Friday, it's Friday!

Instagram this week.

Wasaga Beach.  My feet are really white.

Dusk and storm clouds at the lake.

Dessert at our new Coffee Culture.

Puppies.

Quinoa salad from Freshii...another new spot in town.

On our way to the beach we stopped at Walmart, hoping to pick up some shovels and buckets.  Our beach stash is in sad shape, thanks to most of it being tossed at the end of last summer.

Buckets and shovels were nowhere to be found.  It was August 3rd.  Instead we were greeted with shelf after shelf of books, paper, pencils and backpacks.  Seriously, the kids don't go back to school until September 8th, and summer technically doesn't end until September 23rd.

What the ....?  I love (I mean really love) back to school supplies.  I'm a sucker for new notebooks and fresh pens, and I'll get excited about back-to-school shopping in due time, but we're still in the middle of summer here.

Ugh.  Why does the world conspire to move ahead so fast?  We still have four weeks before school starts, and I'm not ready to give up enjoying this summer season.  Not by a long shot.

Because winter is coming.

Ali Edwards is doing A Week in the Life this month.  Have you ever done this?  I tried it last fall, and I tried A Day in the Life in the spring.  I love the idea of the whole project - I just haven't been very good at it.  

But that won't stop me from giving it another go.

Also, I want these Peanut Butter Cookie Bars.

And these Zucchini Blondies.

My to-read list is ridiculous, but that didn't stop me from checking out this collection of 53 Books You Won't Be Able To Put Down.

And what is up with everyone picking up and traipsing over to Italy?  Now I want to go to Florence and Positano.  Sigh.

Happy Friday, happy weekend!

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Photo a Day - Toronto

First, puppies.  One of these boys will become part of our family in a little over two weeks.  Are they adorable or what??

Dusk at the lake, complete with the ever present storm clouds on the horizon.  Our summer skies have been unsettled these past few days.

And some random shots from an afternoon walk around Toronto a few weekends ago.

CN Tower

Thank you for featuring me!

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Friday, it's Friday!

July is winding down.  August is just around the corner.

There will be a German Shorthaired Pointer joining our family in about a month's time.  The puppies are unbelievably cute!

Dryland training has started, in preparation for the hockey season that will be starting in September.

Painting has finally begun in one of the boys rooms.  It was the only room we didn't have time to paint when we moved in over two years ago, and I couldn't stand looking at the yellow and teal walls any longer.

It's still really hot.  Lawns are beginning to brown, and potted plants are withering.  

Tonight there will be a blue moon, the second full moon during the calendar month.  It won't really be blue, and it's not even that rare an occurrence, but it sounds cool.

Discovered in my travels around the world wide web this week:

A series of photos guaranteed to annoy anyone that's even slightly OCD.

This virtual tour of Sorrento, Italy.  I want to go there.

Amazing wire sculptures.  I can picture one of these in my dream garden.

Lego photography.  I could totally get my kids on board with doing this.

Butternut Squash & Spinach Risotto.  Sounds delicious, looks easy.

Ham and Brie Pop Tarts.  Yes please!

And finally, rating sunscreens.  The great, and the not so great, because right now there's no escaping the sun.


Happy Friday!  Happy weekend!

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African Lion Safari - Part Three

Let's wrap this up shall we?

Kangaroos.

They were impressive.  Strong and fast.

Yaks.  Slow, not fast.

Rhinoceros. Slow.

Deer, elk, bison.  Fast, and on the move for feeding time.

Endangered mountain goats. Sad.

And elephants. Cute.

Missed parts one and two?  Check them out here:

 

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Friday, it's Friday!

This was an I-need-a-bucket-of-coffee-every-morning kind of week.  I think the heat (which I love, and will never complain about) is making me tired.

It's been gloriously hot, but it would seem that the warm weather hasn't yet reached every corner of this country, as the Newfoundland police have issued a nation wide search for summer.

It would also seem that there is such a thing as National Cheesecake Day, coming up on July 30th.  I love cheesecake, specifically this authentic New York Style Cheesecake.

These business hours.  Yes :)

Double Chocolate Zucchini Muffins.  Wow.  I think this is how we should eat all of our veggies.

You sunk my pirate ship!  Printable Battleship a la Jack Sparrow.  Awesome.

Love Everything Bagels?  This post is for you.

If you're a mushroom pizza lover, come with me to Funghitown.

Seed Brittle.  Like peanut brittle, or sesame snaps, but without peanuts or sesame seeds.  I bet you could add sesame seeds though.  Maybe even peanuts.  Healthy candy, that's what this is.

And this week's (not quite) photo a day:

Happy Friday, and happy weekend!

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Summer Skies

The air feels heavy this time of year.  It settles on you like a blanket, equal parts comforting and oppressive.  It's hot and humid. 

And wonderful.

That a place like this - that sees such extreme cold in the winter - can feel so tropical, if only for a short time, is an amazing thing.

Lush and green, with unsettled skies as thunderstorms threaten to roll in. 

Those winters make us appreciate these summers that much more.

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