Tag Archives: fall

Small Travels: The Mountains of North Carolina

Linville Falls, NCLife’s been crazy lately. I’ve had too much work to do and not enough time to do it all. That’s why a couple of weeks ago, we took a much needed break to celebrate the birthday of a good friend. We traveled up to the mountains of my home state, stayed in a hundred-year-old cabin and took in all the colors of fall. Continue reading

The Airstream Diaries: Basking in Fall

Airstream front in the fallFall is my favorite season. To me, nothing is better than frolicking through a field of pumpkins, drinking PSLs to my heart’s content and wrapping up in a cozy sweater. But after my beloved fall is my dreaded winter. Winter in the Airstream isn’t very fun. Winter in the Airstream means cold feet, staying next to the space heater at all times and freezing pipes.

airstream in the fallairstream in the fall lightBefore dreaded winter is upon us, I’m trying to soak up as much fall as I can get. I’ve been happy to brush the pine needles off my steps, crank up the Crockpot and on warm fall days, open up the windows. In the next few weeks we’ll need to winterize our home and pull out the heaters.

Airstream and leavesUntil then, I’m raising my PSL to you, fall. I love ya.

– melanie

101 Free Or Cheap Things To Do This Fall

101 free or cheap things to do this fallYou guys. Fall is almost here. Target has put out their insanely large, insanely cute display of Back to School supplies. I’m trying desperately to stay away from it. I’m also preparing to teach a course this fall. So crazy. Feel free to refer to me as “professor.”

I’m also still on this saving money kick, but it hasn’t been much fun. I’m the kind of person who needs something to look forward to– like a trip! Since a trip is out of my budgetary reach and the summer is almost over (boo!), I created a list of free or cheap things to do this fall. I hope it will keep my spirits up, give me me something to look forward to and maybe even get you inspired and excited for fall?!

  1. Set some fun fall goals
  2. Donate school supplies to a child in need
  3. Volunteer
  4. Donate your gently-used winter coats to someone in need
  5. Enroll in a class at your local community college
  6. Take a hike
  7. Admire the foliage
  8. Sprinkle pumpkin pie spice in your morning coffee
  9. Get up early to admire the sunrise
  10. Learn to knit!
  11. Get an early start on making Holiday gifts
  12. Host a pot-luck Friendsgiving (a Thanksgiving with friends)
  13. Put pumpkin in everything!
  14. Visit a pumpkin patch (or do what my mom did and tell us we are visiting a pumpkin patch, but really just go to the grocery store and play on the pumpkin display)
  15. Go on a hay ride
  16. Visit a corn maze
  17. Carve pumpkins
  18. Don’t forget to roast the seeds!
  19. Rake the leaves
  20. Jump in the leaves!
  21. Winterize your home (or your Airstream!)
  22. Visit the library and check out Autumn-themed books
  23. Bake a pumpkin pie
  24. Share the pie with your neighbor
  25. Camp in your own backyard
  26. Chop wood
  27. Find the perfect walking stick
  28. Build a fire pit
  29. Make hobo packets
  30. Roast marshmallows
  31. Tell ghost stories
  32. Enjoy a pumpkin beer
  33. Go on a bike ride
  34. Go on a fall-themed picnic
  35. Learn to can vegetables
  36. Plant winter veggies
  37. Or plant bulbs for next spring
  38. Do lots of autumn-themed crafts
  39. Donate or sell the summer clothing that you didn’t wear
  40. Pear down your winter wardrobe
  41. Host a clothing swap
  42. Or swap online on Swapdom
  43. Sell your wares at a flea market
  44. Go apple picking
  45. Bob for apples
  46. Make candy apples
  47. Learn to make apple cider or jam
  48. Pop popcorn and drizzle it in caramel
  49. Drink hot apple cider
  50. Drink hot chocolate
  51. Break out your crock-pot
  52. Make pumpkin chili!
  53. Don’t forget the cornbread!
  54. Eat your weight in fall veggies– squash and Brussels sprouts and cabbage, oh my!
  55. Get excited for fall fashion
  56. Break out the flannel
  57. Pull on those wool socks
  58. Don’t worry about bad hair days, just put on a beanie!
  59. If you are a lady, pull on those thick tights (and don’t worry about shaving your legs!)
  60. If you are a dude, grow a beard!
  61. Cuddle up in your oldest sweatshirt
  62. Wrap up in warm blankets
  63. Watch It’s The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown
  64. And A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving
  65. Go to bed earlier
  66. Visit the fair or a fall festival (save money with these tips)
  67. Host a Halloween party
  68. Make your own Halloween costume and challenge yourself to use only stuff you can find around the house
  69. Dress up your pet!
  70. Craft creepy snacks like this Slimer Smoothie
  71. DIY candy
  72. Watch your favorite scary movie with a friend
  73. Read scary stories under the cover with a flashlight
  74. Listen to the Halloween station on Pandora
  75. Make spiced nuts
  76. Slurp on some soup and grill up an old-fashioned grilled cheese sandwich
  77. Make beeswax candles
  78. Discover your local farmer’s market
  79. Slowly sip a cup of hot tea
  80. Pretend that you like candy corn
  81. Discover the real meaning of Thanksgiving
  82. Be more grateful by creating a gratitude journal
  83. Make turkey hands! They’re still fun, even when you’re almost 30!
  84. Simply sit outside and enjoy the cool weather
  85. Join a local foraging group and forage for wild edibles
  86. Make acorn soup
  87. Or mushroom soup from the forage
  88. Make real cranberry sauce and put it on french toast!
  89. Pour maple syrup on everything!
  90. Enjoy the Harvest Moon on September 8th
  91. Invite your friends over and create fall-themed cocktails
  92. Make a pine cone bird feeder and keep those birds fed all winter
  93. Paint your nails an autumn-colored hue
  94. Celebrate Dia de Los Muertos and honor your deceased loved ones
  95. Break out the board games and your favorite jammies
  96. Give your mum some mums!
  97. Attend a high school football game
  98. Join a sports program for adults
  99. Participate in a zombie crawl
  100. Or a Turkey Trot for charity
  101. Take lots of pictures to document your memories!

