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I'm Shay! I’m a cookbook author, lifestyle blogger, travel agency owner, wife and mama who loves making every day special for my family.

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All things Fall!, Shay ·

The simple things I love about: FALL!

94 Comments

Happy Monday, friends!

It’s officially FALL!

New season + new week + a new blog series for your Monday 🙂 .

I jotted down this note over the summer when reading out of The Road to La Papillion that for each season/maybe a holiday, I should share a list about the simple things I love about it.

Back when I was in high school, I would write Bible verses and quotes on paper and tape them to my ceiling.  This way early in the morning or at night, I could look up and memorize them/meditate on the words.  I have no idea who to attribute this quote to, but I had a blue piece of paper on my ceiling for several years with a quote that said “It’s the simple things in life that give off the greatest glow of happiness.”.  I still love that and think of it often.

So, today, I have my little list of….

I’ll share my little list and then hopefully, you can share one or two or many in the comment section.  I thought it would be nice on this first Monday in Autumn to stop and think about the simple things we love about the season.

In no particular order, here is my list:

BACK TO SCHOOL

I feel like Tom Hanks in You’ve Got Mail, but this time of year just makes me want to buy school supplies.  Where the end of the school year has me drained, the beginning has me invigorated.  Even when I don’t have school-aged children, I will still stop and celebrate it.

THE WEATHER

Well, my favorite word is “cozy” and there is simply nothing cozy about temps in the 100s.  When the fall weather blows in though, that is cozy.

THE COLOR PALETTE

If you asked me what my favorite colors are, I would say: Kelly green, navy, white and then that neon/bright coral color.  Those are hands down my favorite colors…but there is something just so warm and lovely right now about all of the oranges, reds, browns and creams that abound this season.

PUMPKINS

I’m not sure one could name an object that fills my heart with love more than a pumpkin.

SEASONAL SIPS & EATS

I don’t even necessarily have to enjoy them to just enjoy looking at them.  I almost always get my normal black coffee at Starbucks, but just seeing the seasonal concoctions on the menu makes me happy.  Whether I’m just looking or enjoying, these are my favorite seasonal sips and eats.

LEAVES

I love the ocean, but fall leaves are my favorite “view”.

SHORTER DAYS

I never mind the shorter days.  When night falls earlier, things just get cozier.

FIREPLACES

I enjoy any season that allows for a fireplace to roar.

FOOTBALL

As much as I love watching my Sox play, I don’t want to sit down and watch two teams I don’t follow…but I can sit and watch any football game.  From middle school to the pros, football season is my favorite season.

TRICK OR TREATING

I fully believe that Andrew and I will be the retired couple in costumes answering the door on Halloween night.

OKTOBERFEST

What’s not to love?  German food, German music, German beer, lederhosen and dirndls…I just think Oktoberfest is a FUN and super festive thing to celebrate each fall.

THE STATE FAIR OF TEXAS

I love listening to the news in the morning and hearing them talk about the State Fair of Texas.  From the car show to Big Tex, corny dogs and fried everything, it’s so nostalgic.

SWEATERS & SWEATSHIRTS

I am a tank top loving girl who adores sweater weather.  A sweater, jeans and booties are my favorite outfit.

SEASONAL MOVIES

Of course.  Runaway Bride, You’ve Got Mail, Hocus Pocus…I love them all.

SEASONAL DECOR

For whatever reason, I just don’t get motivated to put out decorations for other seasons, but I love, love, love decorating my house for fall.  It makes me happy every time I walk through the door.

PINNING

My Pinterest boards are never better than during the fall.

GROCERY SHOPPING

I love going to the grocery store this time of year.  I love the festive displays, the end caps, the seasonal items.  I love looking at every item they’ve turned into “pumpkin”.  I just think it’s the best time of year to grocery shop.

MY SLOW COOKER

I try to pull my slow cooker out all year long, but fall time really kicks off “slow cooking season” for me.  Nothing makes me feel more like Supermom than walking through the door at night and smelling dinner simmering away in my slow cooker.

Okay, those are my SIMPLE THINGS I LOVE ABOUT FALL!  I cannot wait to read yours in the comment section.

Don’t forget, if you missed it, yesterday was…

…our SEPTEMBER BOOK CLUB so head over there to participate in our chat!

I hope you enjoy the simple things about fall today too, friends. xx

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Comments

  1. Jami Romano says

    I love all of these ◡̈ football is my fave! I’m a teacher, so going back to work after the summer is always a little tough, but having cozy nights at home with my family is just what’s needed in the fall.

