Watching a Movie
Fall is a great time to watch a movie in the company of others. This is because watching any type of media can often be a self-isolating event. Fall is the time of harvest, and indeed it can be a great time to harvest friendships, meaning, making time to hang out with a friend. Pouring in time with old and new friends alike, or with family members. Upon this new season, inviting someone to the movies brings an opportunity to enjoy each other’s company in a carefree manner. Reminding oneself that it is not so much about the material things, but about taking advantage of the time we have with each other. This can mean finding out your interests and making time to explore them collectively. On the list of movies I’ve watched with family is The Lord of The Rings, based on the books by J.R. Tolken and Back to the Future.
Reading a Great Fall Book
It can be unsupported to make this recommendation to people that are in school, or that have a lot of reading material at work, hence reading can be a stressful assignment. However, reading can bring about so much intellectual wealth that it is best not to overlook it. When I say reading, I mean reading something that you find enjoyable and thus immersing yourself in the reading material. This could range from travel magazines, recipe books, beauty, fiction and so on. Immersing yourself in the reading material can be very enjoyable. I recommend reading as opposed to watching videos, for reading and writing works our brains and helps them keep sharp for a longer amount of time. Our brains work differently when we read. Reading allows our neural synapses to tap into our imagination, as well as our reasoning skills. For instance, Epic Greek Myths and Tales is a great resource for those who enjoy Greek Mythology. There are no judgements when it is just you and your book, magazine, blog, or article.
Gym Time
Now this may sound like a list of things that I would do, but its more about being around other people. Fall is a great time to build bonds with others, additionally, you want to prepare yourself for winter, and if you are especially susceptible to the winter blues, induced by lack of vitamin D, fostering relationships can help us through these hard times. So be with others. Gym time also combats chronic fatigue. If you don’t have access to a gym there are some great subscriptions, such as the Jillian Michaels app which has monthly and annual plans. I believe the best time for a workout is in the early morning, before you start with your daily activities. Morning exercise activates your fighting spirit, so this is where I reference the need to exercise at a gym or on your own.
Rainy Weather Inside Work
Autumn can bring rainy weather, and thus more time indoors. This is the perfect opportunity for inside work. That means taking the time to work through our own goals, work through our fears, look inside. While the weather changes its disposition from hot to a milder and cooler environment. We can gather time to meditate and work on our inner selves. Nature can be particularly beautiful in a melancholy way this time of the year. Art can be a portal to healing our self. Inside work can also take the form of a stroll down the park with some color pencils, watercolors, or your preferred paint in order to paint the fall colors.
Decorating
Depending on where you live, you will see some sensible decoration outside people’s home. Depending on what you celebrate, and what you advocate, decorating can take the form of placing a new wreath outside your door. Fall inspiration is abundant, many stores seem to pull out fall themes associated with the colors orange, yellow, and brown. It seems like everyone is in the mood for decorating on a milder scale of the serious Christmas decoration that occurs in December. Decorations can bring a sense of wonder. In my opinion wreaths are a very favorable fall décor item. They are accessible to buy or make. Customizing it can be fun, adding dry flowers or dried herbs such as rosemary can also add to the fall mood.
Pumpkin Latte
Fall celebrates the introduction of new fall flavors. Again, this is a great way to go out with a friend who may want to taste the new available coffee flavors. It has become almost like a tradition. Obviously, it involves spending some money, but not as much as you might think. This can be tried even if it’s just one time. Meaning, going out once to that local coffee shop and trying the fall flavors. Going out for a pumpkin latte is also a great place to come into agreement with something you had previously needed to agree with. Recently my friend and I had been looking at places to stay for our upcoming Hawaii trip but on a budget. We had messaged each other some of our top picks, but it was not until we arranged to meet in person that we were able to choose the best location and we found the perfect condo.
