Are you looking for an inexpensive (frugal) way to decorate your home for fall? This leaf garland is one that will combine a fun outing with your family, and a great craft for all ages!

Leaf Garland
Supplies:
Leaves in a variety of colors
fishing line or ribbon
needle

Gather leaves from a variety of trees in lots of different colors.
String the leaves on the fishing line or ribbon in any order you prefer (all one color, totally random, red, yellow, brown, green, etc). Tie a loop at each end & hang them on the wall!
It is a very inexpensive and very lovely Autumn decoration for your home.

Autumn is my favorite time of year… the air is crisp, the leaves are changing, the nights are cooling off. What better time is there to get out and enjoy God’s creation! Here are a few of our family’s favorite Autumn Activities…

1. Take a Hike
No, I really mean it! Pick a Saturday & head to the hills, desert, beach, whatever is accessible to you and your family. The leaves are changing colors, the animals are storing up for the cold Winter months, bushes & trees that normally hide behind everything else are starting to come out of hiding. Be sure to dress in layers and take along both water and something warm to drink - apple cider or cocoa work great. To make it more interesting, pick out 1 or 2 leaves or animals to look for & see how many your family can find!

2. Rake those Leaves
…and then jump into the pile! This is one of my favorite childhood fall-time activities. My cousin & I used to create boats, mountains, horses… you name it, we built it out of leaves & then destroyed it by jumping into the middle! I introduced our girls to this activity a couple of years ago… now they look forward to it whenever we go to the park!

3. Make a changing leaf garland
Gather some leaves in different colors and string them on some fishing line or ribbon for a beautiful & inexpensive Autumn decoration! It also works well for teaching younger kids about how and why the leaves change color and fall off of the trees.

4. Go to a farm
The crowds have most likely gotten smaller, and the produce is getting ready for harvest. One of our favorite traditions is to go pumpkin picking. The fields of bright orange pumpkins are beautiful to look at, and the girls love the chance to actually “pick” their pumpkin! If there are animals there, let the kids have a chance to pet them or just watch them. Most farms that are open to the public offer ways for kids to take part in feeding or care of the animals too.

5. Attend a Festival
Depending on where you live, the produce will differ. Before kids, my hubby & I went to the Cedaredge Apple Fest every year… yummy apple treats, farmer’s market, and best of all, apples! Now the apples are on the other side of the mountains, so we find other fun festivals to attend. Kids love the excitement, and you get a chance for a change of scenery… and usually some very tasty treats!

These are just a few of our favorite family traditions. I hope they helped get your creative juices flowing to create a few more fun traditions for yours!

Happy Autumn!

Here is a daily list of October Holidays

Monthly Holidays
Cleiac Sprue Awareness Month
Children’s Magazine Month
Church Safety & Security Month
Diversity Awareness Month
Domestic Violence Month
Eat Better, Eat Together Month
German-American Heritage Month
Health Literacy Month
Lupus Awareness Month
Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Click here to fund free mammograms - it’s free!
National Chili Month
National Cookie Month
National Reading Group Month
National Seafood Month
Pastor/Clergy Appreciation Month
Right Brainer’s Rule! Month
Self-Promotion Month
Spinach Lover’s Month
Vegetarian Month
Women’s Small Business Month

wow… October is a popular month!
Here are some daily holidays…

1 - Child Health Day
- World Vegetarian Day
2 - National Custodial Workers Day
3 - Ballons Around The World Day

LAST QUARTER MOON

4 - Natioanl Depression Screening Day
5 - National Storytelling Day
6 - Chowder Day
7 - World Communion Day
8 - COLUMBUS DAY
9 - Leif Erickson Day
10 - Emergency Nurses Day

11 - NEW MOON

12 - World Egg Day
13 - International Skeptics Day - really, it is!
14 - Be Bald & Be Free Day
15 - White Cane Safety Day
16 - National Boss’s Day
- World Food Day
17 - World Menopause Day
18 - Get To Know your Customers Day
- Get Smart About Credit Day
19 - Mommography Day

FIRST QUARTER MOON

20 - Sweetest Day
21 - Sunday School Teacher Appreciation Day
22 - National Color Day
23 - National Mole Day
24 - Lung Health Day

26 - FULL MOON

27 - Cranky Co-Workers Day
28 - Mother-In-Law Day
- National Chocolates Day
29 - Internet Day
30 - National Candy Corn Day
31 - National Knock-Knock Jokes Day
- National UNICEF Day
- Books For Treats Day
- Samhain

These and other wacky holidays can be found at Brownielocks

While some places may still be feeling the heat, it seems that fall is officially taken up residence in the Pacific Northwest - FINALLY!

