Forget Summer, The only good thing about it is swimming, give me Autumn! My favorite season is here and so is the start of Blogtober. I’m happy to say that I am participating in the month long challenge this year. I am also terrified, but I’ve wanted to do this for so long now I figured I just needed to jump in and try. With Fall comes a new set of seasonal activities, and I created a bucket list of all of my favorites. Let me know what is on your To-Do list now that the weather is cooling off, and let’s get into it!

1. Nature Walk

The first thing that I really want to do during no only October but fall in general is go on a nature walk. The area where I live and the state of Arkansas in general has many beautiful trails and hikes that lead to beautiful views. Imagining a cool breeze as I walk through a forest filled with oranges and reds sounds amazing, I love the sound of stepping on super crunchy leaves. I could even incorporate other things on this list to really make it the perfect Autumn day.

2. Create a Fall Playlist

I always go back and forth on whether I am a playlist type of person or just play my likes on Spotify and call it a day, and lately it has been the latter. For Blogtober, though, I think I need some source of motivation and inspiration. Music is universally the best mental stimulant in my opinion, nothing really gets you like music does, you know? Because of that, I want to curate the perfect playlist for this season.

I think the hardest part would be to pick a genre, or genres that go well together. I like a lot of different music types, so sometimes I fear whoever is in my passenger seat while I drive is getting whiplash with every song haha.

3. Carve Pumpkins

While I despise the pumpkin desserts that come with November, I love the classic Halloween tradition of carving pumpkins in October. It is something that brings people together, can be either fun or frustrating, and the end result is always something to behold, good or bad. For me, it is fun to make something that looks funny and original; I like to make my jack-o-lantern without using a guide and just take my tools and go crazy.

One of my favorite carvings where I used inspiration was of Elmo in front of a fire, a classic meme photo. That was more than a few years ago. Now I go for more simple designs like a cute bear or a traditional jack-o-lantern face.

4. Eat Cozy Food

Autumn is the perfect season for warm, savory, carbohydrate loaded comfort food. Thick soups, warm seasoned veggies, and baked goods are the recipe for the autumn aroma.

To name my favorite comfort foods is not an easy task. Some include veggie soups, potato prepared in any way but especially mashed, and my all time favorite, chicken and dumplings. Nothing beats my mom’s chicken and dumplings, I’ve never had any that top it. I am a fan of savory foods over sweet foods, but this season is perfect for both. My brother is the baker around here, and I know he will want to bake some sort of pie soon

5. Watch a Movie That Puts Me in a Festive Mood

Normally, I am not a movie person or a TV person. I find a show or movie that I like and that is the thing I watch, I get so engrossed in the story that I think about what happens in their world even outside of the original plot, and I can’t move on easily. I’d like to get into some movie media this October with some movies that put me in a festive mood, whether it just be set in the fall season or a scary thriller movie.

Some movies on my to-watch list are Twilight, of course, Monster House, which was my absolute favorite spooky movie as a kid, and maybe a classic scary movie like Carrie, or The Conjuring. As for newer movies that I haven’t seen, I have no idea. Give me some recommendations!

6. Do Something Crafty or Creative

A few years ago, I was crafting nearly every day. I loved to collage, journal, make Zines, and draw. As I’ve gotten older, I feel like I have lost some of my imagination and motivation to create something fun and artistic. I want to challenge myself to spend some time creating, drawing, painting, or sending mail again. I already have some ideas that I will be excited to share later this month when I complete them.

The act of sitting down with intention to nurture the brain is looked over in my every day life. To me, that is what art is, and I want to take care of my artistic side and share it with others. I have already started with monthly matching collage wallpapers for my boyfriend and I, and I recently created a little book depicting us as an apple and a banana which was met with good reviews.

7. Decorate my Room

This is the one thing I have already completed so far! In early September I got out my Fall decorations and put up some of the things in my room that felt a little too summery. I have a lot of knick-knacks in my room and not too many fall decorations so it is a subtle difference, but seeing little decorative pumpkins around makes me feel warm inside.

I only have those decorative pumpkins and a festive pillow, I don’t have many Halloween decorations. I like the versatility of having Fall decorations so I don’t feel like I’m missing out on having skeletons and ghosts hanging around.

8. Wear an Outfit That Makes Me Feel Cozy and Emo

I have many different styles of clothing and aesthetics that I either identify with or want to identify with, so my closet is a mix mash of many different clothing types. Fall reminds me of my 13 year old emo days, long sleeves, and darker colors. Normally I identify as an “undercover emo”, I enjoy the music just as much as I did as a kid, but I dress more “normal” and not full out grunge or emo. My goal this fall is to dress in a way that would make my 13 year old self proud, and I will of course share what I come up with. I love Fall fashion, the browns and tans and neutrals, but give me some black and red this autumn, I’m ready!

9. Visit a Local Market

I know there are many local craft and farmers markets held during the summer, but around where I live, there are some fall ones too! Namely, the Apple Festival in Lincoln, Arkansas. It is held at the beginning of October every year. You are greeted with spiral sliced apples, fresh and refreshing since it is still sometimes still warmer in temperature here beginning to mid October. That alone makes going worth it, but there is a maze of booths filled with crafts and goods.

Every year my brother buys a gallon of Apple Cider, my mom has gotten leather works there, and I have gotten my favorite pair of lounge pants from the Apple Festival. I am definitely looking forward to going this year!

10. Complete Blogtober

Where was I during Blogtober last year? Honestly I was being a little crazy, but I wasn’t writing. It wasn’t until near the end of October that I logged into WordPress and saw some of the blogs I follow participating in the month-long blogging challenge. I was upset that I missed out on such a fun opportunity but I honestly wasn’t in the right head space to commit to a daily posting schedule then.

This is my first ever daily blogging challenge and I think it will be a huge learning experience and challenge for me. I am not a daily writer, not even really a weekly writer. I write when I am inspired and I am proud of my work. I think this challenge will push me to not be so critical of myself and my writing, and expand some of the skills that I haven’t practiced in a while. Is anyone else participating this year? Let me know so that I can follow along!