5 Fun Ways to Say Hello to Fall

 

My name is Cindy, I’m one of Katie’s older sisters and I am so excited to be writing a guest post for her while she spends time with my new baby nephew!

I absolutely love the fall time. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy the summer, but by mid-July I’m ready for rainy days, boots, falling leaves and all things pumpkin spice.

Once the temperature starts to dip I start getting antsy for fall time. I live in a state that enjoys all four seasons for what they’re worth. It’s cold and snowy in the winter, warm in the springtime, hot in the summer and perfectly cool with the changing colors of the leaves in the fall.

So it doesn’t take much for it feel like fall time around my house. But over the years, I have found there are a few things that I can do in my home to really welcome my favorite season, even during those last weeks of summer. I’d love to share a few of those things with you all of you today.

1) Light a candle

There is just something about lighting a pumpkin scented candle in my house that just makes it feel so warm and cozy. There are so many candles out there to choose from, too. I love dimming the lights, especially at night, and having a candle glowing. It may seem like a small thing, but it is really relaxing and calming and the perfect way to unwind from the busy day. Having scents like pumpkin spice, or mulled apple cider wafting in the air is such a welcoming sensation.

Now, not everyone feels comfortable having candles lit in their home, so I have another favorite tip to get your house smelling nice and yummy. You can boil and then simmer water in a pot on your stove and then add orange slices, cranberries, a cinnamon stick, and a few teaspoons of nutmeg. It will smell so festive and delicious in no time at all.

2) Have a candy bowl

 

If you come to my home you can almost guarantee that there will be a bowl of candy sitting out. I may or may not have a different shaped, or themed bowl for nearly every holiday, too. I love that my guests can count on a tasty treat and having a candy bowl for the fall and Halloween season is no exception.

Having candy around so much can be hard and tempting! I have a few tips to help with that. I like to put our bowl up high, and not in the middle of a room so although still visible, it’s not staring at me in the face. Second, even though I want yummy candy in our bowl, I sometimes put in my least favorite kind which helps with me from wanting to grab a handful every few minutes when I walk by {which definitely does happen around Valentine’ Day when I fill it with my favorite jelly candy heart}, but I do try to keep festive candy in it. Once the candy corn come out I know my favorite season is officially here.

3) Decorate

Decorating for the holidays is a favorite thing of mine. The best part is, you can decorate on whichever scale you’re comfortable with. There are people who go all out , with every inch of their home filled with decorations, and then there are those who are more of a minimalist . I fall somewhere in the middle. I have my decorations that are purely for the fall, and then when it gets closer to Halloween I bring those out, too. You can do something as simple as setting pumpkins out on your door step or hanging a festive wreath on your door. My kids love getting the pumpkin shaped window cling-ons from the Dollar Store which is another really simple way to spruce things up. Whether you put them on a big front window or even their own bedroom window, it’s something so easy and cheap, yet brings a lot of joy to everyone.

4) Have traditions

I grew up in a home where we a had a lot of traditions, and that is something that is so important for me to instill with my own little family. The thing about a tradition is that anyone can come up with one and you can do whatever you want—it’s your tradition! Find what works for your family and your sanity level {because let’s face it, it can be hard being so busy and feeling like you have to keep up with everything} and then own it and love it.

When my girls were little we went on “leaf walks” as soon as they leaves began to fall. We would bundle up in our jackets and walk around the neighborhood collecting leafs in plastic bags. So simple, right? We even invited a few neighborhood friends to join us once. Little ones love to collect leaves and examine them and this particular activity is a perfect way to welcome the cooler weather.

Another fall time tradition we love is signing up for a 5K that our local university puts on at the same time, the fall, every year. We do it each year and it’s a fun family tradition that we can do together that also reminds us of our favorite seasons. Other traditions could be dipping caramel apples, going to pumpkin patches, volunteering at food bank or nursing home, picking out a new fall time scarf, or watching a particular movie only during the fall time months. I’ve found that when you only do something a few times a year, at the same time it makes it more special and meaningful and those memories are directly connected to a certain season.

5.) Bake!

When I say bake, I mean bake things that you only make during the fall time. It can be hard to limit yourself to just making something during one season of the year, but take it from me, it’s worth it to be able to anticipate and enjoy something that reminds you of a certain season.

Is it obvious yet that I have a sweet tooth? I’d like to believe that no matter what your kitchen abilities are, everyone has at least one sweet treat they are good at it! And if not, this is a perfect opportunity to perfect a new dessert or find something to make that can become your specialty—especially this time of year. To me, baking represents so much. It means family time, and memories from my childhood. Which is exactly what I hope my girls think of each year when I make my famous pumpkin chocolate chip cookies. I only bake them during the fall time, which makes them that more special- and delicious! And when my friends and family get to enjoy them, I hope they too associate them with my favorite time of the year.

My rule is that as soon as the cooler weather hits, whether it be August or September, I’m inthe clear to start making them. Find something your family loves and keep it just for the fall time!

I hope these ideas have inspired you to implement some new things with your own families and that you’ll be able to really welcome fall into your home.