How to Celebrate Autumn on a Budget

Living in Alabama, autumn brings a special thrill to me. With sweltering, humid summers, that first taste of crisp, cool air blowing in at night lets me know that autumn is just around the corner. It is a very welcome delight to me, and always gets my creative juices flowing. For the past week I've felt autumn breezes and my mind has been focused on inviting that autumn touch into my home. Conscious of my time and pocketbook, I've created some methods of celebrating autumn in my family and now I'm passing my five favorites on to you.

Tea Time

This is one of my favorite traditions for myself and my family. I love herbal tea. Warm tea is a calming drink in itself, but coupled with an atmosphere to match, tea time has proven to be my favorite part of the day. It's the perfect way to start your day. Grabbing a few minutes of quiet time in the morning helps to clear your mind in preparation for a busy day. It's also great just before bed. What better way to prepare yourself for sleep when you are already relaxed?

To create your atmosphere simply put on some soft, relaxing music turned down low. Light classical, jazz or instrumentals mixed with the sounds of nature are excellent choices. My personal favorite is Pachelbel's Forever by the Sea -- Dan Gibson's Solitudes -- Exploring Nature with Music.

Another key step is to adjust your lighting. Low light creates relaxing ambiance. Just using a small reading lamp turned on works well. I prefer to have a scented candle or two lit near me. Flickering candles have always helped me to relax. There's just something about the soft dancing light that calms my nerves.

Now just choose your tea. There are so many to choose from, but my personal favorites are chamomile, jasmine, peppermint or orange spice. Chamomile has a tendency to calm one's nerves. It's always made me a bit sleepy, so its a great choice just before bed. Jasmine has a distinct aroma and taste that has always made me feel like I'm drinking a flower. I highly suggest you try it for yourself and you'll see what I mean. Peppermint is a good choice for calming your stomach. I like this in the morning. I've never been much of a morning person, so mornings have always represented one of the most stressful times of day for me. Peppermint tea has always helped bring me back down to earth. Then, of course, orange spice. The blend of oranges and spices in the tea just tastes and smells like autumn to me.

Autumn Wreath

Wreaths aren't just for Christmas. They can be used to represent every season and every holiday. They are easy to buy, and simple and fun to make too!

To create an autumn wreath, you can start with buying a pre-made wreath. They can be made of just about anything: willow, grapevine, straw, even plastic. For the more adventurous, you can make your own by simply twisting flexible twigs around into a circle and tying it off with twine. My favorite source for wreaths is wysteria.

The easiest way to decorate your wreath is purchasing a garland of artificial autumn leaves from your craft or hobby store. You simply wrap it around your wreath evenly and tie the ends off with twine. You can top it off with a bow or be simple and leave the bow off. Make a bow just like you would as if tying your shoes. You can make it out of virtually anything: ribbon, twine, raffia, or even strips of fabric. Adding bits of artificial autumn flowers here and there work great too. The idea is to keep it fun and be creative.

Easy Autumn Meal

What I speak of here is the Polish Sausage Dog. It is the hotdog's daddy. It's one of the easiest and least expensive meals to make and just screams fall. We fry our sausages in butter on medium heat for about ten minutes. Added to the same pan is about a cup of diced onion and a cup of diced bell pepper. While the dogs are cooking, the vegetables are being sauteed. Don't forget to turn everything in the pan at least twice. Put your sausage on a hotdog bun and top with the sauteed onions and bell pepper. Add a little ketchup, and you've got it. From start to finish it takes about 15 minutes and for a family of four it costs about $10.00 to make.

Autumn Place Mats

Here's another easy and inexpensive idea that will go great with your Sausage Dogs! All that's needed is a roll of clear shelf paper, a pair of scissors and a lovely walk in nature, picking up your favorite fall leaves as you go. Gather the prettiest, most attractive leaves you can find. It takes about two gallons of leaves for four place mats. Now roll out and cut one piece of shelf paper about 14 inches in length; sticky side up. Arrange your leaves on the plastic any way you like. Be sure, however, to keep it to one layer. Try not to overlap too much or the placemat will be overly lumpy. Also, try to leave a few spaces here and there of open space. You'll want to have a few places where the plastic can stick together so the leaves will remain stationary. Next, cut a second sheet of shelf paper the same size, and carefully lay this over the first, decorated piece. Make sure the sticky side is facing the leaves. Try to match up the ends and keep it as even as possible. Press it down with your hands until you get the mat as flat as possible. Now, with your scissors, trim the edges, getting any leaves or plastic that overlaps. You'll want all four edges to be as neat as you can get them. Complete each place mat in this manner.

This project is great to do with children, and a great idea for parties.

For the Romantic

Roses are beautiful, but they can be a little pricey. To set the tone for a romantic rendez-vous with that special someone create the same romantic flair with autumn leaves the same way you would with rose petals. Scatter them around the table for a special dinner by candlelight. (I would not recommend the sausage dogs for this meal, guys). Sprinkle leaves to create a "follow me" pathway that leads to a special gift. You can even write little notes on small pieces of paper and hide them inside larger leaves tied with ribbon or string. Just make sure the leaves don't come from poison ivy! Though the idea is to make the moment unforgettable, let's try to keep the memories positive!