Hello Autumn 2016!!!

Yes Summer, it's time for you to say good-bye for now and let the beautiful Autumn roll in. Tomorrow is the first day of Autumn and the vista around us will start to change.

Autumn or Fall is one of my favourite seasons after Winter. I just love the cooler months leading to Winter. I like seeing lots of warm colours, smelling pumpkin spices everywhere and getting cozy in my nice cool jackets.

There's something about Autumn that captivates me aside from the pleasantly acceptable cool weather. Autumn changes the foliage colour into warm shades of yellow, orange, brown and deep red. A good drive in the countryside will bear lots of photo ops for the nature lovers and photographers out there.

So, good bye hot summer months and hello cool Autumn!

(artwork by ©Ria Cervantes)

Cool Breeze Ahead

The weather is starting to become bearable now that autumn is officially on. It's a good thing to be able to stand outside and not get drenched in your own sweat even for just a minute. The breeze is inviting. It's cool and such a respite from the long, withering, summer months of the Middle East.

I am looking forward to a nice fall season this time and hopefully, winter will be ok (not that it snows here). I just miss the cold season and my winter outfits!

Welcome autumn. I will welcome winter very soon too!

The Fall Equinox 2014

Photo not mine

Fall is one of the best season I like amongst the four, spring being the first. I love this season so much because the temperature is still bearable, the foliage is a sight to behold and the falling of crisp leaves to signal the onset of the colder months are just few of the reasons I hold autumn close to my heart.

And today, 22 September at 10:29 p.m. EDT, signals the start of the Fall Equinox according to the Almanac.com. Fall equinox is the end of summer and the beginning of autumn. Equinox means "equal nights" and that translates to 12 hours of day and night. In reality though, it is not exactly half and half. You will know more about Equinox from the skyandtelescope.com.

For me, whether it's equal hours of night and day any given day in fall has, I still love it. I just can't get enough of autumn's beautiful warm-colored foliage which is a contrary to the atmospheric temperature that it brings.

It's time to take those winter clothes out, close the window shutters, save logs for the fireplace and prepare those yummy recipes that are very nice to cook during this festive season.

Happy Fall!

It's Flu Season Again

The season is changing and we are bracing ourselves health wise because it is flu season once again. Just the other day, I was sneezing my lungs out. Today in the office, my colleagues are sneezing and coughing, one is even experiencing the progression of flu. And when I came home, my daughter is sneezing like crazy.

I definitely know what to do when the weather change. Here are tips my family follow to keep the flu at bay and be fit enough to get through the seasonal transition:

1. Drink plenty of water and fruit juices
2. Eat fresh fruits especially those high in Vit. C and vegetables
3. Take daily supplements of multi-vitamins
4. Regular exercise
5. Wear warm clothing
6. Sip green tea
7. Have plenty of sleep
8. Have inoculation for flu/influenza

Keep yourself and family healthy and build your immune system especially this time of the year when the cold season is approaching.

Weekend Activities and Good Weather

The weather is quite inviting these past few days. I think it signifies the coming of the cooler months. We are all enjoying the breezy weekend and the whole family has so many stuff to do. My daughter has her activities with friends, hubby with his guests and I with my blogging and business opp.

Our weekend has never been this manic before. We used to just stay home because the weather is uncooperative. However, October spells more activities for all of us and probably the coming months.

I do hope I will find the energy to do all that we have lined up for the month (not to mention a travel in the offing...hehehe)!

Hazy, Sandy and Hot UAE

Photo credit: offexploring.com

And the saga of the extremely hot weather system continues today but with a twist. It is hazy and sand-stormy too. The wind is blowing hot air and we can use a little rain, don't you think?

I prayed for a slightly improved weather and somehow, there is a breeze. Albeit it is hot, it is still a breeze that can bring a teeny-tiny comfort to everyone.

I wonder if the season will change early this year. There are tell-tale signs of seasonal change but I hope what we are experiencing now is not a prelude to a longer hot and humid summer.