“I love fall best of all,” and quotes like “I am so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers,” the latter being a quote from Anne of Green Gables, permeate this time of year. I love the thought of fall—I love pulling out my cozy sweaters; I love the warm salted caramel hot chocolates, and Chai tea lattes that become readily available this time of year. I love the thought of curling up in front of the fire with a mystery story that has just enough spookiness and suspense to make my spine tingle and make me jump at the climax. Unfortunately though, I live in Pennsylvania. The weather this time of year can be undependable at best and miserable at worst. We have plunged from 80 degree weather down to highs in the low 60s with no balmy 70 degree days to ease us out of one season and into the other. For this reason it is very easy to get grumpy with fall and blame it for the very long winter stretching ahead of us. In fact, it is so easy to get lost in our crankiness with this unpredictable season that we end up not taking advantage of some of the fun things there are to enjoy this time of year.
I should mention that my family is not a big fan of Halloween—Harvest yes, Halloween no. Frankly, I get more than a little disgusted by all the death and macabre things that appear this time of year. For the life of me, I cannot figure out why we celebrate death, not only death but also decay, at this time of year, when at any other time of year we are busy acting like death is something that will never affect us? It boggles my mind!
I have been hearing lots of fall bucket lists, and I couldn’t help but think about some of the things that always sound fun to do this time of year. We may not get to do all these things this year but maybe you can enjoy a few of them for me!
A Corn Maze
Not a scary one but just a nice friendly corn maze that is fun for the whole family. A corn maze is also a good learning experience for kids who don’t learn to use maps like older generations did.
Apple Picking
Many local orchards have apple-picking days. It is a great way to enjoy the fall season. A lot of orchards will even press your apples into cider for you.
Fall Festivals
In the northeastern part of the country, this is the prime season for festivals. There are many crafts shows and festivals that feature local and independent artisans. These festivals not only help the artisans but also help the local economy! Look to see if there are any events in your surrounding counties and check them out!
Have a Campfire
My grandmother always talked about how, at the end of the harvest season, her school would have a campfire and they would roast hotdogs and sing and tell ghost stories as one last hoorah before the cold winter weather set in. While having a campfire may sound like more of a summer thing, fall is the perfect time to grab an old poufy blanket and some marshmallows and head outside to enjoy the weather before it gets too cold.
A Favorite Drink
When I think of cozy and warm, I think about drinking something hot and comforting. How fun would it be to pick a fall drink and perfect the making of it throughout the fall season? Do you like hot chocolate? What about making it from scratch? What about tea—Chai tea? Look in a cookbook or on Pinterest for a fun decadent spin on some of your favorite standby drinks!
Read
To so many of us curling up with a good book and a warm drink sounds like the perfect way to enjoy the season, but do we make time for it? Try to schedule in some reading time just as you would schedule in time to go to the pumpkin patch or any other fall activity.
Pumpkins
Speaking of pumpkins—what about a trip to your local pumpkin patch? Pumpkin patches these days can range from a stand alongside the road selling a few pumpkins to a large activity center with hay rides and all sorts of fall activities. Either way, there is something fun about picking out a pumpkin, bringing it home, carving it, and then roasting the seeds. Try it!
Light the Candles
One of the things I see all the time are candles that aren’t burnt. I see candles that people are “saving” but what are they saving them for? I know I have had many things over the years that I have saved only for them to go bad and then thrown out. If you have a special fall candle or something of that nature, why not pull it out now and use it.
A Train Ride
There is a state park not too far from us that has a train that will take passengers for a short ride. The scenery this time of year is gorgeous and going on a train ride is a fun way to enjoy it. Young kids especially enjoy it! If you don’t have a train near you, what about a boat or ferry? Look for unique ways to experience the beauty of fall!
I hope this will help encourage and give you ideas about how to enjoy the fall season. As always, I would love to hear from you about how you most enjoy this time of year! Connect with me on Instagram @essentiallyemmamarie! And if you know someone who might enjoy this post—please share!
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Please remember that this post contains affiliate links; that means if you click on the link, I will make a small commission at no extra cost to you. It’s a way to support my blog! I will only ever share an affiliate link if I love the product and think that you just might love it too!
