Enjoy the Fall!

Be prepared for the first chill by setting your fireplace with logs for a cold evening.  If you don't have a fireplace, light some candles instead. Check out your recipe cards for a favorite hearty stew or casserole and plan to dish that up for your family.  Indulge in a nice bottle of red wine to serve with it. Offer soup for lunch with warm crusty rolls. my favorite is my Minestrone!  

Make a batch of pancake batter when cooking the evening meal, pop it in the fridge for a quick start in the morning.

Set you lamps on a timer to come on as the daylight fades, so your home is welcoming when you get home in the evening.

Rope Lighting

It's the Christmas Countdown!

Let's kick some items off the To Do list early!

So, it's October, not even Halloween, not even Thanksgiving, but domestic divas are ahead of the game.  To make a start with your holiday preparations, consider doing the following:

Start a Gift Ideas list noting sizes, color preferences, brands, favorite activities and any hints you have picked up

Order and purchase your Holiday Cards.

Make a list of your favorite stocking stuffers and keep an eye out for them when shopping.

Make a list of hostess and vendor gifts you need to buy.  Purchase non perishable items.

Write a family newsletter to send out with your card.

Purchase your holiday paper goods, gift wrap, tape and ribbon.

Address and stamp your holiday card envelopes.  Check international mailing deadlines!

That's a great start!  Next time you are in the stores you can smile at the Christmas Displays knowing you've got that handled already!

Halloween Happenings in the Lowcountry

Ghost Tours in downtown Beaufort
1006 Bay Street, Beaufort
October 24through 26th & 30th
6.30 pm every 20 minutes
Take a carriage ride or walking tour through the moss lined streets of Beaufort's historic district while listening to storytellers tell haunting tales of the area shared by residents of Beaufort. You may witness a "vision" or two along the way!

Zombie Mile 5K and 1 mile Run

The Calhoun Street Promenade in Historic Downtown Bluffton, SC

Saturday October 27th

5:00pm

Halloween 5K and 1 mile fun run thru the streets of Historic Bluffton followed by

Post Race Halloween Festival is fun for the entire family with a Costume Contest, Trick or Treating, Kids Play Area, Pumpkin Toss, Story Telling, Food & More. To Benefit American Cancer Society Relay for Life & Bluffton Fins Swim Team.

Trick or Treat TangerStyle

Tanger Outlets 1 & 2

Bluffton, SC

Sunday, October 28

2:00 pm – 4:00 pm

Calling all ghosts, goblins, ghouls, princesses and super-heroes! Join in the Halloween Harvest Festival and Trick-Or-Treat on Sunday, October 28, 2:00pm – 4:00pm. This will be a great afternoon of “frightful fun” games, activities and contests for families, especially children ages 12 and under.

Haunted House at Pineland Station

Oct. 23-27 and Oct. 30.

Doors open at 7pm each night

Firefighters plan to turn into fire “frighters” for the Halloween season as they host a 13-room haunted house on Hilton Head Island. Let them know if you need a PG version of the maze for smaller children.

Spookalicious Saturday Halloween Festivities

The Sandbox Children’s Museum

Saturday, Oct. 27

10am-5pm

Wear your favorite costume and come enjoy holiday festivities and fun exhibits/activities at The Sandbox. Enjoy Halloween themed crafts, programs, and “Trick or Treats!” all day long.

Annual Pumpkin Patch at Shelter Cove Park

Friday, October 26th

4:00 pm – 8:00 pm

The Island Recreation Center is hosting a Pumpkin Patch Friday, October 26th at Shelter Cove Park, features a costume contest, carnival games, pumpkin painting, bouncy houses, a haunted hayride, and a petting zoo.

The Last Big Job For The Fall! Organizing The Garden, Patio and Deck!

We are fortunate here in South Carolina that we don't have to batten down the hatches when the seasons change, (except for hurricanes, that is!) but we do need some moderate cleaning up of our outside living spaces.  For example, our grill was rarely covered during the summer months, now it's time to hose that baby down and cover our BBQ, we will still use it but not as often. Check the condition of your BBQ utensils, are they a little worn? Hint, hint for your Christmas List!


Pool floats and toys need to be put away, and summer accessories stored away to make room for table top fire bowls and seasonal candles.  In fact, anything exposed to the elements should be stored in the dry space, such as the garage or a shed.  This will reduce the amount of cleaning and power washing we will have in the spring.  If you have a sheltered area on your patio you may be able to leave some items outside, and enjoy your garden year round.

Do you feel a chill in the air?

It's officially the fall and my thoughts are turning towards the holidays, wood fires, cozy sweaters, hearty foods and all things autumnal.  It's time to switch out summer accessories for warmer fall themes and colors. 









To maintain a festive yet uncluttered look for your home, store seasonal accessories in clear plastic totes.  Gather your summer items and place them on a kitchen counter or table. Decorate your home with your fall accessories, switching out candles, cushions, throws, table accents and wreaths for fall colored/inspired items.  Wrap and pack your summer accessories in to your now empty tote and store it away.
 
Later this month add your Halloween Decorations!

Use dried peas, lentils, corn and nuts!

Did you Miss Me?

Polar Care Ice Therapy

I missed a few posts over the last few weeks due to having shoulder surgery on my right shoulder, my writing arm!  Being unable to type and on medication, it's just as well that I took a break!  At some point I will post an AMA on Rotor Cuff Repair Surgery, what to expect, and what the recovery is like.  For now, I'm am still on that path.  Some advice I will pass on now is the Polar Care Cube will help.

Pub Crawl for a Great Cause

As a volunteer with Hospice Care of America, I have already registered to walk on October 25th in the Beaufort County Walk to END Alzheimer's.

TONIGHT, we kick start our fund raising efforts with a Pub Crawl -
PAINT THE PROMENADE PURPLE, in Bluffton, South Carolina.  I am so excited to be a part of this wonderful event. Come out and join us!