The best Autumn Activities, Fall Traditions and Fun Fall Ideas

Ah! As the weather begins to cool, people think about traditions from their childhood, activities that they used to enjoy as autumn descended upon their communities. Soon you will see men raking leaves into huge piles, and kids spreading the leaves as they jump into them. The scene is played out along streets and lanes and in the memories of those that once enjoyed the past time.

Autumn traditions are as prevalent today as in days gone by; however, the traditions may be different. No one can deny that as autumn draws near, men begin thinking about football and hunting. It seems the cooler weather causes men's testosterone to rise, bringing about a fierceness that requires them to chase some opponent or poor unsuspecting animal. However barbaric the tradition may seem to women, it's a good time to allow the men-folk to purge the rowdiness from their systems.

Women have their own traditions - canning, cooking, and preparing for winter are common activities that women enjoy. The natural tendency of a woman is to store and nest, therefore she makes sure there's plenty for the coming winter months. These traditions have been passed down from generation to generation, just like a great family recipe.

In fact, food seems to be a common thread among fall traditions. Whether it's the barbecue prepared during tailgating parties, or the more genteel fare shared by ladies at a harvest luncheon, food plays a major part in the traditions we enjoy. Who can think of fall without thinking of freshly baked apple pie or the Thanksgiving spread? Now is the time apples are in abundance, so enjoy the many varieties in cooking, baking or right off the tree.

Autumn is a great time to entertain out of doors. Most bugs are gone, the weather is more agreeable, and people are ready to relax a little. Take a long walk and enjoy the crunch of the leaves underfoot or take a drive and revel in the beauty of the rapidly turning leaves as they change from green to orange, yellow, red, and brown. The cascade of color is something that many drive all over to enjoy.

While you're out enjoying nature's beauty, why not stop at one of the local craft fairs? Not only will you be able to spend the day in the fresh air, but you might also find some great buys for the coming holidays.

Traditions are important whether they are based around autumn or another event or time of year, every family has them. It might be burning leaves along the side of the road after the children have had their fun in them or enjoying a nature hike. If you don't have a family tradition, now would be a great time to create a new one with your children. Not only will you reconnect with your family, you might just be starting a tradition that will last as long as great-great-grandma's apple pie.

The summer is quickly coming to a close and people are beginning to dream of cooler weather. Cooler weather brings the change of leaves which leads to harvest theme decorations for our homes and yards. The following ideas may be just what you need to create the yard decorations you've always wanted or make the inside a harvest haven.

Everyone knows that harvest time means hay, scarecrows, changing leaves, and pumpkins. Harvest season is more than scarecrows and hay bales however. Consider using other items to decorate and the outcome can be fantastic without using the first pumpkin or scarecrow.

When you're creating yard decorations, use thing normally found around a farm, a garden, or in the forest. Use several groups of dried corn stalks tied together as the backdrop for your yard decorations. In front of the stalks, put a couple of overturned wooden baskets or hay bales to create spots for other decorations.

Place potted mums in yellow and red on the hay bales. Next, add a few plain gourds, but not pumpkins. Drape grape vines to give the grouping another texture. On top of the grape vines, place gathered ears of Indian corn that have been tied together with a dark green ribbon. You can even create a scarecrow, if you must, but it's not necessary.

Don't neglect the porch when decorating the outside of your home. You can bring some of the elements from your yard onto the porch, and then carry those elements into the house. For instance, if you have used red mums out in the yard, use them on the porch as well. Tie some of the corn stalks onto the columns for the porch and then put groups of Indian corn on the stalks.

For the door, create a wreath with grape vines and put Indian corn on it. Spray paint some pine cones before hot gluing them to the wreath. Add silk mums, use cranberries, or other dried fruit to add more color and variety to your wreath. Create a bow using raffia and hot glue it to the top or bottom of the wreath as the final touch before hanging it on the door.

Once inside the home, don't go overboard with the harvest decorations. If you have stairs in the foyer, consider wrapping a garland of fall leaves along the handrail. Put a small display at the base of the stairs. Most importantly, though, create the mood you'd like with scent rather than decorations. You could bake a pumpkin pie, or use one of the many scented candles available today.

Don't overdo decorations and save the major decorations for the table. Start with a solid tablecloth as the base for the table decorations. Those decorations can include the dishes and napkins, or it could be a centerpiece of the same red and yellow mums, painted pine cones, and Indian corn. A cornucopia with fruit and nuts cascading from it would also be nice choice.

