Fall is officially here! In honor of almost everyone's favorite season (definitely a top fav of mine), I have teamed up with my new friend Erin from What Erin Did to bring y'all a post filled with autumn essentials. She wrote a lovely post on the same topic over on her blog, so make sure to check it out. I love the different things she mentioned that make her think of fall!

(side note - my computer has not been working since last week, so I'm limited to doing most everything on my phone for the time being. I'm posting this from my dad's computer, but it doesn't have a memory card slot, hence the photographs above that aren't mine. Really praying that my computer is fixed soon so that I can get back on top of things!)

First up on my list are mini pumpkins. It has been a tradition for as long as I can remember to pick out a baby pumpkin about the size of my hand every year at the pumpkin patch. I've always looked forward to choosing a pumpkin just for myself. Does anyone else get this excited about picking out a pumpkin to take home? There are so many cute new "pumpkin trends" that I've seen lately, from white pumpkins with a painted gold stem to pale pink pumpkins (seriously, where can I get one?!), making me all the more eager to go to the pumpkin patch and pick one out to decorate.

The next, probably most basic thing on the list of autumn essentials, is pumpkin spice everything. Seriously, what screams "fall" more than pumpkin flavored oatmeal and candy and all kinds of food?
This is the time of year when everyone goes a bit pumpkin crazy and starts adding it to every food item possible. Not complaining though, because it does spice things up a bit. Ha. Puns. Sorry, I'm writing this late at night as usual so bear with me.

Another tradition for this time of year is the ultimate bonfire. Okay, maybe not ultimate. Most of the time it burns for about 10 minutes, just long enough to roast some marshmallows. But, bonfires are still such a fun thing to do during the fall season. It brings everyone together to gather around the warmth and sing songs/tell stories and eat copious amounts of unhealthy food.
What else are good times for?

I'm always on the hunt for cozy sweaters to wear if the weather suddenly decides to feel like fall - in Florida, we may get a couple of days of unusually cool weather, which we definitely don't take for granted. Everyone pull out your fur coats because it's about to be in the 60's during the morning and night! But don't stress - we'll still have our warmer temperatures in the middle of the day!
But on a real note, I still enjoy wearing sweaters even when it's not normal weather for this time of year. They're warm and snug and they somehow complete a fall outfit perfectly.

Let's go back to the pumpkins for a moment. Yes, I realize most of my autumn essentials include something pumpkin-related, but who doesn't think of these yummy orange delights when this season comes around? The next thing on my list are candles, more specifically pumpkin scented. If you want it to feel like fall, just crank down the air conditioner and light a pumpkin or cinnamon scented candle, and you're good to go.

And while you're at it, you might as well pop in a Disney Halloween movie to have the perfect night in to celebrate the beginning of the season. I never really celebrated Halloween growing up, but what I did to make up for that was watch the non-scary Disney movies. Twitches, Halloweentown, Mom's Got a Date with a Vampire....too many classics to name off. Old school Disney is best Disney.

With all of these things already said, one of my all-time favorite fall drinks to go along with everything on this list is apple cider. This is another thing I've had since I was young, and it instantly puts me in the fall spirit. The warm apple flavor with hints of cinnamon and other spices makes for one of the most delicious beverages to sip on.

Last but not least on my list of autumn essentials is another great tradition: fall festivals! Who doesn't love to go out and spend a night surrounded by rides and lights and deep fried fair food and just a really good time with good people? Sometimes it's fun just to walk around and be enveloped in the atmosphere without even spending money on rides or food. It's the times that are had with the people I'm with that make it one of my favorite parts of the season.


With all of that said, I hope this post or the things mentioned in it put you in the fall mood.
May the good times, long nights, and pumpkin pies be close ahead!
This season brings an abundance of good things with it, more than I can name off. If you have other traditions or fall favorites, feel free to leave a comment!

As I mentioned earlier, this post is in collaboration with my blogger friend Erin, so head on over to her blog to read what her autumn essentials consist of!

Here's to hoping that along with this season comes more happiness and good times.