Review – Snapshots & My Thoughts by Ailee Petrovic

Mom Talk April 4, 2017

Our New Newborn Favorites: DockATot

The second baby product that we didn’t have when Isla was a newborn (in 2014!) is a DockATot (you can read the first post in the series about the 4moms Tub here). The first time I ever saw one was this time last year, when one of my best friends brought her two kiddos over to our house for us to babysit while they went to a wedding shower. Kirby put Henry in the DockATot and he slept soundly for the entire duration of their visit (despite my efforts to wake him up because I wanted to snuggle!).

Emi napped and slept in our Rock N Play for her first five or six weeks, which we also used for Isla. But about two weeks ago, we started using the DockATot in the crib for her naps and during the night. Just this week, we moved the DockATot to our bed, as I have struggled to stay awake in the glider during nighttime feedings, but for some reason am able to stay awake if I am sitting upright in our bed. I was always too scared to co-sleep given all of the horror stories you read online, but with the DockATot, we don’t have to worry about anything happening to Emi while she’s sleeping. Since moving her to our bed, her sleep has improved a lot and she’s down to one 2:30am feed, which we’re going to try to eliminate this week (per our pediatrician’s recommendation).

Beauty October 4, 2016

My New Makeup Routine with Beautycounter

A few months ago, I heard about Beautycounter through one of my best friend’s friend, Kelsey Wiley. I was intrigued by this company that “puts your health first” – not a claim I’d ever heard made by MAC, Maybelline, L’Oreal, Laura Mercier, etc. Kelsey included a link to the video below, and after watching it, I knew I wanted to try Beautycounter’s products.

Beautycounter’s mission is to get safer products into the hands of everyone and lead a movement for better beauty. This is definitely a mission I can stand behind. While over 1,300 toxic ingredients are banned in personal care products in Europe, only eleven are in the US. Isn’t that scary? I had absolutely no idea which (potentially harmful) ingredients were in my skincare products, and I was ready to change that.

I will not lie – changing my tried-and-true makeup and skincare routine has not been painless. I had been using some of the same products since I was in high school! For about a month now, I’ve been using a majority of Beautycounter products (sharing honest reviews of each below), while ‘cheating’ every now and again with an old blush or eyeshadow that I love. As time goes on, I’ll buy more and more Beautycounter items when my old ones run out. So far, I’ve loved every single product – except the mascara, but I’ll explain why!

Fashion September 4, 2015

Kayla Itsines’ Bikini Body Guide (BBG) Review

Preface: This is by far the most nervous I have ever been to hit ‘Publish’ on a post before. As someone who never even wears two piece swimsuits, shooting and posting these photographs is definitely out of my comfort zone (serious understatement). I am not sharing these so that you compliment my progress, but instead to help motivate you to try this incredible workout (plus, I promised to get more personal here). Also, I want to quickly thank my dream team who made me feel confident during these photos – my photographer, Paige of Awake Photography, and hair and makeup expert, Britt Lais Williams of Butter Artistry.

So, let’s begin.

A few months ago, my best friend mentioned this “bikini body guide” she was doing and told me to look up @Kayla_Itsines on Instagram to better understand the reasons why. Well, it took about 45 seconds on Kayla’s account to know that I also wanted to try this seemingly miraculous workout. Photo after photo of before vs. after shots of women going from being regularly sized to becoming what-look-liked trim, toned fitness models had me convinced that it was worth a shot.

I started the guide (most commonly referred to as BBG) before we headed to Europe, which wasn’t ideal as I didn’t really want to take a multi-week break just 2 weeks into the 12 week program. Therefore, I started it again when we returned and have been working out using the PDF guide ever since. I just finished the first round of the program last week, and I am proud of this accomplishment (it’s not for the faint of heart, but you can do it too!). It’s now time for BBG 2.0.

In short, BBG is a 12-week training program that involves three resistant training workouts a week (plus three days of interval training). Each workout is 28 minutes long (which may sound easy, but you definitely work up quite a sweat during that time!), and includes two circuits that you repeat twice (sample below). The guide (a document that I reference on my iPhone on iBooks during workouts) shows step-by-step images on how to complete each of the exercises in the resistance training circuits.

Fashion August 28, 2014

Save vs. Splurge: Fall Shoes

After checking Weather.com, it looks like Texas is not entering into the fall season any time soon, but it definitely feels close here in Colorado.The lows here this week are around 47 degrees Fahrenheit (8 degrees Celsius), which definitely requires a jacket, jeans and boots. While spring is my favorite season, fall is a close second. I love the burgundy, browns, and deep greens of fall fashion, and most especially fall shoes. Some of my the pumps and booties that I’ve bookmarked cost a pretty penny (basically everything from Tory Burch), but there are also some really cute cheaper shoes that I’m eyeing (especially those from J. Crew Factory!).

I’ve put together a collection of splurges and thrifty finds below. Which is your favorite? Are you ready for fall to come?

1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5

You can now follow Snapshots & My Thoughts on Facebook, as well as Twitter and Pinterest.

Baby August 22, 2014

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:

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!)
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)
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.

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

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.