What Jacket Do I Need? Schaket, You Say.

Spring has sprung in Saskatchewan, well in shorts bursts anyway.  This past week has been gloomy, with some snow and nasty wind that's making it stay pretty close to 0C.  So although I tucked our winter jackets away, they have been out once or twice this week.  Oh well, let's talk about how spring has sprung extra early here this year and I am so happy about it.  For reference check out how much snow we had last year at this time of year, now we have none!!!

From our COVID front porch picture project last April.  

To my spring porch April 2021!  No snow!

Anyway the nice weather has had a good effect on my mood and our Easter break from school was a happy, calm, and restful time.  I went back to work in a completely different mindset and with different energy then I did coming back from February week, which was extremely hard for me and I was going through a rough patch.  But not since the sun has been out and the weather has been warmer.  So  a couple of weeks ago we went for a stroll downtown. Oreo joined us on our stroll and I must say she switches from country and city pretty easily.   I was so pumped that the weather was sunny and warm so I got to take my new schacket out for a spin and I LOVE IT!!!!!  It's been my go-to since I purchased it four weeks ago.  It looks cute with everything, jeans, leggings, joggers, and a form fitting dress.  While I was worried that the oversized style would just engulf me, especially since I am not overly tall, but it's so cute, and it I keep the underneath layers fairly form fitting, I don't feel I am lost in it at all.  I actually ordered a few different ones, a beige and a light green and neither was a keeper for me, both of the colors kind of washed me out but I'll link all the jackets below.  As soon as I tried this one on it was PERFECT.  Even my teenage daughter approves.  I did try it on in both XS and Small and I decided to stay with XS.  This shacket is a bit heavier, which I love and feel will work now and even through the summer evenings, and I love the textured fabric.  The sleeves balloon out just a tad and then come together at the cuff giving them just that extra little bit of detail.  I absolutely love everything about this coat and it was super easy to ship anything I didn't want back to H & M, which is always a bonus.  Unfortunately this one is all sold out, 😢 but I am linking up a few other options from them below.  

As we explored our little city, I always try to find dream houses.  Do you ever do that?  This is mine on this particular street.  It has been for years and although  it's not the cutest older home in the neighborhood, or the newest modern build, I love it for two reasons.  #1 that veranda has my whole heart and #2 it looks like no other home on that road.  Completely unique and proud.  It completely reminds me of Sweet Home Alabama and I love that movie.  So if for any reason I should come into a large sum of money, this is the home I'd like to live in.  Anyone out there want to make my dreams come true?  Hahahaha.  Have a beautiful weekend ahead and thank you so much for stopping by.

Shop This Post:

H & M:  Oversized Shirt Jacket (very similar; available in blue, various plaid combinations, corduroy beige & mint green)  $49.99

H & M:  Shirt Jacket (available in blue, gray & cream) $39.99

Currently Life: April 2021

Currently life.... I am back friends!  It's been a while since I've done a life update so I thought this might be the perfect time.  Let's jump in!

Currently celebrated Easter and this year I was able to have my mom and dad with us, as well as my aunt and uncle.  Being with family is always a gift and although our province continues to struggle and race against the VOC (variant of COVID), I am happy to report that all of our parents have received their first shots!!!!  Also, one can never get too old for the Easter bunny to visit and the girls enjoy receiving his gifts and doing all the egg dying just as they did before, although they aren't into taking pictures like they did before.  

Currently feeling.  Well my friends I am coming out of a week of sadness to be honest.  Our beloved pup of 12 years, Tanner, took a turn for the worst the week leading up to Easter and we had to make the difficult decision to put him down.  Although we knew that this would happen due to his prognosis in August, its never easy to let our furry loved ones go.  Our home and hearts have an empty feeling,  but we do know how much joy, love and laughter he brought into our home over the years.  

I have also been reflecting a great deal on how this signals an end to a a chapter of our lives. Tanner was there through my second pregnancy, baby Anya coming home, toddlers, first days of school, my masters program, camping adventures, buying our cabin and spending the last 4 summers at our lake,  pandemic life, and so on.  The girls are now both tween/teens, 14 & 11, their lives changing and  becoming more independent, and Tanner was that last piece of my life as a mom of "little people".   He was always one of my little kids, tagging along on our puddle jumping adventures, splash park fun, trick or treating at Halloween, et.  He will be deeply missed but I am thankful for all the years he gave us and that we were all able to cuddle him and be with him right to the end.  He went peacefully and with love surrounding him.

