...autumn equinox

Here comes Autumn Equinox, riding in on the back of a belated heatwave here in England. When did the seasons become so dysfunctional?

No matter! Come rain or shine, I'm diving determinedly into my Autumn activities with extra enthusiasm this year. I feel like the festivities that Autumn and Winter bring are being greeted with even more fervour this year since Spring and Summer were unpredictable and a little bit of a write off due to the pandemic. Everyone wants to escape into some festive fun and remove the pressure of planning activities in the sun to fill long summer days. Now we have a good excuse to stay indoors and watch cosy films, or sit in our gardens drinking apple cider and melting marshmallows around a firepit.

Let the good times roll!

I've got a seasonal checklist that sees me thought till Christmas every year:

🍁 unpack jumpers and keep them on standby 

🍁 swap out your Spring/Summer décor with warmer tones for Autumn/Winter

🍁 collect conkers, pine cones and autumn leaves to wax and display around the house

🍁 drink pumpkin spiced lattes at every opportunity

🍁 visit a pumpkin patch or a pick your own farm

🍁 put pumpkins EVERYWHERE!

🍁 bake seasonal muffins - apple and cinnamon are my personal favourite

🍁 decorate the front of the house for Halloween

🍁 keep sweet treats everywhere

🍁 make a Halloween playlist

🍁 DIY a Halloween costume

🍁 bust out the festive films: Hocus Pocus, Corpse Bride, Labyrinth, Monster House, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Coraline, Beetle Juice, Edward Scissor Hands, Halloween Town, The House With A Clock In It's Walls

🍁 stock up on hot chocolates and marshmallows

🍁 scatter snuggly blankets on beds and sofas

🍁 make pumpkin soup

🍁 buy autumn candles - and sometimes pre-emptive Christmas candles too

🍁 go on picturesque walks and appreciate the beauty of the leaves changing

🍁 make the most of the rainy days for cosy reading time

🍁 read spooky books (follow me on Instagram for sneak peeks at my October reads!)

I'm sure there will be an abundance of such blogs available to read as Autumn Equinox approaches, but this time of year I really am living my best life.

I've always been incredibly inspired by the seasons, and I think it's evident in my writing as it transitions with me throughout the year. I fully expect the Autumn months to shed a layer of dust from me and bring new colour to my writing and also my writing habits.

In a few months time, November will bring us National Writing Month, and although I've never officially taken part in NaNoWriMo (an annual internet-based writing project), I am very motivated by the concept of it. My work load is a little lighter this year than it normally is, so maybe this year will be the year I commit. We'll see what November brings!

I hope you're all as excited for Autumn as I am. I know it sounds as though I'm wishing the year away, but I promise I relish and savour the second half of the year enough to make it count. Let me know if your Autumn check list resembles mine, and if you'd add anything!

There's undoubtedly going to be some autumn content both in this blog and on my socials, so make sure you're following me @zuzuspages on Instagram Facebook Twitter Pinterest

Zuzu 🖋