I have always wanted a house with a front porch with room for rockers and a porch swing like my grandmother’s house in the country. We would sit out there and shell peas, shuck corn, count cars, or just talk. The rhythm of the chairs as they rocked and the gentle sounds of the outdoors made it such a peaceful place to be. Plus, my grandmother was such a sweet, gentle woman, you could not help but be at peace around her. A few years ago, I finally got my front porch, complete with rockers and a swing. I sit out there almost daily and often think about the times on her front porch.
While I don’t shell peas or count cars, I do enjoy the peaceful sounds of the outdoors, especially at night. Since this is my place of peace, and the front of my home, decorating my outdoor space for various seasons and holidays brings me much joy. I have been biting at the bit for October to roll around to refresh my sad and tired summer plants with the pumpkins and mums.
Like most families, decorating our front porch with pumpkins carved and decorated by the kids is a fall tradition. First, we pick a day to go out and find the perfect pumpkins. We are very lucky to have some really fun pumpkin patches in the area to visit. Many include lots of family activities like corn hole, mazes, games, and more! As Christina Katz shares in this month’s feature, Pilgrimage To The Pumpkin Patch: Make It An Annual Family Tradition, picking out a pump-kin can be much more fun than visiting your local grocery store.
Not only do we have fun, festive pumpkin patches in the area, but we also have many fairs, festivals, and other fall events for families to enjoy together. So much so that we have dedicated an entire section of the magazine to these types of events. The Fall Festival Guide is a great place to start planning your fall fam-ily outings and start some new traditions. Don’t stop there, though. Make sure you flip over to the Family Calendar for even more local events.
Of course, we can’t close out an October issue without mentioning Trick-or-Treating! Going out dressed in costume and gathering bags of goodies should equate to a fun family outing. But, as any parent knows, this lovely time out can quickly turn on us if we are not prepared. Weather changes, tired kids, and cos-tume malfunctions are just a few of the kinks parents may experience while out trick-or-treating. Fortunately, Christina Katz provides helpful tips in this month’s feature, More Magic & Fewer Meltdowns: Tips For Trick-Or-Treating Parents.
No matter your family’s fall plans, we hope you enjoy this wonderful season. Happy Fall!
Author: Lynn Knighton
Lynn has called the Gulf area home since 2006 with her husband Brad and their 3 daughters. Following the sale of her Abrakadoodle franchise, Lynn still wanted to serve families and help them thrive. Becoming the Publisher of Greater Pensacola Parents was the perfect opportunity. Now she invests into family's lives each month by providing the area's #1 go-to resource for moms and dads.
