1. Go apple picking. Even the little ones can help, though you may have to lift them up to the trees!
2. Go to your local high school football game on Friday nights. Kids enjoy the band, the football, the cheering and the food!
3. Have a picnic in the park. When the weather gets a little cooler, this is the best time to take in all the park you can before the cold sets in.
4. Have smores in the firepit out back. Cool weather makes it a great time for lighting a fire and having friends over for the evening.
5. County fairs are often held in early fall. Visit one in the next county and enjoy a change of scenery!
6. Amusement parks are typically open on weekends in the fall and often have fun fall themed activities!
7. Can you think of some fun crafts to do with bright colored leaves and acorns? Have the kids help decorate your front door wreath. Even if it’s not perfect, it’s yours!

Yes, it seems a little early … but this holiday season seems to be flying by fast. It’s only about a week and a half away and it’s something you should definitely be thinking about. Heck, it’s something you might even need to make once to make sure it’s the dessert for you.

For our Christmas, we try something different — usually chocolate based — every year. One year, it was a peppermint and chocolate cake roll. Another year it was vanilla mousse and strawberry fools.

This year, by request, it’s Chocolate Peppermint Pie. We had it for Sunday dinner at the end of November and it was a raving hit.

Not sure what you are making yet? Here are some fantastic recipes from around the web to help you get thinking and planning:

- Ginger Pear Tarts (vegan) at Vegan Visitor

- Pumpkin Torte at Canary Girl

- Devil’s Food Cake with Peppermint Frosting at Dinner & Dessert

- Grandma’s Coconut Cake at Andrea’s Recipes

- Yule Log at Too Many Chefs

- Banana Cream Pie (gluten free) at Gluten Free Girl and The Chef

What to get for this or that person, how to cut back on spending, where to find the best discounts, and should I or shouldn’t I take a chance buying gifts that aren’t found on someone’s wishlist. When did this all get so complicated? Maybe when I had kids, although I must say, buying for my own boys is the only fun part of the season lately. Besides them, I feel like I’m on the losing end of a deadline to buy meaningless gifts.

In moments of clarity, I remember back a few years ago when I never started shopping anytime before Christmas week. Now I start stressing once the Halloween candy is gone. Perhaps it’s because I have to worry about remembering to ask for gift receipts or end up reading too many online customer reviews before making a purchase. Maybe I’m trying to keep up with those friends and relatives who already have their shopping done and gifts wrapped (who are these people?!).

I want to find a day to go marathon shopping sometime soon, but there’s the lines, and the lack of parking spaces, and the fact that I have an infant to cart around with me this year. I also need to make it out of the mall by school dismissal time to pick up my big guy, which is tough. I guess online shopping will once again bail me out, but it takes away some of the fun. I love the feeling of spotting that perfect toy or sweater for someone much more than scrolling an online wishlist and clicking an already-chosen item into a virtual cart.

The point is I want to rediscover the fun holiday shopping sprees of yesteryear. I want my kids to see me excited about the season the way I saw my family enjoy it growing up. Part of that is shopping for gifts, but it was also spending hours in the kitchen baking cookies or making chocolate lollipops while we sang Christmas carols and watched “It’s a Wonderful Life.” In our fast-paced digital world always reminding us how few shopping days are left until Christmas, we need to slow down and kick it old school, if you will. At least I’m going to try.

Readers, what are you doing to curb holiday shopping stress? Please share your tips.

1. Consider seating carefully. During the average week, I’ve got my kids’ car seats set up to give me easy access to the little ones, since they still need to be buckled in. But on longer trips, this arrangement isn’t as logical. Putting the two littlest kids in the bucket seats wastes all the leg room on those that need it least, and also means the three biggest–and most bicker-prone–kids are squashed together in the back bench seat. Try playing with seating a bit: put a big sibling next to the baby (older kids can find a dropped sippy cup or amuse little ones) or a toddler next to the sibling he gets along with best. Or play musical seats at each potty stop, letting each child have a chance at the most coveted spot.

2. Pack Snacks. After our car needed to be completely detailed to remove a funky smell emanating from the back seat, we outlawed eating on the go. But we relax those rules on road trips, when snacks aren’t just a distraction, but a parental sanity-saver. Coolers work, but they add an element of hassle to the trip, so we opt instead for items that don’t have to be chilled: juice boxes, peanut-butter crackers, and fruit, for example.

3. Provide Entertainment. We create family road trip playlists on the iPhone and listen to them over the car’s speaker system with an adapter. Everyone gets a chance to choose the songs. I also pack plenty of books for the car ride–they seem to be the only activity that keeps everybody engaged for a long time (and keeps them from poking one another). Books on tape (or mp3) are another great way to keep everybody thinking about something besides “when will we get there?”

4. Stay Calm. At some point, the car will erupt into crying, screaming, fighting or strange smells. Just take a deep breath and turn up the radio (or roll down the window). Before you know it you’ll be eating turkey and stuffing, and one day your whole family will laugh about those hilarious road trips you took when the kids were young. I promise.

It’s true that Thanksgiving is my personal favorite holiday. For once, it’s a holiday with no strings attached. It’s probably also the least commercialized (if you ignore the marketing promos during the Macy’s parade or the endless specials on The Food Network, that is). What I mean is there are no gifts to wrap, no goodie bags to make, no costumes to wear, no turkey trees to decorate. It’s just family gathering together over some good food and family traditions.

It may sound corny, but it’s sort of my reminder to be thankful for the blessings I have throughout the year. Sometimes it’s hard on those day… you know the ones. Those days when it’s 11:15 p.m. and you still haven’t had a moment’s peace or even time for a shower. Those days when the kids are whiny, you burn dinner, or your babysitter cancels at the last minute. But still, there’s so much to be thankful for, and it’s great to have a holiday that puts thankfulness in the spotlight. And the stuffing’s pretty good, too!

Maybe we should turn everyday into a mini Thanksgiving by having everyone in the family talk about one thing they’re thankful for during dinner. Or maybe we can make sure we say thank you to someone each day. Any other ideas?

What have you taught your children about being thankful?