My Top 5 Autumn Activities

Ahh Fall... brings about cooler weather, football, festivals, 'warm the soul' kind of food such as chili, and the aroma of those cinnamon brooms you buy at the grocery store fills the air. Of course, it helps that everyone is a little giddy knowing that the holidays are right around the corner which means a much needed break and more time spent with family and friends is on the way.

Who doesn't love Fall? It's my favorite time of the year!

Below is my Awesome Autumn Activities List and despite my cheesy title, I think you'll find this list is a 'cornucopia' of fun Fall things to do if living in the state of Georgia. ;) OK, that whole sentence was cheesy, but I just couldn't help myself. Anyway, I drafted an activities list for summertime (see that post here) and thought I'd do something similar for the cooler months. I hope you enjoy! :)

Burt's Pumpkin Patch

There are many great pumpkin patches to visit in Georgia, but this one has been around since I was a kid and it's my favorite for a number of reasons. One being that it's set in such a pretty location, the North Georgia Mountains. You have to drive over an hour to get there from Atlanta, but it's worth the trek because you really feel like you're out in the country, and you are! The mountains surround you as you walk through hoards of gourds. Ha! Seriously, there are thousands of these big, orange fruits sitting around - yes, pumpkins are actually classified as a fruit and not a vegetable. Burt's pumpkins really are beautiful. They come in all different sizes too, some of their big boys are around 150 lbs! Once you pick out your pumpkin and load it on to your wheelbarrow, you can buy some pumpkin baked goodies, take a hayride, purchase some indian corn, or bale of hay for your Fall decorations... what ever tickles your fancy. We took my daughter last year when she was around 9 or 10 months old and now that she's walking I can't wait to take her back!

Colorful Co-Ed Baby Shower

Wes grilled and Staci marinated this pork roast.  Yum!  Colorful hurricanes are from One King's Lane.  Y'all know how I love that site!  (And if you don't, check out my previous post on the ever-so-fabulous OKL here).

Happy weekend everyone!  Here in Georgia we are still experiencing gorgeous summery-fall weather (I made that word up, but I think it fits nicely), just perfect for heading outdoors and having some fun.  Just this morning, my son and I enjoyed watching my husband play tennis with his men's ALTA team.  It was beautiful out there (made even prettier by a Zing-Zang bloody mary).  And while my little one naps, I am itching to get back outside and tackle a little gardening.  But before I do that, I wanted to share some pics from a little soiree that my hubs and I co-hosted a few months ago.  This was an evening shindig we hosted alongside Staci and Alex (another couple we are close friends with), and it was for our dear friends Matt and Heather.  (Side note: Staci, Heather, and I have co-hosted a baby shower together before - it was a nautically-themed coed bash for friends expecting a little boy; you may remember that post, found here).  The reason for this particular party (besides having a swell ol' time, naturally) was to celebrate the then-upcoming arrival of Matt and Heather's little girl.  I am proud to report that at this point in time, their little pink bundle has arrived safe and sound, and she is now doing well and even sleeping through the night (almost!).

Pasta with Tomato and Almond Pesto from America's Test Kitchen

I'm on a recipe sharing kick and this week I want to share one from a public broadcasting TV show that my husband and I love. It's called America's Test Kitchen and you can find it on your PBS channel. I believe they've been on air for over 10 years now, but if you've never seen this show, then I highly recommend you catch an episode. They always demonstrate a recipe or two, but as the name suggests, they also test out different cooking equipment - blenders, specialty knives, toasters, etc as well as test various products. They also do blind taste testing on coffee blends or various peanut butter brands to see which one the audience prefers most. Needless to say, it's really interesting, very educational and the recipes you'll get from them are awesome!

 

Georgia on My Mind...

Hey y'all!

I hope that all our readers are having a wonderful Labor Day weekend.  (To reminisce on the meaning of the holiday and some other fun bits related to Labor Day, you can peruse my posts from last year here and here).  And on a side note, I simply cannot believe that a year has gone by since I wrote those.  It's so trite but so true - time flies when you're having fun, and it flies faster and faster the older you get...

True to the times a'flyin' thought, my family just returned from a wonderful week-long getaway to St. Simon's Island, Georgia.  I've been to this special place many times over the years, both with family and friends.  It's one of those places I hold near and dear to my heart.  This time, we stayed in the beautiful High Tide Cottage and loved it so much, we can't wait to go back and stay here again.  It's right on the beach on the southern side of the island, just up from the pier.   

Isn't she gorgeous??