ideas – Snapshots & My Thoughts by Ailee Petrovic

Baby August 26, 2014

Isla Loves: BabyLit (40% Off Promo Code & Giveaway)

I first came across the BabyLit series while shopping at a little boutique in San Francisco. I took a picture of the cover, knowing I would add them to our Amazon Baby Registry when I got back to Houston. I added twelve of my favorite books and got them all from one of my mom’s good friends. I love them so much. It is so enjoyable to read my favorite classics to Isla. There are Counting Primers, Color Primers, Animal Primers, Opposites Primers, Anatomy Primers, and more. These books break down the classics into easily digestible terms and help children develop, as you can see from the photos below. I only brought three books with us to Durango, and I wish we had them all. I highly recommend you buy these for your little one, and if you don’t have any kids, then for friends who are expecting or having toddlers.

I’m excited to be teaming up with BabyLit to offer you 40% off all books until this Sunday, August 31 at midnight with the promo code ISLA. Click here to buy them now! In addition to this discount, BabyLit is giving away two books of your choice to one lucky individual. In order to enter the giveaway, you must do the following:

Reply to this post, including your name and which two BabyLit books you’d like to win – see the full collection here (you can change your selection upon winning)
You will get an extra entry by being or becoming a follower of Snapshots and My Thoughts (see ‘Follow’ button at the bottom righthand corner on desktop version of the blog)
You will get an extra entry by posting this giveaway’s URL to your Twitter or Facebook account (please tag @ailee_petrovic on Twitter or mention Snapshots & My Thoughts and BabyLit on Facebook)

One winner will be drawn at random. The more entries you have, the higher the chance you’ll win! The giveaway ends at midnight on Friday, August 29. I will announce the winner by Monday. I look forward to reading your responses. Good luck!

Follow BabyLit on Facebook

Baby August 22, 2014

Isla Loves: BABYBJÖRN Carrier We (Giveaway)

Living in Durango for the past month has definitely been a change of lifestyle for our family. Instead of being confined to the indoor air-conditioning of Houston, we are constantly out and about, whether it be walking to the grocery store or our favorite restaurants, or going on a hike, we are always on the go. In Houston, I had relied heavily on our City Mini stroller when I was running errands, but we wanted to be more agile once we arrived in Colorado. My mom’s friend lent us a ton of baby items, which saved us from hauling them across the country. One of the items was the BABYBJÖRN Baby Carrier Original. We quickly learned that this was Isla’s favorite item in the world. She could be crying inconsolably, and we would plop her in the carrier and silence (they aren’t kidding, it’s golden). She loved it, which obviously meant that Sasha and I adored it even more. Bye, bye stroller.

BABYBJÖRN recently released their newest baby carrier – the Baby Carrier We – and they were kind enough to send me one to try. It’s amazing. Seriously. One of the biggest benefits we have seen over the original carrier is the added support for our backs. When you are walking around for awhile, this is important! The Carrier We comes with a pressure-relieving waist belt and padded shoulder straps, which evenly distribute Isla’s weight. In addition, the carrier is designed perfectly to provide ample support for her head, back and hips. Also, it is easy for me to put Isla in the carrier without assistance from anyone else. And she loves it too. She finds it so soothing, and so we take her absolutely everywhere in it (see hiking photos below!). The best part? The Baby Carrier We is ergonomically designed for children up to three years old, so Isla will have many years ahead in this carrier!

I’m excited to be teaming up with BABYBJÖRN to give away a brand new Baby Carrier We to one lucky individual! In order to enter the giveaway, you must do the following:

Reply to this post, including your name and who you’d be carrying around in your Baby Carrier We (or perhaps who you’d like to win the carrier for!)
You will get an extra entry by being or becoming a follower of Snapshots and My Thoughts (see ‘Follow’ button at the bottom righthand corner on desktop version of the blog)
You will get an extra entry by posting the giveaway’s URL to your Twitter or Facebook account (please tag @ailee_petrovic on Twitter or mention Ailee Semple Petrovic on Facebook)

One winner will be drawn at random. The more entries you have, the higher the chance you’ll win! The giveaway ends at midnight on Wednesday, August 27. I will announce the winner by Friday. I look forward to reading your responses. Good luck!

