Autumn

Happy Halloween!

It's the season for eating the candy you bought for trick-or-treaters before the 31st, searching the internet for an easy and unique Halloween costume and carving pumpkins! The tradition of carving pumpkins for Halloween has its origins in "Ireland, where large turnips and potatoes served as early canvasses. In fact, the name, jack-o'-lantern, comes from an Irish folktale about a man named Stingy Jack. Irish immigrants brought the tradition to America, home of the pumpkin, and it became an integral part of Halloween festivities" (The History Place). Stingy Jack was denied entry to both Heaven and Hell, so was left to roam the earth with a burning coal in a carved out turnip for light. Putting your own 'Jack-o'-lantern' outside of

Thanksgiving weekend has arrived at long last! Queue the smell of pumpkin pie wafting through the air, crunchy leaves crackling underfoot, the cheering of the football stadium, and time spent being thankful with loved ones. Thanksgiving is the perfect opportunity to take a moment to reflect on the year so far. It's a moment to take a deep breath and check in with yourself and your goals so that you can finish the year strong. 

Unfortunately, Thanksgiving is not always a stress-free holiday. Spending so much time with people can be emotionally draining, it can feel like a long weekend of more work as you prepare to host others or travel, and through it all you can find yourself feeling distinctly not grateful for the season; and waiting for Tuesday

The winter may have Christmas, the spring may have flowers, the summer may have backyard BBQ’s, but here at Team Ken Richter we are particularly fond of Autumn. The fall is an absolutely striking season, filled with deep golds and burgundy’s, crunchy leaves, warm scarves and pumpkins. Although we love warm summer days, fall cannot be matched in beautiful Calgary, Alberta. 

The autumn season is fleeting. Here in Calgary it typically lasts from mid-September to mid-October. We are so lucky to get to experience all four seasons here in Calgary, no matter how short some of them may be. Soak them in. Experience them as deeply as you can.

That being said, here is our Autumn Bucket List:

1). Explore A New Community: Communities such as Bowness,

Thanksgiving is this weekend. This annual holiday celebrates the beginning of autumn and gives people a chance to take a step back from the hustle and bustle of their day to day lives to remind themselves of how blessed they are. This thanksgiving we want to challenge you to celebrate by showing those around you just how thankful you are for them. Here some ideas of ways you can do this:

Coworkers: Good coworkers are worth celebrating. After all, not everyone gets to work with the best people. Celebrate your coworkers by bringing in cookies or organizing a potluck lunch where people can bring in Thanksgiving leftovers. Also remember that if you have a job you get to go to every day, you are incredibly fortunate. So many families struggle to find

Tomorrow is the official first day of Fall! Things have been particularly autumnal around Calgary lately, most notably in the crisp weather we've been having. So as summer dresses and bathing suits are stored away and mittens and heavy jackets come back out, many Calgarian's are hurrying to get their homes and lives winterized. 

One area of the home that needs to be winterized is the garden! Rather than simply closing up shop, take a moment to do one final harvest! You may be worried that the food your harvest will go bad before it is consumed. If so, we highly recommend canning whatever is leftover so that you can have fresh, home-grown food even in the middle of winter. Not everything is good canned, but many things seem to get even better once

Back to school is right around the corner! The commercials are on TV, people are flooding Staples and Walmart for supplies, schools everywhere are dusting off their desks and students are trying desperately to soak in every stray moment of summer. With back to school time comes a new dedication to keeping things organized, especially the house. Here are some creative DIY additions that will make back to school easier on your home.

1). Front Entryway Locker Room: Transform your front entry into a mock-locker room by installing little stalls with space for yourself and each of your kids. Put a shelf up for winter hats and gloves, a coat hanger for jackets and backpacks, and a basket for miscellaneous items. This will prevent everything from getting

This Thursday is Thanksgiving in America, a holiday filled with turkey and cranberry sauce for our neighbours to the south. While American thanksgiving used to pass by without notice for many Canadians, these days it marks the start of something very exciting: great deals. 

Canada has fully embraced Black Friday and Cyber Monday, both days marked by incredible retail sales. For many Canadians, this long weekend of savings has marked the start (and end) of all Christmas shopping. Many retailers boast incredible sales, free shipping and one-day-only savings events. Want to take advantage of this year's great deals? Here are some tips:

1). Make a list & check it twice: What are you hoping to get during this weekends deals? Make a list and

Remembrance Day is this weekend on November 11th. In honor of this significant day in Canadian history, this week on the blog we are featuring blogs on Why We Remember, The Significance of the Poppy, and today's blog on Remembrance Day Ceremonies. 

There are many opportunities to remember those who have bravely fought for Canada's freedom, and to thank those who are currently active in the military. Take a moment out of your weekend to pause and reflect on the sacrifices of Canadians past and present. Here is a list of all of the events happening around Calgary:

• Field Of Crosses Memorial Project || November 1st - 11th || Memorial Drive between 3rd & Centre St. NW || 3000 crosses have been set up along memorial drive, each "inscribed with the

Remembrance Day is this weekend on November 11th. In honor of this significant day in Canadian history, this week on the blog we are featuring blogs on The Significance Of The Poppy, How You Can Participate in Remembrance Day and today's blog on Why We Remember.

On the 11th day of the 11th month at the 11th hour, Canadians will stop what they are doing and partake in two minutes of silence to remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country. Having a moment of silence on this particular day is not a trifle decision. It marks a very important day in Canadian history: November 11th, 1918, when "the Armistice was signed and the Canadians took part in the triumphant entry into Mons, Belgium," marking the end of World War I (veterans.gc.ca). 

Halloween was last night and in classic Calgary tradition, today it snowed. With winter waving autumn a chilly farewell, here are some ways you can say farewell to Halloween:

1). Recycle your pumpkin. Now that the compost bins have rolled out across the city, recycling your leaves and pumpkins is easier than ever. Simply cut the pumpkin up into smaller pieces and throw it in your bin. Cover the remains with coffee grounds to help prevent odor (if you don't have any, you can get some from your local Starbucks for free). Sprinkle any leaves you have on top and say hello to less waste and more fertile compost!

2). Donate or reuse extra Halloween candy. Places such as food banks and shelters accept donations of extra Halloween candy, just call ahead to