Spending Your September: A To-Do List for Adventuring Through the Month.

1. Soak up what's left of summer. Go to the pool, wear your cutoffs, summer so hard until it's gone. 
2. Buy allllll the fruit. While it's still so good and so cheap! 
3. Unsubscribe from emails. This weekend, you will get an email from EVERY list you're on. Don't just delete, unsubscribe.
4. Enjoy the long weekend! I hope you're off work!  
5. Make a library holds list. Guys. Do this. Log on to your library, place holds, and someone else walks around the library picking up the books for you. You just walk in, grab your books, and leave. 
6. Donate to hurricane relief. You will not miss $10. Eat a meal at home instead of eating out. 
7. Send a thank you card. To your best friend for being great, to your library for having free books, to your neighbor for bringing your trash can in all the time...the possibilities are endless.
8. Pick a mantra for the month. Something simple that you really want to believe. Say it every single day. Write it down. Make it your phone screen background.Repeat it over and over. Some suggestions: You are actually amazing. You can do hard things. You are talented and will succeed. You are going to be okay. 
9. Take a peek back at your 2017 goals. Honestly, my goals probably resemble a dumpster fire. But there are 4 more months in 2017, and that's plenty of time to accomplish one or two things the January version of you had their hopes set on.
10. Make a list of restaurants in your town you want to try. Next time you want to go somewhere, avoid the hour-long purgatory of "I don't know, where do you want to go?" 
11. Pick a night of the week that you're not going to do non-fun to-do's on, no matter what. Stick to this. 
12. Make a list of the things that are overwhelming you. If it's possible to remove any of them, do it. If not, look at what else you can remove to make more space for these things so they become a little less overwhelming.
13. Make a list of the things that make you happiest in life. And do them more. 
14. Binge-watch a show before it comes back on. Ahem, Riverdale. Also, This is Us. 
15. Go get a pumpkin spice latte. Be basic, it's fine. 
16. Go thrifting. 
17. Have a bonfire. The perfect way to say goodbye to summer and hello to fall.
18. Perfect a charcuterie spread at home. Every time I see one of these on a menu somewhere for like $25, I wonder if people know they can have these at home. Bonus, eating meats and cheeses and olives for dinner will make you feel suuuuper fancy. 
19. Start going for more walks. For fresh air, for exercise, for your pets...whatever the reason, it's good to get outside.
20. Watch the sunrise (or sunset) over the water somewhere, with pumpkin coffee in hand. 
21. Look up fall fairs and festivals happening near you over the next few months.
22. Donate any clothes you went the whole summer without wearing. 
23. Bake cookies. Make more than you need and drop some off at a friend's house.
24. If you live somewhere like Florida, plan a trip to go see the leaves changing. 
25. Start a book club. Even if it's just you and a friend reading the same book and discussing it.
26. DIY a pumpkin creamer. I took one for the team and tried a bunch of them. Here you go. 
27. Pay for someone's coffee in line behind you. 
28. Have a beer-tasting night. September means lots of fall-flavored beers are released. Buy a few  of the most interesting ones and DIY your own flights. You might find a new favorite! 
29. Watch your favorite movie and eat popcorn for dinner. 
30. Print out some of your favorite pictures from the summer.  How will you be spending your month?

Spending Your September: A To-Do List for Adventuring Through the Month.

