Already moved on from summer and it’s only August? You’re in the right spot. This post will get you in the mood for fall and give you 13 reasons to be excited for the fall season.

I’m not even sure I can contain my own excitement as I sit down to write this post. As of now, we’ve officially crossed over into the last week of August in 2023. Stores are beginning to display Halloween candy and pumpkin spice products. Hobby Lobby and Bath & Body Works have had their fall products out for at least a month. Where I live in Pennsylvania, some of the leaves are even beginning to turn ever so slightly! Summer-schmummer. Give me fall all day, every day! Don’t get me wrong, I love that I get a (mostly) full four seasons each year, each one with its own attributes that I love. But I’m not kidding when I tell you I could LIVE in fall year-round. The foliage, food, scents, scenery, activities. Does it get any better than fall?? I think not, my friends.

I’ve tried to pinpoint when the obsession began, and I think it goes back to college, mainly because of how beautiful the campus is in the fall. I grew up watching all the fun kids’ Halloween movies, trick-or-treating, visiting my family’s cabin in the Pennsylvania Grand Canyon area, decorating our house, and doing SO many crafts with leaves. I’ve always been a fan of all, but I don’t think I became aware of how much of a fan I am until my college days.

Anyway, now that we’re getting closer to the actual season of fall, read on to discover some of the many reasons why you’ll want to get excited for fall!

Fall food (Apples and pumpkins, oh my!)

If I had to pick one to go at the top of the list, fall food would be it! Oh my goodness, I can’t even describe my love affair with fall food. From appetizers to main meals, from desserts to drinks, it doesn’t get better than the cozy foods we get to make and eat during this wonderful season. Some of my favorite dinner recipes include meatball rigatoni soup, maple apple pork chops, autumn salad, apple cider bacon chicken, and chicken biscuit skillet.

Don’t even get me started on desserts! My personal Pinterest board is littered with amazing dessert ideas to check out.

Pumpkin (spice) everything!

I feel like pumpkin spice has turned into its own entity the last decade or so. And you kind of either love it or hate it. I gotta say…I LOVE it! It’s not just pumpkin spice I love, but also pumpkin itself. I live for pumpkin recipes like pumpkin bars with brown sugar frosting, pumpkin pie, or pumpkin waffles with apple cider syrup.

Even better, you can make a batch of my brown butter pumpkin streusel muffins with maple cinnamon glaze. If that doesn’t get you in the fall mood, I’m not sure what will! There’s something so comforting about the beautiful orange color and lush texture of pumpkin and it gets me so excited for fall.

Gilmore Girls

I had to put this one near the top of the list. I honestly didn’t have a choice. You see, out of my many obsessions related to the fall season, Gilmore Girls is my favorite. I began watching the show in 2016 when the revival came out because I wanted to know what my friends were talking about when we actually watched the revival. That year started a now 8-year tradition and I have never looked back. Each year on September 1, I eat a pumpkin whoopie pie, drink apple cider, and binge watch Gilmore Girls as I pine through all my fall food magazines. It’s my kickoff to the fall season and my annual reminder that life is good and simple pleasures are the best.

The clothes

I don’t consider myself a fashionista by any means, but I love cute clothes. I am definitely a person who loves pops of colors, patterns, and florals, and so the warmer months get me excited about sundresses, sandals, and fun cardigans.

However, I think I love my fall wardrobe just about as much as my spring and summer wardrobe. It might not be as colorful, but I love the idea of colored denim, sweaters, boots, scarves, and sweatshirts. One thing that gets me so excited is looking through the clothing racks at TJ Maxx, Old Navy, and different thrift stores to see what adorable new outfits I can put together. The best part is that you don’t have to spend a lot of money on fall outfits! Stores like TJ Maxx and Old Navy typically offer affordable clothing that’s also stylish.

Home and Hygiene Products (A.k.a., Bath & Body Works!!)

Between September 1 and October 31, I am a self-proclaimed “basic white girl.” I feed into all the pleasures of fall, and what better way to light up a BWG’s life than with a trip to Bath & Body Works? The soaps, room sprays, body washes, candles – I want it all. Speaking of candles, I am obsessed. No really, I think it’s turned into its own hobby. One of the shining features of my apartment: The candle cabinet. Yup, I literally have a utility cabinet filled with candles; 38 of them to be exact, and more than a third of them are fall-scented candles.

As much as I love Bath & Body Works and Yankee Candles, I really enjoy supporting locally owned and/or mom and pop businesses. That’s why I love Swan Creek Candles. Not only are they family owned but their candles smell amazing and they look so pretty! Another company I am a big fan of is In the Wick of Time. I found Kaylan’s candles while scrolling through pictures of fall aesthetics years ago on Pinterest. One of her candles was in a picture and I was instantly hooked! She’s known for her themed candles and she just released her fall collection. So excited!!

