Our Fall Bucket List

Fall is one of my favorite seasons and being the list maker that I am, I tend to construct a list of things I'd like to do (especially in Fall and Winter.) And now that we have our son, things are little different in terms of what I'd like to do in order to make his first Autumn more memorable. Here's what I've come up with.

• take photos of our little one in a pumpkin patch
• drink apple cider
• get his first Halloween costume
• make an apple pie
• listen to Type O Negative albums (a tradition I've done FOR YEARS)
• collect Autumn leaves for the baby book
• make a cobbler
• Watch the VVitch
• listen to our Halloween playlist
• take Halloween photos of baby boy (including a family photo)
• eat dinners on the porch during the cooler nights
• get more Halloween books
• take early morning walks
• watch Hocus Pocus
• Read my Edgar Allen Poe compilation (maybe even read it to my little one too!)
• roast marshmallows using a terracotta pot
• make a Fall music playlist
• get a pumpkin spice latte at Concord Coffee
• watch Beetlejuice
• go on a picnic
• make a Fall-themed charcuterie board
• decorate for Fall & Halloween

If you're like me and love Halloween, check out how Alex & I Get Into the Halloween Spirit.

Do you have any goals this Fall? Let me know in the comments below!

DIY Fall Stovetop Simmer Scent

I love Fall - even if the weather here in Florida doesn't change all that much and the look of Fall is relegated to dead leaves on the ground. Either way, once Fall rolls around I feel more like myself. It should go without saying that I love all things Fall too. The coziness, the seasonal food and, most of all, the scents... cinnamon, citrus, and all those other lovely warm spices. Since last year, I've tried to steer clear of scented candles (because ugh, they're so bad for you). Don't get me wrong, I still love my essential oils, but with being pregnant even those can come off a little too strong for me.

So, stovetop simmer scents it is! And the one I'm sharing today is super-duper easy AND full of all the rich smells you'd expect to find during Fall. Smell ya, later scented candles. Hello, natural scents!

Ingredients
1/2 a lemon
4 bay leaves
4 cinnamon sticks
1 thick orange slice
1/2 cup fresh cranberries
2 tablespoons whole cloves

Add all of the ingredients to a small pot, bring to a boil. Then lower to simmer and leave on for as long as you'd like. Just be sure to check on it periodically. Once you're done (and it's cooled down) refrigerate the mixture until the next time. Once the fragrance is gone, be sure to discard it.

Fall Goals Twenty-Eighteen

It's finally Fall! I know I'm a little late with this list - but here it is either way! Unfortunately, I didn't complete all of my Fall goals from last year. So this year, I'm going to be a little bit more realistic with what I add to this list. Especially now that I'm pregnant. Even though the weather isn't fall-ish here in Florida, it's still getting cooler in the mornings and evenings.

• buy an heirloom pumpkin
• make apple cinnamon muffins
• bake a homemade pumpkin pie
• have another cemetery pizza party
• listen to A LOT of Type O Negative
• watch Hocus Pocus and Beetlejuice
• on the first cool day, go on a picnic with Alex
• finish the second season of Stan Against Evil
• go to Trader Joes and buy a few Fall-inspired food items
• enjoy being pregnant during one of my favourite seasons
• make sure to always have an autumn-colored flower bouquet in the house
• create another Halloween playlist - we might not be able to top last years though

Do you have any goals for this Fall? Let me know in the comments below!

It's the Great Pumpkin, Olive Gooseberry

Olive truly is the perfect model. And what better way to celebrate Fall and Halloween than taking photos of a cute, fluffy bunny with a pumpkin? Granted these are from last year, but I'll surely be taking more once Alex & I get some pumpkins this weekend.

First Fall Weekend Recap

This past weekend I welcomed Fall with open arms. Think Fall decor & scented candles, pumpkin spice and baked apples. Even though Alex keeps prattling on about how it isn't truly Fall until the weather is cooler. My reply was something about how at least next week is in the mid-eighties. Needless to say it's a lesson in picking your battles. Haha! As tradition has it, I spent Friday afternoon decorating our place for Fall and I'm loving it. I especially love our new doormat - which you can see above. I've decided that it will be a year-round doormat. Because, why not! #everydayishalloween ;) As for the rest of our place, I really need to take some photos and share them on here. I've just been rather busy this past weekend - which has been a ton of fun.

On Saturday, since Aunt Mona and Uncle Bill were in town from Indiana, we took them out for lunch. Alex's sister came with us too. We all imbibed in a little too much Thai food. Alex & I were pretty excited to show his aunt and uncle our place - which they loved. We made it a point to take a little family photo too. Needless to say, I was pretty sad when it was time for Bill and Mona to leave.

Later that night, Alex & I headed to Orlando to see The Church play at the Social. I've listened to The Church since high school and I would have never thought I'd have a chance to see them in concert. The show was absolutely amazing.  They even played a lot of my favourite songs - including Reptile. I'm still a little over the moon about it too.

I even got a chance to talk to the lead singer, Steve Kilbey, (for less than 10 seconds, but still)! However, I don't think Alex & I will be making it back to the Social anytime soon. They're A/C wasn't on and it was like an oven inside that venue. Ugh! As for more photos, I'll post the rest of them in the next few days - so stay tuned!

Fall Goals Twenty-Seventeen

I know it isn't quite Fall yet, we have about twenty-three more days, but I love everything about Fall. The clothing, the colours, Halloween, the food, the desserts. Everything. There's something about this time of year that makes me extremely happy. I swear, I suffer from summer seasonal disorder. ;) So with Fall on the horizon, I wanted to share some of my goals for this season.

MY GOALS FOR FALL 2017

• Make pumpkin spice syrup
• Spend more time outdoors
• Visit a forest in Florida
• Maybe visit a corn maze 
• Bake a new Fall-esq pie
• Tour a haunted house
• Go on picnics with Alex
• Visit more cemeteries
• Decorate a little earlier
• Go to a pumpkin patch
• Carve a pumpkin
• Read more horror/thriller
• Watch Halloween movies

If you're like me and love Halloween, check out How Alex & I Get Into the Halloween Spirit.
Do you have any goals for this Fall? Let me know in the comments below!

**Also, I can't believe that it's the last day of August and that the blogging challenge is officially over. It's been fun sharing more and I think I'll try to blog a lot more from here on out. Thanks for following along!

Throught the Lens: Fall

There is nothing better than fresh air, pretty leaves and the sound of rushing water over jagged rocks.

My Favourite Things About Fall

the cooler air · boots · picnics ·being outside more · dreary days · cooler mornings and evenings · scarves · boyfriend cardigans · leggings · fall-inspired lattes · delicious soups · muffins · exploring out in nature· the falling leaves · evenings spent in a cemetery · Halloween · those little mallow creme pumpkins ·scary movies  · taking walks in the early mornings and evenings