However you plan to decorate, whether inside or outside, remember that harvest decorations are about more than pumpkins and scarecrows. Use what nature provides to decorate your home, and have fun while you plan each display. Decorations are a plus, but the love that your guests feel at your home will be what brings them back.

It won't be long until autumn officially begins. You can already feel the crispness in the air. You might even notice a little nip that hints at autumn's soon return. Cooler weather causes the leaves to change throughout the country. It also encourages people to plan trips to enjoy nature's beauty.

In many areas, you can find people who will set aside a day or even a whole weekend to drive around to see the beautiful colors that will splash across the landscape. Brilliant yellows and oranges contrast against the reds, browns, and evergreens in a cascade of opulence that can't be equaled in the finest paintings. Take a camera on your trip and share the beauty with those not fortunate enough to be able to go along.

Leaves change colors because of the amount of chlorophyll in the leaves. In the spring and summer, there is a lot of chlorophyll. In the fall, the chlorophyll moves into the rest of the tree. This movement, along with the amount of rain, sugar in the leaves, and the temperatures during the summer also help determine what color the leaves will turn.

The biggest determinant of what color the leaves will be is the type of tree. Birch, elm, ash, poplar, willow, and some maple tree leaves will turn yellow. Some oaks, some maples, sumac, and tupelo tree leaves will become red. Orange leaves may be found on some oaks and maples. Sugar maple, dogwood, sweet gum, and sourwood trees will produce either red or yellow leaves.

When planning your trip, whether for a day or a weekend, give yourself a little bit of leeway. Leaves won't change on a specific date each year, so allow yourself a period of a week or so to take the trip.

New England is one of the most popular destinations for viewing the fall foliage. In fact, the end of September and beginning of October are wonderful weeks to make your trip. If you're planning a weekend jaunt, make reservations as early as possible, or avoid the need of accommodations, by planning a day trip instead.

If you live close to other areas of the country, you can enjoy the beauty of the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia in early October. The Rocky Mountains normally also have their peak viewing times around the beginning of October. If you live in Oregon, you can wait until early November to plan your trip. Are you in the South? Plan a trip through the Ozarks or take a trip to Alabama during October and November.

Check the weather reports in your area to find out when the peak viewing times will be or contact the USDA Forest Service. They should have information to tell you when the peak viewing times are in each state. With a little bit of planning, you will soon be enjoying all of nature's colorful beauty.

As the seasons change from summer to autumn, school systems and communities begin to plan for the annual fall or harvest festival. Thanksgiving, one of the most well-known holidays in the United States, is really nothing more than a harvest festival. The harvest festival, celebrated throughout the world, was used as a means to give thanks for an abundant harvest and a way to share the bounty with those less fortunate.

The harvest festival has an interesting history. Festivals around the time of the harvest are found in ancient Egyptian, ancient Chinese, and ancient Greek texts, as well as descriptions of the Jewish harvest festival found in the Bible. These festivals were celebrated at different times of the year, however, because the harvest season was not the same everywhere.

One of the main components of any harvest festival is food. Since food was planted only once a year, it was harvested once a year, as well. Therefore, the food was planted in enough quantity to be able to last for a whole year. If there was extra food, it was either given to those less fortunate or sold to help purchase other needed items. As food became more plentiful, however, other components were added to the harvest festival.

If you visited a number of harvest festivals at local schools, each one would be different, much like for each community. At some you may find a carnival atmosphere with games and fun activities. Yet another school might try to keep things more traditional by focusing more on locally grown produce or items provided by their 4-H or FFA clubs. In either case, there's sure to be fun and a great opportunity to interact with people from the community.

In churches and communities around the US, harvest festivals are planned toward the end of October to kick off the holiday season. Many harvest festivals will have crafts fairs. There will usually be farmers at the festivals trying to sell their harvest goods including gourds, apples, and pumpkins. You might even be lucky enough to find local honey too.

Harvest festivals, while they have been around for hundreds of years, have changed over time. They used to be strictly as a means to say thank you for a good harvest and to help your neighbor. Now, however, they're more about fun and selling handcrafted items. The fruits of the harvest can still be seen, but they aren't the main attraction any longer.

