What I’m Looking Forward to This September

September has always felt like a fresh start to me.

Maybe it goes all the way back to being a kid and knowing September meant heading back to school. New routines, earlier mornings, cooler days and the first real signs that summer was coming to an end. Even as an adult, I still get that same feeling when September rolls around.

This year, I’m especially ready for it.

I’m looking forward to heading back to school and getting into a routine again. As nice as it can be to have a break from the usual schedule, I like knowing what my days are going to look like. September feels like the month when everything starts falling back into place.

And then, of course, there’s fall.

Apple Picking

Apple picking is one of my favorite ways to kick off the season.

I love spending a fall day at the orchard, walking between the rows of trees and filling a bag with way more apples than we could possibly need. It’s one of those simple traditions that I look forward to every year.

And obviously, no apple-picking trip is complete without apple cider donuts. Warm apple cider donuts might actually be half the reason I go. Give me a bag of freshly picked apples in one hand and a cider donut in the other, and I’m happy.

Plus, coming home with all those apples gives me a pretty good excuse to start making all the apple desserts.

Decorating the Porch for Fall

The fall decorating has already started inside, but the porch is next.

I’m looking forward to bringing home mums, piling pumpkins around the steps and making the entrance feel like fall before you even walk through the door.

Will there be too many pumpkins?

Probably.

Do I believe there is actually such a thing as too many pumpkins?

Absolutely not.

Cooler Mornings

I am more than ready to walk outside in the morning and finally feel a little chill in the air.

Give me open windows, a sweatshirt and a hot cup of coffee while the house is still quiet. Those first cool mornings always feel like the real beginning of the season, even if the afternoons are still hanging onto summer for a little while longer.

Comfort Food Is Back

September also means it’s finally time for comfort food again.

Chili simmering on the stove, cinnamon rolls, apple desserts, soups, casseroles and all the meals that make the whole house smell good.

Sure, I could make chili in July.

But eating a bowl of chili while the air conditioner is fighting for its life just doesn’t have quite the same effect.

Getting Back Into a Routine

Heading back to school means earlier mornings, schedules and a little less freedom in my days, but I’m actually looking forward to having that routine again.

September has always felt a little like a second New Year. Summer winds down, schedules start back up and suddenly it feels like a good time to get organized and settle back into everyday life.

I think I’m ready for that this year.

Hello, September

I don’t need September to hurry.

I’m looking forward to the little things that come with it. The first cool morning. The first trip to the apple orchard. Pumpkins on the porch. Something warm cooking for dinner. Lamps glowing a little earlier in the evening as the days slowly get shorter.

Fall will be here soon enough.

For now, I’m just happy September is here.