This was the frosty dandelion that greeted me last week when I returned from taking the girls to school - the delicate seeds were clumped with little ice crystals - it was so beautiful (I know, the pic doesn’t do it justice).

Then there were the apples by the bushel - granny smith, gala, honey crisp, you name them, they are finally HERE. When one can get Honey Crisp apples for 74 CENTS a pound, you buy the box… and make applesauce of course!

Pumpkins will be about soon too… time for pumpkin cookies, pumpkin cake roll, pumpkin pie, pumpkin soup… hey, I warned you that this blog would have food in it!

We will be making banana bread today too - I promised the little one that we would bake today. Might even get to pumpkin cookies… but that might be too much goodness for one day (I still need to work too!).

We turned the fireplace on this morning too - we have gray skies and a chilly breeze to keep the air cooled down and crisp. The cheering that I received for the fire was a bit frightening - they have been wanting to use it since early May when we moved.

In other news, I officially look like a married woman again! I picked up my newly-shined ring yesterday, and I’m terrified that I’m going to lose it! I had them re-size it when they repaired it (only a 1/2 size up) and it feels so loose! It’s slipping & sliding around my finger & all wibbly-wobbly. but the sparkle! I haven’t seen it sparkle like this for 10 years! Even the little ones are sparkly! I will miss the men in stores being so helpful, but I’m so glad to have it back and be able to wear it!

Kid Update!
I’m still waiting to hear what the Dr’s think is going on with M’s lungs - the inhaler was making her worse (tasting blood can’t be good, right?) so they moved to the next test - she had a CT scan yesterday, so we are waiting for the results on that, then possibly off to the allergist, pulmonary specialist, etc. I just want my baby to be well! Oh well, I guess I need to have patience. I don’t have much patience…

The other one is doing better most of the time. Then her sister says something mean & it’s off to throw a tantrum - which brings about the tummy aches. We are trying the NO DAIRY thing, and the good news is that she loves the chocolate almond milk… the bad news is the cost of milk replacements! This could be a problem for pumpkin cookies too (1 lb. of butter anyone?) I really need to find a replacement for butter!

Any thoughts on foods or ways to treat tummy issues or lung issues are appreciated!

Well, it’s off to the sewing maching for me… I have bags to finish!
oh yeah, and bread to bake…

Here is a list of some of the holidays coming up in Septeber - some you’ve heard of, others you may not have…

September
- Library Card Sign-Up Month
- National Campus Safety Month
- National 5-A-Day Month
- National Piano Month
- National Preparedness Month
- United Planet Month
- Update Your Resume Month

3 - Labor Day
4 - Newspaper Carrier Day
5 - Be Late For Something Day
- I should tell my mom - this is also my birthday!
7 - Salami Day
8 - International Literacy Day
9 - Grandparent’s Day
10 - Swap Ideas Day
11 - Partiot Day, Rememberance Day

NEW MOON
- partial eclipse visible in S. America & Antartica

12 - Rosh Hashana
13 - Int’l Chocolate Day
15 - America’s Day For Kids
- Wife Appreciation Day
16 - Women’s Friendship Day
17 - Citizenship Day
- Pledge Across America Day
18 - Air Force Birthday
19 - Talke Like A Pirate Day

FIRST QUARTER MOON

21 - Yom Kippur
22 - National White Chocolate Day
- READ In America Day
23 - Autumn Begins
24 - Family Day
25 - World Maritime Day
26 - National Women’s Health & Fitness Day

FULL MOON - HARVEST MOON

27 - Ancestor Appreciation Day
28 - Love Note Day
29 - VFW Day
30 - Gold Star Mother’s Day

These and other wacky holidays can be found at Brownielocks