In a few weeks, leaves would be falling, colors would be changing, coffee would be brewing, pumpkin pies would be baking and all these would be happening because fall is coming!
I am a lover of the autumn, of the colors that are bold and homely, strong and yet a call to remember our Earth and all she gives in the harvest months. Fall is my favorite season.
Who doesn’t enjoy observing the leaves from the trees and plants changing into multi-colored works of art before finally falling away, the crisp air while the sun is still out, the layers of clothing, the autumn/winter clothing collections, the warming spices in food, the night drawing in and of course, the build-up to Christmas.
Everything about Fall is EXCITING!
As fast as the fall season goes by, let’s take advantage of its crisp weather and beautiful foliage for some of these fun activities:
1. Go To A Pumpkin Patch
During fall time, one of the places you have to go to is the pumpkin patch, it really puts you into the fall mood and it’s so cozy; and while you’re there, it’s a crime not to do some pumpkin shopping because you’ll need lots of pumpkins for the fall season and what better way and place to get your pumpkins than you walking through hundreds of pumpkins in patches and making your picks.
You get to select all the best textures, colors, shapes and even sizes of pumpkins that suits you and that you’ll need for the fall season.
All of the best pumpkin farms and patches offer so much more than fresh picks these days. With hayrides, corn mazes, food markets, and more, they’re a one-stop-shop for autumnal activities.
Quick Facts: Did you know that pumpkins are 90% water? They are in the same family as cucumber and watermelon!
2. Decorating Pumpkins
Those fresh pumpkins that you picked from the pumpkin patch can be put into good use in making a lot of decorating ideas.
If you have front steps or a porch, I think it should become a crime not to decorate them during the fall. All you need is some fairy lights, some pumpkins, and a carving knife (if you can carve; if you can’t just stick to sprays and paints). Light up your porch or walkway with jack-or lantern, or get creative and dream up your design.
Also, fall time is the best period to start some redecorating ideas, especially for the upcoming festive season.
You can start some basic redecorating ideas in some rooms by spray painting some carved pumpkins, painting some pumpkins with colorful acrylic paints, adding some tissue paper confetti cutouts with some PVA glue on already painted pumpkins and also you can put some fairy lights inside carved pumpkins.
These DIY pumpkins decorations can be put up on the dining table, in the kitchen, in your room, on top of your vanity, as a centerpiece in your living room table and many more places; just get creative with it.
3. Play In A Pile Of Leaves
In my opinion, you are never too old to play with leaves and this can look good in videos and photos.
Also, what better way to make raking leaves less than a chore? Take a jump in it! Promise your kids or younger ones that you will allow them to dive right into the biggest pile- after which you’ll need all hands on deck to pack them up into trash bags and don’t forget to take your dive! Live a little, after all, it’s fall… the year’s last, loveliest smile.
4. Fall Mood Photoshoot
Creating memories is a priceless gift. Memories will last a lifetime; things only a short period of time. -Alyice Edrich
And what better ways to create and keep memories than a photoshoot.
Photoshoots are always fun and a bonus during the fall is that you can take them both inside and outside based on your weather and your preference to your theme.
Most basic props you’ll need for a terrific fall photoshoot are some pumpkins both carved and uncarved, fairy lights, a camera either digital or your smartphone, a tripod, and any other equipment can serve as a prop even a coffee cup.
With these props, all you need is to get creative. Outdoors, you can set up your tripod if you are alone, hold a carved pumpkin in front of your face with the curved side facing the camera, do some funny poses like raising one leg and all is left is for your camera to start snapping some great photos.
Just get creative with many ideas both indoors and outdoors! This season is perfect for taking beautiful scenic photos and spending time outdoors.
5. Baking With Pumpkin: Pumpkin Pie
What is a fall without pumpkin pie, a DULL, lol! Your fall is not complete without a pumpkin pie, you can use either a canned pumpkin puree or a fresh pumpkin but if you’re using a fresh pumpkin puree, please roast it.
