Fall is in the Air

Getting the Whole Family in On Fall Decorating

article by Cindy G. Foust

Happy Fall, y’all! There’s one month a year I can say that and get away with it…otherwise it just sounds like something I’m making it up because it’s always so blasted hot. And to be honest, it doesn’t really feel like fall outside right now, but hey, by the time this month’s magazine lands in your driveway, it will be the first of October, and it SHOULD feel like fall. But it probably won’t then, either. But guess what, readers? It’s the holidays!

Yes, they are here, they are here with pumpkins, hay bales and cheer (I haven’t rhymed in a while…had to make sure I could still do it.) I mean, didn’t we just put all those decorations in the attic? It flies by, I’m telling you, time that is, and the older I get, the faster and faster it goes. Maybe we should just leave our holiday decorations out all year and save ourselves the trouble of putting it all up and taking it all down. I mean, there are several retail establishments that “re-start” the holiday season in like May, so why not just subscribe to it in our homes? Santa in the Spring and Jolly Ole Saint Nick in a Speedo…wait…I may be on to something.

Speaking of our homes, this month’s magazine is all about the home life, and boy, was I relieved to hear it. Last month’s column gave me hives with all that fashion talk and quite frankly, I hope it’s another year before we circle back around to that topic. And I know I promised to update you on “How to Paint Your Nails for Halloween” (well, black…DUH?) and “Thanksgiving Day Beauty Tips” (just put on a velour warm-up suit with an elastic waistband and call it a day), but honestly, I was just so excited to get to the heart of my column this month, I didn’t have time to do my due diligence on those topics, so I’m leaving you to your own devices.

If you’ve read my column for any length of time, you know fall is my favorite time of year. I just love the season, it’s a little slower, or it should be, especially around Thanksgiving, right before the Christmas craziness starts up. Back when I was growing up on the “prairie,” fall was definitely a season we celebrated and looked forward to as much as the Christmas holidays, and I’ve tried to maintain that same love affair with this season in my own family. Y’all know I am a strong proponent of family time, and I try to advocate for “the family that plays together stays together,“ so I’m taking yet another opportunity to encourage your family to “fall-er-gize” your home (haven’t made a word up in a while, either, but that’s a pretty good one, too, so it will suffice to say that I am BACK.)

Last fall, I encouraged your families to make a “Fall Bucket List” and go visit the pumpkin patch and have a tailgate party. This year, I’m not saying you need to “knit a scarf” or make “pumpkin pie play dough (that’s a TERRIBLE idea, actually), but what I am saying is that it will be a great idea to “fall-er-gize” your home for fall, and you should do it as a family.

I’m sure many of you do that already, well duh, but have you ever included the entire family? Even my 20-year old son loves to come home to the house all decorated, so imagine the excitement of the younger kids, especially if the entire family gets involved in the process. That’s right, even dear ole dad can get in on the action and first things first, you should start with the front porch. Nothing screams fall like the front of someone’s home that is decorated with mums, pumpkins and maybe a few cornstalks. Take a family trip to any of the local pumpkin patches, farmer’s market, garden marts or even the local retail giant and stock up on all the essentials.

You don’t have to be Martha Stewart to spruce up the front porch and let the kids help in putting it all out. Feeling overwhelmed? Just not a decorator? Jump on Pinterest and snag a picture of a front porch that strikes your fancy and copy away. They say imitation is the greatest form of flattery, so imitate until your heart’s content. I think it would also be a great idea to stuff a Scarecrow and sit him out front on a haybale. Your kids will love getting their dad’s overalls (if dad actually has overalls, please refer to last month’s column in the event he decides to wear them in public) out and stuffing them with hay.

Next, bring the magic inside and pull out the boxes of fall decorations. You do have those, right? (If not, ease on over to my house, I can hook you up, because my attic looks like I threw up HGTV, even AFTER I put all my stuff out.) If anyone is like me and loves to bring in the outside elements when I’m decorating, make your way outside and look for colorful leaves, berries and pinecones. Hey, I’m not saying you need to have the family out gathering acorns, but it would be great to include everyone in the “gathering of the décor” to spruce up the inside of the house. Lay that stuff across your mantle (unless you have a professional decorator, but if that’s the case, you probably flipped right past this article and on to the next as soon as I said “fall-er-gize” your home,) fill up empty vases and put the pinecones in empty bowls.

Next, troll Pinterest again and find you a recipe for some good stovetop potpourri, the kind with cinnamon sticks and orange peels. I love walking in my home or someone else’s home and smelling fall right off the bat. You can get an inexpensive simmering pot and leave it on there all season long, just be sure to change out the ingredients periodically. No sense in having a science project, if you don’t need one. Lastly, how about setting aside a night a week through the holidays where you actually bake together as a family? I’m not suggesting you roll out your pie crust that is laced with Crisco…y’all need to lay off the Loretta Lynn, but nothing smells better than apple pie, sugar cookies or gingerbread infiltrating the walls of your lovely homes.

So get to it readers, pull out those fall decorations and let’s get this favorite time of year started. I’m telling you, family traditions are beautiful things…they build memories and incite feelings in all of us, no matter our age. I still remember the witch window decals my mom used to hang up for Halloween. Don’t let these days slip away from you, before you stop to smell the gingerbread.  Put your lives on hold or temporary pause and enjoy the single greatest gift you have…your family.
It’s hard to believe that when I come to you again next month, we will be worried about the ways we are going to cook our squash and fry our birds, but the holidays are definitely upon us, and I would encourage you to grab them by the tail and enjoy and savor every single moment you can.