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5 Easy Ways to Get Ready for Fall

5 Easy Ways to Get Ready for Fall

Are You Ready For Fall?

“We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.” I have included many of the items needed to make these recipes. Simply click on the Amazon links, and place your order.”

I am Ready for Fall!!! I have loved this summer with sunny weather and days at the lake, but I am ready for my favorite season of them all! FALL! I love the crisp cool air, the beautiful scent of the first falling rain, the warm blankets, cinnamon flavored treats, and of course lots and lots of hot coffee! Although I enjoy all of the seasons, there is something to be said for sitting in the family room with a few candles glowing, under a warm blanket, reading a good book, and sipping a hot beverage. Yep, I am truly ready for Fall. So today, I thought I would share with you 5 Easy Ways to Get Ready for Fall!

Fall Decorations

1 Decorate the House for Fall

Because I love Fall so much, I love to decorate for Fall. If I had my druthers, I would basically decorate every square inch of my life with Fall! I recently went into the local craft store and found every possible type of fall decoration. From hay bales to leaves to socks to scrapbooking to sunglasses to candles and every other imaginable thing. And yes, I started to put things into my cart.

I had entered the store to buy some realistic Fall leaves. My thought was that I would further dress up my Fall decorations with real leaves that had been treated so that they would last. So, I put them in the cart and realized that even on sale, they were going to be about $10. And yes, I really wanted them. I put other things in my cart and kept walking and looking, and picking things out. And then I remembered that my word for the year, which you can read about here, is Reduce. Not spend, not add, not increase, but reduce. So I put everything except for the leaves back.

Apple Cider Bar

As I approached the checkout line I stood looking at the $10 leaves. And know, I am not saying there is anything wrong with buying $10 leaves, I am just saying that they are not in line with my current goals. And, I don’t need them. I am enough, my decorations currently owned are enough without the new leaves. So, I left them at the store feeling quite empowered, and went on my way.

If you are like me, you probably can decorate for Fall by looking at what you already have, being creative, and knowing that a few free Fall touches from your cupboard might be just what your home needs. I keep all of my Fall décor in a few bins marked for Fall. Yesterday I pulled them out, gave them a good cleaning and set about to decorate. After decorating my home for Fall I was glad that I had not purchased any additional decorations as I truly have plenty. The only area that I realized I was a little low  on was on Mugs. We have a random collection of mug shapes, designs, sizes, and colors, and none are specifically fall. Now, I don’t think we need specific Fall Mugs to survive, but I do think I will order two this year.

For ideas and cute Fall mugs, and loads of other super cute Fall and Pumpkin Spice Things you can check out my Amazon Store here.

5 Easy Ways to Get Ready for Fall

At the same time, if this is a season where you can make a purchase and it is inline with your goals, go for it. Either way, bless your family by turning your home a little Fall and celebrating the beautiful colors that are everywhere. One of my favorite decorations from last Fall was a leaf garland that my Mom made. She used old scrapbooking paper to make leaf shapes and then our family wrote what we are thankful for on the leaves. Then we hung it with mini clothes pins on jute and strung it over the TV. It was great to look at it every day and remember what we are thankful for in our home and family.

2 Apple Ranch and Pumpkin Patch

Every year during the Fall Season our family visits the local Apple Ranch and Pumpkin Patch. We plan it in advance so that we can all go! You can tour the orchard, go through a hay maze, pet the animals, play on the park and walk through the beautiful apple orchards. All of that is free! In addition, we always pick out our pumpkins, buy apple treats, and take a little train ride around the orchard. It is really a great day to spend time with family, and we always enjoy our time together at the Apple Ranch.

Apple Ranch

3 Get Out Your Hearty Fall Dinner and Treat Recipes

I really enjoy making hearty Fall Meals and of course treats as well. For recipes such as baked Spaghetti and Meatballs or easy Baked Mac and Cheese you can check out my post on Fall Family Favorites to Share. There is something so special about making a hot dish of flavorful food to share with friends and family. I recently was so in the mood for Fall that I made a new Snack Munch Recipe. It is delicious!!! It literally brings the flavors of fall into your mouth! As I mentioned above, our family loves going to the Apple Ranch and all of the apple flavored treats. So, I made a Munch recipe that includes the flavors of Apples, Cinnamon, and Nutmeg. Yum! You can find the recipe here.

