Monthly Musings: Fall Decorating And Fashion Preview

I tried really hard to link up in time for this blog party but, as has been happening lately, life interfered (also known as, no access to internet at dance). Boo. Today I'm talking about Fall Decorating and Fashion Preview with Holly who blogs at Pink Lady and Patty who blogs at Good, Better, Best. You all know that the fashion questions aren't my strong suit so hold those answers very lightly :)

1) Share how you decorate for fall.

I don't go all out for decorating. I have my new pumpkins from Janice and I've been loving them. They bring just a touch of fall to our house. I do tend to have more fall flowers outside.

2) Halloween decor - yes or no?

That is a big NO from me! I really don't love Halloween. 

3) Pumpkins, corn stalks, or hay bales?

I really love pumpkins, and this year I found a really fun one. 

 

4) Favourite fall fashion pieces?

I really like flannel shirts. I got a few new ones in August and I'm so excited to wear them when the weather gets cooler.

 

I don't have a picture of me wearing them yet but this is what I got. Image from here. 

5) How do you transition your wardrobe?

I really struggle with this. These past couple of weeks we've had cool mornings but then really hot afternoons. Layers are so important for me right now -- cardigans and flannel shirts are good layers for me at this time of year.

6) Do you decorate inside and out?

I really don't do much decorating at this time of year. I have my pumpkins inside and then outside I have a front step display and some fun plants in my window boxes. It's pretty low key around here.

7) Favourite fall scents?

I'm sure the hosts meant perfume but I don't wear that. Thus, my favourite fall scents are applesauce simmering and the crisp leaves. 

 

8) Go-to fall outfit?

A flannel shirt and some colourful Converse and I'm a happy fall girl. 

 

9) Do you change your make-up/skin care for fall?

Well since I don't wear make-up ever, nor do I have a skin care routine, I don't do anything different in the fall :) 

10) What makes your house feel cozy for fall?

I love when soup is simmering and bread is baking. That makes the house feel so cozy for fall. Especially if I'm smelling these scents as I'm sitting under a blanket! 

We've had some warmer weather lately and I'm just so ready for the cooler days of fall. If I can't be on summer break, then don't be giving me summer weather! Writing this post makes me even more excited for the cozy days of fall sweaters and cooler temperatures. Bring on fall!  

What's Up Wednesday: September 2025

I don't know about all of you, but for us, September is right up there with one of our busier months of the year. School starts, bringing all the craziness for me at work and all the newness for the kids at school, dance is back in full swing, church is back to "all the things" and the High Holidays (Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur) take place. I appreciate it all but there's just always a lot going on.

Answering these questions monthly helps me reflect on the past month and I really appreciate having a record of what we've been up to. The questions come from Shay at Mix and Match Mama and Sheaffer at Sheaffer Told Me Too.

image from here

 

What we're eating this week... If we've gone to a potluck this month (and we've had three already!), we've brought banana bread. At the end of August, I discovered we had about twenty bananas in our freezer. They were taking over! So Rachel has baked a lot of banana bread this month and now we're down to a more reasonable amount. Phew.

Also, I decided the kids were going to do more cooking so we've been eating a lot more of what they've been making. Sam has made chicken alfredo and has been experimenting with perfecting potato bacon soup. Rachel has been making a lot of banana bread and also made a baked pumpkin penne a few weeks ago. It's been really nice to have a break from doing all the cooking!

 

 

What I'm reminiscing about... What with the Jays making the post-season, I've been reminiscing about when we got to go to a playoff game. It was so fun (until it wasn't), but being at the Skydome for a playoff game was very memorable!

