Wilderness Wednesday: Baby Ducks

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birds, ducks, humour, nature, photography, summer, Wilderness Wednesday

Mama + Papa =

Babies

Be like a duck. Remain calm on the surface and paddle like hell underneath. – Michael Caine

Happy Wednesday!

What’s In My Cup: Peanut Butter Cup

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#whatsinmycup, beach, chocolate, food, holiday, peanut butter, summer, tea, what's in my cup

Man cannot live by bread alone; he must have peanut butter. – James A. Garfield

Peanut butter cup tea is inspired by the sweet, rich (and might I add), deeply satisfying delight. Whether as a sweet after a meal, an afternoon snack, or just because, this tasty tea infusion hits the spot. It is a blend of apple, cocoa bits, almonds, chocolate chips, and safflower.

What? No peanuts? That’s right.

As you can see, the colour is a pale yellow, which surprised me a bit. I was expecting a darker colour. The flavour, however, had the toasted nut flavour I was expecting. I would have liked the chocolate to be more prominent (being a natural choc-o-holic), and like chocolate pb cups from the store, I thought it was missing some salt.

Still, with only 5 calories per cup, it’s a guilt-free treat so I can wear my bikini without anyone calling Greenpeace to roll me back in the water…when it’s warm enough to wear a bikini, that is!

Now, if someone would just make an O Henry tea!

Summer afternoon—summer afternoon; to me those have always been the two most beautiful words in the English language. – Henry James

Happy Monday!

Wilderness Wednesday: Rainy Beach Days

Tags

beach, photography, rainy days, summer, Wilderness Wednesday

A rainy day at the beach is better than a sunny day in the office.

Happy Wednesday!

What’s in My Cup: Laughter & Lemonade

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#whatsinmycup, desserts, summer, tea, what's in my cup

Hot tea? Always! Iced Tea? Sure thing! Ice pop? Right on!

I recently shopped for Christmas  gifts with David’s Tea…and I bought an early “Christmas present” for me. (psst…it was on sale!) I have memories of making kool-aid pop in the plastic molds of the ’70s…and memories of madly licking those purple pops on the back porch steps, while it trickled down my arms and chin. I’m sure my mother is having laundry flashbacks right about now… Good times!

These molds are really easy to use. Made from silicone, the cover pops right off and the mold can be manipulated to release the frozen treat, without fuss. Flat on the top, the molds stack easily in the freezer, which is a bonus if your freezer is an orderly mess like mine.

“I want to have a good body, but not as much as I want dessert – Jason Love

Who says you can’t have both? So I made my ice pops with iced tea, or course.

I started with Laughter and Lemonade Iced tea from Steeped Tea. It’s green tea-based, and includes mango, pineapple, apple, orange and papaya pieces, as well as sunflower, hibiscus, marigold, and  cornflower blossoms.

While it has a grassy note from the green tea, the combination of fruit and flower is well-balanced, making this a surprisingly refreshing icy treat…that melts just as fast as when I was a kid! But I’m better equipped to stay ahead of the dribbles…and it’s not purple!

Here comes the sun, and I say, it’s all right. —The Beatles

Happy Monday!

What’s in my Cup: Caribbean Crush

Tags

#whatsinmycup, food, photography, summer, tea, what's in my cup

Just because I messed up my first week of summer vacation, didn’t mean that I couldn’t still enjoy summer. Instead of palm trees and sandy beaches, I relaxed on the back porch with a tropical caffeine-free, herbal tea from David’s Tea – Caribbean Crush.

‘Cause a little bit of summer is what the whole year is about. – Author Unknown

This German fruit infusion is comprised of apple, pineapple, papaya, hibiscus, and cranberry.  The rosy hue reminded me of my pink apple jelly. It was sweet and delicate, a fruity punch with a gentle flavour of strawberry or peach, which is odd because it doesn’t contain either fruit. I really liked that it wasn’t sickly sweet or it didn’t have an acidic aftertaste. I find that a number of fruit infusions can have an artificial flavour aftertaste to them, or they are so sickly sweet they remind me of hot kool-aid. I don’t want hot kool-aid even on a cold, cold day! This tea can be served hot or cold.

This package of tea came as a sample in a large online order from David’s Tea. I started my Christmas shopping early, which disgusts me as much as it does you. This is one tea  I will happily pick up on another occasion.

How did it get so late so soon? Its night before its afternoon. December is here before its June. My goodness how the time has flewn. How did it get so late so soon?
– Dr. Seuss

Happy Monday!

What’s in my Cup: Raspberry Riot

Tags

#whatsinmycup, summer, tea, tea cups, what's in my cup

Some days you eat salad and go to the gym; some days you eat cupcakes and refuse to wear pants. It’s called balance.

Tart and tangy. Correctly balanced, it’s delightful. And so it is with Raspberry Riot Lemon Mate tea. Tart lemon and tangy raspberry are a heavenly summer pairing in this fruity green yerba mate and lemongrass blend. Hibiscus flowers, rose buds and rose hip peels provide a subtle perfume and a rich rosy colour. A perfect way to add zest to a lazy summer afternoon. Pants are optional.

Home is a place where pants are optional, bras don’t exist, and the wifi works.

Happy Monday!

Wilderness Wednesday: July Flowers

Tags

black&white Photography, flowers, garden, photography, summer, Wilderness Wednesday

Just living is not enough… one must have sunshine, freedom, and a little flower. – Hans Christian Andersen

Happy Wednesday!

