Happy October!
Imagine walking down the street, wearing a light jacket, and the crunch of leaves beneath your shoes (or boots if you are feeling really basic). There is a light breeze in the air carrying the faint scent of pumpkin spice and cinnamon as you walk past houses decorated for the season. Does it get any better than that? In my opinion, October is hands down the best month of the year. I may be a little biased because it is my birthday month, but it’s not just that. There are a few things that aren’t better in the fall. In case you are still not convinced, I have included my keys to embracing your best life and falling in love with fall. Here are some of my favorite things about fall:
The Weather
As someone who lives in a cardigan and long pants, it would be impossible to convince me the weather in fall is not the best ever. The days tend to be crisp. You may get an occasional seasonably warm day, but you cherish it because it could be the last of the lingering warmth. While if you get an October snow day, it’s magical. A snowstorm in October is not tainted and worn down like a March snow, where you wonder if you’ll ever see spring. Also, this tends to be the month the AC units are finally turned off, which in my house is a financial burden lifted. We remove the units from the windows and banish them back down to the basement.
Sweater Weather
This ties in nicely with my love of the weather in the fall. October is the first month where sweaters make a full-force return to the wardrobe and I love it. Chunky, cozy sweaters that hide my summer body that never was. Sweaters are a fall staple. You can find a sweater for every outfit, mood, and body type; if you don’t believe me, check my closet. As mentioned previously, I live my life in a fall wardrobe regardless of the season, so by October, I have finally reached the point where I am not sweating every second of my life. It’s a thing of beauty.
The Beer
I love beers in every season, but fall beers are my pumpkin-spiced latte. Pop a cinnamon sugar rim on a pint glass of almost any fall beer out there and you are set. I find the northeast to really be the capital of my favorite fall beers. Similar to my feelings on sweaters, there is a fall beer for everyone. Surprisingly, I am not a huge fan of overly strong pumpkin flavor (I know such a waste on someone who has such a passion for fall), but I have found a ton of beers that hit the spot.
Don’t believe me? Try some of my favorites:
1) Flannel Friday – Harpoon (Boston, MA & Windsor, VT). Nice fall Amber Ale, no hints of Pumpkin whatsoever.
2) Octoberfest – Samuel Adams (Boston, MA). Yet another fall favorite, not focused on Pumpkin
3) Pumpkinhead Ale- Shipyard (Portland, ME). This is hands down my favorite pumpkin beer. I find the flavor to be refreshing and subtle. You must have this beer with the Cinnamon Sugar rim mentioned above. It was how I had it the first time I tried it at the brewery and there is no going back.
4) Copper Legend Octoberfest – Jacks Abby (Framingham, MA). I may be a little biased because I love this hometown brewery, but this is yet another classic fall beer that focuses on the rich, malty flavor, that isn’t about pumpkin. I love a good lager, which is why I always love me some Jack’s Abby.
5) Pumpkin Cider – Harpoon (Boston, MA & Windsor, Vt). While I realize this was not a beer, I tried this for the first time recently and needed to add it to my fall must-have list. Maybe I have been living under a rock, but I have never had a pumpkin cider before and it did not disappoint. This is a dry cider that focuses on apple first and leaves you with a nice, not overpowering taste of pumpkin and cinnamon.
Apple Picking
A couple of times a year, I am thrilled to go to a farm and pay way too much for way too many apples. If you are doing this right, you find yourself on a farm that offers apple picking, apple cider donuts, and farm animals. This is the family fall weekend trifecta.
Some of my favorite local spots are:
- Dowse Orchards Pick-your-own-Field – Sherborn, MA. This is a no-frills, straight-up, pick-your-own apple orchard and I love it. This is probably our top go-to spot when we are just looking for a quick outing with the boys. They do have a great farmstand a little way up the road where you can get a pie and some produce.
- Shelburne Farm – Stow, MA. We go here at least once a year. This is my favorite bells and whistles farm. They have farm animals, a children’s play area, a tractor ride, tons of apple varieties, and a farm stand. My brother-in-law would also want it noted they have great apple cider donuts.
- Lookout Farm – Natick, MA. I want to start off by saying this one is a little pricer than others I have been to. Admittedly, the first time I went here I left because of the price factor, but that was before I had children. When I finally went here and experienced what they had to offer, I understood. The “train ride” was my son’s favorite. This is a bells-and-whistles kind of place. It is a great place for a family outing. They have a brewery & cider company on the premises, which as seen from my section on beer is a big plus for me!
Halloween
The absolute best thing about fall and October is Halloween. For me, Halloween signals the beginning of the festive cluster of holidays to come. Halloween comes with so much fun; the decorations, the costumes, and the TV specials, just to name a few.
All the decor
Personally, I live for decorating my house for the season. I tend to feel happier when I can all out decorate and it helps that my husband and I both find joy in it. On September 13th, my three-year-old son came downstairs to find the whole house decorated. His reaction was shock and overwhelming excitement. His reaction alone was enough to make my fall.
Adult Dress-up Party
Each year, I make finding the perfect costume for my mission. From couples’ costumes to family costumes, I love being creative and finding a more unique idea. My husband, who goes hard decorating the inside of our house each year, does not care much for costumes but will begrudgingly agree if it is creative enough. Challenge accepted. At the end of the day, I have always loved sitting at home waiting for tricker treaters, admiring all the costumes, and feeling a little old when I don’t understand all the references, but appreciating the creative and fun costumes.
Who Doesn’t Love A Holiday Special?
31 days of Halloween anyone? How about one of the many Addams Family Films? What about a Treehouse of Horror Simpsons Episode? Don’t tell me you don’t love Hocus Pocus! Okay fine, just watch a classic cult horror film (not really my thing but to each their own right?). Even children’s movies have upped their game in recent years. From Hotel Transylvania to Nightmare Before Christmas (which doubles as both a Christmas and Halloween movie – bonus points) to The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown. These and so many more solidify the feeling of fall and Halloween in your home.
Fall in Love Yet?
With all this and more to consider, how can you not love fall? At the very least, I hope you will take the time to stop and embrace all the amazing things about fall. I know I will be sitting in my backyard, breathing in the fall air, and watching my son run around in the leaves this fall soaking up the joy.
