Spunky Sapphire, Hamilton, ON (2024)

03/25/2022

It's been a hot minute since I made an
appearance on the feed. To those who are new here, WELCOME! I hope you're finding a good mix of crazy and fun and valuable insight.

If you've been following me here for awhile, I'm sure there's a ton about my life you already know, but I like to take some time every now and again to (re)introduce myself. So, hi! 🙋🏽‍♀️

I'm Anna. Wife, mama to 4 under 5, homemaker,
homeschooler, and small business owner (of several endeavours 😂).

The new season of life has brought a love for "slow living" and learning a ton of new skills. Overwhelming sometimes, but oh so good!

We enjoy smoking meats and meals, eating sourdough bread (the latest feat of excellence around here), growing a massive garden in the city and sharing tips on all of it, including how we homeschool and run our family.

I'm a new, big fan of the direct selling industry and doing it WELL (no yucky "hey girl" messages over here-just sharing about products that have made life simpler and better) so you'll often hear me chat about shampoo and books! These businesses give us extra fun money and keep my business mind sharp after retiring from wedding planning last year.

I'm an open book if you ever have questions about how to do this well. Whether you're old or new here, say hello in the comments below! I'm always up for a good comments chat. 👏🏻😉

02/09/2022

Since we missed his official birthday posting date, I’ll share 5 days later. This kid. Where do I begin…

Most days, I canneth not with him. He is THE most stubborn boy you will ever meet (takes after .koppelaar and it will serve him well someday, I’m sure!).

He would rather wear pajamas 24/7 than literally anything else. And if we could make that his monster truck ones without ever needing to wash them, that would be ideal. He’s currently wearing them as I type this.

He’s our first of 3 thumb-suckers and it doesn’t appear to be letting up any time soon. 🤦🏽‍♀️ That thumb is sticking up in this photo because he was sucking it the whole shoot boycotting smiles. See? Stubborn.

However. He is HILARIOUS. The things that come out of his mouth have us in stitches quite often. 😂

He loves his sisters and will randomly cuddle with them. He’s THE MOST patient with Kate (though he also pesters her mercilessly sometimes).

We named him Maverick. “An independent man who avoids conformity.” 😬 can’t be mad at him turning out exactly what we decided to call him, right? Praying he uses this independence to honour and glorify God, stand up for the truth, and be the courage his siblings need to do the same. (Side note: this is why you have multiple children—their strengths and weaknesses balance out and they can move as a unit and be that support for each other. Go against the grain and have a bunch of little people—the world needs strong discerning men and women—raise them!)

Happy birthday, my wild child. We love you. 🥰

02/01/2022

YOU there! 🙋🏽‍♀️

You are the people that keep me going. Without you, my business would not exist (and life would be a whole lot more boring). 😉

Your kind words and amazing support make the slogging days where nothing is flowing well completely worth the drag! So. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. 🥰

If you want to engage in some messy heart musings as we all navigate building a legacy and a home together in a cuh-RAZY world, follow the link in my bio and sign up for the Spunky Sapphire Mail Crew (because some thoughts are going to drop this week, including February’s instalment of )!

01/20/2022

Do the thing that you KNOW will get you out of your funk even if it’s the LAST thing you wanna do. Workout. Get sweaty. Bundle up and deal with the frigid—inhaling that icy air feels real good. 👌🏻

Cook something yummy: when was the last time you ate? (Guilty of the hangry feels and feeling out of sorts only to realize I forgot to eat a proper meal. 🤦🏽‍♀️)

Crank up some good beats or scream/bellow as loud as you can. Works for my kids—they seem happier after they ROAR all together. 🦁😉

What’d you do today for your brain?

01/19/2022

Ooof. .clarkson I don’t mean to air out your small regrets, but this wisdom from an older mama is giving me major perspective in the toil and grind of the “4 under 5” life I’m living. 👏🏻

While feeding Lauren, I flipped open to the February chapter in The Lifegiving Home to compile some thoughts for next month’s email. I’ve read this book before and had highlighted my way through; this quote jumped out at me today during a chaotic moment where I was (perhaps 😆) fretting more about the details than enjoying the people.