School’s Out

Tags

humour, school, summer

Yesterday, at exactly 11:35 a.m., a unified shout erupted from every school in the district. At least one teacher collapsed in a sobbing, heaving pile of joy. School’s Out For The Summer.

No more pencils
No more books
No more teacher’s dirty looks! – Alice Cooper

Today, elated teachers are roaming empty halls that smell like gym socks, dazed and confused. And who could blame them? They’ve earned their rest. Parents are roaming around a home that houses those smelly gym socks, wondering how to fill 9 (count them again)…9 weeks of summer. Little Guy is starting his first full day of summer going to work with me. Good times!

I love the end of school. No more lunches to pack (or mouldy lunches to unpack). No more running back to the school because “I forgot my [insert item] in my locker or [insert item] at home. No more trying to decipher project instructions, expectations and deadlines based on the mutterings of my child, who is also clearly dazed and confused…

…like the lunch box project. Design a lunch box with 3 compartments: one for hot, one for cold, one for liquids. It must be able to hold a minimum of 500ml and maximum volume of 12,500 ml, and have an interesting shape. Research the materials used for a bunch of science-related jargon. No Styrofoam. Must transport as one unit.

Little did we realize that a few weeks after completing this, there was another portion of the project. Build a prototype to scale and test it. Most of the materials he used were great resources for what he was doing, but were not things you can simply pick up at Home Depot? He had to redesign it, and fast! Do you have any idea how hard it is to find excessively large pieces of blank cardboard and how many man-hours it takes to build, paint, insulate and line three 3D pentagons?

It wasn’t rocket science…but it kinda felt like it!

…or like the self-portrait mosaic. Talk about a bomb going off in the living! It was less than half complete and due in the morning. And he needed to cut tiny bits from glossy magazines. I had to dig through piles of crap to find one. It was a fitness magazine I bought when he was 2 and I still believed I would wear my red jeans again. I never read it. The red jeans are only a bittersweet memory. By the time he was done, my living room looked like this…

…and no one had the desire to touch it before bed!

Then there was the time he accidentally deleted 3 weeks worth of research and didn’t realize he was at fault…4 days before the massive project was due….

http://www.gifer.com

Or the hours researching earthquakes in Japan and New Zealand. Or the hours practicing music from Annie.

Little Guy rounded out the year by disappearing on the second last day. After nearly an hour and a half of frantically driving between the school and home, leaving messages on the machine, praying fervently, talking to teachers and finally calling the police, he saunters in. He inexplicably went home with some kid to record their dance homework.

What kind of teacher assigns homework on the second last day of school?

While I hate to see the years flying by, yesterday I was cheering from the car. School’s out for the summer! Good riddance, Grade 7. Let the good times roll!

Happy weekend!

 

Summer Bucket List

Tags

family, food, holiday, humour, nature, photography, summer

It’s the final Friday of Summer…

I planned to put together a Summer Bucket List at the beginning of July, but it never went from a mental list to a written list. Until now… Even if I didn’t get to everything on my list, I am choosing to believe there is still time…next month or next year… Who knows? The possibilities are endless!

In no particular order, bolded ones completed:

1. Pick strawberries with Little Guy.
2. Ride with the car windows down and the music blasting.
3. Go on a tree walk.
4. Watch the rain.
5. Sing along with “Good Morning Vietnam” soundtrack.
6. Play games. (Lose and get thrown in the pool)
7. Walk by the river.
8. Do goofy things.
   

   Bonus: Embarrassing Little Guy

9. Tiger tail ice cream.
10. Play mini golf.
11. Go to a movie – not an afternoon matinee.
12. Romantic dinner with Hubby.
13. Ride a roller coaster.
    

    Kiddy Coasters count, right?!

14. Watch the Fireworks.
15. Climb a tree.

16.Watch the sun set.
17. Shopping with Mom.
18.Photograph a farmer in the field.
19. Read a book by the pool.

21.Go to the library.
22. Stop and smell the flowers.
23. Hang Little Guy’s artwork.

24. Capture a rainbow.
24. Eat a Beaver tail!

Killaloe Sunrise: sugar, cinnamon & lemon. Yum!

25. Buy a bikini. (wear it in public…)
26. Game of Thrones Season 5 marathon with family.
27. Eat on a patio.

Is it just me or are these nachos talking?

28. Buy a new bra.
29. Eat a treat from the local bakery.

Tasted even better than they looked!

30. Go on a hike…explore!
31. Travel someplace new.
32. Enjoy a slushie a hot day!

Cream Soda

33. Chase a butterfly. Or 2.
34. Feed the ducks.
35. Marshmallows over a campfire.
36. “Coffee” with girlsfriends.
37. Try something new.

I am liking THIS!

38. DQ Blizzard on the final long weekend. (I can check this off in a couple of hours!)
39.Spend as much time with family as possible!
Hug them. Kiss them. Laugh often. Love much.

“Summers had a logic all their own and they always brought something out in me. Summer was supposed to be about freedom and youth and no school and possibilities and adventure and exploration. Summer was a book of hope. That’s why I loved and hated summers. Because they made me want to believe.”
―Benjamin Alire Sáenz, Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe

Happy Weekend!

Weekly Photo Challenge: Weight(less)

Tags

DP Challenge, Photo Challenge, photography, summer, Weekly Photo Challenge

Winter has finally arrived…heavy snow, grey sky and freezing temperatures. Heavy fortification is needed just to leave the house! I can’t wait for the lazy days of summer!

 

 

“One must maintain a little bit of summer even in the middle of winter.”
– Henry David Thoreau

To see more weight(less) photos, click here.