Happy Fall Y'all

Welcome to our home. 

Let's be honest. It really isn't fall here yet. 

It is a sweltering million degrees (roughly) on the daily and I can't walk downstairs without sweating.

Okay I'm joking, But that's only because I keep my house at a crisp 68 degrees year round.

I will go on the record to say you don't move to North Carolina for the summer months. Mid October to Mid April are the reason we live here.

    Like the 

sign says: 

The South is the place where we have front porch swings and bless hearts left and right so we can insult you behind your back

without feeling bad about it. 

So there are some pluses to living indoors most of the year.

But since temperatures aren't dropping, we are going to drop some other things around here. 

Like Pumpkins and ideas.

Fall is my FAVORITE time of year. I love trees, leaves, smell, clothing (YESSSS), boots, colors, activities..I love it all. Except Pumpkin spice so if the world could stop sprinkling that on everything I touch, that'd be great.

In the meantime, while we wait for cooler weather, I am going to tempt fall by completing a 

FALL BUCKET LIST: 

1. Decorate

The very first thing I do is decorate my house. I don't have a million dollars ( surprise!) so instead of decorating just for Halloween, I spruce the house up for the season of fall and leave it all through Thanksgiving! The day after Thanksgiving is a mad dash to change all of the orange in the house to red and green. My favorite thing to do is the front porch. I love when the outside of the house looks just as inviting as the inside! This year, I went with $7 artificial hay bales from Michaels, linked here. I put a few fake tiny pumpkins and gords, plus whatever the weird shaped green ones are, and filled up our DIY Window Boxes to make them more festive. They had been empty for months because the heat killed our flowers so the hubs was thrilled to have them filled again! I bought two strands of fall garland and framed my door, brought my fall type fake flowers out of hiding in the attic and threw them in my super versatile painted white mason jars and suddenly my summer table changed seasons. 

2. The Pumpkin Patch.

Every year I drag my family to a pumpkin patch and take a million pictures. It is usually one hundred degrees but we do it anyway and I sweat because I refuse to wear anything less than sweaters and boots. But the overpriced pumpkin patch and kids smiles are totally worth it. 

3. Pumpkin Coloring

Now this might seem anti-Halloween, but with my littles being as little as they are, we haven't carved pumpkins in years. We color them. Yes with markers and yes they love it. We may venture into pumpkin carving this year but, then again if it ain't broke...

4. Driveway Bonfire

This is my favorite Halloween night activity we do as a family. Thanks again to wonderful heat of the south, once the kids are done trick-or-treating, we put a portable fire pit on the driveway and sit camping chairs around it for a S'mores cookout while the kids ride bikes hours past their bedtime. (linked here from my Amazon ideas list).

                                                            
  5. Matching Costumes

Yes we do this every year. And yes my husband loves Halloween so he doesn't mind the cost or the costumes I pick. We have been Pirates, the Avengers, gypsies and the plan for this year is woodland creatures. So a blog about our costumes will come whenever I get them finished.

6. Football

Sometimes we hit up a local football game which is always very nostalgic and also deeply humbling since now we are over a decade past high school. At the very least, we spend a few afternoons watching our Alma Matter lose to more worthy opponents. Go Cougs.

7. Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread

Although Im not into pumpkin spice, I do have an AMAZING pumpkin bread recipe I will link here. The only difference is- this amount of batter makes three loaves, not one. And instead of a single cup of chocolate chips, I use almost a whole bag. 

You're Welcome. 

8. Casper the Friendly Ghost
A family activity for y'all this year is to get out in your neighborhood and "BOO!" someone. This is a great way to reach out to a family in need and give them a pick-me-up or kind of meet the neighbor if your'e an
introvert like myself.
I have linked a few ideas here , here , or here.

9. Either Get OUT or Stay IN
If you want to see the leaves, take a walk on a Sunday afternoon as a family. Find a little trail or lake nearby and bring some bikes and a camera. If you leave yourself an undetermined amount of time it can be breathtaking and relaxing. If you want to stay in- just cozy up with sweats and a book, some hot chocolate, or some Hocus Pocus because in the last 20 years that is still the best Halloween movie ever made. And when you stay in, stay fed. Chili, cornbread, anything in a crockpot (did YOU know you could even do his to baked potatoes??)  and some homemade cookies. Yes Please.

Happy Fall Y'all

(Gillian's bow: Zozu Baby)
(Gilian's romper: She Loves Her Mama)
(Custom wood entry sign: SK Wood Designs )