Canned pumpkin purée will give you a consistently good result in your pumpkin pie. Making your purée by roasting a sugar pumpkin can give you a deeper, more interesting flavor.
The single most requested dessert at Thanksgiving table is the pumpkin pie; so no matter how dry your turkey is or how lumpy your gravy is, if you put out a bomb pumpkin pie for dessert, all would be forgiven.
So I’ll be sharing my perfect Thanksgiving pumpkin pie recipe:
Cook Time: 1 hour Serves: 8 servings
INGREDIENTS
- 2 large eggs plus the yolk of a third egg
- 1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
- 1/3 cup white sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
- 2 cups pumpkin pulp purée from a sugar pumpkin OR 1 15-ounce can of pumpkin purée
- 1 1/2 cup heavy cream or one 12 oz. can of evaporated milk
- 1 good crust
*To make pumpkin purée from scratch, cut a medium-small sugar pumpkin in half. Scrape out the insides (reserving the pumpkins seeds to roast ) and discard. Line a baking sheet with Silpat or foil. Place the pumpkin halves cut side down on the lined baking sheet and bake at 350°F until a fork can easily pierce them, about an hour to an hour and a half. Remove from oven, let cool, scoop out the pulp.
Alternatively, you can cut the pumpkin into sections and steam in a saucepan with a couple inches of water at the bottom, until soft (strain before using). If you want the purée to be extra smooth, press the pulp through a food mill or chinois.
Special Equipment:
- 1 9-inch pie dish
METHOD
- Preheat your oven to 425°F.
- Beat eggs, mix in sugars, salt, spices, lemon zest: Beat the eggs in a large bowl. Mix in the brown sugar, white sugar, salt, spices—cinnamon, ground ginger, nutmeg, ground cloves, cardamom, and lemon zest.
- Add pumpkin and cream: Mix in the pumpkin purée. Stir in the cream. Beat together until everything is well mixed.
- Pour into pie shell and bake: Pour the filling into an uncooked chilled or frozen pie shell. Bake at a high temperature of 425°F for 15 minutes.
Then after 15 minutes, lower the temperature to 350°F. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes more. The pie is done when a knife tip inserted in the center comes out wet but relatively clean. The center should be just barely jiggly.
(About half-way through the baking, you may want to put foil around the edges or use a pie protector to keep the crust from getting too browned.)
- Cool on a rack: Cool the pumpkin pie on a wire rack for 2 hours. Note that the pumpkin pie will come out of the oven all puffed up (from the leavening of the eggs), and will deflate as it cools.
- Serve with whipped cream, viola!
6. Have A Pumpkin Spice Latte
During fall holidays, you can find “pumpkin spiced” everything from lattes to donuts but your fall is yet to begin if you haven’t had your own made healthy pumpkin spice latte or PSL as I like to call it.
This is what you need to make your psl:
INGREDIENTS
- 1 cup of coconut milk
- 2 tbsp pumpkin puree
- 2 tbsp vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- ½ tsp pumpkin pie spice
- 1 cup coffee
INSTRUCTIONS
In a small pot, combine the milk, puree, and syrup and heat it until it starts to simmer. Transfer to a blender and add the pumpkin spice and vanilla. Lastly, add the coffee!
7. Watch Halloween Themed /Horror Movies
Also, you can’t forget to watch Halloween themed or horror movies. What better way to get into the fall mood than to sit with your coziest pillows and blankets and of course popcorn, relax and then watch the scariest collections of horror movies or Halloween themed movies; don’t forget to scream out your lungs, haha!
Get in the spirit of the season by watching a quintessential fall movie. For date night, stream flicks like When Harry Met Sally and for family affairs, watch The Blind Side or one of the many Harry Potter movies.
8. Nature Watching
Don’t let the fall season pass you by in a flash without you ever going to the park with a pumpkin spice latte in hand and sitting on a bench and just watching the colors change.