Having been in the house cleaning industry for a while now, I’m always surprised by some of the mistakes I see people making in their cleaning. What really surprises me is that it wasn’t oh so long ago that I was making these same mistakes! Luckily, I have learned and improved my cleaning and you can improve yours too! Here’s how:
Cleaning In The Wrong Order
If you are doing a whole-house cleaning, the order in which you clean will affect the outcome of how your home looks when you are done. For instance, I see many people vacuum their floors just to go back through and, for example, clean their kitchen, knocking lots of crumbs on the floor they just vacuumed! Always start high and work your way down. Dust the high areas, moving to lower surfaces, wipe off counters, vacuum and then mop. If your baseboards are dirty, vacuum them, wipe them and then pull out your mop.
Missing Things
If I go into a home, I can usually tell what kind of a housekeeper they are by looking at the bottom of their toilet. Just about everyone will scrub their toilet bowl. A lot of people wipe down the outside of the toilet, but hardly ever do people wipe the very base of the toilet—the flat part that screws onto the floor. Make sure you hit that and you will be doing better than most!
Cleaning With The Wrong Products
Do you pay attention to the back label of your cleaning product that says what its uses are? A lot of people don’t. They think it won’t matter if you use something differently than what’s intended once or twice. Usually that’s right, but not always! Repeated use of an incorrect cleanser will break down the surface it’s being used on and lead to unalterable damage. What are a few of the common ones?
Windex on shower doors—don’t do it! Try distilled vinegar mixed 50/50 with water instead.
Hard cleaners on granite. You need your cleanser to be gentle—and pH neutral. Try sticking with simple dish soap and water!
Polish on surfaces that don’t need it. It is okay to occasionally wax or polish your real wood floors, but surfaces, like a dresser or china cabinet, don’t need to be polished regularly if you are not constantly using them to wear down the polish. Repeated waxing of a seldom-used surface, or using a real wood floor wax on faux wood floors will build up overtime leaving surfaces dull, and sticky in some instances.
Lazy Vacuuming
What is the number one thing people skip when they are vacuuming in a hurry? The edges. Especially on carpet. But the edges are where most of the dirt hangs out! For hard floors, vacuum the entire floor, then take your crevice tool around the edges. For carpet, get all the dirt out of the corners first by using the crevice tool then vacuum the main carpet area.
Skipping Dusting
It may be true that the dust doesn’t really accumulate (all that quickly) but it still will accumulate! This is especially true of furniture near a door that you use frequently and also if you have pets. You can get away with taking a quick pass with a Swiffer duster every other week or even monthly but if you try to stretch it out much longer than that, you are increasing the amount you will have to do later—and remember, if some surfaces get too dirty, they will never come as clean as you want them!
I hope this helps!
Disclaimer: All of these cleaning tips have come from my personal experience and that of the clients whom I serve. While the information here should be applicable and safe in most circumstances if you have any doubts be sure to check with the manufacturer for the product which you are cleaning and always test a cleaning product or procedure in an inconspicuous area first!
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We have been in that stage of life for a while now where there is a lot going on: bridal showers and weddings, baby showers and housewarmings, first birthdays and Christmas parties… Along the way there have been a lot of last minute texts asking who the friend is that has a galvanized bucket for drinks? Do you still have that ice bucket? Was it you who borrowed my big platter serving tray? Along the way I have accumulated a lot of entertaining necessities and while there is still an item or two that would be handy to have, I found myself saying to my friends and my mom that I think I have just about all of the necessities now—just as this phase of life may be winding down!
If you are someone who loves to host, even if it’s not as often as you would like, check out this post to see what could make your life a little easier the next time you host.
Disclosure
Please remember that this post contains affiliate links; that means if you click on the link, I will make a small commission at no extra cost to you. It’s a way to support my blog! I will only ever share an affiliate link if I love the product and think that you just might love it too!
Before You Buy
Before you run out and start buying items at random, pause for a moment and envision how all of these pieces will work together when you host. That bright red serving set might be great at Christmas, but will you also love it in the spring if you host Easter? Wood, white, and metal work well together, but so does pottery if you have accumulated a large array of items of varying colors. A through line, such as everything being made out of pottery, will help your serve ware to look cohesive and bring an extra touch of classiness and elegance the next time you host.
Platters and Trays
My trays and platters are some of my most used pieces. I would aim to have at least one large tray and platter, as well as at least two or three smaller platters. I commonly use my large tray for carrying plates, serveware, and napkins outside if we are eating outside, but that is if it is just the two of us or a small get together around the campfire. On the other hand, if we are having more people over and eating something that requires buns, sloppy joes, ham BBQ, etc., then having a large tray to corral all of the bread comes in very handy! Two to three small platters for cheese and meat on one, a variety of crackers on another, and some fruit or veggies on the third. It is also nice to have a bread basket on hand.
