4 Wonder-FALL Things To Enjoy With Family This Autumn

Visit Local Farms

I might live in the city now, but I'll always be a country girl at heart.  Last year, we finally ventured out and explored one of the local farms here in the Queen City.  Let me tell you, if you haven't visited one of the local or nearby farms in your area during the fall, you should.  There's so much to do like visiting the pumpkin patch, picking apples fresh from the orchard and Moo's favorite, getting to feed and see the animals!

There are activities for children of all ages.  With Halloween coming up, many farms even have corn and hay mazes.  This is one family activity that everyone needs to add their fall bucket lists.  Visiting a local farm will be both fun and educational!  Kids will get to see where the ingredients for their favorite fall foods (like soup) come from while having space to run around.

Get Crafty

Fall is such a beautiful season with the leaves changing colors.  Why not bring some of that beauty indoors with fall crafts like making wreaths, paper mache pumpkins, handprint turkeys and more.  Moo and JJ absolutely crafting on the weekends.  Recently we went on a nature walk to collect twigs, pine cones and acorns to make a few fall vases and table wreaths.  We all had a blast!  

Remember, the weather will continue to get cooler for many of us and there will be days when going to park isn't feasible.  For those days, a having a great craft planned out will certainly come in handy to help fight off cabin fever and keep the kids entertained. 

Host Family Movie Nights

We don't watch much tv during the spring or summer months. Between trips to the park, the pool and family cookouts, screen time is the last thing on our agenda.  But come autumn, all this changes.  Fall is hands down the best time of year enjoy screen time with the family, especially hosting family movie nights.

In case you didn't know, fall is the official kickoff to the holiday season.  With Halloween, Thanksgiving and even Christmas right around the corner, every weekend there's never a shortage off tv movies (new and old) to watch on your favorite channels.  What could be more homey when it's cold outside than snuggling together as a family in front of the tv with a fresh bowl of buttery (soy butter in our case) popcorn in the warm of your home?

Eat Soup

Did you know that studies have shown family mealtime is one of the best times for parents to bond with their children?  However, in the fall aka Fall Soup Season, mealtime can end up rushed between work, picking the kids up from school, getting homework done, cooking dinner and making sure they get a decent night's sleep.  Why not let Publix and Progresso help you spend less time at the stove and more time bonding around the dinner table?!

Right now you can stock up on family favorites like Traditional Chicken Noodle, Rich & Hearty New England Clam Chowder or Traditional Italian Wedding.  This year we added Rich & Hearty Beef Pot Roast with Country Vegetables and gluten-free Traditional Chicken Rice with Vegetables to the mix as well.  What's meal screams HELLO FALL more than a warm, delicious soup made from quality ingredients?  Progresso soups have no MSG added, no artificial flavors, are low in fat and calories and they offer a variety of gluten-free options for those of us with gluten allergies!

Need more incentive to try out Progresso's Traditional or Rich & Hearty soups?  Well, you can head into your local Publix and enjoy the following deals:

Oct 1st - Oct 7th: Buy One, Get One (BOGO) on all canned varieties of Progresso soup (this is an in-store coupon)

Oct 5th - Oct 18th:  $1 off any 2 cans of all varieties of Progresso soup (this is an in-store coupon, offered at the shelf)

Oct 1st - Oct 30th:  $1 off any 4 cans of all varieties of Progresso soup (Print here)

To make it even easier for you to enjoy Fall Soup Season with Publix and Progresso, I'm hosting a $15 PayPal Cash giveaway!  All you have to do is use the widget below to enter.  This giveaway is open to US residents 18 and older.

Fall Soup Season $15 PayPal Cash Giveaway

What are some of your family's favorite fall activities?

 

What It Do September?

What it do September?  What it do?  I can hardly believe that we're just a mere 22 days out from the first day of Fall!  Summer it's been nice chilaxin' with you, but I'm ready for cooler weather and to be able to light my fireplace.  In a little over 120 days this year will be coming to close.  Where has the time gone?