With the change in emphasis, it seems each year there are fewer harvest festivals at local schools and in the communities. If you search carefully, you should still be able to find a few. Enjoy the festivities and the opportunity to mingle with your neighbors. It is the neighbor, after all that helped harvest the crops in times past. Take the time to reconnect with your neighbors and enjoy the bounty of harvest.

Fall is a great time to enjoy activities that you may not have had the opportunity to enjoy during the summer because of the oppressive heat. Now would be a great time to plan a trip to enjoy the great outdoors. Camping, hiking, backpacking, and geocaching are just a few of the activities that would be more enjoyable during the crispness of autumn.

While it's true that you can go camping during the summer, unless you are able to travel to the mountains where it's always cooler, it may have been too hot to enjoy the trip. One of the benefits to camping in the fall over the summer is that bugs are less likely to be a problem. You're also less likely to come across snakes as they will be searching for dens in which to hibernate this winter.

Autumn camping gives you the best of both worlds - warm days to enjoy hiking and traipsing around nature, but cool enough to truly enjoy cuddling up around a campfire. What is better than a crisp autumn evening, making S'mores around the campfire, and enjoying the aroma and sounds of the crackling fire? When the leaves start to change colors and the air turns cool, this is the perfect time to pitch a tent and enjoy a weekend of camping.

You can enjoy a hike in the woods during the summer months, but you won't get quite so hot during the fall. In fact, one of the biggest reasons to wait until fall to go hiking is that you won't have to fight with tons of other people as you travel along the trails. Not having to deal with as many people is a great reason to wait until later in the year to hit the trails. It would also be a perfect time to take someone on their first hike. They won't have to worry about carrying quite as much in their backpack and the scenery will be a joy to behold.

Backpacking, which is really a combination of hiking and camping, is another activity that can be enjoyed during the fall. It's a great way for you to take a day or two to get away from the daily grind, reconnect with nature, and refresh your spirit. Be sure to take along plenty of water, even though the weather won't be as hot, you'll still need to keep yourself well hydrated.

A recent activity that people are enjoying is geocaching. The best of hiking and backpacking, geocaching is a trip with a purpose - locating the cache that was hidden by another participant. This activity, however, requires that you have a GPS unit to find the cache, but requires you to be prepared to climb, hike, and hit the trails. You are allowed to remove items from the cache you find, but you are also required to leave something for the next person to find.

All of these activities can be enjoyed during the spring and summer months, but they can be just as enjoyable, if not more so, during the fall months. The weather is not going to be as hot, there will be less people to contend with, and the scenery will be beautiful.

Once the school buses start to roll and the bells begin to ring, you know it won't be long before Friday night football begins. Whether your child plays or not, it's likely that they will want to attend some of the games during the year. It's normal for students to attend high school or college football games, not so much for the game, but for the social aspect of the game.

Friday night football games are a major social event at most high schools, especially if the game is a home game. The students will probably get out of class for an afternoon pep rally in preparation for the game. The players sit back and bask in the adulation as the crowd encourages them to do their best.

Of course, all this pre-game encouragement probably won't affect the outcome of the game. It is the hard work and dedication of the coaching staff and players during practice that makes or breaks the evening. The fans at the game, however, can have an effect as they spur the players toward victory, amidst the smells of hot dogs, cotton candy, and the sounds of people yelling and laughing in the crowds.

The football game is also the place to be seen. Quite often the teenagers who come to the game don't even watch it. They walk the track around the field and talk to their friends. Students buy soft drinks and walk miles around the track, hoping that they'll get noticed by that one person they have a crush on. The game, however, continues to play on despite their lack of interest.

If high school football isn't enough to keep a family busy, there are also college level games to consider. Some college and university towns go crazy when football season starts. The players, while trying to work hard and maintain a decent grade point average, don't want to let the students, alumni, and other fans down.

Football rivalries are another aspect of the football mystique. The teams, usually from within the same state, will meet once a year for a regular game. Often these rivalry games are during homecoming week. Alumni gather at their alma mater to remember the good old days when they played on the team, and they expect a great game - one more win against that rival.

The cycle begins again each year. A week or two after school starts, football season kicks into gear. The football game - the players, the coaches, and the spectators - all have a part to play in the ritual of autumn. Football, although a loss might not be the end of the world, you sure couldn't tell it from the reactions of the people that enjoy the game and follow it religiously.

