Hey y’all-hope you’re having a good week. I realize I’m a bit late getting this week’s blog post up. In full transparency, I’ve been distracted by watching Gossip Girl during my spare time. I am midway through Season 4, and eager to finish the series so I can find out who ends up together! In addition, I’ve been working on growing my Pinterest account (you can connect with me on Pinterest here). Anyways, it’s hard to believe that fall is officially here. Back in March, I don’t think anyone thought we would still be living with coronavirus pandemic restrictions in the fall. But here we are, finding a lot of fall events and activities cancelled or altered. Although fall may look different this year, it’s not cancelled. There’s still multiple fall traditions that you can safely partake in to experience the joy of fall, even during a pandemic. So, today I’m sharing how to make the most of Fall 2020.
12 Ways to Make the Most of Fall 2020
1. Drink a Pumpkin Spice Latte
I’ve already had three PSLs this season! My tip for making them a little bit healthier: ask for skim milk and no whip, and fewer pumps of syrup. The standard recipe for a Starbucks pumpkin spice latte has three pumps of syrup in a tall, four in a grande, and five in a venti. I typically get two pumps in a tall, three in a grande, and four in a venti. I’ve even reduced the amount of pumpkin syrup by 50% from the standard recipe before, and it still has a strong pumpkin flavor and smell.
2. Bake pumpkin-flavored treats
Speaking of pumpkin, you can bake some pumpkin flavored goodies in the comfort of your own home. I ordered the ingredients for my pumpkin chocolate chip bars in my Shipt grocery delivery today. I’m hoping to bake a batch this weekend, and will post the recipe on the blog soon!
3. Wear cozy loungewear while binge-watching a favorite show
As much as I love summer and warm weather, I also love being able to wear cozy clothes without sweating. We have actually gotten an early taste of fall weather in NC over the past week or so (though it’s supposed to be warmer this weekend). So while it may not be Sherpa season quite yet, I did enjoy lounging in my Lilly Pulitzer pajama pants while watching Gossip Girl. Once the weather gets consistently cooler, I will break out the Sherpas and sweatshirts for my Netlfix and Disney Plus watching. (Check out this post for some of my favorite places to get loungewear. I will write an updated post with fall loungewear options in the future.)
4. Go for a walk while enjoying mild temperatures
Get some fresh air and take advantage of the mild fall temperatures by going for a walk. I love summer, but I also love not sweating by simply walking outside.
5. Curl up with a cozy blanket and good book
In addition to cozy loungewear, I love cozy blankets. One silver lining of events being cancelled and having to spend more time at home is more opportunities to curl up with your favorite cozy blanket. Bonus points if you add a good book and a mug filled with hot coffee or tea! Stay tuned for a future post with some of my favorite cozy blanket options.
6. Eat candy corn and other Halloween candy
I feel like candy corn is a divisive fall item. Some people love it, others hate it. I’ve always loved candy corn, but I’m only in the mood to eat it in the fall. Another one of my favorite Halloween candies are those mini boxes of Dots. I try and stock up so I can have some around even after the season has passed.
7. Cheer on your favorite college football team from home
There’s no denying that college football season is different this year. This will be the first season in years that I won’t be attending a college football tailgate and game. But after months without any live sports, I’m simply thankful there is a college football season. I’m glad I can still start off my fall Saturday mornings with ESPN College GameDay. There may not be any crowds with signs in background, the analysts are spaced apart at the GameDay desk, and Lee Corso might be broadcast in remotely from his home in Florida. But it’s still happening. And they’ve even found a way to get the mascot heads to Lee Corso so he can continue his weekly headgear pick tradition from his home.
8. Watch fall-themed episodes of your favorite TV-Shows
Watching Thanksgiving-themed Friends episodes is one of my favorite things to do in November. Friends Thanksgiving comes to mind first when I think about fall-themed TV episodes, but other popular TV shows depict fall festivities as well. For instance, Gossip Girl has a Thanksgiving-themed episode every season. And 7th Heaven has a good Halloween episode in Season 1.
9. Watch It’s the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown and Charlie Brown’s Thanksgiving
I love the Peanuts holiday specials, so watching It’s the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown and Charlie Brown’s Thanksgiving are must-do’s for me surrounding Halloween and Thanksgiving. I have the DVD of both specials, but ABC airs each of them at least once each year.
10. Carve a pumpkin
Big pumpkin carving parties may be out of question this year, but you can still carve a pumpkin on your own or with a small group this year.
11. Enjoy the changing leaves
The one thing that won’t be different at all this fall is the leaves changing. Despite everything crazy and mixed up about 2020, we can still count on the leaves turning into vibrant hues of orange, red, and yellow like they always do each year. The predictability of the leaves changing in the fall despite the chaos of the world we currently live in reminds me of how God’s character and love are constant and unchanging. In my BSF (Bible Study Fellowship) lesson this past week, we talked about creation, and how the intentionally and detail of it reveal God’s power and majesty. The beautiful fall leaves are one of many examples of this!
12. Count your blessings
Last but not least, count your blessings! I know 2020 has been a rough year for everyone in some way. However, there’s still a lot to be thankful for. And rather than waiting to give thanks on one day in November, I encourage you to practice an attitude of gratitude all fall. I’m sharing this as a reminder to myself as well!
Happy Fall Y’all!
I hope that you enjoyed this post and that it gave you some inspiration on how to make the most of Fall 2020. In addition to doing things on this list, another way you can make the most of Fall 2020 is use the extra time you have due to cancelled events to do things you wouldn’t normally do in the fall. For instance, I don’t typically go to the beach after Labor Day, because my fall weekends are typically filled with tailgates, bonfires, the NC State Fair, etc. But not having these things to do this year opens up more time to enjoy a beautiful fall beach weekend!
How do you plan to make the most of Fall 2020? I’d love to hear some of your ideas!
Stay Connected!
Ps. To keep in touch, you can follow me on Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter. In addition, I’ve become more active on Pinterest and would love for you to follow me there. I’d also love to add some extra happiness to your inbox with my weekly e-newsletter, and you can sign up here. I like to think of my newsletters as a weekly virtual coffee chat. You will also get my FREE mini ebook on “How to Build Your Wardrobe on a Budget”!
-xoxo Liz
