Mom Talk – Page 9 – Snapshots & My Thoughts by Ailee Petrovic

Mom Talk August 12, 2015

Finger Painting with a Toddler (In the Bathtub!)

After Isla woke up from her nap yesterday afternoon, we played in the yard for ten minutes before heading back inside, both red in the face and sweaty from the record breaking Houston temperatures (humidity factor made it feel like 110 degrees). I decided we needed to do something fun indoors, so I grabbed some paper, tape, Greek yogurt (which Isla loves) and food coloring and we painted in the bath tub.

At first, Isla was hesitant to “get into” the paint, but after I did some splatters myself, she went crazy with it. Of course, we were playing in the bathtub, so I was very excited about her enthusiasm, which was peppered with little moments of silence as she stopped to eat her ‘paint.’

Mom Talk July 31, 2015

Reading with Bookroo (Plus, Discount Code!)

We have been reading lots of books to Isla since she was a tiny newborn, which felt a little funny as she didn’t really seem all that interested in books at 4 weeks old. As she’s gotten older though, she has taken much more interest in reading and that makes a book lover like me very, very excited. I even posted a list of her favorite books to read here, and you’ll see in this photo that she now loves to read in her crib until she falls asleep (melts my heart!).

When Jane, the co-founder of Bookroo, reached out and shared information about her new company that helps parents build their children’s book libraries easily and affordably, all the while getting kids excited about reading new, fun books, I was sold. As my husband will tell you, I enjoy getting packages at our front door all too much, and receiving books for Isla made it even better.

Mom Talk June 26, 2015

Gift Ideas for a 1 Year Old Girl

With almost three weeks passing since Isla turned one, we’ve now gotten to use many of the wonderful gifts that she received on her birthday. She is one lucky lady to have been spoiled rotten by family and friends. We got cute clothes, learning toys, plush stuffed animals and “bay-beeees.” I’ve had a few people ask me what was most useful, as they were going to be buying gifts for a one year old girl (most gifts work for boys too!) and didn’t want to get a gift that would be returned or left in a box.

I’m sharing some of our favorite items today, but most importantly, I’d love if you chimed in with other ideas in the comments below! It’s always so helpful to hear what other mamas think!

Lastly, there are some important things to take into consideration before buying gifts is the amount of storage the family has. Do they have a play room with lots of bins for toys? Do they have a big garage where they can put a toddler car? If the family has limited space, stick with smaller items like books and clothes!

Baby June 25, 2015

Documenting the Every Day

If you’ve been on Snapshots & My Thoughts for more than 2 minutes, you’ll know I’m obsessed with take photographs (hence my decision to turn it into a career!). When Isla was born, I became paranoid that she was growing too quickly and that I would forget what she looked like on day 27, 35, 89, etc. Therefore, I had the genius idea that I would make a ‘Photo-a-Day’ book. When it came to which site I would use to document these memories, I immediately thought of Shutterfly, as I have 14 photo books (seriously) printed from this incredible company already, and you can definitely consider me to be brand loyal.

Baby June 16, 2015

New Favorite Baby Products (6+ Months)

In December, I shared my baby registry guide, which included all of the essential items for babies ages 0-6 months. Now that Isla is a year old, I’ve looked back on the list to see what new items would be needed for 6-12 months, and there aren’t many. Besides eating apparatuses, like clever bowls, spoons, cups, and snack containers, the list of items to buy isn’t enormous (hooray!). I’ve rounded up a few of our new favorite products that are appropriate for this age range, and I’m sharing details below.

After reading through, I would love to hear from other mamas about which products you’ve tried recently and love? Mom word-of-mouth is always the best!

Boon Suds Bottle Washer: As I begin the process of weaning Isla off breastmilk (begin is key here), I’m starting to introduce her to almond milk. So after not using bottles for months and months, we’ve pulled them out from the cabinets and are filling them up. Anyone who has cleaned bottles before knows how frustrating it is not to be able to easily clean down to the bottom, but with the Boon Suds washer, you put the bottle inside the scrubber and push down and it cleans the entire container really well (and scooshes water up, like a car wash). Watch this video for a demonstration. I highly recommend this – it doesn’t take up much space and the dishwasher will not get the milk stains off the same way!