    Reply

  2. Kristen Thompson says

    I love the clothing, the decor, making my grandmothers pumpkin bread recipe with my kids, seeing deer outside our window (we live in the woods and they get extra close to the house when our oak tree looses its acorns), the little harvest festival at our township park, and the weather!

    Reply

  6. Emilee says

    Such a lovely post to start the week!
    I love all the sounds and smells of fall. A fire crackling, a pumpkin candle, and leaves crunching outside. The weather is starting to turn and I am ready for it!

    Reply

  7. Annie says

    This made me so happy to read to start my day. Fall is 100% my happiest time! I love your list. I’d also add going to the apple orchard and pumpkin patch!

    Reply

  9. Jeanie says

    We share a lot of the same answers. Fall is my favorite season. I love beginning Christmas shopping and tucking away the gifts knowing I’m ahead of the game. I love chili and soup and stews and easy make ahead meals. I’m a bread maker and fall is the perfect time to experiment with new recipes and ingredients. I love the smell of my chiminea and light it in the morning and leave that piñon pine burning all day long on my back deck. Nothing is better than cuddling up with a blanket and a dog and reading the afternoon away. My neighborhood has a lot of old mature trees and kicking through leaves on a walk is a great way to get some exercise,..so is apple picking! I like pulling out the old tired vegetable garden and planting some winter stuff. And I love grooming up the plants that will go in the greenhouse and making space for them. Finally, I love that my Bible study group starts anew every fall. It’s like the beginning of school for grown ups.

    Reply

  10. Karleigh Johnson says

    My grandmother just turned 86. She lives alone, but has 4 children, 12 grand children, and 8 great grand children. She still decorates every “back to school” season with little yellow buses and flowers and has a favorite quote…”life is full of school bells that never stop ringing.” I always thought it was silly growing up but now as an adult I appreciate it and love it so much!

    Reply

  11. Polly Pover says

    Driving down a country road, leaves falling, windows down enough to let in crisp, cool air, heat on, hot cider in travel cup…

    Reply

  13. Kiki says

    I will never forget trick or treating on a very cold day with friends and the cutest old couple sitting in their rocking chairs on their porch. Instead of candy they served hot apple cider! It was just what we needed to warm up. So sweet of them!

    Reply

      • Amy says

        I totally can picture you and Andrew sitting in rockers on your front porch along with Tab and Erika!! Thank you for the great fall post, finally feels like fall here in Oklahoma! Have a great week!

        Reply

    • Kacie says

      There is a sweet older couple in our neighborhood that sit on their porch every year and give hot cocoa to the kids. They will line up to get their hot cocoa, everyone loves it so much!!

      Reply

  14. Dana P says

    Currently in a pumpkin-orange sweatshirt watching leaves falling out our front window while burning a cinnamon candle, listening to soft music…it really is the best time of the year! I think it also helps that our wedding anniversary is on Friday and then my birthday is 2 weeks after that. So many celebrations, the anticipation of Thanksgiving and Christmas…what a gift this time of year is!!

    Reply

  15. bette says

    i’m like you, shay. fall is my most favorite season 🍂, and my top 3 reasons are as follows:
    1. the weather
    2. the colors – rustic orange, pale yellow, and earthy brown [they happen to be my favorite colors as well.]
    3. being able to wear sweatshirts and cardigan sweaters
    i love that fall is also the prelude to the holiday season, which happens to be the happiest time of the year.

    Reply

  16. Kara says

    I love shorter days and cozy evenings at home with fall scents all around! I have the brown pottery barn twinkle trees and I leave them up all year round throughout our house to always have some twinkle and it is extra cozy this time of year! Oh, and crisp early mornings! I just love everything FALL. 🙂 Great list!

    Reply

  17. Kathie says

    I wonder if you put up a poll, how many of the fall loving people are from the South. The lists of favorite things are nice and to be enjoyed. Fall is my least favorite season due to the work needed to be done before winter. From central MA so a beautiful area but the beautiful part of Fall is over quickly. The bare trees hang out for months. To me, Fall is work.

    Reply

  18. Natalie Alvarado says

    I love your list! I love the smell of the things I bake in the fall. Pumpkin bread and apple pie or apple crisp. 🍎 It makes my house smell and feel so cozy! I live in the Midwest and the temperature actually dropped yesterday on the first day of fall.

