Summer is drawing to a close, and we’re hopeful for some much anticipated cooler temperatures. Along with the new season comes tons of necessary fall activities. You know the ones: pumpkin spice lattes, hayrides, gimmicky haunted houses, and the sort. I will give you a list of 4 quintessential fall activities to skip or add to your fall traditions!
Carved Pumpkins
Carving pumpkins seems like fun until you realize how much hard work it takes and how mediocre your result will be. I’ve got a few alternatives that skip the mess but not the fun.
If carving doesn’t sound like your version of a good time, you can always paint your pumpkin. Whether it’s the colorful melted crayon look or painting a cute greeting on them, you can paint whatever design you’d like without having to worry about losing a finger in the process (or cleaning up all of those seeds). To go care-free, you can leave your pumpkin as is! Additionally, you can pick up faux pumpkins from Dollar Tree! They even have some in velvet if you want a more luxurious feel.
Haunted Houses
What is fall without a haunted house? Full of fake gore, gimmicky costumes, high price tags, and jump scares, it’s nothing we haven’t seen before. But, as much as I love them, you can get all the scares you need in your town year-round.
If you’re into a spooky good time and is on a budget, skip the seasonal haunted house and go on a real ghost tour around your city. Many towns have haunted history tours or guides that will walk you through real haunted houses. Also, if your area has a local historic cemetery, many of those host events, tours, and even movie nights during the fall months!
Pumpkin Spice
Pumpkin spice everything has been all the rage the last few years.
Lattes (and a seemingly earlier release from Starbucks each year), creamer, frosting, you name it. You can find pumpkin-flavored anything. And don’t get me wrong, it’s delicious. But we forget about one classic fall staple that you can go can pick yourself.
This fall, visit an apple orchard and pick your own juicy apples to bake into pies, apple muffins, or make your own caramel apples and even homemade apple cider or caramel apple latte. So many perfect fall foods include apples, and spending the day with friends and family picking out your own builds memories that will last far longer than the freshly baked pie will.
Flannels
Fall is flannel season. We all love a good cozy flannel shirt to keep us warm. Leggings, Uggs, puffer vests, and scarves are all comfy fall apparel that we can’t wait to change into.
This season, instead of buying new flannel or a new pair of boots, take a day to clean out your closet of all those old jackets, sweaters, and plaids you never wear anymore to donate to those who will really need them when the weather gets colder. I am not suggesting donating it all, but keep what you love and wear! Likewise, those old flannels taking up space in the back of your closet could go to someone who doesn’t know how they’ll keep warm when the temperatures drop.
Fall is full of activities we love. Hayrides, pumpkin carving, and scary movie nights are all fun. But this year, take time to think outside of the box and find new ways to enjoy the cooler weather and pretty fall foliage. For example, start a new tradition with your family by volunteering at your local humane society or spend an evening with friends painting pumpkins. There are many unique ways to enjoy the season if you brainstorm. Maybe you’ll set the new trend for years to come.
