Cultivate a Cozy Fall

Fall is the perfect time to spruce up the cottage and cultivate coziness in your home. It's a time of shifting energy, color and season.

The bustle and abundance of summer changes over to shorter days. Our bodies demand more rest, while the time we spend indoors and beautiful natural changes outside makes us antsy to express creativity. THIS IS AUTUMN MAGIC! It's not yet time to hibernate into winter, but rest and self care are essential during this season.

If this👇 is your vibe, keep reading...

🍁 Clearing out clutter from our closets, kitchens, and the corners of our home. 🍁 Spending quiet, dark evenings crafting, cooking, reading and heartwarming and cozy things. 🍁 Wearing thick wool socks, sweaters, tights and boots. 🍁 Connecting with like-minded people to eat food, read books, play games, do crafts, and watch movies. 🍁 Making nutritious and warming meals, and baking your favorite sweet treats.

There are a few rituals and routines that have adopted during abundance of coziness, rest, and productivity during the entire fall season! It's much more than leaning into the aesthetic of fall. We can do that and still feel emptiness inside - it is much more about a feeling that comes from intention.

My "Witchy Gratitude Ritual"

That's what my husband called it the first time he saw me do it, without any context or understanding of what it was I was doing. 🧙🏻‍♀️

First, let me explain that seasonal depression often sets in a few weeks into fall, even as I lean into the festive autumnal feeling. This is because the light my body has become accustomed to is slowly disappearing. Days are shorter, colder, and darker.

In order to fight this seasonal battle, I have to accept the changes and find ways to combat them. Here's how:

1. Each morning, I light my candle - to remind myself that even as the darkness creeps in, I can make my own light!

2. I take my vitamins and brew my tea (to warm me from the inside out). Then, I take a slip from the jar and read the a note I'd written weeks before. It reminds me of things that make me smile.

3. Using the flame that's still lit on my candle, I burn my little note. When it catches, I toss it into a dish and watch the whole thing turn to ash and wish greater abundance and positivity into my day.

4. Then, I blow out the candle, sip my tea, and move on with my day.

This is my morning prayer, a meditation practice, and an act of hope. It helps me visualize good things first thing in the morning, and reminds me that I can make my own light each morning.

This ritual is accessible to everyone. In fact, it is as easy as writing down what you're grateful for and lighting a candle for less than a minute each morning.

NOTE: Be careful when burning your slips of paper. I've had a paper or two go arry, and a few sore fingers.

Fall Cleaning - a MUST DO!

The trees are a great example to us of how Summer energy growth, that can become in time heavy burdens. In the fall, the trees shed the leaves and fruits of the previous season, in preparation for wintering down and growth of spring.

That's why fall is a perfect time for shedding our burdens. Clearing out the clutter (that summer inevitably attracts). In the kitchen, I clean out the fridge and freezer and cupboards which changes the the energy of the room and aligns my intentions with wellness. Sorting through the clutter and piles in the corners and shelves will allows me to rest more easily.

You don't have to do it all at once. I take it one room at a time. It is my way of leaning into the season, and making space for coziness, creativity and rest.

Creativity & Hobbies

In preparation for the season of giving that is around the corner, and the surge of creative energy fall brings, I find it a perfect time to get to work on some of the crafting projects I've neglected throughout the busy summer.

It's a time for writing, crocheting, learning a new skill, cooking, baking, reading. I love foraging for craft supplies, reviving old projects, and planning out gifts. Spending time working on something for someone else is time well spent. Spending time honing a new skill is time well spent. Spending time stimulating our creativity and imagination is time well spent!

Don't take these months for granted!

Seasonal, Nutritious Food

Crisp, colorful, seasonal vegetables. Warm, creamy herbal broths. Slow cooked stews... Autumn is a time for nutritious, colorful food. Not only to nourish you during times when sickness and germs reign in our homes. But to provide you with warmth as temperatures drop.

Try one of my favorite fall soups, Chicken & Dumpling Soup. Start by cooking your diced chicken in a few tablespoons of butter and spices (rosemary, thyme, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, salt and pepper). Then add water (if you have fresh broth, even better). Add cream. I like mine creamy so I stick to a 2:1 ratio (broth:cream). Add diced carrots, celery, and any other seasonal veggies. Bring to boil. Then add bite sized pieces of biscuit dough into the soup, and let simmer for 20 minutes.

I keep a list of my fall favorites on hand, so that when I feel decision fatigue about what to make for dinner, I can scan through and see what feels good to me. Autumn soup, Summer Squash & Feta Pasta, Taco Soup, Roasted Root Vegetables, etc.

What are your fall favorites?!

Whether its your cozy season, spooky season, or just plain old back to school autumn - this is a season of transition. Finding ways to foster gratitude and creativity and nourish our body and soul can greatly improve our adaptability and energy.

As I become more intentional about transitioning into new seasons, and leaning into the energy and aesthetic, I have certainly noticed a difference in myself! Let me know if you try any of these.

xo, Brooklyn