At Home I'm a Maid But at the Beach I'm a Mermaid

Vacation is over and it's back to reality (and laundry) but I have so many sweet memories.  There's just something special about spending time with my family at the beach.  I love the timeless sense of fun and freedom that we get from the the waves and the long stretches of sand.

 

We're sleep deprived and in dire need of some vegetables (what is it about vacation that causes all nutritional concerns to go out the window?) but it was so worth it!

Yay for Autumn!

The arrival of Fall puts me in the mood for crisp apples, baking bread, simmering soup, raking leaves, nature walks and sprucing up the house.  I can't wait to pull out the flannel sheets, boots and cardigans!

Come on in and pull up a chair at the kitchen table and tell me your favorite things about Fall.

The Last of Summer

I'm enjoying the last remnants of summer around my yard.  We've had a cool front and now the mornings are brisk, but not yet cold, and the afternoon sun gently warms my shoulders.  Perfect outdoor weather!

This is my backyard helper who likes to follow at my heels. :)

I just left this spider to go about her business in her web on the porch.  Maybe I've read Charlotte's Web one too many times.

The last warm, ripe tomatoes.

Morning glory on the back fencce.

The last blooms are beginning to fade.

"There comes a time when autumn asks,
'What have you been doing all summer?'" - unknown

Flavor of Fall

Nothing gets me ready for Autumn like the crisp taste of an apple. I've gathered the tempting apple recipes that I've posted in the past to help us make good use of a bountiful harvest.


Crock Pot Apple Butter
Apple Muffins
Fruit Swirl Coffee Cake
Baked Apple Oatmeal
and of course, we can't forget:
Apple Cobbler
I also love to use apples in a homemade potpourri.  Simmer apple and orange peels with a little cinnamon and your kitchen will smell like you've been baking something delicious without turning on the oven.

Apples are so versatile and good in many types of recipes, both sweet and savory. What are your favorite apple dishes?

Let's get Cozy

Relaxing

I always feel so "nesty" in the fall. It's nice to enjoy the cool weather and change things around to match the change in seasons. Here are a few things that I do in the fall to make us feel nice and cozy.

Buy fall scented candles. I'm currently burning one called "cinnamony vanilla" that smells delicious. I also make homemade "potpourri" by simmering orange and apple peels with some cinnamon on a back burner.

Make soup. A big pot of soup is so comforting on a cold day. One of my favorites is curried split pea soup.

Drape some soft throws over your living room furniture. Be sure to take advantage of them at least occasionally by snuggling underneath one with a good book and a hot cup of vanilla caramel coffee while you listen to some old-fashioned music.

Dig out the flannel sheets, warm PJs and fuzzy slippers. At the first hint of a cold night I'm ready for my favorite pair of plaid PJs.

Keep a small tube of your favorite hand lotion on the nightstand. My hands get really dry when the weather turns cooler and I like to have some scented lotion to use right before bedtime. It's always nice to smell good when you get into your bed at night. :)

Bake bread

Polish my few pieces of heirloom silver and set them out to sparkle around the house and kitchen.

Stock the pantry with flour, sugar, yeast and spices to be ready for all the baking coming up over the next few months.

Start listening to Christmas music. Yes, I know it's ridiculously early, I just can't help myself.

Splash in the puddles, jump in the leaves, drink hot chocolate, take an afternoon nap, watch a sappy old movie, and generally enjoy the season with my family.

"The morns are meeker than they were,
The nuts are getting brown;
The berry's cheek is plumper,
The rose is out of town.
The maple wears a gayer scarf,
The field a scarlet gown.
Lest I should be old-fashioned,
I'll put a trinket on."
- Emily Dickinson

Planting Bulbs

Inviting Path
I love fall and one thing I look forward to is planting spring flowering bulbs. Some of my favorites are daffodils, tulips and irises. They are so easy to plant that even amateurs like me can do it. I love going to the store and looking at all the different types of bulbs and thinking about where they would look best. I think they are so pretty under a deciduous tree and they can get plenty of sun before the tree puts on its leaves.

We buy the bulbs fairly early in the fall and then put them in the refrigerator for a month or two before we plant them. I'm sure someone else could explain it better, but from what I remember the bulbs need to have cold temperatures for a certain length of time before they will flower and here in Texas that means the fridge. It does get cold in my part of Texas (we are in zone 7), but not for long periods of time. if you live somewhere colder, get them in the ground before it's frozen.

We also buy bulb fertilizer (the cheap kind at WalMart)and mix some in the hole that we dig for the bulb, but I've heard some people say this is unnecessary...you decide. :) Make sure you plant the bulb right side up. It will say on the package but it's usually with the point up.

I like to plant a lot of bulbs together. There's just something about a mass of tulips in a flower bed or along a path. They look so much better that way to me than in a thin line or in one or two lonely spots.

What are your favorite flowers? Do you like to plant bulbs?

Is It Summer?

I think we skipped Spring and went straight to Summer. It's been so warm here the last few days!

I took the opportunity to open the kitchen windows. I also gave my poor little potted plants a thorough watering and put them outside to get some sun.

I even turned on my ceiling fans today! It feels so good to be in a warm room drinking iced tea with the ceiling fan stirring up the air. A certain little puppy enjoys the ceiling fan too as he sits in "his" spot on the ottoman next to his favorite teenager. :)

At Least It's Cozy Inside

This is the tree in my front yard. It is miserably cold and icy outside. Nice and cozy in the house though. I made cookies, got all my dusting and vacuuming done, and now the tea kettle is boiling so I can relax for a few minutes.

I have to get out in the weather soon to drive carpool and I'm so not looking forward to it. Six kids, three schools and icy roads...not a fun combination. I want to curl up on the couch with a book and my knitting and not leave the house until it warms up.

Christmas Decorations

We've had so much fun decorating our house for Christmas this week. I thought I would share a couple of pictures with you. I love it when the house looks so festive and smells like Christmas cookies and cinnamon potpourri.

Last night we finally had everything finished and spent a quiet evening by the fire in our snuggly PJs watching TV and enjoying the pretty lights on the tree. It was warm and cozy and such a treat. I can't think of anything I would rather be doing on a Thursday evening.

Getting Ready for Christmas

Decorated Christmas Tree
Mike is home today (he had to work Friday) so we are getting all the Christmas decorations down from the attic. He has the ladder out and we'll be on the roof shortly...well, he'll be on the roof and I'll be standing on the ground fretting and praying. :) I don't do heights and it scares me as much to have him on the roof as it does to be up there myself.

The kids will be so excited when they get home!

I'll be scarce around here today because I also have some cleaning and laundry to catch up on. Hope you are all having a wonderful Monday!

Baking Pies

Pecan Pie
We're having our Thanksgiving dinner at my mom's tomorrow and I'm taking my "famous" pecan pie. It's so good! I'll also be making broccoli and rice and cheese grits.

Are you hosting Thanksgiving this year? What are your favorite Thanksgiving foods? I have to admit that I look forward to pecan pie all year. :)