GROWING LITTLE THINGS: autumn

Showing posts with label autumn. Show all posts

So long, Summer

September!

I can't believe it's here. This is my last weekend of 'maternity leave' before I head back to work on Tuesday. Scary, and exciting! This month will bring lots of new routines for us all to get used to.

Generally I post an end of month wrap up, but as I was going through my August photos I realized that I have already shared most of the highlights from this month here on the blog, such as our day at the Mennonite Heritage Museum and our week at the cabin. You can see them here and here.

We don't have many plans this weekend...just a few evening get togethers with friends and family and some quality family time. I hear Starbucks is releasing their fall drinks today too...maybe a pumpkin spice latte is just the thing I need to usher in this new season.

Have a great long weekend!

This is November?!

It's +20 C outside. Flowers are still blooming and we can hang out in tee shirts and bare feet. Someone pinch me! Unbelievable, record breaking weather. Love it!

Fall Bucket List

So we are already a few solid weeks into fall, but I wanted to put together a seasonal bucket list anyway. A few of these things I/we have already done this season...it's been an excellent start! After missing out on much of the summer (ahem, newborn baby), I feel that with Maris being three months old we can really get out and back into real life. Here are my favourite things to do this fall:

Take the kids out for walks on warm days so we can all feel the warm sunshine on our faces and walk through the crisp leaves on the ground. Also...the smell of fall.
Drink many hot, spiced teas and coffees.
Craft sale season!
Cheer my husband on in the MB Cyclocross races
Hike + drive with the family to take in the pretty fall colours
Decorate with pumpkins and carve one for Halloween
Buy more Halloween treats, because, let's face it...I ate the first box.
Socks and sweaters again!
Cozy up in bed early with a good book
Go to Vancouver with Maris to visit my sister and her family
Get the hot tub ready to go and USE IT! (not pregnant this fall/winter, yay!)
Oh, and, clean up the yard to make it ready for winter
Most importantly, be THANKFUL for every bit of love and kindness we've received this year

Image 1 // Image 2

Slow Parenting

Yesterday was one of those beautiful, warm fall days. We spent the majority of the day inside where I tended to the feeding and sleeping needs of my kids. We would have missed out on this perfect day had Ari not asked to go on a hike after he woke up from his afternoon nap. It was 5pm already, and I should have been starting supper, but I chose to listen to my kid instead. It was a great idea and an opportunity to spend quality time together. Our dinner plans were easily changed and we enjoyed every last drop of fall colour and warm sunshine. We even stopped to pick out a pumpkin on the way home!

I've been reading a bit about the movement of 'slow parenting', and yesterday's experience felt like a true slow parenting moment. Forgetting about what needs to get done and just being in the moment with your children. Being present and allowing your children to explore the world at their own pace -- that's the ticket to happiness for all.

Fall Bucket List

This week marks the official beginning of fall, although it already feels like the season is upon us with the leaves beginning to turn colour, socks finding their way onto my feet, and my sudden need to begin each day with a hot cup of tea. Here are a few things I want to take the time for during this brief season:

Put out pumpkins and carve them at Halloween
Keep working on my knitting project
Enjoy the hot tub on chilly evenings
Drink pumpkin spiced lattes
Go for walks with Ari after school
Take in some of hubby's weekend bike races
Clean up the gardens and rake the leaves to prepare for winter
Try out some new recipes involving the slow cooker
Have a bonfire
Try to figure out a life/work balance groove
Take a hike in the hills to enjoy the fall colour

This should be a great season! Our days have been beautiful and warm...Ari and I spent our weekend at the park and the beach! Photo taken by me.

Snapshots from Fall

We've had a beautiful fall this year! Ari and I have been out and enjoying the sunshine as much as we can...a perfect reason to get out of the house.

My favourite afternoon activity on nice days is to take a walk down to the local coffee place, get a pumpkin spice or chai tea latte to go, and watch Ari sleep in the stroller while I get some exercise and fresh air. I hope that our winter doesn't hit us too fast so that I can continue this ritual for as long as possible!

Photos taken between 3 and 8 weeks old. (Already!!!)

Make it Monday: Gourd Vases

These simple gourd vases from The Merrythought blog are a fresh idea for adding some elegance to your fall decorating!

See the full instructions here.

Image via The Merrythought blog

Autumn Joy

An autumn bouquet -

Hostas, Autumn Joy, and Veronica

Not ready to let go....