Regardless, of how much time we have left in 2014, I am committed to making the most of it by knocking out some more goals.  My goals for the month of September are:

1 - Be Extra Active At Moo's School:  After what happened on her first day of school and then the whole #JusticeForAvaLynn bullying incident (Google it), I will be making extra appearances at Moo's school just to make sure that everything is going as it should.  While Moo's first week ended on a high note and she's been talking about school nonstop this entire Labor Day weekend, I still want to see with my own eyes what's going on in her classroom and how her teacher interacts with students.  Also, I'll be putting my bid in for a few leadership roles. 

2 - Be More Active On My Author/Writing Blog:  Did you know I have a second blog?  Well, I do and I have been neglecting it badly.  My goal for this month is to post a few book reviews, author interviews, and teasers for my novel, Forever Branded.  I'm even thinking about hosting a cover reveal this month.  Now, that I have a little bit more down time during the day, I'm going to use that extra time to finish my books as well as really focus and work on building K. Elizabeth the author as a brand.

3 - Get Back On My Couponing Game:  I fell off my couponing wagon and it shows.  I've blown the dust off my couponing notebook (probably need to buy a new one) and I'm ready to start building the stockpile.   Nothing crazy because we do live in an apartment, but just enough that I'm not making multiple trips to the stores every week.  Plus, since we're back house hunting, every penny we can save will go into increasing our down payment fund or towards our fund for miscellaneous expenses.

4 - Blog More Here:  I sucked at blogging here on YUMMommy last month.  There's no other way to put it.  Overall, I haven't been blogging much this entire year.  That's crazy because I have notebooks with posts that I wrote out but never got around to typing and actually publishing on here.  I'm determined to finish this year out on a high note though.

5 - Vlog More:  I didn't complete VEDA/Vlogust due to issues my computer and having a hard time getting my video files to upload to YouTube, but I'm going to be getting a new laptop as well as a desktop soon.  So, be on the lookout for some new vlogs on my channel.  I'd also like to do some Live Google Hangouts.  Maybe, something kind of hot topics style.  I'm also going to be getting active in the BookTube community for my author/wirting channel which I should have up and running pretty soon.

6 - Write My PenPal Twice:  In case you missed it from my Thankful Thursday post the week before last, I have a penpal now!  I love letter writing and can't wait to ship off my first letter.  Then, I'll write her again the end of the month because I will have received her first letter to me and I'm sure it'll have some questions in it.  Anyways, I'm looking forward to bonding with her.

7 - Exercise:  My family came up to visit Saturday and I was so excited when my baby sister noticed that I'd lost weight!  My workouts and watching my eating are paying off.  I'm back to being able to shop for tops in the kids section.  Judge me if you want to, but I could care less.  They make the cutest and most colorful tops for kids for a fraction of the price of the adult version.  Just this past Saturday, I picked up a cute neon pink tank with sequins for $2.50 at Target from the kids' section.  Similar tank in the adults' section was on clearance was $2 more.

8 - Do One DIY/Craft Project:  I already have a craft project in mind and just need to pick up two more supplies and then I'll be ready to get started on my project!  I'm hoping it will come out great.  Either way, I'll be posting it here on the blog most likely the end of next week.

What are you goals for this month?  Hope you had a wonderful Labor Day weekend!

My Favorite Fall TV Shows

One of the things I love about fall besides the cooler weather and awesome color change of the trees, is the return of fall TV shows.  There's nothing quite like TV in the fall.  Reality TV shows seem to reign supreme during the summer, but my preference is scripted TV.  So, here's a look at what I'm watching.

If didn't know, I'm huge fan of DC and Marvel comics.  I'm not going to lie, I didn't give this show a second glance during its first season.  Then, I show it on Netflix one restless night and decided to give it a watch.  This is my new obsession.  I've almost completed watching the entire first season and I'm enjoying this season so far.  If you're into action movies or comic book heroes, this is the show for you!

It's got action, romance and Stephen Amell is not at all bad on the eyes ladies.  He spent a lot time in the first season minus his shirt in a few episodes!

Calling all Sex & the City fans!  If you missed the first season of this show, you definitely don't want to miss out on the second.  It's nice being able to follow the journey of how Carrie Bradshaw became the ultra fabulous adult Carrie Bradshaw that we currently know.  And the fashion is amazing!  I've already seen more than one or two looks from the show that I wish I could have in my closet.