 

 October 2022

What I'm loving... I'm really loving my fall front step display. While I miss the abundance of mums along the fence, these pumpkins especially make me smile when I walk past them. Also, I bought a set of white plastic bowls with lids over twenty years ago, and over these past few months they were starting to break. It took a few tries, but I finally found another set I absolutely love! Every time I use one of these colourful bowls, they make me smile :)

 

 

What we've been up to... As I mentioned above, September has been full! Sam and Rachel went back to school, with all that entails. Sam is taking an Outdoor Ed class and last week he had to be at a local conservation area at 7. They hiked to a lake, cooked breakfast, and then walked back to the school. Next week, he's going on a three day hiking trip with his class. (All of us parents want to take this class, by the way. It sounds so fun!)

 

Rachel joined the Spirit/Leadership Crew at school so last week she had a full day conference for that.

Rachel is back at dance, five days a week, and I've joined her for one night a week! Yes, I signed up for an adult ballet class this year. I've done beginner ballet before in fall 2007 (when we first moved to Edmonton), and again when Rachel was three. Well, this is my third try at it. We shall see how it goes... I convinced a friend to sign up with me so we're having fun together!

My frame says, "I just finished my first dance class!"

  

And Dave and I embarked on another new adventure this fall -- we're now Jr Youth sponsors. We had our first event on Saturday and enjoyed mini golfing and getting to know some of the kids. There are two other sponsors, and the pastor, so we're not on our own. I will enjoy getting to know this group of kids over the next years.

This past Saturday night we enjoyed LUMEN in our uptown. I think we have gone every year since 2018 (except for 2020 and 2021 when it was cancelled/online) and I love it so much!!! This year, Tim, Janice, and Tessa joined us so it was even more fun! Sadly, Sam's feet hurt from all his walking the day before, so he opted out, but the rest of us had fun.

And, as I mentioned above, we've also gone to a few potlucks and started celebrating Rosh Hashanah (the Jewish New Year). There's been a lot going on.

 

What I'm dreading... This month has been filled with small technological inconveniences at work. There's been nothing major but just a series of small glitches which have made my job a little bit harder. I'm really hoping we're free of all of it now but I'm not holding my breath.

What I'm working on... We've been working on going through some of the rooms in our house. It's been quite a few years since we've done this and, once again, our kids are just done with certain games and crafts and Dave and I are realizing there are books we're never going to read again. It's time to get some of these things out of our house and passed on to people who will actually use them.

What I'm excited about... October baseball!!! Yes, I've been a broken record lately but the Jays are in the playoffs and fighting for first place in, not just the AL East, but the whole American League. I'm writing this post as I watch the Jays play Boston. (And if you think it's irritating that I'm continuously blogging about the Jays, just imagine how annoying I am in person! Thankfully, Dave and Sam are almost as obsessed as I am and Rachel spends a lot of time at dance. Hahaha!!!)

What I'm watching/reading... As you can probably guess, I'm watching a lot of Blue Jays baseball. And it's the time of the year when I'm also watching the scores for any other game that might have an effect on the Jays playoff seeding.

 

I'm reading almost everything on the MLB app. It's the first thing I check every morning. Once baseball is taking up less of my time I have Anxious People by Fredrik Backman and A Witch's Guide to Magical Innkeeping by Sangu Mandanna on my shelf.

 

What I'm listening to... When I'm not able to watch baseball, I'm listening to the it on the radio. Other than that, I'm not sure what I'm listening to. Although there has been a lot of rain these past few days, so I've been listening to that.

 

What I'm wearing... My ballet shoes again! Thankfully they still fit because they're practically new, even though I bought them eleven years ago. Hahaha! Also, it's time for this shirt to make a reappearance. "Take October!" Blue Jays!!!

What I'm doing this weekend... This weekend has a lot going on. I'm going to a play on Thursday night and a musical on Friday night, I'm hoping to do a lot of yard work on Saturday, and then on Sunday there are baptisms and membership transfers at church. Did I mention there's a lot going on?!?!? 

What I'm looking forward to next month... My friend always hosts the most fun birthday party in October. I was so excited when I got the invitation again this year. It's just always such a great evening of hanging out with good people and having excellent conversations. And, in case you've forgotten after reading two baseball free questions, I'm really looking forward to October baseball!!! Hahaha!

