Snapshots & My Thoughts by Ailee Petrovic
Category

Mom Talk

Category
Mom Talk

Mother’s Day Out 2017 to 2018

Today was the last day of Mother’s Day Out for this school year (cue tears, mainly from me!). Ha. The girls’ last week each consisted of a class party, lots of goodbyes, and an early dismissal. I felt very emotional saying goodbye to Isla and Emilia’s teachers, as Sasha and I are so incredibly grateful for them and how much they have loved and taught our girls this year. Isla thinks that Mrs. Tellkamp and Mrs. Etzler hung the moon – she always asks things like, “What will Mrs. Tellkamp think about this dress?” and “Is that Mrs. Etzler’s favorite book?” She incorporates them into our daily conversations, even on days she wasn’t at school. Beyond just her wonderful teachers, Isla made some great friends this year – all of whom she talks about constantly. She loved the girls and the boys, but is adamant that her princess party is “No boys allowed!” Sasha is just hoping that is her mantra for the next 18-or-so years.

Isla ran into her classroom the first day, but Emi’s reaction wasn’t quite so happy. That sweet girl cried the first two weeks at drop of, but has been elated about seeing her teachers and friends since that time. For the first “semester,” it was just Emi and Abby, which was amazing – a 1:1 ratio! And Emi talks about “Abby! Abby! Abby!” all of the time, and more recently, “Anto!” (one of her teachers). Mrs. Anto and Mrs. Juanita were like mothers to the sweet babies in their classroom, and the kids just adore them. I know that so much of what Emi has learned in her short 16 months can be attributed to these two wonderful ladies.

At the end of the year, the teachers prepare a memory book for each of their students. Both Emi and Isla’s books made me cry – it’s such a blessing to know that while I was gone working, they were in such great hands.

On the first day of school, I took photos of the girls in their pretty cuteheads dresses, holding custom signs made by my friend Monica of Paper Flour Ink. Today, I took another matching set. Isla’s growth is less drastic, but gosh, Emi looks way, way bigger! They’ll be so excited to return in the fall (Isla, as a pre-schooler! OMG!!). Until then, gimme all of the camps! We’re having a sweet nanny for a few weeks and have help from Monica’s daughter, Riley, too. Lucky little girls! Photos from today and the first day below!

Last Day of School – May 2018 (Emilia: 16 Months, Isla: 3 Years and 11 Months)

by
Keep Reading
Mom Talk

My Love for Carter’s Baby Basics Line

This post is sponsored by Carter’s; however, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Ever since Isla was a little baby, I have bought Carter’s onesies in all different colors for every stage, beginning with newborn and going up until she was 24 months old. Sweet Emilia has been wearing the hand-me-down onesies, which still look amazing despite lots of wear from her big sister. I recently checked out the new 2018 Baby Basics Line and ordered Emi some new, colorful onesies/bodysuits (most of which are under $20 for 5!), some comfy white and black shorts, and a ‘Character set.’ The Little Boys options are equally as cute as the Little Girls selection.

The price points for these basics is perfect for bulk new baby shopping or for a gift for a friend who is expecting. I always recommend getting a handful of onesies to a new mom, as the cute outfits are fun for special occasions, but most new babies end up living in their pajamas for most of the day. Now that summer feels like it’s here in Houston, Emi’s wardrobe is transitioning to warm weather gear – i.e. as minimal fabric as possible. She will likely be living in her new onesies every day in the coming months.

You can shop the Carter’s Baby Basics line in a store near you! Carter’s is offering 20% of $40+ now through June 30 with code CART4342 online and 066944 in store.

PS When did my little babe get so big?! With her new teeth coming in up top, she is beginning to look so old to me.

 

by
Keep Reading
Mom Talk

The Ultimate Photo Book Guide

The two topics that I receive most questions about (via Instagram’s Direct Message or email) are printing photo books and managing photo storage. Alas, a post that covers both in great detail is very overdue, but actually very timely, given that most people start to think about printing photo books at the end of every year. Plus, most photo sites have great discounts right now (50% off everything at Mixbook until 1/1/18 at midnight, 50% off everything at Shutterfly until 12/28/17 at midnight, etc.).

If you’re new to Snapshots & My Thoughts, then you may not know about my love obsession with photo books. I started printing them in 2006, during my first year in college, and have printed many ever since. Beginning in 2010 (the year I graduated), I began to make an annual photo book in Shutterfly. I would pick a theme, but customize almost every page to my liking. Looking back at the early books, the designs are cringe-worthy but I absolutely love them. I would also print books for vacations and other special events. In 2013, I decided to do a photo-a-day book for Isla, which was quite the undertaking. I am so glad that I documented every day, because it’s amazing to watch her grow page by page, but with sweet Emilia, I am doing a photo-a-week, and you can see the transformation just the same (with much less work involved!). I will share these layouts below!

Every year, I would update the annual book at the end of every month, occasionally falling a month behind but always staying rather up-to-date. Well 2017 happened – a second baby, a busy work schedule and a husband who travels every week for week and alas, my fancy, customized-per-page Shutterfly book didn’t happen. Which I’m still coming to terms with, since I’m one for consistency and routine! I did, however, fall in love with another company in the transition.

I was introduced to Artifact Uprising a few years ago, as I used them to make our Christmas card in 2015. Last year, I decided to invest in one of their layflat books (which are pricier than Shutterfly, beginning at $179 for the 8.25×11 size that I love) for our family photos. Then in February, I chose to print Emi’s newborn photos in another layflat book and seeing the quality of these two ultra-thick, fabric bound books, I was hooked. I printed five layflat books total in 2017!