If you enjoy Munch (Muddy Buddies style Chex Mix with a twist), you might also try my Pumpkin Spice Munch! Perfect to munch on next to the fireplace with a Pumpkin Spice Latte or some hot Spiced Apple Cider.

Apple Cider Spice Snack Munch

Apple Cider Bar with toppings

I love having Hot Apple Cider with Cinnamon and sometimes I add Cranberry juice as well. This year I thought I would elevate it a little, and add fresh Cinnamon Spiced Whipped Cream. It was amazing! I simply added a Tablespoon of Powdered Sugar and a 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon to 2 cups of whipping cream and whipped until soft peaks formed. I placed a spoonful of this on the cups of hot apple cider and it was delicious. It took a little convincing for my mother to try it since it is not really common to put whipped cream on apple cider. But if you think about it, Hot Apple Pie is amazing with a dollop of whipped cream, so it is the same flavor. She loved it!

Because I wanted to have an Apple Cider Bar where people could help themselves, I thought it would be nice to include a little treat as well. I made Cinnamon Sugar Twists. My grandmother used to make these and they are so delicious and easy! When my grandmother used to make pies, she would use the leftover crust to make these treats. But you can also purchase pie crust in rolls in the dairy section at the grocery store. Simply roll out pie crust, cut into strips and cover with melted butter. Then, twist them as you place them on a greased cookie sheet. And sprinkle with copious amounts of cinnamon and sugar. Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 15-18 minutes or until golden brown. YUM! I served them with the apple cider, and it was a delicious treat!

Apple Cider Bar

4 Prep Blankets, Sweaters and Coffee Mugs

As Fall arrives in our area the temperature drops quickly, especially at night. During the summer we don’t really have any blankets on our beds but come fall we need several! So, over the next few weeks I will be getting the blankets, and throw blankets out of storage, running them through the dryer with a fresh scented dryer sheet, and putting them on the beds. The throw blankets will arrive in the family room ready for nights of reading and family TV watching.

I also pull sweaters and coats out of storage and get them ready for wearing. Making sure everyone has enough and that they fit. It’s also a good time to see what you will be letting go of. As I mentioned, my word for the year is Reduce. We went through everyone’s closets and decided which jackets or sweaters no longer fit and put them in the giveaway box. Then, we found 6 very good high-quality sweatshirts that no one in the family is ever going to wear again for one reason or another. We found a few jackets and sweaters as well. These are all going to our church to hand out to those in need this coming winter. I don’t know about you, but I always find it easier to give things away when I know they are going to go to someone who is needing them.

Now, I of course mentioned that I will be getting two new coffee mugs this year, specifically fall themed. But, it is also a good time to move the dishes around so that you have what you need handy. At the beginning of Fall I put away the corn dishes and spears as I know we won’t be using them again until next summer. I also put away the S’more spears, BBQ spatulas, and the outdoor eating dishes. As summer comes to a close, and fall begins it makes more sense to have plenty of mugs at the ready, and the Popsicle making supplies can go to the back of the cupboard.

5 Easy Ways to Get Ready for Fall

5 Build a Fall Giving Plan

Fall is a great time to start thinking about how and what you will give to those in need before the end of the year. It could be school supply donations, inviting someone to Thanksgiving, or making a donation to the Christmas Toy Drive. Whatever it is, it usually only gets done when a plan is made in advance. You can read more about how to set up a Fall Giving Plan in this post.

I hope this has been a good help to you in getting ready for Fall. I am so excited for everything fall, the opportunity to bake in a cooler kitchen, the start of football games and of course the first fire of the season. Whatever your plans for Fall are, make sure to add in time for hospitality with family and friends, and to make room for those who are in need. What are your favorite things about Fall? Share in the comments below and Have a wonderful Fall!

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“We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.” I have included many of the items needed to make these recipes. Simply click on the Amazon links, and place your order.”