There are a few things I like to do to welcome Fall and transition from the hot summer months to the cooler autumn days. They make make feel warm and fuzzy and excited about my favorite season of the year. Here are five Fall favorites that keep me smiling. Some of them might seem like chores but doing them feels good in my head, familiar and fun so I call them my five Fall favorites. Plus, come on, I love the alliteration!
Happy Fall!
Jen
Exchange home decor.
A few little things here and there can really change your decor to the current season.
By the time Halloween comes around, the holidays are approaching ever faster so once I start decorating for Fall, I prepare for the holidays as well. I go ahead and put away certain knick-knacks that I know aren’t coming back out until after the new year, so I clean them and put them away. Let’s be real. Fall comes in late September. By the time things get all decorated, it’s then Halloween which is the end of October which is the cusp of Thanksgiving season which rolls right into Christmas and then the new year. So come Fall, it’s holiday decor until January. And I love it!
So September means switching out my home decor. The mantle, for example. The mantle is used for focal points for holidays and decorating. I take everything off the mantle, wipe or wash it off then set it aside. I gather everything I’ll be putting away and group it together on a table or counter. Then all of the Fall and Halloween decorations come out of their storage bins. If needed, items get a good dusting or cleaning as they are taken out. Once the bins are empty I carefully pack away my regular home decor and knick knacks back into the storage bins. That way I can use the same bins, along with the same bubble wrap and other packing material as things are switched out.
Prepare pots and beds.
Consider the number of available pots, their width and depth. Purchase bulbs to be planted in colder weather.
In Georgia it’s still quite warm when Fall officially starts so there are still a lot of flowers in my yard. At the same time many plants have started to slow their growth and many pots have produced their last flowers or the plants have already wilted. I remove annuals from pots as they die and continue to deadhead plants that are still in bloom. Slowly over a few weeks I start bringing pots into my sunroom to winterize any plants that I can.
Just before Fall comes I spend some time considering bulbs that can be planted once it gets cool enough. Many bulbs sell out quickly so it’s good to be prepared and plan what will be planted. I love to sit with a bulb catalog and flip through the pages, thinking of all the possibilities. The hard part is staying within my budget. Just a few bulbs can produce beautiful plants and lovely spots of color but there are so many pretty options, it’s hard to pick a few.
Enjoy the weather!
Burt’s Pumpkin Farm is a great place to stop on the way to or from Amicalola Falls.
Fall means cooler temperatures. (A lot of the time.) Seasons are funny where we live. In the mornings you can feel Fall in the air. The air is crisp and drier than it has been for months. Yet by 3:00 pm it’s a sweltering 90 degrees. Other days don’t get that hot and it stays warm through the Fall months but that awful humid heat goes away. Fall has a feel to it and it’s the best!
In North Georgia we are lucky. From where we are it’s just a quick drive to the Appalachian trail and other cool spots like Amicalola Falls and Burt’s Pumpkin Farm.In between all the being busy and doing all the things be sure to take some time to do the fun stuff too! The back roads are beautiful when the leaves are turning to their lovely oranges, reds and yellows. It’s fun to spend an afternoon in Dahlonega, looking at art, tasting wine and visiting the General Store there. There are also some great antique stores up there too, and also a record shop.
Switch out clothes.
A few minutes in the closet can really make a difference and get you ready for a new season.
Your closet doesn’t mind a little refresh every now and then and seasons are a great time to get this done. I don’t have a whole lot of clothes and I’ve never been too into fashion. I’ve got a lot of basics can be mixed and matched. I do run hot and cold with the seasons so I switch out short sleeves and shorts for sweaters, jeans and leggings. Organizing is fun and relaxing so this task is fun for me. I go through the clothes, ensuring they are on the hangers nicely and deciding if the item is something I still want to wear. If not it goes to the charity pile.
Clothes get moved around based on color or sleeve length depending on my mood. I enjoy making things nice and neat even though I know they won’t stay that way for long. Typically there are things I finally decide to let go of and I wash them and put them neatly in bags to take to Goodwill or donate to any local organizations that are running clothes drives.
Consider Christmas.
Keep an eye out for sales on baking supplies.
I mean, Hobby Lobby has been considering Christmas since late July so we can embrace it now, right?! It seems early but it will be here before we know it so it’s good to at least start mulling things over in your mind.
I start making my Christmas list when Fall starts. I’m a list maker and task master so this is really fun for me as well. Each year I have a spreadsheet with a list of names for gifts, sweet treats and cards. I begin to organize a list for baking as well. I love making chocolate chip cookies, sugar cookies and espresso cookies. For us and to give away. I often make huge batches of things so I start to consider what I can buy here and there at the grocery store.
Baking goods can add up so I’ll snag a tube of icing here and there starting in September. A lot of stores have great discounts on baking items like butter, sugar and baking chocolate. Start watching those weekly flyers for deals beginning this time of year.
Gift giving has changed over the years. I do what I can to really listen to people and pay attention when they say they like certain things or they want certain items. I casually jot them down in my memos as we talk, telling them I’m noting that show they are telling me about. Which I usually am but I also put a note into my “Gift List”. We don’t, no, can’t give gifts like we used to. Brian and I have always enjoyed giving others gifts they will enjoy and fondly use for a long time. Now we can just try and be more mindful and present for our friends and family.
Happy Fall Everyone!!! Enjoy a new season. Try something new. Do that annual thing you do. Have fun and do lots of smiling!
