The leaves are starting to turn, and the nip of the fall weather will soon be in the air. Now, the kids are back to school, and Christmas is not far away. It really is a beautiful time of the year that shows the transition of time. With this in mind, here are some things that you can do this fall to get ready for the winter.
Declutter and organize During the summer months, you have probably spent a lot of time outside in the good weather and collected things from day trips and vacations. This is the best time to tidy all of the summer equipment away to be used next year. The patio furniture can be washed and stored in the garage. Summer clothes can be laundered and packed away for the warmer months. Find the winter wools and thick blankets to help keep the chill off your skin. It’s time to pack away the summertime and unpack the winter.
Change furniture If you are thinking about changing the furniture around for the Holidays, you might want to do it sooner rather than later. Ordering your sofas or bigger dining table early so that they arrive plenty of time for the holiday season can help avoid a lot of stress. If you are not planning on changing the existing furniture, you can get it professionally cleaned. This is great if you have a fabric sofa to clean it and give it a new lease of life. Sometimes all our furniture needs is a bit of TLC and some elbow grease to bring it back to life.
Deep clean When the weather is warm, the last thing you want to do is clean the house. We are not saying that you have neglected the house, but it could probably do with an overhaul. While you are decluttering and storing the summer stuff, it is a great time to give everything a good clean. Spending a few days going through the rooms and giving them a good scrub and vacuum can do wonders for your home and health. It will also make sure that the cleaning won’t be as difficult as the winter rolls around.
Service the systems The winter and the colder weather means that your heating and electric systems will be on longer and more often. After not being used as much over the summer, it is always a good idea to have them serviced before the pressure of the winter appears. Servicing the systems will help to ensure that you won’t be hit with sudden system failures that leave you without heat, hot water, and power. If you don’t know much about these systems, it is a good idea to get a professional engineer to look at them. If you have a fireplace, you should get your chimney swept to avoid issues with the chimney. Also, make sure that you have enough fuel for your heating too.
Decorate As the year goes on, you might discover that rooms are getting a bit worn out and need a coat of paint. When you have small kids, you probably feel the need to paint the rooms once a month with the mess they can leave with their little handprints. If you are planning on having family around for the Holidays, giving the place a fresh coat of paint can help you feel better about your home. Even just a quick coat of white paint on the ceiling can help to brighten the room up again.
Prep Holiday food Depending on what holidays you celebrate, you will need to buy different things. But, one thing we can all agree on, no matter what we celebrate, we need to start planning early. Start stocking up the tins and frozen items that you might need in the coming months. It is also a great way to ensure that you have a good food supply for the winter if the weather takes a nasty turn and you can’t get out of the house for a while. So grab those winter meats and canned goods to have at the ready.
Donations The Holiday season normally means that a lot of new stuff comes into our homes, but do we get rid of anything? Having a declutter can mean that we find stuff that is no longer serving us and we don’t need anymore. Maybe some old clothes you don’t like any more would be better off heading to Goodwill. Or maybe you have toys sitting around that the kids don’t play with anymore. Whatever the item, try to give it to charity or sell it, rather than allow it to go to a landfill. And, remember, the Holidays are a time for giving. Even if you feel the need to get rid of something doesn’t mean that someone else won’t love it.
Prep for bad weather We mentioned the bad weather in a previous point, but it is worth discussing it more. The weather has been becoming more unpredictable in recent years, so it is worth your while prepping a bit more than usual. This means clearing out the gutters, adding flood defenses if your home is prone to flooding. It might be a good idea to grab some snow supplies, even if you don’t get snow where you are. As we said, it is getting unpredictable.
Gardening If you are an avid gardener, you will already know that now is the time to start clearing out the garden and getting things ready for the spring. Root vegetables will be ready to harvest soon, and it is a great time for getting prepped for the spring. The flowers that have started to die can be added to the compost heap to be used as part of next spring’s planting. If you don’t know that much about gardening and would like to learn more, there is an abundance of information to teach you the basics.
The terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, are forever engrained into our hearts. We will never forget the horrific images of the airplanes careening into the Twin Towers. Or hearing the telephone messages of passengers calling their family members and telling them what was happening and they weren’t going to make it out alive. Or listening to someone talk about their loved one who died fighting in the war of terror that ensued after the fact.
September 11th invokes a wide range of emotions. My heart aches for those who lost their loved ones on that day or in the war. But at the same time, it is a day of much joy and happiness. You see, while today marks twenty years since the terrorist attacks, it also marks twenty-two years that JT and I walked down the aisle and became husband and wife.
The highs of knowing that my life has been forever changed by the most wonderful woman in the world, remembering the beautiful ceremony, eating wonderful food, and sharing great memories with friends and family at our wedding. To the lows of know that just two years later, life as we knew it had changed, terrorism was a real threat, and so many people died in the name of preserving the American freedom that we have lived in.
Now twenty years since that horrific day, I find that I have changed. In the years past, while I felt a deep sadness about what happened that day, I still wanted to celebrate our wedding anniversary. I found myself saying, “We were married before this happened, so I am going to celebrate.” But this year, it was different. I could only post things related to the terrorist attacks and the war on terror on my social media. I wanted to post photos of my wife as a countdown to our anniversary, but my heart told me NO. It wasn’t right. Maybe it has to do with the end of the war in Afghanistan and the recent loss of the thirteen soldiers in Afghanistan. Maybe it is the heartache for the people who died on that day truly hit me.
The terrorist attacks of September 11th and the war that followed became so real to me today. After eating lunch at Red Lobster for our anniversary, we went to see the Flags of Valor presentation. Over seven thousand United States flags are placed on Art Hill in Forest Park in Saint Louis, MO. Each flag includes a photograph of a soldier who died fighting in the War on Terror, along with a replica dog tag that gives their name, date of death, and where they died. There are also flags honoring the first responders, police officers, and firefighters who died while helping the Twin Towers and the Pentagon. A panel display includes photographs of each of the people who died on September 11th. Fox News captured this video shows the magnitude of the presentation.
Seeing more than seven thousand flags, each with a photograph and a dog tag of a man or woman who sacrificed their lives so that I can continue to live in freedom. So that terror would not prevail, and that evil has no place in this world. All I can say is, “Thank You!” And we all must say, “We Will Never Forget!:
A flag honoring Vincent G. Danz, New York Police Officer who died at the World Trade Center during the September 11th Terrorist Attacks
Happy Wedding Anniversary to my sweet husband. I feel like we just got married, and now it is 22 years. You love me despite all my flaws. I wonder why did you marry me. I thought I would never get married because I wasn’t shown, good role models. I realized that God is first before everything, and through him, he gave me you. God is good, and I thank him for his grace and mercy.
1 Corinthians 13;4-5 says,
Love is patient. Love is kind. It does not envy. It does not boast. It is not proud. It does not dishonor others. It is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.
NIV: New International Version
Marriage is work, and anyone that tells you it’s not is lying to you.
If you are married, there are two steps you can take to freshen your marriage each day.
1. Put God first: Jay and I know that nothing works without God In Jesus Name, so our spiritual life is a priority. Did this happen? No, we made it a priority, and if one of us slips us, we make sure we check each other. A good bible study together is the BibleRecap with Tara Lee Cobble on Youversion Bible app.
2. Communicate: spend time together each day and talk. Life, kids, fur babies, and everything else that encompasses your day can take priority but make sure you both are spending time talking not just about the day but about each other. The time can be as little as 15 minutes, but there’s no set time. Just make it happen.
3. Be each other’s cheerleader: As a husband and wife, there’s no 50/50. It’s 100/100. You both have to go all-in with the relationship.
I am not a marriage expert, and again it seems like we just got married yesterday. However, I can tell you from 22 years of marriage experience that these tips are still part of our communication with each and our love language continues to grow when we do the work.
Honey, I love you, you are my best friend, Happy 22 years!
