You’re sitting in your house, gazing out the window at the warm pastel colors of Fall in full swing. Yellows, reds, browns, and an impressionist-leaning sky pull at your heartstrings and fill you with nostalgia. The season is a time for change and a time for action, but it’s easy to fall victim to autumnal inaction.
Buy hey, there’s never a bad time to stop looking backward and start looking forward. That’s what Fall is for. But what to DO? Well, that’s what we are for. We’ve crafted a Fall Bucket List with our favorite Fall activities, so you can do less thinking and more doing.
Let’s get started.
1. Open Your Windows to Let Crisp Air In
Let’s open the door–er, window–with an easy one. Autumn is a breath of fresh air. Literally. It’s easy to embrace the winds of change when you feel the fresh air fill out your home.
2. Actually decorate for fall (like, more than placing a pumpkin next to your un-raked leaves)
Fall has a tendency to decorate itself. With all of the natural changes the season brings, it’s easy to feel like change is happening to you. From your bedroom window, you can watch the leaves change color. You can watch the leaves fall. You can watch the wind blow them into different areas. It’s almost like a moving painting. However, this can often become an illusion of agency. There’s nothing more powerful than getting out there and deliberately changing your environment.
Decorating is the best way to get started on your Fall activities. If you love the fall, your house might as well look like it does too. Pumpkins are encouraged, but so is thinking outside the box — mums, fall foliage arrangements, felt leaf bunting… get creative!
3. Go apple picking
Now that you’ve decorated, springboard of your new “actually doing things” mentality and do something that no one actually does in 2017: go apple picking. Track down your local orchard and get up in those branches. There’s nothing like the fresh taste of fruit picked right from an apple tree. Serve up creative takes on classic recipes such as apple ring pancakes or cheesecake-stuffed baked apples.
4. Try hiking in a forest preserve or state park
Now that you’ve taken from nature’s bounty, you should return that appreciation. Research some local trails and sites that you can really explore. There’s nothing like the brisk fall air on your cheeks as you hike through one of nature’s most beautiful chapters.
5. Update Your Fall Fashion
But let’s not get too existential without taking a moment to reward yourself. Now that you’ve attended to your environment and explored some new places, it’s time to embrace yourself. Enjoy this sweater weather with the essentials of scarves, booties, flannel tops, knee-high boots, etc. Fall is on our side when it comes to dressing comfortably, and nothing is about to stop us from drinking hot chocolate in our favorite cardigan.
6. Bake a pie from scratch
Remember those apples? Hopefully you were able to save some. The only thing better than dessert is dessert that’s home-made. Whether it’s apple or pumpkin, choose the pie of your choice and get to baking — your house is about to smell as delicious as the pie tastes. Prepare your plate (and appetite) for this satisfying activity and eat a second slice for us.
7. Host a bonfire with s’mores
Fall isn’t just lovely during the day. Plan a nice bonfire in your backyard with s’mores and best friends. Start the bonfire as the sun goes down to appreciate the way the sky turns colors, and continue the night with heartwarming conversation and company.
8. Pass out candy to *adorable* trick-or-treaters
We aren’t out of the woods yet. If you’ve been following this guide, your spirits should be at an all-time high. Share that spirit with the youngsters that will take to the streets this weekend to go Trick-or-Treating. Little kid costumes are the absolute best — and complimenting them makes them SO proud. Grab some really good candy — don’t be that person with pennies or Welch’s fruit snacks — and hunker down for a scary movie in which frequent interruptions will be appreciated.
9. Send notes to friends and family for Thanksgiving telling them why you are thankful for them
Giving candy to all those kids might remind you that you have a lot of loved ones in your life, too. And there’s never a better time to show your gratitude to your loved ones than Fall. Snail mail is still one of the best things in the world — getting a hand written note can make someone’s day, especially if it’s a card reminding them they are appreciated and loved.
10. Sip Warm Apple Cider on a Porch
At this point you should be feeling pretty fulfilled, but also quite exhausted. This has been a truly monumental season for you. Wind down with a nice warm apple cider on a porch. If you don’t have your own, go on a porch-finding quest. It’s an essential ingredient and having a consummate Fall experience this season.
Fall is a time for Fun with Friends…
…and Falling in Love with Fall
We hope this helps you get through the season with flair and inspiration.