Happy Fall Ya'll
Woot! Woot! FALL IS OFFICIALLY HERE!!!
This is my absolute FAVORITE time of the year!! Although it's still early for change of leaves, there is no doubt, fall is upon us. The evening air is crisp and the aroma of burning wood wafts about reminding me that one of the most special times of year is here. I used to follow form and wait until October to start putting out my autumn decor; but when we moved to Tennessee I decided that I wasn't going to miss one single second of this spectacular season. Now, I start putting my fall decorations out on the first day of Autumn which fell on the 22nd of September this year!
Each year our family has a little ritual where we go to Petals, a local nursery, and we pick our pumpkins, gourds, corn stalks, orange ribbon, tons of mums, and bales of hay to decorate our property. I have a nice collection of scarecrows and tons of sunflowers and other accessories to decorate with. We decorate the yard and around the house inside and out. I'll take pictures this year and post them for everyone to see. Every time I walk outside or pull up to the house I get that warm fuzzy feeling.
Autumn is one of the best times for family traditions. So many people are focused on what they don't have that they fail to realize all the good things they do have. It may not be possible to take that annual trip to Disney World or a cruise to the Bahama's, but there is plenty you can do! For instance, find a local or even not so local orchard near where you live, load the family in a car or two and head out for a DAYcation! Pack a cooler with sandwiches and sodas and snacks and spend the day enjoying the FREE things around you.
Even if you think this is boring, TRY IT! I used to think it would be sooooo boring to ride around in the car all day looking at leaves. That was, until I did it! Now, it's a MUCH anticipated annual tradition in our family. Take some time to let yourself really dream about what your perfect one day vacation would be and be realistic. You know you can't fly to Italy for a day so focus on the things around you that you CAN do!
One of my fellow police wife friends recently told me that she wanted to make her husbands upcoming days off really special. As a police wife, I could understand her intentions. Our men work five, six, sometime seven or more days under tremendous pressure and stress. When they do it get time off, us ladies try to make it good for them while still keeping them engaged in the family and the things that need to be done around the house.
Most police officers don't make much, this is the downside of public service but a creative police wife, heck, ANY wife can come up with good ideas. My friend told me that she went through the house, all the closets, gathered old kids cloths, etc. and had a one-day yard sale. She raised over $800!! She didn't tell her husband how well she did but instead, she planned a wonderful weekend and used the extra cash to pay some bills, he was surprised and more open to actually letting go for a day. They loaded their kids and in-laws in the car and off they went to the country. They stopped at antique shops and a few roadside stands along the way. She packed a cooler with cheese and crackers, fried chicken strips, chips and drinks. She brought along a mini gas grill and they found a beautiful spot along a stream in the National Park where they grilled hot dogs. She said her husband had the best time and the rest of his time off he was like a different man.
This doesn't only apply to police families. It applies to ALL families. Where there is a will there is a way. Just becuase the economy is sour or you are out of a job doesn't mean you can't make priceless memories with your most prized posession, your family. When things do get better, you'll be able to look back and see how you made the best of a bad situation. This isn't a bad thing for the kids either.
I'll bet all of you can come up with some GREAT cheap or NO COST DAYcation ideas! Send them to me at babyBlu809@aol.com and I'll do a drawing. The winner will get a $25 cash gift in their PayPal account!! I can't wait to hear what you come up with!
This is my absolute FAVORITE time of the year!! Although it's still early for change of leaves, there is no doubt, fall is upon us. The evening air is crisp and the aroma of burning wood wafts about reminding me that one of the most special times of year is here. I used to follow form and wait until October to start putting out my autumn decor; but when we moved to Tennessee I decided that I wasn't going to miss one single second of this spectacular season. Now, I start putting my fall decorations out on the first day of Autumn which fell on the 22nd of September this year!
Each year our family has a little ritual where we go to Petals, a local nursery, and we pick our pumpkins, gourds, corn stalks, orange ribbon, tons of mums, and bales of hay to decorate our property. I have a nice collection of scarecrows and tons of sunflowers and other accessories to decorate with. We decorate the yard and around the house inside and out. I'll take pictures this year and post them for everyone to see. Every time I walk outside or pull up to the house I get that warm fuzzy feeling.
Autumn is one of the best times for family traditions. So many people are focused on what they don't have that they fail to realize all the good things they do have. It may not be possible to take that annual trip to Disney World or a cruise to the Bahama's, but there is plenty you can do! For instance, find a local or even not so local orchard near where you live, load the family in a car or two and head out for a DAYcation! Pack a cooler with sandwiches and sodas and snacks and spend the day enjoying the FREE things around you.
Even if you think this is boring, TRY IT! I used to think it would be sooooo boring to ride around in the car all day looking at leaves. That was, until I did it! Now, it's a MUCH anticipated annual tradition in our family. Take some time to let yourself really dream about what your perfect one day vacation would be and be realistic. You know you can't fly to Italy for a day so focus on the things around you that you CAN do!
One of my fellow police wife friends recently told me that she wanted to make her husbands upcoming days off really special. As a police wife, I could understand her intentions. Our men work five, six, sometime seven or more days under tremendous pressure and stress. When they do it get time off, us ladies try to make it good for them while still keeping them engaged in the family and the things that need to be done around the house.
Most police officers don't make much, this is the downside of public service but a creative police wife, heck, ANY wife can come up with good ideas. My friend told me that she went through the house, all the closets, gathered old kids cloths, etc. and had a one-day yard sale. She raised over $800!! She didn't tell her husband how well she did but instead, she planned a wonderful weekend and used the extra cash to pay some bills, he was surprised and more open to actually letting go for a day. They loaded their kids and in-laws in the car and off they went to the country. They stopped at antique shops and a few roadside stands along the way. She packed a cooler with cheese and crackers, fried chicken strips, chips and drinks. She brought along a mini gas grill and they found a beautiful spot along a stream in the National Park where they grilled hot dogs. She said her husband had the best time and the rest of his time off he was like a different man.
This doesn't only apply to police families. It applies to ALL families. Where there is a will there is a way. Just becuase the economy is sour or you are out of a job doesn't mean you can't make priceless memories with your most prized posession, your family. When things do get better, you'll be able to look back and see how you made the best of a bad situation. This isn't a bad thing for the kids either.
I'll bet all of you can come up with some GREAT cheap or NO COST DAYcation ideas! Send them to me at babyBlu809@aol.com and I'll do a drawing. The winner will get a $25 cash gift in their PayPal account!! I can't wait to hear what you come up with!
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