My Top 10 Fall Cozy Essentials

Fall is my favorite season of all. The leaves turn color, there’s a certain smell in the air (I know, it’s weird, but there is!) And the cooler weather is a wonderful reprieve from hot summer days. It helps that Halloween, my birthday, and Thanksgiving are all in fall, and while I’m not a fan of the pumpkin spice latte (I KNOW!), I do like a good pumpkin spice chai. I’d also love a good Cabernet Sauvignon, but that’s not happening this fall! Here’s a quick list of things I like to do in order to enjoy the fall season.

1. Apple Cider – seriously, I’m itching to get to a pumpkin patch/corn m

   aze around here. The best apple cider I ever had was from a pumpkin patch I visited while living in East Lansing, Michigan. I’m hoping to find some equally good cider here when we participate in this annual tradition of ours. 

2. Books – Okay, so I don’t talk a lot about our book collection on here, but suffice it to say, we have a rather large collection of books. I’m sure some of my friends will scoff and say “Large? You mean humongous, don’t you?” But books, a cozy throw, and a fall Sunday go well together!
3. Chili – I love a good pot of chili (Why haven’t I shared my super hot 7 pepper recipe with you yet? I will, I promise, but it’s probably not coming until after this baby does. He’s not much a fan of anything spicy). Everyone has his or her own take on this fall friendly dish. I like to dish mine up over cheese and bread and then top it with sour cream and scallions. 
4. Netflix – I love film…probably as much as I love books. While we have a collection of films to watch, sometimes all you want to do is grab a hot cup of apple cider, a blanket, and a husband and curl up on the couch and watch some silly off-the wall movie that’s available on demand. 
5. Brisk walks – the air, the colors of the trees, the feeling of being outside in fall – brisk walks are great during this time of year when the heat is gone and great evening weather makes it possible. 
6. Cardigans – I LOVE a good cardigan. The one I usually wear is…10 years or so old. I bought it after I did a fashion show for Fashion Bug (and we got a discount as thanks). I recently made a new cardigan that I’m looking forward to sharing with you, but until then, here are a few favorites from Modcloth (affiliate links):

              I mean seriously, how cute are those? 

      7.  Boots – I love boots. They scream “Fall is here!” I’ve been looking for a pair of black dressy heel boots for a little while. I have a great pair of brown boots I picked up last year on sale. I have a               serious shoe addiction (in case you didn’t know). I want them to be suede, and they have to come in size 12 (the Donald Piner Tero Tall Dress Boots pictured below do not…but I will find my boots!) I also really really want a pair of cowgirl boots…because. I also need a pair of these Style & Co. Mid-Shaft Slouchy boots in cranberry to come in my size. In fact, I need to just stop browsing Macy’s Website! LOL. I keep playing with the the perfect Shoe & Boot Finder at macys.com! (affiliate link) 

        8. Fall vegetables and fruits – I try to make sure I buy in season whenever I buy fruits and veggies. That means, right now, we’re starting to get pumpkins and winter squash like acorn squash (YUM) while finishing up tomatoes and zucchini. Our farmer’s market here has a rich treasure of goodies when it comes to produce and the local harvest. We try to go as often as we can to support the local farmers.

         9. Decor in fall colors – I love fall colors. Reds, browns, deep purples…they’re all great. Add slate colored bedding to your bed, bright fall themed wreaths to your doors, and bring some rust colored pillows in to spice things up. I love keeping things warm and cozy with fall decorations!

        10. Lighting and candles – Nothing adds warmth to a space like candles. I like to add these around the house and take advantage of my sconces and wall hangings to bring warmth and glow into a room.

What are your favorite ways to get cozy in the fall? Please post your thoughts in the comments section!