Pine Cone City

My husband and three oldest have embarked on a new business.  It all started about two years ago when we went out and for some unknown reason (at least I can't remember why) we collected two huge garbage bags of pine cones.  As we pulled away from the pine trees, I said something about scenting them with cinnamon and selling them in our neighborhood.  Then I got pregnant with Third Son and that was about the end of it for me, but the kids have been wondering when we were going to actually follow through with that plan.  Well, here I am pregnant and feeling huge again, so I turned this one over to my husband.  Our kids never forget anything, so we would have been discussing it at their weddings if we didn't get on the stick and do it.  ;-)

Man, did we feel fallish today!  The house smelled like cinnamon and my brain started working.....I wanted to make some pumpkin pies and a stew.  Sigh.  Soon enough.  After all, the daily temperatures here have fallen into the upper 80's! 

So here are my husband and kids acting like cheesehounds (except First Son, who is TOO old for that kind of stuff). 

My husband went to Hobby Lobby and bought some cinnamon essential oil.  We mixed it with water and sprayed the pine cones with it.  Next, they will sit for weeks and weeks so they can really absorb the wonderful aroma.  Then we will mix in some cinnamon chips and sticks, bag up the pincones in some storage bags - not Ziplocs - the kind that have twist ties to close them.  We will close them up with some pretty ribbons.  Then the kids and my Husband will go door to door to see what sort of business they can drum up.  We're hoping to add to the Christmas budget.  Who knows?  :-)  Either way, it's a fun project for my Husband and kids to do together.  He has been filling them all in on business 101 basics.  Not to mention all the teasing and kidding that goes on while they work together.  I loved listening to them work together.