Personally, this is one of my fall rituals; I don’t miss it! Sometimes I even go nature watching more than twice a week. I put on my boots, jeans, sweaters, scarves, beanies and sometimes coats and just take a walk through the closest park or forest and just appreciate nature and mother earth for the myriad of colors I’m thrown into. I also find walks relaxing and fun.
So, guys, I recommend you go out and enjoy these last few sunny days before it gets wintry.
9. Go To The Beach One Last Time
One place you need to visit this fall especially before winter comes calling is the beach especially if you are a summer lover because it’s gonna be a few months before you can hang out there again.
Seriously, this is a great time to kick back on the beach, when the autumn light is beautiful, the temps are comfortably below sweltering, and the crowds of summer are long gone. While the weather on the Outer Banks and mid-Atlantic beaches can start getting dicey in late fall, Gulf beaches and lower Atlantic coasts are terrific this time of year.
10. Read A Book By A Fireplace
Fall is the perfect time to start making hot cocoa and lighting a fire in the fireplace. This season creates the perfect setting for a sense of comfort, warmth, and reflection.
Fall is all about getting cozy with a good book in hand and what better way to get cozy than in front of the fireplace, on top of a pile of cozy and fluffy pillows and blankets and of course a steaming cup of cocoa or a pumpkin spice latte and don’t forget your favorite book or even a new book you want to try out.
Personally, I read a variety of books in the fall, ranging from Gothic themed novels to paranormal romance novels, even some steaming romance books and novels are not to be passed on, also I don’t forget to indulge in some self-help, motivational and productive books, and it’s never a crime to add in some gospel books even if it’s just the Bible.
So you see, the fall is when I sit back, relax and indulge myself in reading!
Fun facts /crazy benefits of reading:
- It reduces stress: your mind slips into the story.
- Reduces Alzheimer’s: active brain!
- It makes you more focused: All your attention has to be on the book.
11. Start Christmas Shopping
Never leave what you can do today for tomorrow or at the last minute. Last-minute Christmas shopping are never fun but always stressful because you have to find the perfect Christmas gift within a short time.
You can start your Christmas shopping or even planning during this fall, you get more time to put into it and there’s no last-minute rush hour to beat.
12. Wardrobe Makeover
Of course, what’s a fall without a wardrobe makeover? You want to avoid some last-minute wardrobe malfunction so it’s time to either go shopping or bring out that your abandoned part of your wardrobe that consisted of layers of clothes you couldn’t wear during the spring and summer.
Once it’s fall, you know it’s time to bring out your cute fall clothes like your sweaters, your gloves, your beanies, your hats, your scarves and don’t forget some good old fashionable boots (they never fail).
13. Go For A Fall Drive
Whether you ramble the Blue Ridge Parkway or take a scenic drive through town, relax and take in the spectacular landscape in fall. For views from your car or motorcycle, get off the Interstate and onto two-lane backroads, they have lesser traffic and more foliage to look at.
As trees come alive with fall colors, take a drive down an open country road just to enjoy the beautiful scenery. It’s relaxing and also a perfect way to nature watch.
14. Make A Cozy Nook
Don’t let this fall pass you by without creating your own cozy nook. All you need are some cozy pillows and the fluffiest blankets. Arrange them in your favorite spot in your house and you’re good to go, just light some scented candles for your mood.
Last year my cozy nook was at the foot of my bed but this year it’s in front of the fireplace in my room. My cozy nook served me a number of times last year especially those times when I’m bone-weary or have a good book to read, I just plop into my fluffy cozy nook, light the candles and relax.
15. Sparklers/ Fireworks
Not all good things have to end when nighttime comes one of my favorite things to do is to light those sparklers and have fun.
Please, have fun with caution! Avoid flammable things and preferably play with the sparklers outside.
Fun facts: Fireworks were originally only orange and white until the Middle Ages. New colors were made using different types of salts. Blue is the hardest color to make.
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