Ailee Petrovic

Mom Talk July 18, 2018

SlumberPod: The Must-Have Child Travel Accessory

Last year, we took a family trip to Destin when Emilia was 8 months old. We brought our BABYBJORN Travel Crib Light, set it up in the room near our bed, then proceeded to have her wake up throughout the night, and cry until we picked her up – she could see us right next to her, so why wouldn’t she? We moved her to the bathroom area, but that didn’t work either because she kept waking up when anyone went to the toilet. It was the best trip ever, but the worst sleep I’d had since she was a newborn. I was dreading the same situation for our recent trip to the UK when the wonderful ladies of SlumberPod reached out to me, asking to collaborate. All it took was a brief description and a photo of the product and I was SOLD.

SlumberPod is a light-weight blackout fabric ‘tent’ that is bottomless, so fits over travel cribs. It has a zipper in the front so you can easily access your child when they’re in their playard. I promise you: this is the best child travel invention ever. From the very first night, we put Emi into the crib which was inside the SlumberPod, slipped her favorite sound machine into the SlumberPod, zipped her up, and she slept. Right through the night, which was amazing because she was jet-lagged and because she would normally have been awake for every bathroom trip, Isla rustling, etc. The second night, she climbed through the opening, and tried to get into the crib, saying, “Night night! Night night!” I am not kidding, this thing is a dream.

I posted some videos to my Instagram story (saved under the UK highlight on my profile!) and woke up with more Direct Messages than I’d ever received before. People were eager to get their hands on a SlumberPod immediately (many requesting them for themselves, ha!). All of our friends at Jill’s wedding who had kids came and viewed the SlumberPod in our hotel room – it was like a celebrity guest. Everyone wants one!

AND the best thing is that you can pre-order your SlumberPod starting next Tuesday, when their KickStarter campaign launches. Click on the image below to sign up for notification. I truly believe these will sell out quickly, so make sure you are prepared for the launch!

FAQs That I Received:

How early can I get my SlumberPod? If you are one of the first people to order a SlumberPod on Tuesday, July 24 (goes live at 10am ET) and chose the $90 Early Bird option, you will receive your SlumberPod in late August (expedited shipping). Sign up to get notified of the launch so you can get this deal!
How much does it cost? As mentioned above, if you are an Early Bird supporter, you can get the SlumberPod for $90, which is 30% (THIRTY!) percent off the anticipated retail price of $134.99 (plus $14.99 shipping). Other support options are available offering expedited shipping and discounts.
What are the dimensions of the SlumberPod when not in use? 17x6x5. It weighs about 7 pounds and has its own travel bag, which fit conveniently inside our BABYBJORN Travel Crib Light carrier.
Is it really dark in there? Yes, it’s pitch black. Sasha and I both sat under it in the daylight. It was like a tiny camping experience. The fabric is breathable, so you don’t have to worry about circulation while they’re inside!
Can I watch my child once they’re inside? There is a pouch on the side where you can add a baby monitor. Since Emilia is almost 18 months, we didn’t use this feature, but it’s very convenient for little babes!
Is it easy to setup? YES! I am so, so bad at installing or setting up anything. There are two poles that collapse into smaller pieces (but all attached). You make those into long poles, then slide them inside the holes of the tent on the top. It took no time at all! Dummy (me) proof! See setup directions below.

If you want to see more videos of the product, go to my Instagram and click on the UK highlight on my profile. There are videos of the girls in the SlumberPod there!

You can also follow SlumberPod on Instagram here.

