I love to focus on 5 ways to enjoy fall: decorations, lots of yummy food, drinks, smells, and activities! These are some of my family’s favorite fall recipes and ideas to savor the season.
Guest Post by Jami Balmet of Young Wife’s Guide
Fall is the beginning of my favorite time of the year. The temperature starts to drop, the leaves change color, and all I want to do is cuddle up on the couch with a hot cup of tea, a pumpkin scone, and a good book.
The next few months leading up to Christmas are fun and exciting! But if I’m not careful, these months also can go by way too fast. With parties, Thanksgiving, Christmas shopping, cookie parties, birthdays and Christmas, before I know it, it’s January 1st and my favorite time of year is gone once again.
So this season, I really want to slow down and focus on our family and enjoying this beautiful time of year. I know January will be here before we know it and so I want to do everything we can to enjoy this time together as a family.
We just had our second set of twins in July, and these three months have already flown so fast! With four little boys, all under 3 years old, life is going at breakneck speed – but I also want to slow down, take a step back, and enjoy these years with my family. As any grandma will tell you, these years will go by in a blink!
I want to be able to look back on this time with fond memories and give my children wonderful traditions that they can pass down to their future families. For me, fall begins with the decorations. And then it’s surrounded by lots of yummy food, drink, smells, and activities!
So will you join me in enjoying autumn together?
5 Ways to Enjoy Fall (with all your senses!)
1. Fall Decor
I always find it funny when I talk to friends who don’t decorate for fall. While Christmas decorating is also exciting, there is something so warm and comforting about decorating for fall! I love getting the cinnamon candles out and dousing the house in warm, fall color!
Here are some creative and unique decor ideas for fall:
- 3 Easy-to-Make Fall Centerpieces Under $5 – Keeper of the Home
- Ways to Make Your Home Fall Cozy – Budget Decorator
- Painted Wood Slice Pumpkins – A Night Owl (SO cute!)
- $6 Decorating at the Dollar Tree – Passionate Penny Pincher
2. Fall Smells
When I think of fall, I think of the smells. Rich cinnamon, yummy apple, caramel and more! One of our favorite things is to make one of these amazing recipes that make your entire house smell of fall. It’s my husband’s favorite thing to come home to.
- Stove Top Potpourri – I Heart Naptime
- The Perfect Fall Potpourri – exPress-o
- Pumpkin Spice Essential Oil Air Freshener – The Wellness Mama
- How to Make Pumpkin Spice Candles – For Rent
- The Smell of Christmas – Next to Heaven
3. Fall Food
My husband and I are pumpkin fanatics. We will try pumpkin anything! But even if you are not a pumpkin fan, there are plenty of amazing recipes to try for fall. Here are some desserts, dinners, and snacks to get you started!
- Frugal Fall Breakfast Meal Plan Featuring Super Foods – The Humbled Homemaker
- Scrumptious Snickerdoodles – Young Wife’s Guide
- Hearty Fall Vegetable Soup – Intentional By Grace
- Crock-Pot Apple Crumble (Sugar & Gluten Free) – The Humbled Homemaker
- Perfect Apple Pie Recipe – Young Wife’s Guide
- Maple Glazed Pumpkin Donuts (Grain-Free, Dairy-Free)- Keeper of the Home
- Pumpkin Dump Cake – Intentional Moms
- The Most Amazing Pumpkin Scones – Young Wife’s Guide
- Homemade Apple Pie Spice – The Humbled Homemaker
- Crock Pot Apple Sauce – Young Wife’s Guide
- Pumpkin Pie Crumble Bars (Gluten, Dairy, and Egg Free) – The Humbled Homemaker
- Pumpkin Cream Cheese Bread – Young Wife’s Guide
- Freezer Crock Pot Mexican Chicken Chili – Intentional By Grace
- Whole Wheat Cinnamon Rolls – Young Wife’s Guide
- Pumpkin Spice Granola – The Humbled Homemaker (Gluten, Grain, Dairy, and Egg Free)
4. Fall Drinks
There’s almost nothing as soothing or as warming as a big cup of hot tea or coffee flavored with pumpkin spice creamer! From special treats to every day staples, fall drinks are among my favorites.
- Pumpkin Spice Coffee Creamer – Young Wife’s Guide
- Spiced Pumpkin Chai Tea – Recipes To Nourish
- Crock Pot Caramel Apple Cider – Young Wife’s Guide
- Pumpkin Cream Smoothie – The Humbled Homemaker
- Crock Pot Pumpkin Spice Latte – Young Wife’s Guide
- Pumpkin Pie Shake – Deliciously Organic
5. Fall Activities
Summer here in California can be brutal. Even as I write this, we are in the middle of a 100-degree week. But I know boots and sweater weather is coming again. Fall is the perfect time to slow down and plan some fun activities for your family – especially when you have young kids and you can start building those lasting memories now!
