Family Fall Traditions

The Autumnal Equinox, aka the first day of Fall, arrives here in ten days! The celestial equator is the imaginary north to south line in the sky above the Earth's equator. Fall in the Northern Hemisphere begins at the moment the Sun crosses this line. In St. Louis, my home town, Fall arrives this year on September 23rd at precisely 3:22 a.m. CDT.

There is so much to love about this season that will soon enough usher us into the cold of winter. The cooler, but not yet frigid, days and evenings are so welcome following the extreme heat and humidity of summer. I so much love the color changes in the Fall foliage. I even enjoy raking all the fallen leaves! Fall fashions are my favorite too, especially wrapping up in a cozy warm sweater with a cup of coffee and a good read. I could go on and on proclaiming my praise of Autumn, but instead I'll share with you a few of our family traditions. Just as we have certain Holiday customs, we also have established certain family rituals that we observe year after year. On this list are family outings that include:

- An annual trip to the apple orchards is always at the top of the list for things to do in the Fall. Nearly everyone I know enjoys a weekend afternoon picking apples at Eckert's. The main farm and orchards are located in Belleville, IL, but our family prefers the orchards at Grafton Farm. They also have a Country Store offering family favorites such as apple and pumpkin butter and apple cider too.

- Of course it just wouldn't be Fall without a trip to the pumpkin patch for some Pumpkinland fun! The farms near our home all offer hay castles, hay rides, ziplines, play areas with large slides and farm animals for the children to pet and even sometimes feed. Our favorite pumpkin patch is at Thies Farm and everyone looks forward to our annual outing to select the perfect Halloween pumpkins for our home!

- Autumn is the perfect time of year for a day trip to a State Park for a picnic lunch and hike in the woods. A trip to Pere Marquette State Park, just outside of Grafton, IL, is always on our Fall agenda! The sites along the drive are magnificent. On one side of the road is the mighty Mississippi River and the opposite side are the river bluffs covered with trees, bushes, shrubs, and wild flowers all gloriously displaying brilliant Fall colors. Following a picnic lunch it's time to stop at the Visitor's Center. There are Park Interpreters available to guide you on a hike. They share a wealth of information about the vegetation and natural wildlife, history of the Park, and even stories about the native Americans who once inhabited the land that is now Pere Marquette State Park.

- Finally, a trip to the Missouri Botanical Gardens, also known as Shaw's Garden, is a priority during each and every season of the year. The Gardens were originally the estate of businessman Henry Shaw and were opened to the public in 1859. The flowers are always spectacular and are breathtakingly beautiful during the Autumn season! There  is also a Children's Garden with play areas and educational exhibits. A stroll through the Botanical Gardens is definitely a highlight any day of the year!

Well, there you have it! So what are your favorite family traditions for Fall?

Festive Holiday Drink Ideas Needed!

Red Wine Sangria Punch
photo courtesy of epicuria.free.fr

So I'm thinking ahead to Thanksgiving and I need your suggestions. I love hosting holidays in my home, and I especially love decorating the holiday table. I also try to use my "good" china, silver, and crystal whenever possible. I figure I didn't put it on my wedding registry just so I can look at it setting so pretty in the china cabinet, so why not use it! And, over the years I have collected many festive centerpieces and serving dishes which add so much to the holiday table decorum. The menus are basically the same year after year except for the varying (and sometimes experimental!) side dishes. Turkey is always served on Thanksgiving, filet mignon steaks and roast beef are the main entrees for Christmas, and Easter brings a variety of barbecued meats including chicken, ribs, and hamburgers for the kiddos. For the accompanying side dishes I like to make recipes that can be prepared in advance, refrigerated overnight, and then baked, microwaved, or tossed just prior to serving. This plan allows me extra time to visit with our guests. Additionally, another time saver is having an alcoholic punch for the adults and a non-alcoholic drink for the children (and adults too!) readily available for the guests. These drinks can be made in batches ahead of the big day and also allows for easy serving of drinks. Anyone can just help themselves when a refill is needed. I've served a red wine sangria punch for Christmas and a white wine sangria punch garnished with lemons, lime, and strawberries at Easter. The kiddos always request frozen non-alcoholic strawberry daiquiris which I keep in the freezer year round! I also make sure to have several cans of whipped cream available to top off the frozen daiquiri. And depending on the holiday, the kids also love when festive stirrers and straws are included with the drink.  The local Dollar Tree Store is a good source for holiday drink accessories.  I've even found adorable bunny glasses to serve the frozen drinks. They look so cute when topped with a mound of whipped cream!  So this year  I'm looking for a special alcoholic and also a non-alcoholic drink appropriate for the Thanksgiving holiday that can be made in advance and can easily be served. I did find a recipe for an apple cider punch that looks interesting and tasty, but would love your suggestions too. And, if you're also looking for a Fall themed shirt or bodysuit and leg warmer set for your little one for the Thanksgiving holiday, Zoey's Attic can help!

