TIME FLIES. I know everyone says that, but I never understood how quickly it actually goes. I was looking back at old photos of when we brought Marin home and it feels like yesterday. I think it also feels fast because babies change so quickly. I got a bunch of requests to share this so thought I’d round up the things we used the most for 4-6 months (and beyond).
Honestly when I went to write this post I realized we’ve bought almost nothing new for Marin. Most of this was on her registry and with the exception of clothes and food she hasn’t needed anything else. Even with clothes which I talk about a little more below, I’ve really been super minimal about what I buy her. She grows through stuff SO quickly and we’re not going anywhere so she pretty much lives in onesies or her diaper.
You can see our newborn essentials here, still using some things from that post too.
Toys and Activities
SkipHop – Me: “I’m not going to have plastic kids toys all over my house” … Also me: Desperately purchases SkipHop. I’m just gonna go ahead and say I’ll be eating my words for the rest of eternity, haha. Here’s the thing, we have a small house, you can’t “hide” anything, so this contraption is usually in our living room but you know what it keeps Marin entertained, and that’s a gift. Craig and I joke about Marin’s “circuit.” During her wake time she basically rotates between the SkipHop, the Jolly Jumper, the Bjorn bouncer and her Lovevery Mat (and at least one walk a day in her stroller).
Jolly Jumper – This is probably Marin’s favorite contraption. She LOVES the Jolly Jumper. We have the one that goes over the door but you can also get the freestanding one.
Lovevery Mat – This has been so great since day one. It was great for tummy time early on and Marin is constantly discovering new things on the mat to explore and play with.
Baby Gear
Baby Bjorn Bouncer – This is another one we’ve had since early on and it is so great. Marin can feed herself now using a bottle with handles on it if we put her in the seat on a lower setting. She hangs out in here while we cook lunch or dinner too. We also fold it down and bring it to the beach for her to sit in.
Burley Minnow Bike Trailer – Of course definitely not a necessity and a bit of a splurge but I got this for Craig for Father’s Day and we’ve gotten a TON of use out of it. We basically don’t ever drive to the beach because we load our stuff into the bike trailer with Marin and ride down. Since we only last 2 hours max it’s perfect. I know this will last for years to come too. Right now Marin is in the infant insert.
Introducing Solids/teething
Bib, Silicone Bowl and Spoon – I think we started solids around 4 months, honestly can’t remember at this point. We’re still mostly doing purees, I really need to try the baby led weaning more but honestly the choking thing freaks me out. Any tips on BLW I’m all ears!
White Leaf (use JessKirby for 15% off) and Happy Baby Organics – I have finally started making food for Marin but when I’m short on time I really love White Leaf and Happy Baby Organics (and Marin does too). The pouches are great if we are at the beach too and Marin can feed herself with these.
Haakaa Silicone Feeder – This little contraption is a total lifesaver. Marin has been teething for what seems like months (still no teeth to show for it). I put a piece of cold or frozen fruit inside and it entertains Marin for a solid 30 minutes, plus helps soothe her gums.
Clothes
Sleepsack – Tiffany recommended we use one of these and it was great for transitioning out of the swaddle. I think it also helps the overall sleep routine so for every nap and bedtime she goes in the sleepsack and she goes right down. This one from Little Unicorn is perfect for summer because it’s lightweight so I usually put her in a onesie in this one. I also have the Baby Mori sleeping bags in 1.5 and 2.5 (I wait until they go on sale to buy them). The quality is amazing and I know they’ll last.
Clothing – I’m working on putting together a post of my favorite sustainable baby clothing brands but as I said in the beginning of this post I haven’t purchased a lot of clothes for Marin. I usually get her 1-2 “outfits” and then the rest are onesies for the time being. I like to get her 1-2 rompers or dresses from Maisonette. This little bucket hat has been so great for summer because it stays on her head. For onesies I go with Burt’s Bees, Pehr, Hanna Andersson, and Primary.
Disclosure: if you buy something through the links on this blog, we may earn an affiliate commission. We only feature products we would personally recommend. Thank you for your support.
