Fall must-haves

Well, the fall season is upon us and with that comes some seasonal changes.  One of our major changes comes that cleanup of the gardens and the yard, as well as a good cleaning of the inside of our house.  I enjoy the summer, when the yard is in full bloom, but there's just something good about cleaning up and almost "shutting down" the yard too.  Here are the fall must-haves that could help your fall cleanup go a bit better than the year before.

Bamboo Rake (903305)

JAPAN Bonsai Tool: TinyGreen Shear High Quality Japanese Butterfly Professional Grade

Two essentials for the fall cleanup is definitely a rake (a good one) and a pair of snips to cut dead flowers and twigs.  Remember, don't prune your roses in the fall!  And fall is a great time to mulch your flowerbeds and other areas too.

  

Inside home cleaning is a necessity as well.  I always use the fall to replace our toilet brush.  We also have a lot of non-carpeted floors, so a duster is needed.  The two above are my favorites so far.

My favorite cleaners to use currently are ones from The Honest Company.

      

Bosmere V181 Haws Indoor 2-Pint/1-Liter Watering Can with Rose and Gift Box, Copper

Bring outdoor plants inside for the winter and don't forget to use a watering can that can actually water without making a mess on your newly cleaned floors.

GloDea X36P1TOS2 Lounge Chair, Teak Oil, Set of 2

Be sure to winterize your summer yard furniture and bring out your winter chairs.  Here in Oregon we have some plastic chairs we got when an old salon went out of business and we leave them out all year.  Out summer teak and wicker however, goes right up into storage for the following year.  I'll update our yard once it's winter-ready in my series section Our Garden Currently.

 

Last two items for fall cleanup should be a notebook and some good, quality pencils.  Fall is always a great time to start writing down and planning your winter wishes, or spring gardening ideas.  I have about three of these in hand each season to write down Christmas gift ideas, DIY projects to try, and also a map of rearranging the furniture, or garden planting.  It's always fun to look back in the books and see what the plans were a few years ago too.  

(This post contains affiliate links.  These links help produce sales that help keep this little blog functioning.  Thank you for supporting South North South.)

What happened this time last year?

Five simple things

Another great Saturday!  We got a bit of rain here overnight and it couldn't have come at a better time.  I like when it rains overnight rather than during the day when you want to be out and about.  I'm anxiously waiting for the return of Downton Abbey.  I've been on a watching binder of Season One-Five right now and over at the PBS Shop Season Six is up for sale.  I have been dropping hints to the Mr. in hopes he will do a bit of early Christmas Shopping for me.  Hehe!  Anyway, here are the things that made my past week awesome.

1.  This Fish Painting.

Because I've been clearing photos from my phone lately and came across it.  It's a wonderful reminder of this fun trip.

2.  This Rug.

Because it would be nice for a man cave, but we don't have one.  Yet.  I am reminded of the fun with Flat Ryan too, with this picture.

3.  This Bell.

Because during my Downton Abbey bender I've been on a mad hunt for a service bell similar.  I have found a few:

1.  Antique Door Bells:  This company was the same one that was actually used on Downton Abbey to supply the bells, so it's more authentic than others.  (They are a bit pricey though, especially in shipping to the United States.)

2.  Downton Abbey At Home:  It's a nice site to look at, but unfortunately, they do not ship to the United States.  Yet.  

3.  This Set Up On Home To Cottage:  Totally swoon-worthy is this setup at Home to Cottage.  It sets my mind on go mode to recreate it.  I love her site too, so give her some love.  Leave a comment and let her know that Shelly from South North South sent you!  Here's a kit similar to what she used.

4.  Crown City Hardware:  Here's another great one from CCH.  They offer a few fun items to add to the bell too.  

5.  Don't Forget The Pull Cords:  Cast Iron....... Tapestry...... 

4.  This Truck.

Because it's nice to see something more positive while on Interstate 5.  Not sure why it struck me as fun, but I feel as though this truck driver has his priorities in the right order. 

5.  This Bag.

Because threUP is on of the companies that's helping us become more minimal.  We've been following the tips here and here to help live with better stuff, not more stuff.  It's a slow-going process, but I have been seeing light at the end of the tunnel.  Get your free bag here and clear out some of the clothing taking up unnecessary space in your home.

A Few Extras:

1.  This Article From 1977.

Because it's interesting to know that some things never change when it comes to style.

2.  This Ice Cream.

Because most of the time it's only here for summer, so it was nice to see during these months.  Of course, it is the end of summer, but still, a bowl of this is great on a rainy day.

3.  This Thought On Food.

Because it's a simple reminder that we should take the time with food and appreciate what it has to offer us in the long run.

What's new at The Peppermint Bee?

Embroidered Strawberry Bracelets.

These are cute and also a reminder of the summer season past.  They are stretch chevron with an embroidered strawberry adorned for a cute flair.  They are listed for $3 and super fun to wear!  You can purchase one from the shop page here.

What happened this time last year?

