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You just stepped on a crunchy leaf, the wind is blowing with a little more fervor, daylight has become a fleeting thing, and your house suddenly smells of burnt toast from the kids experimenting with breakfast in the morning.

 It must be fall. 

Sometimes it’s a challenge to transition from the slower paced, bright, warm-weather days of summer time; so, we thought we’d compile a short list of suggested to-dos to make the transition a little smoother, more pleasant and of course…fun. 

Start from the Inside Out

Put the beach breeze, coconut, and sun drenched scented candles away and bring out your old friends—cinnamon and orange spice. Fall is the marker for a lot of “beginnings”—school year, football season, harvest season, and daylight savings time. Why not welcome newness with new ambience? There’s something about these warm scents that are not only refreshing but remind you that family time and holidays are just around the corner. 

Do you have pictures around the house? Change them! Just because summer’s over doesn’t mean you have to lock up the memories. Put pictures up from your family summer vacations. New photos will liven up your home.

Minor decorative tweaks, like changing the color scheme of your towels and rugs, will get you in the spirit for change even if it’s gloomy out. 

Bring the Fun Inside

Indoor picnics—Fall marks the beginning of TV show season; pick a day where your family picnics inside and watches an episode of your favorite show. 

Museums, Aquariums, Galleries—It’s dark and stormy, so maybe you won’t be frequenting the park or zoo as much. Well, now’s your chance to peruse the aquarium or children’s museum you’ve been wanting to visit. What’s even better is that museums offer kids free nights or even discounted rates for families.

Games—It wouldn’t be a Discovery Bay blog post if we didn’t suggest games. It doesn’t have to be every day or week; game or puzzle nights are the perfect way to spend quality time together while getting a dose of good, healthy fun. Mix it up with arts and crafts, too!

Break Rules with Treat Moments

I wear white after Labor Day. Not because I’m a rebel, but because it makes me feel free of routine and rules. I’m not suggesting you do that per se, but I am suggesting you shake up that life of yours.  Between making lunches, playing chauffeur, and making dinner, you need a treat moment that forces you to break out of your routine.

Take one picture a day of one silly/inspiring object and post it on your Facebook page, or email it to friends and family. Maybe you’ve been avoiding your favorite foods because you’re on a health kick…well, treat yourself to a fun food once a week or once every two weeks. Change your workout routine…do you usually run outdoors? Try swimming!

Fall isn’t all about dark, gloomy days. It’s about multi-colored leaves, family time by the fire (or TV), new rain jackets, and taking a graceful step into a gorgeous season!