It hit me in that way like, “aw man, I’m doing it again,”—focusing on what’s not going to matter in the long run vs thoroughly enjoying who they are RIGHT now…and the circus that comes along with them!

And while this quote seems like a negative thing, it’s such a refreshing reminder to turn my thoughts around. Sure, in my 5 years of motherhood, I already could say this exact quote—I wish I had read the book when he asked, played outside more, let the details GO and just BEEN in the moment (because, indeed, the details have faded!) And I could stay stuck in that regret. Or I can vow to make the change in this moment…

…and hold this quote close as a reminder that 40 years from now? The RELATIONSHIPS are going to matter more than how we got where we needed to go or what was for dinner or that the vacation plans didn’t go JUST SO because a kid had a meltdown.

So. Here’s to enjoying the people over fretting the details. And thank you, Sally, for pouring your wisdom into new(er) mamas like us. 🥰

01/19/2022

About to post something else and the feed needs a palette cleanser. A touch of calm in the brightness. A breath of fresh air. 🌿😊

01/12/2022

Picked this book up 3 days ago after having on my for a year or two. The day before, a ni**le had become a shove that I couldn’t ignore.

I need AND want to turn how I’ve used this platform for 10 YEARS on its head. Snagged my ever-logical husband last night and dumped a lot of words on him begging him to make this make sense because I couldn’t separate emotion from it enough to make a plan. I was about to bail on Instagram completely and live like a pioneer. 🦬

He quite bluntly told me that was a dumb idea 😂 and we decided I just needed to set some boundaries for myself so that I can live my best life in every area. So far, it’s worked well today!

Long story short: fewer stories (captioning them makes it not a quick task and getting interrupted by people that live with me makes me crazy which is a problem), less time sharing on the app in real time. More intentional time with it in the evening (daily recaps, etc) if needed—some nights are social media free, too (making him join me in that because ya girl ain’t doing that alone 😉). DM’s will be answered in the evening and on sale days during naptime, too.

It’s a “right now” issue that needed to be tackled, and I’m always pivoting through my life (pirouettes all day long is more like it) so this will maybe change. For now, it feels like Cinderella’s slipper. 👌🏻

Picked the book back up last night and hit these pages (swipe) and the decision just got that much more settled.

That’s all. Recommend this book as some food for thought, even if you apply nothing. Have you ever quit social media for a time? What did you find you had time for when you did that?

12/25/2021

This is us, 2021 version. 😂

Every child gave a signature expression in this first photo and it’s one of my ABSOLUTE favorite images she’s ever captured for us. And don’t even get me started on the individual shots (especially Katie-Kate!).

Wishing you and yours a very Blessed Christmas remembering the Reason for the season and bursting with the wonder of it all. With love, the Koppelaar’s. 💕

12/22/2021

Thinking about 2022. Do me a favor?

Hop over to my stories and give me some feedback, wouldja? 🤗

Chatting about Instagram and email and other ways to get to know you!

One thing for sure: Instagram is gonna be fun in 2022, or I ain’t doin’ it at all.

Other thing: clearing the clutter and saying goodbye to accounts that raise the knot in my stomach and throat and only letting in people who inspire me, make me laugh, provide good information, or if you’re my real life friendy-friend.

Here’s to getting to know each other better and kicking the internet stress to the curb. You with me?

12/22/2021

One of my favorite shows is Home Work. They transformed an old school into their home, and I CONNECTED finally with the home style I’ve been trying to grasp for about 10 years.

The farmhouse trend of all white is beautiful…but it’s not me. I always loved mid-century modern vibes and a mishmash of things. When Chip and Joanna did her sister’s house on the last episode of their HGTV show, it all started clicking. And now, we know Jo’s style has evolved more into this “new traditional” style that’s coming out. Obsessed is a good way of putting it for me. 😍

Anywho, back to Home Work. The antiques these two find will drop your jaw and seeing QUALITY brought back to life makes me so happy.