Decorations

When I think of all the reasons why I love fall, it is so hard to pick my favorite. Decorations are one of the reasons why it’s hard to pick! I know some people go all out for Halloween but I prefer to stick with overall fall décor. I love that you can decorate any room of your house and make it look adorable. From shower curtains and bathroom towels, to lights and potholders, I have so much fun decorating!

I lean towards a modern farmhouse look and that’s what I focus on with my fall decorations as well. I like clean, uncluttered looks and my thought with decorating is that less is more! Gone are the days of overstuffing a house with decorations like we did with 90s country style. You can keep it simple but still have beautiful decorations in your home.

Halloween and harvest/fall parties!

Mmmmm…The costumes, apple bobbing, smells of campfires, fun treats, music, and maybe even a fog machine! Some of my favorite fall memories have been spent at fall-inspired parties. What’s not to love about seeing other people get weird with their funky costumes? Even more than attending, I get such fun out of planning parties. Check out this super helpful Halloween Party Planning Guide!

Festivals and events

We small town folks love our festivals and events. We’ll pretty much do anything to celebrate an occasion and my town LOVES a good festival. Second Friday, Pirate Fest, Halloween Candy Crawl. You name it, we’ve probably got it. It’s one of the many things you can do during a small town weekend getaway! Trust me, we have got you covered. It doesn’t get much better than seeing the smiles on residents’ faces as they enjoy all that the town has to offer.

The weather/ fall foliage

If there’s one thing that sums up fall in one word, it would be “weather.” Take it a step further and mention fall foliage. Not everyone is blessed to get fall weather each year, but where I live in Pennsylvania, we get some of the most amazing colors you’ll ever see. It’s not just about the leaves, though. It’s also about a crispness in the air and that pungent yet pleasant smell of decaying leaves. It’s about the air turning cooler and being able to turn off your air conditioning yet not have to turn on the heat. There’s just something about the weather this time of year that makes everything seem more peaceful as the world continues to spin.

Music

When you think of fall, you don’t typically associate it with music. However, I’m here to tell you it’s one of my favorite parts of the season. I started a Halloween playlist years ago and there are plenty of fun Halloween songs out there, especially if you’re hosting a Halloween party! But that’s not the only playlist I have for fall. Years back, I was searching through YouTube for songs about fall and I found one. That was the beginning of the end, because now I have a Spotify Autumn playlist with more than 70 songs on it. Most of the songs are instrumental folk songs but there are some lyrical songs with acoustic, fall vibes to them. It sets the mood in the morning when I’m drinking my coffee with pumpkin spice creamer. It doesn’t get more fall than that!

Football

Ok, ok, in all honesty, I’m not a huge football fan. In fact, I don’t really like professional football all that much. I must say, we are a college football household (well, we will be once my future husband and I are married!). I really enjoy turning on a Saturday college football game while drinking beer and eating some gameday themed foods. When Jake was working up at Penn State, it was amazing because we got to attend three games in 2022! If you’ve never attended a college football game, especially for a big team like Penn State, you should absolutely put it on your bucket list. Even if you don’t like football, it’s so much fun and an experience you’ll never forget!

Fall activities

I’m not kidding when I tell you I have almost 2,000 Pins saved on Pinterest just for my A Bunch of Hocus Pocus board, which is obviously all about fall and Halloween. Within that board, I have an entire section solely dedicated to bucket lists. It helps me get even more excited about the season. Some of my favorite activities that you’ll find on the many fall bucket lists I’ve saved include: Apple/pumpkin picking, crunching leaves, drinking apple cider, hayrides, corn mazes, baking fall treats. Guys, the list seriously goes on. Every year, there are always activities that get forgotten or just don’t happen because of time, but each year I’m determined to make at least some of them happen.

Hocus Pocus

I saved the best for last. I really think this one is it. If there was ever a movie to sum up all the reasons someone should love fall AND Halloween, Hocus Pocus would be it. As a 90s kid, this movie has been with me since I was about two. Not that I watched it when I was that young, but I’ve basically watched it every year since I was probably 6 or 7. It has it all. The weather and foliage, beautifully decorated houses, fantastic 90s fashion, costumes and trick-or-treating. It’s got zombies and witches, and even some not-so-accurate history! Best of all, it’s filmed in Salem, Massachusetts, which is definitely a place you should visit in the fall. In fact, be on the lookout for my post about my visit to Salem in the fall!

As I finish up this list, so many more reasons why I love fall are coming into my mind! As I mentioned before, I could live in fall year-round. It’s the most perfect time of the year and I’m always so sad when it’s over. I’d love to know what your favorite reasons you love fall and Halloween. What did I miss and what would you add to the list? I’m looking forward to hearing your thoughts!