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New England Fall Fun
Are you ready to “Fall” in love? I sure am! Unfortunately not everyone is afforded the opportunity to really experience the full effect of Autumn depending on where they live. Luckily, now that I live in New England, I get to experience all the joys that come with Fall, from pumpkin trails, to viewing the Autumn foliage! If you are new to New England, then you probably aren’t sure how to dive into the Autumn spirit or the New England Fall Fun. After all what’s the big deal right?
After some time living here, I’ve created the ultimate guide to really capture the Autumn spirit here in the New England area. If you are a New England Native and haven’t really embraced the new season, this ultimate guide for New England Fall fun will become you’re go to reference for Autumn!
Set the Mood!
Before we go out and search for activities you want to set the mood within your home or office at first. We want to create those connections in the places we spend the most times in. I don’t know about you, but the smell of cranberries and pumpkins always gets my blood pumping and ready for a a fall shindig.
I don’t often have the time to cook up a great meal or to go picking fresh Fall associated fruit, so I fake the funk.
(photo by Natural Annie Essentials)
How do you fake the funk?
I light a candle of course! My favorite go to candle is actually from a New England Natives shop. Natural Annie Essential’s Cranberry Spice Candle gives a perfect blend of cranberry and spiced apple that will ensure a fall festival aroma imitation in any home.
Our sense of smell influences our moods more than you would expect. In fact our sense of smell is one of the most sensitive senses with over six million order detecting cells. That’s why I mention the importance of setting the mood in many posts like this one.
In fact, there have been several studies that even show that our expectations surrounding a certain oder, influences our expectations about a place. We’ve all seen those old Fabreeze commercials where they patrons are blindfolded and fooled about an area they are in that is doused in Fabreeze. Those commercial’s were backed by facts!
If you want to try out the Cranberry Spice Candle don’t forget to use the code “Felicia10″ for 10 percent off on your purchase.
Set Your Stomach Up for Fall Goodness!
You already know how much I enjoy eating, so this fall activity takes that cake! Well should I say Latte.
If you love cheffin’ it up, then you’ll enjoy this ginger bread latte recipe from the Cookie Rookie that will help spice up those fall mornings when you can’t seen to pull yourself out of bed.
INGREDIENTS
- 8 cups whole milk
- 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
- 2 tablespoonspacked brown sugar
- 3 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- pinch cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg
- 3 1/2 cups strongly brewed coffee or espresso
- whipped cream graham cracker crumbs, caramel sauce, and gingerbread cookies for garnish (optional)
View the rest of the recipe here.
Much like our olfactory senses, are taste cells are bound to receptors in our brains. This means that when we taste certain foods like our ginger bread latte’s we will link the action of eating a certain type of food with a fall experience once you create this fall habit.
Yes fall mornings can be a bit tough if you are still working a 9-5, and probably even rougher if you quit your 9-5 and become an independent business owner like I talk about here, but be sure to spice up your mornings with a Ginger Bread Latte instead of your regular cup of jo.
Engage the Brain with Cool Outdoor Activities
The Big E
Everyone who’s lived in New England for some time should know about the Big E, hopefully. The Big E, or The Eastern States Explosion is a huge fall fair, full of vendors and mini activities for all ages. It’s quite the experience and fairly in expensive to attend. Everyone who goes always leaves with a smile and a full stomach as they have various selections of foods to try galore!
I’ve been to the fall fair about three times, with each experience being a little different than the previous. I will say warn you and say that it can be a bit chilli and packed, so bring a nice scarf like my Jaquard Tapestry Scarf, so that you don’;t get to chilly during your parade around the Big E fair.
Pick Your Own Pumpkin
When I first moved to the Middlesex County in Connecticut, I honestly thought I was in the middle of no mans land, until I found the most amazing orchard!
Lyman Orchard had me at hello guys! This orchard has something to do every season. And yup, you’ve guessed it, they have something even in the fall! If you are a big pumpkin person and you enjoy eating or carving a pumpkin, why not check out this orchard? They have both sugar and carving pumpkin at your leisure.
I love pumpkins because it’s one of those veggies you can freeze and have at any time of the year. Plan for a trip to the Orchards this fall to go pumpkin picking because I’m sure you won’t regret it.
Engage in Activities at Home
If you have a family, or just love independent activities, try engaging in some fall activities in your own back yard. New England has such amazing foliage that some parts of the world will never experience. You can go leaf picking with the kiddos and then later press those leaves into a book that you jot a few words into about the day.
While you are at it, you could even make leaf hills to jump in or create leaf angles, much like snow angles, with your family.
If you’re allergic to leaves…no problem
There are great craft stores like Michaels and Jo-Ann fabrics in New England that help embrace the fall mood. You can get really nice fall decor like a pumpkin wreath from Jo-Ann’s that you can set up around the home, or even a Fall banner to embrace the creativity in you at home.
A few other at home ideas:
- Playing “I spy” on a nature walk
- Taosting Pumpkin Seeds
Now that I’ve officially been dubbed a New Englander, I could not leave my fellow New England neighbors bored this Autumn. I truly hope this guide was helpful!
Leave a comment below to tell me what other fall activities you enjoy doing, I’d love to add some to my list. Be sure to check out the other amazing post as well on how to spice up your New England Autumn!