It’s been a heck of a year so far with a lot of big feelings attached, BUT we made it to October, which if you ask me, is cause for celebration. If you’ve read our blog before, you know we are big time truth advocates, but sometimes that means recognizing the truth of our own human fragility and taking a big step back in order to gain some fresh perspective. Nothing earth-shattering over here today—just some of my tried and trusted Fall favs. None of the items listed are paid partnerships—simply the things that make Fall around our home that much sweeter. 

• Trader Joe’s Pumpkin Waffles (tip: add a cup of dark chocolate chips to hit that next level of perfection for your taste buds. You’re welcome.)

• Magnolia Journal: the Fall edition One morning I woke up particularly stressed and somehow found myself curled up on the couch reading this issue cover to cover. Needless to say, it turned out to be a lovely day.

• Family walks to the park or square. When given the choice, Cyrus always opts for the park (obvs.) but there’s something about an afternoon walk to our tiny town square where country music is always playing that makes me feel like I’m in Stars Hollow and all is right in the world for those 45 minutes.

• Spaghetti squash + ground turkey. It’s my favorite take on the universally beloved spaghetti and meat sauce. Simply cut a spaghetti squash in two halves, spoon out the seeds, sprinkle some seasonings + olive oil, place on a pan and cook for 35 minutes at 350 degrees. Add in cooked ground turkey and your favorite pasta sauce. Not gonna lie, Cyrus thinks it is actual spaghetti and I may never correct him.

• Vinyl. I typically go nine months out of the year without so much as glancing at our turn table. But as soon as that first cool front hits, I’m hankering for some Nat King Cole and Frank Sinatra. 

• Amos Lee Pandora Station (or Spotify, if that’s more your jam). I have this sort of unwritten rule that summertime is for Folk/Country music and Fall + Winter are for Soul/Blues. No one can change my mind on this. 

• Fuzzy slippers. Is there anything quite as frustrating as cold toes in the morning? It’s just one of those things that warm the soul (and the feet).

• Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Muffins. Muffins are arguably the best baked good ever because they literally require dumping ingredients into a bowl and stirring. This recipe is usually reserved for Sabbath mornings, and it’s honestly one of the things I look forward to most each week.

• S’mores dip. My husband is a cast iron skillet aficionado and makes a killer s’mores dip. Perfect for date nights in.

• Fire pits. Lighting up the fire pit is always one of those mental hurdles we have to jump to convince ourselves that the smokey musk ingrained in every nook and cranny of our being will be worth it. But it always, always, always is. It’s the best place for good conversation, contemplating life, and unwinding from a long day. 

• Worship Nights. It obviously doesn’t have to be Fall to enjoy a night of worship. But outdoor worship is indisputably the best, and if we’re honest, it’s much easier to get in the right frame of mind when sweat isn’t dripping down the backs of our knees. 

• Trader Joe’s mini white pumpkins. I’m going to level with you here, Trader Joes is one of mine and Matt’s favorite places on the planet. It lands somewhere between Disneyland and the ocean for me. Trader Joes in the Fall is like my ideal date night. Which is where we got our white pumpkins, funny enough. 

• Trips to the zoo + local pumpkin patch. Our zoo membership had paid for itself this year even before COVID hit mid-March. Cyrus LOVES learning about animals, and we love a good family field trip. Also, did Fall really happen if there wasn’t a local pumpkin patch involved?  

These are just a few of the things that make this season extra special for our family. What are some of your Fall favs?