HAPPY SEPTEMBER! The first day of September is one of my favorite days because I start celebrating fall. I normally would never miss blogging my to-do list on September 1st, but yesterday found me recovering from an abscess on my tonsils (didn't even know that was a thing) and a fever that didn't want to drop below 103. It was a rough one. 
BUT! It's fall! And coincidentally, we're having a tropical storm hurricane over here (casual), so the weather is very dark and gloomy and fall-ish. I'm loving it but also hoping nothing I care about blows away. Balance. 
Fun fact: This month marks two years since I started writing monthly to-do lists!
Now! Onto some ways I think you should spend the thirty days in this fantastic month. 
1. CELEBRATE FALL! I'm currently doing this with some pumpkin spice coffee.
2. But also soak up the remainder of summer. Start the day with your pumpkin coffee and then hit the pool in the afternoon. September is a weird and awesome month.
3. Enjoy the long weekend! Also, if there are any purchases you've been waiting to make, sign up for their email list today...almost everyone sends out Labor day sales and coupons. 
4. Go to Hobby Lobby. That store truly shines in the fall. It's nothing short of magical. As soon as the roads are safe to drive on here, I'm heading that way.
5. Make an Autumn in New York music station.
6. Go on more walks! Cooler weather is a perfect excuse to get out of the house and get moving. 
7. Play Skipbo. Chris and I love this game...I swear we're not 85 years old, it's actually a really fun game. It's also $5 at Target, so it makes for an easy and cheap night in!
8. Set up a cozy reading nook. Whether you have the space to actually create a cozy little reading space with a comfy chair and bohemian lights (I think I'm going to ask for this for Christmas), or you just have the space to get a cozy blanket and put your books next to your bed...either way, do something that makes your reading more enjoyable this fall. 
9. Paint your nails a darker color. Hey, fall!
10. Start a pinterest board of all the goodies you want to bake.
11. Enjoy your first Pumpkin Spice Latte of the season!
12. Buy some pumpkin scented candles! If you happen to live with someone who doesn't love the smell of pumpkin, you can buy apple cider scented ones...they still smell deliciously like fall. 
13. Set a goal of eating ___ number of meals at home this month. Let's face it: We're heading into the rest of the year where you end up spending money left and right. It's so much fun, but it can get expensive. Challenge yourself to save money where you can.
14. Discuss Thanksgiving plans with family. I know. It's crazy early. But-I said it last year, and I'll keep saying it-the earlier you can plan it (especially if you have your family and in-laws), the better. That way if there's fighting or hurt feelings or frustration, it'll put a damper on a random Tuesday in September and not on the week of Thanksgiving. It's a good system, one I'm sad I won't be able to use this year. With Chris in residency, I don't even know if I'll know my Thanksgiving plans before Thanksgiving!
15. Make a fall bucket list. Just like every other season, this one will go by too fast. Write down all the fall things you want to do!
16. Bake something with peaches. It's a sad fact of summer ending, the peaches say goodbye for a little while. 
17. Buy someone who loves fall a pumpkin coffee. 
18. Watch the Friday Night Lights pilot. Texas forever and fall forever.
19. Start slowly adding to your pumpkin flavored collection via Trader Joe's. Pumpkin butter, pumpkin pancakes, pumpkin cornbread, pumpkin tea...
20. DIY your own pumpkin creamer. Blog post about this coming at you next week!
21. Take a "fall reading list" trip to the library. 
22. Get really good at making at-home charcuterie. This is such a fun and easy appetizer (or heck, dinner) to make at home. It's delicious and you feel fancy. It's always fun to try new things, but learn what you for sure like...what's your favorite meat? And your favorite cheese? Maybe even get crazy and break out an actual cheese board!
23. Donate any summer clothes that you've gone the whole summer without wearing. 
24. Put out some fall decorations! Whether you go all out with scarecrows and sunflowers, or you just buy a pumpkin at your grocery store and put it on your porch...decorating is an easy way to celebrate a season every single day.
25. Do something nice for someone else.
26. Do something nice for yourself. 
27. Buy some mums for your front porch. If you accidentally kill them, you can pretend September was just practice and get more in October!
28. Decide to really savor this season. For some people, that looks like saying yes to more and going allllll of the places. For other people, that looks like saying no more and spending more nights at home. Whatever it looks like for you, do it!
29. Buy a new hat. Because FALL.
30. Spend an evening outside, drinking a PSL, reading a good book. 
Happy September! How will you be spending your month?

Spending Your September: A To-Do List for Adventuring Through the Month.

Happy September! September 1st ushers in my favorite time of the year (September 1st-January 1st), the most magical time of the year, if you ask me. So today is a good day!

There are 30 magical days in September, and whether you choose to spend them or not, in 30 days, they'll be gone. So take charge of life and enjoy every single one of them. As always, I have some suggestions. 

1. CELEBRATE FALL. September 1st is my national celebrate fall day. Yes, it's early. But life is short and I really like pumpkins, okay?

