250 - 20 Things for Fall
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Show Notes:
Today’s episode is fun, lighthearted, and it’s all about fall. I am going to share with you ten things that I have tried and loved this time of year and ten things that I plan to try this autumn.
For the full episode, hit play above or read through below.
This episode is brought to you by a cold. I have had a cold all week. I just thought, “You know what? I want to keep this lighthearted and fun.” Fall is on my mind. I want to share some things that just make me happy this time of year. So it’s nothing deep today. It’s just fun. In full transparency, I have my sweet mother-in-law picking up the kids from school right now to buy me a little bit of time. Just being that I’ve been under the weather, I took a nap and I just woke up from that nap and am now trying to squeeze in this podcast episode real quick before she gets home with the kids. I’m not a big napper (it messes with my sleep at night), but I have not been feeling well, so I’m hoping that this podcast will lift my spirits a little and hopefully will lift yours too.
Before I jump into the ten things that I love during this fall season and ten things I really want to try this fall, I wanted to share with you a new resource that I have just created. It is fun. It’s different. I have never done this before, but it’s out now and available to you for free. It’s a free podcast mini-series called, “Call Amidst the Chaos.” You can go to nancyray.com/calm to get access to it. It is five small episodes. They’re like 7-9 minutes each that you’ll get delivered to you in your emails. It’s all about ways that I try to create calm in the craziness of my days. Some of them are big-picture. Some of them are nitty-gritty practical things that I do. I hope it’s helpful to you. I just wanted to create something new. I wanted it to be a blessing to you. It’s called, “Calm Amidst the Chaos.” A mini podcast series. Go check it out over at nancyray.com/calm.
Okay, let’s talk about ten things that I have tried and loved and I think that you maybe should try them too. Actually, I should re-frame that. I think my goal is for you to listen to this episode and maybe take a couple of things away that you would like to try. Maybe it will make your fall a little bit happier. I am going to run down this list really fast and list them off bullet-point style and then I am going to pause to go back the list a little slower and tell you why I love these things
Here we go! Ten things that I have tried and loved. Fake pumpkins and real pumpkins. The Canvas Candle by Magnolia from Target. My fall playlist. Soup favorites. Honeycrisp apples. My new Starbucks order. My fuzzy pullover. Painting tiny pumpkins with the kids. My fuzzy knit blanket on my back porch. My big pre-Christmas cleanout. Those are the things that I love and do. I plan to do them all this fall. I wouldn’t say I do them every single fall, but they are things that I have accumulated over the last few years and that I really love. So let me tell you why and then I will get into ten things that I am planning to try.
1) Fake Pumpkins and Real Pumpkins
Fake pumpkins and real pumpkins combo. I think I talked about this last year on the podcast. It’s kind of a gross reason why we don’t do real pumpkins on our porch anymore, but this is why I do a fake pumpkin/real pumpkin combo. We do fake pumpkins on our porch and we do real pumpkins inside of our house. The gross reason is we have slugs on our porch that love to eat our pumpkins. They are slimy and gross. I have tried to wash and treat the pumpkins, but no matter what, the slugs come and enjoy their pumpkin feast within like two weeks so my pumpkins never last.
Last year, I went to Walmart and bought a bunch of $7 pumpkins that now live on our front porch. They are beautiful and they are fake. I looked at getting the Pottery Barn ones and these Walmart ones are just as pretty. I get real pumpkins from this local farm that has a pop-up tent. We go to them every year for seasonal decor; for pumpkins, for Christmas trees. We love them. They’re called Shepherd's Way Farms. We get beautiful, real statement pumpkins that we put in the middle of our tables. I don’t get a ton of them, but I do love getting really big, beautiful green ones, bright orange-speckled ones, and some white ones. I put those inside the house. Guys, they last so long inside. They last all the way through Thanksgiving. It’s amazing and I get that real pumpkin feel because I love that. So I do a combo, which is kind of sad. I wish I could do real all the way around, but it works for us and that’s what I’ve been loving this fall
2) Canvas Candle by Magnolia
The Canvas Candle by Magnolia (the Hearth and Hand brand in Target). I tried it for the first time a few weeks ago and I think it’s just the loveliest fall smell. It’s not an overpowering, sweet pumpkin smell. It’s just lovely. If you’re looking for a good candle, it’s great. I will say, it’s not beeswax or soy. I think it’s just your regular candle. I am trying to transition more to the natural candles, but this one has a lovely scent and I am going to burn it this fall. It’s great.
3) My Fall Playlist
The third thing is my fall playlist. I have not yet listened to it this year. I am still mostly listening to kid’s worship songs and kid’s things in my car. But I did make a fall playlist a few years back and it is lovely. It makes me really happy and when I have moments to myself (which are rare, but I still have them), I listen to my fall playlist.
4) My Soup Favorites
My soup favorites. Funny story. Will does not allow me to cook soup in the summer. That sounds really bad like he doesn’t allow me to. He would totally allow me to do it. He just says, “I am not going to eat it.” He does not like soup in the summer, which I think is funny. I would eat soup all year round, but my kids aren’t really big soup fans either, so to me it’s kind of pointless to make a giant pot of soup just for myself in the summer.
