I am happy to say that it feels like FALL here!  I don't know how long it will last, since the weather here is so temperamental sometimes, but the children and I are literally soaking up the cool, crisp air and so glad to be rid of the muggy, humid weather!  It really gets me in the mood to do things!  I hate to be hot, and always say "I can put on as many things as I need to in order to get warm, but when I'm hot, I can only take off so many clothes to get cool!"  :)

My 2 oldest are having a yard sale as we speak, and I hope they make a good profit from it.  They have worked really hard the past couple of weeks, going through their things to weed out the "don't like it, doesn't fit, never play with it" items.  I told them that if they did this, whatever they make on the sale is theirs free and clear.  Motivation, huh?  I put a few things in for them to sell for me, too, but mainly this is THEIR project.  I'm proud of them!  And they are motivated to sell because whatever DOESN'T, goes to charity!  Not back home! 

As for me, I have been doing more and more "Homesteading" things.  Since my last post, I have:

1. Made Muscadine Jam (lots of it!)
2. Made my own VANILLA!  Mmmm, it smells HEAVENLY!
3. Started a rag quilt (a gift for a family member)
4. Worked up 25 pounds of potatoes in a freezer plan (potato wedges, fries, mashed potatoes, baked potatoes)...Whew! That took a while! But yummy! And very inexpensive as I found a deal of 5 pounds for 99 cents!!!!!
5. Made our very first Homemade Pizza (and subsequently declared that I will not ORDER a pizza for a very long time) -- DeLish!!!!
6. Made Chocolate Syrup to fuel my DS10's addiction to Nesquick - I make mine with organic sugar and he LOVES it!
7. Continue to make Laundry Soap and Scented Vinegar Rinse as needed.
8. Taught my DS10 to make bread in the bread machine by himself.

And that's probably not all, but I am pleased with the steps we are taking to become a bit more self-sufficient.  Sometime this week I am going to try a powdered version of homemade laundry soap - if it goes as I hope, then I am going to make several batches of it to include with Christmas gifts for my grandparents and my parents.  The vanilla is also going to be part of our gifts to family as well, along with homemade jams and things. 

We are planning to go to a pumpkin farm (hayride and all) to get our pumpkins in just over a week, so it is really getting to feel like fall here ... if we can just keep this lovely 60 degree and under weather!! :)   HAPPY FALL, YA'LL!