My favorite time of the year is upon us: Fall.
I was recently looking at the Fall Foliage maps and saw that in parts of the US, there are people that DO NOT experience changing leaves and therefore do not experience FALL, at all! This made me sad, but I encourage all of you to visit your nearby state or city that experiences Fall and revel in the beauty of this season's. I was also on Pinterest getting targeted with "Things to Do for Fall" and didn't really find one geared for zero waste or at least geared with reducing waste while enjoying this wonderful season. So without further ado, the 100 things you can this fall that's not very wasteful.
Sit outside and watch the leaves change color.
Go on a hike and #take3forthesea while you are out.
Grab your coffee in your reusable cup and smell in the fresh, crisp air early in the morning.
Shop for your Halloween costume early by heading to the thrift shop to find perfectly used AND perfectly unique items.
Make your own fall scent using cinnamon, apples, cloves, citrus and boiling them in water.
Stay in and have a Halloween or Hallmark movie night. My fave: Hocus Pocus.
Go apple picking.
Make traditional apple pie. Send a slice my way please.
Make apple cider.
Make homemade apple cider vinegar.
Make apple sauce.
Make crockpot apple butter.
Make caramel apples. Check out this non-packaged caramel recipe.
Make some hot chocolate. My favorite keto (sugar-free) recipe is this Bulletproof Mocha.
Rotate your wardrobe and restart your Project 333.
Bake cookies.
Go pumpkin picking.
Carve a pumpkin. Save the seeds.
Make soup out of pumpkins, butternut squash and other Fall vegetables.
Have a bonfire using natural wood.
Watch football and make these snacks so that everyone can enjoy the game.
Play night tennis under the lights with the fall breeze. This is one of my favorite memories from playing high school tennis.
Decorate by using those jars in your cupboard as containers for leaves, twigs, etc.
Make fun, healthy Halloween snacks like these.
Collect leaves and identify what trees they are from.
Use the same leaves and press them.
Use wooden (and used) popsicle sticks to make fall crafts like these.
Drink apple cider.
Grab that book and spend a cozy in reading under a warm blanket.
Rake leaves for your compost.
Get everyone to bake a Fall dish and have a Friendsgiving.
Go wine tasting. Bring your stainless steel cups. I just got these so I am ready for ALL the FALL drinks.
Make turkey art using leftover craft paper or tissue paper.
Use live pumpkins as decorations
Make apple chips like these.
Tailgate responsibly. Bring as little disposables and RECYCLE those beer cans.
Drive or bike through a favorite path that is covered by trees.
Make a wreath out of recycled or natural materials. (leaves, string, etc.)
Eat apple cider donuts fresh because they come in a paper bag instead of a plastic bag.
Jump in a pile of leaves.
Make pumpkin seeds using different spices.
Sleep in and under your favorite comforter.
Use leaves as wall decor. Free and natural.
Use twigs for centerpieces. (Which I did one year for our wedding)
Plan a zero waste Halloween party.
Freeze Halloween candy for winter or in holiday cooking recipes.
Plan and plant a fall garden
Get your boots ready for the winter by getting them resoled, cleaned or buffed. Save resources by using what you already have.
Open those doors and windows and let the Fall fresh air circulate instead of using synthetically scented candles.
Make bone broth to freeze for the winter. Use as much of the animal as possible.
Save those veggie scraps and make them into a vegetable stock.
Make mulled wine.
Freeze and can those extra summer fruits and vegetables.
Let family and friends know that you are going zero waste and minimalist this year so that you not inundated with unwanted presents. Better to give family fair warning and to request experience gifts instead.
Refill your jars with loose tea leaves in preparation for the winter.
Make your own PSL without all of the artificial flavors.
Use the pumpkin spice mix from above to sprinkle on other goodies. Reuse.
Find a lake and watch the sunrise or the sunset.
Go car camping (literally, like we did last year in the Catskills)
Start collecting natural items for gifts and gift wrapping.
Taste test all of the seasonal beers. If you are lucky, find a brewery that has beer on tap that allow you take some home.
Check out your local Botanical Gardens and take part in the festivities.
Do an apple taste test. Add freshly ground peanut or almond butter or local cheese as a side.
Take pictures of the light and shadows that come out during the fall season.
Play football.
Collect pine cones and make a bird feeder.
Make chili for those cool nights with fresh vegetables from the local farm market.
Find a haunted house walking tour
Attend a nearby Oktoberfest. Bring your mug.
Head to an outdoor concert.
Attend a Halloween parade. Refuse all of the tchotchkes and just enjoy the parade.
Use an old pillowcase as a Halloween candy bag. Skip the plastic bag.
Make your own fall or winter candles using natural oils. Or buy natural, soy based candles here.
Have a pre-Thanksgiving run and practice those dishes before the big day.
Grab your favorite, warm blanket and sit outside. My favorite is my alpaca blanket that I bought in Peru after hiking Machu Picchu. It feels fantastically warm.
Visit the beach area during the Fall and breathe in the fresh, crisp, salty air.
Plan your Christmas. It's never too early to start and planning helps reduce stress and excess waste from last minute things.
Wear your fall colors.
Get cozy and curl up with a good book.
Do some water color painting of the leaves using natural dyes or these handmade water colors.
Plan your Thanksgiving. Start collecting jars and reusable containers for leftovers.
Invite some friends that are not in the Fall Foliage area to enjoy the scenery. Yes, those areas exist. I know! Sad! But you can do something about it.
Make your own pumpkin spice whipped butter body lotion.
Learn and get to know the best ways to store Fall produce using this guide.
Make these pumpkin spiced candied nuts for delicious snacking. Find the nuts in bulk and the rest of spices in glass containers.
Try your hand and skip the canned pumpkin.
Do a photo project relating to everything cozy. #hygge #cozylife
Enjoy some s'mores by a warm fire. I've heard some of these ingredients are hard to find in bulk so you might have to own up to the waste that this generates, but totally enjoy all of the goodness.
Get ready for winter and donate all things that you are no longer using. Don't let them wallow in the dark depths of your cold basement and attic. Spring cleaning will be so much easier.
Learn to knit and make yourself a winter hat. I've never successfully done this, but I hear it can be relaxing too.
Find a mountain or a hill and star gaze. Use this app to impress whoever you are with.
Get some ideas on how to make your Fall capsule wardrobe last longer, more stylish and chic.
Make your own Halloween decorations using thrifted, old or found materials.
Get on that hayride.
Say "Thank You" to the Veterans as we celebrate Veteran's Day in November.
Watch "Thriller" and learn the best moves. Check out the tutorial here.
Get those kids to feel some spooky, sensory things, like these "worms" or "witches brew".
Start your gratitude challenge! My favorite is reusing an old jar as a "Gratitude Jar." Ask family members to write down what they are thankful for and read it at Thanksgiving dinner.
