Living your best life - Autumn edition

[CathyMuseum]

Slightly tongue in cheek but with some of the gloomy predictions for autumn / winter, come and share how you are planning to 'live your best life' this autumn.

Autumn is my favourite time of year but I'm not feeling the uses excitement this year due to the last two covid winters we had (feeling apprehensive, still a bit traumatised by lockdowns and all the unpredictability) and of course energy prices.

Share your favourite autumn foods and recipes or rituals or anything that will help have the best autumn possible.

I am looking forward to wearing my new winter coat, which I bought in the Jan sales and my boots again. Also loving coatigans and, for some reason, new stationary.

Any shows worth seeing, activities worth doing to add joy?

Looking forward to conker hunts with the kids. Homemade apple crumble and casseroles. We have a multi fuel stove for our heating & water in the winter and wood all ready to go which is a relief this year. Starting my next OU module in October (after two years off) so looking forward to getting a few bits of stationary I need and getting stuck in to my studies this winter.

I've been stewing apples this week - it's made me feel ridiculously autumnal!! I've been making my pumpkin spice mixes, ready for coffees and pies (favourite seasoning of winter). I'm excited for crisp air on my morning walks, steaming hot chocolates in the evening and the early autumn light when everything is glowing orange and red. Crunchy leaves, winter boots and scarves. Roast dinners every weekend with homemade hearty pudding, evening fires outside all wrapped up with s'mores. Reading my favourite books in the evening when it's dark and raining with a hot water bottle. Frosts on the grass! Our annual Harry Potter movie marathon, with snacks and friends. Twinkling lights in the evenings, and Christmas just around the corner 😬

I live all year just for September - January. It's my favourite time!

I feel healthier in autumn and winter as I make a lot of soups and stews with lots of vegetables.
Some favourites are leak and potato, butternut squash + chilli+coconut, chicken noodle and minestrone.
Baking includes lots of apples and berries.
People often like a spring clean but I prefer an autumn clean where I can sort out the house for 'hibernation' mode as we spend more time in - thanks to dark evenings which I absolutely detest so I try to make it as comfortable as possible.
I'm lining up boxsets and some books.
I love getting a ghost or horror story in October and go to an actual bookshop to browse and buy one.
Love long walks and I'll meet friends for them. Frosty Sunday morning walks are usual and it's a really good way to catch up with friends.

💟and just with these 3 posts my autumn excitement is stirring. I love the sound of roasts, apple crumble, hearty soups and Harry Potter marathon. Good luck with your module @EcoCustard , that defintely deservs some lovely new stationary. I have found some nice stationary at Sainsbury's of all places. They've got lovely note books. I'm not too sure ghost or horror stories 😅as very much too easily spooked but maybe a good season to try Stranger Things? I also want to watch the latest Greys Anatomy although the last couple have been so so.

defintely deservs

definitely deserves

Big pots of spicy roast veg soup, reading on the sofa while it's raining, sitting in a coffee shop, watching halloween movies!

Homemade soups and apple crumble 😋
Crip, Autumnal walks.
I enjoy running in the cooler months!

I have my eye on a winter coat and boots. Love planning what to wear in the new season!

Great thread OP!

It will very soon be blackberry picking season, of course!

Yes I like to take my son to pick blackberries. There's a path with lots of them around a walled garden near me, and in the walled garden you can also pick apples to make apple crumble.

Autumn really is beautiful and very atmospheric. We will take some woodland walks to take in the leaves changing. There will be some sort of harvest festival in school, I imagine. Then Hallowe'en. Oh and Strictly will be back on soon, too!

Autumn is my favourite season by far. I go for a weekly foraging walk with my friend and usually get blackberries and sometimes apples if we’re lucky.

Love lighting my autumnal scented candles sitting in the living room with the woodburning stove on. And, because this is anonymous, I can admit to rewatching Gilmore Girls 😳 The first few series are such good autumn viewing.

Have a shot every time I say autumnal. Sorry!

I love the start of Autumn. There was a lovely Autumn thread last year, it may have made it into classics.

There was a lovely Autumn thread last year, which might give you some more ideas. I’m definitely a summer person, I hate it when the nights start to draw in, but I found this thread helpful.

www.mumsnet.com/talk/_chat/4317974-Ideas-to-make-the-coming-autumn-lovelier-or-at-least-a-little-more-bearable

I hope it links ok.

Sounds wonderful 🥰 How do you make your pumpkin spice mix please? I'm.vdru excited to know pumpkin spice season is almost here. Love the autumn drinks in the coffee shops.

Can't wait to wear my warm clothes and Dr Marten boots.

Doing my youngest 2 their 1st Halloween tea party at home. Have already booked a Halloween kids party elsewhere too.

@LetsGoCrazyPurpleBanana

HOMEMADE PUMPKIN SPICE SYRUP

1½ cups sugar

1½ cups water

6 cinnamon sticks

1 tsp ground cloves

1 tsp ground ginger

2 tsp ground nutmeg

4 Tbsp pumpkin purée

STEP 01
Combine sugar and water in saucepan and bring to a simmer.
STEP 02
Once sugar is dissolved, add cinnamon sticks, ground cloves, ginger, nutmeg and pumpkin purée, and let simmer for 20 minutes.
STEP 03
Remove from heat and immediately strain through cheesecloth.
Makes enough syrup for 8 beverages. Keeps up to 7 days in the fridge.

That's the recipe I use from the website!

For the seasoning alone rather than the syrup, just the spices above without the water or pumpkin purée, ground and stored 🎃 you can buy it from some people who import American goods too!

Autumn is the most beautiful time of the year but I feel a keen loss of the warm summer light days. I could cry this year at the thought so that is why so much more effort is needed to bring the magic to life.
We have our fire pit ready and festoon lights for marshmallows and sausages to enjoy being outside for longer.
I hang fairy lights and have scented candles ready for the evening. I have downloaded my favourite books ready for early nights.
kindling and wood is stacked ready for the fires again.
I have made a list of the arboretums with the best autumn walks in the area and I am sampling new soups to make from scratch and comforting recipes. I hope to make toffee apples this year and we are hosting a fireworks party this year.

’Making the most of summer’ has left me feeling so drained after such a hot and sunny season and i need to stay in now and recharge until Christmas.

Thank you ☺️💕

September 1st is always the start of Autumn for me regardless of the weather, term dates or anything else.

This year will be my first autumn with my new baby. I’m hoping to find a pumpkin costume to dress him in and I’m going to dress as a witch to open the door. I’ve already bought some autumn and halloween scented candles. I’m planning to buy some halloween decorations next month. Homesense have really come through with the good this year after a dismal couple of years.

Nice thread.

I just bought some Darjeeling tea for making Dishoom Chai.

I utterly hate autumn. To me all the leaf colours people rave about are just things dying. It’s “the end of things” to me!

But I’ll plant lots of spring bulbs.
Decide what bare-root plants to order for the garden.
Plan what to grow for the following year, things to sow and seeds to buy.
I might even redecorate a room in the house.

My DDog is looking forward to Autumn! She’s not keen on the hot weather.

I enjoy beach walks in the autumn as it’s lovely and quiet and the skies are beautiful.

The one thing I am really looking forward to is being able to take my dog reactive dog out for long walks without having to worry about bumping into off lead dogs every 5 seconds that only seem to be around when the weather is nice! We live next to a country park and last winter could walk for hours and hardly see anyone, was bliss! Love frosty morning dog walks!

Sometimes I wonder where all the people go when autumn rolls around. There were people cramming the streets, the parks, the beaches just a few weeks ago and then, poof! They're gone!