So, we passed an antique store yesterday and Darren dropped me and Kate off. I literally couldn’t stop oohing and ah-ing—Kate totally got it (as she chewed on 2 silver spoons I scooped up for my collection 😉).

Also, if my fingers weren’t so fat that this ring only fit on my pinky, we would’ve gotten it. Very “me”, wouldn’t you say? Swipe to see some of my favorite things.

This trip reminded me to freakin’ use the good stuff, wear the good clothes and jewelry EVERYDAY. Why are we waiting for “better days” to do that? The ARE the good days.

PS—kinda annoyed I didn’t grab one of those bowls. 🤦🏽‍♀️

12/15/2021

Take the photos, folks. 📸

Doesn’t matter what camera you have or how capable you feel as a photographer. The time is passing, the kids are growing, you’re not going to get this moment back to do “better” down the road.

We have a semi-pro camera at home, and I left it there on purpose because I always feel so much pressure to take awesome photos with it…

…which results in me taking NO pictures. The reality is, my iPhone camera may not be the best camera in the world, but it’s the one that’s always handy and the one I’m most familiar with.

I’m WAY more likely to grab it to capture whatever I want to and with some practice, I’ve gotten much better at composition and love most of the photos I take.

The cherry on top is my friend Lightroom presets that I bought just before Kate was born. LOVE her work and these presets make my photos feel profesh. (Real story: I’m just a busy mom 😉)

So grateful for these basic tools that allow me to save moments of our busy lives to cherish forever, like these little curls in this hat and adorable swimsuit. 😍

12/11/2021

Signing off for a few days to follow the garden path of my thoughts and see what I come back with. 🙋🏽‍♀️

I’ll check in once a day to answer messages so definitely reach out if you need anything.

But for the rest, I’ll be reading, laying in the sun, cooking, and concocting plans for the future. 🤓🤩

And even if you’re not willing or able to take days away from this app…put your phone away for an hour this weekend and do something that inspires you or that you want to get better at.

We have to make this space FUN again, not an obligation or “the only way I can ever run my business is with this app” or constantly thinking about the dumb algorithm and keeping up with the trends. My lanta, I’m giving myself a headache just typing all that stress-y stuff out. 🥴

Mkay, see you on the flip side. xo.

12/11/2021

Old habits die hard. So, a feed palette-cleanser to calm things down. 😂

12/09/2021

I bet you suck at this, too. 🙄

Getting quiet. Mentally meandering.

I’m SO BAD at it and way quicker to pick up my phone to occupy myself rather than sit in silence and let my mind wander.

This past weekend with my family (first time all together in 2 YEARS) and now these first 2 days here tied with the usual year-end musings I tend to have are culminating in some ideas that I’m excited to explore.

But I want to know: are you like me and can’t sit in quiet or are you SO GOOD at making time for it? If you’re in the second camp, what works best for you?

11/27/2021

Five years ago at this time (2:30pm), I was meeting this guy for the first time. He came out with a strong neck, ready to check out everyone and everything and with the biggest eyes we’d ever seen. Turns out, those eyes are a trait in our kids, but we wouldn’t find that out until later. Lol.

He’s so much like me which means we butt heads a bit, but has some of his Daddy’s best qualities which makes him a pretty rad dude.

He’s really confident when he’s comfortable, but wades his way into new situations slowly. He’s rocking kindergarten this year even though he hates having to do math problems. 😆

He’s our artist and engineer always tinkering and creating cool “projects” (as he calls them). It results in a tornado mess most of the time, but it’s funny to see a complete mix of creative entrepreneur mama and engineer dad.

Motherhood has been a little different than I imagined, but he’s eased me into each new season and has the most patience as I poorly navigate it most days. Here’s to another year!

Major shoutout to for capturing another year of beautiful images to freeze this age forever.

11/26/2021

🍋🍊Orange you glad you came? 🍊🍋Sure am!

Hard to believe this stunning final SSE event (for now) was two weeks ago!

