1. Movie night with friends
Cozy nights in may be one of my absolute favourite parts of fall. When it starts getting colder and darker, cuddling up with a blanket, movie, and a hot cup of tea is the best feeling. Even better when you’re snuggled on the couch with some friends – add some wine and you really can’t beat it! Some perfect autumn movies ( in my personal opinion) are Julie and Julia, The Blind Side, Harry Potter, and re-watching Friends or any other of your favourite sitcoms!
2. Autumn walks
There are loads of great places to go for walks in autumn, and Guelph is no exception! Some of my favourites are walking along the river in Guelph (you can stop in for a treat at the Boathouse Tea Room), walking through the arboretum, and walks in Preservation Park!
3. Farmer’s market!
Nothing is better than all of the fresh fruit and veggies being harvested at the end of summer and beginning of autumn. The perfect way to indulge is heading to a farmer’s market! Guelph has a local market every Saturday downtown, but one that’s always open (though a little further away) is the Wellington Country Market Place! My favourite part about the Marketplace is the animals; they have some bunnies, ponies, donkeys, and goats (it’s also a perfect opportunity for a little photoshoot with your friends)!
4. Apple Picking
This one is definitely a given… who doesn’t love a good apple pie and apple-picking Instagram post?
5. Bake some cookies
Now I know we might not all be gifted in the homemade baking department… but Pinterest is truly a gift when it comes to recipes. Also, what better way to take advantage of the time back home for Thanksgiving than using up some of your parent’s ingredients to make something delicious? However, if you are still skeptical about this whole “homemade baking” thing, just pick up some of those tasty Pillsbury cookies! All you have to do is stick them on a baking sheet and pop them in the oven (you’ll also definitely win some brownie points with the roomies).
6. Self-care evening
Now, this is my FAVE. There is nothing I love more than some self-care, and for some reason, it just seems like autumn sets the perfect mood. My favourite self-care nights include a nice glass of wine, a hot bath, some candles, an episode of Friends, and a facemask. Of course, you can add in whatever some of your favourite soothing, self-loving activities are!
7. Leaf collecting
Time to put on some boots and head into the forest! Rake some leaves, jump in a pile, then pick up some pretty coloured leaves. You can press them in books, hang them up, use them for crafts, or just some cool Instagram photos!
8. S’Mores
Obviously the idea here is a campfire outside on a crisp evening and roasting marshmallows. But, unless you’re really lucky, this might be kind of out of the question. So the perfect alternative: frying pan s’mores!! You throw some chocolate in the bottom of a frying pan, then top it with marshmallows cut in half, bake that for a few minutes… then dip some graham crackers in and enjoy!
9. Drink hot apple cider
I picked mine up from the Marketplace I mentioned earlier, but you can easily find some in Walmart or Zehrs!
10. Decorate!
Add some pumpkins!!! Turkeys! Leaves! Fall wreaths! Decorating your house or room to feel more autumn-y will definitely get you in the fall spirit and feeling ready for Thanksgiving and Halloween! Even better when you can decorate cheaply – Dollarama really comes through for décor.