog post for today!  If you have any questions at all, ask away.

Thank you so much for supporting my blog.  Don’t forget to make a commitment to yourself to grow daily! 🙂 

 

First Birthday Gift Ideas

First Birthday Gift Ideas

Happy Wednesday amazing readers!  Today I wanted to share my ideas of amazing gifts for first birthday’s.  🙂  Naila recently turned one and we celebrated with a family and friend brunch at Bread Winners Cafe and Bakery, a delicious brunch place.  We had so much fun and most importantly we celebrated my baby being here for a whole year already.  🙂  Thinking about how quickly time goes by is a little sad.  But seeing her become more and more independent every day makes me feel like an amazing mother.  This whole experience is just bittersweet.

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“Dear daughter,  if I could give you one thing in life, I would give you the ability to see yourself through my eyes.  Only then you would realize how special you are to me.” XOXO

The gifts that you should purchase for a 1-year-old. 🙂

  1. Wooden Blocks are great for developing problem-solving and perception skills.  These will also keep them entertained for a while. 
  2. Melissa & Doug Puzzle, this brand makes such amazing toys and puzzle’s for kids.  Here is another puzzle and here is Naila’s personal favorite.  Puzzle’s are great because they encourage hand-eye coordination and imaginative play.
  3. First 100 Words Board Book , Naila loves this book.  It contains 100 words along with 100 pictures.  🙂  Toddlers love pictures!
  4. Disposable Bibs are perfect for when going out to eat with a toddler, you can use them and dispose of them and they take up very little space in your diaper bag or purse.
  5. Disposable place mats these are perfect to use on any table if you don’t want a mess or if you don’t want your baby to eat of the table.  You can also use them and then dispose of them.
  6. A straw cup that is spill proof because anything that is spill proof with a toddler is a must.  Naila has this specific one it is amazing and it is definitely spill proof.
  7. Another great idea is a Shaded wagon, this would be very used by the parents and the toddler will definitely enjoy the ride.
  8. Or you can also get a Push car, these are fun as well.

This concludes my blog post for today!

Thank you so much for supporting my blog.  Don’t forget to make a commitment to yourself to grow daily! 🙂 

Maricela Monday’s: Weekly Favorites

Maricela Monday’s: Weekly Favorites

Happy Monday, I hope that you are having an amazing day!  Today you should shine so brightly that others have no choice but to light up with you. 🙂

These past few weeks have been great for Naila and I.  I am literally her personal photographer and honestly I enjoy taking pictures of her and I adore dressing her up.  It makes my soul happy!  As a stay at home mom it was important for me to find a hobby, something to do while taking care of Naila and for now I have found it. 🙂  I can say that it isn’t for everyone to love.  I will talk about how Naila became a brand rep and how important it is to support small businesses in another blog post.  Now that I am done rambling about this now lets move on to my weekly favorites.

Today I will be sharing my favorite skin care products that can be found on Amazon and they are very inexpensive.

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  1. The first item is the St.Ives Facial Scrub and Mask that I use every morning.  This facial scrub is amazing, it helps keep my oily skin under control and leaves my skin feeling smooth and re-energized.  I definitely recommed it.
  2. Next are the Yes To Tomatoes Clear Skin Detoxifying Charcoal Facial Wipes, long name but worth it.  🙂  These are little black wipes that rid skin of nasty impurities.  Perfect for taking off makeup, to detoxify skin, and deep clean.  Try these out!

 

This concludes my Weekly Favorites!

Thank you so much for supporting my blog.  Don’t forget to make a commitment to yourself to grow daily! 🙂 

Baby Summer Essentials

Baby Summer Essentials

Happy Friday!  I hope that everyone is having an amazing day.  Naila and I have been trying to enjoy the summer as much as possible.  We go on many adventures and I have made a list of the items that are a must for her while out and about.  I love sharing this type of information with you guys.  Hope you Enjoy! 🙂

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Discount code and info for Flower headband will be at the end

1st 2 items are the Babyganics Sunscreen spray and Insect Repellent spray, these 2 have been life savers.  Here in Texas bugs and mosquitos are always making an appearance and the sun burns your skin if you stay out for too long.  The sunscreen has an SPF of 50 and both are all natural products.

2nd item is the Ju-Ju-Be Tokidoki Fuel Cell  which is lined with 3M Thinsulate to keep hot stuff hot, cool stuff cool and it has a quick grab handle with swivel clip to hook onto your diaper bag or stroller.  Keeps Naila’s water or milk cool for hours.

3rd item is the Contigo straw kids cup, I love this cup because the straw stays in place and best of all it’s spill proof.  Naila loves throwing anything that she gets a hold of and she enjoys drinking out of straws now.  You can put any type of drink in it, water, juice…

4th item is Swim diapers, for water parks and swimming pools. 🙂

5th item is Baby sunglasses, Naila doesn’t like to keep sunglasses on her face so these would be a good choice to go with since it has the head strap.

6th item is a Sun hat, you don’t want your baby to be exposed to the sun without any facial protection.

This concludes our Baby Summer Essentials!

Thank you so much for supporting my blog.  Don’t forget to make a commitment to yourself to grow daily! 🙂 

Headband that Naila is wearing in the picture is from ItsyBitsyRoses on Etsy and you can use code NAILA15 for a friends and family discount. 🙂

Baby Laundry Tips and Products

Baby Laundry Tips and Products

Happy Tuesday amazing readers!  Thank you for visiting my blog today. 🙂  Today,  I will be sharing what I learned as a new mom when it comes to doing Naila’s laundry from the moment that I washed her very first newborn outfits until now.

