Combining fresh local organic spinach, raspberries (or strawberries) and feta goat cheese, and topping it with a splash balsamic vinaigrette is my idea of the perfect seasonal summer salad. So easy to make, so tasty and so colourful – this salad is picture perfect!
Suddenly my daughter knows how to swing all by herself. Every day she runs to her swing set, hops on, starts swinging, and happily hums a tune. It wasn’t so long ago that I was gently pushing her in the baby swings at the park and now when she is swinging she asks me to move so she doesn’t accidentally hit me. She’s growing up – one summer swing song at a time. 
Last year we planted two blueberry bushes side by side in our back yard. Within a few short weeks they were filled with blossoms each holding the promise of sweet blueberries, but as quickly as the berries started turning blue they suddenly disappeared. The birds found them first. My daughter and I were so disappointed. This year the same bushes currently have double the blossoms it did last year, only this year there is a friendly life-like owl protecting the promises they hold. 
I have a magnolia tree. It is not indigenous to this area and because of this I was careful to select a location in my garden that would shield it from intense wind and rain, and in the winter I burlap it profusely in an effort to protect it. It is now five years old and growing well.
This year there were well over thirty magnolia blooms on the tree. Every morning I peeked out my window to see if the blooms had opened and every day for the past couple of weeks they were open a little more… and then on Wednesday evening we had a hail storm. One by one the petals of the half opened blooms fell to the ground. Magnolia massacre. When the storm was done I examined the damage and was surprised by how well the magnolia blooms held up to the hail and today I was able to admire and take pictures of the blooms as they finally started to open. My steel magnolias survived and they are gorgeous!
Our Australian Shepherd is getting bigger by the day. She’s generally a good dog, but loves people to the point that she wants to jump into every one’s arms and give big sloppy kisses, regardless of who they are and if they like dogs or not. We are working on that.
My daughter loves the dog just as much, if not more. Proof of this is that she welcomes the dog into her outdoor playhouse on a daily basis, and not just any one or any animal is permitted inside – it’s by invitation only. And that makes this doggy in the window priceless.
My husband didn’t want to get a crab apple tree. He grew up with a large tree in his yard and only remembers his father begrudgingly raking up the fallen crab apples every summer.
I insisted we get one because not only do I love their gorgeous spring blossoms, but I look forward to making crab apple jelly. Seeing these flowers bloom mark the beginning of what I hope to be a fantastic growing season. Hooray for spring!
My daughter and I love our morning granola. We’re working on getting my husband to try it. I have made my own granola in the past, but with healthy eating finally becoming popular I have found a few great brands in my local grocery stores, some of which are even made locally, which guarantees they are fresh!
My favourite way to eat granola is mixed with 3/4 of a cup of Greek Yogurt (the new PC 0% Fat Greek Yogurt with Honey is fantastic!), and a cup of fresh or frozen berries. It’s such an easy and nutritionist start to any day of the week. If you haven’t already tried it , you should (yes husband, I mean you!).
Earlier this week we awoke to a few centimeters of freshly fallen snow. My daughter and the puppy could hardly wait to go outside and play in it. The snow was only on the ground a few hours before the rain started and turned our winter wonderland back into spring. The one thing that did bother my daughter was the fact that the freshly planted pansies in her playhouse’s window boxes looked “sad”. I thought they looked beautiful. The flowers survived the brief spring snowstorm, in fact we all did. 
Much to her father’s chagrin, there are a lot of dandelions growing in our yard. My daughter likes to pick them. All. And gives them to me with such pride I can’t possibly toss all of them over my shoulder when she is not looking. Instead, I found a little vase that I have dedicated to her wild flower pickings. I proudly display the full vase in my kitchen and love seeing her smile every time she enters the room and sees them on display.
Despite being grumpy at the sudden appearance of new puppy in the house, the cat has been pretty good. He even let my daughter put her plastic Easter eggs on him and tolerated her when she encouraged him to roar like a dinosaur. Good kitty. 
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