friday's five ~ finale

Remember this??  I used to make the honest attempt each week to ensure that I had five things every Friday.  Unfortunately I have fallen out of love with this series.  It happens...perhaps it's time to move onto something new.  So today will be the last Friday's five/finding Friday.  In honour of us leaving for our week long beach vacation, I'm dedicating this final post to things to do at the beach!

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1 ~ building sand castles

(okay so mine don't look like this, but we can pretend right?)

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2 ~ enjoy the view

(this is lake Okanagan, where we're going)

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3 ~ have a picnic on the beach

(I'm loving the food in the jar idea...no sand in the sand-wiches)

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4 ~ have a bonfire on the beach

(play some guitar, sing some songs and eat some s'mores)

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5 ~ and finally just relax, relax, relax
(I'm excited for the good company, family fun, and the fact that we have nothing to do)

I've got a couple fantastic ladies guest posting for me next week, so hope you enjoy.

Have a happy relaxing week!

square cookie, round hole

Tuesday was a rainy day.  In my world that means it's a perfect day for playing inside and baking some cookies.  But not just any cookies...square cookies.  How could a square cookie be any different from a round one?  In the husband's opinion they "just taste better".  I make this recipe at least once every couple months.  If it were up to the husband I'd be baking them more often....thankfully the waistline doesn't approve of that.  This recipe sadly is not my own...although I would gladly take credit.  It comes from my husband's mom and he grew up eating and loving them.  I hope that Liam will love them as much as Rob does because they'll continue to be a cookies staple in our house.

Square Cookies

1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened

1/2 cup vegetable shortening

1 cup white sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

2 tsp vanilla

2 cups flour (I've used whole wheat flour before and it was okay)

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup chocolate chips

~ preheat oven to 375 F

~ mix butter and shortening together, add both sugars

~ add eggs and vanilla

~ mix flour, baking soda and salt together then add to butter mixture

~ stir in chocolate chips

~ spread out on a cookie sheet. Easiest way to do this is to wet hands with water and pat batter down all the way to the edges of the pan.

~ bake for 18 to 20 minutes until brown on top (I bake mine 16 minutes in a convection oven so they stay chewy after cooled)

~ cut cookies into squares when they come out of the oven

Enjoy with a glass of milk!

12 months = a year

Wow...I can't believe that my little man is a whole year old.  It seems a little surreal that a year ago the husband and I had just brought home this tiny pink blob.  Some how we managed to keep it together and made it through the first bath, sleep deprivation, feeding every two hours, and everything else that came our way.  Now I feel like an old pro...until of course something new presents itself.  I find that just when I feel like I've got Liam and his "routine" figured out he throws me for a loop.

We've had a very eventful 12th month, many milestones reached and he's learning new things every day.

~ weight: 19.13 lbs. height: 73.5 cm

~ still wearing some 6-9 month clothing, some 12 month and some 12-18 month

~ he's learned to 'high five'

~ started to walk assisted, so funny because he actually wants to run

and his feet get out from under him

~ loves to "read", opens and closes books all day long

~ he adores animals and goes crazy for dogs

(I think we'll have to get one sooner than later)

~ points at birds in the sky and then talks to me about them (making sure I saw them too)

~ Liam has almost figured out how to go from his knees to pull himself up to standing

~ we are finally feeding ourselves

(this was a very drama filled process and many meals involved food throwing and tears ~ his not mine)

~ loves all food and now totally enjoys feeding himself, he doesn't want us to do any of it for him

~ he's sleeping through the night, bedtime at 8ish and sleeps until 8 am

~ I finished breastfeeding this month, so he's fully weaned.  Sort of sad about this, but I took my lead from Liam and he seemed to be done with it.  

~ takes two naps a day, short one in the morning and a long one in the afternoon

~ he's very talkative, especially when he wants to show us something

~ he's learning to share and will give things to Rob or I when he's playing

~ his current favourite toy are his Clemmy soft blocks (a birthday gift from Nanny)

I'm excited for what the second year of his life will bring for all of us.

Happy one year little man!

I love you more and more everyday.

blog randomness

Lame title I know.  But it's appropriate because today's post is exactly that.  Just a bunch of random bloggy thoughts put together this mishmash of a post.

