“I love fall best of all,” and quotes like “I am so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers,” the latter being a quote from Anne of Green Gables, permeate this time of year. I love the thought of fall—I love pulling out my cozy sweaters; I love the warm salted caramel hot chocolates, and Chai tea lattes that become readily available this time of year. I love the thought of curling up in front of the fire with a mystery story that has just enough spookiness and suspense to make my spine tingle and make me jump at the climax. Unfortunately though, I live in Pennsylvania. The weather this time of year can be undependable at best and miserable at worst. We have plunged from 80 degree weather down to highs in the low 60s with no balmy 70 degree days to ease us out of one season and into the other. For this reason it is very easy to get grumpy with fall and blame it for the very long winter stretching ahead of us. In fact, it is so easy to get lost in our crankiness with this unpredictable season that we end up not taking advantage of some of the fun things there are to enjoy this time of year.
I should mention that my family is not a big fan of Halloween—Harvest yes, Halloween no. Frankly, I get more than a little disgusted by all the death and macabre things that appear this time of year. For the life of me, I cannot figure out why we celebrate death, not only death but also decay, at this time of year, when at any other time of year we are busy acting like death is something that will never affect us? It boggles my mind!
I have been hearing lots of fall bucket lists, and I couldn’t help but think about some of the things that always sound fun to do this time of year. We may not get to do all these things this year but maybe you can enjoy a few of them for me!
A Corn Maze
Not a scary one but just a nice friendly corn maze that is fun for the whole family. A corn maze is also a good learning experience for kids who don’t learn to use maps like older generations did.
Apple Picking
Many local orchards have apple-picking days. It is a great way to enjoy the fall season. A lot of orchards will even press your apples into cider for you.
Fall Festivals
In the northeastern part of the country, this is the prime season for festivals. There are many crafts shows and festivals that feature local and independent artisans. These festivals not only help the artisans but also help the local economy! Look to see if there are any events in your surrounding counties and check them out!
Have a Campfire
My grandmother always talked about how, at the end of the harvest season, her school would have a campfire and they would roast hotdogs and sing and tell ghost stories as one last hoorah before the cold winter weather set in. While having a campfire may sound like more of a summer thing, fall is the perfect time to grab an old poufy blanket and some marshmallows and head outside to enjoy the weather before it gets too cold.
A Favorite Drink
When I think of cozy and warm, I think about drinking something hot and comforting. How fun would it be to pick a fall drink and perfect the making of it throughout the fall season? Do you like hot chocolate? What about making it from scratch? What about tea—Chai tea? Look in a cookbook or on Pinterest for a fun decadent spin on some of your favorite standby drinks!
Read
To so many of us curling up with a good book and a warm drink sounds like the perfect way to enjoy the season, but do we make time for it? Try to schedule in some reading time just as you would schedule in time to go to the pumpkin patch or any other fall activity.
Pumpkins
Speaking of pumpkins—what about a trip to your local pumpkin patch? Pumpkin patches these days can range from a stand alongside the road selling a few pumpkins to a large activity center with hay rides and all sorts of fall activities. Either way, there is something fun about picking out a pumpkin, bringing it home, carving it, and then roasting the seeds. Try it!
Light the Candles
One of the things I see all the time are candles that aren’t burnt. I see candles that people are “saving” but what are they saving them for? I know I have had many things over the years that I have saved only for them to go bad and then thrown out. If you have a special fall candle or something of that nature, why not pull it out now and use it.
A Train Ride
There is a state park not too far from us that has a train that will take passengers for a short ride. The scenery this time of year is gorgeous and going on a train ride is a fun way to enjoy it. Young kids especially enjoy it! If you don’t have a train near you, what about a boat or ferry? Look for unique ways to experience the beauty of fall!
I hope this will help encourage and give you ideas about how to enjoy the fall season. As always, I would love to hear from you about how you most enjoy this time of year! Connect with me on Instagram @essentiallyemmamarie! And if you know someone who might enjoy this post—please share!
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