Embrace Fall With These Tips

In recent years, it seems to have become fashionable to love Fall. You only have to log into Instagram to see picture after picture of everyone getting ready for going back to school,  of everyone getting pumpkin spice lattes, crunchy leaves and various other Autumnal aesthetics. Is it a new thing, or was everyone all over the world already in love with the season and can now share it with everyone else via the many social media outlets? Whatever it is, Fall is a big deal now, and when you look out of the window, it is not hard to see why.

This time of year there is usually a slight chill in the air, even on the sunniest of days, but it is not yet so cold that all anyone wants to do is hibernate under a duvet with a hot drink. On clear sunny days, the sky is a bright blue, and when the weather isn't so good, it is a murky and atmospheric grey. Whatever the colour of the sky, the world is lit up with flashes of red, yellow and orange leaves on the trees all over the ground that just beg to run through. It is hard not to feel cheerful when such bright and vibrant colours surround you!

If you need further persuasion or are looking for some fun ways to embrace Fall this year, read on!

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Dig all the Fall flavors

Fall is all about the rich, deep flavours. It is pretty hard to walk down the street without being bombarded with everything pumpkin spice, but it is so much more than that. Spend some time baking a pie - maybe using this apple pie recipe - and eat with thick, warm custard for a warming dessert. Pick up bags of candy corn and enjoy the sweetness or try salted caramel for a luxurious, oozy treat. Another warning winter drink if you want to avoid the cliches is some hot milk with the warming flavour of cinnamon or ginger added - perfect for fighting off germs and colds as well! 

Get out of the house

As we said above, Fall is all about the bright colours and crisp sunshine. Make the most of these by wrapping up warm and going for a long walk in the park - that pumpkin spice latte or hot cocoa will taste even better afterwards. Embrace your inner child and run through the piles of leaves on the sidewalk, or if it's raining, grab your gumboots and umbrella and splash in the puddles. Make the most of it before the long, dark days of winter make an appearance!

Spice up your home

Before we know it, Halloween will be upon us, so start digging out those spiderwebs and ghoulish decorations. If you are not quite ready to go all haunted house just yet, add some autumnal touches with some tastefully painted pumpkins on your porch, or some scented candles dotted on your mantlepiece. On your walk, pick up some pine cones and leave pop them in bowls for a subtle and unique centrepiece.

Snuggle up with a loved one

With the chill in the air and the nights beginning to draw in, Fall is the perfect time to snuggle up and get cosy with a loved one. Whether it's your kids, your husband or even your dog - grab those fluffy blankets, draw the curtains, light the fire, grab some popcorn and chill out in front of a movie. It is all about the Hygge!

Dig out the Autumn clothes

One of the best things about Fall is the fashion. Deep, rich colours such as plum, burgundy and navy start creeping back into the shops and into our wardrobes, along with comfortable boots, fluffy socks and snuggly sweaters. We don't have to worry about shaving our legs or painting our toenails any more - hurrah for that! 

Start a new tradition

We tend to think of Christmas as a time to start new traditions, but there is no reason why you can't begin some in Fall. Maybe you could visit a pumpkin patch with the kids for an annual photoshoot, or spend the day baking cookies. Whatever you choose to do, aim to do it every year and build it into your family traditions. Your kids will love thinking back to it in years to come!

Minimizing the Cost of Gifting Over the Upcoming Months

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Sure, it may only be September, so many of us would argue that it’s way too early to start thinking about the festive period. But anyone with a host of people to buy for will be familiar with the stress and cost of buying gifts for Christmas throughout December. Seeing as the majority of people leave buying presents until the last minute, you can find yourself forking out more to get what you want for the big day. But not to worry. There are a few different ways to save money and minimise the costs of what can be a relatively expensive period. Here are just a few steps to achieve this!

Coming Up With Ideas

First, create a list of all of the items that you want to buy for your loved ones. This means that you know exactly what you need to pick up, and can prevent you from purchasing unnecessary bits and bobs. So many people waste huge sums of money getting little items that they really don’t need to. Whether you intend to buy a toiletry bag, an e-reader, perfume, or luxury skincare products, note them down. Creating a list minimizes unnecessary spending and also means that you can keep an eye out for good offers on individual items.

Start Shopping Early

High demand items tend to completely sell out over the festive period. This means that you have to resort to purchasing goods from third party resellers with significantly higher costs. If you start shopping early, you can bag items for their original price, saving yourself stress and extra cash down the line. As well as saving cash, starting early also frees up your time, giving you more time to enjoy the festive period yourself rather than rushing around shops.

Make the Most of Black Friday

Black Friday falls on the 23rd November every year. It started as a trend in the United States, as it falls on the day after Thanksgiving celebrations, but now it is engaged with around the world. Essentially, it is a day when retailers host huge sales, cutting the prices of their stock in order to draw as many customers in as possible during a period when there is generally a slump in sales. Make the most of this day when it comes to buying gifts. You may have to store them away for around a month before you can hand them to their recipients, but you might as well grab them while they have a low costs, rather than waiting a couple more weeks and paying double the price or even more.