Bowls
You want a wide variety of bowls. I have a very large serving bowl I use all the time. I have another set containing a somewhat large bowl and a smaller bowl for chips and dip, and a few medium bowls for pretzels, other chips, or fresh fruit. I would have at least one very large bowl, two medium bowls, and one small bowl—these are the ones I need most often and see others using when someone else is hosting.
Place Settings
Some people prefer to use disposable serveware if they are having more than eight people over but for our lifestyle we decided to invest in a larger set of real dishes. We started off with eight and then upgraded; we currently have 16 place settings and yes, we really do use all of those dishes! We purchased plain white; it works with everything and can be dressed up or down. Target and Ikea have decent quality and reasonably priced dishes and Ikea has a lot of open stock dishes, meaning you can buy an item at a time if a bowl or plate gets broken.
Serving Utensil
I would have at least three, and one slotted spoon at least among them. If you are someone who hosts a lot and has people contribute potluck style, I would have more like five or six—someone is always forgetting their serving spoon—it’s not just me right?! Also, don’t forget utensils for serving salad!
Pitchers for Drinks
The gallon size mason jar-looking pitchers with spouts on the bottom are nice for large gatherings, but having two liter-size pouring pitchers will work for most home gatherings also.
Dessert Serving Stands
Again, using one of your trays will get you through many instances but you may want a cake stand or a tiered serving stand too.
Paper and Cloth Ware
Growing up we always had paper napkins on hand. Now we always have paper towels on hand, but never napkins! While I generally don’t notice this lapse in housekeeping, there is one time when I do, and that is. of course, when we have company over. The other day while walking through TJ Maxx, I stopped to admire the beautiful paper napkins on display and sighed to myself wishing I had a good reason to buy them—then it hit me. I always want napkins when we have people over! So I bought those napkins and it makes me so happy to pull out these pretty napkins whenever we have guests coming over!
Charcuterie Ready
I know not everyone is a charcuterie board fan but it is one of my life’s goals to try to change that! Having a cheese or two on hand, a meat, and some crackers are things I try to keep as a staple around our house. They are great things to fall back on in a pinch. That being said, it is also nice to have a small array of cheese knives, a spreader, and a cheese slicer on hand.
Mugs
Do you have coffee mugs that you aren’t embarrassed to pull out to serve coffee with dessert? I don’t believe they all have to be matching; in fact I think it’s a great conversation starter when they are all different and have a more collected feel. But make sure you have several to pull out and use—you can always pull them out ahead of time and set them on your large tray so people can admire them!
Accents or the Miscellaneous
These are the little things, the ones that are really nice to have, that someone always needs to borrow for their get-together; if you don’t have these you will find yourself always wanting before your next get-together.
Creamer
Sugar Bowl
Tea Kettle
Pie slicer
Pretty Dish towels to line a bread basket
Ice Bucket
Beverage Tub
So there it is! That is my list of the things I use regularly to entertain, as well as a few things I always find myself wishing I had when it comes to hosting. What do you use most? Is there anything not on this list that you use? I’d love to hear from you; connect with me on FB or Instagram @essentiallyemmamarie.
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Have you decorated for fall yet? It always amazes me the cascade of fall photos I see flooding my social media as soon as the calendar flips from August to September, especially since it’s not like the weather flips at the same time! Regardless, by the middle of September I find that I too am ready to start pulling out my fall stuff and preparing myself for the fact that yes, summer is just about over (according to the calendar) and colder but cozier days are ahead.
Color
One of my favorite things about decorating is the array of colors. I love seeing the different color palettes for each season, as well as how they change from year to year. I tend to be a bit of a traditionalist when it comes to the seasonal color palettes. I like the traditional red and green at Christmas—fall is the only time of year when you will find orange in my house. I am really not the biggest fan of that color!
However, this year I have decided to stay a lot more neutral. Perhaps life seems a bit more chaotic this year but I am wanting calm and simple in my décor so for the first time not a speck of orange will make an appearance. Instead, whites and creams, muted shades of green, and just a touch of amber brown will be in my color palette.
This year some of my favorite fall color palettes are:
· Creams, whites, greens, and navy
· Whites, creams, browns, and burnt orange
· Whites, creams, and deep purples
· Very saturated burnt orange, wine red, and mustard yellow—because it is fall!