Currently reading.  The Book of Lost Names by Kristin Harmel.   Get it.  Read it.  You will NOT regret it.  It's a beautiful story of a young French woman and man, who work tirelessly to save Jewish children during WWII, while also preserving their identities so that they will not be lost forever.  Incredible story that will fill your heart with hope in humanity.

Currently watching.  Logan and I don't watch a ton of TV but we usually sit down for 30 minutes before bed.  We LOVE Modern Family!  It makes us laugh each and every night.  If you have watched it we are definitely  Clair and Phil.  

Currently listening.  I listen to a variety of podcasts in the mornings when I am getting ready for work but recently I listened to Abby Wombach on Dare to Lead by Brene Brown  and was completely enthralled and her book Wolfpack is already purchased and on it's way to me!  

Currently dreaming of a trip to visit my sister and family in Victoria, BC at the end of June.  Fingers crossed it happens, as it'll be almost 2 years since we've seen them.  We hope to be vaccinated by then and safely enjoy some outings with our combined families.  We hope to enjoy hiking, surfing, biking, cooking, and just each others company.  We also have a plan to go and explore Tofino, BC which will be a first for our family and I am hoping to check an item off of my bucket list, SURFING.  Full disclosure I tried  it in Mexico when I was 22 but I only did it a few times, and this will be an opportunity to actually take lessons and give it a try.  To be honest, I am very worried that I wont be able to do it, but I am not going to let that feeling stop me from trying.  

Photograph 

Currently wearing.  Since spring decided to arrive early for Saskatchewan, I've been happily sporting bare legs when it's not freezing cold, my new schaket when I don't still need my parka, and overall enjoying wearing less layers!!!!  What a gift this early spring has been for all of our mental health.  A bright, warm, sunny, spring day is good for the soul.  

What have you been up to lately?

Skin Care with Beauty Counter: What I Can't Live Without

I was so excited when you friend Jana approached me about testing out a few Beauty Counter products and give an honest review of them.  I've been tempted to jump into the brand because they are super consciousness about the ingredients they use in their products, their mission being to educate and move people towards clean beauty products without giving up the quality.  Another reason that I was tempted to purchase was that I truly do want to support women in business but I was unsure of where to start.   I am not going to lie, their products are much more than I normally spend on skin care so I was really hesitant to just randomly buy.  That's where Jana came in and offered some products to test  based on my top skin concerns, acne, age fighting, and uneven skin tone/scarring.  She gave me a couple different samples to try and I am here to tell you that I love them all!!!!  You guys, I urge you to speak to Jana about your exact concerns and she will guide you towards the right products so that whatever you buy it's going to make a difference for your needs!

Okay, here are some of the products I test drove and what my thoughts are on them.  I am going to slowly switch out my current products but there was one that I just couldn't imagine waking up without!

You can reach out to Jana's Beauty Counter business here or on IG.

Charcoal Mask

I was already doing a mask once a week but I honestly didn't know how to select the right product for my skin, I  just tried random ones here and there.  Well I learned that this charcoal mask is designed to deep clean my pores, avoid congestion and keep my skin free of acne.  And since using it once a week over the past 3 weeks, I've only have one stubborn zit surface!!!!  When it did, Jana told me just to use it as a spot treatment and the next morning the swelling was GONE!!!!  I couldn't believe it.  Yes it seems pricey at  $65 but you'll get at least 20+ treatments which ends up costing you approximately $3/use, and I am actually almost certain you'll get more treatments than that based on how many times I used my sample pack.  This is definitely going to be ordered as soon as I use my other masks up.  

Overnight Resurfacing Peel

I CAN'T live without this product.  Seriously my skin feels amazing in the morning.  I've been using it every second evening, after I cleans and tone, and before my  moisturizer.  I go to bed and in the morning my skin feel sooooooo smooth, plump, glowing and amazingly healthy.  I didn't even know my skin could feel like that honestly.  I have nothing left in my little sample bottle and I am devastated that I am going to have to wait until in arrives to feel my skin like this again.  I also absolutely love the light orange fragrance in this product.  It's so soothing and gentle on my skin. This is going to be my first Beauty Counter purchase.

All Bright C Serum

I didn't get this item to test drive but I had heard so many good things about it, that when a friend approached me to buy her 1/ 4 of her bottle, she was getting a brand new one, I decided to give it a try.  I use it each morning after washing my face but before moisturizing.  It's claim to fame is that "brightens skin and helps reduce the appearance of existing dark spots", both is something I need and deserve in my life.  Although it doesn't have the greatest smell I did notice that a few darker spots did become lighter on my neck within the first week.  I really want to test drive it for the full 8 weeks as their clinically trials said that "94% said it reduced the appearance of dark spots" which is a huge concern for me, so this might be a need pretty quick.

