Ahhhh! Crisp morning air, barn jacket layers, moody evenings, Halloween decor popping up, apples falling from trees along with leaves...fall has officially started to creep into Santa Ynez, and call me basic, but it's one of the best times of the year...is it not?!
One recent chilly morning, before my kids were stirring, I sat with a warm cup of coffee on my terrace, our dog cozying up against my slippered feet. It felt like I was welcoming the start of a new season, alongside a fresh morning, and it had me in my FEELS. So much so that I started making a list of moments that would give me a similar dopamine hit, and ones that I wanted to remember as the season got busier. I titled my notes 'My Fall Dopamine List' and something about those words, vs. a fall bucket list or a laundry list of things I felt like I *needed* to do this season, made me feel really good. And I wanted to share it with you!
My Fall Dopamine List
Take a nap on a rainy day.
Spend lots of time making warm meals like soups, roasting vegetables, etc.
Long walks in nature without podcasts or music, and instead leaves crunching under my feet.
Have a "spooky" movie afternoon with the kids, cuddle up on the couch together, and order takeout so all can enjoy a snuggly night.
Trace leaves and work them into art projects.
Teach the girls how to make a new apple recipe, one we can make extras of and drop off to neighbors.
Wear my husband's barn jackets.
Go through our closets, little by little, and donate to those in need of extra layers this season.
Taste test new coffee beans with my husband, and choose our favorite during early morning dates - extra dopamine points for sunlight first thing in the morning.
Explore a new trail or hike nearby, collecting fallen flowers and leaves to make 'nature soup' with my girls.
Take a night walk to see Halloween decorations in the evening.
Social media breaks on the weekends.
Spend a bundled up morning outside, harvesting new seasonal vegetables and of course some pumpkins! Then carve said pumpkins and bake the seeds.
Make a gratitude list at dinners with my family.
What gives you a quick dopamine hit? Anything to add to the list for fall?
10 SUNDAY READS & THINGS:
1. 20-Somethings Learn to Love Their Corporate Jobs. “It really is a soft life,” says one young corporate worker. “I’ve definitely noticed a cultural shift back to the idea that corporate is a good place to be.”
2. What Does Toteme Clothing Have That Other Minimalist Brands Don't?
3. Cassandra Grey Has Bought Back Violet Grey - beauty girlies rejoice!
4. The next season of American Love Story is focusing on John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette - can’t wait.
5. Enjoyed this read on how to build a village.
6. Inflation is cooling. The Federal Reserve cut interest rates on Wednesday by half a percentage point.
7. Pasta Grannies sparks joy.
8. This VICTORIA BECKHAM x AUGUSTINUS BADER concealer looks promising.
9. I’m very much crushing on this dress from the latest fall DÔEN drop.
10. I’ve been cooking my way through Ina’s roasted chicken recipes - like this ones and this one - and it’s a new lease on family dinner! I prep the chicken in gloves and use a thermometer to be 100% sure it’s fully cooked.
Love this!! You're inspiring me to make my own list! x
Hi Geri!
I recently joined your paid subscribers. I find myself in a moment of transition in my life (that stagnant feeling), and your writing really gives me food for thought and inspires me to pursue new endeavours that feel more aligned with my interests and needs.
I am definitely enjoying the shifts in nature this fall (Switzerland is magic at this time of the year), and we're trying to go on a hike each weekend with our 14 month old daugther in the backpack! Movement and family time immersed in nature makes me feel like I am where I need to be.
This fall I also look forward to :
- enjoy a fondue in one of the Alpine mini-restaurants nearby that are only open from late spring to early fall (so cliché hehe)
- eat the traditional roasted chestnuts that we have as a full meal here, along with really good cheese, freshly picked grapes, apple, and local white wine
- harvest wild mushrooms
- hike through the very unique larch forest near my hometown that turns golden in the fall.