Best of 2022

Hello friends.  Before I dive completely into 2023, I wanted to look back on 2022 and reflect on some of the happenings over the past year in my personal life.   2022 was a breath of fresh air after the previous couple of years were so loaded with uncertainty and worry.  Here are some personal highlights from 2022:

• Both my husband and I turned 40 and we were able to celebrate with so many of our friends in early summer!
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• My dad turned 65 but then chose not to retire yet.  Maybe in 2023, but nonetheless we were so excited to celebrate this milestone with him at the start of the year. 
  
  
  
• We went on a adult only trip to Italy, exploring Rome, Lake Como & Milan.  This was an incredible opportunity for us and something we are extremely grateful for.  Part of the trip was just the two of us and the other part was with my sister and BIL.
  
  
  
• Anya turned 13 and officially became a teen and now our home no longer has little girls.  This was bittersweet for this mama.
• Family time at the lake is always treasured and this summer was extra special when all of the Dautbegovic family could come together.  It's the BEST thing that happened in 2022!
  
  
  
• Halie continued to explore her love of horse riding and entered and won a jumping show!
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Anya continued to fall more in love with dance and was thrilled to get back onto a stage and enjoy competitions with her dance group.
  
  
  
• I continue to enjoy my job as a vice-principal and early childhood educator and you can follow along with my teaching adventure at bosprek on IG.  
• Logan is still working fulltime from home and loves it!  He plays ball hockey once a week and has gotten into working out with the Peloton app.
• A&H Snapshots had lots of growth in 2022 and I am excited to continue to learn and grow my photography skills and side business in 2023.  Please follow along ahsnapshots on IG.

Since Mondays are my fashion blog post, I am also including the top 10 most popular outfits from the blog, in no particular order.  As I went through my stats I realized many of the posts came from the Ageless Style Link-up parties that happen every third Thursday of the month.  One of my 2022 goals was to collaborate and connect with more bloggers so I am thrilled that a few ladies reached out and I was able to do that.  Finding community online has been the best part of my blogging journey and I hope to continue to grow friendships and build community in 2023. 

 #1 Winter White with a Splash of Periwinkle

#2 Ponchos, Puppies & Sweater Dresses

#3 Sweater Weather

#4 Pink Power Suit

#5 Dancing in the Rain

#6 Sleeves vs. Sleeveless

#7 White Tops & Linen Shorts

#8 The Bikini

#9 Day to Night: Leather Pants

#10 Thanksgiving 2022

It's your turn now!  Tell me a few  of your personal highlights from 2022.

Thanks for stopping by and following along.  

September At a Glance & Work Outfit Recap

Can you believe that September is just about over already?!?  I feel a little worn out to be honest, but at the same time, I feel like I am getting into the groove of working full-time, while also parenting.  We've all transition into back to school relatively well and although all the precautions and safety procedures are exhausting, we've managed them alright for the most part.  The fact that September has been absolutely gorgeous  has been a blessing.  Let's take a peek at the month..

Happy 17th Anniversary!!!!

Logan and I celebrated our 17th wedding anniversary on Aug. 30th.  We always take turns planning a weekend of celebrations and this year my husband was in charge.  We were kid free for one and a half days which we enjoyed and filled with golfing, going on a boat cruise, out for dinner and even splurging on some desert afterwards.  We also enjoyed sleeping in and watching shows without any interruptions.  I love this man and every year we are together seems to get easier and better honestly.  I think we just don't bother sweating the small stuff anymore.  LOL!

Mother - Daughter Date Night
Halie and I had a mother-daughter golf lesson together one evening.  It was a lot of fun and we both learned a lot and got some great tips.  Halie joined her dad in an annual family golf tournament this year and I think it's fair to say that she'll likely be his partner for years to come.  

Exercising and Appreciating the Outdoors
I was doing really well at exercising for a minimum of 30 minutes a day for most of the month.  I am trying to take time to get outdoors, clear my head after work, and have a variety of workouts such as running, biking, weights, cardio and walking with the pups.  That being said, I am also struggling to roll out of bed and do my exercises in the morning like I used to.  Lately I find sitting and blogging and having coffee, calms me and wakes me up in a more relaxing way before starting a busy day at work.  The only issue with that is that if I eat supper, then I don't feel like working out in the later evenings.  I am struggling to figure out my new schedule to be honest.  

     

Dinner Date with my Dad
This was the highlight of September for me.  There was an evening when both my mom was away and Logan was gone to visit his parents with the kids, and I found myself inviting my dad out for a dinner date.  We see each other often enough but it's always all of us together.  This was such a fun, impromptu decision and one I will cherish for years.  You know all the chores that I had waiting for me at home.  Well they eventually got done and I can't even remember what they all were.  But this special evening out with my dad is going to become a lasting and favorite memory for sure.  

