Whitney Wednesday: IT’S FALL Y’ALL!

Guys, I don’t know about you, but FALL in the Midwest is the BEST SEASON EVER! The apple orchards and pumpkin patches open up, pumpkin spiced EVERYTHING comes back in season, pumpkin festivals are right around the corner, and comfort food is just waiting to be made and devoured.  As soon as I feel that crisp Fall air, I do a few things around here at Casa de Strong and I’d LOVE to share the wealth with you guys!

  • You gotta whip out those fall scented candles, fall scented wall plug ins, or fall scented essential oils.  My house smells glorious right now. Currently I have Pumpkin Apple from Bath and Body Works filling the air, but Leaves is also another of my favorites. If you’re not down with candles, a lot of essential oil companies will do seasonal blends or you can even make your own. You can mix cinnamon essential oil with Clove and Bergamot, or if you just search Pinterest, I’m pretty sure there are quite a few different blends you can make and omg they smell amazing. But be warned, they are very strong, so use light handedly in your diffuser.
  • We get season passes to the nearest pumpkin patch. We have two little dudes, and our local pumpkin patch (which just so happens to be two minutes from our house) has a BUNCH of activities for kids. My three year old could spend hours there, which is a HUGE feat because… he’s three.
  • I make all the pumpkin things. I’m a mom of two under three, so baking is typically not a priority, but when Fall rolls around, I can’t help myself. Here are a few of my favorites and they’re super simple! Side note, these are by no means healthy, so make them at your own risk.
  • Pumpkin Dump Cake : http://cookiesandcups.com/pumpkin-dump-cake/
  • Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies: https://www.twotwentyone.net/pumpkin-chocolate-chip-cookies/
  • Pumpkin Bars: https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/pumpkin-bars
  • And the BELLE OF THE BALL, Pumpkin cupcakes. You HAVE to make these! They are the BEST: https://www.mccormick.com/recipes/dessert/spiced-pumpkin-cupcakes
  • I switch up my coffee drink.  Yes, this is a very “basic” thing to say, but if you’re not a pumpkin spice latte fan, you can always go for the salted caramel latte, hot chocolate, mulled cider, apple cinnamon tea or even put a dash of cinnamon in your normal drink. Mmmm just thinking about it makes me feel so cozy haha! I feel like everyone should have a nice hot drink of some sort in their hand on a fall day.
  • I completely deck out my house with pumpkins and mums. If you don’t have a gourde on your mantle are you even alive? Haha! I mean how can you not? Every grocery store (at least around these parts) has pumpkins, gourdes and mums just waiting for you to breeze by and pick a few up while you do your shopping.  Target had these really cool plastic marble pumpkins in their dollar section last year, so if you’re on a budget or if you have little ones that like to throw your decorations around (like mine do), that’d be a good alternative to the large messes that the living ones can create when thrown across the room.
  • Chili when it’s chilly! I don’t know what it is about that crispy air, but I love making chili when that Fall weather hits. I’ve tried a BUNCH of chili recipes and they’ve all fallen flat, EXCEPT for this one. Guys. It’s fantastic. I can’t stress that enough. You just toss it all in a crock pot, and it’s so fabulous.  Don’t be overwhelmed by the amount of ingredients, I promise you- it’s easy and delicious. You can sub out the meat for turkey to make it a little lighter, but I HIGHLY suggest this recipe: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/78299/boilermaker-tailgate-chili/
  • I listen to a lot of Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole, Billie Holiday, Etta James, and other jazzy music. I’m not sure what it is about Fall but I literally am ALWAYS listening to light jazz. It just goes hand in hand. I’ll have light jazz playing, while my fall candle is burning, and pumpkin something cooking- it’s so dreamy. You should try it. It’s like instant anxiety reliever.
  • And lastly, I wear comfy sweaters. This sounds super lame, but I love wearing comfy cozy sweaters and cardigans over jeans or leggings. I want to be the coziest, and luckily Royal + Reese has me covered for this one! Go check out site out because we have some great ones!

  • Do you have any go-to Fall things you do? I want to hear about them! Comment below or on our IG post!

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