Ailee Petrovic

Week in Review November 1, 2018

Week in Review

Happy November! It’s Thursday, and I’m just now getting around to writing Monday’s post. It’s been a busy week so far – family photos, newborn photos, house progress (woohoo!), Halloween!!! I stopped by the new house yesterday morning to put blue tape on the walls where they need to install the toilet paper and towel holders, and it’s looking ALMOST DONE. I cannot believe it. Today, a cleaning crew arrives and will spend two days taking up the protective floor coverings, undusting everything and getting ready for final paint touch-ups. We still have a lot to do outside – i.e. all the landscaping, turf and pool, so we’ve got three weeks left but the end is in sight finally.

Last night was so fun – can’t wait to share photos next week! I’m teaching a photo class today, tomorrow and Saturday, so I need to run and prep for that. Here are some of my favorite photos from the past week. We ate multiple meals with family and friends, had fun at the girls’ school Scarecrow Festival (whew, glad it’s over though!), enjoyed a great church service, took tons of family photos (my busiest week of pictures this year!), and snapped a few of myself for a HelloFresh collab. Time is flying by (hallelujah for being almost 26 weeks pregnant). I am so excited to get into the holiday season!

Food October 26, 2018

Making Meals Easier with HelloFresh

Recently, we’ve been in a rut with dinner meal options. When Sasha is in town, we try to visit the new house when he wraps up work at the end of the day, so we’re rushing home to walk Belle, make dinner, and get the girls to bed at a good time. I always cook a vegetarian meal for me and the girls, and when Sasha is here, he’ll add fish or chicken to whatever I prefer. I find we always end up making the same three meals over-and-over again. I have been wanting to try HelloFresh for ages now, and after doing two weeks of meals, we are hooked. We chose the 3 meals per week option for 4 people on the Veggie Plan, and we’ve been so happy with the meals we’ve received so far. The girls loved the ravioli, and Sasha and I both really loved the couscous dish we had during our first week. When Sasha was gone on Wednesday, I made a ‘grilled cheese’ dish for me and Sydney – it tasted so good. The ingredients all come packaged perfectly – ready to be diced/chopped and put into the dishes. The recipe cards make everything so easy to follow, and the meals look très professional.

If you’ve been wanting to try a meal delivery service, but haven’t done so yet – I truly encourage you to try HelloFresh. Also, you can receive six free @hellofresh meals if you use the code SNAPSHOTS60 when you checkout. Sign up for a week here! Check out the meal options for the week of November 7 – that’s a week you don’t want to miss (Lauren Conrad’s Cauliflower Stir-Fry Bowl? Yes, please!).

Personal October 22, 2018

Week in Review

Next week is Halloween, can you even handle that?! We left a cuteheads holiday shoot on Friday, and Isla asked me (rather distraught), “Mommy, did we miss Halloween?” Ha. I love how Halloween quickly gives way to Thanksgiving, then my favorite of all – Christmas, then New Year, then Emi’s birthday then Georgie is due. I’m clearly ready for that day to be here already. My bump may not be huge, but I feel like I’m about to pass out every time I tie my laces and feel out of breath doing the simplest of tasks! It hits you early during your third pregnancy!

The past week was a whirlwind filled with house advancements (A new garage! A Container Store closet! all lights installed! Appliances installed! Wall paint completed!), but also some setbacks like the pool tile distributor messing up our order which sets the pool back 8 weeks (ugh). Highs and lows! The girls had a great week with school, lunch with Meredith and Miss Piper June, aforementioned cuteheads shoot, a little Semple family photo shoot, and client family/senior photos. The rain has been a big debbie downer, but I’m optimistic we’ve got sunny skies somewhere near!

I hope you have a great week! PS the photos below were taken of Emi in a dark nursery (brightened by editing) immediately post nap and her hair is a mess and she’s got biker shorts on but I love her in her natural wild state so much!

Mom Talk October 18, 2018

Unboxing our Fragrance Free Olay Whip

We clearly cannot contain our excited about the new launch of the Olay Whip moisturizer in a fragrance free option (see photographic evidence below). I received a box in the mail last week with a surprise in it – which included a fun balloon (the girls were so happy!) and Olay Regenerist Whip fragrance-free and Olay Total Effects Whip SPF25 fragrance-free. I’ve been using Whip religiously – morning and night – since February, and I’m loving the new fragrance-free version (Sasha appreciates it too!).

One of my very favorite people commented on my last Olay post and said, “I have used them forever because my sweet Nanny had beautiful skin up until the day she passed. She swore it was due to Oil of Olay. I love the fresh scent because it brings back such sweet memories of my precious grandmother!” I love this. I have products that remind me of my grandparents too. I am so aware that the girls watch me as I get ready in the morning, and I want them to know how important it is to take care of your skin. I want to create a generation of Olay-lovers too!

It was just a little too quiet the other morning, and I walked into my bathroom to find both Emi and her baby doll lathered in Olay Whip. Thank goodness it works as well as a $200 moisturizer, but retails for only $38.99. Emi is absent from some of the photos below because she was seriously distraught that I wouldn’t open the container for her (until I caved at the end and gave her my almost-finished container). Lots of “MOMMA! OPEN!” going on. You can see a few videos with both girls in them in you watch my IG story today! I’ll do a full review of the two products in the next few weeks. Be on the lookout for that!

Houston October 16, 2018

The Eskridge’s Downtown Houston Family Session

A week ago, I met Monica and co. in downtown Houston to capture their family photos. Last year, we did their session in their own fabulous front and back yard – I shared the photos here. Monica said they wanted to try an urban feel this year, so we chose Discovery Green – a big multi-use park right in the middle of our city. I’m telling you: photographing families whose youngest member is almost ten is a DREAM! Ha. No more tickling toes, making silly faces/noises, etc. I wouldn’t trade my young families because I love photographing babies and toddlers, but every once and a while, older kids are a very welcomed change.

I am so pleased with how these photos turned out. It was hot, but they don’t look overheated. It was crowded, but we tried to beat the crowds. The five Eskridges are basically all models (Riley must have grown 8 inches since last year!), and I love photographing their gorgeous family.