So in the fall, I make these three soups. One of them, I actually haven’t made in years, but I love it. The first is your classic chili, but we make it with beef and venison because Will hunts, so we have a freezer stocked with some venison meat.
I make a white chicken chili. It’s so good! You put avocados, squeeze lime on the top, and serve it with tortilla chips. It is so good. It’s delicious. Very different from your traditional red chili. Then the third one is a butternut squash soup, which has butternut squash, but also apples and onions. You blend it all up in the Vitamix and it tastes so good. It tastes like fall. So those are my three favorite fall soups that I cannot wait to make.
5) Honeycrisp Apples
Honeycrisp apples. It’s the only apple we buy in our house. That’s it. It’s just Honeycrisp. My kids love it. I love it. I’ll try some other ones, but I have never found a better-tasting apple. I think when they are big and juicy in the fall, they just taste so good. Honeycrisp apples are definitely something that is a staple around here.
6) My New Starbucks Order
Okay, the next one is my new Starbucks order. My friend Lindsey posted about this in her Instagram stories and I was like, “Alright, I’m going to give this a try.” I’m going to tell you now so you can try it too. It’s a mouthful of a Starbucks order. It’s also a cold drink, which might make you think, “Is this really a good fall drink?” But right now in North Carolina, it is still very hot even though it is officially fall. I think it’s lovely. I think it would probably be great hot as well, but when you want a fall beverage while it’s still really hot outside, this is the perfect drink. Thanks, Lindsey, for sharing this with me! Alright, get ready! The iced oat milk brown sugar shaken espresso. Then tell them to add pumpkin cold foam to the top of it. Let me just tell you, it’s so good. She said this in her stories, “Don’t you dare drink this with a straw” and I agree. You’ve got to shake it up and sip it with the pumpkin cold foam on top. But it’s not a pumpkin drink, so it’s the perfect combo. You have got to try it if you’re looking for a new Starbucks drink (if you want to spend $7 on a small coffee). It really is good. Okay, back to my list.
7) Fuzzy Pullover
The next thing is my fuzzy pullover. I don’t have a link for this, but I’ll try to find something similar. Last year (or maybe two years ago), I found this sherpa, zip-up, light pink pullover. It was from Old Navy and it was not that expensive. But guys, in the fall, I am not any happier than when I am wearing it. I put on my glasses, I cozy up in my Old Navy sherpa zip-up and it is so comfy and work and I love it. So find yourself some sort of sherpa, cozy pullover, or zip-up jacket. It’s the best.
8) Painting Tiny Pumpkins
Painting tiny pumpkins with the kids. I love this because it’s a very cheap activity that is very fun. There is something about getting out your paintbrushes and painting those tiny little pumpkins. You can get a bag of them for like four or five dollars and it’s so fun. The kids love it. It’s a great thing. If you want to have them go to town painting it, then let it dry and stick some googly eyes on it, then you’re good to go for Halloween decor in the house. It’s very cute and fun.
9) Knit Blanket
Number nine is my knit blanket on my porch. So I have this really chunky (cream color), big throw blanket that we keep on the back screen-in porch couch. The chunkiness of it is such that you can literally stick your fingers through the holes of the blanket. If you don’t like that kind of thing, that’s fine. But it is so soft and because it is kind of aerated like that, it doesn’t feel too hot, but it is so cozy. I love it. That thing has stayed on our porch all year round, but I actually use it starting in the fall. It is the best. I cannot wait for our first real fire of the season on our back porch. It’s coming up and I will have that knit blanket on me. It’s one of my favorite things.
10) Pre-Christmas Cleanout
Lastly, one of my favorite things in the fall is my pre-Christmas cleanout. I love it and I hate it. The thing is, we’re about to get a lot of presents. We’re about to get a lot of stuff and I’m already overwhelmed by all my stuff in the house as everyone in America, and as are you, dear listener because it’s just an epidemic. We just have so much stuff. Around September/October, I start to feel like, “Okay, Christmas is coming. It’s time for a big cleanout. I actually did a pretty big one this summer and it’s just not enough. There is still too much stuff so I am going to do a big playroom clean out. Specifically clutter and toys because they are about to get a whole lot of new toys. It helps me feel better heading into the holidays to have some of their old toys gone.
Okay, this next part is not going to be as long, so I’ll just take it one by one. I haven’t actually tried any of these things so they don’t have as much of an explanation. These are ten things that I plan to try this fall and I’m very excited about that.
1) Dark Brown Nail Polish
Now lately, I have been loving no nail polish, very short nails, very low maintenance; just clean. It feels good and fresh. But, I do want to try some dark brown nail polish this fall. I think that would feel good. I am at the point now in my life where I only buy Olive and June nail polish and use their top coat because it is the best quality nail polish out there in my opinion. Not sponsored; just my honest opinion.
2) Harvest Salad
The second thing I want to try is the Harvest Salad by Half Baked Harvest. My friend, Ally texted me and was like, “Dude, you have to try this.” I looked at it and was like, “Yes, I do. It looks amazing.”
