Yes! Honeysuckle Estates is a great place to live.

The neighborhood is growing and changing.  We once again have two families that will be leaving our neighborhood and hate to see them go. Two great houses are on the market and awaiting their new families.

We have a lot of opportunities to be involved and to get out and meet the neighbors. First up will be the neighborhood annual Halloween party!

Hope everyone is having a great week.

Don't you love the country life? Our neighborhood is FAB! Happy October.

Fall Fun!

I love Fall - it brings cool temps, firepit evenings with the family and lots of fun with the kick off of the holiday season. Here are a few things to do around our area this fall.  Take a look, gather your favorite date or family and get out and about and make some memories.

Dallas fall activities. Here are eight fun fall activities for residents or visitors to Dallas-Fort Worth:
State Fair of Texas
The State Fair of Texas runs from September 26 through October 19 and features lots of family-friendly activities. Typical attendance at the State Fair of Texas is about 3 million people. Enjoy livestock competitions, excellent live music, a huge Ferris wheel, and an assortment of deep fried foods. There is even an auto show!
DFW Elite Auto Rental
Fall is a great time to rent a luxury convertible in Dallas. You can rent a Bentley GTC, Aston Martin, or classic vintage Mercedes from DFW’s premier sports car rental agency. Pamper yourself! Put the top down and take in some of this year’s best driving weather.
Great Pumpkin Festival
Running from September 20 to November 2, the Great Pumpkin Festival is part of Autumn at the Arboretum. The Dallas Arboretum grows many varieties of unusual pumpkins as well as lovely fall flowers like marigolds and chrysanthemums. Hay rides and a pumpkin house are also featured.
Taste of Arlington
This year’s Taste of Arlington will be on October 21. It’s a chance for the best restaurants of Arlington to show off their cooking. Patrons at this year’s taste can sample Arlington’s finest food, hear a little good music, and win a treasure or two in the Taste of Arlington’s charity auctions.
Alliance Air Show
A favorite for aviation fans of all ages, the show always features great demonstrations and a wide variety of vintage aircraft. This year’s air show will be on October 11 and 12. Flight simulators, balloon rides and kids activities round out the October event.
Fall Festival in the Japanese Garden
Take a visit to the Land of the Rising Sun during the fall festival in the Japanese Garden on October 25 and 26. The Japanese Garden is part of the Fort Worth Botanic Gardens. The celebration will include Japanese food, music, dancing and martial arts demonstrations.
Boo at the Zoo
The Fort Worth Zoo will be hosting the annual Boo at the Zoo event October 24 through 29. Bring the kids for an event that will include marionettes, live animals, pumpkin carving, and other activities for the whole family.
DFW Elite Toy Museum
For automobile enthusiasts of all ages, the DFW Elite Toy Museum is a repository of cool stuff. See vintage scale models including several by Enzo Ferrari’s favorite model maker, Michele Conti. The museum’s collection includes memorabilia, automotive-related toys, German driving school models, pedal cars, and carousel cars from the private collection of Fort Worth motivational speaker and business consultant Ron Sturgeon.

Waxachie has a few fun things to do....

A local HAUNT! Waxahachie Screams Park

10/9/2011		4th Annual Full Class Car Show - Trade Days of Waxahachie
10/9/2011		HYMNAL FESTIVAL and CHORAL CONCERT ON PRAYER

10/21/2011		Munster Mansion Charity Event, Benefiting the Ellis County SPCA
10/25/2011		RIBBON CUTTING For: CONNECT4LIFE THRIFT STORE
10/28/2011		Bye Bye Birdie
10/29/2011		Bob Phillips' Texas Country Reporter Festival
11/4/2011		Heart of Texas Arts & Crafts Show

Midlothian has a few closer to home options too...

Midlothian Church of Christ Fall Festival
Sunday, October 30th
5:00 – 7:00 pm
Completely Free!
Hayride, Games, Drinks, Hotdogs, Candy, Cakewalk
1627 North Highway 67
For More Info: 972-775-3026

7^th Annual ELLIS COUNTY BARBEQUE COOK-OFFOctober 7^th & 8^th, 2011
Registration Form
To be held at the Midlothian Civic Center located @ the corner of Main St. and 11^th.
Contact: Robert Cunningham @ (972) 824-1387 or Dennis DeWeerd @ (972) 523-7675
100% Payback plus trophies for 1st-3rd place finish

Catagories will include:Beef Brisket½ ChickenRibsJackpot Beans
Cook area will open to competitors @ 12:00 noon on Friday.
Registration and meat inspection will begin@ 4:00 P.M.

**Check back to see more activities and fun things to do as I come across them!

Homecoming!

It's that time of year, fall in Texas, when the temps start to cool and football rules. Small town Texas knows how to extend the fun. School gets out early for the big parade. Pep Rally's include the whole town and the mums (like Texas big hair) are bigger and better than ever.

Mums a standing Texas tradition have gone from simple flowers with a few colorful ribbon streamers to a whole new art form displaying team spirit.  Middle schoolers and younger siblings get in on the action with mini mums, guys are decked out in arm garters, and the girls mums are long and blinged out.

