Fall is here... finally

It's fall according to the calendar but someone hasn't gotten that memo to the weather.

I miss experiencing the changing of the seasons. There is no change of seasons living in Las Vegas, just hot and dry or colder and windy. It has me looking back fondly on the years we lived in Tennessee. I spent hours raking the leaves to the curb for collection by the city that's turned into mulching. Raking was a mindless and repetitive chore, but I loved every second of it. I loved watching as my scenery changed daily, breathing the crisp fresh air, and watching the squirrels hurriedly store their nuts. With all the enjoyment I got out of raking there still was no leaping with wild abandon into piles of leaves for me, the fear of some random creepy creature hidden beneath the crunchy layers restrained me. That very fear of creepy creatures was born from being chased by a snake while mowing the lawn one summer. It was a harmless snake but I still shudder just looking at pictures of snakes.

This will be yet another year when my kids will have to omit portions of their full Halloween costumes due to the oppressive heat. I remember growing up in Utah and having to plan our costumes around whether we could fit our winter coat under it or not. You were no longer just a fairy princess but a fairy princess with a glandular disorder. I recall longing to wear the costume without the extra multiple layers for warmth. Looks like I got my wish, in my usual over active overachiever style. Which is really better though, being so hot that you can't wear the adorable full body zip up fuzzy costumes or so cold that you need mittens or risk your first fall cold? Just another instance of the grass being greener.

One thing I am very grateful for this year is that there will be a VERY long weekend around Halloween for both my kids and husband. We may have to tolerate the ridiculous heat 9 months out of the year but at least we get October 30th off from school and work all thanks to Nevada Day. This year the kids will get a long 5 day weekend to recover from their Halloween antics. It wont be a break for me because I will be the one sleeping with one eye open to guard the candy stash. If left unguarded they will slowly sneak off with it into their own secret stash that ends up being the cause of their sudden lack of appetite before dinner is even cooked or cause of their complaints about tummy aches. Let's hope our 4-year-old learned a lesson about sneaking too much candy after she experienced chocolate puke episodes. I doubt she did learn anything from it, which is why I get to become the candy warden.

Even with the craziness of Halloween, candy thieves, bake sales, fall festivals, catalog fundraisers. (does my 5th grader really need to sell Tupperware?) Autumn is still my favorite season. With the start of fall comes my favorite scent filling the stores, apples and cinnamon. These scents combined sends me into a baker's frenzy. Just one whiff and I want to bake cinnamon rolls, pies, turnovers, crumbles, baked apples and so much more. I could go on for hours about the baked goods that dance through my head with the slightest hint of these smells.

If you enjoy the cinnamon scent as much as I do you should try this simple way to fill your house with its wonderful aroma. With the cooler weather comes the use of home heating that in turn dries out the air, which can lead to many problems including dry skin, sinus problems, and much more. This simple air-freshener restores the humidity to the air while making your home smell wonderful.

Simmering Potpourri

Just add a tablespoon or more of ground cinnamon in a pan of simmering water and keep adding water as it boils away. Or use a small crock pot with the lid off.

Make sure not to let the mixture run dry.

Some variations include: 1 cup of apple cider or orange juice added to the water, and ground cloves instead of or in addition to the ground cinnamon and even adding a sliced apple.