Most people believe that once the weather begins to cool, gardening must come to an end. However, if you plan things correctly, the autumn can be the perfect time to start a whole new garden. Depending upon where you live, you can use the fall to plant some hardy vegetables and flowers.

Planting a fall garden extends the benefit of planting a garden in the first place - which is to provide for your family and enjoy the process of planting and harvesting. To get the most out of your garden, use cold frames or hotbeds to plant in, as well as your summer garden plot. Check with a local county agent or nursery to see what vegetables and flowers can be grown in the fall and winter.

Cool-season vegetables include carrots, broccoli, and cauliflower. Depending on where you live, the variety of vegetables might be different. The beginning of fall is the prime time to plan and plant your garden. Keep in mind that most plants need 60 to 80 days to mature. Determine the last viable planting date by counting backwards from last year's first frost date.

Prepare the garden site by removing any of the summer season's plants and any weeds that might have grown up. Till or spade the soil to at least 6 inches, preferably 8 inches. Don't forget to add 1 to 2 pounds of a complete fertilizer to the soil.

If you know that you can keep your fall garden adequately watered, you should be able to plant the seed directly into the ground. If you're not sure your garden will get the water it needs, consider purchasing seedlings from the local nursery. Plant the seeds deeper in the fall than you would during the spring since the moisture and temperature of the soil is different. Also remember that plants need a minimum of one inch of water per week to grow properly.

One consideration for fall planting is how to protect the garden from the first early frosts. Consider covering your beds and rows with burlap or put stakes along the rows and float a cover over the plants to protect them. If you have a smaller garden and only a few plants, you can use milk jugs, paper cups, or something similar to protect your plants from frosts.

Plan your garden based on the type of plants - frost tolerant or frost susceptible - keeping the types of plants together so they can be easily harvested. Some frost tolerant vegetables include beets, cauliflower, cabbage, carrots, garlic, lettuce, onions, and spinach. Frost susceptible vegetables would be beans, corn, cucumbers, eggplant, okra, potatoes, and squash. You won't fill an entire garden with short-term, frost susceptible plants, but you could plant a few if they will have the opportunity to grow and produce.

Fall temperatures don't have to mean that you can't still enjoy gardening. Some vegetables are cold-weather hardy and may provide an additional harvest before winter arrives. Make sure you have the time for the plants to mature and produce. Enjoy the process of planning and planting a fall garden, you will be glad that you did.

Each year, millions of people clear an area for a garden, hoping to enjoy the fruits of the harvest throughout the summer. If they've had an especially bountiful garden, they may even be able to can or freeze some foods to enjoy long after the summer is over. Choosing to can or freeze your produce doesn't need to be stressful, but will require a bit of extra time from you.

There are a variety ways you can preserve the goodness of a summer's harvest. The most common are canning and freezing. Each method of storing requires the fully mature healthy vegetables or fruits to begin. However, if your fruit or vegetables are bruised, you can still enjoy them, you just might not get to store them as you would prefer.

Vegetables, when picked at the peak of freshness, and then frozen, taste almost like fresh from the garden. Begin with freshly picked and cleaned vegetables, making sure to remove all dirt. Blanch the vegetables by submerging no more than one pound of vegetable to one gallon of quickly boiling water. Allow to remain in the water for one minute, and then immediately remove and place in a bowl of ice water. This process helps the vegetables retain nutrients. This process also aides in keeping color, texture, and flavor. Blanched and frozen vegetables will be good for 8 to 12 weeks.

The best choices when choosing to freeze the vegetables from your garden include green beans, beets, broccoli, carrots, corn, and peas. You can also successfully freeze peas peppers, and squash. While you can freeze tomatoes, either cut up or whole, they won't taste as fresh as if they were canned.

Canning is the preferred method for preserving fruits and vegetables with high water content such as tomatoes, mushrooms, beans, and peaches. If you choose to can, however, you must follow the directions exactly. Failing to follow directions can make the effort wasted because the process won't work.

When choosing to can your produce, you can either use a pressure canner or a standard canning pot. The pressure canner is quicker since it uses pressure to remove excess air and produce a firm seal; however it is also considered to be more dangerous because of the pressure that is built up. No matter which method you use to can, you will want to use standard canning jars that are sterilized and only new seal lids. Follow the directions exactly as written for the best results.