Fast forward to November 1st, I had this huge cloud hanging over my head: our annual photo book, which had two months of content in it, needed lots and lots of work (and time!). October through December are my busiest months, and I knew I couldn’t spend the time I needed to make the Shutterfly book I wanted. The obvious alternative was Artifact Uprising, as I knew if I couldn’t have ultra-designed, I wanted ultra-simple and white. I couldn’t wrap my head around spending $250+ on each book (I knew I’d need multiple books for how many photos I took this year). I decided to try their hardcover books, which begin at $79 for an 8.5×11 book. I chose the 50 page option, which allows you to fill 99 pages, and managed to get January through March photos included. Filling the pages went so quickly, and you can even chose auto-fill. I’ll go into detail on the uploading process below. I ended up having five books total, but could have done less if I had chosen to do the 150 page option for each instead (allowing you 199 pages) of 50 (allowing 99).

All in all, I am so in love with our 2017 annual photo books. It was not the cheapest option, but I used two Artifact Uprising coupons to bring down the cost (more on coupons in the FAQ section below!). I know that the interest in printing photo books is out there, as people always reply to my Instagram posts or stories saying that much. So, I pray that this post helps move you to action! Print those photos – whether that be prints or books. I love Artifact Uprising’s motto: Inspired by the disappearing beauty of the tangible. I stand behind that – if photos stay on digital devices, we are slowly losing the beauty of the tangible printed photos, which tell stories that generations beyond us can cherish.

There is a lot of content in this blog post. First, I’ll cover details on the books I’ve printed before: annual Shutterfly photo books, photo-a-day/week Shutterfly photo books,annual photo books using Artifact Uprising hardcover photo books and special occasion Artifact Uprising layflat photo books. This is probably my most personal post ever, as I’m actually sharing links to many of our family’s books. Let me tell you: when I made them, I had no intention of them ever being viewed by anyone outside of close family or friends, so they include very personal photos and details, but I really do want to help inspire people to make books, so I feel like it’s important to do this.

So, let’s begin!

by
Keep Reading
Isla Loves

Babbleboxx Kidspiration: New Products We’re Loving!

Earlier this month, I received a Babbleboxx delivery – a box filled with fun, educational toys for Isla, gorgeous sparkling ballet flats, a pretty-patterned and very useful duffel, and a few other exciting items that I’ll go into further detail on below.

I loved everything we received and I plan on gifting several of the items to the little ones in our family for Christmas this year.

Helio: Night Light Projection

Of all the items in this Babbleboxx, the Helio projector is our favorite. This award-winning children’s educational night light projection system has a number of different screens you can put on that projects different lessons onto the ceiling (or a wall would work too!). Isla loves having a night light, and this has replaced her old Paw Patrol one. She learned every planet (Pluto, Neptune, Uranus, Saturn, Jupiter, Mars, Earth, Venus, Mercury, the Sun! I’ve got them down too!) within the first week of using the projector. It’s amazing. We’ve moved onto different animals and how long they sleep for, and I’ve ordered a few discs from their site: Addition and Nursery Rhymes.

by
Keep Reading
Mom Talk

New Mom Care Package (Plus, $100 Amazon Gift Card Giveaway!)

I recently announced on Instagram that I had one of my best friends, Sydney, join the Snapshots by Ailee Petrovic team (now officially a team, since there are two of us!). Sydney has been helping me with getting contracts setup, social media management, organizing my photography course and editing the material, working on a newborn photography guide, and lots of other incredibly helpful tasks! Today, Sydney is publishing her first blog post – something near and dear to both of us, since we both have little ones under 1 – what to send/gift to a mom with a new baby. She has the best ideas and explains why a new mom would need each item! I hope you enjoy reading as much as I did. To celebrate Sydney’s first post, we’re doing a Pinterest giveaway with a $100 Amazon gift card prize! All you have to do is pin the graphic above and follow me (Snapshots & My Thoughts) on Pinterest! Enter below! Good luck and happy reading.What to include in a new mom care package - essentials for the early days on www.SnapshotsandMyThoughts.com

1 Slippers // 2 Face Masks // 3 Candle // 4 Eye Masks // 5 Robe // 6 Hat // 7 Water Bottle // 8 Mini-Wine Bottles // 9 Dry Shampoo // 10 Hand Sanitizer // 11 Lotion // 12 Amazon Gift Card and/or Starbucks Gift Card // 13 Pacifier Clips // 14 Sanitizing Bags // 15 10-Ft Charging Cable // 16 Mom’s One Line a Day // 17 Philosophy Bubble Bath // 18 Bringing Up Bebe // 19 KIND Bars

a Rafflecopter giveaway

On June 17th, I became a mom to my precious baby boy, Camden, and I can tell you, it is the greatest joy I have ever felt. He is the biggest blessing in our lives and every time he smiles, I just melt.

As a new mom myself, I certainly know how hard those first few days and weeks (and let’s be honest, months) can be for new Mommas. I couldn’t have done it without my family and friends supporting me and Philip, my amazing husband, throughout the entire process. I can’t say thank you enough for every late night that my mom stayed up with Cam while I took a quick “nap” (ie – laid in bed and looked at pictures of him), for every text and phone call with my girlfriends who are already moms who shared their guidance and experiences with me to make me feel more normal, and for every meal that our friends and family brought over so I didn’t have to think about cooking… I could go on and on, but I have felt so loved!

by
Keep Reading