Decorating, Favorite Things

Fall-ish

Writer McWriterson

I used to kind of go all out when it came to decorating the house for fall and Halloween.

But now that the kids are older, and one isn’t even home for Halloween anymore, I’m doing less.

It makes me a little sad. Why did I only decorating when the kids were little? My mom still decorates her home for Halloween, which I love, and I know my kids do as well.

Ella even asked me yesterday, “When are we going to decorate the outside for fall, mom?”

Gotta get on that. 

We went for a long drive in the country last weekend, and it was genuinely life-giving because ever since it turned to fall here, I’ve been sick with a cold/upper respiratory/sinus infection that won’t seem to go away.

The drive was spectacular, full of the beginnings of fall color, 65-degree weather, our dog on the console between my husband and me, and our youngest daughter in the backseat asking all sorts of questions about barn shapes and countrysides, and how, if we ever win the lottery, can we buy a big old farm and have lots of animals whose only jobs are to sit, eat, get fat, and be utterly and completely loved.

Of course, we have to buy lottery tickets for that to happen.

Gotta get on that. 

We used to travel to pumpkin fields and choose our own, the girls barely able to hobble back to the haywagon with their massive pumpkins the size of their torsos. But now we’re content with picking up a couple from a roadside wagon grown in the backyards of rural homes on one of our weekend drives.

Cider donuts from the our pumpkin farm aren’t as good as they used to be.

Side note- The cider donuts at Dunkin’ Donuts are even better. Pass it on.

Side note part two- I went to my local Dunkin’ this weekend and they said they were discontinued. 

Fall for me has always been less about haunted houses and apple picking and pumpkin farms and more about enjoying the remaining lovely weather (when it isn’t raining) by keeping the windows open, or making caramel apples on a random Wednesday afternoon, or sitting on the patio with a cup of coffee, watching the squirrels get ready for winter, or scavenging local thrift stores with the girls to find a unique “homemade” costume.

It’s a pot of chili on a cold night or a crockpot of soup waiting for us when we get home after a long day of homeschool co-op.

It’s shivering in the stands of the local high school cheering on our hometown team and oldest daughter’s alma mater.

It’s sitting in a barn in the country, listening to the clops of horses hooves on gravel and hearing canter up! echo throughout the farm.

It’s bonfires in the backyard with loved ones with wine to keep us warm.

My mom has made a huge pot of chili (among many more goodies) on Halloween night since I can remember and it is a tradition that I look forward to almost more than Christmas.

Something about walking into her home on trick or treat night and smelling chili is more comforting to me than she will ever know.

I might not be fully embracing fall yet because I know the season that follows it but I know I can do fall in small doses.

And having fun size Kit Kats definitely helps.

29 thoughts on “Fall-ish”

  1. I have chili cooking in the crock pot right now! I am not really a Halloween gal and am so glad my youngest informed he’s just not interested in trick or treating this year but I am all about fall for many of the reasons you mentioned. As long as it isn’t rainy (and I much prefer sunny to cloudy) we try to get outside and soak up that crisp air and all those beautiful colors around.

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    1. I feel like this may be the last year for my youngest. It makes me sad, selfishly, but at the same time, I realize this is part of the growing up thing.
      It is a gorgeous day here today and we have a homeschool co-op field trip to the apple farm, so we will be enjoying it! 🙂

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      1. I am not big on Halloween (that came out Halloweed when I first typed it- now that’s a whole different kind of comment) decorations myself. Here it is mid-October and I still have to get the box of few decorations out. I like to cling to the warm fall days and live in denial about the approaching cold weather. Back in the day, I was the queen of sewing Halloween costumes. Now the kids are not interested in having me whip up Chewbaca out of fake fur so thick it broke my sewing machine- so I am OK with them outgrowing the costume stage.

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  2. We still haven’t gotten our decorations up. Must do that today. I totally love your mantle btw. I think Halloween has taken over as my favorite holiday because it’s all about the kids, there’s no pressure of worrying about gifts, no drama (outside of the occasional parents complaining about kids outside of middle school trick or treating). Just giving out candy to happy faces, so lovely.

    We had fall weather last week, meaning it dropped below 80. I made chili and cornbread to celebrate.

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      1. I feel like most adults past 30 are at a place where they can buy whatever they need (within a certain dollar amount that anyone would spend on gifts anyway), and gifts should really just be for something that’s super thoughtful, not obligatory. We end up trading gift cards a lot or buying a household knickknack that will collect dust, and it seems like it’d be a much nicer time to not even have to worry about gifts at all. I hate opening gifts in front of people, too.

        That sounds wonderful. It was 50 degrees this morning, so I wore flannel. Of course it was 80 by afternoon, but I’ll take what I can get!

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  4. Every year I tell myself that I’m going to enjoy Fall more, and every year it passes me by. This year I even started early, and it still feels like it’s slipping away from me. Maybe it’s because it’s my favorite season, maybe it’s because the leaves are only beautiful colors for a short time, and maybe it’s just because winter is so darn cold, but I want to hold only Fall forever.

    This year we have been to five festivals, I made pumpkin ice cream, I ate apple cider donuts and I still don’t feel like I’m taking in Fall enough. Maybe I need to sit and enjoy it. Maybe I need more sits on the porch with coffee in hand. Maybe I just need to take a deep breath and enjoy it, instead of trying to hold on to it.

    I love your Fall, it’s helped me feel more of my own Fall.

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  5. I posted a long comment, but then lost it because I wasn’t logged in WordPress :/

    Oh well, I love this post. It’s honestly helping me take a step back and remind myself to enjoy Fall before it’s gone. I love it so much that I’m afraid of losing it, and I think doing that makes me miss it.

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  6. Fall is a sad time for me…it’s not only the time when my son died, but my dad, my MIL, and my grandpa, too. And all the flowers fading and withering up and the leaves falling to the ground…it just all makes me sad. And I know what’s right around the corner and that just plain ol’ makes me depressed! It’s not all gloom and doom though…I do find the beauty in the cool, sunshiny days and colored leaves and I do decorate my home a bit for fall and Halloween. Of course, I decorated a lot more for Halloween when I had little kids at home. I made chili a couple of weeks ago and it was sooo good. Definitely a fall classic.

    I’m sorry you’re still sick. Brian’s sick right now with a bad cold and it’s really kicking his butt. He came home from work early today and napped, then went to bed early cuz he has to be back at work tomorrow for another 12-hour shift. I feel so bad for him. He hasn’t been sick in years, so I suppose he’s overdue, but still. And I hope to God I don’t catch it!

    xoxo

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    1. I am so sorry that the fall is so sad for you. It doesn’t help that winter follows it which is just so depressing around here. Maybe you and I should plan to get together monthly for soup this winter. Simple acts like that help make a season we both hate, fun. Or at least give us something to look forward to.

      This virus/infection is kicking MY ass. The nurse said that there is this virus going around that lasts a month and I think I have it. I also think fall allergies are a big part of it…..AAARGH. 😦

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  7. I am definitely decorating less for Halloween now that my kids are teens…so sad. Thanks for linking up to Best of the Weekend. Your post was one of my features this week. I will also be pinning and sharing on Instagram stories this weekend. Thanks again for joining us and have a great weekend!
    Shelley

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