“There is something beautiful and revitalizing about October. When the leaves fall the world is surrendering. Letting go of the pieces and parts that can no longer serve in a positive way. Trees hold strong to their core and survive the storms; but every good tree knows that as time goes by, the leaves will come back and we will get to start again.” (Unknown author)

(*If you see an asterisk next to a link, that link takes you to a video with sound. Just a heads-up in case you need to turn the volume down or pop on your headphones.)

HOME + WELLNESS

One of the ways I live harmoniously with the seasons is to bring nature into our home as well as to spend as much time in nature as possible. In the transitions between seasons there is always a feeling of transformation and renewal. I find myself wanting to go out and observe the changes as they are happening in nature. Incorporating those same changes inside our home helps me feel grounded despite the disconnected feeling of our modern world.

Yes, it’s true that carving out time to really enjoy the seasons competes with so many activities and responsibilities in our lives. I recently came across a way to take back your time during the fall months by using the Lazy Genius Holiday Docket.

I spent a few hours last week putting the Holiday Docket into practice with our October through January calendars. Before I wrote anything down on the calendars, I spent time with my family talking about what we want fall and the upcoming holidays to feel like, what we’ve loved in the past, and what we already have on the calendar. Only then did we actually plan out what we would like to add to the calendar.

Maybe it seems silly to plan out this far ahead, but I find if I spend a few hours now while I have the brain space, I can actually enjoy seeing the fall and winter activities on the calendar knowing that I’m prepared. Taking time to look at the calendars now also means we are intentional about what we are saying yes to as well as when to say no. Planning ahead means that you are working on a series of small preparation steps along the way. What do you need to take care of to make sure you have what you need for that get-together or so that cards or presents are in the mail on time with the new postal service delays (more on that in the community section)? Thinking through the various steps ahead of time makes decision making easier so that you’re not blindsided during a time when energy and brain space are at a premium.

One of the best recommendations in the Holiday Docket is to schedule days for REST. My highly sensitive and introverted personality take this tip to heart. I’ve spent too many holiday seasons frazzled because I didn’t pay attention to my need to go out in nature, take a break from people, get lost in a book, and quite literally close my eyes to rest. How do I plan to stay grounded? Through soups and stews, the fall harvest can become a reminder to slow down and enjoy the season. I will take time to notice my body’s natural inclination to cozy up and go much slower than the outside world demands and lean into that feeling with zero guilt.

Once my family and I were able to put our priorities onto the calendar, I began adding more fall touches around our home. Recently, my mom shared with me a Norwegian decorating style called friluftsliv. After reading the article, I found that decorating style to be very similar to what we were already doing in our own home. We love for the inside of our home to reflect nature and the seasonal changes happening outside.

Adding seasonal touches to your home doesn’t mean that you need to run to the store to buy every pumpkin candle and snowflake ornament you can get your hands on (unless that is what you love of course). You can bring bits of nature into your home with items you already have around the house with a collection of items in fall hues, pile up blankets or cozy items where you plan to relax, or just do a sweep of your home or even a thrift store for natural textures and colors to add into your existing decor. You may even consider removing a few items before adding anything new to keep a minimal look.

If you decide to buy something, it might be worth asking how it makes you feel. Does the item evoke feelings of your natural surroundings during that season or bring in the elements of nature? When I use nature as a guide, I am able to find beauty in simple elements such as the way the light comes through the window differently this time of year, leaves changing colors, acorns of all shapes and sizes, the color of berries on native plants, artwork or books about migrating birds and butterflies, and yes, pumpkins and fall squashes (although I limit my pumpkin collection to real pumpkins or those made from natural materials like ceramic, paper, or yarn).

I love music with lyrics, but when I need to write or when I’m reading, I prefer something instrumental like this playlist on Spotify. The music just puts you into a cozy mood.

