I'm Lora, and the posts you will find here are inspired by the people I love and my daily life. I hope you enjoy browsing through my recipes, and reading about my life as a real estate agent, DIY wannabe, and wife of a retired Marine.
Fall is filled with many pleasant scents you can use to make your home cozier, such as pumpkin spice, apple pie, and cider. Try simmering slices of apples and oranges with cinnamon in a pot on the stove, burning fall-scented candles, or decorating your home with bowls of potpourri made with cinnamon sticks, bay leaves, and dehydrated oranges.
On the Stove:
Take a pot and fill it about 3/4 of the way up with water. Then add all ingredients:
2 apples – sliced
1 orange – sliced
3-5 cinnamon sticks
1 t. ground nutmeg
1 t. whole allspice
Bring the pot to a boil on the stove, then simmer for as long as you want! You’ll have to put more water in as it evaporates, and when you do you can throw in a few fresh ingredients as well. I promise your entire home will be smelling like fall in no time.
You can also do this in a crockpot, leave the lid off so the aroma can fill the air.
Soon the days will grow shoter, the leaves will start to change colors, and the temperatures will cool down – all this will mean fall has arrived. Fall is a great time to do some home maintenance projects, here are a few to consider:
Prep Fireplace A good rule of thumb is to have your wood-burning fireplace checked by a professional chimney sweep once a year. A professional can clean the inside of your chimney to remove materials, such as soot and creosote, that are common causes of house fires. They’ll also check to make sure the chimney cap and damper are working correctly, as well as point out any masonry damage. If you have a gas or electric fireplace, this is a great time to clean it and make sure everything is good.
Clean Gutters Your gutters have the significant job of channeling thousands of gallons of water away from your home each year, but they can become clogged with everything from leaves to dirt, which may lead to water backing up onto your roof or inside your home. So, take time to inspect and clean your home’s gutters. You may want to wait until later in the season to perform this task to avoid leaves ruining your hard work, or you can install a mesh guard that will prevent leaves, twigs, and other large debris from creating blockages.
Prep Furnace With winter on the way, autumn is the perfect time to get your furnace ready for the colder months ahead. Make sure to change your furnace filter, as debris caught in the filter may reduce airflow and cause an energy deficiency. Fall is also a great time to have your heating system checked by a professional to ensure it’s prepared to run efficiently throughout winter.
Organize Garage Your garage may become a catchall space for various outdoor items, including bikes, patio furniture, and lawn care equipment. However, you can avoid this clutter by organizing your garage. Make use of the wall space with cabinets and shelves to open up floor space. However, ensure any storage you install can sufficiently hold the weight of the items you’re adding. You can also use ceiling hooks to keep items like bikes out of the way.
Sunflowers are the beautiful flowers of summer, tulips (my fave) are for spring, and there are some wonderful blooms for autumn. They’ll certainly make you smile throughout fall.
Celosia – This striking flame-like ornamental plant blooms in vivid red and orange. It is a low maintenance flower that is durable and rigid. Because of these qualities it is a great addition to a centerpiece.
Helenium – This plant is also known as “sneezeweed”. It gives all the lovely colors of fall; orange, brown, red, yellow and orange. It is part of the sunflower family, so if you are missing summer this is your alternative flower.
Spider Mums – As much as I dislike spiders, I adore spider mums. These flowers are a nice addition to centerpieces. Arrange them in a shallow bowl with small twigs, maple leaves or any other fall foilege.
Pansy – This sweet little flower will be the main focus of our flower beds come mid-September. With two-toneed delicate petals it will add so much color and will thrive in the cooler temperatures of fall.
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