Food, Activities, and Leisure

• Apple Picking, Pumpkin Patch-ing, and Corn Mazes

  Visits to sites dedicated to hosting fall-themed activities are the perfect opportunity to truly immerse yourself in a seasonal atmosphere. Washington Farms in Oconee County, Georgia, offers all of the above, as well as fall treats like homemade apple cider, apple cider donuts, and frosted slushies.



• Scenic Hikes and Camping

  The sensory elements of the season are arguably the most important. When you smell the warm, woody scent of the crisp air and hear the crunch of the leaves as you walk, it'll create long-term memories. As seasons pass, you'll have an olfactory association to this time of year, along with the visions of freshly-colored foliage and the special feeling of waking up to it all over again the next morning.



• Cuddle Up with a Movie or TV Show

  Did you know that if you begin watching Gilmore Girls on September 22nd and watch four episodes per week, autumn will occur when it does in the show, and so will winter? You'll get to experience the holiday seasons right alongside the people of Stars Hollow! But it's not just the comfort show with a small-town charm- there are so many other seasonal movies and TV shows that provide the same solace. My favorites are You've Got Mail, Knives Out, Only Murders in the Building, and Over the Garden Wall!



• Cooking and Baking Seasonal Favorites

  Nothing says "holiday season" to me like putting on seasonal ambience music, tying on your favorite apron, and making a comfort food that you inevitably make at the same time each year. Bake some cinnamon rolls on a crisp fall morning with your family bustling about the house and a cup of coffee beside your mixing bowl, or make a cornbread and lasagna soup dinner with Sunday night football humming on the TV.



• Wrap Up in a Sweater and Go Shopping

  Wake up a little early, do some morning meditation, make yourself a coffee, and get dressed! It's time to go shopping. Grab a friend or family member, and go to the mall before the afternoon crowds ge there to restock your warmer clothes or do some early Christmas shopping! A trip to Trader Joe's is absolutely essential, as well. My recommendations: apple cider donuts, applie pie spread, maple leaf cookies, and pumpkin ravioli. And on your way back home, it is highly recommended that you stop for brunch. Who doesn't love brunch?



• Have a Family Gathering or Game Night

  Football and Thanksgiving are the perfect combo. But the fun can start as early as September, when a morning of waking up to clean the house, put some breakfast together, rake leaves off the driveway, and run last-minute trips to the grocery store finally slows down into fun little evenings together with the family. Set up some appetizers, pull out the coziest blankets, and gather around for Sunday Night Football to start the season off right. Although it does, arguably, get better on Thanksgiving, when half of the crew is putting up the Christmas tree together!