autumn

Showing posts with label autumn. Show all posts

8 Autumn crafts to do today

Yesterday morning was rather miserable so to occupy us for a bit we did some autumn themed crafts. We had some paper plates in our arts and crafts box so I knew just what I wanted to do with them.

Scarecrow

You will need:

A paper plate

Yellow, orange and brown card

Googley eyes

Pink felt tip ( for the rosy cheeks)

Biro ( for the smile)

Scissors

Glue or double sided sticky tape

Stickers

It was pretty simple to do all I did was cut out the shapes of the hat, nose and yellow strips and then we stuck them on. We then added the googly eyes, drawed sweet rosy cheeks and a smile. We also added a few stickers to the hat.

The next craft was more simple to do but still lots of fun.

Autumn wreath

You will need:
Paper plate
Scissors
Leaves ( real or fake)
Glue

Optional:
Hole punch
String

All we did was cut out the middle of the paper plate and spread lots of glue around the edges and add the leaves. Once dry you can use a hole punch and add string to make it a hanging wreath if you want to.

I also asked some bloggers for their fun autumn activities:

Jenny from The Gingerbread House has a lovely post on using leaves to make a autumnal sun catcher. I love this simple but fun activity. We have some sticky back plastic already so will definitely give this one a go. It's also a great way for using up leaves you've picked up on your travels.

Becky from CuddleFairy has a great post on how to carve a pumpkin. This is an activity we've never done so these tips are going to come in handy this year as we plan to give it a go.

If buntings are more your thing than check out Emma from Fullfild by latte post on Halloween a different way where she shares her felt bunting along with a template to download to make your own.

Jo from a rose tinted world has a great Autumn Bucket List which also includes about making a autumn garland using leaves, conkers, pinecones etc you have picked up.

If painting is more what your child is into than the That's not my hedgehog sensory painting from Julie at Pondering parenthood is a fun activity. Blake's very into painting and sensory so definitely got to do this.

Last of all how cute are these autumn pinecone animals from Becky at Blissful domestication. I definitely want to go on the hunt for some pinecones now.

10 cosy night in essentials

With it getting more colder outside and the days being shorter and evenings darker I love nothing more than setting up a nice warm and cosy atmosphere. I've always been a homebody and this time of year is perfect for staying in. With that said I wanted to share with you my 10 essentials for a cosy night in.

Hot chocolate
I absolutely love hot chocolate and have it as an evening treat throughout the year. However there is something about drinking it this time of year and I do opt for it more often. I especially love to add whipped cream and marshmallows as an extra special treat.

Chocolate
Chocolate is a must. My favourite chocolate bar is Cadbury Twirl but any Cadbury chocolate would do.

Fluffy socks
I feel the cold very easily and so fluffy socks are a must for keeping my toes warm. I also have a pair of luxury bed bedrooms that I adore.

Slippers
If I'm not wearing socks a cosy pair of slippers is a must. In fact I need to get a new pair. I love the boot style ones as they can my feet much more warmer.

Blanket
I have a thermal one that I love and it's perfect for snuggling up under. I do own others but the thermal ones is my favourite and I use it as a throw on our sofa these days.

Comfy Pjs
I'd wear pjs all the time if I could. They are just perfect for lounging around the home.

Dressing gown
I absolutely love wrapping up in a dressing gown. I use to have a big fluffy pink one with a hood which I loved. However now i have a shorter length one so I don't trip on the stairs and it's just as cosy.

Candles
I love candles and if they have an autumn scent even better.

Books
We all know by now I'm a bookworm and so books have to be on my list for the perfect cosy night in.

Netflix
If I'm not reading than Netflix is on. I always find something to watch whether a series or a film.

Autumn 2019 Tag

Today I have decided to do the Autumn 2019 tag as it felt appropriate for #blogtober which I am doing this year. I came across the tag over on Life as Kim. There are overall 19 questions so let's jump in.

1. Which two things tell you that the fall season has begun?

For me it has to be the colder and darker mornings and starting to see the leaves falling from the trees.

2, What do you love about autumn?

The changing colours, feeling all cosy, halloween, bonfire night, eating filling foods such as stews, casseroles, soups, apple crumble etc.

3, What do you dislike about the season?

The darker mornings and evenings.

4. Share your best memory for the autumn season?

This is a tough one I'm going to say spending time outside with my son jumping in leaves and puddles.

5.What is your favourite scent for the fall season?

I like spiced apple and orange scents. Unlike most autumn lovers I'm not that keen on the smell of cinnamon.

