10 Cheap Activities to Kickstart the Fall Season (with Checklist)

Fall is a season loved by many. Beautiful trees, serene surroundings, welcoming the pleasant weather; it is the time when you can utilise your wardrobe to the fullest. Want to rock hoodies with shorts? This is when you can pull it off! Fall is a great time to be with family and friends. But the transition from summer is always quite difficult.

During fall the weather is perfect enough that you are still willing to go to early morning classes (which is SOOOO difficult during winters) while wearing the best outfits from the closet which otherwise would catch dust because it is either too hot for the summer or too cool for winters. So going through some activities to kickstart the fall season can be great.

With fall one invites various holidays to the mix. Thanksgiving and Halloween are some of the better-known holidays with great traditions surrounding them. Back in India, we do not have ‘fall’ festivals per se, but there are some that ‘fall’ around this time (see what I did there). Dussera, Navratri, and Diwali are a few (there are quite a few more). But all in all, fall is a season that is loved by all around the globe!

In this article, I take you through some items to include in your bucket list to kickstart the fall season. I also have included a FREE checklist for the activities you should try this fall. So Subscribe to get a hold of this as well as the many other goodies that I give out! If you are one of my returning champs, then welcome back! This is not like my usual articles but is fun too. So let us get on with it, shall we?

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1. The Fragrance of Fall – Light a Candle

The olfactory senses can wake old memories, this is why candles are also a major part of aromatherapy which can make a person relaxed and calm. Fragrances are linked with emotional memories and can make anyone nostalgic. Fall reminds me of earthy scents mixed with pumpkin spice and cinnamon. The smell of sandalwood and woody fragrances are some scents I associate with fall as well.

Here are a few fragrances that are linked to the season of autumn. These fragrances can be perfect to remind you of home when you are away at college or from family (do not light them up if your dorm does not allow it!). What other great way to kickstart fall?

• White Barn Bath and Body Works Pumpkin Pecan Waffles
• Body Works 3-Wick Scented Candle in LEAVES

2. Reminisce Fall

Fall is a beautiful season. With yellow, orange and red leaves falling off trees, the season is a sight to behold. With the perfect weather, the cool breeze hitting your face the season reminds me of the city where I attended college. Eating out and the road trips on the surprisingly trafficless roads with red and yellow trees on both sides of the road; is a scene to behold.

Fall also is the perfect combination of festivals, with a craving for pumpkin pie and pumpkin spiced latte. I particularly love the crisp sound as you step on the raked leaves placed on the roadsides or the freshly fallen leaves; oddly satisfying! After completing college a part of me missed long evening walks with friends on the college campus.

These kinds of memories of past fall can be rejuvenating and can bring you a sense of calm and quite.

3. Watch your Favourite Fall / Halloween Movie

For me, it is Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas. Released in 1993, the animated classic is a complete representation of the holiday surrounding the autumn season. For those who have not seen this movie, umm DO WATCH IT. Just a heads up, I am about to review the movie so, Spoiler Alert:

More about the story

The musical starts on a nostalgic note with the narrator talking about the origin of holidays. It then breaks into a song about monsters we encounter in our everyday lives and introduces the characters of the movie. We come to know about Sally who is Frankenstien monster and is bound by her master to not go outside the house. The pumpkin king aka Jack introduced in the song is shown to be the hero of the town.

As the animated movie progresses we find that Jack and Sally are lost in their own way. Jack is overwhelmed by the attention he gets, feels that he is stuck in a loop and is in search of his purpose. Sally, on the other hand, is trying to get free from her master who feels that she is not ‘ready for the world’.

Sally finds Jack alone in the graveyard singing about his successful yet monotonous life. He wants to get away from the fame and is looking out for a feeling that he is missing something. Sally evesdrop on Jack and empathises with him. She understands Jack and is feeling the same, but returns home from the graveyard as she has nowhere else to go.

Sallys efforts of getting away from her possessive creator. The mayor searches for Jack to plan the next Halloween and Jack is wandering about facing his own demons when he comes across a gateway to Christmas while the entire town searches for him. As the movie moves further, we see that Jack and Sally meet up and go on an adventure while they find themselves along the way.

The movie is a great animation filled with excitement, purpose and the journey of finding oneself. It is for the old and young alike and I honestly cannot think of a better way to kickstart fall for cheap.

4. Start Creating Great Halloween Costumes!

A few days back I came across these awesome transformers costumes! The kids were dressed as the Bumble Bee and Optimus Prime. These costumes were akin to the characters themselves and I think they were wonderful. If I still were in my trick-or-treat days, that is what I would have dressed up as.

Best Halloween costumes on the internet today! https://t.co/f7SL9OKyVg via @insider #collegeblog #upcomingpost

— NupurSpeaks | College Blog | GradLife (@NupurSpeaks) October 23, 2018

Yes, I am a bit of a nerd. I am also an avid Marvel and DC fan. Dressing up as one of those characters would be great too. However, being a last minute kind of a person, I usually select my costumes at the end moment and have to resort to easy 10 minute DIYs. Put on a shabby wig and you get yourself an Einstein, or just stick to the classic white sheet with two holes. *Sigh* there are too many options to select from!

