As the leaves begin to take on the colors of autumn and the air snaps crisp, Fall brings our Linwood Farms Fall Fest. What better way to celebrate the changing of the seasons than to join us in the fun on Saturday, October 29 from 11AM-1PM. This year we have lots of activities that everyone is sure to enjoy! Listed below are the events planed for our Fall Fest. We are still in need of volunteers for this event, so please consider volunteering for a 30 minute time slot. It’s a great way to meet neighbors and celebrate the Autumn season. Contact the Social Committee HERE if you can help. Plus, don’t forget to wear your Halloween Costumes (adults, too!) We want this event to be full of a festive spirit! Check it out (there’s a Costume Contest!)

Hayrides 11AM-1PM (line stops at 12:30): Hop on a tractor-driven hayride around the neighborhood. It’s a great time to check out all the Fall/Halloween decorations in the neighborhood!

Cake Walk 11AM- 1PM: This activity is always a hit! Please plan to bring a dessert to donate so we all can have lots of fun. It’s kind of like musical chairs where when the music stops and your number is called, you WIN a dessert of your choice! We’ve got some great bakers in the neighborhood, so you don’t want to miss this. Don’t bake? Store-bought desserts are just as great. You can bring cakes, brownies, doughnuts, rice krispie treats, etc. Please do not bring any desserts that require refridgeration (ie: puddings, popsicles, etc). Reminder: if you are baking a dessert, put it in a disposable tin, as other neighbors will be taking it home. (Volunteers needed to man this station)

Toy Story Bounce House 11AM-1PM: Children 12 and under are welcome to bounce out their wiggles in our bounce house. Please remind your children there is no pushing or acrobatics…we want everyone safe. Supervision at this station will be provided. (Volunteers needed to man this station)

Chili Cook-Off Contest 11-12:30: Got a smokin’ chili recipe? Consider whipping up a crock pot of chili and enter our contest. Winner will receive a $10 gift card and 2nd and 3rd place wins a $5 gift card. Please plan to have your crock pot to the event by 11AM when we start the event. Please bring a serving spoon as well. All neighbors are invited to come do the taste test and judge for your favorite pot of chili. (Volunteers needed to man this station)

Popcorn Machine 11AM-1PM: We will fire up our popcorn machine and get some hot popcorn a-poppin’! Stop by for some yummy popped corn. (Volunteers needed to man this station)

Games (for ALL ages):

• 11-11:30: Pumpkin Roll/Sack Races: Try rolling a pumpkin and race to victory. In years past we’ve had adults get competetive with this. Come try your rolling technique! Got some energy?
• Want a few good laughs? Then try your legs in our burlap Sack Races! The sacks fit adults, too. So talk smack with your family and see if you can hop for the win!
• 11:30-12:00 TUG-of-WAR!!! Do you hear the sounds of “Rocky?” in the distance? Yes, it’s the Tug-of-War in our Game area. You don’t want to miss this one. We will have show downs for kids and adults. We will have variations of teams to try and beat one another. Start pumping the iron now!
• 12:00-12:30 Costume Judging at this time. No games.
• 12:30-1PM PIE EATING CONTEST: See below for more details.

Costume Judging: Why not get your money’s worth out of your Halloween Costumes this year? Here’s a great opportunity for you to sport your Halloween costume and join in on the fun. We will have judging for the following categories:

• Most Scariest
• Most Creative
• Most Realistic (ex: looking like a celebrity/persona, or the “real thing”)
• Best Group (must be a group of 3 or more)
• Most Adorable

Winners of each group will recieve a small gift card (1 per category).

Pie-Eating Contest 12:30-1PM: We will end the event with a showdown at the pie-eating table. Don’t be shy! Adults and kids are encouraged to join it. It makes for some great pics on your holiday cards and to embarrass one another on Facebook. We will provide the bibs…you provide the mouths!

Coloring Station 11AM-1PM: Need a break for your little one? Stop by the coloring station to decorate some fall-inspired coloring pages.

