Decorating Your House For Fall

Greetings!

� Aidaricci | Dreamstime.com

Summer is now gone, and the leaves are beginning to turn from a bright green to the beautiful browns, reds, and golds. I love fall. I have said it before. It is my absolute favorite season of the year.

How do you decorate during this time of the year? My friend Nancy always has the most beautiful front porch display that she puts together for a little bit of nothing.

You can also read some of my past blog posts about decorating. In fact, HERE is a post about low-budget decor tips.

Don't forget about the September Digest which has TONS of great frugal decorating tips!

This week's newsletter is all about decorating our homes for the fall season. My favorite challenge to myself is just to see how decorative I can be on our very tight budget.

How about you? I would love to showcase your decorating ideas next week on the blog. If you have already decorated for the fall, snap some photos and send them in and I will include them on the blog!

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Congratulations to our winner of the E-Book, Have A Killer Garage Sale and Live To Tell About It is Jen at Home. Our next contest will be coming up real soon! Be sure and keep an eye out for it.

Starting this week, I will be adding two new posts during the week. On Tuesday, I will be posting coupon links and then on Thursday, I will be posting about giveaways that are going on that I find interesting. Both of these will be similar to Freebie Friday so you will want to make sure and check these two new posts out!

On the Blog Last Week

We had some great posts that I do not want you to miss out on! Here is the recap of what all we talked about last week.

I love the Tightwad Gazette. It is my favorite homemaking reference book. On Tuesday, I shared some pickling ideas, car freshener ideas, and a very frugal gift idea.
It's that time of year again for pumpkins! I made gluten-free pumpkin muffins and I shared the recipe with you!
The Old Schoolhouse has a wonderful and free holiday digital supplement magazine that they are giving away. You can read all the details about it in this post.
My friend Lisa stopped by to offer some more canning tips for this year's garden bounty.
Marmee Dear has a great sale going on. Be sure and read this post to find out all the details.
Have you winterized your home yet? If not, I have some great tips that I found that I posted on the blog.
We are looking for recipes for our newest cookbook in the works! If you have a slowcooker recipe, then be sure and read how you can submit yours for consideration!
Freebies and lots of them in this post, so make sure and check them out!
The Nifty Thrifty Homemaker is our website spotlight. She has lots of great tips about decorating frugally for the fall.
I did a post on some different lunch ideas that readers wrote in and shared. Lots of great tips and ideas, so be sure and read this one.

Featured Website

Photo courtesy of Blissfully Domestic

While looking for some really neat sites to put in this newsletter about decorating for the fall, I came across this website full of frugal help for those of us who are trying our hardest to live a more simple and uncomplicated lifestyle.

Blisfully Domestic is just such a place. In fact, she has a whole article on decorating for the fall--and doing it very simply and frugally!

Go by and check out the site and all the many helpful tips and resources you can find.

Recipe of the Week

� Kennosuke | Dreamstime.com

I love the tastes, sounds, and smells of autumn, don't you? Last year, my children and I had just come back from a nature walk in which we gathered pine cones, pine needles, acorns, and leaves when my children began begging me for homemade applesauce. I obliged them, but decided to save all those red and green apple peels for something we had not made in a long time: Homemade Potpourri.

This recipe is so simple, you will wonder why you never did it before. You'll likely never pay the exorbitant prices the stores charge for their potpourri either! Make up a batch with your family and enjoy the process and the delightful smells you will add to your home! This also makes a great hostess gift for those upcoming holiday gatherings, or for your neighbors, especially those who cannot have the sweet holiday treats because of diet restrictions.

Autumn Potpourri

1-2 cups apple peels (red and green together make a beautiful mix!)

1-2 cups orange peels (if you have them on hand)

8 cinnamon sticks

8 whole nutmegs

1 cup whole cloves

Cinnamon oil (can be bought at your local craft store)

Outdoor finds (from a nature walk; pine cones, acorns, leaves, bark, etc.)

Gather all of the outdoor items and place into plastic bags and freeze (to eliminate any critters that may have come home with you!). Leave in the freezer for a few days to make sure they are frozen well. Remove from freezer and thaw. Throw out any unwanted specimens. Air-dry the rest on paper towels on a flat surface.

Give your children wooden spoons or a rolling pin and bags filled with the whole spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves). Allow your children to beat the bags until the spices are broken into small pieces, but not pulverized. You want the pieces to be recognizable.

While your children are beating the spices, place your apple and orange peels on paper towels on top of a plate and microwave for five minutes at 50% power to dry them.

