21 Things I Love About Fall
A Confession.
Being a Brit, I am not a massive fan of fall & the coming winter season. The wintery months in England are just too wet and dark and cold and anti-social for my liking…
Still, I realise that it’s not great to spend half of every year feeling miserable or quietly dreading of the months that lie ahead, so this year I have decided to embrace this changing season and to focus on searching out every drop of goodness, and proactively seeking out the joy…
Isn’t this the best way to get through any season in life that we don’t like?
Start Here >
To get me started, I have compiled a list below of 21 things that I do actually love about autumn/fall which you can read below.
I am also beginning the practice of journaling daily about the things I have found beautiful, compelling or simply feel grateful for (an idea borrowed from Ann Voskamp’s ‘One Thousand Gifts’).
And if you struggle with the seasonal shift towards winter time too, I invite you to join with me in trying out this simple practice too…
21 things I love about autumn/fall…
Leafy walks in local parks
I just love watching my little boy kicking his way through the falling leaves, and something about throwing around those piles of leaves with him really brings out my inner child too! Plus, I am lucky enough to live in Liverpool which is home to some of the most beautiful public parks in the north of England.
2. Winter grub
As it gets colder, I need absolutely no encouragement at all to get the slow cooker out and to start making some good, old-fashioned comfort meals like slow-cooked casseroles, stews and winter soups. So dig out all those old family favourite recipes, and bring it on!
3. Guilt-free cosy nights in
You no longer need to feel bad about wanting to stay in with a roaring fire, a hot mug of chocolate and your favourite book and comfy blanket! Sometimes the best thing about winter is just shutting the door on the horrible weather, snuggling up on the sofa and watching old movies…
4. Going for a Sunday roast
There’s literally nothing better on a miserable wintery afternoon than to go for a good roast dinner in front of a roaring fire at a nice English pub. Pubs are such a great British institution, and what better way to while away a wet afternoon than by getting together with some friends to enjoy good food and conversation?
5. Winter wardrobe
When the temperature begins to drops, it’s kind of exciting to get that winter wardrobe back out; big coats, thick boots, woolly jumpers, and cute woolly hats, slippers, socks and gloves galore! Better still, it’s a great excuse for a little bit of seasonal retail therapy…
6. Seasonal drinks
As you may already know, I’m a really keen coffee drinker. (And more recently, I’ve actually got into some seasonal tea blends too!). So I just love it when all the novelty seasonal specials come out, like pumpkin latte, spiced nutmeg, orange chocolate, eggnog or gingerbread. Give me Christmas in a cup any day!
7. Autumn trail
Who doesn’t fondly remember those hours of fun spent hunting for conkers on Autumn evenings after school as a child? Is there anything more nostalgic? So why not organise a little autumn trail, and gather up all the best conkers, ferns, acorns and leaves you can possibly find… and bring them home for an autumn art project, or home display.
8. Halloween
What can I really say about this one? Who doesn’t love dressing up their little ones in cute fancy dress, taking trips to visit a local pumpkin patch, carving jack o’ lanterns, and making pumpkin soup?
9. TV we all love to hate
The Great British Bake Off, Strictly Come Dancing, and many other trashy British TV institutions (that we all love to hate?) are all back on our screens again for the annual countdown to Christmas at this time of year. So come Saturday evening, when it’s too wet to venture anywhere from home, enjoy the excuse to order a takeaway and settle in…
10. Bonfire night & fireworks parties
Each year I just love it when November finally arrives and families around my neighbourhood gather together to host a bonfire and watch a firework display. Everyone makes a small donation or contributes some food, and the kids just go wild. It’s community spirit at its very
11. Hot tub fun
Have you ever sat in a steaming hot tub under the starry skies on a clear winter’s night? If not, can I recommend that you make this the first year that you do? If you don’t have any friends that own one who’s pad you can crash, you can hire them pretty reasonably these days too.
12. Thanksgiving Celebrations
Okay, so I’m not an American but I do have some American family, which I think means that I can at least steal a few of their thanksgiving traditions… like turkey, cornbread, pumpkin pie, pecan pie, and sweet potato… yum! In fact, Thanksgiving is the thing I most envy of all American traditions. And who says Brits can’t host a thanksgiving gathering too?
13. Winter markets
There’s just an abundance of winter markets popping up around towns and cities at this time of year, with chocolate crepes, warm waffles, sausages, roasted chestnuts, hot cider, mulled wine, and tons of other yummy treats on offer… And I really don’t need to say any more about this one… you know what to do!
14. Seasonal candles
I actually love burning candles all year round, but something about the darker nights really makes lighting scented candles around your home feel like such a treat..
15. Pop-up ice rinks & ice bars
Another thing that my city is really great at doing is hosting pop-up ice bars and ice-skating rinks over winter time, which are just perfect for that special, romantic date night over winter time, or just a fun evening out with some friends.
16. Sparkly lights
Some people might find them tacky and cheap but I love all the pretty, sparkly, glowing Christmas lights that appear around homes, bars, restaurants, and shops window displays. They brighten up our cities and neighbourhoods no end during the most gloomy time of year! Too soon to mention the ‘C’ word? Never!
17. Seasonal shopping
Christmas is the season of giving, and although lots of people hate the hustle and bustle of Christmas shopping, I still enjoy the tradition of shopping for gifts - browsing displays, and seeking out gifts to bless people with, picking out things I know they’ll love but would never buy for themselves is so fun! But start early to offset the stress!
18. Gluhwein
Warmed mulled wines and mulled cidars, or mulled apple juice (for those not drinking alcohol!) are another one of my favourites flavours of this time of year. Whether you buy it by the bottle, or make it all from scratch - be sure to add the orange slices, cloves, and cinnamon sticks in good measure for maximum taste…
19. Christmas parties
I also just love to host a good pre-Christmas gathering, so each year when we reach December I always try to arrange a few parties and gatherings for a few of our closest friends… is there a better excuse or time of year to get people together?
19. Sledging & snow days
One of the things that I have always loved about the winter is snow sports, and although snowboarding has become a rare event since having a child, there’s still lots of good hills that we use for sledging in snow, as well as nearby indoor ski slopes which offer all kinds of family fun like tubing and tobogganing too.
20. Carols by candlelight
I’m not a massive fan of old carols themselves, but l do love to embrace a bit of festive tradition like carols by candle night, and our local church also has a Christmas parade which features small kids dressed up in nativity related outfits such as reindeers, shepherds, angels… and Buzz Lightyear or Spider-Man (usually my son!). The cute factor is just off the scale!
21. holidays!
My husband and I are both lucky enough to be in jobs where we tend to get most of the Christmas period off work, which means time to relax & really enjoy Christmas, visiting family and friends. I love this about the Christmas week - it’s the one time of the year that we stop completely and switch off from work!