3) Kiziks
The third thing I want to try. I want to buy a new pair of Kiziks. I don’t know if you’re familiar with this shoe, but they are amazing. The idea of Kiziks is you never have to lace them up. You just stick your feet in them and go. They have some really cute, new white sneaker styles. I am really loving the white sneaker, high sock style right now. It feels so easy and I feel like I’m ready to switch out all my slides and sandals for sneakers this fall. Kiziks are so cute and they are also so effortless. You just pop them on in the morning and go about your day. You should check them out if you’ve never heard of them or tried them before. I am wearing mine right now. I have some gray ones, but I want some white ones.
4) Sourdough Pumpkin Bread
Okay, next! I’ve got to find a recipe for sourdough pumpkin bread. My neighbor is the queen of all things sourdough. She has taught me just a few things. I went to her house and took a class on how to make sourdough bread. She’s amazing. However, I am not as talented as she is. She will give me the sourdough starter and I will keep it alive for a while and make a bunch of loaves of sourdough. This fall I want to start experimenting with sourdough pumpkin recipes (pumpkin muffins, pumpkin bread). I have a couple of recipes already, but I want to try it with sourdough. I don’t know if that’s a thing. It’s just something I want to try.
5) Wide-leg Jeans
I plan to rock some wide-leg dark jeans this fall. I’ll always love skinny jeans, but I really do love the new wide-leg trend.
6) New Chicken Salad Recipe
I want to make this chicken salad recipe that I found online. Sorry, I should have warned you that all of these have to do with food, smells, or textures. It’s like the five senses of fall that I’m trying to embrace over here. But this chicken salad recipe looks so good! I am very excited to try it. I want to keep it in the fridge every week so that I can have something yummy for lunch every day. Between that and the harvest salad, I am going to be set.
7) Popcorn on the Blackstone
Another thing I want to try with the kids this fall. Popcorn on our Blackstone. Have you done this or seen this? It looks so fun. We got a Blackstone grill for Mother’s Day/Father’s Day this year. We have loved it all summer. It’s amazing! You can get popcorn kernels, flip a bowl upside down on top of the kernels, let them pop on the Blackstone, and make popcorn. I feel like that’s such a fun fall thing to do.
8) Christmas Shopping Done Before December 1st
Alright, this next one is kind of a big one. I want to have all my Christmas shopping done by December 1st. For real, for real. I feel like I say that every year, but do I actually do it? No. Here’s my plan: I am going to focus on stockings first. Then I’ll do the rest of the gifts after that. I am going to make a master list. I am going to send out recommendations to all of the grandparents. I am going to have the stockings completely done halfway through October. Then October/November, I will be finishing up Christmas. We’ll see. Let’s hope. One can hope. I really do want to enjoy being done and really be present in the month of December.
9) 2024 Photos in Album by Thanksgiving
My next one is also similar in the category of a project I want to do this fall. I really want to catch up on all of my photos. My photo organization of the year, but also not just that. I want to go ahead and start working on my 2024 photo album. Usually, I don’t even start working on it until the year is complete because I don’t have all of the photos from the year. This year, I want to have all my photos edited, organized, backed up, and ready to go. Then I want to start creating the spreads for the photo album in Artifact Uprising and have it all caught up by Thanksgiving. Basically, January through October I want to be done through Thanksgiving so that in the new year, I’ll only have to do November and December. Wouldn’t that be amazing? Am I actually going to do that? I’m going to try. I don’t know. That’s a big task, but I feel like it would really be so great if I could get in the rhythm of working on my photo album in the fall and then putting the finishing touches on it in January. That would be great.
10) Mason Jar with Lemon Water and Vitamin C
Okay, this last one is something that I actually tried today for the first time and loved it. I really want to continue this practice. It’s more in the health category. I want to get a giant mason jar that lives in my cabinet usually and I want to fill it with lemon or lime water and put a big helping of the powdered vitamin C in it so it’s this really tart iced water that I sip on and finish with a giant straw. Here’s why I want to do that. I usually have my Stanley, Owala, or bottled water that lives in my car on the go, but I don’t necessarily love super iced cold waters. I feel like when the water is in a mason jar, I see it and I want to drink it more. Then that flavor is going to keep vitamin C in my system way better and I’m going to actually be more hydrated. So I want to do that once a day. I get the high-potency vitamin C powder from Whole Foods. It’s highly absorbent. It’s better for you. As we enter into flu and cold season, I want to have a lot of vitamin C in my system.
That’s it! Those are the ten things that I plan to try. Dark brown nails. The Harvest salad. New Kiziks. Sourdough pumpkin bread. Wideleg dark jeans. Chicken salad. Popcorn on our Blackstone. Christmas shopping done by December 1st. All my photos in the album by Thanksgiving. A glass of lemon water with vitamin C in a mason jar each day.
Will I do all these things? I hope so! Maybe not, but it’s okay if I don’t. It helps to write them out and talk about it because I love savoring every season. I hope this may spark some ideas for you of things that you can try this fall.
F. Scott Fitzgerald from The Great Gatsby said,
“Life starts all over again when it gets crisp in the fall.”