Almost Fall!

The variety of colors and aromatic scents of the garden are some of life's most awesome gifts!  Gardening is a source of comfort, therapy if you will, for many people.  Personally, for me, it can be a major source of frustration as I definitely do not have a very "green" thumb.  I prefer to visit the magnificent Missouri Botanical Garden located here in St. Louis.  It is a National Historic Landmark and our nation's oldest botanical garden in continuous operation. Locals know the garden as Shaw's Garden. The land was owned by Henry Shaw, and his estate home from 1850 remains on the garden property and is open for tours. A recent brunch and casual walk through the Garden was exhilarating!  The English Woodlands were lovely and so peaceful. A stop at the pond in the beautifully understated Japanese Gardens to feed the carp is always a must.  Just watching the excitement of the children feeding these large and very colorful fish is a special treat! Then continuing along the path you eventually arrive at the experimental flower and vegetables gardens.  Staff is always present to offer helpful ideas and suggestions for the novice as well as the experienced gardener.  I was surprised to see so many pumpkins already popping out from beneath their large leaves... a sign Fall is not far away. It got me thinking about the months ahead and all the upcomimg fun activities like apple picking and the annual visit to the pumpkin patch. Autumn is perfect too for gathering family and friends for a hayride and roasting marshmallows around a bonfire. You'll want to check out Zoey's Attic for the perfect shirt for all your Fall activities.


Personalized Shirts for Fall from Zoey's Attic

Spooktacular Halloween Tees and More

Halloween T-shirts, Onesies, Treat Bags

The first week of October has come to a close, and in just over three short weeks Halloween will be here! Considering that chocolate (actually any candy!) is my very favorite food this special day is very dear to me!  Besides collecting all the scrumptious candy in your very own loot bag, you may have a special announcement or maybe it's a first Halloween for the little one in your family. Whatever your needs are for this Halloween, Zoey's Attic has just the shirt, onesie, or trick or treat bag for you! From the devilish pregnancy announcement t-shirt to the itty-bitty, teeny-weeny, first Halloweeny onesie to the hip skull and cross bones sibling sets, you'll be the darling of the day!

Fun At Pumpkinland

 

Personalized childrens raglan Tshirt

One of my very favorite Fall activities is the annual visit to Pumpkinland at a farm nearby. I love watching all the kids (big and little, young and old) having so much fun flying through the air on the zipline, chasing one another through the corn maze, and petting all the animals in the petting zoo. They usually have goats, cows, chickens, and horses. The kiddos can also feed the goats! After climbing the bales of hay we finally take the wagon ride out to the pumpkin patch. Once there, we all hop off and pick the perfect pumpkin to make the perfect Jack-O-Lantern! There are so many fun photo opps during a visit to the pumpkin patch, so why not wear a customized tee for an awesome touch to the family picture?

Run, Run Mommy and Daddy!

Personalized run mommy run t-shirt

Personalized run daddy run t-shirt

Fall is the perfect time of year for a Marathon run! The cooler temps make it a little bit more tolerable for sure! The Marathon schedule for September and October has some exciting events all over North America! Here is a totally incomplete listing of some events you may want to consider: Tupelo Marathon in Tupelo, MS on 9-2;  Cape Breton Fiddlers Run Marathon on 9-9 in Sydney, NS, Canada; Autumn Color Run in Buena Vista, CO on 9-15; Flagstaff Marathon in Flagstaff, AZ on 9-22; Thunder Bay Marathon, Thunder Bay, ON, Canada on 9-23; Bank of America Chicago Marathon on 10-7; Nike Women's Marathon on 10-14 in San Francisco, CA; Detroit Free Press/TalmerBank Marathon and the Rock 'n Roll St. Louis Marathon both on 10-21; and finally the Marine Corps Marathon in Washington, DC on 10-28. To find an event in your area be sure to check out the About.com race calendar. Now that you're signed up for the big race you will need to get your cheerleaders ready for the big event! You'll be energized every time you see your kiddos cheering you along the route in their "run mommy/daddy run" or "our mommy/daddy's running.. try and keep up!" tees. These fun personalized t-shirts can also be customized for colors and wording to fit your team name or really anything you need! Good luck to all our running friends in your races this Fall!

Mommy or Daddy running T-shirt front

Try & keep up T-shirt back