everything autumn

So, the first day of fall was September 22nd, guys. Are you ready? Are YOU READY? I am the type of person who begins preparing for autumn around mid August. I just can't help it - I think that the holidays are so much fun! I love summertime, but my favorite time of the year is that stretch from September to December. I think I just love the coziness of holidays - it's all about family, love, fun, food, and celebration. Here in Michigan, the occasional chilly day begins around mid-September - autumn is a fleeting but beautiful season in the Midwest! We have a couple of months of beautiful weather and then BAM! Good luck going outside without your fingers feeling like numb, frozen french fries.

Last year, Ben was born on October 21st. (Sweetest Day! It may be a made-up holiday but I still think it's pretty cool - he is so darn sweet.) I thought it was so funny because the leaves were fully changing around a week before he was born, and the days were still warm and sunny. We were in the hospital for two nights, and when we left, it was freezing cold! The season changed so quickly and it didn't really feel warm again until spring. I was bummed because I wanted to be able to take him outside more often as a newborn, but he was just so new and tiny and I didn't want him out in the cold too long. 

Anyway, I wanted to make a post about some of my favorite ways to get into autumn - some great ideas for finding autumn food and decor on the cheap-cheap (is "on the cheap-cheap" a phrase? If not, I just made it up! On da cheap-cheap!), a list of some simple joys of the season, some great calming autumnal music, and ideas for fun activities to get into the spirit! Just all sorts of fall-related stuff. Hope you guys enjoy!

Here is a graphic I made of some of the little joys of autumn - a big ole list that will remind you of those first little joys of the holiday season!

So - the cheap-cheap - where do I find my inexpensive autumn decor or food? First of all, as far as food goes - TRADER JOE'S. I love Trader Joe's, guys. I would do all of my grocery shopping there if I could - I often do a few "fun" foods for the week or special items from there and then buy the rest at Meijer or Aldi! When fall comes around, Trader Joe's has pumpkin everything, tons of decorative pumpkins and mums, cinnamon brooms, spiced cider, just so many fun seasonal items! Something about shopping there makes the "foodie" in me want to dance and sing. Here are some items I found at Trader Joe's...

Pumpkin shaped pasta, pumpkin bagels, organic pumpkin puree, pumpkin bread mix, granola with pumpkin seeds, and apple cider donuts! I also picked out pumpkin spice coffee and spiced cider.

For decor, I love just buying inexpensive white mini pumpkins. They're $.69 apiece at my grocery store, so that's pretty dang cheap! I also love the Target Dollar Spot (I think it's called Doggy's Playground or something now? But y'all know what I'm referring to.) Tons of cute garland, banners, fake leaves, ceramic pumpkins, mugs, and candles - all for $5 and under. We have a little gold "GRATEFUL" banner hanging above our sliding glass door that was $1! My last spot would be Dollar Tree - simple and cute little decorations and all for just a dollar. I bought a little yard decoration from there and it's so cute!

Basically, it's not necessary to spend $60 dollars on a huge fancy autumn wreath and tons of expensive decorations. You can decorate your place - whether it's a room, an apartment, a home, a mansion, or a houseboat (like ya do) on the cheap-cheap! (Also - if you have little ones, pumpkins are easy to replace instead of a ceramic or glass decoration if something is broken or played with! Ben loves to play with the little white pumpkins!)

I love listening to music that makes me feel in the spirit, as well. Some of my recommendations for artists?

• Ed Sheeran
• Agnes Obel 
• Gregory Alan Isakov
• Oh Wonder
• Martha Wainwright
• Arctic Monkeys
• Ingrid Michaelson

Basically any artist that is singer/songwriter, acoustic, and calming. It helps me embrace the cooler weather and wind down. I also will just turn on "Coffee Shop Radio" or listen to acoustic or autumn playlists on Spotify!

Lastly, here are a few autumn-related quotes to keep in mind... 

"I notice that Autumn is more the season of soul than of nature." Friedrich Nietzsche 

"Every leaf speaks bliss to me, fluttering from the autumn tree." Emily Brontë

"Life starts all over again when it gets crisp in the fall." F. Scott Fitzgerald - The Great Gatsby

"Autumn seemed to arrive suddenly that year. The morning of first September was crisp and gold as an apple." J.K. Rowling

"I loved autumn, the season God seemed to put there just for the beauty of it." Lee Maynard

Alright, guys! Comment below and tell me your favorite autumn quotes, songs, and foods. I love to hear from readers and I hope you are all embracing this new season. 

Hugs,

Megan