Bo's Bodacious Blog: May 2025

Monday, 26 May 2025

LWD: Little White Dress

Today's post is short and sweet. Everyone needs a little white dress, or a couple, in their closet and I am linking up a few options below. I really like white dresses because they can be dressed up or casual. It's a staple in my closet for spring and summer and whenever I am unsure of what to wear, I reach for one of the two I have in my closet. A couple of weeks ago when we went out for Mother's Day supper, I ended up wearing it and it was perfect. Classy, chic and dressy casual. Add a splash of color with shoes or a cute purse like I did, some wedges for a more casual look, or heels to dress it up. Top it off with a cardigan, denim jacket, blazer or a fabulous scarf for extra warmth for cooler evenings and you are ready in five minutes or less!

What are your quick and on the go spring/summer formulas?

Here are some LWD options for you:

Aritzia Poplin Dress

Fit and flare, midi - dress, we just bought this for my daughters graduation for the cap & gown portion of the celebrations. She LOVES it!

Old Navy Eyelet Dress

Similar to the one above but way less $! Perfect eyelet detail for summer, casual style.

Cupshe Spring Daisy Mini Dress

A little more dressy, asymmetrical neckline and the cutest daisy details. I am tempted to buy this one for myself for Halie's graduation.

Thanks for stopping by and have a fabulous Monday!

Monday, 19 May 2025

My First Duathlon & Mother's Day Recap

Where do you land on Mother's Day festivities, activities, gifts and general feeling surrounding the day? I've now been a mother for 18+ years and I've always felt like the day, or leading up to the day, it's loaded with expectations. Part of the expectations come from social media, part of them come from my lack of knowing what I exactly want. Over the years I've learned that the only way for the day to meet my expectations is to a) recognize my expectations b) identify what would make me feel special or happy and c) communicate it; I know it means that the cognitive load of thinking lands on me but I've come to terms with it after all these years and its what works but know that I've been in all different places and phases throughout the year and that's okay too. To be honest, I am happy with simplicity which usually means a balance of alone time and a little acknowledgment from my daughters/husband. For "my own time" I've come to realize that means that I want to exercise by myself, enjoy a coffee and read a book without talking to anyone, and I don't' want to cook or clean. From my family, I love a simply written message from each of the girls and usually they get me a few of my favorite treats. Simple but it's what works for me.

This year I decided to enter my first duathlon which consisted of a 5km run, 20 km bike, and 2.5 km run, called a Sprint distance. It happened last Saturday, a beautiful morning and the race was actually called the Mother's Day race, encouraging mothers and women of all ages and levels of fitness to give it a go in either a Super Sprint (2.5km/10km/1km) or Sprint (5km/20km/2.5km) like I did. The group of people that came out were all so friendly, supportive, encouraging and many first timers like myself. I ran into several women I admire and am inspired by and having them there giving words of encouragement was so appreciative and welcoming, we need more of that in our lives! I talked a girlfriend into joining it as well and it very much filled my "own" bucket. The run started of well, and the 20 km ride was okay except I didn't love that it was the same 5km loop X 4, meaning a very steep hill every 10 minutes or so, and then I experienced some leg cramping on the last 2.5 km. Overall I crossed the finish line with a smile on my face, my tank empty and a huge sense of accomplishment. My oldest daughter and husband were there to cheer me on throughout the race and were there for me when I crossed the finished line 💗. My oldest also, went and bought me a Starbucks as a reward which is so thoughtful and kind. (my youngest was at a baseball game so she couldn't be there) It was lovely and exactly how I like to spend my time. Even at 42, almost 43, I can try new things and push myself in new ways and that makes me happy.

Also, one of the things I really want to be known for in encouraging other people to do new things, especially women. I know a few friends have mentioned that I "inspire" them and that they appreciate me checking in and encouraging them, and that's something that I very much want to continue to be to my own daughters and other women. So, I was especially shocked when the local triathlon organization reached out and asked to interview me for an article in support of this particular race. You can read it here!

In the afternoon I did my meal prep, read on the deck and drank my Starbucks, went to watch my youngest at baseball and ended the evening with a glass of wine on the deck.

On Sunday, Mother's Day, my younger had a few more ball games and my oldest had to work. We decided to go out for sushi and they gave me a very thoughtful gift. While I was in Venice I mentioned that I loved the coffee that is made in a Moka pot using expresso coffee and they purchased a pink, Italian made one for me along with GF chocolate pretzels, Dinosaur candy and a card filled with messages of love.

It was absolutely perfect!!!!! Everything I could have asked for in a weekend and more. I felt loved, appreciated and seen. Tell me how you spent your Mother's Day last weekend and if you are not a mother, how do you communicate to your loved ones what you need to feel seen.

Wednesday, 14 May 2025

Ageless Style: Black & White

Welcome to another installment of Ageless Style! Todays prompt is brought to you by sweet Marsha from the Marsha in the Middle blog and we are styling black and white. Sounds simple, right? Sometimes a simple color combination can have multiple styles and looks, and can be recreated from different pieces to suit the season.

On our recent European trip, I really focused on neutral pieces that I could style and reuse multiple ways. We were conscious of our luggage space, and wanted to bring items back (mostly the girls) which meant packing very smart. I purchased these Smash & Tess black overalls in the fall (unfortunately they are all sold out 😔) and have been wearing them tons! They are a great fit, I love the little front tie for a bit of extra fun, and how easy they are to style in different ways and in different seasons; long sleeved layered under here, sweater over top creating a black jean look, leather shacket styled over top, on their own on the warmer days, and I am going to show you how I styled them two different ways using the black and white prompt while on my European adventure.

#1 Tee Underneath!

In Venice we experienced pretty warm weather and honestly ditched the jackets most days by 11 a.m. This was the perfect outfit for our last half-day of exploring and super comfortable for traveling from Venice to Paris. A good white tee is hard to find, but I splurged on this one from Lululemon because I love the fabric, I love the fit and I love that it's not see-through. In hindsight I should have purchased another one just to have as back up. This is a super simple but cute and trendy look, especially paired with some sneakers such as my pink Adidas VL Court Sneakers; honestly these are so comfortable for walking in all day and for reference I would say I have/need a wider fit. You'll never look out of style in this outfit.

#2 Casual in a Button Down

Next time I wore the overalls we were in Paris and the weather was a few degrees cooler but still warm, especially by midday and with all the walking. I wanted some light, breezy and layers to be able to meet the changing weather as the day progressed. Another causal look is just to lawyer a white button down over the overalls. This is a great street style look in my opinion but if it got too hot, I could take the button down off and still look cute. I skipped the belt on this one because I didn't want to add any bulk, and wanted the casual and relaxed look.

What are some black and white looks that you are loving right now? Casual? Work?

Now it's time to check out the other ladies interpretation of the prompt, link-up your own post, and go support and explore other blogs. See you on June 19th when we will be showcasing bold prints!