These are just a few ideas that can help you to minimize spending over the upcoming season. Sure, some people would argue that starting plans this early is over the top. However, just think of all of the money that you could save! This could be used for extra treats to make the holiday season particularly memorable, such as meals out, ice skating, attending Christmas markets, and much more. Alternatively, you could save your extra cash for the January sale season.

Making Christmas Special When You Are Apart

The Christmas holidays are well and truly on the way, which means that now is the time to start getting excited about the upcoming festivities. Of course, if this year you aren’t spending Christmas with all of your loved ones, it can be somewhat difficult to get into the festive spirit. It’s hard when you aren’t able to be with your loved ones at Christmas, especially as the festive season is so family-focused.

Although it can be hard being away from your loved ones at Christmas, if this year you can’t all be together, try not to let it get you down. Instead, focus on finding little ways to make Christmas special without being together. To give you a helping hand, below are some tips and ideas for creative ways that you can make Christmas special even if you aren’t spending it with your whole family like usual.

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Keep up traditions

Does your family have its own special traditions? Whatever these traditions are, do your best to keep them up. Just because you aren’t all together, that doesn’t mean that you can’t still do the traditions that make Christmas for your family. Whether it’s eating pancakes for breakfast, opening presents at midnight on Christmas Eve, or dancing around to that one special song, don’t miss out those little traditions. Remember, it is the traditions that make it feel like Christmas, so skipping them is a big no-no.

Send gifts

Just because you are going to be apart, that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t give each other gifts. Arrange to send gifts to your family and them to you, so that even though you aren’t together, you still have gifts to open on Christmas morning. When it comes to shipping gifts, particularly larger than average gifts, finding the right shipping service is vital - find a man and van service instead of using conventional shipping companies and you could save yourself a fortune. Christmas is expensive enough, without a huge bill for shipping all those lovingly picked out gifts. By sending gifts to your loved ones, even though you won't be together, you can ensure that the day is still special for everyone.

Utilize technology

Thank goodness for technology. Despite the fact that you aren’t going to be with your family this Christmas, you can still ‘see’ them on the day, it’s just a case of utilising technology, such as FaceTime, so that you can chat face to face. Why not organise to all open your presents at the same time on FaceTime? That way, even though you aren’t all together, you can still share the magic and fun that comes with present opening.

It isn’t always easy to make Christmas special when you know that you won’t be with all of your loved ones, but if you take note of the ideas above, you can make it a day worth celebrating. Christmas is about family, which is why finding little ways to include your family in your day even though you are going to be apart, is so important.

What Goes Into the Perfect Christmas Gift?

Are you tired of buying boxes of chocolates or bottles of wine for friends as Christmas presents? Do you want to take gifting to the next level and get them something that will truly wow them? Then you’ve come to the right place. In this brief article, we’re going to go through some golden rules of gifting so that you can come up with the perfect gifts time and time again. No matter who your recipient is or how long you’ve known them, this guide will teach you how to pick the right gift.

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Determine who it’s for

First, pick your target. Is your recipient a close friend? Is it a co-worker? Or perhaps it’s your significant other? It’s important to determine who your present is for because everyone is going to need different levels of attention, and everyone has different interests that you need to appeal to.

Stalk your target

Next, gather information. If it’s someone that you know well, then asking them some subtle questions about their interests should be easy. However, if it’s someone that you’ve only just met, then it suddenly becomes a little harder and you’ll need to stalk them a little to get some information. Ask mutual friends, look at their social media profiles or converse with them without appearing awkward or revealing your true intentions.

Look for inspiration

Let’s assume that you’ve discovered that your target has an interest in video games. How do you pick a gift with that as a theme? Well, you could always check out inspiration websites such as GiftBeta here, or you could ask friends that share common interests with your recipient. Just make sure you do a bit of research before getting a present with a theme that you have no idea about.

Store-bought or DIY?

Decide if you want your gift to be store-bought or DIY. Store-bought gifts are often less hassle, but a DIY gift can be more meaningful and a bit cheaper as well. Just keep in mind that making your own gift can be time-consuming, especially if you’ve no idea how to even begin.

Add a bit of personalization

Whether you buy a gift or make one, make sure you add a bit of personalization to it. This can be as simple as gift-wrapping it with a handwritten message, or you could take it to the next level and gift your recipient a shirt or something with a customised message.

It doesn’t have to be physical

Gifts don’t always have to be physical. You could always purchase something digital like a gift card for an online store or a digital copy of a music CD instead of giving a physical gift. It usually works out to be cheaper and it’s perfect for friends that live far away from you.

Final words

If you follow all of these tips, you’ll no doubt have some fantastic ideas on what you could gift your recipient. Research is the most important step, and with Christmas coming in a little over two months, you should have plenty of time to pick the perfect Christmas gift.