Fall: More Than Just a Costume & Candy

It's October, and that means it's officially the holiday season! In an attempt to hide my exhausting enthusiasm for Christmas (there will be plenty of time for that later), let's chat about my second favorite holiday: Halloween, which is perhaps even more perfect than any other holiday because it occurs in fall, or autumn, if you're feeling ~fancy~. Crunchy, multi-colored leaves, pumpkin-flavored everything, children in costumes -or, better yet, dogs in costumes- football...I mean, what's not to love about fall?!

Like any self-respecting Halloween addict, I've already got my costume picked out, and my friend has agreed to let me dress up her skinny dog as a goat (Annyong, you're gonna look so cute!) Let me know if you find a little stuffed-Quasimodo, because I'm gonna wanna carry that little adorable thing around with me to really drive this costume home.

What's even better about this season though, is that as you get older, there are MORE things to do! When you're a kid, it's all about having a cool costume and competing with your siblings to see who can finagle their way into the most candy while trick-or-treating (Sugar highs! Cavities! YEAH!). You probably didn't give a rat's ass about fall as a season, except when the orange Oreos came out and admit it- you thought they were going to taste differently.

Empty promises, Nabisco.

To celebrate this wonderful season as an adult, I've compiled a list of 5 things I want to do/have already done this season that don't revolve around trick-or-treating:

1. Visit an apple orchard/pumpkin patch. Apple cider, donuts, and getting to pick out your own soon-to-be jack-o-lantern, all while enjoying the crisp fall air?! Count me in.

2. Try out new ciders (or better yet, Chicago's first cider bar). Apple, peach, pear- fall is better when you've got something fruity and alcoholic in your hand.

3. Roll up those sleeves, slap on that apron you forgot you had, and make your own pumpkin bread, like the Betty Crocker you were born to be.
Though I'm not much of a cook, I can attest that when it comes to baking, I can make some pretty delectable sweet treats.

4. Visit a haunted house- willingly or unwillingly. I'll be the first to admit that I'm a straight up scaredy-cat. In the Rugrats of life, I'm Chuckie, always saying "Guysssss, I don't think that's such a good idea!!! Can we go home now???" But screaming your brains out and digging your terrified little fingernails into your best friend's arm while wandering through a perfectly timed nightmare is a right of passage. Plus, once you make it through, you'll feel like a total badass.

5. Re-watch some of your favorite Halloween movies, but specifically Hocus Pocus. Because long before Beyonce taught us how to be flawless, the Sanderson sisters taught us how to be wickedly fierce.

I woke up (from the dead) like this!

  
What are you planning to do this fall??? Let me know in the comments!