 

So that's what's up with us in September -- lots of juggling all the things and watching a lot of baseball in between. I have a feeling October is going to hold more of the same :)

The Weekend What (On A Thursday)

This past weekend was one of those weekends I want to blog about for posterity. It was such a lovely weekend and the perfect mix of social, down time, and getting things done. So even though it's almost this next weekend, I'm writing about last one.

We started out the weekend with something we like to call "Fast Food Festival of Friday." This time we all agreed on the same place so Dave and Rachel picked up supper. Then Dave and I watched the Blue Jays game. It was probably one of the best games of the year! Kevin Gausman pitched eight innings and the Jays beat the Yankees! I cheered so much!!! In fact, I've been cheering so enthusiastically, I think I've pulled muscles in my chest from throwing my arms in the air so vehemently when the Jays score. Ooops :)

 

On Saturday morning I got stuff done, including sitting and drinking coffee-hot chocolate with Dave. Then I walked over to my favourite greenhouse to get some fall decorations. I mentioned in my "What's Up Wednesday" post that there are some big changes coming for our family this fall. Well, one of those changes affects our back yard so I couldn't get my regular allotment of fall mums. I pivoted and got a display for our front stoop instead.

When I got home, I watched the Jays game, caught up on blog reading, and drank a Coke. Then Dave and I had a dance meeting at the studio for Rachel's dance performance commitments.

  

We dropped Rachel off at home, picked up pizza at a new to us spot, and headed to Tim and Janice's for pizza supper and an evening of visiting. It was super yummy pizza and a great evening of catching up with our besties!

 

On Sunday morning, we went to church. It was Gathering Sunday and our theme for this fall is water. This was a beautiful song we sang. Then there was a church potluck, and it was so great to catch up with friends we hadn't seen in awhile.

  

Then it was home to watch baseball, fold laundry, drink a Coke, and work on some food prep. If only Saturday and Sunday's Jays' games were as successful as Friday's game was!

 

I planted my window boxes with some fall flowers/kale as well. I'm going to wring every ounce of flower joy I can out of this fall, even if it's looking a little different than normal :)

 

See, our lovely fall front step!

I also baked bread and made soup for Sunday supper.

Did I mention it was pretty much the perfect weekend? Here's hoping this one holds more of the same.

Share Our Lives: 5 Things We Like To Do in Winter/Spring/Summer/Fall

This month the Share Our Lives bloggers asked us to post about "5 things we like to do in winter/spring/summer/fall." I've been thinking about this post for awhile as the topic is very wide ranging. However, in thinking about it, I realized there are things I look forward to in every season. As a reminder, the Share Our Lives bloggers are Sarah, Dara, Joanne, Adrienne, and Jen. (Click on each name to go their blogs.)

Fall

Since we're currently beginning our fall season, some of my favourite things to do are attend our city's LUMEN festival, enjoy all the gorgeous fall leaves surrounding us, attend all the fall dance performances Rachel is involved in, bake muffins, and read.

 

 

Winter

In the winter months I like to watch Hallmark movies (in November and December only), buy lots of tulips, walk in the woods or on my favourite path, do puzzles, and read in bed under a blanket with a cup of hot tea.

 

Spring

 

Spring is my favourite. I have so many things I love to do in the spring -- work in our yard, watch baseball (starting with Spring training), read outside, hang my laundry outside, and plant pansies!

Summer

 

In the summer I like to be in our yard as much as possible (deadheading day lilies and sitting outside to eat all my meals are my favourites!), go to Blue Jays games (and other baseball games too!),  travel,  enjoy our CSA vegetables, and hang out with friends.

Of course there are many other things I like to do but these are some of the seasonal things you can find me doing almost every single year. I have to say that while I know that I really look forward to many things in each and every season, trying to write about it was hard. I'm looking forward to reading the other posts in the link up, both to see what things I forgot about and also to find some new ways to enjoy each season!