Fall Time is the Best Time

Fall is my favorite time of year for so many reasons – if you can’t already tell from the zillion times I’ve mentioned it so far. When the leaves start to change and the temps start dropping, and all I want to do is play hooky from work, light a candle, curl up and read a good book.

I also love that everybody gets really festive this time of year – with all their cute doorstep pumpkins and autumn-themed decor. I love walking around the surrounding neighborhoods and soaking up everyone’s decorations (people get pretty excited here in Dallas, which is SO fun to see!).

7 Things To Do At Home To Get In The Fall Spirit

To help you  (and myself!) get in the Fall state-of-mind/spirit, I wanted to share a couple of my favorite things to do at home to get ready for fall and ease myself into the upcoming holiday craze. If you want more ideas of what to do to get in the season, check out my Fall Bucket List for more fun things to do! Okay so here we go! Let’s talk about fun things to do at home to get yourself in the Fall spirit!

1. Make Hot Apple Cider

If you have been following along you know that Lisel and I went on a fall foliage road trip through Vermont all the way to Connecticut. While up there we visited Cold Hollow Cider Mill and became obsessed with hot apple cider. As soon as I got home I looked up some fun recipes and found these delicious mulling spices to add to apple juice, instant homemade cider. I love this as a substitute for coffee in the morning or warm drink to have before bed. It’s super easy to make and will leave your kitchen/house smelling like fall. It’s also a great drink to have for any festive parties you may be throwing. Add a little bourbon and you can make this drink adult friendly! I like to top mine with whip cream and drizzle it with caramel for an extra touch.

2. Decorate With a Pumpkin Flower Arrangement

I just discovered this crafting project and think it’s so cute to go on your dinner table. All you need is one medium sized pumpkin, wet floral foam (you can find them at your local florist/craft store), and a bundle of fall flowers of your choice. You then take your pumpkin and glue or use the stem to attach the foam. Once the foam piece is securely attached carefully poke the flowers into the foam and arrange them however you want. Your done! You now how a beautiful centerpiece for you table without worrying about your pumpkin or flowers drying out and no need to mess with carving out a pumpkin and getting stuck with the mess. You can set these out on your front porch, front table or dinner table!

3. Put on your favorite slippers & Cozy Up

There’s no better feeling than being curled up on the couch or in bed reading a good book or watching the latest season of Scandal on Netflix (#guilty). On those nights where you can really feel the chill, I like to put on my favorite pair of jammies and a comfy pair of slippers and either order pizza in with my roomies, read a good book (more on that below), or (let’s be real) binge-watch Netflix. Currently, my roomies and I are mindlessly watching (but not really loving – if I’m being honest) How to Get Away with Murder slash also switching between old episodes of Homeland and Law & Order SVU. what’re you watching?! Anything we should check out?

Okay back to the cozy factor (which is #crucial when it comes to getting the proper “set up” for Netflixing/reading/etc.) When it comes to slippers I’m usually really picky and look for some that a have a rubber sole so that I don’t have to worry about getting them dirty. Plus, I want to be able to wear them in public (#duh) slash out of the house. When it gets really cold, I’ll wear them with my leggings and XXL tee to Starbucks for coffee dates with my girlfriends etc.

I just discovered Koolaburra by UGG slippers a few weeks ago when doing a little research/shopping and I’m obsessed! I just got the “Margo” style slippers and I’m IN LOVE. I’ve been wearing them around the house nonstop and even wore them to the grocery store last week (#dontjudge). They’re such a pretty color and have faux fur lining that keeps my feet oh-so-cozy. I also love the Milo slip on slippers (and they’re $55!) – they look so, so cozy!

4. Make Pumpkin-Flavored Anything

Pumpkin Pie is finally in season and I could not be happier. Honestly, I could eat pumpkin pie all year round, but this is really the only time it’s acceptable (hands-over-face emoji). Start your ovens because I have found a pretty spectacular pumpkin pie recipe and other ways to incorporate pumpkin in to your meals.I’m not a huge fan of cookies, but these look pretty delicious too. Invite your friends over for a fall inspired dinner and try out all these fun recipes. But don’t limit yourself to just sweets and baking recipes, you can also make pumpkin pasta (yum!).

5. Light Fall Candles

Ya’ll know I love a good candle (Votivo’s Red Currant is my usual GO-TO) and Fall is no exception. And I’m always so eager to find the perfect seasonal scent to compliment all my holiday activities. I have found so many good ones like this one and this one. That not only smell amazing but last a long time! If you are a holiday grump this will definitely get you in the spirit.

Here are a few of my favorites if you’re looking to get yourself one: Jo Malone’s Dark Amber & Ginger Lily Candle // Volupsa’s ‘Maison Holiday – Spruce Cuttings’ Two-Wick Candle // Boulangerie’s Pumpkin Souffle Scent Candle // Henri Bendel’s Firewood Scent Candle // Nest Fragrance’s Pumpkin Chai Candle

6. Create a Gratitude Jar

This is a great idea for your home – and just in time for Thanksgiving too!  Creating a gratitude jar is a simple way to remember all the amazing things that have happened this year. Whether you live with roommates, your family, or your hubby and kids, put a gratitude jar out on the table or by the front door as a reminder for everyone to be grateful this season.

It sounds cheesy (I know), but I think little changes or mini initiatives like this can go a long way and be really fruitful. You can even have pre-cut pieces of paper so anyone that comes in to the house can write down what they are thankful for and put it in the jar. Then during Thanksgiving/Friendsgiving dinner you can bring out the jar and read what everyone wrote down!

7. Curl up with a good book

I don’t read often, but when I do I tend to always pick up more of the self-help (mostly Christian, non-fiction or memoir) books rather than fiction. For some reason, I just enjoy reading these types of books more and they bring me so much joy, energy and life. I’ve talked about a few past books I’ve loved before on the blog, but I mean it when I say I really don’t make enough time to read. Honestly, I listen to audio books more often than I actually sit down and read a book (that isn’t the bible, which you know I love to read/study).

Lately though I’ve been reading (I’m literally on page, like 9 though…ha!) Present Over Perfect By Shauna Niequist and so far (although I’m not too far into it) I’m LOVING it. I was surprised to see that Brené Brown wrote the forward – I’ve read one of her books (Daring Greatly) and always wondered if she was a believer. I’m guessing that since she wrote the forward for Shauna’s book, she got to be, right?! (and this made me very happy). I’ve hard SO MANY great things about this book and am hoping to make it to at least chapter 2 this weekend – I’m also SUCH a slow reader which doesn’t help my reading game.

DISCLOSURE: Thanks so much to Koolaburra by UGG for partnering with me on this post. All content and opinions are of course my own, but I’m so thankful to have support from wonderful brands such as Koolaburra so that I can create/write/plan these fun and different (aka not outfit) type of blog posts for y’all. Let me know what you thought about this post – as always, I’d love to hear form y’all!