Fabulous Freebies & Finds - Yankee Candle does it again!

I don't know if you took advantage of this last time I posted it but it is such a GREAT deal! The Yankee Candle Company (http://www.yankeecandle.com/cgi-bin/ycbvp/retail.jsp) has their tarts and votives for $1 again!! When I posted this before, I went to my local Ben Franklin Store (http://www.benfranklinstores.com/) since they have such a big selection of Yankee Candles . They even had some of their Christmas scents in the back that hadn't been put out yet and a sweet lady went to get several votives of my favorite...Christmas Cookies. YUM!! These make wonderful gifts for friends, family and teachers. The promotion price will automatically be applied if you use code #TS910A2 when ordering online. If you would like to shop at your local store and not pay the price for shipping, you can grab the coupon here http://www.yankeecandle.com/yc/html/retail/Email_HTML/webCoupon_TS910A2.html

Harvest blessings to you!

Family Pics September 2009

Where does the time go?? It seems like I have less time every day. Here it is nearly the end of October and I'm just getting our September pictures on our blog.

Last month I caved and let the girls get a pet...make that 2! What was I thinking?? Oh yeah. I was thinking, how much I truly love them and I gave up on our pet-free home. You can only suggest a pet rock and a chia pet so many times before you have to give in. How long do cats live?? Oh yeah...longer than I want to think about. It's a love-hate relationship for me right now. They can be cute one minute and then I can completely lose it over the odor and the cat litter that's on my bathroom floor (among other things)!

Katelynn and I both have September Birthday's that are one day apart. The girls made me a pancake breakfast before church for my Birthday. I was awoken quietly by them to come down for a nice breakfast that they made with dad. Upon entering the kitchen, there was the site of flour all over the island and stool. They said I wouldn't have to do a thing since it's my Birthday. That lasted about 20 minutes. Looking back now, I love the effort and thought that they put into making my day special. They are so sweet!

Sally, our exchange student fits right in with our family. She has such a sweet smile. She loves to help me in the kitchen and is getting used to me taking her picture. Little by little I'm getting more pictures of her. We feel so blessed to have her staying with our family for this school year.

You only live once, make it count.

100 Fun Fall Things To Do (Scroll over words to find fun links!)

Pick Apples
Carve a Pumpkin
Make a Halloween Costume
Throw a Fall Craft Party
Bake Pumpkin Bread or Pumpkin chocolate chip cookies
Decorate your house for fall
Volunteer as a screamer at your local haunted house
Make a gingerbread haunted house with your kiddos
Go on a hayride
Plant mums
Brew cider
Make chili and invite neighbors over to watch football on TV
Build a tent with blankets and sheets, chairs and chip clips
Make playdoh and play with it!
Build a fire and snuggle
Rake leaves for an elderly neighbor
Roast tomatoes and garlic for an awesome homemade sauce
Make handprint canvases and display them
Finger puppets!
Make a recipe book of your tried and true favorites
Call an old friend
Plant bulbs for spring
Fertilize evergreen trees
Create Halloween Silhouettes using black vinyl and your Cricut (or Scary Window Silhouettes here)

Get an early start on handmade Christmas gifts
Create a Spooky Tree
Donate old clothing and give it to a charity
Share a ghost story with kids
Bake soft pretzels
Host an indoor picnic
Have breakfast for dinner
Make a pinecone bird feeder and hang them outside
Make a homemade heating pad on a cold night
Make a collage like this one.

Take a walk and collect leaves.
Wear a poncho
Sign up for Story time at the local library
Swap DVD's with a neighbor and hibernate for a "date night"
Read "How to Eat Fried Worms" with your kids

Learn to crochet, quilt or knit
Embellish a bedspread or quilt
Paint a room
Take a road trip
Take a family photo for Christmas cards
Do some early Christmas shopping
Scrap with your dearest gal pals
Organize a neighborhood bonfire
Make & eat edible eyeballs

Attend your local high school's homecoming game or parade
Bake an apple crisp
Clean your junk drawer
Write your parents a letter by hand, expressing your love and appreciation
Try a new recipe that intimidates you
Learn to can tomatoes
Make loaded apples and share
Write or email your favorite teacher and tell them what they meant to you
Make a fall garland and hang it
Have a favorite photo enlarged on canvas
Learn to make homemade pot holders
Cream of Potato soup. Enough said.
Make white trash and send some to school for a favorite teacher
Volunteer at school for an upcoming project
Make S'more Popsicles

Bake these adorable spider cupcakes
Make homemade toffee and eat it all by yourself
Print off games/puzzles online for bored kids
Buy and wear leg warmers
Make a pom pom scarf
Make these adorable cuff bracelets

Decorate the outside of your house with orange lights and hay bales for fall
Scare someone and LAUGH
Host a trunk or treat at your school as a fundraiser
Spend a whole evening looking at finished scrapbooks
Hang artwork your children created
Take tired fall decor to someone who might appreciate it
Dinner in a pumpkin--totally delish!
Collect pinecones or acorns and display them in a glass dish
Let kids play with sidewalk chalk in the garage on a rainy day
Teach your children to scrapbook and let them create!
Give yourself a spa night in your own tub
Stay in your pajamas all day long--as a family
Bake a lot of mini loaves of bread and freeze some
Learn to play backgammon
Take an online class of some sort
Make Spider Web Balloons

Organize your scrap space
Visit a local recycle center
Make cookies for local firefighters and thank them (police officers, too!)
Give sunflowers to a total stranger
Have a Pumpkin Spice Frappuccino at Starbucks Create a Countdown to Halloween Calendar or banner
Cowgirl Cookies in a jar
Make Halloween Twinkies

Create a chore chart

Research your family tree
Host a pirate party

Host a pig roast or a clam bake
Make favors for a Halloween party

Bake Grandma's Molasses Cookies

P.S. I found this great list on another blog and wanted to share it with you. Enjoy!