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As a new mom all I knew was that I had to wash most of her Newborn clothes before she was born so that they were ready for her.  I wasn’t really thinking about how many times her poop would come out of her diaper or how many times she would spit up on me and on herself.  That was definitely a new mom moment.

Not all detergents are suitable for your baby’s sensitive skin.  My favorite baby laundry products are from Dreft.

Favorite Products:

Dreft Stage 1: Newborn, is a hypoallergenic baby laundry detergent that has an irresistible baby scent.  Not all hypoallergenic detergents are good at removing tough stains but this one did a good job until she started eating solids.

Dreft Stage 2: Active baby, is what I started using when she started eating solids.  This one also has the lovely baby scent and is tougher on stains.  Your infants skin is less sensitive at this age.

Baby Oxi Clean: I started using this when the stains were too tough.  I place her stained clothes in a solution of warm water mixed with the Oxi Clean and leave it there for about 15 mins. and then I continue to wash with the Dreft Stage 2 detergent.

As they turn older, by older I mean 1-year-old for us at least, the smell of the detergent doesn’t stay for long anymore so I started using Dreft blissfuls in-wash scent beads which contain the same scent and it just makes the scent stronger which makes it last longer. 🙂  I just love baby scent!

Tips:

  • If you want your baby’s clothes to shrink wash them in warm or hot water and dry in high heat.  If you don’t want them to shrink then do the opposite, all cold.
  • For your baby’s clothes not to look worn don’t dry them in heat just air dry.
  • For their tiny socks use a wash bag to place them in while washing or else you will probably lose a few since they are tiny.
  • Wash stained clothes and items such as burp cloths together and wash delicate and non stained items separately.

If you have any questions at all feel free to ask.  🙂  If I left anything out, leave it in the comment section.  If you have not yet subscribed to my blog just enter your email in the follow tab down below on the right hand side.

This concludes today’s blog post.

Thank you so much for supporting my blog.  Don’t forget to make a commitment to yourself to grow daily! 🙂 

Toddler and Infant Oral Health

Toddler and Infant Oral Health

Happy Tuesday amazing people!  Today I will be sharing tips and items that we use to keep Naila’s gums and teeth squeaky clean.  🙂qotd

It is important to take care of your child’s oral health from birth, even if they don’t have teeth yet you should still wipe their gums with this along with warm water after each feeding.  We personally took Naila to her first dentist appointment when she was 6 months old and continue to take her every 3 months since then.

Naila didn’t have any teeth until a little before she turned 1 year old.  Her 2 bottom and 2 top teeth decided to come out at the same time.

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Her 4 little cute teeth. 🙂

Since then we have been brushing her teeth and gums daily with this toothbrush and this toothpaste, these are both amazing products.  The toothpaste that we use is free of fluoride and it is safe if swallowed.  Naila is good with letting me brush her teeth, she always does it with a smile. 🙂  I am truly a lucky mom.  For sanitary purposes we store her toothbrush in Flipper Animal World Flipper Cover.

Parents beware of the amount of juice that your baby is consuming daily.  Sugar can cause tooth decay in babies quickly since their teeth are naturally more sensitive than that of adults because it can take several years for the enamel on newly emerged teeth to harden after baby teeth have been lost.  Children who drink sodas and sports drinks are at a greater risk for cavities and enamel loss than those who do not.  Water is a must always, for children and adults.

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Be sure to check out my previous post Baby Girl Favorite Accessories where I talk about Naila’s teething necklace.

This concludes today’s blog post.

Thank you so much for supporting my blog.  Don’t forget to make a commitment to yourself to grow daily! 🙂 

 

Maricela Monday’s: My Weekly Must Haves

Maricela Monday’s: My Weekly Must Haves

Happy Monday!  I hope that everyone had a wonderful weekend.  8d10d38afd1d0be191877bff3032120b

This blog post will consist of all of the wonderful items that I have been loving this week.

  1. You Are a Badass at Making Money: Master the Mindset of Wealth by Jen Sincero.  This book will launch you past the fears and stumbling blocks that have kept financial success beyond your reach.  Drawing on her own transformation—over just a few years—from a woman living in a converted garage with tumbleweeds blowing through her bank account to a woman who travels the world in style.  IMG_2352“Time wasted rationalizing the mediocre could be time spent creating the magnificent.” -Jen Sincero

I am currently reading this book join me.  Purchase here so that we can read it together.  🙂

2. iphone XAll of the beautiful pictures that I have been posting on my social media have been thanks to this amazing phone using portrait mode.  I can honestly say that this is by far my favorite Apple iPhone yet.  Click here to check it out.

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Taken with iPhone X

3. Hydro Flask insulated water bottle: This bottle will keep anything cold or hot and I have been carrying it around with me to help me and Naila survive this Texas heat while we are out taking pictures of her.  It is available in over 8 different colors, click here to purchase the best water bottle and stay hydrated.

4. Egg rattles:  I have been using these to get Naila to turn in whatever direction I want her to turn to while taking pictures of her.  Take a look here.

This concludes today’s blog post.

Thank you so much for supporting my blog.  Don’t forget to make a commitment to yourself to grow daily! 🙂