Autumn - The Gallery

I love Autumn, I think it is my favourite season, so when Tara at Stickyfingers said this weeks Gallery was about seasons - I was made up.

Originally, when I was young it was because my birthday was in October and the new school started in September. This was reason enough to love the season. Nothing to do with the colours and the beauty of this time of year.

Now for me, Autumn stills starts at the beginning of the school year, I send my eldest off in her new uniform all smart and shiny and bright.

Then it is my youngest's birthday, so still about the birthdays.

Then mine, I have no photo recording this so instead I will put one of the pictures that symbolise autumn for me.

Nice weather for ducks!

Then, of course comes pumpkins and Halloween

and conker hunts.

At this time of year my road looks gorgeous.

And for me Autumn finishes on Bonfire Night...

Now roll on the cold winter, where it's all about Christmas and being cosy. (Love that too...)

Wordless Wednesday - Sausages

Last BBQ of the season. Here comes Autumn.

Autumnal money savers for Christmas

The leaves are falling off the trees and autumn is here...So now it's time to think about how to save money this Christmas. Here are a couple of things I will be doing.

Helpful Tip number 1

Take your sunflower heads and dry them out a bit (for about a week). When the top feels dry to touch pop out the seeds. Then leave the seeds to dry out on a plate on a sunny window sill (you may have to sort out the seeds from some chaff, but get your children with their little fingers to help with this, they will love it)

Print out lots of pictures of sunflowers (or cut out from magazines) and glue them onto little envelopes. Put 10 seeds in each, great as gifts for all your children's school friends or into hampers.

Helpful Tip number 2

Dry out your herbs (just by hanging them in your kitchen) then crush them up a bit and pop them into little glass pots (4 for £1.99 from Ikea). Buy some sticky labels, cut to size and hand write your labels (best handwriting, please).

Helpful Tip number 3

I have nicked this idea off a friend but I think it is worth sharing. If you want to make hampers for friends it can be quite an expensive exercise. Why not buy something for your friends and family's hampers every week leading up to Christmas so it isn't such a massive expense - one suggestion is these Green and Black chocolates from Ocado they are on offer so if you need to buy a few of each item (I usually make 6 hampers) this kind of offer is fab.

Have you got any hints and tips you could share in the blogosphere to save money this Christmas?