Tips for living your best Fall life

hey there hi there ho there friends!

It's September, which is basically Fall, aka my favorite time of year.

I absolutely LOVE Fall and if you got my recent newsletter (you can subscribe on the home page of the blog if you haven't yet!) I gave you the low down of my intense love for this season. I mean, tear-evoking joy over all things fall. I feel like the most authentic + joyful version of myself. I love the crisp air and the way the sun hits the house in the late afternoons. I love the smell of warm flickering candles, the crunch of leaves, the tastes of all the baked goods. I love every part of Fall.

I also LOVE Fall decor and walking through the seasonal aisles of Hobby Lobby. When I say I cry, I am not exaggerating. It brings me that much joy. I am so thankful to be privelaged enough to find joy in this too! Decorating my house with leaves, pumpkins, and cute signs for Autumn, Halloween, and Thanksgiving is so much fun to me. This year my *plan* was to share my decor with you, but honestly I tried decorating yesterday and I was so completely uninspired. I typically get it done in one day, but I think it's going to take a few days of changing, envisioning, cleaning, organizing. It's nearly impossible for a mom to get a big task (like decorating the whole house) done in one day. Nap times aren't long enough and there are also many other tasks to accomplish like cleaning up breakfast, laundry, prepping dinner, etc... I think part of feeling uninspired is due to the fact that my little loves are tall enough to pull things off shelves and end tables, so decor has to either be baby friendly or up high. That means I won't have *as much* nor will I have the same places in my home decorated. It's taking me a bit for me to reconfigure how I want to decorate. It'll get done, but not as quickly as I wanted to, and possibly not as much as I wanted to.

That being said, I'll share what I have put up with you in a few photos throughout this post, but it's not much.

Instead, I want to share with you some inspiration. Not for decor, not for outfits, not for fall activities (that's coming next week), but for your heart and mind and spirit as to how to go about this new season with joy and peace. Inspiration to enjoy every ounce of Autumn and intentionally spend your time.

Make it Cheesy

I feel like there is a lot of bashing on loving PSL's or Fall in general. I say, if it makes you happy, live it up. Take your kids to the pumpkin patch and get iconic photos of them. Bake every pumpkin dessert your heart desires. Dress up for Halloween even if you are 37. Don't be afraid to live up the cheese and silliness. We all NEED it. We need the things that make us feel joyful. I honestly feel bad for the people who have to look down on us "basic white girl fall lovers" because they just don't get to experience the joy we do this time of year. If you're hesitating to do something because it's a lil cheesy, throw that hesitation out the window and put out that pumpkin.

Make it Cozy

There is nothing better than cozy in my opinion. So this Autumn, be intentional about making things cozy. Throw extra fluffy blankets on the couch, light that apple pie candle, put on a pot of chilli, and turn on You've Got Mail. While you bake your 7th loaf of pumpkin bread, put on some Ella Fitzgerald and Frank Sinatra. Surprise your husband with a hot cup of cider and a board game, with flickering candles and fuzzy socks. Let the cozy wash over you like a hot shower. Sometimes life gets us so busy and suddenly it's Christmas and the Autumn season has passed us by and we forgot to actually enjoy it. Don't make that mistake this year, instead...

Slow Down

The "hustle" culture we live in today is exhausting. If you aren't filling every second of your day you aren't doing enough! That just isn't my vibe, I couldn't live like that and I don't want to. I encourage you to

S L O W D O W N

this season. Even if it means not putting your kids in a sport, or saying no to that party, or intentionally planning a Saturday to do nothing. Stop, slow down, and enjoy the happy things this season brings and the opportunities to make precious memories. Memories don't have to be grandiose like hayrides or a festival, they can be small and simple and offer just as much joy. Take your family on a nature walk where no phones are allowed (nope, not even for photos) and hear the leaves crunch beneath your feet. Turn on spooky music and carve pumpkins together on October 30th. Instead of filling every moment with cleaning, obligations, socializing, just enjoy your family and do the "traditional" Fall activities. The memories you create (even if not captured on your phone) will be so much more valued than the side hustle you started making t-shirts or the extra hour spent at work. You'll never think "Ugh I wish I had cleaned my house more when my kids were young," but you will think, "Oh, remember when we all sat on the porch and carved pumpkins and threw pumpkin guts at each other? What fun!"

Create an Environment of Peace

Along with slowing down, let's be intentional about creating an environment of peace in our home.

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God."

Matthew 5:9

The world is so...ugly. It's so stressful. Children are bullied and busy with schoolwork, work is stressful because of all the new restrictions, and the burdens of headlines weigh heavy on us all. It is our job as wives, mothers, homemakers, humans, Children of God, to be the peacemakers.

How?

It can be as simple as putting on peaceful music in the evenings and turning off the TV so the family can decompress. It can be inviting someone into your home to have dinner with you. It can be putting our phones in the bedroom while we play board games with our husband. It can be memorizing scripture with our children, or setting aside time to be in God's Word everyday. It can be ensuring your home is organized so everyone can find what they need when they need it and return it to their home when they are finished.

Whatever you do, in this season of Autumn and falling leaves and fun traditions, strive for peace. Set the goal that as soon as anyone walks into your front door, peace washes over them and joy fills their heart.