Personal – Page 72 – Snapshots & My Thoughts by Ailee Petrovic

Personal November 3, 2014

Week in Review

A wonderfully busy week, filled with lots of preparation for family photos on Sunday. I literally bought ten cream shirts from Nordstrom, Nordstrom Rack, J. Crew, J. Crew Factory, and Anthropologie to wear in the pictures, then decided (very last minute) on a pink sweater that I already owned! How fickle. And of course, lots and lots of returns to make this week.

We took our photos with Paige of Awake Photography – you can see a sneak peek of the pictures on her Instagram here. I cannot wait to share the photos with you, along with other Christmasy ones, next week.

Other highlights of our week included:

Calming Isla down by telling her “No more fussing!” while shaking your finger – she thinks it’s the funniest thing ever (see video here)
Swimming with Isla at Life Time Fitness – she is a big, big splasher
Painting (i.e. mushed berries) in her BABYBJORN highchair
Getting a blow out at The Dry Bar (I am obsessed)
Meeting Sasha’s cousin’s wonderful fiancé for the first time (and getting to walk the 3-mi loop while getting to know each other!)
Isla’s first halloween – we didn’t make it trick or treating (this girl takes bed time seriously), but got some cute strawberry pics
Having a trick-or-treater tell me they love my succulents (really??)
Helping my friend Amanda (her engagement photos here) get ready to be the world’s most convincing Elsa (see photos below)
Eating out twice at Ruggles Green (sorry Houston ex-pats!) – once with Brooke, one of my most favorite people on the planet
Taking Isla to Biscuit Home for the first time – although she slept the entire time
Trying a new food truck (Simply Greek) that is a mile from our house
Having Sasha’s classmate’s family over for dinner yesterday evening – such cute kiddos

What were the highlights of your week?

Finger painting was a fun, but very messy, activity

Week in Review October 27, 2014

Week in Review

It’s truly unbelievable that this past weekend was the last in October! Halloween is coming quickly, and Isla is totally ready to bust out her fruity costume (I am too!). The weather in Houston was low 80’s all weekend, so we were outside almost all day long on Saturday and Sunday.

Sasha and I went to my dad’s new office on Tuesday and had lunch (Ruggles Green, of course) with him and his secretary, Dottie. It was so nice to see them both, and Dad got to show Isla off to his co-workers.

Other highlights from the week include:

Discovering Isla’s new favorite giggle-inducer (beats peek-a-boo) – the sock monster!
After many failed recipes this week, making an ‘Everything Bar’ that is amazing (recipe to come soon!)
Isla learning to sleep on her stomach – we had three long weeks of her rolling over and crying until we flipped her back!
Singing one of my very favorite worship songs at church on Sunday
Many long walks in the beautiful weather, our favorite being a house-hunt around the neighborhood and to Memorial Park
Taking Isla to Catalina Coffee (best in Houston) for the first time!
Lunching with sweet Kevin for the second time – at Ruggles Green (photo below – isn’t adorable)
Running with Isla for the first time in her Baby Jogger Summit X3 Stroller (I was so nervous and fully padded the area near her head – total new mom move)
Tying Isla’s hair in a tiny little pony tail for the first time (photographic evidence below)
Trying out a new local restaurant – Fajita Pete’s, as they actually have veggie fajitas, which is surprisingly so rare for a Mexican restaurant

Little grins make my day

Isla Loves October 20, 2014

Isla Loves: Honest Co. Shampoo & Body Wash (Giveaway)

As I mentioned before in this previous ‘Isla Loves’ post, we love the Honest Co. Their diapers are absolutely adorable and getting them delivered to our doorstep is such a godsend. If you’re not using them already, I highly recommend that you sign up to get the premium diapers and wipes for less than $20 a week from Honest.com.

Not only do we use Honest Co. diapers and wipes, we also use the Shampoo and Body Wash. Sasha takes bath duties every night, and the two of them have a grand old time in her bathroom (lots and lots of giggles). Isla wriggles all over, and gets the suds in her eyes and is not bothered one bit. We love how soft it makes her hair and skin feel too – and the sweet vanilla-y smell is a plus.

The Shampoo and Body Wash only costs $9.95 for a 8.5 oz bottle, and it lasts for ages. I highly recommend you buy it, or… enter the giveaway below!

Week in Review October 19, 2014

Week in Review

Whew – what a week! It ended on a rather low point – mastitis (again!). Mastitis is a breast tissue infection that, quite frankly, sucks. I had it for the first time 6 days after Isla was born (on Sasha’s birthday!). This time, I was able to identify it early, as I knew those flu-like symptoms weren’t the flu! Thankfully, we got medicine very quickly and started the antibiotics, and I’m feeling much better.

Besides mastitis, the week was wonderful. Kirby, one of my best friends, was in town for a wedding, so we got to spend most of the day together on Friday and had a quick little visit on Sunday. Sweet Lillian is just gorgeous! See photos of their last two play adventures here and here.

Other highlights include:

Isla dying of giggles when Sasha was playing peek-a-boo with her (did you see last week’s giggle fit?)
Kicking butt in Strike class (quite literally – it’s kick boxing) at Life Time – I am addicted.
Attending Isla’s first neighborhood Spring Valley fall festival!
Getting our house ready for Christmas, i.e. two trees are up (explanation soon!) – which included multiple trips to Hobby Lobby, Anthropologie, West Elm, Crate and Barrel, IKEA and Home Goods.
Watching Captain Phillips – I never, ever watch TV or movies so had never heard of it, but I’m obsessed! Tom Hanks is incredible.
Seeing my good friend, Melissa, on Thursday after she left the office – have missed her!
Having friends over for Sunday lunch and then Sasha’s sweet cousins visit in the afternoon.
Eating dinner at Ruggles Green – hands down, the Texas Goat Cheese Salad is the best salad in Houston, Zoe’s Kitchen and Adair Kitchen.
Taking a trip to Common Bond – the very trendy new bakery in town (delicious coffee, lacking in vegan treats). I even updated my Houston weekend travel guide to include it!

How was your week? Tell me about it in the comments!

The sass.Ugh, over this.

Isla Loves October 13, 2014

Isla Loves: Dr. Brown’s (Giveaway)

One of the things an experienced mom will tell you when it comes to bottle feeding a baby is that you need to have a number of different bottle brands for your little one to try, as the silicone nipples are different shapes and sizes and you don’t know to which your baby will take. We bought three brands, and Isla would only drink from her Dr. Brown’s bottles – specifically the pink Natural Flow ones. The internal vent system works to mimic a mother’s breast production (watch this video), and the only negative thing I have to say about these bottles would be that I couldn’t figure out how to assemble it the first time (total new-mom-brain!). We were also gifted the Dr. Brown’s bottle warmer at one of my showers and love it. It’s small, easy to store in a kitchen cabinet and quick to heat up a bottle for a hungry baby.

Dr. Brown’s kindly sent me a few other products to try, and I have to genuinely tell you… I’m a serious brand lover now. Isla absolutely loved the PreVent Contour Shield Pacifier. The contoured surface makes it easy for Isla to keep the paci in her mouth. I love all of the colors and designs that the pacifiers come in too. dr. brown's bottle pacifiers gia pillow nursing breastfeeding wipes review baby girl