The Best Season of All is Fall: My Fall Favorites

Close your eyes and just imagine the following…

The crisp air and the cool breeze coming through an open window.  The changing of the leaves and the taste of a pumpkin spice latte.  Picture the atmosphere of a football game while wearing a hooded sweatshirt.  The sound of the crackling campfire.  And the smell of chili in the crock-pot with an apple pie baking in the oven.  

How do you feel?  Happy and relaxed right?  I know, me too.

All of those things bring me nothing but joy.  Fall is by far my favorite season and I always want to take full advantage of it when it’s here because it’s over way too quickly.

Here is my list of Fall Favorites:

Favorite Activities:

Apple Orchard: two orchards that I would highly recommend are Wilson’s Orchard near Solon and Allen’s Apple Orchard in Marion.

Pumpkin Patch: our go-to pumpkin patch is Bart’s Farm and Pumpkin Patch in Marion.  Bloomsbury Farm in Atkins, Colony Pumpkin Patch in North Liberty, and Kacena Farms in Vinton are also great.

Campfires: there’s truly nothing better than sitting around a campfire on a crisp fall evening and enjoying a s’more (or two).

Camping: I grew up camping, and now my own family loves it too.  There’s really no better season to camp than the fall.  Check out this list of area campgrounds. 

Football Games: Whether it’s Friday night lights, football Saturdays at home, or tailgating and stadium seats, with fall comes the wonderful sport of football.

Hiking: taking a walk along a trail in the woods, listening to the fallen leaves crunch under your feet, breathing in the crispy smell of the fall air, and gazing at all the beautiful colors surrounding you…there’s nothing like it!  Find area trails to explore here.

Favorite Clothing:

Who doesn’t love the adorable outfits and comfy clothes that come with the fall season for both Moms and kids!  Here are some fall clothing staples.

• Jeans
• Hooded sweatshirt
• Vest
• Boots
• Flannel Shirt
• Leggings
• Long Sweaters
• Fleece Jacket
• Hats (baseball style or stocking cap)
• Scarves

Favorite Foods:

Here we go – favorite fall foods.  I’m drooling just typing this list…

• Homemade Apple Pie
• Homemade Apple Crisp
• Pumpkin Bread & Muffins
• Chili w/ Cornbread
• Hot Apple Cider
• Butternut Squash cooked butternut squash with a little butter and brown sugar is seriously the best.
• Fresh Apple Donuts (from the Apple Orchard)
• Tailgater Sandwiches (ham & cheese on Hawaiian Sweet Rolls with a butter poppy seed glaze baked until melty and warm…delicious!)
• Pizza Pies (pizza toppings between two pieces of bread cooked over the campfire) and Dessert Pies (pie filling between two pieces of bread and cooked over the campfire) – if you don’t own a pie iron you definitely should.  

Fall Favorites To Do List:

• visit an apple orchard 
• bake a homemade apple pie
• go to an Iowa Hawkeye football game
• go to a Friday Night Football game at your nearest high school
• have a campfire in the backyard
• cook a meal outdoors over the campfire
• visit a pumpkin patch 
• carve a jack-o-lantern
• make pumpkin bread
• make some fall-themed snacks/treats.  Here are a few links:
  • Fall Leaf Sugar Cookies: http://www.dvo.com/newsletter/monthly/2010/november/tabletalk4.html
  • Pumpkin Pretzels: http://butterwithasideofbread.com/2012/09/easy-pumpkin-pretzels/
  • Pumpkin Rice Krispy Treats: http://www.homestoriesatoz.com/fun-with-food/pumpkin-rice-krispies-treats.html
• do a fall family photo shoot
• bundle up in cozy sweatshirts and have a picnic
• go hiking
• go on a fall-themed date night with the hubby – wear cozy fall clothes, grab a coffee, take a walk, lay out a blanket, enjoy the crispy night air
• make chili and cornbread 
• take a drive and look at the colorful leaves
• go on a fall scavenger hunt (find different colors of leaves, acorns, pinecones, feathers, flowers, spider web, bugs, etc.  Think of things you might hear, see, smell, and feel.)

Enjoy the season!  Happy Fall Y’all!

 Make sure you never miss out on a parenting or community-related blog post: sign up to receive Cedar Rapids Moms posts in your inbox.  While you’re at it, join our VIP List to ensure you’re one of the first to know about upcoming Cedar Rapids Moms’ events and promotions!!