lifeshowtos

Fall will be here before we know it. Some don’t look forward to Autumn because it usually means the onset of winter will be coming soon. Autumn is so beautiful with the falling leaves. It’s also a fun for children because they can visit the pumpkin patches, jump in the leaves, dress up for Halloween, and drink plenty of yummy hot apple cider!

Without thinking forward to the cold harshness of winter-there are ways to enjoy the fall season while it is here…. Read some of the tips to prolong your Fall season-and try not to linger on winter too long….

• Go pumpkin patch hopping. Find out about all the local pumpkin patches in your area and take a few days to visit them all. Find the perfect pumpkin, take a hayride, and see how many hay mazes you can find your way through. Bring some family and friends-and plenty of cider!

• Rake up the leaves-then jump in em! Take your children out and rake all of the scattered leaves that have fallen to the ground. Put them all in a big pile and jump into them with the kids. Warm up with some hot chocolate or cider afterwards!
• Take pictures of your family or friends by the pretty leaves. Take photos of all of the colorful trees too. Then create a fall scrapbook that you can enjoy for years to come-or make a digital slide show and burn it onto a DVD. Grab the popcorn and enjoy!

• Go hiking at a nearby state park. Pack a picnic, apple cider, your tennis shoes, and go hiking. Feel the brisk air, view all of the color in the woods, and just enjoy the peace of nature. This might be fun with your sweetheart too.

• *How to Visit Turkey Run State Park: http://www.ehow.com/how_4480279_visit-turkey-run-state-park.html

*How to Visit Walnut Point
http://www.ehow.com/how_4488803_visit-walnut-point-oakland-illinois.html

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It’s starting to be that time of year when we are in transition from summer to fall.  Not to mention those with families-we are doing our best to try to buy new school clothes for our children too.  Our children continue to grow, grow, and grow-we wonder if it will ever stop?!? So much money is spent on new school clothes, supplies, lunch items, money for lunch, book rental, club fees, and the list just goes on. Before we know it-our bank account is almost cleared out, and there just isn’t much money left on the budget.   We begin looking through our wardrobe trying to remember when the last time was we bought some new outfits for work-or when we actually dressed up to look nice for our spouses.  We do the closet search looking for an outfit that we might have not worn yet before-of course-everything has been worn.

It’s hard living on a budget, but many of us do it.  We all love our children, so of course, we want what is best for them.  Before we know it-somewhere along the way-we’ve completely forgotten about ourselves. Perhaps there is somewhere that we can get a better take on our old clothes, or maybe –just maybe get a couple of new outfits.

Some ways we can spruce up our current wardrobe is changing around the buttons.  Sometimes minor details make a big difference.

Another thing is to shop at used clothing boutiques.  Some of these shops have great clothing that has gently been worn.  There are even some that still have tags.  Other shops allow us to bring clothing in to sell for cash or store credit as well.

Ebay is another favorite of mine.  I find a brand of clothing that I like.  At the moment, my favorite store is Cato.  So I go to Ebay and type in CATO in the search bar and up comes clothing that is from Cato.  Occasionally, I find a steal on there.

Keep up to date on all of the sales. Hit the clearance racks at Walmart, Cato, Pennys, and any other retail store.  Clothing can be purchased at half of it’s original retail price at times.  Clearance racks have been my way of shopping for new outfits for the last few years.

While we may find it hard to keep up on our own wardrobe, the steps mentioned above can make it possible to get a few new outfits now and then.  And if you are on a really strict budget-following the same rules can apply to your children’s wardrobes as well.

Our days are made up of a lot of stress. Some stress is good though, because it actually helps us live life and learn how to handle those unexpected requests that just might come up throughout the day.

But there are days when we have just had it. We are pulling out our hair, munching nonstop on anything salty, or sweet-and even probably just a bit grumpier than usual. Stress can literally knock us out if we don’t know how to handle it just right.

There are some ways that I handle stress in my life, and perhaps you may find a few of these tips helpful for you-or you might already do them.

WAYS TO HANDLE STRESS:

• Walk it off. If you are at work, try a 5-10 minute power walk during your lunch break. Head to a park or a quiet area where you can gather your thoughts. Just walk, and huff it all off. You just might feel better.

• Write it down. Carry a journal or a small notepad. Anytime you feel angry, sad, or even if something great has happened-write about it! Writing down our inter-most feelings can help us work through any problems or at least give us a space to vent-when we can’t say certain things out-loud.
• LAUGH. It is important to laugh. Watch your favorite sitcom, read a funny joke, or just watch children at play. When you can enjoy life and laugh at the same time-it can be that more precious. Sometimes it is even funny to laugh at ourselves when we do something embarrassing. It makes the situation so much more easier to handle.
• Do your favorite hobby or activity. When we can spend our lives doing things we enjoy such as reading, crafting, sports activities, or collecting something special, it gives our lives more meaning. If we spent our entire lives just getting up to go to work and coming home-life could be miserable. Make sure that you have time to “play” as well as work.

• Note…. Is the economy getting you down? Strict budgets, high gas and food prices, and job loss can do a lot to our stress. Money seems to be one of the most things that people stress about. Check out the following article which can help you learn how to stay cheerful when the economy is doing poorly. Read “How to Stay Cheerful during a Hurting Economy, ” if money woes have gotten the best of you.

For those who would like some life advice, computer help, researching anything on the net, or anything else that may come to mind, feel free to post your questions in the

“ask a question”   page here at this blog.

Fill out the comment where it says leave a reply, and I will do my best to blog about it in the next day or so. I will offer what knowledge I have and then even do some necessary research.

While I may not be an expert, I am pretty good at listening, and enjoy trying to help others. There will be some links to articles that I will post for further research in aiding you towards your answers as well.

So if you have a question, complaint, or just need a listening ear, post your question, and I’ll get down to business in helping you to the best of my ability …

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Okay, so maybe I am exaggerating.  I can’t tell you exactly how to live life, but I hope that I can try to make some concepts of it easier.   This blog will have just a bit of everything.  Some of the things that I plan on to discuss include family life, relationships, budgeting, business tips, computers and Internet, and health.  If you have a suggestion or question-there will be a page here where you can ask your questions, and I will do my best to help or even research the topic.   Think of me as your “Dear Abby,” in a helpful learning kind of way.

• - accept yourself for who you are-and Love yourself for who you are.

• -enjoy each minute-instead of worrying about tomorrow.

• - Don’t let the bills get you down. Eventually-they will get paid. Life isn’t always about money, but we just all try to make it that way.

• -Play with your children. nieces. nephews. cousins….   Spending time with children reminds you of a simpler time.

• -Enjoy food!  Calories?….too much fat? Why enjoy a homemade batch of chocolate chip cookies if you are going to worry about nutrition?! Every now and then–it is okay to indulge.   Once we leave this life–no more food.          Enjoy it while you are here.

• Spend quality time with your family.  No matter how much they may get on your nerves–or we may get on their nerves, we never know when we just might be saying goodbye for the last time. Family reminds  us of who we are.

• SLEEP! and no -not just four hours.  I am talking about good quality sleep and rest time.  8-9 hours worth.  For heaven sake—have a PJ day! PJ days are the best and let you unwind after a stressful week.  Try to have a pj day at least 2-3 days a month.  PJ days are best spent with a close friend or your loved ones.