Ideas to make the coming autumn lovelier ( or at least a little more bearable)

[Labradabradorable]

Looking out at the garden this evening I can see the light is a little more golden and the shadows a little longer. Autumn is around the corner, which I normally greatly look forward to on a hot late-August drive home through France, piled high with wine, well-read and dripping with idleness. I suspect this year’s bracing camping in Wales might just be a reminder of the rain and mud to come.

Any ideas to make the coming season a little nicer? So far I’ve come up with :

Blowing my birthday John Lewis voucher on a nice candle ( Diptyque Feu de Bois) and a couple of velvet scatter cushions
A houseplant for my bathroom window
Booking some riding lessons for all of us
Embracing the darker mornings and getting up early to walk the dog. Also, joining a beginners agility group.
Regular swimming and encouraging the kids to come too
A lovely bath foam ( I like L’Occitaine almond)
Buying good pyjamas and new boots
Planning some pretty woodland walks
Planning some good autumnal food (crumbles, stews)
If possible, doing a few days extra work and booking for DD and I to go to Paris. That might be wishful thinking as my summer energy ebbs.

Any other ideas welcome! 🍂

I can definitely confirm that Rebecca is a lovely autumn read.
Jane Austen too, books and films.

Bought Log Fire candle by Muji (£5), it smells just like the real thing if that’s your style. If anyone knows a soy/coco wax version for not ££ please share!

Am going to get the Strike books based on this thread, I loved the tv series and never got round to the books.

I have bought some white paper house tealight houses (with battery operated tealight) and have a little village on my fireplace. It looks magical.

@Attiladahun they sound pretty, where were they from?

I’m still loving this thread. Looks like we are in for a mini heatwave next week ( that’s okay, I associate early autumn with sunshine).

Next to our house, the gamekeeper was feeding the birds, which means pot roast pheasant soon. I fancy getting wild boar for a ragu. Can you buy it here?

Today we left the kids watching The Simpson’s and took our dog for a early walk. He loved being in the stubble fields.
Later I’ll making BBC Good Food’s Indian spiced roast chicken with all the (inauthentically Indian) trimmings. Tomorrow We will embrace the warm and barbecue steak, with salsa verde.

There’s a big box of our courgettes at the end of the track for folk to help themselves to.

Autumn’s good 🙂

lucysmam. They’re these ones. I got them on Etsy .

Thank you to whoever recommended the wood wick Feu De Bois candle. I got one on sale and it is such a gorgeous autumnal scent.

Thank you @Attiladahun they do look nice. I think I saved a diy pattern for similar a while back so I'll have a scroll of my many open tabs and see. They'd be lovely in the window as the nights are drawing in maybe.

lucysmam. If I were vaguely crafty I’d try and make something like them myself but I’m hopeless. They were expensive but they do look lovely lit up on the mantelpiece and would be even more effective against a window i should think.

Today I gave the house a good clean and tidy and then curled up in my armchair with a chai latte (yes, made in the velvetiser .) Looking forward to DD1 starting school and getting into a new routine.

Just love this thread. I've been reading it on and off for about a week and only just come to the end!

I have been out for several lovely leafy walks, collecting sticks and pinecones with my toddler to "craft" with (i.e. slather in glue and paint then stick eyes on it), blackberry and apple picking and crumble making, turned on all the fairy lights (with orange flowers round).

Planning on making an autumn playlist as suggested so I can listen while cooking stews after raiding the farm shop for veg and nice bread. Not for everyone but I really love practical magic, the rules of magic, garden spells, first frost etc for descriptive autumn reading. Might have to rewatch Gilmore girls thank you everyone for the autumn appreciation, keep it coming 🍂

Booked an autumn wreath making course at hobby craft for October. Also, I collect conkers and put them in my hurricane lanterns with the candles - looks lovely.

@NaturalBlondeYeahRight

Booked an autumn wreath making course at hobby craft for October. Also, I collect conkers and put them in my hurricane lanterns with the candles - looks lovely.

Ohh I love this. It seems to be too early for conkers down our way sadly though.

@BelleOfTheProvince yes too early here as well, that’s from last year. I think I might try and bake some this year so they last. Never done it before though.

I baked my first Autumn recipe here today and it's bloody lovely. Caramel and Apple Cheesecake Bars.

Looks and sounds delicious @blaisealex. Would you mind sharing the recipe?

@Justmuddlingalong

Looks and sounds delicious *@blaisealex*. Would you mind sharing the recipe?

Thank you! It was bloody lovely if I do say so. www.the-girl-who-ate-everything.com/caramel-apple-cheesecake-bars/ This was the recipe I based it on but I used less creamcheese filling as I don't like mine as thick, and instead of a shortbread base, I used digestives!

Inspired by @Attiladahun, I went rooting through my 'favourites' and have printed these houses to cut at the weekend for my window :)

@lucysmam Thank you for the fab link. I love those Dutch houses (think KLM used to give them to frequent flyers?) so will be doing our windows too!

NaturalBlondeYeahRight I live the idea of the hurricane lamp filled with conkers. Mine is now on our mantelpiece ready to be filled!

Loony Lab and I start a 6-week agility course on 6th October. The kids have restarted their riding lessons and are also enjoying weekly indoor bouldering.

We’ve picked so many blackberries. They are delicious this week. We’ve ordered a big seafood platter for a supper party on Saturday.

DS has a bushcraft birthday party in our garden In couple of weeks, with the promise in an autumn campfire. Hopefully we can cook sausages over the fire like proper survivalists.

It’s too hot here. Managed about three hours sleep last night. Roll on mists and mellow fruitfulness and more autumnal fun.

My autumn garland arrived. It was very scrunched up in the packaging, so leaving it a few days for everything to settle a bit and will then arrange it properly. The colours look lovely late afternoon when the sun hits it at the right angle.

The sofa doesn’t normally sit in front of the fireplace🤣. Stuff is constantly moving around whilst decorating is happening.

@Furries what a gorgeous fireplace! The garland looks lovely

@citygirlinwellies - thank you, it’s my favourite spot in the house. I have the previous owners to thank for it - when they moved in it was all covered up!

Creating more of a family routine after summer holidays off school
welcoming the return of courses and classes - fun ones after school and for grownups
Blackberrying
Pumpkin pie making
Autumn bulbs- cyclamen, colchicum, crocus
Chinese lantern plants turning orange
Academic year diary/notebooks that start in August/September and go for 18 months
Spare slippers for visiting autumn guests to use at mine to be cosy
Starting Xmas shopping early so I don’t have to panic buy later
Exercising outdoors as much as possible while it’s not a chilly chore and it’s lighter
Planning in lots of things in the calendar that are nice to look forward to.
Harvest festivals/Apple days/ anything seasonal and celebratory
Walks in woodland

I've been inspired by this thread to get myself some new boots

Looking forward to autumn walks by the sea and countryside where I live 😀
I got them in purple, and they are so comfy.

www.moshulu.co.uk/product/hatter-2112