Some fall things never get old. Like the scarecrow pictured above that my mom gave me when I was newly married. It's pretty cheesy and yet I love it. Even though I treasured all the traditions as a young family, I'm now enjoying some new ones as an empty nester.
Don't get me wrong, I still love a good pumpkin patch or corn maze and I'm ready with a fall Halloween costume if you are inviting me to your party. But here are a few new things I'm adding to the mix this seson.
The New Little Fall Things
Nurturing the Nest - Just for Us
Come fall, I used to decorate our home with kids in mind for all the fun, spooky, or harvest decor. Now, I'm decorating as a cozy means to nurture, just for us. I've been bringing out some of the decorations that hold sweet memories and then getting rid of others I'm ready to pass on. I love putting out plaid throws as a nod to our Scottish heritage and filling the porch with cheery mums and daisies to greet me when I get home.
Fall Adventures
Now that we aren't tied to a school schedule, we've been planning more mini adventures during off times. We recently took a fall anniversary trip to Bald Head Island, NC after all the kids went back to school and we practically had the place to ourselves. A fall beach trip might become my new tradition as the weather is fantastic and most everyone is back to school.
Making Time for Friends
When I was knee-deep in the trenches of parenting, school, and sports, I had limited bandwidth for extra activities. As an introvert who loves downtime, I knew I wanted to make time for fellowship but was just tired. In this season, I'm trying to be more intentional about connecting with others in meaningful ways. Recently I got to celebrate a friend's birthday with line-dancing lessons at a cowboy bar. This fall, I'm making time to encourage and celebrate the many people who have blessed me with their friendship.
The Classic Fall Loves
Some fall traditions and loves will never go out of style, no matter the season of life. Here are my classic fall favorites:
-Listening to Vince Guaraldi Music - and the entire It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown soundtrack.
-Watching football pretty much constantly now that it's practically on every day of the week.
-Slow cooker meals - I've already made my first batch of chili! The slow cooker lives on my kitchen counter all fall season long.
-Leaf-Admiration Walks - no matter how busy I get, I try to make time to notice the gradual changing of the fall colors in our neighborhood. I'm always in awe of how the colors sneak up on you and are gone before you know it.
What About You? What Little Fall Things You Are Loving?
No matter if you are an empty nester like me or a full nester with kids at home, how are you marking this fall season? What little things are you loving right now? Fall is the perfect time for new and old traditions to celebrate the season you are in.
Take some time to sprinkle in the classic
and the new loves that give your heart joy this fall season.