Guest Blogger: Tanya from Ignite Your ....

I am so excited today to have Tanya from Ignite Your ... guest posting. I know what you are wondering. Ignite your what? Well, that is exactly the answer that Tanya takes time to write about every week. She is going to do this for 52 weeks. Write about what it will take to ignite your Energy, Home, or even your Child's School. She is just full of great ideas and practical ways to apply yourself. This week she is focusing on Igniting your Autumn and she has some great tips on how to do that on a budget that she is going to share with us today! Settle in - your gonna love her!

I am thrilled to be guest posting at Frugal With A Flourish. This is my first time guest posting and I can’t thank Jess enough for trusting me to speak to her awesome readers (what was she thinking!) Our topic today is igniting your autumn on a budget. I’ve come up with 5 ways to help us do that, so let’s dig in.

1. Use natural decorations. This is one of my favorite ways to decorate for any season but especially fall. Nature has a bounty of supplies ready for us to use. Gourds, acorns, leaves, pumpkins, apples, they all have great color. Try to use them in unexpected ways that highlight their natural beauty. Glass containers of different shapes and sizes are great for this.

2. Start a new tradition. Traditions are such a wonderful way to make family time and holidays memorable so why not have one for the welcoming of autumn. One thing I like to do it to make at least one new decoration for the holidays. This year it was a Halloween decoration that my daughter Chloe and I made. We found this cute kit in Barnes and Noble to make a Shrinky Dink Halloween tree. With my members discount and a coupon, it only cost $12.96.

Or how about you try going apple picking. As kids my sisters and I loved this activity and I have since shared it with my own children. There is nothing like an apple picked right from the tree. It doesn’t matter what you do, it’s the time spent together that will be remembered.

3. Reflect on the past season. It’s fun to look through pictures and remember things that took place over the summer. Even if we didn’t take a vacation, I was always surprised at how much we did do. This year I asked my family to each come up with one thing that meant the most to them from the summer. I put it together in an 11by 14 in. frame along with some photos. Here is how it came out.

Don’t feel bad if you don’t have 1 photo of everyone together, I didn’t either. With 2 older children, it’s tough for all of us to be together. You can keep it in the frame until next season and add the page to a scrapbook.

4. Ignite the season with color. Color is one of the best ways to reflect the changing seasons. Try using colors in these three areas of your life.

Your home. Try painting one wall a different color, maybe just for the season. The great thing about paint is that it’s fairly inexpensive and you can always paint over it again. Also try using fall colored candles to accent your tables. I revamped these candle holders that I’ve had for some time.

Your wardrobe. There is usually one color that is featured for that particular season. Buy one or two pieces in that color that you can blend into the next season. Some of this season’s prominent colors are pinks, purples and grays. I love a pop of color to brighten the grayer days that are coming. Think of pieces like t-shirts, belts and scarves, simple and inexpensive.

Your table. Cooking with foods that are in season is always a budget friendly idea. Choosing foods with colors of the season is a great way of brightening your table. How about acorn squash , apple tarts and roasted vegetables to start.

5. Set a goal for the upcoming season. It could be anything. Maybe set one personal goal, like saving a certain amount of money for holiday shopping, and one family goal. Your family could collect food for a local food pantry.

Or maybe your family needs to spend more time together. Make that your goal. Goals have a way of making you more productive and alive. They give you motivation to keep growing as a person. Start each new season off with a goal and see how much you can accomplish.

I hope you will be inspired by these ideas to ignite your autumn and welcome all of the bounty it brings. Thanks for being a captive audience and Happy Fall everyone!

Aren't these great ideas?  Thanks Tanya!   

So what about you?  See anything here that has inspired you to ignite your autumn?  What is your favorite idea for celebrating fall on a budget?  Share it with us!