As the 31st of October draws near, anticipation for Halloween mounts. Autumn brings with it a sense of fresh starts that are almost as crisp as the chilly mornings and the excitement of a good scare. Since the days have seemingly flown by lately, leaving me with no concept of time or awareness of upcoming holidays, I’ve found myself factoring in small additions to my routines to “fall-ify” them and remind me it’s mid-October.
You may be asking: How do I get into the fall spirit?
This non-extensive list of autumnal activities is sure to improve your 2021 fall experience:
Nothing compares to the feeling of an early morning walk through piles of yellow, orange, and red leaves with a pair of warm boots on your feet. Sweater vests, PSLs, and good music can only make your morning better. Songs you can listen to for that nostalgic-fall feeling include Freaks by Surf Curse, The Girl by City and Colour, and Semi-Charmed Life by Third Eye Blind. Other ways to enjoy the fall weather include a fall hike on a trail with high densities of larches (deciduous trees with vibrant yellow leaves) or a museum date on stormier days!
- Host a fall movie night & bake (you guessed it) pumpkin bread!
Pumpkin bread, pumpkin spice lattes, and everything else pumpkin-flavoured is synonymous with autumn and always tastes best when you bake it yourself. My ideal pumpkin bread has pecans/other tree nuts with cream cheese frosting on top. Other autumnal comfort foods include tomato bisque soup, apple cider, and butternut squash risotto. Some favourite horror movies of mine (that I would definitely recommend) have been Haunt, Sinister (older but underrated), and Midsommar. If you don’t have enough free time to devote to a film, James A. Janisse’s YouTube channel Dead Meat perfectly summarizes many smaller and popular horror movies alike. If horror isn’t your thing, there are plenty of non-scary fall movies to get you in the fall spirit including Dead Poets’ Society, 10 Things I Hate About You, The Goonies, St. Elmo’s Fire, and Mona Lisa Smile!
- Buy ALL the Halloween goodies from Trader Joe’s!
It’s no secret that Trader Joe’s cinnamon brooms are a fall staple, and I recently added plenty of food items to my TJ’s fall essentials as well. My favourites so far include Chocolate Mousse Pumpkins, Maple Espresso Tea (Black Tea Blend), and the Harvest Apple salad kit!
- Visit as many Haunted Houses and Spooky Sites in the greater Seattle area as possible!
A few weeks ago, Northwest Theory released a list of ten of the best haunted attractions in Washington state…and they’re all within driving distance from Seattle! First, there is Stalker Farms in Snohomish, closely followed by Nightmares on 9, also in Snohomish. Nile Nightmares in Mountlake Terrace is third on the list and I can attest to the spookiness of this one! I visited the attraction last weekend and was impressed by everything from the detail in their decorations to the variety of food vendors they had. The infamous Georgetown Morgue in Seattle is fourth on the list. GTM once operated as a real morgue until the mysterious disappearance of its employees closed it for good. I have visited this attraction both with live actors and with only animatronics (due to the pandemic) and it was fantastic in both situations—there is a reason it has continuously been voted #1 in the state! My Haunted Forest in Vaughn, WA is next on the list with a frightful outdoor experience! The remaining 5 include Frighthouse Station (Tacoma), Maris Farms Haunted Woods (Buckley), Fright Factory (Buckley), My Morbid Mind (Lacey), and Cinema of Horrors (Ridgefield). Other local attractions that are not on the list but that I have enjoyed in the past include Fright Fest (Wild Waves Theme Park) and Rutledge Corn Maze (Olympia). Goblins, ghouls, and ghosts, oh my!
- Fill your apartment with fall scents!
In addition to TJ’s cinnamon broom (which is pretty strong on its own), I have a newfound adoration for the “Sweet Cinnamon Pumpkin” room scent from Bath & Body Works. While B&BW’s scents are usually too much for me, this one has been quite nice and not overly sweet at all.
All in all, there is something incredibly special about fall and hopefully this list will help you enjoy this time of year to the fullest.