Falling for Autumn
I am the ultimate summer girl. I live for the sunshine, beach days, summer dresses, barbecues, long days, short nights. It always seems like winter and spring drag by, and then summer hits and is over in the blink of an eye. I mourn the leaves changing colors and falling, the days getting shorter and the temperature dropping. But this year I’m trying to re-frame my state of mind and look at the transition to fall as a chance to transition in some other areas of my life. So even though I’m mildly annoyed that it’s raining out as I write this, I’m thinking about the good things to come with this change of the season. Here are some of the things I’m going to focus on as the seasons change.
Closet Organization
I love a good purge. To me, it is extremely satisfying ridding yourself of clutter, and I’m going to be taking full advantage of the shift in the weather to do just that. I realized the other day as I stood in my closet that a.) it needs a good gutting, and b.) there are lots of things in my ‘summer wardrobe’ that I did not even look at let alone wear this year. As I put away my summer clothes for next year, anything that I didn’t wear this past summer is going in the donate bin. Anything for fall/winter that hasn’t been worn in the past year (oh hi scarf collection) is also going. Organized closet, organized mind.
Pantry Purge & Restock
I think fall is synonymous with hibernation preparation, and while I unfortunately cannot sleep until the spring, I can prepare for the chillier days to come. For me this means stocking up my pantry with tons of healthy staples for cooking, emptying the fridge and freezer of items that are taking up space, and donating items to the food bank that I might have extras of or know that I won’t be using over the next few months.
Fall Recipes
With a pantry stocked with ingredients just waiting to be used, I’m going to use this seasonal shift to find some new fall inspired recipes to look forward to. I’m thinking all things pumpkin and apple, hearty soups and stews, casseroles and some new Instant Pot/crock pot go-tos. Oh She Glows (www.ohsheglows.com) is a great resource for vegan cooking and baking, and I want to dive into the Minimalist Baker’s Everyday Cooking cookbook that my sister-in-law gifted me last year and have yet to crack. If you need a new cozy fall recipe to get you inspired, I highly recommend this Thai curry from Oh She Glows: https://ohsheglows.com/2018/09/18/instant-pot-cauliflower-and-butternut-thai-curry/
Health Rituals
In past years, shifting to fall meant back to school and the return of cold and flu season. This year is just a little different (haha) so I’ve decided I’m going to take a more serious approach to my health game. Upon more research I’d really like to cement in some good health rituals for myself and my family. The outline I have in mind right now includes upping our water intake, including supplements in our routine, prioritizing sleep, eating less sugar/processed foods and more whole foods, and taking time for rest/self-care. If there was ever a year to level up our health game, this is it.
These small actions may seem trivial, but knowing I have some new goals to crush is helping me say goodbye to summer with a sense of gratitude and peace. As I look forward to the months to come, I’ve got this mantra on repeat: the seasons bring change and with it, the welcome reassurance that we are all part of something greater than ourselves.
Happy first day of fall!