Being *Basic* for Autumn

Seriously, all we need is some leggings and PSLs and we've fully completed becoming basic.

We have been on a fall activity kick lately and we've been to about three different orchards just this month! We've picked apples, bought farm fresh veggies, and admired pumpkins all over Eastern Kansas. 

Still, it's been exceptionally fun and cute and Baby A. finally tried -and liked- an apple straight from the tree! 

We have made applesauce, pumpkin puree, pumpkin pie, and extra delicious fresh squeeze pouches with our farm picks. Of course a lot of the fun is just going to the farms, enjoying the beautiful sunny fall weather, and appreciating the scenery. Baby A. is still calling everything round a ball, so as we trounced through the apple orchards, he pointed out ball after gorgeous ball! At a few of the farms, we have gotten hayrides, one of which Baby A. fell asleep during. Something about that fresh air blowing gently across your sweet baby face just knocks ya out, amirite??

I thought I'd showcase a few of the farms we've visited so far that are all under 30 minutes away from Fort Leavenworth!

Weston Orchard

A friend from hubs' section went with us to this farm. Just outside of downtown Weston, Missouri, this rustic farm had a smaller, open-air stand to sell pre-picked apples and fresh, local made jars of salsas, butters, and honeys. Beyond the stand is just rows and rows of apple trees. On the side of the orchard area, they had a set up of hay bales where you could wait for a hayride around the orchard, and it turned out to perfectly corral the group of toddlers we were carting around! This is the hayride Baby A. fell asleep on. He seemed to really enjoy looking at the Jonathan and Gala apples and touching the hay! I think this place is building a more permanent area from which they can conduct transactions, so we'll definitely be back to see if that's why they were pouring a concrete slab!

Red Barn Farm

We found out about Red Barn Farm because the local Parents As Teachers group held an event there, so we went with a few friends there, too. This time it was a whole-family affair. We rode the tractor pull to the pumpkin field, and checked out some local BBQ as well. Red Barn Farm has a lot going on, including a farm animal viewing area, food stand, apple picking, and a really cute farm store. The whole area is family friendly and you can easily traipse around, as there are plenty of picnic tables and places to just sit down and hang out.

Cider Hill Family Orchard

Finally, we tried Cider Hill Family Orchard in Kansas City (the Kansas side). We went with a few other moms and babies, and it was great. First, we went through the small store and waited in line to buy cider donuts. We thought we'd buy some and save them for later, but we ended up gobbling them all up! We wandered around the fields, checking out some pumpkins and picking some Gala Golden Delicious apples. When we got back to the house area, we found out they were setting up to host a wedding, which made sense because it's a beautiful farm. After paying for the apples we bought and some more cider donuts (haha), we relaxed and had some apple slushies, which really hit the spot on such a warm day!

I hope you all get out and explore some farmland near you! Enjoy :-)

-Big A.⚓