Friday 31 January 2020

Adding Color to Winter Outfits



A couple of weeks ago I featured a simple, monochromatic, mostly black outfit, see HERE.  This week I am adding some color back into the depths of these winter dark and cold days, especially where I live.  We had a fabulous run of weather over the Christmas break, yippee, but then we had a couple of weeks our harsh weather that made us all feel miserable, and now we are finally thawing but the sunshine hasn't returned just yet.  Oh well.    When days are short and we lack vitamin D, there is an innate response to dress in darker shades almost to blend in with the bleak conditions of the outdoors.  For us living here in Saskatchewan, winter is looooooong.  Long like, we won't be done with the cold/snow until May and sometimes well into May, so one has to add color to their life with FASHION!


This dress was gifted to me and I just never got around to featuring it here even though I took these photos in late fall.  Life.  This dress is super versatile and I've worn it multiple times since receiving it.  I've worn it with bare legs, pumps, flats, booties, leggings, and today, I've paired it up with a blanket scarf to add some laying and extra coziness to the look.  I just love how rust looks with my complexion and hair color.  Unfortunately Forever 21, where this dress came from,  is shutting its doors in Canada  but I am linking up a few very similar and inexpensive options options for you from  Old Navy  and Shein.  My coat is perfect for a mild winter day and it came from ThreadUp, a consignment online store, but here is a good wool option from Chickwish and it's on Sale!




Other ways to add some color to your winter outfits!!!!





1.  Bling, bling.  Add some jewelry and sparkle to your outfits, such as these Merlot H & B sparkle ball earrings that I am wearing, or this rose gold watch and  rose gold rhinestone hoop earrings from Guess.


2.  Scarfs, toques and mitts.  So many fun and inexpensive colors and patterns are available.  Check out this scarf  from Old Navy or this adorable leopard  toque from Belong Lifestyle.


3.  Cardigans & blazers.  Inexpensive and easy to style with dress pants, jeans, skirts or dresses. Check out this leopard print cardigan from Belong Lifestyle.


4.  Hair accessories.  Oh my goodness there are so many cute hair accessories out there currently that add a little pop of color to your outfits. Check out this pack of three headbands from Amazon.


5.  Shoes/booties.  This is something I love to see but I do feel that shoes are a pricier investment.  I have a few favorite colors of pumps and booties that I have added over the years such as burgundy, green, velvet blue, snakeskin and gold.  I love my snakeskin booties from The Bay.


What are your favorite ways to add color during the winter months?



Friday 24 January 2020

Halie Currently: The Teen Edition

I have a TEENAGER!  Officially today, I have a thirTEEN year old in the house.  How did that happen?  I don't really know.  Gone in a flash.  I remember Logan and I bringing her home in January 2007.   So dang cold, in our Mustang, that of course had no winter tires because we were barely paying our mortgage and bills on one income.  We installed the car seat, or so we thought.  When we looked back to check on her, we found the bucket tilled completely to the one side, with our newborn happily and safely strapped into it sleeping away.  We didn't know at the time that if you didn't have automatically locking seat belts, that you needed this extra clip installed on the seat belt that wouldn't let it move as the car took turns.  I could say it's just we were so young we didn't know better, which partially true but also, I am older now and I am still hitting bumps along the way as a mom.  It's life.   Even through all the mistakes we've made along the way, I am proud to say that Halie  is turning into a lovely young lady.  Sure, the teen-age-ness is annoying at times, I think more so than the tantrums of a three year old,, but that's all perspective isn't it.   Halie is caring, thoughtful, mature, and persistent.  She looks after her friends, she loves her family and works very hard to achieve goals she has set.  

Let's look at Halie as a of right now.

Currently.....



Wearing, mom jeans!  Hahahahaha.  And Lululemon leggings.  Also she has been borrowing more or my things.




Reading, she is really into the Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins series, which  I am also a huge fan of so it gives us something to talk about.  Thank you Mrs. Kelleher for introducing her to this series.  She is an off/on reader.  Sometimes reading a ton and other times barely at all.  We aren't good at scheduling time for them to read anymore as they've gotten older, we read in front of them all the time but.... Anyway if you have thoughts or tips on growing teenage readers, by all means send them my way.



Extra curricular, horseback riding in the fall and spring, and that continues to be her favorite.  She is also loving her dance classes this year and is looking forward to competition season.  She is currently in jazz, lyrical and ballet.  On Thursdays Halie continues to volunteer at the Sherbrook Community Center in which she attended in grade six as a student.  She enjoys being with the elders and helping with their day program on Thursdays.