So grab your jacket and best date and head to the stadium this Friday night for a night of fun!

Fall?!

The last few summer days are fading fast! With school starting and everyone getting back into a more structured routine comes the thought of fall.  Well maybe not on our lingering 95+ days but little signs of it like our enjoyable 75degree nights.


Things to help around your home now....

Change your Central Air/Heat air filters - Keeping those filters clean will really make a difference in your units efficiency.

Change the batteries in your smoke detectors.

Move the Furniture - Allergies for most people are seasonal and many of us take the time to move things around for deep cleaning in the spring but don't think about it in the fall.  Fall allergies can be reduced by cleaning under those beds, couches, tables, etc...get the dust & spiders cleared out and make your home easier to breathe in!

Caulk around doors & windows - Most homes windows and doors are caulked when they are installed to help improved energy efficiency.  However, over time weather and age shrink and crack caulking.  So checking and refreshing it in the fall is a good way to keep your home as energy efficient as possible. 

Clean your outdoor/indoor windows - Spring cleaning is a natural time to do this but doing it at the beginning of fall will make the windows easier to clean in the spring and clear out any spider eggs or bug nest that might be hiding in the corners!

Compost & Mulch - Adding a fresh layer of compost will help feed you perennials and shrubs during the winter months and adding a fresh layer of mulch will protect the roots as the colder months approach. Prepare a spot in your garage or shed for any potted plants that you will need to overwinter.  Having a spot ready will make it easier to move them when the lower temps dip to near freezing temperatures.

Reset those Sprinklers - The cooler temps mean you don't need to water as often.  Reset your timers and consider turning off unneeded zones.  It's a good time to go ahead and wrap any exposed or free standing water pipes, you might also consider a thermal wrap on your hot water heater. Disconnect the water hose and get it ready to store.  You may still need it but disconnecting it from the faucet will let you know how much you are still using it.

Clean, Clear Out & Cover -  Now is the time to dry brush all your outdoor furniture, clean the furniture with a mild soapy solution and check for any paint or rust repair that may be needed.  After everything is looking clean and ready cover the furniture with an outdoor cover with sturdy tabs to ensure a snug fit.  Spot clean cushions and take a shop vac to vacuum them well.  You can either store the cushions on the furniture under the cover or put them in their own box in your garage, attic or shed.  An indoor space will keep the fabric more conditioned and help the life of the cushion last longer. When covering a table that is not under a covered space put a bucket upside down on the table so that water or snow will easily slide off.  Clean and check all outdoor toys.  Wash all toys with a detergent and bleach solution and dry well.  Any broken or damaged toys can be tossed.  Any outgrown toys can be donated. Summer balls can be cleaned and deflated for storage.  Pack away the remaining summer toys in a plastic storage container with secure lid.  Now everything is in good shape and you will know where it is when the warmer outdoor days return!

Energy Rates - http://www.powertochoose.com/ Make sure you have the best rate for your family to ensure the biggest savings for your fall/winter power usage!


Veggie Garden - Consider planting lettuce, greens, squash, and beans for veggies that will thrive in the cooler temps.

Spooktacular Block Party!!

Come join our Spooktacular Block Party this Saturday, October 31, 2009 @ 4-7...!

We will have hayrides, bounce house, games, food & fun.

Cost is $5 per person or $20 per family. It's a great chance to come & mingle with your neighbors.

We are so excited about the response to our first big neighborhood event.

Thank you for all the great help & response from the Neighbors @ Honeysuckle Estates!

Break in the rain!!

Is everyone as excited about the break in rain as I am?!

The break in rain and the nice temps have everyone venturing back outdoors. It's time to start thinking fall & fall plantings. Yes, you can pretty up your landscape in the fall.

Things to think about....now is the time to do a final weed & feed on your yard or if that is done to put a dusting of pre-emergence on the lawn to get a head start against those weeds before Spring. You can also give your shrubs a good fall trim and they will look great till the spring growing begins!

Beautiful plants that are hardy & tolerate our weather well this time of year are:

Ornamental cabbage
Mums
Violas
Pansies (with a little care they can last until May!)
Snap dragons (will last another few months)
Fall Asters
Salvia
Fall Crocous
There are also several grasses and shrubs you can still incorporate if you want.

Planting bulbs now will give you that first fun peak of color in the Spring....so enjoy your time outdoors!

Fall...

Great planning meeting! See everyone for the next work day/meeting for the Halloween block party on Oct. 18 @ 2 p.m.

Wow, we have cooler weather! It makes me think of cuddling up in the evenings and grabbing a good book. Whether it is with your little on or just some time for yourself, I've compiled a list of a few current & popular books you might want to add to your list of favorites...Check it out under the Files section of our Yahoo Group.

www.groups.yahoo.com/honeysuckleestates

HOMECOMING!

Go PANTHERS!

I've heard that there is nothing quite like small town Texas football. This Friday night is a chance to experience it in all it's glory. It is homecoming and in Texas that means fall, jackets, big mums, the band playing, drill team performing & cheerleaders cheering! The town will be full of activities starting tonight, Wednesday, with a bon fire and continuing Friday with early release & the homecoming parade before the game.