I’ve been mulling over a lot of things—big and small—since that day. Still feels a little surreal to close another chapter of my life (maybe just putting the bookmark in for a few years, we’ll see what the future holds).

And when I get super-tired, I tend to get very introspective, whether I like it or not. 😂 After this BANANAS week, a month that feels like it flew by (like every month of 2021, let’s be real), and a few kids that don’t sleep through the night, I’m bone tired. 😴

But on the plus side, Christmas shopping is done, house got cleaned, and I’ve gotten to help a lot of people this week! And tonight is date night. 💃🏽 things are looking up! Lol.

What are you most excited about this weekend?

11/25/2021

My eyes are numb. 👀

From checking all my favorite small business’ Black Friday sales…

…and doing online checkouts. 😩

Doing business online has been the COOLEST experience of my life and has tons of perks and opens doors everywhere, but MY LANTA, I just never enjoy online shopping and wish there was a in-person way to checkout with owners I buy from across the country.

The only way I can get through is because I know there’s a person on the other end happy dancing when they get a sale notification the same way I happy-dance when I booked a new client or help a new VIP now. 💃🏽

Yay for being done with Christmas shopping!

Tell me: do you ACTUALLY enjoy the online shopping process or do you do it out of convenience?

P.S.—don’t tell me how it’s easier to have your payment info saved to make checking out online so much quicker. I can’t get behind it AT ALL. 😂

11/12/2021

Walking into my last wedding weekend as determined and ready as Kate was to bail on every photo of our family shoot with .

I guarantee you, at least once tomorrow, I’ll have the same look on my face and be walking that same walk, arms pumping and on a mission. 😍😆

11/03/2021

The best room in the house got a little upgrade. We were graciously given new coffee and end tables from Darren’s Oma.

That led to me shopping our home and swapping out a chair-and-a-half with the grey couch from the other room. Now it’s the coziest room we have, the most peaceful space, and flooded with the most beautiful natural light EVER.

The final styling has taken me a week and a bit to formulate, but I love how it turned out today!

Here’s to many beautiful memories and read-aloud stories happening in this space!

10/19/2021

📣 TOOT YOUR OWN HORN! 📯

Today was a doozy, but we’re ending it on a positive note. Maybe your todo list barely saw a dent today. Maybe you got overwhelmed like I did. Maybe you’re still in the bedtime slog, too, with kids who have wild imaginations and think they don’t need sleep.

But, if we look REALLY closely at our day today…I bet you ten bucks there was SOMETHING you did today.

So. Here’s your opportunity to toot your own horn about what you got done. Loud and proud, baby, because you came out of another Monday on the other side. 🙌🏻

Me? Gathered some recipes to try out this week and sorted that chaotic corner in my kitchen. 🥗

Let’s here yours! 👇🏼 (bonus: tag someone else who might need to toot her own horn, too!)

10/08/2021

✨Welcome to the world, sweet Lauren Ava! ✨

October 8 | 11:29am | 8lbs 4oz

We are thankful to God for blessing us with another sweet girlie. Both mama and baby are doing SO WELL. It was a wild journey and nothing like the other kiddos, but we’re overjoyed she’s here now!

Cannot wait for the other kids to meet her; see my stories for Kate’s face when she realized Lauren is “her” baby. 😂

09/29/2021

Okay, I gotta know. Maybe to excuse my own behaviour. 😆

So, y’know how you sometimes read articles where they state all the benefits of keeping tech/TV/phones/laptops out of your room to max out the rest you gain in that space?

I think that would be lovely. And sometimes I really consider it. But then I just love curling up on the bed with my very-portable laptop and knocking out some work in the ONE room that feels like an oasis and a break from the rest of my house. 🏝

Or having a late-night chat with a friend via text or Voxer or doing some scrolling gaining home inspiration or whatever.

