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! 🍂

Large flask for hot chocolate with a tin of whipped cream in the car.

It has been so hot and smoky where I am,we have had to keep windows and doors closed and portable air con running. I am so looking forward to the autumn breezes off the ocean, the cooler nights, and some warm but not stifling hot (it's 30 C right now).

I like the idea of an autumn wreath. I am looking forward to cooking and baking again as we have been trying to avoid turning the oven on.

Thinking about butternut squash and roasted cauliflower soup with curry, and home made biscuits (sort of like scones).

Cool dark nights with the window open snuggled under my quilt, not throwing the covers off and trying to cool down.

These threads are always so wanky - I love it!

This is a list of activity ideas

Learn another language
Bake cupcakes
Make brownies etc
Attend church services
Have a Halloween party too
Start a movie and book discussion club
Plan and hold a chess and poker night
Swim sessions
Play dates
A trip somewhere to a hotel

I love this thread

Last year I bought some beautiful (very expensive) autumnal silk flowers with foliage that I will arrange in a tall silvered glass vase in the entrance hall.

I am thinking about a door wreath for this year.
I like to make pickled onions in september to be ready for Christmas
Also, sloe gin and raspberry vodka (seems to go down well)

Collecting conkers with dgs is lovely
Good hearty dinners
Tea Lights everywhere (I like the 'fat' ones from Wilco which I put in natural white cristal holders)
Cooked breakfast on sunday mornings with the smell of good coffee in the air
Walking in park and kicking leaves (yes, I know that they hide dog poo but I like to live dangerously Mother!
Pubs with cosy spots by the fire
Lunch with the family on Rememberance Sunday after the service, thats when I feel winter is here and I can move onto giving Christmas serious thought.

@Jackgrealishscurtains

This is such a lovely thread. I usually hate the descent into winter, but this is making me feel all cosy.

Just a note to the would-be dress-wearers: make sure you have a coat that goes with them! I make the mistake every year of a lovely outfit and then realising my puffer jacket makes it look terrible.

Inspired by this thread I’ve spent yesterday hauling out and washing my thick velvet curtains and cushion covers and all my sofa throws and going through all my candle holders to make some more beeswax candles for the autumn. I know it’s still august but I don’t care.

How about getting a slow cooker/crockpot and doing some autumn stews?

I love this thread, autumn is my favourite season. DC2 birthday is mid August and I always look forward to the coming weeks after, prepping for the new school year knowing that September approaches.

I love going for autumn walks with the children into the town where we live for a coffee/cake at the weekend, home through the park and putting the fire and a film on whislt the kids do lego on the floor and making dinner with a glass of red wine. There is something that makes me feel very comforted coming home on a cold day and putting the kettle on for a lovely cup of tea.

We have finally finished renovating our living room at the front of the house and I have a beautiful new gas fire. I am really looking forward to putting Halloween and Xmas decorations in the window this year and making use of the fire on cold afternoons/evening when the weather turns. The room has been a building site for years and i have always felt jealous of other people on the road putting their seasonal decorations in the bay window!

Great thread. I will follow very happily as Autumn and Spring are my favourite months ♥️

I used to make a lovely soup with courgettes. It also had cheddar & rosemary in it. I must find the recipe.
Homesense has all the autumn/ Halloween candles in stock, I noticed yesterday. I haven’t seen them before but they reminded me of this wonderful thread!

I really want to do some knitting now. I might make myself a nice scarf, perhaps.

Warm up a chilly evening with a Hunter’s Cocktail, 50/50 cherry brandy and whisky, garnish with maraschino cherries for extra autumnal glam!

@Jackgrealishscurtains

These threads are always so wanky - I love it!

I don’t think it is. Most of it is just things that people did in the past but our lives are different now. Probably romanticising some things but it’s mostly about connecting with nature, being creative and having good wholesome food with appreciation of having warmth and shelter.

Love autumn but I cannot relax in my home from about end of August as I’m on spider watch 😞😞 I’m petrified of them

@Cheesecheeseboard

Love autumn but I cannot relax in my home from about end of August as I’m on spider watch 😞😞 I’m petrified of them

I have outsourced that job. Really takes the pressure off me

@MotionActivatedDog lucky you, my dog is just too daft for this 🤣🤣

@MotionActivatedDog brilliant 😂

I am counting down the days until I can light the log burner 😀

Celebrating today because it is literally pouring rain in Vancouver. I am loving the sound of the rain and the lovely cool puffs of air coming in the open balcony door.

Only the second day of rain in two months. The heat broke yesterday thank goodness, and the rain is washing away the smoky skies. I hope it is raining elsewhere and drowning the fires. Everyone has had enough.

Autumn here we come, I hope. This summer will not be fondly remembered by me, for one. No more 30 degree days, please!

I love all your suggestions for enjoying Fall.

[quote Cheesecheeseboard]@MotionActivatedDog lucky you, my dog is just too daft for this 🤣🤣[/quote]
Oh she is plenty daft too!! Luckily for me fast moving things hold her attention.

Lovely thread! Someone mentioned Paris - I would love to take DH as he’s never been. And DD12 wants to go to Venice where some Marvel movie scenes were filmed ( she is obsessed!) I have been in the summer but Autumn would be so atmospheric.

spider season appears to have kicked off slightly earlier this year, here in Fife.

People on this thread might like this one: -

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/_chat/4321564-autumn-playlist