I’ve made fall to do lists for the past three years, and 2013 is no exception! My general goal in life is to enjoy each season as it’s upon us, and these lists help me do just that. John and I kicked things off yesterday (the first official day of fall!) with a visit to Millstone Creek Orchard to pick apples, so we’re off to a good start with this year’s list! — Pick apples — Make apple cider donuts — Go to the State Fair — Cheer at a high school football game under the lights — Decorate our front steps with pumpkins and mums — Order Christmas cards — Try Monuts Donuts (yes, two of my “to dos” involve donuts) — Invite friends over for a soup night — Deck our mantel with something fall-y — Make pumpkin chocolate chip muffins — Hike somewhere with beautiful leaves — Hand out candy to our first-ever trick or treaters!! What are you hoping to enjoy before December 1st? To me, that’s when winter begins :)

Photo by Inspiring the Everyday Happy fall, friends! We spent the first official full day of the new season doing a decidedly un-fall-like activity: swimming in the Eno River. While I savored one of our perhaps last outings with a summer feel, I’m looking forward to squeezing as many cozy activities into the next two months as possible!* Here are a few on our to do list: -– go on a trip to the mountains -– make pumpkin chocolate chip muffins (SO good. Even if you don’t like pumpkin.) -– catch the goat showmanship competition at the NC State Fair (yes, watching the goats and their child handlers is our very favorite activity at the Fair) — also at the Fair: volunteer in our church’s ham biscuit booth (nope, it doesn’t get much more Southern than that!) — buy some baby boos for the house — make a fall crafty project — cheer at another high school football game (we’ve already been to one!) -– join in the sweet potato harvest at our church — send out some secret surprises to friends -– drink hot apple cider (my favorite) What’s on your fall to do list? *Why two months? I pretty much consider fall over by the time December rolls around, even though it officially lasts for most of the month!