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    The giving season is upon us! During the next few weeks, we will be sucked in to the whirlwind of the holidays. For many, Thanksgiving is completely skipped over and Christmas has taken its place. I urge you this season to slow down and remember why it is that we gather and celebrate in the first place. Take an opportunity this season to be a blessing to others and feel the joy that comes from giving from your heart. 

Here are twenty ways that you can be a blessing to others this season: 

  1. Bake a pumpkin pie & deliver to someone letting them know how you are thankful for them!
  2. Go caroling to the shut-ins!
  3. Invite someone who doesn’t have family to join yours for Thanksgiving dinner!
  4. Write a list of reasons you are thankful for your spouse! 
  5. Hold the door open for someone whose arms are full of packages.
  6. Pay for the persons coffee behind you! They will be thankful for that yummy pumpkin spice latte. 
  7. Remember those that are away from their families serving our country! Send a care package, write a letter, say a prayer, ect..
  8. Buy someone a cold drink! Leave some change in the vending machine.
  9. Make cards for those in the nursing homes. You don’t know how much this will brighten their day!
  10. Leave chalk messages on the sidewalk that says “I’m grateful for you!” Or “Gobble til you wobble!”
  11. Lend a helping hand at your local soup kitchen. 
  12. Donate extra blankets to your furry friends at the shelter! 
  13. Leave a poinsettia on your neighbors porch!
  14. Round up three toys your children no longer play with and give to a child in need.
  15. Ring a bell! Be a local bell ringer for The Salvation Army. You get to greet people with a smile and make a difference at the same time! 
  16. Partner with your church to put together shoe boxes filled with blessings for those in need.
  17. Read the Christmas story to those who will spend the holidays in the hospital.
  18. Help someone take their groceries to their car!
  19. Leave a generous tip on your receipt for your waitress with a note that says “Happy Holidays!”
  20. Leave a note on a random car that says, “Have a blessed day!”

Now that you have a few good ideas to get started– go be a blessing to someone today!

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Prepping Your Home For The Fall

    I can’t believe September is gone and we are already half way through the second week of October. This year has flown by!  The leaves are changing and cover my backyard in a blanket of fiery reds, cheerful oranges, and vibrant yellows! Nothing puts me in the spirit quite like making some seasonal changes around my home. I start pulling out the pumpkins and scarecrows the first week of September. Here is a fun list for you to use when prepping your home this Fall!  

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What are some of your favorite ways to make your home into a cozy Fall retreat? 

Fall Bucket List

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      Today is October 1st and it seems as if I have been waiting since January for this day! That’s because Fall is my most favorite time of year. I love all of the blessings and fun that comes along with this season. The colors, the smells, the pumpkins! There are so many awesome things to do during these months that I look forward to it all year long. Here is my list of must do things this Fall:

Fall Bucket List

  1. Visit a pumpkin patch. 
  2. Visit a farmers market.
  3. Go on a hay ride. 
  4. Go to a football game. 
  5. Drink a cup of hot chocolate outside.
  6. Jump into a big pile of leaves!
  7. Watch Halloween movies. My favorite is Hocus Pocus!
  8. Take pictures of the changing leaves.
  9. Bake! Pies, cakes, cookies! Tis the season.
  10. One word: BONFIRE!
  11. Make smores.. And invite me over for some! 
  12. Spend the day at your local county fair.
  13. Indulge in a caramel apple! And not feel the least bit guilty about it.
  14. Donate to your area food bank. By letting your kids help collect food, it teaches them a valuable lesson, as well as helps many needy families during this season.

What are your favorite Fall traditions? What do you have on your own bucket list for this season?