The temperature has dropped, days are getting shorter and the leaves are changing colour - it can only mean thing: autumn has arrived. I love the turn of summer to autumn - for me it feels like the start of a New Year.  As the evenings become darker and the air begins to cool, just the smell and feel of the changing season is enough to catapult me back to those first few days of a new school year.

Remember that back to school feeling? This year, more than ever I have the felt the change of season. I've just returned back to work after maternity leave, Sophia started nursery (definitely no easier second time round) and Isabella has just started school.  So we've definitely had the 'back to school' feeling in our house.

Autumn is a season celebrated for its relationships with harvest and cosiness. But it's also an ending: from now, the nights are longer than the days, and they'll keep going that way until the Winter solstice on 21 December. 

A time for Harvest

We’ve had a lot of fun this year harvesting plums from the plum tree in our garden and foraging blackberries, sloes and apples from our village - making jams and gins for Christmas presents and stewing fruit for cosy crumbles. So whilst I miss the longer days and shorter nights - I love the beautiful low light, getting my cosy knitted jumpers out and taking fresh walks in the autumn sunshine.

Fresh Start

I also use this time of year to have a bit of a re-set. It feels so much more natural to do this in September than in January when it's cold wet and grey. I have a clear out and tidy up in the house, put the garden to bed , get the cosy knitwear and throws back out and set some new intentions for the season. I focus on just 3 things so I don’t become overwhelmed and I make sure they’re realistic  - I have also learned not to attach any expectations around a perfect outcome.

Comfort food

It’s also the time of year ripe for colds and bugs to start going around. So now is the time to snuggle down with plenty of cooked root vegetables and plenty of spice for flavour and warmth and replace raw salads with warming soups and stews. Stewed seasonal fruit like apples and pears are a great option for a light breakfast too.

Are you looking forward to a fresh start this September? I’d love to hear what your intentions are for the new season and what you enjoy about the change in seasons.