Sunday, October 25, 2009

Falling in Love with Fall

I have a feeling many of my Northern and Midwestern friends will laugh when I say this, but here goes: FALL IS HERE! It may not be the traditional fall of foreign lands like New Hampshire, Minnesota or any other state north of Oklahoma for that matter, but our Texas-style fall has arrived. I love so many things about this season including the colors, the smells and the cooler weather. On top of that I think I look good in fall colors (rich oranges and reds), even though I think I waiver between being a spring and an autumn on the fashion scale. Anyway....

I wanted to share how Jeremy and I have embraced fall. To do this a little more creatively than a straight bullet point list, I have chosen to use our senses. Enjoy!

Sight
-Well, there's the obvious...FOOTBALL! Even though this one could fall under a few of the senses, I have chosen sight because we got the new television last Christmas and Jeremy's love for football tripled with HD. I also enjoy football and when the cooler weather rolls around, I always miss West Texas football the most! There really is nothing like high school football under the Friday night lights.
(Side note: my husband has a fantasy football team (which he calls "Fake Sports") and since we are talking about sight, I have to tell you about his hidden talent. He can watch a game on TV AND watch his fantasy team on the laptop at the same time. It's amazing. Does anyone sense my sarcasm?)

-I basically turned our house into a Hobby Lobby complete with candles, fall greenery, pumpkins and scarecrows. I used to get made fun of in college for hanging seasonal welcome signs outside our apartment door , but I love that we have a pumpkin right now that says "hello and welcome to the Sylestine household...oh and by the way, it's fall." At Christmas, there will be a Christmas tree or reindeer or something festive reminding people that it's winter. :)

-My favorite sight in the fall (other than the colors) is the costumes. Halloween is the perfect time to dress up your kid/dog, laugh at them and tell them how cute they are! Ella and Lexi both hate costumes but we usually spend about $5 on one just for the photo opp. This year my mom bought Ella a pumpkin costume and after we took it off (and put her out of her misery) she kept trying to find it so she could tear it up. She would not do well in one of those "dress your dog up in a ridiculous costume and prance them around" contests. I can't wait to have kids to dress them up...I hope they like it more than Ella!

She hates us.

Smell
-Who doesn't like the smell of apple or pumpkin spice?! I told you about the candles earlier and I wasn't kidding. I walk in to my house and immediately light those puppies. I love that smell!

-On top of the candles, there are so many yummy smells that come out of the kitchen in the fall! I love making pumpkin spice muffins (I have an awesome Weight Watchers recipe if anyone wants it). It's also a great time to start making soups and stews since the weather is getting cooler.

Taste
-Ditto from the last point above but add to the list Thanksgiving yummy-ness: pies, turkey/dressing, fresh rolls, etc.!

-Does anyone else think coffee just tastes better in the fall/winter? I mean there's the obvious Pumpkin Spice Latte, but I think drinking a hot cup of coffee when it's cool in the morning makes it taste ten times better! I had the privilege of going to Minnesota for a wedding at the beginning of October, and drinking coffee (Caribou) up there with the chilly weather and the fresh air was such a great feeling!

Sound
-So, even though I love watching football, I must admit that the droning noise of the crowd is really great for napping. I am not much of a napper, but if I lie on the couch on a Sunday afternoon while Jeremy is watching football, I am done.

-Who doesn't like the sound of an acorn crunching under your shoe?!

Touch
-I love dressing warmly when it gets cold outside. I love the way it feels to put on a sweater, boots, a scarf, jacket, etc. It feels all cuddly and warm!

-It feels so good to go for a run in the morning when it's chilly, and get in a hot shower when you get back.

In what ways have you embraced fall? Do you have any traditions or rhythms that you do every year?