Food Station 11AM-1PM: No need to cook lunch today! Stop by the food station for some hot dogs with the fixins, chips, and drinks. Sodas and water will be provided. Want dessert? Go to the Cake Walk and try to win a sweet treat! (Volunteers needed to man this station)

As you can see, we have a lot going on and there is something for all ages. This year, we really hope MORE ADULTS will participate in the activities. Loosen up, come and try the pumpkin roll, tug-of-war and sack races. Or strap on a bib and have fun with the pie-eating contest. We really want it to be a Fall Fest for ALL! Hope to see you there. Please note: the Parking lot will be closed the morning of until the end of the event for set up and clean up. Hope to see you there. Please email the Social Committee if you want to volunteer for the event! Hope to see you there!

To celebrate our American spirit, the Social Committee will host the Annual Linwood Farms 4th of July Parade on Saturday, July 2nd at 11 AM at the Pool Parking Lot. Registration for the Most Festive Judging begins at 10:45AM. Small gift card prizes will be awarded for the “Most Festive” of each category.

This is a quick, fun event that can kick off your holiday.

The Categories are:

• Most Festive Individual
• Most Festive Family
• Most Festive Pet
• Most Festive Stroller/Wagon
• Most Festive Bike/Scooter

So start breaking out your red, white and blue decorations and go all-out! Have fun dressing up yourselves, your kids, pets, bikes, scooters, strollers and wagons. The bolder, the better! Let’s see your American pride!

A new addition to our Parade this year is a Candy Scramble. We had several bags of candy left from our Egg Hunt and we don’t want it to go to waste! We will have the Candy Scramble immediately following the Parade. What’s a Candy Scramble you ask? You grab a paper bag and when we yell,”Go!” you run like mad and try to scramble for as much candy as you can grab and toss into your bag.

Following the Candy Scramble, we will have popsicles to help us all cool off. We hope to see you there! Prizes will be awarded during this time.

New Set-Up Option: If you only have a few things to sell or live in the “back” of the neighborhood and want to be more visible, we will open up the Pool Parking Lot for residents to set up one 6-8 foot table and have some surrounding space around their designated slot in the parking lot. The parking lot will be divided into 15 slots around the perimeter. In order to reserve your spot, you must fill out the online form on the website to reserve your spot. There are only 15 slots and it is first come, first served. Fill out the online form to reserve your spot. Signage promoting the Parking Lot Sale will be displayed and the area will be marked off so no cars can drive in the parking lot. We hope this helps your sale be safe and successful! Please note: you may drive your car up to the parking lot to unload, but please plan to move your car by the start of the sale, we want there to be as much room as possible for people to walk around and for everyone to be safe. Please plan to park your vehicle away from the surrounding pool parking lot area, as we want the yard salers to have room to stop and see YOUR STUFF!

Suggestions for a Successful Yard Sale:

• Go in with a neighbor(s). The more “stuff” you have out is more appealing for those to stop by. Or sign up for the Parking Lot Spots for your sale!
• If you live in a cul-de-sac, considering finding a friend who lives on a more visible street. Or sign up for the Parking Lot Spots for your sale!
• Clearly label all your items ahead of time. It’s frustrating for yard salers not to know the prices and may end up walking away.
• Make sure you have petty cash and coins to make change.
• Decorate your mailbox with a sign or a balloon to let yard salers know you are participating.
• Have music playing in the background. It helps to make it more inviting for people to stay and look longer.
• Be willing to negotiate. It’s part of the lure of a yard sale. Everyone wants a “deal!”
• Include the kids. Have them set up a bake sale or a lemonade stand. It’s fun for everyone and helps kids work on money skills!
• Keep your pets in the house or back yard. Some people are frightened by animals.
• Consider donating your unsold items at the end of the sale.

If you are not participating, consider checking out everyone else’s stuff. You never know what you are going to find! Let’s support one another!

We hope you have fun!

The Scavenger Hunt will full of excitement, too! We will give you the clues and send your team out on an adventure. Eggs will be hidden around the neighborhood. The first two teams to find all of their eggs and return to the pool area will win a basket full of goodies. We recommend teams of 3-4. You will need a bike, scooter or some very fast legs. Go ahead, get your team organized now. This friendly competition is fun for all ages (8 and up) so get your family together, call your friends or recruit a new neighbor.