Going Simple but Keeping the Details
I’m not going crazy this year creating elaborate vignettes and looking for more surfaces to decorate; instead I’m keeping my vignettes simple (check out my post Vignettes: Tell Me a Story for details on what exactly a vignette is) and adding a few subtle touches such as a dried sprig peeking from under a pumpkin, or just dried wheat rather than a flower arrangement in a vase.
Limited Color Palette
I have talked a lot about color palettes, (see my post about creating a cohesive color palette here, and how to use a color palette here) but this year I am really keeping it simple with just neutrals, and a touch of brown and green. If you are feeling the need to bring cohesion to your decor, or to simplify your decorating, just pick 3 colors, and only use decor if it is in that color family.
Bringing in Nature
Nature never goes out of style and thank heaven for small blessings like that! Take a walk outside and gather some branches, acorns, and pinecones and use them in a vase or an accent bowl in your house. I can get carried away adding different elements and colors to my accent bowl but this year I did reel myself in and stuck with my color palette and am very happy with it.
Lights
Whether it’s real candles, lanterns, fairy lights or cafe lights, a little bit of light added in small doses can go very far in creating a cozy feel.
Creating One or Two Showstoppers
Rather than creating a bunch of different small vignettes, create one or two really nice ones and let the rest go. I really enjoy creating a centerpiece. Our home is fairly open and the table is visible from every living area in our house so a fall centerpiece goes a long way to adding the seasonal element to our home. Check out my post on Fall Centerpiece Ideas for more fall decorating inspiration.
I hope this helps give you some fall decorating inspiration! What are some of your favorite fall decorating ideas this year? I’d love to hear from you! Connect with me on Pinterest and Instagram where im@essentiallyemmamarie. I look forward to hearing from you!
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We are all talking about how much things (namely gas and food) have gone up and how much they are continuing to go up at the present moment. While there may be no end in sight to these increases, and while we may have no control over how much they go up, we have some control over how much food we buy, and there are some things we can do to help mitigate the rising costs of food.
Meal Plan
I don’t know how people live who don’t meal plan! I know they do because my mother doesn’t meal plan and I don’t remember too many instances of going hungry as a child- so it can be done- but a meal plan solves soo many problems! You can read all about my weekly meal planning and food prepping in this post (how I meal prep so I basically only cook once a week) but here are some tips for making a meal plan.
Look In Your Fridge
Do you have a bunch of spinach that’s about to go bad? Maybe it’s time to make a big pot of soup with spinach before it can expire!
Keep a Clean Fridge
I realized the other day (a little too late) that we currently have 3 open jars of pasta sauce in our fridge. The shelf in my fridge where I keep all the open jar items is a tad (wayyy) too cluttered and therefore we can’t see what we have and multiple items get opened leading to higher waste. If you (and me!) keep a tidier fridge then you can see what you have and this kind of waste doesn’t happen!
Freeze
If you come across something in your fridge that’s about to go bad and that you can’t use, please throw it out. Speaking of throwing out, do you find yourself throwing out the same thing week after week? If so then you probably can stop buying it.
Use the Same Protein Multiple Ways
Try repurposing the same protein throughout the week if you will: start with a whole chicken in the crockpot on Monday, chicken stuffed croissants on Tuesday, chicken enchiladas on Wednesday, chicken Caesar salads on Thursday and homemade chicken BBQ Pizza on Friday! Yes you may start to tire of chicken by Friday but you can switch up your protein the next week, and this way you save by 1) using all of the chicken before it goes bad, and 2) only buying one protein, and buying it in bulk so it’s cheaper!
Plan around deals
Every week, stores send out flyers advertising what they have on sale. Do you ever look at these? These are usually the best deals on food you’ll find. Then plan your meals around these items, or simply use it as an opportunity to stock up while things are at a lower price- don’t go crazy buying more than you’ll ever use though!
It can be a pain to go to different stores to get the best price but a lot of times it is worth it; what’s more is many stores will match their competitors’ prices for the same exact item! It has to be the exact same thing so be sure to look at the details before asking one store to honor another store’s pricing. Many of these sales are while supplies last but not all of them. If you go to the store for the advertised item and they are out, try asking and see if you can have a raincheck, meaning the store will honor the advertised pricing when they get the item back in stock, sometimes this works!