On our list of activities for the October calendar was to search out a corn maze, apple picking, and a local pumpkin patch. I’m sharing some of the best resources I found in the Hill Country around Austin, Texas, but a quick search will help you find fun fall activities near your hometown.

Austin Corn Mazes

Apple Picking Around Austin Texas (this was a difficult year after the February freeze and wet spring, so apple picking is limited)

Pick Your Own - A great resource for picking your own product all year long!

GARDEN

Even though we are renting our current house, I felt compelled to create a little woodland garden in our our backyard. My hope is that it will be a refuge for all the birds, pollinators, and little critters that live in the greenbelt behind our home. Creating a mostly shaded woodland garden has been a fun challenge after making a full sun garden at our last house.

This past weekend I finally went to The Wildflower Center’s bi-annual native plant sale. I’ve been wanting to go for years, and the selection did not disappoint. We grabbed inland sea oats, turk’s cap, hoptree, Missouri violet, pigeonberry, and an anacacho orchid to add to the backyard garden.

After bringing the trellises from our old house, I made a stop by Natural Gardener to find a few native vines for crawling up the supports. I settled on a new-to-me vine called Alamo Vine and some coral honeysuckle.

*Plant collaborations and layering native plants to create ecosystems

*Creating Pollinator Diversity in Your Garden

CREATIVITY

* I’d love to build this outdoor table for our porch. The crates filled with firewood for the fire pit are so creative!

DIY Kid-Made Halloween Dishtowels

*Healthy Halloween Snacks with The Boss Family

BOOKSHELF

Read With Me Pumpkin Seed Recipe and Favorite Picture Books for Fall Holidays from Maya Smart

“Only 1% of children’s books published in the United States depict characters from American Indian and First Nation populations, according to the 2019 statistics compiled by the Cooperative Children’s Book Center. When Native kids open a book, what do they find? More often than not, it isn’t themselves.” - We Need Diverse Books website

Support Native Writers, Illustrators, and Educators with a Fundraiser from We Need Diverse Books.

Books I’m reading: The Personal Librarian ($) by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray, Parable of the Sower ($) by Octavia E. Butler, and The House on Vesper Sands ($) by Paraic O’Donnell

Books I’m listening to: Pride ($) by Ibi Zoboi and Clap When You Land ($) by Elizabeth Acevedo

Books I’ve recently finished: Queen Sugar ($) by Natalie Baszile, The Cemetery Boys ($) by Aiden Thomas, Address Unknown ($) by Katherine Kressman Taylor and Margot Livesey and Finding My Voice ($) by Nadiya Hussain

What’s up next on my TBR:  Dear Miss Metropolitan ($) by Carolyn Ferrell, Harlem Shuffle ($) by Colson Whitehead, and Another Brooklyn ($) by Jacqueline Woodson, Shiner ($) by Amy Jo Burns, Cloud Cuckoo Land ($) by Anthony Doerr, Braiding Sweetgrass ($) by Robin Wall Kimmerer, The Mountains Sing ($) by Man Phan Que Nguyen

In case you are looking for book recommendations for kids (or yourself!), gift ideas for all ages or want to peek into my TBR List for 2021, head over to the 52 Seasons Book Shop on Bookshop.org.

COMMUNITY

USPS delays are expected, so plan ahead for the holidays.

Flying microchips that detect pollution and airborne viruses?

Enjoy your weekend :)

"Do your little bit of good where you are; it's those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world." - Desmond Tutu

Thank you for taking time out of your day to read 52 Seasons. I’d love to hear your feedback and ideas so that we can grow together.

Check out some of my favorite resources here.

If you’d like to receive the 52 Seasons blog post each week, be sure to subscribe to the blog. I’ll see you next week in your inbox!


Disclosure: ($) If you see this dollar symbol in a post, the link is an affiliate post. I will receive income or a discount on products if you purchase that item on Bookshop.org or anything on the Etsy, Campspot, Beauty by Earth, or Prana website using my link. Income from the products in these links helps me to keep this blog growing.