Are you ready for fall? I’m feeling a little more ready and hopeful after this list.

What are your favorite fall-themed free activities? Let me know in the comments!

love,
melanie

10, 10-Minute Harvest Crafts

Leaf Garland

I haven’t been my usual play-in-the-leaves-I’m-so-happy-it’s-fall-crafty-self this season. My allergies have been out of control this year. I’ve felt as if I’ve had a cold for weeks. I’m loaded up on (prescription) drugs and all I’ve wanted to do is hide out under the covers and binge-watch Downton Abbey. Sorry to be so boring and whiney, but I never thought I’d be so happy for my least favorite season, WINTER.

But it’s against my personal rules to decorate for Christmahanakwanzika before Thanksgiving. Although this year Hanukkah falls on Thanksgiving! I still can’t bring myself to decorate with menorahs or boughs of holly just yet. (If you’re wondering my family traditionally celebrates Christmas, but I like to celebrate all the holidays.)

To try to excite myself for the nearest holiday, Thanksgiving or Harvest day (whatever you celebrate) I mustered up enough energy to make a small fall garland. I also spent hours browsing Pinterest for the best, easy harvest crafts. Because sometimes you’ve only got enough energy for a 10 minute craft and some Pinterest browsing. Am I right?

10. Leaf GarlandFall Garland

My attempt to make the trailer a little more festive. Probably not the brightest idea, since I’m probably allergic to leaf mold, but what can ya do. Anyway to create this easy-peasy craft, I sprayed leaves with clear spray paint, let them dry, then tied them to some twine.

9. Glitter, falling leaves

boxwood-clippings_diy-falling-leaves-garland_2-e1379949094746This 10-minute craft from 6th Street Design School is so elegant and easy. She was a smarty and used fake leaves to create her garland!

8. Pinecone birds

pinecone birdsHow cute are these pinecone birds from World Market? Technically, there’s no DIY instructions for these, but they look super easy to make. Sprinkle a pinecone and a foam ball in glitter. Attach them together, add eyes, a beak and feet. And voila! You’ve got perfect placeholders for Thanksgiving dinner.

7.  Little Mouse

Fall-crafts-how-to-create-pictured-with-leaves-Little-mouseI cannot get over how cute this little mouse is from Kiddie Foodies. I’m dying to make this with my niece.