Buy in Bulk
Buying in bulk can be a way to go broke saving money, and a way to over buy but if you have staple items that you regularly eat (I’m looking at you ramen noodles!) you can often save money buying things in bulk. I don’t just mean buying at Costco or Sam’s Club, sometimes a store will give you a discount if you buy a whole case of an item, like peanut butter, granola bars, or tortilla’s. Talk to a manager and find out!
Coupons
I’m not a big fan of coupons but they are a very valid way to save- especially if you like name brand items! Once again look over the weekly coupons and take these into account when doing your meal planning.
Shop at the Cheapest store
Nationally, Aldi tends to be the most inexpensive grocery store, followed by Costco, then Walmart. Meanwhile don’t neglect your mom and pop stores and farm markets as they often have great deals and it supports the local economy and often the food from these places tends to be fresher meaning it will last longer, and therefore you will throw out less.
Eat in Season
As mentioned above, eating things that are in season means they will be cheaper and following the seasons in your region is a great way to add variation to your meals. We all get into meal ruts, try browsing your local farmers market to see what item you’ve forgotten about and see how you can incorporate it!
Quit the Junk Food
We know junk food and baked goods aren’t the best for us, but we still end up buying them. Instead try making your own baked goods; if you can’t bring yourself to spend the time making them how important are they to you really?
Buy frozen
It amazes me how much cheaper frozen fruit is than fresh. This goes for some frozen vegetables as well. Many times frozen will work just as well if not better (in a smoothie for example) so try buying frozen if you consume a lot of fresh fruit!
Canned
Same thing goes for canned as frozen- it can be a great way to save, and if you are buying these items for a soup it can be a much more reasonable option!
I know none of these tips are exactly rocket science but it really is all the little things that we can do that add up to big savings!
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Summer is just around the corner! Actually, in Pennsylvania, we are hoping it is right around the corner. It has been a very chilly and rainy spring! Regardless of the weather we have been having, or perhaps because of it, I am in the mood to get flowers, spruce up our outdoor areas, and ready to start enjoying the fresh air—as soon as the weather cooperates!
If it were feasible, I would live outside in the summer! We enjoy having campfires on the weekends and eating dinner on the front porch during the weekdays. There is a lot of life that can be lived outside in the summer but sometimes the outdoor areas need a little refresh, a few tweaks to make certain areas much more livable and enjoyable for dining and hosting outside. Today I thought it would be fun to share some ideas that I’ve seen/heard/done to inspire you to make the most of your outdoor areas this year.
Rooms
Just like you have rooms inside your home, so too can you set up little “rooms” or areas to your outdoor space. You don’t need a huge area to do this. In fact, defining a few spaces can make your outdoor area feel larger than it actually is.
If you have only a small back yard or patio area you should still consider setting up a table and chairs, then angling away from the table you can set up another chair or two to make two separate little seating areas. This little break will make your area feel bigger than having everything grouped together.
Know Your Priorities
If you have a small outdoor area you may have to choose: would you rather have a more comfortable sitting area, or would you like to have a table and chairs that is more conducive to tasks and eating—but a little less friendly when it comes to reading a book.
Make it Cozy
If you have a decent size porch or patio area, think about adding an outdoor rug to your space. Just like inside, a rug is a great way to define a space, and if you have little kids, it is also a great way to give them a little softer place to play. Adding a rug to a sitting area will make it a little cozier, and sliding an outdoor rug under a table and chairs will instantly upscale your space. As an added bonus, if you have a deck or patio that you don’t like or one that is needing repaired or replaced, a rug can help refresh it, making the space a little more comfortable until you are ready to tackle it.
Add Lights
Stringing a few Edison-style lights or café lights outside can make it feel like you are at a cute beach-side bistro. Of course, they are lights which means you’ll have more light outside—perfect for reading at night! You can attach poles to your railings to add height to string the lights between. If you have a patio instead of a railing, you can pour cement into cute pots to secure the poles to give yourself something to string the lights to and from.
Add Plants
Just like inside, adding a few plants to an outdoor space will make it come alive—literally! If you have neighbors that are really close, you can try making a privacy fence with a fast growing vining plant, such as morning glory—fix a few strings from your yard to your porch roof to give the plant something to grow up. This will provide you with some natural shade, a noise barrier and beautiful flowers!
Add What You Need
I see over and over again, in my house and at homes of others, that we avoid buying the little things that would make the biggest difference in our ability to use a space. If you need a little stand on which to set your glass while reading on the outdoor chair, it’s worth buying, making, or getting inventive to find something that fits that bill!