First ~ Lately I've had some blog related things on my mind, namely what to do with this blog and what direction I want to take it.  This morning I stumbled across some blog tips that Mandy from She Breathes Deeply posted yesterday.  It got me thinking about if I wanted to grow my blog readership.  I think what really struck a cord with me was when she wrote that in order to grow readership it "will be a part time job".  I'm not sure if that is the direction I want to take.  My year of maternity leave is up at the end of August and that means that going back to work full time is a looming reality.  Will I have enough time to blog when working all day then come home and spend as much quality time as I can with my two guys?  Perhaps this requires some more figuring out and maybe that decision will have to wait until work starts again.

Second ~ In case you didn't notice...I did some changes to the 'ol blog.  Loved the old header but it was time for something new...that photo was taken a year ago so it was time to update.  I'm diggin' the new look.  And I finally figured out how to create some fancy-ish side buttons for some links.

Third ~ I'm currently loving all the style blogs that I've come across and started following.  This has prompted the inevitable question of including something style/fashion related.  I'm just not sure what or how I want to incorporate it into this blog.  I've been inspired by some really fashionable ladies lately (Kendi Everyday, The Daybook, Sunday Crossbow, Expecting Chic, My Greatest Hits, J's Everyday Fashion, Cupcakes and Cashmere, and honestly many more).  I've also been rediscovering my wardrobe and I feel like I'm finally coming into my own in terms of my "style".  Any thoughts on this?  Advise?  Would people be interested in a weekly/occasional style blurb on Livin' the Dream?

Fourth ~ I have a love of food.  I love to bake it.  Cook it.  Eat and enjoy it.  So I have made a decision to include more "Good Eats" on a regular basis.   Why not share my love of food with the world?

And finally just because it's random and fits me to the T......

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So there is it.  Just putting those random thoughts out to the world.  

Have a happy Tuesday.

it's my party

Honestly I swear this post was started LAST Monday.  Perhaps I should blame it on the fact that there are so many photos, or that the fact that we have been having a wicked summer, or maybe...insert excuse here.  Does anyone else find it hard to blog during the summer?  I'm not sure what it is.  At any rate LAST Sunday we celebrated Liam's first birthday with a party in the park.  It was fantastic!  The hottest day in summer appeared just in time...27 degrees folks.  Sandy Beach park was packed with picnic goers and people heading out to float the elbow river.  Perfect day for a cake, some presents and a bunch of fun people to hang with.  And the best part of having a birthday picnic party in the park (alliteration intended)....very minimal clean up!

Liam's Birthday Cake, made by yours truly!

All in all the birthday boy had a birthday-rific time and fun was had by all.  Not gonna lie...can't wait for next years party (seriously already have ideas).  Happy Monday!

i do...

Four years ago today I married the man I am spending my life with.   I loved him the day I married him (and before too).  But I have to say, I think I love him more now then I ever thought I could when we got married.  He is the apple to my orange.  The ying to my yang.  And I'm pretty sure that he's made me a better person just because he's in my life.  I knew know that this is the person that I will grow old with and one day we'll be celebrating 50 years of marriage.  

Happy Anniversary Husband!!  Love you now, always and forever.

xxxooo

wordless(ish) wednesday: my sunshine

You are my sunshine, my only sunshine

You make me happy when skies are grey

You'll never know dear, how much I love you

Please don't take my sunshine away

~

the greatest outdoor show on earth

That would be the Stampede of course. For those not in the know here the "coles notes" explanation.  Every July our city becomes a centre for all things cowboy related.  We have a rodeo, chuck wagon races, midway, more deep fried food then one possibly needs, hay bales lining the outside of buildings and all the beer drinking necessary to kill your liver.  And it lasts for 10 days!

Usually I avoid the Stampede, having attend many years and killed my liver more times then I can count. But this year we decided to don our western-ish attire and show Liam the Stampedin' ways (minus the excessive beer drinking).  Liam did well for his first Stampede.  He lasted a whole 3 hours before the non-nap cranky mcfussy-pants baby showed up. This was ample time to consume the following: (did I mention all the bad for you food that's available?) deep fried oreos (amazing), corn dog (a Stampede must), deep friend mac'n'cheese (meh), the husband had a root beer, then we each had a our token Stampede beer.  Of course there was some major walking needed to burn all the deep fried-ness off, so we wandered the grounds in search of the human canon ball, the super dogs and farm animals for Liam.  All in all, I would say that Stampede this year was a success and a lot of fun with our farf in tow.

root beer & deep fried mac'n'cheese

mmmmm deep fried oreos