Monday, September 30, 2013



Do you ever feel like there is a disconnect between the person you are and the person you want to be? Like somehow your actual self and your envisioned self do not line up? Do you ever set goals and promise yourself you’ll adopt new habits, new perspectives and outlooks and overall just do better? Then, do you fail? Do you not do want you wanted to do, what you planned to do, what you promised yourself that ‘from now on’ you would do? Well, I’m there.

Saturday, September 28, 2013


For the fifth and final day of 5 Days of Fall, I’ll be sharing some super simple crafts to do with any children in your life. The web abounds with craft activities to do with children, but I wanted the ones I shared to be really, really easy. The kind that don’t involve spending $50 at Michael’s and buying extra supplies like wire cutters, fabric paint, and foam brushes. Now, don’t get me wrong, those crafts are fun, but I wanted these to be basic.

Supplies Needed

*Computer and Printer (to print a coloring page and leaf letters)
*Markers
*Crayons
*White printer paper
*Leaves from outside
*Children’s paint (optional but recommended)
*Q-tips (optional but recommended)
*Blank canvas (optional)
*Brown construction paper (optional)

Craft Activity #1
Do a simple coloring page and begin a discussion about Fall, Fall colors, what happens in Fall, etc.
You can print this Fall coloring page.

Craft Activity #2
Leaf rubbing. Get a leaf or 2 from outside and place it under your white computer paper with the veiny side of the leaf facing the paper. Using a crayon (on its side) color over the leaf to reveal an outline of the leaf.

Craft Activity #3
Fall leaves are falling down. Take a piece of white paper and draw a tree trunk or use brown construction paper to cut one out. Once the trunk is on the paper, make some branches. Have the child use Q-tips to paint dots/ leaves in Fall colors falling from the tree.

Craft Activity #4
Fall canvas art. Using a blank canvas, give your child a paint brush and allow him/her to create a masterpiece using Fall colors. No canvas? Just use white paper.

Craft Activity #5
Leaf letters. There are many things you can do with these leaf letters. You can create your own by cutting out the outline of a leaf and writing a letter on the leaf. You can create a leaf for each letter of the child’s name or you can use another word like Fall or Autumn. Once you have all the leaf letters, you can hole punch the top of each letter and string together to create garland or bunting effect. You can also leave the letters apart and talk about one letter a day by writing other words your child knows on the back that start with that same letter. For example, if the letter is “C”, you could pronounce the C sound and then write the word cup on the back. These could also be used like flashcards. The possibilities and variations obviously depend on the age of the child. The activities I described are with at least a 1 year old in mind, but of course it’s never too early to talk to a child! Adapt up or down as needed!

Below are leaf letters like those used in the above picture.

Leaf Letters A-B
Leaf Letters C-D
Leaf Letters E-F
Leaf Letters G-H
Leaf Letters I-J
Leaf Letters K-L
Leaf Letters M-N
Leaf Letters O-P
Leaf Letters Q-R
Leaf Letters S-T
Leaf Letters U-V
Leaf Letters W-X
Leaf Letters Y-Z

Thanks for reading!

Feel free to share any Fall crafts you enjoy…for children or adults!

Have a great weekend!


Thursday, September 26, 2013


Hello! I hope at least some of these Fall tips I've shared this week have helped encourage you to be intentional in welcoming in this new season. It won’t last long so enjoy it while you can. Today, I’m sharing fun Fall traditions to do with friends and family.

 

1.      Attend a football game. Be it NFL (you’re lucky if you get to do this), college, or high school, football games can be fun to check out, even if just for a half. The half-time show, be it a special performance, a marching band, and/or flag twirlers should provide entertainment for people of all ages.
 
2.    Enjoy the scenery. So, thinking of Fall always makes me think of the spectacular display of leaves once they’ve changed colors. Absolutely breathtaking. Find a location with lots of foliage and take a drive or walk through this area with the sole purpose to fully take in all the wonders of nature.
 
3.     Find a local Fall activity in your area. Pretty much every city and town does some type of Fall Festival, Harvest Festival, or Fall Fair or carnival. Even if it’s not officially through your city or town, most schools and/or community centers have some type of annual Fall event. Look for one that suits you and your friends and family and make an effort to attend.