When the gardening season ends and you have extra produce, you can either share the bounty, or choose to store it in another manner. Canning and freezing the end of season harvest is one way to extend the goodness of summer and help to save money as well. It may be a little bit time consuming, but the results will be well worth it when you're enjoying the fruits of your labor well into winter.

If you're a gardener, you know how expensive tools can be. If you leave them caked with dirt at the end of the summer you may have to replace them the next season. Proper care and maintenance at the end of summer can save money and help you start gardening sooner the next year. Follow these tips to keep your tools in working order for next year's gardening season.

Digging tools like shovels, hoes, and hand trowels should be free of dirt each time you use them, but at least prior to retiring them for the winter. Wash them with water, but dry them thoroughly. If they're dull, sharpen your tools before storing them. Keeping your tools sharp will enable you to use them at the start of the season rather than having to prepare them for use next year. Clean off as much rust as you possibly can with a wire brush. Follow the wire brush cleaning by wiping the tools with penetrating oil.

Cutting tools such as pruners and loppers should be cleaned each time you finish using them. Cleaning them each time will keep them from becoming gummy from tree sap. To thoroughly clean the sap from the blades, use steel wool to remove the residue. Make sure the blades stay dry and follow up with a thin coat of mineral oil. By applying silicone-based oil to the blades you will prevent rust from forming. Sharpen these tools as needed, but at least once a year.

Many tools have wooden handles. Check the handles regularly to be sure the wood isn't split. Split handles should be replaced. Generously oil the wooden handles with boiled linseed oil, allowing it to soak into the wood prior to wiping of the excess. You may also paint the handles to protect the wood. If you choose to paint the handles, clean off all of the old paint first, making sure that the wood is dry prior to painting them. Use a fine sandpaper to smooth the wood and then apply two coats of an oil-based paint.

The most expensive tools you have for your garden are most likely the tiller and lawn mower. Prepare for the coming gardening season by draining the gas from the engines after the season's last use. Remove the spark plugs and spray a bit of WD-40 into the plug hole before replacing the spark plug. These two maintenance activities will enable your tiller and mower start easier in the spring.

Garden hoses should be thoroughly drained when used for the last time. In order to keep them from in even better shape and ready to use next year, roll them up and store them out of the weather in a shed or garage.

By taking the time at season's end to properly care for your garden and lawn tools, you extend the life of the tool and shorten the amount of time it takes to begin your gardening activities again next spring. These tips, while not exhaustive, are a good place to start in order to care for your tools before winter arrives.

Most people think that once the weather begins to change, the grass will stop growing and their yard duties will be over until the next spring. Nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, fall is a great time to begin planning and planting for spring, and making sure that your lawn and plants will be protected for the winter.

One of the most obvious places to begin when thinking about preparing your yard for winter is to consider the gardens you might have. Whether you have flower gardens or a full-fledged vegetable garden, both will benefit from proper end-of-season care.

Start your clean-up in the garden by removing any old plants since they can harbor diseases. Throw the plants away, don't compost them. Leave some plants, such as black-eyed Susans, purple coneflower, and grasses as they help provide seeds for wintering birds. Remove the leaves of hosta, lilies, and irises. These leaves might end up being used for a slug's winter home, which you don't want.

Now is the time to add compost to your garden to give it additional nutrients. If you don't have your own compost pile, you might be able to get some from your city government, or purchase it from the local nursery. Layer the compost on top of the soil to a depth of four or five inches before you add mulch.

Your grass might not appear to be growing any longer, but that's not entirely true. In fact the roots are continuing to grow as they prepare for winter. This is the time to fertilize and reseed your lawn. If there are bare spots, think about adding sod to cover the spots now so they have a chance to establish their root system prior to spring.

Flowering shrubs, such as roses, need to be pruned for healthy growth in the spring. Wait to prune until after the leaves have turned, which lets you know the plant is in a dormant state. If you've never pruned before, you can visit a local nursery or home improvement store for proper instruction on pruning your plants. Spread mulch around the base of the plant to help protect and insulate it during the winter.

Don't forget to prune your trees. Tress should typically be pruned in the early autumn, but to find out the best time for specific trees in your area, contact a local county agent or arborist. Make sure you trim any limbs from around power lines and away from your house to prevent any damage from ice or snow during the winter. Don't forget to slowly soak the roots of your trees well before the first ground freeze.

