10 Fall Activities That Make Home Great
The Season Has Much to Offer Indoors and Out
My spouse and I enjoy the fall a lot. The weather is still nice enough to go
outside, and there are many fun things you can do inside, too. You might wonder what kind of travel blog
focuses on home life, but I maintain that time spent away gathering inspiration
– maybe by sightseeing or shopping - is fulfilled by what comes of it when you return
home. Corey and I do the following 10
activities; if not every single year, we do them every two or three. They are fun, and they can be done by different
kinds of families and among friends.
Focusing on Home Organization
I love to look at magazines with articles featuring the most
useful ways to organize things in a home.
I am interested in the tiny house movement also, partly because I am
captivated by people who make the most efficient use out of little space. I love to block off a long weekend to tidy a
room and bring order to piles of things.
Fall is a nice time to organize because I think about being cozy at home
during winter.
Baking
One year Corey and I attempted to make a pecan pie, and
another year we successfully made an apple pie.
Baking in the fall is the best!
The smells in the kitchen are wonderful; I often play Christmas music
while I bake even when it is November.
When we buy pies made elsewhere, I still like to make homemade whipped
topping for them by beating heavy cream with an electric mixer and adding
powdered sugar and vanilla. It adds a
special touch.
Making Mulled Apple Cider
We buy our apple cider and heat it with sliced oranges,
cloves, allspice and cinnamon sticks. You can find recipes for mulled apple cider
online. Eating popcorn with it makes an
irresistible autumnal treat. Sometimes Corey
and I watch a holiday movie while we sip and munch. Films we enjoyed in the past are: “White
Christmas,” starring Bing Crosby; “The Christmas Chronicles” starring Kurt
Russell; and even the film, “Last Christmas,” starring Henry Golding and Emilia
Clarke.
Planting Mums
Mums make our yard look colorful, and I love their blooms
that last into fall. I have given them
to my family, and the mums need no wrapping paper because they are naturally
decorative.
Holding Game Nights
Every now and then we invite friends to have dinner and play
a game. We are working through a game
called Ticket to Ride Legacy, which lets players build train routes on the game
board and earn play money along the way.
The game continues for 12 separate sessions. Ticket to Ride Legacy is a follow-up to a
similar, older version, Ticket to Ride. I
like traveling, and the game interests me.
It is a bit complicated, but the more players the better in figuring out
how to play. The game adds to my
knowledge of U.S. geography and makes me wonder about being in all the cities
named on the board.
Hiking in the Woods
Outdoor exercise in the fall thrills me because the cooler
air is invigorating, and I love the contrast of being a bit chilly and then
coming inside to warm up. There is
something special about it, too, when you have been walking at a good pace. I
just feel relaxed afterward and much more limber. While many leaves have already fallen by
November, I find it enjoyable to shuffle through those left along the trails;
they make the ground look pretty.
Listening to Instrumental Music
It is so tempting by November to start playing Christmas
music, but I found two genres of music that make fall sound sweet. One genre is instrumental Shaker
melodies. I admit, I do not know the
lyrics, but the tunes are wonderful. I
like the CD “Simple Gifts” by William Coulter and Barry Phillips. The other is modern classical. I like the music of David Huntsinger,
specifically his album “Autumn in New England.”
The latter album makes me think of travel, too.
Shopping for Sweaters
I enjoy sweaters, and one year I found a vibrant, green one
that was like nothing else I had in my wardrobe. I found it secondhand, but I love it. It is solid green, although it does have a
pattern in the stitching which enhances it.
This sweater is my go-to choice for both Christmastime and St. Patrick’s
Day in March! Maybe people like me have
a bit more Irish lineage than realized.
Making a Campfire
I like the smell of wood smoke and watching the flames of a
small fire. Sitting around a fire circle
is a great place for conversation. I
suggest taking a deck of trivia cards outside to occupy thoughts as well. The sounds of the outdoors are special too.
Writing a Holiday Letter
We like to write a holiday card in the fall. We can check it off our to-do list, and we
have plenty of time to mail the cards to our friends and relatives before the
New Year; we have many connections with people who live far away so these
letters are a priority for us. A simple
holiday card helps us keep our relationships going. I also love to see creative thoughts put down
in print, so it is a delightful project to undertake.
These plans for hiking, building campfires, gaming, gardening,
baking, organizing, listening to music, shopping, cooking and writing make me
excited for fall, and I love thinking about them. These activities are of a lighter subject,
and they do help give us a break from the heavy care of life, which we all have
in one form or another. Although these
activities feel lighter, they are important, too. I hope we all have time to enjoy a wonderful
fall.