Watching, Stranger Things over and over and over again.  Also, Friends and recently was given permission to watch Riverdale.


Listening to Shawn Mendes.  We went to the Shawn Mendes concert this past summer and his music has been on repeat ever since. 





Thinking she wants to pursue,  veterinarian school or a path that involves working and caring for animals.  If you know someone that could speak to her about the various options and pursuits she would love to hear from you.




Obsessed with coffee, like french vanilla, coffee with flavored cream, 1/2 hot chocolate 1/2 coffee combo.  Hmm, as a parent we weren't sure how we felt about this, but with my coffee habits also starting young  I don't feel in any position to judge.  (Is this the hill I wan to die on?  A question I ask myself daily with a tween and a teen)





Happy 13th birthday to my first born.  


"I'll love you forever,
I'll like you for always.
As long as I am living,
my baby you'll be."


- Robert Munch




Thursday 16 January 2020

Wellness Weekend: Winter Running Gear

I live in Saskatchewan and generally our winters are long, end of October-March, and  often quite cold, -20C/-4F  is often the norm and it can get way colder than that for at least for a couple of  weeks.  The wind can be so vicious making it unbearable at times.  That all being said I like to keep my outdoor running routine outside as much as possible.  I will say that I am somewhat of a fair weather runner, there are a lot of hard core people around here, but my general rule is outdoors up to -22C and then  I move my runs to my treadmill.  I also change up my workout routine during the winter months to incorporating lane swimming and spin classes once or twice a week, and only do 2 -3 runs a week.  I run with my friends, solo or with my fur babies by my side.  Sometimes I run 5 km, other times as far as 12km in the winter, all weather dependent.  The important thing is that I keep moving and staying active thorough the winter months and a big part of that is dressing for comfort.  Today, I am specifically focusing on the clothing that I use when running outdoors.  Most of the items that I own are old and I don't update them very often to be honest (I've linked up new versions of these items).  I made the investment 3 or 4 years ago and apart from bras and shoes which I buy once a year, they are still working for me.  





1.  Mitts & Buff:  I have poor circulation so I wear an old pair of snowboarding mitts, they keep my hands warm but they can get sweaty inside.  My next purchase is going to be specific winter running mitts that are breathable.   I love my Buff and I wear it most of the time as a headband to keep my ears warm.  When it's extreme cold or the windchill is nasty, I will use one to cover my ears and another one to cover my face.  I don't like the full balaclavas, as I don't like something over my mouth, it gets soggy and gross.  


Mitts 


 Buff 


2. Pants to layer:  I have a pair of Lululemon First Mile Tech Tight  (they come in three colors) and you can wear these on their own when the weather is mild, around 0C, or my cheap hack for colder temps is to layer them under fleece lined leggings that I purchased from Costco.  When the wind is  nasty or the weather gets colder than -20C then I wish I had a pair of real thermal/wind resistance tights such as these Craft Storm Tights  that are super warm and also wind resistant.  



                                 

Lululemon Leggings  (Underlayer, fall/mild winter running weather)



Thermal Leggings 


Craft Storm Tights




3.  Mid-Layer & Jacket:  You need a good mid-layer that's breathable.  I wear my mid-layer top from lululemon all the time, spring, fall and winter!!!   I use it as my main layer in fall/spring and a mid-layer for winter running; it's well worth the money.  My best purchase was my running jacket that I received for Christmas like five + years ago.  It's breathable, looks good, fits well, , has reflective features, versatile and keeps me warm.  LOVE, LOVE, LOVE it!  It is $$$  but I have never regretted it. 



Ron Hill Stride Hybrid Jacket  (currently on sale!)




Swiftly Tech Lululemon Mid-Layer


4.  Spikes!  If it's icy where you live, make sure to get some spikes.  They are cheap and I was so surprised at how well they work.  One of the things I hated about running in winter the few times I tried was that you had to be slow and cautious which ruined my stride. Not with the spikes, you can just run! 

 

5.  Shoes.  I run a fair amount, approximately 20-30 km/week during the spring/summer/fall season, so good shoes are key.  They are expensive but I do invest in shoes in order to help my knees, hips and back  stay on track.  I recommend going to a running store that will fit you in the right type of shoe.  Also put the shoes to the test a couple of times on the treadmill to make sure that you like the fit, they should feel good and comfortable right off the bat and not be something you work into.  I have the same shoes now for a number of years, I just get the newest model.  I am not linking them up because everyone needs something different form their shoe so go and get fitted to save your feet.