Coleman Inflatable Hot Tub

We purchased this inflatable hot tub this summer for the lake but decided to bring it home in August when we returned.  We have been using it probably 3 or 4 times a week as a family.  Sometimes the kids go in with just their friends, but we often all pile in there at the end of the evening and the kids chat away telling us all about their days at school and life in general.  It's honestly been one of our best "family" purchases, that we are contemplating getting a year- round one (well I am but my husband is unconvinced, LOL).

Trying Something New
A couple of weekends ago I cleaned out the freezer.  Oh boy!  So much stuff in there that I didn't even know I had.  It's such a good idea to take inventory every once in a while.  As a result I've  been using all the stuff up before buying more.  I came across two bags of butternut squash and I didn't know what to make with it, the recipe I bought it for wasn't one I wanted to make again.  Insert Butternut Squash soup.  Super easy to make and it tasted like FALL.  I was a huge fan and the kids liked it okay.  I'll definitely be making it again.  I also made fresh bread to go with it, because what could be better than warm, fresh bread.  

Fashion Friday
It wouldn't be a Friday post without fashion.  When the seasons are about to change I like to wear as many summer-ish clothes one last time as I transition into fall.  Here are a few of my favorite work outfits from September.  

How did September treat you all?

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

Life Lately: Spring Edition

6 workdays left.  5 school days.  Being a teacher, my life revolves more or less around the school calendar.  I feel tired. I need the summer break.  The sun on my face.  Early morning runs, followed by drinking coffee and reading on my deck.  I want to spend days with my children in a slow and laid back sort of way.  No agenda.  No plans.  No on-going hustle and bustle. 

Now don't get me wrong, I love our life and it's a blessing to have a life thats so full of activity, friends, and family.  In fact today's post is actually all about reflecting on all the goodness that has happen in the last month.  Let's take a peak.

Concerts!!!! 

Three and a half years ago, I took Halie and Anya, to their first concert, Justin Bieber, read here.  That evening is  one of the memories I treasure the most; not because I cared for Bieber but because my girls were so excited.  Halie was quoted saying after the concert, "mama, I had tears.  They were tears of joy." 

Well on Monday night we had an opportunity to recreate that pure joy for both girls by going to  Shawn Mendes.  They screamed.  They sang.  They danced.  They loved.  They cried tears of joy once again.   My husband and I just sat in awe.   If you follow my IG stories, you know that we had a specail way to surprise them with concert tickets.  They went on an alphabet scavenger hunt, followed by an invitation to unscramble some of the letters, to spell Shawn Mendes.  It was SO MUCH FUN!!!

I also was lucky enough to go to see Carrie Underwood in concert just a few weeks ago.  Absolute blast and I sported a cute outfit with my cowboy boots, check it out here.

 

Father's Day

We spent a low-key weekend at the lake.  We were able to enjoy a quite morning by the fire with our favorite dad/husband with simple, homemade gifts. 

Family

May brought  us the best gift EVER.  My aunt, Jasminka, made it out to SK. from Seattle for a few days.  Her time with us was much too short.  My aunt is who I want to grow up to be.  She has forever been fun, silly, loving, and she has taken life in stride.  She has raised two amazing men, my cousins, and my children absolutely adore her.

My uncle came for a visit as well and we were lucky to spend a few evenings over some good food and conversation with him as well. 

Friends

Friends are family that you choose.  We were able to finally catch up with some of our favorites.   Life is so busy as parents it's hard to make everyone's schedules work, but regardless how long it's been some friends are just easy to reconnect with and make it feel like old times.  Of course I wish it was more frequent but I'll take the times we carve out as a gift.  Love these peeps.

Reading

I've been reading more and writing less it seems.  I have fallen out of the habit of having a blogging schedule.  Honestly, I just don't know how to fix it at this time, maybe I'll do some reflecting on it this summer (also if you have advice please share).  That being said, I am reading more.  A month or so ago I read a personal goal a blogger set for herself (can't remember which one, sorry) was  to read one chapter a day.  That really struck with me and I've been making time to read one chapter a day too.  I try to sit on the deck right after work to help me unwind.  It's become a really nice way to end the workday and begin our family time in the evening.

Packing

I am almost done with my role as a consultant.  I am packing up my space.  I feel good.  I feel excited for this next chapter!  I feel ready.

Wearing

Thanks to everyone for the kind words on my fashion posts lately.  You make me soooooo happy and I feel more confident after I read your words of encouragement.  Here is a few things I've been wearing lately but they haven't made it up on the blog.

Your turn!  What are some of the highlights from you spring.