The weather has been so beautiful lately that I am having a hard time cleaning up my gardens.

Most of my plants are still looking fairly decent....I'm even still bringing in fresh flower cuttings! I hate this part of year - ripping out all that work you doted on for so many months. I want to enjoy it for as long as I can and then, when it's freezing cold and the plants are all withered and brown, I won't mind throwing it into the compost pile.

I heart Indian Summer

It's October 8th today and I am still wearing my summer sandals!

Yay for Indian Summer!

Fall hikes are my favourite.

The weather was so beautiful and sunny this past weekend so hubby and I drove out to our nearby hills for an afternoon hike. The trees are juuust beginning to change colour, so it will be exciting to watch the changes become more noticeable over the next weeks. Hopefully the leaves won't drop too quickly....I am not quite ready for winter!

The last leg of our hike went past a perfectly golden wheat field!

In the Garden: Fall Colour

I'm loving the burst of pink fall colour in my front garden right now!

This photo captures my limelight hydrangeas in the foreground -- just beginning to turn pink, and my brilliant pink 'Autumn Joy' sedum with a sea of purple coneflowers in the background. Lovely!

Bringing in some Fall Decor

This weekend finally felt a bit fall-ish for me. I used some of my free time to begin doing a little bit of fall decorating around the house. Out came the "everlasting" pumpkins and the dried flax I got at a farmer's market last year! I also took down my summer wreath on my front door and replaced it with an autumn look. Now to wait for the fresh pumpkin sale carts to begin appearing around town!

Fall Bucket List

It's crazy to think that fall is actually upon us! Even though I will miss those warm summer days there is a part of me that is looking forward to putting on socks and drinking tea.

Here's my list of things to do to make sure I don't miss out on the season:

Go to the St. Norbert Farmer's Market
Pick up and carve pumpkins
Read books, even though I'm back in school
Decorate the front door
Clean up the garden
Go for a hike (or two or more!) in the hills
Host a beer tasting party
Curl up to a bonfire one more time
Drink tea and Pumpkin Spice Lattes
Rake leaves
Knit something cozy
Wear a costume

Photos: 1 / 2

Practically perfect in every way.

The final bucket list activity for fall - wear a costume!

I went to our halloween event as Mary Poppins - which was actually quite easy to put together and super comfortable all evening!

hat, blouse, skirt - Forever 21

flowers, red belt (a Christmas ribbon), carpet bag - thrifted

umbrella, shoes - my own

Halloween.

Halloween has come and gone once again. It always feels like it sneaks up on us!

We managed to squeeze some pumpkin carving in on Tuesday evening. I think they turned out pretty well - my husband's pumpkin is quite the mountain biking masterpiece!

And Kingston donned his favourite tie for the occasion while I handed out candy to trick or treaters...

I have been looking back at my fall bucket list now that it is November...

the only things I have left to do are to picnic on a sunny day - I think that one will have to wait for the summer - and to wear a costume....which will happen this weekend at a Halloween party!

Now it's time to start thinking about my winter/holiday bucket list!

Farmer's Market.

We had the most bee-you-ti-ful fall weekend. I spent Saturday afternoon perusing the Farmer's Market one last time. Here's what I found:

Many seasonable autumn decor items were out! Also many canned goods, crafts and baking.

I wish the beautiful weather would last longer...

Do you collect seeds?

I found this article written by the Get Busy Gardening! blog via Pinterest recently.

I have often collected seeds from plants to save and use - it's a great way to save money!

Sometimes it really works out well and other times they just don't seem to grow.

It's well worth trying if you've got seed heads out in the garden! Why waste them?

Seeds that I collect frequently are coneflowers, cosmos and marigolds.

The article suggests many more flowers you can collect from such as:

sunflowers, snapdragons, zinnias, petunias, morning glory, black eyed susan, hollyhock, and lamb's ear.

Just remember to clearly label which seeds are which!

Another beautiful fall hike.

I've been spoiled the past few Sundays!

Every weekend I find myself hiking another beautiful trail in the hills near our home.

Here's a peak of this past weekend's hike...

The temperatures dipped well below zero late last week, sending the trees into full fall mode.

It won't be long before the leaves are all littering the ground!

An Autumn Hike.

Things are really looking like fall around here. More plants and leaves are changing colour and beginning to cover the ground. Our hike in the hills yesterday proved to show more Autumn colour than just two weeks ago...