Ian Somerhalder and Paul Wesley.  What more of a reason do you need to watch this show?  Yes, I'm still obsessed with the love triangle that is Elena, Damon and Stefan.  First she was with Stefan.  Then she got turned into a vampire and fell in love with Damon.  You just don't know who she's going to be dating by the end of this season.  So, far I haven't missed an episode and if you're a fan of Twilight and or The Vampire Diaries book series, you'll love the show as well.

If you have an interest for mysteries and crime then Castle is the show for you.  My baby sister got me hooked on this show and I haven't been able to stop watching it.  It's just the right amount of crime but mixed with a lot humor.  There's even some romance.  I've had a blast watching writer Richard Castle tag along with his cop buddies as research for his crime novels.  What's amazing is that Castle is just as good at solving the crimes as the detectives are.

This Vampire Diaries spin-off is awesome, fast paced and action packed.  I figured that Klaus would have his own show because he kind of burnt all of his bridges in Mystic Falls.  This is the shows first season and I can already see it coming back for a second.  

I stumbled across this show channel surfing one Sunday night.  As a Harry Potter fan, I've always enjoyed anything to do with magic.  It's nice to have the fairy tale of being able to use a magic spell to change your life or the lives of others.  However, this show is nothing like Harry Potter.  It's strictly for adults!

There's mystery, secrets, and steamy love scenes as this family of witches work to break the curses that have plagued their family for centuries.

What are you watching on TV this fall?

To Tree or Not To Tree

I know we just finished celebrating Halloween and right now I'm in the thick of planning out our Thanksgiving menu, but earlier today the Mr asked if I wanted to go ahead and get up the tree up tomorrow?  We're are hands down Christmas people.  If you've been reading the blog, then you know that I've been watching Christmas movies since last month.  And now I'm cranking up the Christmas tunes.  

We've already decided that we want to move back into the apartment complex the Mr and I first stayed in, but they won't have any units big enough for us until after Christmas.  And I can wait one more month or so be free of this place.  We might even be able to get an apartment in the exact same building as our old apartment!  Talk about memories.

Back to tree.  Honestly, I haven't put up any fall decorations because after the whole situation with the landlord/property manager and having to get code enforcement involved, I didn't think we were going to be here long.  And truth be told, although we're have to wait on a unit at our old apartment complex, there are still some things on the list from code enforcement that need to be fixed and installed like the window.  So, they have until the end of the month and then fines will start coming in.  Who knows if the city shuts down this property due to lack of repairs, we end up having to move sooner than planned.

But until then, the Mr just thought it would be a good idea to just go ahead and start getting ready for Christmas.  You know, bring some holiday cheer into this place.  And have I to say that I'm actually leaning towards going ahead and putting the tree up.  It would definitely free up some closet space since my top shelf is currently half taken over by Christmas gifts, I've already wrapped.  And with me working on my book, JJ's therapy starting  and the Mr working this might be one of the few weekends with us all at home and free to trim the tree.  

Do you think it's ever too early to put up a Christmas tree?

My Fall Fashion Wishlist

Fall.  It's almost here y'all!  The mornings and evenings have gotten noticeably cooler.  Sunny days aren't so sunny.  And I've seen some trees with leaves that have already started to fade from their vibrant green to soft yellows and vibrant burnt oranges.  I'm feeling a little giddy because I've decided to upgrade my wardrobe.

And so I created a Fall Fashion Wishlist to serve as a style guide while I'm out shopping.  There will be no rocking of the mom uniform this year.  Check out my inspirations below.

Date Night/Fancy Events

1: Womens Gold/mint/pink Aztec Print Long Sleeved Bodycon Tunic Dress   2: Michael Antonio Loveme3 Pump 3: Copper with 18K White Gold Plated Heart Bow Studs

Everyday Wear

4: PaperMoon Women's Off-Shoulder Batwing Top    5: PaperMoon Women's Long Sleeve Pocket Cardigan   6: KUT from the Kloth Women's Diana Skinny Jean   7:Very Volatile Women's Pompous Bootie  8:10k White Gold Diamond Hoop Earrings (1/4 cttw, J Color, I2-I3 Clarity) 9:Swarovski Elements Crystal Heart Pendant Necklace with an 18 Inch Chain Inlcuded. Nickel Free Platinum Plated.