4.    Do some treating. Halloween can be controversial and it’s something many people don’t “believe in” or support. So while trick or treating may or may not be your thing, there are many other ways to fellowship and have fun around October 31st. Look for church activities that encourage families to come out or get your costume ready and do some trick or treating, the old school way!

5.     Make hot chocolate or apple cider. I’m not sure what beverages speak of Fall more than these two. Now that your living room is all decorated and clean, make some hot chocolate or apple cider and make it a movie night! Doesn’t that sound fun!?!

Wednesday, September 25, 2013


If you’re like me and haven’t gotten all your Fall décor out, you might enjoy perusing the following links for inspiration! Ready to get some Fall décor out now?! Below are five things you can purchase to Fall-erize your house in a snap!

     1.      Get a Fall wreath.

2.    Put out a Fall-ish rug, doormat, or garden flag.

3.    Get a Fall centerpiece.

4.    Put some Fall pillows on your couch.

5.     Buy a pumpkin or two and place them on your steps or elsewhere in your home.

 I bet TJ Maxx is booming with Fall décor. Check out these links from 2 other great stores for Fall décor.
 

Tuesday, September 24, 2013


Below are five Fall-ish things I hope to try very soon! I’ll report back and share any tips!

      1.      Make an apple recipe…since apples seem to be the fruit of the season.

2.    Try a Fall inspired latte from Starbucks…just because…

3.    Make a hearty soup.

4.    Make a Fall wreath. This ought to be good!

5.     Decorate a pumpkin. This ought to be even better!

What are some things you hope to try for Fall?

Monday, September 23, 2013

Fall has fallen! It officially arrived on Sunday, September 22. Sigh. Where is the time going?

For the next 5 days, I’ll be posting things that I have done, plan to do, or want to do as it relates to Fall and this time of year. I’d love to hear about things you do or will do for Fall, so do share in the comments!

 
 Here are 5 health related things I’ll be doing around the house this week now that Fall is here.

 1.       Stock up on tissue. I’m sure this one seems a bit lame, but it is so very important. Fall... ‘tis the season for unexplained and random runny noses…you know the type…like the type of runny nose that only occurs in the morning or at night before bed. Fall is also the time of year where cold viruses always seem more rampant. Save yourself a roll of toilet tissue and stock up on face tissue now!

 2.    Dust. I dust the main areas of my house once a week, Tuesdays to be exact. But with Fall comes cooler weather and likely more time spent indoors. Below are some areas in my home that could use some extra dusting. I plan to tackle these areas this week.

*  Dust the blinds...like for real, not my usual once over with the swiffer duster.
Dust the vents.
Dust baseboards in all rooms.
*  Dust fake flowers and trees. Am I the only one with these in their house?
Dust the top of the refrigerator. Yikes. Have you looked on top of yours lately?

 3.    Clean the carpet. How often do you have your carpet cleaned? We haven’t done this much at all and I plan to hit the high traffic areas this week.

 4.    Vacuum out the couch and clean pillows. I’m sure most people vacuum out their couch once every other week or so, right? HA Not me! Vacuuming them out this week should be quite interesting! And by clean the pillows, I mean sprinkle with a little baking soda or spray some Lysol on them. How do you clean your couch pillows?

5.     Change the air filters. This is a really simple one to do and like the others, this helps reduce the allergens in your home.

What health related things do you like to do for Fall?

Friday, September 20, 2013

Easy Playdough Gift Idea with Printable Tags




Here is a simple gift idea for children. If interested, follow the steps below!

Step 1:  Make playdough (recipe below).

Step 2:  Let playdough cool and place in clear bag. I got my bags from the Dollar Tree.

Step 3:  Print tags and cut out.

Step 4:  Attach tag to bag with ribbon, string, or tape.

The end!

Playdough Recipe
1 cup flour
1/2 cup salt
1 T vegetable oil (or whatever kind of cooking oil you have)
1 T Cream of Tatar
1 cup water
Food coloring of choice
Spices for scent (I added cinnamon but you can also add an essential oil like peppermint or orange and/or a pack of kool-aid for scent and color)

Combine all ingredients and cook on medium heat stirring constantly. Once it starts sticking together, remove from heat and knead. If it feels too sticky, add more flour.



Monday, September 16, 2013

 

Life Rut:  feeling uninspired and unmotivated by life’s current happenings; feeling stuck and unsure of your next move or any type of forward progression.

There, now that we’ve defined it, let’s look at some ways to get out of this life rut and make some moves!