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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:

  1. 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!)
  2. 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)
  3. 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.

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

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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.

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Magenta Florals

I just completed the first week of my Floral Arranging 101 class, and I am addicted. Our homework assignment was to create a hand tied bouquet, using primary, secondary, and filler flowers, with additional greenery to give it texture. We had suggestions for which flowers to use, but the local Durango grocery store’s floral department is not the best, so I went out on a limb with my selections. My mom told me about April’s Garden after I had already made my bouquet, so I’ll head there next week.

I’m very amateur in the world of flowers, so I bought The Flower Recipe Book to help me. I’m so excited about this purchase – not only does it help with the arranging, it’s also the prettiest coffee table book. I highly recommend you buy it if you’re interested in flowers.

Lastly, the Milk Nursingwear giveaway ends tonight at midnight. Make sure to enter today!

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My absolute favorites – as mentioned here


I love a pop of magenta in a bouquet and have shared some of my favorite wedding arrangements below (all sourced from Style Me Pretty). What is your favorite pop of color in a floral bouquet?

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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.

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

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Pretty in pink (and white!)

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Cheesin’ it up

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Hot pink is my absolute favorite (similar bodysuit here)

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

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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!)

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

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

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Saturday mornings are for PJs and superman time with dad

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

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Isla’s little Gap peplum top and leggings

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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)

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

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

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Isla LOVES (eating) this lovie!

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


Three weeks left! Have a great day. xo

 

Isla Loves: Milk Nursingwear (Giveaway)

When one of my best friends, Kirby, told me about Milk Nursingwear‘s amazing nursing tops, I was very intrigued. Most of the maternity tops I had ordered were very ‘momsy’ and far from stylish. I trust Kirby’s sense of fashion, so I went to their website and was pleasantly surprised by their selection of nursing wear. Milk Nursingwear was nice enough to send me this gray scoop neck shirt to try, and I love it! The top section pulls up to allow for discreet breastfeeding – others genuinely cannot see a thing. Given that newborns are so unpredictable with their feeding, it’s nice to know that I can feed outside of the house if needed without giving up my privacy.


I’m excited to be teaming up with Milk Nursingwear to give away a $35 gift certificate to one lucky individual! In order to enter the giveaway, you must do the following:

  1. Reply to this post, including your name, email and which Milk Nursingwear item(s) you would buy with your gift card
  2. Follow Milk Nursingwear’s freshmilk blog
  3. 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)

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 20. I will announce the winner by Friday. I look forward to your responses. Good luck!

Follow Milk Nursingwear on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, YouTube, and their blog.


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Milk Nursingwear Sleek Gray Striped Scoop Neck Shirt // Isla’s Carters Romper // Kendra Scott Rayne Necklace // Kendra Scott Ailee Bracelet (my favorite, obviously – more here!) // J. Crew Chino Shorts // Dolce Vita Jentry Booties // Tory Burch Robinson Double Zip Handbag

I was given this nursing top by Milk Nursingwear for my review. I was allowed to keep the product, but the opinion I am sharing remains my own.

Week 4 in Durango

We have almost been in Durango for a month, and time is literally flying by, which is giving me anxiety. I am not ready to return to Houston, although I would give anything to hug my friends and family. In the past week, we have seen multiple deer lingering in our yard and our neighbors, taken (almost) daily walks to the local handcrafted ice cream shop – Cream Bean Berry, gone on 2-mi. morning walks with the beautiful crisp air, finished Photo 101, started Floral Arranging 101, and learning so much in Illustrator 101. We also visited Sutcliffe Vineyards, ate at Carver’s Brewery (dying over their veggie burger), and  Sasha’s mom, her friend, my sister, and her boyfriend all visited. It was a busy week, but we enjoyed every second of it. One of my best friends arrives next week with her baby, Lillian, who was born 26 days after Isla. I cannot wait!

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Isla’s Baby Gap romper – love that bow at the waist (similar here)

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Daily walks to the Animas River with the whole family are the highlight of my day

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Jill is already one strike down on the babysitting tally (re: drinking and holding)! // Dinner at Grassburger happens far too often

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This is the face she makes when she is gurgling – totally purses her little lips (more of this outfit here)

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Isla loves to fist pump in her Gap Star Bubble Bodysuit (now on sale!)

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My hair is now in constant pony tails because she loves to grab things – like her dad’s Serbian Orthodox chain necklace
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Pattern play in her Carter’s top, Baby Gap striped pants and Trumpette socks
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Hanging out on one of her Mimi’s colorful quilts

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Belle is in heaven

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Straight CHEESIN’ – in her J. Crew tank in flower patch and Baby Gap shorts

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I couldn’t love her any more

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Going on a walk in my J. Crew tank (I live in these), Nordstrom fedora (similar) and Chloe sunglasses (similar) – Isla’s Baby Gap hat looks like a mushroom here!

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Ready to play fetch

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Practicing standing with her Tata

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One happy little patriotic sailor

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I want this Janie and Jack romper for myself! I love the bow on the back