Friday things

Oh, man!  What a crazy week.  Of course, I feel like I say that to every end of a week, but this one was quite exhausting.  We are looking forward to our trip to Arkansas for Halloween, but there's so much to do before we go, that I am going to need at least a day's worth of a nap once we get there.  Ha!  Anyway, here's the things that made this week awesome!

1.  This tent photo.

Because I came across this photo a few days ago while digging through the photos on my phone.  It was a tent from when we took a road trip to Enchanted Forest in Salem, Oregon.  What a fun trip! (Those photos coming soon)

2.  This sky

Because a lot of people are always skeptical about these jet lines in the sky, but I couldn't help but snap a photo of it over our house.  It just seemed like the perfect shot, to me.

3.  These birthday treats.

  

  

Because we had back to back birthdays to celebrate here.  Mine fell on August 28, Jeff's was on September 16, and Skylar had his on September 30.  It seemed we no more got past one, that we had another pop right up.  We've had such a busy last few weeks, so we decided to wait until Skylar's birthday to celebrate them all.  Jeff picked up a Hello Kitty ice cream cake for me and some wonderful earrings to replace some I lost a few years ago.  I was devastated when I found out I lost one of the ones from years ago, and Jeff's been on a hunt to replace them ever since.  I was so happy he found an exact replacement that I didn't ask where he found them.  I have been wearing them every day since!  

We went out to dinner for all of our birthdays and had the best hamburgers!

Skylar got some Jurassic World Dinosaurs, a Lego set to put together, and some Fruit Roll ups.  He is also getting a new bicycle.  We haven't had the time to go to the bike shop in Corvallis lately, but we are going to take a trip over when we return from our Arkansas trip.  It is time he got a good bicycle to ride with us.  He is growing so fast!  He turned 12 this year and I am still in denial about it all.  

My mom (Arkansas Grandma) sent us all a card with some "extra" cash in it and Skylar and Jeff received a card from the Jeff's mom (Oregon Grandma) here with a nice hello and happy birthday.  It was fun celebrating all the birthdays together.  

(We also got a cool package from my brother in Arkansas.  He sent some birthday gifts for Skylar and the perfect Halloween wreath for our door.  Of course, anyone that isn't a fan of The Walking Dead won't get it, but we loved it!)

4.  These leggings.

Because I've been wearing them quite frequently lately and at first, I didn't like the way they looked on me.  Over time though, I have grown to enjoy the way I look in them and accept my body for the way it is.  Mainly because, I can do more things now than I could a year ago.  I am getting stronger and I can see the changes.  I am enjoying my yoga journey so much and teaching it is really a treat.

5.  This foggy morning.

Because it's getting colder here in the valley and the morning are foggy.  Not sure I am okay with summer being gone, but I enjoy fall, but not really looking forward to the rain that comes with the season changes here.  I tend to take it as it comes year after year.  Some years are better than others, so fingers crossed this year will be "bearable."

A few extras:

1.  Free Halloween Tote.

If you haven't tried Honest Company, now is a great chance.  We've been using it since the beginning of the year and we love it so far.  Right now, you can get a free Halloween tote just for trying it out.  Give it a go for a month!  See how you like it!

2.  A New Article From Examiner.

There's a new article up at Examiner, written by me.  It's about the fall activities to enjoy in Oregon right now.  Head over and take a peek.

(Read Article Here)

• New Item In The Shop

Have you checked out the new Rustic Stars in the Peppermint Bee Shop?

You can get a medium star and a small star for $5.  These are made from Oregon twigs of Oak, Redwood, or Hickory and come ready to display.  They are great for a rustic wedding, or outdoor party.  Order in bulk, or just order a few.  While you're there, check out the other items up for sale at the shop too.

• The President's Visit To Oregon.

On Friday, at about 2:30 p.m. PT, President Obama boarded Air Force One and headed to Seattle.  He came to Oregon to visit with the families of those that lost their lives to a gunman on October 1, 2015, UCC/Snyder Hall in Roseburg, Oregon.  

We live about 30 minutes north of Eugene, Oregon, where Air Force One landed, and took the quick drive down to watch it take off.  Unfortunately, we weren't able to get a good view of President Obama boarding the plane, but we did get some great shots of the aircraft, his motorcade and the motorcade being loaded on the C-17, Marine One helicopter, and the three Osprey half-copters.  It was quite an amazing thing to watch, and Skylar being as young as he is, it was great for him to watch, as well.  I hate that the president had to visit Oregon under these horrible circumstances, but still a great thing to watch.  He is supposedly staying in Seattle for the ninth and will head back to Washington sometime today (Saturday). 

(If you follow me on Instagram then you've already seen this wonderful picture of Air Force One.)

After we watched the Presidential motorcade and planes leave the airport, we went to eat at a pretty neat restaurant.  It was called Buddy's Diner-Nowhere Finer and inside reminded me of a diner from the 50s.  We had the best hamburger and even talked to the waitress about the President's visit.  She said that she was surprised to see so many people come into the diner that watched him fly in and fly out.  She was bummed that President Obama didn't come in for a milkshake though.  

What happened this time last year?