Your lawn and garden, while they don't require as much work in winter, still need your attention. A little time and effort now will help your lawn look better than ever when spring arrives, and will protect your flowering plants so they'll be healthy and ready to bloom again after the cold weather has passed.

Unless you live in Hawaii or some other tropical destination that the weather never changes, you probably have sports equipment that is only used during one season of the year. This equipment may include baseball, soccer, basketball, or swimming items. And, since you can't use these items throughout the year, you have to store them during the off-season. These hints may help you decide how best to store your sporting equipment so that it's ready for you when next year's season arrives.

Before you decide which items to store, you might need to think about which items you want to keep. Go through the equipment that you need to store and decide if you will actually continue to use those skates or not. What about the old soccer ball that's all scuffed up? Didn't you get a new one just a few weeks ago? If you have some items that you've outgrown either physically or emotionally, you might consider giving those items away. This will lessen the amount of storage space you will require and just might make someone else's day.

After determining which items you could part with, the next step to consider is ease of access. You don't want to store equipment that you know you'll be using someplace out of the way. The old saying goes, "Out of sight, out of mind," and for good reason. If you store your sports equipment in the attic, you may forget you even have it and go buy more, which will be extra money spent needlessly.

If you have a decent sized storage area, consider using garbage cans to store hockey sticks, baseball bats, ski poles, and any other tall sports items. Keep these type of items stored in a can twice the height of the items to ensure safety. If storing them vertically isn't possible, try installing hooks on the walls as an alternative.

Sporting goods stores have great ideas for displaying sports equipment. Use some of their ideas for your own storage problems. Purchase mounted racks to hold similar sports equipment. For instance, you will want to store all your boots and shoes together so they are easily accessible when you need them.

Don't leave the various sports balls on the ground. Use baskets, mesh bags, or duffle bags to hold them and hang the bags from the ceiling to keep them off the floor. Don't forget to store your pump with the balls as well.

If the local schools are redecorating, check to see if they have any old lockers for sale. These would make a great place for storing your sporting equipment. If you can't find any lockers at the schools, check online.

Whether your equipment is used often during the summer or not, you will eventually need to put it away for a season. By following these suggestions for storing sports equipment, you will be better organized when it's time to play again next year.

Each year hundreds of dollars are lost because homes aren't winterized properly. Heat escapes through leaks around doors and windows or by inadequate insulation, but there are steps you can take to stop those leaks and keep more of your hard-earned money. By following these simple suggestions, you should be able to save money and help keep your family and yourself a little warmer this winter.

Winterizing your home is not a difficult task. It is one that can help protect your home and keep you from spending so much to heat your home. Check each of the following to see if you're losing money in these areas:

Air leaks - Check the weather stripping around each door and window. If it is damaged or worn, replace it. Caulk anywhere you see gaps. Don't forget to install storm doors and windows if they were removed for the summer. Visually inspect the entry point of pipes and ducts into the walls. If there is visible space, use insulation or weather stripping to stop cold air from entering your house. Consider adding insulation behind each electrical plug that is along an exterior wall.

Attic insulation - Probably nothing that you do to winterize will have as much of an effect as ensuring you have enough insulation in your attic. Your local home improvement store should be able to tell you how much insulation is needed in your area. Check the insulation and then add any necessary to keep the cold air out.

Heating system - After the attic insulation, the next obvious place to save money is your heating system. Now is the time to have a heating professional check your system, before it is an emergency. Replace any filters your unit may have and vacuum all vents. If you have a fireplace, have the chimney professionally inspected and cleaned. Close the damper if it is not in use.

Outside the house - Take a few minutes to climb a ladder and visually walk your roof. Replace any loose or missing shingles. Clean drain gutters and downspouts. Trim any limbs that are overhanging or touching your roof. Check the flashings around the chimney and vent pipes and caulk if necessary.

Protect the plumbing - If you usually have problems with pipes freezing in the winter, consider adding heat tape and extra insulation around those pipes. Learn where the whole house shut off is so you can turn the water off in case of a major leak. If you know you won't be using the outside faucets, drain and cover them.

Since you still have time before the really cold weather hits, now would be a great time to begin winterizing your home. By checking these areas, you will have the time needed to make the improvements so you'll be ready for winter. These suggestions, when taken a few at a time, can be completed before winter strikes and you have an emergency to handle.