6. Apple bobbing or toffee apples?

I've not done either in a long time! I'm going to go with toffee apples.

7. Halloween - love or hate?
I'm in between tbh I like the idea of dressing up and watching spooky films at home. However I'm not keen on parties and trick ot treating.

8, What’s your favourite autumn food?
Definitely got to be stews and casseroles especially with dumplings. This time of year is when our slow cooker definitely gets used the most. I also love apple crumble for dessert.

9, Thanksgiving – celebrate or not?
It's not something we celebrate here in the UK however I do love a Turkey dinner.

10. What’s your go to fashion in the autumn?
Leggings, tunic top/dress and cosy jumper /cardigan with boots.

11. Which place do you love to visit in the autumn season?
I love visiting parks and farms this time of year. Parks are great for finding leaves, conkers, pinecones etc.

12. Fairy lights or candles? What is your choice?
Tricky as I do like both. I'm going to go with candles as you get autumn scents I just have to keep them out of reach from Blake.

13. Pumpkin picking from the fields or the supermarket?

I've never brought a pumpkin before. Where we use to live, they didnt do a pumpkin patch near enough for us to get to. As for supermarkets they always ran out quickly before Halloween. This year we are hoping to go to a pumpkin patch though.

14.What’s your pumpkin carving of choice?

I think it's going to be interesting to see how good I am at carving i think am going to just start off with doing a simple pumpkin face.

15. Real fire or central heating?

I'd love a real fire but for now it's central heating.

16. Apple pie or Pumpkin Pie. What’s your favourite?

Apple pie and that's because of never trying pumpkin before.

17. Do you enjoy feeling the cold air or do you wrap up warm?

I definitely prefer to wrap up warm.

18. Do you have any specific traditions to celebrate the fall season?

The only thing I say is doing an autumn bucket list.

19. Share your favourite quote related to the autumn.

Dealing with the darker days

It's that time of year when the days are shorter and darker. For me I love autumn and the cosy evenings wrapped up on the sofa with a hot chocolate. But there are some days when I find that the darker days really affect how I feel emotionally which isn't good for my mental health.

SAD (Season Affective Disorder) is something many of us suffer with and even if you don't plenty of us still feel down in the dumps after a few grey days.

With that in mind i thought I'd share with you some ways to help you when you are feeling the dark day blues.

Take extra care of yourself
Easier said than done especially if you have children but making sure you are getting enough nights sleep is a must. Along with eating a well balanced diet and making sure you have a flu shot, wash hands, use hand sanitizer and take your vitamins to help keep bugs at bay.

Keep your area bright
Make sure your environment whether at home or at work is properly lit. You can purchase light boxes that mimic the light you receive from the sun. I've not actually tried one but have heard many times how good they can be.

Get outside
Don't use the rain as an excuse not to get outside. Getting outside and playing with kids, going for walks or just sitting outside are great for you in many ways not just with cheering you up.

Ask for help if you need it
Honestly don't ever feel ashamed of admitting you need help. I had a bad mental health blip during the summer and I'm so glad I seeked help.

Autumn 2019 Bucket List

Autumn is definitely in full swing now. I've noticed leaves are already starting to fall and so now we are in October I thought it was time I compiled ouraitumn bucket list.

I'm definitely excited to start ticking them off.

- Go on an autumnal walk
- Collect leaves, pinecones, conkers etc
- Jump in a pile of leaves
- Puddle jumping
- Paint or carve a pumpkin
- Go to a pumpkin patch
- Eat/drink anything pumpkin spice
- Make apple crumble
- Take autumnal photos
- Eat stews and casseroles
- Make soup
- Dress up for Halloween
- watch halloween films together (kid friendly around Blake)
- Make a fort in the living room
- Go to a Halloween trail
- Visit a new indoor play area
- Autumn/Halloween/ bonfire related crafts
- Drink lots of hot chocolate
- Bake bread
- make s'mores
- Create a fairy/dinosaur garden
- visit a farmers market
- Clear out and have a good declutter
- Start planning for Christmas
- Read autumn themed books together
- Have an indoor picnic
- Donate to a food bank
- practise self care everyday
- Get the board games out
- Take a moment for remembrance Sunday
- Decorate the home to give it a cosy autumn feel
- Do an autumn themed tuff tray
- Enjoy apple and cinnamon porridge
- Halloween/autumn bath bombs
- Embrace Hygge
- use my diffuser with autumn scents
- Drink apple cider
- Go to a harvest festival
- Bake or eat cinnamon swirls
- Autumn simmer pot

Our Autumn Bucket List

After doing a summer bucket list, now that its October I thought it would be a good time to do a bucket list for autumn. After all I can't miss out on doing a bucket list for one of my favourite times of the year.