Introducing a New Wardrobe Piece
Adding a cute trench coat to your wardrobe will add innumerable value to your fall outfits. As with all things, the trench coat of your choice must be in line with your personal style. When scouting your wardrobe, even if it seems like there is in fact too many clothes already, updating it with even just one piece can help your current image. You can gain sophistication by spending even on just one clothing item. A trench coat is a classic piece that comes in many variations. This is a beige trench coat. Its not too stuffy that overburdens with excess heat. Its quite versatile since it’s a neutral color. I like the fit and I like the way it wears. I think so many pieces come down to the fabric, it you like the feel of the fabric, you are going to enjoy that piece.
Visiting a Pumpkin Patch
This option is great for families. Taking pictures at a local pumpkin patch is a noteworthy idea. The pumpkins create a natural backdrop with intense colors that bring interest to any picture. It has no age limit. Around where I live, there are options as low as $3.50 for admission per person. There is something for everyone. A friend once said that when he was younger, he and his friends used to go out during Halloween season and drive around the neighborhood and cause, what he called, harmless trouble. Back in the 90s, they would mess with people’s yard decorations as their ideal of fun. On one occasion, the owner caught a glimpse of their mischief and decided to climb into his own car and chase them. Back then, there were no cell phones, and so the vandalized owner did not get to call the police, and pretty soon lost sight of the ruffians. Compared to this activity, going to a pumpkin patch beats going out and smashing people’s decorations.
Apple Picking
Apple picking evokes an image of some sort of great fairytale activity. But it is not as unrealistic as it may sound, going to an apple orchard and venturing out picking apples can be very memorable. I had no idea this was done until I was inspired by a Youtuber who had been driving with her boyfriend to an apple orchard every year to pick apples since their dating inception. Meaning, that since early in their relationship, they had been able to withstand the one hour plus drive together, pick apples, and drive back to their home town while still being amicable towards one another. What I like best about this activity is how the surrounding orchards enveloped the couple with natural beauty, brightening their trip almost as if rooting for them to have a successful relationship. It was something to look forward to every year.
Finances
I think it is always smart to be conscious of our individual finances and take some time to review them. Seeing where we are spending our money after paying our bills. It’s definitely a great time to reassess not just things like car payments, but what it will take to save more. Advocating for our own future by taking care to budget. If possible, saving thirty percent of our checks, shopping when sales hit the store, or simply going less to the store and doing less eating out. Check out Sams club, you do have to buy a yearly membership, but items do go for less.
Crochet
Crochet can help with developing that very important hand eye coordination. I include it because it is both calming and as you work your eye hand coordination, it increases your repertoire of knowledge in another area of your life. Crochet can take the form of making clothes; dresses, shirts, making simple figures such as flowers, and overall, it can be a destressing activity once learned to do it right. But anyhow, I recommend learning a craft because it has many benefits for our sense of well-being, creating something can give us a great sense of accomplishment. It fulfills a certain yearning. There may even be a family history of crochet in your family, and thus you can gain help in learning from someone close to you.
Painting
Painting does not have to be expensive and unless you are a professional artist, it does not have to be perfect either. Painting and drawing are simply magical. It enlivens us. It connects us to our intuition. Paints range from gouache, acrylic, watercolor, oil, and more. Of course, our paintings may be far from being a prodigy, but sometimes it’s not the end result that matters, but that we undertook the challenge. Just picture yourself conveniently storing some art supplies; a brush, water, paints, and a small canvas and riding your bike towards a picturesque area nearby and starting to paint. It’s never too late to learn or to try.
Mini Trip
Recently, I went to San Antonio, which is about 4 hours away from where I live. The time in this city provided me with the ability to be taken out of my everyday routine. When I decided to undertake this trip, it was clear I had to stay overnight in order to gain the most of my time. Fall is great because of the mild weather, it enables you to do things like wait outside restaurant lines without having to suffer greatly from heat or cold. My family and I had to wait in line outside the Panaderia, a local brunch hotspot, for thirty minutes. But with the mild weather, we were able to withstand it without major discomfort. The greatest benefit brought forth by this trip was seeing my sister who lives in San Antonio. But for those of us looking for access to new ideas, a new environment can bring just that. But what I can take from my recent mini trip is that I have the freedom to do so. The freedom to take myself away from what I call home, from the familiar. I don’t take this freedom for granted and neither should you, travel while you still can.