    Reply

  19. Ashley D says

    Fall is my favorite season! I live in the Midwest, so our trees are starting to change… and I LOVE it! A few Fall things that make me happy are:
    -Fresh apples from a local orchard
    -Mums and pumpkins on our front porch
    -Soups
    -Hot Apple Cider
    -Oversized sweatshirts and leggings
    -Dark cozy mornings
    -Football
    -Just the feeling of relaxation that the Fall season brings. I feel like it encourages us to slow down and take in God’s beauty.

    Reply

  22. Lisa D says

    What’s not to love about Fall??🧡
    Pumpkin spiced candles, picking apples and then making homemade applesauce, all the beautiful warm-toned colors of autumn, cooler weather but still sunshine and blue skies, the wild turkeys in my neighborhood show up more along with the deer, routines and schedules are back in place for schools and churches, and so much more! Happy Fall🍂

    Reply

  23. Sheila says

    YES to all of these things!! I love it all (except I’m not a big football person, although my son and hubby are!) I can’t wait to wear all the fall clothes…it needs to hurry up and cool down now!!
    🍁🎃🍂☕️👢🧡

    Reply

  24. SS says

    Like a few others I love going apple picking at a local orchard. We just went Saturday. And the scents of apples, pumpkins baking in the house. I usually make a pumpkin bars. Our kiddo say Oooh it is fall Mommy is baking. Lol.
    The cooler weather, so we can have bon fires and roasting marshmallows.
    I love seeing the farmers harvesting in the fields at all times of the day. Thank you farmers!!!
    Walking with all the beautiful colors above and below us from the leaves getting ready to and falling.

    Reply

  27. Amy Hyman says

    I loved this post! Fall is my favorite. My family and I are vacationing this week in upstate NY, simply because I love fall most of all! Maple syrup farm today, apple orchard tomorrow, taking in all the fall leaves! I treasure it! Riding down a back road with leaves falling may be my most favorite thing ever! I get giddy😄. Happy Fall!! Soak it up!!

    Reply

  28. Anneka says

    I love fall recipes! I’m currently in an apple crumble cheesecake bar phase, but I’ve also made pumpkin bars, pumpkin bread, and pumpkin coffee cake. I need to make some applesauce spice bars soon. I also love that my birthday is in the fall. Fall colors look best on me, so this is my season, lol.

    Reply

  30. Kerry says

    Walking in to my house and smelling the heavenly scent of a fall candle and seeing Fall decor everywhere makes my heart go pitter patter. I absolutely love this season more than any other and when that first “real” cold front hits I am in heaven.

    Reply

  32. Amy D. says

    Football (high school, college, and NFL), baseball/playoff baseball, leaves, pumpkin treats and drinks, seasonal movies, decorations, Halloween, Thanksgiving. I also have a lot of birthday’s in the fall: my mom’s, my dad’s, my stepdad’s, my nephew M, my sister, my nephew A.

    Reply

  34. Faith says

    I love the colors and smells of Fall. I love the cooler temps when summer finally decides to give up. I LOVE school supplies. Although mine are now in college, I take advantage of the plethora of fun colored flair pens, sharpies and new notebooks/journals that call my name. I also love to sit on the couch with my favorite blanket and book or watch a show with my husband as the sun sets earlier.

    Reply

  35. Andrea says

    I love everything fall! It just makes me so happy. I would add pumpkin/fall scented hand soaps and counter sprays to the list. Somehow a seasonal cleaning spray just makes cleaning up more fun.

    Reply

  36. Katherine says

    I love decorating my house for Fall too! My favorite part is that I can decorate in mid September and keep it up until I’m ready to decorate for Christmas right after Thanksgiving. Getting 2 1/2 months use of seasonal decorations makes the effort so worthwhile! 😆 The warm colors of autumn just make my home feel more cozy!

    Reply

  38. Penny says

    We live on a farm, so I love the views of ripening crops and then watching the harvest and smelling the earthy “harvest” scents. I also love watching the trees in the fencerow and woods change colors. I enjoy finding colorful leaves to press and use in my decor.

    Reply

  39. Diane says

    Definitely feeling the fall vibes on a rainy morning in Waco. I am such a pool grandma that fall is always bittersweet, but there is beauty in each season!

    Reply

  40. K.K. says

    Fall is THE BEST!! I agree with your list as well. 🙂 I already made pumpkin bread. I couldn’t help myself. Now, I need Texas to get an unexpected cold front!!

