Easter Week Recap

I treasure school holidays more than I can ever say.  Though I fully enjoy my job and am passionate about it, I find that I easily get wrapped up in work and the day to day need to survive life as a f/t working mom.  So, when I get week long stints at home, I basically shut work off.  It's not always possible but I try my best to leave work behind and just take time to focus on my family.  This Easter break, that's exactly what I did.  I spent time with my family and also used my camera a lot to capture some simple and candid moments of our time together.  Here is a few highlights from our break.  

1. Easter in Big River.  This year we went to my in-laws to spend the first few days of Easter break with them and our little cousins, my nephews,  Cooper (3) and Otto (6 months).  It was  fun to have little people around and since the weather was nice we had lots of outdoor time.  We took several trips to the park, explored an old boat, went hunting for treasures, shot some hoops and of course colored Easter eggs.  My mother in-law really wanted a few pictures of all the kids, but that proved to be slightly more difficult than one would imagine.  With the boys both needing naps, but at different times, and the sun shinning so bright/high mid-day, we took many, many, many pictures.

As good as it gets folks!  

2.  Easter Egg Hunt.  So we thought this year we would challenge the girls and just hide their Easter goodies in the drier and give them no clues.  Joke is on us, it took them less than five minutes to find them!!!!  Seriously.  Anyway, they were so happy with their goodies.  The Easter bunny kept it super simple and this year; Anya recived a box set of Nancy Drew books, and Halie got a horse brushing kit set, and some chocolates.  

3.  Friends. Friends.  Friends.  We all got to spend some time with our friends.

Swimming the afternoon away makes a girl hungry.

Ending the day off with sundaes.

Anya had 2 nights, 3 days with her BFF Myalle, who is my BFFs daughter.  They played for hours and hours in the playhouse in our backyard. 

Halie had a couple of her close friends for a sleepover.  We all went swimming, made sundaes and had some Easter egg wars.

I enjoyed a morning walk with some of my friends that I used to run with.  We had a great time walking the river and then kicking back with a coffee and an extended visit.  It was so good.

4.  DIY Project.  I've been wanting to refurbish some old rowing paddles and put them up at our cabin.  I am not much of a crafter (not a real word, but whatever)  these days, mostly because I just don't have the time to make it a priority, so I wasn't really sure where to start.   I talked to a few awesome friends and got some advice.  Here is the finished product.  (I hope to write an actual post on my process but here it is).

5.  Nature at Candle Lake.  We spent the last part of our week at our cabin.  The kids played with the neighbors for hours on the trampoline, we took tons of walks and enjoyed the outdoors.  It wasn't overly warm but the sun was shinning most of day and we ventured out into the woods to do some hiking at sunset.  Anya picked up two arm fulls of sticks, big and small, to bring back to the cabin, now I have to think of an art project for us to use them for.  I feel refreshed and ready to head back to work. 

I hope you all enjoyed whatever Easter you celebrate with your loved ones.  I am off to read a book before bedtime, but I'll tell you as great as a break is, I am looking forward to getting back into the routine of things.  Good night and have a great week!  

Hello 90's 😉

 

Oh the 90's.  Much music.  Big Shiny Toons.  Columbia House.  Over sized Club Monico sweatshirts.  Backstreet Boys.  And overalls.  I had these gray corduroy overalls  back in the day (see picture below) and oh boy they were comfy.  Now that they are back in style and I am older, I am all over the comfort they provide and the good feels they bring back.  When I put these on I feel like a younger, more fun, exciting and free spirited  version of myself. 

 

Over the Easter weekend we went to my in-laws, special recap post coming on Monday, and we took all the kids to the park.  We played on the play structure, swings, in the sandpit, and of course we shot some hoops.  I am not very good but I enjoy playing anyway and being active with my family.  These overalls were perfect for moving around and chasing the littles all over the place.  I paired them up with my new converse sneakers which I pair with everything, skirts, shorts, rompers, jeans, etc, because they are so versatile and comfortable.  Since we had the camera with us, I decided we might as well do pictures right then and there. All natural look, minimal make-up (just foundation), high pony-tail, totally functional, day-to-day, real mom look here today.

Grade 8 and rocking my overalls.  

 So I found the overalls at the Gap and couldn't resist buying them.  They were 40% off so it's a super sweet deal at $50.  I grabbed a size small and they are perfect, relaxed but not crazy baggy, that look doesn't work on me.  I also like that they are cropped making them perfect for spring, summer and into early fall, while not being too long and having to hem them because I am only 5'4.

 

What 90's fashion or trends would you love to see come back? 

Shop This Post:

Overalls Gap

Converse (similar)

Guess Sunglasses (similar)

Stepping into the Light!

You guys it's been such a great month for me!  I am officially ready to announce that I will be moving on from my role as the early learning/literacy instructional consultant into a vice-principal position for the 2019-20 school year.  I am so excited, proud, honored and nervous all at the same time.  It took me a little bit of time to  process the news and let the feeling of this success really settle in before sharing the news out to the world.  I love my job and my school division.  I've felt they have supported me and provided opportunities for me to grow as an educator, leader, and professional throughout the years. 

