It’s officially my favorite time of year!!! As of last week, we have finally broken free from the shackles of the summer heat and stickiness and entered into our dark academia era of the Fall! Until I came to Loyola in Baltimore for college, I had never really experienced a true Fall. Growing up in Georgia meant that summer weather basically lasted all the way until Thanksgiving and Christmas PJ’s were shorts and tank tops, so getting into the Fall mindset was always a bit difficult for me. In high school, I would always see countless TikTok videos the moment it hit September, (usually with a Rory Gilmore audio…you know the one), all talking about fun Fall activities. I was so jealous of the girls getting to wear big fluffy coats and prance around in the colorful leaves, I never got that until around December, and even that was sometimes a warmer month. So, I had to come up with some of my own ways to make it feel like Fall, and even though I now live in a place that experiences true Fall, I still carry some of my practices with me. So, I decided to put together a little list, detailing some of the things I did (and still do!) to make it feel a bit more like Fall!!!
- Warm Lighting
This may sound so silly, but warm lighting, especially in my room, always gets me into the Fall spirit! Overhead lights feel so Spring and Summer, and it’s honestly just not as cozy. Almost all of the lights in my dorm room are warm colored; pinks, purples and reds illuminate my apartment and cast the whole space in a soft glow that helps me relax. There is something about that warm, cozy lighting that just makes me want to snuggle up with a hot chocolate and watch some stupid TV show or read a cheesy romance novel. It’s perfect for establishing that Fall mindset all over your living space, and it’s super relaxing!
- Watch Fall Shows
I know you might be thinking, Colleen, what do you qualify as a “Fall Show”? Well, I am so glad you asked, because my parameters actually have nothing to do with the season, they have more to do with the overall vibe of a show. For example, my favorite “Fall Show” is Criminal Minds. I know, not a very cozy or Fall like show, but something about it feels so right for the season. Maybe it’s the outfits the characters wear or the more analogue style that the early seasons of the show had, but it always makes me think of Fall. I’ll spend hours curled up in my bed, rewatching episodes I have seen a thousand times, and to me, that is what Fall is really about. However, if you aren’t into Criminal Minds, I also recommend Gilmore Girls, Vampire Diaries, and most recently Adults (another not necessarily Fall show, but comforting and cute nonetheless).
- Get Outside
One of the best parts of living in Baltimore is just how incredible the weather is during the Fall. My friends and I love to take walks around fancy neighborhoods, admiring the changing seasons and all of the beautiful front yards of million dollar mansions. Being outside is such a great way to really get into the Fall mindset because the more time you spend outside, the more you will actually notice the changes in the weather. If you go for a walk everyday, or even just sit outside for fifteen minutes everyday, you will slowly start to feel the air get a bit cooler, the wind get a bit crisper, and you will really start to get into the Fall mindset.
- Bake
Now, I am the first to admit that I am basically completely inept when it comes to anything in the kitchen, but I still like to try in the Fall! Baking cookies, specifically those ones with the little pumpkins on them, it’s just one of the best ways to get into the Fall mindset. If you are a better baker than I am, definitely try out some new recipes this season as the weather gets cooler! Nothing is better than the smell of fresh baked cookies filling the apartment, other than maybe eating them! Brownies and cake are also good to make for the Fall, and I love making myself some banana or pumpkin bread too!
- Visit a Pumpkin Patch
My friends and I have been planning to do this in October and I am honestly so excited! Pumpkins are such a Fall essential, and it’s always such a great activity going to pick one out. Grab some friends and find a local pumpkin patch to go to. Dress up in your most Fall looking outfits (I’ll be wearing boot cut jeans and a flannel) and go rummage around in the field until you find the most perfect pumpkin! Just being around so much Fall foliage and decor always gets me right into the mood for the best season of the year, and the bonus is you get an awesome piece of Fall to decorate your room/apartment with!
- Dress for Fall
The final way I get myself into the Fall mindset is by dressing like it’s already Fall and I am the quirky female lead in an early 2000’s show that takes place in NYC or London. Being from Georgia, I never really owned too many “Fall clothes”, so now I definitely embrace it a lot more since being in Baltimore! Put on some dark wash jeans, perhaps a chunky warm colored sweater and Ugg boots, and embrace the overall Fall aesthetic! Pinterest is of course my go to for outfit inspiration, but don’t neglect being inspired by the world around you! See a pretty tree with red and brown leaves? Dress like that tree and throw on a red sweater and brown boots! You meet an older woman with the best style ever? Ask her where she shops or try to mimic one of her outfits!
Overall, there are just so many ways to get yourself into that “Fall Mindset”, even doing just one of the things on this list makes me feel even more ready for the new season! Get outside, dress up, embrace the Fall! After all, it only lasts around 90 days, you might as well make the most out of it!