Your automobile is one of the most expensive purchases you will make, outside of your home. So, if you plan on keeping your car in top working order, winterizing your car each year is a must. The following tips will help you know what you need to do to winterize your car before the cold weather arrives.

Change your oil -Change the oil from 10W-30 during the summer to 5W-30 in the winter. If you're not sure whether to change the oil, check your owner's manual to see what the manufacturer recommends. Most vehicles call for an oil change every 3 months or 3,000 miles.

Check your antifreeze - Before the weather changes too much and the temperature drops too far, check the antifreeze in your cooling system to ensure that the ratio is around 60% coolant and 40% water. Check your owner's manual or ask a local mechanic to find the correct mixture needed for your area's winter conditions.

Check the battery -Prior to winter, inspect the battery, cables, terminals, and fluid levels. Look for tight terminal connections and make sure the cables don't have cracks or breaks. Check the level of water in the battery cells. If the water is below the cap, refill it with distilled water, but do this while the engine is off. Verify the age of your battery, if the battery is getting close to its expected life, go ahead and replace it.

Test the belts - Check all of the belts and hoses to ensure they're not loose or cracked. A loose belt could be all that keeps you from your destination. A blown hose may also set your planned trip back.

Do you need snow tires? - If you live in an area that you'll need snow tires, you have some options. All-season tires are available, as well as chains that you can purchase rather than having to replace all four tires. If you live in an area where there is a lot of snow, consider trading out your summer tires for snow tires. Just don't forget to change them back in the spring.

Locks and keys - Make sure the lock system is working well. If you do get locked out, you can purchase a glycerine product to de-ice the locks. Keep a couple handy, just in case you find yourself locked out this winter.

Keep an emergency kit handy - While no one wants to ever find themselves in need of one, it's a good idea to have an emergency kit in your vehicle at all times. The following items are good to keep in your car in case of an emergency: Flares, blankets, wind-up radio, wind-up flashlight, a change of clothes, a pair of heavy boots and gloves, and a box of non-perishable food and water.

If you take the time to winterize your car before you need to have it done, you're going to be a step ahead of those who wait too long. You'll be prepared in case your vehicle breaks down. Planning ahead and choosing to winterize your car at the end of the summer will help your car remain safe and reliable throughout the cold winter months.

The summer is winding down and the days are getting shorter. Soon the weather will begin to change, as well. Now would be a great time to begin a new hobby. In fact, cooler weather is the perfect time to try your hand at crocheting, knitting, or sewing. Not only will you be able to create a useful item, you may also keep yourself warmer during the colder temperatures.

Learning to crochet isn't difficult. Crocheting is so easy; in fact, it only requires a crochet hook and yarn to begin. You can find online tutorials for a beginner, most of them free. You can also find a vast collection of free patterns on the Internet - ranging from easy to complex. If you don't have Internet access, crocheting books are available at most craft stores or at the public library.

Once you are comfortable with crocheting, you will likely want to purchase a number of different sized hooks. You will also need to purchase the yarn for the pattern you attempt. To help you stay warmer, you might consider creating an afghan. There are a number of patterns, but you don't have to attempt something difficult. Afghans can be created using just one or two crochet stitches.

If you're more adventurous, perhaps you would like to give knitting a try. Knitting has been the technique used throughout history to create wearable objects - sweaters, hats, gloves, and scarves are all made by knitting. To learn to knit, you will learn the two basic stitches - knit and purl - which can be used to create a multitude of different stitches each giving a different appearance.

While crocheting only requires one hook, you need two needles to knit. In fact, some knitting can be done on circular knitting needles. These needles make it possible to create an object without a seam and make knitting easier by cutting out the need to turn your project at the end of a row.

What if you aren't really interested in using needles or hooks and yarn to create your warm-up project? There's always quilting, which has been a relaxing hobby for years. One of the benefits of quilting is the increased freedom you have versus other similar crafts. Creativity and time are what you need to make a quilt you can be proud of.

As with crocheting and knitting, you can find patterns and instructions for quilting on the Internet. The biggest expense, if you choose to quilt in this manner, is a sewing machine. You can quilt entirely by hand, however, if you would like to quilt in a traditional way, you will need a machine.

Crocheting, knitting, and quilting don't have to be expensive; you really can create many wearable pieces with each type of craft. And, if you need to stay a little bit warmer this fall or winter, starting a new hobby such as these might be just the thing to try this autumn.