6. Leaf Paintings

Leaves painting_thumb[1]Another easy one to do with kids. This time found via the blog, Au Pair Link Taranaki. I had painted with potatoes and fish (?!) as a kid, but never with leaves. The results are super pretty and dare I say, frameable?!

5. Fall Leaf Centerpiece

fall centerpiece

This fall leaf centerpiece from HGTV is whimsical and elegant. And again, they don’t use real leaves, do’h!

4. Twig Flower Pots

twig flower pots

Twig flower pots! Why didn’t I think of that? Nini Makes has a great tutorial on how to make them on her blog. I think they’d also be cute on a smaller scale as votive holders.

3. Pinecone Door Hanger

pinecone door hanger

How clever is this pinecone door hanger? Easy and cheap is just my style. You could even change out the colors for different holidays. Click the link above to see the how to on The New Witty’s.

2. Acorn Vase

Acorn-VaseII love how pretty and FREE this crafts is. Eclectically vintage has it going on.

1. Painted Acornspainted acornsAnd last, but certainly not least are these glamorous acorns from Decor to Adore. We’ve got these giant acorns at my work with prickly tops. I’m dying to get out there with the squirrels and do this craft.

What crafts have you been craftin’ lately? Let me know in the comments!

love,
melanie

 

 

 

 

 

Crockpot Pumpkin Chili

pumpkin chiliI told ya’ll I was pumpkining all the things. I should just start driving a pumpkin to work, Cinderella style. My rotund orange friend has conveniently snuck in to all sweet and savory dishes that have come out of the Airstream kitchen lately. I’m sorry, husband. He’s such a good sport about it. I think he deserves a pumpkin cupcake.

But that’s not what we’re here to talk about today. Oh no. Today we’re here to talk about creamy, savory, EASY, pumpkin crockpot chili. It’s chilly and it calls for chili.

pumpkin chiliThis pumpkin chili doesn’t taste like a pumpkin pie or anything creepy, like that. The pumpkin just makes the chili thicker and adds a little somethin’ somethin’ to the taste.

Pumpkin Crockpot Chili
Ingredients

  • 1 1b ground beef
  • 1 cup of canned pumpkin (not the pie filling kind!)
  • 1 can of diced tomatoes with chilies (don’t drain!)
  • 2 diced green peppers
  • 1 can of black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 can of kidney beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 can of pinto beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp onion powder (or a small, real onion, if you have it)
  • 1/2 tsp chili powder (or more depending on your spiciness!)
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 1 tsp crushed red pepper
  • Black pepper to taste

Throw everything in the crock pot. Meat and green peppers on bottom. Stir occasionally. Let it do it’s magic for 6 hours on low. Voila! You’ve got pumpkin crock pot chili. Top with your favorite things: cheese, sour cream and avocado, recommended.

What are your favorite fall recipes? Let me know in the comments!

love,
melanie

25 Ways to Declutter Your Life

On my birth certificate, I’m pretty sure they got my middle name wrong. It’s not actually “Renee” it’s “Organization Queen.” If nothing else, I think I should at least put  “Decluttering Diva” on my resume. After all, I’ve parred down my life to fit in an Airstream and at my last job, I weeded over 6,000 books from our collection. What can I say, it’s a talent.

I’ve compiled some of my best tips and tricks into the handy-list below. Don’t print it out, hoarders. Just refer to it when you need it.