    Reply

  41. sandi says

    We are a few hours away from Shenandoah National Park and there is nothing prettier than a mountain full of fall color. Last weekend I was visiting two of our college kids and was sad to see that the mountains are still a bit green. It’s coming though and will surely be a beautiful sight. Long cozy evenings are my favorite… throw in a football game or reading in a blanket on the porch, so good! I am loving these lists of yours, they make me slow down and think about what I’m grateful for with each season change.

    PS: Fall colors aside, there is no better color combination than kelly green and navy; it is such a classic.

    Reply

  42. Patty says

    A fire in the fireplace, curling up with a homemade quilt with minky on the back, a good book, and SEC football in the background (roll Tide!) is my perfect fall day. Otherwise, I’m a winter girl for sure!

    Reply

  43. Beth Valenta says

    I love all things FALL, but the simple glow of various pumpkins lit up and real candles buring, just brings me such joy. Fall soups in the crockpot and I love to walk after school when it gets almost dark. It is so spooky cozy.

    Reply

  44. Marisa Patel says

    I love the fall because the baking starts and it is soup season at my house! Burning the fall candles also makes me warm and fuzzy.

    Reply

  45. Kourtney says

    I’m with you! I love to just see fall decorations, drinks, treats etc in stores. It seriously makes me giddy! Even if I don’t buy or enjoy, just love to look and shop this time of year.

    Reply

  47. Jill says

    I love how the sky gets bluer in the fall. Teen me, even sometimes now me, tapes things on my walls too! I love that your interior designer Mom let you do that! She’s a gem!!

    Reply

  49. Cathy Perez says

    I love this time of year! All the cozy soft clothes, the warm wonderful meals, the fall decor! Really nice time of the year!

    Reply

  51. Penny says

    I live in Floydada, Texas, THE Pumpkin Capital! To see the fields of pumpkins growing, those orange orbs in fields, the color the brightest in a Fall palette of agriculture is just beautiful. Best of all, though, is sighting the first open trailer riding from a pumpkin harvest through town to the businesses that then distribute them to the customers. One family owned business, ALONE, provides every pumpkin you will see at the Dallas Arboretum each year as well as the beautiful displays enjoyed at NorthPark Center. It is a treat to seen those pumpkins sold at Central Market, MarketStreet as well as other sources. Knowing the source of these beautiful pumpkins and gourds may be my favorite “Fall” love.

    Reply

  52. Debbie Dunbar says

    I love fall so much. We are waiting for the final inspection on our new home so I have not been able to decorate for fall. I am so excited to decorate my new home for fall. And for the first time ever, I will have a fireplace and mantel! 🙂 The only thing that I don’t like are the shorter days, but I will take it for all the other blessings of fall.

    Debbie

    Reply

  53. Melissa says

    Love this post! I love watching the leaves change colors and the scents of Fall. Cinnamon brooms, apple scented candles and all the pumpkin baking…the best!

    Reply

  54. Melissa says

    That quote really spoke to me, so I looked it up..
    “When we recall Christmas past, we usually find that
    the simple things give off the greatest glow of happiness.”
    –Bob Hope
    I love it!

    Happy Fall, Shay!

    Reply

  55. Peggy Breland says

    PUMPKINS. I absolutely love the sight of them. Every size, shape & color. This year I started early with great ambition and I have been rewarded with 5 beautiful pumpkins that matured in my garden. I can’t explain the joy I get in looking at them and knowing they came from my very own garden. Thank you Lord for the earth, the sun and the rain that creates your beauty

    Reply

  57. Debbie Hibbert says

    “I love fall most of all!” I always look forward to the crisp cooler weather, the shorter cozy days, and the LEAVES! The glorious changing colors of the 🍁leaves🍂🍁 Makes me absolutely giddy!

    Reply

  58. faith says

    I was eight years old and tasked, along with my older sister, to read our colonial history homeschool lesson to start our morning. We decided to sit by a big window and open it and were greeted with a strong wind whistling notes of crisp air, motivating us to find a blanket and then continue reading about the Mayflower. That was my meet-cute with the autumnal season, and that magic continues each time I feel that certain bite in the air and crunch on the ground. I now have little girl turning three in November and two one year old little boys that I hope to inspire a deep affection and joy for this time of year in their memories.

    Reply

  60. Jeanette says

    I also love looking at all the seasonal grocery items as well as the drink concoctions at coffee shops. I don’t partake in all of it, just get joy from seeing it. I absolutely love the fireplace and fall smells.

