Celebrating Fall with Chili, Home Decor, and a new gadget! -

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Fall is my favorite season. Here in the south, we sweat until late September, but then we get a month of PERFECT weather and I am here for it. Saturdays are spent at home with doors open, Cornhole, and comfort foods. Something is so refreshing about welcoming this season in and I’m celebrating fall with chili, home decor, and a new gadget!

My fall favorites are in no particular order. Recently, I’ve realized that the memories the kids have will be of these slow days and how we bring the seasons into our home. One spoonful at a time.

Fall Favorites

1.Mom’s Chili

My mom’s chili is the best. It could win a chili contest. It has a sweeter taste, which may be because I add in more brown sugar than I should. This has been a surprise this year since I thought I had lost the recipe! It was the best day and I’m almost sure I made it that weekend. Here is the best Chili Recipe you will ever eat and don’t forget the cornbread and cinnamon rolls!

2. Pumpkin Muffins

These have been a big hit in our kitchen this year! I bake them every other week and the kids devour them! The recipe makes 2 dozen, so they are great to keep in the freezer for visitors or rainy mornings.

PUMPKIN MUFFIN RECIPE

3.Pumpkin Spice Latte at home

Pumpkin Spice lattes are not allowed on my health journey. Insert crying emoji. For most things, I have no problems substituting. I eat things like turkey bacon and cottage cheese, but I miss my Pumpkin spice latte and the innocence of not caring what was in it. Long gone are those days.

Fair warning that this is boring, but you won’t be left feeling yucky when your sugar drops.

4. Pura

This is your new BFF. AKA PURA DIFFUSER

I finally jumped on the train and I do not have regrets. Whoa. Everyone get a Pura. I love scheduling my scents to go when we are around and being able to turn them off and on from my phone is convenient too.

I currently have two. One in the Master Bedroom/outside bathroom and one in the main entry. The reach of the scent is nothing like a bath and body works diffuser, so grab an extra diffuser if that matters to you.

Also, I have figured out how to get the scents to last longer than 2 months, which makes them a steal of a deal compared to my candles! Don’t get me wrong, I still love to light candles, but they have nothing on my Puras!

Here are my favorite fall scents:

5. Dining Room Curtains

THE PERFECT VELVET CURTAINS!

Ok, so it’s not the usual fall favorite, but fall is all about texture and these curtains nailed it. I’ve been eyeing them for a couple of years and this fall, I decided that my dining room needed a touch before Thanksgiving. These look so luxurious and are within my budget!

6. Front Porch

After summer my porch was looking a little neglected, so this fall I gave a few touches of TLC. I purchased an oversized doormat and strategically bought flowers for our planter that add character and the cozy cool weather vibes my porch needed.

Here is the link to my new patio rug. What a way to welcome fall. Literally. Ha! I have gotten non-stop compliments on the porch and with just a $30 investment.

I follow the Spiller, Thriller, and Filler techniques for my planters. However, I do have an agenda, so I went in a different direction than I originally planned. I’ve been wanting an evergreen for each side of the house, so I chose those this winter for my planters and plan on transplanting them after the last frost.

Fall Planters

Thriller– NorthPole Evergreen. Many varieties will work, but I needed something that wouldn’t get too wide full grown. I love the texture of this tree, plus the green will be refreshing in the dead of winter. The nursery guy did mention to me they are not drought-resistant, so I will need to make sure I stay on top of the watering.
Filler– Palace Purple Heuchera. I am into plum this year. The jewel, deep, tone brings comfort to me. It’s funny because I would have hated this plant a few years ago, but learning to see the big picture takes me out of my comfort zone and away from the safe choices everyone else is making.
Spiller- I went looking for trailing pansies, but I am curious what the regular pansies do. They are so pretty all season long and great for color.

I also tried something new and added two new pots on the front stoop to add mums. I purchased cheap pots to see if this works and what size I want. I’ll keep you updated.

7. Living Room Refresh & Games

Check out my Living room refresh post. I have enjoyed focusing on the living room in this season before fall begins to collect us in this space. Working on this room by organizing, cleaning, and decorating has been refreshing. We watch football and play a lot of games here during the fall! I made a list of the best family games for all ages here.

Well, I hope you are enjoying the refreshment of fall. I know this is a busy season for many, but on those rare days you can engage with loved ones and put your feet up, I hope you soak in the beauty. One thing I’m focusing on this season is SLOWING DOWN. Even in the chaos of schedules, I want to move slower and allow myself a little more space to work, play, and rest. Maybe I might try sourdough! I’ll keep you updated!

Until next time,