Follow BABYBJÖRN on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube.

The carrier passed the 6 mi. hike test! We absolutely love it. Sasha kindly carrier her up, and I took the trek down.

I was given the BABYBJÖRN Carrier We by BabySwede for my review. I was allowed to keep the product, but the opinion I am sharing remains my own.

Baby August 19, 2014

Week 5 in Durango

Week five has come and gone, and ohmygosh, I am not ready to go back to the ‘real world’ (i.e. Texas). However, I do miss everyone like crazy, and cannot wait to hug all of my family and friends. This past week flew by in anticipation of one of my best friends, Kirby, arriving on Thursday. I managed to run every day this past week, clock between 13,000-20,000 steps every day, enjoy short hikes to the top of a nearby mountain in the mornings, continue my Illustrator 101 and Floral Arranging 101 classes, work on the blog (some fun giveaways coming up soon!), and spend lots of time with Sasha, Belle (our dog) and sweet Isla. We also hiked the 6 mi. trail of the Animas Mountain together for the first time – Sasha and I did it last Labor Day when we were visiting (see photos here).

As you can tell from the thousands of photos below, I love taking pictures of Isla’s cute face, because I know I won’t have as much time to once we are back in Houston (and because she cannot yet tell me to stop).

In case you want to keep track of our Colorado sabbatical, you can also read about Week 1, Weeks 2 and 3, and Week 4.

Isla being sassy in her Carter’s Romper (similar here) – that last face kills me – her personality is shining through

Pretty in pink (and white!)

Cheesin’ it up

Hot pink is my absolute favorite (similar bodysuit here)

Someone was none-too-pleased with us taking photos before she got to eat ‘lunch’

Bows on bows on bows (buy dress here) – and Sophie the Giraffe making an appearance (and Isla loves her hands if you can’t tell!)

I swear this isn’t a hunger cue, Isla just adores her hands (praying this is ‘self soothing’!)

Kisses from her ‘Tata’ and (the much dreaded) tummy time (similar outfit here)

Saturday mornings are for PJs and superman time with dad

Her hair is seriously out of control, but I love it

Isla’s little Gap peplum top and leggings

This was taken after five minutes in her new heaven – i.e. the Skip Hop Treetop Friends Activity Gym… she’s enamored (this is a GREAT baby shower gift)

Loving the views from the top of the Animas Mountain – Isla loves the view from over my shoulder (her favorite holding position)

Vegan ice cream at Cream Bean Berry – my one true weakness!

Isla LOVES (eating) this lovie!

A sneak preview of my first homework assignment from Floral Arranging 101 (more to come tomorrow!)

Three weeks left! Have a great day. xo

Décor June 3, 2014

The Most Beautiful Wall Paper Collection

It’s time to redo the entire house. Okay, so there’s no way Sasha would buy that, given that we freshly painted every room 12 months ago, but the Rifle Paper Co. wall paper collection for Hygge & West just launched, and I’m utterly obsessed. I truly thought about how each print would fit in one room or another in The Manor – I love the safari print for Isla’s room? Maybe an accent wall? And we could totally redo one of the bathrooms with the pineapples! How fun is that print? And I need the peonies in our laundry room. What do you think of the collection?

Announcement May 2, 2014

Super Sweet 16 Balloon Invites

I am always looking for creative invitation or announcement ideas – a deviation from the standard colored cardstock. I have finally decided what to do for Isla’s announcements, after making the time conscious decision not go to the same letterpress + photo route for Sasha’s UT MBA graduation announcements (to be posted soon!), and no, it’s not a balloon! However, when I saw these super sweet 16 birthday balloon invitations on Oh So Beautiful Paper, I swooned. The balloons are so colorful, and I love the design by Cristina Pandol. I recognized Cristina’s name, and searched Snapshots and My Thoughts – low and behold, I have posted two of her previous projects before here. She is wildly talented – I totally love her style. Have you ever received a save-the-dates or invitation via balloon? Such a cute idea.