Family Harvest Day Progress Update

We are at about two weeks until Family Harvest Day and I still have a lot to do. I simply have not had enough time to post everything I wanted to here. Life happens and it has been ‘happening’ around here intensely and without a break; I have not gotten as much done as I should have by now. In my last post on Harvest Day, I wrote that we had set the date and sent out notifications to all. I reminded everyone to save those plastic shopping bags we all have so many of to stuff the scarecrows with. In a day or so I will be sending out another reminder by email and by text message along with the location that has now been chosen. I will remind them to start looking for a scarecrow outfit too, and asking for rsvp's.

Our location will be a grass area located in a gated community. We will not have kitchen facilities but will have access to a near by home if we need a kitchen. I am now choosing a menu, and because of all that’s going on in my life right now I will probably be asking every family to provide a fall inspired dish to share; we will provide the main course. I am thinking of making a couple of pork loin roasts or pork shoulders, a fall dish, in my crock pots. I am looking for a good sale and will put them in the freezer until needed.

I have received the fall craft kits ordered from Oriental Trading and also the adhesive pre-cut foam scarecrow faces they sell called ' Scarecrow Pumpkin Decorating craft kit', item #IN-48/5403; $7 for a dozen. These works very nicely for the scarecrows we will be making. A grandchild and I have decorated and filled the take home bags for the kids with goodies and the fall craft kits.

                     

Last year we had a total of 22 people attending our Family Harvest Day and made six Scarecrows. I served chicken salad, with home made Irish Soda bread, roasted carrots and sweet potatoes, green beans, Shoo Fly Pie, and apple crisp baked in a half pint mason jar. We played pin the nose on the scarecrow, and had a pumpkin tossing contest. We provided all materials for the scarecrows except the wardrobe and plastic bags to stuff them with, games and some craft kits.

My cost for food was about    $43.00

Food service, all disposable    $17.00 with some items left over

Scarecrow supplies & games   $55.00 and a few decorations

Total cost                          $115.00 or about $5.23 per person. A lot of money on one hand, but not much at all with the value of the fun day had by all, a good meal, and with a Scarecrow and some things to take home. Since I am now buying dishes and flatware I can reuse yearly, that expense will be eliminated. If all share in bringing food, it is less still. I like that idea with 40 to 50 people expected in attendance this year!

Right now I am putting together the games we will have, and I'm looking at our location to see what we will need for tables, how it should all be set up, etc. I will have to cut on down on the amount of my decorations since this is a public area and all will have to go up quickly and come down quickly. I hope to have a Scarecrow Tutorial posted by the end of this week for you.

Happy Fall!