Once all of the above are finished, mix everything together in a large bowl with a tight-fitting lid. Cover and leave on your counter for about a week to allow the scents to "marry" each other. Once the week is up, check to see if it needs any more scent. If so, add the cinnamon oil, a few drops at a time, mixing after each addition. Re-seal the container and allow to sit for a few more days (repeat this process until you are satisfied with the smell of the potpourri). Check scent. if you are satisfied, it is time to put the potpourri into pretty bowls around your house to scent your home naturally. Save what you don't use in your home for later or for use as gifts. Enjoy!

Weekly Tutorial

Photo courtesy of Heather Bullard

While browsing the Internet looking for an easy tutorial, I came across this beautiful front door decoration on Heather Bullard's blog that says "I am ready for fall!" With some chicken wire, an old jar, ribbon, and flowers, you too can make this!

In fact, I might just try to make one for my front door.

Be sure and stop by Heather's website and check out some of the other decorations she has made.

Thanks, Heather for sharing!

Idea Center

You would not believe all the help out there for decorating for the fall! Here are a few links I found this past week that I thought you might find interesting as well.

The Nifty Thrifty Homemaker offers some great frugal tips for decorating your home in the fall.
At Kellie's House, she shows you just how you can change your living room from summer to fall with just a few simple items.
Decorating for the fall is great, but also learn a few tricks of the trade on how to save on your electric bill during the fall.
Frugal Hacks share with us how to have a frugal fall.
The Dollar Stretcher has some great tips on how to make the outside of your home ready for the fall, without spending a dime!
All Things Frugal shares 13 easy and inexpensive fall decorating ideas.
This would be an adorable craft to have your kids help you with! Grab some gourds from your local pumpkin patch and put this little guy together!

Molly's Money-Saving Digest
October--What Can We Learn From the Great Depression?

October 2009

You're not afraid of the big bad wolf are you?

During the time of the Great Depression many people closely identified with the story of the Three Little Pigs. Today, many are comparing that time period with the economic downturn of the present day. Regardless of how accurate the comparison is . . .
"This really is a season of opportunity to re-think our resources and re-evaluate our needs, repair what we can, and rejoice in all that we've been given."

This month's Molly's Digest explores the resourcefulness and ingenuity that are still alive and well in 2009. There's a lot packed into this special issue--practical and creative ideas inspired by stories of the Great Depression era, smart money-saving opportunities to try, and a whole lot more . . . Take a glimpse at the many topics you'll explore:

Reduce Your Food Budget Unbelievably With Coupon Basics: Couponing - Part 2--Amy Howard had read reports of moms just like her, with way more mouths to feed, spending as little as $40 or $50 a week! She was determined to learn all she could. How do sales trends and stacking and couponing all come together? Discover how it can work for your family!
Re-purposing to Supplement Your Income: Gain some great tidbits of knowledge as you begin your research journey into not only re-purposing those -items you find at a great price in garage sales, but also reselling them to make a profit from home. There's much to consider and glean from Amy Howard's expert advice.
Save $ by Feeding Your Family on a Budget: Reduce money spent on your grocery bill by putting a little extra effort into learning how to use a budget. Enjoy a week's worth of frugal family favorite menus-easy on both your pocketbook and on your time. Check out these delicious thrifty-minded meals and recipes!
What Can We Learn From the Great Depression? (October's Feature):
What Exactly Was the Great Depression? By taking an elementary look at a complicated subject, you'll learn some basic facts and develop a context for learning from that era. How does the plot of the Three Little Pigs story parallel the experiences of many families in 1933? Find out!
Plus, many more articles that are filled with useful tips and information! This Digest is 40 pages of frugal, money-saving ideas!

Click HERE to view a sample of this item.

Which little piggy are you? Stop the huffing and puffing--put Molly's Money-Saving Digest for October to work for you today for only $4.95! Order NOW!

We Want to Hear From You!

We love to include your stories and ideas in our monthly Molly's Money-Saving Digests. Work has already begun on our December Holiday issue. We would love to hear about your family's special recipes, traditions, gift, and decorating ideas . . . anything you'd like to share with our readers. Remember, if we use your contribution, you'll get that Digest FREE! But we need to hear from you within the next two weeks. Please email me with your ideas.

September's Digest is full of frugal and fabulous decorating ideas from real families. October is our amazing Great Depression issue. There's so much we can learn from families who lived through that difficult era. In November, just in time for the upcoming holidays, we're talking about photography. Even though we can't accept any more submissions for these Digests, we'd still love to share and showcase your input on these subjects on our website or in our weekly newsletters.

We're always looking for "goal-getter" stories, examples of up-cycled or re-purposed objects, and frugal decorating ideas. Send me your story--Remember, if we include your contribution in a Digest, you'll receive that issue FREE.

Until next week!