So here are some of the things we plan to get up to during October and November:

1. Scavenger hunt
Collect leaves, conkers, pinecones and other autumnal items

2. Paint or carve a pumpkin

3. Make Apple crumble together

4. Autumn Trail
A couple places locally are doing something

5. Make firework cookies

6. Autumn/Halloween / bonfire crafts

7. Watch Halloween films

8. Pop on wellies and jump in puddles

9. Watch fireworks

10. Dress Blake up for Halloween

11. Dig out the slow cooker

12. Drink loads of hot chocolate

13. Donate to a food bank

14. Take loads of autumn photos

15. Create a den in the living room

16. Take a moment for remembrance Sunday

17. Go to an Oktoberfest event

18. Wear autumnal colours

19. Snuggle up and read
Even better if the book is autumn/Halloween themed

20. Decorate the home to give a cosy autumn feel.

Do you have an Autumn/Fall bucket list? If so I'd love you to share what you are looking forward to getting up to this season.

Autumn Activities

As I have mentioned many times before autumn/winter is my favorite season.

I have compiled a list of activities that we hope to get up to and if we don't do some than I have the list for next year.

- Go on a autumnal scavenger hunt ( collect things like different colored leaves, acorns, conkers, pine cones etc)

- Go for a woodland walk

- Make nature rubbings (This will better when Blake is a little older)

- Create Autumn leaf art

- Play autumn treasure memory game ( use the items you collected in the scavenger hunt)

- catch autumn leaves

- Make apple jam

- Have a movie afternoon

- Drink hot chocolate

- Toast marshmallows

- Make an apple crumble

- Make stews and casseroles in the slow cooker

- Make homemade soup

- Make an autumn tuff spot tray to explore

- Make a messy tuff spot pinterest has some fun ideas.

- Make mud pies

- Visit a farm

- Have an indoor picnic

What Blake Wore: Autumn/winter with Blade and Rose

Blade and Rose are known for their bright and colorful clothing, especially their leggings.

They have launched a new selection of bright and fun clothing sets for babies and toddlers for this season. So prepare your little one for autumn/winter with Blade and Rose's new designs featuring: Paddie Pirate, Oheo Owl, crazy cat, pineapple and rainbow sets.

The selection includes leggings, hats, bibs, socks, tops and even cute cuddly toys.

I was sent a pair of their bright and colorful rainbow leggings in a size 2-3 years for Blake.

I am very impressed with the quality of their leggings and they are true to size.

I love the bright and colorful design of the leggings which is a popular design from Blade and rose at the moment. The leggings feature red, blue and yellow stripes with a cloud design on the rear.The rainbow set also includes a rainbow reversible bandana bib with colorful stripes and stars, a red star hoodie and a matching red chunky bobble hat all pictured above.

I put Blake in his leggings with a red long sleeve top that I already have for him.

I also tested out the leggings when he was in a cloth nappy and found that they fit perfectly over them, which I struggle when it comes to with his usual trousers and jeans.

You can have a look at the full Blade and Rose autumn/winter range here.

Reasons I love autumn

I love autumn and winter, this time of year is my favorite I get to start wearing jumpers and boots and get to wear leggings or tights with dresses.

Here are some of the reason's I love the Autumn months:

Leaves changing color
The leaves look so pretty with browns, oranges and golden colors and I love walking through the leaves that have fallen from the trees.

Walks
I love going for walks more in the autumn there is nothing better than being wrapped up warm and being in the cool air.

Autumn/winter food

Stews, casseroles, soups, porridge with apple and cinnamon, I could go on.

Autumn scented candles

I have started to light up my autumn wreath candle and love autumn scents like these that make me feel happy this time of year.

Wrapping up warm

I love to wear extra layers, snuggly jumpers and also when i'm in doors using my thermal blanket to keep warm.

Stay indoors

As well as spending time outside I love staying at home and snuggling up with my husband watching TV and feeling all cosy.

Hot drinks

I love enjoying a steaming mug of hot chocolate, warm mulled wine, autumn themed coffees etc.

Autumn activities

I can't wait to start doing activities with Blake such as looking for conkers and pine cones, collecting leaves for art work. I'll be compiling an autumn bucket list to share with you soon of what we plan to get up to.