2. Spend an afternoon by the pool and soak up the last of summertime.

3. Enjoy the last of fresh summer fruit. There is a beautiful time when you can be in a autumn-decorated house that smells like pumpkins while you are enjoying peaches and watermelon. It's the golden hour, my friends. Enjoy it.

4. Put your planner to use. I don't know about you, but this month seems to fly right into October, which flies right into Thanksgiving, which flies right into Christmas every single year for me. If you have things you need to do over this season, write them down now. 

5. Hit up Starbucks for your first pumpkin spice latte of the season. One of the most joyful days of the year!

6. Try copycatting the PSL at home. 

7. Journal. Fall always puts me in the mood to curl up with a pumpkin spice coffee and write about life. If you need some help getting started on this one, click here and here.

8. Throw stuff away. We are entering a season where you will inevitably end up with some more stuff. Get rid of the stuff you no longer love!

9. Stalk your local grocery store for pumpkin flavored creamer. Tweet them if necessary.

10. Download an audiobook. 

11. Set your alarm a little early so you can spend a little extra time in bed in the morning with your coffee. Do this once, and I bet you'll do it again. August makes me want to sleep in and scarf down coffee on the way to work every day; September makes me want to wake up in time to enjoy the morning.

12. Buy some sunflowers. Real or fake, they make your house look happier.

13. Go to Hobby Lobby and get some pumpkin decorations. And when someone tries to tell you that it's too early for that, you just tell them that I've had my decorations out since September 1st. So there.

14. Talk about your Thanksgiving plans with your significant other. Yes, it's early, but this is the very best holiday related marriage advice I can possibly give: Make your holiday plans early. Make them, clear them with everyone, and stick to them. If you plan early, then any fighting about how much time you spend where also happens early, and it doesn't ruin the magic of the holidays. DO IT.

15. Start a fall-themed pinterest board. 

16. Make a fall bucket list. 

17. Buy pumpkin/apple/fall scented candles.

18. Watch a sunset. A whole hour earlier, now.

19. Make an Autumn in New York Pandora or iTunes station and let Frank Sinatra and Harry Connick Jr. swoon you with all the Autumn feels.

20. Get some fall colored nail polish. Put away the neons and break out the darker colors!

21. Plan a fall date night. This is one of my favorite things ever. We have a fall date every October, which is obviously the best month for a fall date. But once you're an adult, things take a lot more planning and scheduling. So start planning now!

22. Make a playlist of songs that remind you of the changing seasons. Mine has All Too Well, Come Away with Me, Wildest Dreams, Autumn in New York, The Way You Look Tonight, It Had to be You and about a thousand more.

23. Buy something new and fall colored. When the fall clothes hit stores, it makes me want to buy an entire new wardrobe. Since that's just not feasible, I like to buy at least one thing--a new sweater or a pair of boots or a hat--that makes me feel like I'm ready for fall.

24. Find a workout you like. This is the season of eating tons and tons of baked deliciousness. Better try to combat that a little bit. I, however, will be taking full advantage of my first holiday season being pregnant. Give me all the cupcakes, ever. It's for the baby.

25. Look through those cookbooks your mom gave you. Summer is the season of salads and easily thrown-together meals, but fall is the season of cooking more. Try it!

26. Take a minute (or an hour, or a morning) and just be thankful. Set aside some time to focus on the good about where you are in life right now. Even if it's not where you thought you would be, think of everything you have to be thankful for this season. It really sets the tone for your month.

27. Surprise someone with a coffee. A pumpkin spice, preferably.

28. Decide your priorities. Fall is such a cozy season, but it also brings along the hustle and bustle that won't leave until after the holidays. Decide your priorities so you don't get overwhelmed.

29. Start thinking about Christmas gift ideas. I know, it's entirely too early. No, I don't start celebrating Christmas early, too. But here's the thing: If you have a loose list of who you need to buy gifts for/what you want to buy, you can start being on the lookout for sales and cheap ideas, which saves a lot of money in the long run!

30. Make an effort to make more meals at home. Speaking of money, we're entering into a season where a lot of it will be spent. Cooking at home saves SO much money, and it can just add to the coziness of fall. Do it!

How will you be spending your September?