  1. Identify the source: Where is your clutter coming from? Is it paper clutter? Clothing? Knick-nacks? Once you identify the source of your clutter, it’ll be easier to eliminate it.
  2. Unsubscribe to junk mail and e-mail: Mail, snail and email, was a huge source of clutter for me. Unsubscribing to most emails and junk snail mail through Catalog Choice was a huge weight off my shoulders. Now the junk mail never even makes it into my mailbox or inbox.
  3. Do an inventory: It seems silly, but take an inventory of your stuff room by room. This will help you to recognize duplicate items and things that do double-duty. For example, my blender food processes. I don’t really need a blender and a food processor.
  4. Host a yardsale: Once you identify stuff you don’t need, it’s time to actually get rid of it. Getting money from my old stuff was a huge incentive to haul it out of my house. A yardsale is the traditional way to make money from your stuff, but don’t forget about flea markets and selling stuff online too.
  5. Give your stuff away: If money isn’t an incentive to get rid of stuff, well, I don’t know how to help you. Kidding. You can always give your stuff to friends and family or strangers in need. Donating items to thrift stores, like Goodwill, not only feels good, you can also write it off your taxes!
  6. Get rid of two things before you bring one thing into the house: This is a good, on-the-fly way to declutter. Before you bring anything else into the house, get rid of two things. This way, you get your new item, but you also make room for it.
  7. Put it on ice: (Figuratively or Literally!) I heard this tip a long time ago and I always thought it was so clever. Freeze your credit cards in a cup of water, so you don’t make impulse purchases. That way, when they are defrosting, you have time to think about your possible purchase. You could also take this figuratively and just wait 48 hours (or a set amount of time) before making any new purchases.
  8. Enlist the help of an honest friend or family member: Ooo! Ooo! Pick me! It probably isn’t realistic to think that I could come over to each and every one of your houses while you are decluttering. (Although I would love to! and I do offer online coaching.) I’m sure you all have that super honest friend or family member who will help you go through the process.
  9. Set a goal for yourself: Really this is a life tip. You will rarely get things done in life without some sort of end goal in mind. Make your goals S.M.A.R.T. and make your goal something that you really want. I’d also recommend that your goal isn’t more “stuff.” A weekend trip, perhaps?!
  10. Set consequences, too: For some people, goals aren’t enough. And I get that. Cleaning and decluttering is painful! Set S.M.A.R.T. goals and consequences. Make yourself accountable if you don’t meet your goal, or enlist a friend or family member to keep you accountable.
  11. Limit your collections: I love to collect books, vintage hats, and Fiestaware. But my collections took up too much space and were too good of an excuse to spend cash. I weeded down my book collection and sold my vintage hat collection. I couldn’t part with any of my Fiestaware, but limiting my collections to just one type of thing has freed up so much space.
  12. Be realistic: We’ve all got that pair of skinny pants in our closets that we can’t bear to part with. I think I’ve got some skinny jeans and maybe a skinny dress or two. But we all need to get realistic with ourselves. Are we ever going to fit back into them? No. Let’s give them away, ladies and gents. They’re contributing to the clutter and they’re not making us happier.
  13. Be grateful: Whenever I get sad or jealous that I don’t have a larger house (to fit more stuff into!) I make a gratitude list. We all have so much to be grateful for, but it’s easy to forget. Make a gratitude list and I guarantee most of the stuff on there won’t be “stuff.”
  14. Ruthlessly prioritize: I read one time that Sheryl Sandberg, CEO of Facebook, ruthlessly prioritizes and I never forgot that. Ruthlessly prioritizing every aspect of your life can give it new clarity. This especially applies to clutter. Ruthlessly prioritize that mess!
  15. Focus on outcomes: Focus on that end goal. Leave reminders of the goal around your house. Focus on an outcome that is of great importance to you. You want to have a safe, uncluttered house for your kids. You want to travel with the money you make from your old stuff and save money by not buying more “stuff.” (That’s my goal!) Whatever motivates you, focus on it.
  16. Remember the broken window theory: The broken window theory applies to housework too. If one part of your house is a wreck, it bleeds into other parts. The same happens with a clean, organized room. Once you start organizing and decluttering, you won’t want to stop. Trust me.
  17. Do Yoga: (Or whatever relaxes you) Purging your stuff and making a million decisions about it, can be incredibly stressful. We all suffer from decision fatigue, and need to relax our brains. Take your time going through your stuff, if necessary, and relax afterward.
  18. Take a mental health day: Don’t worry, I won’t tell your boss. Sometimes it is totally necessary to take a day off just to get your life together. Take time off to declutter a room and I guarantee, you’ll perform better at work.
  19. Take a walk in the park: Nature is super relaxing and clears the mind. When the purging gets tough, take a walk. Nature has no clutter!
  20. Eat your veggies: No one can declutter on an empty stomach. Eat a healthy, but light meal before you begin this massive endeavor. May I recommend a slimer smoothie? It’ll get that brain (and bowels?!) workin’, promise!
  21. Sleep on it: If you have an item you are unsure about purging, sleep on it. Working with a tired brain just doesn’t work. Go to sleep and come back to the item tomorrow. You’ll have brand new clarity.
  22. But don’t sleep in: Get up early to declutter. Treat it like a job. Because it is. A huge, adult life job. The longer you wait in the day, the harder it is to declutter.
  23. Remind yourself that it’s just “stuff”: At the end of the day, stuff is just stuff. You can’t take it with you. People are more important. Experiences are more important. Having less stuff sets you free to live your wonderful, gorgeous, electric life.
  24. Be kind to yourself: Making the life decision to live with less is incredibly hard. It’s one of the hardest things I’ve ever done, but it’s also one of the most rewarding. Be kind to yourself during this process. Know that it may take time. Love yourself and be gentle when necessary.
  25. Keep it up: One of the hardest parts of purging stuff is not bringing it back into your life. Keep doing an inventory. Evaluate your purchases. Keep a picture of your goal in your wallet. Remember that the most important thing in life isn’t stuff. As one of my idols, Suze Orman says, “People first, then money, then things.”