- Thanksgiving Tree Tradition – Embracing a Simpler Life
- Autumn Theme Toddler Time – Intentional By Grace
- Paper Plate Pumpkin – Be Brave, Keep Going
- Tin Can Pumpkin – Somewhat Simple
- Pumpkin Play Dough – Childhood Beckons
- Hosting an Autumn Tea Party – The Humbled Homemaker
Getting Ready for Christmas
Another thing I do during the fall is get ready for Christmas! I love to make homemade presents and do all my shopping ahead of time. Fall is the time to plan for me – planning for Christmas and also for the New Year that is right around the corner!
- Planning for a Stress Free Holiday Season
- 7 Ways to Choose Joy at Christmas
- Keeping Christ in Christmas Gifts
- Christ-Centered Christmas Gift Giving
- How We Set our Hearts on Christ at Christmastime
- 6 Must-Make Christmas Treats
- Frugal Family Christmas Activities
- Giving Yourself a Christmas Spending Check
Have fun enjoying fall and savoring this beautiful season!
Do you enjoy fall? What is your favorite thing about fall?
Jami Balmet is passionate about biblical homemaking and striving to be a woman of God. Jami and her loving husband Jason, have TWO sets of twin boys are busy discovering what it means to be Christ-centered parents. She has a heart for hospitality and making her home an inviting place that reflects Christ. She blogs about this passion at Young Wife’s Guide. Jami is the founder of the Christian Homemaking Community which exists to glorify God and encourage women in their roles as homemakers.
Lisa Sharp
What great ideas. I’m really hoping to do a lot of fun fall things.
Jami Balmet @ Young Wife's Guide
Me too! I want to make time for some fun Fall activities before it gets too rainy and cold!
Emily @ Recipes to Nourish
This is such a great collection! Thank you for including my Spiced Pumpkin Chai drink. Pinning it.
Jami Balmet @ Young Wife's Guide
You are very welcome! Thanks for sharing such a yummy recipe 😀
Laurie @passionatepennypincher.com
So many great ideas – thank you so much for sharing ways to decorate at the Dollar Tree too!
Jami Balmet @ Young Wife's Guide
Such great ideas from the Dollar store! I never realized 😀
Keelie Reason
Those pumpkin scones look awesome! I am going to have to try that out. 🙂 Thanks for posting.
Jami Balmet @ Young Wife's Guide
I have a weakness for pumpkin spice scones!! 😉
Emily
My husband loves coming home to the fall and Christmas scents that I have going during the day too! I’m looking forward to all of the fall flavors and baking. 🙂 We live in Florida, so the temps are still pretty high. I usually don’t break out the boots until winter.
Jami Balmet @ Young Wife's Guide
Here in California it’s still pretty warm too!! It’s been in the 90’s all week but it actually RAINED today!! It’s getting cooler 😀
Lisa @ This Pilgrim Life
Congratulations on your new arrivals! I’m sure four little boys is a wonderful mix of fun and crazy! 😉
I was actually considering skipping the Fall decorations this year, but maybe I will put them up after all. Once it really cools down and bit more and our first fires light up our fireplace, I’m sure I will be more ready for cozy decor.
Fall is my time for Christmas prep too! I try to make a majority of our gifts, so I always start planning around September so I can get everything done in time.
Jami Balmet @ Young Wife's Guide
Thank you!! 😀 YES – it’s amazing and wonderful…and totally crazy 😉 But we wouldn’t change it for anything! Making homemade gifts is the best. But I agree, such a good idea to start early.
Mary C
We live in the Pacific NW and for years we have picked out the most beautiful fall tree in the area. Each year it is a different one. This keeps our eyes peeled for the beauty around us.
Erin
I love that part of the country! Such a beautiful slice of the USA!
Jami Balmet
Oh so beautiful!!! I would love to visit that part of the country in Fall!! 😀
Heart
Great ideas, Jami! I especially love the pumpkin scones!Yummy!
Erin
Pumpkin anything has my heart. <3
Jami Balmet
They are SO good! When I bake a batch, they are gone SO quick from the house! 😉
Linda
You are a true inspiration, young lady. You make this grandmothers heart take a rest to think of all you have to accomplish-whew. What a LOT of work-yet, noticing the joy as you go along makes it all the sweeter. I forsee you have a Very Busy future. (certainly will not hear you saying, ” I’m So Bored”! lol