I DO hold to the fact that there should be a little time between looking at a screen and going to sleep because I HAVE seen the difference there in how well I sleep and how long it takes to GO to sleep. 👌🏻

But, what side of the fence are you on? Tech-free bedroom for life or do you think that’s dumb? 🤷🏽‍♀️

⁣

09/26/2021

Living that “messy hair, don’t care” life with the daughter I could’ve never imagined while about to add another daughter to the family very soon!

Always pictured myself as a , terrified to be . Now, comPLETELY smitten with who she is, immensely grateful the honor has been bestowed on me to shepherd her little heart. 🤗

Happy to my sweet Kate!

09/21/2021

Argh. MONDAYS. 😩

Awhile ago, I had a Monday epiphany that we choose the kind of days we have. That was from a bad Monday start and me making the mental shift to focus on what I could control and turning the day around. Planned to make a reel about it and everything! 😂

And then I kept thinking about that day TODAY when just thing after thing after thing kept happening and I spiralled.

Believe you me, I did everything to turn it around. I even knocked out pretty much the entire to-do list which was extensive. I took a long walk. I did what normally works to snap me out of it.

And y’know what? Here I am at 8:30pm about to shower the day off and do what I can to make sure it doesn’t overflow into tomorrow. (And finish packing lunches for homeschool group before I go to bed so we can attempt to make that happen without too many repercussions. Ha!)

Some days are just gonna be like that I guess. His mercies are new every morning—what a wonder! If that was you today, or yesterday, or last week—or maybe tomorrow—do NOT give up. Keep on keeping on. This too shall pass, and I’m a message away to listen to you vent about it all. 😘

09/15/2021

Homemaking has become an art I’m putting more and more effort into learning. I have a knack for event design and curation, but hadn’t really invested in anything for our home since we were broke newlyweds with a pile of apartment pieces and hand-me-downs graciously given to us.

The longer we live in this home and the more people we introduce to being members here 😄, the more I want a certain feeling to be felt here. After all, I’m the one who’s always said I want my teenagers to bring all their friends here to hangout! That’s gotta start now with making our home a haven.

When creating the event last week that I hosted here for my girls, it was about creating an energetic space for us to dream, dig deep, and be ourselves. I’m a collector so it was a matter of searching high and low to find the pieces that fit the bill and relocate them to this one room. This stack of books (see? Books are a big deal around here whether for myself or our family!) with a new $5 candle was my crowning achievement. 😉

Making room for others has always been the goal with any home I’m in. Whether that means sitting on the floor on a clearance IKEA floor cushion or standing in the corner observing the happy hearts that have been welcomed in, I’m here for all of it.

And if you’ve ever felt adrift and in need of a space to “come home to” for a bit, you’re always welcome here!

How does your home make you feel? What do you struggle with as far as hosting? I’m here to help you bounce ideas around! 🙋🏽‍♀️

09/13/2021

Hi, my name is Anna, and I sell shampoo. 🙋🏽‍♀️

2 years of business school.
2 years of culinary school.
Moving alone to a new country.
3 years of pushing for a dream as a wedding planner before it “took off”.
Almost 10 years being the Type-A Sidekick for the most wonderful couples in the world.

Selling shampoo on social media never crossed my mind. But I’d like to think I’m pretty smart…and this opportunity is SMART. 👩🏽‍💻

As with every piece of work I’ve done:
I work at this.
I put in the effort.
I treat it like a job.

Guess what?
You can work at this.
You can put in the effort.
You can treat this like a job, too!

You can SUCCEED (whatever that looks like for you and your mission in life)!

I’m home with (almost) 4 kids. You busy? Ha! I get busy!
Learning new skills? Been doing that since 1990. It’s still scary and hard, but you can do it.

(The good news is: going about it this way means you’ve got a mentor in your back pocket to help you every step of the way so you don’t have to sit on Google at 10:30pm in tears trying to figure something out.)

Helping people feel more confident in their new hair and skin? Yeppers—you can too!

Helping some add 💰 to cushion their bank accounts.

Helping others connect with new friends and a community so they don’t feel alone anymore!

Helping still others have something to call their own and present a fun distraction/challenge!

Stop making excuses. You want something else in life? DO IT. 👏🏻