PTA/Business Meetings

10: 9XIS Womens Tailored Boyfriend Blazer  11: Zeagoo Women's Sleeveless Butterfly Print Sheer Chiffon Vest Pink  12: Levi's Skinny Boot Cut Jean  13: Plenty by Tracy Reese Women's Abby Flat  14: HELSA Runway Style Boat Shape Statement Office Satchel



So, what you do think?  Am I off to a great start with my Fall Fashion Wishlist?  And what's on your wishlist?

My Weekend WrapUp

So, my weekend wrap up has moved to Tuesday since I'll be linking up for Mind Right Monday on OK Dani for a while.  Anyways, nothing too interesting to report.  This weekend Fall officially set in.  Friday was warm but that night it got significantly cooler.  Then around 1 AM Saturday morning I got up to get a drink of water and it was raining cats and dogs and still chilly.

The Mr said it rained for a good bit and started back around 7:30 again.  I wouldn't know because the kids and I slept in until after 10 AM!!  That was great because my kids have been notorious for waiting up at the crack of dawn like they're going to work or something.  I guess all that rain really helped to soothe them and keep them in Dreamland.  It did drizzle off and on a little bit.

I decided to dub Saturday as my thorough cleaning day.  We couldn't really go anywhere because the weather was awful.  So, I steam cleaned the couches, mattresses and the floors.  I put up new curtains in the living room and kitchen, washed all the dishes, washed and folded clothes, etc.  I was in full blown cleaning mode.  The Mr helped out by tackling the bathroom.

Sunday we didn't make it to church because we slept in again.  Plus, I had a bit of a scratchy throat and wasn't sure if I was coming down with a cold or what.  JJ also had a bit of a runny nose.  So again we opted to skip going out in the chilly, wet weather.  

However, something wonderful did come about from us staying inside all weekend though.  JJ finally started walking by himself!!  Talk about being a proud mommy.  I was starting to get worried about him not walking on his own but I've been praying on it and God answered my prayers.

Now that he can get around, he's already starting to get into everything.  He's climbing on any and every chair in sight and swiping things off the coffee tables.  I was trying to put clothes in the dryer the other day and as fast I could put them in, he was taking them out and throwing them on the floor.  Hopefully, he'll get the hang of being my laundry helper.  It'll take a little practice.

What was your weekend like?

My Fall Bucket List

Now that fall is officially here, I've been thinking about things that we can do as a family.  Moo's at the age where the memories we make now she'll be able to remember when she's older.  JJ is a toddler this Fall which means that I don't have to be so overly concerned about taking him out like I was last year because he was a baby.  And while my husband's work schedule is still busy, his schedule is a little bit more consistent.  So, here's my bucket list of activities I want us to try to get in before the New Year:

What's on your Fall Bucket List?

Fall Is Here

Today is the first official day of fall and I'm excited.  Summer was great but I'm not at all sad about leaving all that scorching hot weather behind.  I'm happily trading in my shorts and sandals for some lounge pants and comfy wool lined slippers.  I'm also looking forward to Halloween because it will be JJ's first time trick or treating.

I'm thinking that I want him and Moo to have coordinating costumes.  Like they could both be super heroes, scarecrows, etc.  Hoping that Old Navy will have those cute little cloth trick or treat bags like they did last year.  Some of the trees here are already changing colors.  I love it!

The leaves just look so beautiful when they're yellow at the tip but get closer to red the further up you go.  Yes, I'm some what of a nature nerd.  I see the beauty in simple things like that.  I'm looking forward to being able to do the hay rides this year.  Moo is older and will appreciate it and JJ will be sit still as long he can look around and see his surrounds.

And Moo's 3rd birthday is coming up.  I can't believe she's not a little baby anymore.  She'll be starting preschool next year.  While part of me is happy because she'll get to interact more with other kids her age and make friends, I'm also terrified at how she will adjust and then of course there's her allergies.  All in all, I have a feeling that this is going to be a wonderful fall.

What is your family looking forward to this fall?