As we say goodbye to Summer and welcome Fall (officially on September 22nd), it’s time to shift into the season of cozy, comfy, and cinnamon-y? The leaves are starting to change colours, restaurants are starting to fill their menus with pumpkin-flavoured everything, and you are most likely doing some out-of-control shopping for knit sweaters and chunky scarves.
Here is a list of 5 rather simple steps you can take to revamp your routine for Fall.
- Read a New Book
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Because there is nothing better than playing the fireplace video on Netflix and cuddling up with a good book. Less risk of lighting your book and room on fire but still great vibes.
After taking a course that focused entirely on Harry Potter this summer, I have found myself way too often mentioning the Wizarding World and all its magic. Aside from this concerning obsession, I am determined to finish the series that I started for the course. I am currently on the 6th book and very invested in Harry’s battles, despite knowing the ending.
My personal favourite…
– Harry Potter (the entire series) by J.K. Rowling
Other great reads for this Fall include:
– Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng – check out the series on Amazon Prime Video
– Normal People by Sally Rooney – also check out the mini-series on CBC Gem
– Conversations with Friends by Sally Rooney
- Try A New Food or Recipe
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Over the past few weeks, I’ve become a sort of ‘private-vegan’ where I eat vegan foods at home but then eat whatever I want when out with friends or family. Don’t judge me, I’m just trying something here. While I’m attempting this new lifestyle as a way to eat cleaner and avoid dairy (at all costs), it has also been really fun to try new recipes.
As students, it’s very easy to master a few dishes (aka rice and pasta) and then keep those on a rotation for the whole school year. But as I’ve begun to replace certain ingredients in my signature dishes or search for new ones, I’ve gotten so into cooking again. For example, I never thought buying nutritional yeast would be exciting for me but here we are…
- Get Some New Wardrobe Pieces
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In the last few years, I’ve started purging my clothes and building my wardrobe up from scratch. I follow more of the capsule wardrobe lifestyle where I invest in a few more practical pieces that may be a little pricier but will surely last longer than that impulse-buy t-shirt for $5.99.
Some Fall essentials include:
– Long and fuzzy cardigans that you can wrap tightly across your chest like you are a housewife waiting for her husband to return from war
– A heeled black bootie to feel like you still get to go to bars every Friday/Saturday night but that you will actually wear when grocery shopping with a mask on
– Scarves – blanket, circle, bandana, cashmere, plaid – whatever you want! As long as it’s got a shade of maroon or army green on it, I’m sure it will pass the Fall test.
– Lots of fuzzy socks! Bonus ‘Fall points’ if they are worn around a fire!
- Rearrange Your Room
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With the majority of my time spent at home, this Fall I really wanted to make sure that my living/workspace was comfortable. So, call me Joanna Gaines because I have been hard at work decorating and moving around furniture in my tiny university house.
I decided to flip my desk so that it rests at the end of my bed. This way I can either sit at my desk or on my bed and still have a flat surface for work. It also doubles as a two-person desk. My roommate and I are notorious Starbucks study-ers but will be putting aside our cafe study spot for the term. With my new “reno,” she sits at the desk, I chill on my bed, and we still get that ‘sitting across from each other in a coffee shop’ vibe. In addition to the great vibes, I am also getting terrible back pain – we are still working out the kinks. In this setup and my back.
- Do a Social Media Cleanse
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I’ve never done a juice cleanse but I imagine this is the same feeling?
I decided to stop using my social media (aside from Facebook which is essential for my work and extracurriculars like HerCampus <3) during my Spring finals. I was way too obsessed with Tik Tok and scrolling on Instagram that I felt like I was wasting my summer and procrastinating preparing for finals. But finals came and went and I still wasn’t too keen to get my socials back. While I may be a little out of the loop on who’s dating who and what so-and-so commented - I really don’t care. I feel like I have so much more time to focus on school and being present with my friends and family that I don’t even miss the mindless scrolling. I get way fewer cramps in my thumbs now too, so I guess that's a plus?
If you are a social media addict then maybe start small and delete the apps for a day, then a week, a month, and so on. With all the inevitable extra time away from social media, you can try another step on this list!
I am so excited for Fall and all the newness that comes with the change of season. I hope that as the weather gets a little cooler you are able to try out a few, or all, of these steps to add a little something fun and new to your life.
New season, new you!