I delight in being prepared for fall.

perfect fall leaves

sardine canyon, utah

2012

I love fall. Everything about it, the colors, the temperature, the feeling in the air. There is just something about all the senses of the season that come together and really make perfection for me.

With that being said, there's a lot to prepare for in the fall because winter (that dreaded, cold, suck the life out of me season) is a'comin.

I recommend making a list of 10 must do's for the fall season.

1. Shop at a farmer's market or local fruit stand.
I'm pretty lucky because this one is an easy one for me. I live right by Utah's Fruit Way. There is something about buying local and meeting the farmers who grow my food that makes me happy. There's also something about finding a pumpkin that fits my personality.

2. Make meals from your garden.
I'm already failing at this one this year. Historically (while living away) I would come home on the weekends and stock up on everything I was going to eat for the week which usually involved tomatoes, tomatoes, and tomatoes, a few onions and more tomatoes (can you guess what we have the most of at my house?) Again, there is something about eating something that comes from your own backyard that is so rewarding. And may I recommend a caprese pasta dish...so delicious! Oooo and don't forget the pesto!

3. Buy some hot chocolate
Whether it is stocking up on the powder stuff for winter, stocking up on the evaporated milk so you can make the extra delicious kind like my roommate in college or stopping by your local hot drinks spot...enjoy a cup of some holiday cheer. Hot chocolate makes me feel assured that everything is going to be okay because I have a way to keep my very insides warm.

4. Enjoy the outdoors
Walk, kayak, go hiking. For fellow summer stragglers, fall is the best time to get out and about. I melt in the heat so hiking is tricky for me in the dead of summer. I love fall because a) I feel like my surroundings are even more photogenic and b) because its cooler, there aren't as many people and I can just enjoy it more. Now is the time of the year to travel to some of the summer "destinations" like yellowstone, arches, zions, and blanding.

5. Go on an intentional "I'm going to love the beauty of the season" drive.
This one is such a stretch for me. My family loves to drive and go for rides but for me to be the instagator of such a thing is a rarity. Plus because I spend a lot of time commuting, driving is sometimes the last thing I want to do on the weekends. I do however love a good adventure and going for a nice drive is just the ticket. Last year it was sardine canyon. I didn't need to go to Logan, I just needed to see leaves. This year I'm taking a new route with friends, up emigration canyon and down through east canyon. Its going to be incredible...incredibly brown because the leaves just aren't as fantastic this year (the joy of living in a desert) but it will still be fun because of the other traditions and experiences we have built around it (e.g., going to trader joes, eating breakfast at Ruth's diner).

6. Have a campfire.
Nothing, I repeat nothing will make fall more "fall like" that having a campfire on a cool evening while staying toasty in a hoodie. It is perfection. Just do it and thank me later.

7. Go on walks while wearing hoodies regularly
Can you tell I have a thing for hoodies? As a teenager, I lived in them. Now, not so much; however I do know how to appreciate one. This shapeless, thick, hooded piece of clothing keeps me warm and brings back oh so many memories of the hoodie fall time's of years past. I reminisce old holey hoodies as I wear new, yet to be holey hoodies.

8. Find a place to watch the perfect sunset.
I haven't actually done this one; however it was recommended to me by a new friend I met at institute last week. She told me she liked to find sunset spots. I immediately recognized and reported that this was something I could really get behind. I love the sun (just look at how many pictures I take of it.) And so, this is a new one I am adding to the list.

9. Prepare for the winter.
The only thing I don't like about fall is that it means winter is a coming. I am not a winter girl. I don't really care much for any winter sports (although one of these years I think I should do something about that and just learn to like to ski). So that means we must prepare for the winter with craft projects. No one wants to be going out for thread or glue in the snow just to finish a project. I get more craft/sewing projects done in the winter because I'm not out doing other things so it means that now is the time to check my inventory/stash of stuff to make sure I'm prepared.

10. Get ready for general conference
That leads us into the next list. General conference is my most favorite thing.