Lipstick and Lip Gloss
I also tried both the lipstick and lip gloss on and although I rarely wear either these days since it's just covered by a mask, I couldn't believe how well their lipstick stayed put and didn't smudge or fade for hours!  Also, I think I am going to up my lip gloss game for the summer months while I am at the lake. Since I'll be spending a lot more time outside, I think lip gloss is the way to go.  Quick reapplication and just some shimmer and shine!

Final though is that I am really hooked on their products which is a little scary because I can't have it all at once, but here is what my game plan is.  I am going to invest in the products that I mentioned, one at a time when what I already have runs out.    They last a LONG time so it's really a good investment and I love the idea that I am getting quality and CLEAN products, while supporting a local, small, women based business.  What are your go- to products?  Are you making your way to more clean and sustainable products?  Give me your honest thoughts.

Tie-Dye at Home

The tie-dye trend is still going pretty strong, as is lounge wear.  We are still sticking around home for a little bit longer, fingers crossed we are nearing the end with the 60+ people finally getting vaccinated!!!!  What we did learn in the pandemic year is that comfort wear is the way to go and adding a little pop of color to your lounge wear is  super easy to do at home and a great project with kids!!!

For Anya's birthday we grabbed a couple of t-shirt from Walmart for $8/piece.  They wanted them loose fitting so we went with adult sizes.  It was such a fun and easy project to do and as I watched the girls doing it, I thought to myself, I have a white tee that I've had for ages and there is leftover paint so why not give it a try. WELL I  LOVE IT!!!  It's so bright and fun.  I wear it all the time around the house and I definitely think it'll look cute with some jean shorts this summer.   Although I like the bright colors in mine, I used what was left over, I really enjoy the more subtle blues and greens that the girls went with. 

 

Here is what you need to know before starting a project like this!  

1.  Wash and dry the t-shirts ahead of time.

2.  You need a large pieces of plastic for kids to work on and not make a giant mess.  You could also cut up a large plastic bag for each child to work on.

3.  This kit has everything you need in it.  Gloves, elastics, enough paints for two projects.

4. T-Shirts.  I went with Walmart, but Michaels also has them.  My t-shirt is better quality and a nice fit.  It's one I bought ages ago at Banana Republic.

5.  Zip-lock bags to store them into afterwards to allow die to set.

6.  Rinse and dry the next day!  

Here is a really simple step by step blog post that you can refer to, or just follow the instructions in the package!  

Since we still have another set of refill packets, I am thinking we might make some tie-dye t-shirt for our nieces and nephews for Easter.  

Have you made tye-die at home before?

Transitioning into Spring with a Sweater Dress

For many people spring is literally around the corner, but the white fluffy stuff hangs on a bit longer here in Saskatchewan, but the temperatures do tend to let up and nicer weather outweighs the cold snaps for the most part.  But like the the rest of the world, I yearn for spring like pieces and a wardrobe change, while also remembering that "baby it's STILL cold outside".  That's why I love a good sweater dress, especially in a lighter color such as beige, white or gray.  It's warm and cozy, but the lighter color says brighter days are  ahead!

                           
                           

In order to add a little contrast  to a fairly plain dress, I added the cutest headband, sparkly stud earrings, and layering necklaces.  My OTK boots are getting pretty worn out but I've decided that I am not going to replace them this year, but rather wait for next fall to see what the trends are.  I am finding it's slim pickings in the stores and even online for boot options this year, so I'll just hold on to my $$ and maybe invest in a few other spring transition pieces like white booties that I've had my eye on.

As warmer temperatures increase and the sun shines brightly, we can trade in our parka coats for a lighter coat, as I did above, or if it's really nice you can shed the top layer and just wear the cozy knit on it's own.  If you are lucky enough to live in a climate where the snow is melting away and the temperatures are well above zero, not here for a couple more months, I absolutely love the idea of pairing the sweater dress either with some booties and bare legs, or with little sneaks!  Both of these are darling and I hope to wear them out in the near future, but until then I am keeping my leggings on for an extra layer of warmth.  

Insiration #1 from Julia's blog.

Inspiration #2 from Pinterest.

What are your favorite pieces to style and transition from winter to spring?

Shop This Look:

Sweater Dress:  Marshalls; similar Vero Moda ;  similar

 Aritzia Wool Coat (old); Aritzia (similar)

Jewelry:  Hillberg & Berk

Headband (FabFitFun):  Simons (similar)