6.  Socks.  I just wear my regular puma socks and it's enough for me but you could invest in some Winter Running Socks to keep your toes warm. 



MONEY SAVING TIP:  Don't go out and buy everything new because winter running gear is expensive.  Go through your toques, mitts, and current running gear and use them as layers for the time being and invest in a good shoes, coat, spikes and pants over time.  I am telling you, you buy them once and they will last you years if you take care of them well.  This is one time, I don't care if I match or how I look, my goal is exercise and comfort, not fashion.

For more tips for running in cold weather check out this article Running Room



The cold never bothered me anyway.  - Elsa

What does your winter workout routine look like?

Tuesday 7 January 2020

Sentence a Day: Christmas Holiday Edition

Christmas Vacation Recap


I had an absolutely amazing Christmas vacation this year.  Truly, it may be one of my favorites, well you know except the year I gave birth to Anya.  Sometimes the break is gone in a blink of an eye.  This year I feel like I got just enough of everything in the best way possible.  Family. Friends. Time with the girls.  Time with my husband.  Time in the city and time outdoors. Time to sleep.  I slept a LOT, like 9 -10 hours a night, my average is 6 -7 hours. All in all, I am so happy and fulfilled right now and I actually feel ready to get back to reality.


Dec.21  We celebrated Anya's birthday with family all around.   Read my letter to my 10 year old HERE.


 



















Dec. 22   We ventured out to watch the local theaters production of the ELF.  Everyone had a blast, laughed a lot and we followed it up by going for sushi.  We also were able do a quick little photo shoot of the girls.   

























Dec. 23rd. The kids wanted to venture through the mall.  Anya wanted her friend to go along so I took them.  It was fairly low key. 


Dec. 24th Christmas Eve!  Proud mom moment here.  Anya approached me that the thing she wanted to do with our Elf Buddy on his last day, was to go downtown and prepare packages to handout to homeless people.  So that's what we did.  We made sandwiches, put some consumable snacks and also went to buy super warm socks for each package.  It was a wonderful opportunity for us not it to give back but interact with people in our community that we don't often get to talk to.   





Christmas Eve we went to Mass and then had family over for an evening of food, drink, stories and celebrations . 




Dec. 25 Christmas Day!  Spoiled all around.  Santa was kind to everyone and everyone felt very thankful.  We all shared a lunch together at our home and we had dinner together with my family in the evening. 




Dec. 26th We drove to Logan's side of the family for our next Christmas meal.  We spent time with cousins and had an opportunity to meet the newest baby on that side of the family. 


Dec. 27th The kids got out ski-dooing and playing with their cousins before returning back to the city.   


Dec. 28 Cleaned the house and Logan and I had an unexpected dinner invitation from childhood friends.  We were out past midnight and I took the occasion to get dressed up because why not? 



























Dec. 29 Sledding with the kiddos.  The sun was shining and the weather was right!

 























Dec. 30 Off to our happy place.  The cabin! 


Dec. 31 I began the day off by reaching my goal of running everyday in December.  It was a great way to keep the stress and busyness of the season from overwhelming me and I am so happy that I was healthy enough to do it.  

We brought in the New Year  with  lake friends and family.   I had the sweetest midnight toast ever with my nephew Cooper who was a trooper and made it to midnight at the age of THREE!!!
























Jan. 1st Happy New Year!  We enjoyed the great Saskatchewan winter by getting outdoors and skating on our frozen lake! 


We got the BEST NEWS on our way home!  We welcomed a new baby girl, Jade Alexandria Dautbegovic to our family!  We already love her so much and cannot wait to meet her.  


Jan. 2nd I enjoyed a quite morning coffee while admiring our tree one last time.  I also had the opportunity to cuddle with Anya on the couch while reading her the Polar Express before we got ready for the day.


Jan. 3rd  We hit the local slopes for a day of family fun at Table Mountain.  


























Jan. 4th  Today I spent a good chunk of my day at school getting ready to return back to school on Monday.


























Jan. 5th  And just like that it's the end of our holiday.  Walking into 2020 full of hope, optimism and joy.  Please join me again next Friday, Jan. 17th for a fashion focused post.  :)  Until then, xoxo Bo





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