10 Fall Must Do's To Get The Most Of The Season

I love what Fall has to offer us. Mother Nature and her rhythm have so much to teach us and if we follow her lead we can enter each season of life prepared and ready to get the most of what our minds and bodies are craving. I love a bit of cooler weather with crisp mornings and some days warm enough to still lay out. In fact, I caught a little sun out on the back deck today! But I also have an urge and sense of wanting to nest and get cozy and decorate the house to make it more homey.

Fall forces us to slow down and take a peek around us. The colors of nature are so stunning that it stops me in my tracks to take a moment and just be in awe of the natural beauty on display for all of us to enjoy. I've been thinking a lot about this and how we have the grandest teacher of all in Mother Nature and if we take our ques from her we won't be fighting an uphill battle. Afterall, we are animals but we've been conditioned by society to follow trends and what's available year round in grocery stores instead of trusting in our our biology and what our bodies are telling us. Taking the lead from what the biological ques from nature are telling me, here are my 10 Fall Must Do's to get the most of the 2018 Pumpkin Season!

• Now is a great time to work on a big project for work and home. Pick one of each! You're naturally more creative and ready to buckle down to get results. This is the time to get things done. Fall is actually a very busy time in nature, it is very productive for sustaining and maintaining life. Think of the beaver, they are very busily strengthening their dams and getting them in tip top shape to make it through the winter and spring run-off.  And trees are giving a brilliant display and then dropping leaves to conserve their energy through winter. Now is your time to shine....and then you can hibernate.
• Take a weekend away to recharge, lay on a beach and soak up the sun. Lots of species are heading south to warmer locales, they clearly have a good thing going and have taught our retired snowbirds how to head to the warmth to over-winter and enjoy sunshine and mild temperatures year round, but there is no reason that those of us that aren't retired can't have a weekend or two of this reality also!  I have felt so chilled and it seems to be hard to warm up once fall hits, so I find that I'm seeking out the sun, following it throughout the house as it comes through the windows so I can bask in its glory. Just like the creepy snakes laying across the walking path the other day. Except I'm not creepy. They know to soak up the last rays while they can!
• Don't wait around for spring cleaning, it's time for a good fall clean up now. It's a great time to go through your closet (or basement) and get rid of stuff you don't wear. Be honest, even if you think you might, you probably won't if you haven't worn it in a while. Especially if something doesn't fit or fits weird, throw it out! It's taking up precious space and you need to open up a spot if you want something new to come into your life. If your dog is anything like Dolly, it too has a good shed in the fall, destroying your floors, getting ready for a winter coat and so can you! Make room for a new piece in the wardrobe. Make a deal with yourself. For every 5 things you get rid of, buy 1 new piece. How fun is that! I've not only cleaned out the closet a bit, but next I'm hitting the basement crawl space. Madame Alexander doll's anyone? They're free for the taking. Why have I been packing those around for 30+ years!
• Go to bed a little earlier and get some extra sleep. I am not a fan of sleeping and laying in bed and have been known a time or two as the nap nazi. I just don't see the need, it's such a waste of good time that can be filled with so many other activities. But I must admit even I feel sleepier in the fall and love to get to sleep a little earlier at night so I can rise refreshed. As darkness creeps in earlier every day, that just means your bed is calling earlier too. Listen to it.
• Exfoliate, exfoliate, exfoliate! Your summer skin has been parched, fried and probably not fed very well with all of the summer with bbq's, concerts, fairs and vacations. Now is the time to shed some layers and expose some fresh skin and feed it from the inside out. Think about what fruits and vegetables are in season in the fall, it's just what your body needs, Mother Nature has a way of taking care of that. Apples are ripe for the picking (does pie count?) and think of all the beautiful colored cranberries, pumpkins, persimmons and red cabbage. With those vibrant colors you know they're good for you and packed with the nutrients your skin is craving! Try out some new recipes and feed your body real nutrition.
• Do an outside home improvement project like planting some trees. Fall is a great time to plant trees because the stress of heat has passed and roots have some time to develop in the warm soil and there's usually some good moisture before the freezing temperatures set in. This one is a tip from my hubby. I asked him what Fall makes him want to do and he said plant trees. And of course that is in line with when nature has the best conditions for planting trees. He's listening to his internal Mother Nature!
• Along those lines of root development, Fall is also a great time to work on and build those deep rooted relationships we crave in our lives. We long for the warmth of a mate as chilliness starts to set in. Late in the season is when the largest numbers of babies are conceived and most STD's are reported. Fascinating, isn't it? Not that you need a baby or an STD, but some quality time invested in your significant other will pay you back a million times and build a foundation that lasts. I've actually been working on this and recently have been reporting to a small accountability group of friends on how we're treating our husbands like our heroes. We came up with a strategy and ideas on what to implement. We'll see how it goes and I'll report back to you!  
• It's a great time to start an exercise routine or get back into the swing of things if summer got you off track. Don't give yourself a pass until the 1st of the year, there's no time like the present. The weather is perfect for some great outside activities and you'll be getting some good Vitamin D from the sun to help fend off those pesky germs that are ramping up. I know I've been walking more and doing "the stairs" here in Castle Rock and I want to make it to the Manitou Incline before snow hits. That's a sure way to get the heart rate going.
• Start getting those nests ready for the winter ahead. Get the hearty soups on the stove, the casseroles in the oven, grab a cup of coffee and relax by the fire. Sounds heavenly doesn't it! The squirrels are busy squirreling away acorns and making their nests cozy too! 
• Nesting isn't complete without some new soft sweaters to fend off the impending cold coming our way! Obviously we can't grow a winter coat to keep us warm but we can sure shop around for some cute ways to step out in style and warmth. You should see the cozy scarves we just picked up!

I hope this list of my 10 different Fall Must Do's entices you to explore what Mother Nature is trying to communicate to you. It may be something different, but if you listen to your body, you'll get the message and you can go from there to be in sync with with nature. I wonder what you'll discover?!