International July 17, 2018

Our Trip to the UK

After a whirlwind 13 days in the UK , we’re back in Texas and only slightly jetlagged (well, I wouldn’t be, if it weren’t for Isla’s 4:30am wake-up hollers across the house for cereal!). We landed in Manchester, then drove north 2.5 hours to Grasmere in the Lake District of England (most gorgeous place ever, seriously). We were there for two days, getting a royal tour from the Eskridges, who vacation there every year, then drove further north for 2.5 hours to Glasgow, where I have aunts/uncle, cousins, my grandmother and some of our very best friends. We were there for three days, then headed to Aberdeen, which was a similar drive, but towards the eastern coast. I was born in Aberdeen and grew up in a village called Catterline, which is about 20-25 minutes away from Aberdeen. We spent time with dear friends and their gorgeous children there, then I got to act as a tour guide and showed Sasha and the girls where the house I first came home to and the one I remember vividly living in as a young girl. We drove by my old school, park, etc. It was such a special day. After our tour, we drove 2.5 hours north-west to Inverness, where my sister, Jill, was getting married. We stayed in houses at Achnagairn Estate, which was nice to be able to see everyone in the communal kitchen, living room, etc. We went to Loch Ness (no Nessie sightings!), Urquhart Castle and the Botanical Gardens while we were in Inverness, but the majority of that portion of the trip was for family time and of course, the wedding! We had the rehearsal on Wednesday and the wedding on Thursday – everything went off without a hitch. It was truly a dream wedding. Jill looked like a princess, and Kevin, a prince (Harry and Meghan!). The food was amazing, the castle was magical and the dancing was unmatched. On Friday, we drove due south for 7.5 hours, which didn’t feel awful, given that we’ve done the 16 hour drive to Colorado multiple times. It was a dream trip. I loved spending time with our family and close friends, most especially my Granny Jill, whom the girls call GG and truly love so much. Isla never wanted to leave her side, and Emi followed her around yelling, “GG! GG! GG!”. I want to go back and do it all over again tomorrow – not just so we can eat Indian food every other meal. As for now, I’ll relive each moment through the hundreds of photos I’m sharing below!

Just missing my dad for this to be my favorite-men-in-the-world photo!

Events June 25, 2018

The Hilton Anatole American Girl Package

We received this accommodation for free in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for supporting the brands and companies that we love!

This past weekend, Isla and I headed to Dallas a fun ‘big girls getaway’ – she asked at least two-thousand five hundred times why Emi wasn’t coming, of course. We met our best friends, Kirby and Lillian, at the Hilton Anatole for the first of many similar trips. We had an unbelievably fun time with our big four year old girls (Lily is four this Saturday, so I’m rounding up!).

When we arrived in our adjoining bedrooms, we walked in and saw two of the queen beds with treats waiting for the girls – American Girl beds, robes, slippers, swimsuit and cookies! The girls were literally giddy with excitement. We arrived on Thursday, but the plan to go to the American Girl store wasn’t until Friday, so we all threw on swimsuits and headed to JadeWaters – the pool at the hotel. It’s a kid’s pool dream come true. There is a lazy river, lots of shallow wading areas, slides galore and on Friday, a pool party! After hours in the sun, we ate at the restaurant by the pool, then headed to our rooms to get ready for the big day.

The girls woke up READY TO GO on Saturday! We met our friend, Mary, and her baby at Snooze for breakfast (the scrambled tofu was delicious!), then went to the American Girl store for the main event. The girls were running around wide-eyed, looking at all of the pretty dolls and accessories. Lots of “Can I have that please?” being asked. Lillian picked Samantha, and Isla picked a lookalike doll (“Truly Me”), whom she named Samantha (ha!). They picked out a few accessories, then as soon as we got to the car (valet was free and included in the Hilton Anatole package!), they were ready to change their outfits already!

We ate lunch at Flower Child (holy cow, it’s amazing), then went back to the Hilton Anatole to relax (i.e. try pointlessly to get the girls to nap!) before going back to JadeWaters. We participated in the pool party, went down the big slides again and relaxed in the sun. It was heavenly! Isla proclaimed, “This is the best day of my life!” I’m not even kidding! That evening, we ordered room service, as everyone was exhausted and we didn’t leave the pool until 6:15pm.

