It’s official, it’s the spooky season! Although we’ve now waved goodbye to the summer season for another year, we’re embracing the crisp air, hearty home-cooked meals and cosy nights with open arms. And don’t worry, autumn still gives us days filled with sunshine here or there - just minus the warm part.
Contrary to popular belief, there’s more to autumn than pumpkin spiced lattes (although we’ll take one any day of the week!). We’re here to let you in on some of the fun things you can get up to this season.
Read on to find out how to make the most out of autumn this year…
Decorate your home to suit the season
We’re starting with the best one, of course! Not that you need an excuse to give your home a little revamp… but autumnal colours are just beautiful. And wouldn’t it be such a shame not to incorporate them into your interior decor this season?
Autumnal colours hold so much variety and they’re the quickest way to add a little warmth and cosiness to your home. Think warm oranges, olive greens, emerald greens, chestnut browns, deep reds, and so on. For a little inspiration, we’ve included some beautiful examples below:
Sara Chenille Lined Eyelet Curtains
Another winner, our Sara Chenille Eyelet Curtains will add a sense of luxury and elegance to any room.
Also available in a stunning fern shade, the Sara Chenille Lined Eyelet Curtains are a high-quality addition, also featuring a soft handle and soft lustre shine. If you’re looking for effortlessly stunning curtains, you can’t go wrong with this pair.
And, just like some of our other collections, there are also ultra-soft and smooth cushions available to purchase here at the Mill Shop that match perfectly!
Venice Metallic Filled Textured Cushion
Emily Velour Interlined & Blackout Curtains
We couldn’t not include our stunning Emily Velour Interlined & Blackout Curtains in this article, and it’s not hard to see why.
These curtains are of exceptional quality, featuring a beautiful soft matte velour, accompanied by a metallic gold print. They’re also thermal - perfect for keeping the heat in on those cold nights.
Spend more time outdoors
Autumn is that really nice “in-between” season. The air is fresher, but the days are still full of sunshine.
This is the peak season for walking and hiking, so if that sounds like something you could get on board with - try a quick Google search of the best trails near you. Alternatively, take a trip down to your local park.
Autumn brings out so much natural beauty to our environment. We get to watch the leaves fall around us and turn into a bright orange - it would be a shame to miss it and spend the majority of the time indoors, don’t you think?
Plus, when we get into the winter season, things will look a little less scenic for a while (unless it’s snowing) and that nice fresh autumn air turns to bitter cold. So spend time outdoors whilst you can - your dog will thank you for it!
Visit a pumpkin patch
Nothing quite says autumn like visiting a pumpkin patch. Of course, you could take a trip down to your local supermarket and pick up pumpkins. But where’s the fun in that?
If you go for shop-bought pumpkins, there will likely be no uniqueness! Pumpkins from a patch tend to come in a variety of shapes, colours, and sizes, with a few rare finds here or there. There’s also usually some sort of Halloween activity going on as well, so the kids will love the experience.
Now that we’re into October, there are plenty of incredible seasonal pumpkin farms now open in the UK. They tend to close at the end of the month - so make sure you get your tickets soon!
Get creative with pumpkin carving and painting
Now that you’ve picked up the goods - it’s time to get creative! Pumpkin carving and/or painting is such a memorable part of Halloween, and it’s such a great time. And once you’re all done, you can set them outside as part of your spooky decorations.
The best part about pumpkin carving and/or painting is that you can literally do whatever design you want. Granted, things can get a little messy. But it’s a really wholesome way of getting loved ones together and interacting with one another - you could even do a competition to see who comes up with the best design!
Enjoy seasonal cooking
If you’re a foodie, you’ll know that autumn is one of the best months for seasonal dining.
Eating with the seasons comes with a variety of benefits. It’ll save you money, food will taste better because it’s in season and your food will contain fewer chemicals. This is because the food we eat out of season will need preservatives to keep it edible - whereas seasonal food is harvested much closer to the time we plan on eating it.
Eating with the seasons is also a great way to support the local community. You’ll have a great time visiting your nearest farmers market - and you’d be surprised at how much choice there is at those things.
Autumn is fantastic for seasonal food because there’s just so much on offer! You’ve got wild mushrooms, pumpkin (obviously), squash, apples, cabbage, beetroot, potatoes, carrots... we could go on but we’d be here all day.
Of course, it’s soup season. But autumn provides the staples of all hearty favourites - and nothing is stopping you from getting creative in the kitchen. Why not try whipping up a roast cauliflower and kale carbonara? Oh, and we promise - there’s nothing that beats a homemade pumpkin pie.
Halloween food
Who said Halloween parties were just for kids? Well, if you have kids - just pretend it’s for them! Any excuse to have a get-together with loved ones is okay in our book.
See below for a few crowd-pleasers that we recommend finding the recipes for. Don’t be put off by the names, we promise that all of them are delicious!
- Eyeball pops.
- Candy apples.
- Finger hotdogs.
- Pumpkin spice scones.
- Frozen banana ghosts.
- Maggoty apples.
- 3-ingredient ghost cookies.
- Worm-infested jello.
Throw a spooky movie night
Autumn is the best time for new movies, and of course, appreciating the classics. Who doesn’t love Hocus Pocus?
Throwing a spooky movie night means you can enjoy all of that Halloween food mentioned earlier, and it’s a great way to spend time with loved ones. Set up your movie of choice, have your nibbles at the ready, and grab your cosiest blanket.
Take advantage of the little pleasures that come with autumn
There are few simple pleasures you could indulge in this season, and we thought we’d share a few that we think are worth savouring:
- Enjoy seasonal drinks such as the classic pumpkin spice latte. There’s also nothing wrong with hot chocolates that are 70% marshmallow!
- Stock up on all the autumn-scented candles. Popular picks tend to be woodland, pumpkin and cinnamon, or fig and clove together. Trust us, you won’t regret it.
- Bubble baths, fuzzy socks, and if you have a working fireplace - now is the time to start using it!
- Invest in some new outdoor clothing that you love. Hats, scarves, wellies, and gloves. They’ll see you through the winter too.
- Even if you don’t have kids, throw a Halloween party this year. It’s safe to say that we’ve missed out on making more than a few memories over the past couple of years - and everyone loves an excuse to get dressed up!
We hope that you’ve enjoyed discovering some of the fun activities you can immerse yourself in this season. At the Mill Shop, we offer an extensive range of soft furnishings that suit the autumnal theme - so if you loved the colours in this article - there’s plenty more where that came from! Explore the rest of our website now for more.
Get cosy this autumn with our luxuriously soft throws & Rugs