5 Tips to a Fantastic Fall!
48 Days Until Thanksgiving!
Thanksgiving feels like the final fall deadline because that's when the season gets cut short by the rapid creep of Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and more these seasonal celebrations are so much fun, but it's also why it's easy to feel like Fall just flew-by! So these tips are great reminders, so you don't miss out on all things Fall!
1. Pumpkin Patch, Corn Maze, Haunted House, or Fall Festival
Keep your metabolism healthy with activities that keep you moving! Break the repetition of your daily routine & spice things up! Time flies when you're curiosity pulls you forward, and there are plenty of distractions to make moving fun.
Pumpkin patches are a great place to walk in search of the perfect pumpkin! Make a game out of it. Who can lift the giant pumpkin? How many squats or lunges can you do holding a squash? Have fun! Walking the entire perimeter of a pumpkin patch will keep you challenged to balance on new terrain.
Getting lost in a corn maze is not only a ton of fun with the family but also a good 30-40 minutes of walking! Level-up: make it a race & push your pace to see how quickly you can solve the maze!
Get that heart rate up with some spooky scares! Warm up with a long walk from the parking lot to get ready for the cardio jolt you'll get in a Haunted House. It's a fun way to laugh with friends and family as you share stories afterward about everyone's experience.
October Fest or Fall Craft Fairs typically involve strolling vs. vigorous walking. But it's all movement, and all movement matters because exercise improves mood, especially when it's outdoors! So get out and enjoy one or all of these fall activities!
2. Flavors & Scents
Pumpkin spice, vanilla, apple, cinnamon, and caramel are all associated with Fall. Skip the unsatisfying sugar-free substitutes and occasionally make the exception to enjoy the flavor-add to coffee. Instead of the typical 3-5 pumps of syrup, ask for one pump. Try it, and if it's not sweet enough, ask for one more. You'd be surprised to see it only takes a little to deliver your favorite fall flavor!
Healthy flavor options like a dry spice blend sprinkled into coffee and blended with heavy cream are a great way to get the added flavor without sugar or sugar-free substitutes in syrups. Oven-baked squash with real butter and cinnamon or pumpkin spice sprinkled on top is a delicious Fall favorite!
Scented candles, pinecones, essential oils, or dried potpourri in a bowl or a vase can all deliver seasonal scents into your home. My favorite is the caramel-apple scented candles. I also changed the scented soaps and sprays to fall scents too!
3. Homemade Comfort Food
Comfort food is any food that makes you feel good. It's not "bad," and it doesn't need to be unhealthy. Cozy up to oven-baked or roasted veggies and homemade foods that are healthy and delicious! I break out the crockpot or instant pot to make my family’s favorite chili!
Members and $5 Subscribers can access all of these links to the entire Recipe Book. The recipes below are easy and add to the fun of watching football and Sunday meal prep. I pack the leftovers for a quick grab-and-go, heat-and-eat healthy lunch!
4. Lawn Games
During half-time of the Sunday football games, why not play a little? Maybe a game of flag football, play catch or lawn games! Lawn games are a great way to have fun and connect with friends & family while staying active too! Try these: spikeball, cornhole & kan-jam!
5. Decorate & Explore
Decorate your home with natural or artificial pumpkins and fall leaves. Consider decorating outdoors with a wreath on the front door or even some Halloween-themed decor in the front yard, or light up the house with orange and purple lights!
Explore other neighborhoods in the city too! I don't decorate outside for Halloween, but I love to enjoy the decorations and creativity of other people in my town. That's why I drive to a new neighborhood and walk for exercise and entertainment in the "golden hour" because sundown or dusk is the best time to enjoy all the decorations. And I don't worry about getting lost because I drop a pin on my navigation app before I begin so I can always find my way back to my car.
Take pictures! I love to capture moments to make memories and keep them for the future to spark creativity or to remind me of all the ways to enjoy Fall. It's a great way to nudge me into the season before it flies by!
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