What exactly is yoga? It is the practice of gently moving your body and assuming various postures while meditating on your breathing. Yoga started in northern India and has since become one of the most popular kinds of physical practice. Brought into Western society around the 1970s, various versions of yoga became substantially more mainstream.
Maybe you had also liked amongst millions who have joined in on the movement of yoga exercises that are said to help your body and your mind and spirit. Over the years, research has revealed that practitioners have achieved astounding outcomes that have given them overall control over their bodies. With effort and dedication, we may all acquire the authority and advantages that many others have praised if we begin practicing yoga postures. But the major question is whether yoga can improve a person’s flexibility and athletic ability in a measurable way. We’ll look at how that’s possible and some extra information that might help you avoid sports injuries and stay calm in stressful circumstances through the adoption of yoga.
Improving Flexibility Your athletic performance and flexibility can invariably improve through yoga practice and the proper instruction. The flexibility that your body begins to open up to can visibility improve over time. According to the Yoga Journal, this is because you are eventually extending your muscles and releasing tension inside your body. When tension is released, it affects the muscles in apparent regions such as your hamstrings or lower back and your joints. That is, your movable and semi-mobile joints will eventually relax considerably, allowing for more lubrication and mobility throughout the workout. By hydrating yourself regularly, you may ease the process of providing lubricant where it is most required, allowing you to enhance the trained motions gradually.
Improving Athletic Performance Many well-known athletes participate in different sports that practice yoga to help them improve as athletes. From football players in the NFL, basketball players like LeBron James, to combat sports like MMA and NHL ice hockey players, not just them. Athletes adapt it to target different muscles to enhance their central strength and endurance to reach their fitness goals. The capacity to improve your core strength is developed by focusing on the breath while your body learns to support its weight. When you systematically develop your strength for longer periods, you progressively build your endurance. The mental focus that you begin to develop also helps you gradually improve your agility and balance. This improves athletic performance by teaching you how to improve particular muscle groups and coordination with pre-and post-workout warmups.
Preventing Sporting Injuries Stretching is well known and accepted in the athletic world to reduce the likelihood of injury. Athletes have also utilized yoga to return to their sport after suffering physical injuries gradually. Muscle inflammation or the danger of pulling a muscle can be reduced, which aids recovery and prevention. Over the years, research has revealed that it decreases the likelihood of athletic injuries and mental health, and chronic conditions such as arthritis. It is crucial to remember, however, that a certified instructor is required to prevent physical injuries. If you do not take the time to become completely aware of your body by recognizing what it is telling you, you risk harming yourself by practicing yoga. This signifies knowing your boundaries and not pushing yoga postures, and motions since with the positive come the negative if misused. Using sports tape can help lessen the possibilities of sporting or yoga injuries because the tape supports your muscles.
Maintaining Calm When Pressure Strikes The ability to quiet your mind, concentrate your breath, and work with your body may all have a significant influence on your mental health. This is how athletes additionally practice endurance when faced with tasks that may seem impossible. Breathwork and focus taught with yoga and sports allow them to focus and propel them further regardless of the struggles they face. Many people and research have shown that yoga significantly improves people’s ability to navigate their life. Being able to heal via mindfulness practice might bring about a sense of peace. There is a notion that motivated and consistent yoga practice enables you to resiliently work through various difficulties that you may be struggling with. Healing isn’t always an easy road, but doing things slowly and not expecting immediate results may be good for both your mind and body.
Learn More About JT
Bubbling with Elegance and Grace started out as an outlet for my passion for fashion but has evolved into a place for me to teach, collaborate, and inspire. My hubby has since joined the team and we have been digital creators for 13 years. We are thankful for those who believed in us from the beginning and those who have just started riding with us on this lovely journey.
Happy Wedding Anniversary to my sweet husband. I feel like we just got married, and now it is 22 years. You love me despite all my flaws. I wonder why did you marry me. I thought I would never get married because I wasn’t shown, good role models. I realized that God is first before everything, and through him, he gave me you. God is good, and I thank him for his grace and mercy.
Follow!