The grocery bills are adding up, and now here comes the holidays! Buying food at the supermarket is an inevitable expense for everyone, but there are tried-and-true ways to limit your spending and put money back in your pocket.

It all starts by considering the number of meals you need to make each week and creating a flexible menu. Ask family members to help brainstorm recipe ideas for the week, then take inventory of ingredients you already have on hand. When it’s time to head to the store, consider these financially savvy tips to avoid overspending.

Wait, did that read "Fall cleaning"? Absolutely! Fall cleaning your home is just as vital for health and comfort as the traditional spring cleaning. In fact, it makes good sense to take care of some of the cleaning tasks in the fall before homes are closed up tight for the winter, and it’s especially easier now that older kids are back in school (but if they're at home doing virtual learning, give them some chores too!). Getting some of these home cleaning jobs out of the way now can also make for less stress when preparing your home for holiday gatherings.

In addition to deep cleaning your entire home (Download our Fall Cleaning Checklist here), below are tasks you'll want to make sure you don't miss!

Have you chosen to not celebrate Halloween this year? While our website is brimming with Halloween activities and events to enjoy, I wanted to send you some alternatives to have a fun and festive October with your family without partaking in Halloween (for whatever your reasons may be). Read on for some thrilling—but non-scary—ideas.

Goodbye, Halloween and spooky things! Hello, fall fun and cinnamon buns!

It's the favorite time of year for many Texans! The weather is just about perfect; crunchy leaves are beginning to cover the sidewalks, and the hint of winter holidays is in the air. The only thing is... you have a TEENAGER at home! It was so easy to find fun fall activities when the kids were younger. There were festivals around every corner, plus simply going outside and jumping into a pile of foliage was its own adventure. But as children step into the world of junior and high school, they might be less easy to please, and not as impressed with the daily wonders of everyday living! What gives?  

If you're wondering how to keep your teen having a great time this season, I have all the ideas you need to win “Parent of the Year.” During these months of cooler temperatures and apple cider, you just need a bit of planning and patience, and you can give your child - no matter the age - an autumn to remember! Here are some of my personal favorites that you should definitely put on your fall bucket list: 

Hands up if you have a music-loving family! I sure do! Music has played a significant role in our household, especially during the preschool years. We’d spend hours singing and dancing in the living room or in the car, and those moments made for some fun, quality family time. Even into our early homeschooling years, listening to enriching songs became an essential part of our school day. On field trip mornings, we’d pop in a CD (back when kids knew what those were), and let it play on our way to the Children’s Museum or to the beach.

I was curious if other people enjoyed this book as much as we did, so I checked the Amazon reviews, and it looks like it’s a favorite for many families! We recently finished Misty of Chincoteague as a read-aloud, and it was such a delight! There’s nostalgia, energy, suspense, childhood play, and lots of horse fun woven throughout this book. I may have been more excited than the kids to get to our evening read each day!

Ready for some kitchen magic with fun recipes? Let me start by admitting that the appearance of our challah bread was not perfect. We don't have a bread machine, and the hand-kneading part was a bit tiresome, so we probably didn't knead the dough the full recommended amount of time. But in the end, I LOVED the way the bread tasted, and preparing and braiding the dough was a fun experience for me and my 9-year-old.