How do you declutter? Let me know in the comments!

I also offer a Two Week Decluttering email course that will help you declutter and ultimately live a happier life in just two weeks. Click here for details.

P.S. I know “declutter” isn’t technically a word. But it should be. Declutter implies finality. Unclutter implies a temporary state. At least in my mind. What do you think?

love,
melanie

 

 

Try a Green Slimer Smoothie for a Healthier Halloween!

slimerI’ve reached a new level of crazy. I’m blending up smoothies and Photoshopping Slimer into them. If you are not familiar with my green friend, Slimer is a ghost made up of Ectoplasm. He successfully made his debut in the 1984 Ghostbusters film.

But I must give credit where credit is due. George was the one who said my smoothie looked like Slimer. And I must admit, I was totally offended. I don’t want to hear that my food looks like a disgusting, fictional ghost that leaves a trail of boogers behind him wherever he goes. But George was more excited about the smoothie than any grown man should be. And if he is excited to drink veggies, I know a kid would be. 

And, I mean, what a better way to get a kid to eat drink their greens than tell them it is slime?! And it’s pretty much perfect for Halloween, right?! AND IT GETS BETTER… BUT DON’T TELL THE KIDS… it has no refined sugar! WHA-BAM! I’ve lost it.

Slimer Green Smoothie:

Ingredients
1 frozen banana
1/2 cup of pineapple
2 large hand fulls of spinach
1/4 cup of greek yogurt
1/4 cup of almond milk

Put ingredients in your favorite blender and blend that sucker up! Tell your kids husband it is Slimer. He’s going to be super excited. Use it as an excuse to throw a Halloween party.

What do you think? Have I lost my mind or will you be blending along with me?!

love,
melanie

 

Low Sugar Holiday Nuts

Maple, Holiday Nuts

Hello, my name is Melanie and I’m a snacker. I feel like there should be a support group for people like me. If I don’t have a little nosh, I’m completely ravenous during the next meal and I’ll eat everything in sight. Snacks are essential.

But snacks aren’t as easy as they might be for the glutinous. I can’t just grab a granola bar and call it a day. But that’s where nature comes in, nature’s granola bar is nuts! And I eat a lot of ’em. But lately I’ve been wanting a way to spice things up. The old, raw nut routine wasn’t cutting it anymore. I’ve also been on a low sugar kick lately, so I didn’t want to just douse them in cinnamon sugar like most holiday nuts and call it a day. Although, that would probably be delicious. And yes, I’m already talking about the holidays. Don’t act like you haven’t been mentally adding everything in Target to your wish list already. WE ALL DO IT.

Holiday Mixed Nuts

Here’s the recipe for Low Sugar, Holiday Nuts 

1 tbsp coconut oil
1/2 cup raw, unsalted cashews
3/4 cup raw, unsalted pecans
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp cardamom
1 tsp maple syrup
Sea salt

Melt the coconut oil over low heat. I used a cast iron skillet, but you could probably get away with any kind of skillet. I just think cast iron makes everything taste better. Ok, so once you’ve got the coconut oil melted, toss in the cashews and pecans, cinnamon and cardamon. Stir frequently and toast until tan. I always like toasting cashews because they’re light in color and you can tell when they are done. It’s nature’s timer. When everything looks nice and toasty, add the maple syrup, give it a good stir and just a little more toast to caramelize the syrup. Finish with a healthy dose of sea salt.

Confession: I ate this whole plate. Worth it.

love,
melanie