Easy Ways to Welcome Fall

Hooray for the First Day of Fall! One of my favorite days of the year! It ranks up there with Christmas for me. No joke — I grew up in Texas, where the summers were hot, humid, and seemed to go on forever. So the day that said the planet officially HAD to start giving us cooler days was something to celebrate! LOL

There’s so much to love about this season, beyond the cooler temps: football season, the food, the gatherings, the colors in nature, the decor, the comfy clothing, pumpkin everything! It’s the time of the year where coziness is king.

Here are a few easy ways to welcome fall into your everydays:

Make an Autumn Treat. After a long summer, I’m ready for fall desserts. When I feel that first chill, it’s time to turn on the oven. My Lazy Apple Crumble is one of my fall go-to desserts – my family knows fall has arrived when Mama makes this! Click on the link below to get the recipe. It is ridiculously easy to make. Ready, set…bake!

Lazy Apple Crumble

Decorate your House for Fall. What’s your favorite way to decorate for Fall? Are you in the spooky camp or the harvest-y camp? When my daughter was small, fall decorations meant Halloween. (The fun kind of Halloween not the gory or scary.) Now that she’s grown, I decorate more harvest-y. I have an orange berry wreath on the front door, blankets strewn over couches or comfy chairs, and fall centerpieces tucked here and there on console tables. Last year, in addition to all the oranges, browns and yellows, I added a touch of teal blue… and I loved it! I also have a couple of favorite fall candles I light every year to add to the ambiance. I prefer the lighter scents; some Autumn scents can be overwhelming! (I know I’m in the minority, but I can only take pumpkin spice in small doses!) So be a discriminating sniffer when you’re shopping… LOL I just love cozy-ing up my house as the days turn cooler.

Make an Autumn Bucket List. Do you have autumn activities that are a must-do every year? Looking to add something new? Get everyone together and make an autumn bucket list. This is a great way to really make the most of the season and create fun memories. Don’t forget to take photos of everyone enjoying the activities from the list! The internet is full of cute Autumn bucket lists, if you don’t want to come up with a list yourself. Here’s one from our Etsy shop:

Go on an Autumn Scavenger Hunt. This is such an easy way to get out and enjoy the Fall weather and make some memories together! This idea’s good for all ages; the littlest ones in your house can enjoy a simple “see it” hunt as they walk through your neighborhood – looking for things in nature and on your neighbors’ porches. Just check off items as you go. Easy peasy.

Making it a photo scavenger hunt is fun, too! Grab your list and your phone, and you’re good to go! Grab pictures of items off the list as you enjoy the season, or make it a competition and see who can finish off their list of pictures first! You could make a Fall photo wall of the pictures taken – this idea is budget friendly, easy Autumn home decor, and a way to relive some fun fall memories! All you need are some empty frames. Like these, these, or these. Here are my favorite kid artwork frames. Head over to the freebie library and download our Autumn Scavenger Hunt printable!

Take a Scenic Drive.

I’m lucky enough to live in a place that rivals any New England autumn — and it’s all about 5 minutes away from my house! The Alpine Loop is famous for its fall colors and it’s not alone. The many canyons and mountains of Utah put on a show every year. A quick internet search can show you where the Autumn foliage in your area can be found. Bring your phone along and snap a few pictures of all the gorgeousness! If none are close to you, then research fall activities in your hometown. Fall festivals, pumpkin patches, corn mazes are also great backdrops for Fall photos.

Make a Fall Playlist. Food and decor aren’t the only way to welcome Fall! Last year, I started to collect music that felt kind of Autumn-y to me. Having my Fall music playing in the background adds to that cozy factor – especially if it’s blustery outside. Somebody pass me a blanket and my book! (happy sigh) If you want to create and collect a playlist for yourself, Pinterest has tons of ideas.

Here’s what’s on my Fall playlist now: (I play these on shuffle. And, this is just my current list – I’m adding more songs all the time!) Click on the links below if you want to look these up and take a listen.

Maybe September (Grant Stewart)
Autumn Nocturne (Claude Thornbill)
A Foggy Day (Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald)
September in the Rain (Rod Stewart)
Journey into Melody (Stanley Turrentine)
Here’s that Rainy Day (Benny Goodman)
Home (Michael Bublé)
Moondance (Michael Bublé)
The Best is Yet to Come (Michael Bublé)
Clair de Lune (Claude Debussy)
Autumn Leaves (Nat King Cole)
Early Autumn (Ella Fitzgerald)
Great Pumpkin Waltz (Vince Guaraldi Trio)
You’d Be So Nice to Come Home To (Harry Connick, Jr.)
Fascinating Rhythm (Tony Bennett, Diana Krall)
Autumn Leaves (Cannonball Adderly)
Autumn in New York (Frank Sinatra)
Guess I’ll Hang my Tears Out to Dry (Dexter Gordon)
Stardust (Nat King Cole)
Ghostbusters (Ray Parker, Jr.)
Superstition (Stevie Wonder)
Thriller (Michael Jackson)
Music for Movies IV: The Story of Grovers Corners (Aaron Copeland)
The Ghost and Mrs. Muir Soundtrack
Little Women Soundtrack (1994) (Thomas Newman)
Stormy Weather (Lena Horne)
Thankful (Josh Groban)
Count Your Blessings Instead of Sheep (Bing Crosby)
The Thanksgiving Song (Ben Rector)

There you have it — easy ways to welcome Fall: music, decor, activities, food and nature. I’m definitely in an Autumn mood now! Sending you blessings of the season.