Fall is by far my favorite season! I love the feeling of the leaves crunching under my feet, the crisp smell of the cool morning air, warm baked goods, and watching the beautiful vibrant colors drift down from the treetops. Sadly, this year I will not get to experience all these things as I am currently away at college experiencing my first fall in Florida. Even though I won’t get to see the leaves change or feel the cool morning air on my skin, there are still other ways I can celebrate fall!
PUMPKIN EVERYTHING
No fall season is complete without a fridge stocked with pumpkin pie, pumpkin butter, pumpkin bread pudding, pumpkin muffins, pumpkin cheesecake roll, pumpkin raviolis, pumpkin soup- I could keep go on and on. Of course, I can’t forget to include my go to fall drinks pumpkin spice latte or a chia tea latte with pumpkin spice cold foam. Along with pumpkin food and drinks there is a dire need for pumpkin décor. Run to your closest Home Goods or Target and find yourself some mini pumpkins to set out on your coffee table or to place on top of your fireplace. Along with the pumpkins, I like to add some garland with red, yellow and orange leaves. I love adding reefs on my front door to bring a welcoming feel into home. I like to choose a reef that has a little everything- pumpkins, gourds, colorful leaves, pinecones, berries, etc. If you want to be creative you can personalize your own reef by going to your local craft store.
VISIT LOCAL FALL FAIR/PUMPKIN PATCH
No matter where you live, even Florida has pumpkin patches to go to. This past weekend, I had the opportunity to visit two of my city’s pumpkin patches. The first one was in Hyde Park Village. This pumpkin patch will be set up in the center of Hyde Park Village from Oct 1- Oct 31. The second pumpkin patch was a fall festival being held at Armature Works in Tampa, FL. They had live music, food, face painting, pop-up boutiques, and of course a pumpkin patch. I believe that these are a great way to get into the fall spirit especially if you are living in an area where you don’t typically get fall weather.
HALLOWEEN MOVIES
Lastly, fall is not complete without binge watching all our childhood classic Halloween movies. My favorite Halloween movies are the HalloweenTown series. These movies are about a family of witches and their life in the mortal world and altered universe where it is Halloween all the time. Other must watch Halloween movies are Hocus Pocus, Hubie Halloween, Muppets Haunted Mansion, Mostly Ghostly, and Twitches. If you have more of a scarier taste I recommend The Conjuring, Annabelle, Paranormal Activity, Exorcist, and Halloween.
If you are looking for something to spark your imagination, The University of Tampa is hosting Ghost in the Cellar on Wednesday, October 27 from 6-8 PM at Plant Hall, Fletcher Lounge. This event will include creative works and spooky stories in the spirit of Halloween. Regardless of where you live fall is full of pumpkins, festivals and scary movies so enjoy the season while its here.