Preparing For Fall

On Sunday, August 27th, it becomes fall..........................at my place. As I mentioned in a previous post, it's Decorating Day (link below). On the first of the month is when I used to decorate but, it's so hard to decorate with Zach around so I do it on the last Saturday of the month or the first if it falls on a Saturday. Gotta love how productive I can be with the boys grocery shopping. It only feels weird until the first because it's still really summery summer but Labor Day weekend is usually a "fall is here" kinda weekend anyway.

It feels weird looking at pumpkins while packing the pool bag or visiting my parents at their lake cabin but it's probably like that for the people buying long sleeves and other back-to-school/fall things the night after spending the day at the pool. It's the nature of this time of year. There are starting to be more days in the 70s which are very September like and I have noticed something else.

My blood is starting to thicken. How could I possibly know that? Well, on nice nights (50 - 95 degrees see chart below). I sit outside on blue Adirondack chairs that we have. That's my favorite place to have a glass of wine and chat with neighbors. I have a "dress for the weather" chart I made that is very detailed including a separate one for sitting outside at night with two sections, thin blood and thick blood nights. How I need to dress does change based on my blood thickness, something that happens to all living beings. Last night I dressed for the right temperature to humidity ratio that I am usually comfortable in yet finished the four hour stint more comfortable dressed in my thick blooded ensemble. A natural occurrence as the temperature cools.

Night Outside

Tops

Bottoms

Sweaters

Socks

Wraps

Leg Blanets

Tank

SS

LS

MN

shorts

Pants

1

2

Socks

1

2

3

Snug

1

2

90˚ - 95˚

85˚ - 90˚

80˚ - 85˚

75˚ - 80˚

70˚ - 75˚

65˚ - 70˚

60˚ - 65˚

55˚ - 60˚

50˚ - 55˚

Summer

Summer Subs

Tops

Bottoms

Sweater

Socks

Wraps

Leg Blankets

Summer: Thin Blood

Tank

SS

Shorts

Pants

Sweater

Socks

1

2

3

Snug

1

2

Top: Thick Blood

95˚ - 100˚

90˚ - 95˚

Humidity: 70%

85˚ - 90˚

Wind Chill: 15 mph

80˚ - 85˚

75˚ - 80˚

65˚& ↑:

70˚ - 75˚

Flower Comforter Set

65˚ - 70˚

65˚ & ↓:

60˚ - 65˚

Rainbow Comforter Set

The tree outside our window started to change color with the leaves falling in July, which is strange for me being such a "that's not supposed to happen until September the soonest" type of person. It'll still be loosing leaves into November. Once mid-August hits I can appreciate this sign that fall is near because by then fall is always on my mind.

I don't know if it's because my Birthday is Sept. 17th, that Oct. 16th is our Anniversary or if it's that the fall is the best time of year to be outside (Spring tends to have a lot more rain) but fall is by far my favorite season. For me, it always felt more like the start of the year on September 1st then January 1st. January is the middle of the year where you are in the same grade, the tv shows are in the same season, and over all it doesn't feel different. September 1st is filled with preparation for something new that will be starting "for the year". My birthday approaching does effect my opinion on this. I used to love back-to-school shopping, just not the going back part. My Mom used to let my brother and I take either the night before school or the first day of school to choose our favorite for dinner. I always chose stir fry since my dad got heartburn and it was the only time all year long we got it.
On Decorating Day more will change because it's also a seasonal change not just monthly. The yard will get light up pumpkins (beautiful to look at at night) with the lobsters, seashells, crab, and flip flop sign going back into the garage. The sheets change for monthly but the comforter set also changes for seasonal. My daily shirts, dress cloths, shoes, and coats/jackets will change as well. The place mats and napkins will change and so will the table decorations. There are a lot of other changes I detailed in that Decorating Day post from before.

http://homewithmommy-fran.blogspot.com/2010/12/decorating-day.html


I will tell you about my daily wardrobe. There is a picture below to reference. I use denim Shorts, Capris, or Jeans based on the temperature. It's all about diversity for fall. The shirt sets include a tank, a short sleeve shirt, a long sleeve shirt, a mock neck (which is for when I wear sweaters) and two sweaters because yes it can get that cold. There are five in the rotation, sage and pumpkin, orange, black and black leaves, brown, and the burgundy and leaves sets. The purple and sunflower set (sunflower yellow and sunflower seed tan) is the decorating day and Thanksgiving during the day set and the black set in the back is for Halloween (each season has a holiday set). The purple/sunflower set shares that purple tank with Halloween since it's only five days all season. These will be what I wear, in that order until the Friday after Thanksgiving (so we can do the tree that Saturday Josh and Zach grocery shop that Friday). The burgundy set is under the sage set in the picture because they share the sweaters so it's the best layout. Sometimes I "play with my cloths" and set all the seasons up like this. I usually also set up the dress wardrobe but I didn't for this.

The order is Tank, Short Sleeves, Long Sleeves, Mock neck, Under Sweater and Over Sweater (if needed)

Fran

Tops

Bottoms

Sweaters

Jackets/Coats

Accessories

Cami

Tank

SS

LS

MN

Shorts

Capris

Jeans

1

2

Jacket

Coat (3)

Coat (4)

Hat

Scarf

95˚ and ↑

90˚ - 95˚

85˚ - 90˚

80˚ - 85˚

75˚ - 80˚

70˚ - 75˚

65˚ - 70˚

60˚ - 65˚

55˚ - 60˚

50˚ - 55˚

45˚ - 50˚

40˚ - 45˚

35˚ - 40˚

30˚ - 35˚

30˚ and ↓

Rain: 30% possibly 40% probably

Snow: 30% possibly 40% probably

Day Heavy Exercise: 10˚ higher

Night Heavy Exercise: 5˚ higher

105˚ and ↑:

Too Hot for Zach

follow the chart:

1 level lower for:

80˚ - 105˚:

Swimming (clear, sunny, or mostly sunny days)

Clear

wind 10 mph or more

50˚ - 95˚:

Sitting on chairs as of 11:00pm (8pm is night)

Sunny

cloudy or mostly cloudy

40˚ - 80˚:

Walking (after 7pm, 50 - 90)

Mostly Sunny

dusk through dawn (6pm - 6am)

35˚ - 85˚:

Exploring Outside

Partly Cloudy

snow 1ft. or more on the ground

15˚ - 35˚:

Themal Pants When Exploring or Working Outside

Rain

1 level higher for:

15˚ - 30˚:

Playing in the Snow (Snowpants)

snow

Day Sitting on Chairs

5˚ and ↓:

Too Cold for Zach

Thunder

humidity 60% and higher

The rolled up things in the other picture are the matching lazy pants. The black is the lazy shorts and the jack-o-lanterns are obviously for Halloween. The off white set is for the sage, black, and burgundy sets and the pumpkins are for the orange, brown, and purple/sunflower set. No other season has patterns as part of my daily cloths (excluding holidays and the mock neck for my winter spare set).

It's also starting to emotionally be a hard time for me. This is around when I hoped we'd be able to start trying for another baby. I'm very happy with my life as it is but a second child is something I have always wanted, and never will have. It'll be hard for me to get through this as friends and other mom's with kids Zach's age start getting pregnant with their second plus child and I feel left out and left behind. I'll be reminding myself frequently about the pregnancies and trying. But this does bring a smile to my face because in 2006 when we started trying I was hoping for a June baby meaning a September pregnancy. It took two years but wish granted.

I'll focus on Zach's Halloween costume in the meantime, a squirrel coming out of a pumpkin!!!