It can be hard to imagine leaves changing colors and the warm and fuzzy feelings of fall invading our hearts, especially while staring outside at a perfectly blue sky and blinding sun. But, even if you live in places like Arizona where the season of fall is a mere myth, you can still ring in the fall spirit through a few tricks and tips.
1. Rock a flannel. While you should not wear flannels every day since repeating an outfit is a mistake no fashionista makes, wearing one or two flannels throughout the “fall season” (late September-middle November) will make you feel that much more in tune with nature and our East coast counterparts. Keep in mind too, that because the Arizona weather is constantly changing – chilly and rainy some days and perfectly sunny the next – buying a flannel in lighter colors (think baby blue, light green, yellows) will keep you cooler and your flannel in style longer; dark reds and blacks are a little too depressing come spring time.
2. Paint your nails. Just looking down and seeing your nails in the various shades of fall – reds, oranges, golds, and browns – will instantly put you in the hot chocolate and cold weather mood.
3. Get crafty. With a little help from Michael’s or Hobby Lobby, no one has to know that outside your apartment the leaves aren’t really changing colors.
4. Burn candles in fall flavors. Studies have shown that smelling flavors like cinnamon and pumpkin spice will instantly make you feel emotions indicative of the fall season such as coziness, “lovingness,” and “snuggly-ness”. Well, not really, but you get where I’m going with this.
5. Change your desktop background. Nothing will make you feel cozier than snuggling up with blankets, smelling fall candles (see #4), looking at beautiful pictures of red and orange leaves and snow.Â
6. Swap your bronzer for blush. While we all like to look sun kissed and beautiful, true “fall girls” embrace the season for everything it has to offer – rosy cheeks included.
7. Drink everything pumpkin/peppermint Starbucks has to offer. Those same researchers as in number 4 have proven these drinks as fall spirit creators. If you are feeling really crafty, try and make your own.
8. Give more. Ask for less. In the fall and winter season as people begin to shop for the holidays and plan trips with their loved ones, those less fortunate are sometimes forgotten. While it may be easier to lay in bed all Saturday watching “Orange is the New Black,” volunteering at a local food bank or hospital is a much better way, too.
9. Watch Autumn movies. Not limited to but including: The Lake House, When Harry Met Sally, Rushmore, 500 Days of Summer, American Beauty, You’ve Got Mail, Autumn in New York, October Sky, A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving, and Annie Hall.
10. Cook more, eat out less. While it can be really tempting to eat out during the summer (free air conditioning, less manual labor), now that temperatures have cooled down, save some money, grab your Bon Appetite magazine, pick your favorite recipe, channel your inner Rachel Ray and get baking! Bonus points if you invite a friend or significant other to join in the fun.
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Even though you can’t go out and jump in the pile of raked leaves in your driveway, you can still celebrate the fall season… and then go right back to wearing flip flops in December. Â