Fall Festivities - How to Pick and Choose

What I love nost about this time of year is the excitement and pure joy on kids' faces as they see all the fall decorations and notions. What I don't love about this time of year is the inevitablly filled calendar and the blown budgets. As November approaches, we will be going back to our one-event a weekend family rule. It helps us to keep the stress and "obligatigatory" appearances in check. We simply commit to only attending one event - birthday parties, fairs, parades, etc - per weekend. I usually RSVP in a first come-first served manner, and as family members and friends picked up on our no's, they started planning earlier, helping us to better prepare. There's nothing worse than a last-minute party to throw your kids' routine off kilter. Finally having the "guts" to say to to parties, even for those of some of our closest friends, also helped to reign in our spending.  This weekend we'll be attending the Fall Fair, next weekend, it's Halloween of course, and the weekend after, we have a birthday party. That's it. No more. Just Say No!