    Reply

  61. Deb says

    Fall is my favorite season too! The leaves changing colors, the kids so excited about Halloween, the weather and getting to wear sweaters and jackets again!

    Reply

  62. Adrienne says

    I moved from New Jersey to Central Florida over a year ago, and I miss the Fall so much. It gets a little cooler here in the Winter, but it’s not the same. I miss the colors, the smells, crisp mornings and afternoons, watching football when it’s chilly outside, wearing sweaters and boots, apple picking, pumpkin picking (when it’s not 90 degrees and humid). I can’t wait until I move back north.

    Reply

  64. Laura @ Our Grand Lives says

    You’ve captured the essence of fall beautifully, Shay! There’s SO many things to love about the season but I think one of my favorite is the crispness in the air – it’s my favorite time of the year to take a walk outside and breathe in that autumn smell! Happy Fall!

    Reply

  65. janet teeter says

    I love shopping with my mom for mums for my front porch (its a yearly tradition). Apple cider donuts, and the smell of fall in the air. Kind of like how Lorelai can smell snow, I can smell fall in the air.

    Reply

  66. Debbie Griffin says

    Love your list! I think one of my favorite things is when you catch that first “cool, crispness” in the subtle breeze. It just speaks to me, “Hang on, Fall is on the way!”
    🍂🍁❤️🧡🤎💛🍂🍁

    Reply

  67. Martha says

    I’m in Eastern Ontario, Canada, and our fall is beautiful. I love being up early in the morning when the floors are cold and the air is chilly, it makes the tea taste even better. I use cups and saucers daily to drink my tea and in the fall I will switch out my spring and summer patterns to what I consider fall/winter patterns and I love using them again remembering where they each came from, who gifted them to me. We host an outdoor movie every fall and invite all our friends to come over with their lawn chairs and blankets and eat popcorn under the stars and watch an old family classic like Freaky Friday (the original) or The Wilderness Family, etc. I would also like to share that in the height of the 80s when I was in high school, I had a navy and bright green striped rugby shirt that I adored and so wished I still had it!

    Reply

  68. ~B~ says

    I’m from Iowa and one of the big things here that represent fall has definitely arrived are the church harvest dinners. About once a week from this weekend through early November, each church will have a dinner. Each church will serve something different for the main course, but all will have yummy homemade salads and pies. SO GOOD! It also means one meal is planned and off the to-do list each week, yay! 🙂 Happy fall!

    Reply

  69. Lacey says

    I love fall! I don’t know if you know about the Vanilla Pumpkin Scented Hand Soap at Trader Joe’s or not, but it smells amazing. I love the smell of it. Happy Fall!

    Reply

  71. Carole says

    One of my favorite things in fall is when I’m driving and the wind is blowing leaves across the road in front of me, I’m in Arkansas, so lots of trees and leaves here. Don’t know why but I just love seeing that happen!

    Reply

  72. Rene' says

    The only thing that I don’t see that someone hasn’t mentioned is the high school band practicing/playing as I drop the kids off at school. Along with crispness in the air, pep rallies, football games, shorter days and any pot of fall food! It’s definitely one of my favorite times of the year!

    Reply

  73. Lauren Palmer says

    I think that quote from your ceiling completely shaped the person you are today! Seriously, as soon as I read it, I thought “that completely describes Shay.” Loving simple pleasures is such a great quality too.

    My favorite thing about fall is probably the candles. I usually don’t like to light candles that smell like food. Instead I want my house to smell clean. But in the fall, I light a candle called Bonfire and Toasted Marshmellow. It basically smells like a s’more and it makes me the happiest of all my candles.

    Love today’s post!

    Reply

  75. Lisa says

    When I lived in California, I loved Fall because of how the trees and vineyards (I lived in Napa) looked when the leaves changed colors. There was nothing more beautiful than that.

    My favorite flavors of Fall are maple and apple but both have gotten pushed aside for pumpkin these days. Don’t get me wrong, my favorite pie is pumpkin pie! But not everything has to be pumpkin flavored, apple and maple are sososo good. My favorite treat as a little girl was a piece of maple candy.

    I can’t wait to be able to roll out of bed and drop my son off in my pajamas! Bring on the sweatpants/sweatshirt season! We’ve probably got another month until it’s cold enough to do that here consistently. I am not a hot weather person, bring on the chillier temps!

    Reply

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