We had to be up early in the morning, as I was taking family photos for a friend and Kirby and Lillian wanted to hit the road to spend the day with Brett and Henry before they left on another trip the following day. The girls ate Top Knot Doughnuts before doing a super huge farewell hug.

We will definitely be going back to the Hilton Anatole with Kirby and Lillian again (probably with the rest of the motley crew too!), as Dallas is halfway between Oklahoma City and Houston. Isla is in love with her Samantha doll and hasn’t stopped talking about how much fun she had this weekend. I loved my American Girl doll growing up (Kirsten), and I’ve long thought about what it would be like when I could take Isla to get her first doll. Such a dream come true!

Special thank you to The Monogram Shop in Houston for the fun inflatables, towels and beach bags!

Personal June 18, 2018

Week(s) in Review

I haven’t done a Week in Review post since May 14, so it’s catch up time. There are photos below from Isla’s last week at school, which was a month ago! Durango trip plus Isla’s and Sasha’s birthdays, Father’s Day, lots of photo sessions/classes, plus life/never-ending-house-building = behind on everything! Isla and I are heading to Dallas this weekend, then we all leave for the UK next weekend. It’s go, go, go until then.

Below, you’ll find photos from Father’s Day, Sasha’s birthday (on which he got a dog bite – eventful birthday!), Isla riding her new pedal bike around the streets (daily!), a recent family trip with the Hetzes to the Museum of Natural Sciences, family dinner at bellagreen, Camden’s birthday party, and some backyard mini-pool time. The girls are enjoying this summer heat way more than I am! It’s fun to be outdoors with them, regardless of the sweaty puddle I become. Excited to see family, experience much cooler weather and celebrate Jill and Kevin getting married in less than a month in Scotland.

I hope you’re having a great week so far! xo

Décor June 7, 2018

Fearless at Thirty with Olay (Plus, a Giveaway!)

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Olay. The opinions and text are all mine. Comments submitted may be displayed on other websites owned by the sponsoring brand.

In February, I celebrated a big milestone birthday when I turned thirty. I’d been planning a trip to Paris with friends for years, and it turned out to be everything I’d ever dreamed of. It’s funny, because when I was in high school, thirty seemed so old. As I neared my thirties, people constantly told me that their thirties were the best years of their lives. I believe it too. Every year on my birthday, Sasha asks me what my favorite thing was from the past year and what I’m looking forward to in the coming year. This time, he asked what I was most excited about for this new decade. I would love to have one more baby, I want to continue to grow my photography business and spend more time teaching, I want to be involved in the girls’ schools in whatever capacity is available, I want to take a few trips with girlfriends, I want to go on more dates with Sasha, and last, but not least: I want to spend more time loving the skin I’m in. As I mentioned, one of my main goals is to continue growing my photography practice. Since I started my business three years ago, I have dreamed of having an in-home studio space where I can photograph clients and also teach classes. I currently just have a desk setup in our master bedroom (Sasha does too!). I used to have so much self-doubt when I started my photography business, and it has taken a lot of confidence and courage to get to where I am today. I wanted to teach classes for a long time but was worried nobody would sign up to take them!

Fortunately, this hasn’t been the case so far, and I’ve gotten such an adrenaline rush while teaching them. Being fearless has taken work but is way more fun than being nervous about what others think of you and Olay has been empowering women for many generations and I’m excited to share with you how being fearless and thirty has led me to accomplish a big dream of mine. My dream of having an at-home studio a reality in the house we’re building, and I’m incredibly excited for this room to be complete (very soon!). I chose wood paneling which I have painted Sherwin Williams Alabaster White, there are two big windows for natural light, and I am having a custom table built that seats up to eight people. In this space, I can teach classes, but also roll the table over and take headshots and portrait sessions thanks to the amazing natural light. In the fall, I hope to teach four or more classes every month! Below you’ll see the plans I have for this room.