The number of children who participate in the Eggstravaganza keeps growing and we are in need of candy. We will begin collection of candy March 20th. Please bring bags of individually wrapped candy to 114 Lacona Trace or 183 Golden Valley Drive by April 12th. There will be bins on the front porches for you to drop off your candy donations. Thank you for your help! You make our Egg Hunt very SWEET!

5 Most Popular New Year’s Resolutions

1. Get in Shape / Lose Weight :

You know you’d feel better, look better, and be healthier…. but this has always been a tough one to make stick. This year make a pact with some friends that you’re going to get together 3 times a week and get some exercise. Even if it’s just going for a walk, you can see great results if it’s more activity than you’re currently getting. Make sure to find an eating plan that will not only be effective, but is a plan you can live with. The most effective diet won’t give you any results if you can’t stick with it.

2. Spend More Time with Friends/Family:

Many polls show that over 50% of Americans will vow to spend more time with their family and friends. This is tough in the U.S. where the average citizen gets 13 days of paid vacation annually; compare that to 42 days in Italy or 37 days in France. Again, make an agreement with your friends and family that a specific time will be set aside to spend together. How about the park every Saturday afternoon? What about darts and laughs every other Thursday night?

3. Quit Smoking:

Sure, you’ve tried to quit a couple of time already. Did you know that among people that have successfully quit, it takes an average of 4-5 attempts? Don’t give up yet! Many communities are getting more and more aggressive about controlling where people can smoke in public. Now is a great time to finally quit, not only will you be healthier and avoid the smoking police, but you’ll save a lot of money too. The average cost of a pack of cigarettes is approximately $5.50; a pack a day is around $2,000 a year. You can take a nice vacation with $2,000.

4. Enjoy Life More / Smell the Roses:

You work hard and don’t get a lot of time off. You must ensure you’re getting the most out of your free time. Look at the ways you spend your time away from work. Are you spending a lot of time watching television or surfing the internet? That’s time that could be spent on something more fulfilling. Make a list of things you’d like to do this year and resolve to get out and do them.

5. Get Out of Debt:

Do you think baseball is the great American pastime? It may be that getting out of debt should be the national pastime. Money is certainly one of the greatest causes of stress. Finally taming the money-beast will go along way towards accomplishing many of your other goals. It’s tough to enjoy your life when you’re struggling to pay the electric bill. It’s ultimately one of the best things you can do for yourself and your family.

Wishing you much success with your personal goals!
*source: www.selfgrowth.com

Elfie is willing to call our families in the neighborhood to check in and see if the children in that home are behaving and to tell them Santa is checking his Naughty or Nice list.

Elfie will make phone calls on December 14th between the hours of 6-8 PM. If you, a parent, would like Elfie to call your home and talk to your children to praise them for their good behavior and/or to discuss some of the “naughty” behavior that they need to work on before Santa comes, we’d be glad to help pass on your information for Elfie to call your home.

Parents, go to THIS PAGE and complete the online form . Elfie will only be able to call the first 50 families to register for the phone call.

Elfie looks forward to calling your children!

Please sign up on our website to   receive all updates via email.  Go to the Home Page and sign up for our Mailing List (on right hand side).  You won’t want to miss what’s going on in LF!  There will only be ONE more hand-delivered newsletter… so sign up NOW!!!

 The Social Committee meets once a month in the evening for about 1-2 hours depending on the planning agenda.  All members collectively plan events and activities for our neighborhood to enjoy.   

 Mid-year the committee did decide to turn over their budget to be used for neighborhood expenses, but we still need committee members to help with the newsletter, update the website on social events, planning free or inexpensive events and bring fresh, new ideas to the table.

 Our committee is laid-back and enjoys working together as a team.  It has been a great way to meet people and get to know your neighborhood.  If you have been thinking of a way to get involved, here’s your chance:  Go to the LF Website:

www.linwood-farms-hoa.org and click on “Social” tab, then scroll down to “Contact the Committee.”  We’d love to have you join us!!

 Come Party with Us!