Welcome to Monday Listicles, hosted by Sasha. Today's topic?
Top 10 Autumn Must Haves
I love autumn. It's one of my favorite seasons. So it's going to be hard to narrow it down to 10. But here's my list.
10. Color changing leaves
I grew up in the Catskills, so the changing of the leaves heralded the coolness of autumn. For the longest time, I took it for granted. Then I moved to Florida where the leaves remained the same year in and year out and I realized just how much I missed it. Now I'm back among the land of color change and I love to just stop and look when the weather starts to get chillier.
9. Pumpkins
Pumpkins for pie, pumpkins for decoration, it doesn't matter as long as pumpkins show up for the season.
8. Costumes
What's autumn without Halloween? I love to watch the kids (and the grown ups) wander around in their costumes, showing off creativity when they can, as well as being able to get a glimpse into the things that they enjoy. (Which is why, though I didn't make the costumes, my boys were Ash and Pikachu last year.)
7. School
Granted, here in Tennessee, my kids go back at the end of summer rather than the beginning of fall. But by the time the weather begins to cool, they've been back for awhile and the routine is firmly in place.
6. Birthdays and Anniversaries
September is a busy month for us. Our anniversary is September 13th and Pete's birthday is September 23rd. And while both may not be autumn as the calendar counts it, I still consider it autumn in my mind. And it wouldn't be autumn if I couldn't celebrate it.
5. Baking
The summer is just too hot for me to bake like I'd want to. Once the weather gets cooler, I can start making cakes, pies, cookies... yummy things to send in to school with the boys or enjoy for dessert at home.
4. Celebration of Cultures
Every year, practically since we moved here, we've made an effort to go to Nashville's annual Celebration of Cultures. We have a chance to try foods from different ethnicities, enjoy shows from different cultures and do a little shopping at a large world market. The kids have a blast at their children's center, and every year, we talk to the people from the Elephant Sanctuary. And I think they remember us, because we always ask about their former Philadelphia native, Dulary.
3. Sitting Outside
The weather is cooler and it's time to send the kids outside! Since I live in an apartment complex and we're on the main road, I can't just send the kids out to play. And I despise sitting around, sweating. But now that the weather is a bit nicer, getting outside, letting them play while I watch them, maybe reading a book, is a must.
2. New shows
I'd actually gotten out of the habit of looking for new shows to watch. For awhile, we didn't have cable (and where our apartment is didn't get signal). Then when we did have cable, it's was more for the kids than for me. But this fall, I'm back to finding shows to get hooked on. Arrow on the CW is probably top of my list (but then again, it's Green Arrow, so it should surprise no one that reads my blog semi-regularly), but there are a few others that I'm looking forward to/enjoying as well: Vegas and Revolution are two I'm already enjoying, and I'm going to be checking out 666 Park Avenue and Nashville. And maybe a few others to hit my radar as well.
1. Family
Ok, so this might be a bit of a cheat, since this is a must have every season. But in the autumn, I seem to get to spend more time with my family than at other times of the year. My in-laws come down for Pete's birthday. I can get out to visit my dad with a little more regularity. We seem to get out to do more things. It's just the time of year that my family seems to pull together the most.