5. Get into the Fall Aesthetics

For me, the season of autumn screams utilization of my wardrobe to the fullest. It is the perfect time of the year where I can pull a sweater with a skirt and boots. I love layering, it is wonderful for the weather and super trendy. A nice pair of jeans, a cute top with a thin cardigan or long sweater can add some extra flair to your outfits.

Fall also gives you the window in the season where a casual dress can go perfectly with a cute cardigan and a pair of boots or shoes. This lets one fuse their summer and winter wardrobe into a great combination to create a whole new look! Here are a few of my outfits I feel fit to the fall theme.

6. Try the Ultimate Fall Drink and Food

The most basic drink of fall is Pumpkin spice latte. This drink is fall in itself. Whenever I hear the name, it reminds me of autumn, orange leaves and great weather. Fall also marks the perfect time for Hot Cocoa drinks. As the weather starts getting cooler, the taste of these hot drinks just increases twice fold.

Back in India, in Himachal Pradesh, there are many traditional drinks that mark autumn. With a vast variety of teas autumn also marks many food items. Corn on a cob and trees filled with apples. In the start of the season, apples and corn are harvested. Himachal Pradesh is known for its production a variety of apples. While in the western world apple pies are famous back home apple dishes such as apple jam, apple beer, sweetened apple dishes, apple dried chips, apple papad etc are famous.

These items are a taste of home while I was away in college.

7. Update your Fall Beauty Products to Kickstart Fall

Irrespective of season, red lipsticks are a staple. For fall bright blood and orange-coloured lipsticks are a must. A pallet of red lipsticks and its sister colours can complete any look and add extra class to the outfit. Browns are also a great addition to the mix.

Warm tones are great for the fall season. For the eyeshadow pallets with a little help from my friend @samhita_singha we bring to you three different pallets that perfectly fit the theme of fall. Drugstore products that are perfect for a tight budget (college students as always short on cash, are we not?) do a great job and are comparable to high-end products have been selected.

• NYX Cosmic Metals Shadow palette

  • With today’s trend going back to the age when metallic shades in lip colours and eyeshadows was a trend, this pallet is perfect for all makeup enthusiasts who want to get a great pallet on a budget as a student. Showing a fine shimmer in the direction of light, the eyeshadows have a creamy and smooth finish with easy application.
  • This pallet has six colours as shown in the picture (courtesy @samhita_singha) shades of gold, pink and purple. The pallet is perfect for a night out this fall and will instantly add glamour to your look. This pallet has zero fall outs and you will definitely be satisfied by it, especially at its price point.

• Makeup Revolution Flawless 3 Resurrection Palette 32 Ultra Professional Eyeshadows

  • This particular pallet has 32 shades. Yes, you read that right 32! With the perfect vibe for fall, the pallet has shades of oranges, reds and browns which can fit all types of looks; day or evening. With the warm and dark tones, the pallet also has some shimmers to it which can light up any look with a pop.
  • This pallet is so worth its price considering you are getting 32 shades in one!

• Lakme Absolute Illuminating Eyeshadow Palette

  • With a variety of six colours, this pallet is the ultimate fall package. It ranges with shades of red, brown and oranges; all warm colours that are highly pigmented. Although it is pricer compared to the other products listed here, it is definitely a must-have.

8. Apple Pie VS Pumpkin Pie this Fall

Apple pies and pumpkin pies, both are delicious. With great recipes, both give out the taste of fall. But for me? I would go with a pumpkin pie for fall. I feel that the weather, atmosphere and the ‘pumpkin’ infused air make the pumpkin pie a more weighted choice for the season. An apple pie would go perfectly with Christmas.

After four years of college, it becomes a second home with friends as a family away from home. The food items shared while at college with friends will definitely be remembered when one leaves college.

9. Immerse yourself in Fall Traditions

I love the fallen leaves. They just make nature look even more pleasing and peaceful. As children, we have seen that we loved raking leaves and jumping onto the piles. The satisfying crunch of leaves under the various footsteps – you have to agree – is so much fun!

With great festivals and holidays around the corner, it is a season that brings families together for Thanksgiving. The roasting of turkey and chicken and the delicious food that go around the season is a blessing in disguise. With Halloween around the corner, visiting pumpkin patches and sorting out costumes is a collective activity.

Back in India, this season marks Navratri, the nine days dedicated to goddess Durga and her victory over the evil (this is just one of the reasons, it differs from state to state). Followed by Dussehra and Diwali, the festival of lights. With an abundance of sweets and gifts going around Diwali, it brings families that live far apart together just as Thanksgiving is akin to the West.

All in all, fall is a season which brings joy all around the world with each place having its unique festivities and celebrations working to connect the world into one. 🙂 Celebrating these festivals with friends can be a good way to remember home and loved ones.

10. Make Fall your Favourite Season

As you must have guessed from the article, autumn is my favourite season. As I have repeatedly said in this post fall is the season that brings families together during festivals and holidays. It lights up nature with its vivid variety of colours. Moreover, I love the fact that almost any type of outfits suit the season. To kickstart fall, utilise your wardrobe to the fullest (I know I have said it wayyyy too many times, but I love this about fall!).

Autumn or fall is a wonderful season of changing colours and aura and the best time to embrace the upcoming winter. What other best way to embrace the fall season and kickstart it with the tips in this post?

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