Ahhhhh Fall! It is by far my favorite season. The cooler temperatures, the beautiful colors of the harvest, the smell of pumpkin and spice….it’s glorious! After getting our oldest three girls off to college, we are starting to get into a new rhythm with just the four of us at home. While change isn’t always easy, it has been invigorating finding new ways of doing things. While I’ve been settling into our new norm, these are some of the things that are giving me joy.

HONEYCRISP APPLES

For those of you who are followers of our blog, you know I eat an apple a day and have for years. There are so many benefits to eating the glorious gift from Johnny Appleseed, not the least of which is its ability to suppress your appetite! The Honeycrisp apple is far and away my favorite type of apple and this time of year they are truly like nectar from the gods! Read all about the healthy attributes of this fall treat here and get out to your local orchard to stock up on your favorite apple!

BRING THE OUTDOORS IN

Before I got the pumpkins and corn husks out, I decided to bring some of my planters inside for the winter this year. I used a lot of tropical plantings in my pots this season, so I thought it was worth a shot to bring them inside. The other planters that I chose not to bring in, I pulled out the ivy and asparagus fern and repotted in smaller containers. Peppering my home with pops of green makes me happy!

ENDEAVOR ON MASTERPIECE

Full confession, I am a who done it junkie! From Matlock, to my current new obsession, Endeavor, I love a good mystery! If I was told I could only watch one channel for the rest of my life, it would, without question, be the BBC. I love all of their programming, but I am really enjoying Endeavor on Masterpiece Mystery right now. Detective Constable Morse leads you on a very heady journey to solve a complex murder while getting to know the characters that surround DC Morse in Oxford, England. DC Morse is a socially awkward genius who always takes you on a satifying adventure. I highly recommend!

PUMPKIN PIE OVERNIGHT OATS

We all know I loves me some overnight oats! It is such an easy way to get the perfect balance of carbs and protein in the morning. This is the season I add pumpkin to my overnight oats. You can find the recipe to Pumpkin Pie Overnight Oats here. Give it a try…it really is a fall treat that is good for breakfast or an evening sweet treat.

THE SOUND OF FALL

Our home is so close to the high school, you can see it when you walk out our front door. One of the reasons I love our location so much occurs every fall. With our windows open to allow the cool breezes to sweep in, you can hear the energizing sounds of the marching band as they practice every morning. The rhythmic sound of the drums and the explosive bursts of the horns makes me want to grab a honey crisp apple and run outside shouting FALL IS HERE! Thank you, marching band, for giving me such a treat every fall!!!

A LITTLE SPRAY PAINT AND MODGE PODGE GOES A LONG WAY

The changing of seasons also brings my desire to nest. Most recently I grabbed several cans of spray paint and my favorite glue-Modge Podge, to make some fun updates in my girls’ rooms. Kate’s room is so small, every square inch is valuable. The chair that was at her desk was taking up too much room and wasn’t always being used. So I decided to spray paint a folding chair that I had in the attic to use as her desk chair. That way, she has a chair when she needs to work at her desk, but she can also hang it on the wall when she needs the floor space.

In Mek’s room, I spray painted an old dresser/make up table that was my grandmother’s. It was an olive green color and I wanted to go pretty simple, so I sprayed it white. I found fun knobs and put a different pair of knobs on every drawer. The mirror over this dresser piece was just a black framed mirror that I had found at a bargain price from Ross. With a little Modge Podge glue, a foam brush and pages out of magazines that I’d cut into thin strips with my paper cutter Mekdes and I had a fun craft project. We glued the strips of the magazine all around the frame making it a colorful and fun statement in her room. It was nice doing a project together while creating something unique for her room. It’s something she is really proud of…and so am I!