When the  consultant role came available four years ago, right after I finished my masters degree,  and I took a leap of faith, with encouragement from a friend and colleague, and got the job!  Over the past four years I've continued to learn from the people around me, the groups of educators I work with, my supervisors, and I've grown so much.  My term was coming to an end and as sad as I was to leave the role, I truly feel that there is going to be another vibrant and knowledgeable person, with fresh ideas, that's going to step in and have this opportunity to learn and grown their own skill set.  That being said, I was nervous of what the next chapter was going to look like for me?  I wasn't ready to give up teaching, I love teaching, but I also didn't want to stop growing/learning/pursuing leadership opportunities, so I applied.  The process was intense but worth it, regardless of the outcome.  I  learned so much thorough the process of preparing a resume, cover letter and preparing myself for all the possible questions that might come my way in the interview.  It's a reflective process and as I prepped for the interview, I really had to dig into what  my philosophy of education is.  I had talked myself into believing that I wasn't going to be successful this time around, mostly to protect myself from disappointment.  But guess what?!?  I did it.  They trust me.  They believe in me.  And I landed the job.  When that phone call arrived, I was chocked up when the words on the other end congratulated me and asked me to continue my journey in a leadership position.  And so, a few weeks have now passed and I am stepping into the light and celebrating with all of you. 

This outfit was a congratulations to me present and guess what, it makes me happy and light.  It's bold and cheery.  I've had so many complements on it and guess what, it's from Walmart!!!  Yep, you read that right, Walmart!  It's super light and airy.  It pairs so well with both a jean jacket and also my leather jacket, giving it a bit of an edgy look.  Also because of it's bold color, I think it's called Mango Mojito, you don't need to add anything extra if you don't want.  The day I wore it for this photo shoot, I wanted to add even more bling with these Stella and Dot statement earrings because I was just feeling SOOOO good.  Since purchasing it two weeks ago, I've already worn it three time :)  You can say that I am reaching for it over and over again.

Thanks friends for letting me share my little story here today.  I leave you with the advice to chase your dreams and pursue your goals, because I am so glad I did. 

Have a fantastic Easter weekend with your family and friends.

IG OOTD Roundup

It's Fri-day and I am pumped.  I am off to Edmonton to meet up with my sister for our first ever sister weekend!!!!!!  I can't even express how excited I am just to hang out with my sister, no kids, no husbands, no family.  NOw, don't get me wrong, I love being around our big loud family, but this is such a gift that I would be lying if I said that I wasn't giddy with anticipation.  It'll literally be like 26 hours together, which 8 will be spent sleeping, but it's better than nothing. 

For this week, I've decided to just post my selfie shots, of what I've been wearing weekly to work as we transition from cooler weather to warmer and then back again.  I feel like we can finally say that snow is probably done for the year, fingers crossed, #ihopeididn'tjinxit.  As many of you know I like to organize my life on Sunday's, including my work outfits so here are a few of my favorites from the last three weeks or so. 


Leopard Dress 2 Ways!  I wore this outfit twice in three weeks.  The blazer look is what I went with for an job interview that I had.  I choose to opt out to go with a little bit of a wild side outfit, still classy with a blazer, but stands out.  And guess what?!?  I got the job but probably not because of the outfit.

Tights & Booties.  Cooler days still require tights and booties, but I try to add a little color with a springy scarf or this colorful sweater.  I think most of our cooler days are finally behind us but you just never know. 

Sweaters and Blazers.  Since the days start out cool and then may/may not get progressively warmer, I've been layering with my favorite sweaters and blazers.  

 

 

Spring has Sprung!  Bring out the  white jeans!  

More Spring Favorites!!!!

Real Life Outfit.  Joggers and a sweatshirt. 

Family Jam.  Sometimes they want to get in on the fun too!  

Have a great weekend everyone!

Morning Elegance & My FabFitFun Box Review

One day on the weekend, usually Sunday, I like  to reserve just for relaxing, reading a book, writing a blog post,  and drinking my coffee.  The idea of taking two hours to just move around slowly, in my otherwise quick paced life, is a gift.  In reality, this usually  happens 50% of the time on any regular weekend BUT when we go to the lake, it just naturally happens.  I sip my coffee, lounge in my robe, read my book by my window that looks out into stillness.  There are usually dear roaming about, the trees swaying back and forth, and it seems that the sun is always shining  regardless of the season.  Ahhhhhh.  I do love that life.

Now, how gorgeous is my new robe that I received in my FabFitFun spring box?!?  Seriously the fabric is so soft and gentle on my skin.  The floral print makes me dream of spring flowers, sunny days, and sipping my coffee outside on my deck.  The colors are vibrant and yet not overpowering.  The high/low structure flows off the body perfectly and elegantly.  I actually saw a fellow blogger Carrie from Curly Crafty Mom wearing this robe as a kimono instead of the traditional robe and  thought, that's brilliant.  I do have one plain silk robe from my wedding that I like to wear, but this one makes me feel feminine, pretty and happy every time I put it on.  I'd say it was time to upgrade and I couldn't be happier with it!

The spring FabFitFun box was a really pleasant surprise.  I like every box to be honest, because I would never be able to try all these products without it. This box provides me with so much happiness and anticipation as a mom, that it's truly worth it.  I have a $10 off your first purchase if you decided to try it out and make sure you let me know what you think of it.  

*This post may contain affiliate links in which I may receive a credit for any purchases that you make.  


What else came in my box?

• Show Me Your Mumu Brie Robe  (featured here)

• Manna Kadar Champagne Charcoal Body Scrub (My second favorite item! It's the most amazing scrub to use in the shower and I will be buying it again)

• S'ip by S'well Water  Bottle (I love the color they choose for me, deep purple and gold)

• Dr. Brandt De-puffing Eye Gel (I can definitely feel it tightening under my eyes but I don't know if it diminishes the dark circles)

• Korres Wild Rose Brightening Cream (this is another item I might consider buying again)

• Jump rope

• Copper measuring spoons

• Quai Leave in Conditioner (I am excited to try this, it got amazing reviews)

Have a great weekend everyone.  We are off to our first dance competition and the girls are soooooooo excited!