Personal – Page 17 – Snapshots & My Thoughts by 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!

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.

Personal June 4, 2018

Happy Fourth Birthday, Isla Milijana!

On June 4, 2014 at 6:30pm, our sweet baby girl, Isla Milijana Petrovic, was born. Four years later, we have a hilarious, kind-hearted, cautious, imaginative little girl who loves to color, ride her bike, play with Play-doh, escape from “pirates” at the park, read her favorite books over-and-over again, FaceTime her favorite people, go to school, hang out with the friends, play with her little plastic characters, swim in the pool (and ocean – she talks about Florida all of the time!), spend time in Colorado, watch Paw Patrol, and most importantly: be the ‘real’ princess that she is!

Below I’m sharing some details on Isla at this fun age. It totally feels to us like she is 14, but that’s only until I’m around anyone older than four – ha. I wanted to share some updates on ‘Isla at 4,’ as I love reading back on these as time goes on and you begin to forget the details.

Isla is very emotional – she cares greatly about how others feel. If she thinks she has done something wrong or disappointed anyone, she immediately breaks down in tears (we’re working on this!). She is a great question asker, which shows her interest in others. She will ask my friends, “What is your mom’s name?”, “How old are you?”, “What is your favorite color?” etc. and is great about reciprocating questions asked to her. When Barbara Bush passed away a few months ago, she was very concerned, even though we hadn’t talked about her much before. She asked me how old she was, did she go to heaven, did she have any kids or grandkids, etc. And then she brought her up for weeks on end. When our elderly neighbor passed away as well earlier this year, Isla would tell me, “It’s okay because Ms. Jerry is in heaven now!” When I was putting her to sleep the other night, she said, “How old was Mother Mary when she went to heaven? And what color was her front door? Was it pink?” Ha. Can you tell we’re building a house right now?

Isla is extremely cautious. Especially when drinking from any cup in our house. She asks, “Is that mommy juice?” Which is hilarious but also makes me sound like I drink more than the one glass of prosecco I have once a week! She comes across as very shy when she first meets people, but after five minutes, that is gone, and she’s bugging them with questions and asking them to come see this, that or the other. Sasha always compares Isla to a cat – she comes across as timid, then warms up to you and will be rubbing on your leg for hours on end.

Isla loves sleepovers. She loves spending the night at all her grandparent’s, cousin’s and Auntie Karine’s houses. She really enjoys going to school, but is always so sweet when she sees us at pickup.

Isla is a better big sister than I could have ever, ever dreamed. She wants to play with Emi constantly. As soon as Emi stirs from a nap, Isla bolts across the house to be the first one in the room to greet her. She does everything in her power to always be making her laugh. Isla shares her toys (95% of the time), brings Emi her baby doll whenever she starts to get sleepy, asks for snacks on behalf of Emi (and herself, of course) and requests to be matching Emi almost every single day.

Isla is the girliest girl I’ve ever met. Ask her to put on shorts and a t-shirt and expect a rebellion! Except this morning for yoga camp, fortunately, she was excited to do that! She is growing like a weed (size 11 shoe, size 5 clothing), so I can’t complain about all of the dresses, as it’s easier to keep them in rotation with all of the growth spurts. She currently wants to wear princess costumes everyday, so when Esther of cuteheads made her this ‘everyday’ Sleeping Beauty dress, she FREAKED out because I (happily!) said she can wear it outside of the house.

Isla loves to eat Goldfish, hummus, cream cheese and gluten free crackers, salmon, blueberry yogurt, ham (yuck!), black bean burgers (yay!), all types of cheeses, apples, all berries, crepes, donuts, zucchini, pasta, macaroni and cheese, and cheesy quinoa. For breakfast, she eats the same Special K Berry and Protein Plus mix that she’s eaten for years.

Isla can count to twenty in English, Serbian and Spanish. She can write her name, spell her favorite color “P-I-N-K!,”and cut around the most detailed edges (loves practicing with scissors!). She really, really enjoyed going to school this past year and got into all of the different curriculum. She would come home on the first day and say, “Today we learned about B! That is what bees, bottles, babies, Baron and bubbles start with!” Her memory is better than mine, for sure. We will pull into a strip center we haven’t been to in six months, and she’ll say, “Did we meet Mimicita here to take the pictures with the balloons?” WHAT. I’m always floored by this!

We are so proud of the sweet person that she is today. She truly has a heart of gold, and I hope that she has the best Golden Birthday of all time! Thank you for all of the sweet birthday texts and calls already. xo